Answers to reviews:

Arbiter3670: How would Jayden be able to find them? Holocrons, especially Sith, would be hidden very well. Also, what's a Kryat Dragon peal? Is it a strong kyber crystal or something?

Guest: It's a little hint to something that will be revealed later on.

Guest02957 : You'll have to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan.


Things were not going very well in Jayden's opinion.

After the Jedi had gotten away with the knowledge of the Malevolence, the ship continued exercises for several days, hunting Republic fleets despite its secretive nature being revealed. Count Dooku had assigned Jayden to remain on the ship with Grievous, to ensure the General does not fail again. The Sith Apprentice was roaming the hallways on the ship, trying to find something to entertain himself so he doesn't get bored.

Not even trying to destroy the Republic's medical station did an ything to ease his boredom.

Suddenly and without warning, the vessel shook violently as a shudder rolled through the hull, a dull thunderous rumble echoing somewhere within the vast vessel, causing Jayden to stumble a step and hold onto the wall.

"What the...?" He muttered to himself with narrowed eyes behind his mask. By the time the second explosion rang out and General Grievous was paging him, Jayden was already aboard the turbolift and ready to act.


Later…

A squadron of newly-minted long-range Y-Wing bombers, piloted by the daring Shadow Squadron and led by the joint command of Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano, launched a surprise attack on the Malevolence and intercepted the dreadnought before it could destroy the Kaliida Shoals medical station. Suddenly besieged by the Republic from all sides, and severely crippled by the Y-Wings, the Malevolence turned tail and fled with the enemy hot on its heels.

And now the cruiser was a mere shadow of its former self.

Flames erupting across the hull, sprouting from heavily-damaged sections of hull that had been ripped asunder by non-stop turbolaser fire. The shield generator was gone, the ion cannon was a smoldering ruin, the dreadnought now more closely resembled a fiery husk than its former glory.

Once feared by the Republic, the super-ship was now fleeing for its life as a trio Venator-class cruisers chased the vessel into the Prindaar System, shelling it at point-blank range. Aboard the bridge of the leading Resolute, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Wullf Yularen.

"Commander, what is the damage level to the enemy ship?" Obi-Wan enquired.

"She's lost her primary shields and stabilizers, but the ship is so massive, it can take all the fire our cannons can give it." The commander reported from the bridge pit.

"We must summon reinforcements." Plo urged. "The destruction of this vessel cannot wait if we are to ensure the safety of our fleets."

"That's why I'm here, Master Plo." A familiar voice called out. The two Masters turned to see Anakin arriving on the bridge with Ahsoka in tow, the access doors sliding shut behind them.

"Anakin. Were you able to contact Master Luminara?" Kenobi queried.

"Yes, Master. She's busy with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements near by. She won't be able to give us support until she's turned them away." Anakin responded in precise, clipped tone.

"Then we'll have to make do with what we have." His friend mused, stroking his beard as he returned to staring out the viewport at Malevolence's hulking engines, the dozens of illuminated pinpoints now surrounded by a cloud of smoke and flame…


Alarms were blaring throughout the ship as the Republic cruisers continued to fire on it. The ship was practically shaking every second due to the damage and laser blasts from the Venators firing on it. Aboard the bridge, the constant shuddering from cannon impacts was so bad, neither Grievous nor Jayden could stand up properly, the two clinging to consoles for support as the bridge crew continued to analyze the situation.

"We've lost our primary weapons… uh, the hyperdrive has been disabled too." A droid reported, scratching its head as Grievous loosed an irritated growl.

"G-General! The forward engines are shutting down!" Another suddenly cried.

"Impossible…!" Grievous gasped.

"Communications are still up and running." Jayden pointed out from a terminal as he showed the General that the communications array was still functioning. "It may be wise to inform my Master about this, rather than try to keep it from him in the event the Republic do manage to destroy this ship."

Grievous grunted, but he gave a nod. "A wise decision, Lord Khan. Even the best must know when to ask for help. Droid! Connect me to Count Dooku."

The B1 droid nodded and tapped a few buttons. Soon enough, a hologram of Count Dooku appeared before Grievous and Jayden.

"General. I am getting reports that your assault on the Kaliida Shoals medical station has failed. Explain yourself." Clearly the Count was in no mood for further setbacks and Grievous set about posturing himself appropriately.

