The Final Battle: Part 21
Tanya sprinted as fast as her tired legs could carry her, not knowing or caring where she was going as long as put as much distance between her and the Separatists as possible. She finally stopped in an empty corridor and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down, both of which were proving to difficult to do. She was alone, trapped inside a Separatist warship, and had just abandoned two of the most important people in her life.
There was nothing you could have done, said one half of her. They would have captured you too. It's not like you could have carried them far.
But I shouldn't have left them, argued the other half. They're my best friends and I left them to die.
The Separatist won't kill them. They'll use them as leverage or something of that nature.
Is that supposed to make me feel any better?
You should be thinking about this rationally. You did the smart thing.
But, it wasn't the right thing.
As long as Ahsoka and Barriss aren't harmed and you help them escape, you did the right thing. You didn't abandon them if you're planning on rescuing them later.
Tanya sighed. This was getting tiresome.
Well then, how do I rescue them?
The first thing you should do is find a computer to call for help. Even if you manage to get off of this ship, you won't get far without assistance. Then, you can sneak into the prison bay and let Ahsoka and Barriss out.
All right then; better get started.
Tanya stood back started sneaking up the hall, searching for a computer. She located one fairly quickly and, using some computer tricks Ahsoka had taught her, was able to get the patch through security and call Anakin's ship. Within moments, Anakin and Obi-Wan were on the screen.
"Tanya! What's going on? Where are Ahsoka, Barriss, and Master Li? What happened to your ship, we lost contact?" Anakin bombarded Tanya with questions.
Tanya swallowed before she began. "My ship was destroyed by Dooku, Grievous, and Ventress and Master Li is dead by their hands." The two Jedi master's looked shocked and worried.
"Dooku, Grievous, and Ventress all in the same place? You three need to get out of there, right now! That's an order! Where are they?" Anakin asked.
Tanya took a deep breath before telling him, "I'm sorry Master Skywalker, but Ahsoka and Barriss were captured by them and I was barely able to escape containment myself."
"WHAT! YOU MEAN TELL ME YOU LEFT THEM TO DIE!" Anakin yelled, making Tanya wince and lower her head in shame.
"Anakin calm down! Tanya did her best but I doubt there was little she could have done, especially with Dooku, Grievous, and Ventress there," Obi-Wan scolded him sharply.
"Believe me, Master Skywalker, I want nothing more than to help them and I hate myself for having left them. But, I believed I can get all of us out of her, if you can get us transport off of this deathtrap."
"All right then, where are you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm not sure, we're in hyperspace."
"Well, check where you're headed and we'll meet you there."
"Yes Master Kenobi." Tanya started searching for the ship's destination. "We're heading for the planet-"
TCH! A staff impaled itself in the computer next to Tanya. She screamed and activated her saber, chopping the head off of the MagnaGuard. However, the droid continued to pull its staff out of the computer panel and swing it at Tanya, attempting to stab her with it. Tanya deflected the staff and proceeded to reduce the drone to pieces. She turned back to the computer, now completely destroyed. She hit the panel, groaning in frustration. "Who's going to help me now?" she muttered to herself.
"No one, youngling," said a raspy, metallic voice behind her. Tanya immediately swung around, activating her lightsaber in time to catch Grievous' blades on her own. She broke the lightsaber lock, pushing Grievous away from her and backed away from the computer into the center of the hallway. Grievous turned to face her, only to be pushed back several feet by Tanya's force push. He caught himself, growling, and turned back to her, lightsabers raised. Tanya got into her fighting stance, and prepared for his attack. Suddenly, she was flying through the air and thrown into the wall by a force push. Dizzy and stunned slightly, Tanya tried to get a hold of her surroundings. She felt pressure around her neck, cutting off her air, as she began rising in the air.
Ventress! Ventress had surprised her while she had been focused on Grievous. Tanya glared down at her. "Go… ahead… and… do it," she ground out, clutching at her neck. "You'll… gain… nothing."
"Shall I dispose of this one Master?" Ventress asked Dooku, who appeared from the shadows.
"No Ventress," Dooku replied, sounding much farther away to Tanya than he was. "We need her alive. Release her."
Ventress frowned, like a cat that had lost its prey, and grudgingly released her. Tanya fell to the floor and into darkness.