To ZabuzasGirl: Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it!
To Austrian: I'm glad you enjoy Ahsoka and Veers's friendship! Thanks for your feedback!
I changed the image on the story - I wanted it to look more like the Clone Wars animation, so I ended up repainting Padme...I'm going to keep working it because in my mind Veers looks different, but yeah...
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars
Planet Ryloth invaded! Subjected to a brutal droid occupation, the people of Ryloth are starving under the blockade of a Separatist fleet. Evil Separatist leader Wat Tambor now rules with an iron fist. Answering a plea from the Senate, the Grand Army of the Republic mounts a bold offensive to liberate the system. It is up to Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka to make way for Obi-Wan's ground assault.
Veers followed Obi-Wan onto the bridge of the starship, the Acclamator. The two of them and Master Windu were on their way to Ryloth, ready to liberate the Twi'lek people whom the Separatists were controlling.
The planet was surrounded by a powerful blockade of Separatist ships. Anakin and Ahsoka were mounting an aerial attack so that Obi-Wan and Master Windu could invade the planet with a ground assault. Anakin had contacted them just after Ahsoka had left to lead her squadron in an attempt to break the blockade, and they were going to check in on their progress.
"General on the bridge!" A clone announced as Obi-Wan and Veers walked into the room. Obi-Wan waved his hand dismissively, motioning for the troopers to continue working. He walked over to Master Windu, who was conversing with Anakin via hologram.
"They caught us by surprise, Master," Anakin said regretfully as Obi-Wan walked up. Captain Rex was standing next to him, but Veers noticed that Ahsoka was nowhere to be seen. A jolt of concern went through Veers - where was she? Anakin pressed a button, opening up a hologram on his side of the conversation to display the Separatist blockade, still completely intact. "We were outnumbered."
"How many men did you lose?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin, a concerned frown on his face. Anakin sighed.
"We lost a cruiser: The Redeemer," Anakin replied. His shoulders were slightly slumped. "Plus…an entire squadron of fighters." Veers's eyes stretched wide with shock as she recalled the plan that Anakin had briefed with them.
"Ahsoka was leading that squadron!" she exclaimed, her concern for her fellow Padawan spiking. Obi-Wan cast his apprentice a slightly disapproving look. Not that he wouldn't be worried of Ahsoka's safety, but he knew without confirmation that Ahsoka was safe. Anakin would have been noticeably distraught if she wasn't.
"Don't worry, Veers," Anakin replied quickly. "Ahsoka's fine. She's...recovering from the battle." Veers frowned at the contradiction of that statement.
"If she's recovering, then she's not fine," the Motien said.
"That's enough, Veers," Obi-Wan cut in, giving his apprentice another look. She dropped her gaze, knowing that she'd spoken out of turn.
"It's fine, Master," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. Then, looking back at Veers, he said gently, "Losing her squadron was hard for Ahsoka to take," he explained. Veers nodded slowly. She understood that much – she knew how she'd felt just a few weeks ago when the two troopers had died from the virus.
"Give her time," Obi-Wan advised his former Padawan. "But, Anakin – you will need her help if you want to get through this." Anakin nodded. This wasn't news to him - he was going to need all the help he could get to break the blockade, and Ahsoka was invaluable.
"I know," he replied with a sigh.
"Your forces have been cut in half, Skywalker," Master Windu said, speaking for the first time. The Jedi Master was concerned about the outlook of the siege. "If you cannot break that blockade before the next planetary rotation, we will have to postpone the invasion." Veers started at this assertion. Noticing her reaction, Obi-Wan placed his hand on his Padawan's shoulder to quiet her. Veers obeyed.
"The Twi'leks on that planet can't wait forever, Master," Anakin replied, voicing Veers's own concerns. "The longer the Techno Union keeps control of Ryloth, the more difficult it will be to free them." Master Windu nodded.
"I agree. We don't have much time." Anakin's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, and he nodded gravely. Master Windu turned to leave the bridge, and Obi-Wan followed. Veers quickened her pace after her Master, glancing back at the hologram as Anakin disappeared.
"Master," Veers ventured as she and Obi-Wan left the bridge and parted from Master Windu. Obi-Wan glanced at his Padawan, and she continued, "If Master Skywalker can't break the blockade, then the Twi'leks –"
"Anakin will find a way," Obi-Wan cut his Padawan off. "He always does."
Veers frowned, her ira marks flickering slightly with her concern.
It wasn't that she doubted Anakin – she knew that he was a very capable Jedi General. Everyone knew that though he could be reckless at times, he was good at strategy and he was smart. Still, the Separatist invasion of a peaceful planet put Veers on edge – it just hit too close to home.
