Chapter 14: I have a new Padawan
A month and a few weeks later, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with a clone battalion comprised of the 212th and 501st legions, were sent to Christophsis at Senator Bail Organa's behest. The Separatist Droid Army had launched an invasion to secure the allegiance of the planet's citizens and resources. Things were not going so well initially for the Senator and his troops, as they were being attacked by air and ground. Especially with the strategically aggressive, merciless, and brutal Admiral Trench in command. The Separatist naval leader had planned his blockade of the planet well, managing to cut down the Republic's supply ships. In addition, he outfitted his command ship with a powerful thermal shield.
Reluctant to do so, Anakin saw they weren't going to break through the Separatist blockade and told Admiral Yularen to order the remaining cruisers to pull back behind the moon. While thinking of a way to counterattack, a transmission from Obi-Wan came in explaining that he brought a newtoythat might give them the advantage they'd need. Anakin had Yularen do some research about the droid commander to see if there was anything valuable.
The two and a squad of clone troopers took a shuttle to Obi-Wan's cruiser, where the general revealed a prototype stealth ship. He believed that because of the ship's new cloaking technology, they could move through the blockade undetected. This was a mercy mission where Anakin and a squad of clones would take the ship to deliver supplies to Senator Organa's headquarters while Obi-Wan dealt with the blockade. Admiral Yularen returned with surprising information regarding their opponent as they continued to make plans. Admiral Trench.
Anakin and Obi-Wan looked concerned. Like the Yularen, they believed that Trench had perished during the Battle of Malastare Narrows. But the efficiency of the droids' maneuvers, the tactics employed, and the symbol on the command ship were proof that he had survived. If that weren't enough, Trench sent the hyena bombers to hit the Senator's base of operations on the planet's surface. The three then realized they wouldn't be able to break through the blockade with Trench in command, and engaging him openly with the remaining ships would be suicide. If there was any chance for them to break the blockade, Anakin would have to take the prototype ship and somehow destroy Trench.
Though the battle was initially difficult, the Separatist command ship was eventually destroyed thanks to Anakin's amazing piloting skills, knowledge of technology, and the information they had on how Trench dealt with ships with cloaking devices. The Separatist Commander may have been a highly skilled and merciless tactician. Still, he ultimately underestimated Anakin's unpredictability as a combat pilot and the time it would take for his thermal shields to recharge. With him out of the way, Obi-Wan could decimate the remaining Separatist ships surrounding the planet, and Anakin could deliver the supplies to Senator Organa.
But that was only the beginning of their problems. They had to contend with the droid army on the planet's surface, under the command of General Loathsom and an alive Asajj Ventress. Just when the battle started to turn in their favor, things took an unexpected turn for the worse. Ventress had paid off a clone, Seargent Slick, to betray Jedi and the other clones. He explained that he wanted something more than just empty servitude to the Jedi, whom he felt kept his brothers as slaves to do their bidding and die needlessly. Because of his betrayal, Ventress became aware of their plans and destroyed everything in the weapons depot except the heavy cannons.
The next day, the Republic forces on Christophsis were being stretched to their limits to protect what ground they had against the Separatist reinforcements. To make matters worse, their communications had been unreliable, so they could not call for help. The only silver lining was that even though they had limited resources to work with the heavy cannons, they were keeping the droids and their tanks from advancing. Seeing that things were not going well, as the cannons were halting any attempts at advancing, General Loathsom ordered his forces to turn around.
"They're pulling back," Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Yes, and more than that. Look," Obi-wan said, deactivating his saber and clipping it onto his belt before pointing at an incoming Republic shuttle. "Seems like help has finally arrived."
The two headed back toward their troops. While walking to where the shuttle was landing, the two discussed what it could mean. "Our cruiser must be back," Obi-wan noted as they passed some of their wounded.
"Which means we'll be able to get our reinforcements," Anakin commented with a small smile.
"Then it looks like our problems are solved. Fresh troops, new supplies, and perhaps they brought my new Padawan with them," Obi-Wan laminated with a calm, stoic visage marring his features.
Anakin passed a confused look at Obi-Wan as if he had grown some bantha ears. "You really think it's a good idea to bring a Padawan learner into all this?" Skepticism dripped down his voice.
"I spoke to Master Yoda about it," Obi-Wan explained. "You should put in a request for one. You'd make a good teacher."
