Chapter 32 - Saleucami

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: Thank you, loldelegate! :)

~ Amina Gila

Ahsoka never would have thought she could be defeated or overwhelmed so easily. It's humiliating. She's the Chosen One. Nothing should be able to overwhelm her so easily. She does not take well to it when people overpower her – it's a clear sign of weakness and that she has more to learn.

She's trying to make up for it now, but it's not easy to get over.

The last thing Ahsoka was expecting was for Grievous to attack in the middle of the meeting. She watches with barely controlled anger as he throws Koth to the ground, standing on him as he turns to glare at the cameras. "Greetings, Jedi," the cyborg croaks, "It would seem once again one of your Order has long his way and even better, a leading member of your Jedi Council. Listen to me, Jedi. I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic. I only live to see you die."

A droid from off the hologram slams an electrostaff onto the Jedi Master, and he screams as electricity engulfs him.

Everyone else in the room watches in a shocked silence. The several younglings present turn away, burying their heads against Anakin, who pulls them closer.

"But death will not come so easily to him," Grievous snarls, "I will make him suffer endlessly because I know that is more painful for you all."

He cackles madly as the call disconnects.

A shocked silence hangs in the air, before Yoda finally speaks. "Away with the younglings. Much to discuss, there is."

Anakin ushers the younglings out of the room, and Ahsoka turns her attention back to the others. "Someone needs to destroy Grievous once and for all," she declares firmly. He's not someone honorable like Dooku who she could maybe work with. He's far too lost to revenge to see reason and act for the greater good, but he's effective, so Ahsoka can see why Dooku considers him a useful tool for now.

"How to find him, the question is," Yoda replies.

"After engaging Grievous we lost contact with Master Koth. He could be anywhere," Obi-Wan points out.

Commander Wolffe says something quietly to Plo, who steps forwards, announcing that he noticed Koth was using hand signals. They play back the message, and they're able to make out enough.

Clever.

It's looks like… he's on Saleucami?

"I will go," Ahsoka offers immediately. If nothing else, this can be her chance to destroy Grievous.

"I will too," Obi-Wan adds.

"And I," Ferus speaks up.

**w**

It's the first time Ahsoka has really been around Ferus since Siri died, but she notices the stiff, extra formal way he's acting around her. Maybe it's just because of her… recent actions with the Malevolence, something many Knights are naturally on the Council's side about. It only serves to make her feel more unwelcome among the Jedi, reminding her again of that short vacation with Kitster she had. For a moment, she almost wishes she could just be with him, but she has a war to stop. "It's been a long time," Ahsoka comments, moving to stand next to Ferus.

"It has," he agrees tersely.

"How have you been?" she queries, "After what happened to Siri…"

"She is one with the Force now," he replies, not that she expected him to show much emotion other than that, but she knows he feels more, even if he's already pretending to have moved on.

"Maybe we'll have the chance to kill Grievous too, while we rescue Koth," Ahsoka comments.

"I'm surprised you had time to come," Ferus comments, not quite with hostility, "Seeing how busy I heard you are with… un-Council sanctioned activities."

She should have guessed this would come up. "I'm working to win the war as much as any Jedi," she replies, trying to keep her tone from getting defensive. Actually, she's working far harder than any other Jedi, but they still refuse to acknowledge that.

"That is not a weapon Jedi use," he responds, stubbornly.

"Jedi didn't used to lead armies into battle either," she replies, "That is not the Jedi way any more than the Malevolence is. Until this war is over, we have to fight it like one."

Ferus actually seems to consider that for a few moments. "It's a weapon of mass destruction –"

"– that I'm using against droids to save the lives of more Jedi," she replies, "And civilians, and clones. It's for the greater good of everyone, like everything else the Jedi do. I'm only doing my duty, the same way you are, just differently."

"There is still a danger of it being misused. It is not even under our command anymore," Ferus replies.

"But it would have stayed under my command," she replies, "If not for…" She wants to say 'the Council', but that probably won't get a good reaction. "If not for the reaction. Besides, it's under Palpatine's direct authority, and he would not misuse it. It's helping us win, and I think we can both agree that the faster this war ends, the better. For all we know, Koth could already be dead by the time we get three."

"He won't be," Ferus argues, though she can sense the doubt in his voice, "Grievous was planning to keep him alive."

"For now," Ahsoka replies grimly, turning away. He's a little less close-minded than she might have expected. Maybe it will be worth talking to him and perhaps some other Knights she's close acquaintances with, like Aayla, in the future.

