Chapter Thirty-Three: Ambush

"You're closing your thoughts to me, Kida," Obi-wan scolded gently from where he sat across from me.

"So?" I asked. "You reading my mind wasn't part of our deal." My eyes were still closed in our meditation, but I could tell he was scowling at me.

"I don't need to read your thoughts, but I can tell that they aren't on meditation. Stop focusing on shutting me out and clear your mind."

I sighed, finally opening my eyes as I rubbed at my temples. Obi-wan had insisted on our first lesson on our way back to Coruscant. I hadn't had a chance to congratulate Fives and Echo before they left for ARC training. Nor had I been able to see 99 again...or give Rex a hard hit for his little nickname.

I was flattered, but I wouldn't lie and say that I was accustomed to such terms. It had even taken a while for me to get used to Jango calling me adi'ka. "How can you clear your mind in the middle of a war?"

"I never said it wasn't challenging, Kida. There's a reason wielding the light side of the force is a way of life."

"Okay, but I didn't agree to a life change."

"Nor did you agree to be force sensitive. Or to be born with Sith heritage."

I sighed. "Is that really important? Is lineage conclusive to abilities?"

Obi-wan shrugged. "It would seem. Though most jedi have not born children, as attachment is against the code."

I paused. "What is the Jedi Code. I don't actually know it."

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."

It was like a mantra and I could feel how he took comfort in reciting the words. "I don't understand," I started. "How can that be your code when none of that is true?"

His eyebrow lifted. "How so?"

"Everyone has emotions. There will always be people that are ignorant. And we're in a war. That's chaos."

"The code does not speak to what's around us, but rather, what is within us." I lifted my brow at him, urging him to continue. "It is a way to learn to control yourself."

I nodded slowly, my mind drifting beneath my shield I'd laid between us. I thought of the vision I'd had. About Moraband and the dark presence that was calling me. "Obi-wan?" I asked, interrupting his meditation again.

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yes?"

"What do the sith think? Do they have a code?"

Obi-wan watched me cautiously, clearly trying to read me to no avail. "They believe in revenge. Destruction of others to gain power. They have no honor and fight only for themselves, no matter who gets hurt."

I hummed, thinking. "Is Dooku a sith?"

"He's forsaken the light, so yes."

"Obi-wan," I started, hearing the man sigh as he gave up on meditation entirely. "I'm not...I'm not a-"

"Just because you have roots in the species does not make you a follower of the dark side, Kida."

"But-"

"It is your actions. What side of the Force you wish to follow. Those determine what you are." He sighed, rubbing his beard. "In reality, the only way to become a true Sith is to be trained by one."

I appreciated his words, and they soothed me. Yet, the last bit sparked my interest. "Then how could Dooku be a sith?"

"He was trained by one." My eyes widened in surprise. "When I was captured on Geonosis, Dooku spoke of his new master...the one who was guiding him in the way of the dark side."

"So there is another Sith behind all this? Does the Separatist Alliance know this?"

"No."

It clicked for me as I leaned back. "If we tried to tell them, they'd take it as propaganda," I surmised, earning a nod from Kenobi. "Why has the Republic not gone after the master directly?"

"As we have gone after Dooku and continue to fail?" he asked sarcastically before shaking his head. "We don't even know who the master is. It has yet to be revealed to us."

"But can't the jedi see the future or something?"

Obi-wan chuckled at me. "Sometimes, we can see glimpses. But since this war started, the vision of the Jedi Council has been...clouded." I fell silent, thinking through his words. After a moment, I found Obi-wan looking at me with a raised brow. "I can sense you have another question."

"I understand that following the dark is bad," I started carefully, watching the jedi's face. "And that the light side preserves life and peace and whatever. But as day and night...one can't exist without the other, right?"

"Yes," Obi-wan allowed. "But the darkness must still be kept in check. There is darkness in all of us, but those who pursue it cannot be allowed to flourish."

"But aren't you all about balance?" The jedi seemed confused at my words. "You have hundreds of jedi living in your temple, but there only seems to be two sith."

Obi-wan watched me warily. "Why do you have so many questions about the sith?"

