Author's Note: Somehow I returned. Lol. Just needed a break from the universe, I'm sure you all can relate. But now we're back on this train and chugging along! Special thanks to my beat readers, namely Goldspark1 for his input on a certain assassin. Enjoy!

-Chapter 25: Children of the Force-

Location: Various, 7:24-25:3632 ATC

"The first step to correcting a mistake is patience."

Anakin and Ahsoka returned to a grey day on Coruscant, an atmosphere that reflected their moods after their failure to apprehend Cad Bane and retrieve the stolen Jedi holocron in his possession. With the mission at an end they were to report to the Council, a task neither of them were looking forward to. As the pair strode towards the Council chambers, Anakin tried to lighten the mood. "How're you feeling, Snips? Taking an armored knee to the guts can't be all that pleasant." He asked.

"Kix gave me some hypospray. And, trust me, it wasn't. I can still feel it a little." She confessed. "Luckily Togruta have slightly denser skin. Otherwise I'm sure I'd have a bruise for weeks."

Interesting… so that scar above her eye took a lot of effort to create. "Lucky you is right." Anakin commented.

"Not that I feel all that lucky…" Ahsoka mumbled. She sighed. "I'm really sorry, Master. I was right next to Bane and could've stopped him, but I didn't… I didn't-"

"It's okay, Ahsoka. I didn't know it was Bane until it was too late to catch up with him." Anakin soothed, patting her shoulder. "He's a slippery one. We just have to rethink our strategy." He stated calmly. Ahsoka was not so certain.

Provided the Council doesn't deem me a miserable failure and takes us both off the case. He took my Padawan braid! If that isn't a sign of a failed Jedi, I don't know what is…!

When they were permitted into the Council chamber, Master and Apprentice were quick to realize that most of the Councillors were attending via holocall, called away to various wartime pursuits. As such very few members of the Council were physically present and only Mace, Obi-Wan and Yoda were on hand.

"Knight Skywalker. Padawan Tano. I understand you have news from your mission to the Devaron System." Mace greeted as crisply and coldly as ever.

"Yes, Master." Anakin went on to explain the events over Devaron, taking time to detail how wretched and slippery Cad Bane was. He also included how he was forced to open the holocron in order to spare Ahsoka's life… something the bounty hunter promptly reneged on.

As expected, they didn't like that at all. Well what the hell was I supposed to do? Let her die? You may let people die, I don't.

"It is most unfortunate Bane was allowed to escape… again." Obi-Wan sighed.

"With access to the names and locations of the most Force-sensitive children in the Republic." Mace added grimly. His disparaging tone and condescending gaze was met by Anakin's own, stern and concrete. I'm not backing down. I did what I had to.

"Inflict devastating damage on the Jedi Order he could." Yoda concurred. Ahsoka remained silent, her shoulders slumping while her eyes fell to the floor.

It's my fault. If only I hadn't let Bane dupe me like that. Doubt I'll be in a good mood today…

"We've discovered Bane's working with the Separatists." Anakin then reported. "He had battle droids, Trade Federation ships, and Wraith working with him."

"That doesn't bode well. The future Jedi Order in the hands of the enemy…" Obi-Wan muttered, stroking his beard out of habit. "There are thousands of children on that list. Which will he go after first?" He wondered aloud. To that, no one had an answer. Yoda thought long and hard, closing his eyes and sinking into the Force for insight and guidance. Things were cloudy, muddled by current events as the galaxy was thrown deeper into chaos by the ongoing war. Intense thought and deeper reflection would be required.

"Small chance there is, through the Force the Council may detect them." He suggested.

Meanwhile…

Having returned to Sunstorm Base, Wraith breathed a sigh of relief as he made himself comfortable amid familiar surroundings again. It was good to be back and away the mess of a mission he had just been a part of.

What I love most about this place is that there aren't any Force-damned bounty hunters around.

Disembarking his shuttle, the super-soldier was surprised to see Count Dooku waiting for him at the foot of the boarding ramp. "Good to see you back, soldier." He called out over the tromping metallic footfalls of his boots. "How did your assignment go?"

"Let's just say I'm not looking for a repeat experience." Wraith grumbled as he stood before him. Dooku quirked a brow, hearing something off in his voice. The Force told him so much more.

"Something troubles you." He insightfully noted. Powering down his optics, Wraith pulled off his helmet, revealing haunted eyes transfixed on ghosts from the past.

"I had… an episode." He quietly confessed, gazing down at the floor. It had been a long time since Dooku had seen him in such a withdrawn state. "I-I haven't had one in years."

"You suffered a memory trigger." The Count realized. He did not pry into the matter more than that, knowing full well what was plaguing him. "Are you alright?" He gently asked, laying a hand on his armored shoulder. They heaved as the super-soldier loosed a quiet sigh.

"I could use a moment." Wraith answered. Dooku nodded in understanding and went on his way while Wraith moved to take a seat on a nearby cargo crate. With his helmet seated next to him, he held his head in his hands, rubbing his face as he tried to pull himself together.

That mission had done a real number on him. Emotionally and mentally.

The memories that had been aroused lingered, familiar faces and scenes flashing behind his eyes…

"You are mommy's brave little boy. You will be brave for me, yes? Stay here, my son. You need to be very quiet, okay? Shhh shhh, there's nothing to fear. Mommy will come back."

"We gotta go, luv."

"I love you. I'll be back."

She never did come back.

Amid the cacophony, one piercing cry was seared into his memory forever.

"MASTER! PLEASE!"

Then everything fell silent… and he was left alone.

Wraith exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to banish the thoughts from his mind one more time. Get it together, soldier. He told himself. One more time. They need you now, can't wallow in what you can't change. Knowing there was more at stake than his own demons, Wraith exhaled again and rolled his shoulders, determined to get back to work. My past does not control me. He stood, collecting his helmet, accepting his past while moving ahead in the name of the future.

"Some wounds take longer to heal than others." Dooku sagely commented as he approached him again, this time with a small box in hand.

"I feel like I've had this open wound my whole life." Wraith muttered. But he refused to dwell on the matter any further. "What's in the box?" He queried curiously.

"A gift from Doctor Sipio, at my urging." Dooku replied, flipping the lid open so Wraith could peer inside. There was a single hilt, vaguely reminding Wraith of a lightsaber hilt. "Go ahead. Take it. It's for you." Dooku said. Wraith did so, reaching in and pulling out the device that fit perfectly in his gloved hand. It had a weight to it, indicating a solid and sturdy construction. Unlike the cylindrical ones he'd seen in the hands of Jedi, this one was flat and boxy. But like those in the hands of Jedi, it too possessed something resembling an activation switch. Holding the hilt out, pointing towards the roof, he pressed it.

Piece by piece, fragments of a blade shot out from the end of the hilt, folding out in sequence until they formed a long thin blade, clearly sharpened on one side. "A collapsible dueling blade, forged from five-folded songsteel. Incredibly light, very durable." Dooku described.

"Impressive…" Wraith murmured, looking over the razor-sharp blade. He rubbed his thumb over the body, feeling how smooth and polished it was. Sizing up the blade, he drew a conclusion; "You want me to use this against the Jedi instead."

"Yes I do. And perhaps that process can help you take your mind off other matters," Dooku confirmed, "I want you to spend some time getting reacquainted with dueling technicques. You ought to be more proficient when it comes to battling seasoned Jedi." It made sense and Wraith was already beginning to envision himself being far more maneuverable and unpredictable in combat.

"I believe the tech in the training room can be reconfigurated-"

"Oh, no mere droid or drone will do." Dooku interjected. "You will travel to Rattatak. Asajj Ventress will instruct you and sharpen your dueling abilities." That was a bit of a surprise, due to how unexpected the order was. However, Wraith was not one to back down from a command. Plus, learning from someone such as Ventress would likely prove enlightening… possibly even exhilarating.

"Of course, sir." He affirmed with soldierly crispness. "I'll leave right away."

Meanwhile, on Coruscant…

When the Council session came to a close, Master Yoda invited Mace, Anakin and Obi-Wan to his private chamber for a meditation session. The hope was to meditate on the situation until the Force to could reveal to them traces of the identities of the children Bane was pursuing. It was a long shot, but it seemed to be their only way of getting ahead of the bounty hunter.

Hours passed in quick succession as the Jedi plunged into the Force, allowing their souls and essences to intertwine with the binding power of the universe and take them to a place beyond mere mortality. The Jedi felt their consciousness' as the Force connected them, transcending them to a plane of existence where they could feel every living creature in the universe. But they sought not just anyone being, but very specific beings. Who they did not know. Their request unposkenly filled the air. They would let the Force fill in the remaining gaps.

"A jungle world… domed cities I see… Rodia it is." Yoda murmured with eyes shut as an image formed in his mind.

"A house in Kay-Tap Square… I see it too." Obi-Wan echoed, bright and verdant scenes viewed with his mind's eye. They passive took note of this. One of the children was a Rodian.

