The Hutts, while a Crime-Empire, were a force to be reckoned with. They controlled most of the Outer-Rim and held control of vital Hyperspace Lanes for the War effort, to have greater ease with resupplying and assisting the battles on other Outer-Rim Planets. And with Jabba's son taken, it opened up a chance to gain access to these Hyperspace Lanes, for both The Republic and The Separatists. The Resolute emerges from Hyperspace, half a day's travel from Teth, where a Scouting group reports their findings.
"Alright, so we need a plan." Vex sighs, the two scouts leaving them to take some much-needed rest. Rex, Ahsoka and Anakin were gathered around him. Artoo had a holographic map of the Monastery where Jabba's son was being held. "We could scale the wall, easily, but we would suffer heavy losses. They have heavy weapons to counter our AT-TE's in such an assault anyway." Vex explains, showing a simulation of a walker being blasted off the face of the wall, and the troopers it would bring down with it as it fell.
"Then what do you suggest?" Anakin asks.
"Well, I've been asking around about the extent of our weaponry and... I'll say I'm impressed. The DC15A's have an extended range of five kilometers." He then brings up the terrain surrounding the monastery. Ridges and cliffs dominated the region, which was then covered in foliage. "These cliffs and ridges are the perfect place to set up a small group of snipers to take out their heavy weapons."
"Wouldn't it be easier if we used actual snipers, rather than the rifles?" Ahsoka asks in curiosity.
"We would, if we had any." Vex states solemnly. "Specialized weapons like snipers are apparently only given out to Spec Ops groups. We don't classify as such; thus, we were given the standard weapons. Though I do plan to get us some more specialized equipment in future, we simply don't have them on hand for this mission. We have to make do with what we have." Rex then speaks up.
"Our helmets will help us with spotting and targeting at that distance, doing what a normal Sniper Scope would accomplish. Not to mention, if we timed it right, we could actually have the snipers and gunships working in sync, all attacking at once." He sets up a simulation, showing that as the gunships move towards the Monastery, one lone gunship lands sideways on a cliff, where snipers begin to open fire on the heavy weapons, taking them out as the rest of the gunships converge and eliminate the remaining droids. "We won't have enough room to land the walkers up there, but as you said, they can scale that cliff face with ease. And with nothing shooting at them, they would reach the top with no issues." Rex explains.
"Well then. Rex, rally the men, have everything ready by the time we arrive on Teth." Anakin orders. Rex salutes and heads off to get everything sorted, barking out orders as he passes by technicians and maintenance workers. Anakin turns to both Vex and Ahsoka. "Are you two ready for this?"
"Never been better." Ahsoka assures.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, and this time I can actually fight." Vex affirms. His shoulder, with the help from a Bacta dip during the Hyperspace trip, was fully healed, a small scar being all that remained. "Though I hope I can get some modified armour custom made for me." He notes, feeling strangely naked in simple clothing.
"When we get this mission over with, we can look at getting you some." Anakin assures with a light smile, though it fades easily, and he begins to look off into nothing. Ahsoka moves to ask him what's wrong but Vex stops her.
"Now's not a good time to pry." He warns gently, patting her shoulder as he takes his leave.
Five hours pass by quickly and Vex is already making his way back to the hanger bay, where troopers are moving to ensure things are ready for deployment. Vex makes his way to the familiar painted armour, walking to Rex's side as he watches troopers moving about. Rex glances to him with a small, reassuring smile, though it doesn't ease the worry in Vex's stomach. The ship shudders, returning to real space within moments.
