Answers to reviews:
EmaCnDf: Don't worry, if he is defeated by Ahsoka it'll be done realistically. Their fight ended on Tatooine because she Force pushed him so hard into the sand that he was buried under it, allowing her to escape.
Guest: Thanks.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan.
Jayden's first thought upon seeing the Malevolence was; it was big. Very big,
The looming shadow cast by the vessel swallowed the Rogue Shadow long before the ship ever arrived in the docking bay. The ship was an incredible sight to behold, he twinkling lights along the hull of the massive dreadnought like a canvas of artificial stars as it blotted out real space behind it. The sheer expanse was astounding.
Dooku chuckled as he could sense his Apprentice's hidden awe. He sometimes forgets Jayden is only fourteen years old, still a young boy. "Incredible, isn't it?"
"Yes, Master." Jayden nodded. "Who built it?"
"The Free Dac Engineering Corps on Pammant. Industrious fellows. They completed this fine vessel within a matter of months. Not to worry, my young Apprentice, you'll be seeing it in action very soon." Dooku said, getting a nod from Jayden as he shifted in his seat. Dooku maintained his smile. It was genuine, wrought from the simplest of pleasures. Ever since he was a boy, Jayden had a fascination with starships and starfighters. They possessed an aura of escape and freedom, two concepts he desperately sought in the early days of his life. The Count had taught him about piloting once he was old enough to comprehend, his advice and wisdom stemming from his own training at the hands of the Jedi Order.
What simple times those were. I remember teaching Qui-Gon the finer points of starfighter piloting, those old Eta interceptors certainly received a workout from him. Dooku reminisced. He cast another glance at Jayden. So young, so full of potential… in many ways he's just like Qui-Gon. He'll never replace him. But perhaps he has been my method of coping, without the overbearing scrutiny of that damnable Council watching me all the time.
The pilot droid eased the Sith Intercepter into the open hangar bay, landing with practiced ease so fluid and mechanical Jayden pondered briefly if they had actually touched down. But when Dooku rose, he followed dutifully and they left the ship one after another.
The hangar was no different in style from the those found on mainline frigates and destroyers, only bigger, which seemed to be the theme of the ship. What was even bigger and more imposing was the cyborg waiting for them at the foot of the landing ramp. Jayden knew who this was from the footage of past battles, as well as reputation.
General Grievous.
"Ah, Count Dooku. I trust your flight over was uninterrupted." He rasped mouthlessly.
"Indeed it was, General. No doubt the lack of Republic ships was your doing. You've chosen a good hiding place for our weapon." Dooku mused.
"I have been following your orders; attacking when necessary and leaving no survivors. The Republic can only guess what caused such destruction and nothing more." Grievous responded. They started walking, the General's clawed feet clicking against the polished durasteel floor with every step.
"I trust the Malevolence is performing to standard?" Dooku queried.
"The Republic ships crumble before the might of our weapons. This vessel is a true instrument of terror." Grievous replied gleefully, clenching a six-fingered fist.
"Good. Best not to let the enemy grow too comfortable." Dooku affirmed with a smile. "General, may I introduce my young Apprentice, Jayden Shan also known as Darth Khan. He is quite a formidable warrior, has killed a Jedi Master and fought Master Yoda himself."
"Ah, so you're the one who I heard defeated Jedi Master Ima-Di-Gun." Grievous said as his yellow eyes studied Jayden meticulously.
"I am. And you're General Grievous. I've heard much about you, Your reputation proceeds you, General." Jayden said respectfully, getting a chuckle from the cyborg general.
"And I am sure you will hear much more before this war is over, as I will hear much more about your battles and victories." Grievous noted, putting a hand on Jayden's back and guiding him forward towards a turbolift. "Come, young one, let me introduce you to this fine vessel."
Later…
Found in the Abregado system of the Core Worlds, Anza was a red sun and the primary star of the system, bathing all around it in an eerie red glow. The Malevolence slowly rounded the stellar body, like a vast predatory creature stalking around its domain. Aboard the bridge, Count Dooku, General Grievous and Jayden stood watching the droid bridge crew go about their tasks.
"The potency of this vessel is great, but we must ensure the Republic remains unaware of it." Dooku explained. "Our continued efforts to surprise them will remain successful. To that end, we must always ensure there are no survivors of any encounter."
"Which is why a special division of hunter-killers has been created to oversee such a task." Grievous continued. "So far, they have done well." Jayden nodded in understanding. He could understand the efficiency behind a surprise attack, and now he was eager to see this dreadnought in action.
The statistics behind the Malevolence were well and truly massive. 4,845 meters long, 16 engines, 500 twin-turbolaser batteries, 6 proton torpedo launchers, multiple point-defence batteries and state of the art sensor arrays. Clearly no expense had been spared in the effort to make the Malevolence the most powerful flagship in the Separatist fleet.
"Status report!" Grievous bellowed as he descended into the crew bay.
"Nothing to report, sir. The scanner's all clear." A B1 unit reported promptly. A few seconds of silence passed, permeated only by the click of toggles and the steady beeps from background programs. "Wait… hold on…" The droid suddenly said again, drawing the attention of his three superiors. Moments later, a trio of blips appeared on his terminal as confirmed signals. "Sir, we have multiple enemy contacts dropping out of hyperspace." The droid announced. Grievous chuckled, a harsh grating noise that was entirely synthesized.
"The Republic comes to investigate the loss of their prior fleets." He determined, rubbing his mechanical hands together. "Good. These too will join their fallen kindred."
"We're tracking three Republic cruisers, sir. What should we do?" The B1 inquired.
"Jam their transmissions." Dooku ordered promptly. At once the droids started tapping away on their consoles, booting up the sensor array that would broadcast their special frequency.
"Jamming signal is coming online." Another B1 reported.
"It would appear as though we are in luck, my Apprentice." Dooku mused to Jayden. "Time for a first-hand look at the sheer power the Malevolence brings to the battlefield, this will be another suitable test for our new weapon." Jayden nodded, turning to stare out the bridge viewport. He squinted behind his mask, his eyes narrowing as he could make out the Republic ships in the distance. "General Grievous… you may fire when ready." The Count stated in a calm voice, even smiling a little.