"There is an ocean planet…" Mace droned from his trance-like state. "Home to… Nautolans… Glee Anselm?"

"Glee Anselm I see not." Yoda countered. Mace fell silent. Perhaps there was a Nautolan child in trouble, or perhaps not. The Force was being tricky.

"I… sense a place I've been to before…" Anakin whispered. He felt peaceful and tranquil, the sights calming the storm within him as his mind wandered to happy memories. Good times. Even better circumstances. "Waterfalls… Naboo." Yoda hummed picking up on what he had found.

"Jan-Gwa. A village, southern sector. Sense it strongly I do." The Grandmaster murmured. At once, Anakin flinched. His vision exchanged for a premonition.

"The Gungan child was screaming!" He gasped as he broke his meditation. Yoda's eyes slowly opened, regarding the faintly-distraught human across from him. If there was one undeniable fact about him that every Jedi would have to agree with, it was Anakin's sensitivity towards the future. The Force favoured him with vision while also plaguing him with unknown possibilities.

"The future you see, Young Skywalker." Yoda stated. "To Naboo you must go. Cad Bane you will find. With you take your Padawan." He urged.

"You're certain there is no child on Glee Anselm?" Mace inquired as he opened his eyes as well.

"Into the shadow of the Dark Side taken the child was. Shrouded is his fate from us." Yoda grumbled. "Great the loss is, but more children in danger there are."

"I shall leave for Rodia immediately." Obi-Wan volunteered.

"I wish to investigate Glee Anselm. Perhaps there are some clues I can uncover concerning the child and who took them." Mace added. Yoda gave them both his blessing.

"Find more younglings I will." He vowed, determined to seek out more children before Bane could take them. If the Glee Anslem child was any indication, he was already on the move.

Mace collected his robe and made to leave, slipping the brown fabric over his robes as he began his descent through the Temple. But before he left, the Master of the Order stopped by the Padawan quarters, intent on visiting one in particular.

Using the Force, he slid open a dormitory door to reveal a dimly-lit room within. A lone boy sat solemnly upon a sparse bed. He and Clone Commander Ganch had been rescued by the 501st Legion during their mission to Devaron and had been returned to the Temple along with Anakin and Ahsoka. "Padawan Tyzen." The young Zabrak boy looked up upon hearing his name.

"Yes, Master?" He responded quietly.

"Master Bolla Ropal is dead. The search for his killer, Cad Bane, continues." Mace stated, sounding almost robotic as he relayed the ill news. "I am sorry for your loss, Padawan Tyzen. Look to the Force for strength and know that Bolla Ropal died in service to the Order." He proffered in a tactless formal tone. "You will be reassigned when time permits." Mace left without another word, leaving Tyzen feeling hollow and alone. A cold chill gripped the young teen as his life seemingly fell apart. Tyzen felt lost in the wake of his Master's demise, the Master he had known for all his apprenticeship dating back to before the war began. Bolla Ropal had been the centre his life orbited around. Without him he felt listless… broken.

He needed to go for a walk. Get his thoughts together. To know Ropal had been killed left him reeling, struggling for an answer.

Look to the Force for strength… easier said than done, Master Windu.

Tyzen ambled aimlessly through the halls of the Temple. Not even he knew what he was looking for. An escape? Calm clarity? A chance to vent? His mind was like a turbulent river, frothing and bubbling as violent currents churned millions of ideas around.

"Tyzen? Tyzen, over here." A feminine voice called out to him. Tyzen paused, looking up to see Ahsoka waving him over, who had been waiting for her master to finish up. He knew who she was, just about every Padawan and youngling in the Temple knew about the teenage Togruta who had been assigned to the Chosen One. She bade farewell to the Rodian and Cerean Padawans she'd been speaking to (a couple of members of Bergruufta clan) and met him in the middle of the hall. She smiled awkwardly and Tyzen could tell right away that she knew something he did not. "Uh, hi. Is there, well, anything I can do for you?" She softly queried in an uncertain voice. Tyzen's eyes fell to the floor. He had only just learned of Bolla Ropal's death from Master Windu so why was she already offering him sympathy…?

"You found him. You and Skywalker." He stated, realizing it for himself. Ahsoka's smile disappeared and she nodded gloomily.

"Yes, I'm so sorry we couldn't hold onto Bane." She apologized. Tyzen sighed, loosely hugging himself as he turned away.

"He didn't fight, did he? Why didn't he fight?" He wondered in a forlorn voice. Ahsoka didn't quite know what to say.

"I'm… I'm sure Master Ropal fought as hard as he could to keep Bane from winning." She promised. But Tyzen shook his head. He knew his Master best, both his strengths and his faults.

"It wasn't enough… He spent so much time working on what he thought was the future of the Devaronians that he never saw it coming. He never saw the present. And now he's gone." His lower lip trembled and he fought back a sob.

"You don't know what happened, Tyzen. You weren't there!" Ahsoka interjected.

"'Not being there' didn't stop Master Ropal from saying he knew everything. But he didn't. Now he's dead. Dead!" Tyzen cried, tears forming in his eyes as he suddenly bolted, unable to hold himself together any longer.

"You should respect his memory-" Ahsoka called after him. But a hand on her shoulder stopped her from pursuing the sobbing Zabrak.

"Let him be, Snips." Anakin gently instructed. "He needs time to himself." The Togruta slowed, her body relaxing under his hand.

"Yes, Master." She obeyed, falling into step with him as Anakin led her in the opposite direction. "What did you find out?" She asked, curious about what he and the other Masters had found in their meditations.

"There's multiple children in danger of being taken. We're going after a Gungan on Naboo." Anakin stated plainly. Ahsoka huffed at the news. She, like her Master, had suspected what Cad Bane would do with the information found on the holocron. But to know it was coming to pass failed to take the edge off.

"Why would anyone want to kidnap children? It's so… heinous!" She wondered.

"I don't know, Snips. The Dark Side is at work in this. Can't just be Cad Bane." Anakin often confided his personal musings in her. He had a way of speaking plainly that few Jedi did. Most would keep their suspicions to themselves until sufficient proof could confirm their notions. Not Anakin. His voice was prominent and his thoughts were often channeled into it.

"Dark Side is right. Good thing the Jedi don't go after children like that." She muttered in agreement.

Elsewhere in the galaxy…

Within the Outer Rim's Trilon sector, in the middle of the Guter Wade system, Rattatak loomed like a massive sphere of rock and mineral.

It was a dry, arid, mountainous planet covered in red rock. Wraith knew it to have a harsh atmosphere, something that seemed to be reflected in the hard-going lives of its citizens. Data given him by Count Dooku revealed the way the Rattataki's lived by a 'might is right' rule in which only warlords with the resources and manpower could dominate the land. As of right now, there was only one in charge of the planet.

In the wider galaxy, she was considered little more than an assassin. A pawn of Dooku. But here, on her homeworld, Asajj Ventress reigned supreme.

Following the coordinates he'd been given, the super-soldier guided his craft towards one of the larger metropolitan areas where Castle Ventress towered above all. It was a spire of red-hewn rock, jutting out from the centre of the city like a blood-soaked needle piercing through its heart. He made landfall on the castle's open landing platform; a single durasteel slab jutting out from the edge of the citadel, partially occupied by a single Ginivex-class starfighter.

Upon powering down the sunlight engines and making his way down the boarding ramp, Wraith was greeted by a pair of Rattataki handmaidens, both of which were dressed in gauzy black shimmersilk robes that stood in stark contrast to their chalk-white skin. He noted that neither of them had the same sort of facial markings that Ventress possessed, their skin pure and unblemished.

"Welcome, honored one." They greeted in unison, bowing low before him. Wraith stayed silent, partly because he deemed it unnecessary but also because he was put off by the display. No one bowed to him. Usually he did the bowing. "Our mistress awaits you." With that, they turned and led him onwards. Wraith followed them within and was promptly treated to the apparent luxury Ventress lived in.

The room next to the landing pad was a trophy room; a place where the great feats and conquests of Asajj Ventress could be displayed in full glory. Statues of fallen greats, trophies from long-slain foes, symbols of what Rattatak used to be… small in contrast to what she had done for the world. Clearly this was a place meant to awe her guests, to establish her prominence in their minds and hearts and remind them that they should feel honored to be here, in her personal domain.

Scores of blaster-weilding Rattataki mercenaries patrolled the halls. They were all men, heavily armed and armored, and as bald as the two women leading him were. Wraith quickly deduced that to be a common trait among the species, either that or a matter of choice where hair would only sully in shifting sand and swirling dust and serve to heat the head that much quicker. Many took terms sizing him up and down in his armored array, glancing in at the weaponry holstered around him and pondering if they had what it took to bring him down should the need arise.

Wraith did his fair share of sizing-up, too. these men were not so much warriors in the classical sense. They had hatred and violence emblazoned upon their very hearts. It was their nature to fight, to kill, and to conquer. If anything, these men were looking for an excuse to start something, to prove themselves greater and greater. Such was the way of Rattatak and not even Asajj's reforms could change those ways. Their violence might now hinge on her word, but they were all still prone to violence.

