Legacy Rising
Chapter 5
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
21 BBY, Coruscant, Christophsis
Barely a week into her apprenticeship, Arryn found herself adopting yet another role, as a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic. After a long, exhausting day of diagnostic placement tests under the watchful eyes of their new Masters, Arryn, Elantra, and Anaria found a quiet meadow in the Room of a Thousand Fountains to debrief, meditate, and share a few laughs, but their respite was short lived when Arryn wrist comm went off, with a message to meet her Master at the Temple's transport pool.
"Well, see you all later," said Arryn, with a wave to her friends. She wondered what the call was about- her first mission, she assumed- but with the Clone Wars in full swing, it was likely her first battle.
As she took the lift up to the transport pool, Arryn could feel her heart beat a steady tattoo,the only outward sign of her bunched nerves. Once the lift stopped, she sawObi-Wan deep in conversation with Master Saesee Tiin and Walex Blissex, the engineer who designed the Delta-7 fighters used by the Jedi in the war. Saesee Tiin and Walex Blissex noticed her arrival and excused themselves to finish their animated conversation on design schematics elsewhere.
With a nod of greeting, Obi-Wan folded his arms. "Looks like we're going to be seeing some action sooner than expected. The Separatists are targeting Christophsis for invasion, so the Third Systems Army is being deployed to prevent it."
Arryn furrowed her brow. "I don't think I've heard of Christophsis before."
"It's in the Savereen system on the Outer Rim. Anakin will be joining us as well."
Arryn smiled. Just like old times. "What's so important about Christophsis? Something clearly got the Separatist's attention."
"Resources. And its strategic position near hyperspace routes."
"Oh."
Obi-Wan gestured to the Delta-7 behind him. "This is yours." Arryn's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Are you kidding me?"
Obi-Wan chuckled at her surprise. "Your astro droid is on its way- R8D10, I believe. We've got to rendezvous with the Negotiator and Admiral Yularen in the Resolute. " His expression turned serious. "Are you ready?"
Arryn nodded. This was war; of course she'd never be truly prepared, but in her courses, she studied the prior campaigns and was relatively familiar with the key players and general strategies. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Good." Obi-Wan headed to his own fighter. "I'll send you the coordinates once we get out of the atmosphere. There are too many spies planetside."
"Okay," said Arryn, examining the design of her new craft. A red astromech droid rolled over to her ship and chirped happily as he was settled into his compartment on the left wing.
"Hi there," said Arryn, as she climbed into the cockpit. "I hope you're ready for some action, R8-D10." She wrinkled her nose. "R8-D10…ugh, that sure is a mouthful."
The little droid beeped in agreement, then added a comment of its own.
Arryn slipped on her headset and began the takeoff procedures. "You want to be called 'Righty?'" She grinned. "That just means I trust you'll be right all the time." The droid was silent for a moment, as if contemplating its new responsibility, but then gave a cheerful sound of agreement.
The Jedi were quickly airborne and in no time connected with their respective hyperspace rings. A few hours later, the daunting presence of the star destroyer Negotiator came into view, momentarily taking Arryn's breath away. "It's huge," she breathed.
"It's capacity is nearly 50,000 passengers," replied Obi-Wan over the comm.
"Well…it should strike some fear into the hearts of the Separatists…assuming they have one, anyway."
"Well said, Padawan. Alright, follow me into the ventral docking bay."
The two ships arced gracefully into the depths of the larger craft, landing in their designated ports with practiced ease. A welcoming committee of Commander Cody and several of his men were waiting in the docking bay.
"General Kenobi," said Cody. "It's good to have you back, Sir."
Obi-Wan smiled as he jumped down from the wing of his fighter. "It's good to be back, Cody."
"Who's this?" the clone asked, as Arryn came to stand next to her Master.
Obi-Wan put a hand on Arryn's shoulder. "A permanent addition to the Third Systems Army. This is my new Padawan, Arryn Mindalen."
Cody gave Arryn a cursory look, and with a chilled tone, said, "Commander Mindalen."
Arryn raised her chin, as if to send the message that she was not a child and would not tolerate being treated as such. "Your reputation precedes you, Commander Cody. I look forward to working closely with the Third Systems in the near future."
The men gave pointed looks to one another. Obi-Wan's grip on her shoulder tightened. Relax. They are not your enemy. "Well, we have much to do, and not much time in which to do it," said Obi-Wan. "Admiral Block is on the bridge, I presume?
