AN: My gift to all of you for this holiday season, an extra post for the week. For those following/favoriting the story that didn't read my normal post yesterday, you might want to go back and read that chapter first. Anyways, hope you all enjoy. Happy holidays!
Chapter 21 - A Rescue and a LeadKastor watched the deliberations continue, knowing that they were coming to a close.
They had been on Artesia for nearly a week and a half now, and the negotiations had proceeded smoothly for the most part. There had been a general hint of fear and unease present among the Artesians that had clearly been because the Sev Tokians had been able to even arrive. They'd obviously expected their large mercenary group to wipe them out.
Due to this, the Sev Tokians had been able to take an initial control of the negotiations, using the multiple attempts on Prime Minister Lo Mai's life to unnerve the Artesians and force them to concede in many of Lo Mai's demands, which had involved refusing the Hutts any influence on Sev Tok. After that, and one final assassination attempt that Rhys and Kastor foiled while Anakin and Obi-Wan protected the Prime Minister, the negotiations had become much more conventional, and at that point, Kastor had mainly taken the backseat and stuck to the protection detail.
Obi-Wan was a much more skilled diplomat than Kastor would ever be, and while he was certainly capable, he felt it was best to leave the mission to Obi-Wan and Anakin, since it was their mission, and Kastor had only been added for protection.
Kastor's comlink started to beep, and turning away from the deliberations, Kastor answered the call.
"Shan."
"Kas, we're getting an emergency call from the High Council on Coruscant," Rhys's voice came through the communicator. "You better get back here."
Kastor hung up and immediately made his way back to the Ebon Hawk, heading straight for the main hold and then the communications room. When he got there, Rhys already had the Council broadcasted, and he could see Mace, Yoda, Yaddle, Adi, and Plo.
"Masters," Kastor greeted, bowing quickly and a bit informally.
"A distress beacon, received, we have," Yoda said, "from Knight Tachi."
Kastor frowned, noting the worry on all five faces.
"She was on a mission to Ruusan, attempting to verify a new source of Ruusanian crystals," Mace briefed. "Her last report stated that she and Padawan Olin had reached Ruusan, met their contact, and were en route to the caverns. Recently however, her ship's emergency distress beacon activated remotely, and we have been unable to get a hold of either Knight Tachi or Padawan Olin."
"Close to Ruusan, you are," Yaddle said. "Aid Knight Tachi and Padawan Olin, you must. Send another ship for Master Kenobi, we will."
"We hope Kenobi will wrap up the negotiations soon, and after escorting the Sev Tokians back to their planet, we'll be prepared to send him to assist you on Ruusan," Mace said. "For now, we'll have to hope that you and Ranger Dallows are enough."
"Understood, Masters," Kastor said. "I'll alert Obi-Wan, and Rhys and I will be en route within the hour."
"May the Force be with you," Mace intoned, and Kastor returned the phrase, and locked eyes with Adi, whose cool facade couldn't hide the pleading look in her eyes. He nodded at her reassuringly before ending the transmission.
"Scrappy did the calculations," Rhys said. "It's a six hour journey to Ruusan."
Kastor nodded. "Get the ship prepped. I'll talk to Obi-Wan and Anakin. I expect Obi-Wan to finish up the negotiations today. The Force willing, he could have the Prime Minister and his guards returned to Sev Tok within a day, and be to Ruusan within another half day, should we need him."
Kastor made his way back to the conference room, and was pleased to see that the group was preparing for a short recess before they'd return to the negotiations. Kastor quickly signaled Obi-Wan and Anakin to join him.
Anakin approached, and the patient Jedi Padawan facade he'd been plastering on his face quickly dropped showing the frustration and annoyance that he truly felt. Kastor honestly could relate to the young Jedi. There was a reason Kastor preferred undercover assignments, and it had taken him a great many years before he'd developed the patience to deal with these sorts of missions.
"Is something wrong?" Obi-Wan asked with a frown, having sensed Kastor's unease.
"Siri remotely activated her distress beacon, and has been MIA since," Kastor said quietly. "The Council has ordered Rhys and I to go and aid her."
"We should all go," Anakin said in a worried tone. "If Siri needs help, then we should all go to assist her."
Kastor noted a pained expression starting to form on Obi-Wan's face. He obviously desperately agreed with Anakin and wanted to go to Siri's aid, but he knew his duty.
"No, Anakin," Kastor said with a shake of his head. "You and Obi-Wan will finish up here and then escort the Prime Minister back to Sev Tok. Afterwards, then, if we have not resolved the issue, you and Obi-Wan will come to join us. The Order is sending a ship this way. Rhys and I are leaving as soon as we can."
Obi-Wan nodded a bit sadly, while Anakin looked irritated. Kastor looked at Anakin.
"Your feelings do you credit, Padawan," Kastor said, "but your duty is here, and sometimes we must give up our personal desires in order to serve the people we are sworn to protect."
Anakin nodded slowly, and Kastor smiled.
"If all goes well, I'll be contacting you within the day telling you that Siri is perfectly fine and that the issue is resolved."
"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said, before he hesitated and then finally turned back towards the conference room.
Anakin looked at his Master with a slightly worried and curious expression.
"I hope you succeed," Anakin said. "I know how much Siri means to him and to you. I just . . . I feel like Obi-Wan and I should be coming with you," Anakin finished with a shake of his head, his face clouded.
Kastor frowned slightly. "A vision or a feeling?"
"A feeling," Anakin said slowly. "I think you'll see us soon."
Kastor nodded, filing away that information. While it didn't necessarily reveal the troubles they were going into, it did tell Kastor that they should be extremely cautious in their approach. He turned and left the Padawan, returning to the Ebon Hawk where he helped Rhys finish up prepping the ship for takeoff.
He and Rhys took to the pilot and copilots chairs and lifted off.
Don't die on me, Siri. We're coming.
**The Will of the Force**
Siri opened her eyes and found an adversary of her past seated right across from her. He was a human male, well built, but a rather forgettable face, with blonde hair, and cold eyes.
A bounty hunter named Magus.
"I had no idea when I took this mission that you would be the initial target, but I can assure you I was quite pleased when my employer sent me a confirmation on which Jedi would be coming, and altered my orders," Magus said with a cold smile. "It's always nice to see a familiar face."
Siri gazed back at him. "I wish I could say the same."
Magus laughed. "Well, that is because we were never properly introduced back then," he responded.
"I suspect if we had been, I would be even less happy about seeing you," Siri replied.
"Perhaps," Magus conceded. "That is, if you were even still alive. You and your boyfriend were just lucky runts back then."
"Why are you here, Magus? Why would you dare attack Jedi?" Siri asked.
"Oh, I'm never unhappy taking a job to kill Jedi," Magus replied with relish, "however that's not my job. Your part in this is to lure someone else here, which you've already done marvelously. After that, you're going to do what Jedi do and help the people of this planet by dying."