The hum of lightsabers swinging drew Wraith's attention to the end of the corridor ahead, where a single durasteel door cut him off from seeing what lay beyond. The crackling buzz of electrical energy soon became obvious as well, indicating Asajj was warming herself within. One of the handmaidens toggled the release, the door sliding up to reveal the woman of the castle sparring with a pair of Bugnaught battle droids: specially engineered mechanical gladiators who were armed to the teeth with enough deadly weaponry to kill and destroy a host of warriors on their own.

Both were carrying electrostaffs fashioned to resemble lightsabers and Ventress was bounding back and forth between them, batting this way and that with her twin scarlet lightsabers. They behaved almost like Jedi, attempting to corner her and use their weaponry to their advantage. Asajj, however, used their own plans against them and executed a rising spin that sliced off both heads. The shattered remnants tumbled to the ground as Asajj stood poised for a moment longer before switching off her sabers. "Mistress. Your guest has arrived." One of the handmaidens informed her.

"So I see." Ventress curtly replied. "Leave us." The two Rattataki obeyed and took their leave as Wraith moved closer to Ventress, who technically outranked him. He snapped to attention and saluted her. Ventress scoffed, "Oh. Am I not worthy of something more than a salute?" Wraith seemed torn. He cleared his throat and relaxed his posture.

"Apologies, Commander." He replied, not knowing what more she expected from him. His voice gave the Rattataki pause.

"So. You speak now." She mused, slowly circling around him. She waved her hand and the door to the training dojo sealed shut again, her eyes never leaving Wraith. The metal giant who was a full foot taller than her and she took her time appraising his armor. "Did Windu knock a few things loose on Ryloth? Or did the Loth-cat finally release your tongue?" She queried, running a hand across the smooth, shining back of his armored body.

"Communication is key to success on the battlefield." Wraith stated in response. "Cooperating accordingly with my allies ensures more cohesive action."

"Spoken like a true soldier." She murmured, rounding his front again. "I know why you're here and I know you do as well. So let's cut to the chase, shall we?" She continued, unlatching the clasp of the skirt she wore. Casually removing it revealed a skintight short-sleeved crop top paired with form-hugging thigh-long black shorts. Her outfit did nothing to hide her feminine figure, aided by the fact her top sported a cutout which teased her modest bust beneath.

His gaze slightly distracted by her sudden change in appearance (she barely showed any skin on the battlefield) Wraith paused in place until Ventress turned to him able to sense his subtle awkwardness, "Oh, come now. We are both adults here. Or at least, that is what your biometrics claim. Technically fourteen years old, but a fully grown adult physically." Realizing he was acting unprofessional, Wraith gave his head a shake.

"Apologies. I'm used to sparring alone."

"As am I, but you don't see me sweating about it." Ventress retorted with a smirk, walking over to him and saying, "Come now, you can handle being out of your armor. I promise not to bite."

Wraith, after a light shiver, walked over to the edge of the sparring circle and began removing his armor. Clips and straps were undone in short order, sections of plating piled up on the ground before his helmet crowned the mound of metal and fabric. Now he was just in his two-piece bodysuit, shirt and pants blending together seamlessly as he revealed himself to Ventress. He paused, awaiting her appraisal. "Hmm, red hair. I must say, that wasn't what I was expecting at all." She mused, tapping her chin as she strutted over to him. "First time showing your face to a woman?"

"Yes." He lied. Ventress smirked and did not press the issue any further as her eyes slaked over him. The bodysuit kept him decent but left little to the imagination.

"We will focus on unarmed combat." She announced, turning and striding towards the centre of the ring. Wraith arched an eyebrow.

"I was told you would train me in duelling." He said.

"I can't train you unless I know what you're capable of." She responded. "I want to know everything you have to give. I've seen the aftermath but I haven't experienced it for myself." Wraith took that into consideration. She was in charge, now. Her word

"Understood." He stated plainly.

"I'm told you've been taught ten different martial arts. And have mastered them all." Ventress continued. "Show me that's not a lie to improve your budget." She teased, taking her position opposite with fists raised and knees bent. The Rattataki smirked as Wraith almost tried to make himself appear smaller. An impossible feat as the super-soldier was nearing six and a half feet tall and just as broad.

However, he recognized her Teras Kasi stance and chose to counter with a second-form Tae-jitsu stance; two flat hands drawn back and hovering, one above the other.

"Begin at your leisure." Ventress insisted.

Punches and kicks were thrown as both fighters engaged in brutal boxing. Wraith had strength and reach while Ventress had flexibility and speed. Each punch that Wraith landed was only a glancing blow. Ventress' shots were more direct. Her whole weight directed towards each strike though could not get an easy hit in the head. Wraith, however, had durability on his side. His muscle tissue was twice as dense as the average being, allowing him to take blows, shake them off, and keep fighting.

For her part, Ventress did not let up her attacks, capitalizing on every opportunity she could find. She was pushing him hard, using the Force to combine speed and strength to match him blow for blow. Truth be told, Wraith deemed her far tougher than the training droids in Sunstorm Base. Learning her strategy through sight (and sensation) Wraith switched up his tactics.

Grabbing her next punch, he threw the lightweight woman towards a nearby wall. As expected, she effortlessly cushioned the blow with a perfect rebound, using the solid surface to jump straight back into the fight with a lunge kick. Catching her foot this time, Wraith spun her around and threw her into the floor. Even then, Asajj rebounded, bouncing with the grace of an acrobat to a crouching position. Her blue eyes shone and she grinned.

She hadn't had a workout like this in a long time.

Wraith was not sure if it the Force that made Ventresss strike as tough as a clone with the speed of a Jedi, or if her life and training and conditioning on Rattatak had hardened her into a fierce warrior all by itself. Her skill was undeniable and he made a mental note, yet again, to beware a melee-proficient Force-sensitive.

She lunged at him again and Wraith caught both fists this time. Their footwork came into play, shuffling and shimmying around the ring as he refused to relinquish her hands. "You're not some meathead. I'll give you that." Ventress growled as she fixed him with a steady sapphire glare.

"And I see why… Dooku favours you." Wraith retorted, his emerald gaze gleaming fiercely. It was Ventress who broke the stalemate by executing a backflip, her toe catching him on his jaw and knocking him back. Using the Force, she barreled back into him, her elbow driving into his sternum and powering him into the nearest wall. With a shriek, she made him see stars by landing a whirlwind punch to his face and the super-soldier promptly blacked out as his skull met permacrete hard.

Meanwhile, on Naboo…

Anakin wished this was one of his more pleasant and pleasurable visits to Naboo, the homeworld of his beloved wife Padme. Sadly, buisness took absolute preeminence this round and everything he did here would be duty driven. A child's fate was on the line and he was not about to let Cad Bane succeed against him again.

The single LAAT gunship carrying himself and Ahsoka made landfall in the capitol of Theed, as the sun began it's slow descent. It felt like mere moments ago they had been here, attempting to track down a dangerous Separatist bio-lab. Anakin had been in contact with Naboo security beforehand to explain his sudden arrival as well as the severity of the unfolding situation. They were good and gracious people, as Anakin knew from experience, and were ready to assist however possible, claiming to understand in their willingness. Anakin doubted they could truly understand.

Obi-Wan had reported in from Rodia. He was too late and had just missed Bane and the child. Two were gone, a third was threatened.

"General Skywalker. They told us you were coming." Captain Panaka greeted.

"Has the Gungan family been notified?" Anakin questioned.

"Yes. Captain Lunker here is in charge of the operation." Panaka confirmed, gesturing to the blue-skinned Gungan beside him. "He will take you to Jan-Gwa city."

"Let me take the lead, Master. I've got a score to settle." Ahsoka asked, a slight growl in her voice as she cracked her knuckles. Seeing the fire in her eyes, Anakin knew the same urge to be proven. Exactly how I felt after Dooku and Ventress. She's looking for some responsibilty. It'll be good for her.

"Alright. Go with the Gungan, I'll be there shortly." He tasked and his Padawan readily obeyed.

The blackness gave way to a blurry light as Wraith came to. Giving his head a shake on the cold floor, he had no idea how long he'd been out for. Then he heard a fuzzy voice and somehow knew it was directed towards him. He pushed himself up and immediately found Ventress standing over him, giving the super-soldier a clear view of her legs. "Your Tae-jitsu is good. Though you lack any protection against the Force." She stated, showing a lack of care for how he was doing.

"I have protection. My armor." Wraith turned away and wiped blood from his lip. He failed this time. Best he could do is heal up and prepare for a rematch.

"Right. Because that won't shatter the next time Windu punches it." Ventress scoffed.

