A/N: Thanks for your patience! I hit a major writer's block and it took me a while to really get into this. I also don't have a beta so I do all of this on my own. Life has been a little tough lately too. Going through a lot of stuff and my anxiety is kicking my butt but I'm getting through it.

Someone asked about how old Qi'ra would be in this AU. If she was born 31 BBY (Based on Wookieepedia) then she would be about 14 in this au, so she left the White Worms much earlier. Well, if Padmé Naberrie could become a Queen on Naboo at 14 years old then sure why not, right? Star Wars is riddled with preteens and teenagers in positions of political and influential power. Qi'ra wasn't going to be a big part in this AU but do you like her character? I originally mentioned her in this story because I love what she could become. Would you like to see more of her in this AU?

Please review! I hate to admit it but it's food for my writing soul and helps me get through these darn writer's blocks. I like to know what you like about the story and the impression you're getting. It helps me understand what you guys are thinking.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 18

Savareen

Crimson Dawn Factory.

Blinking away the dull, monotonous hum of the spice processing below, the sentry stood erect, attempting to maintain his vigilance against the tiresome and mundane activities of everyday life here. At least today, they had their boss to safeguard. That was something different. Rarely did he ever visit, and as fleeting as the adrenaline of the moment was, it was at least something. Gripping his rifle a little tighter, he gazed over to his comrade, who appeared to be drifting and struggling against the same boredom. The two of them were the best on Savareen and the assignment was exhilarating and much needed. When they had signed up for Crimson Dawn, they were hoping to have more excitement than just regularly being covered in spice dust and idly babysitting slaves.

His wary eyes flickered to the slight movement out of the nearby corner before recognizing the approaching unexpected danger. A shot of energy surged through him, drawing his attention in.

Emerging from the shadows from behind several large metal crates materialized two male humanoid figures and the outline of a togruta. As they ventured closer, the two sentries instinctively pulled up their guns, aiming at the intruders with practiced ease before shouting in a steady and controlled voice, "Halt! Put your weapons down."

Slightly shaken as the warning was ignored, the sentry observed as the three continued towards them, the thrill of the unexpected coarse through the sentry's veins, with an eager, trembling finger on the trigger, he pulled on it. Instead of a round being shot, he felt his weapon ripped from his fingers by an invisible Force. Turning to the other guard in confusion, he found the same scenario occurring simultaneously as he concluded that his eyes weren't deceiving him. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, but he wasn't trained to deal with three Force wielding beings.

Perplexed, they openly stared at each other in utter shock for a brief second. Before they could plan their next move, the two sentries' heads found each other, literally. Colliding with a loud crack, the two were knocked unconscious as everything faded to black. Limp and useless, their bodies slumped awkwardly on the ground. Dragged with an invisible hand, their bodies lifted and settled neatly into an obscure corner.

"Thank you for cleaning up after your mess, Anakin. That was very thoughtful of you." Obi Wan spoke up, kicking the abandoned rifle into the same corner as he passed by the unconscious beings piled in a messy heap of limps.

"I clean up after myself quite often nowadays. It sets a good example for my children." Anakin smirked at his former Master as he eyed his handiwork in the corner.

Not sharing the same level of amusement, Ahsoka chimed in as she strode next to them. "I wished you had learned this earlier when I was around." She joked lightly but with a small amount of resentment.

With a raised eyebrow contemplating her words, Anakin gave his former Padawan a firm look. "As your Master, I was simply teaching you a valuable lesson of responsibility by cleaning up after me." A right of passage all padawans partook in as an unwritten yet equally understood part of their training.

Ahsoka snorted in response, "Whatever you say, Anakin."

Before the trio stood the final hurdle to their objective, the entrance to the man they sought, from what they could see, only the thick durasteel double doors was left between them and their mission. Several security holocams monitored them silently from above, their tiny red lights blinking rhythmically, unaltered by the trio's arrival. And nothing else.

But they weren't surprised.

It became dreadfully apparent that Dryden Vos had been waiting for them despite their best attempts to stealthily enter the factory. A thought that left an unshakable disturbing feeling in the pit of their stomach as they teased each other in distraction. Through the Force, they already knew no other living being was in the office with the crime lord. Whatever potential trap hadn't been sprung yet and it was safe to say that was due to the crime lord's intentions.

Intentions they had no idea about yet.

Although suspicious with the culprit's true intentions, what he exactly had up his sleeve, the three of them unfortunately never had the personal experience of dealing with the near human being—the Republic in a huge disarray after the fall of Palpatine. There was only spare intel about the different crime syndicates and knowledge was a valuable and scarce commodity in these matters. This made Obi Wan uneasy with how blind they were approaching the situation, although he knew his companions were use to flying by the seat of their pants and maybe preferred it that way too.

