-Chapter 27: Mask of Deception-
Location: Malastare, 8:12-13:3632 ATC
"Attack the enemy where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected."
It had been one week since the Zillo Beast Incident made headlines around the galaxy. Even those with long lives had never heard of such terror being wreaked across Coruscant during their lifetimes.
It began simply enough. The Separatists made landfall on Malastare in the name of liberating the Dug people from under the rule of the Republic-backed Gran colonisers who had lorded over the Dug for nearly a thousand years. However, Gran Senator Ainlee Teem convinced both Chancellor Palpatine and Dug Doge Nakha Urus to sign a treaty to allow the Republic to access the unique fuel produced by Malastare, in order to prompt military intervention and drive the droids away.
The Battle of Malastare was waged with a massive droid army inflicting heavy losses against the joint 501st Legion and the 91st Mobile Reconaissance Corps, forcing them to rely on experimental weaponry in order to win. An electro-proton bomb, the brainchild of Republic scientist Doctor Sionver Boll, was dropped on the droid army as they approached the Dug Imperial Palace, resulting in a sudden and dramatic win for the Republic as every droid on the field was immobilized by an electrostatic field produced by the bomb.
Dropping such a weapon, however, had several unintended consequences.
A vast sinkhole was opened where the bomb landed, swallowing up several of companies of Clones who had been on the Republic's frontlines. And at the bottom of that sinkhole… something was awakened.
The Zillo Beast; a titanic creature from the ancient days of Malastare, the last of its kind, was awakened. Responses to its appearance were mixed. The Dug saught to destroy it as they had in days of old. However, Jedi Master Mace Windu refused to let them kill an innocent creature, especially one that was the last of its kind. The Dug refused to bend to the enforcement of the Jedi Way and banked the treaty on their ability to kill the beast. Upon learning of the Zillo Beast's unqiue scales (which could nullify the effects of both blasters and lightsabers) Chancellor Palpatine wished for it to live as well.
A plan was hatched and, using the stun cannons of RX-200 Falchion-class assault tanks, the Zillo Beast was subdued. The Dug believed it to be dead and allowed the Republic to transport the beast for further study on Coruscant. What they could not have expected was for the Zillo Beast to break loose and run rampant across Galactic City. In the end it was killed by a combination of RX-200 tanks and bombs made from Malastare's otherwise-poisonous fuel, thus bringing an end to its brief reign of terror.
The entire affair had been incredibly intriguing. The news spread across the galaxy like wildfire as the Republic's blunder became known to both its allies and its enemies. As explanations were offered and apologies made, Dooku watched them all via the HoloNet with discerning, peering eyes. The same benefits the Republic sought to reap from the unique biology of the Zillo Beast would also be a boon to the Separatists and then some. It was too good a resource to overlook.
The war would be over in a matter of days if our battle droids were made with Zillo-scale plating. Not even a Jedi could touch them. Our victory would be assured. Is it a fool's hope to think that some remains might be found that we could use? Perhaps. But if we do not try then we have already failed.
Preparations were in the making. While the Separatists may have lost any ground made on Malastare, that did not mean their presence had been removed entirely.
The doors to the bridge of Invisible Hand slid open behind him and Dooku turned to see his two chief agents appear, fresh from a successfully campaign on Teyr. Wraith snapped to attention. Ventress knelt.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" The Rattataki inquired.
"The revelation of the existence of the Zillo Beast is an unexpected but not unwelcome development." Dooku began, knowing his dark student and his military specialist had read the data transmissions he had forwarded to them. "The Republic sought to exploit this rare creature and have paid the price for their shortcomings."
"Shall we secure the Zilo Beast, sir?" Wraith asked.
"Indeed. We shall make our own attempt to uncover the secrets of the Zillo Beast. The Republic is not the only organization with access to cloning science." Dooku affirmed.
"The beast's corpse is still on Coruscant." Asajj interjected. "Obtaining a sample will not be easy."
"That is why you will not be going to Coruscant." Dooku informed her. "The beast's homeworld is bound to yield enough genetic residue to suite our purposes. The two of you shall go to Malastare and join our remaining droid contingent there. Rendezvous with our contact and conduct a thorough investigation of the location where the beast was awakened. I expect a report of your findings within two standard days." His order was comeplte and total. It was their charge and they were bound to comply.
"As you command, Master." Ventress complied as Wraith saluted once more.
Later…
Located in the eponymous system of the Mid Rim's Dustig sector, Malastare sat in the middle of two valuable trade routes: the Dustig Trace and the Hydian Way. A terrestrial world with an arid climate, it was home to vast uncharted forests, sprawling deserts and gaseous methane lakes. The planet's economy was heavily dependent upon fuel exports and podracing, but the Republic was primarily concerned with the former. Malastare would prove to be an excellent fueling depot for naval armadas making for the heavily-armed Separatist-controlled territories in the Outer Rim.
Ahsoka could smell the dryness in the air. The distinct moisture-less air grated against the inside of her nose, forcing her body to suddenly feel thirsty and parched. It seeped into the pores of her exposed skin, the air almost alive as it wove under layers of dermis and sucked out any semblance of neutral comfort. Only the crispness of the air generated from the LAAT's high-speed flight managed to counteract the desert air and the Togruta found herself grateful that the access ports along the doors were open.
A distant forest perimeter gave her reason to be relieved. Hopefully the moist verdant air of trees and foliage would cure this infectious dryness.
"Enjoying the view, young one?" A warm familiar voice inquired. Ahsoka turned and looked up at Plo Koon as the Kel Dor towered over her slim teenage frame. With him was his apprentice, Ahsoka's friend and clanmate, Maxcri Stanwet.
"Malastare is a weird combination of things," she remarked, "if it isn't the purple-y desert, it's the overgrown forests!"
"I can't say as I've ever seen anything like it before." Max agreed.
"I though you two might find the terrain fascinating." Plo responded. "Especially since you have a few exams on the subject coming up. Make sure you include these details in your report to Master Fai-Duva."
"Yes Master." His Padawan dutifully promised. Ahsoka simply smiled. She appreciated the way Master Plo was so in tune with her studies even though she was technically Anakin's responsibility now. Despite being a prominent member of the Jedi High Council and very active as General of the 104th Battalion, the Kel Dor still found ways to keep tabs on her. The bond they forged they day he found her on Shili remained strong to this day.
"Think you'll put in a good word for me, Master Plo?" She wondered.
"I must confess, I believe I have done a bit more than just a good word." Plo confessed. "You are both here on my recommendation, little 'Soka." Upon hearing his words and things suddenly fell into place for the Togruta, her blue eyes shooting wide.
"Oh! So you're the one who convinced Master Estrell to bump up our socials exam!" She realized with a toothy smile and Maxcri nodded as she understood.
"'Convinced' might not be the right word for it. I merely conferred with Master Fai-Duva and explained how Malastare would be a good field study to help you two with your biological diversity assignments. He agreed and together we explained the situation to Master Estrell, who also agreed and moved up your test date." Plo told her. "I understand you both received a passing grade on that exam as well."
"Well, the information was really fresh in my mind. I wasn't expecting to write it for a few more days." Maxcri explained. "I guess I owe it to you, Master Plo." Ahsoka rubbed the back of her headtails.
"I, uh… I passed." She sheepishly answered. Despite his expressionless features thanks to his necessary antiox breathe mask, the Togruta just knew that Koon was offering her the closest a Kel Dor could manage to a smile.
"Do not fret, little 'Soka. You have made great progress since becoming an initiate. Being a Padawan has only proved the potential I always knew you had." Plo complimented and Ahsoka smiled again.
I guess this is the closest I'll ever get to knowing what it's like to have a father.
"Sir, pilot reports we're nearing the search area. ETA five minutes." One of the Clones with them informed the Kel Dor and Plo nodded.
"Look sharp, gentlemen. Droids are not known for their subtlety, but expect the unexpected." He ordered the rest.
The small company was tasked with investigating strange reports from Dug natives that had been passed along to the Malastarian Council and then to the Republic. Despite their disastrous defeat, it seemed possible that the droid army still maintained a covert presence on the planet.
Along with Plo Koon, Maxcri and Ahsoka were a contingent from the 7th Legion's 3rd Airborne Company; including Clone Commander CC-619-10 "Shade", Clone Sergeant CT-1923 "Bounce", Lieutenant CC-099-17 "Stock", Specialist CC-171-06 "Clipper", Communications Officer CT-1909 "Stripes", CT-1044 "Four-Four", CT-1670 "Springer", CT-1290 "Hak", CT-1060 "Dash", CT-1467 "Prowler", CT-1106 "Rock", CT-1385 "Hook" and CT-1129 "Niner". Together, their mission was to locate the source of this suspicious activity and deal with it. Permanently if need be.
"Stripes, anything to report?" Plo inquired. The Clone was named so because of the tiger-striping adorning his shoulder-plates.
"Negative, sir. If the clankers are using comms at all it's on a frequency I can't pick up." The comms officer reported while adjusting his helmet-wired signalers pack.
"Keep testing. The more we know the easier it will be to catch our enemies by surprise." The Kel Dor commanded him.
Suddenly the gunship shuddered violently, nearly throwing them all from their feet. The Padawans barely caught themselves. "Uh oh! That doesn't sound good!" Max exclaimed, stating the obvious. Ahsoka sniffed the air, noting a sudden change. The dryness was replaced by the strong, acrid stench of decayed plasma and the overwhelming eye-burning scent of vaporized tibanna gas. This isn't turbulence! She realized as several more dull pops sent tremors through the gunship
"Sir! Pilot reports heavy anti-air fire from the forest!" Shade urgently reported.
"Brace yourselves!" Plo ordered as everyone grabbed a roof-hanging handle. "Pilot, take us down low and out of their range!" He commanded into his wrist comm. All of a sudden, a deafening thunderous cacophony of shorn metal, detonating fuel lines and shredded microcircuits flung the men around violently. Ahsoka crashed into Plo Koon, the Kel Dor holding her tight with his available arm, while Maxcri held his own thanks to his prodigious limb-strength. The Togruta inhaled sharply, catching a whiff of smoke and burning metal.
"Number two engine's down, sir!" The pilot shouted over Plo's commlink. "I can't hold it! We're going down!"