"It'll cushion the blow. Give me a chance to recalculate my angle of attack." He retorted. Despite her attitude, he could see why Dooku valued her skill. Even though he had nearly a decade of pure combat training under his belt, she was still leagues better than him. The Force really was a deadly secret weapon. After the pain dissipated from his face, Wraith began to stand up to face Ventress. There were a few bruises on the pale skin of Ventress but she stood tall. Even putting a hand on her hips as she regarded him.

"Well, at least you recover faster than most." She determined. "You make a far better sparring partner than my droids." Wraith merely rumbled as he picked himself up and dusted off his shoulders.

"What now?" He asked in a low voice.

"Someone's a sore loser." She teased with a smirk. He lowered his head, submitting to her seniority. "Oh, relax. Just let me borrow one of your knives and we will call it even," Ventress continued with a chuckle. Calmly holding out her hand for Wraith to give her one of his daggers. The super-soldier returned to his pile of discarded armor and fetched his twin knives from his belt, walking over and presenting the handle of one to her waiting hand. The very blade that had killed a Jedi Master.

"Testing my other skills now? Knives are a far cry from vibroblades."

"So far you're failing at patience." Ventress replied, still smirking. Wraith hardened his expression, laying eyes on her and fully facing Ventress as both he and her bent their knees slightly to assume fighting stances. "First blood." The Rattataki stated. Her eyes locked on to his, staring down the other. Ventress began circling Wraith, testing his footwork. He matched her step for step. The two circling each other, waiting, biding their time.

Finally, they sprung, Ventress and Wraith crossing blades as they began their deadly dance. Sparks flying off each hit on the blades. Both combatants evenly matched as neither one could break the others stance.

Finally, Wraith decided to get creative.

Grabbing her thin, pale arm to fling her into the wall next to him only for her knife to nick his wrist the second he got close, cutting through the fabric and the topmost layer of skin. The line immediately turned red, but no blood was drawn. "Oh, so now we are doing full contact. Good." Ventress eagerly mused, and she refused to let the fight get any easier for him. He parried each strike with her blades, yet the assassin used her smaller frame to great use. Always jumping, skirting, even landing a solid kick on the back of his kneecap. Ventress, however, was not the only one doing damage; Wraith managed to meet the Rattataki punch for punch, the force of his blow that gave her a purple bruise on the of soft flesh of her hand. Though that only seemed to enrage her.

She screamed, turning the pain into rage and fuel. Ventress snapped out her hand as Wraith felt an invisible force push against his chest, the power equal to getting rammed by an AAT, that sent him flying back until his head banged harshly against the rear wall. Said impact caused Wraith to temporally forget his stance as he clutched his head, seeing stars for a brief moment. Without his helmet to absorb the impact, he struggled to stand for a few seconds until the haze cleared. Meanwhile, Ventress waited patiently for him to fix his posture before she quickly resumed her stance. "Again." She ordered.

Night fell across Naboo, a bright pale moon shining down to cast a pale glow across verdant foliage and rustling waters. Descending from the stars, Cad Bane primed his navcomputer with the location of the next child on his list. The customized Rogue-class starfighter he flew had been modified to his specifications and had allowed him two successful collection runs out of the request four he was embarking on. While the average Rogue had only a pair of fire-linked laser cannons, his had been equipped with an ion cannon as well as a pair of concussion missile launchers for extra firepower. Also non-standard on his snubfighter was a cloaking device capable of shielding him from visual and electronic scanners. He called it "Xanadu Blood" and had it painted a matching color, distinguishing it from the starfighters piloted by the elite magnaguards of the droid army.

He landed just outside the watery Jan-Gwa village, his craft blending in excellently with the forested landscape. He made his move, stealing into the village under the cover of night, banking on the chance that every Gungan would be asleep or in their own homes by now. The bounty hunter knew where he was heading. The list on the holocron was helpful enough to contain exact coordinates for the very homes these children lived in. As such he had a name and a location. This job's all too easy. Given it's night I reckon I won't try to convince the parents to hand their little one over. I'm sure it'll be easy to sneak in, not like this is some holocron vault.

Like a thief in the night, Cad Bane went unnoticed as he scaled a bulbous outer wall, following the telltale sounds of soft gentle music, the perfect combination of sounds for a lullaby. Peering in through a higher window, his suspicions proved correct. He was on the verge of a nursery. A single crib in the middle of a wide room. A holo-mobile hovered above the crib where renders of a Mee Scalefish, colo claw fish, opee sea killer, and a sando aqua monster swam through invisible water. Just in time. The mother was laying her swaddled child to bed, easing the blanketed infant into the crib with gentle careful motions.

The moment she left the room, Cad made his move.

The Duros slipped in through the open window and crept over to the crib, doing his best to be as quiet as possible. He moved with seasoned stealth, knowing he had to be quick while also knowing that one hastily-made wrong move would be his undoing. Reaching the crib he peered over the edge where the mother laid her daughter down… and the Duros realized something was amiss.

That blanket was way too thin… and those didn't look like floppy Gungan ears…

Tearing it away to reveal the stuffed toy underneath, Cad realized he'd been had.

"Don't move, sleemo!" Ahsoka cried as she burst from the nearby closet, igniting her lightsaber. The bounty hunter grit his teeth.

"You're not the child I was expecting to find." He growled.

"Obviously." Ahsoka retorted.

"You're quite clever… but naive!" Cad whirled around and fired his grapple tether, snaring the exposed hilt of Ahsoka's lightsaber and tearing it from her grip. The emerald blade dissipated as it clattered across the floor, giving Bane the upper hand as her drew his blaster pistol and opened fire. Ahsoka cartwheeled and somersaulted out of the way as crimson bolts riddled the walls and furniture. But Bane wasn't looking to kill her, simply drive her away and net himself some distance in order to stage his escape.

Triggering his thrusters, his jets roared to life and propelled the Duros back out the same window he entered through. At first, he believed his getaway was to be a clean one… until Anakin jumped him from atop the roof.

It was a risky move trying to tackle an airborne enemy and Anakin was banking on a lot of luck and variables to swing in his favor. Cad could just keep flying on with Anakin dangling helplessly from his coattails. His boot-jets, however, lacked the power to maintain flight with such additional weight. As such, Bane soon plummeted from the sky and Anakin with him.

They dropped and rolled across rooftops, tumbling like rocks onto the lamp-lit street below. They separated on impact and Cad was hoping he could still make a break for it.

But when Ahsoka's green-bladed Saber hover next to his face, he grimly determined that he'd been outwitted. "Looks like I win." The Togruta triumphantly mused.

Anakin recovered and Cad Bane was promptly robbed of his weaponry and arrested, his wrists locked in front of him with a pair of shackles. Ahsoka was quite pleased with their catch. "I think I've earned the right to wear this again." She remarked, swiping her Padawan braid off his belt and promptly attaching it back in place on her headdress.

Anakin began leading the bounty hunter off as Ahsoka looked back at the awakened villagers watching the arrest. The little Force-sensitive girl, Roo-Roo Page, was safe in her mother's arms. Smiling brightly with golden eyes contrasting her pink skin, she gurgled and squealed in delight as Ahsoka smiled at her.

She's so cute and adorable! How much of a lowlife do you have to be to target a youngling like her? No way I'd let anyone hurt her… I just hope this makes up for the other younglings we couldn't save…

"Your daughter is safe now." Ahsoka promised the mother, striding over and giving young Roo-Roo pat on the cheek.

"Do you really believe that?!" Cad Bane called derisively over his shoulder before Anakin forced him forwards.

Cad Bane was moved to a secure cell in the brig of Anakin's cruiser, Resolute, while his ship was confiscated and held in the hangar. With news of his capture spreading, both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu were recalled to interrogate the bounty hunter. Neither of them had been successful in their ventures; Obi-Wan was too late to stop him from stealing the Rodian child and Mace had discovered Bane had in fact kidnapped the Nautolan child on Glee Anselm first, long before the Jedi even knew where to begin.

Now they had a chance to amend their failures, interrogating Cad Bane for the information they desperately needed.

"We know you've taken at least two children. Where are they?" Obi-Wan questioned within his cell.

"Beyond your reach." Cad spat.

"Who are you working for?" Mace demanded, circling him.

"I work alone." The Duros retorted.

"It is only a matter of time before we locate the holocron." Obi-Wan promised, leaning forward and allowing his piercing gaze to meet the Duros' crimson eyes in an effort to unnerve him. "Make it easier on yourself." Instead of being intimidated, Bane merely chuckled.

"What are you going to do, Jedi? Torture me?" He scoffed. Obi-Wan fell silent. Mace, however, was busy gleaning insights from the Force.

"I think… your fear of whoever you work for outweighs your fear of us." He stated knowingly. Cad's attitude immediately shifted. That perceptive insight was too close to call. Despite being a gutless bounty hunter, Cad was determined to maintain the Hunter's Code of keeping the anonymity of his employer close to his chest. The shift in his emotions was tangible to the Jedi and Bane slunk back in his chair.

