As always thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Also thanks to HaywireEagle for coming up with a better acronym. SAS is now SASS (Sentients Against Slaving Scum). Sorry for the delay, but you get another extra long chapter. This chapter was supposed to be less than 5,000 words, but I got carried away in the second section.
Interlude VII – Obi-Wan
A Month Later
Obi-Wan headed to the Council Chamber for what would probably be another mission assignment much to his Padawan's consternation. Over the years, Anakin had done well. He had progressed remarkably through his training and had a small group of friends that liked to get in a little too much trouble for Obi-Wan's liking. Obi-Wan suspected that they were the ones responsible for reprograming all of the Temple's protocol droids to only speak Bocce two weeks ago, but since it had been a rather harmless prank that had raised the younglings' spirts before their Initiate Trials, Obi-Wan and the Council had decided to let it slide.
Obi-Wan would never admit it to anyone at the Temple, but Percy and Annabeth had been a huge help during those first few years. Even after the training bond had properly formed, Obi-Wan still had trouble understanding why Anakin responded how he did, why his Padawan would get frustrated at things that seemed simple, obvious, and natural to Obi-Wan. Fortunately, Percy always seemed to understand Anakin, and Annabeth could translate Percy speech, which could be rather confusing at times, while also understanding Obi-Wan and the Jedi's point-of-view. So, between the two of them, Obi-Wan was able to cope with some of Anakin's more puzzling behavior.
Despite his success, Anakin still struggled with patience, and therefore, had been hounding Obi-Wan to go on a mission ever since he turned twelve. Maybe, if this was a simple mission and Yoda approved, he would take Anakin on this one, or he could just wait another year. He was still so young.
Obi-Wan paused before the door to the Council chamber. Although he had been doing it for over three years now, he still felt nervous addressing the Council on his own without the comforting presence of his Master by his side, but he released the feeling into the Force and walked through the door. After the traditional greetings, Master Yoda got straight to the point, "A mission, we have for you."
"We have received reports of vigilantes stirring up trouble in the Tharin sector," Master Windu stated. "They seem to be targeting exclusively slavers, but vigilantes taking justice into their own hands is a dangerous transgression that often causes more harm than good. The two leaders appear to wear strange Mandalorian helmets, and one of them allegedly uses a lightsaber."
Obi-Wan frowned, "Surely no Mandalorian would use a lightsaber?"
"That is why we would like you to investigate Knight Kenobi," Master Billaba replied. "We need you to determine the identity of these vigilantes and their intentions and recover the lightsaber if possible before a hunter from one of the crime syndicates they have stolen slaves from reaches them first."
"A lightsaber is an extremely dangerous weapon, and we do not wish it to fall into the wrong hands." Master Mundi added as if Obi-Wan needed a reminder. Even if it was difficult for non-Force sensitives to use a lightsaber properly, it could still do a lot of damage.
However, his words did give Obi-Wan a sinking suspicion. Hopefully, he was wrong, "Masters, do you know what color the lightsaber is?"
Master Windu gave him a quizzical look before replying, "I believe the report stated that it is green."
Obi-Wan stifled a grimace. He had never exactly informed the Council of what had actually become of Qui-Gon's lightsaber. After they had barely accepted Qui-Gon's dying request for him to train Anakin thanks to the coercion from Percy and Annabeth, he had not wanted to push the Council's good graces. As the years passed, he half-hoped that he would never have to inform the Council of his Master's other request. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it would be better to find out now than after a long journey through space. "I have a theory, but I need to contact Percy first."
The Council members' surprise swept through the Force. After a moment of consideration, Master Windu nodded his head in approval. Obi-Wan bowed and turned to leave, but Windu stopped him, "If you would please just contact Jackson now, it will save us all time."
The Council knew about Obi-Wan's wrist comm. Most of the Council seemed grateful that Obi-Wan had an immediate connection to Percy, partially because it saved the Council members from dealing with the demigod directly since the Council always seemed to bring out the worst of his friend's impertinence, but also because Percy had been surprisingly helpful as well. Percy's information had saved Kit from walking into the Sith's trap on Nar Shaddaa all those years ago and had later helped the Jedi find the remains of a Sith hideout on Mustafar. By the time they got there it was abandoned, but not for too long based the Dark Side lingering in the area.
Obi-Wan just hoped that his suspicion was wrong and that Percy wouldn't say anything too embarrassing in front of the Council. He maximized the volume and activated the wristband, "Percy?"
The sound of several blasters going off and the unmistakable hum of a lightsaber filled the Council chamber. "Hey, Obi-Wan," his friend replied. "Now's–" Percy voice was interrupted by more blaster noises followed by the familiar sound of a lightsaber deflecting several bolts, "not the best time."
Obi-Wan winced as many of the Council members shot him disapproving looks though Yoda seemed amused of all things. Well, there was no hiding the lightsaber now. Although, Obi-Wan might as well make sure that Percy was indeed the vigilante and figure out what exactly his friend was doing. "I just have a quick question," but the sounds of combat drowned out Obi-Wan's voice, before he could ask it.
Once the blaster fire died down, Percy said, "Okay shoot." A blaster went off. Percy groaned, "I didn't mean you, Gaarchit." Obi-Wan heard an annoyed grunt from what could only be a Wookie. "Okay, okay, I'll watch my wording. Obi-Wan?"
"Are you in the Tharin sector?"
"Nope," Percy replied. Obi-Wan almost sighed in relief. Maybe, it really was a coincidence. "Now, shoot," Percy commanded as more fighting broke out, but it must not have been as intense because Percy kept talking. "We're in the Bright Jewel sector."
"No, we aren't," he heard Annabeth shout over the sound of blasters. "That was three days ago. We're in the Belsmuth sector now."
"Oh right," Percy muttered. "I can't keep all these sectors straight, but we were in the Tharin sector what was it? A week ago?"
"Just about," Annabeth agreed.
Suddenly, the sounds of celebration emanated through the comm, and the Wookie's roar echoed around the chamber. "Good job everyone," Percy congratulated. "Any injuries?"
There was some indistinct muttering that Obi-Wan couldn't discern. Then Annabeth's voice returned, "Okay guys you know what to do. Percy and I will go free our new friends from the hold. We'll let you know if we need anything."
Finally, it was relatively quiet on Percy's side of the link, "Obi-Wan, are you still there?"
"Yes, I am, and I'd like to know exactly what you are doing?" Obi-Wan asked using the stern, disapproving voice he reserved just for when Anakin did something he should not.
"Just traveling around the galaxy in a luxury spaceship and seeing the sites," Percy replied in a casual tone that by now Obi-Wan knew meant sarcasm and trouble. "And freeing slaves and catching slavers. Just your typical gap year."
Obi-Wan had no idea what a gap year was, but that was not important since it indeed seemed like Percy and Annabeth were the unknown vigilantes. "I hardly think there is anything typical with what you are doing. You have managed to attract the attention of several crime syndicates, and they have sent their best hunters to kill you."
