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Fandom The Forsaken Renegades (SW TCW): CLOSED

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Shona Aa'ri | Renegade Co-leader | Twi'Lek | 35
Village of Aganar, Er'Kit | Tagging: Renegades, Mercs, Jedi

Shona's hopes started to rise when the residents of the town took a stand and rose up against the Separatists. Honestly, for a town like this, that was far more than Shona expected. In most towns she had seen- and lived in- people like this definitely cared about saving their own skin, but not enough to actually fight. Her parents? When trouble came they'd hide in a cave and not care what happened to their own children.

But Shona did not inherit one ounce of cowardice from her parents, and it seemed like the people in Aganar didn't either. Either that, or they were made more aggressive than usual thanks to the influence of alcoholic drinks. Whatever the reason was, Shona didn't care too much. Thanks to them, they actually had a chance against the Separatist scum.

A noise that sounded like the clanking of metal started her- when she turned, she spotted, too late, a battle droid pointing its gun right at her chest.

A flash of blue cut the droid down before Shona could even process that she had been two feet away from getting killed. Her eyes narrowed when she observed the source of the blue light: that infamous Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Shona had heard of him all right. He was one of the two poster boys for the Republic war effort, his face constantly blasted all over the Holonet as propaganda. People everywhere saw him and Anakin Skywalker as the heroes, the beacons of hope and justice in this galaxy... and it was just the opposite... The media told lies all day and got away with it.

And Kenobi had the nerve to nod at her politely, that son of a gun. Shona didn't buy it. People like him who allied themselves with a corrupt faction like the Republic could pretend to care all they wanted, but their actions belied their rhetoric.

She couldn't afford to let this distract her too much as she dashed behind shelter (where Tralissk and Rika were also positioned). All three of them concentrated for a moment, carefully sniping down the battle droids, before Shona dared to speak. "Did you see that?" she whispered. "The Jedi are here now. Kenobi clearly thinks of himself as quite a hero."

So distracted was she that she didn't see or hear the small group of battle droids approaching her from behind. They didn't speak or offer a chance to surrender. They simply cocked their blasters, aiming to kill.
 
Anakin Skywalker | Jedi Knight | Human | 21
Outskirts of Aganar | Tagging: Padmé Amidala

Anakin was starting to regain consciousness, and desperately wished he hadn't.

Pain was the first sensation that came back, and now that it was no longer dulled by adrenaline, it was unbearable. And he couldn't do anything about it- even breathing was incredibly painful. The lightsaber blows still burned as if they were on fire, and dust and sand made the cut sting even worse than before.

As for trying to figure out where he was, that was pretty much useless. Everything was blurry and dark, but he could make out a large amount of sand and some random, blinding sources of sunlight. It didn't seem to matter much anyway. Wherever he was, he couldn't get out; even if he had the strength, there seemed to be too much sand and rocks around to actually escape from whatever this place was. At least there was enough air coming in.

The only other upside: Padmé seemed to be alive. Anakin finally registered the subtle touch of her delicate hand in his, and her presence in the Force was clear and stable. She was hurt, yes, and in a lot of pain; he could sense that much. But he didn't sense her life force ebbing away. He, however, didn't feel that he had much time. The amount of blood he was losing was getting dangerous, fast. He felt cold despite the heat of the planet, and his pulse was rapid.

"Padmé-" he grimaced at the effort of speaking- "if I don't make it... out of here... promise me..."

The effort of trying to talk proved to be too much, but he stared into her eyes and gave her hand a little squeeze. Hopefully she would understand what he meant. If this was the end for him, at least there was a chance it wasn't the end for her. The last thing he wanted for his beloved was for her to give up, hard as it might be for her to continue alone. And he hated to have failed to keep her safe; everything that happened could have been so easily prevented.

Despite the miserable odds though, Anakin wasn't even giving up on his own life yet. He fought to stay conscious, even if only for Padmé's sake, and hoped for some sort of miracle. That seemed to be the only thing that could save them now.
 
Senator Kal Mariii | Republic Senator | Mon Calamari | 50 | Heiss Unduli’s Office, Coruscant | Tagging: Senator Heiss Unduli, Representative Eletha Rosach

“Of course we all want peace, Senator, but you also need people you can trust if you want to keep the peace.” Mariii narrowed his eyes as he stared straight at Senator Heiss. How dare he try to claim he wanted peace in the galaxy after the stunt he pulled in betraying the Republic?! As a Separatist he made his choice of forgoing peace for war. But to try and appeal to their sense of humanity– Mariii paused and took a moment to recenter his thoughts. The time for division would have to wait. These Renegades had made themselves known by brutally torturing and killing other senators from both sides. The Separatists and the Republic were both losing to them, and while he would rather have the Separatists become bait while the Republic deals with this threat, he knew they probably felt the same vice versa. However, as much as he disliked the idea of working with these traitors, he knew something had to be done. After all this time, after all the pain caused from numerous losses, Senator Heiss had finally found a clue that could lead to the capture and defeat of these terrorists. He had to admit, for all the wrong decisions Heiss had made in switching sides, he hadn't lost his ability to discover critical details that could change the tides of an argument, or in this case, a war against a common enemy.

After a few tense moments, Senator Mariii continued. "What exactly do you propose we are to do if our Jedi cannot locate and subdue them? With as much time as you've had to study their movements, surely you would have some form of a plan of action in mind, a solution to this thorn in our sides. The longer we wait to fight back, the worse this is going to get for everyone, and I fear that simply combining our resources will not be enough if they are as formidable and elusive as you say they are. What makes you think you'll be able to find them again, should they escape this time?"
 
General Grievous | Supreme Commander of Separatist Droid Armies| Separatist Base, Er'kit | Tagging: No one, save battle droids

Grievous paced back and forth on the bridge, impatient at the lack of progress from these droids. How hard was it to find one senator in this tiny village? He had every street barricaded and every hidden corner being searched, but there were still no reports to their whereabouts as of yet. As for the Jedi, he knew they would put up a fight, but this was all taking too long. Dooku could contact him at any time, and he wanted to make sure he had something worth telling his master, something that would reassure him that he would not fail this mission. That he had chosen well to have Grievous lead the attack. After how the last couple campaigns had gone down, Grievous was glad to be given this opportunity to prove himself, especially considering how much emphasis the Count had placed on its importance. This was no ordinary attack-and-conquer assignment; this was a mission to capture and retrieve data for the Separatists that was vital to their plans to win the war, information that absolutely could not fall into Republic hands.

A battle droid monitoring communications spoke up. "General, I've intercepted a transmission from the village. Sounds like it might be the Jedi. Would you like to hear it?" He nodded, and the droid pressed a button to begin the playback. Grievous' eyes flashed in recognition as he narrowed them. He knew that voice. Kenobi. So, he had caught the Negotiator in his trap, along with the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his irritating pet Padawan. How nice. And even better, it sounded like they were having a hard time standing their ground against his forces. Good. Just as it should be. He coughed. However, even they had no idea about the Senator's location, which was both disappointing and encouraging at the same time. If they knew where the Senator was, he would personally go seize the plans right now while killing everyone, bringing about his success swiftly, but since they didn't, that meant he still had a chance to capture the Senator himself. It also meant that whoever this particular senator was, they knew how to avoid detection thus far. There were only so many places a person can hide before being caught, though.

Then there were the Renegades; the elusive group of nuisances stirring up violence and trouble in the galaxy wherever they went. As of yet their actions hadn't interfered directly with any of his plans, but it would only be a matter of time. He'd heard about the long trail of victims they've left in their wake, all once senators and other important officials from both sides of the conflict. Personally, he was glad to see some of them disposed of, although he would have liked to have killed some of them himself. Nonetheless, these Renegades were a threat to the Separatists that needed to be eliminated. He had been notified that they were supposed to be here, but without knowing what or who exactly to look for, finding them was proving to be a difficult task. The only clue he had was that they were after the Senator too, so it was likely that if he caught one, the other would be nearby. If he could capture the Renegades, he was to take them as prisoners for interrogation, although he would much rather simply impale them where they stood. Perhaps after they had served their purpose. Or during, if they needed some persuasion. Either way, he was going to enjoy making them suffer.

Glancing back over the strategy map, he considered what his next move should be. The Jedi were pinned, his forces were swarming the village, and his main objectives had yet to be located. If he waited too long there was a chance somebody could escape, or else the Republic reinforcements would arrive. He could not let either of those happen. As he was thinking, he quickly ran through a few different scenarios in his mind to decide upon which course of action would prove to be most effective and devastating to the enemy.

"–General!" A battle droid's slightly panicked voice interrupted over the comm system, faint echoes from the battleground behind it. "The inhabitants of the village are beginning to fight back with the Jedi. Our numbers are taking a toll out here. What should we do?" Grievous growled in frustration. This was not going as well as he'd like it to. Deciding on a plan, he approached the center of the command bridge and drew himself up a little taller. It was time to add some pressure to their situation.

Grievous stared at the communications droid and pointed to its controls. "Jam their communications. I don't want anything getting in or out." The droid acknowledged and implemented the jamming frequencies. He turned to another droid at the weapons station. "Send in a full unit to destroy the village, leaving no stone unturned. Deploy the bombers to strafe them repeatedly. Burn it to the ground. I want those Jedi buried," he commanded. Nowhere for them to hide if there was no village.

Grievous stepped up to the bridge window and gazed out at the smoke rising from the village. If it's reinforcements you want, Kenobi, then it's reinforcements you'll get.
 
Tralissk | Renegade | Trandoshan | 34 | Village of Aganar, Er'kit | Tagging: Shona, Rika, Jedi

Tralissk ducked as a blaster bolt flew by his head. Taking aim, he shot three battle droids in the chest with his laser rifle, deactivating them. Not that that really seemed to make much of a difference, considering how many of them there were, but as long as they didn't kill him, he was going to fight back and destroy as many as he possibly could. Anyways, this was good target practice.

He noticed as the female Togruta Jedi came into view in his peripheral vision. She certainly had a fiery spark, and could definitely hold her own in a fight, it seemed. Watching her as she advanced against the droids and cut them to pieces effortlessly with her lightsaber, he thought about the stories he'd heard other hunters tell of the Jedi, about what such fierce warriors they were, and for some, how hard they were to kill. Many clientele paid quite a hefty sum for the head of a Jedi. In all his years, this was the closest he'd been to one, let alone two, and they did not disappoint. Usually he would avoid such bounties to avoid the Republic's repercussions and the Separatist's interests, but here, he could do it without either knowing.

When she had moved past him and no one else was watching, he aimed his rifle at the center of her back and prepared to pull the trigger. Nobody would know it was him. Being the way things were going out here, one could easily say she'd been shot by a droid. One less Jedi to worry about, and he would finally have the bragging rights to say he's actually killed one before, albeit only a Padawan. This would almost be too easy. Just as he was about to shoot, though, he paused. While this could work, there were still too many witnesses out here. Someone might see him kill her and then report it to the authorities, who in turn would report it to the Republic, which could lead to him being tracked down. And if they found him, they might do some connecting of details to figure out he was with the Renegades. Not a problem he'd like to deal with. Instead, he adjusted his aim by a few degrees and shot a droid just past her. Some other time.