**w**

Being the idiot he is, Grievous should be distracted by Obi-Wan's transmission long enough for Ahsoka and Ferus to get on board, or so she can hope. She's not going to risk any foolish chances of being captured again.

The battle is raging all around them. Hopefully it's violent enough that no one will notice one Republic ship attempting to approach the cruiser. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Ferus asks doubtfully, as Ahsoka jerks the ship upwards, away from a barrage of laser shots.

"You can shoot back any time," she grits out, spinning the ship to the side. Seriously, she could use Anakin's piloting skills right about now. Maybe going here so directly wasn't such a good idea.

"I was getting to that!" he retaliates, hastily flipping the controls and aiming at the next approaching vulture droid. Sure, he was. She doesn't comment, keeping all her focus on getting to their destination. She sends it diving down, a distance below the main cruiser, and Ferus hastily shoots down any vulture droids that try to follow.

As soon as they've successfully shaken them all off their tail, she flies up for the nearest airlock. It's risky, but it's the only chance they'll get. They have to be successful on this mission. It's far, far too dangerous for the Separatists to gain access to a Council member for an extended period.

They scramble for the back of the ship, cutting a hole into the ceiling and climbing out into the dark halls of the Separatist cruiser. She glances furtively up and down the hall. No droids around here right now, but if Grievous realizes what they're up to…

She takes off in the lead with Ferus, leaving Rex and the boys to watch the ship. They sprint through the halls, quickly cutting through any droids they encounter on the way.

"The cell is right up ahead," Ferus declares, racing forwards.

"Be careful, they might –" Ahsoka begins, but he's already opening the door. Fine. There can't be anything worse than droids in there anyway.

Koth is suspended in the center of the room, and he unsurprisingly doesn't look good. A tactical droid stands near him, holding its finger over a button on its arm. They haven't made it more than a few steps when assassin droids brandishing long vibroblades start jumping down all around them.

"Should have seen this coming," Ferus growls.

"At least they aren't destroyers," Ahsoka remarks, ducking as the first droid comes at her. It won't be an easy fight, but they've done worse. She spins both blades in a constant blur, ducking when any vibroblade comes too close for comfort. They can't be cut through that easily, and with the assassin droids jumping all over the place, it makes it even more difficult.

Ferus isn't faring any better, but they fight back-to-back, taking them down one after the other. Seriously, they don't have time for this. They've worked together in the past, though, and that definitely proves to their advantage now. The tactical droid has had all the time in the world to warn Grievous of their presence, and once he gets back, they'll be stranded on a ship full of droids, with no way out.

She finally slashes through the last of the droids and is about to run for Koth when the tactical droid speaks. "Come any closer, and your friend dies."

Its finger is hovering right above the button, and making any move will be a risk, but if she doesn't do something, they all could end up dead here. Ferus holds his lightsaber in front of him, glaring back at the droid, but doesn't make a move.

Okay, the first thing that hits her mind is definitely risky, but it would be stupider to just stand here. "Be ready to cut him free," she hisses to Ferus, and then reaches out with the Force, wrapping it around the droid, crushing it. Its hand moves faster, slamming down on the button, and the machine crackles to life, a surge of electricity pouring into Koth. Ferus instantly springs into motion, flipping across the room and slashing him free, as Ahsoka reduces the tactical droid to a crumpled heap.

Koth collapses to the floor, and Ferus kneels next to him. "Are you alright?"

Koth tries to move, but lets out a quiet groan, falling back to the floor.

He's been injured badly, and they need to get him back to the ship for treatment immediately. "Come on," Ahsoka says, darting over and pulling Koth up with Ferus' help, so leaning partly on both of them. He's half unconscious from the electrocution – had it lasted any longer it would have killed him, after all – so they're basically carrying him as they step back into the hall.

"Ahsoka, do you have Koth?" Obi-Wan demands, only seconds later.

"We do," she affirms.

"You need to get off the ship immediately. Grievous is on his way." So much for an easy escape.

"Can you manage on your own?" Ahsoka asks, looking at Ferus.

"Where are you going?" he objects.

"Someone has to deal with Grievous," she replies, pulling back and helping him lift Koth over his shoulders – Koth can't really walk, after all – before Ferus starts down the hall. Hopefully the coast is clear, because he won't be able to defend either of them properly like this.

She considers taking the risk of going with them, but only for a moment. Ferus should be able to handle it. It's more important to try and deal with Grievous.

**w**

"Be ready, Anakin," Obi-Wan warns, as the four lightsabers plunge through the wall opposite them.

