This chapter is more of a filler, but I promise, things will pick up in the next chaper. Anyway, enjoy!


When Anakin and Ahsoka returned to the Temple, the first thing they noticed was the heightened excitement among the Younglings and younger Padawans. When Ahsoka stopped a Padawan in the hall to ask what was going on, he replied, "With Ventress captured, we can possibly get the separatists to surrender. We could win the war!"

Ahsoka frowned. This Padawan was obviously new to the war if he believed that. Ventress had no real importance to the separatists. She was an assassin, nothing more. The separatists would only surrender if their leaders, Dooku and Grievous, were captured. But maybe, just maybe, they had a bargaining tool at last.

She hurried to catch up with her Master as he walked toward the Temple's cells. Ventress would stay there until her trial.

She doesn't deserve a trial, she thought. Everyone knows how many people she's murdered.

There were already a few Jedi down at the cell block. They were talking in low voices and there were guards standing in front of a few cells. The inmates scowled at the Jedi, but a few looked interested in all the commotion.

How did everyone find out that Ventress was captured? Ahsoka thought to Anakin through their bond.

News travels fast, you know. And Ventress's capture is big news.

Obi-Wan entered the cell block. He looked thoughtful. "This doesn't make any sense," he said. "There haven't been reports of murders by Ventress in quite a while. The separatists haven't sent her after anyone since Sullust. It was always that animal, the zabrack."

"But now he's gone," Anakin said. Ahsoka knew that Savage Opress had disappeared a few weeks ago. Did that mean that the separatists had decided to bring Ventress back into the picture? Had Opress proven to be too weak to take Ventress's place?

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "but for how long, now that we've captured Ventress?"

At that moment, the door opened and Windu and Fisto marched Ventress into the cell block ahead of them. A squad of clones followed behind.

Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise, despite herself. Ventress looked awful. She was limping slightly, clutching her side and she was deathly pale, even more so than usual. A long scratch ran down her arm and there was scorch marks on her clothing.

Ahsoka watched silently as they pushed Ventress into a cell, then stepped in to interrogate her. Obi-Wan followed and Ahsoka made to go after him, but her Master stopped her.

"The fewer people in there, the better," he said. "She's more likely to talk if we're not there."

Ahsoka folded her arms and watched as Ventress simply remained silent. "She's most likely not to talk at all."

"Everyone talks eventually," Anakin said simply. Ahsoka looked up, a little alarmed at his cold tone, but he had turned away from her.

She wouldn't ask, no matter how badly she wanted to. She knew he wouldn't tell her anything.


Obi-Wan paced in front of Ventress. "I sense your anger, your frustration," he commented. "But... it is not directed toward us."

Ventress looked at him for the first time. "You know nothing," she spat. Her eyes burned with hate.

Obi-Wan made no response. He tried a different tactic. "Surely your Master will not be pleased to learn that you have been captured."

Another burst of hate leaped forward. He saw her hands curl into fists.

Interesting, Obi-Wan thought. Her hatred of Dooku now surpasses her hatred of us. What's changed?

He looked over at Mace Windu and Kit Fisto to see them looking thoughtfully at Ventress. They had noticed her anger as well.

Obi-Wan was struck with a sudden idea. They could get answers from her by judging her anger level.

"Or, maybe he won't care," Obi-Wan continued, "now that he has the zabrack, Savage Opress. Perhaps you've heard of him. Do you know where he is?"

Ventress hissed in anger, but said nothing.

If I can get her mad enough, she may talk...

He waswell aware that this was something Anakin would have done, but it had worked in the past.

"No? I would have thought you had. He is Dooku's newest assassin, after all. Or... have you been replaced?"

"You ignorant Jedi scum!" Ventress hissed. "That beast will never be Dooku's pawn!"

Dooku's pawn... interesting. And... it almost sounds as if she knows Opress personally.

Obi-Wan was aware that the other two Jedi were letting him take the lead in this interrogation and was grateful. He decided to ask a more blunt question.

"Where have you been since the battle of Sullust?"

She laughed- a laugh that sounded more like a cackle. "Kenobi, you of all people should know."

"Enlighten me," he said dryly.