"Guess they'll just have to wait in line with everyone else that wants to kill me," Percy flippantly replied. "Though it does explain why that guy shot at me for no reason in that tavern on Numidian Prime. Usually, people here only do that after they've experienced my charming personality."
"Percy," Obi-Wan's annoyance leaked through his voice, "This is not a laughing matter. Why did you not mention this imprudent mission the last time we talked?"
Before Percy could reply, Annabeth excitedly announced, "SASS 2 just liberated slaves from a Pyke ship in the Kessel sector."
Percy whooped, "That's great!"
"Percy, Annabeth?" Obi-Wan tried to regain his friends' attentions, "What is this about the Kessel sector when you are on the other side of the galaxy?"
"Some of the slaves we've freed wanted to help, so we were able to form a second crew with a ship commandeered from a slaver," Annabeth explained. Obi-Wan glanced at the Council as they shared looks of concern. No doubt one ship of vigilantes was bad enough. Two were most definitely worse.
"And we're sorry we didn't tell you about this sooner," Percy apologized, sounding surprisingly genuine. "We didn't want to compromise your loyalty or anything like that. According to the chancellor what we're doing isn't illegal. But, I had a feeling your Jedi buddies, like Master Window, wouldn't like it, so I figured it would be easier if I didn't put you in that situation."
Of course, Percy just had to use his preferred nickname for Windu right then. "Jackson," Master Windu called out in a dangerous tone that made Padawan's tremble, "You must stop. It is true that slavery is a dark blemish on our galaxy, but vigilantism is not the answer. Besides, I thought you were supposed to be focusing on Tatooine and not inciting every crime organization in the galaxy?"
"We're trying to disrupt the slave trade and limit the supply of new slaves before we go to Tatooine," Annabeth answered. "And if you had looked more closely at your reports, Masters, and not just focused on the fact that someone besides a Jedi is using a lightsaber, you might have realized that technically we aren't vigilantes since almost all the slavers we go after have Republic bounties on them. We even have an 80% success rate for bringing in our target alive which is higher than most bounty hunters."
The Council's collective irritation was palpable through the Force. While bounty hunting was technically legal in the Republic, most bounty hunters had a tendency to partake in illegal activities as well. None of the Masters would be happy that Annabeth and Percy had joined that particular profession even if they seemed to have Chancellor Palpatine's approval.
"And what about all of the innocents that will die when the syndicates retaliate?" Windu challenged. "Or do you not care about disrupting the peace?"
Annabeth laughed though it wasn't the one Obi-Wan had come to know over the years that Percy always seemed to coax out of her. This one was as cold and as sharp as a knife. "You have a strange definition of peace, Master. As for the crime syndicates, we carefully choose our targets, so that they do not know who we are or our allegiance. Because of a few well planted symbols, most of the syndicates are blaming each other right now and have started skirmishes among themselves. Adding another ship to our cause has only increased their confusion. While they might figure out our ruse eventually, the loss of revenue from their slave trade should leave them vulnerable. Perhaps with a little pressure from the Jedi Order on their other illegal activities, you could cripple the crime syndicates for good. Surely, that would make your peace a little more peaceful?"
The Council considered Annabeth's suggestion, but before anyone could reply, a primal roar came from Obi-Wan's comm. "Kriffin Kronos!" Percy exclaimed, "Who in their right mind would put that thing on a ship?"
"It's a Rancor," Annabeth replied with only a hitch in her voice conveying her alarm.
"How –" Percy started.
"Run," Annabeth finished his unanswered question, "and use attack plan Theta at the corner."
"It's been a nice chat, guys, but got to go," Percy quipped even as he undoubtedly sprinted for his life.
Once the comm deactivated, silence filled the chamber. Despite the dire situation his friends appeared to be in, Obi-Wan was not too worried. After listening to some of the stories Anakin had told him about Percy's earlier adventures, Obi-Wan knew they would be fine. He on the other hand might not be if the look Master Windu was giving him was anything to go by. "So, Knight Kenobi, would you care to inform the Council exactly how Jackson came to possess a green lightsaber?"
If it was possible, somewhere in the Force his Master was laughing. Even after his death, Qui-Gon still managed to annoy the Council.
18 Months Later
Sometimes Obi-Wan thought that the Force must dislike him. It was by far the simplest explanation for how he ended up in these ridiculous situations. At least his Padawan was a good deal safer back on their transport, probably still regurgitating the welcome feast. Unfortunately, sometimes being a Jedi ambassador meant eating foreign cuisine, and for the Trandoshans, live worms were considered a delicacy. It would have been rude and a great insult to the Speaker-Above-All to not eat them. Luckily, after thirteen years as an apprentice to Qui-Gon who preferred to take missions on the strangest planets, Obi-Wan's stomach had become accustomed to more exotic foods. Anakin had yet to develop that particular ability, but at least he was not trapped in a pit, surrounded by bones in a hidden fortress in the middle of a jungle.
How Obi-Wan ended up in this particular, ridiculous situation:
Technically, it was supposed to be a simple mission. The Speaker-Above-All, the Trandoshan's elected leader, had requested Jedi presence at the signing of the new treaty between Trandosha and Kashyyyk. It was meant to usher in a new age of peace and prosperity for the two rival worlds. The difficult negotiations had already taken place, and Obi-Wan's role was supposed to be purely symbolic. However, given the bitter history between the Trandoshans and Wookies the Jedi Council had sent him in case something went wrong. Already, Obi-Wan had earned a reputation as an excellent negotiator among his peers. Obi-Wan had brought Anakin along for this mission in the hopes that his Padawan would learn that not everything needed to be solved with a lightsaber.
Like many of Obi-Wan's missions, this one soon became much more complicated. Shortly before he and Anakin had arrived, someone had kidnapped the Speaker-Above-All's daughter leaving behind a message stating that the Trandoshan leader must abolish the treaty and resign if he ever wanted to see his daughter again. Of course, the Speaker-Above-All could not afford to let the Wookies or his political rivals know that anything was wrong, so the task fell to Obi-Wan and Anakin to discretely find the kidnapped daughter and safely return her before the signing ceremony in 32 hours.
The Speaker-Above-All suspected that an extremist Trandoshan faction was responsible. He just did not know the location of their hideout. Luckily, Obi-Wan followed a hunch and placed a tracking beacon on a suspicious individual's speeder after the welcome feast which led him and Anakin to a fortified fortress hidden in the jungle. Anakin did not even complain when Obi-Wan ordered him to stay in their well concealed transport and keep watch which was a testament to how terrible his headstrong Padawan must have felt, even more so than his constant retching. In fact, it was so bad that Obi-Wan could feel the nausea through their training bond and had to partially shield himself.
