.

.

Chapter 35

.

multyfangirl21 Hello...I left you a message back in chapter 27, but I think you read it before the FF site updated the chapter so you could see it. I do hope you are checking your PMs...since I am responding to all your kind reviews...and you have hopefully noticed by now that I did change the icon pix to the one of Zax so you too could see what he looked like. Thanks and do let me know if you see this message. T.O.W.G.

~X~

"Foreigners aren't without honor. Take a look at any outsider who struggles against oppression or injustice and you will see someone with the body of an aruetii, {ousider} but the soul of a Mando'ad."

~Jango Fett~

Ravana and Pershing had managed to maneuver their way down several hallways and past dozens of mysterious doors, none of which gave her a clue as to what was hidden on the other side. Until at last, he halted at the rounding of a bend, placing his hand up to stop her there.

"At the end of the next hallway is where the assets are being kept," he explained in a desperate whisper. "That room will be guarded, however. I may be able to walk in without too much fuss, but I doubt they would let you anywhere near it. They would stop you for sure, or possibly shoot you on sight. Moff Gideon rules with an iron fist, and if any of his troops disobey his orders…they usually end up dead. If you want to get inside, you'll need to find a way past them."

"Oh, if only I had a blaster," she muttered, leaning her head against the wall and giving a deep sigh. However, when she opened her eyes, the solution to her problem presented itself. "Look! A hatchway to the ventilation system! Does it by chance lead to the place where the kid is being held?"

"I don't see why not," he answered, somewhat in awe of her unorthodox idea. "I suppose it's worth a try."

"Anything's better than just standing here waiting to be caught," she reasoned, signaling for him to give her a boost up. As he cupped his hands together, she placed her foot in his palms as he hoisted her towards the ceiling. The grunts and groans he gave told her that Pershing was more suited for clerical work than physical labor. Still, he'd gotten her high enough to reach the access panel, allowing Ravana to push it up and aside as she scrambled into the small opening. Turning around as best she could, she looked down at the man below. "Now, go get yourself inside and help talk me through this maze," she instructed. "I don't want to come out inside an occupied office or some prison cell."

"Yes…of course," he nodded, straightening his uniform as he prepared to talk his way inside the mysterious room. And giving her one quick nod, he turned and rounded the corner, leaving Ravana to shut the hatch and start her search for the correct exit.

.

.

Din sat at the bottom of the hole for what seemed an eternity, waiting and wondering if he'd just sent Zax on a fool's errand. What if the ship that had come wasn't Paz or Cara? What if it had been Gideon, or any of a hundred other people…none of which had any intention of following a zaktan to his aid. Or, if they did follow Zax, who was to say they wouldn't simply blast him like a womp-rat where he sat? He'd already berated himself a million times over for failing to protect Ravana and the kid, his one and only sworn assignment given to him by the Armorer, as well as his own heart. If anything happened to them, he would tear the galaxy apart in order to avenge them…this he swore.

Just then Din heard something that was like music to his ears – the familiar yipping sound of a zaktan.

"Zax?" Din called, leaping to his feet and hoping that he hadn't returned alone. Yet, he wasn't left wondering long, for at that moment came a familiar female voice from above.

"Well, isn't this a sight," the amused Shock trooper called down. "I told you to stay out of trouble, Mando. I didn't know I had to specifically say to stay out of deep holes too."

"Cara!" Din shouted. He could see her silhouetted against the full moon behind her at the top of the pit, but he would have recognized her voice anywhere.

"And Paz," came a male voice as well, a second figure coming to stand at the edge. His shadow was equally distinctive and easy to identify as well, the large blaster cannon slung over his shoulder giving him away. "But if you brought me all the way out here just to pull your sorry hide out of a pit, I'm tempted to leave you down there."

"Quit your griping and be helpful for once, will you?" Cara scolded the heavy infantry Mandalorian, causing him to grumble a bit. Still, he did as he was told and held up his arm, shooting a line out of his wrist guard. Once it had lodged itself in the ground near Din's feet, the large Mandalorian secured it to a nearby boulder to his right.