Continuing to fire at these Separatist droids, he felt as one shot grazed across his shoulder armor on the right. Good thing he was wearing it. Considering his large size and how many blaster bolts were flying through the air in all directions, it was a wonder he hadn't been hit more, even if he was partially concealed behind some shelter. Unfortunately, a stray bolt did find its way to his rifle, shorting it out. He pulled the trigger a couple times, but it wouldn't work. Grumbling, he slung his rifle back over his shoulder and pulled out the smaller hand blaster he also carried on him. Not as great of an aim with this, but it still packed a kick. At least he now had a free hand to defend himself with. Whenever a droid would approach too closely, he grabbed its thin metal body and threw it back at some of its fellow battle droids. That, or he would rip off its head or shoot it at point-blank. Plenty of options.

Every now and then he would steal a glance at the other Renegades to make sure they hadn't lost anyone, and so far, so good. Those clone soldiers with the Jedi, though, weren't so lucky. He noticed at least one go down hard to the droids. And as for everyone else retaliating, he could care less if they were shot or if they survived. At this point in the fight, he, Shona, and Rika were almost back-to-back, each taking out droids in different sections. Shona mentioned something about the Jedi, but he didn't catch all of what she said over the din of the battle. He was more focused on his metallic prey. A couple shots whizzed by his head a little too close for comfort, causing him to recoil to the side. When he looked up, a battle droid was marching up beside him, raising its blaster. He quickly reached out and grabbed the weapon as it fired and yanked it away, to which he then slammed back into the droid, watching it crumple to the ground. However, he grunted when the sting of the blaster bolt set in, which had hit his arm when it went off. Nothing he couldn't deal with, and it was certainly better than being dead.

Continuing to fire at more droids, he was unprepared as the building beside him suddenly erupted into an explosion of rock and debris as it blew to pieces. Tralissk jumped out of the way and raised his arm to shield himself from the large chunks that were falling around him and, thankfully, also crushing a few droids too. What was that?! He darted his gaze around the street, trying to see if someone had thrown a thermal detonator, until he spotted something far worse. Two full-size Separatist tanks were slowly making their way towards them from the far end of the street, their cannons looking like they were recharging for another blast. Great, he sarcastically thought. This is exactly what we need right now. His arm holding his blaster sagged a little at the sight of them, but he quickly recovered and took a couple steps back to alert the others.

"Shona," he called over his shoulder, "we got incoming!"
 

Heiss Unduli | Mirialan | Separatist Senator | Coruscant | Tagging, Senator Kal Marii, Representative Eletha Rosach

----

Though not exactly thrilled that his past as a traitor had been brought up here and now, it wasn't as if he hadn't been expecting it when he came here. Unfortunately, he was the only one who had dedicated so much time to tracking the Renegades and anyone else who had attempted either gave up or ended up dead, which did tend to turn people off of getting involved with the terrorist group. Not Heiss. He knew the dangers that this put him but honestly, what did he have to lose? Everything he had ever cherished was lost when he left the Republic; friends, allies, even family, but he had held on tight to what he believed in and that was a peaceful galaxy. He just didn't believe that that peace lay with the Republic anymore. So either he would have some measure of success in his attempts or he would end up dead, as if anyone would be likely to care, and he was lucky that he had been so fortunate thus far. No one else had achieved this much before him and he hoped that would count for something.

Still, the talk of traitors bothered him. Always did. He was just good at not showing it and he kept his face passive as he listened to the other Senator speak, nodding as he acknowledged the points the elder Senator was making.

"With the combination of our forces and resources, we wouldn't have to be so afraid. The Renegades have been ruthlessly murdering people from both sides of this war and driving off any who would stand against, besides myself and the brave Jedi who've gone for the Senator, but with all of us? Together? The Republic has the Jedi and--" he grimaced at the next statement "-- a Clone army, and we have a massive army of our own, along with many... 'connections'. Connections that the Separatist alliance would be more in favor of using if we knew that we had the other great power in the galaxy working with us, not against us. Not even the Renegades could hide from us then. It would be risky, yes, but to do nothing is not an option. Not when--"

He was cut off. The small, rude Republic droid who had returned with refreshments gave a small series of beeps, and Heiss turned to look, eager. "News? From the battlefield? Show us!"
But alas, the news was not all that he had hoped.

The transmission of a figure he didn't recognize stood at attention, no doubt speaking to more important individuals than just the three of them but it seemed that it was important for them to know as well. And why shouldn't it be? Their negotiations did revolve around the success of this mission, after all. "There has been no confirmed sighting of the Renegades," said the hologram stiffly. "Status of Senator Amidala: Unknown. An ambush by a massive army of Separatist droids has the Jedi badly pinned down."

The look on Heiss's face was one of pure shock and horror. No. This couldn't be happening. They had promised him that they wouldn't send the Separatists there; that they would let him negotiate for a temporary peace. But who would the Republic blame for this disaster? Though the hologram had since faded, Heiss remained staring. Frozen. He knew what would happen. In mere seconds a group of guards would burst through that door and he would be captured, interrogated, and then thrown into jail for who knew how long while the Renegades continued their reign of terror upon the galaxy, and all chances of an alliance between the two sides would be gone for good.

This was a nightmare.

---

Padme Amidala | Er'Kit | Senator of the Galactic Republic
26 | Human | Tagging: Anakin Skywalker

---

He didn't have to finish. She understood, but oh, she was not so willing to give up on him. If only... if only... if only what, exactly? She was weak and injured and not at all certain she would even have the strength to get herself to somewhere safe where she could be treated, much less him as well. And she would not leave him while there was still even the smallest breath of life flowing through him. She was not so weak to completely give up on herself if he did die, for she refused to let him die in vain if he has risked so much to save her life, but if he were to die then she would be here with him all the way no matter the cost. But no, he wouldn't die. He wouldn't -- he couldn't. She needed him more than she could ever express and she loved him more than there were words to describe in any language across the entire galaxy.

"Don't speak, Ani," she whispered. It pained her to hear how hard it was for him to speak and it pained her to know that this had all happened because he had come to rescue her because of course he had. He always did and she loved that about him, but this time... she didn't know what was going to happen. "You're... we're going... to be fine... Anakin." If there was a small comfort it was that normally wherever Anakin was, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka weren't too far behind. Padme held on to that hope that it wasn't over yet, but her hope was draining quickly as each moment felt as if it was stretched into a minute and each minute into an hour.

His hand, normally so strong and supportive, was limp in hers and she tried to squeeze it reassuringly, but she hadn't the strength to make much of an effort. How many things she wanted to say to him! How she wanted to kiss him all over and tell him everything really would be all right, that this was all a bad dream! How she wanted to tell him what he meant to her, this Jedi of hers.

And thirsty. She was so thirsty. She was starting to understand his hatred for sand.

----

Ahsoka Tano | Er'Kit Village | Jedi Padawan
17 | Togruta | Tagging: Obi-Wan, Clones, Droids, Renegades, whoever is about

--

They kept coming. And coming. And coming. And Ahsoka just kept on fighting, back to back with these mercs now as her lightsabers flashed green, never stilling in their movements. Neither did Obi-Wan's and the blue shining in the corner of her eye reassured her that was he still there, still fighting. But she was growing increasingly worried -- Anakin had been gone for a while now and, while she had utter faith in him, he was known to be reckless. Where else could she have gotten it from? Not to mention, nothing was quite going as they had planned and she hoped things hadn't gone south for him.

She just had a really bad feeling about all of this. And that feeling wasn't helped any when she sensed someone turning on her from behind; someone who they were just fighting side-by-side with. Ahsoka knew that all these mercs in town would quite literally kill to have lightsabers for the money they would bring, but it didn't compute with her why someone would think to do it now, of all times. Not when the more they had fighting, the higher their chance of survival. The bad feeling worsened, even when she sensed the blaster turned from her and towards a droid nearby. She hadn't reacted, but she had been ready to. Something was so terribly wrong with all of this.

Ahsoka ducked under a strong wave of blaster fire and cut out a droid's legs from under him, driving one saber through its head and using the other to decapitate another droid. She shoved several of them back, toppling them all like pins but the onslaught kept coming and... oh look! Tanks, off in the distance but drawing closer quickly. She gave Obi-Wan a look that said 'we're so screwed' and fought her way to his side, her jaw set in determination. They'd been in worse situations, after all. Right? Ahsoka was sure she'd think of them later.

"We gotta get out of here, Master Kenobi! That Senator... I'm really going to wring his neck later. What do we do?" They were hemmed in and conveniently unable to reach a ship of any sort at the moment. A wall blew up near them from the tank fire and Ahsoka ducked her way out of the majority of it, though the dust did obscure her vision. Thank goodness for the echolocation her montrals provided -- and of course, the Force came in handy during these times too.

But nothing could have quite prepared the young Padawan for what came next.

---

Amras Von | Renegade Leader | Chiss | 23
Amras's Ship, Er'kit, approaching village | Tagging: Renegades, Jedi, Droids, general area

--

Amras Von was not a quitter. His head was aching something terrible despite using the Force to soothe away the pain, but at least the blood had stopped dripping, though it had stained half of his face. He had to struggle to keep his left eye open with the blood that had dried on it but Amras Von was not a quitter and he was coming to save the one person in the whole galaxy that he truly, genuinely, loved. Without her, none of this had a purpose. She was his weakness and he would risk everything to keep her alive, though he knew she'd kill him for it.

He didn't care. Amras Von was not a quitter and he wouldn't give up on her.

That vision replayed over and over again in his mind and he drove the ship faster, pushing it and himself to reach her before it was too late. The few minutes he would have lost killing the Jedi would have meant her life, he saw that now, and he didn't regret his decision. Only that he had let the Jedi injure him in the first place. No one had done that to him before. The rumors were true then: Anakin Skywalker was not a Jedi to be trifled with. Not to mention that Amras could see something different in this one, something he couldn't explain, but he had killed his fair share of Jedi before and none of them had been like Skywalker. This worried him -- but not enough to risk Shona's life to kill him.

He followed his senses and his vision straight to the spot, the ship swooping down like a sleek Arkanian Dragon, only the ship didn't breathe fire in the way of those majestic beasts but rather swooped over the group of Renegades and unleased a devastating amount of blaster power on the nearby droids. Enough to hold them for a few moments, at least, but only while he had the advantage of surprise and speed. Amras turned the ship back to hover over where the Renegades were fighting and ran through the halls of the spacecraft, ignoring the dizziness and leaping out to land directly next to the one he had come to save, lightsabers still hooked to his belt. She was still alive, thankfully. He had been in time, but only just, and he could see that he hadn't been in time enough for them all. Several Renegades lay dead on the ground around them and as his eyes passed over the fallen, he caught sight of a familiar Pantoran lying beneath the rubble of the exploded wall, her beloved blaster fallen from her hands and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. A warrior, that one. But gone now. In his heavily weakened state, Amras didn't sense the small breath of life that still remained in Rika Ellan and could only presume her dead, another tragedy that they had no time to mourn for.

