Can Jedi Wear Orange?

by dextron11

At the start of their trip, a mysterious power pulls Naruto and Jiraiya into the distant future. With no way back home, and no idea what's going on, what will they do? Join the Jedi, naturally. But there are other, more sinister forces after them as well. With the Force to wield and a new group of friends, can Naruto change the future of a galaxy threatened by darkness?

39. Chapter 39

So, it's been a while. Sorry about that. In my limited defense, I discovered Critical Role last month, and my ADHD decided to hyperfixate on that. At roughly 4 hours per episode, that eats up pretty much all of my free time. Nevertheless, I'm trying to find a better balance that lets me get in at least some writing time every day. It doesn't help that, despite my previously stated goal of writing shorter chapters, my current chapter, chapter 41, is by far the longest of the story so far. I'd split it, again, but I really want to get to the Clone War era, so I'm trying to fit everything I need into one last chapter before then. More on that when I actually publish that chapter, though.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate the feedback, and its always nice to be able to answer your questions. A few of you seemed skeptical that Jiraiya and Luminara would walk into an ambush like they did, though. I'd point out that, outside of Sage mode, Jiraiya isn't a remarkable sensor, and Luminara was occupied trying to keep their passage unnoticed. Neither of them considered the idea that a Sith assassin might be after them, and the general bad vibes of Nar Shaddaa prevented them from sensing the hostile intent of the Gossam.

Please support Ukraine however you can. Just because they've faded from the news doesn't mean their war is over. With that, on to the chapter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 39

Asajj Ventress collapsed the moment her speedervan cleared the airspace around the hangar. Her master would have flayed her alive if he'd seen such a display of weakness, but her body had its limits. The white-haired Jedi's last attack, that blue orb of Force power, had felt like it put her organs through a blender. The broken ribs and bruised diaphragm from his kick didn't help matters. Each breath fought its way through a maze of pain and swords on its way to her lungs. She coughed, and the world briefly drowned in a sea of agony. Her vision whited out. When it returned, she saw flecks of blood dotted across the floor in front of her. The coppery taste coated her tongue and mixed poorly with the bitter tang of humiliation. Her face burned with shame when she thought back to her brief fight with Jiraiya.

'Two attacks. He landed two kriffing attacks, and left me like this.' A growl beat a path through her battered lungs and tore through clenched teeth. 'He beat me like it was nothing! He could have killed me!'

A potent mix of fear, shame, and anger brewed in her gut. She fed it into the furnace of the Dark side, and the cold flames in her soul blazed higher and higher, until they burned all the weakness from her body. The Dark side didn't heal, at least not without knowledge she didn't possess, but it was marvelous at keeping you going. She wrapped it around her damaged organs, her bruised lungs, and her splintered ribs, forcing them to operate despite their condition. The pain didn't fade, but it became unimportant, a source of fuel for her anger and that was all. Once she could take a full breath without passing out, she forced herself to stand up.

'He was toying with me, as if I didn't even matter to him. As if I was weak. I am not weak!' Her nails cut bloody crescents into her palms as she clenched her fists. A new thought cut through her anger and made her go even paler than she already was. 'Master will not be pleased about this.'

Dooku had ordered her not to engage the Jedi. He would not care that she'd had no choice, only that she had failed to follow his orders. What was worse, she had lost her weapons. Jiraiya had destroyed one of her lightsabers and taken the other. For that failure alone, she knew she would suffer. The only question left was how much.

She glanced at Aurra Sing and frowned to see her lying slumped against the door of the speeder. Though she had never met the legendary assassin before, Ventress was familiar with her reputation. Even given her injuries, she had expected more from the woman than this. She was Force sensitive after all, and at least partially trained. With a disgusted grunt, she gave the woman a kick in the side.

"Get up," she snarled. "I didn't go to the trouble of rescuing you just so you could sit there and drool."

Aurra hissed and glared at her, but remained listless. Ventress kicked her again out of spite.

"What's wrong with you, bounty hunter? I'd heard you were formidable."

"Kriff you, honey," Aurra said. "They took it from me."

Ventress snorted and hauled Aurra upright, ignoring her gasp of pain when she pulled on her injured arm. She was tired of bending over to hear the other woman. "Took what? Your spine? Start making sense, or you'll need more than one new limb very, very soon."

"They took the Force!" Aurra said through gritted teeth. There were actual tears in her eyes. "That white-haired Jedi put something on my neck, and then the Force was gone. They took the Force away! Then that other Jedi bitch kriffed with my head. Now, who the fuck are you?"

Ventress ignored the question and spun her around, slamming her against the bulkhead.

"Hey! What the kriff are you-"

"Quiet!" Ventress pulled Aurra's hair aside to get a better look at the back of her neck. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but it jumped out as soon as she saw it. At the base of Aurra's skull was a small symbol in black ink. It looked almost like a tattoo, but one composed of a bunch of tiny squiggles and some sort of hieroglyphics. She didn't recognize the language, if it was a language at all, but she could feel a tiny knot in the Force centered on the odd symbol. Despite herself, she smiled. If she were right, this might just be enough to save her from the worst of Dooku's wrath.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Luminara swam upward through an ocean of her own consciousness. Glimmers of awareness percolated down from above, but nothing coherent. There was light, a vague noise, and pain. Quite a bit of pain. Before it could grow overwhelming, however, something enveloped her mind in calm safety. Soothing currents of the Force carried her and insulated her from the world. She dimly recognized the beginning signs of a healing trance. A fellow Jedi must have forced her into one to help her recover from whatever had happened. She didn't have time to recall what that might have been or who was helping her now, though. In seconds, the trance took hold, her thoughts slowed, and her awareness dissolved under a soft blanket of restorative energy.

Time was impossible to judge in a healing trance. It was not quite like being asleep, nor like being sedated, but it shared the timeless quality of both states. When she felt her mind begin to once again drift up towards the waking world, she could only say that it had been long enough for her to grow thirsty and stiff, but not long enough for her to heal completely. She couldn't even remember, yet, how she had gotten injured in the first place. Her arm throbbed, her face ached, her neck felt tender, and she had pins and needles throughout her body. As more of her mind and body woke up from the trance, her memories returned. Her eyes snapped open, and the first thing she saw was Jiraiya's smiling face hanging over her. There were much worse sights to wake up to, she supposed.