Leaving their ship, Obi-Wan cautiously scouted the fortress' perimeter. He counted ten Trandoshan guards at the main gate and at least another ten on the wall above, all with rather impressive weaponry. Obi-Wan might have been able to force his way through, but he would lose any advantage of surprise and stealth. Plus, there may have been even more guards on the inside. Fortunately, he found another entrance towards the back. It was a well-concealed door in the wall with only two guards hidden in the shadows. It would have been easy to overlook for anyone who was not a Jedi. Before he made his move toward the fortress, Obi-Wan contacted his Padawan and apprised him of the situation but warned him to stay put unless an emergency.
Using the thick tree trunks as cover, Obi-Wan crept to the wall then used the Force to loudly crack a branch from the opposite direction. "What was that? Could it be them?" one of the guards hissed.
"I shall investigate," the other volunteered. Evidently, these guards were not the most intelligent which should have made Obi-Wan's job easier, but it unsettled him that they were clearly expecting someone specific to break-in. Did they know that he and Anakin were coming for the hostage?
Pushing aside the uneasy feeling, Obi-Wan stepped in front of the remaining guard. With a wave of his hand and a suggestive tone baring the weight of the Force, Obi-Wan said, "You will open the door." The guard stiffened but then turned and obeyed the suggestion. "You will forget that I was ever here," Obi-Wan added, once again enhancing his voice with the Force as he stepped through the door and closed it behind him.
Obi-Wan found himself in a dark corridor with a dirt floor. He turned to the Force for guidance as he walked deeper into the fortress, but he was distracted by a sense of foreboding that whatever was happening here was much larger than the kidnapping of a government official's child. He tried to focus on what the Force was trying to warn him of and pinpoint the cause. Suddenly, the ground beneath Obi-Wan vanished, and he fell. Obi-Wan used the Force to soften his landing but berated himself for the mistake. He could practically hear his old Master chastising him, "Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs."
Which brought Obi-Wan to his current predicament, stuck in the bottom of some pit with a yellow ray shield now extending across the opening that he had fallen through over five meters above. The whole thing must have been a trap, and his senses told him he was not alone. There were several large creatures in the connecting tunnels, and they were not friendly if the large bones scattered around him were any indication.
He tried to comm Anakin, but his communication seemed to be cut off which might be for the best since his Padawan was probably still too indisposed for a rescue mission. Sighing, Obi-Wan considered his options. Either he could wait here for the Trandoshan guards to find him and hopefully take him to their leader, or he could take his chances in the tunnels with the unknown beasts.
"Master? What are you doing down there?" The familiar voice interrupted Obi-Wan's thoughts.
Obi-Wan was torn between relief and exasperation that his wayward Padawan had once again disobeyed his orders. It was difficult to tell with the ray shield between them, but Anakin still looked a little pale from the Trandoshan food although he seemed steadier on his feet than he had an hour ago. "It appears I uncovered a clever trap," Obi-Wan replied trying to hide his embarrassment. "What are you doing here, my Padawan? How did you get past the guards? And since you are here, I assume you are feeling better?"
It was only then that Obi-Wan realized how distressed his Padawan was, "I am feeling better. I was only sick once on the way over here. As for those two guards you mentioned, they weren't there. And before you start the lecture, Master, I was keeping watch as you asked. Not too long after you contacted me, I saw two Trade Federation droid transports. I don't think they spotted our ship, but they just went right up to the fortress. The guards even opened the gate for them. I tried to comm you, but all I got was interference. So, I came to warn you."
The news was most troubling indeed. If these Trandoshan extremist had somehow formed an alliance with the Trade Federation, then Obi-Wan's mission just got a whole lot more difficult. It also meant that Anakin had not completely disobeyed him. Obi-Wan would have preferred that his Padawan remain safe on their ship, but at the moment he was grateful because Anakin could help him get out of his current predicament. Just then animalistic shrieks came from the direction of the tunnels. "I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan muttered to himself. "Anakin, can you find the control panel for the ray shield and turn it off?"
"I'll try, but I don't see one," Anakin called back. He disappeared from view as he searched before reappearing. "It's not on any of the walls."
Obi-Wan considered the corridor above him and realized how he missed the ray shield to begin with. "What about the floor?"
"But it's dirt. There can't be a control panel on a dirt floor," Anakin replied with a frown.
"Just like there should not be a ray shield installed either," Obi-Wan pointed out. Although, something about this whole setup still seemed wrong, Obi-Wan just could not place it.
"Oh, I see, Master," Anakin ducked out of view for a second no doubt to confirm Obi-Wan's suspicions. "You're right. The floor's actually metal. It's just covered in dirt."
Another primal shriek came from the tunnel. This time it sounded closer. "Please, hurry Anakin. Something is coming, and I would really rather not find out what it is."
"I'm trying Master. Next time I rescue you, I'll remember to bring a broom."
With no one to witness it, Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. Was his Padawan always this snarky or was it something he had picked up during his brief time with Percy. Surely, he had not learned it from Obi-Wan. "Are you a Jedi Padawan trained in the Force or not?" He asked. "It is the same basic concept as a push, but instead of focusing on a single object, you focus on the dirt. It should be like a breeze on the ground." If he had been more mindful of the hallway then perhaps Obi-Wan could have moved the dirt himself even if he was several meters below his target. Then again, if he had been more mindful of his surroundings and not distracted by the disturbance in the Force then he would not be in this pit.
Obi-Wan felt Anakin mentally steady himself and reach for the Forces. It took several more seconds for Anakin to focus, but then he gathered the Force and released it as easily as breathing. It filled Obi-Wan with pride to witness Anakin's success though he was not sure how much was his doing. Anakin really was a natural when it came to channeling the Force.
"I did it!" Anakin exclaimed. "And I found the panel, Master."
Obi-Wan was about to praise his Padawan, but three creatures barreled into his pit from the tunnel with an ear-splitting screech. With just a glance, Obi-Wan instantly recognized the creatures as gundarks from his lessons in the Temple as a youngling. He had hoped he would never have to see one in person. One swept a four clawed hand at him, and he barely dodged it. Another jumped to the other side and swiped him with one of its red arms forcing Obi-Wan to roll to avoid being smacked. A glance up confirmed that the ray shield was off. Knowing this would probably be his best chance, Obi-Wan gathered the Force and leapt towards the opening above only to be smashed into the wall a second later. Before he could recover a gundark grabbed his leg and lifted him upside down.
Somewhere above him, he heard Anakin shout, "Master!"
As a Jedi, Obi-Wan did his best to find nonviolent solutions. However, he did not have many options dangling by his ankle surrounded by three extremely angry gundarks, so he ignited his lightsaber and slashed at the gundark's arm. The beast howled in pain and dropped Obi-Wan who managed to flip in the air and land gently on his feet in the middle of the pit with his lightsaber ready. But he was no longer alone.
His extremely reckless and brave Padawan was right there with him. Obi-Wan was not sure if he wanted to reprimand the boy or praise him. It would have been much easier if Obi-Wan only had to worry about getting himself out of this situation, but now, he had to make sure Anakin got out too. The glow from their two lightsabers highlighted Anakin's pale but determined face.
