Legacy Rising
Chapter 6
You don't have to be blood to be family.
21 BBY, Tatooine, Teth, Coruscant
Arryn read the report her fighter's navicomputer generated on their destination. "Well, I think it's safe to say Tatooine is not my first choice of vacation spot."
"Mine either," replied Obi-Wan from his own fighter.
"Isn't Anaki- uhh, I mean Master Skywalker, from here?"
"Yes. From Mos Espa, nowhere near where we're going."
"I just don't understand how a planet can function around slavery. It seems so barbaric."
"I know, Padawan. And for us to have access to the Hutts' spacelanes, we're going to have to overlook that for the time being."
Ugh, she sighed. "It's frustrating when morals and war seem to be mutually exclusive."
"I don't disagree with you, Arryn. But we do the best we can."
"I guess so," she grumbled, unsatisfied with the response.
The Jedi descended into the atmosphere of the desolate desert planet. Jabba's palace was easily spotted in the landscape. The fortress in a sea of sand rose ominously among the dunes. Arryn shivered at the sight. Obi-Wan landed his Delta-7 first with Arryn following, and she popped the hatch, desperately hoping Jabba wasn't home.
She sighed and pulled on her cloak as she stepped out of her starfighter and followed Obi-Wan across the sandy landscape. As they approached the main gate, a mechanical eyeball popped out of a hole in the thick durasteel door, clearly examining the Jedi.
Obi-Wan said, "We are the Jedi requested by the mighty Jabba to help locate his son." The eyeball zoomed in, then, satisfied that they were not an enemy of the revered Hutt, allowed them to pass. Arryn lifted the hood of her robe over her head, exchanging a wary glance with Obi-Wan as the huge gate lifted. A TC-70 protocol droid teetered down the passageway toward them, joined by three slobbering Gamorreans.
"We should not keep the wise and powerful Jabba waiting," the droid said. If the circumstances were different, Arryn would have enjoyed the protocol droid's clear brainwashing.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Obi-Wan said with a polite smile.
Arryn nervously glanced at all the strange creatures around them. The Gamorreans still kept an uncomfortably close proximity, their vibro-blades almost touching her back, not to mention their noxious stench made her stomach turn. To make matters worse, she couldn't take her eyes off the grimy walls, the grungy dark passageways leading off of the main thoroughfare, and foul meer rats scuttling along.
Music emanated from the main chamber, where Jabba sat on a raised platform, drinking some vile green liquid from a glass sphere. A kawakian lizard-monkey howled his laughter when a dancer missed a step, distracted by the presence of the Jedi. The courtiers, creatures from all over the galaxy, immediately hushed their banter when they, too, noticed that the Jedi had entered the room.
Obi-Wan surveyed the room and held each creature's gaze, daring them to try anything. Arryn marveled at how efficiently he changed the dynamic of the chamber. It was times like these that Arryn remembered she still had much to learn.
"Clear the chamber," shouted Jabba in Huttese. Arryn was relieved that her Huttese comprehension skills had not completely diminished. "Get out. Leave us!" The courtiers and ne'er do well scum from the corners of the galaxy fled from the chamber as if it were on fire. If the situation had been different, Arryn would have laughed out loud at the sight.
Obi-Wan waited patiently until Jabba was satisfied they were alone, then gestured for him to speak.
"Mighty Jabba, I've come to report personally on our efforts to find your son. One of our most powerful Jedi is on his way to rescue him," Obi-Wan said to Jabba in perfect Huttese.
Jabba gestured to his protocol droid. The TC-70 tipped a nearby crate over, spilling heads of numerous bounty hunters on the tiles. Most of them rolled out with sickening thumps. Arryn gasped, and it took all of her restraint not to pull a hand to her mouth. Her master didn't even flinch.
"That," said Jabba, "is what befell the last experts who were looking for my son."
Obi-Wan studied the heads impassively then raised an eyebrow.
"I think our man will be harder to separate from his head," Obi-Wan said dryly.