"I apologize, my lord," he answered with a cough, "the Jedi ambushed us en-route to the facility. They are making use of new long-range bombers. We were unprepared for the assault." He coughed again, attempting to put emphasis on his ragged state. Dooku stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"So the Jedi have chosen craftiness as their path," he mused, "how fares the Malevolence?"

"It has-augh!" The General spluttered, his body rocked by another shuddering impact and nearly flung Jayden from his feet, "…sustained substantial damage."

"General, we have arranged a trap that will give you an advantage over the Jedi." He began.

"I assure you," Grievous interrupted, "that is unnecessary-"

"Do not compound your failure this day by allowing our prized warship to fall." Dooku firmly retorted, speaking sharply and sternly.

"My lord, they will never capture me or this ship!" Grievous refuted defiantly. Taking his words in stride, Dooku's hardened expression softened somewhat.

"Heading towards you is a very important galactic senator." He continued. "With her as your hostage, the Republic will call off their attack and grant you an opportunity to escape them."

"As you wish, my lord." Grievous relented with a bow. The transmission snapped out and the General promptly turned to Jayden. "Go to the lower hangar and await the arrival of our… 'esteemed guest'. We cannot afford a pointless struggle right now."

Jayden nodded in acceptance and made to leave the bridge behind, moving slowly but surely as he fought to maintain steady footing.


Meanwhile, in Hyperspace…

Flying through the swirling blue and white vortex that is Hyperspace was a H-type Nubian Yacht, a sleek and stately vessel designed by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps to be the pinnacle of luxury travel for Naboo royalty. Constructed on Naboo out of regal chromium plating, its shimmering gleam was only ever affiliated with the ruler of the world.

It was a ship that Padmé Amidala, former Queen of Naboo, continued to make use of. So beloved was she by her people that they allowed her to continue using the ship, long after her time as Queen had ended.

And right now, she was putting the vessel to good use. The reason for her being in Hyperspace right now was because she was going towards what she believed was a mission of great diplomatic importance to the Republic's war effort, and Padme was determined to pull out all the stops to ensure its success."My lady, are you sure that the information from Chancellor Palpatine is… reliable?" C-3PO inquired.

"Yes, Threepio. It was secretly given to him by the Supreme Executive of the Banking Clan himself." Padme responded, prepping her vessel to drop out of hyperspace. "If they leave the Separatist Alliance, it will go a long way to shortening this war." Her console blinked, drawing her attention and she saw they were about to come out of Hyperspace at their destination. "We're approaching the system now."

However, upon coming out of Hyperspace, they weren't near any Systems... they were in the middle of a battle as the Malevolence was being shot upon by three Republic cruisers.

"Ah AH! Oh my goodness!" Threepio squealed, clearly frightened as Padme jerked the controls hard to the left and veering her yacht out of the way with mere seconds to spare.

"This isn't right!" She cried out, adrenaline still pumping hard and fast. "That's a droid warship! We're in the middle of a battle!" Nudging the stick forward, the thrusters hummed heartily as she skirted around the Malevolence; which resembled a burning pyre more than a fearsome battlecruiser.


Meanwhile, on the Resolute...

"Master!" Ahsoka piped up from where she was sitting at the scanners, used to detect any incoming ships that had entered the area. Her shout drew Anakin, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon's attention. "I'm picking up a signal near the enemy vessel! Something just came out of Hyperspace!"

"Enemy reinforcements?" Anakain inquired.

Ahsoka checked and frowned. "no. It looks like a... Naboo ship."

Anakin stopped himself from widening his eyes. The information causing his mind to turn to the one person he knew that was connected to Naboo, and goes around in a Naboo ship often for her travels. He pleaded with the Force that it wasn't her.

"Gunners! Stand down!" Obi-Wan ordered the ones firing before asking. "What in blazes are they doing out here?"

"Ahsoka, contact that ship." Anakin ordered.

Ahsoka nodded and quickly did so. "Naboo cruiser, identify yourself."

A voice that Anakin hoped he wouldn't hear came from the other end as a hologram of a certain someone appeared before him. "This is Senator Amidala of the Galactic Senate."

"Padme?!" Anakin gasped, his eyes widening with surprise as well as horror that she was out there and near the enemy ship. "What are you doing here?!"

"l was sent on a special mission. The Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty." Padme quickly explained Anakin could sense her feelings through the Force, shock, fear, confusion, concern. Her story checked out as far as he was concerned. As for why and how she had come here would have to wait, but Anakin was not the only Jedi in the room to suspect treachery afoot. But now Padme was in a very precarious position so close to the Malevolence, a fact that needed to change.

