Chapter 9 is here.
CAPTURED!
RETURNING FROM A PERILOUS ASSIGNMENT IN THE OUTER RIM, JEDI MASTER EVEN PIELL'S CRUISER CRUISER HAS FALLEN UNDER ATTACK AND BEEN BOARDED.
SEEKING VITAL INFORMATION HE CARRIES ABOUT SECRET HYPERSPACE LANES CALLED THE NEXUS ROUTE, SEPARATIST FORCES HAVE TAKEN HIM ALIVE.
NOW THE JEDI ARE PREPARING A STEALTH INTO THE HEART OF SEPARATIST SPACE IN AN EFFORT TO RESCUE MASTER PIELL FROM THE DEADLY PRISON KNOWN AS THE CITADEL...
Revan and Ahsoka jogged down one of the Temple's small hallways, after hearing the briefing and caught up with Anakin, Obi-Wan and Plo before falling into step beside them. "Master. I'm sorry we're late." she apologized before continuing. "We're going to rescue Master Piell, right?" she asked with a hopeful smile. The Jedi stopped walking and her master crossed his arms as he looked at her. "You two have much to discuss." Plo said to the two of them before he and Obi-Wan continued walking. Anakin turned his attention back to his padawan. "Ahsoka, i'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," he apologized before placing his robotic hand on her shoulder gently. "but you won't be coming along on this one." he finished, removing his hand.
"Not coming? But you're breaking into the Citadel. No one's ever done it." she argued, not sounding very pleased at being left behind. The older Knight took a few steps forward as he spoke, "The Citadel wasn't designed to hold common criminals. It was created to hold Jedi if any of us lost our way. It's not a place for padawans." he said before turning around to face them. "You're just being protective, again! That's not fair! How am I supposed to learn if you won't let me share the risk?" she complained with a frown. "This isn't a mission for learning. You either do or die. And that's not a risk i'm willing to share. Come on, Revan." he said before turning around.
"Actually, if she's not going neither am I." the younger Knight said. Anakin just gave a dismissal wave before walking away. "Have it your way." the older man grumbled. "You don't have to back out of the mission just for me, you know." she said, turing to face him. Revan could tell, despite her words, that she was grateful he wouldn't go without her and gently held her hands. "Ahsoka, you're my girlfriend. My place is by your side. I'll never leave you, I promise." he said softly before removing his mask and sharing a tender kiss with her. "You have an idea, don't you?" he asked upon noticing the smirk on her face. Ahsoka said nothing as she pulled by the hand.
The couple walked into the hanger the clones and three older Jedi were in before walking up to Plo as he checked over his starfighter. "Master Plo? May I speak with you?" Ahsoka asked him as she crossed her arms. "What is it, Little 'Soka?" he asked, checking the cockpit. "It's about the mission. Master Skywalker doesn't want me to go." she replied. "That is his choice." he reminded before she sat on the side of the starfighter. "I know, but I think he's being overly protective. He's picking and choosing which assignments I can be a part of." she complained.
"He is your master." the older Jedi reminded again as he stopped working to look at her. "Yes, but. It's not for him to decide, when and how I should put my life in danger. That should be my choice." she argued. Revan wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of her being in danger, but knew enough not to argue with her about it. Once Anakin, Obi-Wan and the clones were frozen in carbonite the couple stepped onto of the platforms each before the Ugnaught working it pressed a few buttons and they were lowered. 'I pray to the Force, if anyone's gonna die from this let it be me and spare Ahsoka.'
'Oh, man… My neck is killing me. What a ride though.' The younger Knight stretched as Anakin spoke. "Hey, Snips." he greeted her absentmindedly. "Hey, Master." she greeted back before his eyes widened in realization and he gave her a disapproving frown. "I must have carbon sickness, because I could swear that's Ahsoka and Revan." Obi-Wan said, rubbing his shoulder. "Your eyes are fine. It's Ahsoka's hearing that needs help." the older Knight replied while still frowning at his padawan. Ahsoka took a few steps forward as she spoke, "I received orders to join the team, I thought you knew." she said as he stepped up to her. "Orders? From who?" he questioned as she turned to face him.