I sighed. "I'm just trying to understand. I've only ever met a jedi, so how do I know for sure that you're the one who should be guiding me in the force? I just wanted to know if I was on the right side of all this."

"You are," he assured, his voice firm. "I can sense your confusion, Kida. But close your eyes. Clear your mind. The Force will always guide you. Follow it's will, and you'll always be on the right side."

I nodded slowly, letting my eyes slip closed. I maintained the wall around my mind, earning a small huff of annoyance from Obi-wan. I chuckled slightly, but allowed my thoughts to taper off, leaving my mind clear.

I felt something wet on my leg, my eyes shooting open to find that I wasn't in Obi-wan's quarters anymore. The area around me was dark and foggy, my gaze barely perceiving the swamp in front of me. My boots squelched in the muddy water, vines hanging low from the canopy that blocked out any light from the sky.

"Young one."

I turned to the deep, lightly accented voice. It reminded me of Obi-wan's accent, but the voice sounded older. Wiser. No one was around, the hair raising on my arms.

"Your connection to the Force is strong."

I whirled again, a cry of fight erupting from my mouth as I was met with a man. He had appeared out of nowhere, the tiniest glow surrounding his body. "Who the hell are you?"

His dark eyebrow lifted, a smirk coming to his bearded face. "Who do you think I am?"

What a shebs'palon thing to say. I looked over the man's features. His face was kind, framed with a dark beard and long hair. His intense blue eyes watched me carefully as I took a suspicious step away from him. He wore jedi robes, the sleeves long and pooling around his massive hands.

The man tsked. "Don't look with your eyes. Look with your feelings. Trust the Force."

"You sound like Obi-wan," I muttered, keeping my gaze on him, but reaching out in the Force.

To my surprise, he chuckled. "Alternatively, I believe he sounds like me."

I lifted my brow at him, ready to throw an insult, but stopped dead. The Force flowed around me, strong in this place. It whispered gently in my ear.

And then something else hissed, slithering like a snake around my throat. Don't listen to this fool.

The jedi's expression shifted to mild concern and suspicion. "Is everything alright?"

I cleared my throat, equally as rattled, but nodded. "You're Qui-Gon Jinn, aren't you? Obi-wan's master?"

"Very good, Young One," he smiled, momentarily forgetting the dark ripple in the Force. "You're a fast learner."

Do not listen to his words. The jedi only wish to weaken you. To keep you from what you could be.

"What is that?" Qui-Gon asked, glancing around.

For some reason, I was panicked. I didn't want the jedi to know about the dark presence that called to me from Moraband. It was my mystery to unravel. At least, that's what I told myself to explain the strange possessiveness I felt for the connection. It was powerful. Seductive, almost.

"My name is Kida," I said, hoping to distract the jedi. "Obi-wan was teaching me to meditate."

Qui-Gon hummed lowly. "I know who you are, Kida Fett. You've cleared your mind well. Well enough so that I could reach out."

"Have you reached out to Obi-wan?"

"No. I can't do that yet."

I lifted my eyebrow, suddenly suspicious. "Why not?"

"I am unable. I could speak to you because a connection to something ancient resides within you already. You only had to clear your mind."

He lies!

I flinched as Qui-Gon looked around, his face darkening. I swallowed. "Why did you want to reach out to me?"

"To warn you," he said evenly, his gaze falling on mine.

He is trying to deter you from greatness. The jedi tell lies. Only lies. Come to me.

"Warn me about what?"

Qui-Gon didn't respond immediately, his brows furrowed as he glanced around us. "I'm already too late, aren't I?"

"Too late for-"

"Do you know this place, Kida?"

I looked around at his interruption, beginning to feel uncomfortable in that place with the jedi and the voice. My skin was clammy and cold, the air heavy and hard to breathe. "No," I whispered.

"It's powerful with the Force. The entire planet it." Qui-Gon looked at me with a foreboding gaze. "Powerful with both sides of the Force."

This man has no knowledge of what is light and what is dark, the voice scoffed, He has been misguided by those who claim they follow the Jedi Order. Who think they understand the Force and what balance truly means.