"How long was I out?" She asked. Her voice was raspy and weak. He handed her a canteen and helped her tilt it towards her lips.

"Just a few hours. After you went down, I got us out of there quick. The whole building was collapsing."

She groaned and sat up. It felt like her muscles had turned to soggy wood, but she could move, at least. "What happened, exactly? I… don't remember much after the ship exploded, and from what I can recall, I didn't see much of what you were doing. Is Aurra Sing…"

"Gone." There was no mistaking the bitter note in his voice, one echoed in her own heart. Aurra was a monster of the highest, or perhaps lowest, order. That she had, once again, escaped justice, and after they'd been so close, too, left a sour taste in both their mouths.

"There was someone leading the Gossam commandos who attacked us," Jiraiya continued. "She was Force sensitive, and well trained. Very well trained."

It took a second for Luminara to realize what he was implying, but when she did, her mind started to race. "You think she was a Sith?"

Jiraiya made a so-so gesture with his hand. "Not a proper Sith Lord, no. From what I've read, she was too young and inexperienced for that. But she could have been an assassin, like that Maul character Obi-Wan encountered back on Naboo. She snatched Aurra while I was distracted. We fought, and I beat her. I had her, but Durge blindsided me. I was holding back too much. I should've gone for the kill right away." A note of self-recrimination entered his voice before he frowned and shook it off. "She and Aurra escaped in a speeder. They're gone."

"We have to let the Council know. If the Sith are protecting Aurra sing, then-

"Whoa, slow down, Luminara," Jiraiya said. "I know, but there's a problem. The entire planet's locked down on orders from the Hutts. Durge has every single bounty hunter on Nar Shaddaa out looking for us."

Her eyes widened in dismay. "Every bounty hunter. That must be ten million people. At least."

"At least." Jiraiya nodded before he gave her a forced grin. "I suppose it's a compliment, really. We can't say they're underestimating us."

She appreciated the stab at humor, really she did, but now wasn't the time. "What about a messenger Toad? You could send one to Naruto and he could deliver it to the Council."

Jiraiya was already shaking his head before she had finished. "Naruto's on that trip with Mace, and there's no way to know how long that'll take. It could be weeks. Besides, from what Master Yoda told me about the Ordeal, it's not something I want to risk interrupting, especially not with a summon. No, we need to get out of her fast. I'm sure word has already reached the Senate of what happened back at the hangar. They're going to demand an explanation."

"Are we even safe here?" She asked. "For that matter, where are we?"

Now that her head had finally stopped spinning, she got a good look at her surroundings. They certainly weren't what she'd expected. Rather than the bare duracrete and filth of some hidden basement, there were, instead, wooden walls, warm lights, rugs, and even a few pieces of art. She wasn't sitting on some cot either, but an actual bed. It looked, for all the world, like a primitive house. In fact, when she looked closer, it looked a lot like how Jiraiya described the buildings from his home village. "Am I hallucinating?"

"Nope." He grinned and gestured to the impossible house. "We're inside one of my Toads."

"… a Toad." Luminara took a deep breath and reminded herself that, for all his virtues, Jiraiya sometimes forgot she hadn't grown up around shinobi as he had. Either that, or he was so used to being maddeningly vague and dramatic that it had become an ingrained habit. "This does not look like the inside of a Toad, Jiraiya. I have never been eaten by one before, but this is not what I would expect."

Jiraiya was glancing around distractedly and took a moment to answer her implied question. "Hmm? Oh, this is a Shop Toad. It can disguise itself as a building. I figured it would be nicer than some back alley shed, at least. We should be safe here for a few more hours, at least. Durge will find us eventually, but we have some time, and I have a plan."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I had a couple of kage bunshin spy on some of the hunters who're after us," he said. "It turns out Durge's ship is the only one allowed on or off Nar Shaddaa for the next two rotations. Everything else is grounded, no exceptions."

Comprehension dawned on her. "So, if we can get our hands on his ship…"

"We can get out of here and tell the Council what happened. He keeps a remote control and transponder on his left vambrace. I saw him use it. Taking it won't be easy, but it should be doable."

She thought it over for a second and nodded. "That could work."

"Good." He stood up. "I'll be back in a few hours, then."

She frowned. "Where are you going?"

Jiraiya looked back at her, confused. "I'm doing what we just talked about. I'm going to find Durge, beat him, and steal his ship."

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in, but when they did, she felt genuine anger boil in her gut for the first time in years. Anger… and hurt. "You mean to leave me here and face him alone," she said, her voice a few degrees colder than space. It wasn't a question. She could see the stubborn, stupid idea written across his face as clearly as if she could read his thoughts. She could have slapped him across the face. If he'd been in arm's reach, she honestly might have. It made more sense now why he'd been in such a hurry to answer her questions and explain his plan. The guilt wafted off of him like a foul smell. He'd wanted to be gone before she had a chance to object. Well, that was simply too bad.

"What makes you think I would let you do something so monumentally stupid?" Her voice stayed steady, even as she wielded the words like a fist. "I expect an answer, Jiraiya."

He squirmed, the very picture of shamed discomfort, but she gave him neither pity nor quarter. Her gaze bored into his charcoal eyes, demanding the explanation he owed her. After a few seconds, he sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Do I really need to say it?"

"Yes," she bit out. He swallowed heavily and refused to meet her eyes.

"You're injured. Exhausted. He almost killed you twice last time. You're in no condition to fight."

She waited for a moment to see if he would say anything else. When he kept silent, she spoke. "That is a load of Bantha fodder, and you know it." He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "I am talking now, and you will listen. My injuries are minor. You just said it yourself, we can spare some time. A few hours in a healing trance will see me back in fighting shape. As for exhaustion, let me have a soldier pill. I'll sleep on the flight back to Coruscant."

