A/N: I made a couple of changes to the passage of time with regards to Kevin's PoV—both to give a more realistic amount of training time for him, and for other plot consistency-related reasons that I can't go into detail on—in chapters four and seven. It's one of the only good things about TCW episodes being out of chronological order (canonically speaking)—if needed, I can make rough general guesses as to the time between certain episodes.

Disney owns Star Wars. Kneel, denizens of Earth! Kneel before Zo- er, the Mouse!

"Padme... I'm sorry. We both are."

"For what, Ahsoka? You two did all you could."

As in the series, Padme's wound was only superficial, requiring only minor patching and a sling. This, combined with the Senator's words, did little to reassure the rest of us in the room.

Bail Organa turned to Ahsoka with a worried expression. "Did you find the assassin?"

"No," replied my fellow Padawan, "She ran off before I could get her."

"She?"

Ahsoka turned back to Bail. "Yes, she. I am positive now that it is Aurra Sing who is out to get you. But I'm afraid that's just the beginning. Tell them, Kevin!"

"Just before Sing took her shot, I tried using the Force to sniff out her location," I said, trying my best to hid just how freaked out I was. "But all of a sudden, I felt a massive Dark Side-related disturbance in the Force; then, just as fast as it showed up, poof, it was gone. But one thing's for sure, there is definitely a Sith here. Between that and Sing, I don't think we can protect you if you go on that podium again!"

A few moments of silence passed; Padme sighed, closing her eyes as she spoke. "I understand. But the fact is, I'm still needed here, Sith or no. And before you try to dissuade me further, if both are out for my blood, they'll chase me wherever I go. And you don't have to stay with me. I'm doing this knowing the risks and accepting them, but you're both still young; I'd hate to let either of you die on my behalf."

"Padme, don't talk like that," Ahsoka said. "Besides, you just said it yourself: you know the risks, but so do we, and we're not leaving you. And I think I have a way we can get around putting you in jeopardy, AND have you attend the conference..."

Again, some things don't change from canon; just like in the show, Ahsoka's plan involved having Padme broadcast her speech through a disguised medical droid. But having seen the show, I already knew that the plan wouldn't work.

"Ahsoka, about that plan... Sing's a seasoned bounty hunter, and I'm not sure she'd fall for that kind of trick. And if she isn't fooled, I know a Sith wouldn't be fooled either."

Ahsoka sighed. "Alright, I guess you do have a point there. So, got any ideas about how to deal with that problem?"

I considered it for a moment before remembering something Master Obi-Wan had said in the older clone wars comics, something that he had also told me himself during my initial training under him prior to the Mandalore mission:

A fight is never an goal in itself. Sometimes it is simply a distraction from the true goal... and best countered with a larger distraction.

"A larger distraction... I think I have an idea!"

The conference room filled with applause as the speech began.

"Fear; in these times, it is the greatest weapon wielded against those who would stand up for truth and justice. We have a responsibility as the elected representatives of the Republic to face our fears and challenge those who threaten the safety of its people."

Aurra Sing moved with practiced skill, giving the speech nothing more than a mildly amused smirk as the speech continued.

"I stand before you today bruised, but not beaten. The voices of the people shall be heard—and together, we shall represent them. The homeless shall no longer be homeless and faceless; the soldiers who so valiantly fight to protect us must also be protected when their job is done..."

Hmph. Clever... Sing continued moving, silent as the grave; she knew perfectly well that the speaker in the conference room was a droid—as if the lack of the two Jedi padawans standing guard wasn't enough of a clue already. Obviously, they would stay close to the real deal.. and it wasn't difficult to trace the broadcast. Clever, but not clever enough.

The rest of the speech droned on in the background as Sing traced the signal to a maintenance corridor; internally, she had to once again give the kids credit. The place was long and narrow—giving defenders plenty of time to spot someone coming down the corridor from either direction. Neither were there any doors or blind corners from which an enemy could appear unexpectedly. That being said, she also had to shake her head at the obliviousness of the two padawans who clearly came up with this plan—they chose an area with no obvious entrances, but forgot about the ventilation systems that ran above and below the room. The former had been Sing's choice of entrance, and from that vantage point she could clearly see the two Padawans standing on either side of third, cloaked figure; the signal stopped there, confirming her target—

"Now!"

