Greetings! New chapter in with some action! I want Sora to fulfill his mandate, but in a way that would look coincidental, so that's one reason I have not updated for a while. The other is multiple school projects, i.e Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, and ROTC. X-P The new Clone Wars was INSANE! Awesome! Just for a bit more clarification, this story also takes place before the new story arc. Anyhoo, get reading! I can't help but product place, but I also have an idea for my next story! It's called 24 Hours. Basically, it's the same 24 standard hours in the lives of (tentatively) nine senators on the Galactic Capital. It has great promise!
The room was lit from below by a hologram that spanned the entire floor. The magnificent vaults of indigenous stone soared high above, and the places where there should have been walls, were instead windows of transparisteel, reinforced with Mygeetan crystals so that they could stand with no metal support. They were simply immense, transparent walls.
But Ruune Haako had not built them to observe the scenery.
The rolling hills and deep jungles outside Naantray's walls were not a particular favorite of Neimoidians. To them, all wild represented a new opportunity for profit, either in a resort or mining. Strip mining, to be precise.
Yes, the Senate had passed a bill some years ago to prevent strip mining, but with Lott Dodd and Senator Free Taa's help, a loophole had been found, and profits continued to pour in and increase. Through another loophole, Free Taa had been squeezed out of his share, and the Trade Federation's wealth was further augmented. The rotund twilek had been outraged, and threatened to take the matter to the Senate, but Gunray called the bluff because if his involvement was revealed, the blue ball of fat's chances for reelection would plummet.
This explained Senator Free Taa's extremely pro-military attitude.
The real irony was that by continuing the war, he was still helping the Trade Federation.
On any other day, this would have brought a smile to Ruune Haako's face, but today was the exception.
The magnificent drapes were drawn against the light from outside, and he was focused on the full hologram of the rift valley that housed the main highway to Naantray. He knew it was the only vulnerable part of his defenses, so he had placed a droid outpost there to make sure the passage was watched.
What troubled him was that the outpost had not been responding to his calls.
He picked up a dial pad and punched in a few numerals.
It rang for several minutes.
The head of a battle-droid materialized in a hologram before him.
"How may I help you sir?"
"Put me through to Sora Bulq," he ordered.
"One moment please."
There was silence for a few seconds.
The Weequay Dark Jedi soon entered the hologram. "Yes, my liege?"
Was he mistaken, or did he happen to see Sora's lip curl with the word 'liege?'
"The outpost on the end of the Rift Valley has not responded to my calls," Ruune said.
"Really?" The condescension in Sora's voice was almost palpable. "How strange, I received word just a few hours ago that they were taken care of."
It could now be determined that Ruune had been dropped as a grub. There wasn't even one neuron in the Neimoidian's brain that wondered whether he should take the Dark Jedi's word (or any Dark Jedi's words) on faith.
"Perhaps my communications array is damaged. I shall send some droids out to investigate."
Miles above in space, Sora hoped that the look of disbelief he bore would not show over the hologram. He had dealt with stupid people before, Nute Gunray for one, but this was ridiculous. "Very good. Now, I have business to attend to. Sora out."
XXX
Ahsoka sat on a log. The moss was soft, as was the wood itself. Everything about Koru Neimoidia seemed soft. The constant soft rain, the feathery branches of trees, the coo of pylat birds in the bushes, even the dirt at her feet was soft.
And soft brought an image back to her mind.
An image from yesterday.
Deep, clear blue irises, tinged with purple. Beautiful eyes. Codi's eyes….
NO! Her subconscious Jedi engrained brain screamed in protest. You aren't allowed to have attachment you fool! He doesn't want to know you! He hates the world! You remember how he treated you! Why are you thinking like this?
Because you feel that something. He's deeper than the hate. You just have to see past it.
Think of the consequences if you don't nip this in the bud! You'll fall in love, you two will meet secretly, it'll get complicated, someone will find out, and both of your lives as you know them will be over!
It was almost as if Barriss had hacked her neural interface.
And she knew that, as usual, Barriss was right.
But she didn't want to hear Barriss. She didn't want to hear anything. She prayed to some higher power that something would interrupt her musings.
"Ahsoka!"
Thank the Force for Anakin. She opened her eyes to watch her master approach.
"Is something up, Master?" Ahsoka inquired, standing and dusting off her leggings.
"Yes," he answered. "We're breaking camp. Master Tone wants us to be out of here in a standard hour."
The news couldn't have been better. Something to help keep her mind off him.
Because Jedi travel light, and Ahsoka was packed and ready in five minutes, and set about helping the clones tear down the tents and pack gear.
Fox was helping Appo organize the weapons, making sure that the chain-guns were accounted for. Rex and Tone's clone commander, Pulsar, were packing the gear into a UT-AT. She and the clone captain, Bastion, were gathering up tents.
