A/N: I do not own the characters or ideas of the Harry Potter or Star Wars universes.
Chapter 8
4 Standard Years Later
Harry ducked low, a green lance of fire crackling above his head. As he felt the blade clear him, he flipped away from his foe, deflecting a strike as she tried to cut him while he was in the air.
As he landed, his foe cast three curses in quick succession, her face strained as she put every bit of power she could behind them. Harry deflected one with his hand and the others with his shield. His foe snarled, disappointed her assault hadn't caught him by surprise. Harry carefully didn't smile. He knew Ahsoka hated when she thought Harry (or any of her masters) were being condescending.
She wasn't done though. In a flash, she was trying to overwhelm him, using a similar mixture of flurry strikes and thrusts to try and keep him moving he tended to use himself. He wasn't particularly surprised she shared quite a few other similarities to him, such as being the only padawan who favored 2 sabers in her age group. Accorded to Hermione, she also had a bit of a fixation with Harry.
To test the young Jedi, Harry eased back on his saber tactics, focusing more on Force powers and his magic. Over the past 4 years, Hermione and Harry started training this padawan age group in their brand of magic in between assignments. They were all becoming quite proficient, though Ahsoka and a few others were further along than the rest. He wasn't concerned she would be confused by his shift in tactics.
The lips of her mouth turned up in what wasn't a friendly smile as a Force push sent her back. "Afraid to keep this to sabers huh Magic Man?" Several of the padawans chattered indignantly at her perceived disrespect. Harry just smiled. This was his training and he wasn't one to really care about those niceties.
Still, he needed to make sure she didn't get to cocky. In lieu of answering, Harry cast 2 stunners, apparated behind her, and cast a body bind and ice spell. The young Togruta showed she had been paying attention to her lessons. She threw her arms wide, casting a vast purple shield (vis loricatus). The spells bounced harmlessly off it but instead of lowering the shield and attacking Harry, she shot it at him as a projectile, leaving him no option but to apparate away. Because of the size of duel arena, he didn't have much choice but to apparate back behind her. She was back on the attack barely a second after he reappeared.
As the duel progressed, Harry continued to emphasize Force techniques instead of saber combat. After her initial show of prowess, Ahsoka was finding it harder to keep such a rigorous connection with the Force and physically maintain such a saber assault. Finally, she grew too weary and her shield couldn't stop Harry from summoning her sabers. She fell to her knees, breathing heavy. Harry sensed she was exhausted but otherwise okay.
"Great job Ahsoka," he said with a smile, helping her to her feet. "You're becoming quite formidable in the Force and with our brand of magic."
She shrugged her shoulders. She truly hated losing. She has that in common with Anakin Harry mused, not realizing she shared that with him too. "I didn't expect you to fall back into all that Force nonsense. What type of guardian are you?" She was smiling ruefully though and her tone was light. Harry only chuckled.
"All right you lot. I want one takeaway from this duel from each of you. Let's not just repeat what someone else said either." As he listened to the other padawans provide their observations, he was pleased to see how much they were paying attention to his magic and how he and Ahsoka used it. He and Hermione were also teaching other knights and masters but this group of padawans was really their first set of guinea pigs.
He was a bit displeased that the counselors and sentinels had a better handle of Force and magic tactics than his guardians. They didn't look entirely convinced when he told them about the value of using the Force and not simply relying on light sabers. Before he could say anything though, Ahsoka spoke up, glaring at her fellow guardians.
"Harry is right. If I hadn't been ready to counter his shift in tactics, he would've been able to take me out a lot sooner. And I know I don't want to tire out like that again."
Harry smiled. "Thank you Ahsoka. If you all want a prime example of what can happen when you underestimate an opponent who uses the Force in a duel, look no further than the raid Darth Tyranus led on Ruusan. He is an expert in saber combat but he defeated 3 Jedi knights not because he was better with a saber but because he wore them down using Force techniques to keep them moving and exhausting them. I'm a guardian too and love to mix it up. But your saber isn't the only tool you have to mix it up with. I want you all to remember that. We clear?"
Harry received a chorus of different agreements and sensed they were largely sincere. "All right. You're free to go. Good luck in your afternoon lessons." He watched them leaving, talking animatedly. After they were gone, he headed for the Council chamber. Master Ti informed him earlier that the Council had a new assignment for him and would need to see him in the afternoon.
"Ah Harry. How are you my friend?"
"It's great to see you Obi-Wan," Harry said, shaking hands with the other Jedi knight. He always liked Obi-Wan. On the outside, he was everything you'd expect a Jedi to be: calm, gallant, and indomitable. Beneath the surface though raged a storm, one he seldom saw unleashed but when it was, it was a sight to see. In that, he was not unlike his old master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
Obi-Wan asked him if Master Ti told him to come, to which Harry nodded. "It looks like you and I will be working together, assuming you're not behind me on the schedule."
"I doubt that."
Sure enough, as if they were 3 and 3A on a ledger, Master Gallia opened the doors. "Come in gentlemen," she said with a smile.
As she went to her seat, Obi-Wan and Harry went to the center of the chamber and bowed.
Mace nodded cordially. "Thank you both for coming on short notice. We have a rather delicate assignment and we feel it would work best if only 2 knights were involved. This fluid situation and we must act quickly. Are you both available?"
"Of course Master," they both said.
"Twenty standard hours ago, Senator Organa received a distressing message from Balmorra. The message was heavily coded but when Bail received the message, he prevailed upon the Council in general and knight Granger in particular to translate the code."