"What are you waiting for, Djarin?" Paz called. "Expecting me to fly down and carry you out on my back?"

In answer, Din leapt up and grabbed the cable, then climbing hand over hand, he made it to the top in record time, with Cara reaching out to assist him over the rim. Once he was topside, he reached down and gave Zax a much-deserved pat on the head before removing the Mythosaur pendant from around his neck.

"Way to go, little guy," Din commended. "You came through again."

"Gotta say, when this fellow came running up and wouldn't leave us alone, we were a bit confused," Cara admitted. "Yet when Metal-head here saw that necklace of his, we figured he had to be with you."

"And then he led us here…only to find you stuck in a hole," Paz finished with a snort of laughter. But then he got serious, crossing his arms over his beskar clad chest. "Well, have you found the guy who has the Dark Saber or not? You promised I could rip his head off…so where is he?"

"First things first," Din stated, locating his blaster and incinerator rifle nearby and strapping them in place. "Ravana and the kid are being held captive up there." Here he pointed to the well-lit facility on the hill to their left. "We need to get them out."

"Well, why the kriff didn't you say that in the first place!" Paz growled. "Mandalorians honor family above all else. Your wife and child come first."

"Wait…what? Wife?" Cara gasped, looking over at Din in shock. "When did that happen?"

"It's a long story…and one that can be told as we go," Din instructed. He then looked at Paz's jet pack that was strapped to his back. "You didn't bring a spare one of those, by chance?"

"Sorry, didn't know I'd need to," he said with a shake of his head.

"Then I guess we walk," Din sighed. It would take a lot longer to get back on foot, but there was no way Paz could carry the both of them…plus Zax.

"And you better do a lot of talking on the way," Cara demanded, falling into step beside Din as they headed out. "Because I need to hear every detail of how you and Ravana got married!"

.

.

"Don't you have cleaning droids in this place?" Ravana demanded, hopping out of the ventilation system and brushing off the dust she'd accumulated while inside. It had taken longer than she'd have liked to find her way through the maze and into the room where the doctor had been standing, calling her name quietly in order to guide her to the correct shaft. "You could grow vegetables up there with as dirty as it is. And you breathe the air coming out of that, you know."

"I apologize for not putting such maintenance on my list of priorities," Dr. Pershing grumbled, snapping the grate that covered the shaft she'd just exited shut. "I believe there are more pressing matters to deal with."

"Yes, you're right," she admitted, quickly forgetting all else as she looked around the room. "Where's the kid, and the others?"

"This way," he directed, leading her through an archway. "Here is where they are kept."

Ravana stopped in her tracks, a gasp of shock escaping her lips as she took in the scene before her. The long room was aglow with blue lights, illuminating the five tables which each held a child of a different species, all appearing to be awake, but staring up at the ceiling blankly.

Hurrying to the closest one, Ravana inspected the young male of a race she didn't recognize. His green skin, large dark eyes, and multiple tentacles coming out of his head was something quite new to her. She could see that he was breathing, yet even though he was not strapped down, he didn't seem interested in getting up…or doing anything at all.

"What's wrong with them?" Ravana demanded, turning to Pershing with a murderous look in her eyes. "What have you done?"

"As little as possible!" he answered defensively. "And a lot less than Gideon ordered, that's for sure. If anyone else were in charge of the extractions, they would all be dead by now."

"Extractions? I don't understand," Ravana questioned, leaving the blue child and rushing over to where her own green one lay. He too looked to be in a daze, and it was then that she noticed the collars that encircled each of their small necks. "What are these?" Here she picked up the String-bean and held him to her, elated to have him back in her arms. Yet, when he didn't respond with his usual coos and giggles, she became even more worried.

"They are neural inhibitors, nothing more," the doctor assured her, coming over to her side. "They are not painful, nor do they damage the brain, simply interrupt the flow of thought so that they cannot connect with the Force and try to escape. It was either use these or render them unconscious…Gideon's orders."

"But why? For what reason have they been brought here?" she asked, now nearly in tears as she searched the kid's eyes for any spark of his usual self.