The canvas was very dense, and very heavy. She and Bastion were folding the things rather efficiently, and were about to finish folding the last one, when another clone called for him.
He looked back at her, seemingly for permission. "Go," she said. "I can handle this."
"Are you sure? These things are pretty unwieldy…"
Ahsoka was touched by his concern. "I've got it. Don't worry."
Making the final fold and handing it off to her, Bastion hurried off, kilt flapping in his wake.
As soon as he had let go, the full weight of the canvas was on her, and she realized just how heavy the sheets of fabric were.
She stifled a grunt as Bastion left and began to stagger towards the AT-TE. It was quite an arduous journey. The water-proofing agents in the fabric made the sheets very slippery, and the mud generated by the sudden surge of foot traffic was not helping. She was within as few feet of the open AT-TE, salvation within her grasp, when she felt the fabric begin a voyage of no return. She tried to brace herself and catch it, but the mud refused to support her and slipped out of the way. Time moved in slow motion as she realized that she was about to face-plant in the mud. She could only imagine the jeers and humiliation it would bring. The absolute horror of it all.
Then it stopped. The sensation of falling was replaced by one of support.
Either she had found a new muscle, or someone was holding it up with her. She suspected the latter.
"Thank you," she sighed, peering around the wall of fabric, expecting to see a clone.
"You're welcome," was the warm reply, but the voice was not a clone's.
Her head rounded the corner just as her assistant's did.
It was not a clone.
It was Codi.
She felt she might die of shock. She felt as if ninety percent of her blood had suddenly left her body and gone into her face.
He appeared equally as stunned, obviously also expecting a clone. His mouth hung open, mouth completely dry.
Then his expression soured. His brows knotted and his eyes grew dark and stormy.
As usual.
"You should be more careful, Tano."
There was that sneer again. Ooh, it made her blood boil! The blush on her face was one of anger now.
"I'm sooo sorry to inconvenience you," she spat.
"You should be thanking me," he snarled. "If not for me, you would be burbling in the muck by now."
"Maybe I would have preferred that to having some stuck up self-centered git help me."
"Shall I aid you in that endeavor?"
"If you want it to be the last thing you ever do!"
"It's shameless the way you two flirt."
Both Togruta's hearts froze in their chests, and all color fell from their faces. They turned their heads slowly, almost horrified at what might be seen.
Somehow, Ahsoka knew that Rex was smirking beneath his helmet.
Codi was spluttering like a broken pipe, trying to make a coherent sentence. "How dare…you impertinent…I should…you're going…!"
This, if anything, seemed to amuse the clone more. He readjusted his pack and continued on his way towards another AT-TE, leaving Codi sputtering for a few seconds more, before he decided to shut up.
The two carried their tent to their AT-TE without incident because of Rex's comment. The seed of doubt had been planted in their minds, and they did not want to risk more comments from the clones. As soon as Codi had put down the canvas, he was away, and he did not look back.
It was partially insulting, but more relieving to be rid of his presence, Ahsoka thought. He was intoxicating. More and more she found her mind wandering back to his face, the clear, blue eyes she had once seen, the smile, the NO! No, I will not start thinking that again. There is work to do.
She started back into camp and saw her master and Master Tone bent over a hologram. She could not see what it was, but the two looked rather jovial about it. Seeing her master jovial usually gave Ahsoka the shivers because his sense of humor was rather sadistic.
Shrugging it off (and hoping for the best) Ahsoka moved on to find where she could be helpful.
"General!"
Fox's voice came from behind her, and she turned to see what he wanted. He trotted up to her side and dipped his head in greeting. "Sir, Masters Tone and Skywalker have requested your presence at the lead UT-AT," he said, gesturing over his shoulder.
Ahsoka nodded in thanks and moved in the direction Fox had pointed. When she arrived, she saw Codi was standing next to his master, not looking very pleased. She was not exactly thrilled to see him again in such a short span either.
Anakin beamed when Ahsoka arrived at his side. "Ahsoka, we have had a change in plans."
"Oh?" This didn't sound good.
"Our clone intelligence has detected a small platoon of droids in the valley," Master Tone said. "Seeing as how well you dealt with the outpost, I have deemed you to lead a preemptive strike against the droids with…"
Please don't say it, please don't say it, please don't say it…
"With Codi."
He said it.
"Masters," she said, hoping her voice would not betray her anger "I think that I am more than qualified to lead this mission myself…"
"But the two of you work very well as a team," Anakin interrupted. He moved in closer and whispered into the section of her lekku that served as an ear. "and a lesson in humility would do you both good."
Ahsoka bristled, but swallowed her anger. "Very well Masters. When do we leave?"
Master Tone grinned rather evilly. "Right now."