"I discussed it with Master Plo." she replied. "He didn't tell me." the Knight said. "You were already in carbonite." she replied while gesturing to the blocks with he thumb. "And I changed my mind about not going." Revan added. "While I gave you a specific order not come." Anakin said, attention still on his padawan. "If there's one thing i've learned from you, Master. It's that following direct orders isn't always the best way to solve a problem." she replied as Obi-Wan walked up to them. "I see Anakin's new teaching method is to do as I say, not as I do." he said with a smile before turning to her and his second former padawan. "Welcome aboard." he said to the couple, earning a smile from Ahsoka and a nod from Revan.
After Anakin charged Artoo with guarding the shuttle, he and the others left the cave near the river of lava and made their way alongside one of the lower ledges above the lava. The group stopped at one of the ledges with a view of the prison and Anakin took out a small pair of macrobinoculars before looking at the tower. "I see the entry point." he said a minute later. "You were right, the wind conditions are too strong for jetpacks." Cody agreed. "Yes, we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way. With ascension cables and steel grip." Obi-Wan replied. "I don't think so." Anakin said before looking through the binoculars. "What do you mean?" his former master asked. "Electro-mines." he said, lowering the binoculars before continuing, "There's nowhere to put a grappling hook at that height, and we hit one of those… The mission's over. They'll know we're here." Anakin explained before Obi-Wan took the binoculars and used them to look at the entrance point. "I suppose that means we free climb it." Rex said slowly before they started to do just that.
Fifteen minutes later the group was climbing along the rocks with mines around them as purple arcs of electricity hopped between each every few seconds. Revan made sure to remain below Ahsoka, that way he could catch her if she accidentally lost her grip. "Hanging in there, Snips?" Anakin called from above them on the cliffside. "Couldn't be better." she replied with a hint of sarcasm before looking down at the lava. "I could do without the wind though." she said to herself before continuing to climb. A few minutes later they were now below the platform of the entry point. "The entry point is just a few more metres." Obi-Wan informed them as they continued climbing, the Master climbed underneath it to reach the ledge and check to see if the coast was clear.
A minute later he let himself dangle off the ledge with one hand and looked back at the group before placing his finger in front of his mouth to tell them to be silent. Anakin looked at the others and held his robot hand out as a way of telling them to stop. After a few seconds, Obi-Wan looked over the ledge again for a moment before placing his feet on the rock below him and turning his attention to Anakin. "They locked the door. It's ray-shielded." he said, raising his voice a bit so it could be heard over the wind. "Ray-shielded? that wasn't the plan." Anakin replied, shaking his head briefly. "Well it's in the plan, now." Kenobi informed. Ahsoka crawled up high enough to be just above Anakin.
"There's an opening up there." she said, looking up at a small ventilation shaft door. "We know. They're ventilation ducts, but they're far too small for us to gain access." her master pointed out. "Too small for you maybe, but I think I can squeeze through." she replied. "Well, we hadn't planned on Ahsoka being here. Perhaps she's right." Obi-Wan said before Anakin gave her a nod. Ahsoka started to crawl up to the shaft with Revan right behind her. The couple jumped onto the top of the platform's roof and she took the hatch off. 'Shit. There's no way i'm fitting in there.' Ahsoka was about to crawl into the shaft when Revan grabbed her hand to stop her.
"Be careful." he pleaded softly, earning a soft smile and quick kiss on the mask from his girlfriend before she crawled into the shaft. The young Knight jumped down just in time to see her turn the shield off and their fellow Jedi join them on the platform. Ahsoka leaned against the wall with one hand and smirked at her master. "See? I can handle myself after all." she said to him as her boyfriend and Obi-Wan helped the clones up onto the platform. Anakin smiled slightly but said nothing as he walked past her and into the facility, he stopped and they all turned their attention to Fives. "Charger!" he called out as they heard one of the clones screaming as he fell before one of the mines was heard activating and the alarm went off a second later. "Well, they know we're here." Obi-Wan stated.
The group made their way through the corridors with caution before stopping at a three-way intersection with droids running at the other end to the right. "Clear." Ahsoka said after checking around the corner. The group jogged towards the end of the short corridor the droids were in when Anakin spoke to Fives. "Take out their surveillance." he said before they stopped. Fives dropped to one knee and took out the two cameras with his rifle before they were shot at by the blasters on the wall at the four-way intersection. A few clones took cover while the others stood behind the Jedi as they deflected blaster fire with their sabers.