"Men! Prepare for a rough landing!" The Kel Dor cried as the whine of struggling engines filled the cabin. The once-gentle thrum of the LAAT's engines was now replaced with a discordant warble, like the sound of a wounded animal braying painfully for help. Ahsoka felt her stomachs lurch, gravity escalating as the craft plummeted trailing smoke and flame. The organic snap and crunch of splintered branches outside indicated the forest floor was coming up fast…
Lurching forward, the LAAT buried itself into the ground and spun around, digging a massive trench as the forward gun barrels were warped out of shape. Then it spun and tumbled, wing over wing, snapping off the mass driver launchers before it crashed into a rocky outcrop where it fell still at an awkward, vertical angle.
Everyone was jostled, Ahsoka thrown into the side door as her Houk friend narrowly missed her, Max leaving a sizeable dent in the door. Plo landed opposite her, throwing his body at the last second to avoid crushing her. Acting quickly, the Kel Dor snapped out his hand, freezing Shade in place before his plastoid-clad body could slam into them. The rest of the Clones tumbled to a halt around them. "Everyone out! Quickly!" Koon ordered, snapping out his hand and popping off the opposite door with the Force. As it clattered to the ground outside, the Clones scrambled to exit with Plo, Max and Ahsoka hot on their heels where the Kel Dor Master quickly took charge of the situation. "Establish a perimeter, watch for more droids! Commander Shade, check on the pilot!" The troopers did as ordered while Ahsoka turned around to look at the flaming wreckage of their ride. With a bruise forming on her shoulder from where she'd impacted the opposing door, the Togruta was certainly a little shaken. But the simple fact they had been shot down heralded a more pressing problem.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" She muttered.
"Well, it could be worse. There could be an army waiting for us." Max remarked. Her clouded mood parting for a moment, Ahsoka shot him a grin.
"Leave it to you to look on the bright side."
Shade reconvened with Plo Koon after a brief investigation of their ship. "Pilot's dead, neck snapped on impact." He stated solemnly. "Obviously the clankers took out our thrusters, General. That crate isn't getting us out of here any time soon."
"At least your men made it out alive. Count yourself lucky, Commander." Plo sympathized, patting the Commander on the shoulder. He moved on to their comms officer. "Stripes, area report."
"I'm picking up a concentration of metal up ahead, General. Has to be the droid encampment." Stripes responded, not looking up from his handheld holoscanner. Plo nodded in understanding.
"Good work, soldier."
"After that landing, I can't wait to bust some metal skulls!" Ahsoka growled as she cracked her knuckles. The slight curl of her lips revealed sharp teeth behind them.
"Well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves…" A concerned Maxcri interjected, putting up his hands in emphasis of 'not so fast'.
"Your enthusiasm does you credit, but be mindful, little 'Soka." Plo cautioned her, echoing Maxcri. "Republic intelligence has tracked several heavily-cloaked droid shuttles to this area. Whatever they're up to, they don't want anyone knowing about it."
"But why come here, Master Plo? Malastare is underdeveloped as it is, and areas like this still remain unmapped." The Togruta inquired.
"The Council suspects that the Separatists are here searching for deadly natural predators, such as the now-extinct Zillo Beast." Plo explained. "If their technicians can get a sample of Zillo DNA, they might be able to clone a new war beast. Imagine a pack of those loose on Coruscant!"
"I saw the smoke from the Temple. There was so much damage!" Max concurred.
"One was bad enough!" Ahsoka remarked in agreement.
It had been one week since the Zillo Beast rampaged across Coruscant's Galactic City. Although it was all said and done, the event lived on in the HoloNet, echoing across the galaxy as multiple news reporters, social pundits and shockjock commentators gave their take on how and why such a startling rampage had come to pass.
The men gathered themselves, still fully equipped and ready for action. Plo Koon knew they still had a mission to accomplish. "Spread out. We'll surround the droid encampment and set up an ambush." He tasked them. With Maxcri and Ahsoka at his side, Plo led the troopers in a row as they fanned out to pick their way through the jungle.
Grouping up will not do, especially when the enemy is aware of our presence here. The Kel Dor throught. Every last one of these men must survive. I will do what I can to ensure their survival. I refuse to let a single errant droid gain the upper hand over them.
Each of the Clones was a bright spark in the Force. Their presence thrummed as all life did. In Plo's eyes they were all unique and vibrant, not so much the cannon fodder so many claimed they were. He cared about his men just like he cared for his fellow Jedi and the citizens of the Republic. It didn't matter if these weren't his own men like Wolffe or Comet. They were placed under his command and they trusted him.
He would do everything in his power to ensure that trust was not ill-founded.
Sufficiently spread out to cover the terrain and avoid getting spotted, Sergeant Bounce counted off the locations of his men. The functions of his helmet allowed him to track each trooper, much like Commander Shade could, and he wanted to make sure none of them strayed too far off course. This area of Malastare was uncharted after all. "Four-Four? Are you in position? Trooper, report." He ordered, tapping his comms a few times. But the Private failed to respond in turn. The second Clone to do so.
"Trouble, Sergeant Bounce?" Plo asked, sensing his concern.
"Private Four-Four isn't responding, sir. Nor is Private Niner." Bounce reported. The company halted, surveying the scene to try and spot the pair of wayward troopers.
"Stripe, are we being jammed?" The Kel Dor inquired.
"No, sir. All comms are in the green." The comms officer replied. "But I'm also getting negative feedback from Four-Four and Niner like the Sergeant, sir." Koon acted with decisive precision.
"Spread out. They can't be far away." He ordered. Ahsoka turned around and squinted at the jungle closing in around them. She sniffed the air, hoping for a clue where her eyes might not find one. The air was less warm, heavier with the added moisture wrought from such an environment rich in greenery. It was sweet too, laden with the aroma of nature, the plants around giving off unique scents that played to her senses…
Which made it easier to pick out the smell of fresh blood.
She followed her nose, stepping broadly across giant roots that threatened to trip her while the flickering light shining through the canopy above wreaked havoc on her vision. "Are you onto something, Ahsoka?" Maxcri wondered, following close behind her.
"Maybe." Ahsoka answered tentatively, unwilling to commit until she found hard evidence. Bright light feinted and toyed with her, making her think she saw white until it revealed itself to be mere speckles against bright leaves. The illusion continued… until it gruesomely stopped.
"Master Plo…?" Ahsoka called out as she spied a familiar black synthweave glove layered with pure white plastoid handing limping above her. She looked up and gasped in shock.
"Master Plo!" Maxcri cried in alarm as he laid eyes on her grisly find. The Kel Dor darted over, Shade and his men not far behind.
"Our missing men, General." The Commander remarked on arrival.
Four-Four and Niner hung from vines, their helmets off to reveal paling faces frozen in shock as an unseen killer took their lives. Both their throats had been cleanly slit, blood seeping through their bodysuits and staining the front of their ghastly flesh in a slow, crimson waterfall that was pooling on the forest floor.
Plo examined them for a brief moment. A clean cut across the neck. But hung in plain view… that's not a cold efficiency of a droid commando. "Droids didn't do this. There's something else out here. On your guard." He determined. The Clones did as ordered, although across their private comms, worry was rife.
"You don't think it was… him, do you?" Springer wondered, clenching his DeeCee tightly.
"I-I thought he was busy in the Outer Rim." Hank responded, the subtle stammer in his voice revealing his nervousness.
"Stow that talk, gentlemen. We are soldiers of the Republic. Nothing gets the better of us." Bounce cut in. "Especially not some Sep 'boogeyman'."
Of the Jedi, Maxcri panicked briefly, looking around fearfully as the abnormal carnage gripped his heart tightly. It was his first exposure to those who used more brutal methods in the war and it sickened him. Ahsoka tensed, gooseflesh forming across the back of her neck as she suddenly grew vastly more in tune with her surroundings. Unique to her species, the land melded with her senses until every rustling leave and breeze-stirred twig could be picked out with the Force.
With the forest and her senses now one unit, it became easy to pick out the abnormalities.
"I sense something, Master… a whisper in the Force." Ahsoka stated in a low voice. She fought back the urge to growl, to let their hidden enemy know that she was not afraid and prepared to strike. But the way it moved, so ghostly through the forest, maybe it was not a foe she wanted to meet.
"Your senses do you well, little 'Soka." Plo proffered, picking up on their quarry. "I sense it too. But it's hard to-" all of a sudden, Hak was dragged into the underbrush, disappearing without a word and barely a rustle from the leaves, "tell!" The company whirled around as the Jedi reached for their lightsabers. Then, Stock vanished with a whistle on the wind. Then Clipper and Rock were pulled into the dense forest by invisible hands, their bodies disappearing as bones and branches snapped indeterminately. It was all happening so fast the Jedi could barely comprehend it.
"The troops!" Maxcri cried out as Springer vanished before she could move. The Jedi whirled as Bounce was taken down and dragged off. The Clone never cried out, but whether it was by choice or by force they did not know.
"It's a trap!" Koon realized as he moved back to back with Ahsoka, Maxcri, Shade, Stripe, Prowler and Dash, the three Jedi brandishing their lightsabers as they watched for further signs of assault.
"Master, is it possible that something can hide from the Force?" Maxcri wondered, questioning why he was having such difficulty pinpointing their foe.
"In my experience, Padawan… not for long." Plo replied. Ahsoka tensed at his answer. As a hunter she didn't like being outsmarted. That meant she was no longer the apex of her situation and could be felled like prey.
"That doesn't reassure me, Master!"
When all fell silent, the Republic was forced to move on, Plo, Maxcri and Ahsoka leading the four surviving Clones towards the droid camp as they left their brethren behind with little other choice. The droids needed to be destroyed.
It was a short while after they had vanished from the area that another pair of eyes arrived on the scene. This time, able to see and know exactly where to look in order to surmised the carnage that had been wreaked against their enemy. Unlike the Republic survivors, she knew where to find the dead Clones.
Niner and Four-Four hung dead from the trees, their throats slit as blood stained their cold, clammy skin. The broken bodies of Bounce, Clipper and Rock lay tangled at the foot of a tree, limbs at awkward angles as broken bones jutted out from torn bodysuits while their chestplates were caved in with a boot mark left behind, blood seeping past shattered plastoid plating.
Stock sat slumped against a rock, his severed head still in his helmet and sitting a short distance away almost between his legs, burbles of fresh blood pouring from the stump of his neck to pool on the ground. Springer, Hook and Hak lay side by side revealing deep wounds in their backs and necks, massive gashes made by a weapon capable of slicing through armor and flesh with one swing. Barely-there muscle tissue managed to keep their heads attached, but only just. They had died instantly.
The Rattataki paused as she surveyed the grisly scene. The stench of death was strong here as the evidence of her comrade's assault lay strewn about her. The Clones never stood a chance, having only seconds to live before death claimed them with iron hands. Not that it mattered to Asajj Ventress. They were obstacles on her path to success. Ventress felt no pity; nobody raised in the brutal ganglands that were Rattatak could afford that level of emotion. They learned to shut down just to cope. It was excellent training, had she known it at the time.
