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Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan/Darth Khan. Also, credit to DFM23 who gave me permission to use some ideas and scenes from his story Rise of the Wraith.
Felucia, known as Galush prior to the formation of the Galactic Republic, was a colorful, humid jungle planet located in the Felucia system of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories. The headquarters of the Commerce Guild, its primary agricultural export was the valuable crop nysillin, which was largely farmed by the native Felucian tribes.
The world was a hotbed of life, and several non-sentient species also inhabited the world, including Gelagrubs, jungle rancors, and tee-muss. Despite its perceived insignificance, its important location and resources (which included the healing plant nysillin) led to several conflicts both in orbit and on the surface.
And like other worlds, the Clone Wars has come to Felucia.
The situation grew dire quickly, the Republic lacking the necessary numbers to fend off such a powerful ambush, and Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi called for an immediate retreat.
With the Separatists blockading the planet above, it was up to Plo Koon's battle fleet to punch through to stage the rescue. Leading an escort of LAAT gunships and flanked by his very own Hunter Squadron in V-19 Torrent's, Plo Koon piloted his personal Delta-B Aethersprite interceptor Blade of Dorin. It was a customized gift from Anakin himself after the loss of Plo's fleet to the Malevolence dreadnought.
No better way to repay him than with his own handiwork. The Kel Dor surmised as he powered up his forward cannons to deal with the incoming Separatist fighters.
"Warthog! Protect the gunships, we will take out the fighters!" Plo ordered.
"Copy that, General!" Warthog promptly responded. Flying in formation, the attack craft formed a defensive screen around the convoy of gunships. Vulture droids came hard and fast, shattering before a hail of blasterfire as the Republic went on the offensive. Too fast and too nimble to be struck by the cannons of the Munificent cruisers, the snubfighter passed through the blockade with nary a scratch and a debris field of Vulture droid parts behind them. The Separatists gave chase as Plo's Venator cruisers attacked the Separatist cruisers, shelling them to pieces to buy the rescue convoy time to reach the planet.
Down on the ground, fighting for their lives beneath butterscotch skies and towering alien foliage, a sweat-drenched and grime-ridden Anakin parried blaster bolts in their dozens as the droid army besieged his brigade. With Obi-Wan by his side, it brought little comfort as they Jedi and their troopers remained trapped by the onsluaght of droids.
Talk about a rock and a hard place. They get any closer and I'll be touching this walker!
The sizzle of impact rounds and the stench of burnt metal was rife in the air. Clones on either side of him blasted away at the seemingly-endless columns of droids. Every model, spider-droids included, we're coming their way and they weren't stopping for anything. Relief was still on its way, hounded by Vulture droids hot on their trail.
"I can't shake these two droids!" Warthog growled in frustration, ducking and weaving as a pair chased him. Rapid-fire rounds of scorching blasterfire whizzed past his transparisteel cockpit, streaking past him to strike foliage on the ground. Too close! Too damn close!
"Come around and we'll try to get them off your tail!" Plo ordered. "Maxcri! Take one and I'll take the other!" Following his master's orders, the young Houk jerked his snubfighter around in time with Plo's arcing turn, now zipping towards Warthog.
"Argh, ugh! General…?!" The desperate Warthog sounded incredibly panicked over the comms.
"Maxcri, do you have a lock?" Plo asked.
"Yes, Master! Foremost fighter!" The Houk answered, toggling his targeting computer.
"I'll take the rear! Together!" Simultaneous, they hit the triggers and struck the Vultures with a barrage of blue bolts, shearing off their wings and shredding their central nodes in a sudden strafing run the droids could not have possibly anticipated. The skies were clear, the debris sent hurtling to the forested floor…
"Look out!" Obi-Wan cried, sprinting with the Force to tackle Anakin as remnants of Vulture droid rained down around them. The intact wings had enough strength and momentum to plow into their rearmost AT-TE, skewering clean through the walker to rupture the central drive core. The walker collapsed as a plume of flame shot up from its corpse, a shockwave rolling across the Republic troops.
"That was close! Too close!" Anakin shouted, adrenaline still pumping hotly from the near miss.
"If those fighters got through then our gunships can't be far behind!" Obi-Wan noted, shouting over the cacophony. A heavy shell fired past them, drawing the Jedi's attention to an approaching platoon of spider droids, their plasma cannons primed to fire.
"Not a minute too soon!" Anakin remarked. The familiar drone of LAATs was a welcome reprieve from the clank clank of marching droids.
"Get the men ready to evacuate! I'll buy you some time!" Obi-Wan ordered. Superior in the defensive arts, his bladework proved deft and fluid as he repelled the heavy artillery approaching them. Using the walkers for cover, the gunships made landfall a safe distance away, doors pulling open to reveal several 104th battalion troopers fresh and ready to provide cover fire.
"Time to back out, Rex! Let's put this mudball behind us!" Anakin ordered his Captain.
"Come on grunts! We! Are! Leaving!" Rex snapped to his boys, firing off a quick barrage from his pistols as his men heeded the order. Enough of their bodies lay strewn around the site and he'd grieve them all later. Damn shame we can't bring them back with us. Now they're worm-food. He backpeddled, still firing his pistols to give the last of his men time to board the gunships. There weren't many. Pitifully few in fact. This whole mission had been a disaster. Nothing to show for it but dead men and muddy boots.
The Clones began piling aboard and Anakin was noticing a very worrisome fact. "Ahsoka should be back from her jungle patrol by now!"
"I'll try to contact her again!" Obi-Wan replied, stepping back as Anakin took over. He raised his wrist comm. "Ahsoka, where are you? Report, Padawan! What is your location?"
"About six klicks east, Master! We've engaged the enemy and we've got them on the run!" Her voice replied, commingling with bursts of static.
Six klicks… nowhere near us. Obi-Wan realized. "Master Plo is here to extract us, we're leaving!"
"What?!" Ahsoka spluttered from the other end. "Bu-… We can't retreat now, Master! I've broken through! The droids are retreating!"
"We're outnumbered! You must evacuate now, that is an order!" Obi-Wan responded sternly.
"Master Skywalker taught me to never let up when the tinnies are on the run!" The Togruta retorted, her comms suddenly falling to static.
"They are running back here to regroup with the main force! You are putting your troops' lives in danger, young one! You will get on the gunship when we arrive!" Obi-Wan bellowed, one of the rare times he ever raised his voice at someone. Ahsoka failed to respond and he lowered his commlink with a spent huff. Climbing into a gunship Anakin was quick to join him.
"Where's Ahsoka?"
"Following your teachings." Obi-Wan grumbled in response.
"Well… is she winning at least?" Anakin queried with the barest of smirks. Obi-Wan deadpanned.
"For now." He remarked with a roll of his eyes.
How many years has it been…? And he's still so incorrigible.
The patrol Ahsoka was leading had every right to think they were beating the droid army. In addition to a division of Clones, she had at her disposal two more AT-TE walkers and a HAVw A6 Juggernaut turbo tank. Atop the tank, Ahsoka parried and deflected incoming blaster rounds in a stylish display of skill. Her movements were almost dance-like, not that the gunnery trooper beside her took notice. He was too busy manning the turbo tank's heavy laser cannon, gunning down droids as a thunderous CHOOM CHOOM CHOOM filled the air. The droids were in retreat, attempting to regroup near a single AAT unit that had not yet been destroyed. Ahsoka was confident it soon would be. They had the droids on the ropes.
But there was one who arrived to turn the tide.
Darth Khan strode fourth past the droids, Lightsaber activated, blocking and deflecting any Clone Troopers firing at him, sending their shots back at them and striking them dead on impact. Applying the Force into his legs, Jayden Force dashed across the battlefield, slashing through Clones that he passed, his Lightsaber nothing but a violent, blood-red blur as it cut and sliced through Clone armour and into flesh.