Veers turned away. She was afraid to voice any of these concerns - she didn't want to give Obi-Wan a reason to have her sit out of the mission. She had just been cleared for battle after recovering from the blue shadow virus - it had taken her slightly longer to recover than the others because of her potent exposure to it. Ahsoka had returned to the front lines nearly a week ago, but Veers had had to wait.
She was antsy, and eager to do something to stop the Separatists.
So instead of voicing any of her concerns, Veers simply dipped her head and murmured an obedient, "Yes, Master."
Veers stood next to Obi-Wan and Master Windu on the bridge as the Acclamator came out of hyperspace. As the cruiser slowed down, the passengers were able to see the battle in front of them. To say it was an odd sight would be an understatement.
"What is going on?" Obi-Wan muttered, peering through the windows with a frown. Veers looked out as well, blinking in surprise. She noticed a lone escape pod hovering on the outskirts of the battle, and that the Resolute was tilted on its side. The other two Starcruisers were nowhere to be seen. Veers was relieved to see that the blockade had been broken, but she didn't quite know what to make of the rest of the scene.
"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said, opening up a transmission. "This is Obi-Wan. May we begin our landing?" Ahsoka's answer was prompt.
"Yes, Master," she responded. Veers could hear the hint of pride in her friend's voice. "You're cleared for ground assault."
"I won't even ask where the rest of Anakin's fleet is," Obi-Wan said in a long-suffering tone as he surveyed the battlefield. "Or why he's in an escape pod."
"That's…probably for the best," Ahsoka responded with a huff of laughter. "Rex, that reminds me. Send a shuttle to pick up Master Skywalker." Obi-Wan shook his head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation at Anakin's eccentricity. Veers couldn't help noticing with a hint of amusement that it was the same expression that he often gave Veers herself.
"Let's move out," Master Windu said, glancing at Obi-Wan. The younger Jedi Master nodded. He beckoned his Padawan, and Veers walked after the two Jedi Masters towards the hangar. She and Obi-Wan and Master Windu were going in separate waves in order to maximize effectivity.
"The first trick," Obi-Wan said as he, Veers, and Master Windu entered the hangar and walked towards a gunship. "Will be getting our troops on the ground."
"If you take the city of Nabat first, we'll have our landing zone," Master Windu replied, stopping at the edge of the gunship. Veers and Obi-Wan boarded the ship, turning around to face Master Windu.
"Well," Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced at Veers. "It's time to meet the natives." Master Windu nodded gravely.
"May the Force be with you," he said as the doors to the gunship closed, sealing Master Windu off from the others. Veers reached up over her head, grabbing onto one of the straps of the gunship to remain balanced as the aircraft began to move. The gunship exited the Acclamator, soaring through the open air to the planet below.
Obi-Wan turned to face the rest of the squadron.
"We need to remember why we're here," he said. "We came to aid the Twi'leks, not destroy their home." Obi-Wan nodded at the Clone Commander behind him, motioning for Cody to continue. Obi-Wan and Veers stepped aside to let Commander Cody finish briefing the troops.
"That means we'll be taking it back the hard way," Cody continued, looking around at his men sternly. "Minimal destruction with blasters and droid poppers only. No rockets or detonators." Cody crossed his arms over his chest. "Check your eight, keeps your eyes out for the locals. Am I understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" the troopers aboard the gunship chanted together, saluting their commander. Cody nodded, satisfied.
A hologram flickered in the middle of the gunship, and Veers stepped back to aovid interfering with the transmission. Master Windu appeared in the center of the ship.
"Master Windu," Obi-Wan greeted the other Jedi, slightly surprised and more than slightly concerned. He hadn't expected to hear from the other Jedi this early on, and anticipated bad news.
"Kenobi," Master Windu said. "We can't risk landing the larger transport until you take out those guns." Veers glanced through the crack between the ship's door, peeking out into the war-torn sky. The pilot was doing a good job avoiding the blasts, but Veers could see rockets exploding in the air all around. Given that the Acclamator was a lot bigger than this gunship, it was considerably harder for the starship to avoid the blasts.
Obi-Wan nodded sharply. "Pull back," he advised Master Windu. "We'll take care of it." Master Windu nodded, and the hologram disappeared. Veers glanced at her Master as the gunship began to descend. Her nerves must have been displayed clearly in her expression, because Obi-Wan gave his Padawan a reassuring smile.
The doors to the gunships slid open, and Veers tightened her grip around the strap to keep her balance. She turned to look at the rapidly approaching ground. In order to give the squadron some amount of cover, the pilot took the ship down to a jungle area of Ryloth, just off the outskirts of Nabat.
