Answers to reviews:
DuckBoi: Yep.
Yubel578: Well, this chapter will see Jayden and Ventress scenes together, so you'll have to see how that goes. But Jayden's got more than his teenage hormones on his mind, make sure to pay attention to his memory triggers as they are hints to future stuff.
SpringTrapLordYT: Thanks.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan/Darth Khan.
Returning to Coruscant from their mission and failure to stop Bane and Khan from escaping, Anakin and Ahsoka stood before the Jedi Council and reported the outcome of the mission.
"It is most unfortunate Bane was allowed to escape… again." Obi-Wan sighed.
"With access to the names and locations of the most Force-sensitive children in the Republic." Mace added grimly. His disparaging tone and condescending gaze was met by Anakin's own, stern and concrete. I'm not backing down. I did what I had to.
"Inflict devastating damage on the Jedi Order he could." Yoda concurred. Ahsoka remained silent, her shoulders slumping while her eyes fell to the floor.
It's my fault. If only I hadn't let Bane dupe me like that. Doubt I'll be in a good mood today…
"We've discovered Bane's working with the Separatists." Anakin then reported. "He had battle droids, Trade Federation ships, and Khan working with him."
"That doesn't bode well. The future Jedi Order in the hands of the enemy…" Obi-Wan muttered, stroking his beard out of habit. "There are thousands of children on that list. Which will he go after first?" He wondered aloud. To that, no one had an answer. Yoda thought long and hard, closing his eyes and sinking into the Force for insight and guidance. Things were cloudy, muddled by current events as the galaxy was thrown deeper into chaos by the ongoing war. Intense thought and deeper reflection would be required.
"Small chance there is, through the Force the Council may detect them." He suggested.
Exhaling, Jayden descended the Rogue Shadow's ramp after it had landed in the hanger bay of Dooku's dreadnought ship, and he found his Master waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp. "Welcome back, my Apprentice. How did your mission go?"
Jayden took off his mask, sighing. "About as well as one would expect when having to deal with the Republic and an annoying bounty hunter who keeps things close to the chest. If I have to work with a bounty hunter again, it had better not be for a long time from now."
Dooku quirked a brow, hearing something off in his voice. The Force told him so much more. "Something else troubles you." He insightfully noted.
Jayden paused, hesitating for a few seconds, then he sighed. "I had a memory trigger." he quietly admitted in a equally quiet tone. It had been a long time since Dooku had seen him in such a withdrawn state. "I-I haven't had one in years. I... I had thought I pushed it all to the back of my mind where it wouldn't torment me."
"The memory of the day you lost your parents?" Dooku inquired softly, getting a silent nod from his Apprentice. He did not pry into the matter more than that, knowing full well what was plaguing him. "Are you alright?" He gently asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. They heaved as the young Sith Lord loosed a quiet sigh.
"I could use a moment." Jayden answered. Dooku nodded in understanding and went on his way while Jayden moved to take a seat on a nearby cargo crate. With his mask seated next to him, he held his head in his hands, rubbing his face as he tried to pull himself together.
That mission had done a real number on him. Emotionally and mentally.
The memories that had been aroused lingered, familiar faces and scenes flashing behind his eyes…
"Come on, Jayden! Run!"
"Get our son out of here, Nyssa! I'll hold him off! Go!"
"Jarik please!"
"GO!"
He was held in the arms of a woman as she runs urgently through a field. A terrible roar echoes close by...
"WHERE IS THE CHILD?!"
He saw the woman, facing down a hooded dark-robed figure, wielding the double-bladed Lightsaber. He was unable to get a good look... but he was sure he had a red face...
He watched... as she was impaled through the chest by the red blade.
"MOMMY!"
Jayden jerked out the memories with a grunt, shaking as shaky breaths escaped him. he closed his eyes, concentrated, remembering what his Master taught him on how to push the memories to the back of his head... but they wouldn't go away easily.
What was I thinking?! Using my father's name as a alias in the temple?! Jayden scolded himself. using that name had only brought these haunting memories back.
Knowing there was more at stake than his own demons, Jayden exhaled again and rolled his shoulders, determined to get back to work. My past does not control me. He stood, collecting his mask, accepting his past while moving ahead in the name of the future.
"Some wounds take longer to heal than others." Dooku sagely commented as he approached him again. "You remember what I taught you, yes?"
"Yes, meditate and push the past to the back of my mind. To focus here and now." Jayden said, recalling his Master's words when he first began training him.
Dooku nodded, watching his Apprentice for a moment. "I will allow you a leave from the war effort to recuperate from your episode. Seeing as you wish to learn to wield two Lightsabers, you may go to Rattatak and train with Ventress to learn such style. You wish to learn all seven Lightsaber combat forms, yes? Take this chance to learn them, study them from old Archives and footage. the war will still be here when you get back."
"Thank you, Master." Jayden said with what felt like a small, true smile in a while. "I will leave soon."
Meanwhile, on Coruscant…
When the Council session came to a close, Master Yoda invited Mace, Anakin and Obi-Wan to his private chamber for a meditation session. The hope was to meditate on the situation until the Force to could reveal to them traces of the identities of the children Bane was pursuing. It was a long shot, but it seemed to be their only way of getting ahead of the bounty hunter.
Hours passed in quick succession as the Jedi plunged into the Force, allowing their souls and essences to intertwine with the binding power of the universe and take them to a place beyond mere mortality. The Jedi felt their consciousness' as the Force connected them, transcending them to a plane of existence where they could feel every living creature in the universe. But they sought not just anyone being, but very specific beings. Who they did not know. Their request unposkenly filled the air. They would let the Force fill in the remaining gaps.