Focusing his gaze on the turbo tank, the Sith Apprentice spotted Ahsoka and narrowed his eyes behind his mask before he ran, blocking and deflecting shots then he leaped before landing on the tank right in front of Ahsoka.
"Oh, great." Ahsoka rolled her eyes before she assumed a stance. "Come to ruin the day as always?"
"If you hadn't noticed, Jedi, you aren't winning this battle. Your day was being ruined before I showed up." Jayden replied, assuming a stance. "Now, let's cut the chatter and get to the fight."
"You read my mind." Ahsoka said then lunged at him. They collided in a saber lock. Jayden immediately went on the offensive, his attacks strong and fierce, hitting Ahsoka hard and fast and forcing the Togruta to defend herself. Her saber skills struggled to keep up with Jayden's speed and contend with his power.
Rrgh! He's so fast! Did he get faster since the last time we fought? What has he been doing the past few months?! Training?!
Ahsoka started relying on her Force-enhanced physiology to defend herself. She bounced around him, cartwheeling around his blades and flicking her saber defensively to parry his many stabs and swings. It was a potent display of skill, another match between predator and predator vying for the position of apex. Had there not been a battle, most probably would have stopped and stared.
From their approaching gunship, Anakin and Obi-Wan looked on from above as Jayden and Ahsoka went back and forth across the entire roof of the turbo tank. Numerous scorch marks marred the durasteel surface, indicating dozens of near misses where Jayden's blade had stabbed through the vehicle instead of Ahsoka.
"Well, seems like she's busy." Anakin remarked. Obi-Wan cast him a glance. Humour always was his tension-breaker, intentional or otherwise.
"I'm more concerned with the fact she's not doing anything to stop." He added grimly, fully embracing his role as Master. Anakin huffed.
Yes, Master, I can see that too. Just when I thought we had this mentor-learner thing cracked. Guess I gotta teach her to be an Apprentice again. "Let me handle it," he offered before turning around, "Pilot! Wait until I give you a clear shot then blow that Sith off the tank!" He called out to the Clones in the cockpit before sliding open the access door with the Force and leaping down to the roof of the tank.
As she and Jayden squared off again, the last thing Ahsoka expected was for Anakin to drop down between them. "Master?!" She exclaimed in surprise.
"You're being awfully disobedient today, Snips!" Anakin retorted grimly, shooting her a glare as he threw out his hand and caught a surprised Jayden with the Force. The Sith Apprentice froze in place, wriggling against invisible bonds as he tried to move. "Pilot! Now!" Anakin ordered. The gunships turned and two mass driver rounds exploded from the overhead launchers. Jayden saw this and reached out with the Force to block or at least soften the impact. They hit their mark, sending him flying in a fiery plume off the roof of the tank.
"What are you doing?!" Ahsoka roared in a fury. "I had him!"
"Get in the ship NOW!" Anakin shouted in retort, levelling a stern finger towards the hovering gunship. The others were touching down before the armored patrol, giving the troops on the ground a chance to clamber to safety.
"Can't you see they're retreating?!" Ahsoka exclaimed in protest.
"They're about to overrun you, Ahsoka! You just can't see it. Now follow orders and get in the karking gunship!" Anakin barked. There was no room to argue. No choice but to obey. Ahsoka churlishly shoved past Anakin with a frustrated growl and hopped aboard next to Obi-Wan and Rex. Anakin followed suit, the gunship hovering higher as the rest of the escape convoy made ready to leave, the Clones exchanging fire with a much larger droid army fast approaching.
The gunships took flight as the regrouped battle droids attacked the defenceless vehicles, their conjoined numbers overwhelming the area within moments. Ahsoka realized now that Anakin and Obi-Wan had been totally truthful in their words. She looked up, suddenly feeling small and weak as their disapproving glares bored into her. The Togruta shrank away, wishing to curl up and hide in some shadowy corner of the gunship.
She was in for it now…
Down on the ground, a groaning and stumbling Jayden came out of the jungle, falling to his knees. His body was feeling pain all over from that attack. He took his hood down and rook his mask off, coughing.
"Should've just kept the mask the way it was rather than try to make a head-shaped mask." He muttered to himself, grabbing Revan's mask and taking off the back part to make the mask the way it originally was, just a mask to cover the face, not the entire head. Revan's mask should be the way it is, upgraded, but not changed.
Pushing himself to his feet, holding Revan's mask in one hand and his deactivated Lightsaber in the other, Jayden looked and watched as the droid army decimate the armored patrol, shelling the turbo tank until it exploded in a crimson fireball, the subsequent blast rolling the AT-TEs on either side over so they were crushed under their own weight. Skyward, the Republic retreated on gunships, their armored ground units lost and left behind to be picked apart for pieces and replacement parts by the droids.
Pain or not, the victory is worth it. Jayden thought with satisfaction as he smirked. Felucia is ours...
Later, elsewhere in the galaxy…
Night had fallen over Coruscant, the planet aglow from trillions of street lamps and illuminations from various buildings. With the 501st on site to replenish their strength, their Jedi commanders returned to the Temple and a very tense Council meeting. Anakin and Ahsoka stood before the Jedi High Council in a darkened chamber, very soft lamps serving as the sole illumination for the room. The events of Felucia were recounted by Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka felt the weight of every eye on her as he described her negligence and refusal to follow orders.
"Padawan Ahsoka, do you feel Master Kenobi's description of the incident is accurate?" Mace said aloud, his words coming across less like an inquiry and more like a demand. Ahsoka swallowed nervously.
"Yes, my masters." She quietly affirmed.
"More to add do you?" Yoda inquired. The Togruta exhaled quietly. She'd been rehearsing her response to just such a question long before this meeting was held. Hopefully I don't sound too much like a droid.
"I… I know I was wrong. I just got so caught up in my own success that I didn't look at the battle as a whole." She explained, barely loud enough for all the Councillors to hear. "I-I wasn't being disobedient, I just… forgot." Hopefully they would accept that.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately." Mace stated. "Your Master has been filing other accounts of your 'erratic behavior' from every recent deployment you've been on. Bal'demnic, Bomis Koori, Orto, Garta. You have been forgetful of your place as his Apprentice and have been getting 'caught up in your own success' quite frequently." The accounts had been shared with the other Councillors privately, it came as no surprise to them while Ahsoka was fearfully surprised by this news. She cast a glimpse up at Anakin, who refused to look at her.
"You're taking a lot of unnecessary risks, Ahsoka." Plo gently chastised. Mace was not nearly as gentle.
"This is war, unnecessary risks are the sort of thing that could get you killed. Not to mention all the men under your command." His words struck home and hurt. In the back of her mind, the cries and screams of Blue Squadron over Ryloth were so loud she swore they were dying right outside the chamber door.
"I… I know." Ahsoka softly answered, her eyes downcast. Anakin finally spoke up.
"Masters, this incident and perhaps all the others too, are my responsibility. Because of Ahsoka's advanced abilities I forgot how young she is." He excused. "I gave her more freedom than I should have." That also stung.
So much for proving myself. Maybe I did and I just wasted that chance… shot it into a black hole.
"That may be. It does not, however, excuse what happened on Felucia or any other world." Mace said sternly. "Does that freedom include permission to engage Darth Khan whenever he appears?" He questioned. Anakin paused. Ahsoka felt a tremor in his Force signature. Was he really surprised by what he'd said? Or was he trying to keep his anger in check?
"No, Master." Anakin calmly responded.