"Kida?" Qui-Gon broke into my thoughts, but I wasn't fast enough to wipe away my contemplative face...as well as the fear that lay within the expression. The jedi's face was almost sad as he regarded me. "Does the dark side call to you already?"

The dark is not what it seems. Some creatures fear the dark of night, but others thrive in it, should they have the strength to survive.

I swallowed thickly. "No."

His expression darkened. "This challenge will be most difficult for you, Kida, given your ancestry. But you must resist. Do not succumb to the darkness. It will consume you."

No, the voice argued, the darkness frees you. The jedi are cowards who hide behind false morals they betray with each moment involved in the war. Why would you trust those who defy their creed?

My eyes snapped open, a gasp bursting from my chest. The competing voices. The competing thoughts. It had been too much.

"Kida?" Obi-wan's voice chimed, the man kneeling beside me, his hand steadying my shoulder. "Are you alright? What just happened?"

I looked at him for a moment, trying to debate what to tell him. Telling him I talked with his dead master-something I still wasn't sure how it happened-would make him suspicious or worried about my abilities. Telling him about the voice and the dream-of which I was now sure was somehow associated with the dark side-would be even worse.

"I-" I started, but by the Force, I was saved. The ship rumbled beneath our feet, our eyes meeting as the alarm sounded. "What's going on?" I asked, thankful for the change of subject.

"Obi-wan," Skywalker's voice sounded through the jedi's comms. "The ship is under attack."

"Never a dull moment," Obi-wan sighed. "How bad is it?" The jedi offered me a hand as we both stood, exiting his quarters

We stopped dead in our tracks when we saw the clones racing past us, the alarm blaring, the emergency lights bathing us in red.

"Bad. It's Dooku."

Obi-wan and I shared a glance before taking off towards the war room. The ship rumbled beneath our feet, nearly causing us to stumble as it pitched sideways.

"There goes a stabilizer," I panted as we raced onto the bridge. The battle outside the viewport raged on, nearly stopping me in my tracks. "By Ka'ra," I muttered below my breath, seeing the hologram portraying the battle we were clearly losing.

"Where is Anakin?" Obi-wan asked already, striding into the room with an air of confidence.

"Leading a fighter team, sir," Cody responded beside Rex.

My cheeks heated only slightly at the sight of the captain.

"Cyare," 99 started, sobering and speaking softly. "It means beloved."

With a mental shake to get myself focused, I joined them. "Let me join him." Three heads turned to me with shock. "What? I can pilot a fighter."

"I appreciate your fervor, Kida," Obi-wan started gently. "But sending an untrained pilot in-"

"We're losing, General," I cut him off, my tone stern. "And I've watched them train. I know the maneuvers. No offense," I said, gesturing to the group. "But there's enough leadership up here. Let me go help."

I could feel Rex's nerves, and I knew Kenobi felt them too. The jedi sighed, waving his hand. "Go. Be safe." I smiled, genuinely glad to have a real role, finally. "And Kida?" I turned at the doorway to look back at my friend. The bearded man smiled, his eyes knowing. "May the Force be with you."

I gave him a smile, before running from the bridge and through the halls. It didn't take long to reach a hangar, one of the deck attendants giving me access to an ARC-170 fighter, the clones rushing to detach the fuel lines.

"She's all yours, sir," the attendant said, a small glimmer in his eye. He, like all the others, loved fighting. It was in their blood, like Fives had said on Kamino. To be honest, was I any different.

I moved to climb up the wing, but stopped at a familiar presence in the Force. I turned, only one leg on the wing, to see Rex hurrying across the hangar, practically barging through his men. I couldn't help the small, amused smile that curled my lips.

"What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly as he drew closer, all eyes turning away from their superiors with respect.

"Getting in a fighter, why?" I asked, stepping down to lean against it.

"You could be killed."

I frowned. "I could have been killed on Kamino, too. How is this different?"