Siri's eyes narrowed. "Who are you trying to lure here?"
"Oh, that's not important," Magus responded lightly. "All that matters is my employer is sure he'll come. Now, be a good girl, and this will all be over soon. I can't watch you this whole time, especially since I have a Padawan of yours to hunt down. I'm just far too busy.
Magus grinned evilly, and Siri hoped that Ferus had gotten far away. He was a talented Padawan, but she wasn't sure he'd be able to stand up against someone of Magus's skill.
Magus got up, grabbed a blaster rifle that was leaning against the wall, and exited the small shelter that she was being detained in.
Siri felt the Force suppression cuffs around her hands, and knew that there was little she could do at the moment. That just left her to ponder Magus's words. Who were they trying to lure here and why? How had Magus managed to convince or pay Savos and his group of men to betray her? While Siri was sure the Ruusanians held no real love for the Jedi, she knew doing something like this wouldn't be good for Ruusan. While the Order wouldn't retaliate out of a sense of revenge, the Republic might feel the situation required reprisal, and the actions would not be kind to the backwater world.
**The Will of the Force**
Ferus hadn't moved much through the forest. For one, the roving patrols looking for him were fairly numerous, so he couldn't afford to move much, but two, his position kept him fairly close to where he knew his Master was.
He had managed to creep through the trees to get closer and observe the main path that they had taken to get to the clearing. That's how he'd been able to see a man, with five IG assassin droids and another ten soldiers arrive four or five hours after he and Siri had been separated.
He hadn't been able to identify or hear much, but he kept observing, noting that the soldier's patrols had increased now that they had another ten added to their numbers. In addition, the five droids were so far mainly restricting themselves to the clearing or in front of the cavern, which Ferus figured was a good thing.
Since the arrival of the man, it had been nearly four hours, but the sun was down, and Ferus knew that he needed to rest if he wanted any shot of helping his Master. With that in mind, he stealthily moved back into the forest, away from the trail and listened to the Force and eventually found himself a small little clearing hidden by tall bramble bushes, and quickly hid himself in it.
He then ate some of his field rations, and set a timer on his comlink to wake him in a few hours. Then, he placed his trust in the Force to warn him, and nodded off to a light, and uneasy sleep.
He woke up to the light vibrations of his comlink, and noted that the sun's rays were starting to peak over the edge of one of the mountain ranges.
Ferus frowned. Help should either be arriving soon, or should have already been here. Granted, if they had come in the last few hours, he might have missed them, though he would trust that the Force would have woken him. Plus, tracking was an important part of training for Jedi, and he trusted that the more experienced Knights and Masters who might be coming to assist them would be able to track his movements.
Knowing he needed to be near where their support would come looking for him, not to mention near to where his Master was, he left his hidden sanctuary and moved through the forests, pushing out with his Senses.
He made his way to a different, but similar place to where he had camped out the previous day, finding himself a good vantage point from which to watch the clearing from a relatively safe distance.
"I know you're out there!" a voice yelled, and Ferus ducked further behind the foliage he was hiding behind, further concealing all but his eyes as he saw the blonde man come out into the clearing, dragging Siri with him. "If you don't want me to kill your Master right here, right now, then you'll reveal yourself."
Ferus felt his heart stop. On one hand, there was a good chance that the man would kill both him and his Master if he revealed himself, but if he didn't, Siri was dead, and he might not survive either way.
"I'll give you the count of three!" the man continued.
"Ferus, stay away!" Siri ordered, and Ferus scowled as the man slapped her to the ground.
"One!" the man yelled. "Two!"
Ferus closed his eyes and made his decision.
"Stop!" Ferus yelled back. "I'm coming out."
"Ferus, no!" Siri yelled, but Ferus had made up his mind.
There was a chance he could save his master's life, and that was a chance worth taking. Ferus Force jumped down to the forest floor and moved at a comfortable pace to where the man had Siri in the clearing. He was trying to come up with any ideas, but he could see and sense the soldiers filling in around him, at the edges of the clearing. They were completely surrounded, and only he was armed.
"I admire your loyalty, boy," the man said, with a sneer, when Ferus got close enough. "Unfortunately, I really have no need for you, but out of respect, I'll avoid hurting your Master much more in front of you. Men!"
Around Ferus, the soldiers raised their blasters, and Ferus ignited his lightsaber, determined to go down with a fight, now knowing he'd made the wrong decision.
The man grinned. "Die well, little Jedi."
Before anyone could react though, two blaster shots rang out and two of the soldiers on Ferus's left dropped. Five others turned and started firing as a pack of koriena's came out of the forest and started leaping on them and ripping them apart.
Ferus glanced back at the blonde man who raised his blaster and fired several shots at Ferus, and he deflected them. Ferus leapt back and the blonde man lowered his weapon and pointed it at Siri. Ferus cursed himself for leaping backwards, but before he could think about it, the blonde man was pushed back and another man jumped down in between Siri and the blonde man, his white lightsabers raised defensively, while using the Force to push Siri back to Ferus.
"Ferus, get to the forest!" Master Shan ordered, and Ferus nodded, helping his Master to her feet and then guiding her in the direction that Master Shan had come from, where Kastor's teammate had taken up a firing position and was forcing the soldiers to run, hide, or take cover in order to attempt to return fire, while still dealing with the Koriena pack, which was still tearing apart some of the soldiers.
Ferus glanced back at Master Shan, seeing him drop two more soldiers with deflected bolts before he started deflecting a volley of rounds from the blonde haired man. Ferus was thinking that Kastor had things well in hand when a gunship flew in, lasers blasting, forcing Kastor to jump out of the way. The volley continued, and Siri and Ferus were forced apart in an explosion of rock and dirt.
Ferus was helped to his feet by the man that had come with Master Shan, Ranger Dallows if Ferus remembered correctly. Nodding his thanks he turned back towards his Master, cursing as he saw a figure standing over Siri, a scarlet lightsaber near her throat.
"Rhys, get him out of here!" Master Shan ordered, and despite Ferus's protests, Ranger Dallows grabbed Ferus and dragged him into the woods, fleeing the blaster fire from some of the soldiers, and leaving Kastor and Siri to fend for themselves.
"Ranger Dallows, we need to stop and figure out a plan," Ferus said, figuring that running would get them nowhere.
"First, call me Rhys," Dallows responded, still keeping up his pace. "Second, we will, but we need to put some distance between us. They obviously were waiting for Kastor and I, and that doesn't include that they were ready to kill you, but clearly needed Siri for something. Kastor will do what he can, and Siri should survive. If we go back now, we will die."
"We need to call for more help," Ferus insisted.
"We already have Master Kenobi and his Padawan coming our way," Rhys answered to Ferus's surprise. "When we arrived here, they were about three hours away from their destination and then would head our way. Thankfully, there is a hyperspace route between where they are and here to at least make their journey quicker. We should expect them to arrive on the planet within the next two or three hours. They'll hone in on the Ebon Hawk which is parked only a couple klicks from where we are currently. With their help, we'll be able to help our comrades. Besides, my starfighter might be our best bet to take out that gunship while the rest of you secure our friends.
