Thank you to the 11 people who reviewed the last chapter and this chapter will cover "Bounty Hunters" so I hope that you like it. Also, I am sorry for the wait. I was planning on updating on New Year's Day but my Internet and computer decided to screw up on me so I couldn't watch the episode to refresh my memory of events until now. Also, the last part of the chapter is pretty lazily done but that's 'cause the stupid internet went stupid on me so I had to finish the chapter based on the Wookieepedia entry. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
Chapter 33
The Jedi shuttle glided through the silence of hyperspace and Jenica watched the mottled space. She and her master along with Anakin and Ahsoka were on their way to Felucia to check on the medical station that orbited the fungi-covered planet. The Republic had lost contact with the medical station and so the Jedi Council sent the four of them to investigate the matter.
Anakin was currently flying the shuttle with Ahsoka sitting next to him in the co-pilot seat; Jenica was sitting in the back with Obi-Wan, who looked deep in thought, at her side. She glanced at her master; her master hadn't said a word since they left Coruscant and she couldn't help but wonder what had him so deep in thought.
"Are you all right, master?" she asked green eyes examining her master.
Obi-Wan blinked. "I'm fine, Jenica," he said pulling himself from his thoughts.
"We'll be dropping out of hyperspace soon," said Anakin glancing over his shoulder at Obi-Wan and Jenica.
Obi-Wan nodded.
Jenica returned her gaze to the viewports of the shuttle as Anakin pulled back on the hyperspace lever and they dropped out of hyperspace near Felucia. He then guided the shuttle toward the planet but Jenica couldn't see the medical station anywhere.
"That's Felucia, dead ahead," Anakin said running his fingers across the console.
"But where's the medical station?" Ahsoka asked confused. "I don't see anything on my scanners. Wait, there's something."
Jenica glanced over Ahsoka's shoulder at the scanners before looking up at the floating Vulture droid stall just as it opened and released a multitude of Vulture droids.
"Vulture droids!" Jenica gasped.
"Hang on!" Anakin ordered before swerving toward the planet. The Vulture droids chased after them firing at them as Anakin swerved around to avoid the droids firing at them.
"Well, we know what happened to the medical station now," Obi-Wan said examining the Vulture droids as they continued to fire at them.
The Vulture droids blasters suddenly slammed into the back of the ship causing it to tremble violently as it listed to one side.
"This isn't good," Jenica cried holding on to her seat.
"They took out the plasma conduit," Ahsoka said gritting her teeth as she and Anakin attempted to level out the ship.
"This really isn't good," Jenica said.
Anakin guided the ship past the atmosphere of Felucia as they began to decelerate rapidly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked glancing over his shoulder at Obi-Wan and Jenica.
"No," Obi-Wan replied through gritted teeth and Jenica couldn't help but agree with her master. She didn't want to eject either but between ejecting and dying when the ship crashed, she would prefer ejecting.
She pulled on the rebreather before grabbing hold of the eject lever at the side of her chair and she could see Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Anakin doing the same thing.
"Looks like we're doing it the hard way," said Anakin as the ship continued to fall. "Starting ejection sequence."
"How come every time you fly, we crash?" Ahsoka demanded.
"This has happened before?" Jenica echoed.
"It's not my fault, it's the ship's," Anakin protested.
"Ready to eject," Ahsoka said.
"Wait," Anakin cautioned as they continued to travel downward and, when they were a certain height above the ground, he said, "now!" and pull the eject lever. Jenica followed suit quickly and they were ejected from the ship before wrapped up in a protective sphere as the ship they were in exploded as it crashed.
"You always blame the ship," Ahsoka shouted through the comlink that linked the four escape spheres, which is what Jenica called them, as they bounced downward before coming to a halt on the ground.
I disliked this when the first time around, Obi-Wan thought grimacing inwardly as the survival pod came to a halt on the ground. The pod opened and Obi-Wan, muttering under his breath, climbed out of the sphere.
"You all right there, master?" Anakin asked coughing as he climbed out of his sphere.
"Yes, Anakin, I'm fine," Obi-Wan muttered curtly. He knew it would happen, there really wasn't much he could do to stop it from happening without revealing that he knew more than he was letting on, but that didn't mean he liked that it would happen.