"I was there," he whispered, his face hidden behind his helmet. "I could…"

"Protect me?" His silence in response was enough of an answer. "Take off your helmet, Rex." He hesitated, the man touching the side of his visor with unsurity. "Take it off," I growled this time, making him move. The helmet came off, revealing his worried face and deep, golden eyes. "You can't always be there to protect me, Rex. I've survived this long without you watching my back. And while I appreciate it, I don't need you protecting me."

He sighed through his nose, looking down at the floor. A quick glance around told me no one was looking, so I touched his cheek gently. He tensed, but relaxed under my touch just as quickly.

"I have to go."

"I know," he breathed back.

With a small, steadying breath and my heart in my throat, I leaned up on my toes, pressing my lips to his cheek. "I'll see you soon," I assured, stepping back and climbing up the wing of my fighter.

The captain was stunned, his face turning a slightly darker shade as he swallowed thickly. I couldn't help but chuckle at his awkward expression.

"Oh, by the way," I said, pausing in my climb. "I know why you didn't want me knowing your little nickname." The man blanched, but I continued. "It's because you didn't have the gett'se to say it to my face in common."

He was silent for a moment as I crawled into my cockpit. "Who told you?" he called finally as my engines roared to life beneath my hands.

I smiled at him, the shield sliding down over me. "99!" I yelled as it hissed closed, my arm throwing the thrusters forward and rocketing me out of the hangar.

The ARC-170 shuddered as I pushed it away from the cruiser, taking in the raging battle. We were a single cruiser against a fleet of Separatist warships. Vulture droids swarmed everywhere, overwhelming our strike teams. A simple connection to my ship's mainframe brought Apex roaring to life in the engines.

"Talk to me," I said into my earpiece, dropping my goggles to have my own targeting system.

"Both weapons and engines are at full power," Apex responded immediately. "Be wary of flying too low. The planet's gravitational ring is not far."

"Which ship has Dooku?" I asked, spinning between my first set of vulture droids, pulling the trigger to take some of them out.

"Scans suggest the center vessel. I don't suggest an approach, miss," the AI advised. "The command ship is remaining out of the battle. You'd have to get through all the others first."

"Right," I groaned, dipping below a stream of laser fire, only to cut back up and destroy my attacker with a few well-placed blasts. "Patch me into the Republic comms."

Immediately, my cockpit filled with the sounds of battle.

"On your six, Acer!"

"I've got two behind me."

"Steady, Tincan. Your fuel cell is exposed."

"I can't shake them!"

I dipped in, seeing the clone pilots in formation, going through one of their maneuvers. "Hold on," I said into the comms, pitching sideways to take out the vulture droids. My fingers squeezed the trigger, the droids exploding, sending debris flying around me.

"Who is that?" a pilot asked as I zoomed by, Apex diverting energy to my thrusters to really get the ship moving.

"Kida," Anakin said, both answering his man's question and greeting me, his starfighter appearing from the battle to cruise beside mine. I cast him a grin out my viewport, which he returned with a small lift of his hand. "I didn't know you could pilot like that."

"Well then," I chuckled back, pulling back on my thrusters to dip lower under the next onslaught of droids. "Buckle up, because you haven't seen anything yet!" Spinning through missiles and laying hard on my trigger, my eyes lifted to the command ship again. "Anakin," I spoke, ignoring the small spike of surprise from the force signatures of the clones. "Dooku is in the command ship."

"I figured," he growled, the jedi taking down his own small army of droids.

"As much as I'd love to get Dooku," Obi-wan voiced through the comms. "We need to defend our vessel. We're barely surviving as is."

I hummed. "Can we jump to hyperspace?"

"Negative." I recognized Cody's curt demeanor. "Our hyperspace engines have been damaged."

I pitched my fighter sideways, narrowly missing an approaching vulture droid and skirting along the side of one of the Separatist cruisers. "There's no way we can fight this fleet off, General," I admitted, dodging the surface cannons from the cruiser.

"Reinforcements?" Anakin asked, sounding like he was clenching his jaw in concentration.

"Too far away," Obi-wan sighed in response. "They won't get here in time." We were doomed. I glanced down at the planet below me as I spun, dodging cannon fire.