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor glanced at Aurra Sing who had a lightsaber to Siri's throat and then back at the bounty hunter he identified as Magus, who had his rifle leveled at Kastor. He could also sense the five IG droids and at least twenty more soldiers around them. Kastor might be able to get away, but Siri would surely die.
"Now, now, Jedi," Magus said with a sneer. "There's no need for you or the girl to die just yet. We've been waiting for you. So, drop your weapons."
Kastor frowned, but then did as he was told, throwing his blades down at Magus's feet.
Magus grinned as two of the soldiers approached and slipped Force suppression cuffs around Kastor's wrists, and Aurra along with another two soldiers moved Siri to be next to Kastor.
"Well, I must give my employer some credit, he really was able to arrange everything," Magus said. "Jedi Master Kastor Shan, you are the reason I'm here after all."
Kastor's eyes widened in surprise, and he glanced at Siri to see equal amounts of shock in her own eyes.
"Our Lord knew exactly how to draw the Jedi here," a Ruusanian that Kastor didn't know said, and Siri glared at him. "Now, it is time for the next phase."
"Indeed Savos," Magus said with a nod. "Have your men start the extraction."
"Extraction?" Siri said.
"Yes, indeed," Savos said with an evil grin. "My Lord is quite interested to examine Shan's genetic material. It's very rare that one finds someone who has lived for thousands of years."
Kastor's eyes narrowed in thought, having a bad idea of who these Ruusanians worked for.
"Why would you betray the Jedi?" Siri demanded. "Surely you know what the Republic will do to your planet in retaliation?"
Savos started laughing. "My planet? A backwater world not worth caring about," he said dismissively. "It's true that many Ruusanians hate the Jedi for what happened during the Sith Wars. My people blame the Jedi for not stopping the destruction, but a true historian knows that the Jedi couldn't stop the destruction. They couldn't stop true power! I care not for my planet. I just want access to the type of power that makes even Jedi seem weak in comparison, and all my Lord wanted was genetic material from this weak Jedi, and he wished for crystals in this cavern."
"You work for the Sith," Kastor stated, knowing that they needed to try and apprehend Savos, and maybe even Magus. Obviously one or both of them had interacted with the Sith Lord, and this could be the chance for the Jedi to find whoever he or she was.
"Indeed, Jedi, and I have seen real power," Savos said with a touch of madness. "Our cult has worshiped the Sith for generations, and our devotion has been rewarded before, and we will be rewarded again."
"Enough talking," Magus said harshly "We need to start the extraction."
"And then I get them after this is all over," Aurra purred with an evil grin.
Siri and Kastor were both dragged into the small holding area that Siri had been held in before, but now there was a table that they quickly strapped Kastor down on. Siri was tied up against a wall, where she had to watch Savos, Magus, and two soldiers start inserting needles to start drawing blood and plasma.
Kastor sighed, knowing things were not looking good for him, but at least they'd left Siri alive for the moment. He only hoped Obi-Wan and Anakin got here soon enough at minimum in time to save Siri. He certainly didn't think Siri was going to die here, and he had not seen himself dying from being drained, so he had some hopes that this wasn't his end either, but if the Force willed it . . .
**The Will of the Force**
Ferus continued to follow Rhys through the woods, and he couldn't help but admire the Ranger's skill at moving rather silently, and working to cover their tracks as they moved.
It was nearly two hours of movement, with periodically checking to see if they were followed, and covering up their tracks before they reached a clearing just big enough for their ship.
Ferus couldn't help but gaze at the famous Ebon Hawk with interest. He hadn't worked with Master Shan or Rhys at all, despite knowing that they were both close to his Master, nor did he have the interactions with them at the Temple like many of the younger initiates or, as rumor said, Anakin Skywalker had with them.
A bit of movement caught Ferus's eye and he looked over to see Master Kenobi running towards them.
"Rhys!" Master Kenobi called out, and Rhys stopped running as Kenobi drew close. "What's happened?"
"They were waiting for us," Rhys answered with a scowl. "There were nearly thirty soldiers, five IG droids, and at least two bounty hunters, one of whom is Aurra Sing, and they have a gunship providing air support."
"Aurra Sing," Kenobi almost cursed. "Are you sure?"
"Positive identification," Rhys responded. "Where's Anakin?"
"He's doing a light recon around the area, looking for you," Kenobi responded.
"Well, we need to call him back and get underway," Rhys said. "Now that you are here, we need to get back and try to help Kas and Siri, before it's too late."
Kenobi nodded. "Did you have a plan in mind already?"
Rhys nodded. "One of us needs to either be in my starfighter or be in the Ebon Hawk and waiting for us to get into position so that they can take care of the gunship. The rest of us will go in and hit hard and try to get Kastor and Siri away. They didn't seem to want to kill them, but we can't just let them continue to be used as hostages until they are ready to kill them."
Kenobi nodded, looking uncharacteristically worried. Ferus didn't know the Sith Killer, as he was known, very well, but he knew his reputation, and what little he'd seen of him, he always seemed to be very composed.
"Who would you prefer piloting and who do you want on the ground?" Rhys asked, deferring to Kenobi.
"I think I'd prefer you on the ground with me and Anakin piloting a ship. If we need an emergency pickup, he'll be able to use the Force to help pull people up. Besides, I trust your experience and training with the assault," Kenobi said, thinking it out. "You and Kastor already observed the site, so you'll have a better idea of exactly where we should strike from."
Ferus was a bit impressed with how quickly Master Kenobi made tactical decisions based on the limited information he had, and yet every decision was clearly backed by logical reasoning.
"While you bring Anakin up to speed, I'm getting some more weapons," Rhys muttered. "Padawan Olin, come with me."
Ferus nodded and followed the Antarian Ranger up into the Ebon Hawk's main hold and to a weapons vault that they had up against the wall. Rhys opened the vault and quickly put on a gun belt and added two blaster pistols, though he didn't recognize the models. He then exchanged his blaster rifle for a different, shorter one. Finally, he added several different types of grenades to his belt.
"Here," Rhys said, handing two sets of grenades to Ferus, who looked at them in surprise. "Kid, we're severely outnumbered and at least some of our opponents are highly trained and experienced fighters. A concussive blast might help us survive."
Ferus nodded and accepted the two grenades, hoping he wouldn't have to use them.
"Anakin is on his way back," Master Kenobi said, and Ferus turned back to him. "Rhys, if you can drop the coordinates for where he needs to go, we can start moving out now. How long will it take us to get there?"
"If we're moving fast and not worried about concealing our movements for most of the journey . . . perhaps an hour," Rhys answered.
Kenobi nodded grimly. "Then let's get moving."