Before she could react, the bottom of the ventilation tube she was crawling through was torn out from under her by an invisible force, sending her falling into the room below. Thankfully, her skill level was such that she avoided face-planting and instead made a three-point landing, glaring at the two Padawans who now held lightsabers out toward her.

The togruta smirked. "Nice of you to drop in! We've been expecting you."

"YOU!" Sing growled angrily. "I remember you, Jedi brat!"

"Stand down, Sing," the human boy said. "You can't take both of us in this space and you know it."

As Aurra stood, she managed to sneak a flashbang from a belt pouch into her left hand and palm it, keeping the gun in her right pointed at the target as misdirection.

"I've got a few tricks left in my sleeve," the hired killer said, voice full of smug condescension. "You honestly think this ranks with the toughest situations I've been in? Don't flatter yourselves. The Senator'll be dead momentarily."

Padme's voice spoke out. "Why are you doing this? Killing me will not stop the relief effort!"

"Ha!" Sing couldn't help but laugh; not only had she just recognized her secondary target from the images she had been sent, her primary target had just given her as good an excuse as any to give the message her secondary employer had told her to give before the kill. "Honey, you think your cause is the only thing people are interested in killing you over? There are plenty of important people even on Coruscant who'd like nothing more than to see your corpse on the evening news. Some want to get even with you, some want a war... but I honestly don't care, so long they have money. In the end, you guys are just credit signs to me."

The boy had an odd look on his face as she spoke; realizing a moment's lapse when she saw one, she activated the flashbang, forcing the padawans to shut their eyes and brace themselves with the Force as she took her shot at the cloaked figure, the bolt piercing it through the heart. She smiled... only for another shot to come in response from a ventilation grate on the floor near the wall behind where the figure had stood, hitting her with a stun blast. Just before she passed out, she managed to stay conscious long enough to see the smoking remains of another droid on the ground as Senator Padme Amidala emerged from the floor behind it. Dammit...

"I don't normally like pre-recorded speeches," Padme said, "but in this case I think I'll make an exception. Thank you, both of you."

I frowned as Ahsoka and I helped the Senator out of the floor grate. "It's not over yet. That Sith is still out there."

"I wonder what was that last part all about?" Ahsoka said. "She said that there were plenty of important people who wanted Padme dead, even on Coruscant. You think she was talking about anyone in particular?"

That thought already had me worried; I knew right away that Sing's little speech was different than it had gone in canon. The part about someone getting even with Padme obviously referred to Ziro the Hutt, but who was it that wanted a war? Was that in reference to Palpatine?

I shook my head. "We can worry about that later. Let's just get back to the ship—"

Suddenly, Ahsoka and I both felt a massive Dark Side presence coming from one end of the corridor.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

My blood froze in my veins at the sheer amount of sadism in that voice. I watched in dread as none other than Asajj Ventress stepped forward, glowering at us as she activated her two blood-red lightsabers. Ahsoka and I stood our ground in front of Padme in spite of our fear, only for Ventress to chuckle.

"How adorable. But unnecessary. I'm not here for the Senator."

Without a warning, Ventress reached out with the Force, lifting Aurra Sing's unconscious form in the air and snapping her neck with a gesture.

Ahsoka kept her eyes on Ventress as she spoke. "Padme, run! We'll hold her off!"

"And leave you to—?"

"RUN!"

With force-assisted speed, Ahsoka began the engagement; I followed suit, hoping that our combined abilities might help us survive long enough to figure out a strategy. Thankfully, Amidala took the hint and fled as the duel began in earnest.

Ventress fell into a Form II defensive cadence, precise deflections and evasions preventing us from hitting her as she responded with quick, light strokes from unexpected directions, some coming within inches of our own vital points.

"You have improved since last we met, girl... but so have I!"

As Ahsoka barely managed to parry and riposte a quick strike from Ventress, I tried to strike from the opposite side, only to quickly find a red lightsaber in the way of my blade and a rapid succession of strikes forcing me back into a defensive posture.

I leapt sideways to avoid being pinned against a wall, Ahsoka's own assault being the only reason Ventress didn't immediately follow. As the fight went on, I tried to think on both my training and the knowledge I had of lore.

