Aleah and Ahsoka stared at one another, shock to see the other still alive. The Nelvaanian looked at the Togruta padawan. The two of had a brief silence before Ahsoka spoke. "I thought you the Sith captured you," she said pulling her friend into a hug. "Please tell me Anakin is alive."
Aleah could feel the force around them, it was very negative. No doubt the young Togruta had been dealt a great loss in life, but she couldn't tell her the truth about Anakin turning to the dark side. So, the Nelvaanian pulled away and looked her good friend in the eyes.
"Ahsoka. Anakin Skywalker has been murdered by the Sith," she stated sadly to Ahsoka. "His killer is the one named, Darth Vader." It wasn't a lie, but just told from another certain point of view.
"I can't believe it. My master is gone," came the sad response from Ahsoka. But her sadness quickly turned to seriousness. "But we mustn't stay here. By nightfall this whole area will be swarming with clones." Then the two padawans began their journey back to Theeb.
They had been walking for quite some time when Aleah felt her foot make contact with something that wasn't dirt or rock. Looking down, her black eyes focused on the object. It was the head of an old protocol droid. The sound of a faint beep adverted her attention from the droid's head. TheNelvaanian saw a big crack in the cavern wall, the faint beep was heard again. She slipped through the crack and found an old tomb.
Ahsoka followed Aleah in a looked around the tomb. There was a single coffin with the royal crest embedded on the lid. From the looks of the tomb, it was predating before the formation of the Republic, so this had to have been made when Naboo was first being colonized. The faint beep was heard again.
Looking behind the coffin, Aleah saw a very old holocron. The Nelvaanian picked it up and it opened in her hand. Sure enough, a small hologram of the first king of Naboo played.
"My friends, I fear that this is my last transmission. Whatever you do, don't take the Sith Holocron from the Temple – Don't take the Sith Holocron from the temple – Don't ta-" Aleah then crushed the holocron in her hand, her face filled with anger.
"He knew the dangers and he didn't warn the people about the temple." she said bitterly.
Ahsoka placed her hand on Aleah's shoulder. "There was no way anyone could have found this tomb," she said trying to ease her friend's pain.
Back at the Sith temple, Vader had found his way out of the ruble. His helmet cracked and his mechanical body damaged, the Sith enforcer limped his way back to Theeb. And back in the city, Captain Jens and his crew were gathering supplies and debating whether to leave now or wait for Aleah to return. Fang, Danny, Faolahd and Feline all wanted to leave, but Siv, Kenna, Dray and Lyra wanted to stay and wait for their friend to return.
"And why should we throw our lives away for some Jedi?" Fang growled getting up in Lyra's face. "Because of her, the Empire will hunt us down for sure."
"Negative Fang," Clank chimed in. "We have been hunted before by the Huts and the Pikes, not to mention Count Dooku."
Cutie beeped in response. Clank looked over at his fellow crew members. "Also, Cutie says Aleah's chances of survival nine hundred eighty-five to one." Then, tilting towards the shorter droid, battle droid grumbled, "Actually, Cutie has been known to make mistakes."
Faolahd just shook his head and went back inside the Nova Star.
While Siv began a silent pray in his native tongue. He so wanted Aleah to be safe.
Not too far off, Vader had reached a group 501st. And his command to them was simple. "Alert my cruiser to prepare for my arrival." And then he pushed past the clones, black robes flowing behind him, to prepare for his journey.
Back with the Nova Star and her crew, the debate was now turning hostile. Danny pulled his knife on Siv, who drew his blaster in return and pointed it at the young Mirialan. Both men were ready to fight, but neither one wanted to be the one to draw first blood. Lyra got between the two men and tried her best to maintain the peace, but it was in vain.
A fight was about to break out.
Just at the moment, Aleah and Ahsoka spotted the crew getting ready to fight. The Togruta turned to Aleah. "Look, you have to go with them, but you can not tell anyone, including them about me being alive," Ahsoka told her Nelvaanian friend.
"Yeah, but I-" Aleah began to protest.
"No one must KNOW!" Ahsoka said looking her friend dead in the eyes.
Aleah head lowed. "Very well," then she hugged Ahsoka for the final time. "Goodbye my friend," she said.
"May the Force be with you," Ahsoka replied then ran off.
"And you as well, Ahsoka."
"You only want to wait for her because you like her Siv," Danny smiled before slashing Siv's armor chest plating. Sparks flew off the metal and the Mandalorain landed a punch to Danny's left cheek, knocking him over. The other crew members drew their weapons and got ready for a fight when there was a loud…
"STOP IT!"
The crew turned to see Aleah looking at them with contempt. She stepped forward and helped up Danny. "You are all friends," she said softly. "Crew, friends, family even. You all want what's best for each other, but that doesn't mean you should fight to prove it."
The others lowered their heads down in shame. Aleah was right. They had totally forgotten the reasons they were a crew. Kenna then rushed forward and helped Aleah inside while the others fathered the rest of the supplies and loaded the ship. And not a second to soon, because just as they final crate of food was loaded, troopers of the 501st came with their weapons drawn.