"A jungle world… domed cities I see… Rodia it is." Yoda murmured with eyes shut as an image formed in his mind.
"A house in Kay-Tap Square… I see it too." Obi-Wan echoed, bright and verdant scenes viewed with his mind's eye. They passive took note of this. One of the children was a Rodian.
"There is an ocean planet…" Mace droned from his trance-like state. "Home to… Nautolans… Glee Anselm?"
"Glee Anselm I see not." Yoda countered. Mace fell silent. Perhaps there was a Nautolan child in trouble, or perhaps not. The Force was being tricky.
"I… sense a place I've been to before…" Anakin whispered. He felt peaceful and tranquil, the sights calming the storm within him as his mind wandered to happy memories. Good times. Even better circumstances. "Waterfalls… Naboo." Yoda hummed picking up on what he had found.
"Jan-Gwa. A village, southern sector. Sense it strongly I do." The Grandmaster murmured. At once, Anakin flinched. His vision exchanged for a premonition.
"The Gungan child was screaming!" He gasped as he broke his meditation. Yoda's eyes slowly opened, regarding the faintly-distraught human across from him. If there was one undeniable fact about him that every Jedi would have to agree with, it was Anakin's sensitivity towards the future. The Force favoured him with vision while also plaguing him with unknown possibilities.
"The future you see, Young Skywalker." Yoda stated. "To Naboo you must go. Cad Bane you will find. With you take your Padawan." He urged.
"You're certain there is no child on Glee Anselm?" Mace inquired as he opened his eyes as well.
"Into the shadow of the Dark Side taken the child was. Shrouded is his fate from us." Yoda grumbled. "Great the loss is, but more children in danger there are."
"I shall leave for Rodia immediately." Obi-Wan volunteered.
"I wish to investigate Glee Anselm. Perhaps there are some clues I can uncover concerning the child and who took them." Mace added. Yoda gave them both his blessing.
"Find more younglings I will." He vowed, determined to seek out more children before Bane could take them. If the Glee Anslem child was any indication, he was already on the move.
Rattatak was a planet located in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories, in the middle of the Guter Wade system. Jayden has heard much about it, both from searching it up and what Ventress had to say about it.
The planet is a mountainous world orbited by at least one moon. It was the homeworld of the Rattatakian redjacket. Several years before the war began, the Siniteen slaver Hal'Sted was killed by Weequay raiders during a pirate uprising, leaving his slave, a young Asajj Ventress, orphaned. She was found by Ky Narec, a human Jedi Knight stranded on Rattatak, who recognized her potential and began to train her in the ways of the Force as his Padawan. For ten years, they helped the people of Rattatak, becoming enemies to some but heroes to most, until he was killed while defending a Rattataki village from a Weequay raider assault, leading Ventress to give in to her grief and fall to the Dark Side. She vowed vengeance and killed the warlords responsible for her master's death, ruling Rattatak in their place. It was there that Count Dooku found and recruited Ventress.
And not long after, he found and recruited Jayden as an Apprentice as well, even though it was against the Rule of Two to have two Apprentices but Dooku didn't seem to care. Dooku also had his Acolytes, though they weren't Apprentices like Jayden and Ventress were.
Rattatak was a world Jayden had never been to... until today.
To the rest of the galaxy, Asajj Ventress was Dooku's assassin, a servant of the Sith, but when on this world... she ruled supreme.
Spotting Castle Ventress up ahead, Jayden had the Rogue Shadow land on one of the platforms, taking a look at the castle as he did. It was a spire of red-hewn rock, jutting out from the centre of the city like a blood-soaked needle piercing through its heart.
It was truly a sight to behold.
Powering down his ship's engines, Jayden got out of the pilot chair and made his way down the ramp as it lowered, where he was greeted by a pair of Rattataki handmaidens, both of which were dressed in gauzy black shimmersilk robes that stood in stark contrast to their chalk-white skin. He noted that neither of them had the same sort of facial markings that Ventress possessed, their skin pure and unblemished.
"Welcome, Lord Khan." They greeted in unison, bowing to him. "Our Mistress has been expecting you."
"I imagine." Jayden said, having kept his mask on since he only trusted a very small few to see him without it... that time on Naboo doesn't really count since he was compelled by the urge to keep Ahsoka alive so that he would kill her like a warrior, not let her die because of some virus a madman worked on.
"Follow us." With that, the handmaidens turned and led him onwards. Jayden followed them within and was promptly treated to the apparent luxury Ventress lived in.
The room next to the landing pad was a trophy room; a place where the great feats and conquests of Asajj Ventress could be displayed in full glory. Statues of fallen greats, trophies from long-slain foes, symbols of what Rattatak used to be… small in contrast to what she had done for the world. Clearly this was a place meant to awe her guests, to establish her prominence in their minds and hearts and remind them that they should feel honored to be here, in her personal domain.
Scores of blaster-wielding Rattataki mercenaries patrolled the halls. They were all men, heavily armed and armored, and as bald as the two women leading him were. Jayden quickly deduced that to be a common trait among the species, either that or a matter of choice where hair would only sully in shifting sand and swirling dust and serve to heat the head that much quicker. Many took terms sizing him up and down, glancing at the two Lightsabers on his belt and pondering if they had what it took to bring him down should the need arise.
Jayden admired their bravery. These men were not so much warriors in the classical sense. They had hatred and violence emblazoned upon their very hearts. It was their nature to fight, to kill, and to conquer. If anything, these men were looking for an excuse to start something, to prove themselves greater and greater. Such was the way of Rattatak and not even Asajj's reforms could change those ways. Their violence might now hinge on her word, but they were all still prone to violence.