The gunship pulled to a stop and hovered a few inches off the ground. Veers leapt off, moving several paces away to make room for the others as Cody and Obi-Wan joined her. Without a word, Obi-Wan kept through the jungle, weaving through trees and undergrowth nimbly. Veers followed, keeping one hand on her lightsaber apprehensively.
Through the trees, Veers could see a large wall. It was the barrier surrounding the city, Nabat. Droids were patrolling the top of the barrier, and as Veers watched, one of them trained its gun on the squadron.
"Master," Veers said nervously, her eyes locked on the droids. "I think they see us."
She unsheathed both of her lightsabers, stepping slightly away from Obi-Wan so that they were far enough away from one another to not clip each other's swings.
Despite the fact that Veers and Obi-Wan were able to absorb the gunfire from the blasters, it didn't take long for the shooting to become too thick to keep pressing forward. The squadron slid behind a thicket of trees, keeping their backs pressed against the trunks for cover.
"That bunker is going to be a problem, General," Commander Cody said, nodding towards two identical huts. The rounded top protected the droids inside from fire, but they had the perfect vantage point to shoot at the Ghost Company.
"Leave the bunker to me," Obi-Wan replied confidently. "Just bring your troopers in at my signal." The Jedi Master turned his head, gauging the time between gunfire. After listening for a moment, he beckoned Veers.
The two Jedi darted through the trees, weaving in and around the trunks while avoiding the blaster fire. Most of the troopers stayed behind to lay down cover fire, but Cody and a couple others followed Obi-Wan and Veers.
"Let's take them out!" Obi-Wan shouted. Two of the troopers pulled out droid poppers from their belts. They each threw it towards one of the bunkers, and Obi-Wan and Veers steadied the deactivator with the Force to ensure that it made it to where it was supposed to go.
The bombs went off, sending an electrical discharge that deactivated the droids in the bunker. Obi-Wan nodded at his Padawan approvingly, pleased that she'd picked up on his plan.
"Ghost Company, let's move!" Commander Cody ordered his squadron. The remaining troopers rushed towards the smaller group.
Now that the bunker had been destroyed, the remaining droids had no cover. Though they kept shooting at the squadron below, they were sitting ducks on top of the wall, and were taken out in no time.
The Ghost Company scaled the wall and split off into pairs to take care of any remaining droids. Obi-Wan walked to the edge of the barricade, looking out at the planet below him. Veers stood next to her Master, looking around. Off in the distance she could make out smoke, and she swallowed hard.
A bomb exploded close enough to the castle that the palace walls shook. The seven-year-old princess shook with fear as Rizak pulled her through the halls, towards the hangar. "What about my mom?" Veers asked plaintively.
"I sense your anxiety," Obi-Wan said to his Padawan. Veers flinched, snapping out of her unwanted memory.
"Sorry, Master," she replied. Obi-Wan looked at his Padawan sympathetically. He could guess what was running through her head – not only were her ira marks betraying her distress, but it was logical.
"I know that this must remind you of the invasion of your planet," Obi-Wan said quietly. Veers cast Obi-Wan a guarded look, dropping her gaze. She shifted uncomfortably.
"I…yes," she admitted with a sigh. "I suppose it does." She tried to speak nonchalantly, like it wasn't really bothering her. She wasn't sure how well she did, and Obi-Wan placed a hand on Veers's shoulder. She looked back up at her teacher, and Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly.
"You're doing well, Veers," Obi-Wan reassured his Padawan. "I know that this may be upsetting for you, but the best way to ensure that Ryloth does not meet the same fate that Motia did is to focus." Veers nodded.
"Yes, Master," she replied, trying not to betray her irritation. She faintly wished that Rizak was still alive and teaching her. He had understood her pain and confusion and encouraged her to use her emotions as a strength. Veers didn't tell Obi-Wan this, as she expected the Jedi Master would encourage her to try and ignore her feelings.
Veers wished that Obi-Wan could see her in one of her moments when she channeled her emotions into the Force. It was just her luck that she'd been sidelined until this mission to recover from the blue shadow virus, and that Obi-Wan hadn't been there to see her help apprehend Vindi.
"The wall is secure, sir," Cody told Obi-Wan. Veers looked back up, shaking off her thoughts. "Are we moving onto the guns?"
"We need to know what the droids have in store for us," Obi-Wan said, looking at the smoke plumes in the distance. "Send your best men to scout ahead." Veers listened in disbelief. Though Obi-Wan's plan was logical, it also felt like a waste of time.
"Master," Veers protested as Cody saluted Obi-Wan and walked off to brief his troops. "Do you really think we have time for that?" Obi-Wan nodded.
"I agree it's not ideal," he told his Padawan regretfully. "But it's better than going in blind." Veers pressed her lips together so she wouldn't disagree verbally. She took a deep breath.