Cody nodded. "Yes, Sir. He asked that I escort you there upon your arrival. We should be rendezvousing with the Resolute within the hour. I understand the situation on Christophsis is not…ideal."
"That is putting it mildly, but yes. Come, Arryn."
If the Negotiator was ever paralleled to a living being, the bridge was undoubtedly its heart and soul. Naval officers in crisp uniforms manned the comms and navigation consoles in their bays below the central walkway. The massive viewport gave way to a starry backdrop, which illuminated the bustling hub with an ethereal glow. Several officers, their insignias on their uniforms indicating high ranks, Arryn noticed, poured over a central datapad before one looked up and waved the others away.
"Ah, Admiral Block," nodded Obi-Wan in greeting. "What's the status on Christophsis?"
The Admiral gave a short bow of his head and frowned. "Not good, I'm afraid."
He inserted the chip from his datapad into the holoprojector and pointed to a large section of the crystalline city. "We have reports of a large contingent of battle droids in this sector, with tanks. We have our heavy cannons, which should be a relative match for them, but we'll need to get moving fast."
"Is the landing team prepared?" Arryn marveled at how quickly Obi-Wan the Jedi Master morphed into Obi-Wan the General.
"We've already got several squadrons on the ground, holding things at status quo for the moment, but without reinforcements, it won't last long."
"How soon until we rendezvous with General Skywalker?"
"Less than an hour, General Kenobi. I will let you know when we've made contact."
"Very well." Obi-Wan turned to leave. "Come on, Padawan."
Once Arryn trotted out of sight behind her Master, Block turned to his second-in-command. "A Padawan? In wartime? Force help her."
After a brief tour of the Negotiator, Obi-Wan settled in to his cabin to read the more detailed report on Christophsis. Arryn paced the length of the room, every so often glancing at her own datapad, trying to memorize every detail of the report.
"Is something wrong?" asked Arryn, glancing to her Master. Obi-Wan had closed his eyes and put two fingers on his temple to avert a migraine.
"No," said Obi-Wan, shaking himself from his reverie, and setting down the datapad. "I'm fine."
Arryn raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Really?" She didn't need to be Force-sensitive to know that something was wrong.
"Yes, Padawan," he replied with a ghost of a smile, a failed attempt at covering his reaction to the news on the datapad. "Why don't you show me some of the advanced Forceflow exercises Master Fisto taught you?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.
Arryn sighed. "Alright. But if I can help in any way…"
"-I promise you'll be the first to know. For now, you can help by keeping your senses finely attuned."
Arryn sat down, closed her eyes, and refined her breathing to focus only on the exhalations. Combining the alignment of her tall posture and the steady breathing, she looked ready to spring into action. She paused for a moment and opened one eye. "Then we did calisthenics and then moved to gymnastics." She looked around the room. "Um, the space is a little prohibitive."
Obi-Wan tilted his head sideways. "You're doing well. Remember when you find a knot of tension in your body- don't power through it. Relax, let it melt. Breathe into it. Your flesh remembers every pain, physical or emotional, that you have suffered," Obi-Wan said. "It is trying to protect you. Pain and fear compete with skill and awareness."
"Master Fisto gave a good analogy. He said that thoughts and fears are like giant boulders and the Force is the river rushing between them. Tension causes the river to grow so clogged with pain and regrets that the water can no longer flow."
Obi-Wan laughed. "Very good. That's what this training exercise is for. It's designed to remove those obstructions." He looked at the chrono on the wall. "Why don't you find a quiet place to do some battle meditation?"
"Sounds good. Call me if anything comes up?"
"Of course."
Arryn roamed the nearby levels of the Negotiator, trying to calm her nerves enough to get a few moments of effective meditation in before they headed down to Christophsis. She found an empty cargo bay and began the gymnastics from the Forceflow exercise earlier, finding a physical diversion for her mental concentration. She finished several routines and sat on a ledge, resting her chin on her knees, calming her mind despite the fact that she knew she'd be treading on the line between life and death in less than an hour.
One of the smaller access doors to the cargo hold opened and a lone trooper, a commander by his ranks, stood still with his eyes closed for a few moments.
"Cody?"
The clone trooper jumped. "Commander, I didn't see you in here."
"It's fine," she shrugged. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"You…didn't," said Cody, doing a poor job of covering up his surprise.
Arryn let it slide and gave him a small smile. "What were you doing?"