"Guess that's our cue." Vex mutters, heading off to the gunship where Denal and the sniper group he worked with on Christophsis were waiting for him. They all give a salute, which Vex returns, before boarding. The doors close, sealing airtight to allow space travel, before the gunship takes off, heading down to the planet. "Everyone know what to do?" Vex asks the group, who all nod or affirm verbally. "Then I trust you to get it done. Though I wish I could do more to help." He mutters the last part, really wishing his shoulder was uninjured, and even have a helmet of DC15A to use himself. The doors open slightly, allowing light to filter through now that they were in the atmosphere. Their eyes and helmets adjusted accordingly, as the gunship continued to descend. It slows considerably, as it turns to bring to door to face the distant Monastery. The doors open fully, as the gunship stops. "Fire at will." Vex orders, and the troopers all fire, round after round, as the other half a dozen gunships push forward, making their way to the Monastery. Once the heavy weapons had been dealt with, Vex calls to the pilot. "Get us to the Monastery." The pilot acknowledges and follows the order. When they arrive a minute or two later, Anakin and Ahsoka are already waiting, smiles on their faces.
"What took you so long?" Anakin asks with a cheeky smirk as Vex and the snipers depart. The gunship then leaves, returning to the Resolute with the others.
"Blame Denal." Vex retorts easily, waving his hand in dismissal.
"Hey! Don't load this on me!" Denal argues half-heartedly, earning chuckles from the rest of the snipers. Anakin then turns to his second in command.
"Rex, have the men set up defensive positions. Ahsoka and I will find the Hutt." Anakin informs him. Rex nods and moves off to check the troops. Vex walks up to their side, placing a hand on Anakin's back.
"I'll come with." He states, a pistol in his right hand, the uninjured side, as he follows them into the depths of the monastery. The sound of clattering has Anakin and Ahsoka igniting their sabers towards the commotion, where a single humanoid droid walks towards them, the bug-like head somewhat creepy and unsettling.
"Who are you?" Anakin asks swiftly.
"Merely a humble caretaker, my go-" A single blaster bolt cut the droid off, piercing through it with ease and destroying its inner circuitry. Vex lowers the pistol as Anakin and Ahsoka look to him.
"Pretty sure Separatists aren't the type to use 'caretakers' for their prisoners, let alone leave any standing after taking such a place." He states with distaste. Anakin simply sighs, before leading them forward once more. With each intersection and doorway, more and more droids take to following, until eventually, Ahsoka couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Master, you know you're walking us into a trap?" Ahsoka asks him.
"I know." Anakin replies calmly, and a small smile plays across Vex's face. The droids weren't a threat to Anakin; thus, he ignored them. He was also testing Ahsoka, seeing if she would take the initiative. Another doorway passes by.
"We just passed two more droids." She informs.
"We know." Vex answers this time.
"I don't like this. Can I just take care of them?" She asks in anticipation.
"Oh, well, if you feel so strongly about it, go ahead." He gives her permission, and less than a second after, she ignites her saber and slashes away at the droids. Anakin and Vex both stop and watch her first destroy the blasters, then finish them off, bisecting or beheading them. "Not bad. You remembered to deal with their weapons first." Anakin beams with approval.
"I'm improving your technique." She replies cheerfully. Anakin takes and ignites his lightsaber, twirling it around and impaling the droid behind him in the torso, while Vex fires a bolt into the droid's head. The droid collapses, no more than a heap of scrap. The two glance at each other, a small smile playing on their lips before they look to Ahsoka.
"You missed one." They say in unison, much to Ahsoka's chagrin.
"I… did that on purpose." She tries to defend herself with a small pout, before they continue to walk through the halls, soon arriving at the detention cells where an obvious indicator revealed the Huttlet's location.
"Well, if what I have researched is accurate, then the Huttlet is definitely in there. The smell is a dead give-away." Vex notes, activating the door controls to reveal the tiny creature.
"He's a lot younger than I thought he'd be." Anakin admits, while Ahsoka immediately goes and picks up the little slug.
"Oh, he's just a baby. This will make our job a lot easier. He's so cute." Ahsoka gushes over him like a mother hen. Vex leans closer to Anakin.
"Well. At least she would be a great mother if this is any indication." Vex whispers to Anakin.