"Get out of there as fast as you can!" He quickly told her. All at once, Padme's image shuddered, her body shaking as she struggled with the controls.

"Have we been hit?" Threepio queried.

"I'm afraid it's much worse than that." Padme replied. Anakin grew anxious, his fingers curling around the console as he struggled to maintain his composure. There were more Jedi in the room after all.

"Padme? Talk to me, what's going on? What's happening?" He inquired, fear rising.

"I'm being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam!" Padme replied in a frightened tone, confirming his worst fear. She struggled for a moment longer, loosing a frustrated groan when she realized how hopeless the endeavour was. "I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip, please Master Jedi, continue your attack! You must destroy this monstrous ship!" She urged them. Anakin closed his eyes, grappling with his orders and his desires. Mechanics whirred as his right fist clenched tight, his expression grim and closed off as his apprentice acutely felt his turmoil in the Force.

"Admiral, order our ships to stop firing!" Anakin finally ordered. He wasn't going to put Padme in anymore danger... and he wasn't going to fire on that ship while she's on it. Yularen moved to comply as Anakin found a seat, rubbed his temples and planned what he was going to do.


Pulled into one of the port-side hangars, Padme had no choice but to land her ship once the reverse-polarity field was in place. The Senator fought back panic, determined to find a way out of this situation. She glanced outside, studying a scarce few battle droids scurrying about as they picked their way through debris and rubble. For the interior of a ship, this looked much more like a battlefield.

Steady, Padme. You've been through worse. The Geonosian droid factory and the Petranaki Arena were worse than this. All I have to do is avoid the entire army of killer droids crawling all over this ship.

The hangar was softly glowing from fire and smoke, ashen pieces of debris rained down from above, some of it even clattering off the hull of her yacht. "It does not look safe out there, my lady." Threepio cautioned in a worried tone.

"I see now that this whole thing was a trap… and I walked right into it." Padme muttered. Acting on a thought, she began tapping away at the controls, rerouting subroutines to the engines. "Come on, I've overloaded the power system." She urged, springing from her chair and bolting to the rear of the craft.

"Oh… we're doomed." Threepio bemoaned as he dutifully followed. Sneaking down into the sublevel of her yacht, Padme planned to sneak out using the unconventional landing gear port instead of the normal boarding ramp in order to avoid detection by the droids.

"Come on Threepio, hurry!" She hissed, crawling to the ground.

"Hurrying, my lady…" the protocol droid responded as he awkwardly attempted to shuffle down the gear, "I'm not sure this is a good idea… oh, my servos were not built for this kind of intensive maneuvering." He groaned.

"Just get down here as soon as you can, we haven't much time before the engine destructs." The senator whispered. She turned to leave, only to jump back when she found herself staring at a red Lightsaber pointed right at her face, illuminating her features in a red, sinister glow. She slowly looked up into a expressionless black and red mask with a black visor.

"Good evening, Senator." The one she knew to be Darth Khan greeted her politely.

"M-My lady, I think-… woAHH!" Threepio cried out as he tumbled from the access ledge, bounced off the landing gear and landed in a heap on the ground. Jayden turned his attention to him briefly, and Padme quickly sprung and tried to get the Lightsaber out of his hand.

Keyword, 'tried'.

Jayden easily overpowered her and had his arm around her neck, causing her to freeze upon him tightening in warning. "Listen, Senator, I have no desire to hurt you... but do not force me to do that."

"How dare you land a hand on her! Unhand her at once you felon!" C-3PO ordered, not sounding threatening in the least. In response, Jayden just pointed his Lightsaber at the protocol droid. "Ah! Don't hurt me! I surrender!"

"A wise choice." Jayden stated before gesturing for the droid to move forward. Once he was in front, Jayden walked behind him, keeping Padme in his grip but he did loosen and kept his hand on her shoulder to ensure she wouldn't try anything. Padme took the time to quickly examine her captor. She guessed he was very young from his height. Having been around people long and played the politician game, she knew people and how to judge them off of appearance and height. She guessed Jayden was young... very young, probably the same age as Anakin's Padawan.

Of course, Dooku would use a youngling to do his dirty work. She thought with disgust aimed at Dooku. Perhaps Khan wore a mask to give off a more threatening being, to hide how young he is and keep to a deadly and fearsome reputation.