She paused and watched for his response. He didn't say anything, which was fortunate, but he did look away. If anything, he grew more uncomfortable, which only confirmed her suspicions.

"But you don't want to do either of those things, do you? Because we both know this isn't about me being injured or exhausted, and it certainly isn't about how he defeated me earlier. We didn't lose because I was tired or because you were holding back, or any other ridiculous excuse. Those things didn't help, but we lost for one reason and one reason only. We weren't working as a team."

Jiraiya didn't react to what she said. He did so very loudly, however, and his carefully blank look may as well have been a ten meter holosign to her eyes. She'd landed right on the truth, and he wasn't sure what was about to happen. That was fine by her. At least he was listening to her now.

"We weren't working as a team," she repeated. "It's my fault as much as yours. Ever since Gamaru said you had feelings for me, we've both been distracted. We hardly spoke a word to each other all day. Our enemies took advantage of that and divided us, even if they didn't realize it. We fought as individuals, and that undid us."

Once again, she paused to give him a chance to respond, and once again he said nothing. His face had become unreadable the moment she mentioned Gamaru's words. Doubt clawed at her for a moment, but she beat it back. Her path was clear for the first time in a long time, and she would not let her resolve waver now. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, though it still held a core of steel.

"Don't insult me by denying what we both now know to be true. You have feelings for me. I should have realized it years ago. My only excuse is my own inexperience with such emotions, or any emotions, for that matter." She gave him a brief smile. "I should thank you for remaining circumspect for so long. I have greatly enjoyed our friendship, and I fear such a confession may have ruined it even a year ago."

"And now?" Jiraiya's voice was rough, but steady. He crossed the room and kneeled in front of her so their eyes were level. "As you said, there's no point denying it. I've fallen in love with you. To be honest, I tried to deny it to myself at first, but that was pointless. I've only felt this way about one other woman in my life, and that turned into a terrible mess. I don't want to make the same mistake again. You are my closest friend and partner, Luminara, and I don't want to lose that. I love you, but I love our friendship more. Say the word, and I'll never speak of this again. If you're willing, though, I would really like to see if we could be something more than what we are now."

Now it was her turn to freeze. She'd expected… well, she didn't know what she'd expected. Denial, perhaps, or apologies. Maybe even some ridiculous, over-the-top, theatrical display of romance. As ever, though, Jiraiya surprised her; this time with a heartfelt confession and an offer that sparked that same warm feeling in her chest she'd noticed so often around him. A mess of conflicting thoughts swirled in her mind. The Jedi Code, though under debate, still officially forbade any sort of romantic relationship. Memories of all the times he'd made her smile and laugh fought with the traditions and ideals to which she'd devoted her whole life. Emotions were one thing, but this-

'Enough,' she told herself. 'No more doubts. No more waiting.' She took a deep breath, leaned forward, and captured his lips in a kiss.

It would be a lie to say that fireworks went off in her mind. She was no teenaged civilian given to flights of romantic fancy, nor was she a blushing virgin with no point of comparison. However, it would be equally untrue to deny that the warmth in her chest burst into a roaring blaze. Jiraiya grunted and stiffened in shock for a moment before he kissed back with enthusiasm.

Her heart sped up as his lips moved against hers, warm and sensual in ways she didn't have words for. Next to him, her own efforts seemed clumsy by comparison. It had been well over a decade since she'd last kissed someone, and that had merely been carnal. There had been no deep affection behind it, just desire and release. This already felt so much more significant than any of her previous physical relationships. The Force sang in her and around her, and a profound sense of rightness accompanied its music. For a moment, she forgot where she was and lost herself in Jiraiya. In his scent, his presence, the solid weight of him, and above all, the delicious sensations of his lips on hers. As heat began to pool low in her gut, she had to force herself to pull back before she did something foolish. Her body and soul both ached to continue, but her mind overruled them, for now. It took her a moment to find her voice again, though, as her heart beat a tattoo against her ribs and her breath came in heated pants. Jiraiya looked only marginally more composed than she felt.

"I rather think I would like that as well," she said. Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, and then broke out into an enormous, dopey grin. She couldn't help but smile and laugh in return. "Now, let's plan how we're going to take Durge down. Together."

"Together," he agreed

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Luminara spent the next two hours in a healing trance. When she returned to herself, her body felt much less like a piece of wet flimsi. The shooting pains from the stun bolo had dissipated into a generalized tingling in her extremities. Her shoulder was still sore and stiff, but it was nothing she couldn't push through. The swelling in her face had gone down, though it remained discolored and tender to the touch.

The bone deep exhaustion that had so crippled her in the initial fight against Durge and the Gossam commandos remained, though not so overwhelming as it had been. Using the Force as she had to disguise their passage through the streets of Nar Shaddaa was taxing on both body and mind, and there was no true remedy save food and sleep. The healing trance softened the worst of it, as did the ration bar she had choked down earlier, but she could still feel it, like chains of cloud and stone weighing her down and slowing her thoughts. Fortunately, while rest was the only true cure, there was a temporary salve. Soldier pills could give even the most exhausted being energy enough to climb a small mountain, though at the cost of a severe crash when the effects wore off. They were dangerous, potentially addictive, and highly toxic in the wrong doses, but effective. The Council strictly regulated their use, and Jiraiya had been reluctant to give her one in her condition, but she had insisted. She knew her own body and what it could handle. Their new relationship would not begin with him facing an enemy like Durge without her.

While she had recovered her strength, Jiraiya had set about scouting an ideal location for their plan. Her passionate words aside, he'd been quite right when he pointed out how their surroundings had crippled them last time. The dense, urban environment of Nar Shaddaa favored someone like Durge, to whom innocent casualties were of little and less consequence. He would freely level buildings, killing thousands, while they would be hampered in using their strongest techniques. They would need those techniques, if they were going to face an enemy as tough as Durge.