Harry smiled. Hermione was assigned to the Council of Reconciliation (the Jedi diplomatic corp essentially) 10 months ago. Master Gallia was also on the Council, but as a master. He didn't know the exact details but Hermione did say she was working closely with senators the Jedi could trust.
"Master, why would the Balmorran government reach out directly to a particular senator," Obi-Wan asked. "It is not a Republic planet and there is a Republic embassy in orbit to handle diplomatic concerns."
"That is a good question Obi-Wan," Master Ti interjected. "You see the message didn't come from the government, at least officially. It came from 2 reclusive Hutt brothers: Groodo and Rigorra. However, for all intents and purposes they are in fact the de facto government on Balmorra."
"What did their message say masters," Harry asked.
Gallia stood and motioned for someone to enter from another chamber. "Before we get to that, we need to give you both a little history on these brothers. Hermione has been investigating them and their past since receiving the message. She can fill you in from here."
Hermione half-bowed toward her form master and smiled at her 2 friends. "Thank you Master Gallia. It is good to see you Obi-Wan."
"Thanks Hermione. Good to see you too," Harry said sadly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're such a prat Harry." She could resist a laugh when he bowed as if to a compliment. "All right you two, as Master Ti said, these brothers are basically the power behind Balmorra, though I would classify them as warlords, or at least mob bosses. They do however run several legitimate companies. One of their most lucrative enterprises is droid manufacturing. They have several trillion credit contracts with the Techno Union and Trade Federation, as well as several others with the Republic and other systems."
"Twelve years ago, they were approached by a subsidiary of the Czerka Corporation called WylZine to develop new fighter engines and fighter designs." She held out her hand and a hologram of a small fighter appeared. To Harry, it looked like bowtie. "By all accounts, they exceeded what WylZine expected. The hutts called their new creations TIE fighters."
"Unfortunately, before the designs went into production, the hutts tried to extort more money from WylZine. What they didn't realize was the company was a farce and they found themselves face-to-face with Darth Maul. The Sith Lord took most of the blueprints and specifications. The records he missed they sent Senator Organa, which were the oldest designs they developed. They said there were nearly a dozen other designs Maul stole."
"Why didn't Maul kill them," Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm…" She blushed as she looked at the other masters. "We're hoping you both can find out more from them. Maul may not have killed them when he had the chance but the hutts fear the Sith are coming back to finish the job."
Obi-Wan looked curious. "Why are they afraid? It has been nearly 10 years since Maul…perished."
"Shortly before they sent the coded message to Organa, the parliament on Balmorra brought a resolution to the floor. If it passes, Balmorra will not renew contracts with the Techno Union and Trade Federation next year." Hermione pulled several holopads out of her robes. "For the past 18 months, the hutts have been negotiating agreements on the side with pro-Republic companies. After the resolution passes, the Balmorra Interior Minister will announce the new deals to develop and produce heavy arms and fighter manufacturing for the Republic. I can't imagine the Sith are happy to see this happen. If they can remove Groodo and Rigorra from the equation, they'll have a much easier time muscling Balmorran representatives and defeat the resolution when it comes to vote in 4 days."
"Did the hutts mention any suspicious characters on the planet? Is there anyone who has spent an unusual amount of credits in a short period of time? If what you say is true, they must be tapped into the underground," asked Obi-Wan.
"They didn't discuss specifics but there were a few clandestine mentions of a dark Jedi bounty hunter buying a property in the capital district. If I'm correct, the dark Jedi bounced the sale through several mediators but there was at least one friendly that passed word to the hutts. Personally, I think the dark Jedi is a front and there are others that are the real bounty hunters. If you find the dark Jedi though, you may be able to find out the real plot."
"Do you want Obi-Wan and I to bring them back to Coruscant?"
Mace nodded. "Senator Organa would like them to testify before the Senate as soon as possible and then they will be placed under Jedi protection. If you can capture the bounty hunters, that would also be helpful. Do not risk Groodo and Rigorra however. They are far more valuable than the bounty hunters, even the dark Jedi."
"May the Force be with you both. Leave soon your shuttle will. A moment, please will you wait Harry. Discuss something else we would like with you."
"Of course master." He tried to conceal his curiosity as his friends and most of the Council left until it was only Harry, Yoda, and Master Ti. "Is there something wrong masters?"
"Not at all Harry. I wanted to thank you for all the work you've put in with the padawans. Master Vilbum couldn't be here today but he is very happy with how much you and Hermione have taught them."
"Thank you master. It is nothing really. I am proud of how well they've done too. I hope we can open the curriculum to the other younglings and padawans eventually."
"Likely that is to eventually happen. For now though, a proposition Master Ti and I have for you, if willing you are. If feel better it will make you, made we have this same proposition to Hermione and accepted she did."
"Okay. After that build up, I don't suppose I can turn it down can I?"
"Glad to hear that I am. To take a padawan from the youngling age group, like for you we would. If agreeable you are, selected a padawan already we have."
Harry gaped. This wasn't what he expected. "Of course I would be willing to take a padawan masters. But are you sure I am ready?"
Master Ti smiled warmly. "You are very protective of your wards Harry. That is plain to see. You are also one of the better Jedi knights in the Order. You have a lot to offer a padawan who you can groom personally. We'd still like you to work with younglings and other padawan age groups but Master Yoda and I feel this is a logical step in your development."