Normally for such insubordination, Jabba would have fed him to his pet rancor in the cage under the chamber, but he needed the Jedi's cooperation. "You'll find Rotta and return him to me," Jabba continued. "And there's an extra condition if the Republic wants free passage through my space lanes. Bring me the scum who kidnapped my son."
"Dead or alive, Mighty Jabba?" Arryn asked.
"Either," Jabba replied. "But alive would give me greater satisfaction." The Kowakian Monkey-Lizard at the foot of Jabba's platform howled with laughter at the comment.
"We understand," Obi-Wan said.
"See that you do. Because if you can't do the job, then Count Dooku and his droid army will."
Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed at that afterthought, but not enough for Jabba to notice a slight shift in his cool demeanor. "We'll do it."
"You have one planetary rotation to finish the job," Jabba continued. "A Tatooine rotation."
"It will be done, Lord Jabba," Obi-Wan said. "Now, in anticipation of that, may we discuss terms?"
Jabba glanced at his droid and drooled, a thick trail of slime pooling on the raised platform in the chamber. Arryn almost flinched at the sight, but was able to barely keep her composure, though her stomach could not say the same.
"We may."
"I had no idea you spoke Huttese, Master," Arryn remarked as she and Obi-Wan trekked back to their ships to contact Anakin. She was more than grateful to be out of the palace.
"I'm just full of surprises. Your Huttese was quite good, as well."
"It's been awhile," Arryn said with a grin. "I haven't had a lot of time recently to sneak around Coruscant and pick up or practice any languages. Not to mention I got the fear of Master Windu's wrath upon me the last time I did that," she finished with a grin.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "You try any of those antics again and you'll have more than just the fear of Master Windu's wrath to deal with."
Arryn laughed. "Believe me, I know. Anakin's told me about some of his more, shall we say, esoteric hobbies…as well as your reactions to them. And besides, when would I really have the time?"
Obi-Wan sighed. Just as he'd expected, Anakin was going to be a bad influence. "Oh, I don't doubt you'd find some. R4, contact Anakin," he said, once they'd reached the starfighters.
Anakin's hologram appeared atop one side of Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor, Ahsoka not far behind him.
"All right, Anakin, here's the story," Obi-Wan said. "Jabba has given us only one planetary rotation to get his son back to Tatooine."
"One day to find the kid?" Anakin blanched. He was silent for a few seconds, mulling over the news. "Won't take us that long, Master," Anakin's hologram said with a half-smirk.
"Well, take extreme care," Obi-Wan said, used to his former apprentice's vast attitude shifts. "We have no idea who's holding Jabba's son. Arryn and I have finished negotiations. We'll be joining you soon."
The hologram faded away. Arryn stepped onto her wing and climbed into her ship, desperate to get off the desert wasteland as soon as possible. Both Interceptors lifted off the ground, sending dust in every direction. She sighed as she affixed her comm on her head; even Christophsis was better than Tatooine.
Arryn and Obi-Wan entered the rear hangar of their cruiser, landing in their usual bays. Obi-Wan stepped out first, to a waiting Commander Cody.
"Tell Admiral Yularen to get under way," he ordered Cody. "We need to reinforce Anakin."
"Yes, sir!" Cody snapped a salute and quickly walked out the hangar with a few of his men in tow.
Arryn patiently awaited orders.
"Alright, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "Take temporary command of Blue Squadron. You know what to do?" He asked, eyebrow arched.
"Yes, Master," Arryn nodded soberly, jumping down from the wing of her Delta-7, walking towards the nearby group of clone pilots. They'd discussed the plan on the return flight. Obi-Wan nodded and went to brief his own squadron.
The clones saluted at Arryn as she stood in front of them. Being surrounded by the group of well trained, highly skilled, and wildly successful pilots made her feel even more petite than her 1.55m stature. Not to mention this was her first time in command of a squadron, albeit temporary. There is no room for a learning curve during wartime, she reminded herself.