Rattatak was a world of warriors and soldiers. A world of violence and bloodshed. There was always a new and inventive way to kill someone, as her parents (the only family she'd known) had learned the gruesome way. Growing up among the murderous and dangerous, the sight of these dead Clone troopers stirred only memories instead of emotion.
"It looks like the Jedi are moving towards our base camp." One of the battle droids with her remarked, breaking her reverie.
"I am not blind, droid." Ventress retorted, slipping off the hood of her cloak. "I know you're there, soldier." She called to the woods. "Reveal yourself." At once the air in the distance began shimmer, a myriad of colours churning in the moist forest air as Wraith made himself known. His cloaker deactivated, revealing his armored body, blood staining his gauntlets and the toes of his boots. Suddenly, a pair of commando droids materialized out of thin air on either side of him, also carrying cloakers as well as wicked long knives stained with blood. "Status report."
"Thirteen troopers and three Jedi survived the crash. Now there's just four troopers and three Jedi." Wraith crisply reported.
"Your handiwork is very apparent." Ventress mused, glancing at the headless Stock one more time. "What is your evaluation of their strength?"
"One commander, one comms specialist, two ordinary troopers. They have a functional chain of command as well as someone who can help them survey the terrain and contact reinforcements." Wraith listed off. Ventress settled a hand against her cocked him.
"Not very threatening."
"I've read reports where the opposite could be said about lesser numbers. Not to mention they have three Jedi with them." The super-soldier countered, speaking from his own experience as well. Ventress listened and pondered.
His caution is to be commended. It is measured, decisive, moreso than what a droid could muster. I should hear him out more, see if his ability to command and control a situation is like my own.
Her decision was set. "Continue your evaluation. What do you advise?" Wraith crossed his arms as he spoke,
"It's a complex situation. The Clones are from the Third Airborne Company, suggesting the Republic had only enough interest to put together a reconaissance operation. But the fact they knew where to look suggests they've been keeping tabs on us, or at the very least have an inkling of where we operate." He described. "Given the evidence, my guess is that they think our operation is small enough to handle with meagre units." He finished and waited. As a specialist, his role was to advise his commanding officer of his findings so that they had enough evidence to draw a definitive conclusion as to their course of action. As far as Ventress went, he trusted her wholeheartedly.
I could have stayed quiet in the forest after monitoring the approaching gunship. But she advised me to thin their ranks, even though we did not know their strength at the moment. Because of her confident decision-making we now have the advantage over them.
"Then we will make them think twice." Ventress decided. "What is the strength of the Jedi?"
"One Master, two Padawans. One is a Houk I am unfamiliar with. The others are Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano." Ventress scoffed.
"Skywalker's brat again." She spat. "Surprisingly without him to hold her leash this time." She grew thoughtful and Wraith could tell her mental gears were turning.
"What do you propose?" He inquired.
"The Padawans will be vulnerable without their Master. We will deprive them of Koon and the troopers first." Ventress mused with a small, cunning smile. "Contact our camp and have the droids mobilize along the eastern edge of the woods. I have a call of my own to make." She ordered. Wraith saluted and moved to obey as Ventress stepped aside and withdrew her private holocom. Keying in her desired signal frequency, someone answered within seconds. "You're in luck. We will be requiring more of your services after all…"
Later…
Nearing the edge of the forest, the Republic survivors closed in on Stripe's metallic signal. Through the Force, Plo Koon could sense a churning storm of emotions from up head. Multiple Force auras shaded by black despair, creating a fantastically horrifying invisible, visual display he could pick out with his mind's eye. Even though he could not physically lay eyes on what Stripe's scanners had detected, the Force painted a very telling picture for him. "High alert, people. Destination ahead." He ordered them all.
"Right, General." Stripe affirmed, fine-tuning his tech as his holodisplay flickered with ambient static. "My sensors show the concentration of metal…" he paused, glancing up and down as he compared numbers with physical references, "is just beyond these trees." Taking his word, the crew dropped to the ground and slowly crawled towards a grassy rise.
Peeking over the edge, a jaw-dropping sight awaited them.
Below them, across another rocky purple-ish desert, sprawled a droid encampment. Dozens of droid models milled about as they carried out various duties. The camp appeared to be quite structured, almost beyond what droids were normally capable of. But what truly surprised the Jedi and Clones most was the presence of mining machinery, some of which were being powered by transport ships as umbilical cables transferred power from their internal repulsorlift engines to the mining gear.
"Oh wow! Looks like we've found the droids, Master." Maxcri exclaimed in a hushed whisper.
"Yes, Maxcri. The Council was right to suspect their activities here on the planet." Plo agreed. Ahsoka squinted, surveying several others of the camp as she picked out narrow confinement's near the perimeter where a dozen or so Dugs had been trapped within high-walled pens.
"Looks like they might've found the locals first!" She realized, watching as they rattled the wood-and-durasteel bars. "Those poor Dugs… what are they doing with them?"
"Likely keeping them imprisoned to make sure they don't reveal the location of the camp to their fellows." Plo responded. Then Shade nudged him.
"General, look, in the middle of the camp." He urged, pointing towards the approximate centre of where the droids were situated. Plo shifted his attention, as did the Padawans, as they discovered a growing pile of greyish objects the droids were steadily contributing to.
"Are those… spears?" Maxcri asked aloud.
"Spearheads, knives, very crude handheld weaponry. Made from the teeth of the fabled Zillo Beast, Maxcri." Plo insightfully replied. Further evidence could be found the more he studied the camp, and the imprisoned Dugs. Their emotions were primal, basic, the kind found in a primitive species who knew only the rugged and hard life an uncivilized life offered. The layout of the camp, despite the droid occupation, led him to believe that this was a very tribal layout. Likely because this had been the home of the Dugs, their little community. What the droids had commandeered had once been dwellings, living areas, now turned into opportunities to strategize and wage war with little concern for the population. "These Dugs appear untouched by civilization. You were correct in your analysis that this region is uncharted, Ahsoka." The Kel Dor determined, complimenting the Togruta.
"Wait, if they're gathering their weapons made from the Zillo Beast, then the Council was right! The droids are trying to get Zillo DNA samples!" Maxcri suddenly realized. It was a disquieting truth but an undeniable one.
"A shrewd analysis, Padawan. Your observations do you well." Plo agreed. "We must disrupt their efforts and free the Dugs. But I doubt they've ever heard Basic being spoken before." Ahsoka frowned, concerned about what that reality might bring.
"They might not willing to talk to us then. The droids are strangers, we're strangers…"
"Fortunately, freedom is a universal language." Her young Houk ally proffered.
"Indeed, Maxcri. Whatever we do, we must not antagonize them." Plo concurred. With that in mind, Ahsoka steeled her nerves, prepared to act.
"What do we do, Master Plo?"
"The Clones and I will distract the droids while you and Maxcri free the Dugs. Perhaps they'll be willing to attack their metal overlords." The Kel Dor instructed.
"And if they don't?" Ahsoka wondered.
"This camp still needs to be destroyed, Ahsoka. No matter what." Plo stated in response. He spoke with a grim certainty. They certainly lacked the numbers to handle so many droids. It was all boiling down to a question of skill.
The sooner Max and I do our job, the sooner we can help Master Plo.
"Understood, Master." Ahsoka affirmed with a stiff nod. "We'll free the Dugs and then go after their equipment and-"
"And do no such thing."
The sudden interruption had the Jedi whirling around to face the owner of the feminine voice. They wasted no time igniting their lightsabers as the four Clones turned with blasters raised… only to find themselves hopelessly outnumbered.
Standing before them, in stark contrast to the green forest, Asajj Ventress and Wraith stood flanked by a massive contingent of battle droids, including gangly B1 units, sturdy B2 units to hulking LR-57 combat droids. They were all armed and ready for a fight, outnumbering the Republic team nearly 10 to 1.
"Steady, men! It appears we've attracted some unwanted attention!" Plo remarked as his blue blade flashed before him. Ahsoka primed her green saber while Maxcri held up his blue lightclub in a Form VI stance.
Unlike most Padawans (who carried basic lightsabers), Maxcri carried the much bigger lightclub; a big hilt that produced a very thick blade that was nearly twice the width of the average lightsaber. He carried one due to his massive size, for his burly hands would not be able to grip an average lightsaber comfortably.
"Sir! It's him!" Dash exclaimed over private comms as his gaze fixed on Wraith like a laser.
"Ease off the throttle, trooper." Shade responded. "We can take him."
"We can?!" Prowler cried incredulously, looking up and down the mountain of armor a few meters in front of them. "He butchered the Red Tails! What're we supposed to do against something like that?!"
"Hold your ground and don't let your nerves get the better of you!" Shade answered firmly, tightening his grip on his blaster.
"Did you really think we would not anticipate the Republic sticking their noses in our business?" Ventress questioned, striding forward. "You have come to investigate and found only death, Jedi."
"I disagree." Plo retorted. "I see only two plausible threats to us." Ventress smirked.
"I applaud your judgement, Jedi. But flattery will get you nowhere." Taking her hilts from her belt, she snapped them to life and superheated the air with twin pillars of crimson. Beside her, Wraith drew his collapsible vibrosword and gripped it tightly in two hands, just like Ventress had taught him to. Asajj twirled her saber around until it was levelled at Plo Koon. "Kill them all!" She barked and the droids opened fire immediately. The Jedi stepped forward to present themselves as a bigger target, lightsabers flashing back and forth to ward off a withering hail of blasterfire.
"Stripe! Send out a distress signal, explain that we are outgunned and in need of assistance!" He commanded and the Clone immediately obeyed. "Maxcri! Ahsoka! You know what you must do! We'll hold them as long as we can!" The Padawans did not want to leave his side but they knew the fate of this Dug tribe was in their hands. A Jedi was selfless, looking out for others above their own interests.
Turning around they vaulted over the ridge and slid down towards the camp, a move that did not miss Ventress. "Hunt them down, soldier! We will deal with this Jedi!" She commanded. Wraith broke off to pursue while Ventress herself lunged ahead to engage Plo Koon. Her blades clashed with his, keeping his attention on her as Shade and his men were subjected to the droids' onslaught. Dash was swiftly cut down as multiple rounds struck his chest and helmet. He collapsed as Prowler threw out an EM grenade, a rippling blue sphere of crackling energy erupting amongst the droids and knocking them out as their power banks were sapped. Despite the successful use, it seemed to do nothing to the sheer numbers facing them. And without their General to assist them, the Clones found themselves facing a grim reality.