Harry carefully watched his old master. While his face was perfectly still, Harry saw a gleam in his eyes and deduced another reason he wanted Harry to take a padawan. "You're worried about me being too…shall we say enthusiastic during my missions. You hope taking a padawan will cure me of some of that."
Ti looked amazed Harry deduced that but Yoda chuckled. "True that is, but not the primary reason. If speak for myself I can, care for you I do. Know how bold you are I do. Great trait that is and lose it I do not wish for you. But temper it, see that I would like. Promise you I do though that if ready for a padawan I thought you were not, trust you with one I would not. Ready you are and as much as you will teach her, learn just as much you will too. Accept will you?"
"Of course. Who have you selected for me?"
"Young Ahsoka, your new padawan she will be. Asked for you personally she did in fact when discussed this with her. With Obi-Wan, take her you can too if you wish."
"Does she know that she and I will be working together?"
Master Ti chuckled. "She may not know for certain we asked you but I wouldn't be surprised if she guessed. She was quite excited when we talked with her and Isachr Billong. I also don't think she will take kindly if you don't at least acknowledge she is your new padawan before leaving for Balmorra."
Having worked with Ahsoka for almost 4 years, he knew the firebrand would be furious if he mollycoddled her, which would include leaving her behind. And while Harry expected this assignment would get lively, he didn't think there was any real reason to exclude her. "With your permission, I'd like to bring her with."
"Very good. Fetch her you can on your way to the shuttle."
His mind was racing with the possibilities of having a padawan. His first instinct was to mimic his own training but he disregarded that fairly quickly. It wasn't that he didn't want Ahsoka to experience the dark side. Rather, he was brand new to the Jedi at an age when many were already knights. Ahsoka had been part of the Order since she was a small child.
As he approached her chambers, he felt her pacing madly. He felt a trill in her thoughts and sensed she already made her own conclusions and was waiting for Harry to arrive. He smiled as she also vowed to curse him if he declined to take her as his padawan.
Oh Merlin! What have I gotten myself into Harry mused as he knocked. The young Togruta opened the door with a wave of her hand and glared at Harry. "Well?"
"Well what," Harry asked, sounding convincingly confused. "I was coming to commend you again on how well you did today."
Ahsoka frowned. "Is that all? Seriously!"
He was a bit taken aback by how disappointed she sounded. "All right sprite. I also wanted to come and ask if you'd like to join Obi-Wan and I for our assignment. And if you're willing, I'd like for you to be my first padawan."
Ahsoka threw herself into him, hugging him and thanking him profusely. She gathered herself quickly though. "Let's go." She had a little trouble meeting his eyes after her outburst but Harry appreciated her enthusiasm.
"One thing first…"
"Ugh! Don't tell me you're going to warn me already." She rolled her eyes.
Harry chuckled. "No it isn't that. I know better since I wouldn't really want to hear it in your position. That being said, all I ask is you do whatever Obi-Wan or I say when we get to Balmorra. This is a very sensitive mission and we need to be careful. If you give me your word, I promise I won't be, or at least I'll try not to be, too overprotective. Deal?"
"Absolutely. Now, are we going Magic Man?"
Thirty minutes later, they were in route to Balmorra looking over a map of the capital district of the planet. "Here is the general area where the Dark Jedi is supposed to have set up shop," Obi-Wan said, pointing to a cluster of apartment buildings not far from a munitions factory. "Groodo has a safe house on the other side of the city, near the Parliament building. From what we understand, the hutts are there. If we act quickly, we should be able to escort them to the shuttle quickly without ever running into the bounty hunters."
Harry shook his head. "Something feels wrong."
"Do you think the brothers are lying," Ahsoka asked.
"No. There is no reason for the to lie. If this were a trap, they would be foolish to reach out to Senator Organa and send him their blueprints. No, I feel like the Sith are after more than the brothers."
Obi-Wan stroked his beard contemplatively. "Why would they want to involve the Jedi if that were the case? If they suspected the brothers would transmit their old designs, the Sith would surely have killed them before that happened, assuming they would even let the situation get that far. Even if these aren't the final designs the brothers developed, they are still better than anything the Republic currently has in operation."
Harry chuckled. "You're always playing devil's advocate aren't you my friend. Okay, suppose the Sith Master didn't care about the plans, or at least didn't care enough to keep them out of the hands of the Republic and the Jedi. What other motivation could he have for letting things get this far?"
Obi-Wan reflected on the issue. "I cannot think of any reason Harry. To be honest, I cannot accept your basic premise that the Sith would be so cavalier with the original designs to begin with. The Sith need to overthrow the Republic, not strengthen it. As I said, these designs are better than anything the Republic can field."
Harry couldn't deny that. It certainly didn't make sense for the Sith to strengthen the Republic. By extension, that would strengthen the Jedi Order. And it wasn't as if the Sith Master was Chancellor or in some other position of power in the Senate. If that were the case, making the Republic stronger could help him if he tried to turn on the Jedi.
"Spot on my friend," Obi-Wan said when Harry voiced that far-fetched idea. "If that were the case, surely the Jedi Council would be able to sense the duplicity."
"Fair enough, but I still think there is something to be gained by the Sith." He looked over at Ahsoka who looked deep in thought, disconnected from their conversation. "Are you all right sprite?"
"I was thinking about what you and Obi were talking about," she said, still staring off in space.
"Did you call me Obi?"
She ignored him. "I think you're right Harry. I think the Sith want something to happen to the hutts while we're trying to protect them. I mean think about it! What if they died after we moved them to somewhere protected, or even died in a Republic embassy."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "The only Republic installation in the system is an orbital station commissioned by the Republic. Balmorra isn't part of the Republic anymore."