"The rest of the troops, my brothers…usually get riled up for battle en masse."
Arryn sat up. "But…you don't?"
Cody took a few steps over to her. "I've learned a thing or two from you Jedi. Meditation does clear the mind."
"Yeah, that's what I was trying to do too."
He studied her for a moment. "You're afraid," said Cody, standing in front of her, arms crossed.
"Fear isn't in my vocabulary," said Arryn, trying to put up a brave front.
Cody held her gaze sternly. "No, but it's in your eyes."
Arryn's smile faded. "I'd…be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I don't want do something stupid."
Cody pointedly tapped the side of his head with a finger. "It's fear that will keep you alive. It means the difference between life and death, victory and defeat. Remember that."
Arryn thought for a moment, internalizing, and nodded solemnly. "I will."
"I know you will." Cody gave her a small smile. "Commander."
Obi-Wan appeared in the doorframe. "General Skywalker has made contact. Let's go, Cody." When Arryn didn't immediately follow, Obi-Wan nodded at her. "You too, Padawan. It's time to get your hands dirty."
Christophsis must have been a gem of a planet, decided Arryn as she divided her attention between glancing around the ruin of her surroundings and listening to the report given by Anakin's clone commander, Rex. The tall buildings making up the centre of Crystal City were partially shattered, the wide avenues abandoned of any sort of civilian life, and the expansive ecosystem transformed into expansive piles of rubble, fortifications, and military barriers. Such a shame.
"We haven't come this far to let a few tinnies slow us down. There are still a few pockets of droids that our recon has placed here, here and here," Captain Rex explained, pointing at the center of a holographic map. "It won't be much longer before…"
An explosion cutRex short.
"Incoming," yelled a Clone voice from behind them.
"Yeah thanks, we noticed," said Rex under his breath.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Arryn immediately flew out into the open, dodging the heavy blaster fire emanating from an approaching wall of droids. Arryn cringed at the obnoxious staccato of their marching as they kept coming in waves.
The physical training courses at the Temple had to adjust their curriculum with the outset of the war. In addition to duels against opponents with lightsabers, endless hours were spent on techniques to eliminate the greatest number of battle droids without expending essential energy. She was suddenly grateful for all the exercises she'd previously thought mundane.
Rex and his platoon followed the landscape, using natural barriers to shield them from the battle droids. Anakin separated from Obi-Wan, Arryn, and Cody, thrusting his lightsaber into the metallic bodies of the battle droids, vaulting from one battalion to another, leaving behind a trail of molten scrap.
"There's efficiency…and then there's Anakin efficiency," said Arryn to Cody as they watched him in their periphery.
Between the Jedi ricocheting laser blasts back into the droids, and Anakin's handiwork, they quickly minimized the advancing Separatist force into a battle group who decided retreat was the better option and attempted to make their escape, but met their match with grenades thrown from all of Torrent Company and the Jedi.
Arryn switched off her lightsaber. "Well, I guess that's over."
"That seemed too easy," said Obi-Wan, sounding slightly concerned.
Anakin flashed a cocky grin. "Relax, if another group decides to push their luck and come at us, I'll pull out the acrobatics again and they'll be rubble in no time."
"That's what I'm afraid of," muttered Obi-Wan under his breath.
Cody came up beside them. "Sir, permission to send the shuttle back for supplies and troops?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Make it so."
After a brief respite to regroup and analyze the intel gathered by Torrent Company, the Jedi and Clones devised a few quick strategies in case another round of Separatists decided to try their luck. The break was short-lived, however, as Arryn heard a familiar monotone thump in the distance. She peered through electrobinoculars and felt her stomach drop as she saw octuptarra droids and heavy cannons accompanying the usual armada of tinnies.
"They're back!" Anakin called out.
"Oh blast it," swore Arryn, twirling her lightsaber hilt, ready to jump into action.
"Where the stang did they come from?" Obi-Wan thumbed his lighstaber to life. "They caved in too fast. We never should have sent the ship back for supplies." He swung his lightsaber in an arc to deflect a slew of incoming blasterfire. "That was some victory, Anakin."
"It wasn't my idea to send the ship back," Anakin said indignantly. "Master."
If the circumstances weren't so dire, Arryn would have savored that some things certainly hadn't changed since Sartinaynian. Despite his seniority, Anakin having had the same Master as Arryn made him more of her older brother than a true superior
Obi-Wan ignored his former Padawan's jibe. "Neither of us is perfect then- let that be our lesson. Second wave incoming. Stay alert."