The hum of Lightsabers swinging drew Jayden's attention to the end of the corridor ahead, where a single durasteel door cut him off from seeing what lay beyond. The crackling buzz of electrical energy soon became obvious as well, indicating Asajj was warming herself within. One of the handmaidens toggled the release, the door sliding up to reveal the woman of the castle sparring with a pair of Bugnaught battle droids: specially engineered mechanical gladiators who were armed to the teeth with enough deadly weaponry to kill and destroy a host of warriors on their own.
Both were carrying electrostaffs fashioned to resemble Lightsabers and Ventress was bounding back and forth between them, batting this way and that with her twin scarlet Lightsabers. They behaved almost like Jedi, attempting to corner her and use their weaponry to their advantage. Asajj, however, used their own plans against them and executed a rising spin that sliced off both heads. The shattered remnants tumbled to the ground as Asajj stood poised for a moment longer before switching off her sabers.
"Mistress. Your guest has arrived." One of the handmaidens informed her.
"So I see." Ventress curtly replied. "Leave us." The two Rattataki obeyed and took their leave as Jayden moved closer to Ventress. "All my talk of this world, and you finally decide to pay it and me a visit. I'm flattered you've taken the time out of your busy schedule to do so."
Jayden snorted and took off his mask. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, Asajj."
Ventress gave a small smile before it fell. "Was it too much to ask for you to have visited a while back?"
Jayden shrugged but was apologetic. "There is still a war to be fought."
"Oh, that i know." Ventress said as she slowly circled him, waving her hand and the door closed by the power of the Force. "I know why you're here, so let's cut to the chase." Ventress said, withdrawing her hand as she stopped in front of him, unlatching the clasp of the skirt she wore. Casually removing it revealed a skintight short-sleeved crop top paired with form-hugging thigh-long black shorts. Her outfit did nothing to hide her feminine figure, aided by the fact her top sported a cutout which teased her modest bust beneath.
Jayden stared for a brief second, then looked away, silently cursing his hormones due to being a teenager. Ventress barely showed any skin in the battlefield, so he didn't know why she was revealing herself to him. He stiffened as Ventress turned to him, smirking.
"Your thoughts and gaze are flattering, dear Jayden. No need to be sky, you're a soon-to-be fifteen year old boy, entering that stage in life." Ventress said casually, like she was talking about the weather and not that her fellow Sith Apprentice had stared at her body.
Jayden inhaled then exhaled before walking over to a section of the room, where he took off the upper half of his attire, doing so until he was just in a gray tanktop that he wore underneath, black pants, and black and silver boots. Ventress' eyes raked over him, and she smirked slightly before focusing on what he was here for.
"Master has informed me you wish to learn to wield two Lightsabers, correct?" She asked him.
"Yes." Jayden nodded.
"Hmm, well good. It'll give you an edge against the Jedi as it has me." Ventress said, using the Force to call Jayden's purple Lightsaber to her and she activated it. "Another heirloom found in Revan's tomb?" Jayden nodded. "Purple... such colour." She sent it back over to him with the Force and he caught it. "Activate your sabers, we will begin now."
Jayden nodded, activating his crossguard saber and the purple saber. using what he's seen and studied, he entered the basic stance for duel wielding which made Ventress smirk as she activated her own sabers, and entered her own duel wielding stance.
Ventress lunged first, leaping and spinning which caused Jayden to block her attack with both of his sabers but she flipped over him, landing behind him and he quickly turned to block her next attack though stumbled a step and Ventress took advantage as she thrusted one saber out, causing Jayden to quickly parry it, then she swung her second and he blocked it with a bit of difficultly as he tried to adjust to this new way of fighting. He's so used to wielding one Lightsaber, he isn't used to using two.
Ventress moved their saber clash aside, then ran up and connected her foot with his jaw which sent him down onto his back while she landed on her feet, chuckling as he scrambled to his own.
"This is going to be fun." Ventress commented aloud to him, cocking her hip out and purposefully displaying her revealing body to him, smirking as she noticed his eyes dart down then dart away. He may try, but he was still a teenage boy with hormones and entering puberty. Of course he would look.
"Something tells me it won't for me." Jayden huffed.
"Failure is where you learn." Ventress told him. "And as queen of this castle, I must ensure my guests leave... satisfied."
The amount of emphasis on the last word seemed to suggest other connotations.
They circled one another, Ventress throwing a sway in her hips. "We're going to have a lot of firsts together, my dear." Ventress chuckled, throwing him a devilish wink before lunging.
Meanwhile, on Naboo…
Anakin wished this was one of his more pleasant and pleasurable visits to Naboo, the homeworld of his beloved wife Padme. Sadly, business took absolute preeminence this round and everything he did here would be duty driven. A child's fate was on the line and he was not about to let Cad Bane succeed against him again.
The single LAAT gunship carrying himself and Ahsoka made landfall in the capitol of Theed, as the sun began it's slow descent. It felt like mere moments ago they had been here, attempting to track down a dangerous Separatist bio-lab. Anakin had been in contact with Naboo security beforehand to explain his sudden arrival as well as the severity of the unfolding situation. They were good and gracious people, as Anakin knew from experience, and were ready to assist however possible, claiming to understand in their willingness. Anakin doubted they could truly understand.
Obi-Wan had reported in from Rodia. He was too late and had just missed Bane and the child. Two were gone, a third was threatened.