Asajj was a savage whirling of tumultuous crimson, hacking into Plo Koon with the ferocity of an experienced duelist. Blades clashed, red on blue. The Kel Dor 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 whirlwind maneuver, oppressing his defense to drive him back before hacking at him with all the raw strength she could muster.
Plo Koon was not someone to underestimate. Skilled in Form IV and Form V (not to mention being the only Jedi to defeat Yoda in a duel), the Kel Dor was venerated as one of the Order's greatest combatants. He was strong, stalwart, holding off Ventress and shrugging off her attacks with seasoned prowess. Their blades locked, brought to bear by Plo's skillful expertise. "Your undercover efforts will not remain in the shadows long. The light will shine. The Republic will know the truth." He cautioned her.
"There you go again. Truth. What's that, Jedi truth, or real truth? The Jedi variety is a flexible commodity." Ventress retorted with a sneer. It was the one thing that fueled her, her sheer hatred of the Jedi. They could carry on like they were the penultimate authority in the galaxy without ever looking down at the lives they were crushing under their feet or looking back over their shoulder to see the ones left behind. The raw arrogance of it. Thieves and defilers heralded as paragons of virtue.
The first goal of any war is survival. Ky taught me that all too well. But all it brings is pain when you survive past those meant to survive alongside you. If anything, my resolve has never weakened. But you've strengthened it, Jedi.
"If only you could look past yourself, you'd see the devils you'd become. I am a true Jedi Master!"
"You are nothing but a pawn of the Dark Side." Plo countered in an even voice, sounding unstrained by their clash. "If only you could let go of your hatred and fear. All you do is fail yourself." With a flick of his blade, the Kel Dor broke their clash and shunted Ventress back with a hearty Force push. She slammed into an LR-57 and toppled it. "I pity you, Ventress. You could have been a great Jedi Master." Plo remarked, prepared to keep fighting.
Ventress ground here teeth together. You have the gall to look down from your high seat and pity me? Your Order revealed its true colours the day you failed my Master. Again, you earn your enemies.
Her churning emotions felt indecipherable. The pain of loss, the searing heat of rage, the cold and quiet depth of regret, the rushing high of revenge, all of it mixed together into a fuel that flooded her veins. The past hurt, but hurting gave her a foundation to built her vengeance upon. If she'd never learned to convert pain, loss, and anger into action, she would have died a long time ago.
She turned to go back to the battle, reinvigorated. Loosing a snarl that rose into a shriek of pain and rage, Ventress bolted across the forest floor like a ghostly blur, the battle falling on deaf ears as her focus narrowed upon Plo Koon. Emotions running hot, rage infected the very hilts of her lightsabers as Ventress pulled on every agony inflicted upon her to taint the Force guiding her sabers. It wasn't hard to summon up. She simply saw Narec, and wanted to destroy the whole world in vengeance.
Down below, Maxcri and Ahsoka were running a gauntlet of mining equipment, dismantled Dug tents and battle droids as they made for the imprisoned natives. The Force guided their steps, propelling them further and faster than their iron-clad pursuer. Wraith was hot on their tail, trading out his vibrosword for one of his blaster pistols and one of his slug pistols. Sniping off rounds as he ran, the two Padawans were forced to divide their focus between outrunning him and keeping themselves safe from his incoming rounds.
Fortunately for them, Ahsoka had practice.
Every time she heard the deafening CRACK of a slugthrower firing, she spun around and used the Force to sharpen her senses. In that briefest of moments, the Togruta could feel the air being split by a slug round and applied the Force accordingly; creating a bubble that reflected the slug and sent it shooting off well away from the pair. As much as this strategy worked, it was very consuming.
"We can't keep this up forever!" Maxcri cried as his lightclub deflected two scarlet blaster rounds. Ahsoka agreed and soon determined that they needed to split up.
"Max! Free the Dugs! I'll hold him off." She tasked. Her friend protested,
"But, Ahsoka-!"
"I've fought him before! Go!" She implored, the energy in her eyes telling him to trust her. Reluctantly, Max broke off to free the Dugs as Ahsoka turned and directed all her attention upon Wraith.
Memories of their unlikely alliance on Garos came flooding back; their firelight chat, their begrudging acceptance of each other's abilities and presence… but he seemed to stick out to her more. He wasn't just a 'big meanie' anymore.
He's just doing this because it's his job. He's been ordered to do this and he's doing it. Like a good soldier.
Even with that in mind, they were still enemies on opposites of a war. Conflicting interests drove them to fight, conflicting ideals and understandings drove them to fight. Fight they had to… and fight they would.
Baring her fangs and narrowing her eyes, Ahsoka sprinted towards him as the super-soldier hurriedly stowed his pistols. He had no time to switch by the time Ahsoka lunged, leaping overhead and bringing her lightsaber crashing down into his raised gauntlets. The Togruta offered him no quarter, slamming her blade into his metal limbs with a frenzy of hard-hitting strikes. He moved his arms with equal speed, the only guard against her lightsaber. Loosing a grunt as a kick pushed him back, Wraith bolted in to strike back only for Ahsoka to throw him backwards with a Force push. The super-soldier slid across the ground, managing to grab his vibrosword and flick the blade out.
The next time Ahsoka clashed with him, he was ready. "You Seppies sure do some nasty stuff. But attacking helpless innocents? That's a new low!" She snarled as their blades clashed, sparks erupting as metal and energy collided. Ahsoka drew back and struck him a few more times.
"The Dugs have not been harmed. They are merely out of our way while we work." Wraith retorted in a measured voice, flicking his blade to parry her slashes. "They will be freed when we are done here." Through the Force Ahsoka could sense the sincerity and adamant tone of his words. Not only was he telling the truth but he believed every word of what he was telling her.
"Oh you're done, alright. This operation's getting shut down today!" Ahsoka retorted. As she spoke, Maxcri had arrived at the holding pen and wasted no time cutting open one of the barred walls. Using the Force to pull it apart, the young Houk stood back as the grateful Dugs began stampeding out, yammering in their own native language and proving Master Plo's theory that they had never heard or spoken Basic before.
Knowing their camp well, the Dugs collected whatever improvised weaponry they could make and spread out among the droids. They quickly began subduing the mechanized terrorists while even more advanced on Wraith. Ahsoka backed off as the furious Dugs attacked the super-soldier with primitive weaponry. No doubt it wouldn't affect him but it would make for a decent distraction while she and Maxcri fulfilled their other objective: shutting down the mining equipment.
"Nice work with the Dugs, Max." The Togruta praised as she reconvened with her friend.
"Nice work with that guy." The Houk replied and Ahsoka glanced over her shoulder to see the Dugs ganging up on Wraith… who, strangely, seemed to be trying to avoid attacking them, keeping his blades at bay and merely batting their weapons aside. But as more and more of the tribe dogpiled him, that was becoming harder for him to do. "What now?" Maxcri asked.
"We gotta stop their digging equipment." Ahsoka stated, repeating Master Plo's other order. "But I still don't get why the droids are using mining equipment here." Maxcri pondered that, the clamour of battle both near and distant filling the gap between words.
"Well, if this primitive tribe is using bits of the Zillo Beast as weaponry, maybe the droids think there's a graveyard or something underground to be mined." He suggested. Ahsoka nodded slowly as she processed that, realizing the truth behind his words.
"Then they're still looking for genetic material."
"All the more reason to shut it down." Maxcri determined and Ahsoka agreed. They broke into runs, charging towards the first setup where a droid shuttle was coupled to a boring machine.
"Slice the power couplers!" Ahsoka called out, brandishing her lightsaber and leaping high to cut through the two upper cables. Maxcri ducked low and used his lightclub to split the two lower ones in half. Sparks erupted from the ends connected to the ship while the driller ground to a halt with a mechanical groan.
"One down and a whole mess to go!" Maxcri remarked as the two glanced over their shoulders. The Padawans moved to take out the rest of the units, hoping the same principle of depriving them of power would be applicable across the board.
Meanwhile, the pile of Dugs seemed to be victorious over the super-soldier, hoisting their weapons high and loosing celebratory war cries as a mass of lopsided flesh and bone. Suddenly, a pair of stun grenade erupted from within their mound, detonating and blinding the Dugs with a flash of phosphoric white-noise that overwhelmed their unprotected senses. They fell into a heap on the ground, screeching and clambering for sanity as their temporary blindness drove them to madness. Wraith, no worse for wear, emerged from the pile and stood tall over the stunned Dugs, shaking them off as he started moving with a growl. His optics swept across the base camp, hurriedly picking out his foes as Ahsoka and Maxcri hacked another set of power couplers to pieces. They moved on another as Wraith plotted an intercept course, sliding back the cover on his right gauntlet as he did.
The two Padawans arrived at the boring unit just in time for their senses to scream 'DANGER!' and a sudden urge to move and react overtook them. Ahsoka whirled, spotting Wraith with arm raised and flinched as he twitched his index finger and launcher a micromissile from his gauntlet. "Look out!" She cried to her friend as, in the same fraction of a second it took her to spot the danger, Maxcri found it too and they both leapt out of the way. The missile slammed into the side of the droid transport and detonated, ripping into the power panel and sending feedback loops into the drilling device as well as the ship's power reserves. As a result, the initial explosion was a mere prelude to a much larger one, with the mining unit detonate spectacularly in a column of smoke and flame while the vessel popped open to gush a mushroom of fire coupled with a powerful shockwave that rolled over Maxcri and Ahsoka, carrying them metres away.
Ahsoka hit the ground hard, crying out as the shockwave overloaded her sensitive headtails and everything promptly went black…
Sometime later…
"…Ahsoka…?"
…
"…Ahsoka?"
…
"Ahsoka? Ahsoka." A familiar voice called her out of the blackness, coaxing her back to reality. The first thing she experienced outright was pain. A pounding, throbbing headache beat against the edge of her skull and coursed up and down through her headtails. She loosed a groan, clutching her face. "Easy. Take it easy." She knew that voice.
Blinking her eyes open, one more closed than the other, she was able to recognize Anakin kneeling above her. Looks like Stripe's distress call worked.
"Master?" She growled, her voice hoarse. Her throat burned and her tongue felt exceptionally thick, like it had been coated with a layer of dust. Her lips parted, she inhaled deeply through her nose. Anakin helped her sit up. "Ugh. What happened?"
"You would know better than me." Anakin answered. "This place looks like a warzone… and I've been to a few."