Anakin's breath got caught in his throat at Obi-Wan's suggestion. "Yeah, no thanks."
"Anakin, teaching is a privilege. And it's part of the Jedi's responsibility to help train the next generation," Obi-Wan said with a subtle amount of lecturing in his voice as they neared the ship.
"I hardly think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility. After all, I only became a Knight a little over a month ago," Anakin bit back with a skeptical look.
"You're more ready than you think,"Obi-Wan mentally said. Anakin did not know, but he, Master Yoda, and Master Windu felt like he was ready for an Apprentice of his own. Plus, he could pass on what he learned to whoever Master Yoda assigned to him.
The shuttle's ramp lowered as its doors slid open, revealing only one person onboard: a young female Togruta with blue eyes, who seemed to be thirteen. She had a Padawan braid on her head, and her lightsaber was attached to her belt. This surprised the duo, who wondered why a Youngling was here, of all places. "A Youngling?" A bewildered Obi-Wan questioned.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asked. R2 beeped excitedly as she walked toward them.
"I'm Ahsoka," the girl introduced herself. "Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency.
Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a momentary look of surprise before the former spoke. "That may be a problem, as we have our hands full right here."
"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help," said Obi-Wan, who further explained their current situation.
"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message," Ahsoka said to the Jedi Master.
Anakin let out a frustrated breath. "Oh, great. They don't even know we're in trouble." He wondered why Master Yoda wanted them to return when they were in the middle of a battle.
Ahsoka then offered a suggestion. "Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off."
The two considered the suggestion and then went to the nearest communication console, where Obi-Wan contacted the cruiser Ahsoka arrived in. It took a moment, but one of the officers picked up the transmission and explained they were being attacked by Separatist warships. Nevertheless, he told them to stand by while he attempted to make contact with Master Yoda at the Jedi Temple.
Ahsoka looked uncomfortable when Master Kenobi and Skywalker looked at her while they waited in silence. Fortunately, it didn't last long as a holoprojection of Master Yoda appeared."Master Kenobi, glad Ahsoka found you, I am."
Obi-Wan gave a curt nod. "Master Yoda, we are trapped here and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed," he explained their plight to the Grand Master.
"Send reinforcements to you, we will. . ."The transmission soon started breaking up, much to Obi-Wan's concern.
"Master Yoda? Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan cried out while Anakin tried to get the transmission back up.
"We lost the transmission, sir,"the holoprojection of the clone officer said. Their cruiser was being bombarded by the enemies' fire. Just then, two more officers appeared.
The one in front said,"We have to leave orbit immediately. More enemy ships have just arrived. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."The transmission then ended.
"Seems we will have to hold out a little longer," an irritated Anakin said. "Let's hope they get back in time."
Obi-Wan gave him a look that saidI agree.He thenturned his attention to Ahsoka, who had her head down. "My apologies, young one. It's time for a proper introduction," he said, standing in front of her with a calm demeanor and his hands behind his back.
"I'm the new Padawan learner. I'm Ahsoka Tano," Ahsoka introduced herself.
"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, your new master," he replied. Yet he resisted the urge to turn to Anakin and withheld his smile from growing bigger. He could already tell what would happen next would be amusing.
"I'm at your service, Master Kenobi, but I'm afraid I've been assigned to Master Skywalker," she pointed at Anakin. Obi-Wan savored a stunned look on Anakin's face and had to release his amusement into the Force to maintain his calm demeanor.
"What? No, this is impossible," he denied, walking to stand beside Obi-Wan. "There must be a mistake. He's the one that wanted the Padawan," pointing a finger at Obi-Wan.
"No," Ahsoka snippily retorted, folding her arms, "Master Yoda was very specific. I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training," she said in an assured tone of voice with a large smile on her face.
"Ugh, this must be a bad dream. Why me of all people? Why not Master Windu?" Anakin groaned. Ahsoka was a little taken aback by his words. Luckily, Obi-Wan intervened when it appeared like Anakin was about to say more.
"We'll need to sort this out later," Obi-Wan stopped any further discussion regarding the topic to get them back to what was currently happening. Though on the inside, he was doing backflips. "It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons."
Anakin took in a sharp breath. "Come on, Youngling. I need to check on Rex in the lookout post," he said, turning around and walking away.
"Padawan," she grumbled irritably while following him.
Obi-Wan only watched with an amused grin, and his arms folded.