"Are those what I think they are?" Anakin asked nervously.
"Yes, I believe the Trandoshans keep them for hunting. Trust in the Force and your training, Padawan, and we will be fine," Obi-Wan said trying to convey confidence and surety to his tense Padawan. Then, the gundarks charged once again, but he and Anakin used their lightsabers to slash at the creatures forcing them to retreat a few steps and give the Jedi a respite.
Obi-Wan was about to tell Anakin to jump back to the hallway above, but then he heard the familiar hum from the ray shield. Once again, he was trapped in the pit this time with Anakin. "Master, the shield is on again!"
Before Obi-Wan could respond a voice above hissed, "Looks like our trap worked." With the gundarks still retreating, Obi-Wan glanced up and saw the two Trandoshan guards leaning over the opening.
"But Krik, I thought we were supposed to catch those hunters with the helmets?" the other asked. "These look like Jedi."
"That's why you leave the thinking up to me, Nak. Besides, what's the difference? It's still going to be fun watching the gundarks tare them apart, and the galaxy will be better off with two less meddling Jedi."
Another gundark shriek came from the tunnel, and two more gundarks hurtled into the pit as if they were running from something and crashed into the three that were backing away from the Jedi. "Master?" Anakin asked as the gundarks regrouped with their brethren.
"See, this is going to be good," Krik commented while his companion chuckled. "Bet you fifty credits the little one doesn't last three minutes."
Anakin tensed beside him, and Obi-Wan felt his building anger. "Keep your focus on what we need to do Padawan. We can address the uncivilized cowards later," Obi-Wan advised which got a smile out of Anakin. By this point, his Padawan knew that for Obi-Wan, being uncivilized was the pinnacle of insults. Anakin nodded determinedly, and together, they met the gundarks head on as Master and Padawan.
They struck three of the gundarks down, but more kept coming. Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from the tunnel and broke through Obi-Wan's battle trance, "We should have known that an unguarded tunnel leading directly into the super secure fortress was too good to be true. Of course, it just had to be crawling with four-armed monsters." No, that voice could not possibly belong to the man Obi-Wan thought.
Up above, he heard two thumps. Dreading what the uncivilized cowards might have decided to do, Obi-Wan glanced up after dispatching the nearest gundark. Instead of the Trandoshans, there was someone in a strange helmet looking down at him. At first glance, the helmet looked Mandalorian, but then Obi-Wan noticed that the nose guard was far too pronounced, and the viewplates were actually shaped like eyes instead of the blocky T-formation typically seen. Before Obi-Wan could see much else, another gundark came from the tunnel chased by the strangest group Obi-Wan had seen. There was a Wookie, a male Zabrak, a female Theelin-hybrid, a human male, and a little girl all heavily armed, but their leader wore a similar helmet to the mystery person standing above and wielded a green lightsaber in one hand and a glowing bronze sword in the other. There was only one person in the galaxy who that could be.
"Percy?" Anakin asked so shocked that he stumbled leaving his side exposed and forcing Obi-Wan to cover his Padawan before he could get slashed by the nearest gundark.
Percy skidded to a stop causing the Wookie to nearly crash into him, "Anakin? Obi-Wan? What are you doing here?"
The whole thing would have been comical if the gundark he had been chasing hadn't abruptly wheeled around and tried to tear Percy apart. Fortunately, Percy recovered quickly and dropped to his knees, slashing both of the gundark's legs with his weapons, followed by a fatal stab in the gundark's chest.
"Boys," another familiar voice came from above, "Let's save the reunion for when you aren't about to die." Annabeth always was the sensible one.
With the help of Percy and his group, they made short work of the remaining gundarks. Now that they were no longer in immediate danger, Obi-Wan turned to greet his friend, but his Padawan beat him to it. "Percy, you're here, fighting gundarks!"
Underneath his helmet, Percy chuckled, "Good to see you too, Ani. Man did you shoot up, and very impressive blade work too. I think your ready for that spar." Then, Percy turned to Obi-Wan, "What, no accusations about breaking our oath this time?"
Obi-Wan smiled despite the ridiculous situation and the fact that the Council would have a field day when they found out. Although he had talked to his friends on a somewhat regular basis, he had not actually seen them in several years. "Somehow, I do not think that even Annabeth could have predicted the strange set of circumstances that brought Anakin and I here, so perhaps this truly is the will of the Force. It is good to see you." He glanced up to where Annabeth was watching, "Both of you. Though, I cannot help but feel that my mission just got significantly more complicated." Obi-Wan noticed that the ray shield was once again off, probably thanks to Annabeth.
"We can exchange stories once we're in the control room," Annabeth stated, "but right now we're too exposed. The guards are due to come by in five minutes, so you guys should probably get out of that hole."
Using the Force, Obi-Wan leapt out of the pit, followed a few seconds later by Anakin. "Show-offs," Percy muttered rather dramatically before using an ascension cable with the rest of his group to get out the hole.
Anakin frowned, "Couldn't you have jumped out, Percy?"
Percy shrugged, "Probably, but I only do stuff like that when I have to, and this time I didn't have to."
With everyone finally out of that Force-forsaken pit, Annabeth and Percy dropped the two Trandoshan guards that had taunted Obi-Wan and Anakin into it, and the human male turned on the ray shield. "We need to cover it back up with the dirt," Annabeth turned to him. The helmet was a little unnerving since it covered her whole face. "I assume that was how you found it?"
Obi-Wan nodded trying to hide his embarrassment. "Here, allow me." He quickly used the Force to once again cover the ray shield.
Annabeth nodded her approval before turning her attention to the little girl. "All ready Lilla?"
"Yep," the girl responded cheerfully like she had not just been in a tunnel full of gundarks. In one move, the Wookie picked up Lilla and held her next to a grate high on the wall, probably some sort of air duct. Within seconds, the girl had the grate off and slid into the duct followed by a pack almost as large as the girl. The Wookie fondly ruffled the girl's hair before she placed the grate back on.
"You remember where you're going?" Annabeth asked.
Lilla sighed exasperatedly, "Of course, two lefts and a right."
"And if anything happens –"
"I'll let you know, and I'll stay hidden and get out," Lilla recited like she had heard it a hundred times before. "Now stop being a worry wart, and go take care of those guards. I'll see you at the door." And just like that the girl was gone.
Now, Obi-Wan still had no idea what was going on, but he could not believe that they had let a little girl go off on her own in a hostile setting. "Annabeth –" Obi-Wan started to say, but Annabeth cut him off.
"Not now, Obi-Wan. I don't know why you guys are here, but I suggest you come with the rest of the group to the control room, so we can get this all sorted out."
He glanced at Percy. Surely his extremely protective friend would not be okay with this, but Percy just shrugged halfheartedly as if to say in typical Percy jargon, "Just let it go, bro."