"This conversation is over." He muttered. Seeing as they'd pressed their luck as much as they could, Obi-Wan and Mace gave up and left the cell, the particle field shimmering as they exited. Anakin and Ahsoka were waiting to meet them, fresh from the hangar.

"We tore his ship apart. There's no sign of the holocron or the kids." The Knight explained, sounding frustrated.

"Did you check the navigation records?" Mace asked.

"They were wiped clean before he landed on Naboo." Ahsoka stated.

"We'll have to use the Force to make him talk." Anakin decided, determined to not let this bounty hunter and all his pratfalls get the better of them.

"Mm, I don't think Bane is that weak." Obi-Wan said worriedly. "He resisted all of our interrogation techniques until Master Windu hit a question a bit too close to home. Then he closed up tight."

"He keeps his vulnerabilities well guarded." Mace concurred. "Not to mention his species is notorious for being resistant to mind tricks."

"Maybe if we all concentrated on his mind together?" Ahsoka proffered.

"Using the Force to compel a strong mind to cooperate is… risky." Obi-Wan warned with a grimace.

"There is a danger that his mind could be destroyed in the process." Mace stated. That would certainly spell the end of their one chance to reclaim the stolen holocron and the lost children.

"Well… do we have another choice?" Anakin asked.

They all knew they didn't.

Cad Bane had not moved from his seat when the Jedi re-entered his cell. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Mace loomed before him, their robed forms shimmering in the contrasting light and shadow like phantom spectres ready to barrage him again. Ahsoka lingered near the door, left out because her Force powers were not quite as seasoned as their's were.

The Jedi closed their eyes, concentrating, as Anakin reached out and waved his hand in a slow, fluid motion. "You will take us to the holocron." He stated, his voice carrying through the Force with a commanding weight. It was far different from anything the Duros had heard out of him before.

"Jedi mind tricks won't work on me." Bane scoffed. Despite his resistance, the Duros could feel something itching the back of his mind. An irritation, something prying its way into his subconscious, determined to get a hold of him.

"You will take us to the holocron." Anakin repeated and Obi-Wan joined him this time.

"Forget it." Bane stubbornly retorted. The itch had grown into a full-grown nagging. A voice, a foreign presence, had mounted and was now weaving its way into his mind, barraging his subconscious and prompting him, coaxing him, begging him to do as they wished. But Bane clung to his wits, determined to outlast their assault no matter how hard they tried. It was becoming painful…

"You will take us to the holocron." Mace joined in, all three Jedi speaking in unison as they flexed their power over the Force. Cad struggled to maintain his composure, struggling with the onslaught of thoughts and prompts assaulting his mind. Something wanted him to give in. Something beyond his comprehension demanded he cooperate and give the Jedi what they wanted. It was unbearable.

"I… I won't!" He gasped through heavy breaths, writhing in his seat.

"And you will take us NOW!" The Jedi commanded in one voice. Bane seemed to crack, his expression growing passive.

"I… I will take you-… No! Get out of my head!" He roared, screaming as he fought back against the Force clawing at his mind, threatening to tear his psyche apart. Ahsoka stood frightened, watching as the display continued to unfold. She'd never seen someone react like this to Force-persuasion. It looked painful… and terrifying. The Jedi were pushing their luck, pressing harder like a stone against glass. The cracks were showing. If they pushed too hard, it would fracture beyond repair, reduced to tiny irreparable shards.

Sensing this, the trio relented and Cad sagged against the table between them, gasping for breath. "Perhaps we should try… again." Anakin darkly suggested, hoping it would spur Cad to a decision. It worked.

"I… have had enough of this…" the Duros gasped, shaking his head and raising his hands as he accepted defeat, "I'll take you to the holocron… you'll get your children back." He stated.

With their methodology proven successful, the Jedi made preparations to have Cad Bane moved; they would accompany him to a location only he knew about, aboard a T-6 shuttle with Marshall Commander Cody along as backup.

An armed escorted carted the shackled Duros to the hangar as the Jedi conversed amongst themselves.

"I've received word from Master Yoda on Coruscant. The Chancellor wants a report on our progress." Mace told them all. Obi-Wan appeared put out.

"Tell him this is not Republic business. It's an internal Jedi affair." He stated with faint arrogance.

"I'm sorry to disagree, but aren't we using Republic Navy ships right now? In the name of our 'internal affair'?" Anakin countered. "As long as the Jedi are acting as a military, we should report to the Chancellor. Even on internal matters such as this." He stated. Windu and Kenobi shared a quick, knowing glance.

"Well then, I guess you just volunteered to go." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Give the Chancellor my regards." He proffered as Anakin's told dumbstruck.

"Now wait a minute-"

"I agree. Report back here when you're finished." Mace decided, leaving Anakin to stand alone with a fresh burden to bear.

Leave it to Councillors to decide who does what without a second thought… or opinion for that matter.

"This could be a trap, Master. Are you sure you don't want us to go?" He called after them.

"Of course it's a trap, Skywalker." Mace replied, affirming their share suspicions.

"I will contact you when we find the children." Obi-Wan promised as he made to leave alongside him. They boarded the shuttle along with Cad and Cody, Anakin and Ahsoka left behind.

"And what if they don't find those kids?" The Togruta worriedly asked. Anakin had his own doubts, but knew that constant worry wouldn't get them anywhere. We need to focus. One thing at a time. Let them worry about that for now while I… tie up loose ends.

"They will, Snips. Come on. Let's go back to Coruscant and hobnob with the big-whigs." He urged with a beckoning hand. Ahsoka stopped and cringed.

"Oh. Yay." She muttered in a none-too-eager voice.

Across the galaxy, in Castle Ventress…

A very light sheen of sweat had formed across Wraith's brow and dozens of cuts had been formed across his bodysuit in various locations. But the super-soldier persisted and had gone round after round with Ventress.

The two of them appeared to have reached an impasse. The Rattataki's skin shone under the lights of the training room, and a few nicks marred her chalk-white flesh. Otherwise, she was still standing and still able to keep going. She was calling the shots and Wraith obliged every one of them. "Your skill with a blade is excellent. As good as my own." She complimented.

"Thank you…" he murmured.

"That's enough for now." Ventress decided, turning over the hilt and Wraith accepted it. "Don't think I forgot about what we discussed earlier. Your training is not done yet. Now, we engage the mind." She stated as Wraith tucked his weaponry back into his belt. "Stand across from me." He did as ordered. "No doubt our master has taught you the basics of the Force. So I won't go into all the intimate, boring details. Instead, I will perform a simple mind trick and you must resist it. Prepare yourself." Ventress ordered in a cold tone.

Wraith did as instructed and remembered what he read about the Force: a mystical energy that touched everyone and everything. With it, a Force-sensitive could persuade and even control organics. But such a technique could be resisted, as proven by the so-called 'strong willed' and even certain species whose minds worked different than humans, near-humans, and humanoids. Unfortunately, he lacked an in-depth knowledge about how one resists.

"Walk over to that wall." Ventress' voice adopted a kinder tone to her usual one. This voice sounded gentle, even soothing. It stroked his mind, reached deep into his subconscious, subtly encouraging Wraith to heed her every word.

Suddenly, all critical thinking ceased as the super-soldier felt a sudden urge to obey. He was given an order. Follow it. Nothing else mattered. He proceeded to instantly walk to the wall her hand was pointed at and stared.

"Stand on one foot." Ventress continued in her silken, soothing voice. Stand on one foot? How ridiculous! Nevertheless, Wraith obliged her without question and stood on one foot. He waited, his mind a blank slate. "Come here." Again, he did as asked, following the lyrical tone of her voice that warmed him through and through until Wraith stood mere inches from Ventress. "Touch me." He reached out with one hand, gently cupping her cheek and holding her face as softly as possible…

Suddenly, the haze shattered, and a cold reality settled in. Wraith froze, realized what he was doing, and promptly recoiled. "What the hell…?!" he breathed, looking down at his hand. He promptly snapped to attention. "Forgive me, ma'am. It was not my intention to touch you."

"No. But it was mine." Ventress replied, circling him as he stood stiffly. "You see now how powerful the Force is. You've experienced it firsthand in so many ways. From the unthinkable speed and raw power exercised by Master Windu, where unbreakable metal is shattered by a bare hand, all the way down to how it can tempt the senses. How it toys with the mind. How even the sternest voice becomes something pleasant and supple to the ears." She described, running her hand across his back. "You'd do well to harden yourself to its effects, alright?"

"Understood, ma'am." Wraith affirmed.

"You take orders easily. A good soldier. Though you need to think more critically when it comes to these matters. I've heard you're good against the material, but you need to take the immaterial seriously too. The best way to resist Force-persuasion is to keep focused on something." Ventress continued, rounding to the front of him. She placed a hand on her hip and cocked it to one side, her shapely form on display. "You must find ways to break their connection to you. Pain is a good method. Focusing on pain allows you to channel the sensations into anger, fuel other thoughts to scatter yourself and not fall under their sway. Though do not rely on it solely. If you injure yourself, you've already lost. Instead, focus on something passionate. Something you hate. Something a Jedi could never understand. Once you do that, their mind tricks are easy to overcome." Wraith took a moment to remember her words.