"May I go with them?" Veers asked as respectfully as she possibly could. Obi-Wan shook his head. Veers's ira marks flared with irritation. "Master, please. I can't just sit here and do nothing." Obi-Wan sighed.
In the short time that Obi-Wan had been training her, he learned that patience was not Veers's strong suit. At all.
It showed up in little ways, like when she would interrupt him with a question instead of waiting to see if he'd provide the information had she just listened and waited. But it also showed up in larger ways. She got reckless on the battlefield, went in headfirst without a plan.
Obi-Wan had to admit that this was a new problem for him. Though training Anakin's recklessness had been difficult in its own way, Anakin almost always had a plan. Even if it was a half-baked, barely formulated plan that he didn't share, Anakin was a brilliant strategist.
Veers, on the other hand, tended to wing things completely. In training exercises, she usually found herself backed into corners that she could have easily avoided. Obi-Wan wasn't eager to see that happen during a battle.
"You must learn patience, my young apprentice," he reminded Veers. She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. Obi-Wan sighed. "Meditate until the troops return," he told her. Veers looked up at Obi-Wan to see if he was serious. When she saw that he was, a flicker of irriation flashed through her, making her ira marks flare violently.
"Fine," she muttered, turning to walk away.
Meditation was considered a vital part of the Jedi Code, but Veers hated to meditate. The point of meditation was to clear one's head of everything – thoughts and feelings.
Veers had no problem clearing her head of tangible thought. But she couldn't not feel. It went against her very nature. Stewing over this, Veers found a place to sit on the ground. Sitting down and crossing her legs, Veers closed her eyes to focus.
Obi-Wan watched her go, his eyes narrowed in concern. He wasn't even concerned about Veers's focus harming the mission – though she didn't know, Anakina had told him that he had seen Veers channel her emotions into the Force instead of blocking them. It was unconventional, but Obi-Wan didn't necessarily disapprove. Rizak had known Veers better than he had, and he had trained her into a good Jedi. If it worked for her, he wasn't against it.
What he was worried about was Veers's wellbeing. He knew that she would do anything she could to protect Ryloth and the Twi'leks from succumbing to the same fate Motia had. He just wasn't sure that she would be able to protect herself while she did so.
Veers was already impatient to the point of recklessness. That, combined with her heightened emotions and drive to execute this mission perfectly, didn't bode well with Obi-Wan. He was worried about his Padawan.
If she was going to be angry at him, so be it. Meditating before they laid siege to the cannons would protect her, and that was all Obi-Wan cared about.
As Veers meditated in the corner, Obi-Wan walked around the blockade, checking in with the other troops. He made sure to see to it that those who had been wounded in the initial struggle had been tended to, and reviewed mission parameters with the clones.
Cody had taken Waxer, Boil, and Wooley with him to scout around Nabat. Obi-Wan had cautioned the four not to stay out too long, so he knew that they should be on their way back soon. The Jedi headed back over to Veers.
The Motien's eyes were closed, her breathing slow and steady. The pulsing of her ira marks had slowed considerably, and the magenta color had lightened slightly. She didn't acknowledge Obi-Wan's presence, but he could tell that she was aware of her surroundings.
"General!" Obi-Wan turned around. Commander Cody and Wooley were rushing up to the Jedi. Upon hearing the clone's voice, Veers opened her eyes and stood up, returning to Obi-Wan's side.
"Cody," Obi-Wan greeted his second-in-command. "What did you find?"
"We should open a transmission to General Windu, sir," Cody replied. "He's going to need to hear this, too." Obi-Wan nodded. Without being told, Veers was already opening up a transmission. She was quiet as she did so, projecting a map of Nabat out in front of the group when Cody requested it.
"We found the guns," Cody told the two Generals when Master Windu appeared on the other side of the transmission. Veers stepped up behind her instructor to listen. "They're in the courtyard here and here." He indicated the spots on the map. "But there's a complication. They've taken the locals hostage and are using them as shields." Veers's eyes widened.
"If the Twi'leks are being held prisoner, taking the guns will be difficult," she murmured, momentarily forgetting that she wasn't to speak unless spoken to. Neither Obi-Wan nor Master Windu reprimanded her.
"Difficult," Obi-Wan agreed. "But not impossible. I still have a good plan for taking out those guns." Veers glanced at Obi-Wan curiously, but he didn't expand on what his plan was.
"Getting those villagers out of harm's way is our first priority," Master Windu said. "I have faith in you, General Kenobi." The transmission flickered and then disappeared as Master Windu ended it. Obi-Wan turned towards Cody, already beginning to set his plan into action.
"Cody, go in with everything we have. Clear those hostages." The commander saluted Obi-Wan, going off to gather the other troopers. Obi-Wan turned towards Veers. "Are you ready?" Veers straightened up.