(00)
At the lookout post, Anakin and Ahsoka were approached by the Captain of the 501st CT-7567, or Rex, as he preferred to be called. A few troopers monitored the situation to see if the Separatists attempted another assault. "What's the status, Rex?" Anakin inquired.
The Captain explained the enemy's status while Ashoka looked around. "Quiet for now, sir. However, I think the Seppies will be gearing up for another assault soon." He then turned his attention to the Togruta. "Who's the Youngling?"
Ahsoka turned around, "I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan. The name is Ahsoka Tano."
When Rex turned to his CO and inquired about how he had said he never had a Padawan, Anakin explained that there may have been a mix-up and claimed the Youngling wasn't with him. That annoyed Ahsoka, who heatedly retorted that he was stuck with her and gave him the nicknameSkyguy. Rex and a few of his men who were listening started laughing, though Anakin did not appear to be amused by her wit or snippy attitude. Citing that, he didn't believe she was yet old enough to be a Padawan. However, Ahsoka defended herself by saying that Master Yoda thought she was. Anakin then assigned Rex to show her around so he could have a moment to think.
As he watched the two of them leave, Anakin felt that Obi-Wan and his father were somehow involved in sending her here. He made a mental note to speak with them later. Another surprise was that he found himself slowly liking her. Brushing that aside, he went to speak with another trooper, who told him to tell the others to stay vigilant before leaving to meet with Obi-Wan.
When they returned, Rex explained to the generals that the droids now had an energy shield slowly increasing in diameter, staying just ahead of their troops. This was a major problem, as it would make things near impossible; the heavy cannons would be useless against them. Together, the four and Artoo studied the holomap to judge how long they'd have until the droids reached their cannons. If they were to have a chance at victory, then the shield generator would need to be found and destroyed.
Obi-Wan speculated they could level the playing field somewhat by drawing them into the buildings. Ahsoka commented that since the shield was such a problem, it should be destroyed, only for Rex to note that it was easier said than done. The young Padawan was surprised when she heard Skywalker clear his throat.
"I, for one, agree with her," her eyes momentarily widened at what he said. "The key to turning the tide of this battle is by locating and destroying the shield generator."
"Right then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together," Obi-Wan quipped while mentally patting himself on the back for the suggestion.
"Can do, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka enthusiastically replied, though her big smile quickly disappeared.
"Not so fast, little one. I'll decide how we get through," Anakin sharply retorted.
They continued to strategize on the best way to deal with the situation. Within a few minutes, Ahsoka assuredly said they would figure out how to get through the shield. Whilst the two walked away, Anakin coined her a new nickname:Snips,and promised they would be having a talk if they survived. Rex looked a bit concerned, wondering if they would be able to work together and pull it off. Obi-Wan, though, seemed to have faith in them and turned their attention back to the holomap.
From a high vantage point, an anxious Ahsoka, sitting on the leaning wall with a backpack, jumped down. She was determined to prove she was worthy of being Master Skywalker's Padawan. "So what's the plan?"
"Oh, I thought you were the one with the plan," Anakin put down his binoculars to look at let with a speculative smirk.
"No, I'm the one with enthusiasm," she determinedly stated. "You're the one with the experience, which I'm looking forward to learning from." Anakin's grinned at her eagerness.
"Well, first, we need to get behind that shield, then get past their tank lines," he said, looking at the incoming droids through the binoculars.
"Why don't we go around and outflank them?" The eager Padawan suggested.
"That would take too long," diverting his attention to the debris and spotting some open containers.
"Sneak through the middle then?" Ahsoka tried again.
"Hold on," Anakin raised a finger at her. That was actually a good idea, and quickly, looking at how the shield passed through the container and rats without harming them, he started to formulate a plan.
Ahsoka's expression fell. "All right. You win. My first lesson will be to wait while you come up with the answer."
"Hmm, wait no longer. Come with me," Anakin said, leading her away from their vantage point. "It's time for your first lesson: Being resourceful and knowing how to break through your enemy's lines without fighting."
She had a half-confused look, wondering what his plan was and what he meant. Anakin reached out with the Force to summon a brick box that was large enough to cover two people. The two crouched down onto their stomachs while the box was lowered on them. A concerned Ahsoka did not see the point of what they were doing, even when the shield passed over them.
"This is a stupid plan! We should fight! We should fight these guys instead of sneaking around," Ahsoka said. Her impatience was showing.