"Jedi Code forbids attachment." Anakin reveals, his voice solemn and Vex looks to Anakin, concern in his expression, though the Jedi simply looks to Ahsoka. "Just wait until you see what he'll grow into." Anakin states darkly. He leads them back to the main entrance, where Rex removes his helmet, walking up to them.
"General, the castle is secure." Rex informs.
"Good. Any sign of Obi-Wan?" Anakin asks.
"No, sir." He answers. Ahsoka then cuts in, concern on her face.
"Master, I think this little guy is sick. He's burning up with a fever." She warns. Anakin places a hand on the Huttlet's forehead, checking for himself.
"You're right. We need to get him back to the ship as soon as we can. Trooper, get me a backpack!" He orders the nearest soldier, who seemingly grabs one out of thin air and hands it to him. Anakin and Ahsoka then begin to put the Huttlet into the pack, giving them a better way to carry him, though not without difficulty, and arguing between the two. Their arguing, however, is muffled to Vex, who begins to glance around, the feeling of being watched sending shivers down his spine. As he continues to look around, a small reflection of light in one of the Monastery windows catches his attention. With barely a though, his body acting on a muscle memory deeply rooted into him, he brings up his pistol and fires, hitting the reflection dead on. A probe droid falls from the window, then further down into the forest. All eyes are on him as he lowers his weapon.
"When you feel like you are being watched, it's usually an accurate feeling." He admits, memories flashing by him of ignoring such feelings and later paying the price for his ignorance. "That thing was watching us, likely for some time. Be prepared for a fight." He warns. Anakin finishes placing the Hutt in the pack and guides Ahsoka to where a small starfighter had landed after they cleared the place, an Astromech having brought it down.
"Artoo, contact Obi-Wan." He softly orders the droid. Within moments, Obi-Wan's holo-image stands before them.
"Anakin, did you locate the Hutt?" Obi-Wan asks immediately.
"We have him, but it looks like the Separatists are behind his abduction." Anakin reports. "This smells like Count Dooku to me."
"I'll bet Dooku is using us to get Jabba to join the Separatists." Obi-Wan guesses.
"Master Kenobi, we have another problem. This Huttlet is very sick." Ahsoka advises, concern evident.
"I'm not sure we can get him back to Tatooine alive, Master. This whole rescue may backfire on us. And I still don't think dealing with the Hutts is a good idea." Anakin adds.
"Anakin, you know they control shipping routes and hyperspace lanes in the Outer Rim. Jabba's cooperation is crucial to the war effort. If you let anything happen to his son, our chances of a treaty with him will disappear." The last part of what Obi-Wan says falls on deaf ears, as just behind his form, a full invasion force begins to descend.
"Master? We've got trouble!" Ahsoka warns the obvious.
"Defensive positions!" Rex orders, as he and his men rush in an orderly fashion to prepare for a fight.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asks, concern hidden in his voice, yet his face only showing askance.
"I'll have to call you back, Master. We're under attack. We could use a little help here if you have the time." Anakin informs with haste.
"I'll get there as soon as I can. Protect the Hutt, Anakin." Obi-Wan's hologram fizzles out as the connection is cut. The trio rush away from the fighter, Artoo following behind, as a droid fighter vaporizes the ship. Anakin and Ahsoka ignite their sabers and immediately work on deflecting the oncoming blaster fire. Vex rushes to Rex's side, the two working in tandem against the oncoming droid forces, slowly falling back towards the entrance of the Monastery. The Walkers, with such little room, were forced to hold position and continue firing.
"We've got spiders inbound!" Rex warns, his eye catching the heavy weapons droids moments before they open fire, swiftly taking out the legs of the walkers forcing them down and then disabling their weapons. At least the armoured corpses gave more cover to the retreating forces, thought the pilot were unable to escape before being gunned down.
"Get inside!" Anakin orders.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Rex repeats loudly, as the troopers fell back inside the Monastery, with Anakin rolling back moments before the door closes, blocking them off from the Separatist droids.