"Then it would appear we have yet another issue of yours to discuss, Padawan Tano." Ahsoka looked up, fighting back the urge to swallow nervously again. "It appears you've been overly eager to engage this Sith at any given opportunity. Of further note, you are the only Jedi to battle him and walk away unscathed from the encounter."
Now her mind was racing. The poor teen struggled for an answer.
What do they want from me? What do they expect me to say? What am I even supposed to tell them?
"I… I don't know." She feigned, struggling for an answer.
"You don't know?" Mace pressed, sounding unimpressed.
"I don't!" Ahsoka blurted out. "I-I… I mean, we fight, and he's a really really hard opponent."
"If he's so difficult, why do you pursue fighting him?" Mace demanded, his tone extremely interrogative. "Is it the challenge? The thrill? Are you 'caught up in your own success'?" His barrage of questions was hard to weather. Ahsoka felt like she was going to cry.
"I-I don't know…" She meekly said, fighting to hide her trembling lip.
"Let's look at the facts." Shaak Ti mercifully cut in. "Khan has appeared on nearly every battlefield where the five-hundred and first has fought, namely because the Republic trusts the legion with the hardest jobs. Their troopers are the best of the best."
"Far too frequent it is to be a coincidence." Yoda mused. "Trust Khan to win victories, Dooku does. Faith in his Apprentice, he has. Trained well, he is. Faced him, I have."
"What is your approach to fighting him, Padawan?" Shaak inquired, directly addressing Ahsoka now. Her tone was softer, more nurturing, like a mother trying to coax a child out of fearful hiding. "The lessons you've learned could be pivotal in future encounters." Taking a breath, Ahsoka summoned the Force to compose herself, harnessing it's presence like a blanket to smother her rising emotions.
"I… I fight him the way I was trained to. I know he's well skilled, having been trained by Count Dooku... and he appears to be studying more than just one form of Lightsaber combat. He used Form II against me a few times. I-I generally find myself relying on Niman and Soresu techniques. He hits fast, like really fast, so I have to move that way too." She slowly answered.
"Hmm, strong he has grown." Yoda nodded. "Powerful he has become. More to him there is, I feel."
"And... he seems to have devloped a desire to face me every time we encounter one another." Ahsoka quietly admitted. "It started ever since I bested him on Tatooine... and buried him under a hill of sand when attempting to protect Jabba's son." She felt Anakin's amusement at her words, as well as a little... sympathy? For Khan? Then again, her Master once complained about how he didn't like sand, and probably didn't want to stomach the thought of being buried in it, nor wish that for anyone, even a Sith.
"he he attempted to kill you, or paused to continue this rivalry?" Plo inquired.
"No, he's had chances." Ahsoka said, remembering their fight on Naboo and how he had the chance to kill her only for Rex to interrupt. "But something interrupts when we've got the upper hand over the other... though I feel like I've barely walked away with my life every time."
"if he's as young as Ahsoka here is... it's possible he's developed this rivalry because of this." Shaak Ti mused. "After all, I doubt he'd do such a thing with his Master or even Ventress even though they have the same Master."
"Like how Obi-Wan and Ventress seem to have their rivalry at times." Anakin muttered, but Obi-Wan heard and shot him an exasperated look.
"Perhaps, but it doesn't excuse what happened on Felucia." Mace said. "I think she needs some time away from the battlefield." Her shoulders slumping, Ahsoka's gaze fell again.
"On archive security, reflect on your actions you can, Padawan." Yoda decided.
"Guard duty?!" Ahsoka exclaimed in dismay, gaze suddenly popping up only to find the disapproving stares of the Masters boring into her. She cleared her throat, trying to correct herself. "For how long…?"
"Longer now." Mace stated.
Onboard Dooku's dreadnought ship, Jayden was wincing as he had some burn marks be healed up. Even though he was fine, he still took some damage from having two mass driver rounds slammed into him despite the Force managing to stop most of the impact. He vowed to not be caught off guard in such a way again.
And perhaps, it's time he started to learn duel wielding rather than simply using one all the time. Not that he couldn't go back to using one, but there was no reason to keep Revan's purple Lightsaber in a box as some heirloom. As Revan's descendant, it was his.
A few minutes later, Jayden had donned Revan's mask over his face. He had given it a clean to remove the dirt and dust from the battle of Felucia, and now the grey metal gleamed along with the red, the black visor cleaned and reflective of what was in front of it. Grabbing the purple Lightsaber, Jayden activated it and watched the purple blade, listenting to it's humming, then he deactivated it and hooked it onto his belt on his left side, while his crossguard Lightsaber remained on his right side.
the doors of his quarters opened and he turned to see his Master arrive. He bowed. "Master."
"Come, there is a new assignment ready for you." Dooku said and led the way out Jayden's quarters.
"What are you having me do now, Master?" Jayden asked curiously, looking at his Master.
"I am not the one assigning you this mission, Jayden." Dooku said quietly, and through their Master/Apprentice bond, Jayden could sense... anxiety, even a little bit of fear and apprehension.
"Then who is?" Jayden asked, but something told him that he would dread the answer.
"My Master... Darth Sidious."
Entering a private room, Jayden almost froze in his tracks as he looked upon the hologram form of Darth Sidious. Jayden has never met the Dark Lord in person, but his very presence gave him chills and hesitant to even want to be in his presence, and that's just coming from his hologram. Jayden didn't want to know what it would be like meeting the man in person.
Dropping to a knee, Jayden spoke. "Master Sidious."
"Rise, Lord Khan." Sidious said calmly and gently, giving a small gesture with his hand for him to rise and Jayden did so. "I am most impressed with your record in this war. Victory after victory, praise follows you. And I am very much impressed by the list of Jedi you have killed, especially for one so young. You continue to prove yourself to the Sith, prove yourself as my Apprentice's student, prove yourself worthy... of your bloodline. Now, I have a new task for you, one that shouldn't prove to be too difficult for you. I need a Jedi holocron."
Jayden's eyes widened a little but he kept himself composed. "To get a Holocron, i would have to break into..."
Sidious chuckled and gave a single nod of his head. "Yes, the Jedi temple. However, just walking in will prove unwise, for the Jedi will sense you eaily due to the Darkness inside you... you will have to hide your Force signature behind a wall, shrouded by... the Light Side." Sidious spat the last couple of words out like they were poison.
"I will see it done, Lord Sidious." Jayden said, bowing again. Underneath his hood, Sidious smirked.
"Good. However, you will have aid from the Bounty hunter known as Cad Bane." Sidious added, causing Jayden to stiffen and Sidious noticed this. "I trust this will not be a problem?"
"No, Master." Jayden shook his head. Working with a Bounty Hunter... that's something Jayden has never done. But he has heard of Cad Bane, who has quite a reputation.
Nodding in satisfaction, Sidious' hologram form soon cut out and Jayden let out the breath he had been holding. Dooku walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
The next morning…
As an early-morning sun rose over Coruscant, Anakin escorted Ahsoka through the fairly-silent halls of the Temple to the relatively-empty Jedi Archives. As one of the biggest known libraries in the galaxy (if not the biggest), the Archives were revered by every scholar and learner in the Order, not to mention highly-coveted by non-Jedi desperate to learn from exclusive texts.
Yet all Ahsoka saw was row upon row of long-winded and dusty texts. No action. No chance to prove herself. Just a torturous, monotonous punishment.
"You'll report here every morning until the Council decides your punishment is fulfilled. Don't bother trying to find me, the Council won't let us do anything together until you've carried out your term in here." Anakin instructed her.
"Yes, Master." Ahsoka mumbled. She glanced up at him. Has he even looked at me once today? Is he that ashamed of me? "I'm… sorry I let you down." She quietly apologized. Anakin exhaled slowly.
