Sorry for the delay everyone, I've been working on this chapter for a while now along with doing something else I have planned for the story. Enjoy the chapter and make sure to leave a review. Oh, and another thing. "Talking" "Communication" 'Thought' Just know that this chapter takes place during the episode "Holocron Heist".
Learning and Larceny . . .
As the Jedi try to figure out the reason why Catra is so strong in the Force, the Republic launched a rescue mission to Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the Autobots' campaign on Felucia as the fight was not going in their favor as they were surrounded by droid forces. Essentially, they were trapped. Their only hope is to escape on Republic gunships waiting to land on the embattled surface. The Jedi cruisers have managed to blow a hole in the droid defenses and have sent gunships to the rescue.
Felucia, Upper Atmosphere
The gunships, with a fighter escort along with Plo Koon leading them, swiftly race down to the surface to rescue their comrades.
"Warthog," Plo addressed the clone pilot, "protect the gunships. I will take out the fighters."
The Jedi Master easily takes out a few of the vulture droids that try to stop them. He continues to do so as they fly next to a Separatist Frigate before they finally make their descent to the surface. They make their way through the clouds to where the battle is and find 4 AT-TE tanks standing in a defensive circle.
The droids were closing in on them, but they were held back by Optimus Prime, Jazz, and Bulkhead's firepower with the help of Obi-Wan and Anakin deflecting the incoming fire.
Warthog was being chased by a couple vulture droids and couldn't shake him. He grunts in annoyance. "I can't shake these two droids!" He said, looking behind him.
"Come around, and I'll try to get them off your tail." Plo Koon says, steering towards him.
He grunts in distress. "General!"
The Jedi Master comes in at the last second and takes them out, but one of the vulture droids spins out of control to the circle. Bulkhead sees it spin out of control towards them. "Incoming!" he shouts to his cohorts. Optimus brings out his insignia shield as Obi-Wan pulls Anakin out of its path before it tumbles across the ground and crashes into a tank, resulting in an explosion.
"That was close." Anakin stated.
"You said it." Jazz agreed, looking at the tank. 'That could've been us.' the Autobot thought to himself.
Anakin resumed deflecting blaster fire. "If those fighters got through, then our gunships can't be far behind." Kenobi deduced before deflecting a few shots.
"Prepare everyone to evacuate." the Prime says.
The gunships soon land. Their doors open for them. "Go! Go!" one clone ushers them. One of the clones was shot down. "Come on, grunts." Rex waves his hand. "We are leaving!" he firmly stated. They soon head to the gunships. The Autobot and the Jedi maintain cover for the clones to get onboard. "Ahsoka, Ironhide, and Bumblebee should be back from their jungle patrol by now." Anakin stated.
"I'll try to contact Ahsoka again." Obi-Wan replied. He moves his comlink up to his mouth. "Ahsoka, where are you?"
Not too far away, Ahsoka and her team of clones were facing off against droids, deflecting their shots with her lightsaber as Bee and Ironhide return fire. Ahsoka acrobatically flips back before she twirls her lightsaber, deflecting the shots back.
"Ahsoka, what is your location?" The Togruta heard over her comlink.
"About six klicks east, Master." She responds. "We've engaged the enemy and we've got them on the run."
The clone on the turret takes out several droids.
"They're here to extract us." Kenobi says, implying to the gunships. "We're leaving."
"What?!" Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock. "Wha…" 'Why would we leave now? We're doing fine.' She thought to herself. "We can't retreat now, Master. I've broken through." She replies, undeterred from her current objective.
"Move it, trooper! Come on, double time!" Anakin orders the clones into the gunship.
"The droids are retreating." Ahsoka says.
Optimus steps up to Kenobi. "Ahsoka, we're outnumbered. You must evacuate. That is an order!" Obi-Wan almost shouted the last part. It's not that he didn't want her to continue fighting the droids, but he was concerned that doing so was putting herself at risk.
Her reply, however, didn't seem to make him feel any better. "Master Skywalker taught me never to let up when the tinnies are on the run." She says as Anakin enters the gunship, the doors closing behind him. Bulkhead and Jazz enter the second gunship.
"They are running back here to regroup with the main force." He retorts. The gunships then take off to head to Ahsoka's coordinates. "You are putting your troops' lives in danger, young one. You will get on the gunship when we arrive." He says in a condescending tone.
"Where's Ahsoka?" Anakin asks.
"Following your teachings." the Council member remarked.
"Is she winning?" The Knight inquired, putting a little levity in the dire situation.
"For now."
"While her bravery and enthusiasm are well placed, her impulsiveness is getting the better of her considering how young she is." Optimus states the situation.
Ahsoka continues blocking shots as the two Autobots fire at the droids. Ironhide and Bee knew from Kenobi's tone that he was not happy with her decision. Ironhide voices his opinion. "Ahsoka, we should be ready for when the gunships arrive." He states. "What? They're retreating, we can't turn back and run!" she argues. "(Ahsoka, Ironhide's right! If we keep fighting, we'll either be captured or killed. But if we leave, we'll live to fight another day.)" Bumblebee reasons. Ahsoka listened to their reasoning, and they were right about some things, but that doesn't mean she couldn't stand and fight. She was brought out of her thoughts when the gunships arrived. Anakin and Obi-Wan watched her from above. "She's not stopping." Kenobi pointed out. Skywalker furrows his brow at his Padawan's insubordination, his expression slightly faltering as he remembers what Optimus said. The gunships landed between them and the droids. "What are you doing?!" She incredulously shouts at them. The clones, Bulkhead and Jazz hold off the droids. Anakin steps out of the gunship. "Get in the ship, now." He orders her irritably. "Can't you see they're retreating?" She argues back, gesturing to the droids. "They're about to overrun you, Ahsoka. You just can't see it." He retorts. "Now follow orders and get in the ship." He harshly orders her. Ahsoka glances down to the side and quietly sighs in defeat. Before she could do anything else the sound of two rockets being launched rang through the air and everyone looked up in shock as the missiles headed towards Ahsoka. Ironhide takes quick action and fires at them, but he only takes one out. He jumps in front of Ahsoka and brings her into a protective embrace before the missile hits him in the back of his right shoulder. The others' eyes widen in shock and concern. Ahsoka opens her eyes and she sees Ironhide in front of her. "Ironhide?" Ahsoka says to the Autobot. He grits his teeth as he groans in pain before he falls, letting go of her and Bumblebee catching him. "(Come on, we gotta get him out of here.)" The scout states. "Alright." She responds. They get down from the vehicle and get to the gunship. They then take off. Ahsoka looks on as she watches her patrol vehicle explode. She looks back to her master to see his disappointed look. She looks over Ironhide, who was in pain. She sees the Autobot hold his shoulder in pain. He would have to see Ratchet to know the full extent of his injuries. The gunships make it back to Plo Koon's cruiser, however, the entire trip back to Coruscant, Ahsoka lowers her head in shame. Feeling that this defeat… was all her fault.