"I am, Master," Anakin murmurs, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. He's never seen Grievous in person before, but he knows he's deadly. He's killed dozens of Jedi, especially padawans. Anakin knows this could be his last battle, but that's true for everyone he fights. They have a chance to kill or capture Grievous here, and they need to take it. And if nothing else, they have to distract him until Koth is out of there.

The chunk of metal crashes to the floor, and two MagnaGuards with electrostaffs stalk through first, the general right behind.

Obi-Wan backs down the hall as they approach, Anakin at his side, stepping into a room at the end.

"So, Kenobi, is everything going as planned?" Grievous growls.

The first MagnaGuard jumps onto the table after them, and Anakin doesn't wait, slashing at it. "That depends on your point of view, General," Obi-Wan retaliates, attacking the other.

They exchange a few blows, before Anakin shoves hard against its electrostaff, forcing one of the ends right against its chest. It stumbles back as the electricity flows into it, and he immediately slashes it in two.

Obi-Wan throws his droid aside, jumping at Grievous. The general's yellow eyes flash angrily as he slashes at him repeatedly. At this angle, they're at the same height as him, and Anakin can only be grateful for that. Competing with the strength of his metal arms would not be easy.

Anakin tunes out their chatter, attacking the other MagnaGuard. Seriously, though, he thinks his master should think twice before intentionally making Grievous even angrier. He gets sloppier, but he can also get deadlier. Panic flares inside of him as Grievous charges at Obi-Wan full force, all four lightsabers spinning.

He finally slashes through the droid, right as Grievous kicks Obi-Wan across the room, into the wall. With a cackle of glee, he runs for him, lightsabers raised. No. Anakin whirls around, flipping across the room towards Grievous, struggling to suppress his own fear.

Grievous whips around at the last second – right before taking off Obi-Wan's head – spinning his blades to block Anakin's. "Are the Jedi so weak they send a child to fight me?" Grievous croaks, pushing against him.

Anakin takes a step back to avoid being thrown off balance, parrying the next few strikes as he continues backing away from him. It's all he can do to avoid being stabbed or losing a limb to the flailing lightsabers and keep fighting.

Obi-Wan finally gets back up, running to join him. It gives them a momentary advantage, but only for a moment. Obi-Wan block's two of Grievous' blades, and Anakin cuts down sharply, then swings up, slashing through two of his arms. He lets out a furious snarl, swinging around and kicking Obi-Wan across the room before he goes for Anakin's head. The two blades are too far apart to block at once, and when he tries to jump back, he doesn't move quick enough.

The lightsaber slashes across his face, and it explodes with blinding agony – literally, because suddenly he can't see, at least not out of his right eye. He staggers back, and Grievous lifts him into the air by his neck. Blinding panic claws at him, as he tries in vain to twist out of the metal grip. The world is threatening to go black, but he reaches out a hand, trying to call his lightsaber to him to cut himself free. Behind them, he can see Obi-Wan jumping up, running at them. Grievous whips around, throwing Anakin across the room. He slams hard into the wall, and everything abruptly goes dark.

**w**

Ahsoka sprints as fast as she can through the halls, heading for the boarding ship connecting the two. Grievous will be coming back from the Republic cruiser, and she has to be there when he arrives. She slashes through any droids on her way, skidding to a stop right near the opening – the very same moment the ship suddenly jerks violently.

She stumbles, frantically trying to catch her balance, but the ship continues tilting, and suddenly she has a very bad feeling about this. Down below, she can see Grievous, Obi-Wan, and a bunch of the 212th clones scrambling to find handholds. She falls straight towards the passageway as it starts ripping away from the cruiser.

All at once, they're all being yanked towards the gaping opening into space forming on the opposite end, and she can feel the air thinning out around them, making it even harder to breathe, as she holds on as tightly as she can. Grievous being Grievous is able to hold on easier and starts scrambling up the side of the tunnel towards the top, though she notices that he's missing two of his hands.

This is absolutely not how the fight was supposed to go! If Grievous gets up here, there's nothing she can do! Ahsoka pulls out one of her lightsabers, slashing towards the cyborg as he attempts to scramble over the edge into the main part of the ship. He shoves her away with a quick flick of his wrist – his hands are metal and they're infuriatingly strong, while Ahsoka's strength has never been physical. He climbs over the edge and disappears before she can stop him. Had the circumstances been different, she would have done something through the Force to ensure his death, but right now, Ahsoka can barely stop herself from being pulled into the vacuum of space. Down below, she can see the others hardly managing to hold on as well.

With effort, she pulls herself over the edge and fires a cable down towards the others. They scramble through immediately, Obi-Wan looking none too happy as he carries his unconscious padawan. Ahsoka slams her hand down on the controls, and a door closes in place over the opening.