"Rex, we'll stay here until General Kenobi arrives with reinforcements." Anakin informs him. Ahsoka simply stares at him over his order. "What?" He asks incredulously.
"Master, do you honestly think we can hold them off? We've got to find a way out of here." Ahsoka argues.
"Our mandate is to protect this Hutt. And that is what we're going to do, Ahsoka." Anakin explains.
"Our mandate was to get this Hutt back to Tatooine alive, and time is running out." She retorts.
"I suppose you have a plan." Anakin bites back.
"Yes, or I think so, Artoo willing." Ahsoka confirms.
"Alright, Snips, I'll trust you on this one. Rex, hold them here as long as you can." Anakin relents with a sigh.
"Will do, sir. You heard the General! Get ready to turn those clankers into scrap metal!" Rex orders, the surviving troopers moving into a defensive position.
"I'm not gonna be much help to you from here on out. I'll stay with Rex and the others. Once they break through the door, we'll stall as long as we can. Just do what you can to get that Huttlet to safety." Vex assures.
"Are you sure? I don't know how long Obi-Wan will take. By the time he arrives, you could all be dead." Anakin warns softly, concern in his voice.
"I know. But I would rather stand and fight. You have your own mission. I'll do mine." Vex assures, grasping his hand. "If I don't make it, know that it was an honour."
"Likewise." Anakin relents. He guides Ahsoka deeper into the Monastery. Once they are out of sight, Vex takes a look at the weaponry everyone holds.
"Rex. Do we have anything that can cause an Electromagnetic Pulse?" He asks.
"Well, we have it in weaponry. We call them Droid Poppers. But we don't have any on us. The Walkers were meant to be enough."
"Alright." Vex sighs, turning to face the troopers, before turning back to Rex. "Next time, we bring those Droid Poppers. Ordered to or not."
"Presuming we survive this." Rex corrects. The two veterans, alongside Denal, grab what scarce amount of furniture they can, and bring it up to form shielding. They barely finish setting up a heavy, stone table, when the door begins to creak, and groan it's way open. "They've cut the lock!" Rex warns.
"Get to your positions!" Vex adds, taking cover, bringing his carbine to bear. The light from outside briefly blinds him, as he takes a moment to adjust. That moment is enough time for the troopers to have begun firing. He opens fire himself, once he can see the droids before him. The front lines hold dozens of B1's, behind them are the SBD's. While the first lines are easy to break through, with no casualties, the SBD's cause an issue. Their heavy repeating cannons tear through the first line of defense, the three well positioned troopers going down in a hail of blaster fire. The second line, consisting of five troopers is blown apart by a rocket fired from a backline SBD. The majority of the troopers, along with Rex and Vex, are holed up in the third line. By the time the droids had eliminated the first two defenses, they were ordered to stop, though the troopers continued to fire, Vex stayed his hand, watching.
The droids parted to reveal a feminine figure, dressed in somewhat revealing clothes. Her head is bald, but her eyes, they stare into ones being. Several troopers were shaking as she stared them down. She moves her hands to her hips, grasping two curved objects, bringing them out and igniting them, bathing the darker area of the Monastery in a bloody glow. a flick of her wrists is all it takes for the blaster fire to be reflected back; two troopers killed immediately. Vex begins to fire upon her, seeing two men taken out. He doesn't think, he simply shoots, trying to break through her defenses, and failing, alongside everyone else. The being seems to get bored, spinning around and disengaging her weapons, she holds out her hand, and the table they took cover behind shoves them back alongside her telekinetic push, throwing everyone away like ragdolls, sending them into walls. Vex feels himself leave the ground, before slamming into a wall, feeling his body break on impact, a sharp pain in his chest, stomach and head. His vision blurs, before darkening into a familiar void
Vex begins to hear voices, high and low in pitch, as he returns from the void. He tries to stand, but fails, his body battered, likely broken in several places, though the most pain is in his core. He groans and simply stays down, listening to the voices outside.