Dray shot his hand forward and launched the troopers into the air with the force. He knew the clones had to be slowed down long enough for the Nova Star to prep for takeoff, so he rushed out to deal with them along with Clank. The battle droid was an expert shot with his blaster, scoring head and chest shots. The Bothen still in possession of Aleah's lightsaber, ignited it.
As the Bothan Jedi cut down a Clone commander, he glanced over his shoulder to see a speeder and its dark-cloaked rider bearing down on them.
"Drop, Clank!" he shouted, wheeling about.
The battle droid threw himself facedown, flattening against the ground as the speeder whipped overhead, then the cloaked figure jumped off and landed in front of Dray. The Bothan saw this new threat pull out a very odd-looking object, but he was even more shocked when the object became a red lightsaber. It was another Sith.
Clank got up and got ready to fire at the Sith, but Dray shouted, "Get on board!" as he deflected an incoming attack from the Sith warrior.
His attacker closed with him again, forcing him back, striking at him from every angle. Even without knowing anything else, Dray knew this Sith was trained in the fighting arts of the Jedi, a skilled and dangerous adversary. Worse, he was younger, quicker, stronger than Dray, and he was gaining ground rapidly. The Bothan Jedi Master blocked him again, but then the Sith's lightsaber became two as it disconnected.
Dray could hear the sound of the Nova Star taking off, but the Sith warrior wasn't giving him any room for escape. Just as the Sith landed a slash to the side of Dray's leg, the Bothan shot his hand forward and sent his attack flying into the river behind them.
Up in space above the City of Theeb, Vader stood on the command deck of his cruiser. His fists tightened in anger at the defeat of the Empire's new Jedi hunter – The Inquisitor. The Sith enforcer turned to a rather young officer, Lorth Needa. "Captain, send a gunship down to pick up the Inquisitor. He will pay dearly for failure."
Captain Needa could tell by the rage in Vader's voice that he was beyond angry and knowing the Sith enforcer's anger, he would be force choked to death if he delayed in following the order. So, the young captain turned to his aid and gave the order. Vader looked back out the window the observation deck and noticed the Nova Star leaving Naboo's orbit.
He crossed his arms as the Nova Star shot victoriously into hyperdrive.
Darth Vader stood silently. He gazed at the black void where, a moment before, the Nova Star had been. His deep, black silence brought terror to all on the command deck. Then light rumbling was heard, and the glass windows cracked but did not break.
The crew saw the cracks and were ready to seal the command deck if the windows shattered, but Vader did not move. He stood silently contemplative, with his hands behind his back. Then he turned and slowly walked away, his ebony cloak billowing behind him.
As the Nova Star traveled through vast voids of space, Dray was in the bed bay being treated by Kenna. The white Shistavanen female inspected the wound to his leg. She no real danger from any chance that wound would get infected, but she did wash it and bandage it up nicely.
Jens looked at his fellow crew member. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked, his face mirroring his concern.
Dray nodded, giving his bandaged leg a smack. "Yeah. That was battle I won't soon forget."
Feline who had been standing close by spoke up. "What kind lightsaber was he using?" the Zygerrian pressed, her eyes narrowing.
The Bothan shook his head. "I'm not sure. But whoever or whatever he was, he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the holocron."
"Which Vader now has," Siv stated quickly.
"Yes, but I already know the riddle and we have to go," Aleah said walking up to Siv, the others quickly gathered around to hear the riddle. "You will find me in a place where if I drink, I shall die, but if I eat, I shall live."
Clank then spoke up. "The answer is fire."
"And where can you find fire?" Aleah asked looking around.
Dray sat up. "Mustafar?" he said.
Aleah pulled up the holomap showing the Atravis sector. "Correct," she smiled, then looked at the crew. "You all know that this place is going to be very dangerous, but whatever it takes, we will get that holocron."
Jens stepped forward. "I agree," he said, then a crafty smile appeared on his face. "And after all, there is a large deposit of iron ore that we could steal."
Fang leaned over to his sister. The two of them whispered something. Then Fang looked at Jens with a frown. "If we do this, my sister and I want an extra twenty percent of what we make on this job," he said.
Jens looked around at his fellow crew. They all seemed to agree on this. After all, what was the point of going to Mustafar without a plan. The captain smiled and replied, "Deal."
The crew cheered and went on with their work, but Aleah stayed and got down on her knees before Dray. The Bothan was certain that Aleah was going to ask him to train her, and he was right. The Nelvaanian did in fact asked him to teach her the ways of the force. But Dray wanted to know why.
Aleah pulled out her lightsaber and looked at it. "So, I may be able to defend myself and the others if the time calls for it," she said.
Dray smiled and got up. He stood over the Nelvaanian. "Only for defense, never for revenge," he proclaimed. Aleah nodded.
"I will, Master Dray," she said, but the Nelvaanian was lying. All she wanted was to find Vader and kill him for her master's death that day in the temple hanger. One way or another, she would have her revenge.
Looks like Aleah has still a lot of anger in her heart, will Dray help her fight through her anger and let it go or will she fall to the dark side? The Empire also now have brought out the Inquisitors, but it seems like there is still more work to be done to make them good at hunting Jedi.