"Our biggest problem isn't his weapons or his skill," Jiraiya had said. "It's how tough the damn bastard is. He shrugged off a Force push that would have crippled a Rancor. You stabbed him through the chest and he barely even noticed. Kriff, I cut off his hand, and it reattached in seconds."

She'd pursed her lips. "If we cannot disable him swiftly, he will call for aid. We can't afford to get bogged down fighting every bounty hunter in the area."

"I have jutsu that could take him down in seconds, but I can't use them around so many people, and this whole planet is packed tight." He had frowned. "We either need more time or more space."

They had both chewed over the problem for a few minutes. The solution, when it presented itself, was so amazingly simple Luminara was surprised neither of them had thought of it earlier.

"There is one area that isn't crowded," she'd pointed out. He'd looked at her curiously and she elaborated. "Every city planet I've ever been on has an old industrial area from before the ecumenopolis engulfed everything. Most of them are disused, and there are always abandoned areas where the cost of making it safe to live is too steep. I'm confident Nar Shaddaa will have at least one such area. If you can find it, it should afford us the space we need to cut loose against Durge."

He'd agreed, and gone to hunt for an ideal venue for their ambush. He left a kage bunshin behind to watch over her while she was in the trance. Once she had finished stretching after she'd woken up, she had the clone dispel and waited in meditation until she heard the door open. Without opening her eyes, she could feel Jiraiya's presence in the Force, like a warm caress.

"Did you find a spot?" She knew the answer even before he spoke. He wouldn't have come back if it wasn't with good news.

"I did. Are you ready?"

She opened her eyes and stood in one fluid motion. Her shoulder twinged in protest, but she didn't let any hint of the pain show on her face. "I am. We should leave now. Every minute we delay gives more time for the Senate to act without all the information they need."

She held out her hand expectantly. He grimaced, but handed her the little brown soldier pill. "Don't take it until the last second," he warned, not that she needed warning. It was his way of expressing concern, though, and she took it in the spirit it was meant. "If something goes wrong, I don't want you crashing in the middle of a fight."

"If all goes as planned, we should be away from here and safe in hyperspace long before the pill wears off."

"It's that first bit that I've always found troublesome," he quipped. "Since when has anything in my life ever gone according to plan?"

She grinned briefly. "Ah, but I helped make this plan, remember? I think you'll find that makes all the difference."

"Hahaha," he chuckled. "We'll see, won't we?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was easy to tell, when they got there, why the industrial complex was abandoned. Luminara had been to the old industrial district on Coruscant several times, and it was an unpleasant place, to be sure. Next to the polluted wasteland she found herself in now, though, it may as well have been the estate of an Alderaanian noble.

The location Jiraiya had chosen was a forest of twisted metal and ruined machinery. Rust covered everything like a fungus. Even the few weeds that braved the cracked duracrete looked corroded. Streams of toxic sludge tricked over the shattered remnants of ancient factories, painting the landscape yellow, purple, and black. The fumes clawed at her eyes and drove needles into her throat and lungs. All in all, it ranked in the top three most unpleasant places she had ever been. However, there were no sentients for kilometers in any direction, and that was all that really counted. Hopefully, they would be quit of this place before the toxins gave them both cancer.

"Lovely," she quipped. "How long do you think until he arrives?" On the way to their chosen venue, they had both made sure to leave a series of proverbial breadcrumbs to lure Durge in. A mental nudge here, an "unwitting" glance at a security camera there, letting a few of the bounty hunters wandering around catch a glimpse of their faces. It had taken most of the day, but she and Jiraiya had laid a trail just obvious enough to attract Durge's attention, but hopefully not so obvious as to arouse suspicion.

"If he takes the bait, it shouldn't be more than a few hours. Probably less. It's tough to say, though. He didn't strike me as the cautious sort back in the hangar, but I could be wrong. We didn't exactly have time for deep conversation." He sat down to meditate, heedless of the filth coated ground. "I'm guessing he'll make a dramatic entrance, though."

They both settled in and waited. Mercifully, it seemed Durge was either already in the area, or he was even less cautious than Jiraiya had predicted. Little more than an hour passed before Luminara sensed another presence closing in on their position. She immediately swallowed the soldier pill Jiraiya had given her. In moments, she felt a harsh wave of energy pour through her body. It scoured the tiredness from her bones and scraped a whetstone over her senses. The rush of clarity allowed her a better sense of Durge's presence. It felt strange, unlike any being she had encountered before. There was an alien depth to his presence that spoke of great age. Whatever Durge was, he was truly ancient.

Age hadn't inclined him towards subtlety, however. Just seconds after she first sensed him, her danger sense flared, and she had to duck under a salvo of micro rockets. Her lightsaber slid into her hand without conscious thought, and the follow-up blaster fire bounced off her impenetrable defense like so many glowing pebbles. Plumes of powdered rust billowed from the impacts and dyed the air scarlet, transforming the already dismal landscape into something out of a nightmare. More blaster bolts cut through the fumes, casting fiery light across the ruins. She deflected them as well and cast about for their origin. The smog made it impossible to pinpoint his position, though, and she stayed on guard.

It was well she did, because, amidst the incoming blaster fire, she heard a faint whistling noise, as of something cutting rapidly through the air. The Force gave her a nudge, and she ducked to the left just in time to see first one, then another electrified bolo fly past and smash against the ground. It was the same combination that had bested her back in the hangar. Then, exhaustion had fogged her senses and slowed her reactions. Now, thanks to the soldier pill and a few hours' rest, she was not so easily beaten. Durge must have come to the same conclusion, because the barrage of attacks ceased, and silence cloaked the area.

From out of the bloody murk emerged the hulking, armored figure of Durge. His armor still bore the scars of their last encounter, including the perfectly round hole where she had stabbed him through the chest, but beyond that, he looked as inscrutable as before. Only the flicker of life in the Force and the glimpse of pink and red flesh moving under the cuts in his mail betrayed that he was not a droid. His featureless mask made it impossible to guess at his emotions, but she got the sense he was evaluating her.

"You will give better sport, now. Good." His flat, near-robotic voice echoed strangely off the rubble. "Where is the other?"