"Real funny, Master." She grumbled, giving her head a wag. Closing her eyes Ahsoka tried to remember, punching through the hazy fog clouding her memories. "I remember… Max… Max!" She suddenly exclaimed, recalling her friend. "Where's Max?"
"Right here, 'Soka." Max responded and Ahsoka turned to see her Houk friend sitting on the boarding ramp of the Twilight. He looked a little beat up, his robes blackened with sooty stains that extended to his brown skin.
"Maxcri explained a few details about what happened here." Anakin explained. Ahsoka glanced over her shoulder, memories of the battle slowly bubbling to the surface of her subconscious. The camp looked deserted. Not a sign of Dug life or battle droid activity to be seen. Not even the Clones… and that meant…
"Where's Master Plo?" She asked. "H-He was fighting off Ventress and the droids…" Anakin's expression turned grim.
"I found the bodies of the Clones. But there's no sign of Master Plo." He told her. The news of the troopers' demise was disheartening, but the fact Plo Koon's body was nowhere to be found gave the Togruta hope.
"So… h-he's alive then, right?" She asked. Maxcri stood, withdrawing his master's lightsaber from his belt. Evidently Anakin had found it during his search of the combat zone. A pit formed in Ahsoka's lowest stomach, dread threatening to consume her. But she clung to hope and refused to take that as a bad sign. "But… B-But that's just his lightsaber…"
Anakin tried to interject, "Ahsoka-"
"It's the Malevolence all over again, Master! He's alive, I know it!" The Togruta teen emphatically implored. Anakin promptly raised a hand to slow her down.
"I'm not denying that." He stated, calmly and evenly. "I was going to say we don't know where they might've taken him. He could be somewhere on the planet or he could've been moved back to one of their ships. We need to investigate further to know for sure." Ahsoka shot him a piercing, questioning look. The Knight sighed and looked to the young Houk. "Max… back me up here?" He asked. Maxcri strode to the end of the boarding ramp and looked to Ahsoka.
"My bond with Master Koon is still strong, 'Soka. He's not dead. Besides, don't you think it's weird they didn't leave his body where it fell? Doesn't match up with other battlefield reports." He proffered. Ahsoka looked away and exhaled loudly. As much as the situation gnawed away at her soul, knowing that her oldest friend's life was on the line again, she needed to slow down and let her critical thinking. All of her huntress instincts demanded she get up and run, chase down her enemies and make them pay for attacking someone so close to her.
But that's not what a Jedi did.
Closing her eyes and centring herself, Ahsoka found her composure before she looked back up at Anakin. "Well… not that I'm happy to see you, Master, but what are you doing here?" She asked.
"Well, I caught your distress signal en route. But I'm really here on assignment from the Council. Master Windu and Master Yoda want me to investigate how it is the Separatists might be operating here." The Knight explained as he helped her stand.
"That sounds awfully similar to our mission, Master Skywalker." Maxcri noted.
"Well, it is and it isn't. But luckily for you two, it might just explain what happened to Master Plo." Anakin replied.
"Really?" The two Padawans eagerly chorused. Anakin responded with a tilt of his head.
"Come on, I'll explain on the way."
After a short flight aboard the Twilight, Anakin had brought them to the edge of the city of Pixelito; a major hub on the intergalactic podracing circuit... and the hometown of Anakin's old racing nemesis, Sebulba. Having long-since retired in the decade Anakin had been training to be a Jedi, the old Dug was no longer his biggest concern. He, on behalf of the Republic, had bigger fish to fry.
His information lay in the simple fact that Separatist sympathizers often used the circuit as a means of moving information as well as smuggled goods. Republic Intelligence had their sights on one in particular and Anakin was here to investigate him.
Twilight made landfall and the Knight disembarked with his apprentice in tow. "Maxcri, Artoo, stay here with the ship." He commanded as he strode into the open. The distant rumble of repulsorlift engines sent a thrill up his spine. Memories of the escapades of his youth came flooding back all at once: the vibration of a pod's twin engines fed through the throttles into his grip, the all-consuming heat of Tatooine as dry winds whipped at his goggled face while streaking through Beggars Canyon, the thunderous roar of excited crowds eager to see exemplary piloting skills as well as harrowing racetrack carnage…
He slipped from the memory, running a hand through darkened hair no longer bleached by binary suns. That was a long time ago. It never hurt to relive some of the glories, but there was a good chunk of his past that was the furthest thing from glorious. It was the reason why he was so picky and choosy about which of Ahsoka's questions he answered and which ones he shut down. There was no need to make it sound more as if he had some wild, dark past, and nothing was better guaranteed to keep Ahsoka asking questions than that. If he explained he'd been a Hutt's slave, she'd dig away at it until all the bad stuff came out. It was hard enough telling Padme, and she was his wife.
Wife.
It was such a serious and wonderful word. It shouldn't have been a guilty secret. Anakin wondered what would happen if he told Yoda straight out that he had a wife, that he didn't agree with all the arbitrary Jedi rules on avoiding love and attachment, and ask him (respectfully) what he was going to do about it. He'd have to tell Kenobi first, though. And that was going to be much harder, because he heard that Kenobi had faced the same choice as Anakin, but had walked away from the love of his life, and done things strictly by the Jedi book.
How can that he right? How can that make us better Jedi?
No. Anakin would say nothing. He weighed the corrosive effect of keeping secrets from his old Master against the storm that would be unleashed if he confessed to his marriage.
I have a war to fight. And Padme is nobody's business but mine.
"I thought the Dugs and Gran were on our side? Why would the Separatists be operating here? It's so… public." Ahsoka pried, interrupting his thoughts.
"They are. But that doesn't stop the Separatists from working quietly." Whipping out a datapad, he passed it to her. "Look at this."
"Drez Unlin. Podracing champion of the sector." Ahsoka read aloud, studying the image of the masked Felucian male that shimmered before her.
"He's been seen talking to known Separatist Generals here. And being sector champion doesn't mean much." Anakin explained. And I know a few things about champions. They're generally a slippery, dangerous lot. Not above cheating and not above making themselves richer and more famous. Fortunately, those are pretty exploitable. The gears in his mind were turning and Anakin was banking on one of his infamous high-risk/high-reward plans.
Guiding them towards a large blue tent, which matched Republic intel perfectly, his other hand hovered near his lightsaber hilt. "Be prepared for anything, Snips… and follow my lead." He told her in a short, cautioning tone.
"Don't I always." Ahsoka muttered, tucking the datapad away as Anakin pushed open the entrance flap and led them inside. The Togruta blinked, her eyes adjusting from Malastare's bright sun to the dimmed interior faster than his did. She picked out the man in question, Drez Unlin, sitting at a carven-stone desk and nursing an open bottle. He was calm and relaxed but Ahsoka did not like his aura in the Force.
Too self-assured. Convinced he's the predator and not the prey.
"Greetings, Jedi…" the Felucia greeted with an oily smile, "I've been expecting you."
"Where's Plo Koon, Drez?" Anakin demanded as he marched forward. The Felucian flicked to a new seated position in a heartbeat.
"Don't be so eager, my friend…" he warned, letting two of his fingers hover over a single red button set into the stone of his desk. Anakin paused, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as the Force flashed behind his eyes. There was trouble and he was about to walk right into it. Ahsoka pulled back her lips as the same sensation swept over her, teeth clicking shut as predatory reflexes tensed in response to hidden danger, "one command from me and the electrical net renders both of you unconscious." He said with a sneer, pointing towards the roof of his tent. The Jedi glanced up and spied the webbing arcing across the entrance.
He's prepared for us. Ahsoka realized. Skyguy was right! He's involved with Master Plo's disappearance!
"Now… let's talk business." Drez urged, resting his chin on an upturned hand while his other drummed his fingers perilously close to the release button.
"We know you're holding Master Koon hostage. We won't leave without him." Anakin stated. Drez quirked a brow, apparently bemused.
"Assuming I have this Jedi, and I'm not saying I do, why would I give him to you?" He queried.
Now for the stinger. He's got Plo already, a boon to his credibility. What's better than one Jedi hostage…?
"Because… you have two other hostages to gain." Anakin replied, startling Ahsoka and intriguing Drez. "I challenge you to a race. One lap against me around the circuit. If I win, you release Master Koon. And if you win… my Padawan and I will also become your prisoners." He wagered. Ahsoka shot him an 'Are you serious?!' glance as Drez cackled.
"Hah! With those gangly limbs you'd never fit into a podracer! You're not a child anymore, you know, Jedi…" As much as Anakin's offer was outrageous, Drez had a hard time denying just how good it would be to have two Jedi prisoners. Surely the Separatists would reward him with great favour if he could deliver them in chains. However, the science of podracing was concrete enough for him to know Anakin could not race whatsoever. That said, another option was at hand, "so I will race your Padawan instead of you." Drez countered, leveling a finger towards Ahsoka's skinny frame.
The Togruta blinked, temporarily lost for words. "You… will?" She stammered out.
"I hope you're not afraid…" Drez sneered, rounding his desk to stand before them (revealing his incredibly short stature). Anakin held out his hand, prepared to accept, but Drez wanted to hear it from his real opponent. "Do you agree, young Jedi?"
Steeling her nerves and refusing to let some backwater sleemo show her up, Ahsoka shot Unlin one of her infamous frowns. "I'm not afraid… and I agree!" She retorted with a huff. Grinning widely, Drez shook Anakin's outstretched hand, sealing the deal.
"There's a track meet coming up tomorrow. That should give you all the time you need to get a pod… not that it'll do you any good." Drez informed them. Turning on heel, the Jedi made to leave. "Good luck, Jedi. You'll need it!" The Felucian called after them. Neither turned to heed him, simply retracing their steps back to the Twilight. Once they were clear of the racing camp, Ahsoka dropped her defences as panic and fear gripped her hard.
"Why did I agree to that?! I don't know how to drive a pod!" She exclaimed, bemoaning her situation.
"It's 'race' a pod." Anakin corrected. "And don't worry, I'm going to teach you."
"How much can I possibly learn in a day that'll help me against someone who's been doing this all his life?!" Ahsoka fearfully asked.
"Calm down, Ahsoka. I promise there's nothing to it." Anakin countered, patting her shoulder. "Now, you sensed the same thing I did coming off Unlin, right?" The new topic helped her gather her wits, the teen nodding emphatically.
"Oh yeah. It was hard not too. He's guilty, he's involved somehow." She replied. "So why didn't we just take him down? Why did we have to agree to a race?"