"Charge the ion cannon, single reactor!" Grievous rasped to the droids.
Meanwhile, aboard the Triumphant…
Jedi Master, and member of the Jedi Council, Plo Koon stood on the bridge of the Triumphant, staring out the viewport at the silhouette of the hulking cruiser up ahead. Just staring at it gave the Jedi Master concern. The Kel Dor Jedi General had fought many battles over these few months of the war, but something of this nature… so mysterious and deadly, it filled him with concern. Upon arriving in the system, it hadn't taken long for the fleet to detect the mighty anomaly that was the Separatist experimental super-cruiser. They had been tailing the ship for a few moments now, but even it's close proximity was making him tense with worry.
Only the sound of footsteps broke him free of his sphere of concern. The Force alerted him to the approaching presence, none other than his second in command, Clone Commander CC-3636, or 'Wolffe'.
"The enemy ship has reduced its speed, sir." He stated.
"They must've realized we're tracking them." Plo said. After staring at the Separtist cruiser for a moment, the Jedi turned to his second in command. "I think it would be wise to report our location before we attack."
As the two walked towards the bridge holotable, Wolffe said. "Understood, sir. The fleet is holding it's position. Skywalker's fleet is nearby, in the Bith system."
"Good. Perhaps he can reinforce us." Plo said. He wasn't afraid to admit he felt their fleet underprepared for this assignment. A stronger bolstering would help assauge his worries in the long run.
"From what I hear, Skywalker's always ready for a fight." Wolffe remarked.
"So I've heard." Koon agreed as he keyed up the comms system. Within moments, a pair of holograms flickered into being before him, one of which being Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and the other being his teenage Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
"Koh-to-yah, Master Plo!" The chipper Togruta greeted in his native Kel Dorian. Beneath his rebreather, Plo smiled. Seeing her was sufficient to relieve him of his anxieties.
"Koh-to-yah, lil' 'Soka." He greeted in turn. There was no need for titles or decorum between the two, as Plo and Ahsoka had known each other for a very long time, long enough to establish a close friendship despite the Master-Padawan gap.
"How's the hunt for the mystery weapon going?" Anakin queried with crossed arms.
"We've tracked it to the Abregado System. We need reinforcements." Plo stated urgently, transmitting his exact coordinates as he spoke. Anakin rubbed his chin, considering his available options. Helping out a fellow Jedi would always be a perogative of his. Unfortunately, his attention had already been snatched up by others.
"I'll have to ask the Council, Master Plo." He answered at length. "I was given strict orders to protect our sta-…ing are-… a-…" The signal began to drop, losing its strength as Anakin and Ahsoka's holograms fizzled out and grew lined with static. Wolffe hurriedly tapped the console for a better resolution, improve the frequency, anything to get them back. Plo noticed the continued degradation of the comm signal and feared the worst.
"Master Plo? What's-… goin-… -n…" Ahsoka's query was lost to fizzling static. Plo tried in vain to get them back, only to fail.
"What's wrong with the transmission?" He inquired aloud.
"There's too much interference, sir. We've lost them." Wolffe stated grimly. The Jedi knew there was only one reason for such a communication loss… and he didn't like it. As Wolffe prepared a complete system analysis and recalibration, General Koon feared the worst and turned back to look at the looming Separatist warship.
"Sir! The enemy ship is closing!" A Clone shouted, alarms beginning to blare.
"Prepare for battle!" Plo ordered the crew. Everyone went on high alert as the bridge locked down, officers and crew scrambling for their proper stations. The holotable quickly rendered a map of the system and the positions of the four vessels.
"We're picking up a large energy reading from the target, sir." Wolffe informed his commanding officer as Koon rounded the table.
"Open fire, all guns." He ordered promptly.
"Sir, we're not in range yet." Wolffe responded. Suddenly, contrasting the red light bathing them all, a bright white appeared near the bow of the Separatist vessel. The rounded portion was aglow with energy plumes, blue sparks of energy jumping from point to point as they formed a halo. Then a burst of electromagnetic energy shot forth from the Malevolence, widening as it drew closer.
"Brace for impact!" Koon shouted before a wave of short-circuiting power ripped through the Republic fleet unhindered. Sparks erupted from instrument panels as every electronic system was forcefully shut down and the Triumphant began to drift along with its two sister cruisers.
"We're losing all our power!" Wolffe cried as as his terminal began to blink and short out. "That energy field has left use defenceless!" The unthinkable had been done, Plo turned back to the viewport as the Separatist Dreadnought drew closer, like a predator closing in on wounded prey.
On the bridge of Malevolence, Dooku, Grievous and Jayden watched the cruisers fall out of alignment with one another, the ion burst sowing chaos and panic as the three Republic cruisers drifted about while sparks rippled across their de-powered frames. "Their shields are down, sir. They are completely vulnerable." A B1 reported. Grievous did not hesitate.
"All cannons, fire!" He commanded with a clenched fist. From the bow, half the Malevolence's accompaniment of 500 turbolaser batteries opened fire on the hapless Republic ships, red bolts of laser energy absolutely ripping through the defenceless Venators. With their shields down, they had absolutely zero defences and were cut to pieces under the relentless barrage. Jayden strode right up to the transparisteel screen, watching as chunks of durasteel superstructure were sheared off piece by piece, the Malevolence picking apart the fleet with ridiculous ease. In less than a standard minute the first ship was exploding into a massive fireball, bits and pieces of Venator filling space as the cruiser collapsed into a wreck field and debris shot everywhere.
"Most impressive, is it not?" Dooku wondered quietly as he strode up behind Jayden. The Sith Apprentice nodded, totally enraptured by the display. The gunnery crews changed targets, tearing apart another cruiser with a barrage of steady firepower.
Aboard the Triumphant, Plo and Wolffe were forced to watch as their supporting units were utterly destroyed, their escape pods destined to float in hostile space until they could mount a proper rescue.