"It's fine. I was a Padawan not that long ago." He softly replied. Stepping deeper into the Archives, the two approached an elderly woman clad in commonly-coloured Jedi robes. Ahsoka chafed at the notion of having to spend her time trapped under the unflinching commands of a librarian. "Madame Jocasta Nu?" Anakin inquired in greeting. The old woman turned, revealing a wrinkled human face framing kindly eyes and topped by stark-white hair pulled back into a tight bun. "This is Ahsoka Tano. She'll be your new security officer." Anakin introduced. The Togruta forced a smile.
"Hello, Madame." She greeted, plain and quiet. Jocasta Nu smiled.
"Ahsoka, yes, the Council told me you would be arriving. So good to meet you." She replied in a voice wearied by age. Anakin turned to go and Ahsoka silently wished he wouldn't. "Let's show you around." Jocasta invited and Ahsoka resigned herself to her fate.
The tour of the Archives brought Ahsoka back many years to her time as an Initiate, a merely Youngling tasked with researching history and people as her instructors prepared her to become a Padawan. Yet compared to the battlefield, it seemed so dull. The shift in environment was incredibly jarring.
Better get used to it 'Soka. Only way you're getting back out there and doing what you wanna do is to obey the Council. If that means stay here and help Master Nu, better do it.
Accepting the circumstances, the Togruta teen listened idly as Jocasta listed off the various areas of the Archive and what each was dedicated to. As it turned out, they had a section for just about everything, and a text for every possible topic to boot. "There is more knowledge here than anywhere else in the galaxy." The librarian surmised.
"Master Kenobi says there are even texts here that are forbidden to be read." Ahsoka chimed in and Jocasta chuckled at her childish directness.
"Well, the archives hold a great many secrets 'tis true." She agreed. They paused at the end of a particular row, where a singular door was set against a flat inconspicuous wall. "Beyond this door lies the Holocron vault. The Holocrons contain the most closely-guarded secrets of the Jedi Order." Jocasta explained. Her timing was perfect, as a familiar Nautolan Jedi Master (with Holocron in hand) approached the vault door. "Good morning, Master Fisto." She called out in greeting. Kit Fisto turned and offered her a silent, happy smile. Turning back to the door, he waved his hand across the access panel as the Force worked all the mechanics for him and unlocked the entry for him.
"Can we go inside?" Ahsoka queried as Kit stepped in.
"Oh I'm afraid not my dear." Jocasta responded negatively. "I haven't been inside myself for years. Only members of the Jedi Council are allowed access." Turning them around as the door sealed behind Kit, Jocasta began leading Ahsoka back towards her rotunda. "Guarding the Holocrons is one of the most important duties a Jedi can be given." The librarian explained. "Do you think you're up to the task?" At that, Ahsoka perked right up.
That sounds like a big responsibility. Doing that for a few days is bound to get the Council to notice me again. Maybe I can be outta here sooner…
"Definitely." She replied with a grin, her first genuine one today.
Ahsoka's Archive-security punishment had Anakin reminiscing about the many times he was placed on the same duty, usually for some inability to do as an instructor wished. Anakin had always struggled with embracing the Jedi Code. They claimed he was "too aggressive" in Lightsaber combat, "too passionate" about his feelings for certain subjects, "too unruly" when it came to respecting an authority he hardly knew. Even now, he could still feel the lingering glares of those who disapproved of his Knighthood. Mace Windu chief among them. He swore the Master of the Order was always looking for some slight to write him up on. No doubt he'd capitalize on Ahsoka's current situation.
How do you deal with it, Padme? All the pressure to perform in the Senate? Entire worlds hang on your words… I wish you could tell me what I'm supposed to do, how I'm supposed to perform for the Council…
Absorbed in his thoughts, he strode through the halls of the Temple on his way to a rendezvous with Obi-Wan and Yoda in the war room. They were going to cover the new battlefield situation, an ever changing thing, now that Felucia had fallen entirely to the Separatists.
"Knight Skywalker. A moment?" The familiar tone caught his attention and Anakin looked up to see Shaak Ti approaching him, breaking off from a conversation with Voolvif Monn and Oppo Rancisis.
"Of course, Master Ti." He obliged. She made to walk with him.
"I wished to speak with you further about Ahsoka's recent erratic behavior. I understand that this is something fairly recent, only now is it truly coming to light." Shaak stated. Anakin nodded.
"Yes. I guess you could say it first manifested during our assault on General Ord Dassyne's fort. We were on the Bomis Koori Four campaign."
"Your first mission after Ryloth."
"That's… right." Anakin stopped, trailing off as his thoughts shifted gears. He remembered the aftermath of Ryloth. Something stood out to him. "Now that you mention it, I did start noticing how she was acting… different after Ryloth. She didn't seem to have the same energy anymore." Not so innocently perky. More like… driven. Darkened. She lost that light she always radiated, wasn't in her expressions anymore.
"Describe it for me." Shaak urged. Anakin ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, her decisions became riskier and riskier. But not directly for the men, like Master Windu believes, mostly for herself. Like I described in my reports; erratic. One minute she'll storm a heavily-guarded shield generator all by herself. The next she's chasing down droids and refusing to believe they're regrouping with a much larger force and she needs to pull back." They slowed, coming to a standstill in the middle of the hall as the Togruta dwelt on his words.
"Why do you think could be the cause of this erratic behavior?" Shaak queried. Anakin gave that some thought, reflecting on everything he and Ahsoka had been through, and especially the things that Shaak Ti had not been there for.
"Only thing I can think of is… well, maybe I'm wrong… I hope I'm wrong… Maybe she's still affected by the loss of Blue Squadron during our attack on the Ryloth blockade." He determined after a moment's thought. The pieces began falling together for Shaak and she stroked her chin as she began to understand the reality facing their young protege.
"She has yet to learn the value of detachment." The elder Togruta concluded. "She must learn that death is natural and that all living beings become one with the Force. She needs to come to terms with the death of that Squadron." These were lessons she had come to grips with on her journey to Masterhood, and Shaak was determined to impart them to other Jedi as well. "As her Master, this responsibilty falls to you." She told Anakin.
"I know." Anakin replied after a slow exhale. I really hate talking about that stuff. Why can't someone else go over it? Why can't you do it?
"I can do what I can, offer some advice. Our species, Togruta culture, has something of a callous approach to death. I may be able to use it as a way to impart the value of detachment to her." Shaak proffered. Anakin nodded in acceptance. The notion of someone else to bear the burden was a relief.
"Thank you, Master Ti. I'm sure that will be helpful."
hsoka decided to take some time to memorize the layout of the Archives. If she was going to be here for a standard week or more, it seemed prudent to at least know where everything was. I'm a quick learner, that's what Master Damsin always said. I'll have this down to a science in no time. There were four halls in total, the first dedicated to history and philosophy records, the second containing math and science data, the third possessing information on geography and politics, with the fourth housing data on nature and species of the galaxy. All of them could be access by splitting off from Master Nu's central librarian rotunda.
Of them all, it was the First Hall that Ahsoka found herself wandering down that morning. While philosophy and history were of no appeal to the Togruta, the bronzium busts lining the hall certainly were.
Known as The Lost Twenty, a title given to a group of 20 Jedi Masters who left the Order throughout its history. They had become disillusioned with the Jedi way of life and chose to abandon it entirely. Ahsoka found them fascinating, but also confusing. So many Jedi from across the past hundred years who had abandoned the Order. But… why? I can't understand why any Master would want to leave the Order…
That question lingered until she stopped at one bust.