Something passionate. I'm passionate about the Spearatist cause; how we defend ourselves from the decrepit Republic that intends to force us back under their corrupt government. And yet that is my purpose for being, not so much my passion. I will have to find something to fit that criteria.

Later, on Coruscant…

"Ah, Anakin. It is good to see you." Supreme Chancellor Palpatine greeted politely. His smile was warm and welcoming, grandfatherly in a way. It made Anakin pleased to see him.

"Your excellency." And replied, trying to be as polite as possible. Surely the Chancellor deserved his best behavior. "I bring word from our investigation."

"And I'm eager to hear it." Palpatine replied. He turned to Ahsoka, his smile present but fainter. Ahsoka smiled nervously, her headtail stripes darkening as she stood in the presence of the esteemed leader of the Galactic Republic. It was a big honor. "Excuse us, child." Palpatine proffered as he ushered Anakin into his office and sealed the door behind him. Left in the dark, the Togruta folded her arms and frowned, loosing an audible huff at the durasteel slabs in front of her. She wasn't even allowed in! Palpatine had dismissed her as a child and made her wait out here. Ahsoka, considered a woman by her species and not a child, was understandably angry.

Well! How about that for a 'warm welcome'! Brushed off like common dirt by the Supreme Chancellor himself. Baka'montrra. I'm not some youngling, I'm fourteen… kriff, almost FIFTEEN now! On my homeworld, I'm considered an adult, not a child! Why do I always get left out of everything?!

If he could sense her furious thoughts, Palpatine did not let on. Darth Sidious was not a stupid man. He trusted no Jedi and, while quietly gloating at his ability to deceive them all, knew better than to dismiss even a young Jedi like herself.

Besides, he wanted Anakin to himself for a time. Without tagalongs.

"I understand you made an important arrest in the plot to destroy the Jedi." He commented to Anakin as they strode over to his wide office window. "To think a simple bounty hunter could create such a plan." He muttered.

"I believe someone else, someone much more powerful, was behind this." Anakin added. "And I don't think it was Dooku." Palpatine looked to him with a raised brow.

"Oh? And have you any clues as to who it might be?" He wondered, sounding very intrigued by the notion. Anakin sighed, running his mechanical hand through his hair.

"Not yet, Chancellor. I'm afraid all the clues have yet to present themselves." Anakin replied, sounding anxious and torn by a desire to move like a thunderbolt or stay still and let the storm brew. Palpatine eyed him.

Insightful. Skillful. Strong in the Force with more passion and presence than the members of the Council combined. One day, I must thank Master Yoda and the Jedi Council for contributing so generously to our cause. You would think they would take better care of their Chosen One. But all they seem to do is to frustrate and alienate young Skywalker. They're storing up trouble for themselves.

"Have patience, my boy." He stated at length, patting him on the back. "I have no doubt you'll get your chance soon."

Across the galaxy…

In a secretive installation, the Rodian child Wee Dunn and the Nautolan child Zinn Toa lay in metal crumbs designed to keep them contained. RO-series Nancy droids puttered around, while a single R5-series astromech droid rolled around the room, using it's built-in holoprojector module to transmit the image of the man behind the kidnappings… Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.

"There there, child. Soon you will cry no more." He whispered, his hooded form leaning menacingly over Wee Dunn's crib. One of the nanny droids drew close.

"Master, subjects of this age rarely survive the slave-conditioning procedure." It cautioned him.

"I'm afraid the risk is necessary." Sidious responded as the R5 rolled him closer to check on Zinn Toa. "The natural talent these children possess is too great to be wasted by the Jedi." He peered into the other crib, finding the Nautolan infant sleeping soundly. "I foresee an army of Force-talented spies in my service, trained in the Dark Side to peer into every corner of the galaxy from afar. And my enemies would be helpless against such vision." He mused, the grand and dramatic vision playing out behind his eyes. "If the surgery fails, I will have lost nothing." He told the droid in conclusion.

Back on Rattatak…

"Now that I see what you're capable of, let's get down to what you're really here for." Ventress stated, using the Force to summon her twin lightsaber hilts. "Fetch the new weapon Count Dooku bestowed upon you." Wraith did as asked and presented the rectangular hilt in one hand. Ventress quirked a brow, intrigued and curious. It certainly looked like a lightsaber hilt…

"It's not a lightsaber." Wraith stated, reading her expression and determining her thoughts. "More like a specialty vibrosword." Flicking the activation switch, the songsteel pieces shot out one by one and forged themselves into a singular blade, slightly curved and sharpened on one side.

"What you have there is either a fine weapon or an overly-elaborate trinket." Ventress stated, clipping one hilt to her belt. "How you weild it determines what it is." Her crimson blade came to life with a snap-hiss as Ventress twirled the curved hilt between dexterous fingers.

Truth be told, these were not technically her lightsabers. She was the owner of them, used them primarily, but they were handed down. Their original owner had been Dooku's initial chief acolyte: Komari Vosa. After her death, Dooku salvaged the lightsabers until he took on Ventress and gifted them to her as a symbol of trust in her ability to perform as his assassin and right hand.

The notion of using my old lightsaber has occurred to me. I could teach him, just like Ky taught me. But… I can't. Even lifting the old hilt brings back too many memories. Besides, I must maintain this image the soldier expects… and respects. I am his superior. I cannot show weakness. Let your teachings flow through me, Ky. Let me prove how good you were to me.

Presenting her saber out in front with one hand, Ventress turned to the side. "I will exercise a series of motions. I want you to study each one in sequence and then copy me." She would begin with one hand and then two, to give him an example. Primarily a practitioner of Jar'Kai, she was also skilled in the art of Makashi (thanks to Dooku's tutelage).

Ventress began to move, swinging her blade out and around as it hummed through the air. Each motion was guided, every stance flowed from one into another. Years of practice were revealed in each swing, each step, each, measured burst of movement. Wraith watched, eyes darting back and forth as he calculated the angle of her limbs, the positioning of her feet. How angled should the blade be? How loosely was it held in hand? How far apart were her legs spread?

Her body was moving, revealing the twitch and flex of each muscle as her toned, athletic form struck pose after pose. It was a deadly kind of grace, a hypnotic dark beauty. It certainly helped that her limbs and midriff were on display, as was a portion of cleavage…

Wraith found himself getting distracted. He shook his head, focusing on the numbers. Then he began to slowly copy the display before him…

Elsewhere…

Having returned to Resolute, Anakin decided to run a few more tests on Cad Bane's ship before he and Ahsoka gave up on it. With the impressive Rogue-class parked in the hangar, the Knight sat in the cockpit while his Padawan worked underneath. "Well, the piloting system is clean." He determined at length, closing down the technical interface. "Check the landing gear?" He asked over the side. Ahsoka emerged from underneath Xanadu Blood on a creeper, her exposed orange skin smeared with grease and grime picked up from the ship's mechanics.

"Double-checked it." She affirmed with a sigh. "I've a feeling Master Windu and Master Obi-Wan could've used our help."

"Look, I don't like being out of the action either but somebody's gotta do this job." Anakin replied.

"And it always ends up being us." Ahsoka complained. I mean, I like this mechanic stuff Skyguy's teaching me. But I want to do something more than just sit around. There's children at stake! I can't rock back on my heels knowing those little ones are in trouble! Slipping back under the ship, her hands pressed against the outer plating… and she felt something very distinct from the usual smooth metal. Retracting her hand, Ahsoka noted how greyed her fingertips had become and the perfect marks they had left behind on the hull. "Huh… Bane picked up a lot of ash on his travels." She mused aloud. Suddenly, R2-D2 warbled excitedly from the other side of the craft, his interfacing arm plugged into a socket that helped him analyze subsystems the two organic could not access. "What've you got Artoo?" Ahsoka wondered as she pulled herself up. The data flashed before Anakin.

"Hm, interesting. Looks like Bane erased his navigation records… but not his fuel computer." He announced. Curious, Ahsoka pulled herself up and sat on the wing of the ship, watching over his shoulder.

"So… what does this do for us?" She wondered.

"Well, if we cross the list of planets we know he visited with the distance he traveled-" Anakin began to explain and his apprentice quickly put the pieces together.

"We may be able to calculate where else he went!" She realized with an excited gasp. Now this she could get behind. "That's a new one!"

"It's an old trick we used to track down smugglers." Anakin remarked. "Remind me to tell you about the time Master Obi-Wan and I spent six months in the Outer Rim." With that, he keyed up the list of recorded stops. The various instances Cad Bane had made adjustments to his fuel logs. "Okay, let's see… Glee Anselm… Rodia… Mustafar… Naboo…" he listed off, tagging each planet in sequence.

"Wait. Mustafar?" Ahsoka leaned in closer, grabbing his shoulder to do so and partially shoving Anakin up against the side. He'd forgotten how much hand-strength Togruta's possessed. "There were no children on Mustafar." She realized. Anakin keyed up the planetary data.