"True but I think Ahsoka is on to something. If the brothers were 'assassinated' on our watch that would be a devastating blow to Republic sympathy in the system. The parliament will continue arming the Techno Union and the Trade Federation almost assuredly."
"This would depend on the Sith being entirely ignorant of the brothers sending plans to Senator Organa," Obi-Wan insisted.
"Perhaps they were. Maul obviously didn't know he missed their old designs. Why would his master know better? I mean, we just talked about how unlikely it is one of the Sith is in a position of power in the Senate but that doesn't mean there aren't ways for the Sith to hear things. Perhaps the Sith master learned of the transfer through spies attached to Senator Organa."
"Now that is a good possibility. I felt something was wrong about this mission as well but I felt no disturbance in the Force. Ahsoka was ahead of me I must admit."
Harry smiled at his padawan. "She was ahead of both of us. Perhaps we're just too damn old to think straight."
"Easy Harry. Speak for yourself," Obi-Wan said laugh. "Now, if we accept Ahsoka's theory, we need to assume there is someone connected with the Sith on the Republic station and we must take that into consideration as we figure out how to get the brothers out of the system."
"I know how to get them to our ship once they allow us to land but I would also like to stay on the planet as long as we can to figure what exactly what the Sith plans were."
"How do you plan to get them to the ship," Ahsoka asked, intrigued.
"In my travels, I learned about something called a 'portkey' that can transport someone anywhere on a planet, though the farther the person needs to travel, the more energy it takes to make it."
"Where did you learn about that," she asked incredulously. Obi-Wan seemed to understand Harry was talking about his brand of magic. Harry would need to tell Ahsoka the truth one day soon. For now, he deflected the question.
"In my early travels before the Jedi found me. Now we need to come up with a plan that will draw out our enemies."
For the past 2 standard years, Lieutenant Dawlanc Nassjac monitored space communication with the Balmorra Orbital Station. Originally built during the Galactic War 3600 years ago to help the Republic reclaim the planet, today the orbital station was the waypoint for Republic forces and diplomats entering and leaving the planet. Balmorra was not officially a member of the Republic but still favored the Republic and was open to their protection.
He was instructed to wait for a special coded message from a Jedi ship. His commander, Ariel Hollwil, was quite blunt in her orders. He did not know (or need to know) the full story but she made it plain that the Jedi were here at the request of powerful figures both on Balmorra and on Coruscant. When Dawlanc received the first message in code, he hastened to his commander.
Admiral Ariel Hollwil was one of the youngest fleet commanders in the Republic Navy and came from a line of distinguished servicemen and women. But she was not a mere nepotism pick. She was incredibly intelligent and exceptionally brave. Some thought she could feel the Force but decided the life of a Jedi was too boring. They thought this way since she always seemed to be able to read people and was always 2 steps ahead of others in planning. Of course, she may have felt the need to be particularly intimidating due to her looks as well. She had midnight black hair, cropped short, smooth, tan skin blemished only by a few pale scars on her face, and vibrant blue-green eyes like the oceans of Manaan. In a word, stunning.
"Admiral Hollwil, I believe I have the message from the Jedi ship you requested." He handed the sheet of paper to her and stood at attention as she read and consulted her codebook.
"Thank you lieutenant. You may return to your post. I'll meet the Jedi when they arrive."
When she reached the docking level, she was pleased to see her soldiers were alert despite very few ships actually coming into the sector during this time of day. "Admiral, there is a ship that does not have a scheduled arrival requesting permission to dock."
She smiled at his discretion, not mentioning out loud it was a Jedi ship. It would be obvious soon anyway but in case she wasn't aware of it, no one else would be either. "I understand. Allow them entry." She watched it enter, feeling a bit impatient. She did not know why they were here and she resented that. She had her own ideas and felt she was close to the mark. However, she hoped the Jedi would explain what was happening exactly.
"Welcome to Balmorra," she said, brusquely shaking hands with the 2 Jedi knights. She hesitated a second before shaking hands with the young padawan as well. "Please come to my office and you can brief me of the situation. We can then send you down to the planet." As she led them to her office, she issued orders to Nashtah, one of her new ensigns, to send a message to the planet that an envoy would be arriving soon.
She failed to see the young padawan stare daggers at Nashtah's retreating back or the taller man reach down and squeeze her wrist. She did however notice the two male Jedi share a knowing look.
She offered them seats across from her desk, which they declined. "I apologize for the inconvenience. Normally, I would send you down to the planet directly but I hoped you would explain why you are here."
Instead of answering, the taller Jedi knight waved his hand over the doorway several times, muttering words she could not hear. Before she could bark at him, the other Jedi knight gave her a serious look. "You have a dark Jedi on this station."
"I beg your pardon? Who do you both think you are to accuse my troops of disloyalty?"
"Forgive me ma'am. My name is Harry Potter and this is Obi-Wan. And this is my padawan Ahsoka Tano. Obi-Wan is correct; you have a dark Jedi serving under you."
Ariel bristled at being called ma'am but tabled her indignation, focusing on their accusation. "I don't suppose either of you have any proof."
"We can only offer our word," Obi-Wan said.
Harry opted to go for a more direct route, assuming she'd trust him. "If you would like me swear on my magic, I would be happy to do so. The penalty for lying would be death just so you know."