Sharp aged features, an old bearded human man who she'd seen countless times on the HoloNet. Her brow furrowed as she recalled his look of snobbish superiority, the darkness behind his eyes, and how every Padawan and Initiate equated him to pure evil. In her eyes, the bust of Count Dooku seemed out of place in the Archives. The teen couldn't help but glare at his icon. If looks could kill and he'd been standing right there, he'd be dead already.
"He has a very powerful face, doesn't he?" Jocasta suddenly mused, surprising Ahsoka with her stealthy appearance. Or maybe she had been too focused to notice. "He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I've had the privilege of knowing." The librarian said fondly.
"And now he's a Sith." Ahsoka grumbled. "Why even bother keeping a bust of him? He's the enemy, we should just throw it away." She decided angrily.
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, young one." Jocasta responded, her tone very soft and grandmotherly. So much so that Ahsoka's anger began to abate.
"But… why? Isn't that why he left? He was seduced by the Dark Side?" She questioned.
"Oh hardly." Jocasta countered. "One might say he was always a bit out of step with the decisions of the Council. Much like his pupil, Master Qui-Gon Jinn. They were very individual thinkers. Idealists." She described. "In the end, I think he left because he lost faith in the Republic. Then he disappeared for nine or ten years only to turn up as the head of the Separatist movement." Ahsoka was speechless.
"I… I've never heard that before." She was telling the truth. No one had ever said anything about Dooku's life before he led the Separatists. Who knew that there was more to him than the HoloNet News let on.
"The Council doesn't like to talk about the Lost." Jocasta told her, her tone vaguely dishereatened. "I think they should. There is always knowledge to be gleaned from someone's story. In fact, I'd say you are the latest in the line of Masters and Padawans Dooku was a part of." Ahsoka's brows shot up.
"Really?"
"Why yes. Dooku was trained by Master Thame Cerulian, who was trained by Yoda. Dooku then trained Master Qui-Gon, who trained Master Kenobi. He trained young Skywalker, who is training you." Jocasta listed off. The information was so new, and awe-inspiring… and terrifying. I-I'm in the same lineage as Count Dooku? Oh no! What does this mean for me? For Skyguy?! Is that why the Council judges us so much?
"I didn't know. I've only ever briefly heard about Master Jinn from Skyguy and Master Kenobi." Ahsoka said quietly, her mind abuzz from these revelations. She needed to change topics. "Do… you think there's more to be learned from the Lost, Master Nu?" Jocasta smiled and guided her back towards her rotunda.
"There's always something to learn, child. Even from those who are not counted among the Lost." She replied. "Why, I remember a recent case that... shook things up around here. Two former Jedi left the Order long before the war started, around fifteen years ago, but their names were whispered by the Jedi long after their departure." That piqued Ahsoka's curiosity.
"Two Jedi left the Order? Why? What were their names? Do they have busts too?" She asked.
"I'm afraid not. The busts are reserved for esteemed Masters who are still held in high regard. Not a Knight like them." Jocasta answered. "These two were a man and woman. Her name was Amara Wolf, and his name was Jarik Shan."
"Shan... Shan... why does that sound familiar?" Ahsoka wondered to herself. Jocusta smiled.
"Because during the days of the Old Republic, a very promising Jedi named Satele Shan rose to the rank of Grandmaster during her time. And it was well known she is the descendant of Revan and Bastila Shan, two other Jedi that caused a stir with a forbidden relationship during their time."
"Revan... Revan was a Sith." Ahsoka realized, having read about that when she looked back on Jedi from during the days of the Old Republic, and Revan was a name that popped up when she researched the ancient Mandalorian Wars. How Revan was the one to practically bring an end to it, and then his descent into the Dark Side alongside his friend and Apprentice, Malak.
"He was, but he was brought back after he was captured, his memories erased, and he helped defeat his former Apprentice, Darth Malak. Revan was... a tense topic for the Jedi to speak about. Even in this day and age, his name gives off an uneasy feeling. No matter how long it's been, even after nearly 4,000 years, Revan continued to be a topic that haunts the Jedi. Anyway, as I was saying, Amara and Jarik were very promising Jedi, given that Jarik was a descendant of Revan, Bastila and Satele Shan themselves, but there was a sense of... caution among the Council when it concerned Jarik given how strong he was in the Force. Some feared they were looking at Revan incarnate given he had... similar ideals as his ancestor."
"Was that why he left the Order?" Ahsoka asked.
"No." Jocusta shook her head. "He and Amara left because it was discovered they were in a forbidden relationship with each other. They had married in secret, and Amara soon fell pregnant. They left the Jedi and disappeared. I'm not sure where they went, but I know they wanted to be far out of the Jedi's reach so their child wasn't taken away. I remember the look on their faces. They kept their heads high, confidence in their decision and every bit as stoic as when they told the Council they were leaving to raise a family and that the Jedi would never get their hands on their child." The story left Ahsoka slack-jawed.
"Oh wow… That's so… brazen of them." Ahsoka said,
"Perhaps. But not everyone's destiny is to be a Jedi. They may start that way, but they may not end that way." Jocasta told her. "I'm glad they discovered their destiny. And I hope they are happy with their child." She added, sounding wistful as if she wished to know how Amara and Jarik were doing. Ahsoka couldn't help but wonder too. Maybe they were happy with their choice, with their child, and whatever children they had afterwards. Boys, girls. Hopefully this Amara and Jarik lived a happy peaceful life together.
"I do too." She added at length.
Cad Bane, a Duros male bounty hunter and mercenary in the galaxy. After the unceremonious demise of Jango Fett at the First Battle of Geonosis, Bane was considered the best and one of the most experienced bounty hunters of the era. And Bane sure lived up to his reputation whenever his prey would encounter him, and the pay he'd recieve would be well worth the hunt.
Such as this one, where he is to get a Jedi Holocron straight from the Jedi temple. While impossible and deadly, Bane relished the challenge.
After sneakily supplying his Techn-service droid, Todo, with a bomb and memory chip for a stage in the plan to get into the Holocron vault, Bane walked over to his desk and sat down while pulling up schematics and blueprints of the Jedi Tempe when the buzzer to the door went off. "Get the door." the bounty hunter told Tedo.
"I am a techno-Service droid, not a butler droid!" Todo said with offensive.
"Can it, Todo." Bane snapped, giving the droid a glare before focusing on his work. "You are what I say you are."
"Well! Then..." Choosing to not start an argument, Todo walked over to the door and answered it, with it opening to reveal a female changeling on the other side, accompanied by a red robed, hooded and masked figure recognized entirely as Darth Khan.
"Who are you?" The changeling asked before rudely entering, followed by Jayden who gave a brief glance around his surroundings, studying Bane's quarters and his attention stopped on the dead body in the corner of the room.
"I am Todo 360, techno-service droid. Who are you?"
"None of your business." The changeling snapped as she hovered over Bane's shoulder to see what he was looking at while Jayden remained standing where he was, though was able to see what Bane was looking at.
"Everyone is in a good mood today." Todo sighed as the door closed.
Bane glanced at the masked Sith Lord in the room. "So you're the infamous Darth Khan... Heard about you. My employer did mention you would help in securing the Holocron."
"I will be distracting the Jedi and ensuring none of them are catching on to what is going on. Though it requires me going undercover as a Jedi to ensure the distraction pays off." Jayden said, glancing at the body in the corner for a moment before walking over to Bane's left side and seeing the picture of a male Rodian. "Bola Ropal..."
"Who?" The changeling frowned.
"Jedi, out in the Mid-Rim." Bane explained this time.
"We going after him?" The changeling asked, glancing at her two partners for this mission.
"Soon." Bane answered, leaning back in his chair while cupping his chin in thought. "Right now we're stealing a Holocron." Bane pressed a button displaying the image of a Holocron.