Ahsoka gestured in front of them. "Anakin, would you like to do the honors?" Stoking her former Master's ego, embellished with many new Nubian gadgets at his disposal, she wanted to see what else he had in those pockets.

Without hesitating and with a crafty twinkle in his eyes, Anakin accepted. "It would be my pleasure." He crooned. With the wave of two fingers, Anakin didn't even bother with the security panel or use any of his new toys. The Force obeyed his command as the durasteel doors creaked in soft protest before departing before them, opening the way easily as if pulled smoothly across like sliding a curtain aside. He flashed her a proud smile and Ahsoka rolled her eyes. She should have known.

"I was hoping for something more discreet," Ahsoka admitted as they made their way in.

With nothing more than a wry grin, Anakin responded. "Sometimes the simplest of options is the best choice."

She couldn't help but snort as she quipped back. "Somehow that always means a blunt application of the Force."

The eldest of the three pulled in front of them as they made their way through the short hallway into the expanse of the sizable office. The contrast between the stark, stale bright hallway transitioning into a noticeably more visually appealing setting.

In front of them, prominently showcased in the middle of the room, laid a large, ornately carved, expensive wooden desk. Decorating the rims of the rectangular office were two long delicate tables littered with artifacts, heirlooms, and pottery while ancient paintings lined the walls-all the lavish luxurious from different worlds. One would assume they weren't volunteered over or even reasonably paid for either. It seemed that this was only a minor token of what riches would be on the First Light, Dryden's beloved yacht.

The opulence of the room was disgusting. It was a show of power as well as indulgence. But did this mean the character in front of them was that self absorbed? Or was it a front? It was an unsettling question that remained about the man in front of them.

Speaking of which, the tall crime lord sat comfortably, leaned back in his sizable extravagant leather bond chair that enveloped his staggering height. Entranced on something else, he held a small statue in his hands, staring at it intently as he ignored the three Force wielders that beckoned at his doorsteps.

The trio peered at him, cautious by his atypical behavior before the crime lord finally moved to acknowledge their presence. "Ah, yes!" Dryden Vos chuckled unexpectedly warm, lifting his head to make eye contact, unmoving from his seat, as he greeted them. "Welcome! Welcome." His address to them more of welcoming old friends than intruders who just burst into his office uninvited.

The odd friendly gesture, more suspicious than puzzling, along with the unsettling confidence he held at the moment, was well disciplined as the three former Jedi couldn't detect his true underlying feelings. Drawing conclusions from this information, it could mean he was expertly trained and had previous experience hiding his intent from Force wielders, no doubt taught by Maul at some point. In fact, most people in the galaxy usually held a third of their composure as well as he did around Jedi. Most just trembled and stuttered, fearful of the sorcery they didn't understand. This also made Dryden that much more dangerous and the trio heightened their prudence around him.

Sitting forward in his chair, one hand still holding the curious figurine, Dryden's reserved smile didn't reach his eyes as he continued the show, "I have been expecting you, gentlemen." Pausing a moment to recognize Ahsoka, a move she found she didn't appreciate, and he replied intentionally with steady eye contact, "and lady." And the motion was interesting enough to perk Ahsoka's curiously. Then, in an unnatural movement, the striated face man moved to say something, hesitated and stopped while tilting his head with furrowed eyebrows in mock thought before gesturing his hand in the air. "Obi Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka Tano." With that, he smiled, pleased with himself for being such a good host by knowing who they were. It was hard not to cringe at the overt awkwardness of the gesture but it was more the implication of his words than his delivery and this left the three more unsettled. He didn't even ask for a confirmation if he was right. It was all part of his plan. That probably was the worst part of this whole charade.

Knowing the moment was still his, when the trio did nothing, the crime lord stood up, not yet done with his theatrics. "Where are my manners?" Putting the statue down harshly to make the point as he abruptly threw them a dramatic face in apparent shock. Rolling his eyes, chastising his poor manners as he threw them an appalled look. "Please," he offered, pointing to the two couch lined perpendicular to his desk. "Make yourself at home. Would you care for a drink?" In a hollow gesture, he directed a proffered hand to each one of them before pointing to the liquor cabinet in the east corner next to a painting of a giant krayt dragon about to engulf a tribe of sand people. The trio stood unmoved as Dryden was greeted by the three stone statues silent in front of him. Undeterred, because their reaction really didn't matter, he continued. "No? Alright. Suit yourself."

The sheer audacity of this person could not be understated. The falsehood of his pleasantries masking the undercurrents of ruthlessness they suspected. The trio of military veterans, former Jedi, and Force wielders exchanged a careful look with each other. Dryden Vos put his cards out on the table. That much was apparent. He knew who they were, although they didn't know for how long. He most likely knew that they delivered the spice and actively allowed this to happen, and as much as he had just revealed, it also left more unsaid. How prepared he was for their appearance and, most importantly, what did he want? They weren't dead yet. Or maybe that wasn't the intention.