"You are more of a fool than I thought," she commented, then went silent.

They didn't get another sentence out of her.


Anakin and Ahsoka looked up when Obi-Wan, Windu and Fisto exited the assassin's cell. All of them wore grim expressions.

"She didn't talk," Ahsoka stated.

"Not directly," Obi-Wan said. "I was able to judge some answers based on her anger level, but even that is just guesswork."

"What did you figure out?" Anakin asked.

"She knows Savage Opress, perhaps personally, but I don't think she knows where he is. She hates Dooku now, more so than she hates us. And she hinted that we've been near her since the battle of Sullust." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I find it rather convenient that Ventress vanished, Opress appeared only a few days after that. From Dathomier no less."

Anakin caught on immediately and was sceptical. "You think Ventress is a Nightsister? You can't be serious!"

Windu stepped in. "The facts do add up. I'd say it's a possibility. But no one is to go speak to the Nightsisters until we have proof."

Anakin nodded. He wasn't in any hurry to go back to the planet of witches and warriors. He would leave that job to Obi-Wan and continue trying to catch the owner of the assassin droid.

"We will continue the interrogation later," Kit Fisto said. "Padawan Tano, I believe you have an investigation to lead?"

That was their cue to leave. Anakin beckoned to Ahsoka and she followed him out of the cell block.


Sidious frowned as he watched his spy, a small Rodian scurry from his office. He struggled to keep his anger contained. He had very clearly instructed Dooku to kill his assassin, but he had obviously failed. Ventress was still alive, and in the Jedi's custody. This was not good. He hadn't been lying when he had told Dooku that Ventress was growing stronger. He could feel her hate from the Senate building.

Sidious wondered where she had been hiding all these weeks. He had almost no doubt that she was somehow connected to Savage Opress, but the zabrack had disappeared.

Lord Tyrannus would pay for his failures later.

The Sith lord pondered his situation. He could benefit from this. Ventress would be a powerful ally, if he could convince her to trust him. She did not yet know that it had been him behind her murder attempt. This could possibly work in his favour.

Then there was the matter about the nexus route. Yoda had informed him that the information would not be revealed to anyone until the pathetic Padawan had caught her attacker.

He was not sure if they had manged to figure out the origins of the droid her had sent to silence her, but he could not let them go far with that. Perhaps Ventress could help him with that as well.

He called his assistant into the room. "I need you to arrange a meeting with prisoner Asajj Ventress."

The woman looked visibly startled, but obeyed. "Yes, Your Excellency."


Yoda had asked to meet with Anakin and Ahsoka privately. Apparently this wasn't a matter they would be taking to the full Council.

"Where the droid comes from, did you find out?" the little Master asked.

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied. "It was custom-made by Arakyd Industries. Their headquarters are on Vulpter."

"Hm..." Yoda looked thoughtful. "Infiltrate Arakyd, you must. Perhaps a new enemy, young Tano has made. Tread carefully."

Again, Anakin wondered why it had to be Ahsoka who carried the second half of the coordinates. He would have gladly taken on the burden, but he understood that Ahsoka had not had time to call him.

He sighed. Ahsoka seemed to have her emotions under control. He would follow her lead.

When they left Yoda's quarters, Ahsoka turned to him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. He knew that look all too well. "Do I even want to know?"

She shrugged. "Well, if you want to catch whoever sent the droid, yes." At his weary nod, she continued. "Master Yoda said we have to infiltrate Arakyd. So, that means disguises."

Anakin raised his eyebrows. "I'm not dressing up as a prince, if that's what you're talking about."

She shook her head. "No. We're going to be escaped convicts looking for a place to hide from the republic."

Anakin immediately refused. "Ahsoka, they're never going to buy that. We would have more luck as smugglers."

"Most smugglers end up in prison anyway."

"Snips, this isn't going to work."

Ahsoka crossed her arms in front of her. "I'll bet you lunch at Dex's that it will."

Anakin sighed, but agreed. Assuming we're still alive by the time the mission is over...


As we all know, Ahsoka is a terrible actor *cough*slavesoftherepublic*cough* so the next chapter should prove interesting... ;)

Merry Christmas and please review! :)