"Impossible." The changeling shook her head. "The only place you can get a holocron is-"
"I know, inside the main vaults of the Jedi Temple." Bane nodded, then pulled up a hologram of the Jedi Temple. "Fortunately, our Sith Lord client has set us up with some help aside from Khan here. For one, the map of the Temple you're looking at right now. For another, a security chip that I've placed in my droid."
"I have been given all the technical data regarding security systems in the Jedi Temple." Todo told them.
"Hmm. Impressive." Jayden commented, crossing his arms. "But to enter stealthily, you'd have to take a entrance that won't get you spotted by the Jedi instantly. The vents may be your best entry point."
"Correct, except for one little problem there." Bane said, pointing to where the vents' entry point was. "Both the vent shafts and the vault itself are equipped with all kinds of traps and security measures. Todo can take them out, but we'll need help from someone inside the Jedi library while Khan is busy keeping suspicion off us. And that's where your talents as a changeling will come in."
"I will hide my Force signature from the Jedi, so they don't detect me, don Jedi robes from a Jedi I had killed earlier today, and pretend I'm a Padawan. After all, there's hundreds of Jedi in there and I doubt they know everyone's faces." Jayden said, uncrossing his arms. thinking about it, the plan might go off without a hitch... or badly and they get caught by the Jedi.
With her basic orders from Jocasta Nu, Ahsoka was left to her own devices. At first, she prowled the Archives with ambition and eagerness, like any Council member could be hiding around a corner to observe her progress. But as the hours dragged on and the sun moved across the thin windows, her eagerness waned and her boredom tripled in size.
Yeah… this is punishment.
Dragging her feet with shoulders sagging, the teen paused by one of the study tables set between two-story shelves of datapads and datacards to check a chronometer. Surely it's been several hours already. My shift must be half over by now…! She read the time and her hopes were dashed.
"It's not even noon yet…" She groaned out loud, her head drooping comically low.
How can time pass so slowly?! How have only two hours gone by? How many laps of the archives have I done? Ugh this is such torture!
Looking up with a sigh, Ahsoka glanced around, wondering what she was supposed to do with the rest of her day. It was then that she spied a boy, around her age, walking by. He was clad in black Jedi robes, with the hood pushed down. He was obviously a Padawan, given the braid he had... but she had not seen him before.
It's a big temple,, can't know every Jedi. Ahsoka reasoned before she called out. "Hey!"
The boy paused and slowly turned, revealing dark brown eyes that stared into Ahsoka's blue eyes for a moment before the boy blinked and gave a small smile. "Ah, Ahsoka... Tano, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Who are you?" Ahsoka asked as the boy walked over, looking around for a moment before seeing what she was doing, giving a small hum to himself.
"Ja-Jarik. Jarik... Wolf." The boy said after he cleared his throat, looking away for a moment and Ahsoka was sure she sensed... something, but all she felt from this guy was compassion, patience, kindness and friendliness.
"Well, nice to meet you, Jarik Wolf." Ahsoka said and Jarik nodded at her with a small smile.
"So, what are you doing?" Jarik asked curiously while taking a seat beside her. "What did you do that brings you to this part of the Jedi Temple?"
Ahsoka sighed. "Long story, let's just say I... got into trouble with the Council and this is my punishment."
"Trouble?" Jarik frowned and leaned forward, sounding genuinely curious. "For what? Did you accidentally curse at someone? Did you trip your Master up?"
Ahsoka giggled. "No, though maybe I should sometimes." Her earlier mood came back and she sighed again, slumping in her seat then proceeded to explain about how her meeting with the Jedi Council went, Windu's words and the topic of her rivalry with khan. She didn't notice 'Jarik' stiffen at the mention of Khan but he composed himself and listened, noting how her emotions changed when describing what happened.
"Let it out." He suddenly said, causing her to look at him in confusion. "The Council were harsh and unfair on you. You felt cornered by them, not sure what to say or do, scared even... let it out. Do not bottle it up like they expect you to do so."
"But I have to." Ahsoka said, shaking her head. "That's the Jedi Code! There is no emotion, there is peace."
Jarik almost rolled his eyes at this but held back the urge to do so. "Sometimes it's not bad to let go of what you're feeling and just let it out. It proves to be quite relaxing and stress-reliving if all of that emotion is built up."
Ahsoka frowned, eyeing him. "You know, such talk could get you into trouble with the Council. Why are you telling me this?"
"Let's just say there's some things I don't agree on when it comes to some of the inner workings of the Jedi." Jarik said cryptically then walked off to go look at something in the Archives, leaving Ahsoka to watch him go then she sighed and returned to looking at some studies.
Strange guy, but he looked and sounded... familiar. Ahsoka thought to herself, frowning, then she shook her head. Maybe I'm just tired and stressed out from doing this for the past two hours. Maybe.. maybe I could let it out and get it off my shoulders...
"Hey Ahsoka!" The Togruta Padawan looked up upon hearing her name and smiled when she saw a girl around her age, a year younger, walking over. Her name was Ashan, a human Jedi Padawan. "I didn't know you were back. Come to do some studying?" She asked.
"Um… not exactly…" Ahsoka hesitantly replied as she sat across from her.
"Oh… Got in trouble with the Council and they put you on security duty?" The 13-year old girl guessed again. Ahsoka had to snort at her pinpoint accuracy.
"What gave it away?"
"I see a lot of Padawans here that I don't normally see. Only one common reason why." Ashan revealed. Ahsoka was impressed. She glanced around. Her once boring surroundings taking on a new life when she remembered how Scout seldom left the Temple for anything. "You know, the gang's been pretty quiet since you got picked to be Master Skywalker's Padawan!"
"it was quite a dream come true, I'll admit." Ahsoka chuckled. "Even if it proves... difficult sometimes, and we were a little rocky at the start."
"Maybe that just proves you weren't fit to be his Padawan, then." A sickeningly sweet voice called out. Ahsoka couldn't see the owner, but closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't need to see to know.
Gotta be kidding me...
She hazarded a glance over her shoulder, catching sight of a violet-skinned Twi'lek a little older than her, arms her hips and and shooting her the most devious looking smile she'd ever seen. "Knock it off, Shin'na. I'm not in the mood." She mumbled in reply. Shin'na was from Squall Clan and had teased Ahsoka relentlessly when they were younglings. Her efforts had only grown more personal and piercing as they grew older. Ahsoka did not have a single fond memory of the Twi'lek. Of all the people to run into today, why her?
"Oh you wound me. I was just coming over to see what all the fuss is about. Heard of what happened on Felucia and what led you to being stuck here." Shin'na responded. "Seriously, what was Master Yoda thinking? You can't even sit still long enough to meditate. Do you really think you're cut out to be the Padawan of the Chosen One?" She added snidely.
"You're really gonna question Master Yoda's choice?" Ashan piped up, looking annoyed at Shin'na. In response, the violet Twi'lek threw the girl a look of derisive dismissal.
"Oh little one. One day you'll learn all about taking pity on someone." She cooed.
"Like a Jedi Master will do with you and make you their Apprentice?" A male voice asked, causing the three girls to turn and see Jarik standing there with his arms crossed, a condescending smirk on his face as he had his eyes on Shin'na.
"Hello, who's this?" Shin'na asked, strutting towards Jarik with a grin. "Don't think we've ever been introduced, I'm-"
"Really don't care." Jarik shook his head, causing Ahsoka and Ashan to smirk at Shin'na's put off look. This wasn't the first time Shin'na tried this with a boy, but she only left them stuttering like fools and seemed proud of the way she had an affect... something definitely not a Jedi should aspire to. "She bothering you two?"