Through the link and kinship the trio shared, they felt each other's intentions clearly. Anakin wanted to kill him on the spot while Ahsoka was curious about the statue on his desk, and Obi Wan wanted patience. Sure enough, with minimal debate, the sentiments of the most elder of the trio won out. So taking a page out of Obi Wan's book, the three decided to wait and see what unfolds.

If the crime lord was Force sensitive, it was hard to tell, but a knowing calmness emanated from him as he sat back down and picked up the figure in his right hand.

An imperceivable twitch crossed Dryden's face knowingly as he reminisced, flipping the object in his hand before he spoke. "Do you know what this is?" He continued without waiting for a reply. "A Falc. The Maoborej tribe on the planet Saleucami believed it holds the spirit of their deity." Looking at the object adoringly, Dryden murmured, "Yes, they worshiped it…for generations and generations." His voice trailed off, lost in thought.

Leaning forward, driving home the importance of his little lesson while presenting the idol in front of them with outstretched hands. From this angle, they were able to appreciate the statue better. No larger than the size of the near human's hand, the golden idol resembled a small human with a generously large head, three times the size of its body, the perfect teeth of the upper and lower jaw prominently on display complementing the expensive shine of its wide forehead.

"It's quite beautiful in its own ugly way," The head of Crimson Dawn pondered as he took a loving finger across its forehead. "Pure aurodium. They believed it enhanced the spiritual effects of the deity's soul. This amount of solid aurodium is very difficult to find." Shifting his attention while pointing to the radiantly cut circular gemstone the idol held on its chest. "But that's not the most extraordinary part of this little idol. The deep molten red Corusca gem that holds their God's soul is of the utmost exquisite quality. It's a shame it was tucked away with some primitive tribe that couldn't comprehend the valuable commodity they held in their mists." He flipped it in his hand casually, not giving it the same respect its owners would have. "I suppose they still cherished it in their own way." He looked at it sadly. "They refused to part with it. Said it would anger their God if it ever left their lands. That it would signal the end of their existence. They were so distraught about parting with it that I felt pity for them. So I killed them…all." The casualness of his words unsettling. He chuckled in humorless laughter, "I suppose their prophecy was correct after all." He set the statue back down right in front of him, between the former members of the Jedi Order and the crime lord.

Eyes glazed over as Dryden relished in the little idol's worth before, as if pulled out of his reverie, he realized there were people in front of him. Dryden Vos blinked coyly before apologizing. "Pardon me, I have a tendency to rant." As he enunciated each word slowly, the sly grin returning to his face. "Anyone care to take my offer for a drink, now?"

Patience came in varying degrees depending on the person.

Ahsoka had her arms crossed in front of her, listening calmly, yet her tall tell sign of increasing impatience was her thinned lip she was nibbling on.

Obi Wan had his hand on his beard, the other tucked reflexively around his body for support, completely entranced by every body movement and word spoken and omitted. A better picture of the man building in his mind.

Anakin clenched his teeth in agitation. The muscles in his jaw strained painfully obvious against his broad jawline. His eyes narrowed skeptically, scrutinizing the criminal in front of them.

Through their Force bond, the three had quietly emulated to each other through their emotions: frustration, patience, annoyance, calm, anger, curiosity, intolerance, understanding.

Clear as the transparisteel windows that lined Dryden Vos's office, his point was made and Anakin was not amused by this one bit. Not one to back down from domineering and ruthless personalities as he's faced repugnant lowlives like this before. He never had the patience for those that hold such low value in other people's lives. The humanoid male before them a familiar type of scum-they were a dime a dozen on Tatooine. Times as a Jedi and a slave combined gave Anakin more than a lifetime of experience with these people. More than he ever wanted.

As Anakin's thoughts dwelled on the slaves below, he snarled, a wave of righteous anger boiling in him protectively against the monster in front of him. Anakin warned in a low, threatening tone spiked with an unmistakable dangerous edge. "You are a small man to be using slaves."

There was a slight, almost imperceivable flinch with Anakin's hostile tone, then it was gone. Just as swiftly, Dryden dawn a false confused expression before shaking his head in mock realization, finally grasping at the political incorrectness of slavery. "Oh, yes. I see your point. Well, it's rather costly to pay everyone a fair wage." Tapping his finger on his chin in feigned thoughtfulness, pretending to take the concept seriously. "Providing healthcare," he continued as he glanced out the transparisteel windows down at the slaves, "proper disposal of bodies…" He shook his head ruefully, "It's simply not a smart business plan. Spice smuggling is a risky business and we have to save costs where we can. My apologies if it offends you but I hope you can understand my predicament." The mocking smile returning to his face, willingly feeding Anakin's disdain for him.