She looked between the 2 Jedi, her eyes lingering on Harry. His deep green eyes showed no deception. In fact, in them she saw all the signs of a combat veteran. "Why exactly are you here?" She listened to their story, much of it matching with her suspicions. "Assuming I believe you that one of my troops is a dark Jedi, why would that affect your mission?"
"Imagine if the Dark Jedi managed to commandeer a fighter as we were departing, or if they could corrupt your soldiers at the turrets and try to blast us into space dust," Obi-Wan asked reasonably.
Ariel leaned back. She truly had no reason to trust them but as she considered the situation, she could see the beauty of the Sith sneaking a Dark Jedi into her station. "Who do you believe is the dark Jedi spy?"
"How long has ensign Nashtah been aboard the orbital station," asked Obi-Wan at the same time Ahsoka snapped, "That red-headed huttspawn is the dark Jedi."
Ariel smirked at padawan. "You may want to watch your language my dear. That being said, I am inclined to believe you. But I will need to check into her personnel file, discreetly. If she is in fact a dark Jedi, how will that affect your plans?"
Obi-Wan and Harry stepped back, sharing a hushed conversation. "Can you please show us a room—off the grid preferably—that is secure," Harry asked.
"Can either of you answer a question without asking another?" She looked between them again before rising, rolling her eyes. "Follow me." She led them down to the shuttle bay between the station and the capital district. A lieutenant snapped to attention and held the door open to the waiting room, which was empty most of the time since this station only processed Republic traffic. "In the southeast corner, there is a safe room we built for emergencies. Only I have access and there is a bay concealed under the guns. If things were truly nasty, you could fly a shuttle through fuselage armor and guns to safety."
"Can you show us the safe room," Harry asked. After looking around, Harry asked Obi-Wan for blank plastic card. As he squeezed it in his hand, he muttered another series of words she could not make out. One of them was port-something or other. "Once you're sure Nashtah is a spy, sneak this onto her person. She won't sense the charms I've placed on it."
"And this card will do what exactly?" Ariel's eyes widened as Harry explained. "You're not a normal Jedi are you?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "You might say that admiral."
Aurra Sing knelt before a holopad image of Darth Sidious. "The Jedi have arrived my lord. I recognized Obi-Wan Kenobi and Harry Potter but there was a young girl with them. I am not sure which of them her master is."
Sidious gazed at her contemptuously. "You are a sad excuse for a Jedi Sing. Can you sense nothing in the Force?"
"Forgive me my lord."
"The padawan, Ahsoka, belongs to Potter. If you had an ounce of sense, you would understand how fortuitous a turn of events this is. Potter has the terrible fault of caring for people more than he cares for himself. His padawan will be his undoing this day. Darth Krayt will deal with the Jedi scum. I want you to be ready. If the Jedi should defeat my apprentice, you must be prepared to destroy their ship. The hutts cannot survive."
"I understand my lord. I promise you I will not fail."
Harry listened with half an ear as Obi-Wan talked with a street urchin called the Broker. Since they were speaking Huttese, the only way he could have followed them anyway would be to read one of their minds. He wouldn't betray Obi-Wan's trust like that and the Broker had strong enough mental shields he would sense Harry trying to break into his mind. The man could wield the Force then, even if he wasn't trained to do so.
"You all right there Magic Man," Ahsoka asked him quietly.
Before he could reply, Obi-Wan shook hands with the Broker and held up a finger, asking him to wait. "He can take us to them now but I wanted to fill you in on what he told me. There are 3 bounty hunters. Two are assigned to Groodo and 1 is assigned to Rigorra. He doesn't know the identities of the first two but a bounty hunter called Jango Fett is assigned to kill Rigorra. He isn't certain when they'll make their move but they've already been informed we're here."
"Well that isn't a surprise. Did he tell you how he knew all of this?"
"Apparently he is the friendly Hermione mentioned in her briefing. Fortunately, no one knows he works for the hutts, or at least no one can prove it. Anyone looking to buy or rent property in the capital that wishes to truly stay hidden works with him. He is also quite friendly with Jango Fett which is why he knows who he is targeting."
"Now I understand why he had mental defenses."
"Did you try to read his mind?" Obi-Wan didn't sound accusatory, merely curious. He understood Harry wouldn't do it to people he trusted, or at least had no reason to distrust.
"I only brushed the surface. They may have been natural shields, which can happen for people who feel the Force. If they weren't though, his defenses were strong enough he would've sensed me poking around. I didn't want to risk him giving you false information."
The Broker tapped his watch impatiently. "Chuba koona t'chuta boska."
"Lead the way," Obi-Wan replied in Basic.
The underbelly of the capital district was no different than slums in any city Harry had visited, including in his own world. People barely scratched out destitute lives. It was from these types of neighborhoods people like Groodo and Rigorra recruited bruisers to serve them, people who were desperate for a purpose in life. Not incidentally, these were also places where people were openly hostile to authority. Several times, Harry needed to share hushed words with Ahsoka to make sure she didn't intervene in petty crimes going on all around her.
"How can you just walk by without helping," she demanded hotly. He sensed her disappointment and felt a bit ashamed.
"Because right now it won't help and could end up causing more pain for these people than good. I'm sorry sprite but you're going to have to learn that no one, not even a Jedi, can cure every problem we encounter. I'm sorry you're disappointed but I promise that this is for the best."
She harrumphed and was silent for the rest of the journey to Rigorra's safe house. He quailed a bit under her gaze when he tried to talk to her again. He was grateful they passed through the worst areas quickly so she didn't have to risk getting involved and Harry having to stop her.