"Right here." Jiraiya moved from where he'd hidden in the shadows. His hands were clasped together as if in prayer, and a faint glow surrounded them. "Nice of you to drop by."

Durge tilted his head. "A trap? Others before you have tried, Jedi. They are dead. I am not."

"They weren't us," he said, a confident smirk on his face. He bit his thumb and raced through a set of hand signs before slamming one hand on the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A cloud of white smoke exploded out of nowhere and enveloped the whole area.

Over the years, Luminara had seen Jiraiya summon all manner of Toads, from tiny Spy Toads to hulking behemoths who dwarfed even the largest rancor. She was familiar with how they felt in the Force, and the sort of power it took to call them. However, none of them, not even the mighty Gamabunta, had ever required something like this. The release of chakra from the summoning was intense enough to make her spine tingle and her ears ring. She'd never known Jiraiya to use such a powerful technique. She hadn't even known there were such demanding jutsu. The two presences that appeared were unlike any Toad she had ever sensed before. She'd half-expected, when she felt how much power he'd used, to see some colossal Toad the size of a dreadnought appear in the ruined industrial complex. No such monster was forthcoming, though. However, she still felt two massive wells of chakra pop into being amidst the smoke. They held a depth to them that put her in mind of a placid lake, its waters sinking into the bowels of the planet. Whatever he had summoned, she was impressed.

"{Jiraiya-chan, why'd you summon us to such a miserable cesspit? No wonder Gamaru was complainin' earlier. This place is disgusting.}"

"{Sorry, Pa. I'm up against one tough bastard, and I could use your help to take him down quickly.}"

"{Aww, don't be so grumpy, Pa. At least he summoned us. We don't get to see you nearly enough these days, Jiraiya-chan.}"

When the smoke cleared, Luminara saw what Jiraiya had summoned with that massive burst of chakra, and her jaw nearly dropped. Not because the two Toads were especially majestic or awe-inspiring, though. Quite the opposite. Perched on his shoulders were two of the oldest and smallest Toads she had ever seen him summon.

On his right shoulder sat an ancient male Toad. Between his robe, the tufts of wispy white hair, and his grumpy expression, she thought for a moment, absurdly, that Jiraiya had somehow summoned Yoda himself to aid them. On the opposite shoulder sat a female Toad, just as wrinkled and elderly as her companion. She had a purple crest on her head that resembled hair. Neither of the Toads could be over 25 cm tall, yet they possessed an aura of subtle strength and authority far in excess of their physical size. Chakra was harder to sense than the Force, but even so, she could feel the veritable oceans of power lurking within their wizened forms.

Durge was less impressed. "This is your plan, Jedi? These little beasts? I told you to offer sport."

"Mind your manners, ya uppity little shit," the male Toad said in heavily accented Basic, scowling at the armored bounty hunter. He glanced at Jiraiya and switched back to Nihongo. "{This the one?}"

Jiraiya nodded. "{Yep.}"

"{Good. Ma, let's go.}" The two Toads closed their eyes and sank into deep concentration.

There was no possible way Durge understood their words, but he must have guessed their meaning. Either that, or he grew bored waiting. Whatever the reason, he drew a spiked flail from some hidden recess in his armor. The vicious weapon made a sound like tearing fabric as it spun through the air and towards Jiraiya's head. He made no move to defend himself, however. There was no need. Even before Durge let his weapon fly, Luminara was moving. Her emerald blade intercepted the flail less than a meter from his face and cleaved right through the braided wire. The spiked ball sailed off into an old bit of machinery, turning it from a pile of scrap to a slightly less organized pile of scrap.

If Durge was angry to see her destroy his weapon so easily, he didn't show it. Instead, with the same methodical detachment he'd displayed in everything else she'd seen him do, he shrugged the blaster rifle off his back and took aim. Before he could fire, though, whatever technique the Toads had been preparing with Jiraiya apparently came to fruition. The air trembled with power, and Jiraiya's presence in the Force… changed.

If someone compelled her to put words to what she felt, she'd have said it was as if a great weight settled on the rubber sheet of the Force, distorting it and drawing reality inevitably towards the new mass. The Living Force around her flowed into Jiraiya, merging with his chakra in ways beyond her ability to perceive. All she could sense were the results. His Force signature blossomed into something truly remarkable. He radiated power to rival even Yoda when he truly cut loose. The power itself was strange to her, as it lay at some midpoint between chakra and the Force, but there was no denying its intensity. He had, somehow, become practically a nexus in the Force all on his own.

The swell of power brought with it a few physical changes as well. His eyes became bars, reminiscent of the two summons perched on his shoulder. His nose swelled slightly and grew a few warts, while a pointed beard sprouted along his jaw. The red markings that ran down from his eyes expanded until they surrounded his eyes with a thick red outline. Another pair joined them and curved across his cheeks. Those changes were mere details, however, next to the vortex of power that sprang into life within him. Luminara could feel it pressing down on her, warm and comforting, but also heavy, and with an undercurrent of leashed danger.

She didn't have to wait long to see the effects of whatever he had done. Before Durge could react, he thrust his hand out in a punch. For a moment, she thought he'd gone mad. His blow fell nearly a meter short of even hitting the armored hunter. Any comments she may have made died on her lips, though, when a crater appeared in Durge's breastplate. The thick durasteel crumpled like wet flimsi, and some unseen force sent Durge tumbling across the ground in a blur of shattered metal and torn flesh.

"I'll keep him occupied," Jiraiya whispered to her. "You get that transponder away from him."

Luminara almost didn't have a chance to respond. Despite the titanic blow he'd just taken, Durge rolled back to his feet as soon as he slid to a stop. His breastplate was a fractured ruin, but beyond that, he didn't look to be any worse for wear. Luminara had to quell a shiver at the sight. That attack would have laid out a krayt dragon, but he'd shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Good." Even though his helmet concealed his facial features, Luminara could hear the smile in Durge's voice. "Now you offer a challenge."