And then, once the cruisers had been reduced to floating hunks of space debris one by one, the Malevolence turned its guns on the Triumphant.
The hail of laser fire slammed into the capital ship with equal, unrelenting force. The bridge shook as the whole ship shuddered under the intense assault, many a crew member being thrown from their feet. Plo knew there was no properly combating this weapon and ordered, "Get to the escape pods! It's our only chance!" The bridge crew scrambled to leave, fires billowing across the terminals as the assault took its toll on the unprotected ship. The Kel Dor could sense their panic and fear through the Force and longed to bring them all together into one pod with him, so he could keep them safe. Alas, this was not to be.
He boarded an escape pod alongside Wolffe and two other Clones he knew to be called Boost and Sinker, after ensuring the rest of the crew had made it safely aboard their pods. They jettisoned from the ship, watching the blooming flares of other escape pods ejecting alongside them moments before the Triumphant exploded in a blinding fireball.
On the bridge of Malevolence, Dooku smiled, Grievous cackled, and Jayden nodded in appreciation of the carnage they had wrought. "Another successful test, wouldn't you agree Count?" The General inquired.
"Of course. But we must still keep our position a secret." Dooku replied. "Send out the hunters. I want all of those life pods destroyed."
Elsewhere, in the Bith System…
"You heard Master Plo, he needs our support!" Ahsoka urged her Master as they walked towards the holotable in the bridge of the Resolute. "We have to go help him."
"We have to see what the Council decides first." Anakin countered. "This is an important meeting, Ahsoka. Remember, be mindful and speak only when spoken to."
"Don't I always." Ahsoka retorted with annoyance, getting a look from Anakin before the doors to where the bridge holotable was opened. The holograms of Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda and Chancellor Palpatine were displayed and in conversation as Anakin and Ahsoka approached.
"This mystery weapon has struck in a dozen systems and disappeared without a trace." Windu was saying.
"We cannot afford to lose any more ships, my friends." Palpatine agreed. He turned to the arriving duo and smiled, a smile that bore a strange sense of overt fondness as he gazed upon Anakin. "Ah, Master Skywalker. Have you had any success in finding General Grievous' secret weapon?"
Anakin pressed a button, displaying the Abregado System to him and Ahsoka, as well as the three Jedi and Chancellor. "Master Plo was here in the Abregado system when we lost contact. Despite our efforts, we've had no further contact with General Koon. The absence of distress beacons indicates that his fleet was…" he paused, glancing at Ahsoka to see her looking at him desperately, silently begging him not to say it. However, he had to and did so with a remorseful sigh. "That his fleet was destroyed like the others. We're about to prepare a rescue mission-"
"Hasn't Clone intelligence reported that this weapon never leaves any survivors?" Palpatine interrupted.
"Yes, the recent data from the discovery of Master Ares' wrecked fleet confirms as much." Anakin affirmed.
"Then perhaps a rescue mission is nothing more than a futile gesture." Palpatine concluded. Ahsoka's eyes widened in fright, her lips parting slightly as a retort died on her tongue. Anakin caught the barest puff of breath and commended her for biting her tongue.
"The Separatists are being unusually tidy. They don't want any witnesses." Obi-Wan determined.
"Tragic are these losses. But prevent more we must." Yoda added in agreement. They were moving on. They weren't going to do anything. Inside, Ahsoka was screaming. No! No no no no no! We have to find him! I have to find him! He's still alive I know it! She was desperate to act. Master Plo was alive, she knew it.
"All our battle groups will be reassigned to guard our supply convoys. Including yours, Skywalker." Mace stated. "I'm afraid we can't risk any more ships for a rescue mission." There was the barest hint of remorse in his voice, obviously none of them wanted to lose another Jedi and a fellow Council member at that. But the decision was final and Anakin accepted that with a nod.
Ahsoka wasn't.
"Wait!" She cried out, drawing all eyes to her. Suddenly, she felt bashful and shy at having three Jedi Masters. her own Master and the Chanceller looking at her. She could sense their emotions, feel the ripple through the Force. Curiosity from Palpatine, surprise from Obi-Wan, agitation from her own Master, disapproval from Windu and understanding from Yoda. Knowing she couldn't hold back anymore, she continued. "Just because there haven't been any survivors before doesn't mean there won't be any this time."
Her words caused the Jedi to exchange glances while Palpatine raised an eyebrow before he spoke.
"Boldly spoken for one so young." He mused.
"She is learning from Anakin." Obi-Wan quipped, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Excuse my Padawan..." Anakin said with slight agitation in his voice at Ahsoka speaking out of turn... and also what Obi-Wan just said. He turned his gae back to the holograms. We will deploy as you have directed, Master."
Nodding, the Jedi and the Chanceller signed off as Ahsoka turned to leave. however she barely got a few steps before Anakin whipped around.
"Ahsoka!" He growled, stopping her. However. she wasn't going to back down from she thought.
She turned to face her Master. "Did you even hear them?! They're going to leave him for dead! If anyone could survive, Master Plo could! I don't understand why-"
"What you don't understand is Jedi protocol." Anakin said with a frown as he walked up to her, staring down at her with disapproval. "Or your place, my young Padawan."
Before things could escalate any further, the access door slid open to herald the arrival of the Resolute's resident commanding officer; Admiral Wullf Yularen. "I take it the meeting is over, General?" He inquired. Anakin cleared his throat.
"It is, I was just explaining some details that my Padawan missed." The Knight said. "The Supreme Chancellor wants us on convoy patrol as they pass through the system. We'll split up our ships to maximize our defence area. I'll scout ahead for enemy activity."
£Isn't that risky with the mystery weapon out there?" The Admiral pointed out.
"It might be, but I know you won't argue my orders." Anain said, shooting Ahsoka a look that she returned with a glare, not backing down whatsoever. Anakin withheld a sigh at his young Padawan's stubborness. Ahsoka even went so far as to stick her tongue out at him! Anakin rolled his eyes and walked away. "Come along, snips."