"General Skywalker. They told us you were coming." Captain Panaka greeted.
"Has the Gungan family been notified?" Anakin questioned.
"Yes. Captain Lunker here is in charge of the operation." Panaka confirmed, gesturing to the blue-skinned Gungan beside him. "He will take you to Jan-Gwa city."
"Let me take the lead, Master. I've got a score to settle." Ahsoka asked, a slight growl in her voice as she cracked her knuckles. Seeing the fire in her eyes, Anakin knew the same urge to be proven. Exactly how I felt after Dooku and Ventress. She's looking for some responsibilty. It'll be good for her.
"Alright. Go with the Gungan, I'll be there shortly." He tasked and his Padawan readily obeyed.
Night fell across Naboo, a bright pale moon shining down to cast a pale glow across verdant foliage and rustling waters. Descending from the stars, Cad Bane primed his navcomputer with the location of the next child on his list. The customized Rogue-class starfighter he flew had been modified to his specifications and had allowed him two successful collection runs out of the request four he was embarking on. While the average Rogue had only a pair of fire-linked laser cannons, his had been equipped with an ion cannon as well as a pair of concussion missile launchers for extra firepower. Also non-standard on his snubfighter was a cloaking device capable of shielding him from visual and electronic scanners. He called it "Xanadu Blood" and had it painted a matching color, distinguishing it from the starfighters piloted by the elite magnaguards of the droid army.
He landed just outside the watery Jan-Gwa village, his craft blending in excellently with the forested landscape. He made his move, stealing into the village under the cover of night, banking on the chance that every Gungan would be asleep or in their own homes by now. The bounty hunter knew where he was heading. The list on the holocron was helpful enough to contain exact coordinates for the very homes these children lived in. As such he had a name and a location. This job's all too easy. Given it's night I reckon I won't try to convince the parents to hand their little one over. I'm sure it'll be easy to sneak in, not like this is some holocron vault.
Like a thief in the night, Cad Bane went unnoticed as he scaled a bulbous outer wall, following the telltale sounds of soft gentle music, the perfect combination of sounds for a lullaby. Peering in through a higher window, his suspicions proved correct. He was on the verge of a nursery. A single crib in the middle of a wide room. A holo-mobile hovered above the crib where renders of a Mee Scalefish, colo claw fish, opee sea killer, and a sando aqua monster swam through invisible water. Just in time. The mother was laying her swaddled child to bed, easing the blanketed infant into the crib with gentle careful motions.
The moment she left the room, Cad made his move.
The Duros slipped in through the open window and crept over to the crib, doing his best to be as quiet as possible. He moved with seasoned stealth, knowing he had to be quick while also knowing that one hastily-made wrong move would be his undoing. Reaching the crib he peered over the edge where the mother laid her daughter down… and the Duros realized something was amiss.
That blanket was way too thin… and those didn't look like floppy Gungan ears…
Tearing it away to reveal the stuffed toy underneath, Cad realized he'd been had.
"Don't move, sleemo!" Ahsoka cried as she burst from the nearby closet, igniting her Lightsaber. The bounty hunter grit his teeth.
"You're not the child I was expecting to find." He growled.
"Obviously." Ahsoka retorted.
"You're quite clever… but naive!" Cad whirled around and fired his grapple tether, snaring the exposed hilt of Ahsoka's Lightsaber and tearing it from her grip. The emerald blade dissipated as it clattered across the floor, giving Bane the upper hand as her drew his blaster pistol and opened fire. Ahsoka cartwheeled and somersaulted out of the way as crimson bolts riddled the walls and furniture. But Bane wasn't looking to kill her, simply drive her away and net himself some distance in order to stage his escape.
Triggering his thrusters, his jets roared to life and propelled the Duros back out the same window he entered through. At first, he believed his getaway was to be a clean one… until Anakin jumped him from atop the roof.
It was a risky move trying to tackle an airborne enemy and Anakin was banking on a lot of luck and variables to swing in his favor. Cad could just keep flying on with Anakin dangling helplessly from his coattails. His boot-jets, however, lacked the power to maintain flight with such additional weight. As such, Bane soon plummeted from the sky and Anakin with him.
They dropped and rolled across rooftops, tumbling like rocks onto the lamp-lit street below. They separated on impact and Cad was hoping he could still make a break for it.
But when Ahsoka's green-bladed Saber hover next to his face, he grimly determined that he'd been outwitted. "Looks like I win." The Togruta triumphantly mused.
Anakin recovered and Cad Bane was promptly robbed of his weaponry and arrested, his wrists locked in front of him with a pair of shackles. Ahsoka was quite pleased with their catch.
"I think I've earned the right to wear this again." She remarked, swiping her Padawan braid off his belt and promptly attaching it back in place on her headdress.
Anakin began leading the bounty hunter off as Ahsoka looked back at the awakened villagers watching the arrest. The little Force-sensitive girl, Roo-Roo Page, was safe in her mother's arms. Smiling brightly with golden eyes contrasting her pink skin, she gurgled and squealed in delight as Ahsoka smiled at her.
She's so cute and adorable! How much of a lowlife do you have to be to target a youngling like her? No way I'd let anyone hurt her… I just hope this makes up for the other younglings we couldn't save…
"Your daughter is safe now." Ahsoka promised the mother, striding over and giving young Roo-Roo pat on the cheek.
"Do you really believe that?!" Cad Bane called derisively over his shoulder before Anakin forced him forwards.