Jayden brought them to a hyperrail system that ran the length of the dreadnought. At that moment, the access doors slid open and General Grievous stepped out, flanked by a pair of B1 battle droids. "Ah, Senator Amidala. So nice of you to drop by." He greeted as Padme shot him a glare.

"You will release me, General! I am a member of the Galactic Senate! The Republic will not stand for this kidnapping!" She retorted. The cyborg merely laughed.

"In case you haven't noticed, the Republic guns have fallen silent. Jedi are so predictable." Grievous responded.

"This will not go unnoticed, I will be rescued." Padme vehemently swore.

"Aboard this ship, there is no Galactic Senate. We do not recognize the Republic here." Grievous stated, leaning down until his face was inches from Padme's. "You have no power, no say, no status among us. You are nothing but a bargaining chip."

"I refuse!" Padme stated indignantly. Grievous chuckled.

"Perhaps you are hard of hearing, Senator. Let me say it again," a six-fingered hand grabbed her shoulder painfully, "you have no say in this, you are whatever I want you to be." A dull explosion from behind the sealed door, the demise of Padme's yacht, emphasized the sinister nature behind his words…


"Master! We're being hailed by the enemy ship!" Ahsoka suddenly announced. Bolting up from his seat with a sick feeling in his gut, Anakin moved towards the holocom.

"Answer it, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said and the Togruta did so, the result being an image that struck a nerve with the Jedi.

General Grievous stood before the com, Darth Khan beside him with Padme firmly in his grip. Next to them, C-3PO was guarded by a pair of armed battle droids, the pair completely subdued by the Separatists. Anakin suppressed a gasp, following by a vain attempt to suppress his fury and dismay.

"We're going to make this very simple for you." Khan started, tightening his grip slightly on Padme.

"Padme!" Anakin said upon seeing his wife.

"The woman... in return you let us go free." Khan said, giving the proposal they had.

"Let me go! Release me this instant!" Padme cried, thrashing hard.

"Silence!" Grievous barked as he made to backhand her, when Khan surprised them all by grabbing the General's hand.

"She is to be UNHARMED." He said with a growl. "This won't go smoothly if she's damaged because you have a temper, General. Or do you want to explain to Dooku the reason our ship went down is because you couldn't control your anger and harmed the Senator?"

Grievous growled and stalked off, causing Khan to shake his head.

"Sometimes I wonder how he's a General." He muttered to himself, seemingly forgetting he was still on the line with the Jedi before he looked at them and continued. "You have a choice, Jedi. You let us go, and the Senator will live, maybe even returned to you. However, if you continue firing on us..."

He trailed off, knowing they'll get the picture.

"The choice is yours." Khan stated, the transmission cutting out moments later.

"They ended it from their side, I can't get it back." Ahsoka told them all. Silence hung in the air, Plo tapping his respirator and Kenobi stroking his beard in thought. "What are we going to do?" No one answered the Togruta. Not even Anakin, who was already aiming to leave the bridge.

"And where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan called after him.

"Somebody has to save her skin." Anakin answered, an angry growl in his voice.

"I… thought you might say that." Obi-Wan mused and chose to pursue him. The two masters left and Plo exhaled loudly.

"There he goes again… craving adventure and excitement." He muttered.

"You get used to it." Ahsoka remarked, though her mind went back to how Khan... protected Padme from being struck by Grievous. Why would he do that? He is a Sith, they wouldn't give a damn if their hostage was harmed.


The Twilight remained parked in the Resolute's hangar bay, having been allowed to rest after the retrieval of Master Plo and the subsequent Y-wing mission. But now, Obi-Wan boarded the G9 Rigger-class light freighter that Anakin was already prepping to fly and casually took the co-pilot's seat as his busy friend continued to work, R2-D2 rolling around and checking systems himself.

"I trust you've already formulated a brilliant plan to rescue the Senator?" He queried.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Anakin responded, his tone grave and serious. Obi-Wan had seen this before. This was Anakin dedicated, determined, and he wouldn't stop until his goal was achieved come hell or high water.

"But do you have a Plan B?" Obi-Wan questioned. "Every operation needs a backup, Anakin."

"I don't have a backup. Yet." Was the answer. "But I do have a plan for getting aboard that ship."

"Really?" Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

"The enemy's sensors must be damaged so we'll sneak in behind them and dock at the emergency airlock." Anakin explained. After a moment with nothing further, Obi-Wan deadpanned, arching a questioning brow.