Rhys nodded firmly and then transmitted a set of coordinates into his comlink and sent them to Anakin. "I'll have Wrench get the Shadow Hawk prepped, and he can fly escort for Anakin. Between the two of them, that gunship won't stand a chance."
Kenobi nodded, and then gestured for them to follow him.
Ferus couldn't help but feel he was just along for the ride and hadn't contributed at all.
"Don't worry, Padawan," Master Kenobi said and Ferus looked at him. "We're going to get her back. We'll get them both back."
"Yes, Master," Ferus responded, feeling some relief at Kenobi's confidence.
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor felt his strength leaving him more and more as he was slowly drained of his bodily fluids. They were taking their time, in order to get as much out of him as they could, pumping him with bacta and other stimulants to help his body recover in order to gather more, but it was still a relatively quick enough process, so it wouldn't be long before Kastor was in no shape to help fight even with the Force's assistance.
Magus walked back into the room and grinned at Siri, who was still shackled to the wall. "I'm sorry to say, dearie, but your usefulness has ended. My new orders are to get rid of you."
"Which means, you're mine!" a voice cackled, and Kastor winced seeing Aurra Sing behind Magus. "Let's go have some fun, Jedi scum," Sing said, and unshackled Siri from the wall.
Siri headbutted Sing, causing the bounty hunter to curse while Magus surged forward and punched Siri hard in the stomach.
"You bitch!" Sing exclaimed, moving forward, pulling Siri up by her hair and decking her in the face.
"Leave her alone," Kastor muttered weakly.
"Oh, I don't think so," Sing said with a vicious scowl, kicking Siri in the ribs.
She picked Siri back up by the hair and started dragging her out of the room. Siri tried to break free, but Sing's grip was too strong. Kastor could hear Siri still attempting to fight back through the door, but the sound was growing fainter and fainter as Sing obviously dragged her further and further away.
Kastor drew in on the Force, trying to figure out something, anything he could do, but all he really felt he could do was to trust in the Force. He was sure it wasn't her time . . . but he'd been wrong before, and if he was now, he'd have to trust in the Force for that too.
The growing silence was shattered as the sound of blaster fire cracked through the air.
"It looks like your allies have come back for your worthless hide," Magus said with a scowl.
Kastor watched as Magus gathered up the various bags of blood and plasma and put them in a protective case.
"Get this to the ship," he ordered, handing the case to two of his IG droids.
"Affirmative," one of the droids replied, and they both walked out of the back door to the temporary structure.
Magus smiled grimly down at Kastor. "Now we come to the end for you, Jedi."
Magus leveled a blaster at Kastor, almost savoring the kill, when the door burst open and a powerful gust of the Force blew Magus back and threw him through the door his droids had exited.
Several blaster shots flew towards Kastor's savior, but all of them were deflected with the Force and then Kastor heard the sounds of Magus running away. Kastor focused on his savior and couldn't help but smile seeing the visage of an ageless and very beautiful Jedi with blonde hair and grey eyes.
"Lady Fay," Kastor mumbled. "I'm honored."
"My friend, you seem quite the worse for wear," Fay said compassionately as she moved over to him.
"Well, I've definitely felt better," Kastor admitted with a chuckle. "The sight of you certainly does me a world of good however."
Fay laughed lightly. "Still a charmer I see."
"Oh, not really," Kastor said wryly. "I believe Elena used to say I didn't have a charming bone in my body."
"You are quite charming in your own way," Fay said, laying a hand on Kastor's face, and he felt energy surge into him. "Now, let's get you out of here and we can catch up over a bottle of spotchka. You do owe me after all."
Kastor chuckled weakly as Fay unhooked him and then she helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist so that she could support his movement. She guided him out into the clearing where Kastor could see Rhys, Obi-Wan, and Ferus fighting the remaining soldiers. Siri had somehow escaped her bindings and was dueling Aura Sing, while above, Kastor could see the enemy gunship being engaged by the Ebon Hawk and Shadow Hawk.
Four soldiers turned towards them and raised their blasters. Fay raised her hand and all four soldiers dropped their weapons, reaching for their heads before they all slumped forward unconscious.
"It really is a pleasure watching you work," Kastor muttered.
Fay smiled, taking the compliment.
Kastor watched as Siri force pushed Aurra back, causing the bounty hunter to fly into a set of trees and drop to the ground. She rose unsteadily and then disappeared into the woods, fleeing the battle.
Siri looked ready to take after her, but then she noticed Savos running towards the caverns with three of his men providing cover fire as they ran. Siri started moving towards him and the caverns.
"Obi-Wan, back her up!" Kastor called out, knowing they needed to capture Savos, and that while Siri was extremely capable, she could still use help after her treatment over the past day.
Obi-Wan nodded, and gestured for Ferus to accompany him. The two Jedi rushed after Siri, deflecting blaster fire at some of the remaining soldiers, while Rhys continued to pick them off. When only a few remained, they broke contact and fled into the woods. In the distance, Kastor could hear the gunship crashing down and exploding as it lost its fight in the sky.
Kastor looked over as Rhys ran up to him with a grim smile. "Not looking too good there, old man," but then he smiled over at Fay. "However, I doubt you're complaining too much right now."
Fay sighed. "You haven't changed at all."
"Is that such a bad thing, Lady Fay?" Rhys asked with a grin, and she returned his smile.
"No, not at all, young Dallows," Fay responded, matching his smile warmly.
"Rhys, you should go help Obi-Wan, Siri, and Ferus," Kastor said softly. "Fay will be able to get me onto the Ebon Hawk when Anakin swings back around."
"Understood," Rhys said with a nod and a reassuring smile and then he shouldered his blaster before running off after the other Jedi.
"He really is a good man," Fay remarked. "I wish there were more like him."
Kastor chuckled weakly again. "Indeed. The universe would be a much nicer place."
"Enough conversation," Fay scolded teasingly. "Conserve your strength. We can talk more later."
**The Will of the Force**
Obi-Wan and Ferus rushed into the caverns and not far in the found Siri fighting off two of the three soldiers that had accompanied Savos. Obi-Wan and Ferus jumped into the fight, and Obi-Wan wanted to smile as he and Siri melded together and their movements became extremely attuned. Siri blocked a bolt while Obi-Wan did the same and both bolts moved towards where a soldier tried to dodge, only for him to take both bolts. The remaining soldier moved from his covered position to start running away, but his bolts that he fired to cover him were both reflected back into him, ending the fight.
"It's good to see you, Obi," Siri said, a little breathlessly, and Obi-Wan got a good look at her, seeing the large sets of bruises on her face.
"It's good to see you too, Siri," Obi-Wan said. "I was almost worried we weren't going to make it. I can't believe the Ruusanians would try something like this."
Siri shook her head grimly. "It's not the Ruusanians. Savos, my contact, is actually the leader of a Sith cult. Apparently this was all a ruse to draw Kastor here and extract his genetic material. Savos must be captured because he claimed to know the Sith Lord."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he cursed. "Let's pick up the pace then."
