Chapter 1: Holocron Heist

In the briefing room of the Jedi Temple, Tanya, Anakin, Obi-wan, and Yoda were discussing how to handle the recent eviction of Republic forces from Felicia when suddenly Yoda stumbled back.

"Disturbance in the force I feel. Thieves we will have," the diminutive Jedi Master said, leaning onto his walking stick as a pained expression passed his face.

Anakin and Obi-wan looks at each other as Tanya spoke up, "How long do we have to prepare?"

"Not long."

"First things first, where do we start looking for these intruders?" Obi-wan asked in a firm tone, standing straight in his armored lightly colored Jedi clothes.

"If we know what their objectives are, we could respond better." Tanya pointed out, taking a contemplative pose, her modified Mk. 2 Clone Trooper armor scuffed and dirty still from a recent battle.

"I doubt they've come to hijack starfighters," Anakin sarcastically pointed out, earning an annoyed glare from the shortest human in the room.

"What can they get here they can't get anywhere else?" Obi-wan asked, hoping to distract the pair before they get into an argument. Again.

"Information," Anakin quickly suggested, his dark robes and scarred face giving him a menacing presence as he started to stalk from the room.

"The Jedi transmitter codes. Every piece of troop information, in one place. And it's all in the east tower. The east tower communications center," Obi-Wan agreed, beginning to follow.

"Unless they are after Jedi artifacts," Tanya suggested. "The temple is a thousand years old. We have a lot of ancient relics, including holocrons that hold dangerous secrets. Holocrons that if stolen also steal away all of our sense of security because someone got so deep into the temple."

"But the holocrons need a Jedi to use," Anakin waved off the suggestion.

"Or a former Jedi. Like Count Dooku."

Everyone in the room froze at the reminder that the leader of the opposition was once one of them.

—-

Tanya strode swiftly through the halls of the Temple, a Telecom unit in hand as she tried to contact her adjunct.

"Hello, Visha here," a female voice answered the call.

"Visha, I need you to get a squad together and get to the command center for further instruction."

"Tanya? I thought we were on leave. What is going on?"

"Vacation is over. Master Yoda sensed intruders invading the Temple. ETA unknown. We need to be ready for their arrival."

"Understood. Fairy Three out." A brief flash of annoyance at her unit's call sign passed on Tanya's face before she schooled her face into a mask of calm as she entered her room at the Temple to grab her helmet that was emblazoned with a female humanoid figure with insectoid wings holding up a single finger while grinning with rather fearsome and maniacal grin with far too many and far too sharp teeth.

Making a beeline for the Archives and looking for Madam Jocasta, Tanya kept a weary eye open to her surroundings. Spotting Ahsoka, Tanya gave a brief wave before continuing her look for the librarian.

"Heya Tanya. What are you doing here?" Ahsoka asked, coming up to Tanya, vibrating with the energy of the young and bored often have when finding something that could entertain them for a moment.

"I need to speak with Master Jocasta. Do you know where she currently is?" Tanya responded in a very business tone, putting Ahsoka instantly on alert.

"She's in the stack down that way," Ahsoka answered before meekly following up with, "Is something going on?"

"Hopefully nothing you need to worry yourself about, Padawan," Tanya told the physically older but less experienced girl with a rather brittle smile. "Enjoy your time in this peaceful library while you can."

"R-right," Ahsoka agreed to Tanya's retreating back before spotting the large green form of Jedi Master Ord Enisence and going to see if she could help him.

"Madam Jocasta, a word please," Tanya requested of the elderly female human Jedi as she reached into the white utility belt of her armor and pulling out a flimsy with a rather prominent seal on it.

"Yes my dear?" The Jedi Master said, turning to face the much younger knight with a fond smile at a kindred spirit in the joy of the pursuit of knowledge.

"I need access to the hallway to the Holocron vault. Here is the authorization from Grand Master Yoda."

"Oh?" The Jedi Master took the flimsy and confirmed that Yoda had indeed authorized Tanya access to the hallway. "What is going on?"

"Hopefully hours of boredom for me before someone comes and lets me out."

Seeing the seriousness in the young Jedi, Master Jocasta nodded and lead Tanya to the door and opened it up. "Stay right by the entrance or you will set off the security system."

"Understood," Tanya agreed with a nod before putting her helmet on and taking up a sentry position to the side of the door inside the hallway, taking her lightsaber to hand, a sleek and elegant design that exemplified the less is more mentality of being simple brushed durasteel with a leather wrapped grip.

It was a quiet thirty minutes before Tanya heard voices coming from the vent. Taking a crouching position, Tanya readied herself for a fight as she saw the laser grid deactivate, but she kept her lightsaber deactivated up until a bounty hunter and his robot came through the ventilation, dropping the grate to announce their arrival. Tanya quietly activated her Comlink to the security center before activating her saber with a snap hiss, gaining the attention of the bounty hunter and droid.

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours for the public are over. If you would come with me, we can get you a pamphlet on our hours of operations and some of the wonderful history of our fine Temple."

"Jedi, how did you know we would be here?" Cad Bane asked with a low growl.

"Well, it is pretty stupid for someone to break into the Jedi Temple, so I asked myself what is the stupidest thing someone could steal. And what do you know, I was right."

Cad Bane pulled his blaster out and fired upon the Jedi, who easily deflected the shots, while he pulled out a remote and activated a button.

"Toto, distract her," Cad said as he began to retreat back into the vents.

"I'm not a combat droid," the small robot complained, moving in a frightened manner.

"Just do it Toto."

Before Toto could do anything, Tanya force pushed him into the vault door, crushing him, before jumping up into the ventilation. She made it barely five feet through the ventilation before there was an explosion behind her that threw her further into the vents. Getting up with no harm done and picking up her blade as she continued to run after Cad Bane. She caught up to the sound of a fight going on, spotting Anakin and Obi-wan already engaged with the bounty hunter.

"Give it up, you are surrounded and outnumber three to one," Tanya said, pointing her saber at the bounty hunter as he looked around before sighing and letting his blaster drop as he put his hands up in defeat.

"I knew this mission was suicide," Cad Bane said in defeat.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to reconsider what missions you take while we get to the bottom of why you were hired," Obi-wan said with good humor that was at total odds to how Tanya felt about how deeply someone managed to get into the temple before they could stop him and how lucky they were that everyone was to be in the right places at the right times.