"Surrender, Republic dogs." The familiar, high-pitched voice of a droid orders.
"We've got you outnumbered!" Rex's voice retorts in haste. Vex looks up, glaring toward the open doorway, but his vision blurs, and he closes his eyes.
"Outnumbered? Wait. One, two, thr-" The droid doesn't get to finish, as green bolts of energy destroy it, along with the others in the immediate area, a lone Delta-7 Starfighter passing overhead, Obi-Wan leaping down into the fray. He moves inside the Monastery, pacing down the hallway, when he notices Vex and grimaces.
"You look like someone bashed you against a wall." He notes, placing a hand over his chest, sending an energy into his body.
"Some... witch, I suppose is an apt name. A force user. Pale skin, red lightsabers, bald head." Vex describes, batting his hand away.
"Ventress." Obi-Wan informs, dropping his hand. "You're lucky to be alive. Your body is severely damaged, to the point that I'm amazed it hasn't already shut down."
"If my visions are anything to go by, I've been through enough near-death experiences already. Nothing new here." Vex retorts, a chuckle turning into a hacking cough, blood spluttering from his mouth. "You need to find Ventress and keep her busy. Anakin needs the time to get out of here, or that Huttlet won't make it to Tatooine and everything we've fought and bled for will be for naught." Obi-Wan stands, a solemn expression written across his face.
"What about you?" He asks.
"I've got enough blood in me to last another half hour, tops. Should be enough time to get some medical attention, even if only basic." Vex assures, his voice slurring. "Just... be... quick..." Vex passes out. Obi-Wan sighs, before turning to the troopers still fighting for their lives, though with a few more helping hands as Gunships land and the 212th jump out. Obi-Wan begins to run, making his way down the corridors of the Monastery, as he activates his comlink.
"Cody, get a medical team to the front gate of the Monastery. There are numerous wounded troopers and at least one in critical condition." He orders, turning his head to glance back towards the entrance, before he returns his focus to what is before him.
A revolver in hand, trapped in a car, sinking into the ocean.
Muzzle pointed at the window, screams telling me not to pull the trigger.
"A wolf stuck in a trap will chew off its own leg to survive."
The screams as a knife tears through flesh, the blood spraying the leg is cut.
"Go. Survive. That's an order."
Vex awakens again, somewhat in a panic, as the emotions of the vision flood into him. As he sits up roughly, equipment begins to blare out in warning and a Jedi Healer quickly walks in, forcing Vex to lie back down.
"I see you're awake." The healer notes. Vex manages to calm himself, pushing the emotions away for the moment, as he glances around the room, before speaking.
"Painfully so." He responds with a grunt. "How bad was it?
"Femurs were fractured, though they've been reset into place. A chuck of your hipbone broke off, and we had to bolt and plate it back together. Somehow, nothing was damaged spine wise, but you did get a few broken ribs and a fracture to the back of your skull. Oh, you also got a concussion."
"Well, I figured that last one." Vex states dryly.
"That's not all." The medic admits. "You had a collapsing lung and also severe internal bleeding. Gave Master Skywalker quite the scare. Ahsoka too." The medic finishes listing off the injuries. "After being operated on, at the Monastery mind you, since there was no way to get you aboard the Resolute with the battle going on, you were put in a Bacta Tank for several hours."
"And how long have I been out all up?" Vex asks.
"You've been out for about three days. You're body heals faster than anyone or anything I've ever seen. I'd like to keep you here for the rest of the week to monitor your vitals and ensure nothing else happens to deter your healing."
"Shouldn't you be saying that I need at least six months?" Vex asks in confusion.
"Normally, maybe even more... but, as I said, it's like your body sped up its healing factor. The closest thing I've seen is when a Jedi enters a healing trance." The medic admits with a sigh. "Master Skywalker is outside. He's been there each day, waiting for you to wake."