The crime lord was goading Anakin, he knew this, and yet couldn't help the rising anger that threatened to explode in him. Nausea swelled in his stomach as he felt utter revulsion for the poor excuse for a living being and his apathetic view on the slaves' lives. Or lives in general. It was unacceptable. Clenching his fist tightly by his side, Anakin refused to give in to the man's taunts. Slavery had always been a touchy subject for the former slave, whether here, Tatooine, or anywhere else in the galaxy. As much as he wanted to jump over that ridiculously ornate desk and slice off that smug grin off the crime lord's face with his lightsaber, he would hold his place. No matter how hard it was.

By this point, Ahsoka had grown tired of the near human's nonsense. "Where is Maul?" She asked pointedly, cutting to the chase. She was just as fed up as Anakin.

Pretending to ignore her question, the crime lord ran his finger along the statue in a cherished manner. There was a subtle flint of anger not directed at them, in particular, then it was gone. His eyes drifted over something on his desk abruptly before answering. "That is the question on your mind isn't it?" He stated mysteriously.

"You're going to tell us where we can find Maul." Anakin demanded, ignoring Dryden's secretiveness, his face contorted into a deep sneer.

"Or what?" Dryden Vos stated plainly as he turned to study Anakin's gaze, his face calm and collected. "You'll Force choke me?" He concluded. "That is what you are known for, isn't it?"

Now, Anakin wasn't amused by his mockery as he clenched his fists tightly. His expression a mixture of outrage and offense with Dryden's provocation even as he felt the calming presence of Ahsoka and Obi Wan in his mind. Yet, a dark energy stirred inside of him that he hasn't felt since the fall of Palpatine. A cold dread crawled up his spine at the idea of Force choking someone. The crime lord's proclamations true, it was something he often did during the Clone Wars, but it was done out of raw anger and frustrations he didn't have anymore. Something inside him urged him not to resort to such things and he found himself viewing it in a new light. In confusion, he stood his ground with his hands clenched at his side, refusing to give in to the insulting comments.

Not missing the subtly of the man's movements, Dryden continued to eye Anakin for a couple more seconds before coming to his own conclusion. "Interesting," he stated mostly to himself.

Perfectly still next to his friends' erratic energy, Obi Wan stood with his subtle presence, forgotten among the strong personalities that contended with each other. To his credit, the older man saw beyond the present moment at the bigger picture hidden in the details of Dryden's gravitas. He was always asking the question, why?

Why? Why? Why?

Dryden Vos proved himself purposeful in his actions and intentions; arrogance and power blatantly displayed to the point where it was almost pressured. Undeterred, the great detective in Obi Wan watched and waited as the pieces came together. They were missing something but what? He scanned the Force, probing in modified standing meditation, and still felt nothing horribly disturbing in the Force. It was like there was an important piece missing from the puzzle he put together in his mind. Grasping the finer intricacies of the interaction, he decided he needed a more proactive approach.

Curiously, this led him to speak up as he stood a litter straighter. "But that's not why we're here, are we?" Obi Wan said more as a statement than a question.

Finally, the bearded one said something. A little surprised at first, Dryden watched him with as much curiosity as Obi Wan did and a knowing smile crept on his face. "Your reputation proceeds you, Master Kenobi. You are as astute as they say you are." Shielding his face, as he picked at the edge of his fingernail, not trusting his secrets to the keen eyes of the former Jedi in front of him. "But you are right. That isn't why you are here." Rising slowly as he watched the Force wielders swiftly reached for their lightsabers, he proceeded cautiously, not to startle the twitchy people in front of him. "My job was only to stall you but I wanted to see for myself the famous Heros of the Republic that boldly saved the galaxy from tyranny! And the Lady responsible for apprehending my employer. Not a small feat, for sure." He eyed Ahsoka curiously. "I wanted to see how qualified the three of you truly are. But! Our time has ended," he stated regrettably, and it oddly sounded sincere. "Unfortunately, I can not entertain you any longer though I would like to. I will just have to bid you ado but do not fear. I have some friends here to keep you company."

With his eyes still trained on the trio, passing a hand over his fine desk, he flipped up a panel to his left and pushed a button that fluttered red under his finger. Giving them a salty grin, he stated, "May the Force be with you. You're going to need it." He replied cryptically as a slippery swoosh and breeze behind him revealed a secret door while he spared one more longing glance around him at the precious trophies in a fond farewell. Taking a moment, he quickly grabbed the beloved idol on the desk, tucking it under his arm, then stepped through the door- fading like an evening shadow.

At the same instant, a heavy blast door dropped behind them, shaking the walls as it blocked their exit but they didn't have a chance to ponder long on this. Spinning back around to the sound of a heavy click thundering above them, three large square panels slide open from the ceiling. A mechanized whirl pierced the air as three massive metallic spheres materialized from the black vacuum and rained down upon them, landing thickly with an unmistakably ominous clunk. The gears whined and clicked as the metallic globes effortlessly transformed themselves into the familiar three prong droids, with two weaponized arms locking into place, as the electricity around them hummed vibrantly, enclosing them in blue light.