"I am ordered to extract the midi-chlorians from each of them," Pershing explained.

"The what?" Ravana had never heard of such things before, thus she didn't know what that even meant.

"Midi-chlorians," he repeated. "They are microscopic, intelligent life forms that reside in the cells of all living things, forming a symbiotic relationship with their host."

"You mean I have them in me as well?" Ravana was not sure this set well with her, not liking the idea that other beings were living inside of her.

"Yes, we all do," he nodded. "Yet, those who are sensitive to the Force have more of them than those who are not. This is a scientific fact, one that the Jedi of old thoroughly documented before the fall of the Old Republic. Gideon acquired these documents and began experimenting with how to extract them from Force wielders."

"Why? For what purpose?" Ravana once more held the kid to her protectively, unwilling to allow anything bad to happen to him. "What could he possibly want with such things?"

"Gideon believes if he is infused with a large quantity of them, he too could wield the power of the Jedi as well," the doctor revealed, his tone both sad and afraid. "He's managed to get his hands on many Jedi relics, including some kind of lightsaber, and is obsessed with becoming one himself. He wishes to harness the Force the way they once did, thinking he could restore the Empire to its former glory…and setting himself up as supreme ruler."

"And is that at all possible?" Ravana was shocked. She'd known the man was insane, but never to this degree. He wanted to rule the galaxy? This was madness!

"The extracting of the midi-chlorians is indeed possible," he assured her. "However, before I was forced to join the project, the process was attempted on a Force sensitive adult male of the Bardottan species. It went badly and the test subject died. Gideon killed the scientist in charge for his failure to deliver, and that was when I was recruited."

"And you believe you've found a way to successfully do the extractions without killing the subject?" Ravana was torn, wanting him to be a failure as well, yet not wishing any harm to come to any whom it was attempted on.

"My theory was that by the time adulthood was reached, the symbiotic relationship with the midi-chlorians had reached a level that would not allow them to be separated from their host. When done, both species were unable to continue living, thus making the extracted material useless." Here the doctor stopped and looked down in shame. "That's what led Gideon to send out hunters to locate children who displayed signs of being Force sensitive, choosing to experiment on them before such a deep bond could be achieved. Sadly, so far…it's working. I made sure to extract only small amounts from each child over a longer period of time, in hopes of not harming them in any way. Yet, Gideon is becoming impatient, wanting me to work faster, or to gather more subjects to extract from. That is why he's been doubling his efforts to recapture the child you are currently holding. For when I tested him back on Nevarro…I discovered that he had the highest midi-chlorian count I had encountered so far. He is very strong with the Force."

"Tell me something I don't know," Ravana sighed, now fully understanding why Gideon wanted the String-bean. "Well…he can't have him! I won't let Gideon, or anyone else, touch a hair on his little head! And you're going to help me get him and the other children out of here. Got it?"

"As I said, I never wanted to do any of this in the first place, but Gideon will kill all who fail him," Pershing warned. "He has no qualms about executing his own men if they so much as step out of line."

"Well, I'm not one of his men, and as of now, neither are you!" Ravana stated firmly. "So, how do we get these things off the children?" she asked, looking for a latch on the collar the kid wore.

However it was not Pershing's voice that answered her question…but another. One that had Ravana spinning around with a look of horror.

"I'm afraid that I'm the only one who can remove them," came the menacing tone she recalled all too well.

"Gideon!" she gasped, her blood running cold at the sight of the man who'd once tried to kill her. Somehow he'd slipped in the room without either of them hearing him, the man currently flanked by nearly a dozen armed Storm Troopers.

"So, you do remember me," he smiled. "Just as I recall you, Ravana Searan from Pessue. Though if my memory serves me right, I was under the assumption that my men had killed you. Do I now have to search out the trooper who failed in that assignment and see that he regrets his failure?" He cocked his head slightly to the side as if in thought. "Might you be able to heal yourself…or perhaps someone did it for you?" Here his gaze fell upon the kid, his eyes opening wide in surprise and delight as he put the pieces together in his mind. "A Force healer, is he? How marvelous. His extracted material will be joined with the rest, ensuring that I will be the most powerful being in the universe."