"I suppose it would be best to let him in." Vex chuckles softly. The healer nods, and moves to the door, opening it and gesturing for Anakin to enter. The Jedi does, and the medic takes his leave.
"You're lucky to be alive." Anakin states.
"I heard that from Obi-Wan, when he first found me. Then the healer, now you." Vex admits. "What did I miss?"
"We won. Ahsoka and I got out. Made it to Tatooine. Returned Rotta to Jabba." Anakin answers simply, unwilling to go too much into details.
"Good. I guess Obi-Wan did his job with stalling Ventress." Vex sighs in relief. A few moments of silence pass, before Anakin speaks again.
"Back on Christophsis, when you saw us fighting, you took up arms, joined us, but you knew nothing about us. We could have been fighting for a great evil, but instead of staying back to see which side is right, you chose us..." Anakin trails off.
"It was the right thing to do." Vex answers softly, but hesitantly.
"Is that it?" Anakin asks in curiosity.
"It's the best I can give. I don't know how to explain what I saw when I arrived... what I felt when I saw it all occur." Vex explains with a pained expression. A memory springs forth, of soldiers in white armour fighting on Alderaan, fending off Sith and Droids alike, the amount of loss as the planet was razed. Anakin nods in semi-understanding and turns to leave.
"I'll let you get back to resting. Ahsoka would like to see you sooner or later." Anakin states.
"I'll talk to her when I'm out of here. I don't want her to see me like this." Vex notes.
"She already has." Anakin admits.
"Any more than she already has, then." Vex retorts softly. Anakin chuckles lightly as he steps out and the healer walks back in.
The week passes by quickly. Vex was cleared, and spent his time wandering through the Jedi Temple. He explored, getting his legs back to work, the muscles aching and sore from lack of use for a number of days. He passes by the training arena, where he hears the sound of sabers clashing against one another. He peeks inside, watching as Anakin and Ahsoka spar. He steps inside and continues to watch. Anakin swiftly disarms Ahsoka, knocking her weapon away and bringing his saber to her neck.
"Solah." She yields, the word ringing a faint memory in Vex. She then sees him, and her face cheers up. "You've been cleared!" She exclaims.
"Yeah. I'm amazed with how badly I was injured." Vex admits truthfully. She bounces around him, as though checking for any injuries herself, before smiling brightly. Vex then turns to Anakin. "How do you deal with this much energy?" He asks.
"Lots of grueling training." Anakin answers grimly, though smirking openly.
"Hey!" Ahsoka protests, earning a laugh from Vex as he looks to her.
"I'm just glad you're both okay and were able to succeed." He admits to her.
"Oh yeah." Anakin suddenly speaks up. "I managed to get you some armour. It arrived a couple days ago." Anakin moves over to one of the supply crates, gesturing for Vex to come over. Anakin opens the lid, as Vex walks over in apprehension. "I'll admit, it's a little rough around the edges, and isn't exactly what one would call good looking, but it will do what it's meant to." Vex lifts out the chest piece, a modified piece of Phase I Clone Trooper armour, built to fit him. Vambraces and greaves, along with boots, gloves and clothing complete the outfit. Vex glances to Anakin, and Ahsoka behind him, a smile on his lips.
"Thanks." Vex bows his head. He brings his gaze back up and notices an air of melancholy around Ahsoka. He walks over and places a hand on her shoulder. "If it gets too much to bear, come talk to me." He then begins to walk out. "While I'd like to test this out, I'm gonna give it another week before getting back into the action, just in case."
"You sure you can stay cooped up that much longer?" Anakin asks with a smile.
"I'll find something to occupy myself with." Vex assures, waving back at them without turning to look as he leaves the room, the echoes of the dead following him through the halls of the Temple.
"A wolf stuck in a trap will chew off its own leg to survive. Fire."