Council Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant, Night
After returning to the Temple, the Council was discussing what happened on Felucia, Anakin and Ahsoka being called to the Council chambers, Optimus having accompanied them after the rest of the Autobots went to their base to get Ironhide treated.
"Padawan Ahsoka," Mace Windu addresses her, the Padawan holding her right arm in shame, "do you feel Master Kenobi's description of the 'incident' is accurate?" He distinctly asked her.
"Yes, my Masters." She answers with a heavy heart.
"More to add, do you?" Master Yoda inquired.
"I know I was wrong." She says, not denying that fact. "I just got so caught up in my own success. I didn't look at the battle as a whole." The Togruta explained. "I wasn't being disobedient. I just…" she sighs, "forgot." Ahsoka added.
"Masters, this incident is my responsibility." Anakin intercedes. "Because of Ahsoka's advanced abilities, I forgot how young she is. I gave her more freedom than I should have." He states plainly. Ahsoka lowers her head in shame.
"That may be," Mace replies with a furrow brow, "but it doesn't excuse what happened on Felucia." Optimus notices that Master Windu's tone of voice was slightly irritated and deduces that he does not take very kindly to disobedience. "I think she needs some time away from the battlefield." He says.
"On archive security, reflect on your actions you can, Padawan." Yoda says.
"Guard duty?" Ahsoka asks incredulously. She then remembers where she is and asks: "For how long?"
"Longer now." Mace replies, displeased with her outburst. Anakin casts a look at Ahsoka, who looks away.
Later, the three walk the halls of the Temple towards Anakin and Ahsoka's shared quarters. The Padawan wondered how Ironhide was considering that he saved her life. They were then joined by Bumblebee who had stayed at the Temple.
"(Optimus, I just got word from Ratchet about Ironhide.)" The scout whirs.
"How is he?" Ahsoka immediately asked.
"(All he has is a strained rotator cuff. His armor absorbed the blow.)" Ahsoka breathes a sigh of relief. "(And one more. Ahsoka, Ironhide wanted to tell you that he forgives you for what happened.)" Ahsoka was surprised that he wasn't holding a grudge against her, and he had already forgiven her for what happened on Felucia. She smiles at the scout for slightly cheering her up.
"Thanks, Bee."
"(Anytime, Ahsoka.)" He replies. "(I got your back.)" He winks at her.
That night, Ahsoka was still bummed about having guard duty, but she was glad that Ironhide forgave her and didn't hold her accountable. She fell asleep with a grateful smile.
Catra's Point of View
Fog. All I can see in every direction is a heavy layer of fog. "Hello?" I call out, only hearing a faint echo of my voice in return. "Hello?" I call out a bit louder, hearing my voice echo through fog. "What is this place?" I whisper, asking myself the main thing on my mind right now.
As I walk while looking around, I hear something. It sounded like… footsteps? They sounded heavy. 'Something else is here.' I thought in slight fear. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as my heart beats a bit faster. I frantically look around after I hear soft growling. 'What's out there? If something's out there, how am I supposed to find it before it finds me if all I can see is-' My train of thought was interrupted as felt a breath of air touch my back. 'It's right behind me.' I mentally say to myself, my body filled with fear. I turn around slowly to face what's behind me and I'm in total shock at what I see.
I saw two massive creatures standing side by side that looked kinda like dragons, but that wasn't the part that shocked me. Their whole bodies looked as if they were covered with flames. The one on the right was covered with black flames and it had glowing white, pupil-less eyes that look as if they're staring right into my soul. The one to the left appeared to be somewhat bigger than the other. Like the other dragon, its body too was covered with flames only they were white and had glowing fiery orange, pupil-less eyes.
I was petrified with fear as I had no idea what to do. they then unfurl their wings and reveal their massive wingspans.
Then, to my horror, they both stalked towards me until they were right in front of me. I stumble backwards and fall. What they did next terrified me. Their chests then start to have fiery glows. The black one has a fiery blue glow while the other has a fiery red glow. "Oh no." I say dreadfully. I can only look on as the glow goes up their necks before they open their maws, the back of their mouths glowing. I yelp in fright as they shoot torrents of flame at me.
Catra's Guest room, Jedi Temple, Morning, General Point of View
Catra lets out a gasp as she wakes up. Miharu immediately awakens at the sound of his companion. Catra breathes heavily as she tries to process what happened in her dream.
'What were those things?' She mentally asked herself.
Miharu presses his head against hers to comfort her. Catra hugs him to help herself calm down. "Thanks, Miharu." She says, grateful for him comforting her.
They stay in this position for several minutes. Catra is calmer now and was trying to process what happened in her dream. Also, to figure out what in the name of Primus those creatures were. After much thinking, and looking through every creature in the Cybertronian database on her D-pad, she didn't find out what the heck those things were. Catra sits on the bed in thought. She then looks over to her journal and the drawings she drew of the two creatures. She immediately drew them after she calmed down, and even then, the image of those creatures was so vivid in her mind.
'What were those things?' She repeats her previous question. A thought then came to her mind. 'I guess I could look for info in the Jedi Archives. I can probably look for answers there.' She thought.
She stood and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She had a bit of difficulty making the water run, but once she managed. After that, she fed Miharu with one of the meal packets she grabbed on the Eclipse for him. Her stomach's sudden growl made her sigh in frustration. She stood and grabbed her headpiece and put it on before using the transceiver Obi-Wan gave her. Looking at it in her hand made her remember how primitive this galaxy's technology is. She then pressed the middle of the device and a light started to glow. After a few minutes, she heard a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it. And saw a female, green Twi'lek waiting outside.
"You called? Catra, right?" She wondered.
"Um... yeah. I called. You are...?"
"Oh! I'm Vokara Che. I'm the Master Healer here." She said, "What do you need?"
"Um... a place to eat. I haven't eaten in a while. I'm also still trying to figure out what this 'Force' is apart from the explanation I got before coming here." Catra confessed.
"Of course." She replies. "Follow me. I'll take you to the Mess Hall. You'll get something to eat, and I'll answer as many of your questions as I can." The Jedi says.
"Okay." The hybrid replies.
Before they left, they heard a soft growl and they looked back to see Miharu standing by the door. The Yry'fer Tygrr eyeing the Twi'lek curiously.
"What is that?" Vokara asked cautiously. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, this is Miharu. He is mine and my mother's animal companion." Catra replied. She notices her unsure expression. "It's fine. He won't hurt you. He's just curious." She assured her. "Do you mind if he tags along?" The hybrid wondered with a smile.
The Healer blinks a few times to get over her shock. She notices that Miharu was completely docile towards Catra, but she couldn't rule out the possibility of it attacking her. Vokara then decided to try something. "Can I…?" She asks, looking at Catra.
She nods. "Let him approach you though." Catra informed her.
Vokara watched as Miharu slowly approached her. She carefully held out her hand towards him. The Yry'fer Tygrr sniffs her hand and she chuckles when he starts nuzzling her. She smiles before she then starts scratching his chin and petting his neck. "Aww, you are adorable." She gushed at him. They then left for the mess hall. As they walked, Catra asked all sorts of questions, some which Vokara found a bit difficult to answer.