"Patience. Their deflective energy shield just passed over us. Remember, there are alternatives to fighting and getting a job done," he lectured.
"If you say so," she half grumbled. Together, the two covertly crawled to the shield generator.
As they continued crawling, Anakin sensed that Obi-Wan, Rex, Cody, and the other troopers were engaging the droid army, trying to buy them time to get to the generator. Knowing his old master, he would send the troops back to protect the heavy cannons; they were the thing that could win them a victory. Should Obi-Wan get captured, he would use his negotiation skills to stall for time. Obi-Wan had become exceptional in the art of negotiations to the point of angering, confusing, and distracting his opponents. He was capable of diverting their attention away from what was happening elsewhere and thus earned the nickname:the Negotiator. If it were a contest between who was the better diplomat, then he'd be almost even, if not a tiny shade, better than Mace.
The two crawled several more meters to the generator, though that ended when Ahsoka's lack of patience showed again. She griped about still needing the box container and her need to stand up. Just as Anakin began lecturing her about needing to be more cautious since there was no telling what they would run into. The two bumped into a droideka that was stationed to protect the shield. Quickly drawing and igniting their lightsabers. In contrast to his sapphire blade, her's was emerald. He noticed that she made use of the unorthodox reverse grip when deflecting and redirecting the droid's laser bolts. Knowing they couldn't beat the droid while its shield was still up, he ordered her to run. Ahsoka stubbornly refuted that Jedi do not run.
Anakin said it again. Even though she did not want to, she listened to his order and ran in the opposite direction. When the droid started rolling after them, Anakin told her to stop and slashed his saber through it. Ahsoka did the same, and the droid was destroyed. She grimaced when he commented on how well she took direction.
Anakin saw her as headstrong and reckless, much like he was during his early years while apprenticing under Master Windu and Obi-Wan. His thoughts were then interrupted when he sensed Obi-Wan trying to reach him through their bond while he and Ahsoka were heading toward the generator's location.Anakin, I hope you and Ahsoka are nearing the generator. Most of the clone units have been wiped out. I sent the remaining troopers to protect the cannon while I contend with the droid leader, Loathsom.
You're surrendering to buy us enough time to do our part,Anakin quipped, though he already knew the answer. Anakin could tell Obi-Wan was mentally smirking.
I will stall for as long as I can. . .but you two will need to destroy the shield generator quickly.
We're working on it. Anakin sent it back. Time was of the essence, and he and Ahsoka needed to destroy the shield generator.
The two continued running until they had to climb up a steel platform. "There it is. Come on," said Ahsoka, pointing toward their target. The generator was half a mile away.
They then sprinted forward, with Anakin in the lead. He cast his senses as wide as he could to detect any traps. Before the Clone Wars broke out, he had fought in many conflicts against military officers, terrorists, assassins, and dangerous criminals. They would never be foolish enough to leave something as important as a shield generator unprotected. In the case of droids, he knew there had to be more than the one they recently encountered on their way over. Battle droids were often in groups and used their superior numbers to overwhelm the enemy. He stopped them behind another platform, where there were debris scattered around.
"Stay close. We gotta be careful," he said, looking at Ahsoka while scanning the area. Already, he could sense there was trouble surrounding the generator, and they were underground.
"Wait!" He cried when Ahsoka charged forward into the land of mines.
"Why? We're almost there. It's right. . ." she called back, but she couldn't finish after touching a few of the antennas on the ground.
Anakin quickly drew his lightsaber when several large battle droids emerged from the ground and started to surround her. "Forget about the droids! Set those charges!" He instructed while running forward, slashing his lightsaber at the droids and cutting them down.
Right as her Master was taking care of the droids, Ahsoka started setting the charges; however, she had to stop when one of the droids came from behind and tried to attack her. Rolling under the droid, she drew her emerald lightsaber, leapt over it with some aid from the Force, and slashed it in half. The discarded top half of the droid was Force pushed away, though in doing so, Ahsoka accidentally activated the other droids when the head rolled over the antennas.
"Sorry," she timidly said, watching the pack of droids sprung up and approaching Anakin.
"Whose side are you on anyway?" He questioned, raising his saber to a defensive position.
"Setting the charges," she replied, mentally kicking herself for doing something so foolish. When done setting the charges on the generator, she turned to see Master Skywalker backing up as the droids closed in on him. "Skyguy, don't move!"