"Rex, you and your men follow me," Anakin said, already dashing forward.
"Alright everyone, battle positions!" Obi-Wan ordered. He waited a brief, calculated pause, then raised a fist in the air to signal to his troops.
Arryn ignited her lightsaber. "Let's do this."
"And…Fire!" Cody yelled.
The cannons went into action, drastically intensifying the sulphuric smell of blaster fire in the air.
"Skywalker should have attacked by now!" Cody exclaimed.
"Don't worry!" Obi-Wan reassured. "He knows the plan!"
Arryn's jaw dropped as she saw Anakin's interpretation of his orders. "Holy…"
Anakin took a flying leap off the building nearest to them, landing solidly atop an octuptarra droid, his clone squad following to quickly penetrate the thick armor.
"Come on!" Yelled Obi-Wan, as he ran forward, his lightsaber held high.
The last octuptarra droid fell, and before she knew it, Anakin was in front of her, having executed his part of the plan with his usual finesse.
"We're going to need reinforcements," he said urgently. "Fast."
Arryn wiped her sweaty face with the back of her hand. "We lost so many that round. Not good at all."
"Let's hope this doesn't mean they're moving long-range artillery into place," Obi-Wan replied, with equal urgency. "We can't take much more of this."
The medics quickly went to work, tending the wounded clones out of the line of fire, and without warning, the sweet sound of the returning shuttle filled the air above the Republic's lines.
"Looks like help has arrived," Obi-Wan remarked, starting to walk towards it.
Arryn followed. "Hallelujah. It's about time."
"Looks like we're going to get our reinforcements," Anakin said, catching up with his former Master.
"Well, then it looks like our problems are solved," Obi-Wan said, an amused smile creeping its way onto his face. "Fresh troops, new supplies, and," he grinned evilly, "Perhaps they've brought a new Padawan for you."
"Hmph, this isn't the time or place to bring a Padawan. They'll only be a liability."
Arryn put her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed glare. "Uh, did you happen to forget about yours truly?"
"Well," Anakin admitted sheepishly, "Maybe they're not all a liability…"
Arryn punched him in the arm. "Mmhmm…that's what I thought."
Obi-Wan grinned innocently at his former student. "You weren't a liability. Well, most of the time anyway." He pulled ahead in a steady run. "You'd make a good teacher, Anakin" Obi-Wan said.
"No thanks," Anakin retorted with conviction.
"Anakin, teaching is a privilege," Obi-Wan said pointedly. "And it's part of a Jedi's responsibility to help train the next generation."
"A Padawan would just slow me down," Anakin said with a sigh.
Arryn lightly punched him again. "I'm right here, you know."
"I said slow me down, Scraps. I wouldn't dare speak for Obi-Wan."
Arryn turned worried eyes to her Master, silently asking if she was a burden, to which he responded no with a shake of his head before glaring daggers at Anakin.
The landing ramp of the Republic shuttle lowered and a Togruta descended from the ramp.
"A youngling...?" Obi-Wan mused, an eyebrow raised toward Anakin.
"Haaaah!" Arryn burst out, then clamped a hand over her mouth to stay the rest of her laughter. "Liability, huh?" She elbowed Anakin in the ribs.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asked rudely.
"Master Yoda sent me," The Togruta said. "I'm Ahsoka Tano." Arryn nodded as she recognized the name. They were not too far apart in age, but in different clans.
Ahsoka trotted down the ramp and looked at Anakin and Obi-Wan, her chin held high. "I was instructed to tell you to return to the Temple immediately. There's an emergency."
"Look, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bit of a situation right here," Anakin said bluntly.
"Our communications have been a bit unreliable," Obi-Wan said, trying to mitigate Anakin's tone. "But we have been calling for help."
"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message," Ahsoka said.
"Sent you?" Obi-Wan asked. "So where's the cruiser? Where are our reinforcements? Our support?"
"Wait, they don't even know we're in trouble?" Arryn exclaimed, putting her face in her hands.
"Maybe you could relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off," Ahsoka suggested.
They walked to the communications array in their makeshift base, where they put Ahsoka's plan to work. Arryn held her breath as the signal relayed through the cruiser attempted to connect, and suddenly a hologram of Master Yoda appeared at the center of the table. Yessss! She mentally cheered.