And the Jedi. His eyes narrowed at them but there was no time, the droids were advancing again and appeared to be hardly set back by the blow he dealt them. They needed to go, and now. "Shona, get the ones who are still alive onto the ship and take off immediately, do you understand? I will be right behind you!"

Amras realized that not a one of the Renegades but Shona knew of his power in the Dark Side of the Force for he had kept his secret well hidden, but a simple blaster would do him no good now. The blaster fire from the droids was starting to come in hot again and the Chiss inhaled deeply, stretching out his right arm and closing his eyes. Focusing. Feeling the Force through the pain and channeling what little strength remained. He pushed.

The blaster fire stopped. Frozen in mid-air, held back by the power of this strange leader, a man too young to be in such a position. Too young to be so broken inside, despite his outward restraint and control. Too young to be the most dangerous terrorist in the Galaxy. But such a position he was in and he fought for every inch he gained, just as he fought to keep control of the blasters as the fire continued to come, giving him more and more to hold back at once. It was becoming too much.

Amras didn't look back to see if the Jedi were gone or if the remaining Renegades had made their escape successfully, though he could hear that the ship had taken off. He had reached the end of his power and, fully exhausted, he put one last burst of strength into a mighty jump, releasing the blaster fire to hit whatever target was unlucky enough to be at the receiving end and landing on the boarding ramp on his feet, somehow, and he managed the few staggered steps it took to get him to his quarters before collapsing in a heap on the floor as the doors closed behind him, exhausted but successful, for he had obtained the plans he had sought for despite the heavy losses that had been required to take it. They did not die in vain.
 
Shona Aa'ri | Renegade Co-leader | Twi'Lek | 35
Amras' Ship, Er'Kit Airspace | Tagging: Renegades, Amras

Shona thought she was going to go deaf from the sudden new roars of gunfire and explosions. Everything seemed to happen at once, too quick to process- were those Separatist tanks? Buildings were starting to come down. Almost involuntarily, she felt a yell escape from her throat, a warning to the others- and her legs somehow carried her forward, away from the collapsing building just before it fell. That had been her cover. And Tralissk's. And Rika's.

She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Tralissk out of her peripheral vision- he had made it away in time- but Rika.....

Looking around frantically, she scanned the dust and debris and heaps of metal and freshly-killed bodies. She couldn't afford to just stand here for long, but she had to know. And sure enough, she spotted a flash of blue underneath the rubble and recognized poor Rika. Without taking too much time to think carefully, she raced towards her fallen friend and reached towards her neck to feel her pulse. It was so faint that Shona couldn't feel it at all, and in fact, presumed Rika dead.

And Rika Ellan was not the only Renegade to die here. Shona felt an icy feeling of dread settle in her stomach. Amras would not react well to these losses.

No sooner had the thought of Amras entered her mind when she recognized his ship, gliding close to the surface and shooting down the hordes of battle droids that still remained. Good- that was something. Shona seized the moment to round up whatever other Renegades she could find, who were still alive. It was risky for them to all be grouped together like this, but even riskier to spread themselves out and get picked off individually.

As the fight dragged on, the droids just kept coming, and when it started to get even worse, Amras exited his ship and came to fight by Shona's side. She was grateful for his presence, but saw the blood streaking down from a wound in his head. It was terribly bold of him to come out and reveal himself like this. Normally he was much more subtle. Regardless, Shona obeyed his instructions, and instructed the remaining Renegades to follow her into the ship.

But as if merely revealing himself wasn't bold enough, Shona watched with her breath held as Amras was nearly surrounded by droids. There were few ways to escape a situation like that. One of the few ways required him to reveal one of his deepest secrets. Would he do it?

Apparently, it was worth the risk to Amras. He used the Force to stop several bullets in the air, a technique he had practiced and perfected for years. Shona could remember many times when he asked her to shoot at him with a blaster so he could practice it. Years of frustration and studying had gotten him here. And yet, watching him do it here only made her feel sick inside.

The Separatist tanks only continued their assault, bringing more buildings down and slaying dozens more of the poor mercs that inhabited this town. Shona realized she couldn't just sit here with the ship and wait for him. He promised he would catch up. She trusted he would keep that promise.

"Tralissk!" she yelled, her voice hoarse and breaking. "Lift the ship off, will you?" Normally they didn't ask him to do the flying since his skills mainly lied elsewhere, but Shona wanted to keep her eyes on the battle below. She also left the landing ramp open for Amras.

And he did keep his promise. He did escape from the droids and leap into the ship. But apparently his situation was worse than she thought; he collapsed like a rag doll just seconds later.

Panicked at seeing her dear friend- her brother, practically- in a state like this, Shona carefully helped him at least sit up against the wall. That gash in his head required stitches, which she was not equipped to give. They needed to return to base, fast- other Renegades here were surely wounded as well. Shona herself had gotten pretty lucky, with only scratches and bruises to show for the day's work.

"Amras, Amras, look at me." Her voice was shaky and her throat felt tight. He would be all right, wouldn't he? "Look at me and tell me what happened, if you can. Did you get the plans from the Senator?"

Even though Amras was clearly hurting, Shona needed to know. Without those plans, this disaster of a battle would be for nothing.
 
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Anakin Skywalker | Jedi Knight | Human | 21
Outskirts of Aganar | Tagging: Padmé Amidala

If there was anything Anakin had in common with Amras Von, is that they were both too young. At twenty-one years old he was the commander of hundreds of soldiers. One of the two faces of the Republic's war effort. Destined to bring balance to the Force. And unless something changed, his life would be cut short too early.

His consciousness was starting to fade again, pleasantly dulling his senses, but he was keenly aware of the mortal danger he was in. The dark red stain on his tunic just kept growing and growing. Time was running short...

In that moment there were plenty of things he could have worried about: the war, the Republic, the 501st, the prophecy. But those grandiose problems were far from his mind. He only hoped he wouldn't have to leave Padmé alone like this. That being on the gunship a few hours ago would not be his last moments with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

He desperately wanted to make it out. It just didn't seem likely. Every breath was pain. It would be so easy to just... stop trying.

Padmé seemed to be saying something to him- he couldn't make out what exactly- but he tried to focus on her face, and tried to smile. Whatever she said, hopefully she was right.

Blackness finally overtook his vision, a sure relief from the agony. If this was the end, at least Padmé had been there.... and hopefully fate would be not quite as cruel to her.

~~~

Meanwhile, halfway across the galaxy on Coruscant....

Curse those Forsaken Renegades. They were ruining things for the Chancellor in more ways than one.

Just as the Council was receiving news about the battle on Er'Kit, a sudden revelation came to him through the Force. Seemingly out of nowhere, and yet as clear as day. Several were dying or dead, but there was a connection that deeply mattered to Palpatine. Skywalker.

He still needed the boy. His plan had not nearly come to fruition yet.

But he had not foreseen this coming, and had no time to prepare, no time to meditate, practice his secret powers. There had to be a suitable sacrifice, and the Senator would not do. For now.

Being this far away and so unprepared, there was only so much he could do. And the Jedi Masters in the room must not suspect anything. But then again, he had come this far already, practicing the dark arts under their noses for years.

Even while speaking to the others, he concentrated on the Dark Side of the Force.

Skywalker must live.

Otherwise, all his efforts were for nothing.
 
Senator Kal Mariii | Republic Senator | Mon Calamari | 50 | Senator Unduli’s Office, Coruscant | Tagging: Senator Heiss Unduli, Representative Eletha Rosach

Several tense moments passed in stunned silence after the report had finished. As much as Kal Mariii had suspected something like this might happen, he was still in utter disbelief. All he could do was stare at the table while trying to organize his furious thoughts. Traitor. Liar. Conspirator. It was almost too much to think about at once.

“So it was a trap, then.” His voice was low and controlled, but there was a tone of cold anger beneath it. He glared at Heiss with wide, unblinking eyes. So this was it. This was what the Separatist’s plan was, and now it had been exposed. Mariii had once thought better of the Mirialan, believing he could have become a great senator for the Republic someday, but all that changed when he began lobbying for the enemy. Had he become so ingrained with the Confederacy's ideals that he was actually willing to lure the Jedi and his former senator collegues into a death trap? Kal never thought Heiss to be capable of such treachery, but it would appear he was wrong.

Still, a small part of him wished all the talk about the Renegades had been true. He'd lost some good friends to those monsters, and he knew Heiss had too. Whether or not the Republic would have voted to come alongside the Separatists to hunt these terrorists down once and for all, as unlikely as that would have been, he would have nonetheless appreciated having some form of information about them. Not that he would do anything about it personally, but just having some form of knowledge would have made him feel better. Now, however, all that was past the point of any formal negotiations. It had all been just one big lie.

Before Heiss could have a chance to defend himself, Mariii cut him off and continued. “It was bad enough when you betrayed the Republic, but to see that you have the audacity to come back and lie to us, using the Renegades as bait... What did you possibly hope to gain from all of this, Senator? Because of you, our Jedi are out there getting slaughtered by your supporting forces, and most likely Senator Amidala as well. Is that what you wanted?”

Mariii paused for a moment to catch his breath, which oddly felt more laborious than usual after a rant. Probably the result of venting his ire. He leaned against the desk and took a slow, deep breath to ease his tension, but he wasn’t ready to let Heiss speak yet.

“And here I thought for a minute second that you might have actually come to us with something earnest and useful. Something that could have actually been used for good. But instead, you tricked us into believing you actually had information about the Renegades just so you could lead them into an ambush. For all this is worth, you’re lucky that I don’t– I don’t...”

Kal’s eyes glazed over as he stopped, grasping at the desk’s edge as if he was struggling to remain standing. Something was not right. “...I need to sit down.”

Eletha and Heiss rushed over and helped lower him into a chair. His breathing had become even harder to do now, as if there was a heavyweight sitting on his chest, making every breath a shallow struggle. Nothing hurt, but for some reason all of his strength had suddenly vanished with his anger, though he didn’t know why. All he had been doing was standing there the whole time.

He could hear the two of them frantically asking him what was wrong, but he just didn’t have the energy to answer beyond a weak “yes” or “no”. In fact, he was tempted to just close his eyes and rest; something they would not let him do. Eletha grabbed one of the beverages from the tray the serving droid had brought and offered it to him. Perhaps ingesting some nourishment would help.

Kal mustered up what little strength he had to lift his arm and accept the drink, but after a small sip he found he just couldn’t continue and handed it back to someone.

What was irking him was that he was fully aware of what was happening to him, but for some reason his body had just decided to quit working for no apparent reason. He was beginning to feel more and more exhausted while simply sitting here, and being doted on like this frustrated him. Deep inside, though, he was starting to panic. Episodes like this never happen unless there’s a serious underlying issue.

“Help.... me... up.” His voice was weak and shaky now, but he was determined to show them that he was going to be fine. That this was merely a passing ailment.

However, as he rose to his feet and tried to take a small step towards the desk, his legs gave out from underneath him, followed by the rest of his body. He collapsed to the floor, helpless to stop himself.

Amidst the panicking in the room, Kal Mariii lay there and did not stir.
 
Eletha Rosach | Representative of Chandrila | Maishuil | 19
Heiss Unduli's Office, Coruscant | Tagging: Kal Mariii, Heiss

Eletha didn't want to believe what she saw. Senator Undulli was a Separatist, yes, but a traitor? Senator Mariii had seemed to think that from the very beginning, but Eletha hadn't wanted to see the bad in anyone. But now it appeared that he was right, and she was wrong. At least, that's what the evidence suggested.

She felt her chest tighten and her heart race as she watched the hologram play out. Something felt very wrong about this. It wasn't just the fact that the Jedi and clone troopers were clearly outnumbered and in a losing battle; that idea pained her, of course, but she didn't know any of those people. Not personally, anyway.

Perhaps what bothered her more was the horror clearly expressed on Senator Undulli's face. He seemed just as shocked, if not more shocked, than she and Senator Mariii. If he truly was a traitor, his acting was on point...

Senator Mariii, unsurprisingly, unleashed a tirade of verbal attacks on Undulli. While Eletha didn't disagree with his words, and was forced to agree that this looked to be a solid case against the Separatist senator, she couldn't help but wonder if, perhaps, Mariii was jumping to react a little more quickly. He was far more experienced than Eletha, though, so she figured perhaps she was the one who was being overly naive.

There wasn't much time to wonder, though. After just a few minutes, the Mon Calamari senator started to appear strained, and then frighteningly ill, until he collapsed completely.

Eletha called for a medical droid to come immediately and tried to revive Kal, but it seemed to be of little use. What could possibly be the matter? Did Senator Mariii have some hidden ailment, like a heart condition, that was triggered by stress? That seemed to be the only logical explanation for something as strange as this. Hopefully he would be all right. In unstable times like these they couldn't afford to lose a Senator of Mariii's caliber.

The droids came quickly enough and took Mariii elsewhere to be examined. Eletha wondered if Heiss would end the meeting early- she wasn't about to let that happen. Between the news and Kal Mariii's sudden illness, there was a great deal of stress in this meeting, but there was still much unsaid. If the meeting ended now, what if there was information that would be lost forever?

Though her hands were shaking, Eletha took a deep breath and forced herself to look Senator Undulli in the eye and speak up.

"Senator Mariii is unfortunately unable to continue, but I will honor my commitment to this meeting. The evidence is pretty well stacked against you, Senator Undulli. I have a difficult time disagreeing with what my colleague said. However, I want to hear your own defense, in your own words."

Hopefully without the senator noticing, Eletha reached into her pocket and clicked a button on a small voice recorder. In the dirty world of politics, Senator Mothma had taught her to always keep something like this on. The young Chandrilan had no idea what to expect or what would unfold, who would or wouldn't believe her. If this testimony from Heiss might be important later. She only knew she wanted and needed every scrap of hard evidence she could get.

Meanwhile, in Palpatine's office....

He smiled to himself, proud of what he had managed to accomplish with so little warning.

Young Skywalker would have a hard road ahead of him in the near future, but he would live.

For now, that was all that mattered.
 
Amras Von | Renegade Leader | Chiss | 23
Amras's Ship, Er'kit, approaching village | Tagging: Shona

----

He hated this feeling. Oh yes, he had been hurt worse in the past, far worse, and he knew that he was strong enough that this injury wouldn't kill him, though a head wound was dangerous. He wasn't most people. He'd survive. He always survived, no matter what life threw at him, and he always came out with more determination, more strength, and more bitter rage to throw back at the galaxy. But still, he hated this feeling of being cut off from the Force more than any other sort of pain he could possibly endure. The Force was his lifeline and the only connection to life that felt secure, besides Shona, and not being able to access it fully was agonizing. Amras grimaced, reaching out desperately, but he found very little in reply to his call. Abandonment from the one thing that had been there throughout everything. He shuddered and trying to focus on Shona, who was speaking to him. Hadn't he just been lying down? She must have moved him, but somehow he didn't remember.

Oh. Yes. Shona had said something. His forehead creased for a moment in deep concentration until the simple movement sent waves of pain through his head, and he forced himself to relax his face. He could barely see -- the blood had dried one of his eyes almost entirely shut and the vision in the other was cloudy. But he was able to process her words after several moments and nodded, trying to ignore the pain though he no longer had the strength to use the Force to dull it. "I succeeded," he murmured and then, so quietly that she might not even have been able to hear it, he added, "Mostly."

The Senator and Skywalker were still alive, or they had been when he left them. Loose ends. Not that keeping his secret mattered any longer, it was out now, but this was the first time he had been successfully identified by anyone. Perhaps they would die. Amras was not such a fool to assume that they would. He'd made that mistake once, thinking he had killed a captured Senator, and he had only been just in time to catch the Senator before an escape and finish the execution. It had been more brutal than he would have liked but necessary. He'd been determined not to let that happen again since then, but this was one he couldn't help. Hopefully, they'd die buried beneath the sand... Hopefully.

A medical droid buzzed in just then and not a moment too late, but he didn't take his hazy eyes off of Shona. When she spoke next he read her lips more than he heard her voice, and he understood what she was asking though again, it took him a while to process it. "Should I go?" she said, and he grasped her arm with a shaking hand.

"Stay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Stay."

Amras slipped in and out of consciousness then, waking up when something cool touched his face, and falling into blackness again shortly after. The next time he awakened, he was in bed with his outer robes removed, his lightsabers on a table nearby, and a bandage around his head. The blood had been cleaned off too, and there was some kind of liquid draining into his arm with machines nearby doing... something. Whatever it was, it had cleared his head immensely and dulled the pain. He was still exhausted and it hurt to move too much, but his strength would return with time and proper care. It was tempting to rip the needle from his arm and return to his normal work -- and he really wanted to speak to the Renegades about the fact that he was a Force User, as he was sure they'd have questions -- but he knew that the strength he currently felt was a false strength, a strength being put into him by this liquid and these machines he was now attached to. Without it, he would plunge back into darkness.

Patience. He could wait.

Carefully, Amras turned his head to the side and there was only a little pain at the movement. Shona was there still, he was grateful to see, and the medical droid.

"Thank you," he said to the droid. "Leave us, now." And the droid knew better than to argue.

Once they were alone, Amras was silent for several minutes, staring at the ceiling above him and listening to the quiet beeping of the machines. Lost in thought. In memory. Certain things from his past had come to mind again tonight, things he had long tried to eliminate from his memory and in doing so, had never told Shona. Or anyone. But now they were heavy on his mind. With a long and shaking sigh, he turned again to look at her. If anyone deserved to know, she did, and let her do with the information what she would. Perhaps later he would regret bringing these things to the surface again but at this current moment, it seemed the right thing to do. Amras knew he wasn't in a normal or strong state of mind at this time but he still chose to speak.

"I never told you everything, Shona. I'm sorry. I lied to you when I said that I did." Though still short of breath, speaking was easier now and consequences be damned -- he was getting this off his chest. "I told you a lot, but not everything. I think it's time that I did."

It was uncomfortable talking lying down. Amras tried to sit up but a sharp pain in his head warned him not to so he gave that up.

'Forgive me if I start at the beginning again. I'm too weary to remember the details of what I've already told you, so I will simply start all over again. The truth this time, I promise you. No more secrets. Not with you."

Another lengthy pause. Trying to collect his thoughts and even some courage, for these were memories better left in the past. Or so he had thought. They continued to torture him and the burden of being alone with them was becoming too much to bear at times.

"I was born on Csilla, of course, but my childhood was anything but normal. Chiss are an... unusual species in comparison to many, and especially so when regarding the Force. It's extremely rare in Chiss. There are three main rules about it that apply to my species. The first is that Chiss can only use the Force as a child, and it always weakens and then vanishes as they grow into adulthood. The second is that they only have two abilities, that being the ability to see into the future -- my species referred to it as the Third Sight -- and the ability of Second Sight, a far rarer form which is what you would call Telepathy. They would use these children as navigators. The third rule is that these children were nearly always females with very few exceptions.
But I was different.
I began displaying Force sensitivity as a child, and they were alarmed due to the fact that I was male, and in time their worry grew worse when I started displaying Force abilities that were beyond the Third or Second sight. Abilities Chiss couldn't have, much less males. My parents tried to hide me away but they couldn't keep me hidden for long and so, after being discovered, they fled the planet before the others could take me away. I don't know what they would have done with me, but it frightened my parents enough that they thought we should flee. I was too young to remember if they ever told me why -- the details are hazy. We went to a few planets, I don't know which ones anymore, but we never stayed anywhere long. They just wanted to keep me safe. But, while they succeeded in saving me from whatever the Chiss Ascendancy would have done with me, they ultimately failed in their quest to keep me safe."

Amras had been talking smoothly until now, but here he paused and seemed to struggle with his next words before he spoke again.

"We went to the wrong planet. The wrong place, the wrong time. Someone found me. At the time I was displaying a strong amount of power in the Force, even being so young, and I must have displayed them in public because when we went back to the hut in which we were staying, someone followed us there. He was tall and severe, and at first, he spoke cordially to my parents though I remember being afraid from the moment I saw him. And then he began to grow angry, though he never raised his voice, and the next thing I knew they were dead on the floor, panic frozen into their faces, and the man was holding a long red sword, and it was glowing. I'd never seen anything like it. I was so frightened I couldn't move or think or even cry, and when he picked me up I didn't try to fight him. I know I couldn't have beaten him or run from him, especially not being so young, but even so... I've always regretted that I did nothing. I watched the dead forms of my parents lying on the floor of our hut as they disappeared from view. I was young, but that day has never left my mind. Every detail... they didn't even have time to scream before he slaughtered them."

He shuddered, his face twisted with pain beyond the physical, but after a moment he regained himself and became quite neutral in expression again.

"He told me on his ship that his name was Dooku and that he was going to have to hide me, for he wasn't supposed to have me with him. I wondered why then he couldn't have let me just remain where I was but I never had the courage to ask. Besides, I was used to being hidden. Dooku, though, proved to be a great deal better at hiding than my parents had been. He took me to a small moon in the Outer Rim where the only land was an island, and we found a cave which became my new home. Sometimes he would leave and be gone for oh so long, and one time he was gone so long that my food ran out and I was forced to eat the small creatures that lived on the island, though the meat was tough and I felt bad to do it. They hadn't harmed me and before I started to hunt them they had been relatively friendly, though they avoided me after that. They had never been great companions but they had been better than nothing, and now even they would run from me. But Dooku did always return and I was never sure whether I looked forward to it from the agonizing loneliness or dreaded it, for he was a cruel teacher.
But teach me he did. I never caught on as well to the Lightsaber dueling, considering he had to often leave and for long periods of time, but I learned enough to become quite good. Nothing more than that, but good all the same. It was in the Force that my true abilities lay. It was my only companion when he was gone and I grew to have a strong connection to it, and I could bend it well to my will.
In time, he decided I was ready to go with him to the outside world. After all, I wasn't any use to him stuck on the island. But he was incredibly cautious and made sure that we were never seen together -- and in fact most of the time he ensured that he was never seen at all, though he was always watching. I was often tempted to slip away but again, fear ruled me just as it had when he killed my parents. So I did as I was told. I learned I could hold back blaster bolts and what's more, I could direct them back at the shooter if I concentrated hard enough. Alas, that I did not have the strength earlier! I learned to jump and to run and to move without being seen and to blend in with any crowd. I learned to fight, I learned to kill, and I learned about politics last of all. It was a confusing world for me, politics. At that time I only ever grasped the basics and it wasn't until later that I began to understand more.
There was a time that I decided to be brave. An open hatch, an empty ship, and I ran for it. I made it to the driver's seat. But then I realized I had been foolish in my bravery for I did not know how to fly, and my escape failed. He punished me severely for that."

Amras reached up and touched the scar on his face gently with his left hand, his expression souring. Then continued. His breath was beginning to sound a little wheezed but he didn't stop and if anything, just spoke faster. His right hand was tapping anxiously on the side of the bed. Clearly, this was harder for him than he was showing.

"So I went back to the island and he didn't let me leave for a time after that. I continued to learn quickly. Chiss absorb and learn information and skills twice as quickly as the average human, you know, which made me a good student by default. Likely why he decided I was still worth the effort and didn't execute me. Anyhow, there is little I can say of my life on the island. I spent most of my time delving into the Force and the rest sleeping, and anything besides that was rather... boring. It was a dull existence. I looked forward to being able to leave the island again. It was some time before he deemed me trustworthy after my betrayal and he kept an even closer eye on me when we did leave again, but I was grateful to get away and continue my learning elsewhere as much as I secretly hated him. Anything was better than that damned island.
I grew older. I kept practicing. And I got good. I started practicing athletically as well as mentally on the island and I grew strong, and more and more my desperation for freedom began to conquer my fear and again I started looking for ways out. But this time I knew I couldn't fly. There was a reason he never taught me that. I was 19 before I finally escaped. There was something brewing on the horizon and he was around less, and when he did come I could tell there was something new in his eye and in the way he acted. Maybe my training was almost over. Maybe he was ready to use me.
But I realized I wasn't ready to be used. I needed to get out, and I needed to get out for real this time. If I failed again he would kill me, I knew that.
This time I was more careful. I watched for a ship that was completely non-descript. Not too small, not too large. Not too flashy, not too junky. Something so dull that no one would notice anything different. I missed several chances because he was watching me too closely but finally, there came a time I was able to put my knowledge to good use, and this time I was ready. I waited until such a ship was taking off and right at the last moment, as they were in the air and closing the hangar doors, I acted. An attack to Dooku caught him off guard, though I knew I had mere moments until he retaliated and neatly removed my head from shoulders. And then I ran, jumped, and I was on board. It happened in a flash and as I watched the doors close and his face disappear, I realized I was frozen in shock. I hadn't actually expected it to work, but death had been better than slavery.
Naturally, the crew wasn't too pleased to see me but I convinced them to let me stay aboard and to teach me some flying, for that matter. And after I left them, I convinced several other unsuspecting ships to teach me to fly until I got the hang of it and could fly my own. I stole a ship and was home free after that. He would try and follow me, I was sure. I was good at hiding though from a lifetime of practice and the more I learned of the things that were coming, the more I was sure I had a chance out here. He'd be too distracted to find me. This was what I hoped for, at least, and it was the only hope that kept me going after all of this. And I did keep going.
But I had no goals. Nowhere to go. No family to return to and nowhere that wanted me. By that time, I had been on the run from Dooku for a year and Politics were taking the galaxy by a storm. Would there be a war? Would there not be? As with everything else, I began to learn. One side had Dooku, I learned. Knowledge that nearly cost me everything to find out. The man I hated above all else. I would not go to him. And in the other, corruption ran rampant. I tried to discover what they believed but there was no consistency in their words, and their words rarely became actions. I saw so much sorrow during my travels. Slavery, death, pain, and who acted? Oh, they talked about acting, yes, but very little was done. The galaxy needed freeing, I had nowhere to go and no purpose in my life, so I began to free it. Little by little. Person by person. And it grew more than I had ever expected.
I never lost sight of that goal. Free the people. Free the galaxy. And when the war began and the Republic began to breed men to die for them, I was even more certain that I had to do this. No matter who won, the galaxy lost. And who else would act if I did not?"

With those words, Amras fell back into his pillow with a long sigh. The speech had exhausted him all over again and whatever it was that was being drained into his arm was starting to run out. He needed sleep. But another thought came to him and he frowned, hoping she didn't see the glint of fear that passed through his red eyes.

He'd remained hidden thus far. The elusive Renegade leader, with not even a name to describe him. Not a name, not a description, nothing. Anyone who found him ended up dying if they were found guilty, and the ones who were innocent either joined him or found themselves with their memory jumbled. There had been a reason he'd hidden his identity for so long but now it was too late.

Dooku would find out. And he would come and try to kill this mistake that he'd created. This failure. Amras could take Skywalker by surprise, despite the power of the Jedi, but Dooku had taught him everything he knew and Dooku was far stronger. Had the plans been worth it? Had he succeeded or had he really failed? This questions ran through his mind and he cursed his stupidity for, though he had seen the future before the battle that involved his fight with Skywalker, it had somehow never occurred to him that Dooku could find out. He had never meant for the Separatists to see him but in saving Shona he had revealed his true nature to everyone, and perhaps that mistake had cost him everything.

Again, his gaze moved towards the Twi'lek. No, not everything. She was alive. And, though he was worried about the new future of the Renegades involving Dooku, he couldn't bring himself to regret what he'd sacrificed to save her life. Perhaps his love for her was his weakness. It was a weakness worth having.
 
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Heiss Unduli | Mirialan | Separatist Senator | 30
Coruscant Senate Building| Tagging, Senator Kal Marii, Representative Eletha Rosach

----

Eletha's hands weren't the only ones that were shaking.

Heiss looked as if he had seen a ghost; his green skin had gone exceedingly pale at the collapse of the Senator and for several moments he had just stood, frozen but for the subtle trembling of his body. He'd seen a lot, through his days. He'd spent days, weeks, months, fighting for or against cases that he knew could easily get him killed. Say the wrong word, make the wrong gesture, and that was the end.

Heiss had always kept his cool.

He'd spent a long time tracking down the Renegades, sometimes through agents or hired bounty hunters and sometimes personally, risking his own limb more willingly than he would risk others, and he knew well what could happen should things go wrong. When it came to the Renegades, very little usually went right for anyone but them. Many had died, though he hadn't sent a single one in without them knowing full well what they were going into. The money drove them and, ultimately, ended them.

He kept going.

Many times he could feel the Renegades breathing down his neck, somehow always a step closer to catching him than he was to catching them. 'This insolent mongrel,' their actions would imply. He annoyed them, irritated them, like a small creature who wouldn't stop buzzing around their heads, but he did not threaten them. This was both an annoyance and a relief. An annoyance for, as long as they didn't see him as a threat, Heiss knew he wasn't getting very far, and relief since most who the Renegades felt threatened by were quickly eradicated. But as he redoubled his efforts and then doubled those again, he started to sense a change in them. They began to view him more seriously and efforts were made to stop him, many of which he barely avoided. One of which left him nearly dead and with a long scar down his back to prove the tale.

But did that stop him? No! He kept on and on until he had something real, something solid, and he ran with it. He had to. If he waited they would slip away and Amidala, provided this story was true as he believed it to be, would die.

And now he was beginning to understand that all of that was for nothing. Everything he had devoted his life to was for nothing. The deaths had been without profit, the pain without reward. Unless one considered execution or worse, a permanent new residency jail cell, as a reward. The thought of hiding in a cage while the war raged on, helpless, was worse than any torturous death he could imagine.

And so with all that, perhaps it was not so shocking why this experienced and hardened Senator stood trembling under this turn of events.

He found himself by the side of Senator Kal, someone who once was an ally, and he heard his own voice emitting from him frantically without really knowing what he was saying. Everything was moving by in one horrible, shocking blur. Yes, he had known the risk. He had known he might be wrong. But the worst he had imagined was that he would be driven away from them -- again -- and he could bear that.

This? This was beyond his worst nightmares.

They had promised to stay out of it. Some had even encouraged him in this, saying that an alliance was the only way to destroy this terrorist threat. The Separatist army should not have been there. They had said... They had said...

They had betrayed him.

Who now could he turn to? Who now could he believe?

Kal was removed from the room, born away by medical droids. Heiss was standing again, staring at the young Representative with no less than utter horror shining in his eyes. She faced him, a man condemned, with bravery he hadn't expected to see upon this day. Somehow it grounded him and a bit of the color returned to his face, though he still had to cross his hands behind his back to hide their shaking from her. It wasn't over. Not yet. He was damned and there was no way about it, for the Republic hated him and the Separatists had turned against him, but perhaps he could still help them take down the terrorists. Perhaps that would be enough.

A peaceful galaxy. An alliance formed. Those dreams shattered, and he felt the last remnants of his hope shatter with them. No, the fall of the Renegades wasn't enough but it was all he could do now.

"It's true that I told the Separatists of what I planned to do. I had to. They don't trust me, they never have and I know it, and if I came straight here with no word to them then I would be doomed forever. With this, though, I could earn their full trust. I could start a bargain for peace. They told me that they approved this plan, that I would be allowed to make the negotiations as long as I reported to them often, and that no attack or hostile actions would be taken against the Republic on Er’Kit. I agreed. From there, I came here and told the Council what I knew. That is all, you know the rest. There is nothing more."

The more he spoke, the more the despair crept into his voice. Once a traitor, always a traitor.
 
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Obi-Wan Kenobi | Jedi Master | Human | 36 | Village of Aganar, Er’kit | Tagging: Ahsoka, Clones

Obi-Wan gazed around at the growing number of bodies strewn everywhere and grimaced as he beheaded a droid and stabbed another. While casualties were always a constant of war, be it of civilians, soldiers, Jedi, and everyone in between, it still never got any easier when anyone was killed. Especially innocents who never asked to be dragged into this. These people had given their lives fighting back, and while he was grateful that they had provided a form of much needed assistance in controlling the battle out here, it didn't mean he liked the results. One life lost was still too many, let alone the dozens surrounding him.

Unfortunately, as if the countless waves of droids weren't enough, they now had to deal with two massive tanks that were reducing the village to piles of rubble everywhere they looked. Dust and smoke from the explosions was filtering through the air, giving everything a hazy aura about it. As he deflected the shots back to their senders he was forced to hold back a cough as the irritants were making their way into his lungs. He tightened his jaw and swallowed hard in an attempt to suppress the urge, but it was ultimately a futile effort.

"I agree," he replied to Ahsoka. "There is no benefit of remaining in this battle any longer than we have to, and we need to find Anakin and Padmé. If this ambush is any indication, they've probably found themselves in their own exciting situation by now."

At this point everyone knew they were fighting a losing battle, and the “fight-or-flight” instinct had fully kicked into “flight” mode for many, as evidenced by them fleeing to their ships to make a hasty escape before they would wind up like their comrades. With the way things were going, this village would soon be nothing more than a smoking pile of rubble, and they deemed it was not worth the risk of staying here any longer. He watched as a few made a run for it, trying to observe their patterns and methods in case there was an open area, but they scattered in all directions and disappeared before he could see where they wound up. Some of them had obviously made it out since various ships were now ascending higher and higher into the atmosphere outside of the village in a hurry to get to open space.

As Obi-Wan reached out to deflect a shot aimed at one of his soldiers, the roar of a ship approaching overhead to the rear made him turn, just in time to see a light freighter swoop in out of nowhere and unleash a deadly barrage of turbolasers at the surrounding droids before setting down right in the middle of the street.

Odd place to land a ship right now, he thought. Even if they were only pirates or mercenaries coming back for the rest of their team, most usually wouldn’t land right in the center of a firefight while the town was being destroyed all around them. It posed too great of a risk to the ship, not to mention the crew if the ship was hit by one of the charges from the tanks. And considering its size, the vehicle was almost too large to fit between the rows of now-demolished buildings on either side.

Though he was too far back behind the ship to fully see what was going on, he sensed something ominous about its sudden appearance. While this may look like a simple extraction, he felt there was a darker undertone behind it all, something unusual.

About a minute later the ship began to push off its landing struts to take off, seemingly having finished its business here. Simultaneously, as he was finishing off a trio of droids by relieving them of their heads, he subconsciously noticed that the enemy fire from one direction had ceased. Looking to see what had happened, he saw one lone stranger standing rigidly in the middle of the road with his arm held out in front of him, someone who he had not seen here earlier, and... were those blaster bolts frozen in mid-air? Indeed, for he could see the droids beyond the newcomer still firing, but the shots behaved as if they had been seized and could go no further but remain in stationary suspension. He frowned. Powers like that could only be possible if....

From this distance he could tell they had blue skin, but not much more in terms of defining features, especially as their back was turned to him. However, as he studied the newcomer, he realized the source of the disturbance he had felt a moment ago was emanating from this mysterious individual. They were definitely not some average mercenary. Not with the strength and control with which they were commanding those weapons.

Obi-Wan glanced at Ahsoka; she's sensed it too, judging by the look on her face. Who was he? What was he doing here? Before they had a chance to really identify him, though, a warning came to him through the Force loud and clear to get out of the way immediately. "Get down!"

No sooner had he said that and jumped behind a stack of crates when a torrential flood of laser bolts sizzled forth and ravaged everything within sight, including a couple unfortunate mercs. Apparently the person had decided to release the wall of blaster fire from his hold. The disturbance had also receded. Glancing around the side of his barricade, he saw that the individual was gone, nowhere to be seen.

Obi-Wan considered what they could do now. Many had left, most were dead, and yet the Separatist droids marched on. With only a handful of clone troopers remaining and Anakin still unheard from, he knew they needed to find a way to get into a clear area. Scanning the remains, his eyes lit up when he noticed something that might actually work. The droids hemming them in from behind had been strong before, but the barrage of blaster shots had actually decimated a good number of them. Their ranks were thin enough now that they could finally push their way through them and retreat to outside the village.

Not wanting to miss this possibly only opportunity to move on, Obi-Wan passed the plan of attack around to the others. When the moment came, he gripped his lightsaber, gave a nod to cue them, and advanced towards the last line of defense.
 
Ahsoka Tano | Er'Kit Village | Jedi Padawan
17 | Togruta | Tagging: Obi-Wan, Clones

---

The good news was that they might not die here after all, given that an unusual and startling means of possible escape had suddenly opened to them. The bad news was... well, everything else. There was still a massive army advancing upon them, they had still lost a lot of good men, and there was no sign of Anakin or Padme. Their ship was blown up and the only means of real escape was finding and borrowing a ship belonging to one of these less fortunate mercs and from the looks of the fires and smoke around the village, there probably weren't a lot of those left either.

What a brilliant day.

She really was going to strangle that senator if they made it out of here.

There was no time to lose though; no time to sit and ponder over what had just happened. Obi-Wan proposed quickly to them a new plan and no one had the time, energy, or ideas to come up with anything better. Not that there was likely anything better anyway. The small window that had been provided by the bombardment of blaster bolts wouldn't be there for long so they had to move fast. Ahsoka had barely managed to jump out of the way in time when the bolts had come through and was rather singed from the explosion, but all around she wasn't badly hurt but for a few scrapes and an irritated feeling in her montrals and lekku from the minor injuries. The few of them who remained, two of the clones supporting a third with a bad leg injury, fought their way through the thin wall of remaining droids with a renewed energy. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins again and Ahsoka took advantage of that, knowing that in her growing exhaustion it probably wouldn't last for too long. This wasn't the longest battle she'd ever fought but it was one of the most intense.

'Uh-oh," squeaked out one of the droids before she decapitated it and shoved the flailing metallic limbs into a group of others, and they went down with a chorus of monotonous protestations. Obi-Wan was right by her side and the Clones not far behind but even as they advanced, the droid army began to make their way towards them again, trying to hem them in.

They fought on.

"Leave me," gasped out the injured Clone, trying to detangle himself from the grip of his brothers were supported him. "You'll have a better chance."

No one even graced such a thought with a response, and his brothers held him tighter and fought grimly on. A glimmer of hope appeared when Ahsoka was just beginning to lose hope, and she shouted out "Master, look!"

A shipyard was in sight. At least half of them were on fire and there were several mercs running around, taking off in any ship they could find that worked, but it was the only hope they had. Another renewal of energy. Another burst of adrenaline. Ahsoka wondered how much longer they could keep going without a break, and a glance behind showed her that the injured Clone was now hanging limply. She could do nothing but hope he was only unconscious but there was no time to check.

They all ran, cutting through droids as they did so. The remaining Clones covered them from the back. The whole shipyard was in chaos, people were yelling and fighting and running in circles, uncertain where to turn in their confusion. A few of them appeared to still be drunk. The first ship Ahsoka tried to approach fell to pieces before she even set foot on the ramp but, determined, they kept going. They split up to search -- not far from one another, but enough so they could search more efficiently.

"Ahsoka, here!" Obi-Wan had found them a ship and this one didn't collapse on them. It wasn't in the best of conditions, this was clear, but all they needed was for it to fly and when Ahsoka tried the controls, it fired up without much protesting. They had four un-injured Clones left, two of which were occupied with taking their injured member to the medical center. The other two took to the guns.

Ahsoka frowned even as the ship took off, frustrated. 'Everything is ancient in this ship," she complained, though in truth she was still relieved they found it. Obi-Wan only raised his eyebrows at her. Below them, the village burned and the flames rose high, turning what had been the closest thing to a small oasis in this area to ash.

They'd survived but it wasn't over. Anakin was still missing and both she and Obi-Wan had sensed the darkness from the figure who had, inadvertently, saved their lives, and she couldn't help but feel that this figure had to have been involved somehow with whatever had happened to Anakin. Ahsoka stole a glance at Obi-Wan and saw he looked very pensive. She shuddered inwardly, a dark feeling creeping over her and growing stronger by the moment. Something was very, very wrong.

"Perhaps they've already gotten off the planet somehow," she said, knowing he was thinking about Anakin just as she was. And Padme too, provided that the whole story wasn't a lie.

"Perhaps," he said.

Neither of them believed it.

Then it hit her like a punch to the stomach and she gasped, wavering a little on her controls for a second from the sudden pulse. The Force was screaming to her. Anakin was hurt; dying, even. Obi-Wan looked grim now. The feeling, which didn't fade in the slightest and even continued to grow in strength, was reaching to her, to them, and she grasped onto it and pulled back, following where it led her as if it was a homing beacon.

"Do you feel that?" Obi-Wan broke the silence suddenly.

"What?"

"There's someone else."

And then she felt it too. Padme, surely. They had to be close, a feeling that was quickly confirmed by the sight of the speeder Anakin had used lying broken and smoking in the sand. The two of them brought the ship down and, with all the Clones except for one to stay with the injured one who was now luckily awake and talking, they exited the ship next to the speeder. There was no sign of them but they had to be there somewhere and the group split up once again to search. Obi-Wan remained on top of the small cliff, searching up high, and Ahsoka took the low ground. There were signs of a large and recent disturbance in the sand. Ahsoka investigated closer.

A rock jutted out from the side of the cliff. A small air pocket had been left open underneath it, a shield from what appeared to have been a small avalanche, and... shapes. There were shapes inside, lying motionless side by side. A hoarse cry erupted from Ahsoka as she ran forward, heedless of the loose sand giving way beneath her feet and tripping her up time and time again as she fought her way to them. He was there, pale as death and covered in blood and her breath caught in her throat, choking her up and she tried to call for Obi-Wan but found she couldn't. This was far from the first time that she had seen Anakin injured but he had never looked so close to death as this and if wasn't for the faint rise and fall of his chest, she would have thought him already gone. It was a miracle he was even still alive. Padme lying next to him, her hand in Anakin's, looked hardly better but her breathing was a little more steady.

"Master," she whispered. "Anakin. Anakin!"

And then Obi-Wan was there. He had seen her dash forward and heard her cry and had come immediately, and for a moment he, too, stopped in horror at the sight. But he regained himself. If they were not soon treated than they really would die and Ahsoka looked frozen in her shock, the only movement being her hand gently brushing the curls from Anakin's face. He noted Padme also, and he noted the tender way in which her hand was grasping his. Of this, he said nothing. Turning, he saw the Clones had gathered. "Bring the ship down," he said, and they obeyed. Two of them stayed. Obi-Wan laid his hand on the shoulder of the young Togruta.

"I will take him." For a moment she didn't move but then rigidly she stood, calming herself a bit after the initial horror of seeing them both in such a state. She stood aside. He moved forward and for a moment knelt down beside his former Padawan, a wave of emotion flowing through him that he dared not express. This wasn't just his old Padawan. This was his partner, his friend, his brother. And then he lifted him up and turned to leave the small area which had become this cave, this only hope for life that the two of them had had, and one of the Clones entered behind wordlessly to take Padme. The ship was landing beside them just then and Obi-Wan turned his back to it to shield Anakin from the wave of sand that was thrown at them from the landing.

Once boarded and in the small medical wing, the injured Clone took one look at them and hobbled to his feet. There were only two beds in the whole wing, both across the narrow hall from each other. The ship's medical droid didn't waste any time either for, though it was old, it was still efficient. The Clone lay Padme down on one of them and Obi-Wan placed Anakin on the other.
 
Shona Aa'ri | Renegade Co-leader | Twi'Lek | 35
Amras' Ship, space | Tagging: Amras

All Shona wanted for Amras in this moment was for him to rest. He was receiving good care from the medical droid now, they had safely gotten off the planet, and she was happy to remain at his side. And for a while, he was tranquil, but Shona realized with a heavy heart that this was only because he was barely even conscious. He gripped her hand tightly as the droid injected fluids into his veins and cleaned and stitched his wound. Amras was clearly in a great deal of pain, and Shona didn't want to watch him like this- but this was the moment when he needed her most.

Who, or what exactly, had Amras gotten into a fight with? Shona knew him well, and knew that he wasn't known to be reckless or to let his guard down. It must have been someone powerful and ruthless.

However, his cooperation with the droid didn't last forever. He barely even allowed the droid to finish treating him before he grew restless and started trying to move and talk. At first when he began to speak, she whispered to him that he needed to be quiet, that they could talk when he was better rested. But he insisted.

And his words were unsettling, to say the least.

He had lied to her? That statement left her dumbfounded. He had shared many secrets with her in the past, and she was understanding if there were still some things he didn't want to tell. But to lie didn't sound like him at all.

As he began his story, Shona was relieved when most of it still sounded familiar to her. She had known that his parents died when he was very young. That he was born with highly unusual Force sensitivity. She even knew that he had been practically enslaved on an island and eventually escaped.

But there was one not-so-small detail that she had never known until now.

Dooku.

The mysterious and cruel master who held him captive for most of his childhood years was none other than Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists and a powerful Sith Lord?

Amras had told her in the past that he didn't know the true identity of his former master. It turned out that he knew after all.

Her immediate reaction was not one of anger, but of shock. Her heart palpitated and a sick feeling settled in her stomach as the reality of this new knowledge sank in. She didn't doubt he had his reasons for hiding this information. Perhaps it was to protect her and the Renegades, which certainly seemed a valid reason. But now, what did this mean? Amras had just revealed himself to a massive group of Separatist droids. Surely the word would get back to Dooku eventually, and their heavily-guarded secrecy would be ruined. The Renegades were not nearly big enough or strong enough to directly face their enemies yet. And if the Separatists knew, perhaps they might even work with the Republic to wipe them out. And that was the exact opposite of the Renegade's goal in the first place.

"Amras," she whispered, gripping his hand tighter. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing but a sigh came out. She couldn't share her worry with him, not until he was stronger. "What you have just told me is cause for concern for our group. I'm sure you know that. But you can't think about that any more, all right? I need you to sleep, get some rest. Tralissk and I will handle the ship and the others. We will fix this when you've regained your strength."

At least they had the plans, so the mission today had been successful. But what good were these plans now when there was now a good chance that Count Dooku himself would come after them?

She tried to appear strong for him, but inside she felt like a weak and scared little child. Shona had always been that way, ever since her parents abandoned her and she had to care for her siblings in a starving, war-torn village. They always thought she was the strong, brave one. It was good to let everyone think that, even now.

No one needed to know that she felt just as much fear as everyone else.
 
Anakin Skywalker | Jedi Knight | Human | 21

There were many things Anakin needed that the droid simply was not prepared to give. Increased oxygen, fluids, and a blood transfusion, to name a few. The droid had spent many years serving smugglers and mercenaries who wanted a quick, and not necessarily thorough, fix. So it went straight to work doing what it was programmed to do: stitch up the wound as quickly as possible. With the limited supplies this also meant there was no numbing, no relief from the procedure.

Anakin felt all of it. Not that he had the strength to even react.

He wasn't fully conscious yet and didn't understand what was going on. All he knew was that something seemed to be stabbing him repeatedly, and his lungs felt on fire. In this confusion he only wanted all this to be over- whether that meant unconsciousness or even death, he barely cared.

But he got his wish. The droid finished quickly enough and left him alone. And now that he was no longer bleeding out his consciousness began to return.

The Force whispered to him of other people nearby. Padmé was there- knowing that was a great relief- and he recognized the Force signatures of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, as well. He just couldn't see them. His vision was blurry and the room was dark. Where was everyone? There was a mixture of voices in the background; perhaps that was them.

As his senses gradually returned, he finally realized that Padmé was in the very same room, and being stitched up as well by the same droid who had been with him minutes ago. She wasn't far away. But he couldn't even call out to her, not when it was so difficult just to breathe. At least she was here and most likely safe. He wondered if she could feel the droid doing its work as he had- he hoped not.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka seemed to be talking nearby. Anakin could only make out a few words, and there was an additional voice on the comlink. Obi-Wan mentioned the possibility of boarding a Republic Cruiser. Hopefully that would happen- this ship was old and clunky, and was constantly shaking and shuddering.

Anakin had no business trying to move, but he was desperate. Desperate to catch a better glimpse of his wife's condition, and to hear his friend's voices. So he tried to sit up- and failed- and kept trying even though he knew it was a terrible idea and wouldn't work. Even in his semi-conscious state he badly wanted to know what was going on.

The droid noticed his struggling and came over to him. But it came with a needle full of some sort of liquid- some sort of drug, the last thing Anakin was hoping to see at this point. The droid tried to insert it into his right arm and seemed confused when it found no human flesh, and only metal. It tried a couple more times to inject a liquid into circuits and wires before giving up and moving on to his left arm.

The drug hit him immediately, bringing a pleasant numbness.... and something much more terrifying. Visions, nightmarish ones.

He found himself on Amras' ship again, breaking down every door and trying to find Padmé. And he did find her...

But her body was lifeless in his arms. No breath. No pulse.

This was his worst nightmare, and he couldn't even scream.
 
Ahsoka Tano | Er'Kit Village | Jedi Padawan
17 | Togruta | Tagging: Obi-Wan, Clones
---
Obi-Wan Kenobi | Jedi Master | Human
| 36 | Village of Aganar, Er’kit | Tagging: Ahsoka, Clones

---

The Clone with the injured leg went back to the sleeping quarters to lie down and rest there since the medicine he had needed had already been administrated and he would be all right, for a while. So long as he had real medical attention before the pain killers wore off. The medical droid was good enough and did the job all right, but it was horribly outdated just as everything else in this ship was. The rest of the Clones were sent to the front to fly the ship and Obi-Wan followed to try and make contact with any nearby Republic ship, but Ahsoka stayed. There was a small chair in the room that one could sit in without breaking if one was very careful and she pulled it up to sit at the foot of Anakin's bed, and she could observe Padme easily from there as well. Obi-Wan hadn't even asked her to leave the medical bay which Ahsoka was grateful for. All the men in the Clone army couldn't have ripped her away from Anakin right now.

Their exit from Er'Kit into space was a surprisingly easy one, considering that nothing else today had gone right. Obi-Wan looked out into space with his arms crossed over his chest, a frown rooted deeply into his brow, and he hardly noticed the debris from the other ships. It didn't surprise him. Either the Separatists took them out or they took each other out, as mercs did for greed. It seemed to be the latter for there were currently no Separatists in sight. 'Let's keep it that way,' thought Obi-Wan, but no sooner had he said that and was starting to think that things might be looking up finally than one of the Clones glanced over his direction, grimacing.

"Hyper-drive doesn't work, sir."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Of course it doesn't. Just get us as far away from here as possible. Undetected, preferably."

"Yes, sir."

The comms worked, at least, though it took an annoying amount of time to fiddle with. Ahsoka was good at that. Obi-Wan let her be and fixed it himself anyway. The distress signals were broken beyond repair but he was wary to send one out with the Separatists so close at hand so that was no real loss. He was even hesitant to send out a signal at all but Anakin and Padme were in desperate need of medical attention. Proper medical attention. They had no choice but to take the risk with the condition the two of them were in.

"This is General Kenobi, contacting any Republic ships. Do you copy? I repeat, this is General Kenobi, contacting any Republic ships. Do you copy?"

Silence. Silence, and then a sudden jolt as the ship suddenly rocked sideways and nearly sent one of the Clones flying across the deck. There was an angry yell from the medical bay -- Ahsoka. The injured Clone came determinedly hobbling out moments later. Obi-Wan sent him to the guns where he could at least sit and one of the other Clones went to the other gun, and Obi-Wan took over flying for the time being. The remaining Clones were doing their best to keep the ship from falling apart. Easier said than done, everything was smoking and clanking and clattering about like it might fall to pieces at any moment.

"Blast!" Obi-Wan twisted the ship around. A merc ship had found them and decided they were easy pickings, though what anyone would want with this piece of junk was beyond his reasoning. The Clones were firing back now but this rusted flying machine they were in didn't have the agility of the other ship and they were struggling to pin it down to get a good shot.

Another jolt rocked the ship. Ahsoka, who hadn't left the medical bay, was trying to keep Anakin and Padme from falling off their beds and the medical droid was squalling maniacally. Easier said than done. She had one foot propped against Padme's bed and the other on Padme, trying to keep her from rolling around, and across the aisle of the medical wing, her back was pressed against Anakin. Padme seemed to be vaguely conscious but not enough to register what was going on, though her eyelids were fluttering rapidly and she was murmuring something to low to hear. Ahsoka was mumbling something under her breath, too, but it was probably best that no one could hear what she was saying. She did let out another yell though as Obi-Wan was forced to spin the ship around suddenly and Padme nearly went flying into the opposite wall.

The Clones were firing back. The other ship was still pressing them on but at a safer distance now -- perhaps they had realized that weren't just dealing was some random drunk mercs.

"A hit!" One of the Clones called out and sure enough, the wing of the other ship was smoking. Obi-Wan took the advantage of flying in closer to where they had a better chance -- the range on this thing was as bad as everything else -- and in mere moments they had turned the tide of the battle. The other ship was on the run. Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Th- -- -he -ta- -estro--r An--ie-, com- -n Gene-a- -en-bi."

Someone was cutting out badly, but someone was there. Obi-Wan reached eagerly for the comm. "This is General Kenobi, I can't hear you well. I repeat, this is General Kenobi. We are in urgent need of a rescue."

The signal came again, much clearer this time. "This is the Star Destroyer, Anaheim. We read you, General Kenobi, and are on our way."

"We are much obliged. I have a transmission I need for you to pass to Coruscant, it is of utmost importance."

A pause, and then, "Transmitting now, sir."

A rather hazy image was patched through to the Senate, then. Normally he would report to the Council, but this mission had very heavily involved the Senate and the Senator and he was forced to send to them a report, as it was the Senate who was behind them being sent here in the first place. Obi-Wan stood erect with his arms crossed behind his back. "Greetings, honorable members of the Senate. This is General Kenobi. We have sustained heavy losses on Er'Kit due to the attack of the Separatists on the village in which we landed, but Senator Amidala has been retrieved, though the plans were lost. She is alive, currently, but gravely wounded." There was a slight pause before what he said next and his voice was slightly pained when he did finally speak again. "Padawan Tano and I were separated from Skywalker during the fight and it was he who successfully retrieved the Senator, but he, too, was badly wounded. We... we are not entirely sure if he will survive, but for now, he is alive. Whoever attacked them appeared also to the Padawan and myself, just briefly, and he was quite clearly a Dark Force user. A strong one. I believe it was a Pantoran Sith that Skywalker and Senator Amidala were up against, one who must have caught them off guard as there have been no previous reports of such a Sith existing. It is also my belief that the Renegades were not even present on the planet at that time and that it was an elaborate -- but clever -- trap for the Separatists to take hold of the plans that Senator Amidala was in possession of. However, the only two people who can confirm any of this information are Skywalker and the Senator herself, and they are in no condition to currently make a report. I will be sure to keep you updated."

With that, he cut off the transmission and sat down heavily in a nearby chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, stroking his beard thoughtfully as his eyes seemed to distant out. Who could have done such a thing to Anakin? How could have been wounded so badly?

Meanwhile, Ahsoka had managed to successfully keep both of them from falling out of bed. The delicate little chair she had been sitting on early was smashed to smithereens, thanks to the ship rocking to and fro, and she was slumped in the aisle between the two beds, sitting on the floor with her feet still on Padme's bed and leaned against the side of Anakin's bed.

"If you die, Master, I'm killing you." But even as she said that her anger was starting to fade -- for now. She was so worried about him that the worry had been channeled through anger at first, but now she just felt sick to her stomach to see him like this. If only she and Obi-Wan had been there, if only they had had back-up, if only they had been more prepared. If only... if only...
 
Eletha Rosach | Representative of Chandrila | Maishuil | 19
Heiss Unduli's Office, Coruscant | Tagging: Heiss Undulli

As Eletha listened carefully to the other Senator, a more solid conclusion started to form in her brain. At worst, Heiss Undulli was a traitor. At best, he had been rather foolish. She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that his intentions had been good- she definitely understood wanting to get both sides of this conflict to work together towards ending the war.

What she wanted to believe was that Heiss had been naive, as Eletha herself often could be. Perhaps he had simply placed too much faith in the Separatists. But how could he not have understood the treachery of the Separatists? They were hardly a group known for their loyalty. Eletha mainly judged the Separatist faction by their leader, Count Dooku, and his characteristics. First of all, the Count had once been a Jedi. The very leader of the Separatists had been known to turn his back on people he once allied himself with. Secondly, he was a Sith. And while the Sith had been extinct for centuries and only recently resurfaced, Eletha could only assume that they had to be at least somewhat similar now to how they had been in the past: quick to kill, quick to turn on each other, only loyal to themselves. This was the ideology that Count Dooku allied himself with now. Could Senator Undulli not see that? That he was trusting a group with a long history of backstabbing and betrayal?

He had to have known that. Eletha knew that, and she wasn't a Separatist, or a Jedi, or a Sith, or even someone with a reasonable amount of political experience. It seemed unlikely in her eyes that Undulli could be that naive.

She didn't want to believe it, but the evidence did seem pretty well stacked against him.

"It's a shame, Senator," she said softly, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to jump to conclusions or accuse him of anything prematurely. "It would appear that the Separatists have failed to provide you what they promised. I would suspect, then, that they will also fail to keep their promises to you in the future."

The words were barely out of her mouth when her holopad chimed, indicating an incoming message. A similar sound emitted from Heiss' device. They both played the message, and it became clear that this was a broadcast message to the entire Senate.

Eletha could almost hear the silence fall over Coruscant as Obi-Wan Kenobi's image, blurred from a poor connection, appeared to every member of the Senate. And his message only corroborated the testimony they had received earlier. A brutal surprise attack from the Separatists. No sighting of the Renegades. Several Republic troops dead. But as if that couldn't get any worse, Kenobi was now saying that Senator Amidala was gravely wounded, and they might lose General Skywalker entirely?

One couldn't have picked worse targets to tear at the morale of the Republic. Amidala was one of the Republic's best, a very accomplished and highly respected Senator. A former queen well loved by her people. And Skywalker, he was more than just a military force, a powerful and clever General. If that were all, his loss would be hard enough, but he and Kenobi were the faces of the Republic war effort. The two heroes that inspired hope throughout the galaxy. No one ever so much as considered the possibility that either of them might... die.

The transmission ended, and she and Heiss only stood in silence. Whether this was a simple blunder on his part or an act of treason, it had severe consequences. Many troops had lost their lives and two well-loved public figures were now suffering and possibly dying.

Eletha's chest felt tight and cold. She didn't want to be here, alone with the man who had possibly started all this, right as the drama and tragedy was unfolding. But she couldn't bring herself to leave. That seemed... cowardly.

Before long, though, two Senate guards burst into the door and ordered Heiss to stand down. He was under arrest.

Eletha kept her recorder on and watched numbly as Heiss slowly raised his hands to the air. This wasn't terribly surprising, and perhaps it was a just course of action... but what if it wasn't?

Though she didn't want to, she met Heiss' eyes as the Senate guards locked laser binders around his wrists. His eyes- his whole face- were full of horror and desperation. Eletha couldn't know if that was sincere but it brought a sick feeling to her stomach. She turned and looked away.

The next few moments seemed a blur as the guards escorted Heiss out of the room, and one stayed behind to question Eletha. She couldn't provide much information, only what Heiss had told her, and she was grateful now that she had the hard evidence of what he had said. The guard informed her that she may have to appear at court soon to give her testimony. It somehow felt futile to her, though. An answer, an explanation, was sorely needed; there wasn't enough information to prove anything yet. Though she understood the necessity of an investigation and a trial, it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to go back in time and convince her past self to stay out of this meeting in the first place. This was a situation better suited for more experienced politicians to handle.

She could only wait anxiously for Senator Mothma to return. Mon had a clear and logical mind- she would be able to sort through this much better than Eletha could on her own.

Finally she got the clearance to leave, and the streets felt hushed as she walked down towards her apartment. Kenobi's broadcast message was already being shown on all the major news networks, and as people walked around the city they murmured quietly or stood frozen, watching the screens with wide eyes. Headlines started to appear. "Kenobi: Senator Amidala, General Skywalker 'Gravely Wounded,'" one such headline screamed. Others were already announcing Undulli's arrest.

Eletha drew her cloak more tightly around her shoulders. What had been an effort for peace and unity had spiraled into disaster.
 
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Anakin Skywalker | Jedi Knight | Human | 21

In his disoriented state of mind, Anakin completely forgot about what was happening in real life, about all the events of the day. He only knew what was happening in this terrifying world of drug-induced hallucinations. And in this world, Padmé was dead in his arms. And he was frozen to move, unable to so much as say her name. She only grew paler, her body more rigid with every passing second.

His worst nightmare was taking place: the love of his life was gone.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the horrors only continued. A battle was raging outside. Village homes were being blasted into pieces. Smoke filled the air and people were screaming. The sky grew dark, the landscape only illuminated by fire and lasers.

Obi-Wan burst into the ship, and at first Anakin was relieved- he wasn't entirely alone in this nightmare- but Obi-Wan was being pursued by Count Dooku, who was wearing him down step by step. Obi-Wan didn't even seem to know Anakin was there. He was speaking into a comm, urgently begging for backup, but no one replied- and Anakin, somehow, couldn't move, couldn't help his master in his fight against Dooku.

Then, the worst possible thing happened. Dooku, with one swift stroke of his lightsaber, stabbed Obi-Wan through the heart. Obi-Wan fell lifeless to the ground.

In real life, the ship then started to take some hits and jolt violently. In the nightmare world, this manifested as an explosion outside tearing through the walls of the Chiss' ship. Anakin found himself on the ground, outside the ship and with no idea what happened to Obi-Wan and Padmé's bodies.

There was a new body though, one that Anakin landed right next to: Ahsoka's. Her eyes were frozen and wide open, a blast wound through her chest.

Clones started to fall in the battle too. Captain Rex and Commander Cody being just a few of them.

Finally the battle started to end, but that was because there were no Jedi or Clones left against the Sith and battle droids, who then formed a circle around Anakin. Among them was that Chiss Sith whose name was still unknown. Anakin somehow knew that none of these villains wanted to kill him- and in fact, they all smiled, happy to simply sit there and let him be the only one still standing.