"It's a mining world. Very remote. Probably stopped to refuel." He explained.

"So the ash he picked up is volcanic. That explains that." Ahsoka surmised, leaning back. "But it was six systems out of his way, maybe he met up with whoever he was working for?" She suggested, sounding hopeful. "It's worth a look, isn't it?" She pressed. Anakin shot her a look, partly smirking at her eager instance. Like most children, he could read her intentions like an open datapad.

"Anything to get out of this hangar." He remarked, hopping out of the cockpit as Ahsoka giddily followed him towards where Twilight was parked...

Things had escalated from mere movement practice to full-on duels rather quickly.

It had begun with basic sparring, blades tapping at a slow pace using predetermined patterns and actions as Ventress tested his visual comprehension and response time. He seemed to be a quick study, quicker than most. Wraith was nothing if not dedicated and wholly devoted to learning the assigned tasks set before him. That bode well for the next time they worked together, which was an inevitability in this war.

Once that was done, Ventress elected to throw him from the frying pan and into the fire. She did not hold back, forcing him to plan and strategize as they turned the training room into a small battlefield. A game of cat-and-mouse… with possibly lethal consequences.

She sprang from behind a column, thumbing both lightsabers to life, and swung one into him. The blades clashed, red on silver. For a split second she saw the look of surprise illuminated on his face. He parried. But she brought the other saber swinging in an arc, and then they were locked in combat. Ventress used both sabers simultaneously in a scissor action to drive him back and force him against a wall or a column, but each time, Wraith managed to ram his weapon between her blades.

He spun away behind a column. She heard him panting. She was too.

Ventress leaped around the column from the other side. Her blade missed his head by a fraction as he ducked, and sent a cloud of dust sparkling from the stone. Wraith raced away. She pursued.

He's not invincible. He knows this. Good. Ventress did not respect anyone outside of those who went out of their way to earn it. Wraith was proving a capable warrior, but he wasn't quite there. Not yet. Still, he was doing a good job impressing her. Moreso than most Separatists.

She stalked him, and this time it was his turn to leap out at her and strike. He drove her back against a wall, but she used it as a springboard to Force push him back before hacking at him with all the raw strength she could muster. It wasn't hard to summon up. She simply saw Narec, and wanted to destroy the whole world in vengeance.

Wraith's vibrosword spun in the air. For a second she thought it was a trick; but she'd knocked it from his hand. Her blade was at his throat in a heartbeat.

Wraith looked up at her, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. She loomed over him, her foot pressed firmly against his chest. A hard Force-assisted stomp would probably crack his ribs at his angle. He traced the long, toned leg up as his eyes swept over her body, until they met Ventress' eyes. "You're not sloppy. But you're no Jedi."

"I'm not trying to be." Wraith grunted.

"That's why you fail." Ventress retorted, turning up her nose. "You must get into the mind of your opponent. Attacking them with their own moves will result in surprise, which gives way to uncertainty, which paves the path to defeat. If your abilities are as true as their descriptions are, you could, in theory, mimic a seasoned Master's skill and be their undoing." Removing her foot from his chest, Ventress sauntered back, her hips swaying from side to side as her lightsabers dangled from her hands. "Again." She commanded.

With her words of insight in mind, Wraith collected his vibrosword, picked himself up, and grabbed the hilt with both hands as he got ready to spar again…

Meanwhile…

Found in the Western Regions of the Outer Rim, specifically in the Astravis sector and the system from which is got its name, Mustafar was a small volcanic hellscape that orbited the gas giant Jestefad. Thanks to the influence of Jestefad's massive magnetic fields, Mustafar's core was superheated that resulted in an explosion of lava that soaked the planet and refused to relent. Acquired by the Techno Union, the Separatist-aligned organization mined many unique and valuable minerals from the planet which were employed in various technological goods sold and exported by the Union.

All of these factors made Mustafar incredibly suspect in the search for the stolen children.

"We're coming up on Mustafar." Ahsoka declared as the planet loomed large, like a swirled obsidian-ruby jewel. Even from here you could see frothing explosion of magma, bright pinpricks of yellow situated against red lakes.

"Artoo, begin the landing cycle." Anakin commanded and the astromech did as told. Anakin cast a glance at his apprentice eagerly steering the Twilight. Her energy was palpable in the Force, a presence not easily missed even by someone casually testing their senses. But it was the motivation behind it that worried Anakin. Her eagerness was tied to a desire to be useful, to be pleasing to those around her.

No wonder she's been so antsy. She feels like she's not contributing enough.

He recalled his brief conversation with Shaak Ti before this whole affair had begun. Maybe Ahsoka was in fact pushing herself to make up for her failure at Ryloth. Everything she did, no matter how risky or dangerous, was borne of a desire to prove herself. He didn't need the promptings of another master to know he needed to curtail that line of thinking.

"Ahsoka," he stated, catching her attention, "I appreciate your eagerness to pitch in and do something. You've been taking orders well, lately. An improvement over Felucia, I'll admit."

"Well, there's children at stake, Master. We've got to find them before whoever hired Cad Bane does something horrible to them." She replied. At first glance, it was a reasonable answer. but the way her mental shields were suddenly raised told Anakin a lot more.

"I know. I feel the same way." He agreed. "I just want you to know that you don't need to rush things. Sometimes the clues and answers are only doled out bit by bit."

"I'm not rushing, Master." She refuted.

"Oh but you are." Anakin countered. "You may not think you're rushing. But you're just waiting for the next chance to do something good and then taking off at full blast." He sensed her confusion and her hesitation.

"Is… that a bad thing?" She wondered.

"It is if you're trying to prove yourself." There's the sudden spike. Just like I figured. "It's alright, Snips. You don't have to put your life on the line." Anakin assured her.

"But… But I do, Master." Ahsoka responded. "If I hadn't been so reckless, I wouldn't have gotten caught by Cad Bane and you wouldn't have been forced to open the holocron for him." That was eye-opening and Anakin stayed quiet, listening and digesting, as she continued. "Now the lives of these poor younglings are at stake and it's my fault. I have to make it right."

"We'll make it right together." Anakin promised. "Just follow my lead, alright?" Ahsoka exhaled slowly, concentrating.

"Yes, Master." She obediently replied.

Guiding Twilight down to the surface, Ahsoka and Artoo followed the coordinates to the exact position lifted from Xanadu Blood. A facility hovered over a lake of lava, shielded with repulsorlift energy fields keeping it suspended in air. A single landing platform was available and Twilight quickly occupied that space.

Upon disembarking, the first thing Ahsoka noted was the strong acrid stench wrought from the over abundance of lava across the planet. With faintly sulphuric undertones, it filled every inch of her nostrils and made her want to recoil. The second thing she noted was the heat. Even with shielding, it was way warmer here than it had been on any other planet she'd ever visited.

Never have I been more happy to be wearing what I'm wearing. I can't imagine how Skyguy feels underneath all those robes and armor.

"You sure this is the right place?" She wondered as ash wafted down from above.

"We're gonna find out." Anakin answered, leading them towards the lone access door ahead. Artoo toddled forward and plugged into the access panel, keying in the directive to open the door… both Jedi were hit by a wave of cold that rolled up and down their spines. Ahsoka felt an absence of joy and light, as if the very atmosphere was sucking the life out of her. She recoiled, baring her fangs in a suddenly-primal act of guarding herself. She wanted to flee from the yawning darkness stretching on before her.

"I sense something, Master… and I don't like it." She whispered, swallowing nervously. Anakin knew exactly what she was feeling. It was familiar to him, first in the form of Asajj Ventress, then in the form of Count Dooku. Only this time it was far stronger than either of them…

It's so oppressive. So overwhelming. Terrifying, even.

"It's the Dark Side, Ahsoka." He stated warily. "This is the right place." Plucking up their courage, the Jedi dove headlong into the mass as they jogged inside, the Dark Side surrounding them like a thick fog that clouded their senses. The Force became unreliable beyond their own bodies. Like electromagnetic pulses wreaking havoc with nav-coms. They stopped at an intersection, three possible paths laying to the right, left and in front of them.

Suddenly…

"Did you hear that?" Ahsoka questioned as the shrill cry echoed across the durasteel walls.

"Yeah, I heard that." Anakin quickly affirmed, drawing his lightsaber. "Question is, where are they?" Ahsoka paused and closed her eyes. The Force may be unreliable right now, but her species unique form of echolocation was not. The sound bounced off the empty halls, reached her montrals, and then bounced back. She traced the cry to its origin point within moments.

"This way!" She stated, taking off with Anakin hot on her heels. They chased down the corridors until they came to a sudden stop where a door barred their path. Blades flashing to live, Master and Padawan carved through the durasteel with their lightsabers, cutting a sizeable hole in the door big enough for them to pass through.