Several minutes later, Ahsoka found herself walking alongside an AT-RT driven by Rex and the AT-TE allowed to them. Codi was father ahead. They had established a "if you don't talk to me, I won't talk to you" agreement soon after they had left. Their actions had, if anything, boosted the clone's morale, and they were almost skipping down the path. They were crossing a stone bridge that spanned a wide chasm. The droids were going to be on the other side. S
This whole thing is getting out of hand,she said herself. It waqs one thing to have a crush. Aayla Secura herself had had one for the esteemed Master Fisto, but theirs had broken off long ago, and it hadn't started like this. Or had it? All Aayla had said about it on Maridun was that he had "breathed for me." Then she got a misty look and Ahsoka had deemed the time to leave was then, before Aayla got into any "big girl" talk.
But this was completely different than that. This was completely different from anything she had felt before. She wanted it, she wanted to embrace it, to make it real. But then again, she hated herself for it. He wanted it to end, to stop the conflict, and be herself again. But she knew that it would not happen. This feeling, this conflict was beyond her control now. And it would not stop until, as Barriss put it, "completes itself." But what was completion?
"General, the droid's position is up ahead."
As usual, the clones came to rescue her from her musings.
She nodded and gestured for the clones to spread out. The AT-TE would take point, and blow up the droids with one shot. If any escaped, the clones would pick them off.
A thick tree-line separated the clones from the droids. She could hear them through the trees, but said foliage kept her from sensing them with her montrals.
Then, she found herself looking at Codi. It was as if her head had a will of its own, defying her brain's orders to look ahead at the droids. There he was, poised like an akul, ready to spring for the kill, jaw muscles tight and anxious. It seemed as if he might explode with so much tension.
He gestured for the AT-TE to move in. Slowly, it extended its barrel through the wall of foliage. Ahsoka was able to bring her thoughts away from the Togruta across the AT-TE from her to look at the barrel. She could imagine the shock of the droids as the barrel made itself known by letting off a single and devastating shot. She waited for the trigger to be squeezed and the plasma bolt to soar through the air and explode, but no sound came. It seemed like ages, and no sound came.
Then a clone popped up from the hatch on top. "Sir, there aren't any droids!"
"WHAT?" the phrase was recited in unison by the troopers.
Ahsoka drew her lightsaber, ignited it, and sliced through the screen of plants.
No droids. Not even a gear.
What was…
KA-BOOOOM!
The forest shook. Limbs, leaves, and whole trees fell to the ground. Pylat birds took wing, squawking in alarm. Rodents scurried from their dens and fled. The clones and two Jedi were knocked off their feet. The smell of burned tibanna and stone dust filled the air. The sonic repercussions screamed in Ahsoka's montrals. She screamed in agony, falling to the ground and writhing in pain as the tissues in her montrals shook, but none could hear her as the roar went on. Codi was on his knees in a similar condition, not screaming, but snarling like a feral animal. The clones were on their feet immediately and battling against the maelstrom, weapons shouldered. But the dust was too thick, and all they could do was wait and listen to the moaning of the Jedi Padawans on the ground. By the time the two had recovered, the dust had settled, and the damage could be seen.
The bridge they had just crossed, was no more. Completely obliterated.
Silence followed. No one spoke.
Codi's com-link rang. He brought it to his mouth and pressed the reccieve button.
A hologram of B'dard Tone resolved. "Padawan, status!"
"None injured," Codi said. "But there were no droids, and the bridge is out."
"The bridge?" Master Tone looked shocked. "But the bridge was secured weeks ago, it is the fastest way to Naantray!"
"Is there another way?" Codi inquired.
"Around the high hills through the path in the Jungle."
"Can we rendezvous with you?"
"No," Tone said. "You are on a plateau, and the bridge was the only way onto it."
Codi sighed. "What do you suggest we do Master?"
B'dard placed a cybernetic hand to his chin. After a while, he said "Go ahead of us and get to Naantray. We have nineteen days, so my forces should get there on time, but yours will get there first. See if you can procure a good position and usable intel."
Codi nodded. It was the first time that he had not argued with his master for a very long time. "Yes, sir, Codi out."
And then it dawned on Ahsoka. She would be alone, with him for nineteen days. No master to retreat to, no tent across camp to hide in.
She was, in effect, trapped with him.
And his expression showed that he knew it too.
XXX
"My Lord," Sora Bulq said, kneeling before the hologram of Count Dooku. "The younglings have been separated from their masters, as you requested."
Dooku smiled. "Excellent my apprentice. See to it that they be given enough combat to keep this from looking too well planned, but little enough to give them time to think."
"Very good, my lord."
OoooOooooh! The wheels are set in motion. Sorry that this took so long to be uploaded, but developing characters and lacing in plot and keeping up with school is very hard. Liked it? Plz review!