"Master Kenobi," Yoda's hologram greeted. "Glad Ahsoka found you, I am."
"Master Yoda, we are trapped here and vastly outnumbered," Obi-Wan said. "We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed."
"Send reinforcements to you, we will," Yoda said as his image flickered and the sound turned to static.
"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan called, as the hologram began to fade. "Master Yoda!"
"Great," Anakin murmured, frustrated.
Obi-Wan glanced at all three Jedi around him and put on a small smile."My apologies, young one," he said to Ahsoka. "It's time for a proper introduction."
"She's not going to be here long, Master," Anakin muttered.
"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan continued, ignoring Anakin's remark. "I assume you've already met Arryn, my Padawan, and heard of Anakin?"
"I'm the new Padawan learner," Ahsoka said with a nod of respect. "I'm Ahsoka Tano. I've been assigned to Master Skywalker," Ahsoka said pointing at Anakin.
Anakin's eyes went as wide as plates. "WHAT? No, no, no, no, there has got to be some mistake. He's the one that wanted the Padawan," he exclaimed, jabbing a finger at Obi-Wan.
"No," Ahsoka said to Anakin. "My orders were very specific. 'I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training'," she said smugly. Arryn liked her sass, but covered up a smirk with a hand. There was no need to outright infuriate Anakin any further.
"But that doesn't make any sense!"
"We'll have to sort this out later," Obi-Wan interrupted, choosing to ignore Anakin's glare. "It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons."
"I'll check on Rex on the lookout post," Anakin said with a sigh.
"Better take her with you," Obi-Wan said cheerfully. Anakin crossly motioned for Ahsoka to follow, to which she enthusiastically complied with a salute to Obi-Wan and Arryn.
"Welp, I think it's safe to say they make quite a team," Arryn remarked as soon as they were out of earshot.
Obi-Wan laughed and began following them to the forward command center. "That they do."
"Who's the youngling?"
Arryn restrained herself from laughing as she heard Captain Rex's blunt remark.
She and Obi-Wan were in one of the corners of the lookout post. Obi-Wan was futilely trying to get the communications signal, but Arryn was much too amused watching Ahsoka plow her way through the command of Torrent Company with more energy and enthusiasm than the Banking Clan on payday.
"I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan," Ahsoka retorted, putting out a hand. "The name's Ahsoka Tano."
"Sir, I thought you said that you'd never have a Padawan," Rex said to Anakin, shaking the girl's hand.
"There's been a mix-up," Anakin said. "The youngling isn't with me."
"Stop calling me that!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "You're stuck with me, Skyguy."
Arryn almost dropped the headset she held to one ear and Obi-Wan's eyebrows raised slightly. Skyguy? Arryn was cheeky to a certain extent, but she knew the boundaries of propriety, boundaries Ahsoka seemed to be smashing left and right.
"Skyguy," Rex said taking off his helmet and laughing. "Skyguy..."
"What did you call me?" Anakin demanded. "Don't get snippy with me, little one. You know, I don't think you're old enough to even be a Padawan!"
"I'm not a youngling. I'm fourteen!"
"And I'm ten," Rex said with a straight face. "But I'm tall for my age." He slapped a high-five to another trooper behind his back.
"Anyway, Master Yoda thinks I'm old enough," Ahsoka said with another smug smile.
"Well, you're not with Master Yoda now," Anakin said sharply. "He's light-years away. I'm here, it's me you've got to persuade. And seeing as I can't ship you back to Coruscant yet, you might as well make yourself useful. Rex will show you how a little respect can go a long way."
"Come on then," said Rex. Ahsoka, only slightly downtrodden at her rebuke, followed.
"That's going to be some pep talk," said Arryn to Obi-Wan, who'd been watching the exchange out of the corner of his eye.
"Indeed it will, Padawan." He tossed her a pair of electrobinoculars. "Time to check the perimeter."
"'Course. I'll let you know if anything's out of the ordinary."
A while into her assignment, Arryn felt a presence behind her and smiled. "Guess you survived unscathed," she said to Ahsoka.
She shrugged, nonplused, but clearly not in the mood to talk about it. "Anything special going on up here?"
Arryn tossed her the electrobinocs. "You tell me."
"Uhh…I think I see something." Ahsoka said, handing the electrobinoculars back. "A few kilometers due south."
"Oh vape it….that's an energy field," she replied, smacking the ground with her palm.