"No! Just having some fun!" Shin'na answered before Ahsoka or Ashan could do so.
"Right..." Jarik drawled, looking very unconvinced.
"What were you doing, anyway?" Ahsoka questioned him, causing him to look at her. "Saw you coming from behind one of the Archive shelves."
"Oh just... reading on an old idol of mine." Jarik said with a small, but softer smile.
"Who?" Ashan asked.
"Revan."
"Revan?" Shin'na snorted. "You mean the lunatic who turned to the Dark Side thousands of years ago, nearly destroyed the Republic with his Apprentice Malak, and then the Council saw fit to redeem him? Maybe they should've wiped his memory and left him on the streets where he belongs."
Jarik looked at her, and Ahsoka felt anger spike from him at her words, causing her to look between them cautiously as Jarik eyed Shin'na like he was ready to attack her or brace himself for an attack from her. "Your opinion doesn't really matter. Revan made his choices, but the Council then saw fit to give him a second chance as a Jedi."
"So they could keep a close eye on him, and his little wife." Shin'na snorted again. "Should've killed him like the Sith scum he was."
Jarik tutted mockingly at her, causing her to frown. "'There is no emotion, there is peace.'" Jarik recited part of the Jedi Code, keeping that mocking, condescending tone as if aiming it at her and also the Jedi Code itself. His words caused Shin'na to huff and walk away. Jarik inhaled then exhaled. "No wonder I never come here."
"Wow, never seen anyone put her down like that." Ashan said, getting a shrug from Jarik in response. "Anyway, I gotta go, see you Ahsoka!"
"Bye!" Ahsoka waved at her friend. She then turned to Jarik, only to see he was gone as well, making her frown then she walked off to find something to do, unaware of 'Jarik' watching her from above a shelf.
This is getting tricky... Jayden thought to himself. But fun to subtly mock the Jedi right in their faces.
In the central security station, Obi-Wan stared intently upon the graphic readouts of the Temple's internal systems. Shields, scanners, alarms, all of them fed information directly to this core hub and were displayed for only those with maximum clearance. Everything appeared normal to the bearded Jedi, now simply waiting on Anakin's report from the communications tower…
All of a sudden, the monitors flashed, the lights dimmed, and everything went black for the briefest of milliseconds before rebooting.
"What was that…?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud.
"The system is just recycling, sir." An assistant droid explained. Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. Seems to be a bit much for a casual program refresh…
Just then, the holocom on the terminal flickered to life and Anakin appeared. "Master, I'm in the tower. No intruders but something just happened, all the scanners were behaving strangely for a moment… like a power bump or something." He reported.
"Yes, something happened to the system down here too. It cannot be a coincidence." Obi-Wan replied in agreement. The security station's entrance swung open and Master Yoda stepped through.
"Arrived the intruders have." He announced in a surprisingly calm voice.
"But if they are not in the tower, what are they after?" Obi-Wan wondered, now beleaguered as likely targets were slowly ticked off the list of probabilities.
"The communications centre perhaps their goal is." Yoda theorized.
"They must be in the central ventilation system." Anakin realized. Obi-Wan quickly began keying in information.
"Let me check the system…" He tapped a few more panels and pulled up a grid of the Temple and downloaded the latest data from shields and motions sensors. At once, he found an anomaly. "You're right, there has been a disturbance. It's near the top of the south tower." He declared.
"I'll meet you there." Anakin quickly stated before jumping off comms.
"On high alert place the Temple." Yoda instructed. "Trap them within we will."
The alarm was sent silently to all members of the Order overseeing faculty stations. As such, Jocasta Nu was one to receive the urgent comm from Obi-Wan. "This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. We have intruders in the Temple, security lockdown phase one has been initiated. Please inform any unawares and follow procedure at your respective stations." It had been a very long time since such a protocol had been implemented (in fact, the librarian could not even recall if it had been implemented in her lifetime) but Jocasta was ready for such instances.
The Archives were fairly deserted, from what she could see. She did, however, recognize Master Ord Enisence working a data terminal at one of the study tables. He appeared to be talking to someone, busy with work of some kind. Perhaps he was unaware of the situation…
"Excuse me," she called out to him, prompting the Skrilling to rise from his seat. "I don't mean to disturb you, but the whole Temple is on high alert." She informed him. Ord appeared thoughtful for a moment, his eyes studying her.
"I see…" He slowly replied. "Thank you." Then, with lightning-fast moves, Ord reached out and snared her by the throat. Taken completely by surprise, Jocasta failed to react as Ord landed a blow to her head and knocked her unconscious. Her body was promptly dragged underneath another table and hidden from sight. What no one else noticed was the sudden shift that occurred as Ord Enisence laid his hands on her body and promptly transformed himself into the image of the librarian. A shimmer of holo-tech promptly changed the Jedi's robes to match those of the archivist, creating a perfect double of Jocasta Nu…
Meanwhile…
Having ascended to the rooftop, Anakin and Obi-Wan joined up outside one of the Temple's ventilation ducts. The entire arrangement was protected by ray-shields, which were apparently useless as one of the duct covers had been removed despite the shield being raised. "Well, looks like this is where they broke in." Anakin remarked.
"Fortunately, we'll have a much less troublesome time." Obi-Wan echoed, using the Force to disable the ray-shield controls and allow them both inside. The shield powered down and the Jedi quickly slipped into the duct, which was nearly tall enough for them to stroll down without hunching over.
"We should really think about increasing security around these things." Anakin commented.
"After this, I think that idea will have the Council's full support." Obi-Wan concurred.
Upon reaching the primary fan shaft, they used a pair of ascension cables to make their way down the expanse of durasteel tubing, where a total of four possible duct accesses were revealed.
"Great… which way do you think they went?" Anakin asked he unstrapped himself.
"The communications centre is straight ahead, we'd better hurry if we're going to catch them." Obi-Wan stated, still operating under the belief that the Jedi Transmitter Codes were in jeopardy. They broke into a run, moving as quickly as they could as the ducts grew narrower and shorter. After several minutes of traversal Anakin grew impatient.
"I don't think they came this way. I don't see any signs of intruders." He said aloud.
"No do I." Obi-Wan agreed, pausing as he triggered his commlink. "Master Yoda, we're in the ductwork leading to the communications centre. Are you picking up any other life signs in this quadrant?" He asked. The Grandmaster had situated himself in the security station, along with Masters Windu, Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura.
"Deep in the Temple the intruders are." He replied. Anakin rolled his eyes.
Yeah, we know. That's not what he asked.
"How are they managing to stay out of our way?" An exasperated Obi-Wan pressed. Yoda hummed thoughtfully on the other end.
"Possible it is receiving assistance they are from inside." He concluded. Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to roll his eyes.
"Wonderful."
Ahsoka wandered around the Archives, but had heard about the security lockdown which made her frown. Intruders in the Temple? She came out of her thoughts when her commlink chirped.
"Padawan, alert you must be. Sense deception I do." Master Yoda quickly commanded her. "Posing as a Jedi the intruder is. Find Master Jocasta you must."
Ahsoka began weaving through the shelves, searching for some sign of the elderly Madame. It was when she entered the fourth pathway between shelves that she heard a familiar voice… speaking about unfamiliar things.
"Bane, the two Jedi have turned around and are making their way towards you." Ahsoka paused behind a shelf, just out of sight.
"Skywalker and Kenobi, most likely." Another familiar voice, this one was Jarik's, spoke.
That's Madame Nu's voice… but who's she talking to? And she's talking about Jedi… almost like she isn't one of us…
The Force filled in the rest of the blanks. Something was off, Jocasta's signature was incredibly abnormal. Whoever that was, they certainly looked like Jocasta Nu… but they were not Jocasta Nu.