"Droidekas?!" Ahsoka shrilled exasperatedly, moving gracefully to pick up and ignite her dual lightsabers while watching the destroyer droids' round, black, soulless eyes focus on them, engaging and locking their twin blasters on the trio. "Where did he get these guys from?! I thought the droid army was decommissioned once the Separatists surrendered," proclaimed the togruta.

Dropping into a ready position, Obi Wan turned to Ahsoka, unsurprisingly less agitated now that his previous concerns were finally validated. He wasn't really surprised by the turn of events. At least now he knew what he was dealing with better though he still didn't know, from what, Dryden was distracting them from. His voice steady as he replied, "You'll be surprised what you can find for the right price."

Blades drawn in front of them, bright white and blue blades humming loudly in the air, the former Jedi fell into a defensive position as the first bolts flew at them.

With practiced ease, Anakin deflected a round of bolts to the sides of the room. The loud clattering of broken glassware and shattered treasures echoing in their ears. He stated, "Well, we found out what he's been investing all the spice money in at least."

Next to him, Ahsoka shielded herself with her duel lightsabers, taking a step back as she bounced one off her shoto blade. "I thought I had seen the last of these guys!"

Showered upon by a volley of blaster fire, Anakin grunted in the narrow space that made it difficult to fight the three mighty destroyer droids as he watched everything around him break and crumble. Even with the skill and experience the trio held, being boxed in with three death droids was a horrible situation to be in. There wasn't much they could do beyond defending themselves against the incoming bolts. An offensive maneuver was almost impossible in this situation. These were no conditions to be fighting in. The droidekas had the advantage here and, if they don't do something soon, the three of them would be filled with more holes than the spice mines on Rori.

Grimacing as another glass vase shattered out of existence, Anakin furrowed his eyebrows in growing concern as he returned Ahsoka's sentiments. "You and me both. We're sitting ducks if we stand here any longer!"

"I'm open to suggestions," Ahsoka grunted as she deflected more blots.

"Let's get some more space in here, shall we?" Anakin eyed the wall to their left, made of transparisteel glass. It would be easy to throw their nuisances out and give them the much needed space. Feeling claustrophobic herself, Ahsoka quickly nodded in agreement.

Seeing something the other two missed, at the same moment, Obi Wan rushed to voice his protest, "Hold on, guys. Wait!"

But it was too late.

With widen, horrified eyes, Obi Wan stomach dropped as he watched the two simultaneously put their hands up together using the Force and shoved the droids through floor to ceiling window. Rolling on their blue, circular force fields, the heavy droids rumbled as they crashed through the shattered glass, spun out and down the four stories to their destruction below. Inadvertently, one of them, twisting out of control, its velocity increasing as it hurdled like a locked on missile, collided into a thick structural beam in the east corner. The impact caused the droid to explode spectacularly in a blaze of blue energy as the deafening blast sent shrapnel hurling into the surrounding walls. The durasteel pillar moaned in agony, nearly collapsing on itself as the factory rattled and shook precariously; the maimed walls vibrated and weakened from the explosion.

Blazing a trail of utter destruction, the other two droidekas hurled into the spice processing machines below, sending the startled and frightened slaves darting away. Their fearful screams echoed up the walls as they dashed out to safety. Creaking and buckling, the three story tall machinery tipped over, losing its balance and crumbling below, taking everything down in its path, including several catwalks. Large mushroom like clouds of partially proceeded spice filled the air and wafted up to the trio above. Protesting further, the thrashed factory swayed haphazardly back and forth, the walls creaking in loud disapproval.

Realizing what they did, the trio dashed over to the newly created terrace to Dryden's office. Leaning over the edge in trepidation, the heat and the staunch smell of the spice mixed with the astringent smell of fuel and burning oil that perfumed the air as it hit them in full force with the wind whipping around them as they surveyed the growing chaos below.

Immediately, Ahsoka and Anakin shared the same remorseful grimace hearing the bellows of the chaos. The unintended consequence of their own safety. Given their difficult situation, being trapped inside the office with very few choices drew them into this position. Somehow, Obi Wan felt that this was the intended scenario the crime lord hoped for.

In the corner of Anakin's eye, off to the right, the crumbling foundational beam slowly creaked further on the verge of collapsing. Without thinking, he threw his hands up, calling on the Force to will the metal to hold in place. Next to him, Obi Wan recognized the situation and brought his hands up as well, helping to further support the structure. The joint effort bought them a few precious minutes. Even as well fortified as the manufacturing plant was, it wasn't designed to be pummeled from the inside out. With the catwalks ripped from their positions and the walls littered with holes from the exploding shrapnel, the structural integrity was severely compromised.