Fast as blinking, and with no discernible effort, he hurled a jagged sheet of metal the size of a bantha directly at Jiraiya's head. She took advantage of the distraction and darted towards him, her focus entirely on the transponder in his bracer. His reactions rivaled those of a Jedi Master, however, and he jerked away from her blow. She had only a fraction of a second to dodge his follow-up; a burst from his flamethrower that would have burned the flesh from her skull. The heat seared painfully across the back of her neck, and she smelled her headdress smoldering. In his haste to attack her, though, he had neglected to keep his attention on Jiraiya, and he paid for it dearly.

"Ranjishigami no Jutsu!"

Something large, white, and hairy snaked past her and slammed into Durge, pushing him back and holding him fast. At first, she thought Jiraiya had summoned some fierce predator to aid them. A moment's closer examination revealed an even stranger truth. It was no white-haired beast that grappled with their enemy. It was Jiraiya's actual hair. His spiky mane, always sizeable, had now grown to dwarf its owner, and was savaging Durge to surprising effect. He must have hardened his hair as well as animated it, since she saw it carve bloody furrows in the exposed flesh and leave deep scratches on the armor. Thinner tendrils branched from the main mass of hair and wrapped themselves around Durge's limbs. The web of stabbing, tangling hair slowed him to a crawl, but it couldn't stop him completely. His body was too strong and too flexible for that. However, the restraints gave her an opportunity, one she seized on. She channeled chakra, made a single snake seal, and slammed her hand onto the ground.

"Doton: Tsuchi Nami no Jutsu!"

From her hand had landed, a ripple spread out through the ground. It was as though the earth beneath her feet were a pond, and her jutsu a stone tossed from a height. Wave after wave of tremors pulsed from her hand, and the floor turned from solid footing to a seething, treacherous hazard. She was safe, at the epicenter of her own jutsu, and Jiraiya was too far away and too coordinated for worry. Durge, however, was neither of those things. The net of hair had already strained his balance to its limit, and the sudden uncertainty of his footing proved too much. With a modulated snarl, he fell to his knees and stuck out his arms for balance. It was exactly the reaction she had been waiting for.

With precision that would have shamed many surgeons, she severed his arm just above the precious transponder. He growled, more from anger than pain, she thought, but Jiraiya's hair held him in place. She scooped up the bracer, arm still inside, and leaped clear before the limb could reattach itself. The hand twitched and grasped wildly, but without a body for support, it couldn't generate any sort of leverage. She grit her teeth and grabbed hold of the mass of wriggling pink and red tendrils. It was one of the more disgusting things she'd ever felt, and that was saying something considering her career as a Jedi, but she pushed the slimy feeling aside and tore the hand from the gauntlet and bracer. "I've got it!"

"Good." Jiraiya withdrew his hair with a smirk. "Now I can really cut loose." He held one hand above his head, and blue energy swirled above his open palm. Luminara had seen both him and Naruto form rasengans countless times before, but never one like this. The glowing blue orb, normally the size of a muja fruit, rapidly grew to the size of a bantha. Its hum settled in her bones and rattled her teeth. She could barely look at it for how brightly it glowed. He might as well have been holding a collapsed star over his head.

Without the razor sharp strands of hair binding him or the ground undulating beneath him, Durge recovered his feet in a second. The vicious bindings had taken their toll upon his exposed flesh, but he gave no heed to the countless cuts and punctures that dotted his form. Even as he stood, they sealed themselves, leaving only rivulets pale blood as evidence they were ever there at all. He looked completely unintimidated by the enormous rasengan humming above him. Jiraiya moved so fast, Luminara didn't know if Durge couldn't dodge the attack, or simply chose not to. She suspected the latter, though. Either way, her partner (and now more than that), crossed the distance so quickly it looked as if he teleported, and slammed the glowing sphere into Durge's chest.

"Senpō: Chō Ōdama Rasengan!"

The swirling mass of chakra proved even deadlier than its size suggested. Durge didn't even have time to scream before the grinding force of the rasengan shredded his body into meat. Luminara winced at the brutality of it. Bits of… whatever his species was made of flew everywhere. His pale blood sprayed like a geyser in all directions, adding yet another disgusting layer to the accumulated filth of the area.

'At least his death was swift,' she thought. 'It's a shame it came to this, but he never gave us any other option.'

The massive rasengan carried on through to the ground, where it carved through rusted metal and duracrete like so much smoke. When the dust cleared, Jiraiya was standing in the center of a deep crater. He dispelled the huge rasengan and jumped out of the hole. Luminara could do nothing but stare in amazement at the destructive power.

"{Hey, Jiraiya-chan, have you been practicing?}" The female Toad patted him on the head like an indulgent grandmother. "{Your control has gotten a lot better. You barely transformed at all.}"

He smiled sheepishly, in total contrast to the strength he'd displayed. "A little. All the Jedi training helped. Have I really gotten that much better? I guess I'm even more awesome than I used to be."

The old male Toad pulled a cane from beneath his robe and smacked him across the back of the head. "{Don't get a swelled head, ya damn numbskull. You've still got a long way to go. You should really come back to Mt. Myōboku to finish your training. And bring Naruto-chan one of these days. He should be almost ready.}"

"Jiraiya, honored Toads, while I'm sure this is important, we must hurry," Luminara said, careful to keep her tone respectful. The artificial buzz of the soldier pill grated on her patience, but Jiraiya had made it very clear that disrespecting the Toads was a Bad Idea, especially for a non-summoner.

"Oh, you must be the woman Jiraiya-chan's been mooning over for the past few years," the female Toad said. "I'm Shima and this grumpy old wart is Fukasaku. It's good to meet you, dear. We'll have to talk more later."

With a faint pop and a burst of smoke, the two Toads dismissed themselves back to their home dimension. When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya was back to his former appearance. Luminara triggered the transponder she'd liberated from Durge and set the ship to home in on their location, and settled in for a wait. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, but the soldier pill had her system abuzz with excess energy. Everything felt that little bit too bright and sharp, every thought jittery and urgent. It was as though she'd stayed up for a week straight and then mainlined ten liters of caf. To pass the time, she struck up a conversation, and there was one burning question on her mind.