"That's your plan? Just fly there, land, hope they don't spot us, and walk in the door?" He wondered, sounding dismayed by the lack of anything else.

"Basically." Anakin said with a shrug.

"Oh. Brilliant." Obi-Wan slumped in his chair, as if hoping Anakin had been merely goading him with something so simple. "Let's get going…"

Anakin nodded, quickly throttling the Twilight out of the hangar and out of the Resolute. The battlefield had fallen silent, the Republic cruisers keeping their distance from the burning Malevolence as their guns rested. The path ahead was clear and Anakin could only hope it would be a smooth one.

The freighter caught up with the dreadnought in short order, bypassing smoking, burning hull plating as panels popped and raging fires burst free to reveal their scarlet glow. Anakin passed close by the neck of the vessel, the bridge not far above.

"If they spot us we'll be pulverized…" Obi-Wan commented worriedly.

"They're too busy repairing the ship." Anakin pointed out, still cruising on like this was perfectly fine and normal. "They don't have time to notice us."

"Subtlety has never been one of your strong points, Anakin." Obi-Wan remarked.

"Everything I learned, I learned from you, Master." Anakin shot back with a grin, the first one today.

"Oh if only that were true." Obi-Wan retorted.

Spotting an airlock on the side of the vessel, Anakin piloted the Twilight towards it, the ship going sideways as it's wing folded in with the other, and successfully connected with the airlock and docked, latched onto the airlock. The Twilight's modifications included a roof-mounted seal and hatch that could interfere with most models of airlock. The Separatist cruiser proved no different and the freighter soon locked with an obvious shudder.

Getting to their feet, the two Jedi and R2 made for the airlock and took a small lift to the door that led into the Separatist vessel. Along the way, Obi-Wan was giving his opinion on something Anakin mentioned. "Anakin, you're crazy. Spinning is not flying." Obi-Wan said stressily, there was a reason he hated flying.

"But it's a good trick." Anakin said with a grin, getting a sigh from his Master before they opened the door.

"We do not want to be spotted. "Obi-Wan said... then the doors opened to reveal two battle droids.

"Ah! I knew it! It's them!" One of them cried out.

"Oh no..." The other said lowly.

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a look before they quickly activated their Lightsabers and cut the droids down. "Was kinda expecting more to be stomping around, to be honest." Anakin admitted.

"Weren't you the one who said droids have better things to do than stand near an airlock?" Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but..." Anakin stopped as they heard hard mechanized footsteps filling the hall, marching in sync. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, counting. There were two sets, his guess made evident when they started talking. A couple of B1's from the sounds of it.

"…sounds like engineering is having a better time with the hyperdrive."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The damage wasn't as bad as they first thought. We should be good to get underway shortly."

"Great! Anywhere but here."

"We'll probably get transferred. This thing looks like an exploded fuel canister, it's gonna be getting repaired for a while."

The Jedi leaned back at the news. "Their hyperdrive is almost useable… that's not good." Anakin murmured in realization.

"Indeed. Sounds like we should be here for more than one reason." Obi-Wan agreed. R2 warbled and promptly cracked open the door, allowing the Jedi to burst out and cut down the hapless droids with their lightsabers. "Artoo, locate Senator Amidala." The astromech warbled in affirmation as he rolled over to a nearby access port, plugging his interface sprocket into place as he synched with the Malevolence's onboard database. Soon he had a reading and triggered his holoemitter, broadcasting a map of the ship as well as the route the Jedi needed to take.

"Looks like she's on the bridge, that's also where Threepio's signal is coming from." Anakin noted.

"Alright. We'll split up then. You go after the Senator, I'll go deal with the hyperdrive and make sure it stays offline." Obi-Wan suggested.

"Master, there's a chance there won't be much you can do about it. If the drive is fixed then we have to let the fleet try to destroy this vessel." Anakin countered.

"I'm sure I can put a damper in their plans somehow, even if it is briefly. We've got to do what we can while we're here." Obi-Wan replied, already moving.

"Shouldn't I go with you?" Anakin wondered.

"If I fall, you get to explain to the Council how it was your plan that got me killed." Obi-Wan responded with a smile. Anakin sighed, slumping his shoulders.

"I hate it when he does that." He grumbled. R2 loosed a few twittering beeps, the droid version of a chuckle.


Stalking onto the bridge, Grievous strode towards the centre console as the droids fearfully went about their tasks. A ruthless commander, Grievous tolerated nothing less than perfection and many a droid had suffered as a result. They all focused on their assigned duties, none of them daring to make eye contact. The General made a beeline for Jayden, the Sith Apprentice keeping Padme under guard with a tight grip on her arm.