Remembering what happened last time, Obi-Wan quickly thought about how to change the situation. He and Anakin were going to run into Hondo Ohnaka while they were on Felucia when Hondo attempted to take the nysillin spice that the farmers were harvesting and how they had to team up with the bounty hunters that were helping the farmers.
Obi-Wan knew that they hadn't attracted Grievous to Felucia the last time around so he decided that they could stay and help like Anakin wanted to the first time around. The more help the bounty hunters had, the quicker it would be to drive off Hondo.
"Where on Felucia do you think we are?" Ahsoka asked.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," Obi-Wan admitted and he really didn't or, more or less, he didn't remember ever figuring out where they had landed the first time around. He only knew he was near a nysillin spice farm village but that was about it.
That was when Obi-Wan heard the growl of a jungle rancor.
"That doesn't sound good," Jenica said fear in her voice. Obi-Wan glanced at his apprentice as Jenica took a deep breath and managed to release most of her fear in the Force.
"I don't like the sound of that," Ahsoka agreed.
"And I don't like the look of that," Anakin said pointing to the jungle rancors as they walked past them deeper into the Felucian jungles.
"We shouldn't scare them," Anakin said.
"We can't just wander around without knowing where to go," Jenica said.
"Jenica's right. We need a plan," Obi-Wan said looking around to see if the smoke that Ahsoka had spotted the first time around was still there.
"You taught me to go by my instincts," Anakin said. "And my instincts tell me to go that way." He pointed in the direction just behind Obi-Wan.
"Your instincts may be telling you to go that way but my instincts say we should go that way," Obi-Wan gestured in the general direction of the smoke he could see rising up on the horizon.
"Why do you even ask for my opinion?" Anakin asked with a small sigh. "We never do things my way."
"We crashed the ship your way," Obi-Wan couldn't help but point out.
"Very funny. I see your sense of humor survived the landing."
"It's about the only thing."
"Uh, if you guys are done arguing, I see smoke rising on the horizon in the direction Master Obi-Wan pointed," Ahsoka said pointing.
"That should mean people and a way off this planet," Jenica agreed before she and Ahsoka began walking in the direction of the smoke.
Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan before shrugging and the two of them followed the apprentices deeper into the jungle toward the farm village.
When they reached the farm village, Obi-Wan noticed it looked just as deserted as it did the first time around. Obi-Wan did keep an eye out for any of the bounty hunters that he knew were lurking somewhere with the village. He never did find out where they were hiding the first time around.
"Look, there's a village," Jenica said as they came to the edge of the farm village.
"Maybe they have a ship we can…borrow," Anakin said as the four of them entered the village.
"Hmm, they're growing healing herbs," Ahsoka commented.
"Nysillin to be more precise," Obi-Wan replied a little absently as he gazed around the seemingly deserted village.
"Isn't nysillin one of the most valuable crops in the galaxy?" Jenica asked.
"Yes it is, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied examining the herbs as they made their way deeper into the farm village.
"This place seems deserted," Ahsoka said.
"It isn't," Obi-Wan murmured.
"Why do you say that, master?" asked Jenica.
Obi-Wan glanced up to find that Ahsoka, Anakin and Jenica had stopped and were examining him. "It just doesn't seem likely especially not with a crop as valuable as nysillin growing nearby," he said. "Not to mention, the crops look ready to be harvested, tools are everywhere. No, something's amiss."
"Yes, I think you're right," Jenica said thoughtfully.
"Well, there was one thing I learned where I grew up. If you want to know what a farmer's up to, look inside his barn," Anakin said leading to the barn before he opened it to reveal the bounty hunter's ship just like last time.
"This is an odd ship for farmers, master," Jenica said frowning.
"They could be here to pick up the nysillin or perhaps something else," Obi-Wan said.
"I still don't get it," Ahsoka said. "Where is everyone?"
"Let's split up and find out," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin led the way into one of the houses examining it; it looked as deserted as the outside but Anakin was sure that his master was right and that the place wasn't as deserted as they wanted everyone else to think. He walked deeper into the room while Ahsoka gazed around curiously. He stopped when he heard a noise and he moved to crouch beside a metal hatch before he gestured for Ahsoka to be quiet.