"All right everyone, listen up." Arryn said, standing on a supply crate. "We're reinforcing General Skywalker on Teth, here at the palace." She brought up a holographic map of their target. "Our cruisers and corvettes have enough firepower to delay the Sep starships. The heavy freighters will descend with the gunships to deliver the reinforcements. Once you've gotten past the Sep blockade, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. The coordinates will be sent to you. And then…vape as many of those droids as possible."
"Where will you be, Commander?" A pilot asked.
"Right there with you, sending those kriffing clankers to the bottom of Teth," Arryn replied with a grim smile. "Just don't leave a big mess…I'll be cleaning up after, I'm sure."
A few chuckles came from the group.
"Ready to send the Seps back to where they came from?"
"Yes, ma'am!" came a dozen replies.
"Good luck," Arryn said, saluting her troops, making eye contact with each one of them. "And may the Force be with you," she muttered under her breath.
Arryn climbed back into her refueled starfighter. Obi-Wan nodded to Arryn as he and Red Squadron blasted out of the hangar. With a deep breath, Arryn- and her squadron- followed.
From below the atmosphere, Teth was landscape dotted with war. Landcruisers, walkers, SBDs, and clones covered the lush ground. Arryn tried not to think of the members of her squadron that hadn't survived the journey from the cruiser to the surface. The Seps had been waiting and it was not a pretty sight.
"This is Blue Leader. I've got to head down there and take care of some Seps," she said over the comm. "Blue 1 is in command of this squadron now. Nice to work with you all. Keep vaping clankers and may the Force be with you."
She switched to another channel. "I'm here, Master. Where should I- oh." She saw her master's Delta-7 already on its way back without him in it. He was already on the ground. "I'll be right there. Righty, take over," Arryn told her trusted astromech as she jumped out of the cockpit and front-flipped to the ground, lightsaber blazing to deflect the barrage of basterfire from a unit of droids. They made swift work of the Sep droids, Force-pushing them left and right, and destroying the tank of fuel necessary for their operation.
"Where's General Skywalker?" Obi-Wan asked over the blaster fire.
"Last I heard, he was still in the castle, sir!" Rex replied.
Arryn confusedly looked around for a castle, to which Obi-Wan gestured upward, where a massive cliff climbed to the heavens at a steep ninety-degree angle. "Oh."
The Jedi scaled the cliff with grappling devices to propel them upwards quickly. Once atop the plateau, Obi-Wan gestured at the entrance of the monastery with his lightsaber hilt, and Arryn nodded, following him inside.
She slipped her hand around the hilt of her lightsaber, feeling a prickling unease in the Force. She tightened her grip on her hilt as they headed further into the bowels of the ancient building, the feeling of evil growing more omnipresent by the minute. The darkness inside the palace did nothing to quell her nerves. Her breathing quickened when a pair of red lightsabers ignited right in front of them. Arryn felt faint as she recognized the figure in front of them, still shrouded in the darkness. Asajj Ventress.
"Master Kenobi!" Ventress' silky voice greeted them. "Always chasing after Skywalker. How predictable."
"Anakin leaves quite a mess," her master replied. "Which always leads me to you."
"You're late though," the voice continued. "Hasn't anybody told you to never keep a lady waiting?"
Obi-Wan reacted with a smirk. "Anakin stood you up then, Ventress?"
Now, Arryn saw Dooku's evil assassin. She was a tall woman with translucent skin and a face with sharp features, no hair, and cold, calculating eyes. Arryn's knuckles whitened at her grip tensed on her lightsaber.
"Take them!" she barked at her pair of Super Battledroids that emerged from the blackness behind her.
Arryn and Obi-Wan deflected the blasts easily, sending them ricocheting around the palace.
"I heard you got a Padawan," Ventress snickered, pointing one of her sabers at Arryn. "You Jedi must be desperate if you're sending that into war!"
Arryn was a meter away from Ventress and looked ready to pounce, desperate to take on Ventress herself. With an icy smirk to match her opponent, she sweetly asked, "Well that can do this!" She suspended both SBDs in the air with the Force and brought them down upon Ventress' lightsabers, effectively slicing them in half. "Oops…I know you didn't mean to destroy your own droids now, did you?"
She felt a light breeze, and when she whirled around, Ventress was gone. "Kriff!"
"Arryn!" Obi-Wan said urgently. "Listen to me. Ventress is not to be underestimated." Obi-Wan reprimanded sternly. "While that move was cheeky, remember that she has the ability to do the same to you, Padawan."
The reality of the situation hit Arryn. "Oh." Obi-Wan nodded once with eyebrows still sternly raised to bring the point home.
He turned back to the tunnel leading from the antechamber. "Alright Ventress," he called. "We know you're here. There's no point in hiding. I feel your frustration. You must be after Jabba's son, too."
Ventress yelled angrily and slashed at both of them as she jumped out from nearby.
Arryn took a step back on her left foot, trying not to let her shock at how strong Ventress was show on her face. She held her lightsaber vertically in front of her body, blocking one of Ventress's lightsabers while her master was blocking the other.
"You'll have to do better than that, my darling," Obi-Wan said soothingly. Arryn was shocked at the taunt. Clearly Ventress and Obi-Wan had a history.
Ventress scowled deeply and backflipped. Arryn diagonally slashed at Ventress's hip, but the swing was blocked by an elegant parry.
Arryn glowered at her and forcefully swung her blade at Ventress's shoulder, intentionally ignoring the disapproving glance Obi-Wan threw her way. Ventress crossed both her blades, forcing both Obi-Wan and Arryn's blades to cross too.
Arryn pulled hers away and somersaulted above Ventress's head, narrowly avoiding a deadly slice as she was in the air. She landed lightly and swung horizontally at Ventress's neck.
Ventress raised her blade vertically and easily blocked the swing, then pushed Arryn away easily blocking the perfectly delivered attacks from Obi-Wan. With a flick of her wrist, she knocked the hilt of Obi-Wan's saber away from his palm. As it sailed through the air, Arryn gasped, and it landed on the inlaid marble floor with a clatter.
"Well, now I'm impressed," Obi-Wan said with a terse smile.
Arryn vaulted herself into a frontflip, landing next to him, lightsaber at the ready. She swallowed her nerves. This was not going to be easy.
Obi-Wan called his lightsaber back to his hand with the Force and began once again. Ventress slashed and attacked with all the force in her lithe body. Her flexibility astounded Arryn, who worked harder than ever to keep up with the fast-paced parried a strong attack, after which Ventress landed a force-enhanced kick on Arryn's stomach that sent her flying towards one of the marble columns encircling the monastery's chamber. Arryn's head hit with a loud crack, the air knocked out of her lungs, and fell to the -Wan gave her a quick glance, but continued to keep Ventress at bay. Arryn dragged her body off the ground, feeling like a ragdoll, but managed to shake the discomfort away temporarily.
Ventress raised her blade above her head, ready to strike a killing blow. "Now, you die..."
"Oh, I don't think so!" Arryn shouted, jumping in front of Obi-Wan, knocking the blade away. Ventress flew back, but, like one of the felinxes on Kuat, she landed on her feet.
Obi-Wan used the temporary distraction to call his lightsaber back to his palm and he quickly laid a reassuring hand on Arryn's trembling shoulder.
"Shall we continue?" he asked Ventress politely, pointing his blade at her.
"My pleasure, dear Obi-Wan," Ventress hissed.
Arryn scowled. Enough was enough. She swung at Ventress's knees fluidly, while her master slashed at her neck. Ventress hopped over Arryn's blade while using both of her own to hit away Obi-Wan's. Arryn aimed for Ventress's torso, but she parried in time, sending Arryn's blade an inch away from their original target.
Obi-Wan picked up speed, slashing and parrying in a graceful blur. He caught Arryn's eye briefly, and she nodded in return. They somersaulted to the balcony above in tandem, with Ventress a split second behind.
Arryn stood behind her master, catching her breath. Obi-Wan decided it was time to talk it out. "We know of Dooku's plot to turn the Hutts against us," he said in his dangerously pleasant voice. "It will not succeed."
"Oh really?" Ventress smiled, baring her pointed teeth.
Obi-Wan's voice turned to ice. "Even if you kill me, Dooku will be exposed."
"I don't think so," she said, with a leap upwards.
Arryn's mouth fell open. Kriff. The roof. Obi-Wan followed, so Arryn narrowed her eyes and warily trusted in the Force to make sure she actually landed on something solid. Ventress realized she was trapped and the three engaged in a standoff of epic proportions.
"You haven't seen your protégé's award-winning performance on holovid yet..." Ventress murmured.
"I'm sure he was magnificent," Obi-Wan replied evenly. "But there is one little snag."
"Go on," Ventress hissed. "The only way I'm going to shut you up is by taking one of your heads off. I'll let you two have your last moment on stage."
Obi-Wan looked up at the sky. "Feel it?"
Ventress scowled, taking a moment to concentrate. Realization dawned upon her and she pulled out a comlink. "Air Control, report! Where's the freighter?"
The battle droids on the other end couldn't come up with an answer, and Arryn's face burst into a grin. They'd done it!
"Tough luck, lady," Arryn said smugly. "Anakin's gone. With Jabba's son."
"You've failed, Ventress," Obi-Wan said loudly. "Somehow I doubt Dooku will be very pleased with you."
Ventress yelled angrily, "No! I always have a plan."
"Lay down your weapons," Obi-Wan ordered.
Ventress subtly pressed a hidden button on her wrist before she came back at them with her lightsaber raised. All three of them stood toe to toe, Ventress at an uncomfortably close proximity in front of them.
They could hear a vulture approaching and a sly smile crept onto Ventress's face. "No, I don't think so," she snarled.
Ventress grabbed Arryn's ankle and tossed her off the roof like a child's toy. Arryn had a flash of déjà vu to when Lucien Bartolimei threw her off the balcony during the initate tournament and she used her tried-and-true tactic of twisting in midair while Ventress landed on a vulture droid that had come to pick her up and flew away, cackling menacingly.
Oh holy kriffing sithspit, Arryn's heart beat a rapid tattoo as she tried to find something to land on. She shut her eyes and reached with the Force to grab the gutter of the roof, praying to every diety that she knew of that it would hold her weight. She made the mistake of looking down, unable to see anything but opaque cloud cover. "I am gonna die," she swore to herself.
"Arryn!" Obi-Wan steadied himself on the angled shingles of the roof and extended a hand towards her. "Grab my hand!"
Arryn shut her eyes again, feeling the gutter separating from the roof as it began collapsing from the strain. "I can't! I am going to fall!"
"Padawan, listen to me! You'll be okay. Grab my hand, trust me!"
Arryn took a deep breath, and let the Force guide her. She lifted her left hand and tenuously reached upwards. Obi-Wan grasped her wrist firmly and pulled her up as though she weighed about as much as a flimsiplast.
Arryn propelled herself up, just as the gutter gave way and tumbled to the clouds, and fell to her knees on the roof, breathing heavily. Obi-Wan looked down at her with concern.
"Thanks, Master." He put a supporting hand on her back as she stood up. "I'm okay. Just…need to catch my breath."
A few moments later, Arryn and Obi-Wan made their way out of the monastery, met by Rex and a cadre of troopers.
"Captain," Obi-Wan called to Rex, "I understand General Skywalker escaped."
"Yes, sir," Rex replied with a wincing smile. "On some beat up old space freighter. I'd be surprised if he even makes it to Tatooine in that junker!"
"Why does that not surprise me in the least?" replied Obi-Wan with an amused shake of his head. "Now let's get the rest of the Separatists out of here."
Arryn perched on the wing of her Delta-7, her chin in her hand. Obi-Wan tiredly walked over to his apprentice and smiled. "You look pensive."
Arryn straightened and gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah. I guess so. Rex said there was nothing more I could help with…" she tried to explain, hopping down from the wing.
"No, it's fine. They're nearly done with clean up. I was going to see how Anakin is faring."
Arryn snorted. "Hopefully that bucket of bolts has held together long enough to get Jabba's son back to Tatooine. I do not want to be dealing with a Hutt when he's angry."
Obi-Wan climbed into the cockpit of his ship and Arryn followed, leaning on the top rung of the ladder. "Anakin, have you reached Tatooine yet?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Almost there," Anakin replied. "We…ran into some old friends."
"Oh lord," said Arryn under her breath.
Obi-Wan somehow remained calm. "You cannot be serious, Anakin."
Anakin's holographic image shrugged. Ahsoka piped up, "At least we didn't get shot down! Right, Skyguy?"
"Hey now, this ship is too slow!" Anakin protested. "It's in desperate need of modifications."
Obi-Wan was unfazed. "There will be time for that later. We are almost done here, and then we can rendezvous with you on Tatooine. Just please get Rotta to Jabba in a timely manner."
Ahsoka gave a salute. "Will do, Master Obi-Wan!"
The transmission ended and Obi-Wan sighed. "I swear, he is going to be the death of me."
Arryn gave her master a mock glare. "You're supposed to be the optimistic General, remember?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "Guess I didn't read the Toydarian print when I signed up for the job."
The R4 unit gave a series of urgent whistles about an incoming communication. "Master Yoda and Chancellor Palpatine? Put them through."
Arryn straightened her rumpled tunic as the image of the little Jedi and the imposing Chancellor morphed in front of them.
"What is your status, Master Kenobi?"
"Anakin has reached Tatooine with the Huttlet, Master," Obi-Wan said."I'm quite certain this kidnapping was a Separatist plot to turn the Hutts against the Republic."
"The Separatists are going to prevent General Skywalker from making contact with Jabba," Arryn added.
"The question is, will Jabba believe Dooku?" Palpatine murmured, slowly shaking his head. "He's not the most trusting of beings, even for a Hutt, but if he were to actually listen to Dooku, the result would be disastrous."
"If believe this, the Hutts do, ended is our hope of a treaty with them," Yoda said with a frown. "Join Dooku and the Separatists Jabba will, yes."
"We cannot allow that to happen," Obi-Wan said. "The Republic will secure an alliance with the Hutts."
"Anakin will come through," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head emphatically. "If anything, he has more experience in dealing with Hutts than the rest of us."
"May the Force be with him- and with you," said Yoda with a nod.
Obi-Wan and Arryn bowed their heads and the transmission ended.
"You sounded quite sure of our victory there," noted Arryn.
Obi-Wan said, cutting the hologram. He turned to Rex, standing a few meters away. "Hopefully they were as convinced as you, Padawan. Let's get the troops back aboard the Integrity- we're setting a course for Tatooine."
Once they were deep in space, Arryn found her Master on bridge of the Integrity. Obi-Wan was quietly observing the stars filtering past the viewport, hands clasped behind his back. "You briefed the troops?" He asked without turning around.
"Yep," said Arryn, joining him. "They're in the mess now, grabbing some food before we arrive."
"Good." He gave her an approving smile. "You're getting the hang of things."
Arryn sighed. "I guess so." She was silent for a moment.
"Something on your mind, Padawan?"
Arryn frowned. "Can you tell me about Ventress?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "Asajj Ventress…is a very complicated individual. Let's walk down to the mess ourselves, and I'll tell you what I know."
Once seated at one of the long tables, Obi-Wan continued. "She hails from Dathomir and was once a nightsister, I believe."
"Nightsisters…they're witches, right?"