Siri nodded, but then Obi-Wan raised his blade as a blaster bolt flew towards him, and he deflected it into the cavern wall. Before Siri, Ferus, or Obi-Wan could move forward however, a bolt came from behind them, flew over Obi-Wan's shoulder and impacted the guard, killing him instantly.
The three Jedi turned to see Rhys moving towards them. "Kas sent me to help."
"That's good," Siri said, slightly surprising Obi-Wan. "Ferus and I certainly sensed something dark in this cave, and we might need the help."
"Let's move," Obi-Wan said, and the group of four hurried through the caves, all three Jedi pushing out with their senses.
A cry of terror rang out through the cave and then was followed by swift silence.
Siri, Obi-Wan, Rhys, and Ferus all exchanged startled glances, and continued to move forward cautiously. They took another turn deeper into the cavern and saw the grisly remains of Savos.
Half of his body was lying in a pool of blood on the floor, and the other half was being chomped on by a large, muscular creature, with spines growing from its back and a pair of tusk-like projections attached to its mouth.
The creature gazed at them, a growl in its throat.
"A terentatek," Obi-Wan muttered with a hint of awe and fear.
"Oh, karabast," Rhys cursed. "I thought Kas was exaggerating the size of these things."
"He fought one?" Siri asked, in a smaller voice than normal.
"Sis, what hasn't he fought?" Rhys almost cursed back.
"True," Obi-Wan muttered. "Watch out for its spines and its claws. They're extremely venomous."
"Ferus, stay behind Obi-Wan and I," Siri ordered firmly. "We'll take the brunt of the fight. If you see an opening, strike fast and hard, and then get back."
"Understood, Master," Ferus responded, eyeing the great creature with a bit of trepidation.
Terentateks were notorious for killing and feasting on force users. Generally, Jedi fought them in at least teams of three, but Ferus knew among this quartet, he was the liability.
The creature roared and Rhys fired off a quick volley with his blaster rifle that hit the creature in its chest. The blaster bolts only seemed to irritate it as it charged forward, Savos's remains dropping from its gullet.
Obi-Wan and Siri rushed forward, both dodging to opposite sides and landing glanced blows against the creature as it found itself unable to strike at them both at the same time. It turned towards Obi-Wan and swung its meaty claw. Obi-Wan jumped backwards, just barely avoiding the monstrous appendage, as Ferus and Siri both rushed in and connected with the terentatek's side and rear, though their blades only did so much damage. Rhys continued to unload bolts into the creature, but for most of the creature's body, the bolts were little more than stings of annoyance.
Obi-Wan and Siri both moved back together and used the melded bond to its fullest, launching a coordinated assault at the creature, causing it to back off slightly in the face of their movements, but it finally recovered slightly and swung a rapid volley of both of its paws. Obi-Wan and Siri both ducked and dived under the various claws as Rhys finally managed to cause a solid injury by striking the beast inside its mouth with a well aimed shot.
Ferus rushed forward and struck the beast's leg, causing it to hiss in pain and before Ferus could move back, the creature backhanded him with his arm as he swung around, sending Ferus flying back into the cavern wall, where he felt the wind leave his body, and his head cloud in pain.
Obi-Wan and Siri moved in between the downed Padawan and the creature and continued their assault, dancing and weaving around the creature's claws and occasional back spikes as it spun to try and strike them. Rhys continued to unleash volley after volley on the creature, and finally, after Siri landed a critical hit on the beast's left leg that caused it to falter, Obi-Wan ran forward and thrust his blade into the beast's exposed throat.
The creature attempted to scream, but it came out gurgled, and Obi-Wan started to relax, which proved a poor reaction as the beast swung forward and one of its paws batted him away, flinging him back, though Siri managed to catch him with the Force as the creature fell face first and was still.
Obi-Wan groaned, feeling the cut in his side, and he glanced down, seeing the infected cut that the dying beast had inflicted on him.
"We need to get him back to the Ebon Hawk, now," Siri said, and he could feel the worry through their bond. "Kastor might know how to help him."
Obi-Wan glanced at her, trying to reassure her, but he felt the venom flowing through his veins, and his throat started to lock up. Obi-Wan couldn't even protest as he was picked up by Rhys and flung over his shoulder, and then with Siri and Ferus following, the Antarian Ranger began to run back in the direction they'd come from.
"Hold on, Obi-Wan," Siri said, a hint of panic in her voice. "You're not leaving me."
Obi-Wan saw Ferus looking concerned, but also seemingly looking at his Master in a slightly new light, though there were a hundred different things that could have changed Ferus's opinion of Siri, so Obi-Wan didn't know what to fully think of it.
In what felt like no time, they had made it back to the cave's entrance, and Obi-Wan heard Siri sigh in relief as Obi-Wan glanced in the direction they were going to see that the Ebon Hawk had landed in the clearing.
Obi-Wan wanted to groan seeing Anakin at the bottom of the entrance to the ship, looking extremely frantic. He surely had sensed Obi-Wan weakening through their bond.
"Master!" Anakin exclaimed.
"He'll be fine, but we need to get him on board," Siri responded swiftly, though a hint of worry in her tone, and Rhys ran by Anakin without even a look.
"Kas, I need that medical bench," Rhys called as he ran his way through the ship to the small medical wing.
"What happened?" Obi-Wan heard Kastor's voice answer weakly.
"He was cut by a terentatek," Rhys answered, and he heard Kastor's gasp.
"Kastor, can you help him?" Siri asked, almost pleading.
Obi-Wan looked at Kastor who looked shaky, but nodded.
"I know a remedy that can buy us some time," Kastor muttered, "but we-we need to move quickly before the venom can do too much damage."
"There's no need for your remedy," a kind voice said," and Obi-Wan looked to the sound to see an ageless, and quite beautiful woman with blonde hair making her way to him. Obi-Wan was rather shocked to recognize the legendary Jedi Master Fay.
She moved next to him and then leaned down towards him, putting her hands on both sides of his face. She paused and then glanced back at Siri. "Your assistance will be most helpful, my dear."
"Of course, Master," Siri answered in relief, a slightly awed look on her face. "Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Put one of your hands on his chest, over his heart, and another hand on my arm," Fay said kindly and Siri hastened to follow the order.
Once she was situated, Fay smiled and then closed her eyes, breathing softly. Suddenly, Obi-Wan felt it . . . warmth and the Force, filling him, pushing the venom away, destroying it from his body.
After another few moments, Fay smiled and sighed. "He will be just fine."
"Thank you, Master Fay," Siri said gratefully. "Thank you."
Fay smiled and nodded at her. "I'm glad I could help, and I am quite pleased to finally meet you and, you as well, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kastor has told me such good things about you both."
Siri smiled at the man in question, who was leaning against the wall, and had a small blush on his face.
"Thank you, Master Fay," Obi-Wan said, finally feeling like he could actually speak.
"Of course, Obi-Wan," Fay responded.
"You almost had me worried there for a bit, you nerfherder," Siri said, giving a slight glare at Obi-Wan and he shot her a cheeky grin.
"With your face as bruised as it is, I thought you were trying to give me a run on getting to be in the Halls of Healing," he responded. "I couldn't let you get one up on me, my dear."
"Please, I'll never come close to the amount of time you've spent in the Halls of Healing," Siri replied snarkily, surprising her Padawan. "You're accident prone and entirely too clumsy, my dear friend."
Anakin snorted in amusement and Fay laughed lightly as Kastor and Rhys both shook their heads in exasperation.
Obi-Wan grinned at Ferus. "What, have you never seen the impertinent side of your Master?"
Ferus smiled a bit. "No, I can't say that I have, Master."
"Well, then, I have some stories for you," Obi-Wan said with a grin.
"The hell you do, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Siri said with a scowl, not looking remotely amused, even though he could feel her amusement through their bond. "You leave my Padawan alone, or I will spread some stories to yours! We both know your Padawan will be much more intolerable about it."
Obi-Wan grinned, but conceded with a nod.
"But Master Siri, I would really like to hear some of those stories," Anakin almost pleaded, and Obi-Wan shot a glare at his Padawan, though there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"Perhaps they can both share them later," Fay said with a hint of amusement, "but for now they should rest. Everyone should get some rest. The droids can watch us with this ship's defenses armed, and then we can finish up what needs to be done here. Then before we all move on, perhaps we can all share a drink that Kastor owes me."
Anakin, Ferus, Obi-Wan, and Siri all glanced at her in surprise and then glanced at Kastor who shrugged.
"I do owe her," Kastor agreed, smiling fondly at Fay, "thrice now, in fact."
"She's saved your life three times?" Anakin asked incredulously.
"No, twice," Kastor said.
"But you just said you owed her three times," Anakin pointed out with a frown.
"I never said why I owed her," Kastor said with a grin and Anakin gave him a frustrated look, while Obi-Wan, Siri, and Rhys exchanged amused glances.
Fay laughed lightly. "Rest now, my friends. It is time for rest. We can talk later."
**The Will of the Force**
Obi-Wan knew they were pushing it a bit, but he couldn't help but smile at Siri curled up beside him in one of the beds in the Ebon Hawk. Neither of them would have dared this normally, especially with their Padawans so close, but Kastor and Rhys had remodeled the Ebon Hawk slightly, building walls in the dormitories so that each of the twelve beds were housed within their own individual small rooms, allowing whomever stayed on the ship with them, to have some privacy in their own assigned room.
With the added privacy, Siri and Obi-Wan's faith in their abilities to avoid their Padawan's, especially with Rhys, Kastor, and Fay distracting their two Padawans, was high, so they'd decided to take their leave, picked a room, and peacefully fallen asleep in each other's harms, enjoying the comfort of their bond and knowing they both were alive.
"You know, I didn't think you would take it this far just to get me in bed," Obi-Wan teased softly, fully aware that Siri was awake.
She sighed. "It's too early for your stupidity, my hated beloved."
Obi-Wan laughed softly.
"You know, there aren't a lot of Jedi that can say they killed a terentatek," Siri said thoughtfully. "Not nowadays anyway. I think the last one I heard about was Master Yoda and Master Dooku, when Dooku was still a Padawan."
"That's true," Obi-Wan agreed. "We've fought a terentatek and now we've met Jedi Master Fay. We're really having quite the exciting mission."
Siri chuckled. "She's just as much a living legend as the stories say she is."
"That she is," Obi-Wan remarked. "Qui-Gon met her once," Obi-Wan recalled. "He called her ageless and beautiful. She certainly is that, but yet that doesn't seem to even touch the surface of what she is."
"No it doesn't," Siri agreed.
"I can't believe Kastor hasn't mentioned meeting her to us," Obi-Wan said.
Siri grinned. "Perhaps he was a bit embarrassed to talk about her with us. Our dear friend and mentor seems a bit enamored with the legendary Jedi."
Obi-Wan grinned, thinking it through. It had been six years since Kastor had been awakened. It was clear to see when you talked to him that he still loved his wife, but at the same time, she was long gone, and he was still here, and he certainly did not subscribe to the current Order's opinions on attachment. Perhaps he was moving on. No one could begrudge him that. From what Obi-Wan knew of Elena Shan, she would probably encourage it, especially if it helped provide him comfort.
Obi-Wan almost groaned. "We should probably get up before our Padawans consider coming to look for us."
Siri nodded, a bit sadly, before she brightened. "With our injuries, we should be due for a little R&R back at the Temple. I'm sure we can convince some of our fellow Knights and Masters to take our Padawans and give us some time here and there. Taria would certainly help us out."
Obi-Wan chuckled and nodded. "The Force willing."
Obi-Wan and Siri both took turns using the refresher, not wanting to push their luck, and then after feeling refreshed and ready, they made their way into the Main Hold, and were pleasantly surprised to see Kastor in the small kitchenette, finishing up making breakfast. Rhys was seated on one of the couches in front of the holotable, sipping on something hot, and Fay was standing near Kastor with a hot beverage in her hands, seemingly in a light conversation with him while he was cooking. All three glanced over towards them as they walked in.
"Ah, just in time," Kastor said with a smile. "Breakfast is just about ready, and I was about to ask Rhys to go wake you up and then your Padawans."
"That smells divine," Siri responded with a delightful sigh, getting a whiff of roast pormork and green jumbalive.
"I do succeed at some things," Kastor said dryly, with a light chuckle.
"It looks wonderful," Fay remarked, with a smile.
Kastor dished up a plate and handed it to Fay. "For you, my lady."
"Thank you, good sir," Fay responded with a light laugh, taking the plate, and heading over to sit next to where Rhys was sitting, though Rhys was getting up from his seat.
Obi-Wan and Siri exchanged interested glances, and then glanced back at Kastor who was looking at them suspiciously as he dished up another plate. Siri smiled innocently and moved forward, and received a plate from Kastor, which she handed to Obi-Wan, and then got another plate.
Kastor's eyes narrowed at Siri's innocent look, and she felt a twinge of warning through the bond they still shared.
Siri and Obi-Wan glanced at Rhys who left the room in the direction of the starboard dormitories to wake up the Padawans for the meal, but before he left, they clearly saw a smirk and a wink in their direction, after a discreet nod towards Fay.
Obi-wan and Siri exchanged glances again, and through their bond, Obi-Wan could feel amusement, interest, and a clear sense of mischief, and he knew that Siri was feeling much of the same from him.
They went and joined Master Fay over near the holotable, both taking a seat on another one of the couches that Rhys and Kastor had installed. They looked over at Fay, who was politely waiting for everyone to have their food and be seated, and she smiled at the pair.
"So, Master, when did you first meet Kastor?" Siri asked with interest, though Obi-Wan could sense a nugget of hope that this story would provide a perfect lead in to tease their mentor and friend.