Cad Bane was moved to a secure cell in the brig of Anakin's cruiser, Resolute, while his ship was confiscated and held in the hangar. With news of his capture spreading, both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu were recalled to interrogate the bounty hunter. Neither of them had been successful in their ventures; Obi-Wan was too late to stop him from stealing the Rodian child and Mace had discovered Bane had in fact kidnapped the Nautolan child on Glee Anselm first, long before the Jedi even knew where to begin.
Now they had a chance to amend their failures, interrogating Cad Bane for the information they desperately needed.
"We know you've taken at least two children. Where are they?" Obi-Wan questioned within his cell.
"Beyond your reach." Cad spat.
"Who are you working for?" Mace demanded, circling him.
"I work alone." The Duros retorted.
"It is only a matter of time before we locate the holocron." Obi-Wan promised, leaning forward and allowing his piercing gaze to meet the Duros' crimson eyes in an effort to unnerve him. "Make it easier on yourself." Instead of being intimidated, Bane merely chuckled.
"What are you going to do, Jedi? Torture me?" He scoffed. Obi-Wan fell silent. Mace, however, was busy gleaning insights from the Force.
"I think… your fear of whoever you work for outweighs your fear of us." He stated knowingly. Cad's attitude immediately shifted. That perceptive insight was too close to call. Despite being a gutless bounty hunter, Cad was determined to maintain the Hunter's Code of keeping the anonymity of his employer close to his chest. The shift in his emotions was tangible to the Jedi and Bane slunk back in his chair.
"This conversation is over." He muttered. Seeing as they'd pressed their luck as much as they could, Obi-Wan and Mace gave up and left the cell, the particle field shimmering as they exited. Anakin and Ahsoka were waiting to meet them, fresh from the hangar.
"We tore his ship apart. There's no sign of the holocron or the kids." The Knight explained, sounding frustrated.
"Did you check the navigation records?" Mace asked.
"They were wiped clean before he landed on Naboo." Ahsoka stated.
"We'll have to use the Force to make him talk." Anakin decided, determined to not let this bounty hunter and all his pratfalls get the better of them.
"Mm, I don't think Bane is that weak." Obi-Wan said worriedly. "He resisted all of our interrogation techniques until Master Windu hit a question a bit too close to home. Then he closed up tight."
"He keeps his vulnerabilities well guarded." Mace concurred. "Not to mention his species is notorious for being resistant to mind tricks."
"Maybe if we all concentrated on his mind together?" Ahsoka proffered.
"Using the Force to compel a strong mind to cooperate is… risky." Obi-Wan warned with a grimace.
"There is a danger that his mind could be destroyed in the process." Mace stated. That would certainly spell the end of their one chance to reclaim the stolen holocron and the lost children.
"Well… do we have another choice?" Anakin asked.
They all knew they didn't.
Cad Bane had not moved from his seat when the Jedi re-entered his cell. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Mace loomed before him, their robed forms shimmering in the contrasting light and shadow like phantom spectres ready to barrage him again. Ahsoka lingered near the door, left out because her Force powers were not quite as seasoned as their's were.
The Jedi closed their eyes, concentrating, as Anakin reached out and waved his hand in a slow, fluid motion. "You will take us to the holocron." He stated, his voice carrying through the Force with a commanding weight. It was far different from anything the Duros had heard out of him before.
"Jedi mind tricks won't work on me." Bane scoffed. Despite his resistance, the Duros could feel something itching the back of his mind. An irritation, something prying its way into his subconscious, determined to get a hold of him.
"You will take us to the holocron." Anakin repeated and Obi-Wan joined him this time.
"Forget it." Bane stubbornly retorted. The itch had grown into a full-grown nagging. A voice, a foreign presence, had mounted and was now weaving its way into his mind, barraging his subconscious and prompting him, coaxing him, begging him to do as they wished. But Bane clung to his wits, determined to outlast their assault no matter how hard they tried. It was becoming painful…
"You will take us to the holocron." Mace joined in, all three Jedi speaking in unison as they flexed their power over the Force. Cad struggled to maintain his composure, struggling with the onslaught of thoughts and prompts assaulting his mind. Something wanted him to give in. Something beyond his comprehension demanded he cooperate and give the Jedi what they wanted. It was unbearable.
"I… I won't!" He gasped through heavy breaths, writhing in his seat.
"And you will take us NOW!" The Jedi commanded in one voice. Bane seemed to crack, his expression growing passive.
"I… I will take you-… No! Get out of my head!" He roared, screaming as he fought back against the Force clawing at his mind, threatening to tear his psyche apart. Ahsoka stood frightened, watching as the display continued to unfold. She'd never seen someone react like this to Force-persuasion. It looked painful… and terrifying. The Jedi were pushing their luck, pressing harder like a stone against glass. The cracks were showing. If they pushed too hard, it would fracture beyond repair, reduced to tiny irreparable shards.
Sensing this, the trio relented and Cad sagged against the table between them, gasping for breath. "Perhaps we should try… again." Anakin darkly suggested, hoping it would spur Cad to a decision. It worked.
"I… have had enough of this…" the Duros gasped, shaking his head and raising his hands as he accepted defeat, "I'll take you to the holocron… you'll get your children back." He stated.
With their methodology proven successful, the Jedi made preparations to have Cad Bane moved; they would accompany him to a location only he knew about, aboard a T-6 shuttle with Marshall Commander Cody along as backup.
An armed escorted carted the shackled Duros to the hangar as the Jedi conversed amongst themselves.
"I've received word from Master Yoda on Coruscant. The Chancellor wants a report on our progress." Mace told them all. Obi-Wan appeared put out.
"Tell him this is not Republic business. It's an internal Jedi affair." He stated with faint arrogance.