"So, what does a Jedi do?" Was one of Catra's questions.
"Well, we protect peace across the galaxy. We use the Force to guide us and to help other people."
"The Force? What is that?" Catra asked, taking the healer off guard. She already got an explanation from before, but given her instinctive curiosity, she wanted a general perspective.
"Um... how do I explain this to you?" Vokara said to herself looking up before looking at Catra. "The Force is an energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together. It provides those sensitive to it different abilities and powers. There are two sides, the Light Side and the Dark Side. Each side provides with different abilities. We Jedi harness the power of the Light Side, fighting the Sith who use the Dark Side and any other threats to the galaxy."
"So... those droids... serve the Dark Side?" Catra asked.
"They serve their dark leader, Count Dooku, and yes. You could say that they serve the Dark Side. And the other threats are the Separatist leaders." Vokara answered.
"And if I serve the Dark Side, but I do no evil?" Catra suddenly asked.
"What?" Aayla asked, a confused brow raised.
"Think about it. You said that the Force has two sides." She says, holding up two fingers. "And you also said that each side has different abilities. Would I be evil if I use the abilities of the Dark side to do good instead of evil?" She explained.
That caught Vokara off guard, not knowing what to say. "I... I'm not sure. I never thought of that before." She admitted.
"That's alright. I was taught to see beyond what I was seeing and hearing." Catra says.
They walked the rest of the way in silence until they arrived. There, the healer showed her around the Temple, explaining to her what each room does as well as how to use things. Catra took note of what was being explained to her, not wanting to make a mistake.
When they arrived, it was full of younglings and Jedi Initiates along with some Jedi Knights and a few Jedi Masters. Vokara and Catra went to a table to eat. Miharu lays down next to Catra. As they ate, Master Che managed to ask the question she wanted to say when she learned about Catra.
"So, Catra…"
"Yes?" She responded, taking a bite of her food.
"When was the last time you've had a medical check?"
That caught Catra off guard. 'Why would she ask that?' She thought before answering. "Oh... It was probably a month and four days ago. My last one was after I felt the Force for the first time." The hybrid closed her eyes as she remembered the shocking pain she felt that day. "And with everything happening so fast when we left Cybertron, we didn't have much time to do anything. Not because we didn't want to, it's because we had little time to do anything. And with the energon we use for medicine, it basically heals almost everything."
"Really? Then, would you let me do a medical check on you?" Vokara asked hopefully.
"Why would you want to do one on me?" Catra asked, raising a curious brow.
"Just to be sure. I'd like to see how healthy you are." Stass pressed a bit.
Catra was quiet for a bit as she was skeptical, making the ambience a bit tense for Vokara. After a minute or so, she answered. "Alright. I'll let you do one of those."
Internally, Vokara sighed in relief. "Great! Would you like to do it after breakfast? I know a place where Miharu can stay in the meantime." She offered.
"Sure. After this, we can go." She agreed.
With that settled, they continued with their breakfast in peace. Catra sometimes broke the silence to ask questions regarding the Temple and the teachings the Jedi got.
After that, they went to the Medical Wing and Vokara asked Catra to sit on the gurney. Said Jedi gestured her to sit on the chair and walked to her holding a small device. Upon Catra's question, Vokara explained that it serves to check her vitals, like blood pressure and heartbeat. Catra stood still as the device checked her. When it was finished, Vokara put the device away and Twi'lek then pulled out a syringe. "I'm going to need a blood sample in order to do the check." She stated. "Alright." the hybrid shrugged. "This may pinch a little." The healer warned before then took a syringe and inserted it into Catra's skin on her left arm.
"Ow!" She yelped in pain.
The Healer gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it'll pass soon." She said.
Catra stayed still as the Jedi Healer took the sample. Once finished, she pulled out the syringe and went to grab a tissue to make the wound heal. Only to see it was already healed.
"What's wrong?" Catra's question shook Vokara from her shock.
"Nothing." She said, grabbing a small hammer. "Now, I'm going to test your reflexes, okay?"
"Okay." Catra complied.
Vokara did all the tests she could think of, from the knee reflex, eyesight test, strength, breathing, memory, hearing, etc. She found that Catra exceeded the normal category, she deduced that since she was half animal, Catra has better hearing than normal people, heightened senses, better reflexes, and her vision was at 100%. Her physical strength is beyond what she could have ever imagined. Catra has better stamina than most soldiers or Jedi and can recover fast. She was even surprised that the hybrid had retractable claws as well. Stass theorized that it could be because of the environments on Cybertron. And also because her home planet of Cybertron is probably tougher than the Jedi Temple or the Republic.
"We're all done now. Your physical check is complete. I must say that you are in better condition than most people your age." She compliments the hybrid. "Relatively speaking." She added, as she knew Cybertronians could live for many thousand years.
"Really? Well, exercising, a healthy diet, and running around for most of the day pays off in the end."
"I believe so. Speaking of which, how old exactly are you?" She inquired curiously.
"1700 years old." Catra replied, much to the surprise of the healer. "Although to you, that's probably shocking judging by the look on your face, but by Cybertronian standards, that's a teenager." She explains. Vokara then checks the results of the blood sample after she placed it over the designated machine.
"So, how long until the results come up?" Catra asked.
"Just a few more seconds." Che replied. Ten seconds later, the machine beeped, and she looked at the results. Her face went from normal to shock again.
"Your face tells me that something is going on."
Looking at the young hybrid, Vokara cleared her throat. "I'm just surprised to see that your health stats surpassed my expectations." She said, She then showed the device to Catra. "Your heart is incredibly healthy and strong. Your blood pressure is at normal levels. The same with your blood sugar, proteins, liquids, and more. Although, you do have a lot more metals in your system than any other species." She showed her.
"Yeah. Since Cybertron is so metal, mineral, and resource rich, Cybertronians have a lot more metal in our systems. And since I'm a hybrid, I have to eat healthy to stay in shape." Catra states.
"Yes. That would explain why you have such a stronger body and immune system." Vokara surmised.
"So, I'm healthy and free to go, right?"
"Uh, one more thing. When we did an x-ray of you, I was perplexed by one thing." She stated.
"Yeah?"
"I noticed a powerful energy source emanating right in front of your heart." The Twi'lek said, showing her the x-ray picture and pointing to her chest. "What exactly is it?" She wondered.
Catra moves her hand down her face. She contemplates telling her this. 'I guess it couldn't hurt.' She decided mentally. "That would be my spark." She stated. "And the reason why it has such a powerful energy reading is because it contains my life force." She added. "Are we done now?" She curiously asks.
Vokara nodded. "Indeed. You may go."
"Thank you!" Catra said as she then exited the room, the doors closing behind her. After her departure, Stass sat on the chair, the device still showing the results she was looking for. As it said something she could not believe.