Despite her irritation towards him, Ahsoka dutifully followed. Still moody, she didn't say a word to him the whole trek and neither did he to her, which made the silence in the turbolift extremely uncomfortable. I know I didn't listen to him… but I can't just let Master Plo be forgotten. I'll go find him myself if I have to. But why did Skyguy tell the Admiral that he was going to scout ahead? What's he up to…
They arrived in the Resolute's hangar and Anakin led them straight to the Twilight. Having grown fond of the dingy old freighter that had spirited them from Teth to Tatooine, Anakin had the wreck salvaged and fixed it up in his spare time with the excuse it could prove to be a handy unmarked vessel for undercover missions. Much needed repairs were performed, overhauls were conducted and even some upgrades were introduced.
An ever-faithful R2-D2 was waiting by the boarding ramp and twittered in an excited tone as the Jedi approached. "Hey, Artoo. Is the ship ready to go?" The astromech whistled confirmation. "Good. Go rig up the hyperdrive, set coordinates for Anza." R2 warbled in agreement and puttered off to input the data as Anakin took a seat at the controls with Ahsoka beside him. Priming the engines to launch with a few clicks, the freighter thrummed as the thrusters came to life. Piloting out of the hangar with expert ease, Anakin gunned the thrusters and flew away from the fleet. "Set those new coordinates, Artoo?" R2 whistled again, indicating he had. Having been sitting quietly this whole time, the lack of exchanges between the two had finally gotten to Ahsoka.
"Master, I should tell you why I spoke up before-"
"You don't have to explain anything." Anakin interjected, softly and quietly like he understood. Nudging the throttle forward, the stars elongated into streaks of white light as the Twilight shot forward into Hyperspace.
Meanwhile, back in the Abregado System…
In the escape pod they had taken to avoid being destroyed with the three Republic cruisers, Plo and his men took stock of their situation. The pod had been severely rattled by the exploding Triumphant and the sit-rep didn't look good either. "The power grid's burnt out," Wolffe reported after peeling off an access panel, "we've no engine, communications, or… or life support recharge."
As he said this, Boost and Sinker took off their helmets. "So we'll just sit here and hold our breath." Sinker said sarcastically.
Boost gave him a look as he tried to keep up morale. "Someone will come looking for us, right?" He looked at Plo as he said this, hoping for reassurance that help will come for them.
Plo said nothing for a few seconds before he quietly sighed and spoke. "Let's get the power restored so we are here to be found."
Sharing a mutual shrug, Boost and Sinker went to work under Wolffe's direction, Plo Koon pausing to stare out the viewport.
You know where we are, Anakin. You are our only hope right now. Come and find me, lil' 'Soka…
As Boost and Sinker worked on one side of the pod, Wolffe was checking the power grid. "The air in here is getting a bit stale." He said aloud.
"Don't look at me." Sinker shook his head before jerking it at Boost. "It's Boost, sir. He only takes a bath when he's on leave."
"Save it!" Boost snapped at him with an annoyed look. "Just keep working on the pod, not your jokes."
Wolffe looked to his General and asked him. "Do you think we've got a chance, General?" His tone implied he wanted the Jedi's honest opinion.
"I don't believe in chance, Commander." He said simply. "I know that if we work together, we will stay alive… and someone will find us." He spoke with a sense of complete and utter surety that was almost infectious. Truly, Wolffe felt a bit better after Plo's rousing words.
The same could not be said for the other Clones.
"With… all due respect, General," Sinker started, clearing his throat, "strategically speaking, it doesn't make any sense for someone to come looking for us. If I was in command, I'd be hunting that weapon down." He mused in an almost dejected tone. Such was the sad and horrible life of a Clone. There would always be more, which made every single one of them expendable. No one looked back if a Clone fell, they'd only order another to take their place. Plo stood, walking over to Sinker and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I value your life more than finding that weapon." He told him. Plo's tone was soft and gentle, almost fatherly in a way. Sinker didn't know how the General did it, but he had a way of making people feel better.
"Sir, look! There's another pod out there!" Boost suddenly exclaimed. The four crowded around the viewport to get a better look. Sure enough, in the distance and almost indistinguishable from the other debris floating around, the rear thrusters of another escape could be seen. Like a beacon of hope emerging from the gloom, the designations on the escape pod indicated it was from one of the other cruisers. It was gradually drifting closer to their pod, not necessarily on a crash course, but close enough that more survivors could be accounted for. Plo felt relief sweep through his men, their spirits lifting in a way that made him glad.
"If only we had power, we could contact them." Wolffe muttered.
"How about we just… wave 'hello' when the viewport comes around?" Boost suggested. Plo looked that idea, so much in fact that he reached out with the Force to hasten the pod's gradual rotation.
The sight that greeted them filled them with horror.
The front of their pod was busted wide open, the bodies of two Clones hanging from the open and usted door of the pod. They had died due to lack of oxygen in space.
"They're dead!" Wolffe gasped. "Someboyd busted that pod wide open!"
As Plo stared at the pod, he came to one grim and dark realisation. "We are not alone out here."
The Twilight came out of Hyperspace in the Abregado System, which was basically next door to the Bith System. Inside, the Jedi were preparing for their scouting mission. "Artooie, set up the scanner, modulate for incoming… 'mystery weapons'." Ahsoka ordered passively. The astromech warbled and rolled over to his data port to comply, but Anakin stopped him.
"No. Artoo, tune the scanners for life forms. Highest sensitivity." He said.
Ahsoka frowned at his words. "Why would we scan for life forms to spot an enemy weapon probably just filled with... battle droids..." She trailed off as she realized where they actually were, and Anakin shot her a smirk. "The Abregado system? Oh, so it's okay when you don't follow what the Council says."
"Doing what the Jedi Council says, that's one thing. How we go about doing it, that's another." Anakin told her in the tone he always used when he's trying to get her to learn something. "That's what I'm trying to teach you, my young Padawan."
"So you always meant to come out here for survivors?" Ahsoka asked hopefully, which Anakin sensed.