"Of sorts, yes. She was once a Jedi, you know." Arryn's face registered with shock. Clearly, she didn't know.
Arryn tapped her finger on her chin. "So that explains why she hates us so much."
"And it also explains why she is such a forbidable opponent. She knows how to harness both sides of the Force. As a child, she was sold into slavery on Rattatak, but Ky Narec found her and trained her as a Jedi. Word got out of Ventress' unharnessed powers, which spooked the Weequay warlords who had invaded Rattatak. They banded together and set out to kill Ventress and Narec, but only succeeded with Narec. Ventress killed twelve of the warlords in retaliation and built herself a castle from which she controlled the planet."
"So how did she end up with Dooku?"
"After Geonosis, Dooku went to Rattatak and met Ventress, who declared herself a Sith. And the rest, as they say, is history." Obi-Wan's comlink beeped. "Yes, Admiral?"
"We've reached Tatooine's orbit, General Kenobi," Yularen said. "And…Master Yoda's shuttle has just landed in the hangar bay."
"Master Yoda's here…?" Arryn asked questioningly.
"We'll be right there," Obi-Wan said, standing up and cutting the connection. "Come on."
Arryn dumped her mess tray and followed Obi-Wan down the ship's hallway and into the hangar bay, where a gunship was loaded and waiting. Master Yoda, escorted by Cody, met Arryn and Obi-Wan at the gunship.
"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan greeted.
"Good to see you both, it is," Yoda said.
"It's good to you see you too!" Arryn exclaimed.
They boarded the gunship and headed to the surface of Tattooine, as Obi-Wan filled Yoda in on the happenings of Teth. The gunship landed in the dunes by Jabba's palace and Arryn immediately caught sight of Anakin and Ahsoka. Jabba, holding the little Hutt in his arms, watched the rendez-vous from the entrance to his palace.
"Looks like you managed to survive Jabba unscathed," whispered Arryn to Ahsoka as the Masters conversed.
Ahsoka wrinkled her nose. "Dooku sent some…friends…to deter us."
"Oh lovely," Arryn replied faciteously.
"How'd you fare on Teth?"
Arryn fidgeted uncomfortably. "Not well," she said softly. "There were a lot of casualties."
"Oh," Ahsoka replied morosely. Anakin beckoned the Padawans back to the gunship, so the clones could take off.
"Master Skywalker," Yoda said, once they were aboard and in the air, "Thank you, the Republic does, for your efforts and for your victory."
Anakin nodded. "Of course, Master Yoda."
"Assigned your fleet will be, to the Bith System," Yoda said. "Ready to leave the Coruscant spacedock tomorrow, you will be. Enjoy the Temple tonight, you and your Padawan can."
"Any specific orders?"
Obi-Wan handed Anakin a flimsi Yoda had brought from Coruscant. "We have intelligence that the CIS intends to attack there next. You need to protect the staging area"
"Where are you going, Master?" Anakin asked, stepping off the gunship.
"Arryn and I are going back to the Temple, as well." Obi-Wan replied. "Actually, Anakin, if you could stick around for a moment, there is a matter that could use your attention."
Anakin nodded in understanding. "Padawans, go get some rest."
Arryn gave Obi-Wan a funny look. "Okay…"
Once they were out of earshot, Arryn said, "What was that about?"
Ahsoka shrugged. "No idea. But I am more than happy to obey this order!" Ahsoka waved as she headed to her bunk, and Arryn smiled in return. She was, in fact, exhausted.
The Jedi returned to Coruscant, where Obi-Wan and Anakin told Arryn and Ahsoka to meet them in the Room of a Thousand Fountains after the evening meal. Arryn, still leaden with exhaustion, had no idea what was going on, but complied without question.
Arryn perched on the large boulder at the edge of the lake and absently picked at a blade of tall grass while Obi-Wan looked at his wrist chronometer again and sighed.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Anakin- I mean...Master Skywalker- didn't forget," she said, trying to alleviate his apparent annoyance.