"Comfortable, Senator? I know this vessel is not as posh as your homes in the clouds, but we do try to accommodate our guests." Grievous sneered.

"You would be wise to release me, General. I'm sure the Jedi would only send half of you to the scrap heap if you did." Padme retorted with a glare and partial growl. The cyborg cackled.

"They are welcome to try. Did you ever hear about the 'Hypori massacre'?" He queried, leaning so close to Padme she could see every scratch in his metal visage. "Ten Jedi were sent after me and my legions… only three lived to tell about it." He needn't say anything more. His point had gotten across. Padme slowed, not fighting as much but still maintaining her glare.

"Goodness! How ghastly." Threepio muttered in dismay as Grievous moved on. "My lady, I must say I do not care for this situation at all."

"You're not the only one, Threepio." Padme responded quietly.

"General, we just detected an unauthorized use of the lower data grid, near the emergency airlocks." A B1 suddenly piped up. Grievous turned, tromping over to his station to study it.

"Did you acquire a trace code?"

"Part of one, sir. We think it belonged to an astromech." The droid answered, typing away. Astromechs were seldom used by the Confederacy, and the General had a pretty good idea where one had come from and who it belonged to.

"Jedi…!" Grievous growled, clenching a fist. "Monitor all internal communications! If there are Jedi on my ship, I want to know exactly where they are!" He bellowed, stalking around the bridge with arms behind his back. The droids hastily resumed their work, fretting every second the General loomed over them.

"Sir, we're picking up unauthorized comm-chatter within the ship. It's moving fast… like, really fast." Another B1 reported moments later. Grievous was soon bent over his console, studying the data.

"Isolate which deck they're on and intercept." He ordered with a growl.

"Roger roger." The droid moved quickly, drawing up the schematics for the Malevolence before highlighting the incoming feed location.

"…Artoo, if you can, try to delay the repair teams working on the hyperdrive. Anything we can do to slow them down, the better. I'm on my way there now via the rail-jet." Hearing the familiar voice, Grievous chuckled.

"Kenobi… Slow us down, will you? We'll see about that, Jedi!" He determined. "Jam their transmissions. Then, all of you, come with me! Khan, make sure the Senator does not leave your sight. Use force if you must." He ordered, making to leave the bridge.

Soon the bridge was empty, save for Jayden, Padme and Threepio.

Padme eyed her captor, trying to think of possible escape plans before deciding trying to talk this out might be suitable. "Look, I'm sure the Jedi will show leniency if you let me go. You clearly don't want me harmed." Jayden turned to stare at her, not saying a word. "Release me and my droid. That's all I ask. You don't have to do anything more. Please. There's no need to keep me prisoner."

"Sorry, Senator, but that won't be happening." Jayden said, though he didn't sound sorry at all.

Suddenly, he felt a tremor in the Force and narrowed his eyes before he released Padme and moved for the shadows, just in time as the doors to the turbolift opened and Anakin ran in, spotting Padme instantly.

"Padme!" He exclaimed.

"Ani! Watch out!" Padme shouted. Anakin heard a Lightsaber activate and quickly activated his while spinning around to block Jayden's Lightsaber from taking his head off.

"Oh hey, Khan is it?" Anakin asked cheekily, getting a growl from the Sith who pushed Anakin back the Force pushed him into a terminal, causing it to spark upon the Jedi colliding with it. "Was it something I said?"

"I always heard from Ventress how you enjoyed talking, Skywalker. So I will be sure to rip your tongue out before I kill you." Jayden threatened, twirling his Lightsaber before entering the opening stance of Form II: Makashi. Anakin got to his feet, entering the attack stance of Form V: Shien. The two then struck, their Lightsabers clashing over their heads. Jayden blocked one of Anakin's attacks, pushed him off, twirled his saber for a spining attack but Anakin managed to block it, the two grunting as they struggled to overpower the other, their Lightsabers hitting the consoles and causing them to spark and be destroyed due to the weapons.

Jayden pushed Anakin off, then quickly blocked a downward attack before he kicked Anakin in the stomach, knocking him back. Jayden then grabbed Anakin with the Force and threw him into another terminal.

"Anakin!" Padme gasped.

"Tell me, Skywalker, where's your Padwan? I'm looking forward to a rematch with her after our fight on Tatooine." Jayden said, twirling his saber a few times as he watched Anakin get to his feet.