Midichlorian level: 'Inconclusive.'
Immediately after the results, Vokara Che contacted the Council. While most were fighting on the frontlines, some could attend via hologram.
"I performed a medical check on Catra. And the results are beyond that of any being in our galaxy."
"Explain." Windu asked.
"She's physically stronger than most. She can recover her stamina faster too. Her reflexes are also faster considering that she's part animal." That last part confused some of the Council. Vokara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, that was a lot to wrap my head around as well. And because of that, her hearing and other senses are better than that of many species."
"What about her midichlorian levels?" Master Mundi inquired.
She took a deep breath. "That's the thing. It said 'Inconclusive'."
"Inconclusive?"
"Exactly. I checked it afterwards three or four times, but the results were the same."
"This is unexpected." Plo Koon stated.
"What could this mean? Master Yoda, do you have any ideas?" Shaak Ti said via hologram.
The small green elder thought for a moment. "Strange, this is. Mean something, this does. Know what, we do not. Inconclusive, it is not. Strong in the Force, she is."
"We could teach her about the Force considering this development." Lumimara suggested.
"Talk to her later, I will." Master Yoda said, dismissing the meeting.
Jedi Archives
Anakin brought Ahsoka to the Archives for her guard duty.
"I'm sorry I let you down." Ahsoka apologizes to Anakin.
"I know." He replies. "I was a Padawan not that long ago." He replies in an understanding tone, implying that he knows what she's going through.
They then meet the Head Archivist, who is an elderly, female human with her snow-white hair in a bun and pinned with two chopsticks.
"Madame Jocasta Nu," he addresses the Head Librarian, "this is Ahsoka Tano. She is to be your new security officer." He gestures to his Padawan, who smiles at the librarian.
"Hello, Madame." The Togruta greets her.
"So good to meet you." The elder replies. Anakin then leaves. "Let's show you around." Jocasta suggests. They later enter the library with Jocasta giving Ahsoka a tour. "There is more knowledge here than anywhere else in the galaxy." She says to the Padawan. "Although we might have to add a few more sections given that we now know of the existence of life beyond our galaxy thanks to the Cybertronians." She added.
"Master Kenobi says that there are even texts here that are forbidden to be read." Ahsoka says. "And I agree with you. From what I've heard from the Autobots, their history is very interesting. I once heard from Optimus that Ancient Cybertronians visited our galaxy millions of years ago to study it."
"Oh, the Archives hold a great many secrets, 'tis true." Madame Jocasta stated. She then gestures to the door in front of them. "Beyond this door lies the holocron vault. The holocrons contain the most closely guarded secrets of the Jedi Order." Kit Fisto was heading to the vault to return a holocron he was using. "Good morning, Master Fisto." He smiles back at them before he waves his hand over the door control, using the Force to open it.
"Can we go inside?" Ahsoka wondered as he went inside.
"Oh, I'm afraid not, my dear." She says as the doors close. "I haven't been inside myself for years. Only members of the Jedi Council are allowed access. Guarding the holocrons is one of the most important duties a Jedi can be given, Ahsoka. Do you think you're up to the task?" She asks the Padawan.
"Definitely." Ahsoka confidently replied.
"Hey, Ahsoka." A voice says.
She looks ahead and sees Catra and Master Yoda, with Miharu following behind them in front of her.
"Good morning, Master Yoda." Jocasta greets the green elder.
"To you as well, Madame Jocasta." Yoda replies.
The Librarian eyes Catra curiously as she has never seen anything like her before. She wasn't even going to address the creature behind them. "And may I ask who this is, Master Yoda?" She requested. He merely nodded and the hybrid introduced herself.
"Name's Catra." She says. "And if you're wondering about my appearance, I don't blame you for your curiosity. I am a Hybrid Cybertroian." The elderly woman was surprised that she was talking to one of the very species she was talking about earlier.
"What brings you to the Archives, Catra?" Ahsoka asks.
"Interesting story…" She starts.
About an hour ago, Master Yoda had followed Catra's Force signature, not that it was a problem, over to the Temple Gardens. The grandmaster found her lying against her sleeping animal companion Vokara told the Council about, apparently enjoying the peace and serenity of the place.
"Enjoying the gardens, are you?" He said, surprising her and waking Miharu.
"Yeah." Catra replies with a smile on her face. "Vokara suggested these gardens for Miharu here to wait until we were done with my medical check." She says.
Yoda chuckled. "Talk to you, I wish. Come with me, would you?"
"Sure. I don't see why not." She said, getting up with Miharu and followed Yoda. The both of them walked around the Temple, with Catra enjoying and asking about the sights and different rooms.
When they arrived at Master Yoda's room, he had her sit on one of the chairs, with him sitting on the opposite chair and Miharu sitting on the side of the room. He closes his eyes.
"Strong in the Force, you are." He said after a few minutes, opening his eyes.
"I know you mentioned that in the Senate Building, but how can you be so sure about it?" She asked.
"Feel it, all Jedi do. Bright, your presence is. Pure. Like a beacon, your presence is."
"Is that a bad thing, or a good thing?" The hybrid inquired.
"Neither. Depending on what you choose, the answer is. Tell me more about your home, may you?"
Catra told Master Yoda about her home, but with more details than what she explained to Vokara. She told him about her life before and after becoming a warrior, the adventures she and her friends had, what her life was like before the war, and especially what it was like having a family even though she was adopted.
"Hmm... full of life, your world is. Strong in the Force, I feel it is. Reason why you're so bright in the Force, I think it is."
Catra remained quiet as she then looked into her journal at the pictures of the two creatures from her dream.
"You also said before that I am strong in it."
"Say that, I did. Strong, you are."
"So that'd mean that I can use it?" She wondered.
"Indeed. Want to feel it, do you?"
Catra was surprised by what he was asking her. She was wary of what might happen, but her natural curiosity overcame her fear. "Okay. Tell me what to do."
"Close your eyes." She did as she was told. "Relax your muscles." She relaxed them. "Breath in and out slowly." She did that, breathing slowly. "Feel something, do you?"
She felt her surroundings. "Not really."
"Continue with my instructions. Feel around yourself." He encouraged her.
This continued for a few minutes. But with no results. After a few more minutes, she ends up with the same result. Catra sighed and stood, moving her shoulders and legs.
"I cannot feel anything. I only feel my muscles, hear the environment around me and nothing more."
"Hmm..." Master Yoda hummed in thought.
"This makes me think that I can't use the Force or... whatever it is." She said, sitting again on the chair. "If I'm strong in it, then why can't I use it the way you do?"
"Hm... good question, that is. Why can't use the Force, if strongly connected to it one is? Many answers, that question has." The Grandmaster wondered.
"Ugh... What a dilemma." She voices her opinion on the situation.
"Indeed." He said standing and walking to the window. "In mysterious ways, the Force works. Pain, you suffered before getting here, you said."
"Yes. It was strange. I've never felt anything like it before. It was as if my mind was being split in two, and the pain was so powerful and after it was gone, I fell unconscious. After that, I woke up in the Eclipse's med-bay." She said.