"Lives are in danger, Ahsoka. We can't just turn our backs on them." Anakin explained. He wasn't like the other Jedi, who may just go with leaving their fellow Jedi and their men to die. It wasn't in him to leave his allies behind.
"That's what I said back in the briefing room!" Ahsoka exclaimed as she sat back in her seat.
"I know. But the way you said it was wrong." Anakin told her gently, trying to get her to learn another lesson from him. "Next time, pose it as a potential solution. Not like an emotional outburst. Now hurry up and switch on the illuminator."
Loosing a sigh, Ahsoka did as asked. "Right… we haven't got much time until the fleet misses us." She mused, calming down but still fuming a little on the inside.
Repairs weren't going as quick or as good as Plo Koon and his men were hoping. Boost and Sinker sought out the electrical panel for the power grip and started investigating loose wires. "No… that's not it. This one goes here, and that one goes… there." Sinker mused, switching a pair of red wires around.
"Are you sure?" Boost wondered. "We don't wanna make things worse." Sinker shot him a sideways look.
"How are we gonna make things worse?" He deadpanned.
"When you ask for trouble you should not be surprised if it finds you." Plo offered.
"I think trouble already found us, sir." Sinker replied, clenching two wires into place.
"What if… we connect these two right here?" Boost queried as he fused together several bundles of wiring that sparked with potential power as they clicked into place. Suddenly the pod began to thrum as panels and instruments lit up all around them.
Good work you two. Plo thought as Boost and Sinker whooped, sharing a celebratory high-five. Wolffe quickly started keying up comm channels and opening hailing frequencies, desperate to get a signal out and maybe connect with some other pods. But before he could, a broken transmission filtered through the speakers…
"…pod One-Nine-Seven-Seven… anyone hear me…"
"It's one of the other pods, sir!" He exclaimed and Plo leaned close to listen.
"We're under attack… I repeat, we are under attack…!"
"Those damn Seps are after them! And we're stuck here helpless!" Sinker bemoaned.
"The signal is weak, they must be close by." Plo reasoned, attuning the channel.
"Is there a chance we can do something to help them, sir?" Boost asked. Wolffe didn't say anything, but Plo could tell he was anxious too. Their fear and their desire to avenge the dead was rising, the Kel Dor could feel it all.
I care about them too, my friends. I wish I could do more. If only we had more resources at our disposal, more than this meagre pod. He lamented. The best he could do now was care for those in his immediate vicinity, Plo would grieve for his men later.
"They've locked onto our ship! Our position is mark twelve at point-two-six!" Wolffe checked the coordinates in the canner.
"Mark twelve… hey that's close!" He realized with mounting apprehension. "They're close!"
"I have visual contact!" Boost cried, prompting the others to join him at the viewport. They soon spotted the besieged pod amid the clouds of debris and wreckage, under attack from droids.
"Pod 1977, do you copy?" Plo said urgently as he watched.
"The droids are hunting for survivors. They're cutting through!"
Just as that was said, the droids succeeded in cutting the escape pod viewport open, the men inside screaming as they were sucked in the cold air of space, dying quickly due to lack of oxygen and air. Plo and the three Clones with him merely watched in a collection of emotions. Horror, shock, sadness and anger.
"Things... just got a lot worse." Sinker admitted grimly, angry at seeing his brothers killed like that, and they'll be next unless help does come for them.
Back with the Twilight, Ahsoka was busy looking for something on the ship's scanners but nothing was turning up much to her frustration. Anakin glanced at her, sensing her frustration. He had to remind himself that she was still young and emotion driven. He'd have to teach her to not let her emotions get the better of her.
"The scanners are practically useless." Ahsoka huffed before she turned to R2. " Got anything on the emergency channel, Artoo?
R2 beeped a negative, which didn't give Ahsoka any more hope as she slumped a little. Anakin didn't want her to lose all sense of hope, so he quickly tried to ease her worries and make sure there's still hope they will find Plo Koon, but he also had to tell her the cold hard truth.
"Now, Ahsoka, we might find something you don't want to find." He gently said.
"I know, Master, but I have to believe." Ahsoka said softly.
"How do you know Master Plo, anyway?" Anakin asked curiously. It hit him that he had never asked about Ahsoka's life before she became his Padawan and he frowned at that. he should've tried to get to know her better, ask about her life in the Temple before he met her.
"He's one of my oldest friends." Ahsoka said with a smile as her gaze turned distance, to the past. Anakin watched her, invested. "It was Master Plo Koon who found me and brought me to the temple where I belonged. Now he's lost, so I thought maybe I could find him"
Anakin blinked, realizing he's got Master Plo Koon to thank for having Ahsoka as a Padawan. For if it wasn't for Plo bringing Ahsoka to the Jedi Temple, then she'd never have become a Jedi and Anakin wouldn't have been made her Master.
R2 suddenly beeped and whistled several times, drawing Anakin and Ahsoka's attention to him before the ship's comm system started to beep, indicating someone was trying to contact them. Ahsoka answered it while telling Anakin. "Incoming transmission, Master. I think someone noticed we're goon."
A hologram of Obi-Wan appeared, the Jedi Master had his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Anakin, where are you?" Obi-Wan asked with a sigh in his voice, sounding like he already knew where Anakin was and that this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
Anakin was ready with a response as ever. "Oh… uh, hello, Master. We just made a quick stop in the Abregado System." He answered, sounding surprised.
"A rescue mission, I suppose. You had other orders…" Obi-Wan mused, seeing clear through his wafer-thin deflection. Obi-Wan has known Anakin long enough to know what he's doing and is used to his tricks really.
"It was my idea, Master." Ahsoka quickly interjected.
"Oh, I'm sure." Obi-Wan casually stated, not believing her in the slightest. "Have you found any survivors?"
"No. You were right. The Separatists don't want any witnesses." Anakin answered, honestly but grimly.
"All the more reason for you to rejoin the defensive escorts. We need you, Anakin." Obi-Wan insisted. He could understand well enough where Anakin's desires were stemming from, but there was far more at stake than anyone could immediately afford to spare to other pursuits. "You'll miss the rendezvous with the fleet if you don't hurry."