"I'm sorry to disagree, but aren't we using Republic Navy ships right now? In the name of our 'internal affair'?" Anakin countered. "As long as the Jedi are acting as a military, we should report to the Chancellor. Even on internal matters such as this." He stated. Windu and Kenobi shared a quick, knowing glance.
"Well then, I guess you just volunteered to go." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Give the Chancellor my regards." He proffered as Anakin's told dumbstruck.
"Now wait a minute-"
"I agree. Report back here when you're finished." Mace decided, leaving Anakin to stand alone with a fresh burden to bear.
Leave it to Councillors to decide who does what without a second thought… or opinion for that matter.
"This could be a trap, Master. Are you sure you don't want us to go?" He called after them.
"Of course it's a trap, Skywalker." Mace replied, affirming their share suspicions.
"I will contact you when we find the children." Obi-Wan promised as he made to leave alongside him. They boarded the shuttle along with Cad and Cody, Anakin and Ahsoka left behind.
"And what if they don't find those kids?" The Togruta worriedly asked. Anakin had his own doubts, but knew that constant worry wouldn't get them anywhere. We need to focus. One thing at a time. Let them worry about that for now while I… tie up loose ends.
"They will, Snips. Come on. Let's go back to Coruscant and hobnob with the big-whigs." He urged with a beckoning hand. Ahsoka stopped and cringed.
"Oh. Yay." She muttered in a none-too-eager voice.
Later, on Coruscant…
"Ah, Anakin. It is good to see you." Supreme Chancellor Palpatine greeted politely. His smile was warm and welcoming, grandfatherly in a way. It made Anakin pleased to see him.
"Your excellency." And replied, trying to be as polite as possible. Surely the Chancellor deserved his best behavior. "I bring word from our investigation."
"And I'm eager to hear it." Palpatine replied. He turned to Ahsoka, his smile present but fainter. Ahsoka smiled nervously, her headtail stripes darkening as she stood in the presence of the esteemed leader of the Galactic Republic. It was a big honor. "Excuse us, child." Palpatine proffered as he ushered Anakin into his office and sealed the door behind him. Left in the dark, the Togruta folded her arms and frowned, loosing an audible huff at the durasteel slabs in front of her. She wasn't even allowed in! Palpatine had dismissed her as a child and made her wait out here. Ahsoka, considered a woman by her species and not a child, was understandably angry.
Well! How about that for a 'warm welcome'! Brushed off like common dirt by the Supreme Chancellor himself. Baka'montrra. I'm not some youngling, I'm fourteen… kriff, almost FIFTEEN now! On my homeworld, I'm considered an adult, not a child! Why do I always get left out of everything?!
If he could sense her furious thoughts, Palpatine did not let on. Darth Sidious was not a stupid man. He trusted no Jedi and, while quietly gloating at his ability to deceive them all, knew better than to dismiss even a young Jedi like herself.
Besides, he wanted Anakin to himself for a time. Without tagalongs.
"I understand you made an important arrest in the plot to destroy the Jedi." He commented to Anakin as they strode over to his wide office window. "To think a simple bounty hunter could create such a plan." He muttered.
"I believe someone else, someone much more powerful, was behind this." Anakin added. "And I don't think it was Dooku." Palpatine looked to him with a raised brow.
"Oh? And have you any clues as to who it might be?" He wondered, sounding very intrigued by the notion. Anakin sighed, running his mechanical hand through his hair.
"Not yet, Chancellor. I'm afraid all the clues have yet to present themselves." Anakin replied, sounding anxious and torn by a desire to move like a thunderbolt or stay still and let the storm brew. Palpatine eyed him.
Insightful. Skillful. Strong in the Force with more passion and presence than the members of the Council combined. One day, I must thank Master Yoda and the Jedi Council for contributing so generously to our cause. You would think they would take better care of their Chosen One. But all they seem to do is to frustrate and alienate young Skywalker. They're storing up trouble for themselves.
"Have patience, my boy." He stated at length, patting him on the back. "I have no doubt you'll get your chance soon."
Across the galaxy…
In a secretive installation, the Rodian child Wee Dunn and the Nautolan child Zinn Toa lay in metal crumbs designed to keep them contained. RO-series Nancy droids puttered around, while a single R5-series astromech droid rolled around the room, using it's built-in holoprojector module to transmit the image of the man behind the kidnappings… Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
"There there, child. Soon you will cry no more." He whispered, his hooded form leaning menacingly over Wee Dunn's crib. One of the nanny droids drew close.
"Master, subjects of this age rarely survive the slave-conditioning procedure." It cautioned him.
"I'm afraid the risk is necessary." Sidious responded as the R5 rolled him closer to check on Zinn Toa. "The natural talent these children possess is too great to be wasted by the Jedi." He peered into the other crib, finding the Nautolan infant sleeping soundly. "I foresee an army of Force-talented spies in my service, trained in the Dark Side to peer into every corner of the galaxy from afar. And my enemies would be helpless against such vision." He mused, the grand and dramatic vision playing out behind his eyes. "If the surgery fails, I will have lost nothing." He told the droid in conclusion.
Elsewhere…
Having returned to Resolute, Anakin decided to run a few more tests on Cad Bane's ship before he and Ahsoka gave up on it. With the impressive Rogue-class parked in the hangar, the Knight sat in the cockpit while his Padawan worked underneath.
"Well, the piloting system is clean." He determined at length, closing down the technical interface. "Check the landing gear?" He asked over the side. Ahsoka emerged from underneath Xanadu Blood on a creeper, her exposed orange skin smeared with grease and grime picked up from the ship's mechanics.