He used the Force to open the hatch to reveal a couple of terrified farmers. They shied away from him as he leaned back. "Mystery solved," he said.
"They're terrified," Ahsoka whispered. "Hey, it's okay, we won't hurt you."
Naturally, that's when Anakin heard someone load their weapon behind him. "Kindly drop your weapons, Jedi," a female voice said and Anakin turned around as four bounty hunters surrounded him. The one who spoke was a female Zabrak with purple hair and brown eyes.
"Take it easy, Snips," Anakin said cautioning his apprentice who was reaching for her lightsaber. "We don't want any trouble."
"You're outmanned, laserblade," the Kyuzo bounty hunter said in his own language.
"It's not always about the numbers," Anakin said calmly understanding what the bounty hunter was saying even though it was in another language.
"Four on one is hardly a fair fight," the female Frenk bounty hunter said. "Even for a Jedi."
"Wait a minute," Ahsoka protested, "four on one? You mean four on two."
"We don't count you, knee-high," the fourth member of the group said.
"Do you count me?" Obi-Wan asked calmly walking into the house igniting his blade with Jenica, her blue blade ignited and in her hand, just behind him. Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber as did Anakin as the tense standoff continued.
"Stop. Do not harm them," a farmer said walking into the house. "Can't you see these are Jedi? We are saved."
"Saved?" Ahsoka echoed.
"Need I remind you, Casiss, you already made a deal with us," the Zabrak bounty hunter said.
"But with the Jedi's help…" Casiss began.
"Excuse me," Ahsoka interrupted the farmer, "but help you with what?"
"Pirates," Casiss said grimly.
That night, Obi-Wan sat across from the Zabrak bounty hunter, Sugi, with Ahsoka at his side, Casiss at the head of the table and Embo next to Sugi. The rest of the bounty hunters, as well as Anakin, were seated or standing within earshot of the farmer.
"Simply put, if we do not give the pirates a portion of our crop, they will destroy our homes," Casiss said quietly, "with us in them."
"This certainly is a dilemma you are faced with," Obi-Wan said caressing his beard.
"It is a meager trade," Casiss added. "Without enough nysillin to sell, we will not have enough money for food, fuel or equipment."
"But you can afford mercenaries?" Jenica asked confused.
"These bounty hunters drive a far more reasonable bargain than the pirates," Casiss replied.
"Why not fight them yourselves?" asked Anakin.
"Easy for you, perhaps," Casiss said. "But look at us, we are farmers, not warriors. Even with these bounty hunters helps, I feared the worst. But now they are seven of you."
"What do you want, Jedi?" Sugi asked.
"We need a ship. I'm afraid ours is beyond repair," replied Obi-Wan calmly.
"The one in the barn, that'll do," said Anakin.
Sugi snorted. "That's our ride and it doesn't go anywhere without us. And we're busy," she said.
"Extorting farmers?" asked Obi-Wan.
"I don't hear you offering to help," Sugi retorted.
"I was just about to," Obi-Wan said calmly. He wanted to help them and he knew that if things went similar to the way they went the first time around then the farmers would not have to worry about attracting the attention of Grievous.
"So you will help" Casiss asked.
"I am willing to help, Casiss. As, I am sure, my companions are too."
"Pirates! The pirates are back!" a kid shouted running forward by the time the bounty hunters and the Jedi left the house with Casiss. Ahsoka stood alongside Jenica as they, with their masters, watched as the pirates drew closer. She, Jenica and Anakin had been more than willing to help the farmers just as Obi-Wan had predicted but, honestly, Ahsoka was surprised the pirates arrived as soon as they did.
"That's far enough," Sugi called walking to the front of the group as the speeder bikes came to a halt in front of the group. "I speak for the people of this village. State your name and business."
"My name is my own business," the Weequay snapped, "and my business is taking what is ours."
"There is nothing here that is yours unless you're here to buy it," Sugi snapped.