"Looking for some dirt, are we?" Fay asked with a smile, which Siri matched, never one to back down from a challenge.
"Perhaps," Siri conceded, lightly.
"Well, first, just call me Fay," Fay said. "No need for formalities with me. We're all friends here, or at least I would hope so. Second, I will happily provide you an excuse to tease Kastor. I am well aware of what he is like and he surely deserves all he gets," she finished with a wide smile.
"Great, I have you all working against me," Kastor said with a sad sigh, as he joined them, using the Force to levitate three more plates for Rhys and the Padawans, while carrying one for himself.
"Such frugal use of the Force," Obi-Wan mock lectured the ancient Jedi, who winked at him.
"If we're not working against you, then what are we doing?" Rhys said with a wide smile as he walked in, grabbed one of the plates, and took the seat next to Siri, while Kastor took a seat next to Fay. "Us siblings need to help keep you on your toes, old man."
"Siblings?" a voice said in confusion, and they glanced back to see Anakin and Ferus having walked in, Anakin looking like he'd just woken up, whereas Ferus appeared like he'd showered and gotten ready. It was Anakin who asked the question, though Ferus seemed like he was very confused as well.
"Just a weak joke," Rhys said easily, probably sensing the slight unease that had risen among the adult Jedi in the room. "As I'm sure you remember, while undercover, Siri and Kastor once pretended to be father and daughter. I joke that she's my infuriating sister and Obi-Wan of course grew up with Siri."
"Pfft, you consider yourselves young," Anakin said with a snort, grabbing one of the plates that Kastor was levitating.
"Are you calling me old?" Siri said, arching an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing.
Anakin seemed to realize he might have jumped into the kath hounds den, and glanced warily at Siri, looking to Obi-Wan for help, but Siri wanted to smile as Obi-Wan shook his head, and gave his Padawan a look that clearly said, 'You're on your own.'
"Of course not, Siri," Anakin said with a slight waver in his tone. "I was thinking more about Kastor."
Rhys snorted in amusement, and Fay laughed.
Kastor glared at the young Padawan. "I'm not that old!"
"I don't know, Master," Obi-Wan said blandly. "I do believe you told Master Yoda that you were the oldest Jedi in the Order."
Kastor scowled at Obi-Wan while the rest of them laughed, including Ferus, who had been looking a little uncomfortable at the start of the conversation.
"You know I said that just to mess with him," Kastor protested. "I'm not even fifty yet! I might live for another two hundred years!"
"Humans don't live that long," Ferus said, and they all glanced at him, and he blushed a bit but finally said, "even Jedi tend to only live for a hundred or a hundred and fifty years."
Anakin glanced at him in exasperation.
"You are assuming that I am one hundred percent human," Kastor said with a smile.
"You are also underestimating the stubbornness of this man," Siri said with a huff. "Trust me, if anyone is stubborn enough to live that long, it would be him."
"Thank the Force that I will not have to deal with him for that long," Rhys muttered not so quietly, causing another round of laughs as Kastor glared around at them all, though his lips were twitching traitorously towards a smile.
Fay put her hand on top of Kastor's and smiled while patting it condescendingly. "Rest assured. We both know that you are unlikely to live that long. You are far too reckless."
Siri, Obi-Wan, and Rhys all snorted with amusement, while Anakin and Ferus's jaws dropped in surprise.
Kastor looked at her, and then shrugged and nodded ruefully in agreement.
"As fun as it is to rag on Kastor, we should finish up here and then report to the Council," Obi-Wan said. "Someone should go and retrieve Anakin's and my ship. We should be prepared in case the bounty hunters return, so someone should stand guard, and the rest should explore the cavern and make sure that there aren't any remaining terentateks."
"I can retrieve your ship," Rhys offered. "No bounty hunter is going to track me through the woods, if they are still in the area."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"You and Kastor need to recover," Siri said firmly. "You two can guard the Ebon Hawk, while the rest of us explore the caverns."
Obi-Wan wanted to argue a bit with that, but decided to concede, knowing that he was unlikely to win that argument with Siri, so he nodded in agreement.
"Well then, let us be off," Fay said with a smile, and she got up, setting her plate down on the holotable.
Ferus, Anakin, Rhys, and Siri copied her, and then with a quick wave goodbye, they all left the hold for the entrance.
"Dishes are on us then," Kastor said wryly, and Obi-Wan nodded with a grin, and the two Jedi collected the dishes and moved back to the small refectory.
"So, how long have you known Master Fay?" Obi-Wan asked, and Kastor sighed.
"I've known her for about five years, Obi-Wan," Kastor said with a shake of his head. "You are not good at being circumspect, at least not with me. Just ask what you want to ask."
"It's not really my business," Obi-Wan admitted. "Siri and I are just . . . curious, and perhaps concerned for our friend."
"You have no reason to be concerned," Kastor said, no hint of reproach in his voice. "I met Fay a few months after I started actively going on missions. She helped me really find some peace after waking up so far in the future, with everything I'd known and loved gone."
"You always seemed like you coped well," Obi-Wan said hesitantly.
"I was heavily relying on my Jedi teachings," Kastor responded wryly. "For the most part, I had purpose, and that helped, but there were plenty of moments where I . . . I just wanted to see my wife . . . to see my sister . . . to get to know my daughter. Not even dust remains of those who were dear to me. Few have any hope of truly understanding how alone I was, even those like Yoda or Tera (Sinube) who have lived for centuries and have lost most of those that they felt kinship with. Fay helped me however. She managed to get through and truly help me find some peace. Since then, she and I have crossed paths a few other times, and we've grown fairly close."
Obi-Wan thought about Kastor's words, a bit sad that he'd never been able to discern his mentor's pain. He wondered how Fay had?
"I'm glad she was there for you."
"Yes, well, we share some things in common," Kastor said with a sigh. "She is certainly not an orthodox Jedi, and she too once found someone that meant everything to her, someone she spent a great many years with."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened slightly, starting to see what Kastor was saying.
Kastor chuckled. "Yes, it didn't start out that way, but we both found kindred spirits in each other, and while neither of us have stopped loving those from our past, we both find comfort in each other's arms when the Force brings us together. Does that satiate yours and Siri's interest?"
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "It does, Master. As long as you're happy."
Kastor smiled. "I'm content with my life, and I find bits of happiness every day, through the Force, through those I help, the new people I meet, and through my friends and those I consider family."
**The Will of the Force**
"I've got to see this terentatek," Anakin said eagerly, and he rushed ahead.
"Skywalker!" Ferus called, glancing at Siri and Fay apologetically before rushing after his fellow Padawan.
"Ah, the energy of the young," Fay said with a light chuckle, and Siri glanced at her in agreement. "I sense an echo of the Dark Side, but nothing to indicate that anything sinister still remains in these caverns."
"I appreciate you confirming what I felt," Siri said gratefully, much more trusting in the far more experienced Jedi Master's senses.