"An energy field?"
"There's no way our cannons can penetrate that. This is bad. Really, really bad. Let's go- we've got to warn the others now."
Obi-Wan stared at the holochart of Crystal City, his mind working furiously.
"It's difficult to pinpoint the generator accurately, but I'm guessing it's somewhere in this area," Arryn reported, "Probably within this radius." She illustrated the position on the map. "I think."
Obi-Wan sighed, realizing the Separatists' new plan. "The cannons are not going to make a dent in that shield, so we'll hold off on using the ordnance for now." Just like the Gungans versus the Trade Federation during the Battle of Naboo. Except the odds weren't in their favor- this time the enemy had the shield. "In the meantime, all we can do is try to engage them in confined spaces."
"We could draw them into the buildings," Rex said. "They've got to find us first before fighting us."
Arryn smiled, catching on to Rex's plan. "They can't fire their own cannon from inside the shield, so it's making their defenses work against them. I like it."
"If that shield is such a problem, why don't we just take out the generator?" Ahsoka asked, speaking for the first time. Her eyes darted between the map and her companions. "Or is it not that simple?"
"Correct. It's not that simple," Anakin said firmly.
"It's a suicide mission," Rex added. "I doubt I'd get many volunteers for that, and we'd lose plenty of great men."
"I could do it," Ahsoka said. "Let me try, Skyguy."
"You don't have to prove anything, little 'un," Rex said.
"I can do it," she repeated. "I'm small and I'm fast, where better to use Jedi skills?"
Anakin sighed. "I have to agree. That shield has to come down."
"Right then, perhaps you two could tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together?" Obi-Wan said.
"Can do, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka said quickly, her momentarily subdued ebullience returning once again.
"I'll decide what we can and can't do," Anakin reprimanded sternly.
"If Arryn and I can engage the Seperatists here," Obi-Wan pointed on the map, "You could get through their lines undetected here."
"We won't have much time," Arryn remarked, slightly nervous. "Our ability to hold them off will be limited without the use of our artillery."
"We'll take care of it," Ahsoka said cheerfully, finally taking her eyes off the map. "Come on, Master."
Cody lightly slapped Rex on the shoulder. "Good work," he whispered sarcastically with a gesture toward Ahsoka.
"If we survive this, Snips, you and I are going to have a talk," Anakin growled, already starting to walk away.
"Snips?"
"That's what you get for being snippy."
"That shield is certainly putting a crimp in my day!" Obi-Wan said, putting down his electrobinoculars with a frustrated thump.
"It was worth a try," Arryn shrugged.
"Tell the men to fall back," Obi-Wan told Rex. "At least it makes us look convincing… like we're retreating because we're in trouble."
"Sir, we look convincing because we are in trouble," Rex stated flatly.
Obi-Wan almost smiled. "Have we cracked their comm encryption yet?"
Rex placed false orders to the troops through his helmet link, hoping any eavesdropping Seps would believe them.
"Yes, sir, we have" Rex said. "General Loathsom has given the order to go for our cannons. The shield front will be at this point in five standard minutes."
Obi-Wan gave Rex a small smile. "Do you believe in nominative determinism, Rex?" he asked.
"If my name was Whorm Loathsom, I'd prefer not to, sir."
Arryn snorted. "I'm sure his mother loved him."
The group was silent for a moment. "Alright, everyone keep your head down until the shield passes over us," Obi-Wan said, breaking the silence.
"What if they get captured, General Kenobi?" Rex asked quietly, breaking the silence. "General Skywalker and Ahsoka, I mean."
"We didn't have the resources to take the shield and we don't have the resources to extract them either," he replied. "We just have to trust that it won't come to that."
The shield passed over all their heads, making Arryn's sinuses prickle. "Let's do this," she remarked with a smirk.
"Stay away from those tanks, Padawan," Obi-Wan ordered, then he casually hopped off the balcony.
Arryn followed a split-second later, igniting her lightsaber as she leapt. They landed quietly, in between spider droids. Obi-Wan struck the first one down and, after ensuring Arryn was handling the situation, advanced with Rex and Cody close behind.
Arryn twirled the blade of her turquoise lightsaber and gracefully jumped atop an octuptarra droids, blocking the shots from its multitude of guns. With calculated aim, she efficiently wiped out each gun turret leaving the machine into a useless heap of metal.
"Fall back!" Rex yelled. "Retreat!"