"Buy it?" Hondo Ohnaka's familiar voice asked as he climbed off his speeder bike and walked over to join them with the Kowakian-monkey lizard he kept with him on his shoulders before he laughed. "Kenobi, Skywalker, I can't believe you came all this way to see me."
"Hondo," Obi-Wan and Anakin said at the same time remembering the last time they had seen Hondo when they were held captive after capturing Dooku. Sadly, that was, apparently, one of the events that couldn't be changed much to Obi-Wan's chagrin. If he had captured Dooku then the war would end quicker and Anakin wouldn't have taken another step toward the dark side by killing Dooku. However, the Force, obviously, did not want Dooku to be captured that early in the war.
"You know each other?" Sugi asked.
"Of course, we do. Tell them how far back we go, Kenobi," Hondo said.
"Too far unfortunately," Obi-Wan replied and Hondo laughed as he walked over to join the Jedi.
"And here I thought we were friends," he said.
"If friendship is what you want then why don't you stop terrorizing these farmers?" Obi-Wan said.
"Terrorizing them? Please tell you have not been listening to this bounty hunting scum?" Hondo said fake hurt in his voice as he walked away.
"Scum?" Sugi echoed. "We're just here to help them protect what's theirs."
"Oh come, come, my dear. How much are they paying you?" Hondo asked turning his gaze back to Sugi. "But, but, but, it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I will double it. And all you have to do to earn it is step aside."
"We do not break deals," Sugi said firmly.
The pirates pointed their blasters at the bounty hunters who immediately pointed their weapons at the pirates.
"Steady everyone," Obi-Wan said intervening, like last time, before things turned ugly.
"What is your stake, Kenobi?" asked Hondo.
"What I and my companions want is the same as what these bounty hunter want as well as a ride to the nearest Republic outpost," Obi-Wan replied knowing full well that Hondo wouldn't accept Republic credits.
"Unfortunately," Hondo said, "no one is leaving this planet until I get my nysillin."
"Then I hope you enjoy your stay because you're going to be staying here for a very long time," Sugi said firmly.
Hondo ignored her as he walked over to stand in front of Casiss. "You know, this crop has not been harvested," he said. "You'd better hurry, old man, before things start to die on you." Without another word, he walked past the bounty hunters, Jedi and farmers and toward the speeder bikes.
Ahsoka sat beside Obi-Wan resting her chin on her hand as she examined the holographic, topographic display of the area. "When the attack comes, it will come from the forest to the south and the ridge to the north," said Obi-Wan pointing. "Whatever we decide to do, we need to defend both sides."
"But there are only seven of you. How can seven of you defend yourselves against so many?" asked Dilani, one of the farmers.
"With the Jedi's help, we'll have a better chance," Casiss said.
"But we'll still be outmanned, master," Anakin said.
"You seem to lack confidence in our abilities, young Jedi," Sugi commented.
"I am sure you are good at what you do but you're in too deep," said Anakin.
"Says the peacekeeper who fails to keep the peace."
Obi-Wan sighed. "The war wasn't our fault," he said. "If more worlds would stand up for themselves against the Separatists then this war wouldn't have lasted as long as it did."
"That's it," Anakin said. Obi-Wan already knew of what Anakin was going to propose and he decided against changing that. "We'll just train the villagers to defend themselves."
"But we are just farmers. We are not warriors," Dilani protested.
"Well, we're about to change that," Anakin said with a faint smile.
Obi-Wan walked alongside Sugi as they observed the proceedings around them. Everyone was preparing for the coming battle; building up the defenses, training for the battle and the like. Anakin was attempting to train the farmers to fight with sticks, Ahsoka was working with Seripas, Rumi Paramita was working alongside some farmers and the farmers were harvesting the nysillin.
Their conversation was light and Obi-Wan noticed that the conversation was much different from the conversation they had the first time around although Sugi did admit that she was like most other bounty hunters but she proved that she did have honor.
It looks like we're going to be able to work together just like last time, Obi-Wan thought.
"We're not soldiers," Dilani protested. "We don't even have weapons."
Anakin looked thoughtful before he took Dilani's stick and showed him of how the stick could be used as a weapon. "This'll do," he said handing the stick back before continuing his lesson.