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan nodded.
"Good. Let's move out." Veers followed her instructor to the edge of the blockade. The clones were checking the inventory of weapons and suiting up for battle. Commander Cody was off to the side, a scowl fixed upon his face as he glared down at the communicator.
"What's wrong?" Veers asked curiously. The commander glanced at the Jedi Padawan, shaking his head in a mixture of irritation, confusion, and concern.
"Waxer and Boil aren't responding," he replied. Veers frowned. Waxer and Boil were some of the best troops in the squadron. It was odd for them to disobey orders. "They haven't returned from scouting." Obi-Wan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That isn't like them," he mused, voicing Veers's thoughts. "They may have run into trouble." Cody frowned. He turned towards the assembled group of troopers standing nearby.
"Sergeant," he ordered. "Use the high-powered transmitter to see if you can reach Waxer and Boil." The clone saluted, rushing off to power up the machine. Veers shifted uncomfortably. Despite the fact that Obi-Wan had had her meditate to calm herself, she couldn't shake the feeling of urgency.
"Master, we shouldn't delay the siege much longer," she murmured anxiously. To her relied, Obi-Wan didn't tell her to be patient. He just nodded.
"I agree," he said. He turned back to Cody. "Let's get the rest of the men moving. The others will catch up." Commander Cody nodded. He called out a signal to the rest of the troopers, and they fell into line with Obi-Wan.
The Ghost Company squadron hiked down the barricade, heading towards Nabat. Veers found herself unconsciously navigating to the front of the pack as the smoke plumes got closer. She made sure to stay with the group in the lead so Obi-Wan couldn't complain about her straying off.
Veers and a few clones rounded a bend before the others. The Jedi Padawan took a few steps forwards, and then she paused. Something felt off…
"Hold," she ordered the clones, using one hand to motion them back and the other to unsheathe her blue lightsaber. The troopers followed her order, shifting into battle positions behind her.
In the distance, Veers heard a faint rumble, and then pounding footsteps. It was too loud to be droids…
"Gutkurrs!" she shouted, her eyes widening in horror as the insectoid species came racing towards the squadron at full speed. "Fall back!" The troopers began to fire at the creatures as the retreated, but the gutkurrs' hides were thick and largely blaster-resistant.
"Aim for their eyes!" Veers heard Cody order as the gutkurrs forced her and the clones back around the bend to regroup with the others. Veers leapt over a gutkurr as it charged at her, managing to avoid being thrown aside.
Veers glanced around. Another of the creatures was racing towards her. Without thinking, Veers sheathed her lightsaber. She gauged the distance, and then leapt forwards. Landing on top of the creature, Veers wrapped her arms around the neck of it, pulling it upwards to control the creature's movements.
Obi-Wan watched is Padawan in mild disbelief. Veers stripped off the sash she wore around her waist, wrapping it around the gutkurr's neck. She steered the creature over to another, lashing the scarf to the other gutkurr as well.
The creature reared, screeching in protest. As it whipped its head around, Veers found it difficult to remain balanced. Gritting her teeth, she urged the gutkurr forwards, attempting to run it into the wall. The gutkurr bucked once more, and Veers went flying. She hit the rocky wall and fell to the ground with a grunt.
Veers sat up slowly, wincing. Dazed from her fall, she didn't notice the gutkurrs she'd tied together stalking towards her.
"Veers!" Obi-Wan called a warning to his Padawan. She raised her head. Seeing the gutkurrs, her ira marks pulsed in surprise and fear.
Obi-Wan raised his hands, channeling the Force. The gutkurrs cornering his Padawan turned slowly and began to walk towards Obi-Wan. Closing his eyes to focus, Obi-Wan raised his other hand.
One by one, all the gutkurrs stopped attacking and turned towards Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master walked backwards, leading the gutkurrs away from the squadron. Veers got to her feet slowly, rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head.
One of the troopers raised his gun, and Veers threw a hand out.
"Hold your fire," she ordered, her voice slightly raspy and breathless from her fall. The clone obeyed, lowering his blaster to watch Obi-Wan. The trooper stared at Obi-Wan in amazement as the Jedi continued to lead the gutkurrs backwards.
"Incredible," he murmured.
"Quiet, rookie," Cody ordered. Veers stepped forward slightly, scanning the terrain. Her eyes fell on a bridge, arching over the canyon that Obi-Wan was leading the gutkurrs into. She raised her hand.
"Aim for the bridge," she told the troopers. "Wait for Master Kenobi's signal." The troopers raised their weapons, aiming at the arching bridge. There was a beat of tense silence, and then Obi-Wan called out.