After being silent for several moments, thinking over his Master's words, Anakin relented with a sigh. ""I know, Master. We're on our way." he terminated the call, glancing at Ahsoka sadly as she slumped in her seat. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka."
Just as they accepted the reality of the situation and were going to leave, R2 interrupted them with a series of happy warbles and beeps.
"What is it, Artoo?" Anakin asked. The astromech whistled a few more times, his dataprob fine-tuning he access port he was plugged into.
"Artooie thinks he's picking something up on the emergency channel!" Ahsoka stated excitedly, color returning to her as her eyes green wide and bright with renewed hope. Anakin smiled a little.
The fleet can wait, so can Obi-Wan. If there's a chance we have to check.
"Can you trace it, Artoo?" The droid affirmed that he could, uploading telemetry data to the navcomputer.
"Let's go!" Ahsoka urged eagerly, gripping the console as Anakin applied extra power to the thrusters and gunned the engine ahead.
"I think they see us." Boost said as the droids looked over in the direction of their pod. His words were confirmed when the Droch released the pod it had and started flying over to theirs.
Plo Koon watched, weighing their options. true, they couldn't do much. But he could withstand the pressure of being outside in space for a while until it becomes too much. Perhaps enough time for him to destroy the droids and give them some more time until help does arrive. The Jedi Master nodded at his decision and announced to his men. "It is time to go."
His words caused his men to look at him as he swivelled in his chair and got up, heading for the back of the pod. "Go? Where are you going, sir?" Wolffe asked.
"Go? Where are you going, sir?" Wolffe asked with a confused frown.
"Outside, to destroy the enemy." Plo said, turning to the three Clones. " I can withstand the pressure for a brief time. Put your helmets on.
Wolffe, boost and Sinker exchanged glances but they grabbed their helmets. "If you say so, sir."
"This is a difficult situation, but there remains a possibility we will survive." Polo told them, trying to be reassuring to them.
"That's good enough for me. Come on, let's go." Boost said, picking up his rifle as Sinker did with his.
They looked out the viewport to see the Droch getting much closer before it finally latched onto the pod. It won't be long before the droids come over and start cutting the viewport open.
Plo turned to his second in command. "Wolffe, keep the communications signal alive. It is our only chance someone will find us."
"Let's just hope someone's looking for us." Wolffe said with a sigh.
With the Twilight, R2 beeped several times before he displayed a holo projection of the signal. "Are we still picking up that signal?" Anakin asked, glancing at Ahsoka.
"Yes… but why aren't we finding anything? We should at least see something by now." Ahsoka wondered, releasing and biting her lip over and over again as she stared at the expanse of stars and shattered metal.
"I don't know Ahsoka… I don't know." Anakin murmured, scanning for some signs of life… a pod, a chunk of ship that still had power, anything. It wasn't looking good and their extended time was ticking away all too quickly. He tried thinking of reasons, spelling out the issue like he would with a broken machine.
Ahsoka leaned forward and opened the comm channel again. "Is there anyone out there? This is Ahsoka Tano, please respond." Silence responded to her, and her anxiety levels rose. "Artoo, see if you can boost the reception." She tasked and the droid warbled, explaining it would take time. Ahsoka pressed back against her chair with an exasperated growl.
"Patience. We're trying to boost the power, hang on." Anakin stated gently.
The droids checked the pod, finding Wolffe the only one inside. "Well, this looks like the last one." One of the droids said. "Let's finish the job."
Before they could get to work on opening the viewport, one droid noticed a figure above them. "Hey, what's a Jedi doing out here?"
Plo ignited his Lightsaber and started deflecting shots as the droids fired at him. Boost and Sinker fired from where they were, still standing on the pod. The droids had retreated to a safer distance with a more favourable angle to aim from, shooting straight at the Clones from the raised hull of the Droch.
"I can't get a clear shot!" Boost growled in frustration, three successive bolts pinging off the hull.
"Sir! We're losing the signal! The pod can't take any more of this pressure!" Wolffe cried over comms as the viewport cracked.
"..Is anyone out there?" Wolffe heard a female voice come over the comm and quickly got to work on the frequency. "This is Ahsoka Tano! Come in! is anyone out there?"
"It's Ahsoka!" Wolffe said with relief in his voice as Plo looked over his shoulder a little. The Jedi was filled with relief as well, and pride. He wasn't surprised Ahsoka would be out looking for him. "She must be close!"
"Keep the signal alive, commander!" Plo ordered before deflecting another shot.
However, things were turning bad as the Droch was close to tearing the pod in half, causing steam to burst out of part of the pod, and sparks to spark inside the pod, causing Wolffe to duck his head briefly. "We're losing the signal! The pod can't much damage!"
Plo turned to the two Clones with him. "Sinker, your turn!" He called out, reaching out with a hand and taking hold of the Clone's body with an invisible grip.
"You got it boss! Woah, woah woah!" The Clone found himself hurtling through space and over the droid position, the shocked B1's stunned beyond action for a moment as he suddenly had clean shots on all of them.
"What the-?!"
"Eat lasers, clankers!" Sinker shouted as he vaped all three in quick succession. Acting quickly, Plo Koon severed the four claws with his lightsaber before another hearty Force push sent the Droch careening into the debris field, slamming into a chunk of Venator and exploding on impact. "Hoo, nice work, General." Sinker breathed as his body was pulled back to the pod.
On the Malevolence
"Sir, we have lost contact with the pod hunter." A pilot droid reported, causing Grievous to growl as Dooku frowned and Jayden narrowed his eyes.
"Perhaps some survivors are putting up a fight." Grievous said with a clenced fist.
"That is something we cannot allow." Dooku said calmly.
"Well, general, this is another fine mess we've got ourselves into." Sinker remarked dryly as he, Boost and Plo took a small breather from their fight with the droids, now that the danger was dealt with and they were assured help was on the way.