"What was that back there? Your whole Force signature changed. I've never felt anything like it before."

"That was Sage Mode. It's my most powerful technique." Jiraiya frowned and scratched his now beardless chin. "It's hard to explain in Jedi terms, but Master Yoda has a theory. Basically, I take in the Living Force around me and absorb it into my body, beyond the normal amount I take in when I form chakra. It gives me a lot of power, especially physically, but it's also dangerous."

She gave him a pointed stare. "How dangerous?"

"If I do it wrong, I'll turn into a stone statue of a toad," he said. Her eyes widened, and he spoke quickly before she could berate him for taking such a risk. "That's what Ma and Pa were there for. I'm not a master of Sage energy yet, so they help regulate the flow while I fight."

She looked at him long and hard, until he started to squirm, before she let a smile cut through her false anger. "Well," she said as she walked up to him, "I'm very glad you remain unpetrified. It gives me the chance to do this."

Before he could say anything else, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. He hummed contentedly and kissed her back with gusto, deepening it from borderline chaste into firmly romantic territory. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling as his hands crept around the back of her head and around her waist. In some part of her mind, she knew she wasn't entirely herself. The soldier pill was making her more impulsive than normal, and the residual adrenaline from the battle wasn't helping. However, she couldn't bring herself to care. His lips felt too good against hers, and she trusted him not to take things too far. Not that it was much of a concern, given their location. Gore soaked industrial ruins did not an attractive romantic venue make. He must have had the same thought, because a moment later, he pulled away.

"Not that I'll ever object to kissing you, but we're both filthy," he said, and it was true. They were scarcely any cleaner than their surroundings. "Besides, you're wired on stimulants and sleep deprivation. Let's put this on hold until we've both had showers and a solid eight hours."

Beneath the fog of chemical induced hyperactivity, Luminara knew he was right, and she felt a swell of affection that he refused to take advantage of her, even in such a minor way. Ironically, that made her want to kiss him again, but she quelled the impulse. He was right. They would have plenty of time to explore their new relationship when they weren't surrounded by filth and ruin. Reluctantly, she nodded and stepped back. The charged atmosphere suddenly turned awkward as she tried to think of something to say. She'd never been in this situation, or any situation, with someone she was romantically interested in before. Just like with Barriss in the hospital, she floundered for words.

'No wonder the Council restricts soldier pills so heavily. Just one and I scarcely have the bearing of a Padawan.'

She was spared any further awkwardness when the sound of an engine hummed through the air. Seconds later, a ship swooped into view out of the smog. It was a Lancer-class pursuit ship, with its iconic flattened disc-shaped hull bracketed by twin engine pods painted a dull gray. While they normally came unarmed, this one bristled with all manner of aftermarket, and likely illegal weaponry. She spotted four forward heavy laser cannons, at least two missile launchers, and twin dorsal and ventral mounted ion cannons.

"I trust you can pilot?" She asked. It was only partially a joke. Jiraiya hadn't taken to modern technology quite as enthusiastically as Naruto had. He was by no means as technically inept as, say, Yoda, but his piloting skills were merely adequate rather than prodigious.

"Well, it's not like I have much of a choice, is it?" He smiled at her to let her know he was only responding in kind. "You'll be comatose in a couple of hours. Besides, how hard could it be?"

Luminara didn't even deign to respond to that. She lowered the boarding ramp with the controller and jumped aboard. Jiraiya followed on her heels, and they took a quick look around their newly acquired transportation.

"Well, this is grim," Jiraiya said, and she couldn't help but agree. Grim summed up the interior of Durge's ship perfectly. There wasn't a single spot of color to break up the monotony of bare, gray metal. The walls were hung, not with old trophies or posters, but with row upon row of weapons and equipment. The entire ship and everything in it was solely devoted to its old owner's profession. The harsh feel even extended into the Force. Most ships Luminara had been on before had hummed with faint echoes of all that had gone on in them in the past. Even the most mundane cargo hauler typically played host to a number of sentient lives, and all the attendant drama and joy and sorrow, all the life that was lived within. This ship had none of that. No one had ever loved it, nor lived a life in it. She would bet Durge hadn't even given it a name. To her senses, it felt as cold and empty and quiet as a forgotten tomb.

Nevertheless, it could fly, and that was all that they needed it to do. Jiraiya took the pilot's seat and looked over the controls. After a tense few moments, he looked up and winked. "You know, I can feel your tension from here. Don't worry, I can fly this thing no problem. You just worry about making sure the Hutts don't realize we're not Durge. I don't know if they'll try to verify anything before we leave."

As it turned out, he needn't have worried. Whether the traffic controllers knew better than to challenge Durge's ship or simply weren't paying attention, Luminara didn't know, but they passed through the secured space around Nar Shaddaa without even a peep in their comms. The moment they were clear of the gravity well, Jiraiya punched in a hyperspace route and they left the awful planet behind them.

Jiraiya refused to risk using the hypercom until they were clear of Hutt space, which left them with several hours until they could talk to the Council. A few hours before they moved into safer territory, Luminara felt the soldier pill wear off. It was a good thing she was already sitting down, because the sudden wave of exhaustion would have bowled her over, otherwise. As it was, she barely had time to mumble a quick warning to Jiraiya before her brain plunged into warm darkness. The last thing she was aware of was his hand resting comfortingly on her shoulder as she drifted off, and his voice softly wishing her pleasant dreams.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jiraiya glanced fondly at Luminara's slumbering form as she let out a soft snore. For all that she (quite rightly) berated him for taking stupid risks, she wasn't that much better. Her body had been at its very limit, even with both the Force and the soldier pill to keep her going. He'd rarely seen anyone pass out so quickly after they came down from the energy high. It had almost been comical seeing her go from upright and alert to slumped and mumbling in less than half a minute. Durge hadn't bothered to include sleeping accommodations in his ship, so he'd arranged her as comfortably as he could on the floor. At least the deceased bounty hunter had kept the place clean. After Nar Shaddaa, brief though their stay had been, the simple lack of general filth felt like a luxury.

It took most of two hours after Luminara had fallen asleep for them to reach Republic space. The moment they did, he grit his teeth and called Master Yoda. He wasn't looking forward to the grilling coming his way, not after everything that had gone wrong on their mission.

For a long minute, he hoped that Yoda wouldn't answer. Alas, he wasn't so lucky. The comm connected, and a small hologram of his master flickered into life in front of him. The old troll didn't look happy, though his ears lifted when he saw Jiraiya.

"Hmm, Padawan, good it is to see you alive. Where is Master Unduli?"

"She's resting right now, master." Jiraiya gestured to where his partner lay sleeping, though Yoda couldn't see her. "She had to take a soldier pill. I'm sure you've heard, but our mission became… complicated."

Yoda's ears twitched back and forth. "Complicated, yes. Complicated many things, your actions have. Furious, the Hutts are. The Separatist movement, already speaking of Republic overreach it is. Demanding answers, the Senate is. An explanation have you?"

The ancient Jedi's tone was level, but Jiraiya knew his master well enough to see the exasperation beneath his serenity. Yoda could tolerate all manner of insanity and complications, a necessary trait in anyone who would lead the Jedi Order, but he expected good reasons anytime things went truly sideways. Illegally breaching Hutt space and winding up in a full scale battle definitely qualified as sideways.

"Yes, master, but I'm afraid I can't give it now. I don't trust the hypercom." Yoda frowned, and he rushed to elaborate as best he could. "Do you remember what you told me when you explained why you allowed Naruto and I into the Order?"

"Mmm, remember I do. Relevant, this has become?"

Jiraiya pursed his lips grimly and fingered the curved lightsaber hilt sitting under his robes. "Yes, master. I promise I'll tell you everything when I reach Coruscant. Can you hold off the Senate until then?"

Yoda closed his eyes for a few seconds before he nodded. "Do this I can. Until then, anything you can tell, is there?"

He nodded slowly. "We had Sing, but lost her to outside interference. However, there is some good news."

"Hmm?" Yoda's ears flicked upwards, and he gestured for him to continue.

"That last breakthrough we've been working on? I managed it."

That garnered a reaction. Yoda's eyes widened for a brief second, and a pleased smile tugged at his mouth. "This is good news. Teach others, can you?"

"I believe so, master." He paused for a second before carrying on. "Also, we may have stolen a bounty hunter's ship to escape, and it may or may not be loaded with illegal weapons and such. Could you make sure we're not arrested when we arrive?"

Yoda stared at him flatly for a few seconds. "Do this I may. Or I may not." When Jiraiya boggled at him, he cackled. "If deal in surprises you do, my Padawan, then expect to be dealt with the same you should, hrrrm." The diminutive troll chuckled at his own jab before he carried on. "Know you should, that Naruto is returning as well. Passed his Ordeal he has. Arrive a day before you, he will. See you then, I will."

The comm shut down even as a grin spread across Jiraiya's face. He'd refused to let himself worry about his godson during the mission, but it was still good to hear that he'd done whatever it was he'd set out to do and was returning safely. With yet another reason to rush back to the Temple, he set about coaxing a little more speed out of the ship's engines.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Back on Nar Shaddaa, in the crater Jiraiya had made with his rasengan, scraps of pink and violet flesh were all that remained of the fearsome bounty hunter Durge. Hours passed, and the sun set on the grisly scene, leaving only the baleful glow of the megacity to illuminate the gore. Then, unseen by anyone, one of the larger pieces of flesh twitched. Then another. Then another. Soon, a veritable sea of red and purple wriggled about the crater, like an army of macabre worms. Slowly, so very slowly, they drifted together and formed a growing whole. It was formless at first, a mere lump of oozing meat, but over the course of the next hours and days, a shape emerged. No one was there to see it, but if they had been, and if they were so foolish as to not run in terror, they would have seen a rough face emerge from the lumpen mass. There was a mouth, what might have been a nose, and, last of all to form, two eyes. As the sun set on the third day since Jiraiya and Luminara had left, those eyes snapped open and burned with rage.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

By far the part of this chapter I went back and forth on the most was Jiraiya and Luminara officially entering a romantic relationship. My initial plan involved them being stuck on Nar Shaddaa for months, unable to contact the Jedi. Over time, Luminara would realize that Jiraiya had feelings for her, and that she reciprocated them to some extent. As I was trying to outline this, though, I realized there was nothing on Nar Shaddaa that could realistically keep the two of them trapped for more than a few days. Jiraiya in particular is far too skilled for a bunch of run of the mill bounty hunters to find him. As such, I had to accelerate their escape from the planet, but I still wanted them to be romantically involved by the end of this arc.

I think I managed to make it fairly believable that Luminara would be open to a relationship with Jiraiya by now. After all, they've been close friends and frequent partners for more than two years, now, and I first started setting up her having feelings for them all the way back during Naruto's Gathering. I hope it didn't come off as forced or out of character for either of them. Let me know what you think. I know their romance isn't the most popular aspect of this story, as some people have been very vocal in telling me, but I still want to get it right.

I'm sorry to say the next chapter will probably take just as long as this one, if not longer. I'm wrapping up the events leading up to the war, and then I have to actually outline and write the beginning of the Clone War, which will differ pretty heavily from canon. I have a plan for it, but it's arguably the most pivotal moment in all of Star Wars history, so I really need to make sure I get it right.

I have a new poll up on my profile, regarding which of my other story ideas you all would be interested in seeing done next. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning CJWO, nor is it close to finishing by any means. If I do choose to start another story while writing this one, it won't be for quite a while. However, I would like to know which of my ideas I should devote more time to developing in my head.

Please leave a review with any comments, complaints, questions, or suggestions you may have. I will say, I do not take story requests, so do not bother with those, but I do enjoy hearing your ideas on my current story. Many of them don't make it in, but some have, so don't think you're just shouting into the void. Until next time, enjoy.