Grunting from the effort, both men concentrated with their eyes closed focused intently on the beam. Cracking open an eye, sparing a glance below, Obi Wan stated the obvious. "We can't let this building collapse. There are innocent people in here!"

"You think?" Anakin snapped, irritated with what he considered unnecessary for Obi Wan to point out as well as anger at himself for putting the people below in such danger.

Focused on the drama unfolding below them, bent down and leaned over the edge, Ahsoka's eyes scanned the area, tracking the one person she was looking for. Recognizing the tall near human man dodging the various twisted metal heaps and terrified slaves, she pointed at him before whipping her head around to the two other Force wielders and shouted. "He's getting away!"

All illusions of normalcy in the plant disappeared as slaves scurried frantically for safety while their guards and overseers chose to protect their own lives over Crimson Dawn's interests. Making his way to the west end of the building, Dryden Vos approached his target, the thick, large, heavy blast doors that spanned three story of the building's length. Shouting frantically at the guards, surprisingly still stationed at the door, he ordered them to open it for him, waving his hand carrying a blaster at them. Ahsoka watched as the guards quickly jumped to their feet, more afraid of him than the rattling factory.

The look on Anakin's face revealed his shared concerns with Ahsoka's point. The choice clear in Anakin's mind with the slaves below lives at risk, he snarled with a cool and measured expression. "Go! Don't let Dryden get away. I can take care of this!"

Taking only a short moment to study Anakin before Obi Wan confidently nodded in response. If there was anyone in the galaxy with the ability in the Force to handle this, it would be him. The Chosen One commanded the Force in a way Obi Wan and Ahsoka couldn't combine and did so easily. Furthermore, the one person who held the answers he sought was currently scampering away on the first floor like a scared tooka. Time was of the essence.

"Don't keep us waiting on you for too long." Obi Wan jested lightly yet ventured a disquieted look at Anakin before concluding that the young man was in control.

Not missing the intention, with a fearless smile, Anakin charmingly retorted back while keeping his head focused straight ahead on the infrastructure. "You know I have to make a grand entrance." And the cavalier young man threw a dashing look that somehow was comforting to Obi Wan.

Despite the headiness of the situation, the older man let out a lighthearted chuckle as Anakin's overflowing confidence that never seem to disappoint. They've laughed together through the worse of times-much much worse than this-and this helped Obi Wan to entrust this in Anakin's capable hands.

Satisfied, Obi Wan dropped his hands and released his hold on the structure; when the building didn't budge, it helped grow his confidence. Turning to face the togruta, he moved to signal Ahsoka, her expression just as stern and determined as his. "Come on. Let's go resume our conversation with Dryden."

A brief nod of approval from Anakin was all they needed as the beam and the plant already seemed more stable under his capable hands. They rushed off for the crime lord, hoping to regain lost time. Without pausing, Ahsoka and Obi Wan leaped down, from a height daunting to mere beings, and smoothly landed lightly like a feather on their feet, from the four stories height before speeding off toward the blast doors.

Anakin slightly tilted his head as he observed their leap of faith. Snorting lightly to himself, he shook his head ruefully at the sight. Prone to such lavish displays of acrobatics himself, he had dived from much greater heights, but still, he couldn't help an eyeroll. "Show offs," he stated, briskly, before returning to his work stabilizing the building.

Once on the ground, the two Force wielders continued the chase. Obi wan flinched at their predicament. Dryden pulled a fast one on them as their window of opportunity closed in rapidly. With every step, their chances of finding Maul grew dauntingly slim. They needed him.

On the first floor, Dryden Vos made his way through the gaping doors as he caught the two rushing at him out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face them assuredly, his face didn't betray any uneasiness as they hastily approached him. With the idol still tucked under one arm, the other holding the blaster, he aimed the weapon at the Force wielders. It was a foolish action since the two had just defended against three of his droidekas. Did this guy really think he could slow them down?

Dodging the growing madness of red spice clouds that filled the area, the frantic shadows moving around, and shouts of confused guards unprepared for such a situation, the two narrowed their focus on the man in front of them. Continuing their pace towards the escaping criminal, Obi Wan and Ahsoka brought their lightsabers up to defend against any foolish blaster shots directed their way.

Reflecting in apparent amusement, the crime lord's still face quickly twisted into a devilish smile, his blaster pointed at them. Then, instead of shooting at them as expected, he motioned over and directed his blaster at the shocked and deceived guards. Before they could voice their protests, Dryden spilled several shots into them without remorse. The guards' limp bodies collapsed and smeared lifelessly over the controls before settling to the floor. Not yet finished, immediately afterward, he turned the weapon on the console emptying several bolts into the controls themselves as they sputtered loudly. Finally, satisfied with his carnage, Dryden flashed a quick wink and smiling smugly at the two before he slipped through the closing doors without a look behind. The gates slamming shut behind him, taunting the approaching Force wielders as they shuttered close.