"What?" he said while deflecting the blaster bolts. Quickly looking over his shoulder, he saw a massive slab moving down at her command. "No, no!" he said, Putting his hands over his head to shield himself. The stone slab crushed the droids, yet thanks to the hole in the middle, Anakin was unharmed.
"Are you okay?" Ahsoka ran over to inquire if he was all right. Only to receive a glare from him as he walked past her. "I just saved your life."
"Did you get the charges set?" Anakin asked a little too harshly as he turned around.
"Yes!" Ahsoka snippily replied.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Ahsoka reeled back slightly before pressing a button on her wrist control panel. The charges she set exploded, destroying the generator. With that done, the Separatist's shield rose until it was completely gone, leaving the droids and their tanks vulnerable to an attack.
Now that the deflector shield was gone, the clones immediately bombarded the droids with fire from their heavy cannons. In only a few minutes, the remaining droid forces, not counting the ones with Obi-Wan and General Loathsom, had been destroyed. With their leader defeated in handcuffs, once the Republic reinforcements touched down, they would soon be heading for the scrap pile.
Anakin looked up into the sky, watching Republic gunships fly over to where Obi-Wan and the other troopers were likely waiting. His smile did not fade when he turned to Ahsoka, who sat on the platform with her head down. Given her facial expression, it seemed like she was mentally scolding herself for her actions. She was much like him when he was younger: stubborn, reckless, and impatient. Yet, she was skilled with a lightsaber and the Force and was headstrong, brave, determined, and quite witty. He found himself liking her and made a decision regarding her being his Padawan. Of course, he would need to test her further to see where her skills were currently at.
Going over, he sat down beside her. "You're reckless, you know. You never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan. Let alone Master Windu's," he began with a neutral expression. Ahsoka still had her head down in shame and failure, then closed her eyes. Anakin turned toward her with a gentle smile. "But you might make it as mine."
Her eyes widened in surprise at what he said, and her lips formed a smile that mirrored his. She could hardly believe her ears. . .Master Skywalker had accepted her as his Padawan.
"Come on. Let's go," standing up and walking away while signaling a gunship to come down. Ahsoka eagerly followed behind him.
Captain Rex, the 501st's first in command, and a few other troopers occupied the gunship they boarded. Rex congratulated them both on a job well done, eliciting a smile from Ahsoka. As their gunship continued to fly through the skyscraper of Christophsis, Anakin and Ahsoka shared a similar smile before he looked outside to see Master Kenobi speaking with Master Yoda. Battalions of clone troopers were walking down the ramps of a Republic cruiser when the gunship landed a few feet in front of it.
Together, the two Jedi hopped off the gunship and went to greet Masters Yoda and Kenobi. "Master Obi-Wan. Master Yoda," Anakin offered a bow, which Ahsoka quickly copied.
"Hmm. Trouble you have with your new Padawan, I hear," Yoda stated in an even voice.
Ahsoka glanced up nervously at Anakin, who looked at her out of the corner of his left eye that saidlet me handle this. Obi-Wan explained further, "I was explaining the situation to Master Yoda."
"Really?" Anakin regarded him with a suspicious look. He was almost sure Obi-Wan had a hand in Ahsoka being assigned to him.
"If not ready for a Padawan, you are, then perhaps Obi-Wan, we can. . ." Anakin soon intervened before Master Yoda could say anything further. The small glint in Obi-Wan's eyes would have gone unnoticed by most, but Anakin knew better, and he had already made his decision.
"All due respect Master Yoda. That will not be necessary," Anakin stated in a firm yet respectful voice. "I admit that while this has been a day for surprises and acknowledge that Ahsoka is a little rough around the edge. . ." Quickly glancing at her. "But with a great deal of training and patience, she might prove to be a decent Jedi." Ahsoka then smiled.
Yoda gave him a curt nod. "Then go with you, she will, to the Teth system."
"Teth?" Anakin's eyes widened in surprise. "That's Wild Space. The droid army is even in that sector."
"Kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son has been," Yoda explained in a grave tone laced with seriousness.
A sense of dread washed over Anakin as a collection of negative emotions and memories ran through him. He would never forget what happened to him and his mother when Gardulla the Hutt once owned them while on Tatooine. The Hutts were vile gangsters and slavers, and now he was expected to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son. While he wanted to reject the mission, this was likely of the utmost importance. The Hutts controlled the Outer Rim, and the Republic desperately needed those supply routes. He nodded his head in understanding while releasing the bad memories and emotions into the Force.