"Alright then, wait for my all clear," Annabeth ordered, "and Percy . . ." even with the helmets, Obi-Wan could feel the intensity behind their gazes.
"Will wait five extra minutes if you don't contact us on time before doing something stupid," Percy responded getting a chuckle from the rest of the group.
The Zabrak put his hand on Percy's shoulder, "Don't worry, Annabeth, we'll make sure he behaves until we meet up with you."
"Thanks, Vraxo." With that, Annabeth pulled out her special cap and somehow put it on, on top of her helmet, and vanished.
Keeping his voice low Obi-Wan whispered to Percy, "How are you going to communicate if they are blocking the comms? Anakin and I lost all communication as soon as I entered the fortress."
"Oh, our comms still work," Percy replied smugly, "They must have tried to interfere with the signal to prevent us from communicating, but these little things," he pointed to where his ear would be, "Annabeth made special, and no one's come up with a way to block them yet."
"Shhh," the Theelin insisted, so they waited in silence for one minute, then two.
After the third one, Percy whispered, "All right, they're in. Let's go." They headed deeper into the fortress, and Obi-Wan was surprised that the others seemed to know exactly where they were going despite the twists and turns of the corridors. At one point they passed two unconscious Trandoshans in binders which the Wookie and the Zabrak picked up.
They stopped in front of a door that immediately opened to reveal Annabeth and the girl Lilla with two more unconscious Trandoshans in a room full of monitors and control panels. As soon as the door closed behind them, Annabeth took off her helmet and stated, "We have a very big problem. The Trade Federation is here."
"We know," Obi-Wan told her, "Anakin saw two droid transports enter the fortress earlier tonight which we could have told you if you gave us the chance."
Annabeth waved away his reproach, "It didn't matter. Regardless of the Trade Federation this was the best place to talk, so why are you two here?"
As Obi-Wan explained his and Anakin's current mission, Annabeth started pacing which continued even after he had finished. Finally, she turned to the many monitors on the screen and sighed. "This isn't good." She glanced at Percy who had also taken off his helmet, "Usually, I'd say we pull out since we aren't prepared to deal with 200 battle droids right now. It'd be wiser to come up with another plan that accounts for these new developments. . ."
"But we need to help Obi-Wan and Anakin rescue the daughter," Percy argued back.
"I will admit that any assistance you could provide in this situation would be greatly appreciated," Obi-Wan added. "Why are you here anyways?"
"Oh, you know the normal," Percy said, "freeing slaves and capturing slavers. Slyssk is a nasty piece of work and led one of the biggest slaving operations in the galaxy, but we managed to pin him in a corner. He's got about 60 people trapped here that he was going to sell, so we're going to free them and capture Slyssk and as many of his crew as we can."
"He's smarter than I gave him credit for," Annabeth admitted. "He must have figured we would come for him, so he decided to ally himself with the Trade Federation. Probably some deal like they provide protection if he delivers Trandoshan support. Those large corporations seem to be gaining lots of support from planets disgruntled with the Republic. Maybe they're going to make a bid for power. Of course, Trandosha's current leader would never back the Trade Federation, so Slyssk kidnapped the daughter to force a change of leadership."
The room was silent as everyone took in what Annabeth had just said until Anakin spoke up, "Well, now that we know what's going on, what are we going to do about it?"
Annabeth looked at the monitors again, "Maybe we can stick to our original plan with a few modifications. Honestly, the hard part will be getting both the freed slaves and the daughter out." She pulled out that incredible datapad of hers and connected it to the control computer. With a few touches she had a hologram of the entire fortress including cameras, guard routes, air ducts, and droid locations. "This would be so much easier if we had another ship. As great as the Blackjack is, it's just not designed for near-surface combat. We need something more maneuverable."
"We've got an Eta-class shuttle in the jungle just two clicks east of the fortress," Anakin supplied.
Annabeth frowned, "While that would be more maneuverable, I was under the impression that the Jedi didn't use armed ships on diplomatic missions."
Percy looked shocked, "You don't have guns on your ships! Are you guys crazy?"
"We are peacekeepers, Jackson. We do not need weapons," Obi-Wan replied stiffly, sensing another heated Jackson vs Jedi discussion.
"Oh, and lightsabers are just pretty decorations then?" Percy sarcastically replied.
Obi-Wan sighed. This was why the Jedi tried to prevent others from using lightsabers since non-Jedi did not understand their true purpose. Even if Qui-Gon's lightsaber had somehow bonded to Percy, he doubted the demigod appreciated the true value of a lightsaber as a Jedi did. "A lightsaber is not only a weapon but a shield for the defenseless and a symbol of hope for the hopeless."
"That's it," Annabeth exclaimed. "We don't actually need a ship with a gun we just need them to think that we do." She bit her lip as she weighed different options, her Force presence flaring brightly. "It would be dangerous, and we'd need a very skilled pilot." She glanced at Anakin and then Obi-Wan asking her question with a raised eyebrow.
"I could do it," Anakin immediately volunteered. "I have the best flying score in Temple history."
"I assume there would be another part to the plan besides having Anakin draw heavy fire in an unarmed ship?" Obi-Wan asked. "The shuttle's shields are good, but even they will not withstand that fire power for long no matter how good of a pilot Anakin is."
"Of course," Annabeth reassured him. "Gaarchit is an excellent shot, and he brought his very big blaster. If the landing ramp was partially open, he should be able to target the mounted canons while staying somewhat shielded. We would be making our own armored ship so to speak."
Anakin laughed, the thrill of the challenge shinning in his eyes, "Sounds like it will be fun!"
The Wookie also grunted enthusiastically which Obi-Wan was able to translate from his studies of Shyriiwook to be, "I like this one. He's as crazy as the rest of us." That was not exactly reassuring for Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan had noticed that the Wookie was carrying a rather large rotary blaster that could do considerable damage. He had definitely seen smaller weapons mounted on ships. That blaster should give Anakin a chance. It would still be dangerous but not impossible.
"By taking out those canons, we should be able to escape with the Speaker's daughter out the front door so to speak," Annabeth continued. "The freed slaves will escape through the tunnel as we originally planned. It will force the Trandoshans to choose who to chase after or split what is left of their forces. My guess is that they will try to recover the daughter instead of the freed slaves."
It was a good plan using both their mission objectives to confuse and disrupt the Trandoshans and therefore helping them achieve both goals. He just worried that Anakin might not be ready for this. The boy really was an excellent flyer, but this was not training sims. Anakin had not been in a fight like this since. . . well since the battle on Naboo. Sensing his reluctance, Anakin pleaded, "Please, Master. We could be freeing slaves and fulfilling our mandate. I can do this."
"Oh, very well," Obi-Wan finally agreed.
Anakin smiled brightly. "Awesome!" Percy exclaimed then held out his hand which Anakin immediately slapped with his. "Thanks Obi-Wan."
"Alright, now that we've got an exit strategy here's the rest of the plan," Annabeth explained. "Timing is going to be everything."