"I can see why Kastor holds you and Obi-Wan in such high regard," Fay said kindly.
"We both hold him in high regard," Siri said, before deciding the Padawans leaving was her best chance. "We also care about him and his well-being, so don't hurt him, Master."
Fay smiled. "You have no need to worry about me hurting Kastor. He is quite dear to me as a friend, and perhaps as something a bit more. He and I both have pasts that we neither can forget nor wish to, and that will likely prevent us from ever being what we had, but both of us are okay with that, and enjoy what we have for while the Force gives us it."
Siri took in her words, hearing some of the hidden messages in Fay's words, and nodded, liking Fay even more than she did before.
"You both mean a lot to him, and I am glad to know that Kastor has family like you looking after him," Fay continued. "He is lucky to have you."
Fay and Siri moved forward after the two Padawans, finally finding them both gazing at the dead terentatek, Ferus, looking at the creature with disgust and a bit of trepidation, likely remembering the fight, while Anakin was gazing at the creature with awe.
"I can't believe you four fought and killed this thing," Anakin said.
"Terentateks are fearsome creatures," Fay said. "You indeed are formidable warriors to have bested one."
"Have you ever faced one, Master Fay?" Anakin asked curiously.
"Once," Fay admitted. "Running into these creatures is rare, but when you have lived as long as I have and travel as much as I do, it becomes a certainty that you will find yourself in uncommon situations. My Master and I encountered one nearly three hundred years ago."
"Forgive me, Master," Ferus said, a bit surprised, "but aren't you . . . well aren't you known for not using . . ."
"For not using a lightsaber?" Fay asked kindly, and Ferus nodded, with a slight blush. "I will admit that I rarely use a lightsaber, but I do actually have one," Fay said, pulling a lightsaber out of her robes. She ignited it, and a silvery glow filled the cavern. "I may not use it often, but I can assure you I am still proficient, and I save it for when I actually need it. Besides, back then I was still just a Padawan."
Ferus and Anakin both nodded, looking rather appreciatively at Fay's silver blade. Fay shut off her lightsaber, and tucked it back into her robes, hiding it from view again.
"Let's explore the caverns, verify that no other terentateks are present, and then take some ecological scans," Siri said. "If Ruusan crystals are here, then we should see if we can find them."
"Understood, Master," Ferus said, ever the diligent Padawan, determined to stay on task.
They explored the various caverns and passageways, splitting up when necessary, but Siri quickly they didn't have the time to completely explore the entire cave system, which was massive, so she sent out a quick call to the rest of the group and they reassembled at the terentatek's corpse.
"Anything?" Siri asked, as Fay, Ferus, and Anakin met up with her.
"Yes, Siri," Anakin said with glee. "I found a second crystal for my lightsaber!"
Siri smiled at the energetic Padawan, and then glanced at Ferus, Sensing his excitement.
"I too found a crystal," Ferus said.
She glanced at Fay who shook her head in the negative.
"Did you boys find crystal deposits or just the single crystals?"
"The scanner detected some small deposits, but nothing that would be suitable for a lightsaber," Ferus briefed. "I'm sure we could find more crystals, but whether the effort is worth it would be a matter for the Council to decide."
"For the most part, I found the same," Anakin briefed. "Though I think if we spent some more time, we might find bigger deposits. We should go look!"
"No, we don't know if the bounty hunters will return, or if the Sith cult had wider reach," Siri said. "Our mission parameters have changed, and we should seek the Council's guidance, and I suspect they will pull us off this mission."
Anakin nodded, looking a bit put out, but he, Ferus, and Fay all followed Siri out of the caverns and back to the clearing, finding Obi-Wan and Anakin's ship had landed in the clearing.
"Good, you're back," Rhys greeted with a grin. "I was just about to come looking for you. The Council wants us to return."
"Understood," Siri said, turning to Anakin. "I guess this is where we part for now."
Anakin nodded. "I should probably start prepping our ship for takeoff. It's always a pleasure, Master Tachi," he said with an impish grin.
Siri watched the impertinent Padawan head to his ship before she smiled at her own Padawan and Fay. Fay nodded towards the Ebon Hawk, and the three of them followed Rhys up into the ship, where Obi-Wan and Kastor were just ending the transmission with the Council.
Obi-Wan and Kastor glanced at them.
"I assume you and Ferus need a ride back to your ship?" Kastor asked, and Siri nodded.
"If it's even still there."
Kastor nodded and turned to Ferus. "Padawan, will you help Rhys prep the ship for takeoff?"
Ferus nodded, and followed Rhys towards the cockpit.
Kastor smiled at Obi-Wan and Siri and winked. "That should give you a few moments. Fay, do you need a lift?"
"I'm only a short journey from my ship, and I think the walk would do me nicely," Fay said with a smile, and Kastor nodded. "We'll have to do spotchka another time."
"Well then, let me escort you off my ship, my lady," Kastor said with a courteous bow, which elicited a pleasant laugh from Fay.
Siri watched as Kastor and Fay walked towards the landing ramp, and she didn't hide her grin, seeing Fay slip her arm into Kastor's.
"Somehow, I'm still surprised every time I learn something new about him," Obi-Wan said with a light chuckle.
"Indeed, but it's nice to see him happy," Siri agreed, before smiling at Obi-Wan. "Well, before we depart, for hopefully some R&R back at the Temple, I think we should take advantage of the small gap that Kastor has gifted us," Siri said with a slight whisper.
Obi-Wan stepped forward, reaching out, and pulling Siri close as he leaned in and she met him in a passionate kiss that ended sooner than either would like.
Siri sighed, and Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, pulling back to the respectable distance.
"May the Force be with you, Siri," Obi-Wan said, and then a bit quieter whispered, "and I'll see you soon, love."
Siri grinned, and echoed his remarks as he made his way out of the hold and Kastor returned.
"Now, my dear, let's get you back to your ship, that is hopefully still there," Kastor said with a grin.
Siri shrugged.
"Worst case scenario, you have to take Ferus and I back to Coruscant. That should give me plenty of time to interrogate you all about Fay."
**The Will of the Force**
"So, Master, do you think there's something going on between Master Kastor and Master Fay?" Anakin asked as Obi-Wan hopped into the co-pilot's chair, hoping to catch his Master off guard.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "That is between the two of them, Padawan. They are good friends, and there's no need to start any more rumors or stories about either of them. Force knows they have far too many already."
Anakin laughed, hardly disagreeing with Obi-Wan's words. Both Jedi were legendary in the Temple, and some of the stories told about them were almost ludicrous, if you didn't know who they were about. Still, he wasn't sure he agreed with his Master, but then again, they could have the same sort of thing that Obi-Wan and Siri had, and Anakin figured they'd never admit to having anything either.
"Now, next stop, home," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin nodded, though inside he couldn't help but wish he related more to the Temple being considered home. Maybe someday it would really feel like home.