"Hmm..." Yoda then looked to Catra and walked to her. "Where was the pain you suffered?"
"In my head. Just over my forehead, but in that moment of pain, I think I felt some pain on my wrist." She replies.
"See your wrist, may I?" Yoda asks.
She didn't respond as she took off the glove over her left hand and wrist, her hand bare and her birthmark was exposed. The birthmark was on the bottom of her wrist and was in the shape of a pentagon with five triangles inside.
"Strange mark, that is." Yoda said.
"Had it as long as I can remember. Moonrider always told me that it was special." She said as Master Yoda walked over to her and pressed his right hand over the mark. As he suspected, the Force was strong there.
"Hmm... from the Force and an unknown source, this mark is. Linked to the Force, the Mark is."
"You think that the mark was the reason that I felt pain that day? Because the Force wanted me to feel pain?" She confusedly asked.
"An answer, could that be. But because it wanted you to feel pain, the answer is not. Welcoming you here, the Force did." He explained.
"But why?" She asks. "Why did the Force welcome me here?" 'If that was the Force "welcoming" me, I'd hate to know what "goodbye" was.' She thought to herself.
"Direct answers, most of the time, the Force does not provide. Search for them, we must." He said, stepping aside from her.
"What should I do then?"
Yoda thought for a moment. "Hmm... sure of that, I am not." He then looked at her. "But find the answers, you will."
"Ugh... guessing that I won't find them in this room. Where should I start?"
"The Archives, a start, could be." Yoda suggests.
"Okay. I was thinking of going there to help figure out this dream I had, but I guess we could look for something on this mark as well." She states.
"A dream, you had? See, what did you?" He inquired.
"Well, what I saw in my dream was so vivid that I was able to draw what I had seen shortly after I woke up." She hands him her journal and points to the pictures she drew of the two dragons in her dream. "I have no idea what these creatures are, and I'm somewhat afraid to find out." She states her thoughts.
The Grandmaster hums in thought. "Never seen this before, I have. Further study, this requires." He states.
"Mind showing me the way?"
Yoda nodded and they then made their way to the Archives. Master Yoda made a mental note to have any other Jedi that could be available to aid her after Yoda tells the Council about her inability to use the Force. So far, she's learned a lot about the Force, but cannot use it.
"...And then we ran into you two." Catra finishes her story.
Ahsoka was looking at the drawings and was surprised that Catra saw these in a dream. She was also surprised at how detailed the drawings were. "I must admit, I've never seen anything like this. Also, dang, girl, your artistic skills are very impressive." She compliments her as she hands Catra's journal back to her.
"Thanks, I took an art class back in high school." Catra replies. "But still, after much thinking, and looking through every creature in the Cybertronian database on my D-pad, I still couldn't find out what the heck those things were." She says. "Well," Catra claps her palms together, "now that we're here, any suggestions on where to start." She asks before they begin their research.
Apartment Complex, Coruscant
Inside an apartment building a Duros bounty hunter was standing by the window. He taps his fingers on his blaster holster as he was waiting for his employer to call him back. This bounty hunter was the notorious Cad Bane.
"Excuse the interruption." A hologram of Darth Sidious says. "As I was saying, bounty hunter, I have need of your services."
Bane looks over his shoulder. "I'm listening." He replies, flicking away his toothpick. 'This oughta be good.' He says mentally.
"I need a Jedi… Holocron." Sidious reveals.
'You want a what?!' Bane mentally asks him, shocked, but he doesn't show it. "To get a holocron, I'd have to break into the Jedi Temple. It's impossible, not to mention deadly." He states the obvious.
"Perhaps your reputation has been… exaggerated." He says, trying to bait him.
"I want a Rogue-class starfighter with elite weapons, cloaking device, -the works." He quickly says, wanting to do the job to preserve his reputation. "Oh, and triple my usual rate." He greedily adds, sitting in a chair and putting his feet up on his desk.
"Your price is of no concern." Sidious dismisses. "I will also provide you with the means to get inside the Temple." He says.
"You've got a deal." Bane agrees with a satisfied smile.
Back in the Temple, Optimus, Moonrider, Sawback was in standby mode on her left bracer, Bumblebee, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Aayla Secura and Yoda were in the communications center discussing the drawbacks from losing Felucia. Moonrider was at the Temple to check on Catra. And Yoda had helped Catra find what she needed before leaving for this meeting. It was still strange to comprehend that Catra was so strong in the Force, but can't use it.
"The setback at Felucia has affected our efforts in the whole sector." Kenobi states. Yoda then feels a warning through the Force. "It'll take weeks before we can…" He was interrupted by a groan from Yoda. They all turn to him. "Master Yoda, what is it?" Anakin asks. "A disturbance in the Force. Intruders, there will be, in this Temple." He says. Anakin and Obi-Wan share a glance. Optimus and Moonrider share one as well.
Back in Bane's apartment, he was making adjustments to his service droid, Todo 360. "You kno, if you just tell me what it is you're doing back there, I could probably be of some assistance." The droid politely asks.
Cad sighs, opening the small compartment on the droid's back. "Look, I'm just doing some maintenance." He says, reaching into a pack on the back of his belt. He pulls out a small device. "You've been having memory crashes." He lies, as the device he pulled out was a bomb.
"That is preposterous. I have no memory of any crashes." Todo argues. He then realizes. "Oh, my goodness. I have no memory of any crashes." He says in shock.
"Exactly." Bane states, putting the bomb into the compartment and closes it.
"Oh, no. I am doomed. Bane, you have to help me." He pleads to the hunter.
"Calm down. I'm done."
Todo gives what would be the substitute for a sigh of relief since he's a droid. "Oh. Thank you." He says. An electronic buzz comes from the door.
"Get the door." Bane asks of him as he sits at his desk.
"I am a techno-service droid, not a butler droid." Todo states before the door buzzes again.
"Can it, Todo. You are what I say you are." Bane growls at him.