*Bang*
A few days later
"When do you think Anakin will get here?" Vex asks, though towards no one in particular. Inside one of the training rooms in the Jedi Temple, Vex sits beside Obi-Wan and Yoda, Masters Windu and Plo Koon sitting further along, with Depa Billaba and her Padawan Caleb Dume at the other wall. Ahsoka is in the center, deflecting shots fired from the training drones, as Master Tera Sinube watches over her. It had been a week and Vex had been released from the Halls of Healing. But before they were sent out on their next mission, Ahsoka was to complete a trial set by the Council, one that she was originally supposed to complete before becoming Anakin's Padawan but had forgone due to the dire situation.
"Eventually." Obi-Wan answers after a moment, chuckling lightly. Ahsoka continues to combat the drones for another few minutes, pacing herself, when Anakin finally arrives, walking into the room. "You're right on time." Obi-Wan comments, as Anakin sits beside him.
"Oh, really? I thought I was late." Anakin retorts.
"That's what I meant." Obi-Wan admits cheekily. "She's a fast learner." He notes.
"I really wouldn't know." Anakin states, looking to Obi-Wan with disinterest. A chime sounds through the room, and the drones cease their assault. Ahsoka disengages her saber and looks to Master Tera Sinube. He taps his cane twice on the floor, and a ray shield surrounds Ahsoka, and four new drones drop to hover around her. Vex leans forward at this, having never seen any Jedi go through this test in his, admittedly short, time at the Jedi Temple. The sides of the drones open up, revealing a pair of twin barrel blasters.
"These are the new training remotes used to simulate Battle Droids." Obi-Wan explains to Vex, who nods. Tera Sinube unhooks his lightsaber from his cane, the blade a near-white arctic-blue. He taps the blade against the shield, showing that the saber could not go through it. Ahsoka nods and moves into a ready stance. With another tap of his cane, the shield begins to move, enclosing towards Ahsoka.
With the exercise beginning, the drones move, immediately opening fire upon Ahsoka, who within the first few seconds, manages to reflect a shot back into one of the drones, taking it out. Twirling around to both avoid and deflect the bolts of energy, Ahsoka dispatches yet another drone, reflecting its bolt back into it as was done before. The remaining drones force her back to the edge of the shield, before she avoids the next assault, twisting herself and swiping her blade through the last drones, ending the exercise and disengaging her saber once more. She turns to face the Council Members who had watched, as the shield is disabled.
"Impressive." Obi-Wan states, while Anakin sighs as the two stand up, with Anakin moving to Ahsoka, the two conversing before they bow to the Jedi Masters. Vex stands as well, noticing the facade on Anakin's features. As they leave, Vex stands by the doorway, letting everyone else pass by him, bar Obi-Wan and Yoda, who watch alongside him as Anakin and Ahsoka argue with each other.
"It's a lousy test." Anakin's voice, though muffled against the conversations of the other Jedi, reaches the ears of the three onlookers.
"But it's what every Jedi does." Ahsoka argues.
"Exactly." Anakin states. Vex understands his thoughts there, especially considering the fact that every Jedi goes through this test, and yet so many have died in this short war. It doesn't say much about how effective this test was if determining combat capability.
"A wolf stuck in a trap will chew off its own leg to survive." Vex shakes the words away, noticing that Anakin and Ahsoka have walked off.
"What did I just miss at the end there?" Vex asks.
"Apparently, Anakin is going to make a test for Ahsoka to see how much she has learned." Obi-Wan states. Vex hums in acknowledgement, before looking to Master Yoda.
"Any thoughts?" He asks the wizened Jedi.
"Afraid, young Skywalker is. To lose his Padawan, he does not want." Yoda sighs.