Obi-Wan offered Anakin a sympathetic smile in understanding about being involved with the Hutts. Notably Jabba. "We'll need the Hutts' allegiance to give us an advantage over Dooku." Anakin could see through Obi-Wan's calm demeanor, noticing that he did not like the idea of being involved with the Hutts either.
Yoda grunted. "Negotiate the treaty with Jabba, Obi-Wan will," turning his eyes from Obi-Wan to Anakin. "Find the renegades that hold Jabba's son; your mission will be Skywalker."
"Come on, Master, it doesn't sound that hard," Ahsoka quipped. "I'll find Rex and get the troops organized," she took off to go find Rex and the others.
Anakin and Obi-Wan watched as she set off to find Captain Rex. Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with an amused smile. "Don't worry, Anakin. Just teach her everything, Master Windu, and I taught you, and she'll turn out fine."
"I know you had a hand in this," Anakin said before catching up with Ahsoka, leaving an amused Obi-Wan behind. If his expression indicated anything, it showed that hedid, in fact, have something to do with assigning Ahsoka to Anakin, even though all he did was voice his opinion.
Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Master Yoda, confirming that it was a wise decision to give Anakin an apprentice. Yoda tapped his cane in agreement and shared his thoughts on the matter. Obi-Wan ended the conversation by stating that if he was to make a deal with Jabba, he'd have to be on his way. He boarded his starfighter with an R4 unit and took off after strapping in.
(00)
Deep in the Outer Rim on the desert planet Tatooine, in Jabba's palace, Jabba sat in his throne room with his protocol droid TC-70 beside him. The throne room was filled with its usual patrons: Jabba's guards, bounty hunters, smugglers, thieves, and entertainer girls. Most of them were on Jabba's payroll, while others were probably looking for a good time or waiting for a new score.
Jabba watched with amusement as a female Twi'lek danced before him, unaware that one of his guards was approaching to deliver some news to TC-70. The protocol droid then relayed the message to the crime lord. "Jabba, the bounty hunters you sent to find your son have returned."
Jabba spoke in Huttese and ordered them brought in immediately. His expression soon became one of dissatisfaction, and he roared in anger when two more of his guards came in with a stretcher holding the severed heads of the bounty hunters he had sent. In his rage, he angrily ordered his guards to contact the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic immediately.
(00)
On Coruscant, at the Senate building of the Supreme Chancellor's office, Chancellor Palpatine was having a meeting with Mas Amedda, Master Windu, and Senators Farr and Kharrus. The five had been debating about the treaty they'd been trying to forge with the Hutt crime lord Jabba. Unfortunately, their discussion had been cut short, and the communication console alerted them about an incoming transmission. A sense of dread washed over Mace; he got the distinct notion he knew who it was.
He pressed a few buttons, turned a switch, and the blue holoimages of Jabba and his protocol droid appeared. Jabba did not look happy and started speaking angrily in Huttese. Despite knowing how to speak Huttese, it was obvious that Jabba was furious with the lack of progress regarding his son.
TC-70 went to translate what his master said."The all-powerful Jabba demands to know why the Jedi are not looking for his son."
"Ah, mighty Jabba, rest assured the Jedi are on their way," Palpatine exclaimed, offering an explanation to quell Jabba's anger.
Jabba raised a grubby hand, pointed a warning finger at them, and angrily warned them in Huttese, which his droid translated."They better be if you want the Republic to have safe passage through Jabba's territory."
Mace stepped forward and spoke in a calm, even voice. "Mighty Jabba, the Jedi Council has already put a plan in place to rescue your son. One of our own is enroute to find out who was responsible for the kidnapping and will have your son returned to you." Mace's mind drifted back to the conversation he had with Master Yoda over the comm device. Anakin, with his new Padawan Ahsoka Tano, were on their way to the Jungle planet of Teth. It still made him chuckle on the inside about giving Anakin an apprentice, and he could only imagine the look on his face. Pushing those thoughts aside, he continued. "Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is already on his way to meet with you to secure the treaty between you and the Republic."
A still angry Jabba contemplated for a few minutes."Mmm. I await his arrival. See to it that you succeed in delivering my son safely to me. If not, your Republic will have more problems to deal with,"TC-70 translated. The transmission was then turned off.