"Now!" The troopers began to fire, and the bridge came crumbling down with a loud rumble. Even over the noise, Veers heard the gutkurrs began to snarl violently as their trance was broken. Obi-Wan had anticipated this and dodged the gutkurr's attack.
The Jedi Master slid between two of the creatures, snatching Veers's sash as he did so. Ducking another gutkurr's snapping jaws, Obi-Wan then leapt forwards, tucking into a flip and sprinfing off a gutkurr's back to land safely on the other side of the falling rocks. He stood up, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure none of the creatures had followed.
"How did you think of that?" Veers asked in amazement. Obi-Wan chuckled in his usual mixture of amusement and exasperation, handing Veers her sash. She took it back, wrapping it around her waist once more.
"The difference between you and I, my young apprentice," Obi-Wan said sternly. "Is that I plan." He paused, catching his Padawan's shoulder so that she turned to look at him. "You must learn to not leap headfirst into battle," he reprimanded her. "You could have died." Chagrined, Veers pressed her lips together, her ira marks flickering with embarrassment.
"Yes, Master," she replied, bowing her head. Commander Cody joined the two Jedi, handing Obi-Wan his lightsaber that he'd dropped. Obi-Wan accepted with a nod of thanks, beckoning the remaining troopers to follow.
Suddenly, there was a loud clatter from a nearby manhole. Obi-Wan swept his hand back, unsheathing his lightsaber. Veers unsheathed hers as well, and the clones fell into defensive positions, aiming their guns at the ground.
Obi-Wan frowned, focusing. Following his gut instinct, he sheathed his lightsaber once more. "Don't shoot," he ordered. "Veers, stand down." The Padawan obeyed, placing her weapon back at her hip.
The manhole cover was pushed to the side, and Waxer and Boil climbed out. They seemed slightly surprised to realize they'd come upon the rest of the squadron, but immediately fell into salutes.
"Waxer, Boil!" Commander Cody stepped forward to scold his two troopers. "Where have you two slackers been?" The two troopers saluted their superior. Even with their helmets covering their faces, Veers could sense their sheepishness. Motiens were inherently good at sensing emotions and being Force-sensitive made it easy for Veers to tell emotions of others.
"Sorry, sir," Waxer said. "There is an explanation."
"We got a little…sidetracked," Boil added. Obi-Wan turned towards the two troopers, looking at them curiously. He laughed slightly.
"I think I see what sidetracked you," Obi-Wan said, amused. Veers followed his gaze. A little Twi'lek girl was peeking out shyly from behind the clones' legs. She ducked behind Waxer again, and Veers smiled. Obi-Wan knelt down.
"Hello, little one," he said gently, offering the child a smile. She flinched backwards, covering her face with a gasp. Veers stepped forward slowly.
"Master," Veers said, looking at the little girl sympathetically. "May I?" Obi-Wan moved back slightly, and Veers knelt down the the Twi'lek's height.
"Don't be scared," Veers soothed the child. She knelt down to the youngling's height and offered her hand to the little girl, and the Twi'lek stepped forward hesitantly. She placed her hand in Veers's, and the Motien focused. Her ira marks pulsed gently, and the Twi'lek visibly relaxed. She looked at Veers worshipfully.
"What was that?" Waxer asked, a mixture of confused and intrigued. Veers stood back up.
"I just calmed her down a little," Veers responded. Motiens had the ability to subtly influence emotions in others. They couldn't manipulate someone into feeling something they didn't want to or couldn't feel, but they could bring out emotions a person was hiding. Though the youngling was scared, but Veers could calm her down by carefully extending the trust she already had for Waxer and Boil. "How did you get here?"
"She brought us here through the tunnels, sir," Waxer explained. "She knows her way around them pretty good." Obi-Wan smiled.
"Nu nala guinjon wilo?" he asked the youngling in Twi'leki, motioning towards the square. The little girl followed his gesture and then nodded, a small smile spreading across her face.
"Ooh, yana yana!" she responded eagerly. "Wah nerra. Cumee nerra!" She tugged on Waxer's hand as she spoke. Obi-Wan nodded, satisfied by the girl's answer. He turned to Cody and Veers.
"The girl can lead us through the tunnels to the prisoners," he translated. "Cody, we're going to need a diversion." Cody nodded, gathering up a few of his men to continue to the square the way they'd originally planned.
Obi-Wan picked up the Twi'lek, settling the little girl on his shoulder. With her instruction, he led Veers, Waxer, and Boil through the tunnels and towards Nabat. After the Twi'lek had led them through several different turns, she told Obi-Wan to stop and pointed towards an exit in the ceiling. Obi-Wan nodded.
"We're here," he told the others.
The small squad surfaced just below the square. They were in an underground dungeon – by the smell of it, Veers was guessing this was where they'd kept the gutkurrs. She wrinkled her nose.
