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Ahsoka simply stared at the message for a moment. Then, slowly, without taking her eyes from the wreckage, she raised her comlink to her lips.
"Master? If you aren't too busy, I could really use your help."
"What's going on?" Anakin sounded tired. It was then that Ahsoka realized how long she had been sitting by the lake. It was dark now, the only light provided by the glow panels.
"Oh, nothing much," she said causally. "I was attacked by an assassin droid in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and sent a death threat, but I'd understand if you'd rather slee-"
"I'll be there in three minutes," Anakin interrupted her, and the comlink went dead.
Ahsoka kept alert as she waited for her Master to arrive. It hadn't escaped her mind that there could be more droids around. But how did whoever sent the droid get it inside the Temple? And who knew that she had the Nexus route?
Bane got into the Temple fairly easily, she thought. I guess it wouldn't be too difficult for a small droid.
A few minutes later, Anakin came into view, followed by Yoda. Both Jedi immediately joined Ahsoka by the assassin droid.
"Are you okay?" Anakin asked her, bending down to examine the droid.
"I'm fine, the droid didn't touch me," Ahsoka said. "But it... threatened me."
Anakin looked up at her quickly. "What did it say, exactly?"
Ahsoka frowned. "Something about how it wasn't an accident that I survived, and if I told the Council my half of the Nexus route, I wouldn't be so fortunate next time."
Yoda was picking up the droid pieces. "Sense traces of the dark side, I do," he said. "In danger, you are. Perhaps, keep the coordinates to yourself for now, you should."
"I agree," Anakin said. "Whoever sent this has been watching you, and will most likely know if you tell the Council. Until we find who sent this, don't tell anyone."
Ahsoka caught the words on the tip of her tongue. She wasn't a Youngling, she could take care of herself! But Anakin had spoken in a tone that was so final that she didn't argue with him, and she didn't want to argue with the Masters.
She sighed. "Yes, Master. But what if you never find out who sent that message? Then we'll never be able to put to coordinates to use."
"Leaving you in charge of the investigation, I am," Yoda told her. "Proceed carefully, I advise you to."
"We'll find the manufacturer of the droid," Anakin said confidently. "I'll send the droid up to the lab. They may be able to determine who made this thing."
Ahsoka doubted it, the droid looked like nothing she'd even seen before, but she said nothing. "I'll take the droid to the lab," she said. Anakin nodded after a moment.
"Alright. But be-"
Ahsoka gathered up the droid, bowed to Master Yoda and left before he could say another word.
The droid at the lab told Ahsoka exactly what she was expecting to hear.
"This model is not recognized by our databanks. I am sorry, but I cannot help you."
"Do you know of anyone that can tell me where this came from?" Ahsoka looked at the strange symbols along the sides of the droid. "Are you sure you've never seen this before?"
"Yes, Master Jedi," the droid said stiffly. "This droid does not register in our databanks, and if I can't tell you where it came from, no one can."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the droid's attitude, then left the lab.
When greeted with the news that the labs had no knowledge of the droid's origins, Anakin merely looked thoughtful.
"If I can't tell you where if comes from, no one can... I've heard about those droids. Come with me, I have an idea."
Curious, Ahsoka slung the pack containing the droid pieces over her shoulder and followed her Master out the door.
Anakin drove them to an area of the city Ahsoka had rarely entered. It was a scruffier part of Coruscant and the population consisted mostly of workers and pilots. Ahsoka looked questioningly at Anakin as he led her into a small diner that she recognized as Dex's Diner. She had been there once or twice before.
"I thought we were looking for information, not lunch."
"Dex used to make his living on his knowledge of the galaxy," Anakin reminded her. "If anyone knows where that droid comes from, he will."
Ahsoka couldn't argue with that. From in the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of a large, four-armed creature, and a second later, the same creature poked his head out, his large mouth splitting into a wide grin. A meaty hand the size of a small ham descended on her shoulder, sending her to her knees from the force of the blow. Ahsoka was halfway into reaching for her lightsabers when she realized that was Dexter Jettster.
Anakin grinned at her in amusement as he shook the Besalisk's hand. "Hello, Dex."
Dex studied the two Jedi carefully. "I haven't seen you two in a while. What's going on? I have some new dish-"
"We need some help," Anakin interrupted. Ahsoka was beginning to wish they had asked Master Kenobi to come with them. Anakin had no gift of negotiation whatsoever and Ahsoka knew that Obi-Wan and Dex were fairly good friends.
"Do you have somewhere a little less... busy?" Ahsoka asked, looking at all the scruffy creatures around them. Dex was looking curious now and he led them into the kitchen, which, while not crowded, was as hot as a furnace.
"Will this do, young one?"
Ahsoka nodded, reached into her pack and pulled out the broken droid. "Can you tell us who made this?"
Dex looked at the droid carefully. "I've seen a lot of things in my day," he said, almost absently, "but I haven't seen anything like this in a long time."
"Do you know anything about it?" Anakin asked.
Dex resumed his inspection of the droid. "Well... those markings down there indicate that it comes from the planet Vulpter. Have you ever heard of it?"
Ahsoka shook her head, but Anakin nodded. "It has one of the largest podracer factories in the galaxy."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Of course Anakin would know that.
Dex nodded. "True. But it also is the headquarters of a droid manufacturer known as Arakyd Industries."
"That's a separatist factory," Anakin said. "So we know that it was the separatists who sent the droid. But why didn't it show up in the databanks of the lab?"
"Well, this droid was custom made for someone," Dex said. "If it hadn't been for the markings, I wouldn't have been able to tell who made it at all. Your labs don't recognize custom made things, do they?"
Ahsoka and Anakin exchanged looks. Whoever sent that droid hadn't wanted it to be recognized.
"Thank you for your time," Ahsoka said at last.
Dex waved two of his arms dismissively. "Don't worry about it. But if you do go knocking on Arakyd's door, don't expect a warm welcome. They are separatists, after all."
"Thanks for the warning," Anakin said as Ahsoka put the droid back in her pack. They had just left the diner when Anakin's comlink sounded. It was Obi-Wan and Ahsoka thought he sounded a bit rushed.
"Anakin, come in."
"I'm here," he replied. "We've found out who built the droid that attacked Ahsoka."
"Good," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sorry to interrupt your investigation, but I though you'd want to know."
"Know what?" Anakin asked.
"Ventress didn't die in the battle of Sullust. Master Windu and Master Fisto have captured her and are bringing her back to Coruscant."
There was a silence so complete it was almost deafening.
Anakin slowly raised his comlink again. "We're coming back to the Temple. Skywalker out."
He turned to Ahsoka. "Sorry we have to cut this short, but-"
Ahsoka shook her head and held up a hand. "It's fine. I want to know how the hairless harpy survived as well. Lets go."
Anakin rolled his eyes at the nickname and they set off in the direction of the Temple. Ahsoka frowned as they neared the Jedi sanctuary. The dark side was growing stronger. She could feel it. Whether it had anything to do with Ventress's capture, she had no idea, but she would remain on her guard.
She mentally shook herself. The hairless harpy was waiting.
Okay, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I've already started on the next chapter. The bad news is that I've got Carpal Tunnel, which will make updates a lot slower. :/ But I will not stop updating completely. :)
Please review!