"All right Jedi," the Broker said, switching to Basic. Harry scowled, wondering why he couldn't have just spoken in Basic the entire time. "I won't be able to go further. Continue 10-12 meters and look west. You'll see a small cave. Wait there."
"What happens after we wait," Ahsoka asked but the Broker was already leaving. "Does this seem odd to either of you?"
"No, it fits with what he told me before. Be mindful though and stay near Harry and I."
The cave was cramped for 3 people and Harry thought they were waiting much longer than necessary before a steel door sealed the mouth and the floor descended. The trickle of water flowing downward was all they heard before the floor stopped before a great air lock door.
Please Wait for Processing
A security device scanned each of them, a bright blue light rotating through the floor.
Admission Granted
This particular safe house, despite the strange location, was surprisingly posh. The hutts Harry associated with were generally disgusting creatures that lived in filth, even those with wealth.
A platinum protocol droid greeted them as they stepped into the foyer. "Greetings Jedi. I am C6-N1. Masters Rigorra and Groodo are waiting for you in the sitting room. Please follow me."
"Obi-Wan, I believe we're beneath one of the droid factories. I can sense the machinery above."
"You are correct master Jedi. Master Rigorra believes that if someone would like to kill him, it is best to be as close to his factory as possible. Should he perish, there is enough explosives between us and the factory to destroy 37% of the capital district. You will find my masters in the next room. Will you be requiring anything else?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No C6. Thank you for your help." He held the door open for Harry and Ahsoka. "Shall we?"
The 2 hutt brothers, one a pale yellow the other a mild green, glared at them as they entered. "Bail only sent 2 Jedi and a child," the green one said rudely. "This is our honor guard."
Ahsoka glared at the hutts but held her tongue. Harry was proud of her restraint. "You've already dealt with 1 angry Sith Lord. Would you like to deal with 2 angry Jedi knights?" He smiled smugly as the hutts glowered. "Now then, allow me to un-ring this bell. My name is Harry Potter. This is my padawan, Ahsoka Tano. And this is my friend Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yes, we've heard of Kenobi," rasped the other brother. "Senator Organa spoke highly of you. You killed Darth Maul."
Obi-Wan looked over the 2 brothers while Harry continued to glare at them. "Remember that when you have the urge to speak disrespectfully to us," Harry growled.
"Fine tiny Jedi," the first brother spat. "Show Groodo and I the same respect and we'll have no issues."
"Fair enough. Now, we've been debriefed but I would like to hear what happened between you and the Sith ten years ago and why you fear for your lives now."
As expected, Rigorra tried to act as if they were innocent parties tricked by the evil Sith. While the presentation was a sham, the underlying narrative was true. Harry perused the minds of both to try and learn more, specifically about why Maul spared them and why they felt they were in danger now.
While Groodo bemoaned the dangers of standing up to corruption, Harry found an interesting memory buried below the surface thoughts of Rigorra's mind. Interestingly, Maul spared them because his master, a Darth Sidious, sensed they were hiding plans for military orbital stations. They had no proof, even after Maul tore their office and homes apart. The holographic Sith Lord reigned in his apprentice and vowed that one day the hutts would see reason. They would be spared now.
This memory also confirmed that Ahsoka was absolutely right about why the Sith haven't already killed the brothers. This Darth Sidious didn't want his people to kill them, or at least in any way that could be connected to the Sith. He wanted them to die under Republic and Jedi protection. After they were martyred, his agents wouldn't have to strong arm the Balmorran government. They would renew the contracts with the Trade Federation and Techno Union out of anger against the Jedi and the Republic.
"Thank you both for giving us this information," Harry said cordially when Rigorra fell silent again. "Obi-Wan and I have plans for your protection but we need to finalize a couple things. Please give us a moment." He motioned for Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to follow him to a side room, cast privacy charms, and explained what he learned from the brothers' memories, congratulating Ahsoka on her good reasoning.
Obi-Wan rubbed his chin, plucking at his beard. "I sensed there was more to their story. Do you believe they still have the plans for this orbital station?"
"I doubt it. I couldn't find a memory of the actual plans in their surface memories. If I dove deeper I imagine I could find the truth but they would feel my presence if I dove too deep. We can find that truth later when they're safe on Coruscant. My primary concern is how we're going to keep these brothers safe long enough to discover the truth behind this attack."
"I feel there is more to this as well," Obi-Wan said with a detached calm tone Harry knew he used when he was worried.
"What are you thinking," Ahsoka asked.
"I no longer believe this Darth Sidious cares if the brothers die or not. I also sense the Dark Jedi on the orbital station isn't the primary Sith threat. I believe there is a Dark Jedi, or perhaps even one of Sidious' apprentices here to kill us."
Harry reflected on Obi-Wan's suggestion. "If that is true, he would have to know you and I would be sent on this mission. Otherwise he is trying to kill 2 random Jedi knights, and why bother to go to all that trouble?"
Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "I can't be sure. I admit it doesn't seem to make sense but little of this assignment does. Maybe I'm wrong. We only just found out about this assignment today. The Council may have known before us but I don't see how anyone else outside the Council would know we were chosen."
"I'll have to talk to Hermione when we return. For now, we have to assume Darth Sidious wants us dead and the hutts are just bonuses. Fortunately, that still fits into our plans. We just need to be careful. For now, we should check out their other homes so I can set up the charms we need."