Form II lightsaber combat, Makashi. Light, quick strokes; no power attacks, but the precision more than makes up for it. Movement focused mostly on forward and backward steps...

I realized too late that the location we had chosen suited Ventress' style more than mine or Ahsoka's; the narrow hallways meant that acrobatic evasions were limited, and since makashi's movement focused on mostly single-line advances and retreats—much like rapier fencing—the layout only helped in that regard.

The very tip of Ventress' blade sliced through the air, giving me barely enough time to parry before it could cut my throat. I did my best to respond with a Form V riposte, but once again found my blade turned aside with Form II's elegant defense as the Sith responded to an attack from Ahsoka. I tried to add a shin kick to interfere with Ventress' footwork, but immediately pulled my foot back to avoid getting it amputated by a quick sweep, finding myself on the defensive end of a flurry once again.

Ahsoka wasn't doing much better than me, either; every time she attacked, Ventress would turn the blade aside rather than meet it head-on, and reply with a rapid succession of light strokes to force Ahsoka back before turning her attention to one of my own attacks. Ventress' skill at dual-wielding made her more than a match for two padawans, and the smugness in her voice only served to rub it in.

"Impressive, children. But you are both outmatched. Surrender, and I promise to kill you quickly..."

The fight continued, but we were getting absolutely nowhere with Ventress. Every strike was either redirected or turned aside, then instantly responded to; she cut with the tip of her blade, which we barely managed to dodge, or lashed out with a quick yet surgically accurate stab, which we barely managed to parry. No matter what angle we chose, no matter what attack we made, Ventress had a response. She wasn't fighting us. She wasn't even toying with us.

She was playing.

That's really the only word I could come up with to accurately describe just how outclassed we were; we weren't opponents, we were toys. She could have ended the fight quickly, but out of a sadistic desire for amusement she drew it out, holding back to give us a fighting chance just so she could savor the moment. Her earlier offer of surrender was little more than a taunt; she neither expected nor even wanted us to give up, as it would have meant the fight would have been over too quickly for her to enjoy it.

Toys. That's all we were to her.

"Hmph. I suppose that's enough for now..."

That realization was driven home by her next move. Before Ahsoka or I could do anything, she lashed out with a telekinetic wave that knocked both of us off our feet, sending Ahsoka into a wall and me to the floor several yards away, my lightsaber landing out of my reach. I tried to call it into my hand, only for Ventress to step on my wrist and point one of her lightsabers at my throat.

"Don't give me that sad look," she said, lifting her weapon up in preparation for a killing blow. "Your little friend will be joining you in a moment—"

Before she could follow through, a blue lightsaber soared through the air, forcing her to leap back to avoid being decapitated herself; the weapon returned to its wielder as another blue glow came from the opposite end of the hallway near where Ahsoka had fallen.

Master Obi-Wan leapt forward and stood between me and Ventress before the Sith could attack again. "Are you alright, Kevin?"

"Nng... I'll be fine..."

Looking over Ventress' shoulder, I saw Anakin Skywalker protecting Ahsoka in a similar manner, but with far less calm in his expression. The Sith assassin looked from one Jedi to the other, then growled a curse under her breath and leapt up into the ventilation systems.

"Get back here, Ventress—"

"Anakin, let her go. We have to take care of these two for now."

As Master Obi-Wan helped me to my feet, I frowned a bit in confusion. "Wait, what about Padme? Where is she?"

Anakin's face fell a bit, and it took a couple of seconds to recover; Master Obi-Wan almost seemed to notice it, but for some reason ignored it and looked back at me.

"She'll be okay," he said in a calming tone. "Artoo and a few clones managed to get her to her ship while we came to the rescue."

Looking toward the dead body of Aurra Sing, I recalled her decidedly non-canon last words, as well as what Ventress said just before the fight.

"Hey, Master Obi-Wan, Master Skywalker? I just remembered something. Before the Sith killed her, Sing said that there were 'many important people' on Coruscant who wanted Padme dead for various reasons, some wanting revenge and some wanting war."

Anakin looked over to Sing's corpse for a moment. "I think I know who the revenge part is referring to," he said with notable disgust in his voice, "but the war part is pretty confusing to me."

"Senator Amidala's speech did talk briefly about wanting peace," Ahsoka said, "Maybe Dooku just doesn't want anyone like her creating a peaceful solution to the war?"