Obi-Wan was impressed. It really was a good plan even though Annabeth did the talking he recognized Percy's influence in some of the elements. While Anakin and Gaarchit went back to the shuttle, Lilla would use the air ducts to drop knockout gas in the Trandoshan barracks and then seal the door so that they would need lightsabers or some heavy explosives to get through. If everything went well, the local authorities would collect the thirty or so off-duty guards in the morning. As soon as Lilla confirmed that the knockout gas had worked, the other three in Annabeth and Percy's crew, Vraxo the Zabrak, Viva the Theelin hybrid, and the human Garo, would sneak into the artillery room which at the moment was not guarded at all since most of the droids and Trandoshan guards were currently guarding the slaves or Slyssk's suite where the daughter was being held or the main gate. They would set detonators and then hide in an unused room, closer to the slave quarters. Once the explosion went off, they would free the slaves while Obi-Wan, Percy, and Annabeth rescued the daughter and capture Slyssk. By that time Anakin and Gaarchit should be there to provide air support while the two groups used their respective exit strategies.
There was a lot of room for improvisation on how exactly he, Annabeth, and Percy would get out with Slyssk and the daughter. They could steal one of the Trandoshan transports or maybe get in the shuttle with Anakin and Gaarchit. Annabeth assured him there were several backup plans that he would hopefully never have to know.
Before everyone left Percy and Annabeth reached into a hidden pocket cleverly sewn into their tunics and each pulled out a small round piece. At Obi-Wan's confused look, Percy explained, "They go in your ear. It's how we stay in touch, plus a built-in translator."
"It's an earbud commlink!" Anakin exclaimed, looking at Annabeth impressed. "Most of the ones here aren't this small, and this one must have a wide range of transmission frequency for the Trandoshan communication block to not affect it."
Annabeth nodded, "Exactly, now if you would both take one then we'll all be able to communicate and be on the same page. After what happened in the Circarcpous sector, we all carry backup comms."
"What happened in the Circarcpous sector?" Anakin asked and glanced at Obi-Wan. "I haven't heard about that one yet." Obi-Wan had not either even though Percy and Annabeth often shared their adventures with him when they talked every few months, and he occasionally passed some of the stories on to Anakin.
Percy snorted, "That's because what happened in the Circarcpous sector, stays in the Circarcpous sector. Let's just say it wasn't our finest mission." That statement made the whole crew laugh.
Since Obi-Wan's group was the last to leave the control room, he was able to monitor the progress of the other groups on the cameras. So far, everything was going surprisingly well. The constant banter over the comms was equal parts annoying and entertaining, but mostly it showed the strong bond that had formed between the crew members. They were brothers and sisters in arms even little Lilla, and he was impressed by the loyalty and trust Annabeth and Percy inspired among their crew.
As soon as the boom squad, as Percy called them, successfully detonated their bombs, several alarms blared all over the fortress. An angry voice called out over the control room speakers. In one ear, Obi-Wan heard the harsh grunts, hisses, and growls of Dosh, but in the ear with his comm, he heard, "What is going on?"
Annabeth typed a few things on her datapad, and another voice speaking in Dosh responded, "Nothing to worry about Boss. Some idiot put the stun net too close to the detonite in the artillery room. There was a small explosion. It's being contained, but some more hands would help."
"I'll send Ramy and Gilas down. Was it that idiot Nak again?" asked the speaker who Obi-Wan assumed must by Slyssk.
"I think so, sir," Annabeth's programmed voice replied.
"I'll deal with him tomorrow." Slyssk ended the transmission.
Annabeth switched off the alarms in that section of the fortress before putting her helmet back on, "All right guys, let's go." Obi-Wan glanced at the monitors before they left. Most of the droids and Trandoshan guards had flocked to the armory leaving both their route and the others' route to the slave quarters practically unguarded.
In the hallway, Annabeth once again used her special cap to vanish from sight, and they hurried down several corridors and all the way up to the top floor before stopping below another grate. Percy held up the contracted form of his sword, "Here's Riptide. My guess is you'll have somewhere between one and two minutes before it comes back to me."
"That should be enough time for me to cut through the cage," Annabeth replied still invisible as she took the sword, and it too vanished. Then, Percy suddenly chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"I just thought how funny it would look for a Trandoshan to wear your Yankees cap. Seems a shame that no one will actually be able to see it."
Annabeth laughed too before she quickly muffled it. "I guess you will just have to use your imagination, Seaweed Brain. Now give me a lift."
"A kiss for luck?" Percy asked teasingly.
"You know I only kiss you if you stay alive," Annabeth replied.
Even though Obi-Wan could not see Percy's face behind the helmet, he could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "Seems like a good reason to not die then."
"Eww, no mushy talk over the comms," Garo complained good naturally in Obi-Wan's ear.
Percy ignored the comment and crouched low directly under the grate and cupped his hands to lift Annabeth up. A few seconds later the grate floated away and then returned as an invisible Annabeth slid into the vent leading to Slyssk's suite and replaced the grate behind her.
"So why could we not use that knock out gas Lilla used?" Obi-Wan quietly whispered to Percy as they waited for Annabeth's signal.
"Because we used our whole stash for the barracks," Percy answered. "And trust me you don't want to have to drag Slyssk anywhere." It was a fair point since Trandoshans were quite large and heavy. "Let's get in position."
They crept to a corner, just out of sight of the twenty battle droids standing guard at the door. "Okay, now," Annabeth's voice said over the comms.
Obi-Wan and Percy ignited their lightsabers and attacked the droids. They worked quickly. Obi-Wan was impressed with how well Percy was able to use his old Master's lightsaber, easily deflecting the bolts back at the droids and slashing through them with the precision of a Jedi Master. He certainly had been practicing. When only one droid remained, Percy waited for it to request back up before cutting it in half.
"Good work," Viva congratulated through the comms. "About fifty droids just left the slave quarters and are coming your way. Hope you can handle all of them."
"Be ready," Annabeth warned them, and the door to Slyssk's rooms whooshed open.
As soon as Obi-Wan saw Slyssk, he realized what Percy had meant. The slaver was the largest Trandoshan Obi-Wan had ever seen. Currently, he was frantically searching the room and shouting, "I know you're still here, brat. I can smell you," as he looked for his currently invisible hostage. Meanwhile, Annabeth was battling the Trandoshan, that Obi-Wan had followed to the fortress, Force pike vs a Trandoshan sword. Since he was the only other Trandoshan in the room, Obi-Wan assumed he must be Slyssk's personal guard. Annabeth was holding her own despite the extremely large size difference.
Although he could not see her, Obi-Wan also sensed the Speaker's very frightened daughter near the door. While Percy loudly confronted Slyssk, Obi-Wan quickly whispered, "I am Jedi Knight Kenobi. Your father sent me to rescue you. Since you are invisible, I am the only one in the room who will always know your exact location. Please stay close to me, so I can protect you from any stray blaster bolts and ensure you get back to your father safely."