Unfortunately, Dilani didn't seem to get the hang of it but he also seemed too impatient. "This is pointless. We'll never be soldiers," he said tossing his stick down and walking off.
Anakin sighed but he went back to training the farmers who stayed.
"All right now aim them," Ahsoka instructed before watching as the farmers aimed the slingshots and fired sending rocks flying in all directions.
"Good job," she said with a faint smile before she glanced at Jenica who was helping another group nearby learn how to use slingshots. She seemed to be doing just fine by herself so Ahsoka returned her attention to her group.
She was just turning back when she spotted the droid bounty hunter cutting down a giant fungus and it landed on his hands. She gasped when she noticed that the fungus seemed to be too heavy for the bounty hunter.
"Wait, it's too heavy," she called dashing forward and tackling the bounty hunter to the ground.
The head of the droid popped open to reveal a small alien in the suit. The alien looked embarrassed. "Not very intimidating am I?" he asked.
Ahsoka smiled. "Size doesn't matter," she replied honestly.
Sugi was examining the area when she suddenly spotted something. "Look, over there," she called sharply pointing toward where a pirate scout was watching them. "Embo!"'
Embo nodded before taking off after the scout. The Kyuzo bounty hunter pointed his blaster at the speeder the scout had taken off toward and it exploded. Sugi didn't see what happened next as she and the Jedi hurried over to join the bounty hunter to find that he killed the scout.
"Well, I am sure that when this scout does not report in then things are going to come to a head quickly," Obi-Wan commented.
Obi-Wan, as he figured, was right and they received word soon after Embo killed that scout that the pirates were coming. Sugi, eyes narrowed, glance backwards. "Activate the shield," she ordered and the energy shield was activated.
The battle began soon after that with the pirates and farmers clashing. Obi-Wan, lightsaber ignited, blocked the blaster bolts from the pirates before gazing around. He was sure that Hondo was going to make an appearance soon with his tank and, sure enough, that's what happened.
He spotted the tank on the ridge and, remembering what happened last time, lashed out with a Force catching Rumi and Embo off guard but saving their lives as the tank's blast would have hit Rumi.
"You know what I always say: speak softly and drive a big tank," Hondo shouted before continuing to fire at the village.
Embo and Rumi pushed themselves to their feet before glancing at Obi-Wan, nodding their thanks and going back into the battle. Obi-Wan gazed around again and spotted Ahsoka and Jenica nearby with the farmers who were using their slingshots against the pirates.
He then glanced up in time to find Anakin leaping onto the ridge to attack Hondo on the tank. Watching that battle, Obi-Wan realized that, despite a few subtle changes, things were pretty much going the same way they did the first time around but he did manage to change a few things.
Despite being attacked by a Kowakian monkey lizard, Anakin managed to hold his own and knock Hondo off the edge of the ridge. Hondo held on to the edge and Obi-Wan watched as Anakin stretched out a hand and pulled him back onto the ledge. Obi-Wan watched as the tank fired at Anakin causing him to flip off the ridge to land on the ground as Hondo stood up on the ridge.
"This effort is no longer profitable," he shouted before retreating with the rest of his pirates.
Obi-Wan watched as the farmers walked around making sure everyone was all right before he watched as Sugi walked to his side. Anakin and Ahsoka were talking quietly to each other nearby while Jenica was helping some of the wounded into one of the homes.
"Do you still need that ride back to the Republic outpost?" Sugi asked breaking the silence that befell then and glancing at him.
Obi-Wan looked at the bounty hunter. "If it won't inconvenience you," he replied.
Sugi smiled slightly. "On the contrary," she said, "it would be my pleasure."
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: like I said, the last part with the training and the battles would have been better if my computer didn't decide to not let me watch the episode
Darth: bleh, stupid internet
Blaze: yup, bleh
Darth: so what's gonna happen next?
Blaze: the Nightsister arc followed by the Mortis arc, a special surprise chapter that only one of my reviewers knows about, the Citadel arc and then season 4
Darth: cool
Harry: AWESOME
Severus: (snorts) you think everything is awesome
Harry: I do not
Blaze: (chuckles) please review and I will post the next chapter, which shall cover Nightsisters, as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon