Chapter Fifty-One: Splitting Up

We were racing through the halls of the Citadel, Cody having tossed me a bag filled with detonators. As Obi-wan and Piell led the others down the hall, the commander and I were placing the explosives along our path. It was Obi-wan's plan to cause enough destruction to draw as much of Sobeck's attention as we could in order to ensure Anakin's group got out safely.

Of course, that left me wondering how we were going to get out, but the two Jedi had a way of always making things work out. Believe it or not, I trusted them.

"Hey!" I heard a droid cry behind us, multiple squads converging on our group.

"Perfect timing," I panted, planting my last mine and running past Obi-wan to join the others. The Jedi activated the bombs, the ground trembling beneath my feet as we ran. "We can't fight them all," I voiced as he rejoined us.

"No," he allowed, stopping the group as the shaking of the Citadel ended. "Hopefully Anakin has made it to the tunnels by now. Quick, everyone into the service hatches!"

Piell used the Force to pull down a grate in the ceiling. Cody kneeled, offering his cupped hands to my foot, and hoisted me up. Once we were all inside, they replaced the grate, all of us sitting silently as the clank of droids drew closer. I could hear a mouse droid beeping as it scurried beneath the squadron's feet below, but they passed on without a clue of where we were.

After a moment of waiting, Kenobi led us forward quietly, glancing up at the shaft we approached. "This passage will get us near the landing pad," he announced, before beginning to climb.

"More climbing," I sighed under my breath, earning a chuckle from the Lannik Jedi. He waited until we were all scaling the shaft before he followed.

"R2," I heard Obi-wan say into his wrist comm above us. "Send the shuttle to the rear landing platform."

"We've already been given the go-ahead by General Skywalker, sir," one of the reprogrammed battle droids responded as I followed Cody past Kenobi, who had stopped at one of the landings. "Assuming you were still on schedule."

Kenobi raised his brow. "The trick will be if Anakin arrives on time." I couldn't help but grin as I followed Cody up, stopping behind the stilled clone.

"A probe!" he screamed above me, the beeping of the droid following. My hands were still holding me up on the wall, as were his, leaving us both defenseless. Thankfully, Piell was right behind us, leaping deftly up the shaft and slicing the probe in two. They fell past us, all of us ducking out of the way.

"Did you get it?" Obi-wan asked, glancing down. It was obvious the droid was destroyed, but if it had transmitted our discovery or not…Our heads whipped upwards as we heard hissing, seeing the vents sealing off towards us. "Security doors!" Kenobi cried. "Move or you'll be cut in half!"

I glanced down, seeing the clones below struggling to get one of their comrades up. Without thinking, I released my handhold, falling towards them. If anything, I'd likely not have time to help him up, considering I heard the doors closing behind me as I fell past Piell. But maybe I could just slam him down enough to miss being killed.

And then the security door between us closed, making me slam feet first into it. I heard a scream below me and the Force rippled with pain, death, and horror. Wincing from the hard impact, I looked around me, seeing I was alone in my compartment. I was overwhelmed with the emotions coming from below...from the clones that were only holding the top half of their brother.

The security door above me hissed as a green blade was shoved through, carving a circle. I shifted out of the way as the metal piece fell, looking up to see Piell's sad face. "There are clones below," I whispered, surprised at the hoarseness of my voice.

"I understand," he said gently, hopping down beside me. "Even with my Jedi training, the grief of war can be overwhelming."

I was shocked at his words, saying nothing as he carved through the floor to retrieve the trapped clones below. I did my best not to look at the scene below, offering a hand to help the horrified clones up. They climbed up the hole Piell had made, seeing Obi-wan working on the ones above.

I squinted after the clones climbed past, seeing red marks along the walls. Moving closer, it was revealed to be bloody hand prints. Looking down, I saw my own gloves were stained. I wiped them off quickly.

My hands had been stained with blood before, both literally and figuratively. But this was different. This was war. This was family.

This was senseless.

"We need to keep moving." I glanced up, my thoughts interrupted by Piell's words. He was being gentle, staying in pace with me as I climbed. "I've heard a lot about you, young one," he said gruffly, but quiet enough that it didn't echo up the shaft. "Though Obi-wan's reports of you led me to expect something different."

I raised my brow, grateful for the distraction. "Those reports were a long time ago," I offered somewhat dismissively, casting a meaningful glance up the tower we were climbing.

"I didn't mean that in a negative way," he countered, chuckling lightly at me. "I suppose I just never believed someone so young would be as steady as you are."

"You have clones in your army who are younger," I said with more bite than I intended.

"Yes." He sighed beside me as we climbed. "And their losses are remembered."

"I'm sorry," I breathed finally. "I know the use of the clones doesn't fall directly to the Jedi. Or directly to you. This war is...far more complicated than that."

"You are wise, for someone so young."

"Life has a funny way of doing that sometimes."

"May I ask a question?"

I glanced at the Jedi Master, pulling myself through the next hole in the security doors. "We don't really have much else to fill the time, I guess."

He surprised me with a chuckle before lowering his voice so no one could hear but me. "I sense the kyber in your pouch." I froze at his words. "And sensed your strong connection with the Force. Yet I haven't seen you use either. Why?"

My lips pressed into a line. "If I can achieve something without them, why use them?"

"I suppose," he reasoned. "But even you must feel it wanting to help, can you not? Why not use what tools you've been gifted with?"

I couldn't help but chuckle as Cody offered me his hand, pulling me to the top. Finally...we'd be crawling rather than climbing. "I appreciate that sentiment, Master Piell," I said, glancing back at him, knowing everyone could hear us now. "But not everyone is so accepting as you seem to be."

The Jedi frowned at me, but allowed the conversation to fall silent. We approached a grate, Cody looking out to the landing pad. "The shuttle's there," he announced. "But there's no sign of R2."

"Something might have happened," Obi-wan worried. "We'll have to make our way around to the other side and get a different view. This could be a trap."

Of course it was a trap. I glanced at Cody briefly before joining Obi-wan as he pushed the grate away with the Force. Tethering himself in with a grapple gun, the Jedi leapt deftly from the vent and rappelled down the wall. Cody moved next, followed by the rest of us and Piell. The ledge we were walking on was narrow, but not so narrow that you had to strafe against the wall.

Though, some of the clones were still doing that. It was weird. Some of them had Jango's bravery. Some his marksmanship. Others his strategy. Yet I still found some with the yearning for knowledge. With the slightest tick in their step. Some with a distaste for the color yellow. Others with his slight fear of heights-something he hid well while on the job.

We made our way to a platform lined with STAPs. "Anakin," I listened to Obi-wan say into his wrist comm while looking over the hangar below.

A voice we weren't expecting responded. "I must commend you on your escape tactics, but in the end," Sobeck chuckled through the comms he clearly hacked into. "It was easy to predict your every move."

Massive tower turrets activated around us, spider droids dropping from above to cut off our escape. "Osik," I cursed under my breath, drawing my pistols. The door beside us opened, revealing three destroyers and four commandos, all holding shields.

Obi-wan scowled, crossing his arms as Sobeck continued to cackle triumphantly through the comms. "There's too many," the Jedi reasoned grumpily, setting down his lightsaber. My fingers curled stubbornly around my blasters before finally sighing, setting them down as everyone else did.

The commandos came forward, cuffing our hands in front of us, instructing us to put them up behind our heads. When they did, they collected our weapons before patting us down for more.

The commando reached into my back pouch on my belt, drawing forth the lightsaber inside. The beskar hilt shined in the light as it brought it out, the inscriptions sparkling...making the shriek-hawk and mythosaur almost look like they were moving.

I didn't miss the looks from the room as the weapons was revealed and stashed on the commando unit.

We were led through the halls silently, my mind reeling with possibilities of escape. I did my best to memorize the terms, remembering Jango's teachings. Always know the way out.

It didn't take long for us to get to Sobeck's command hub, the droids walking us all in, single file. As the Phindian warden greeted us, I couldn't help but wonder how the other group was doing. I hoped everyone was ok, I thought as I recalled the ominous feelings I'd gotten when saying goodbye to Fives and Echo.

"Welcome back," Sobeck greeted as he rose from his command chair and descended the stairs towards us.

I glanced sideways at Obi-wan, seeing him frown. "I must say, you're not at all what I pictured," the Jedi quipped. "For someone with such a soft voice."

Sobeck growled at Kenobi before turning to Piell. "I want your half of the information. Give it to me now, or I'll start executing your men."

Piell glanced at the ground with sorrow as Sobeck walked to the clone beside me. "This is war, Sobeck," the small Jedi lamented. "We're all prepared to die to protect that intel."

The warden laughed, taking a gun from one of his commandos. "Really?" He aimed the gun at the clone's helmet, earning a gasp.

"Wait-" I started, but was cut off by the blaster going off. I flinched as the clone fell, kneeling at his side. Grief rippled through the group, but was heavily outweighed by fear of being next.

Sobeck shrugged at the angry looking Jedi masters, before aiming the gun at my head. "What about you? You're no clone. Are you prepared to die for this information?"

I stood from the clone's side, my jaw clenched with anger. "I'd like to see you try."

I earned a laugh from him. "Oh, I know who you are," he growled, shoving the blaster closer to my face. I refused to yield, letting him get closer without flinching. I knew what game he was playing. And he had no idea how good I was at it.

I hadn't made my name in the Underworld by being a push-over.

"You're the little runt the Count has been trying to hunt down," Sobeck explained, catching me by surprise. So I was well-known by the Separatists too? Enough to be recognized by someone who's been stuck on this planet for years. "Yes, Count Dooku will be very pleased by your capture. I've read the warnings about facing you. About these apparently dark abilities." He gestured to his wall of monitors. "But I've seen nothing my Citadel cannot handle."

My nose crinkled in distaste as I felt the Force begin to rippled around me with frustration. I loved a challenge. But I also hated someone who thought they could control me with fear.

"Well then, keep watching," I growled.

"Sir," A command droid interrupted, making us all turn. "We have located the other group, and our droids are closing in on them."

Sobeck tossed his gun back to the commando as I worried for the other group. For Ahsoka. Rex. Anakin. Fives. Echo. Not really Tarkin. He seemed like an ass anyways.

Then again, he did have the rest of the information that could help the Republic win the war.

"Your Jedi resolve only delays the inevitable," Sobeck gloated. "Take them to interrogation. Torture them. Slowly." The droids turned on us, the door opening. "Wait," the warden called, making us stop, my eyes still on the dead soldier. "The girl stays. I wish to update Dooku on our newest prize."

I glared at the Phindian as he chuckled, gesturing for Dooku to be contacted as the others were led out. Obi-wan cast me a worried glance, but I shook my head. I'd handle it.

Somehow.

As the doors hissed closed behind them, I pulled my hands down from behind my head slowly. No one seemed to care, so I watched nervously as Sobeck took up my lightsaber from the commando, standing beside me as the holoprojector hummed to life.

"Do you have my information?" Dooku said, never even looking up from where he sat at a desk.

"It is nearly in my grasp, Count," Sobeck said back in his rasping voice. "But for now, I wanted to present you with another prize."

Dooku looked up finally, rising from his seat as he saw me. An arrogant smirk graced his features, his eyes dark. "I see you've stumbled your way back into the war, Miss Fett."

Despite my nerves, I couldn't help but grin. I remembered what Darth Bane had said of Dooku. Of his place in the war. "You have no idea the cards that are in play, Dooku. You're just a pawn in this game."

"Perhaps," he mused. "But I will see the other side of this war. Will you?" I was hit with a sudden vision. Sounds. Panic. A sense of betrayal.

"Good. Twice the pride, double the fall." It sounded like Dooku. The sounds of a battle. Guns. Spaceships. Lightsabers clashing.

Another voice. One I didn't know, but sounded sinister. "Do it," the voice growled. I heard the slicing of lightsabers. I felt death.

"I will see the end of this war," I said, determined. "But you won't."

He glared at me through the hologram, folding his hands before him. "I would like to see you try from your own cell in the Citadel. Keep her there, Sobeck. Break her. I will come to collect my future apprentice shortly."

"What?" I called, tilting my head to the side. "Your previous ones not working out for you?" Dooku scowled at me. "Zero for two is not a good record."

"Get this pitiful excuse for a Jedi out of my sight," Dooku growled.

I quirked my brow. "I'm not a Jedi, Count," I argued, balancing myself within the Force, feeling my kyber crystal vibrate with excitement. "Would you like to see what I am?" I taunted, lifting my bound hands.

My saber flew from Sobeck's hands, the droids in the room panicking, as it met my palm. Right where it should be. Where it was always meant to be.

I grinned at the room, my thumb sliding over the activation button. Lowering my stance, I turned it on.

MANDO'A

Osik- shit

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

CallMeSama, your review was hilarious and made me laugh out loud.

Thank you everyone for the love. As always, likes, comments, reposts, and shares are always appreciated and welcomed!

Shout out to ZabuzasGirl for always letting me bounce off ideas and giving me suggestions!

-Ryder