"Because he presented no plausible evidence. But now that we're sure he's involved with Master Plo's disappearance, winning this race just became our top priority." Anakin stated, hoping it would cement a desire to win that would override her worries. They were nearly at the Twilight and now they had work to do. "First things first, I'm going to go get you a podracer." He said, breaking off to go investigate the nearby pits. Maxcri heard him as he left, the Houk and R2 trundling down the boarding ramp to meet Ahsoka.
"Why's he going to get you a podracer?" He asked, sounding confused and for good reason. He looked to his friend who had clammed up amid another bout of nervousness. "Ahsoka? What's Master Skywalker talking about? You're not racing, are you?" Ahsoka stayed silent, but her sheepish and nervous expression R2 proffered a nervous warble.
"Tell me about it, Artooie." She groaned.
Later that day…
Ahsoka, R2 and Maxcri strolled through the main hangar of the Pixelito Podracer arena, glancing at the activity about them with seemingly casual interest. The hangar was a cavernous building that housed Podracers and equipment year round and served as a staging area for vehicles and crews on race days. A handful of racers were already in place on the service pads, dozens of aliens who had found their way to Malastare from every corner of the galaxy crawling all over the Pods and engines as pit bosses and pilots shouted instructions. The clash and shriek of metal on metal. echoed in an earsplitting din through the hangar's vast chamber, forcing conversations to be held at something approaching a shout.
Alone in their own little corner of the hangar, Ahsoka stood agape with R2 and Maxcri standing alongside her. "You want me to race that piece of junk? Are you trying to get me killed?" She exclaimed.
Before her, currently resting on the ground was a hybrid Titan 500 Scatalpen and KV9T9-B Wasp with a pair of next generation Radon-Ulzer rocket engines. A conglomeration of parts and pieces, Ahsoka thought the Twilight looked better… when they first found it.
"It's the best I could do on short notice. It only looks bad on the outside. It's solid under the shell. Or, it will be. Artoo and I will have it purring like a dunecat in no time." Anakin promised, patting the side of the pod. Maxcri looked it over.
"I haven't the slightest idea what to say or do… but if you say so, I trust you, Master Skywalker." He stated. "Hopefully it's what we need to get Master Plo back."
"Ahsoka is what we really need. A pod is only as good as its pilot." Anakin explained. The Togruta gulped, suddenly feeling an immense weight pressing down against her thin shoulders.
"You sure you can't do this instead doing this? I've heard all about your glory days of podracing." She asked.
"A deal's a deal, Ahsoka. Drez set the rules and now we're bound to them." Anakin replied. "But you're in good hands. I've told you about the Boonta Eve race on Tatooine when I won-"
"At least five times. Wasn't that a loooooong time ago?" She sarcastically retorted with a rol of her eyes. Anakin glowered.
"Just get in the podracer. Time to go over the basics." He ordered coldly. With little room to differ, Ahsoka hopped in and wiggled as she got used to the pod interior. Anakin leaned over and immediately began pointing out controls in rapid succession, everything coming second-nature to him. "These are your throttle control levers. Vector exhaust fins steer the engines, and the power flow is controlled by this accelerator handle. Your braking foil activator is up here, too."
"What do I need brakes for? This is a race, Skyguy." Ahsoka snarked. She was worried, softening her mounting feelings by spewing what she could when she could.
"If only the brakes worked on your mouth, Snips." Anakin snapped back. "Take a look at the console… you have your combustion spark switch to ignite your thrusters. That's your acceleration rate indicator and internal velocity scale." Ahsoka reached forward to grip the twin control throttles.
"Seems straightforward enough." She muttered reluctantly.
"I'll make sure you won't have any trouble with the podracer. And I doubt you'll have any trouble with the course. Your biggest problem will be the other racers, namely Drez." Anakin continued. "Otherwise, it's just like flying an open-cockpit starfighter. You can do that, right?" The comparison made Ahsoka rethink her position. Suddenly the pod seemed vaguely similar to a cockpit. The instrument panel was startlingly familiar. She gripped the control throttles a little tighter. It wasn't quite like the yoke of her Aethersprite but she could already feel some similarities.
"Sure I can." She said at length. Anakin nodded, watching her confidence well ever so slightly.
"You used to race, Master Skywalker?" Maxcri inquired, unaware of his history.
"A very long time ago." Anakin answered hesitantly. "You have any mechanical experience, Max?" He wondered in turn, collecting a hydrospanner.
"Erm… not really. More of a bookworm kinda guy." The Houk confessed, rubbing the back of his head. Anakin took that in stride. Good podracing required more than just mechanical work and piloting skills.
"Well, do me a favor and go find a map of the track. Scout it out, listen to others and what they have to say about it, then report back here with what you find." He urged. "We need a very clear picture of what we're up against. If all we have to worry about is Drez, that's half the battle." Maxcri beamed, eager to help.
"I'm on it!" He promised, turning and darting off back through the hangar. As Max took off, Anakin got down on his knees.
"Meanwhile, I'll tune the engines the way I did on Tatooine. Desert-tuned engines with an extended braking foil have better acceleration out of the turns in any dry environment." He described, half explaining to her and half talking to himself as he walked his hands through the process he'd performed back when he was a desert rat a mere nine years old.
Ahsoka listened as he carried on. Despite her growing technical prowess (all thanks to Anakin's tutelage) a lot of what he was saying flew right over her head. Podracing really was a different world compared to starfighters and space-faring vessels.
I'm sure glad Skyguy knows what he's doing… I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing.
As the Jedi continued to make the most of their situation, Drez Unlin was making the most of his.
Alone in his tent, the Felucian drank liberally as a holocom shimmered before him. Within the image, Asajj Ventress stood with arms crossed, her expression somewhere between patient and barely-tolerant of the racer. Slamming the half-empty bottle down, Drez loosed an excessive sigh of satisfaction as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. "The Jedi arrived, just like you said they would. They challenged me to a race. They win, they get their comrade back. I win? I get to keep them as hostages too." He stated proudly. "You're going to have double the Jedi to cart back next time you swing by, Commander."
"Your confidence is misplaced, Unlin." Ventress retorted. "Jedi are not to be underestimated, even in something as trivial as a sporting event."
"I'm the sector champion for a reason, assassin. They won't stand a chance against my piloting." Drez promised. "Besides, I'm racing the Padawan." At that Asajj looked at him askance.
"How did you manage to convince Skywalker to let that happen?" She pried, suddenly curious.
"Simple math; pods have a weight limit, otherwise they're too slow to actually race. The best species to be racers are generally thin and don't weigh a lot." Drez explained with a growing smile. "Plus, I'm no fool. Anakin Skywalker is a legend on the podracing circuit; the infamous one-and-done of the Boonta Eve Classic. Even if he could race, I'm not stupid enough to challenge him directly." Asajj nodded slowly.
"You are smarter than I took you for." She complimented, even though her expression remained unreadable. "You are to be commended for playing the Jedi in such a manner." Drez shot her a toothy grin.
" Now you see why I am sector champion." He haughtily replied.
"When is this race?"
"Tomorrow."
"Good. That gives us time to complete our operation here." Ventress mused. "I will see you after the race. And I expect three Jedi prisoners when I arrive."
"You'll have them." Drez promised, leaning forward and folding his hands together. "Your directness is a welcome reprieve from all the cow-towing of these sponsors. I think I would make an excellent agent under your command." He boldly proffered. "We could make a very good team. I would not be opposed to your assistance in smuggling Separatist materials through the racing circuit." His words lingered as Asajj offered him a derisive smile.
"You poor little fool. If I were to come there under any pretences, it wouldn't be to help you, it would be to ensure your cooperation and your loyalty. I have more important business to attend to. Stop wasting my time and do what you have been tasked to do." She snapped, promptly terminating the comm.
Elsewhere on Malastare…
Ventress loosed a huff as she tucked her holocom back into her belt.
'Fool' indeed. I could read him like an open holonovella. Reviling intentions aside, I have no need for a podracer under my sway.
Snorting in amusement, the Rattataki turned and made her way back to her business. Wraith stood near a crate full of primitive Dug spearheads, one of which was in his hands as he examined it through his optic scanners. "The Jedi are preoccupied as planned. We have a few more hours to complete our work here." She informed him.
"Good." The super-soldier rumbled as he set the spearhead back in the box. Then he turned, giving her his full attention. "With your permission, I have a suggestion." Cocking her hip, a curious Ventress permitted him to continue. "Analysis suggests these Dugs made their spearheads from dead Zillo Beasts. The modern Dug population claimed the Zillo had been hunted to extinction hundreds of years ago. I'm no scientist, but there's a chance the genetic material Count Dooku wants may not be in these." Wraith stated.
"It could be too old to be useable." Asajj realized and Wraith nodded. "You think we need an alternative."
"As insurance." Wraith affirmed.
"And where do you propose we look for this 'insurance'?" Asajj queried.
"The sinkhole where the Zillo Beast was uncovered." Came the answer. "Come nightfall we should be able to launch a search unimpeded by the locals. Provided we are careful." The corner of Asajj's mouth curled into a smirk.
His use of precision planning is excellent. Not only are we capitalizing on the Jedi's distraction, but also exploiting the very origin of the beast that they unconvered for us. The two of us can do this. Hmph, and Unlin thought he and I would do well together. The fool.
"Unlin's race against the Jedi is tomorrow. They'll be too busy preparing to search for us." She responded. "The timing could not be better." The super-soldier nodded. "Very well. We will proceed with your plan. I will gather the materials we require to search the area. Ensure this cargo is properly loaded. If this fails at least we'll have this to bring back."
"That is the plan." Wraith agreed. He saluted and then left to track down some of their battle droids to arrange the loading procedure. Ventress watched him go.
It would appear this soldier has certainly been worth it, Master. I wonder what you would say if you could see him now, Ky. Would you be impressed with such a warrior? Would you see his potential? Would you condone it if I wanted to take him under my command…?
The next morning…
In the center of Pixelito the crowds were beginning to thin as the population gravitated in increasing numbers toward the pod racer arena at the edge of the spaceport. Most of the shops and stalls were already closed, and the rest were in the process of doing so. Owners and vendors were completing sales and glancing anxiously in the direction of the traffic's steady flow. Over a hundred thousand beings had filled the Podracer arena by midmorning, jamming into the grandstand seats, crowding onto the broad viewing platforms, filling the available space. The arena became a vast sea of color and movement and sound in the emptiness of the surrounding desert. Flags and banners bearing the insignia of the racers and their sponsors waved over the assemblage, signifying favorites and creating impromptu cheering sections. Bands played in support of some racers, and isolated horns and drums beat in wild appreciation for all. Vendors walked the aisles, carrying food and drink from canopied stands below to sell to the crowd. Everywhere, excitement and anticipation was building.