Darth Krayt knelt alone in a cramped apartment of Balmorra's capital district. Dark energies flowed around and through him. The physical pain of his wounds allowed the Dark side to flow easier, giving him greater power. And as his thoughts drifted to his dead father, his mind ached with the dull burn of hate he had come to love in a twisted way. It held boundless, untapped power as he focused on the person he hated above all others.
His master.
Darth Sidious.
Krayt basked in the power of the storm of fury around him. Sidious removed the last vestiges of weakness in him, replacing it with pain that heightened his affinity to the Force. Krayt hated Sidious for killing his father but loved him for showing the true power of the Force. It wasn't that kind of love a child has for a parent. It was the love someone has for another who shows him or her something wonderful that they never imagined and could never aspire to without guidance.
His meditations were disrupted as he felt his master call to him across the galaxy through the Force.
What is it my master?
The Jedi are carrying out their plans my young apprentice. Are you ready to kill Potter?
I am my master. I've felt the weak slug Obi-Wan Kenobi. Fett is prepared to deal with him.
And what of Potter's young padawan?
I haven't been able to pierce Potter's mind but his padawan has no defenses protecting her mind. Potter's magic is indeed strong but through his padawan I know where he will be. He will regret bringing his apprentice with him this day. She will be his undoing.
Excellent work my young apprentice! Do not concern yourself with Kenobi or the brothers. Even if they escape, they will change nothing. My plans are already in motion and cannot be stopped. But Potter must be killed Darth Krayt. Do not fail me.
I will not fail you my master.
Good.
Darth Sidious closed the connection with his youngest apprentice. Krayt was his greatest creation to date. When Sidious discovered the secrets of the lost Sith Triumvirate so many decades ago, he knew immediately that would be the path to domination of the galaxy. As he studied at the foot of his former master, Darth Plagueis, he desperately sought the secrets of the lost Sith assassins, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Traya's teachings at Malachor. He was familiar with techniques of corrupting the Force of others and the world around him but he wanted the ultimate power wielded by Nihilus. Sidious would perfect those teachings and become the most powerful Sith Lord in history.
But it wasn't enough. He needed to rebuild the Triumvirate, reorganized with him as the ever lasting leader of the Sith, the peak of the Triumvirate. Maul was his first attempt to create a Lord of Pain. His techniques and teachings failed. Maul became more animal than man. Such a creature couldn't effectively lead the forces of darkness against the Jedi. He was not sorry Maul was cut down by Obi-Wan Kenobi. If the pitiful Jedi hadn't done the job, Sidious would have killed him personally.
After his failure at developing a suitable Lord of Pain, Sidious turned his focus on developing a Lord of Betrayal, a modern revival of Jedi master Kreia, who once held the galaxy by the throat. This proved to be a much easier task than developing a Lord of Pain. All he needed was the right Jedi Master, one who had become disenfranchised with the feeble teachings of the Jedi. It was ever so easy to twist Count Dooku to his will. The former Jedi master was a formidable specimen, strong in the Force and skilled with a light saber. His true loyalty was to his wealth though, and to a lesser degree the Republic. Sidious used that affection to turn him on the Jedi and used Darth Krayt to force him to betray the last remnants of his goodness. For what good is betrayal if you cannot betray and turn away from your own weakness?
And that brought him back to young Krayt. The young Sith wasn't difficult to turn once Sidious found the emotional key to break his mind. That was the weakness of Darth Sion. Sion was a beast of pure physical pain. He had never purged himself of his weakest emotions though. In his twisted way, he loved Kreia, his first master. She showed him the path to power and while be betrayed her; he never stopped loving her for showing him power. His love for the exile was even stronger and more dangerous. He loved her as a person, infatuated with her even. When the moment of truth came, he was undone by the exile, his emotions and love overcoming the darkness within him. Sidious learned the truth. Physical pain was not enough. Krayt would need to have his mind fractured too. Emotional and physical pain would create the perfect combination!
And after Potter defeated Krayt on Balmorra, Sidious would take his training to the next level. Oh he knew his young apprentice would make a great showing against Potter but in the end Krayt wasn't prepared to face such a Jedi as Harry Potter. In the history of the Order, the most dangerous Jedi were not those that adhered solely to the Light. The most dangerous were those that understood the fundamental nature of the Force and were not afraid to use it. Such Jedi understood that the Dark Side was not something fear but rather evil was true danger.
Before Potter and his friends arrived, there were perhaps a double handful of such Jedi in the Order. They were scattered and largely ignored by the Council. But Potter and his friends were having a transformative effect on the Order. They would need to either die or be turned, sooner rather than later. Sidious could not risk a rejuvenation of the Jedi Order.
But their deaths would come another day. Krayt would fail and become more powerful for his failure.
It took about 5 standard hours for Obi-Wan and Harry to set up the defenses. After explaining a bit about other charms, Obi-Wan came up with the idea that instead of bouncing the hutts from their safe houses to the ship directly, which would be protected by the fidelius with Obi-Wan as the secret keeper, they should create a another trip in the relay that would send the brothers back to the safe house under the droid factory before sending them to the ship.
Harry expected the brothers to take issue with their protections but they were actually quite pleased. Rigorra was particularly vocal about discovering the truth behind these attacks. Of course his idea of the truth wasn't the same as Harry and Obi-Wan's but it served their purposes.
Now they only had to wait until the evening to carry out the plan. In the interim, Harry took Ahsoka to a separate room to train. He could tell she was a bit put out by Obi-Wan and Harry largely ignoring her as they worked.