"I gathered something similar." Vex admits. "But I can understand where it's coming from. And I think you can understand as well." He begins to walk in the same direction as Anakin. "I'm off to see where all this leads." He makes his way after Anakin, who traverses through the halls with ease, arriving at the Hanger, a gunship waiting for him with Rex aboard. "I hope you don't intend to do whatever it is you're planning without me." He calls out to them both. Anakin simply smirks, gesturing for him to board, telling him his plan for a test.
Anakin and Ahsoka walk into the training room, with the two of them walking to Rex and Vex, who are watching the group of troopers, the new Torrent Company.
"Rex and the boys have agreed to help with the test." Anakin explains, his voice bringing the attention of both soldiers to the duo.
"It's our privilege, Commander." Rex states.
"And I'll be here as well. I'll be making sure you're okay once the training is over." Vex adds, an assuring smile on his face. Ahsoka nods her head in thanks to both of them.
"Let's get started." Anakin says gently. "Head out to the center." Ahsoka walks towards the troopers, who are arranged in a circle, with Ahsoka moving to the center. "Make sure your blasters are set to stun." Anakin orders, then looks to Ahsoka. "Droids are predictable. I want you to be prepared for anything." Ahsoka takes a deep breath, then takes her saber and ignites it. "You need to remain calm. Think. Feel the intention of the trooper who will fire first. You should be able to sense the moment before they even pull the trigger." Anakin instructs as he walks around the perimeter. "You ready?" Ahsoka nods, as she moves into a ready stance. Anakin's face hardens, even though his concern seems to bleed off of him in waves of colour. He continues to walk around, before finally giving the order. "Begin."
The troopers don't immediately begin to open fire, instead waiting for a few moments, almost as if they were each communicating with each other, before the first shot is fired. Ahsoka deflects it, along with the second shot that the same trooper fires, before turning around to deflect the next, then the side, then behind. She doesn't manage to block the next shot, which is fired from in front of her, while her blade is still behind her. The stun round impacts her and with a groan, she collapses to the ground, her saber falling from her grasp.
"Is this the first time she's been stunned?" Rex asks suddenly.
"I think so." Anakin answers.
"Well then. It might take a while for her to regain consciousness." Rex notes.
"Anyone bring a game of cards?" Vex asks after hearing about the wait, though no one answers him. It takes an hour for Ahsoka to wake up, but Anakin puts her back into the fray, having the troopers fire on her once she stands, shakily mind you, on her own again. This time, with the disorientation, she only blocks two shots before three more hit her.
Every time she comes too, Anakin puts her back through the training, over and over. By the tenth attempt, Rex and Vex finally walk over to Anakin, concern on their faces.
"Anakin, this is the first time she's done all this. With the amount of times she's been knocked out by a stun bolt, or several…" Vex trails off.
"We're not sure how much more of this she can take for today." Rex finishes.
"Eh, she'll be fine." Anakin assures halfheartedly, but giving them a meaningful look, and out the corner of their eyes, they can see Ahsoka waking up once more. Anakin walks over to her, giving her a hand to help her up. "Well, you're waking up faster."
"This is ridiculous." She growls. "The droids aren't half as good as Rex's men."
"That's the point." Anakin states, as Rex walks towards his men. Vex, however, moves closer to Anakin, as Ahsoka rotates her shoulder in discomfort, turning away from them. "Look, I know this is tough, but… I want this to be difficult." Anakin explains, noticing her distress, putting his hands on her shoulders and gently turning her around to face him. "This is about life and death. And as your Master, I'm responsible for you. The best way I can protect you, is to teach you how to protect yourself."
"And against Rex and his brothers." Vex adds in, walking up to Ahsoka with a soft, reassuring smile. "You'll be ready for anything, on and off the battlefield." Anakin picks up her saber and holds it out to her.
"Well, eh, anything with a blaster at least." Anakin amends. "You ready?" Ahsoka nods, taking the saber from his hand. "Alright, boys. One last time." The troopers move into position, encircling Ahsoka once more. "Begin." This time, Ahsoka manages to last a good 15 seconds, before finally succumbing to a stun bolt.