Immediately, he felt the daughter relax as she whispered back, "I will and thank you, Knight Kenobi." This was why Obi-Wan could not imagine doing anything else. His very presence and the Jedi name were able to comfort this scared young one. He would do everything he could to ensure that her trust was not misplaced.
Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Percy just as the demigod wrapped up his obnoxious taunting which had served its purpose to distract Slyssk while Obi-Wan had made contact with the daughter, "Might as well surrender now, Slyssk, and come peacefully because you won't like what happens otherwise."
Slyssk laughed, "I have 60 guards and 200 droids at my disposal. You might have snuck in here, but you will never get out. This was all a trap for you slaver hunters for all the trouble you've caused for me and my friends."
"Oh, really and where are these guards now?" Percy asked as he stepped closer to Slyssk with his lightsaber raised. Slyssk glanced around and seemed to realize that despite all his guards he was very much alone at the moment. He quickly drew his blaster, but with an even faster lunge and slash, Percy destroyed the weapon and pointed the lightsaber at Slyssk's unprotected throat forcing the Trandoshan to back into the wall.
Slyssk should have been worried, but instead, he flashed a predatory smile, "Lower that weapon or my guard will kill your partner." Obi-Wan glanced in Annabeth's direction to see that the Trandoshan had Annabeth pinned against him using the shaft of her own Force pike. He was about to rush over and help her, but his friend managed to create just enough space to drive one end of the pike right into the Trandoshan's side. The Trandoshan crumbled to the ground, and Obi-Wan winced as he felt the life force drain from the guard.
"I don't think your guard will be killing anyone, anymore," Percy stated. "If you don't want to meet the same fate, I suggest you be a good little prisoner."
"You're Jedi. You wouldn't kill an unarmed man," Slyssk grinned slyly.
But Percy only snorted and said, "He's a Jedi," pointing with his free hand in Obi-Wan's direction. "We're not."
"Then you won't be able to stop this," Slyssk jeered.
The Force cried out in warning, and Obi-Wan shouted, "Watch out," as Slyssk threw a thermal detonator right at Percy and activated a secret panel in the wall behind him disappearing in a hidden lift.
Percy might not have been able to sense Slyssk intentions like a Jedi could, but his reflexes more than made up for it. He quickly dodged, and as Obi-Wan grabbed the Speaker's daughter to shelter her from the blast, hoping they were out of the blast radius, Percy's Force presence flared as he shouted. Water shot from the walls and ceiling and converged on the small sphere just as it detonated. Obi-Wan felt the flash of heat, but somehow Percy did the impossible. With only several liters of water, he managed to contain the blast of a thermonuclear fusion reaction, which should have vaporized anything within five meters. It must have taken incredible focus and a significant amount of Percy's own special Force abilities to keep the water from atomizing.
Percy dropped to his knees as the scolding water splashed down. Of course, Annabeth reached him first. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just need a moment," Percy gasped.
"I do not know how you did that, but thank you," Obi-Wan told his friend.
"Here," Annabeth held out a square that Obi-Wan recognized as ambrosia. Percy took off his helmet and quickly ate the offered food. The ambrosia must have helped because Percy immediately seemed less shaky and even chuckled, "It's a good thing Slyssk really likes his baths. If he hadn't had crazy plumbing for that monster tub of his, we'd have been in trouble."
"I do not mean to rush your recovery, but should we not be pursuing Slyssk?" Obi-Wan asked.
Annabeth glanced at the hidden lift. "That wasn't in any of the blueprints I found. He must have had that secretly installed. Based on the location and purpose, I believe that leads straight to the hanger."
"We need to stop him before he reaches a transport," Obi-Wan said.
But Percy just grinned, "Don't worry, he won't get far."
Fortunately, the lift was on a wall that Percy had not damaged in his effort to save them from the detonator, so the three of them plus the invisible Trandoshan piled in. On the way down, Percy replaced his helmet and turned to the seemingly empty space, "Ms. Speaker's daughter, it really would be great if you didn't mention that part to anyone. We're kind of trying to keep our identities a secret, and I'd rather people not know that I can use the plumbing to put out those nasty mini-nuke bombs."
"Your secret is safe with me, and thank you for saving my life," the Trandoshan replied shyly.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Annabeth warned. "This lift lets us bypass those droids coming up, but we still have over a hundred to deal with. Anakin how's the air support going?"
"We just made our first pass," his Padawan answered over the comms. "We took out two of the cannons."
"Good, try to get the other two and target the rest of the guards and droids. Also, keep your eyes open. Slyssk is going to try to fly out, but do not engage him. He has too much of an advantage with his ship."
"What? That slimo's going to escape?" Anakin asked.
"Don't worry about him, I've got a plan," Annabeth replied confidently. Their third group was running only slightly behind schedule and had just started freeing the would-be slaves from their shackles.
Just before the lift stopped, Annabeth said, "Our best bet is to find transport with decent weapons and help Anakin in the air. Then we can use it to get everyone back to Hsskhor."
It sounded like an excellent plan to Obi-Wan, but of course things were much more complicated as soon as the lift doors opened, revealing a swarm of battle droids waiting for them. Obi-Wan and Percy instantly had their lightsabers out deflecting the blaster bolts back at the droids. Annabeth also retaliated with her own blaster. Despite the droids' superior numbers, they gained ground slowly. Too slowly because more droids kept joining the fight.
Beside him, Percy and Annabeth were a blur of motion. He had seen them spar against each other all those years ago on their trip to Coruscant, but he had never seen them fight together. They truly moved as one in a way that Masters and Padawans could only dream of doing. Once he had space, Percy drew his other sword as well. He used a blade to block a bolt just as Annabeth fired her blaster and then whirled to attack from the other side. Obi-Wan did not notice any physical or verbal communication between the two, but somehow, they both knew exactly what the other needed. Most impressively, they continuously passed Qui-Gon's lightsaber back and forth between each other in order to optimize the weapons effectiveness.
After a particularly remarkable move involving Annabeth leaping over Percy during another lightsaber hand-off all while blocking several bolts, Percy teased, "Less gawking and more fighting, Kenobi."
"I do not gawk, Jackson," Obi-Wan retorted, but before he could say something clever Anakin interrupted.
"Kriff! Where'd that anti-aircraft come from? We're hit Gaar, hold on."
Dread immediately filled Obi-Wan, "Pull out Anakin. You cannot do anymore."
"It's okay, Master. I have a better idea." That was exactly what Obi-Wan did not want to hear from his reckless and headstrong Padawan. "Just distance yourself from those droids," Anakin recommended. "Alright Gaar, get ready to jump. . . Now"
Obi-Wan did not have time to argue he grabbed the Speaker's daughter and made a hasty retreat along with Annabeth and Percy. The shuttle crashed into the hanger entrance and then exploded in the middle of the droids.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted even though his connection to the boy reassured him that his Padawan was alive and relatively uninjured.