Mace was confident that Anakin would be able to set aside his grudge against the Hutts to rescue and return Jabba's son to him. This was a dark day for the Republic as he disliked the idea of having to deal with that criminal scum. However, the Republic desperately needed those supply routes to move their troops through Jabba's territory to combat the Separatist army. The Korun Master diverted his attention toward the Chancellor and the others, and they resumed their conversation. Meanwhile, Palpatine continued to mask his true intentions by inquiring with concern who the Jedi had dispatched to retrieve Jabba's son. Little did everyone know that Lord Tyrannus had set the wheels in motion so the Separatists would have access to the hyperspace routes, and the Jedi would also be at war with the Hutt clan.
The five debated the secret treaty with the Hutts for a while longer before it came to an end. Mace took his leave and headed back to the Temple. Master Yoda was en route back to Coruscant, having liberated the planet Christophsis, to brief him on how the meeting went. Farr and Kharrus returned to their offices' leaving Palpatine alone to speak with Amedda.
In another part of the Senate building, Padmé was sat in a chair behind her desk, having lunch while speaking with Master Galia. Adi had arrived around a half hour ago to inform her Padawan about the recent development of Christophsis. ". . .the planet has been liberated, and Senator Organa is currently helping with the clean as well as taking a census of how many lives have been lost. Luckily, the number of casualties on Christophsis was kept to a minimum."
"Thank the Force," Padmé breathed a sigh of relief. Bail is a good friend of hers, and she was glad to hear that he was all right. "What about the situation regarding the treaty with Jabba? Has there been any progress on that front?"
Adi leaned back in her chair. "Master Kenobi has already been sent to speak with him, and he should arrive at Jabba's palace within an hour or so." A touch of disgust laced in her voice, and Padmé knew why. For even she detested the idea of having to do business with the Hutts.
She took in a sharp breath. "As for retrieving Jabba's son? Master Skywalker is already en route to Teth. He'll come through and have Jabba's son safely return to him."
"You know Anakin's experience with the Hutts was less than ideal," Padmé said.
Adi nodded her head, knowing about his past as a slave on Tatooine. "The Council is confident in its decision. . .and Skywalker has matured from when he first came to the Temple. He may not think it's a good idea, but he understands the significance behind the treaty with the Hutts."
She offered Padmé a gentle smile. "Anakin is above letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment into seeing the bigger picture. He'll be fine and complete his mission to the letter."
While she would have said more regarding that he now had a Padawan. . .she felt like it was not her place. Anakin will tell Padmé about Padawan Tano when he gets the chance.
Their attention was drawn elsewhere when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," said Padmé. She could sense who was behind her door. The two and a few guards walked in when the door slid open. "Uncle Ono, Captain Typho, what is it?"
"Hello, Padmé, Master Galia." Onaconda and his aide Lolo gave them a cordial nod as they entered. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there have been some latest developments in the Outer Rim."
"And the new security measures the Chancellor placed on Naboo," Captain Typho added, his tone of voice letting her know this was a serious matter that needed to be discussed.
Padmé's lips curled into a small frown. She had a feeling this conversation was not going to be pleasant and could already feel a headache coming on. Master Gallia shared the same sentiment. Nevertheless, she could tell this would be a conversation worth listening to.
Padmé offered Onaconda the other chair in front of her desk, and Lolo stood behind him. Typho pulled up the file on his datapad and showed it to her before explaining what was happening on Naboo.
A/N: The battle of Christophsis is underway with the Republic forces under the command of Generals Obi-Wan and Anakin having a difficult time trying to protect what ground they have. Because of Sergeant Slick's betrayal they have limited resources at their disposal, though their heavy cannons were safe. They are the only thing keeping the droid army at bay.
Just when they thought they'd get some reinforcements a Padawan leaner named Ahsoka Tano arrives with a message from Master Yoda. They're needed back on Coruscant to help find Jabba's kidnapped son. And that she had been assigned to Anakin Skywalker as his Padawan. Though, initially shocked and reluctant about having an apprentice; he accepted after seeing her skills and noticing that she was a lot like him.
The two will now embark on a mission to rescue Jabba's son from the renegades who kidnapped him, and safely return the child, so the Republic can move through Jabba's territory.
Next Chapter: Trouble on Teth and deceit