"Well! Then…" He scoffs before he heads to the door. The door opens to reveal a bounty hunter resting a sniper rifle on her shoulder. The hunter was a Clawdite, a species with the ability to shapeshift. Her name was Cato Parasitti. She looks down at the droid. "Who are you?" She asks. "I am Todo 360," he introduces himself, but she walks past him in disinterest, "techno-service droid. Who are you?" He politely asks. "None of your business." She says in a serious tone. Todo puts his hands on his hips. "Everyone is in a good mood today." He mutters sarcastically. Cato sets her rifle down and lifts up her mask as she comes up next to Bane at his desk. She looks at the screen. "Who's that?" She asks him. On the screen was a profile on a Rodian Jedi. "Bolla Ropal, Jedi, out in the Mid Rim." Bane says. "We going after him?" Cato asks. "Soon. Right now, we're stealing a holocron." He brings up a hologram of the artifact. "Impossible." She states the obvious. "The only place you can get a holocron is-" "I know. Inside the main vaults of the Jedi Temple." Bane interrupts her. "Fortunately, our Sith Lord client has set us up with some help. For one, the map of the Temple you're looking at right now." The hunter gestures to a hologram of the Jedi Temple. "For another, a security chip that I've placed in my droid." He added. "I have been given all the technical data regarding security systems in the Jedi Temple." Todo speaks up. "Both the vent shafts and the vault itself are equipped with all kinds of traps and security measures." Bane notes. "Todo can take them out, but we'll need help from someone inside the Jedi Library. And that's where your talents as a changeling will come in." Cato follows his line of sight as he looks over his shoulder and sees the dead body of a Jedi Master in a chair. "He looks like a Jedi." Cato noted. "He was. His name was Ord Enisence." Bane explains. He then brings up a schematic of the Temple. "You should be able to walk into the archives and monitor us without a problem." He says. Cato walks over to the dead Jedi and places her fingertips on his 3-fingered hand. She then takes his shape. She chuckles evilly. "Now that I am a Jedi… I can do that." She says the second part with the Jedi's voice. "Good. You will need these. They're ear comlinks so we can keep in communication." He tosses them to her and she catches them. "Mm," Cato hums in thought, "the vault is in the library, which backs onto the communications center. There will be swarms of Jedi nearby." Cato states that detail. "We'll use that to our advantage." Bane assures her. Cato still had one more question on her mind. "Even if you get into the vault, how are you going to crack that safe?" the Clawdite asked. "Let me worry about the safe." Bane replies with a fanged smile. "First things first."
Back in the Temple, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Optimus, Bumblebee, Moonrider and Sawback, the latter still attached to the former's left bracer, walk through the Temple wondering who in their right mind would infiltrate the Jedi Temple of all places.
"Where do we start looking for these intruders?" Anakin asked. "What could they be after?"
"A fair question, Anakin." Optimus replies. "If we are to find these intruders, we must find out what their objective is."
"I doubt they've come to hijack starfighters." Obi-Wan voiced his opinion.
"What can they get here they can't get anywhere else?" Anakin inquired.
"(There's got to be a lot of things they could be after.)" Bee says.
"Information." Kenobi states in realization.
"The Jedi transmitter codes." Anakin follows.
"Every piece of troop information, in one place." He states.
"And it's all in the east tower."
"The east tower communication center."
"I'll head there right away."
"I'll monitor the perimeter defenses from the central security station."
Moonrider hums in thought. While the information they're talking about is tactically important, she suspects that the intruders would be after something more valuable. "That seems like the most obvious target. Are there any other valuable items the intruders could be after?" She inquired.
Kenobi strokes his beard in thought. "There's the communications center, the Archive Vaults and possibly the Holocron Vault." He answers.
She nods. " We were already at the communications center and that place is heavily occupied as is, so they won't go there. Optimus, Bee, and I will head to the Archives." She says, before they all head to those places.
Just outside the Temple, Bane and Todo fly up to the Temple's vent shafts. They were guarded by energy shields to prevent infiltration.
Inside, Ahsoka was checking the area but in all honesty, she was trying to get her spirits up to make up for what happened on Felucia. She smiles as she sees Cato disguised as Ord Enisence making her way to the Archives. Cato notices her but pays no mind. "Good afternoon, Master Enisence." She greets him. "Good afternoon, young one." Cato greets her back to maintain her cover. "May I be of assistance?" She wondered. "No." She replied. She remembers that she is a 'Jedi'. "Uh, no, thank you, my dear. I don't want to bother you." She mentally gags at how polite she has to be. "Oh, it wouldn't be a bother at all, Master." Ahsoka moves in front of the 'Master' to see if he would like help with anything. "Things are slow right now." The Padawan states, wanting to find something stimulating. "I could use something to do." She states plainly. 'I've had better jobs that weren't this annoying!' Cato mentally complained. "Oh, uh, uh, I…" Cato tries her best to find something else to say. To make matters worse, Bane talks to her through her comm. "Cato, come in." 'Seriously?!' "Cato, are you there yet?"
He receives no response. "Cato, come in." He repeats himself.
"Thank you." She says, both to get Bane to stop talking and to relieve herself of this Padawan. "I'll be fine on my own." 'Ord' states with a serious tone.
"You sure?" Ahsoka asked.
Cato whips around to her, pointing at her with a very annoyed look in her eyes. "Look, youngling. I said I was fine. Now let me go about my business." She snaps at her with a 'that's final' tone before walking away.
Ahsoka sighs dejectedly. "Can't do anything right these days." She walks away.
Madame Jocasta was in an aisle nearby and she overheard them. While the young Padawan did want to help, there was no reason to snap at her like that.
Cato sits in one of the chairs to an access terminal. She then taps several buttons and gets into the system. "I'm in." She reports with a fiendish smile.
"It's about time." Bane annoyedly says.
"Just tell us where to get in." He requested, getting down to business.
"All right, there's a weak point in the shield that Todo should be able to break through." She says. "I'm beaming him the coordinates now."
Todo's eyes blink for a few seconds, receiving the data. "Okay, I have got it." He says before moving up to the shield.
"I will jam the Temple's scanners."
Todo flies around the shield, looking for the weak spot. "Let's see. It is around here somewhere." He says before he finds it. He taps the weak point and it opens a hole big enough for them to fly through. "There." Cad Bane flies through with Todo following before it closes. "In." "You're welcome."
Obi-Wan was checking in on the perimeter defenses when the screens turned off for a split second. "What was that?" He asks, looking down to the droid there for an answer. "The system is just recycling, sir." It replied. A hologram of Anakin appeared. "Master, I'm in the tower. No intruders, but something just happened. All the scanners were behaving strangely for a moment." He reports. "Yeah, something happened to the system down here too." Obi-Wan says. "It cannot be a coincidence." The door was heard opening. He turns to see Master Yoda. "Arrived, the intruders have." He says. "But if they are not in the tower, what are they after?" Kenobi cluelessly wondered. "The communications center, perhaps, their target is." Yoda surmised. Obi-Wan strokes his beard in thought. "Moonrider wondered if they were possibly after something in the Archives' Vaults, but considering how occupied the communications center often is, it could be possible that they would think that we wouldn't believe anyone would try to get there." Obi-Wan deduced. "They must be in the central ventilation system." Anakin suggested. "Let me check the system." Kenobi taps a button and sees the screen. "You're right. There's been a disturbance. It's near the top of the south tower." "I'll meet you up there." Anakin replies before the hologram turns off. "On high alert, place the Temple." Yoda ordered.
Back outside, a vent cover was taken off as Bane and Todo were already making their way through the vent system. Bane activates his boot thrusters to fly down a vent shaft.
"The control board for the fan should be on your left." Cato informed them.
Todo presses the red button, and it stops the fan. "All clear, sir." He says before they continue on.
"Not quite." Cato stops him. "The fan you're passing through has a security switch." She warned them.