"NEVER!" Ravana screamed, holding the child to her as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Don't you dare touch him!"

"Save your theatrics, my dear," Gideon chastised. "You are in no position to stop me; thus, I will do as I please." Here he turned to look at the now shaking Pershing. "I trust that your short-lived rebellion against me has now come to an end? I doubt you would enjoy what I would do to you, should you now refuse to carry out my orders." He paused dramatically for effect, watching as a look of utter defeat crossed the man's face, now unable to even glance in Ravana's direction out of shame. "Good. I would have hated to have things delayed while I brought in a new doctor." Next, he signaled to his troopers. "Return the asset to the table and take the woman to the lab. She might yet be of some use to me."

Ravana tried to run, but there was nowhere to go, and soon they had her cornered. It took three of the strong men to remove the child from her arms, all the while she kicked, fought, and hurled curses at them. Once she'd been effectively subdued, they brought her over to where Gideon waited, and reaching out, he took hold of her chin in his steal-like grip.

"I killed you too quickly last time," he stated, his cold eyes boring into her like ice. "A mistake I will not make again." And then with a wave of his hand, she was dragged away, her voice being heard all the way down the hallway as she screamed back, begging Pershing not to hurt the kid. "Now, Doctor," Gideon said in a voice that was so calm it sent shivers up the man's spine. "Seeing that I am currently in possession of a fine test subject, I believe a demonstration of your progress is in order. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-y-yes, Moff Gideon," Pershing stammered. "Whatever you say."

"That's what I like to hear," he said with a wicked smile.

.

.

Din did indeed give Cara a thorough rundown on how their unintentional wedding took place, with Paz filling in a thing or two about the night Ravana got drunk. Yet when Din revealed that they had decided to remain married, and even wished to renew their vows Mandalorian style, Cara burst out laughing.

"Greef now owes me fifty credits!" she stated happily. "I could tell you two were a simmering pot ready to boil over when you came to Nevarro. I bet him that you two would end up together within three months!"

"What?" Din was shocked. "How did you know that?"

"Woman's intuition," Cara grinned. Yet when Paz gave a snort from under his helmet, he was rewarded by a fist to his side, making him nearly stumble over as he walked. "That's enough out of you! I've had to put up with his snide remarks all the way here. Your fortunate he even made it this far…I almost had to kill him twice!"

"How did that happen anyway?" Din questioned. "As far as I knew, you two had never met."

"You can thank Kuiil for throwing us together," Cara explained. "When I got his message over the core that you needed help, to say I was a bit shocked would be an understatement! How the blazes is he even alive?"

"Another long story, one I promise to tell you all about when this is over," Din swore. "Now how did Kuiil get you two on the same ship?"

"He told me that you wanted both me and Paz to come to your aid, but he was having difficulty contacting him," Cara continued, jerking her thumb at the large Mandalorian with a roll of her eyes.

"Our clan is in hiding!" Paz barked out in his defense. "We don't go around answering just any communication."

"So, I borrowed the fastest ship Karga had and went to find the dumb lug," she finished. "And trust me, the reception I got was not exactly a welcoming one either. If your old friend, the Armorer, hadn't intervened, a number of your clan was ready to slit my throat."

"Well, the last time any aruetiise {outsiders} showed up in the covert…many of us were killed," Paz pointed out in his defense.

"So, after a bit of hostile negotiations," Cara continued, acting as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said. "I grabbed laser-brains and high-tailed it here. However, let's just say the trip was not exactly a pleasure cruise, if you take my meaning. He's impossible!"

"Me?" Paz asked in shock. "You're the one who picked every fight, contradicted everything I said, and refused to even let me touch any of the controls!"

"My ship, my rules," Cara shrugged, reaching down to scoop up Zax as she picked up her pace a bit, leaving the two Mandalorians behind. More than likely in an effort to distance herself from the irritating Paz.