"I'm fine Master, but Slyssk still got out right before the ship crashed. And we could use some help right now."
They quickly made their way through the new opening in the wall and found Anakin and the Wookie fighting side by side. After Anakin's spectacular crash there were significantly less droids, and the five of them made quick work of the rest all while Obi-Wan made sure that their invisible charge stayed safe.
Once the last droid was destroyed, Annabeth said "SASS 6 report?"
An unfamiliar female voice replied, "We got him! He's locked up in the brig."
"Great work, Koyla!" Percy cheered. "Vraxo did you guys make it?"
"All our new friends are getting comfortable on the Blackjack. Do you want us to swing by and pick you up?"
"That's okay," Annabeth answered. "I think I found an airspeeder that wasn't destroyed. Meet us in Hsskhor in a day. I want to make sure the rest of Slyssk's crew is taken care of properly, and on behalf of the Wookie-Trandoshan relations, it would be good for Gaarchit to be seen safely returning the Speaker's daughter."
Once they were all in the airspeeder on their way to Hsskhor, Obi-Wan asked, "So how did you capture Slyssk?"
"Our backup plan was to force Slyssk to flee the planet," Percy explained. "Because we had a tugboat waiting for him just out of the atmosphere."
"So, you trapped him in the tractor beam?" Anakin asked.
"Yep, so he's locked up in the very uncomfortable yet very secure brig on that ship."
After the impromptu rescue, the rest of Obi-Wan and Anakin's mission ran smoothly. The Speaker-Above-All was overjoyed to be reunited with his daughter. At the signing ceremony, the Speaker even awarded Gaarchit with the highest honor a Trandoshan could receive for bravery as a result of his role in the rescue. It was the first time in history that a Wookie had ever received a Trandoshan award.
Percy and Annabeth did stay though they were careful to keep their helmets on and use code names to make sure their identities were safe from any spies of the crime syndicates. The rest of Slyssk's crew were arrested by the Trandoshans and after a trial given very long prison sentences. The only problem remaining was that Obi-Wan and Anakin no longer had a ship for their return trip.
The Speaker-Above-All of course offered a Trandoshan ship and crew, but Percy immediately interjected, "Even knowing how prosperous the Trandoshan people are, I'm sure such an honorable Jedi Knight like Knight Kenobi would never want to impose on the people of Trandosha for a special trip all the way to Coruscant and spending the people's tax credits. Our ship's already going to the Core, so we can take him and Padawan Skywalker. And no offense to your fleet, Speaker, but the Blackjack can get them back to their Temple faster." Obi-Wan couldn't see Percy's face, but he knew the demigod was smirking at him.
"Please, Master," Anakin started. "It's a BC-714!"
Obi-Wan had to admit that the luxury transport would shave at least a day off of their journey home. He told himself that was why he was agreeing and not that the BC-714 was supposed to be one of the smoothest and most comfortable ships in the galaxy much less the chance to spend more time with his friends. "Oh alright," Obi-Wan relented. "But you, Padawan, can explain this decision to Master Windu when we return."
Anakin flashed him a cheeky grin, "With how frugal Master Windu is always telling us to be, even he can't argue against wanting to save Trandoshan tax credits."
Later as Obi-Wan fell asleep in the most comfortable bed he had ever slept in on a ship, surrounded by mood lighting and soothing sounds, he thought perhaps this was not such a bad idea. He would try to remember this feeling when Master Windu was glowering at him.
A few days later in the Jedi Council Chamber
Mace Windu glowered at him as Anakin explained that according to the Council's guidelines to be considerate of the host planet's spending on the Jedi's account and to return to the Temple as quickly as possible after the completion of a mission, they had no choice but to accept passage on the Blackjack.
"Surely, this broke their oath?" Master Trebor asked. He was new to the Council and had not been present when Percy and Annabeth had made their deal with the Council on Naboo.
"No, it does not," Master Mundi stated dryly. "Though one could argue that it certainly bends the intent of the oath."
"Initiate contact, they did not," Yoda explained. "The will of the Force this meeting was."
"That maybe," Master Windu admitted although the look he was giving them suggested that he did not believe Anakin's explanation for their choice of transport. "If there is nothing further to report, then you are dismissed Padawan Skywalker, but we have more to discuss with your Master."
Anakin shot Obi-Wan a questioning look before, bowing politely to the Masters and exiting the chamber. Once his Padawan was gone, Master Windu asked, "Since you had such an extended stay in Jackson and Chase's company do you know what they are planning next? In under two years, they have managed to practically decimate the slave trade, so I assume they will be turning their sights to Tatooine soon."
Obi-Wan had been expecting such a question since after the slaver hunting surprise, the Council tried to keep closer tabs on the two demigods. "I believe capturing Slyssk was their last mission. They intend to return to Naboo for a few months before heading to Tatooine. Although they will be passing on their distinctive helmets to those in their crew who wish to continue capturing slavers."
"Clever of them," Windu muttered seemingly to himself before continuing with his questions, "Do you know how they intend to free the slaves on Tatooine?"
"That I am unsure of," Obi-Wan admitted. In fact, he suspected that his friends had been intentionally vague just for this reason.
"The situation will need to be handled delicately. With rising tensions in the Republic, conflict with the Hutts would be detrimental," Master Mundi warned.
"Perhaps we could send someone to keep us apprised of the situation on Tatooine and make sure the situation does not escalate," Master Billaba suggested.
The Council considered her proposal. It would be a difficult mission, Obi-Wan knew mostly because Percy would instantly distrust most Jedi, and Annabeth would not appreciate the interference either. Master Windu sighed, "I will do it since whoever we send will have to be able to stop Jackson and Chase before they can go too far."
Obi-Wan rarely directly disagreed with the Council, but he knew if Windu took this mission it would be disastrous, "Forgive me Master, but I do not believe that would be a wise decision given you and Percy's a . . . difference in philosophy. As soon as he realized you were on Tatooine, he likely would be extremely uncooperative and cause even more problems. If the Council wishes to send a Jedi to Tatooine, I suggest it be a Jedi that Percy is more likely to relate to and trust."
Master Mundi immediately objected, "You and your Padawan are far too close to this issue to take this mission."
"You are right of course, Master Mundi, but I had someone else in mind." Ideally, Obi-Wan would have asked Kit since he and Percy did get along, but the desert climate of Tatooine would be too harsh for the Nautolan. In fact, Obi-Wan could hardly believe that he was going to recommend this particular Jedi, but if anyone could win Percy's trust, he could. And if the Council wanted to succeed, that was what they needed. Trying to force Percy to follow orders would only end in calamity.
Bad News: I want to write the next three chapters all together before posting, so the next update probably won't be for three months (Sorry for the long wait, but maybe it will be less than I think).
Good News: The next few updates after will be fast since the chapters will already be written. Thanks for your patience.