Todo looks around. "I do not see anything. Besides, we have already gotten past the fan." His words were not the best choice as the lower past the alarm, resulting in it blaring and turning the fan back on. "Oh." He cringed.
"Todo, we're getting sucked into the fan." Bane says as he and the droid were being lifted upwards by the strong air current. "Turn it off!" He ordered.
"I do not know how!" He replied.
"Cato, do something." He ordered in an urgent tone.
"I've got it from here." She assures him before she shuts down the fan.
The fan tops on their end. Bane casts a glare at the service droid. "Sorry." He says with a sheepish tone before they continue their descent. They then reach a junction and go down one of the pipes.
"Okay, Bane, the next part is relatively simple. Make your way down the shaft until you reach-"
"Excuse me." She was politely interrupted by Madame Jocasta. She stands up to face her. "I-I don't mean to disturb you, but," she catches a glimpse of the Temple schematics on the terminal screen which seemed suspicious, "uh, the whole Temple is on high alert." She says carefully.
Cato glances to the side as she might have just been discovered. She then gets an idea. "Thank you." She says before the archivist gasps as she knocks her out, sending her to the ground. Cato drags her to the side before she then takes her shape. She looks at her hand to examine her new form and looks around for anyone who sees her. Thankfully, there was no one in sight. She smirked evilly before returning to her task.
Back in the vents, Bane and Todo continue to maneuver through them. They then come across a ceiling vent with the entryway to the Holocron Vault below. But there was one problem. Because the Holocrons are Jedi artifacts, the entryway has a laser grid to protect them.
"This is it." Bane declared.
"Perfect." Todo agrees. "Let's go in."
Bane holds his arm out in front of him to stop him. He then brings his comlink up to his mouth. "Cato, come in." He contacts the Clawdite. "We're over the vault." He notifies her.
"Give me a moment to check out the security system." Cato replies with Jocasta's voice.
"What's wrong with your voice?" Bane asks.
"Change of plans. I'm the librarian now." She tells him.
"Hurry it up, Cato." The bounty hunter urged her.
"We can't stay hidden for long." He states.
His statement was true however as Anakin and Obi-Wan had found where they had come in.
"Well, looks like this is where they broke in." Anakin says.
"Fortunately, we'll have a less troublesome time." Obi-Wan states, implying that since this is their Temple, they won't have to deal with certain security defenses. He waves his hand over the control panel for the shield, using the Force to turn it off. They both then climb their way into the vent.
"The vault is filled with laser sensors that go in every direction." 'Jocasta' says.
"I'll try to deactivate the whole system from here."
"Just hurry." Bane ushers her. "I can hear them. They're looking for us in the vent system."
As he said, the two Jedi were lowering themselves down the shaft using cables. They then reach the junction.
"Great." Anakin says sarcastically. "Which way do you think they went?" He wondered.
"The communications center is this way." Kenobi gestures to the vent left of Anakin. "We'd better hurry if we're going to catch them." He says before they make their way down the vent.
"The Jedi are coming closer." Bane says.
"I've got it." Cato tells him. "Go in."
They both look down and see the laser grid turn off, save for the one right up against the door. Bane kicks the vent open before he jumps down. He looks at the door with a satisfactory smile.
Anakin checks ahead at the next junction, and he gets the feeling that the intruders didn't go down this vent. "I don't think they came this way." He says.
Obi-Wan contacts Yoda. "Master Yoda,"
"...are you picking up any other life signs in this quadrant?" The Grandmaster, along with Aayla Secura, Kit Fisto and Mace Windu hear him say. Miharu was in the room as well as he had generously given Yoda a ride to get there faster.
"Deep in the Temple, the intruders are." Yoda replies.
"How are they managing to stay out of our way?" the Jedi Master questioned, irritated.
"Hmm." The green elder hummed in thought, his eyes closed. "Possible it is, receiving assistance they are,"
"...from inside." He deduced.
"Wonderful." Kenobi sarcastically says.
With Bane and Todo, they were working their way into the vault. Todo was zapping the energy conduits to deactivate the lasers while Bane was using his wrist gauntlets to zap the terminal to try and override the Force-activated mechanism. "Almost there. Are you done deactivating those laser beams yet?" He asks the droid, who has completed his task. The lasers then turn off. "We are good to go." He replies. "Good. Start cutting through that wall." He orders him. "This job just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Todo says to himself.
Moonrider, Optimus, and Bee enter the Archives. They're met by Ahsoka. "Hey, guys. What's going on?" She asks. "We're here because there are intruders in the Temple." Moonrider replies. "What?!" She asks in absolute shock. "Obi-Wan and Anakin are trying to find them as we speak, but Yoda believes they are getting help from the inside." Optimus states. "Why would a Jedi help intruders?" The Padawan skeptically questioned. "(He doesn't think that it's a Jedi, but someone disguised as one.)" Bee says. "We need to quietly search the area without warning the interloper to our presence." Optimus says. "Need any extra help?" A voice says. They all look to the side to see Catra with a smirk while leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. "Gladly." Moonrider says, happy to see her. "We'll have better luck finding them if we split up." Moonrider suggests. "Ahsoka, find Madame Jocasta. She'll need to know what's going on." Optimus said to her. The Prime remembers the head archivist from his previous visit. They all nod before they head in different directions throughout the library, the Padawan going to find the librarian.
Ahsoka turns into a section to look for her when she hears her voice. "Bane, the two Jedi have turned around and are making their way towards you." The Togruta makes her way to the end of an aisle and looks around the corner. She then makes her way to Cato and sees the real Jocasta on the floor, unconscious.
"Who are you and what have you done with Madame Jocasta?" She demanded.
Cato stands up from the chair. "The same thing I'm going to do to you." She declared, activating the librarian's lightsaber and striking at Ahsoka. The Padawan quickly drew her lightsaber, holding it in a reverse grip, ducking from her strike and then blocked her horizontal strike. Ahsoka pushes her blade back and tries to slash at Cato, only for her to throw her body over the fallen chair and run. Ahsoka gives chase as she runs up next to Cato on the table and jumps at her with a strike. Cato blocks the vertical strike with Nu's saber. Cato kicks her into a table, Ahsoka spins to her left to avoid a vertical strike which slices through the table. She then ducks from Cato's horizontal strike, igniting her lightsaber. She backflips out of the way of another strike onto the table, giving the imposter a counter strike against her saber. She twirls out of the range of her opponent, delivering another counter strike before she chases after her. Cato cartwheels over the table to fight at another angle. Ahsoka jumps at her with a downward strike, Cato blocks her as she repeats the action, but she is pushed back. Ahsoka delivers a counter strike before Cato could slash at her. Ahsoka dodges to her right as Cato tries to slash at her, then rolling over her back and jumping backwards to avoid a strike. They hit their sabers against each other before the Togruta jumps over a lunge from the Clawdite. Ahsoka kicks her in the side before she could strike again. They clash their sabers a few more times with Cato dodging and ducking a few strikes before she does a whirl kick to the Padawan in the face causing her to stagger back. She runs as Ahsoka wipes her lip, thankful that there's no blood. Ahsoka glares at her and is about to give chase but stops when she sees Moonrider jump from the second level and tackle her to the ground. She flips her over and kicks the lightsaber out of her hand. The lightsaber clatters on the ground and stops at Optimus' feet. He picks it up and looks at the imposter. Catra and Bee beside him.