Master Obi-Wan thought for a few moments. "I don't think so; Dooku may be ruthless and evil, but he's not a fool. He wants to WIN the war and conquer the Republic, not keep the war going forever until his side is just as devastated as ours. As a long-term planner, he would undoubtedly want such individuals alive just in case he needs a treaty to buy time to recover from a loss."

"Now that you mention it, Master Obi-Wan, Ventress did say she wasn't here for Senator Amidala just before killing Sing. If she's Dooku's apprentice..."

"...then perhaps he and the unknown employer of Sing are enemies, or at least have separate goals. Good thinking, my young padawan. Perhaps someone on Coruscant benefits from keeping the war going for as long as possible..." Master Obi-Wan sighed, dropping the discussion. "In any case, we won't get any answers right now. For the moment, I'm just glad you all are safe."

I looked down. "I just wish you didn't have to run to our rescue. We couldn't beat Ventress, she was even holding back—"

"Hey, don't sell yourselves short, kid." Anakin smiled. "Ventress is a tough customer; the fact that you two survived at all, even if she was holding back, is a pretty big achievement for a couple of padawans in my book."

Getting praise from a Skywalker felt good enough to lift my spirits again. The skill difference between me and Ventress was still intimidating, but I was hopeful that maybe—with the help of Anakin and Master Obi-Wan—that gap might not be impossibly wide for long.

Dooku stood in front of the large window overlooking the landscape of his homeworld, Serenno; even steeped in the Dark Side, the sight gave him warm feelings of nostalgia. He was not a typical Sith Lord, and he took immense pride in that. Whereas other fools—such as Darth Sidious—might seek little more than power or revenge, Dooku was a visionary with far loftier aspirations; power and revenge were means, not ends. In his own case, the end was simple: order. The galaxy under the Republic and the Jedi Order was chaotic, brutal, and dirty... but a galaxy under his rule? There would be nothing of the sort. He would drag the universe back to civilization whether it wanted it or not. At one point in his life, he thought that the Jedi could restore order, but now he knew otherwise; order must be imposed. As much as he saw Sidious as a means, he secretly thanked his master for helping him to realize that fact.

Part of him was still disappointed in the results of the day; once he learned of the boy from another world, he immediately recognized him as a wildcard, and while the child was nowhere near anything resembling a threat at that point, only a fool would overlook a potential hydrospanner in the works. Although Dooku had hoped to hear of the boy's death, as things stood, it didn't matter; Ventress may have only accomplished half her goal, but he stood to gain regardless of the outcome of that day.

He smiled slightly; he had just made the first major move against Sidious, and no one was the wiser.

After some consideration, he walked over to the holocomm terminal on the wall and sent out a message to his apprentice; there was more work to be done, and little time in which to do it. The game was just beginning, and in the end, he would be the ultimate victor.

Kenobi watched as his former padawan helped his current one train in Form V alongside Ahsoka, occasionally giving tips of his own, but for the most part he kept to himself; he had a great deal of thinking to do.

Anakin...

Obi-Wan had never felt so utterly blindsided by his own thoughts before that day; though, if he were completely honest with himself, he already knew the truth long before. He had simply not wanted to believe it. After all, the code was quite clear—attachments lead to the Dark Side. It had been hammered into him from day one. But after the incident on Mandalore, and Kevin's words...

"Maybe those feelings aren't as bad as you think?"

Those words stayed with him, and as they ran through his mind, he began to see parallels between his lingering feelings for Satine and the actions of his former padawan. But it was seeing Anakin's reaction to Padme's injury that confirmed what he had suspected ever since the day before:

Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala were in love. Not just friendship, not simple dalliance, but true, genuine love. Married even—after all, there was no way in the galaxy that Padme Amidala would attach herself the way she had unless it had been official beforehand. He knew her enough to see that.

His former padawan, now his closest friend, had violated the Jedi Code. According to the rules of the Order, Kenobi ought to expose him to the Council...

But no. He wouldn't. Not anymore. In spite of his belief in the Code, Obi-Wan would not betray Anakin; he would keep this secret. And if the Order found out and decided on expulsion, well... they would just have to expel two Jedi instead of one.

The plot thickens! What's Dooku up to? How will Obi-Wan's revelation affect things? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!