Veers slid in front of Obi-Wan, quickly taking out a guard droid with a swish of her lightsaber before it could alert anyone else to their presence. The hum of her weapon made the only other droid in the dungeon look up. The robot was unarmed, scrubbing the floor of the cage.
"What?" it said in confusion, as Obi-Wan locked it inside the cage. Realizing what was happening, the droid lowered its head. "Oh…"
"We'll take care of this," Obi-Wan said, nodding at Veers. He turned towards Waxer and Boil, handing Waxer the Twi'lek child. "You keep her here," he said, referring to the youngling. Without waiting for them to acknowledge his orders, Obi-Wan led his Padawan up the steps.
The two Jedi paused at the top of the staircase, peeking out over the ledge to view the square. Veers could make out the emaciated Twi'leks just beyond the cannons. She twitched, ready to rush out.
"Wait!" Obi-Wan said, grabbing Veers's arm. She looked towards her teacher, and he stared back calmly. "What's your plan?" he asked her. Veers blinked.
"Wha – plan? I thought you had a plan," she responded in confusion. Obi-Wan's lips twitched in amusement.
"I do have a plan," he replied. "I want to hear yours." Veers sighed impatiently, shifting in her crouch. Obi-Wan's voice took on a stern tone as he whispered to his Padawan. "Don't go rushing in, Veers. Think." Veers took a deep breath.
"There will be too much collateral damage if we try to take out the cannons when Cody starts the distraction," Veers thought out loud. "So…free the villagers, first. Get them out of harm's way. Then go for the cannons." She looked at Obi-Wan, and the elder Jedi nodded, a glimmer of pride on his face.
It was the same idea he'd had, but he'd wanted Veers to verbalize it. The Motien was extremely good at picking up on Obi-Wan's ideas without his verbalizing them, as she had shown earlier with the gutkurrs, but he wanted his Padawan to get in the habit of thinking things through for herself before she was forced to.
"Very good, Veers." Obi-Wan turned slightly to motion to Waxer and Boil to join them, and the two clones rushed up the steps to join the Jedi. Obi-Wan hesitated one moment longer, and then gave the other three the signal to move.
The small squadron crouched behind the base of a statue overlooking the square. The base was large enough to give them cover, but small enough that Cody could see them behind it. The Clone Commander nodded, motioning for the rest of the Ghost Company to move in after him.
"Now!" Obi-Wan said as soon as he heard the first noise of blasters firing. Veers flipped forwards, slashing through the nearest battle droids. She landed in the center of the square, among the Twi'leks. The villagers stood up, murmuring in Twi'leki to one another as they stared at Veers hopefully.
The Jedi Padawan began to quickly cut through the binders on the Twi'leks' wrists. She was careful to not harm the villagers as she did so. Obi-Wan and Veers moved as quickly as possible, cutting through the prisoners' bonds while the clone troopers fought off the droids and laid down cover fire.
Once all the locals were free, Obi-Wan beckoned them backwards, back towards the underground dungeons where they'd be safe from blaster fire. "Wachamio! Wachamio!"
Veers stayed in the square, unsheathing both of her lightsabers and blocking as much of the enemy fire as she could to ensure a safe escape for the Twi'leks.
"Waxer, Boil, come with me!" Obi-Wan shouted to the two troopers. "Veers, regroup with Commander Cody."
"Yes, Master!" Veers called back, rushing across the square to join the rest of the squadron. As she got to the other edge, she could see that the clones were being slowly pressed back. She spoke into her communicator. "Cody, how're you doing?"
"We're fine, sir!" the clone commander responded, easing Veers's concern. "How's it looking over there?" Veers turned around. In the time that it had taken her to cross the square, Obi-Wan, Waxer, and Boil had already destroyed two of the proton cannons. As she watched, Obi-Wan fired at another, destroying the third. The only one left was the one Obi-Wan was using to destroy the others.
"Great," Veers replied to Cody. "I'm on my –" she cut herself off with a gasp as the head tactical droid fired at Obi-Wan. "Master!"
The Jedi Master managed to avoid the actual shot, but the resounding explosion sent him, Waxer, and Boil flying to the ground. Veers changed trajectory instantaneously, spinning on her heel and racing over to Obi-Wan. She ignored Cody's confused questions on the other end of the transmission, focusing on getting to Obi-Wan in time. She slid to a halt next to her Master just was the little Twi'lek girl came rushing up.
"Master," Veers said, touching Obi-Wan on the shoulder. The Jedi groaned, slowly rising to his knees as the Twi'lek youngling offered him her support. Veers looked up, her eyes narrowing as she noted the cannons pointed directly at them. Two assault tanks were surrounding them.