"What, looking forward to getting buried under another hill of sand?" Anakin snarked tauntingly, causing Jayden to growl before he ran, leaped used a console and brought his Lightsaber down but Anakin blocked and threw him over, sending Jayden crashing through another terminal that sparked.

Jayden got to his feet and sent Anakin into the wall with the Force, causing the so-called 'Chosen One' to grunt on impact. Jayden leaped and swung his Lightsaber, but Anakin quickly dodged it, causing the Lightsaber to hit the wall and leave a mark as Jayden dragged it along with an attempted decapitation swing that Anakin parried his his Lightsaber. The two continued to block and parry each other's attacks before entering another saber lock.

"Padme! Hail the fleet!" Anakin grunted as he tried to push back agaianst Jayden, whow as pushing against him. "We have to warn them about the Hyperdrive!"

"I know! I heard all about it while I was being kept here!" Padme replied as she rushed to the comms console. The urgency was evident in her voice. Jayden turned and raised his arm to use the Force on her when Anakin broke their saber lock and swung at him, causing Jayden to block and keep his attention on the Jedi.

"I'll keep him busy!" Anakin offered, doing exactly that as he went on the offensive, using more aggressive strikes to drive Jayden back, the Sith Apprentice going on the defensive now.


Aboard the Resolute…

While waiting around for news from Anakin and Obi-Wan, Plo Koon and Ahsoka found themselves in conference with Luminara Unduli as they filled the Mirialan Jedi in on recent events. "Another bold strategy from Skywalker, I presume?" She questioned at length.

"That's my Master." Ahsoka mused, a measure of pride in her young voice. Luminara shook her head slowly, the ever-prudish Master silently disapproving of the reckless youths.

"Once they make it off that ship, we'll need reinforcements to finish off the enemy." The Kel Dor continued.

"The Separatist fleet we encountered has been dispatched. I'm on my way, Master Plo." Luminara promised. The transmission cut out and the two turned to face each other.

"I meant to tell you before Master Unduli called, our ships are still in attack position, ready to fire again." Ahsoka reported.

"That is good."

"Any word from Master Skywalker?"

"I'm afraid not, 'lil 'Soka. I think the droids are jamming their transmissions." Plo watched as her gaze fell, the brilliant blues of her eyes losing their sparkle.

"We need to give him more time." She urged, pleading with him. Plo loosed a regretful sigh.

"I'm not sure we can. Every moment we wait is another moment the Malevolence remains intact. I'm sorry, 'Soka, but we may be forced to-"

"General Koon, I'm sorry to interrupt but we're receiving a transmission from inside the Malevolence." Admiral Yularen called to them from the forward bridge. The Jedi exchanged looks of welcome surprise.

"We better see what it is, right Master? It could be Skyguy." Ahsoka proffered, her eyes nice and bright again.

"Indeed, little one." Koon agreed. "I sincerely doubt it's General Grievous calling to gloat." The pair quickly returned to the bridge console where a holorender quickly sprouted before them.

"Senator Amidala, are you alright?" Koon inquired of the human lady.

"Yes, I've been better but I'm fine." Padme replied. She sounded out of breath, through the Force the two Jedi could tell she was worried. Ahsoka heard something in the background, slightly indiscernible through the spotty transmission feed. She leaned closer, scrunching up her face as she strained to listen. She heard Lightsabers clashing in the background, along with the sound of consoles sparking. She looked up and caught sight of her Master in the background, fighting a certain someone she hasn't seen since Tatooine.

"is that...?"

"I'm afraid Master Skywalker is preoccupied at the moment." Padme said over the sound of Lightsabers clashing.

"C'mon, Khan! I thought Dooku taught you well! Guess that explains how my Padawan buried you on Tatooine." They heard Anakin taunt in the background.

"She won't get another chance like that again. She'll be too busy mourning you!" They heard Khan growl and the Lightsabers sounds were more aggressive from then on.

"I have news!" Padme said, drawing Ahsoka and Plo's attention to her. "I overheard General Grievous discussing the state of the hyperdrive with the repair teams. It was damaged but it's nearly fully repaired now."

Plo's relaxed posture fell, the Kel Dor now quite vexed as he leaned closer, Ahsoka could sense his worry as it deepened.