"Double-checked it." She affirmed with a sigh. "I've a feeling Master Windu and Master Obi-Wan could've used our help."
"Look, I don't like being out of the action either but somebody's gotta do this job." Anakin replied.
"And it always ends up being us." Ahsoka complained. I mean, I like this mechanic stuff Skyguy's teaching me. But I want to do something more than just sit around. There's children at stake! I can't rock back on my heels knowing those little ones are in trouble! Slipping back under the ship, her hands pressed against the outer plating… and she felt something very distinct from the usual smooth metal. Retracting her hand, Ahsoka noted how greyed her fingertips had become and the perfect marks they had left behind on the hull.
"Huh… Bane picked up a lot of ash on his travels." She mused aloud. Suddenly, R2-D2 warbled excitedly from the other side of the craft, his interfacing arm plugged into a socket that helped him analyze subsystems the two organic could not access. "What've you got Artoo?" Ahsoka wondered as she pulled herself up. The data flashed before Anakin.
"Hm, interesting. Looks like Bane erased his navigation records… but not his fuel computer." He announced. Curious, Ahsoka pulled herself up and sat on the wing of the ship, watching over his shoulder.
"So… what does this do for us?" She wondered.
"Well, if we cross the list of planets we know he visited with the distance he traveled-" Anakin began to explain and his Apprentice quickly put the pieces together.
"We may be able to calculate where else he went!" She realized with an excited gasp. Now this she could get behind. "That's a new one!"
"It's an old trick we used to track down smugglers." Anakin remarked. "Remind me to tell you about the time Master Obi-Wan and I spent six months in the Outer Rim." With that, he keyed up the list of recorded stops. The various instances Cad Bane had made adjustments to his fuel logs. "Okay, let's see… Glee Anselm… Rodia… Mustafar… Naboo…" he listed off, tagging each planet in sequence.
"Wait. Mustafar?" Ahsoka leaned in closer, grabbing his shoulder to do so and partially shoving Anakin up against the side. He'd forgotten how much hand-strength Togruta's possessed. "There were no children on Mustafar." She realized. Anakin keyed up the planetary data.
"It's a mining world. Very remote. Probably stopped to refuel." He explained.
"So the ash he picked up is volcanic. That explains that." Ahsoka surmised, leaning back. "But it was six systems out of his way, maybe he met up with whoever he was working for?" She suggested, sounding hopeful. "It's worth a look, isn't it?" She pressed. Anakin shot her a look, partly smirking at her eager instance. Like most children, he could read her intentions like an open datapad.
"Anything to get out of this hangar." He remarked, hopping out of the cockpit as Ahsoka giddily followed him towards where Twilight was parked...
Found in the Western Regions of the Outer Rim, specifically in the Astravis sector and the system from which is got its name, Mustafar was a small volcanic hellscape that orbited the gas giant Jestefad. Thanks to the influence of Jestefad's massive magnetic fields, Mustafar's core was superheated that resulted in an explosion of lava that soaked the planet and refused to relent. Acquired by the Techno Union, the Separatist-aligned organization mined many unique and valuable minerals from the planet which were employed in various technological goods sold and exported by the Union.
All of these factors made Mustafar incredibly suspect in the search for the stolen children.
"We're coming up on Mustafar." Ahsoka declared as the planet loomed large, like a swirled obsidian-ruby jewel. Even from here you could see frothing explosion of magma, bright pinpricks of yellow situated against red lakes.
"Artoo, begin the landing cycle." Anakin commanded and the astromech did as told. Anakin cast a glance at his apprentice eagerly steering the Twilight. Her energy was palpable in the Force, a presence not easily missed even by someone casually testing their senses. But it was the motivation behind it that worried Anakin. Her eagerness was tied to a desire to be useful, to be pleasing to those around her.
No wonder she's been so antsy. She feels like she's not contributing enough.
He recalled his brief conversation with Shaak Ti before this whole affair had begun. Maybe Ahsoka was in fact pushing herself to make up for her failure at Ryloth. Everything she did, no matter how risky or dangerous, was borne of a desire to prove herself. He didn't need the promptings of another master to know he needed to curtail that line of thinking.
"Ahsoka," he stated, catching her attention, "I appreciate your eagerness to pitch in and do something. You've been taking orders well, lately. An improvement over Felucia, I'll admit."
"Well, there's children at stake, Master. We've got to find them before whoever hired Cad Bane does something horrible to them." She replied. At first glance, it was a reasonable answer. but the way her mental shields were suddenly raised told Anakin a lot more.
"I know. I feel the same way." He agreed. "I just want you to know that you don't need to rush things. Sometimes the clues and answers are only doled out bit by bit."
"I'm not rushing, Master." She refuted.
"Oh but you are." Anakin countered. "You may not think you're rushing. But you're just waiting for the next chance to do something good and then taking off at full blast." He sensed her confusion and her hesitation.
"Is… that a bad thing?" She wondered.
"It is if you're trying to prove yourself." There's the sudden spike. Just like I figured. "It's alright, Snips. You don't have to put your life on the line." Anakin assured her.
"But… But I do, Master." Ahsoka responded. "If I hadn't been so reckless, I wouldn't have gotten caught by Cad Bane and you wouldn't have been forced to open the holocron for him." That was eye-opening and Anakin stayed quiet, listening and digesting, as she continued. "Now the lives of these poor younglings are at stake and it's my fault. I have to make it right."
"We'll make it right together." Anakin promised. "Just follow my lead, alright?" Ahsoka exhaled slowly, concentrating.