After their light saber exercises were completed, Harry motioned for her to sit across from him. "I want to say again I'm proud of your creative thinking back on the ship."
"Yeah thanks. Is that why you and Obi-Wan did everything today without letting me help?"
Harry sighed. "Listen sprite. I've never had a padawan before, or anyone I'm really meant to mentor. You may not believe this but before the Jedi found Hermione, Ron, and I, I was pretty useless. Hermione led us for the most part."
Ahsoka chuckled. "I can see that Magic Man. She's a whole lot smarter than you."
"Ouch. You wound me." Harry was laughing though. "She is much smarter than I am even now. But that isn't where I was going. You can insult me later. But like I said, that is the reason why I haven't really incorporated you in what we're doing. It isn't because I don't want your help. It is more I'm so used to working on my own or with people I am close with. I am not used to having someone help that isn't close to me."
Seeing her eyes drop and sensing her disappointment that he didn't look at her as being close to him, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "Ahsoka, this doesn't mean I don't consider you close or that I won't. I don't want you to think that. You're special to me. Even before you were my padawan, I saw myself in you many times. This is just a new experience for me. In fact, I want you to join me tonight when I stay with Groodo tonight."
She eyed him apprehensively, warring emotions in her eyes as Harry felt a rush of anticipation and a current of happiness with him including her. "Do you expect the bounty hunters to strike tonight?"
"I do. If the Sith want to take a shot at Obi-Wan and I, their best time to strike is now. It won't help if they give us more time to prepare."
"How tough do you think the 2 bounty hunters assigned to Groodo are? I don't think they'll be a challenge." She spoke with boundless confidence.
"I wouldn't take them lightly but I don't sense they're the power players. If there is a Sith Lord on the planet, whomever he attacks will have the harder time. And that means tonight I want you to follow my instructions in case we're the Sith Lord's targets."
"I'm not afraid."
Harry shook his head. "You shouldn't say that, even if I know it isn't true. There is nothing wrong with healthy fear. It is natural and necessary for survival."
"What do you mean? Masters have told us before that fear leads to the Dark Side." She sounded as if she was parroting something she learned but didn't understand.
"Fear isn't the problem. It is what you do when you're afraid. To give you an example, I care for you and Obi-Wan. I fear for your safety and what can happen to you tonight. There is nothing wrong with that fear. But what I do is important. If I kidnap you both, take away your freedom, and put you under every protection I can, than my fear has corrupted me. But if it motivates me to fight as longer than possible, harder than possible because I want to live and be with you after the battle, that fear is empowering. Do you understand?"
"That does make sense," she said hesitantly. "But does that mean the Jedi are wrong?"
Harry shook his head. "Not at all. The Jedi haven't had to deal with a real threat in a long time. Most Jedi, particularly those on the High Council, haven't experienced fear, real fear, in a long time. They've become complacent. When that happens, you lose perspective. But that is changing. In time, I want to show you that the Dark Side isn't something to fear."
:RING RING:
"I wonder who that is," Harry said, reaching for his communicator. He tapped the center screen and a hologram image of Admiral Ariel Hollwil appeared. "Oh, hello Admiral Hollwil."
"Call me Ariel. You're not under my chain of command."
"Fair enough. What can I do for you?"
"I spoke with Obi-Wan a few minutes ago. You two were right. Ensign Nashtah is a dark Jedi."
Harry sensed there was something she wasn't telling him. She chuckled ruefully when he told her that. "Obi-Wan said the same thing. I guess I can't sneak anything pass you Jedi. Well you're right. I didn't find anything odd in her file. Instead, she gave herself away."
"How," asked Ahsoka.
"My security adviser discovered a breach in our turret system. Your dark Jedi planted an override, concealing it in a protocol upgrade. It was a smooth piece of work and almost untraceable."
"How did you find it?"
"Rydek found the terminal the council the override originated from. At that point, it was just a matter of watching the security footage. I must say, that card of yours worked quite splendidly. Once said 'activate' a red glow covered her body and she fell unconscious. Before she hit the floor, she vanished. She is still passed out and secured."
"Were you able to fix the turrets?"
"Of course. The station is secure."
"Outstanding! After Obi-Wan and I finish our business on the planet, we'll stop at the station to pick up Nashtah."
Ariel smiled warmly. "Glad to be of service. I must say you're quite an enthusiastic Jedi. I thought that was frowned upon?" Before waiting for a reply, she disconnected the transmission.
"I'm glad that schutta was captured," Ahsoka said happily. She gave him a knowing grin. "You know, I didn't want to comment on it when we were on the station but Miss Thing up there was sizing you up a couple times."
Harry's cheeks reddened, which he devoutly hoped she didn't notice as he kept his back to her. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Oh you're kidding me! You like Miss Thing don't you?"
"What were we saying about protecting Groodo," he said evasively.
"Come on Magic Man. I'm your padawan. You can tell me anything. She is very pretty. Her scars even make her look better in my opinion. What do you think?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Damn it. Weren't you taught that Jedi aren't allowed to think such things? Where is this perception coming from?"
"Oh ho, and weren't you the one that just told me that caring and affection are good motivators to have?"
"All right. I'll admit the admiral is pretty. I noticed. There's nothing I can do about it." He held up his hand before Ahsoka could retort. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's get dinner and rest up before we go to Groodo's mansion."
Ahsoka just chuckled at his discomfort as he held the door open. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. His issue wasn't that Ahsoka was right. It was how scared he was to admit he was attracted to another woman.