Then a roar erupted as the racers began to emerge from the main hangar on the far side of the start line. One by one the Podracers hove into view, some towed by beast of burden, some by hand, some by repulsorsled, all part of a long procession of pilots, pit crews, and hangers-on. Standard bearers, each carrying a flag that identified the pilot and sponsor, marched along, forming a colorful line in front of the assembly of Podracers.
The Gran announced began rattling off names and histories in colorful commentary as the racers and their pit crews attended to their vehicles. Last-minute checks were made, tiny bits of polish were used to ensure a perfect shine, a few small tools brought out to make calculated adjustments to hardware and software. Among them, Ahsoka primed the pod's controls to meet her liking. She had changed into a bright yellow racing suit to keep her safe and secured against the high-speed debris that would inevitably come her way. She tweaked a few switches as Anakin offered some final, helpful tips. "Remember not to brake before turns. Just ease off the throttle and let the momentum carry you through."
"I'm still not sure I know the controls well enough." Ahsoka said worriedly, her eyes darting between colorful lights and panels.
"Don't focus on the negative. Expand your feelings and use the Force and let the podracer become an extension of yourself. Treat the race as you would an exercise in the Temple… act, don't react. Feel, don't think." Anakin described.
"Trust my instincts?" Ahsoka wondered and Anakin smiled.
"Exactly." Glancing up, he watched as their Felucian nemesis climbed into his pod, just a short distance away. The Knight bent over and spoke very quietly to Ahsoka. "With racers like Drez, their overconfidence is their weakness. Remember… feel, don't think." Ahsoka nodded.
"I will, Master. Don't worry, I won't let you or Master Plo down."
"I know you won't, Snips. May the Force be with you." Anakin said, patting her on the shoulder as he moved to leave the sandy starting line and rejoin Maxcri and R2 on the sidelines. They were standing near the front entry of the hangar, and the noise of the crew work had lessened.
She'll be fine. It's only one lap of the circuit. He told himself.
Beyond, the arena stands rose against the forest sky, a vast, curved complex complete with boxes for the Grans, a race announcer's booth, course monitoring equipment, and food stands. Already the stands were beginning to fill, the population of Pixelito turning out in full force for the event, shops and stalls closed, the city on holiday. Bright streamers and banners flew, and approaching racers flamed with the reflection of sunlight and polish.
"I'm really worried, Master Skywalker." The Houk confessed. "These are all seasoned racers. Ahsoka's never even participated in a race before." R2 twittered his agreement.
"Maybe so, but unlike them she has the Force. It alone can make up for a lifetime of experience." He responded. "Just have faith, Max." The Houk nodded, but in his aura implied he was unconvinced.
The Gran announcer completed his introductions. "RACERS! START YOUR ENGINES!" His voice echoing through the sound enhancers and out beyond the starting line.
All eyes turned toward the racers. Energy binders were engaged, powerful electromagnetic currents arcing between oaxial plates, locking the twin engines of each Podracer together as a single unit. Now the engines themselves began to turn over, their booming coughs and rumbles mingling with and then overwhelming the roar of the crowd. Flag bearers and pit crews moved hastily aside, clearing the start line beneath the arch that marked the beginning and end of the race. Overhead, a red light held the racers in place. Anticipating the green, the pilots gunned their engines, the massive casings shaking with the force of the power they generated, the cables that bound them to the Pods and their drivers straining to break free.
Drez looked over his shoulder. "Ready to be beaten, Jedi?" He sneered.
"Keep dreaming, Unlin." Ahsoka bit back, clenching her acceleration throttles tight enough to turn her knuckles white. She tuned him out, renewing her focus on the race.
Then the light over the starting line flashed bright green, and the race was under way.
When the starting light turned green, Ahsoka jammed the twin thruster bars to the extreme forward position, sending maximum power to the Radon-Ulzers. The big rocket engines bucked, roared like a caged beast, and she was off. The engines shot ahead, dragging the Pod and the girl after them, exploding out of the start. All around her, racers shot from the start in a cacophony of sound and a flashing of bright metal. Sand fountained in the wake of their passing, clouding the air in a whirlwind of grit and she was in the thick of it.
Ahsoka gave chase with single-minded determination, not bothering with anything but the dots in the distance that marked the location of the other racers. She needed to surpass Unlin. Master Plo's fate (as well as hers and Anakin's) were on the line. She tore across the grassy flats, the whine of the Pod's engines growing steadily sharper, the land beneath fading to a wash of humid light. The course was flat and open in the beginning, and she pushed the thruster bars forward some more. She was accelerating so quickly that everything about her turned swiftly to a sun-drenched blur.
Ahead, the first set of rock and tree formations rose up against the horizon. Ahsoka could see the other Podracers now, bright metal shapes whipping across the flats, engines throwing off fire and smoke. She closed on them quickly, the Radon-Ulzers screaming. In an open stretch there were no other engines that could match them.
A flush of white-hot excitement burned through her as she caught the leading Podracers.
She hauled back on the thruster bars as she came up on them, giving herself space to maneuver. She went by two as if they were standing still, angling her way left and then right, threading the needle of space they had left between them. When she was clear, she fed power to the engines anew, and the g-force slammed her back against her padded seat. The Forest Narrows loomed ahead, and she wanted to be clear of the others when she navigated through the tight tree-lined lane. Maneuvering cautiously, Ahsoka prepared to race offensively and defensively. She slid above the jungle floor like an Insectomorph chasing a Tri-Eye lizard. The trees parted, revealing a desert mesa stretching off endlessly to her left as the dense forest loomed menacingly in front. Ahsoka jammed the thruster bars all the way forward, and her racer accelerated with such speed that it rocketed well beyond the reach of the racers behind her.
The dark of the forest loomed ahead, and Ahsoka threaded the eye of its needle opening with a seamstress's skill, racing into the cool shadows within. The Radon-Ulzers hummed anxiously, the energy binders keeping them in sync, the Steelton cables drawing on the racing Pod with just the right amount of give through the wicked turns. Ahsoka worked the thruster bars with small, precise movements, envisioning the course in her mind; each twist, each deviation, each rise and drop. Everything was clear and certain to him. Everything was revealed.
She shot through the forest and back out onto the open plains. Ahead, beyond half a dozen others, the young Nikto racer Ulurtz and Drez fought for the lead. The Felucian's distinctive chunky engines lifted and rose, maneuvering for position. But Ulurtz slender racer was slowly gliding away.
Then Drez accelerated and swung violently left, careening toward the other pilot. Ulurtz reacted instinctively, swinging left as well-and directly into a massive jungle tree. Ulurtz disappeared in a huge ball offlame and black smoke.
Next it was Qoort, the Gand racer, challenging, trying to sneak past Drez from above. But the Felucian sensed his presence and rose to block his passage. Qoort slid left, drawing alongside, holding fast. "Excuse me… you're in my space!" Drez seemed to lose ground, to give way slightly. But when Qoort was next to him, the Felucian triggered a tool mounted to his left cowling. A small circular saw popped out and cut into Qoort's engine, cutting apart the metal housing as if it were made of flimsiplast. Qoort tried frantically to move away, but he was too slow. Fuel caught and ignited. The damaged engine exploded, and the remaining engine and its Pod flew off into a tree and shattered.
Without slowing, Drez sped away from the wreckage, alone at the head of the pack. "One down… only a few more to go…" He gleefully muttered to himself.
In the arena stands and from viewing platforms scattered throughout the course, the crowd watched the progress of the race on handheld viewscreens as pictures of the racers were transmitted from droid observation holocams. From a monitoring tower, a Gran announcer reported on the leaders. Anakin studied a screen with Maxcri and R2, but there was neither mention nor sight of Ahsoka. The voice rose and fell in measured cadence, filling the air with their inflection, building in pitch to stir the already frenzied crowd.
Come on, Snips… you can do it. He whispered across their Master-Apprentice bond. Anakin closed his eyes and blocked everything away, sounds and movements alike, becoming one with the Force, disappearing into its flow, searching for Ahsoka. He stayed lost within himself as the roar of the crowd lifted anew. Maxcri said something. He didn't hear it. He kept his eyes closed, searching within his consciousness. The crowd went back to their viewscreens, intent on the race. R2-D2 gave an excited beep. Anakin's eyes snapped open. In his mind's eye, Ahsoka Tano exploded out of the midday glare, the big Radon-Ulzers howling in fury as she raced to catch up with the scant few leaders. She was top five now, determined and driven. He smiled faintly.
Ahsoka was well into overtaking the pack. As the race progressed, she was slowly disappearing into the workings of her racer, becoming one with its engines, feeling the strain and tug on each rivet and screw. Wind whipped by her in a screaming rush, locking her away in its white noise. There was only herself and the machine, all speed and response. The Force was hard at work, melding her body with the Pod and engines until she was a part of both. Moment by moment, the symbiosis deepened, joining them, giving Ahsoka insights and understandings that transcended her senses and knowledge, projecting her past the present and into a place others could not reach. Approaching the Jungle Pass, she bore down on the leaders, young face intense. Skimming the flats, she whipped past veteran Saskan Hejj and sideslipped Kak'rrata. To one side, a fast closing Siers Yerman banked too hard over a swell in the underbrush and caught his engine in the foliage. Siers' racer cartwheeled in a spectacular twisting of engines and Pod and exploded apart.
Ahsoka was only three racers back from Drez Unlin and could see the Felucian's craft clearly in the distance.
Everything happened quickly after that.
The racers whipped tough Jungle Pass and out the other side in a ragged line, with Ahsoka narrowing the gap between herself and the others. "Outta my way!" Drez growled as he rammed Er'Kit racer Bodii Koon into a rock outcrop. Bodii's racer simply exploded and was gone. Ahsoka flew through the vaporized wreckage in pursuit of the others. She passed Toong racer Veens Staturn and Gran racer Marcs Polata in a rush.
Only Unlin was left. All she had to do was pass him, maintain speed and hold the line, and the victory would be hers. Along with Plo Koon's freedom.
"Forget about me? I'm still here, Unlin!" She growled to herself, coaxing a little more speed from her engines. The Felucian checked his viewers, spotting the Togruta crawling up closer and closer and threatening to overtake. She was his true quarry. Everyone else had been inconsequential. Luckily, he had made plans for this very occasion.