I switched off my mic for a moment, shifting my thrusters forward to dart below the next cruiser, raining fire over its turrets. "Apex, what planet is that?"

"Vandor."

"Why does that sound familiar?"

"You've dropped and met clients here, miss," the faithful AI responded. "It's riddled with mining facilities and cave systems."

With a hum, I switched my comms back on to put in my two credits. "The planet below," I cut into their conversation. "It's filled with mines and caves. If we could get our there, we may be able to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

I could practically see Obi-wan stroking his beard. "An evacuation would be dangerous."

"So would staying up here with little to no defenses," Anakin reasoned.

"I've got two on my tail," Tincan voiced, making my gaze turn.

"Hold on, Tincan," I responded immediately, dipping my left wing to turn and follow him. I took out one of the droids behind him, but worried over the second. It was floating right behind the clone's ship...right where his exposed fuel cell was. If I shot and missed, I'd kill the pilot...and possibly myself, considering how close I was following.

"Fine," Obi-wan said finally. "Start the evacuation to the planet's surface. Anakin and Kida, defend the shuttles."

"Got it," Anakin said, but I didn't respond, letting my thoughts fade away. I let my mind drift to what Obi-wan had taught me that morning, the Force flowing through me.

With a slow breath out, I steadying my swaying ship and pulled the trigger. The droid exploded, a sigh of relief coming through my comms from the clone pilot.

"Thank you, sir," he said gratefully.

"Don't mention it," I grinned, glancing back towards our cruiser. "Now head back and defend our-" My feelings rippled, making my head turn sideways to see a damaged vulture droid careening towards us. "Tincan!" I screamed, jerking my joystick sideways. "Look out!"

The clone didn't react in time, the vulture droid colliding with his fighter, hitting the exposed fuel cell. The explosion sent my fighter flipping through the air, my alarms blaring in my ears.

"Kida!" Obi-wan's voice sounded through my crackling comms. "What happened?"

I didn't respond, panting as I tried to regain control and see the diagnostics at the same time. "My stabilizers," I said back, reading over the screens, trying to keep myself from hitting anything with damaged steering. "And my oxygen."

"Miss," Apex crackled. "Your engines are failing."

"Wonderful," I muttered through gritted teeth, pulling hard on my joystick. "Obi-wan," I called into the comms over the blaring of my alarms. "I'm getting dragged into the planet's atmosphere! I'm sending you some old schematics of a cave system on the surface. I used it for a smuggler drop once. It should be big enough for shuttled to enter."

I did my best to keep myself calm as Apex sent the files. "We've got them," Obi-wan said. "I'll send someone for you."

"No," I cut him off, the nose of my ship trying to dip down into the atmosphere. "I'm going to be fine. I'll find you!"

"Kida, I don't-" Obi-wan's voice was breaking up as my ship was pulled downward, the metal heating terribly. "This is a good...Kida...can you…me?"

The comms failed, my connection to Apex even dropping off as the starfighter began to burn in the decent. With no mechanical copilot, I ducked below the console, ripping apart wires and manually diverting all weapons and communications energy to my shields and reverse thrusters.

"Okay," I muttered, sitting up and strapping myself in again. "Here we go." My fingers wrapped around my thrust control and the joystick, doing my best to keep the ship steady. The clouds parted round my viewport, revealing the vast expanse of white peaks and rocky ledges.

The Force rippled around me, guiding my hand as I pulled the joystick, the reverse thrusters engaging to slow my speed as I neared a peak. The underbelly of my ship scraped the top, snow exploding around me as I pitched forward.

All hope for controlling my landing was gone as I careened down, a cry of fear erupting from my throat.

I closed my eyes as I hit the snow, my head throwing forward and hitting the dash. There was only darkness.

MANDO'A

Adi'ka- little one

Shebs'palon- asshole

Ka'ra- stars (ancient Mandalorian myth-ruling council of fallen kings)

Gett'se- balls

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry about the long wait on this one. There's been a lot going on and I actually had a hard time writing this chapter for some reason. Anyways, enjoy. More to come soon.

As always, reposts, shares, likes, and reviews are always welcome!

-Ryder