To make matters worse, next to the gates on each side slid open two parallel doors. Emerging from their depths, materialized two tall, ominous appearing biped droids with large red eyes. Stepping forward, igniting their electrostaff, the droids whirled their weapon, creating blue arcs of light around themselves as they protected the space their master had just vacated.

As the two skidded to a halt with the sight before them, Ahsoka groaned, fuming with annoyance as she spat out, "Are you kidding me? Did this guy go and buy the whole Separatists fleet or something? Couldn't he invested in something easy like b1 battle droids?"

Standing tall, Obi Wan's face gathered calmly, he whirled his lightsaber in his hand before responding to the togruta. He challenged her, knowing full well she'll react similarly to Anakin. "Come on now, Ahsoka. There's only two MagnaGuards. We've handled much worse before!"

"I can handle them. I just don't want to be slowed down right now." Ahsoka quipped, rising to the challenge as she watches them approach, both lightsabers in front, shielding her. The challenge stoked her pride as her brazen side came out and she wouldn't accept backing down, especially from something like this.

"We'll be done with them soon. I'll take the one on the right. The left one is all yours." Obi Wan stated, not giving her time to respond as he lunged forward.

"My pleasure," Ahsoka grinned, with her eyes narrowed, as she leaped at the droid. She'll show the older man how you properly dispose of one of these overgrown tin cans.

With the grace of a dancer, she agilely leaped forward, her two lightsabers masterfully sparred the MagnaGuard as it whorled its electrostaff, the large red eyes calculating and anticipating the togruta's next moves. Once it finished its calculations, the droid shot forward offensively with its weapon. Aiming low then high as Ahsoka skillfully deflected each attack, twisting and gracefully arching her back as she flipped away in a blur of blinding white light from her blades. Then, using the MagnaGuard's height to her advantage, she climbed up the droid towards her intended target with a quick leap forward. Her shoto blade lashing out, lopping off the head with a spin move as she leaped over the much taller droid. Dropping down behind it, with a satisfied grin, she tilted her head slightly to watch the droid's head lop off and roll back into the corner it had come from.

The older man, who always preferred precise and deliberate movements, chose a less flamboyant approach as he methodically made work of his own MagnaGuard. Using careful, effective strokes, he cut through the droid-blocking, parring, slashing. All done patiently until finally slicing the droid in half when the opportunity presented itself.

Just how he remembered it.

A thrill ran through Obi Wan that he hadn't felt in a long time. He was never one to enjoy fighting but having a clear, defined enemy to dispose of definitely relieved some pent up frustrations. A goal to physically overcome that fueled his confidence and a sense of resolution.

Just as quickly as it started it was over. Standing over the diced pieces of the MagnaGuards in front of him, he spared a glance over to Ahsoka, her own thrill palpable through the Force. The filthy ground littered with their handiwork, blending in with the dirt and dust around them. Not a moment too soon, their attention returned to their previous dilemma. Disengaging their lightsaber, they ran over to the burnt out controls to see what they could salvage.

Stepping over the fallen guard gingerly, giving whatever respects he could to the causality to Dryden's merciless objectives, Obi Wan eyes skimmed over the controls when a look of disappointment crossed his face.

The charred remains sputtered in front of him, angry open wires shooting sparks every so often in displeasure as the charcoal smoke rose from its mutilated corpse. Even Artoo would have a hard time managing this mess. The man they were chasing did a begrudgingly fine job of covering his tracks. While he had hoped for the best, he expected this as he grimaced in acceptance.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, turning to Ahsoka, who now stood beside him, he concluded grimly. "The controls are fried. They won't help us open these doors." He turned a calculating eye at the gates. "We'll have to use the Force to open the doors."

Raising her eyebrows in skepticism, she slowly regarded the gate from the floor up to the three story top of the thick durasteel blast doors before giving Obi Wan a dubious look. As talented as the two of them were in the Force, this was a lot to ask. She started cautiously, "Uh, they look pretty heavy. Maybe we should look for another way?"

Having thought about his other options, Obi Wan shook his head in disagreement. "There isn't enough time. If we work together, we can pull these doors open," he stated, waiting as Ahsoka paused before hesitantly agreeing.

Together, they stood in front of the heavy, thick blast doors, massive in size and in the task they're about to partake. Drawing a deep, even breath as they shook their arms loosely by their sides like they were giving themselves a running start into the Force. Once ready, they put their hands up together, eyes squinted shut in concentration.

But nothing happened.

"Focus," Obi Wan encouraged. "Feel it flow through you. Let it speak to you."

Still, with her eyes shut, Ahsoka nodded in agreement as a stern frown etched into her face focusing on the thin waves of the Force surrounding the doors. The laborious effort evident by the sweat dripping freely down both their foreheads as they concentrated and struggled to finally will open a small crack. Encouraged by the sight, they continued persistently urging the Force with their minds to will the gates to spread further. Slowly but surely, creaking and protesting, the thick, heavy durasteel doors gradually gave way to their will.