She then got read on Jarik, what had once been a signature of Light and the key parts of what a Jedi is in the Force, was replaced by darkness and... a very familiar feeling. 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.
It belonged to Darth Khan!
Jarik is... Khan?! Ahsoka thought with disbelief. Or maybe... not! There's no way he could have hidden himself under our very noses all this time! He's got to be like whoever's impersonating Madame Nu!
Ahsoka emerged from the shelves, approaching them from behind and hellbent on getting an answer. "Who are you and what have you done with Madame Jocasta?!" She demanded. 'Jocasta' rose from her seat while Khan turned to her, reaching into his robe and drawing a familiar crossguard saber. "It is you, Khan. I knew I should've recognized that voice and face!"
"To be fair, the last time you saw me unmasked... you were dying because of a virus." Khan shrugged, activated his Lightsaber and engaged Ahsoka in a duel while the imposter impersonating Jocasta ran for it.
"Oh no you don't!" Ahsoka shouted, pushing Khan back and used the Force to move a table in front of the imposter, causing her to crash into it and flip over, reverting back to her original changling form afterwards.
"Can't do anything right these days." Khan sighed before blocking Ahsoka's Lightsaber. "Careful, Ahsoka, wouldn't want the Council to give you trouble for wanting to continue this rivalry with me."
"Shut up!" Ahsoka snarled and pushed him back. "Can't believe I fell for it! Is Jarik the name you were born with?"
"Not even close." Khan scoffed. "But why would I tell you my real name, when the name you should always know me by is Khan? Now, I have to cut this meeting short, my dear... for I have no desire to be captured by Jedi."
With that, He delivered a powerful Force push that sent Ahsoka crashing through a wall and she grunted on impact. smirking, the Sith Lord ran off to escape, leaving Ahsoka to groan and pick up after herself.
"Dammit." She muttered to herself then went to check on the changeling who had been trying to get away but Ahsoka stopped her quickly.
Elsewhere…
Maneuvering back through the dimly-lit ductwork, Anakin and Obi-Wan soon found several grates that had been removed and set aside. The telltale work of an intruder. "Looks like you were right." Anakin mused as he led the way deeper into the air ways. Suddenly his commlink chirped.
"Master Skywalker! I've captured the imposter disguised as a Jedi! She says the intruder's are in the holocron vault!" Ahsoka hurriedly informed him. The two Jedi stopped to process that information.
"The vault?" Obi-Wan repeated. "A holocron is no good without a Jedi to open it. What are they up to…?" He was incredibly confused now. But Anakin had an inkling of an idea.
"They must be trying to gain access to the communications centre from the vault." He decided.
"Let's get in there!" Obi-Wan urged and they quickened their pace. They scampered down the ductwork and rounded a corner, advancing towards yet another security measure. Maintenance was always needed for the Temple and there were service tunnels connected to the ducts as a means to let hired workers in to complete work in the bowels of the Temple. Up ahead was another removed vent cover, leading down to one such service access point.
Suddenly, a dull boom accompanied by a flash of orange light stopped them in their tracks, and smoke began to waft up through the hole in the ducts.
Anakin wasted no time dropping down and Obi-Wan followed him. Smoke had filled the service tunnel and the door panel was offline, sparking and flickering as the remnants of the explosion wafted through the area. Kenobi quickly spied a hole in the floor, leading towards another set of ducts. "Quick! The communications centre! Let's go!" He urged, taking the lead as Anakin pursued him and they both dropped down another level. This time, they did not have far to crawl before they discovered a light up ahead. Obi-Wan held his place and silently urged Anakin to do so as they heard a voice from up ahead.
"Oh! Heeeey guys! I was just, um, testing the access hatch. Works great!" It sounded like a droid, a droid that had possibly taken the wrong turn…
A steady beeping suddenly started up, catching the Jedi by surprise. "Bomb!" The voice of Mace Windu cried in warning.
"Bomb? What bomb? Is there something going to blow up?" The previous voice asked. A sudden blur of motion sent a Vertseth Automata techno-service droid slamming back into the ducts as a hatch cover was hastily replaced. Unfortunately, given the beeping coming from the droid, it meant that Anakin and Obi-Wan were now in the blast radius.
"Bomb!" Obi-Wan cried and the two Jedi wasted no time beating a hasty retreat back the way they came.
"Oh no! No no no no NOOOO-!" The droid's death wail was suddenly cut off by a fiery explosion that filled the ducts. Thankfully for the Jedi, Anakin and Obi-Wan had gotten just out of range in the nick of time while the solid durasteel composition of the ducts had prevented any further damage.
Jocasta Nu was nursing a slowly-growing goose egg when she stepped out from behind some shelves, struggling to figure out what had happened. The last thing she remembered was an attack from fellow Master Ord Enisence of all people and then everything went dark. She found she had even more questions than answers when she discovered Ahsoka Tano leading bound Clawdite woman in her direction. "Madame Librarian! Are you okay?" The concerned Togruta inquired.
"I think I'm alright…" Jocasta slowly replied. "We must call security."
Unbeknownst to them, the hooded and disguised Cad Bane and Jayden Shan snuck past them, with Bane holding a Holocron in his robe.
Within the vault, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Mace entered to discover a very worrisome sight. "Our war operations it was never about." Yoda stated aloud. Of all the countless blinking blue holocron lights lining every wall and surface of the vault, there was a single dark space. A slot where a holocron should be.
It was missing.
"Not only was Dooku's Apprentice in the Temple... but a holocron is missing." Anakin said with a sigh.
"Come on, changeling. We have a new home for you." Ahsoka said, leading the bound Clawdite away. Lacking a direction for the time, the Jedi made to incarcerate the Clawdite within the Temple's very own cellblock. What they did not know was just how much of her mercenary career she'd taken to heart. If she, Cato Parasitti, was going down, she'd make sure she wouldn't be the only one to go down.
"Wait," she said, prompting the Jedi to pause as she turned around. Ahsoka and Scout watched her warily. "Bolla Ropal." Mace started.
"What did you say?" He demanded.
"Bolla Ropal." She repeated. "That's who my partners, Cad Bane and Darth Khan, are going after next. Some Jedi." The information meant very little to half the Jedi present. To the other half it was gravely worrisome.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, noting the looks on Mace and Yoda's faces. "Who's Bolla Ropal?"
"He's the keeper of the kyber crystal, the data on which can only be read via holocron." Mace answered.
"What's on the crystal?" Ahsoka queried.
"A list of every known Force-sensitive child in the galaxy." He answered crisply. "The future younglings. The future of the Jedi Order." A stunned silence fell over the Jedi. The terrible reality behind the mission of these hired guns suddenly became quite clear and the ramifications of their success were even more terrifying.
"We have to warn him." Obi-Wan decided.
"That's going to be hard to do. He's out of contact, somewhere in the Devaron system." Mace stated.
"Seek him out you must." Yoda tasked.
"Ahsoka and I will set out immediately." Anakin stated, earning quick affirmations from the other Councillors.
"If Khan and this Cad Bane are still here on Coruscant, I'll find them." Obi-Wan promised, taking Cato to the holding cells as Ahsoka broke off to join her Master once again.
Yoda was left to watch them depart, both hands on his cane as he pondered the dire situation unfolding before them. The Jedi had been misled, believing their importance in the war to be the sole reason anyone would attack them. They had been blinded to the other possibility, that the Dark Side of the Force was always finding ways to undermine the Light. Yoda frowned. Dark forces were at work here. And the Force was too loudly to let him see the truth at the core of it all…
That's it for this chapter everyone. Hope you all enjoyed it.