Once they were somewhat alone, the larger man leaned over, lowering his voice as he spoke to Din.

"Now, that is one fine woman!" he stated with a mixture of awe and respect. "Never thought I'd fall for anyone outside the clan, but if that one snapped her fingers in my direction…I'd come running!"

"Wayii?" {What?} Din gasped, stopping dead in his tracks as he stared at his longtime friend and clan-brother. "You two were just arguing like a zaktan and a Loth-cat!" Still, hadn't he and Ravana quarreled more times than he could count…with him always having found her irresistible when she was angry?

"That's simply verbal foreplay, Din," Paz scoffed, waving off his protests. "Trust me…she's crazy about me. You'll see."

"Will I now?" Din was not the least bit certain of that, but just as long as the two of them didn't kill each other before they saved Ravana and the kid, they could do whatever they wanted later. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Din might have said more, but just then the two of them walked around a large boulder, nearly running into Cara as she stood still, her blaster now in the hand that was not holding Zax. At first, she blocked their view, but the moment Din stepped to her side, he could see what had made her halt.

Directly in front of them stood a lone figure, one that had Din drawing his weapon, while Paz quickly removed the portable blaster cannon from off his back, aiming it directly at the stranger.

However, it wasn't a Storm Trooper, or anyone they might have recognized as one of Gideon's goons, but instead it appeared to be a Togruta female. They couldn't see her face, for her back was turned to them, but even in the moonlight Din could tell she had dark orange skin, white head-tails and pointed montrals, both elongated by her years and accented with blue stripes. She was dressed for ease in battle, with two cylindrical objects hanging at her sides where one would normally have kept their weapons.

Needless to say, it was rather surprising to find her kind on this dark planet. Yet, Din didn't have time for any more surprises at the moment, he needed to find Ravana and the kid. So, pointing his weapon at her, he spoke up.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded. "Are you working for Moff Gideon?"

Oddly, the woman didn't even flinch at his words. Acting as if she had known all along that they were there, and that she currently had her back to three potential enemies.

"I am not familiar with a person called Gideon," she answered, turning her head only slightly in their direction. "Thus, you can rest assured I am not working for him. However, I am rather intrigued as to why two Mandalorians and a Rebel Shock Trooper are traveling together. Might there be a story behind your companionship?"

"If there is, I'd need to know a lot more about you before I revealed it," Din countered. "Now, I'll ask you one more time. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

At that moment, Zax began to wiggle in Cara's arms, at last leaping down and running straight for the Togruta. At first Din thought he meant to attack, but instead he began to yip happily the closer he got. As the mystery woman turned fully around, Din watched her face - which he could now see had white markings across her forehead and down her cheeks - softened into a kind smile. She knelt down and stroked the wiggling zaktan affectionately. After a moment, she looked up at the three puzzled warriors before her and answered Din's question.

"My name is Ahsoka Tano, and I'm here because I felt a terrible disturbance in the Force."

Dun, dun duuuuun! Look who came to play! Points to anyone who guessed who she was simply by her description - even before she said her name.

So, now we know who was on that ship...Paz and Cara. Though it doesn't seem as if they like each other very well...or do they?

And you also know what Gideon wants with the kid. I know some are Ok with Midi-chlorians, and some are not. I hope most of you are, since that's what I'm going with. At least I know that they are cannon.

Well, Din is out of the pit of despair (ha ha LH Wordsmith) Paz is smitten, Cara acts like she wants to kill Paz, Zax is still a good boy, Ravana is in trouble, and the kid is near catatonic...oh, and Ahsoka is on the scene. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Tune in on Friday and find out!

Guest Reviews:

Phantom Guest: Ok, your mental image gave me a mental image too. One of the Anoobas sitting on a hill nearby watching Zax pop up and down out of that hole. One turs to the other and says "Look...I think the poptart is ready to eat." ha ha. NOT that they would come near him, mind you! Things might have been looking good for Ravana before, but that just turned around I fear. And you got to see who were the 'other' Gideon captured. But what do you think of the new person showing up? Maybe SHE can help?! Thanks.