"If they manage to escape, we may never get another chance to destroy this weapon." He realized. Behind Padme, Anakin went hurtling through the air, Khan charging after him and leaping across the remaining gap as they clashed off-screen. The Senator continued, sounding vexed by the fight but nonetheless determined to do her job. Ahsoka had to give her credit for her determination.

Guess the key to being a good senator is acting calm when under fire. Boy, I wonder how long she can keep this up for, let alone how long Skyguy's gonna last against Khan.

"The fleet must resume-" Interrupted yet again, Anakin and Khan flew into the background, their Lightsabers continuing to clash before Anakin was sent flying with a Force push and Khan leaped after him.

"The fleet must resume its attack!" Padme insisted, regaining her composure.

"We cannot open fire while the three of you are still onboard." Plo responded.

"Could we launch another strike team? I think the Y-Wings might be replenished by now." Ahsoka queried.

"It's too risky with the guns still operational, not to mention the chance for us to kill one of them in the process." The Kel Dor responded negatively. Khan and Anakin clashed again behind Padme, Lightsaber blades locked in a sparking engagement. Anakin pushed hard, forcing Khan's body to shift. Then the Sith pushed back and the Jedi found himself sliding across the floor.

"Obi-Wan's… trying to… slow them… down…" He called out to the others as he struggled, "haven't… heard from him… since he went… after the hyperdrive!" With a hearty shove, amplified by the Force, Anakin had Khan staggering before he lashed out with a Force push that drove the Sith into a console. The machinery collapsed, a shower of sparks filling the air as glowing terminal screens winked out. "I think the droids are jamming our comm signals." Anakin finally continued.

"That is what we assumed. If you have the Senator in good hands, you had better leave the ship so that we might continue the assault." Plo responded. "Reconnect with Obi-Wan and then return to the fleet as soon as you can."

"Understood, Master Plo-oof!" The air rushed from Anakin's lungs as Khan tackled him, driving him clear across the bridge and slamming him down into the console next to Padme. The Senator recoiled with a cry as Khan bashed Anakin into the terminal, shorting out the communication.

The feed flickered until it was lost, Ahsoka and Plo standing still in a moment of shocked surprise. "Anakin? Anakin, are you there?" Plo requested, met only with silence. "I certainly hope he has an easier time getting out of there."

"With Khan around, nothing's ever easy, Master." Ahsoka added worriedly.


Jayden Force called his Lightsaber to him, activated it and brought it down but Anakin managed to get his in time and blocked Jayden's, The Jedi gritted his teeth as he tried to push back, but he was on his back while Jayden stood over him, pressing the Lightsabers down closer and closer towards his head. Anakin growled as he used the Force to add more strength into his arms and push himself to his feet, then he pulled his free hand back and with a powerful Force push, Jayden was sent out through one of the windows and into space.

"That... takes care... of him.." Anakin panted, deactivating his Lightsaber, exhausted from the fight. He hadn't felt like this since his fight with Ventress on Yavin 4.

Bracing himself against the bridge, Anakin caught his breath as Padme approached. "Do you think that will stop him?" She wondered, laying a hand on his cut shoulder.

"I hope so." Anakin muttered, casting a glance at the closed window shutter that came down after the window was smashed.

Sparks erupting next to him grabbed his attention. He realized the bridge had been trashed by the fight, the heated back and forth combat enough to ruin virtually every terminal and console in sight. At least the droids won't be getting much use out of them. Good thing this wasn't on one of our ships.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, turning to his wife.

"Better now." She whispered in response, pressing up against him. Anakin chuckled.

"Oh the things you do to get me alone." He cheekily teased. Padme shook her head in mock admonishment, brushing several loose strands of hair out of his dirtied face.

"Stop talking." She ordered, reaching up on the tips of her toes to press her lips to his. Anakin reciprocated, husband and wife holding one another in an intimate embrace.

She's safe now. That's all that matters. Even now, she smells like cloudberries. I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy-

"Mistress Padme, may we please depart this wretched place now? I've had enough of Separatists for one day." Threepio innocently interrupted. Anakin and Padme released each other reluctantly, both of them inwardly admitting the droid had a point.

"I think that goes for all of us, Threepio." Anakin concurred. "Come on, let's get you both back to the Twilight."


Jayden had managed to press a button on his right arm, calling the Rogue Shadow to him and he quickly entered through an airlock. He panted in exhaustion before stumbling his way to the cockpit in time to watch the Malevolence be destroyed by the Republic.

Dooku was not going to be happy about this...


Okay, not a good ending but... meh.