Fives and Echo managed to take out two just ahead of them before Rex destroyed two himself. Obi-Wan nodded to the first two clones who nodded back before taking out another two guns. Revan and Ahsoka each took out one of the last two on their left. "The walls are electrified!" Longshot yelled as a wall of electricity started moving towards them. "Go! Go! Go! Go!" he yelled quickly as the group hurried forward and managed to take cover behind the corners ahead. Longshot however, was caught in the blast and electrocuted. "Longshot!" Cody cried out upon seeing his brother die. "We must keep moving." Obi-Wan reminded them gently.
Fives and Echo burst through Piell's cell door first and took out the droids just as the others walked in. "Secure the entrance." Anakin told the other clones before slashing the power supply to Piell's containment field. Obi-Wan caught him and gently helped the dazed Jedi to the ground. "Master Piell, are you alright?" Kenobi asked him. "Obi-Wan, what took you guys so long?" he joked lightly. "At least your sense of humor is still intact." Anakin replied with a small smirk as he helped the other Jedi stand. "It takes more than they got to break me, young Skywalker." he said as Obi-Wan handed his saber back to him. "So you have the coordinates for the Nexus Route?" the older Knight asked. "I got them, alright. Half of them anyway. My captain's got the other half, I erased the computers when we were boarded and had both of us memorize part of the intel. That way, if somehow I cracked, the information would be useless to them without the other half." Piell explained. "Where's your captain?" Obi-Wan asked. "Being held with the other officers, I assume." Piell replied. "We're gonna need a new plan for getting out." Anakin said to his former master.
Cody checked the corner with his rifle before gesturing to them it was clear. After the rest moved up three commando droids appeared at the end of the hallway ahead of them with blasters aimed. The clones and Jedi readied their weapons before hearing something behind them and seeing three more commando droids. The droids started moving forward while firing at them and occasionally hopping off the wall to dodge blasts. One droid managed to get in between them and grab a clone before punching him in the stomach a few times while Rex and Fives took out one that tried to rush them. Sensing his girlfriend in trouble, Revan turned around to see a droid pinning her to ground with one hand keeping her saber away and the other gripping her neck. The young Knight's eyes flashed yellow upon seeing this and he dropped his saber before grabbing the droid by its head with his robot hand and crushing it. 'Get the fuck off my girlfriend!' Revan helped her up quickly just as Cody tackled a droid against the wall and Obi-Wan slashed a leg then the head off another while Piell finished off the last one.
"We need to keep moving." Obi-Wan urged before they kept walking. Barely a minute later they clutched their heads as high-pitched noise surrounded them and a magnetic field pulled their saber and blasters into an alcove in the ceiling. 'Wait… magnetic?!' Revan barely had a chance to glance at his hand when he, along with Anakin, were hauled up to alcove ceiling by their mechno-arms. "Anakin, Revan!" Obi-Wan cried as he saw them get carried up. Before the two had a chance to try getting themselves down, the alcove lit up with that same electricity from earlier. "Revan!" Ahsoka cried out in horror upon seeing her boyfriend electrocuted. A moment later the electricity stopped and the two Knights were barely keeping themselves from passing out when a voice was heard in the corridor. "You fools! I hope you enjoyed the reunion with your fellow Jedi, because you're going to be my guests for a very long time." he said, laughing evilly and just as four commando droids appeared, two in front and two behind.
Ahsoka and the other two attempted to Force-push the droids only for them to stop almost immediately. "They're magnetized!" Obi-Wan said in a worried tone before the three tried again, this time the droids tried shooting after their upper bodies were no longer being pushed back. Fives tried punching one in the head, only for it to dodge then smack him to the ground with it's blaster. Cody and another clone attempted to do the same, with the results obviously being the same as well. Anakin noticed his saber was a few inches in front of him and attempted to grab it when the electricity started again, fighting through the pain he grabbed it before slashing one of the power conduits, freeing them and the weapons. Revan managed to recover quicker than Anakin, who was on the ground laying on his side and groaning in pain. The clones and four other Jedi recovered their weapons quickly before the clones immediately opened fire on two of the droids while Revan and Kenobi took the other two out. "Are you alright, sir?" Echo asked the older Knight as he helped him stand. "Yeah, let's get out of here." he replied as they started jogging down the corridor, but not before Rex shot one of the cameras.