The Hybrid Cybertronian then lifts the imposter by her left shoulder. Cato gripped the warrior's arm as she was now afraid of this strange individual who was baring her sharp teeth at her. Moonrider grips her shoulder tightly, lightly sinking her claws into her skin. Cato grimaces in pain as the claws sink into her skin. She narrows her eyes at these heavily armored and strange individuals, especially Ahsoka as she comes up to them, her lightsaber deactivated.
"You may have Madame Jocasta's shape, but not her skills." She comments.
Moonrider then holds her at arm's length and brings out her machete from her bracer and puts the tip of the blade just under her chin. "Reveal yourself." Moonrider demanded. Cato reluctantly returns to her original form.
Bane grunts in frustration as he has gotten nowhere with the door controls. "Todo, are you done yet?" He asks.
"These things take time." He calmly rebutted.
"Some butler droid you turned out to be." He mutters, continuing with trying to get past the door controls.
"I am a techno-service droid!" Todo exclaimed back, having had enough.
The Knight and Master come across an open vent cover.
"Looks like you were right." Anakin said as Obi-Wan deduced that the intruders had gone this way.
They make their way through before Anakin's comlink beeps. "Master Skywalker, Moonrider and I've captured the imposter disguised as a Jedi." She reports. "She says the intruder's in the Holocron Vault."
"A Holocron is no good without a Jedi to open it." Obi-Wan reasoned. "What are they up to?" He thought out loud.
"They must be trying to gain access to the communication center from the vault." Skywalker deduced.
"Let's get in there."
Back in the Holocron Vault access way, Bane was still having no luck with the door controls. "I'm not going to be able to do this without a diagram." He thought out loud. "Cato, come in." He receives no response. "Cato?" He tries again, but with the same result.
"What has happened?" Todo asked after he was finished with the hole.
"Something's gone wrong." He replies. "Todo, is the hole finished?"
"Yes, but-"
"Go to the communications center." Bane orders, interrupting him.
"What?"
"You heard me." He curtly stated.
"Bane, the communications center will be crawling with Jedi." Todo reasoned. "Why do I need to go in there?"
"Now!" He ordered.
"Okay. Okay." He relents. Pushing the piece of metal in front of the vent before making his way there.
Bane brings out a small detonator and places it on the side of the controls. He heads to the other end of the access way as the timer counts down. As Anakin and Obi-Wan make their way to the vault, the bomb goes off and they see a puff of smoke come from the vent. They then jump down and see that the vault door was slightly opened and Obi-Wan sees the hole Todo cut to the communications center.
"Quick! The communications center! Let's go!" He urged before they went down the vent.
A few moments after they left, Bane comes out of the shadows and towards the vault. With the panel fried, it was now relatively easy for him to pry the door pieces open. He then steps into the vault which was filled with Holocrons. Each in a specially designed slot to hold them. He moves towards the column and pulls out a Holocron from a corner slot, second from the bottom. He smiles at his prize. 'Mission accomplished.' He mentally says to himself before pocketing the artifact and leaving.
At the communications center, the Jedi were trying to figure out where the intruders were until Todo finally arrived. But when he pushed the access hatch open, he expected to find the room empty. The clatter of the vent covers alert them and Miharu to his presence. They all look at him quizzically. "Oh, uh, hey, guys." He plays it cool. As Obi-Wan and Anakin turn the corner, they hear Todo's voice and see his shadow. "I was just…" He tries to come up with a good excuse. "Um, testing the access hatch." He then tries to lift it, but with trouble considering it's bigger than him. "Works great." The bomb in his back compartment then starts beeping. "Bomb!" Windu says in alarm. "Bomb? What bomb?" Todo asks, unaware of where the beeping is coming from. "Is there something going to blow up?" Mace then uses the Force to push the droid back into the vent and place the covers back on. When Todo hits the wall, Obi-Wan hears the beeping as well. "Bomb!" He says in alarm before they run to the corner. Todo realizes he is the bomb as the beeping intensifies. "No. No. No. No. No. NO!" Obi-Wan rounds the corner just in time as he lightly stumbles from the explosion. The Masters look away to shield their eyes before looking back after it faded. Yoda glances to the side in thought. 'If the communications center, they were not after, then what?' He confusedly thought.
Back in the Archives, Catra, Ahsoka, and Bee were walking with Cato, now in handcuffs. Optimus and Moonrider were helping Madame Jocasta towards the others, the librarian holding her forehead.
"Madame Librarian, are you okay?" Ahsoka asked concernedly.
"I, uh, think I'm all right." She replies.
They were unaware that Bane was just several feet away, wearing a cloak, disguised as a Jedi.
"We must call security." She states.
With them leaving, Bane heads in the opposite direction, leaving the Jedi Temple completely unseen. Meanwhile, Moonrider, Yoda, Mace Windu, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, while holding the Clawdite, and the Autobots enter the Holocron Vault. "Our war operations, it was never about." The Grandmaster states as he sees the empty slot. "Come on, changeling. We have a new home for you." Ahsoka says, escorting her out. "What would someone want with a Holocron?" Obi-Wan wondered. "I doubt it can be anything good." Optimus says. "Wait." Cato says, turning to the Jedi. "Bolla Ropal." "What did you say?" Windu asks, his tone on the verge of being hostile. "Bolla Ropal." She repeats slowly. Since she's off to be incarcerated anyway, she might as well reveal the rest of Bane's plan. "That's who Bane's next target is, some Jedi." She revealed. Mace and Yoda share a grim glance. "What's wrong? Who's Bolla Ropal?" Anakin asked. "He is the keeper of the Kyber crystal, the data on which can only be read by Holocrons." Mace explains. "What's on the crystal?" Ahsoka inquired. "A list of every known Force-sensitive child in the galaxy. The future younglings." He reveals. "The future of the Jedi Order." Moonrider clenches her fist furiously. The Jedi just take any child with a strong connection to the Force when they are only a few years old?! That is outrageous! "We have to warn him." Obi-Wan states seriously. "That's going to be hard to do. He's out of contact," Windu says, "somewhere in the Devoran system." "Seek him out, you must." Yoda says. "Ahsoka and I will set out immediately." Anakin says. "Optimus, Bumblebee, and I are coming too." Moonrider chimes in. "If anyone is going to mess with infant children, they are going to suffer the consequences." She states, hitting her fist into her palm with a growl. "If this "Cad Bane" is still here on Coruscant, I'll find him." Obi-Wan says. As Yoda watches Anakin, Ahsoka, Optimus, Moonrider, and Bee go to find Bolla Ropal, he hopes they can find him in time.
-Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review. (Don't hold back on the constructive criticism.)