"You're sense of humour is approving." Plo noted with amusement.
"I don't mean to say I told you so, but I never believed anyone would come looking for us." Boost said.
"Why are you so certain no one is coming?" Plo asked curiously, softly, almost fatherly.
"We're just Clones, sir." Boost sighed. "We expendable, meant to be expendable."
"Not to me." Plo said firmly. He wasn't like some of his fellow Jedi. he treated his men equally, like human beings, regardless of them being Clones of another man. They weren't expendable. Not to him. Not now. Not ever.
Looking around for a moment, Plo started reaching out with the Force. If Ahsoka was close, he will sense her and use the Force to communicate with her.
Another holotransmission appeared on the Twilight's console, coming from none other than Chancellor Palpatine himself this time. "Anakin, the Council is furious. Why have you left your post?" He wondered in a soft, prying tone.
"I decided we just couldn't give up on Master Plo Koon." Anakin answered simply.
"A noble gesture, Anakin. But the Council feels your daring has put others in danger." Palpatine responded. Anakin looked away, frowning.
They turn their backs on others so easily when they need help. My mother, me, Master Koon. Why should I listen to them? At least I'm trying to do some good for a change, trying to return one of their own for kriff sakes…
"Please, listen to me, Anakin. Return at once." Palpatine implored in a gentle, almost fatherly tone. Anakin sighed, a direct summons from the Chancellor could not be ignored.
"Yes, Excellency." He relented. The transmission cut and Anakin adjusted his coordinates, seeking a route back to the Bith System. Ahsoka fought back tears as her shoulders slumped, a dark depression settling in as she lamented her failure.
But then, all of a sudden, a voice called out to her. Someone was prodding through the Force, using a familiar bond to get her attention.
Ahsoka… Ahsoka, can you hear me? She knew it well.
M-Master Plo? She responded. Her tone was rising, excitement mounting.
Yes, little one. I am here.
Master Skywalker and I are in the system! Where are you? She urgently asked.
Follow the Force, it will guide you to me. Trust your instincts. But please hurry, we don't have much time left. Plo said simply.
I will, Master Plo. The Kel Dor relaxed, using a meditative technique to amplify his presence in the Force, like a beacon for the young girl to follow.
"Time to go Ahsoka." Anakin stated softly.
"We have to stay!" The Togruta cried, her eyes wide, begging him. Anakin exhaled slowly, a mournful, regret-filled sound.
"Ahsoka, I want to believe Master Plo is alive too," he said, emphasizing with her, "but-"
"I know he's alive! I can sense it!" Ahsoka pressed. Activating her own ship controls, she took over from Anakin and sharply banked to starboard, Anakin crying out in surprise and R2 squealing with the sudden movements. Gunning the thrusters, she closed in on the edge of the debris field… where a single escape pod sat floating against the backdrop of infinite stars. "There they are!"
Plo shielded his eyes as the illuminator of the Twilight passed over him. He smiled beneath his mask, pleased to see a familiar, friendly sight. The freighter slowed to a stop before the pod, the bay doors sliding open as a collector cable shot from the room and snagged the pod's viewport with a magnetic clamp. Slowly winching the escape pod into the safe confines of the cargo bay, the vehicle succumbed to gravity the moment it passed the protective ray shield and clattered to the floor with a shower of sparks.
Plo fell to the floor and allowed his body to droop, sucking in lungful after lungful of refurbished air. Boost and Sinker fell off the pod with grunts, though they weren't complaining as they were glad to be safe and sound, and still alive.
At that moment, the access door slid open and a familiar Togruta rushed into the hold, many steps ahead of her Master. "Are you okay Master Plo?" Ahsoka asked as she knelt by his side.
"I... I will be." Plo said, grateful to be on safe ground once more.
Ahsoka then noticed movement inside the pod and quickly told her Master. "There's someone inside the pod!" Anakin nodded and used the Force to open the viewport. Going in, Anakin gently helped Wolffe out and sat him down with Boost and Sinker as the Twilight's polished medical droid arrived in the hold. Having been modified and upgraded since his analysis of Rotta the Huttlet, TB-2 was like a shiny new droid as he knew to examine the Clones.
"Will they be alright?" Anakin queried.
"I will stabilize them. But they will require a medical frigate for a full recovery." TB stated. Anakin nodded and then moved around the pod to Plo, who had straightened up a little as Ahsoka tended to him.
"Tell me, both of you… were there any other survivors?" The Kel Dor inquired, the barest hint of hope in his voice. Anakin's gaze was downcast, a part of the war he absolutely hated was giving people bad news. Especially when it came to the lives of others.
"We… couldn't find anyone else." He said at length. "You three are all that we've found." Koon hung his head and the two could sense his woeful despair at the loss of his men. But it was a feeling laced with fear and loathing, something incredibly foreign to the Kel Dor.
"The hunters must've destroyed the rest." Plo said with a quiet sigh.
"I'm sorry, Master Plo." Ahsoka said softly, rapping her arms around his neck and hugging the Kel Dor. Plo hugged her in return,
"Thank you, lil' 'Soka." He whispered. Anakin leaned back on his haunches as he studied the two for a moment. Their bond glowed brightly in the Force, strong and brilliant. It was unique for a pair of Jedi, Anakin could only liken it to the reunion of a father and a daughter.
Once the Clones were in the medical bay, and Plo Koon assured Ahsoka and Anakin that he was alright, the three Jedi went back to the cockpit of the ship. "We tracked the mystery weapon to this system." Plo was in the midst of explaining. " That is when we found out it was an ion cannon."
"An Ion cannon?" Ahsoka raised a brow marking.
A weapon that neutralizes all power to our ships, leaving the targets defenseless." Plo explained.
Suddenly, the proximity scanner began to steadily beep, warning them of an approaching object. Anakin leaned over, his gaze narrowing as he read the statistics. "There is a massive vessel approaching us." He stated. Plo was already moving.