"Yes, Master." She obediently replied.
Guiding Twilight down to the surface, Ahsoka and Artoo followed the coordinates to the exact position lifted from Xanadu Blood. A facility hovered over a lake of lava, shielded with repulsorlift energy fields keeping it suspended in air. A single landing platform was available and Twilight quickly occupied that space.
Upon disembarking, the first thing Ahsoka noted was the strong acrid stench wrought from the over abundance of lava across the planet. With faintly sulphuric undertones, it filled every inch of her nostrils and made her want to recoil. The second thing she noted was the heat. Even with shielding, it was way warmer here than it had been on any other planet she'd ever visited.
Never have I been more happy to be wearing what I'm wearing. I can't imagine how Skyguy feels underneath all those robes and armor.
"You sure this is the right place?" She wondered as ash wafted down from above.
"We're gonna find out." Anakin answered, leading them towards the lone access door ahead. Artoo toddled forward and plugged into the access panel, keying in the directive to open the door… both Jedi were hit by a wave of cold that rolled up and down their spines. Ahsoka felt an absence of joy and light, as if the very atmosphere was sucking the life out of her. She recoiled, baring her fangs in a suddenly-primal act of guarding herself. She wanted to flee from the yawning darkness stretching on before her.
"I sense something, Master… and I don't like it." She whispered, swallowing nervously. Anakin knew exactly what she was feeling. It was familiar to him, first in the form of Asajj Ventress, then in the form of Count Dooku, then in Darth Khan. Only this time it was far stronger than any of them…
It's so oppressive. So overwhelming. Terrifying, even.
"It's the Dark Side, Ahsoka." He stated warily. "This is the right place." Plucking up their courage, the Jedi dove headlong into the mass as they jogged inside, the Dark Side surrounding them like a thick fog that clouded their senses. The Force became unreliable beyond their own bodies. Like electromagnetic pulses wreaking havoc with nav-coms. They stopped at an intersection, three possible paths laying to the right, left and in front of them.
Suddenly…
"Did you hear that?" Ahsoka questioned as the shrill cry echoed across the durasteel walls.
"Yeah, I heard that." Anakin quickly affirmed, drawing his lightsaber. "Question is, where are they?" Ahsoka paused and closed her eyes. The Force may be unreliable right now, but her species unique form of echolocation was not. The sound bounced off the empty halls, reached her montrals, and then bounced back. She traced the cry to its origin point within moments.
"This way!" She stated, taking off with Anakin hot on her heels. They chased down the corridors until they came to a sudden stop where a door barred their path. Blades flashing to live, Master and Padawan carved through the durasteel with their lightsabers, cutting a sizeable hole in the door big enough for them to pass through.
The room on the other side was dark, lit only by eerie red glows from flickering data terminals. Ahsoka squinted, her vision compensating for the lack of light. She picked out for empty cribs in the centre of the room, arranged in a square.
We're in the right place, alright. But where are the children…?
"We're too late." She muttered.
"I can sense their still here." Anakin replied. It was taking all the power he could summon, but the Force-sensitive younglings were picked out amid the Dark Side, like tiny pinpricks of light against the inky canvas of deep space.
The grinding of gears drew their attention and both Jedi ignited their blades as pale photoreceptors powered up on either side of the room. Through the gloom, Ahsoka was able to pick out who and what was here with them. The two other children Anakin had sensed; the Rodian Wee Dunn and the Nautolan Zinn Toa, trapped in the clutches of a pair of RO-series nanny droids.
"Be careful of the younglings!" Anakin called out, backpedaling as the droid carrying Wee swung at him with a clawed servo.
"I know! I know!" Ahsoka snapped back, doing plenty of dodging herself and doing her best to not hit Zinn.
Shrill alarms filled the room as the gravity generators went offline, resulting in a facility-wide shudder as Mustafar's violent atmosphere began to take its toll. Cracks formed in the floor, revealing fissures leading to rivers of molten lava. Heat filled the room, harsh and unyielding, as the Jedi continued to try and disarm the droids without hurting the younglings.
Suddenly, the floor collapsed and took the nanny carrying Zinn by surprise. Ahsoka took advantage and sliced of the droids arms before snatching the young Nautolan up into her own as the droid tumbled down into the lava below.
The floor gave way beneath Anakin too, more violently this time. Creaks and groans of strained metal resounded loudly as the nanny droid tumbled, catching itself between the two halves of floor. Its Rodian charged stumbled from its grip and Ahsoka looked on in horror as Wee tumbled towards the lava.
Had Anakin not used the Force to pull the youngling into his grasp, he would've died.
Springboarding off the droid to send it into the lava, Anakin joined his apprentice by the room's other door. "The panel's fried!" She growled in frustration.
"Well where's Artoo?" Anakin questioned. As if to answer, the door slid open as R2 opened it from the other side with a tootle. The Jedi bolted as explosions engulfed the lower levels of the facility, the swan song of the entire structure as its inevitable doom drew nigh.
Making their way back to the Twilight, Anakin passed Wee off to Ahsoka as he primed the launch controls. The Togruta bounced both younglings in her arms, whispering in soothing tones as maternal instincts took over. She had every faith her Master could get them out of here without delay.
He did… and not a moment too soon.
Artoo loosed the droid equivalent of a sigh of relief as Twilight lifted off, the sinister facility tumbling into the lava moments later...
And that's it for this chapter everyone. Not much of Jayden, but it seems he's learning duel-wielding under Ventress... and she noticed he's entered a certain stage and is teasing it.