"Arryn, get back! Now!" he called, seeing her slashing at the droids threatening the remains of the front line.
She nodded and moved back along with the clones. The blasterfire got even more intense, the smoke impeding her Force-enhanced sight. All around, droids were closing in on them. Oh this is not good at all.
A Separatist grenade exploded several meters from her position, the blast sending her clear across the battlefield in the street.
"Arryn…"
"I'm fine, Master!" Arryn exclaimed over the blasterfire. "Wind's knocked out of me, but I'm ok."
"They're right behind us, sir," Rex yelled, coming in. "They wiped out most of my unit. We had to pull out of there."
Another explosion rocked the ground. Obi-Wan grabbed Arryn by the arm and shoved her behind the remains of a console before taking cover nearby. "Get your men out, Rex," he said as Rex crouched behind the remains of a wall to their left. "Get back to our heavy ordnance."
"Sir, we're stuffed" Rex panted. "Unless we let the shields overtake the cannon, that is."
"Fire the cannons within the shield?" Arryn asked in a tone of panic.
"I know it'll direct the blast and the overpressure will cream us but we're dead either way unless Skywalker can kill that shield generator. Might as well take as many tinnies down with us as we can."
"It's not a suicide mission yet, Rex," Obi-Wan said sternly. "Not on my watch. Get your men out and defend those heavy cannons. Do everything you can to protect them. Arryn and I will delay the droids."
Rex and his men darted away without another word. Arryn remained on the ground, her head still a bit fuzzy from the grenade. Obi-Wan reflected laser blasts back into the oncoming droids until a single tank burst through the wall, sending rubble in every direction. The droids surrounded their retreat location and Arryn's mind quickly went into overdrive, trying to formulate a desperate escape.
A hatch opened at the top of the tank and Whorm Loathsom emerged. Nominative determinism, indeed. "You must be the infamous General Kenobi," he slurred.
Obi-Wan returned his lightsaber to his belt. "I surrender."
"What in the nine hells?" Arryn hissed under her breath. Obi-Wan silenced her with a cold stare. She sure hoped there was a plan- stalling for time would be tricky, and surrender certainly wasn't an option.
A pair of Super Battledroids approached them and demanded their lightsabers. Obi-Wan willingly acquiesced, but Arryn gave the tinny a murderous glare as he ripped it from her hand.
"Now, Master Kenobi, order your troops to stand down," Loathsom said.
Obi-Wan used the Force to levitate pieces of four large boulders to form a table and three seats. "General," he gestured, "Have a seat."
Loathsom narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Have you gone mad?" Arryn was starting wonder the same thing.
Obi-Wan flashed his most diplomatic smile. "I've conceded the battle. Now we simply have to negotiate the terms of surrender."
"Don't try any of your tricks, Jedi," Loathsom warned.
"Surely, there's no reason we can't be civilized about this," Obi-Wan said, oozing politeness. "It's a rare honor to meet one's opponent face to face." It took all of Arryn's self control to keep from laughing out loud. This was quite the trick.
Loathsom descended from the ramp and sat down on one side of the table.
Obi-Wan sat across him and with a glare, ordered Arryn to take the seat to his right. "You're a legend throughout the Inner Core," he continued.
"Thank you," Loathsom said, exhaling in relief. "The honor is all mine. I'm so glad you decided to surrender."
"Well, at some point, one must accept the reality of the situation," he said with a cough to add to his dramatic performance. "Might we have some refreshments?"
"You!" Loathsom barked at his personal droid. "Bring us something liquid."
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said with a polite smile. "Now, this shouldn't take long."
"…And of course, once you've taken custody of my troops, arrangements will have to be made for their food and shelter. Tell me, do you have enough supplies to-"
"Enough of this!" Loathsom bellowed at him. "You are stalling!"
Obi-Wan smiled, enjoying having the upper hand…he hoped. "Nonsense," he said, keeping his self-control. "General, there are numerous details to be discussed."
Loathsom was not having it. "Seize them!"
Two Super Battledroids obeyed, much to Arryn's chagrin. She was held an uncomfortable three feet above the ground.
"Unless you call off your troops, I will have no choice but to destroy you!" Loathsom yelled.
"Truthfully, I was hoping your shield would be knocked out by now," Obi-Wan remarked.
Right on time, the iridescent shield shimmered and disappeared.
Arryn exhaled deeply, "About time."