The room on the other side was dark, lit only by eerie red glows from flickering data terminals. Ahsoka squinted, her vision compensating for the lack of light. She picked out for empty cribs in the centre of the room, arranged in a square.

We're in the right place, alright. But where are the children…?

"We're too late." She muttered.

"I can sense their still here." Anakin replied. It was taking all the power he could summon, but the Force-sensitive younglings were picked out amid the Dark Side, like tiny pinpricks of light against the inky canvas of deep space.

The grinding of gears drew their attention and both Jedi ignited their blades as pale photoreceptors powered up on either side of the room. Through the gloom, Ahsoka was able to pick out who and what was here with them. The two other children Anakin had sensed; the Rodian Wee Dunn and the Nautolan Zinn Toa, trapped in the clutches of a pair of RO-series nanny droids.

"Be careful of the younglings!" Anakin called out, backpedaling as the droid carrying Wee swung at him with a clawed servo.

"I know! I know!" Ahsoka snapped back, doing plenty of dodging herself and doing her best to not hit Zinn.

Shrill alarms filled the room as the gravity generators went offline, resulting in a facility-wide shudder as Mustafar's violent atmosphere began to take its toll. Cracks formed in the floor, revealing fissures leading to rivers of molten lava. Heat filled the room, harsh and unyielding, as the Jedi continued to try and disarm the droids without hurting the younglings.

Suddenly, the floor collapsed and took the nanny carrying Zinn by surprise. Ahsoka took advantage and sliced of the droids arms before snatching the young Nautolan up into her own as the droid tumbled down into the lava below.

The floor gave way beneath Anakin too, more violently this time. Creaks and groans of strained metal resounded loudly as the nanny droid tumbled, catching itself between the two halves of floor. Its Rodian charged stumbled from its grip and Ahsoka looked on in horror as Wee tumbled towards the lava.

Had Anakin not used the Force to pull the youngling into his grasp, he would've died.

Springboarding off the droid to send it into the lava, Anakin joined his apprentice by the room's other door. "The panel's fried!" She growled in frustration.

"Well where's Artoo?" Anakin questioned. As if to answer, the door slid open as R2 opened it from the other side with a tootle. The Jedi bolted as explosions engulfed the lower levels of the facility, the swan song of the entire structure as its inevitable doom drew nigh.

Making their way back to the Twilight, Anakin passed Wee off to Ahsoka as he primed the launch controls. The Togruta bounced both younglings in her arms, whispering in soothing tones as maternal instincts took over. She had every faith her Master could get them out of here without delay.

He did… and not a moment too soon.

Artoo loosed the droid equivalent of a sigh of relief as Twilight lifted off, the sinister facility tumbling into the lava moments later.

Forty-five seconds into their latest duel, Ventress had grown impatient. She had seen most of Wraith's basic technique; a combination of rapid switches and feints. Clearly he was still learning, nowhere near the same level of skill and technique as the Jedi who dominated the battlefield.

Hell, I could list off a number of Padawans better than him. Skywalker's brat chief among them.

Deciding the outcome of the battle in her mind, Ventress forced Wraith to come to her, by not evading or pursuing him. She stood still, double blades held out to her sides with her body exposed, to tempt the super-soldier into an error. Wraith moved in cautiously. At least his form is good. As he lunged, Ventress whipped his vibrosword from his hand with a figure-eight movement before slamming him flat against a wall with a Force push and holding him there with an outstretched hand.

Defeated, again, Wraith hung his head and awaited her analysis.

"You're playing too safe. You broke a cardinal rule that I know Count Dooku imparted to you: control your enemy, make them fight according to your terms." She stated. "You gave me too much freedom and I took control from you." Relaxing her hold, Wraith dropped to his feet and shook off the effects of the impact. "Are you nervous?" He looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"I said, are you nervous?" Ventress repeated, a little more sternly this time. Wraith said nothing and she quirked a brow when the silence lasted three seconds too long. "Force, did I rattle your higher functions? Answer me, soldier." She demanded.

"Yes. I am nervous." Wraith ground out, staring at the floor. Ventress looked his hulking form up and down, both amused and curious.

"Why are you nervous?" She questioned.

"Because I've never fought someone with a lightsaber without my armor." He stated, speaking quietly but succinctly. "Because I've never fought with this kind of weapon before. Because I've never trained with you before." His confession spoken, Wraith returned to staring at the floor. Surely the incoming reprimand was well deserved…

He didn't expect it to take the form of a chuckle.

"Dooku was wise to send you to me." Ventress stated as her lightsabers switched off. Striding up to him, she trailed a finger up his chest, up his neck, and across to the edge of his chin. She guided his face towards hers, where her amusement was most visible. "I'm all sorts of wild and violent, and you're so used to the cold, calculated cunning of that lab you call home base."

Dare I emphasize with him? Dare I open the tiniest of windows to my past for him to view?

"I know what it's like to fear something new. Now the only fear I know is the fear I weild against my enemies." She told him, eyes locked. Wraith said nothing, waiting for her to finish. "I'm going to make sure you conquer your fear before you leave here. By the time I'm done with you… well, I'd like to see you in the Cauldron one day. See how many of those over-indulged gladiators fair against you." She stated. His thoughts became quite clear, open in the Force for her to freely read. "No. I'm not mad. Right now, I'm not some military commander. I'm a queen in my own castle. You're my guest and I like to make sure all my important guests leave satisfied." The amount of emphasis on the last word seemed to suggest other connotations, but Wraith failed to grasp them.

Sliding her finger off his chin, Ventress turned and strutted away with a sway in her hips. "That's enough for today. I've made sleeping arrangements for you. You'll stay the night and we'll resume in the morning. Then you can go back to your base." The Rattataki stated, slipping her long skirt back over her legs. "We're going to have a lot of firsts together, soldier." She promised, throwing a devilish wink his way.

Later…

As the dark of night engulfed Coruscant, an emergency meeting was held by the Jedi Council as Anakin and Ahsoka recounted their findings on Mustafar.

"The base was completely destroyed, Master. And so was any clue who's behind this." Anakin explained glumly.

"Hmm… most unfortunate this is." Yoda mused, echoing his disappointment.

"At least we still have Bane." Anakin continued. At that, Obi-Wan and Mace shared a brief, awkward glance. "Right?" Their silence continued. Ahsoka put it together.

"He got away again?" She asked with a sigh.

"The important thing is that the children are safe and we've recovered the holocron." Obi-Wan stated.

"The list is intact and there's no evidence it was copied." Mace added.

"Still, the future of all Jedi uncertain is." Yoda grimly pronounced. "Move forward cautiously we must."

The debrief concluded, Anakin and Ahsoka took their leave, tired and determined to rid the stench of Mustafar from their clothes. Closing the door to her private quarters, Ahsoka found herself exhausted and more than ready to fall fast asleep. Slipping off her gloves, the teen threw them on the floor only to find her hand coated with more volcanic ash. "Ew… I was barely on Mustafar and I still got all of that all over me!" She realized in dismay. "I need shower more than I thought I did!" The mere mention of the planet's name brought back memories of the day. It had been close, almost too close. Had they been a few seconds later, there's a chance the children could have been killed. Almost as if someone wanted it that way…

No matter. Master Kenobi was right. The children were safe and home with their families and that was all that mattered-

"Did we mean nothing to you, Commander?" Axe demanded.

"You didn't even try to save our lives!" Kickback accused.

"You gave everything, EVERYTHING, to save those kids and yet you hung us out to dry!" Slammer snapped.

Ahsoka cringed at the sound of their voices, their death screams echoing faintly in the back of her mind. She tried to ignore them as Tucker and Swoop added their own harsh thoughts to the mix. Ahsoka feverishly dusted off her skirt, trying to find a reprieve from it all.

"We never should've trusted you! You're a failure of a Commander!"

"We'd be alive and kicking right now, HELPING YOU find those kids that YOU endangered, if it wasn't for you being a stupid, self-centred-"

"OW!" Ahsoka's hand recoiled from the edge of her skirt as pain suddenly surged through her arm. She clutched her wounded limb and looked down, seeing a small, thin cut near her elbow. Blood bubbled up and formed, not quite enough to drip down, but enough to suggest she had cut herself. Confused, the teen searched around her clothing, gently patting the area until she felt something cold and sharp.

With careful moves, she plucked out a small triangular piece of metal debris. Apparently a piece of the Mustafar facility had gotten caught in her clothes as she made her getaway with Anakin. She looked it over, turning it over in her hand, growing familiar with its edges and notches.

Then it suddenly occurred to her that the voices had gone away. Ahsoka looked up and around, half-expecting the dead Clones to be standing there, waiting for a chance to resume their tirade. But she was alone. All was quiet… for the first time in a long time.

Pain… kept the voices at bay. Pain shut the memories down. Pain… gave her something else to focus on, diverting her attention from that awful, horrible day.

Pursing her lips, Ahsoka decided to not immediately discard the piece of metal. Instead, she set it beside her bed, atop her little nightstand, and left to go have a shower…