"Shut down the power systems before they detect us!" He urged, moving with unmatched speed that surprised Anakin. It took Ahsoka a moment longer before she pitched in to help, ensuring the Twilight went dark and everything on the console faded to black. R2 twittered in fright, his chassis shaking and drawing Koon's attention. "The droid!" He hissed and Ahsoka scrambled to act.
"Sorry little guy." She apologized as she flicked R2's power couplings, forcing him into a shutdown mode as his body stilled. The Twilight began to drift, blending in with the millions of pieces of debris, just in time for an ominous shadow to pass over it. Ahsoka returned to her seat and slowly sank into it as her wide-eyes took in the sight before her. "That is… one big cruiser-crusher." She gasped in awe.
Her words were an understatement. The Malevolence positively dwarfed Twilight by a few hundred thousand tonnes. As far as ships went, the little freighter was nothing more than a minnow by comparison to the almighty shark prowling above it. As the sharply-angled bow cruised above them, Ahsoka could've sworn their freighter was no bigger than the illuminated viewports along the dreadnought's bow.
"When we get out of here, we're telling the Council all about this." Anakin stated in hushed tones.
"Agreed. There, see the ion cannons?" Plo extended a finger towards the twin circular protrusions jutting out from the Malevolence as the super-ship passed over them.
"They're massive. Bigger than any planetary version." Anakin breathed. "No wonder it destroyed whole fleets."
"Pray there is just one of these monstrosities." Plo added.
As they spoke, Ahsoka suddenly frowned as she felt something through the Force. She glanced at Anakin and Plo, seeing if they sensed it but they appeared to have not. The sensation felt... familiar. She was certain she felt it before. It was an aura of darkness, with coldness to it, yet a warmth like a fire ready to start burning away everything in it's path. Her eyes widened as she recognized the presence in the Force. She's felt it twice.
On Teth... and on Tatooine.
Darth Khan... She thought with a scowl as she looked at the ship, realizing he was onboard. Now that she had a name, after he battled Master Yoda and gave his name up.
On the Malevolence, Jayden frowned as he sensed something in the Force. He glanced at Dooku, but his Master didn't appear to have sensed it. Curious , Jayden reached for the presence. It was a Jedi, that he easily guessed but he wasn't sure which Jedi would cause him to feel this... connection, well this presence in the Force. Most Jedi are generally the same when it comes to sensing for them, but you have to really look deep for their unique aura.
Jayden closed his eyes as he searched, using the Force to reach deep for the aura and he found it. he dove deeper and deper, intending ti find out who it belonged to. He sensed calmness, as all Jedi have, though there was a sense of recklessness, excitement... even a little anger which surprised him, but he was sure he felt that anger somewhere before, an anger from someone aimed at someone else intending to harm another...
Jayden's eyes shot open as he recognized the presence.
Ahsoka Tano... He thought with narrowed eyes. He hadn't forgotten their last encounter on Tatooine, where she defeated him, humiliated him by having his defeat be by burying him under hills of sand.
"General, we're picking up a faint signal from a droid." A pilot reported, causing the three to look over. "Not one of ours. They're right behind us."
Grievous growled. "Move us into attack position!"
"No need." Dooku said, causing Grievous to turn to him as Dooku turned to Khan. "Apprentice, take the Rogue Shadow and destroy the source of the signal."
"Yes, Master." Jayden said before he put his mask on over his head and then threw his hood up while walking to the turbolift.
"I think it worked." Anakin remarked as the ship didn't seem to be turning to face them at all. "They haven't noticed us."
"All the systems are shut down, so of course they wouldn't." Ahsoka remarked with a smirk. Suddenly, the medical droid entered.
"is there a problem?" He asked, unaware of the problem.
"We forgot to shut off the medical droid!" Ahsoka gasped before looking out to see the ship not moving for attack which made her frown. "Weird, shouldn't they have detected the droid?"
"Yeah... something's up." Anakin said with a frown.
"Can I be of assistance?" The medical droid asked.
"No thanks, just get in the back and take care of the Clones." Anakin quickly said.
"That is my programming, sir." With that, the droid turned and left.
"Look!" Plo pointed, causing Ahsoka and Anakin to look and they saw a ship shoot from the side of the huge ship... and it was coming straight for them. "Someone noticed us."
"And decided to go for a more different approach than sabatage our ship." anakin realized
"it's Darth Khan!" Ahsoka said with wide eyes.
"What?" Anakin and Plo turned to her.
"I know that ship! It's him!" Ahsoka said. She had read some reports of Khan flying a Sith Interceptor, similar to the ones the Sith Empire used in the Old Republic, but his was more heavily modified.
"We've got to get the power back on, now!" Anakin said as he was doing just that, Ahsoka and Plo doing the same and helping as the ship powered up. Plo walked over to R2 and turned the little droid back on, who beeped at him in greeting.
"Koh-to-yah, droid." Plo greeted back.
"Artoo! Program the navicomputer. Be ready to get us out of here!2 Anakin said, getting an affirmative from the astromech before he asked where to. "Anywhere, hurry!"
Just as the ship started moving, it was fired upon by Khan's ship, one shot hitting the Twilight which made it shake.
"He's firing on us!" Ahsoka realized.
"I see that, Ahsoka!" Anakin said. It was a cat and mouse game as the Rogue Shadow pursued the Twilight.
On the Rogue Shadow, Jayden had his gaze firmly set on that buckle of bolts Skywalker and Tano were in. He was firing relentlessly on it, intending to have it destroyed and take all those inside it with it. The Republic could not learn of the secret weapon until it was too ate for them to do anything about it, and Jayden will ensure they won't.
As he kept firing, the Twilight went side to side to avoid his shots before increasing speed... then it shot off into Hyperspace. Jayden growled and nearly slammed his fist into the console in anger but he held back and calmed down as his rage stirred before it simmered down and remained like that.
His Master will not be pleased...
And that's it for the first in a three-part arc, the Malevolence arc, although mine will be a two-art arc.
Fun fact: the pod known as 1977 has the numbers for the year that Star Wars: A New Hope was released. Nice little reference to the first film that kicked it all off, technically the fourth but it was the first.