The group soon reached the prison block that held Piell's men and stopped in front of a cell door. Anakin activated his saber and stabbed it into the door and pulling up, forcing in the door to open before Ahsoka tackled a commando droid to the ground and stabbed her saber in its chest. Piell and the others walked in as his men stood up from where they were sitting. Revan tensed upon noticing the last man, and only non-clone, to stand. 'Tarkin.' A snarl appeared on the young Knight's face and he fought the urge to kill the future tyrannical Moff. Remembering that his fellow Jedi could sense what he was feeling, the young Knight quickly calmed himself before they had a chance to even try. Revan looked at his girlfriend and saw her giving him a small suspicious look, causing his blood to run cold. 'Fuck! Now she's gonna question me as to why I tensed upon seeing Tarkin, and I get feeling she isn't going to believe most of the lies I can come up with.' He snapped out of his thoughts when Tarkin spoke.
"General." he greeted the small Jedi Master respectfully while Revan rolled his eyes. "Captain Tarkin." Piell greeted back. "I never thought i'd see you again. And you brought friends." the captain replied. "Tarkin, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Revan." Piell introduced them as the two other Jedi walked into the cell. Anakin and Tarkin locked eyes form a moment. 'I bet my lightsaber, these two will get along well immediately.' Tarkin turned his attention back to Piell. "Now that you've found us, how do you expect to get us out? If they've locked this fortress down, there's at least ten squads on their way. It's going to be impossible to escape." the captain pointed out.
"What if we split up? My team will create a diversion, while Anakin leads the others away. That way, if one of us is captured, the enemy will only have part of the information and not all of it." Obi-Wan suggested, holding his chin thoughtfully before Tarkin took a few steps towards him as he spoke. "General Kenobi, I think it's better if we stick together. A stronger force would have a better chance of protecting the information." Tarkin argued. "Not in this situation." the Master replied before turning around and starting to make his way out of the cell. "But surely we would have more strength in numbers, rather than divide us." the captain argued again. "Obi-Wan has a point. I'll go with him, you go with Skywalker." Piell said before exiting the cell.
Revan, Ahsoka, Anakin, Rex and Tarkin were running down one of the corridors and towards an area they hoped to exit from when the facility shook a bit, Revan managed to catch his girlfriend before fell and smirked at her. "Ahsoka, I could've sworn I said we should stop meeting like this." he teased, earning an eye roll and smirk in return. The Jedi activated their sabers and stopped for a moment so Anakin could check the map on his holopad. The older Knight pressed his hand against the wall right beside a few times before stabbing his saber in it and cutting a man-sized ring. "Everybody in." he said before Fives and Echo pushed the wall out. Ahsoka jumped through first with he boyfriend right behind her and found themselves in a long winding tunnel with the only walkways being small cliff-sides and a river of lava between each and at least thirty feet below.
Ahsoka ran forward a bit to check it out before Echo spoke. "This is one of the original fortress tunnels." he said. "The advantage of old archive data." Fives replied as Tarkin and Anakin were the last two to exit. "The tunnel's clear." Ahsoka called out from ahead. "Looks like Obi-Wan's distraction worked. Things seem to be going as planned." Anakin said to Tarkin. "It's when things do not go as planned that concerns me. What then?" the captain questioned. "It's when things don't go as planned that we Jedi are at our best. Trust me." the older Knight assured before walking. "I reserve my trust for those who take action, General Skywalker." Tarkin said as the other man stopped and addressed him without turning around. "Then let me remind you, we rescued you back there. And I reserve my trust for those who understand gratitude, Captain Tarkin." Anakin replied in an even tone before walking again. Tarkin smirked for a moment then fell into step behind him while Revan walked alongside Echo and Fives. 'I could practically see and hear Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin during that last exchange instead of my friend and the captain.'
Chapter 9 is done. As for chapter 10, hopefully i'll have it up soon instead taking close to two months. And from now on there will be only one or two Revan-centered chapters per story, since most of the time between my last update and this one was spent on trying to write one chapter that wasn't based on an episode.