Time and space were running out on Ahsoka. She shoved the thruster bars forward and went after the Felucian. Drez saw her coming and fishtailed his Pod back and forth in front of the girl to keep her from passing. Over the courseway they sped, jockeying for position. Ahsoka tried everything she'd been taught, but Drez was a seasoned veteran and was able to counter each attempt as the racers roared out of the forest and onto the final stretch of flats. "I'm impressed you've survived this far, youngling. You may be in second… but not for long, Jedi." Drez mused, pressing a switch on his control board.
Pre-race sabotage suddenly reared it's ugly head as one of Ahsoka's horizontal stabilizers on the left engine began to shudder violently before it suddenly exploded (courtesy of Drez's remote detonator) and a plume of flame erupted from atop of the engine. Smoke belched in a thick black cloud as the girl's Pod jerked and spun at the ends of the Steelton cables, shimmying with such force that Ahsoka would have been thrown from the Pod if she had not been strapped down.
Warnings flashed before the panicking Ahsoka as the gap between her and Drez grew again. The left engine bucked, losing power, and the right was nearing overheat as it over-compensated for the loss. Instantly Ahsoka's Pod began to swing violently at the end of its slackened lines, whipsawing back and forth. She eased off on the thruster bars and jettisoned the stabilizer, Anakin's tutelage coming to mind. He had walked her through just such a problem. Ahsoka worked the stabilizer pedals with her feet, fighting to hold the Pod steady as it swung like a pendulum. "Come on… don't let me down now, Skyguy!" She murmured while frantically pressing and pulling toggles. The engine's dorsal vent slid shut, cutting off air and depriving the fire of fuel. It winked out, much to her relief, but now she had to get the engine going again.
Powering the whole thing down, Ahsoka sent full power to the functional right engine, allowing it to maintain the load properly while keeping her moving at half speed. Unplugging the shorted starter (that required the stabilizer to keep the engine from shaking itself to pieces) she switched to an auxiliary mount and attempted a jumpstart. The engine belched, spluttering like an organic behemoth struggling to breathe and failed to catch. Ahsoka's mind raced desperately, pouring over everything Anakin had taught her. She yanked back on the thruster bar, returning it to the neutral position. Ratcheting back the switches to the feeder dump, she cleared the fuel cells, then sealed them anew. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the ignition buttons. The starters cranked over and caught, and the big Radon-Ulzer roared to life with a booming cough. "Gotcha!"
Elated as her console panel turned green again, Ahsoka cautiously fed in more fuel, impatience flooding through her, then slid the thruster bars forward smoothly. Sweat and grit coated her face, and her tracksuit was ripped. She jammed the thruster bars forward once more. Stabilized at the ends of the Steelton lines, the Pod held steady now as the Radon-Ulzers bucked, and the Togruta accelerated after Drez Unlin.
She double-checked her readings, making sure that the engines were still properly synchronized. The Radon-Ulzers continued to act in concert, locked together by the energy binders. That was all she needed. She was seeing with more than her eyes, sensing with her mind, calm and steady within herself. Ahsoka could feel the danger waiting, and she worked the thruster bars smoothly. She was in the clear again and bearing down on Drez.
Ahsoka caught the Felucian as they screamed past the edge of the treeline. Rough-mown grass gave way to paved permacrete as the final stretched whipped underneath, the racers roaring out of the forest and onto the final stretch of flats. Finally Ahsoka shifted left, then right. But this time when Drez moved to block her, Ahsoka faked a third shift, drawing the Felucian left again. The instant Drez began his blocking move, Ahsoka jerked her racer hard to the right and nosed in beside the Felucian.
Down the flat, open final stretch of the course the Podracers tore, side by side, the arena stands and warding statuary beginning to take shape ahead. Drez growled in frustration and deliberately swerved his Pod into Ahsoka's. Infuriated by the boy's dogged persistence, he slammed into him, once, twice. On the third try, his sawblade whipped out again, threatening to slice through the cowling of her unblemished right engine.
Ahsoka saw the gleam, heard the shrill whine above the whipping wind and chugging engines, and reacted with primal reflexes. Her hand stretched out, the Force bending the sawblade backwards onto itself as it promptly cut deep into Drez's own engine. The Felucian's Pod shot forward as if catapulted, collapsing the towlines, sending the engines screaming out of control. One engine slammed into an old tree and disintegrated in flames. Then the second went, ramming into the permacrete and exploding in a massive fireball. The towing cables broke free, and Drez's Pod was sent skidding through the flaming wreckage of the engines, twisting and bumping violently along the ground to a smoking spark-filled stop.
Ahsoka was left alone at the head of the pack, the nearest second-place contender long behind her as the Togruta loosed and excited gasp of relief. The race was over… and she had won!
The roaring crowds heralded her arrival and she crossed the finish line, brightly coloured flares erupting from either side as celebratory confetti rained down on either side. The teen brought the Pod to a skidding halt in the center of the raceway, shut down the Radon-Ulzers, and climbed out. Whipping off her goggles, her bright orange skin smeared darkly with dirt and grime, she offered a toothy grin as an elated Anakin and Maxcri dashed over to congratulate her. "Way to go, Snips!"
"I always knew you'd win! I never doubted you!" Giggling as she was caught up in the three-way hug, Ahsoka couldn't help but feel confident and happy.
Hang in there, Master Plo. We're getting you out!
Later…
The race over, Anakin, Maxcri and Ahsoka returned to Drez Unlin's tent to collect on the wager. Some of his sponsors had gone so far as to ask Ahsoka to stick around and race, seeing as she had what it took to replace the current sector champion. But she was a Jedi wholeheartedly and did not accept their offers.
But that didn't stop Drez from being a sore loser.
"Ahsoka won the race, now give us Master Koon." Anakin stated firmly to a sober Drez siting crossly behind his desk.
"You cheated by using the Force, Jedi. An act to which I do not take kindly." The Felucian retorted. Ahsoka scoffed.
"And your buzz saw was any better? You're a cheater, Drez, and you lost!" She snapped. Drez frowned.
"Making you my prisoners will make me very happy and very rich." He retorted. "I've heard the Separatists pay a fortune for Jedi prisoners… isn't that right, General?" He called out. The three Jedi suddenly felt a dark chill roll through them as a familiar presence pricked their senses.
Together they whirled around, lightsabers drawn, as Asajj Ventress and The Wraith strode into the tent. "Ventress." Anakin growled. The Rattataki looked at him dismissively.
"You told me they would be your prisoners, Unlin. They don't look like they're all that 'imprisoned' to me." She remarked to the Felucian. Walking slowly, the two Separatists parted ways as they circled the three Jedi, Anakin, Ahsoka and Maxcri moving cautiously to avoid eating attacked from behind.
"They are here and so are you. At our mercy, I should think." Drez responded. The two left the Jedi be and approached his desk.
"I always figured there was something slimy about you." Ahsoka derisively growled. "Guess it takes the form of the company you keep."
"The 'company I keep' is far more powerful than racer sponsors. Count Dooku looks upon me with great favor and with good reason." Drez sneered. "We all know the Jedi started this war. I'm just doing my part to end it."
"By cheating your way to the top? Haven't you heard cheaters never prosper?" Maxcri wondered offhand.
"You're going to spend the rest of this war on Coruscant; locked up with the rest of the low lives we've taken down. You'll have plenty of time to think about your allegiances in prison. Although I'm sure the inmates will go easy on you once they learn how you wound up in there." Anakin continued. Drez chuckled.
"Open your eyes, Jedi! I have friends in high places. They're here to help me deal with you." He proclaimed, gesturing to Wraith and Ventress on either side of him.
"Not the first time we've kicked both of their sorry butts!" Ahsoka retorted.
"I wouldn't be so sure about 'help', Drez. Dooku isn't someone who tolerates failure easily." Anakin added. But Drez brushed them off with a dismissive laugh, holding himself superior in the situation.
"The Jedi speaks truly, Unlin." Ventress purred beside him. Suddenly, a snap-hiss lit the air and Unline gasped as a crimson blade pierced through his chest from behind. "Failure is unacceptable." Asajj continued, whispering it into his ear. Then she withdrew, pulling herself back as Wraith brandished an arm blade and sliced off Drez's head with a single swing. The Separatists withdrew as the dead Felucian collapsed upon his desk, knocking it over as his corpse his the ground.
"Stop them!" Anakin shouted, the Jedi leaping to attack. Wraith promptly kicked the trigger on Drez's desk which released the electronet positioned on the roof. The Jedi paused, reacting swiftly to the danger, holding up their lightsabers to hack through crackling webbing before it could ensnare them.
But by the time they finished, Asajj and Wraith were gone, vanished through a fresh hole in the back of the tent.
"Just our luck." Maxcri said bitterly as he lowered his lightsaber. "Now we're never gonna find Master Plo."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Max." Ahsoka replied, suddenly spotting a disturbed floor panel behind his desk… one that led to a shadowy space beneath.
Plo Koon was freed and quite happy to be out in open spaces with warm sun beaming down on him and fresh air to breathe. With his lightsaber returned to him, the Kel Dor Master had high praise to offer and a story to tell.
"When the explosion knocked you both out, the Separatists turned their attention to me and overwhelmed us. Shade and his men gave their lives in a final, desperate offence. I was knocked out by Wraith and Ventress and only awoke to find myself a captive of Drez Unlin. They were using their resources well."
"They didn't want you dead, they just wanted you out of the way." Maxcri realized.
"That angle is for Anakin to look into, Padawan. But I fear that may be the case." Plo agreed. "However, I am most grateful for your efforts to rescue me."
"Ahsoka deserves all the credit, Master. She won the podrace to force Drez's hand." Maxcri explained, gesturing to his shorter friend.
"So I've heard," Plo mused, turning towards the Togruta, "Truly you are one of the brightest students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching, little 'Soka. I am very grateful to you." He said humbly, patting her shoulder. Ahsoka smiled bashfully.
"Thank you, Master Plo. But it's also thanks to the lessons you've taught me… not just what I've learnt under Master Skywalker." She responded.
"Anakin is certainly a capable teacher, even if his methods are a little unorthodox." Plo agreed. "I trust you both learned something from this experience?" He asked, regarding both Padawans.
"Something tells me we'll have more than enough information to pass Master Fai-Duva's bio-diversity exam." Maxcri remarked.
"We'll probably even pass Master Corlei's vehicles and vessels course with flying colors!" Ahsoka added emphatically. "I doubt they've ever had a Jedi who won a round of podracing before!" Plo stroked his respirator thoughtfully.
"Perhaps now might not be the best time to tell you about young Skywalker's presentation on podracing…" he mused, "the smell of smoke lingered in the classroom for weeks."