Obi-Wan folded his arms and regarded his new apprentice with a small smile. "Punctuality has never been one of Anakin's strengths."
Arryn smiled, and dramatically said, "Well, you're stuck with me now, and I happen to be habitually early." Her smile turned into a grin as she heard a familiar voice coming toward them. "Well, speak of the devil!"
Anakin's tall frame appeared on the path, with Ahsoka trotting a few steps behind him. He was carrying a wrapped parcel, and suddenly Arryn figured out why Obi-Wan had been so secretive. She tried to contain her excitement, but she caught Ahsoka's eye, who also had figured out why they were there, and the two Padawans exchanged a look of momentary giddiness. Arryn smoothed her features to their usual calm as Ahsoka took a seat on the boulder next to her.
"Sorry we're late," apologized Anakin.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "At least you didn't forget this," he said, tapping the parcel in Anakin's hands. Arryn elbowed Ahsoka, and they sat up straight in anticipation of the small ceremony they'd heard so much about from their older peers. The two older Jedi turned to face their apprentices. "Arryn, Ahsoka, there are certain privileges that come with the elevation in rank to Padawan," began Obi-Wan solemnly.
"One such privilege is the knowledge acquired by the Masters that have come before you." Anakin unwrapped the parcel to reveal a holobook, worn with time. "It is tradition for a Master to pass this down to their Padawan. Our line has never had two Padawans training simultaneously, so Obi-Wan and I pass it to you two to learn from and share."
He handed the book to Arryn, sitting nearest to him, and she opened it to the first page so Ahsoka could also see. In faded aurebesh, it read The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force. Ahsoka turned the page, and a list of names was scrawled down a column, keeping an impromptu log of the holobook's owners throughout the years.
"This is our line," whispered Arryn in awe. The list began with Yoda, who passed it to his Padawan, Thame Cerulian. Arryn looked up. "Didn't Master Yoda have a bunch of Padawans?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "The last time the book was reprinted was about 90 years ago, so Thame Cerulian received this version. I'm sure Master Yoda's other Padawans have different versions that they, too, have passed down."
"Count Dooku?" said Ahsoka, looking at the name placed below Thame Cerulian's. "He was..."
"Thame Cerulian's Padawan? Yes. And Obi-Wan's Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, was Count Dooku's Padawan," finished Anakin.
Arryn's mind reeled. She knew Count Dooku had been a Jedi- everyone knew that- but she had no idea that she was a direct Master-Padawan descendant of their very enemy. The thought sent chills down her spine.
Obi-Wan held out a stylus. "Would you do us the honor of adding your names?" Arryn nervously took it from him and put her initials on the line below Anakin's, then handed the stylus to Ahsoka. She paused for a moment, then wrote her name next to Arryn's.
Arryn's gaze clouded as she stared at the page before her. She and Ahsoka were in a line of very powerful teachers, that was for certain, but a seed of fear entered her subconscious, wondering how she could possibly live up to such astronomically high expectations. She would soon find out.
A/N: I'M SORRY! It's been far too long, hasn't it? I hope the long chapter makes up for the wait…somewhat. I do have a favour to ask of you all though... my plan was to do about 2 Clone Wars episodes before delving into the last three sections (which, don't worry, are basically already written... see, I haven't been slacking THAT much!). Which episodes would you like to see? Leave a message either in the review box or on tumblr and I will use your input!
Cookiemie and Noir Detective…Merci beaucoup!
Skipernicus…Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks so much!
Raven W. Blackwood and Braveryx11…First of all, thank you SO very much! You both practically read my outline! There will be much torture/near death in the future (it will explain Arryn's perspective of Episode III) and the last section will be about picking up the pieces of her shattered life (GAH that sounds so dramatic hahaha!)…stay tuned!
JMOK- My turn to give YOU an update! Thanks for being such an inspiration with this chapter and the last! I don't think Ary's story could have made it off the ground during the Clone Wars without the inspiration of Jaina! :)
Much love,
CB