Obi-Wan smiled at her briefly then looked at Loathsom. "Oh well." He backflipped out of the droids' grip and quickly made rubble out of their droid captors.
Obi-Wan grabbed Loathsom and held him in front as a target while Arryn deflected the blasterfire coming their way.
"Don't fire!" Loathsom exclaimed, terrified.
"It would appear that something has happened to your shield, General," Obi-Wan said mockingly. "I think our terms of surrender need to be re-evaluated."
Arryn perched atop of one of the supply crates in the forward command centre, her master standing in front of her, arms crossed, keenly surveying the aftermath of the battle. They watched as a Republic gunship entered the airspace and neatly landed near them. Yoda stepped to the ground, gimmer stick in hand. Obi-Wan smiled and inclined his head. "Master Yoda."
Arryn jumped down from the crate and bowed respectfully, repeating her master's greeting.
"Good to see you two, it is," Yoda said with a small smile in return. "Worried I was, that too late we were."
"We held them off for quite awhile, Master," Obi-Wan said. "No need to worry."
"And young Ahsoka?"
Obi-Wan shared a look with Yoda that Arryn didn't understand. "He thinks he's not ready for a Padawan and is quite certain the arrangement was a mistake."
"Hmm. If not ready he is, then send Ahsoka back to the Temple, we can. But with Master Skywalker, that decision lies."
"Looks like we're about to find out now," Arryn said, shielding her eyes from the sun as another Republic gunship landed. Anakin and Ahsoka disembarked.
"Master Yoda," Anakin greeted, bowing. "Master Obi-Wan, Arryn."
"Trouble you've had, with your new Padawan, I hear," Yoda said.
"We were explaining the situation to Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly.
"Really?" Anakin said calmly.
"If not ready you are for the responsibility of a Padawan, then perhaps back to the Temple she should go..."
Anakin seemed to be thinking deeply, and struggling to keep his aggravation in check. "There are no problems, Master," he said. "Who could possibly make such a far-reaching judgment about a youngling's future in such a short time, anyway? That would be rash. Unfair, even. Ahsoka may be a little rough around the edges but with a great deal of training and patience," he emphasized for Ahsoka to notice, "She might amount to something."
"Mature your judgment is becoming," Yoda replied with equal calm. "Perhaps teach you she will, as much as you teach her."
Anakin looked like he was working hard to bite back his retort. "I shall do my utmost, Master."
"Then go with you she will, to the Teth System. Kidnapped Jabba the Hutt's son has been."
Anakin flinched in disgust. "You want me to rescue a Hutt?"
"We need the Hutts' support to win this war, Anakin" Obi-Wan said. "We need their space lanes reach the Separatists in the Outer Rim. It's that simple."
"Negotiate with Jabba, Obi-Wan and his Padawan will. To rescue his son and find the renegades that hold him hostage, your mission will be, Skywalker," Yoda said.
"Come on, Master," Ahsoka said cheerfully. "It doesn't sound that hard. I'll find Rex, and get the troops organized."
"Don't worry, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, clamping his former apprentice's shoulder. "Just teach her everything I taught you, and she should be just fine."
Anakin scowled as he bowed and followed Ahsoka.
"Let's just hope that Anakin's ready for this responsibility," Obi-Wan said as soon as Anakin was out of earshot.
"Ready he is, to teach an apprentice," Yoda said. "To let go of his apprentice, a greater challenge it will be."
Obi-Wan sighed in agreement then bowed, Arryn following suit. "Well, if we're to make a deal with Jabba the Hutt, we'd better not keep him waiting," Obi-Wan said, putting a hand on Arryn's shoulder and walking towards their ship.
"Master, I have a question," said Arryn with a knowing smile. "Ahsoka…giving Anakin an apprentice…that was your idea, wasn't it?"
Obi-Wan smiled at her affectionately. "That, my young Padawan, is a trade secret. Shall we?"
A/N:
Hello lovely readers! I hope this was worth the wait! Up next, of course, will be Tatooine and Teth….then Ryloth, Alderaan, and a fun adventure I've enjoyed putting Arryn in. Stay tuned for more! (Oh, and please, please review?) And please check out Arryn's Tumblr at http:/ www. classicalbrunette. tumblr. com
Thanks to Evelyn Tempest Schneider, PurpleDolphinPlush, Phillio, and Skowler.
And, as always, to my writing-buddy JediMasterObi-WanKenobi! Okay…now you owe ME an update!