When she turns around, Obi-Wan is hovering over an unconscious Anakin who's now laying on the floor. He looks… she doesn't know, but she hates seeing him hurt. Watching the way Obi-Wan is looking at him with worry, the gentle way he touches him… it pulls at something in her heart, makes her wonder for the first time if that's how a father looks at his son. She banishes that thought and the sudden, inexplicable, accompanying jealousy. Ahsoka has never had a father. She had a mother, who is now dead because Ahsoka was unable to save her, lost in the brutality of the world. It was a simple fact of her life, something she'd understood for a long time.

Then she became a Jedi, and that dream was lost. No one can take that role. Ahsoka shouldn't need it, anyway – she's a Jedi, and they don't have families. She doesn't need that. (She wants it though. She wants the stability that would come with it, and it doesn't seem fair Anakin gets it and not her.)

"We have to go," Ahsoka declares firmly, to break up the moment, if nothing else. They don't have time to kill, anyway. Ferus is already long back at the ship with Koth when they return. No one speaks as he guides the ship away from the cruiser back to safety.

"You're easier to work with than I thought," Ferus remarks as they land. The others are in the back, giving them a moment of privacy.

"Thanks," Ahsoka replies, "I think."

**w**

When Anakin opens his eyes again – eye, actually, because the other side of his face is still bandaged – he's in the healer's wing at the Temple. He can only be grateful that the lightsaber wound to his head isn't hurting anymore, even if it's definitely going to leave a scar.

He's sitting up in bed when a Mirilian healer hurries over to him. "Will I be cleared to leave soon?"

"Let me see," the padawan replies, moving forwards to remove the bandages. Anakin blinks, opening his other eye. He can still see in it, and that's a relief. It could have been badly damaged, but it wasn't. He was admittedly afraid he'd lose part of himself forever, but he didn't. It could've been far worse.

"It looks like you can go," she says, though he doesn't miss the distinctly weary note in her voice.

"You're Barriss, right?" Anakin asks, standing. He remembers her, vaguely. She's one of the senior padawans, after all, so he didn't spend too much time in her age group.

"Yes, I am," she reconfirms, "And you're… Anakin? Master Kenobi's new padawan?"

He nods. "We've seen each other in classes before… But I shouldn't keep you."

"It's fine," she sighs.

"You already seem tired," he observes.

She sighs, sounding almost worn out again, even if it's carefully concealed. "It has been a long day. The number of Jedi getting injured is… a lot higher than it ever used to be."

"Yes," Anakin agrees, grimly. The casualty rates are a lot higher too, but neither of them needs to mention that. He pauses, eyeing her. He can sense there's something else bothering her. "You seem… upset."

"I don't know what to make of this war," Barriss states.

"What do you mean?" he prompts.

"Everyone – they say we have to fight because it's for the Republic, but this isn't… what our role was meant to be. We're supposed to be peacekeepers, not soldiers."

"I know what you mean," Anakin admits. He has grown accustomed to violence – both from the war and when he saw so much of it when he was young, before coming to the Temple, even if most of those memories are hazed over now – but that doesn't mean he likes it. He's never understood why other padawans around his age were so excited to get their lightsabers and get on the frontlines already. Of course, he wanted to help, but that was a genuine desire to, not… solely for the thrill or excitement, which many others seem to care for most.

"What does your master tell you?"

"He's… he is concerned by how it's dragging on with no end in sight, but he understands it's… necessity."

"Is it necessary?" Barriss asks, "The Republic already has an army. The Jedi doesn't have to lead it. We should be trying to restore peace."

"I… can see your point," he admits, "But more clones would die if they were without Jedi." He can't imagine not knowing Cody, or Waxer or Boil or Rex so well. He can't imagine leaving them to fight and die alone on the battlefield when he knows he could be helping them.

"But we could end the conflict sooner," she argues, sighing frustratedly. "I've talked to other Jedi Masters before, and I know there is much I don't understand but they say we're doing what we must."

"And we are," Anakin agrees. "I know it can be hard to see it now, but we are. How could we help anyone if we didn't join in the war effort?"

"I don't know," she replies. "I don't have all the answers. I'm just a padawan."

"So am I," Anakin reminds, "And I don't like the violence, but I guess our… responsibilities are changing over time. If we don't adapt, we die out."

"What I don't understand is why we can't take a more peaceful approach."

"We try," Anakin objects, "But the Sith control the Separatists. We cannot expect them to listen to reason, no matter what our arguments are."

Barriss still doesn't seem happy with the explanation but they leave it at that. They both have duties to attend to, after all.

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