"Just a little more," Obi Wan grunted, and Ahsoka thinned her lip in concentration as they continued, the gap not yet large enough to fit one of them through. Rewarded for their difficult task, they pushed the doors ajar just enough to squeeze themselves through one by one.

"There!" Obi Wan dropped his arms heavily and looked at Ahsoka, both breathing hard from the effort. Triumphant look on both their faces. Another hurdle was overcome by their united efforts. They made a pretty good team.

"Piece of cake," Ahsoka commented proudly with her hands on her hips, admiring their handiwork as she caught her breath. She couldn't help mimics the same confidence Anakin would have in the same position and she couldn't help but wonder why that was her natural response.

Obi Wan brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face in relief before turning to his comrade. There was no time to indulge in the moment. "I'll go first." The protective former Jedi gestured as he took the dangerous first steps through the gate, carefully squeezing through with his hand on his lightsaber as Ahsoka followed closely behind.

Once they were on the other side, disappointment overtook them with the barren sight in front of them. Dryden Vos was nowhere to be seen. Right now, back outside, they were here only the day before delivering the spice and yet everything was so different. It's funny how things can change so drastically in the matter of a day's time. Now, there were no guards here and, to their dismay, no ships either. The landing pad to the left of them stood empty. Evidently, the crime lord had departed Savareen's atmosphere and could be anywhere in the galaxy by now. The two couldn't help but share a moment of defeat between them. All that effort seemed to be for naught.

Then, something tingled in the air. Cutting the cool night's breeze like a knife.

And they felt something.

The air was dangerously silent. Something caught their eye as they surveyed the area, drawn to the right side of the rocky overhang. As they ventured closer, past the vacant space the guards had previously stood watch, near the cold stone's embrace laid a growing darkness. The Force wielders' heart fluttered rapidly as they made out a lone silhouette among the shadows dancing across the rocky edge.

Nothing needed to be said between the two former Jedi as the hair on their necks shot up straight with the icy chill slithering across their skin, leaving a trail of taut and prickly goosebumps. What was lacking in the Force before this very moment was rapidly transforming. Now, they could feel an engulfing dark hole and as they crept closer to the still figure, that hole sunk into a suffocating, intense, and chilling sensation saturated with feelings of death, hatred, and pure malice. Only a few beings were ever able to mask their Force signature so completely. With Darth Sidious dead, there was really only one dark being capable of this that came to mind.

Right in front of them, with shoulders stretched and pulled back haughtily, inky black clothing that absorbed the remaining night's fleeting light and rippled sharply in the evening's wind, stood the creature. An eerie moment, even the moon seemed terrified by its presence. Even though shrouded in the shadow of the night, his unmistakable horns lining his distinct head were very visible over the familiar red and black painted face. The night's air trembled in its presence.

A nightmare materializing into life.

A toothy grin broke across the graphic face of the zabrek. With his left hand holding an oval device, he made a show of pressing a button, willing the heavy doors behind Ahsoka and Obi Wan. Spurred by his actions the two quickly spun their heads as they watched the heavy durasteel doors they barely open, creak suddenly then moved with ease before slamming close, obeying its master's command.

A heavy, ominous boom deafened their ears as they heard a sharp, resounding click locking the several layers of thick durasteel gates-trapping them where they were. The vibrating metal barking at them in clear mockery, informing them of their imminent doom with its echoing laughter at their apparent demise.

It was a dismal moment - something they should have seen coming but didn't - so here they were and there was no turning back. Taking in their situation, Ahsoka and Obi Wan eyes lingered on the doors for a moment longer before returning a reluctant gaze at each other-their faces blanching bleakly.

Her senses all raised on high alert, Ahsoka frowned as she commented darkly, "I got a bad feeling about this."

It was too late to have remorse as Obi Wan couldn't find the energy to guilt trip himself for his lack of foresight. He could only shake his head in defeat before he replied, "I think we just walked into a trap."

A/N:

Remember that hint in chapter 16? That's for the droids Dryden was holding on Savareen and he heavily relied on droids on purpose. It's a subtle hint for you guys to wonder why and how he's able to get his hands on so many different types of droids now that they are outlawed and suppose to have been decommissioned. I actually created a long timeline of events several years out for this AU...whether or not I ever get to write it.

Maul used Force stealth to conceal his presence from them so they didn't know he was there until he wanted them to know. It's something I think Darth Sidious would have taught him this and why the Jedi couldn't sense the Sith in canon.

Random note- Dryden's statue is supposed to look similar to the one from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark...written by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilms Ltd. Because I'm a dork. xD

Next will be an update for DD then it'll be game time! Obi Wan and Ahsoka will finally face off Maul! But where's Anakin?