"Ha ha ha!" The tactical droid in command of the mission laughed mechanically. "You lose, Kenobi!" Veers scowled.
"You sure?" she asked. She rose to her feet and took a step backwards. Leaping up onto the first assault tank, Veers slashed her lightsaber through the droid in control of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the former Twi'lek prisoners storming the other tank and ripping the commander droid apart with their bare hands.
Whipping around, the Padawan sliced the cannon off of the tank, catching it with the Force before it could fall and hit Obi-Wan or the Twi'lek youngling. Concentrating, Veers slung the cannon across the square, sending it flying into the last proton cannon.
The explosion sent a wave of heat across the square, and Veers flipped backwards to land on the ground once more. No sooner than had her feet touched the soil than did the Padawan whip around, rushing back to Obi-Wan's side.
"Master, are you alright?" she asked, supporting the other Jedi's weight. Obi-Wan smiled, allowing Veers to help him. Though he had no terrible injuries, he was rather sore from having been thrown across the square by an explosion.
"I'm fine, Veers," he responded. He looked around, surveying the square with an exhausted but relieved expression on his face. The former prisoners were celebrating their liberation and victory against the tactical droid, hugging one another and crying out happily in Twi'leki. The little girl who had helped them was over by Waxer and Boil once more, dancing around the two clones.
And now that the proton cannons were destroyed, the Acclamator had entered the atmosphere. Obi-Wan turned towards the sky - he could already see the ship beginning its descent – Master Windu and the rest of their reinforcements had arrived safely. Obi-Wan smiled. "More than fine."
"Great job getting rid of those cannons," Master Windu said to Obi-Wan and Veers. The Ghost Company had regrouped with the other Republic forces, and Obi-Wan had briefed Master Windu on the mission. Veers trailed behind the two Jedi Masters, only half-listening to their conversation. She found that she was surprisingly tired - perhaps a side effect of recovering from the virus.
"Now we have a more difficult objective," Master Windu continued gravely. "We must take the capital, and free this world." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. Master Windu departed from the other two Jedi, going to brief his troops, and Obi-Wan turned to Veers.
"You're heading back to Coruscant," he told her. Veers stared at her Master, but he continued before she could protest. "You're fresh off medical leave," he reminded her. "I'd rather not have you get sick again from pushing yourself too hard." Veers made a face.
"I feel fine," she said. It was mostly truthfully - she was just tired, not sick. Jedi were always tired - they were at war! Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Even so…"
Veers sighed, nodding her head in acquiescence. It wasn't as though she truly had much say in the matter, and besides, Padawans didn't go on every mission their Masters did. It was likely that she would have lessons to attend at the Jedi Temple until Obi-Wan returned from Ryloth.
"Well, I suppose I can practice my patience," Veers said, only half-serious. Obi-Wan smirked at his Padawan.
"You'll have to," he replied, as the two continued to walk. Waxer and Boil joined the two Jedi, and Obi-Wan continued, "Who knows how long securing Ryloth will take?" Veers groaned in faux-annoyance, and Obi-Wan chuckled.
"Nerra, nerra!" Numa, the Twi'lek youngling who had helped them, was calling out after Waxer and Boil. Veers glanced over her shoulder, smiling as she saw the little girl waving enthusasticallly. "Nerra!"
"Sir," Boil asked Obi-Wan curiously. "What is that she keeps calling us?" Obi-Wan smiled slightly.
"Nerra," he repeated. "It means 'brother.'" Veers couldn't help but grin at that – it was just so sweet. Waxer and Boil both paused, exchanging glances. As the two troopers paused to turn back and wave at Numa, Obi-Wan glanced at his Padawan.
"You did well today," he told Veers. He walked her over to the transporter ship standing by to take her and wounded troopers back to Coruscant for treatment. Veers ducked her head, her ira marks flickering with pride at the praise. Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "I can't help but wonder what your plan was when you destroyed that tank."
"Oh, I definitely had a plan," Veers said. "In fact, I always have a plan." Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.
"Do tell."
Veers glanced at Obi-Wan mischievously. "To wing it."
Obi-Wan shook his head in fond exasperation. He had expected as much. Though he still believed that that Veers would greatly benefit from learning patience and a strategic head, he was proud of her ability to think quickly on her feet.
"Will you ever learn, my very young Padawan?" Veers laughed as she stepped into the ship. The ship beeped, and she smiled at Obi-Wan teasingly as the doors closed.
"Not any time soon, my old Master."
okay so...this chapter felt very hard to write for some reason. maybe i'm just not used to writing a clone wars fic yet, idk. it's a bit shorter, so sorry about that.
also, sorry if the twi'leki is wrong - i could only find a few of the translation spellings online, so some of it i had to do by ear.
anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think! i would seriously love some feedback, so don't be shy! :)