~~~

After some unknowable amount of time, the drug started to wear off. The darkness and flashing lights of the battle scene started to fade away into something different, but similarly dark. It was a different ship, and Anakin was starting to remember actually being here earlier, with Padmé and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan.

Slowly he was starting to understand that what he had just seen might not have been real. Padmé and Ahsoka seemed to be in this dark room and Obi-Wan's voice could be heard in the distance. But still, the horrifying images replayed in his mind. The bodies. The screams. They had all felt so real.

On top of that, the numbness provided by the drug was wearing off. The fiery pain was coming back, and while the ship wasn't under attack anymore, it was still a bumpy ride and making everything feel worse. He didn't have the strength to cry out, but some tears fell from his eyes. It was simply too much to take, too much for one person to handle, no matter how strong.

The massacre he had just seen wasn't real. He had to keep telling himself that. The others were alive. But he needed some reassurance, and it looked like Ahsoka was closer by than Padmé was.

"Ahsoka-" his voice was barely a whisper, and he reached weakly towards the vague and blurry image of his Padawan, though he couldn't tell exactly how close she was- "please, tell me... are you... real? And alive?"
 
Ahsoka Tano | Er'Kit Village | Jedi Padawan
17 | Togruta | Tagging: Anakin, Padme, Obi-Wan

---

After they had managed to steady the ship, Ahsoka allowed herself to rest there on the floor for a few minutes. She wasn't hurt, really, but she was worn down. Exhausted. The battle had been intense, finding Anakin and Padme in such a state as they were in had hit her hard, and now this. She could Obi-Wan's voice from the other room sending a transmission and he sounded strained, but still so calm. She envied him for that. Part of her wanted nothing more now than to find somewhere to lie down and sleep, and maybe something to eat and drink as well, but she wouldn't leave Anakin. Groaning softly, she pushed herself to her feet and gently adjusted the Senator to where she was lying flat on her back again. The jolting of the ship had put both of them in an awkward position. Padme had fallen onto her side, one of her arms dangling off the bed, and her eyes were fluttering but she hadn't woken yet.

"There," said the Togruta wearily as she settled Padme back into place. "You'll be all right." That much she was fairly confident of. Though in bad shape, she was in stable enough condition and the cruiser would give proper care whenever it came to pick them up. Provided no one else decided to shots at them. Ahsoka wasn't sure if they could survive anymore hits in this old rust bucket.

They'd lost enough good men out there today. No one else. No one else dies. Ahsoka had to cling on to that hope but even so, her heart sank as she turned to face Anakin. He... well, she wasn't so sure about him. This was where the new bolstered confidence of hers faltered a great deal, and she was extra gentle in the way she helped get him back into what she hoped was a more comfortable lying position. He was so pale. His skin, hot to the touch.

"Can you do anything for him?"

No response.

Ahsoka glanced towards the medical droid she had spoken to and saw that it was standing motionless with its head buried into a corner, small arms still covering his head. There was a faint, unnatural whirring coming from it. They wouldn't be getting much help from it anytime soon and she doubted there was anything on this ship that would supply her with the tools she needed to repair it.

Great. She heaved a sigh. That Republic ship had better come for them quickly.

Given that the chair she had been sitting on earlier was now smashed into small wooden pieces and scattered around the bay, Ahsoka perched herself on the edge of Anakin's bed and pressed his hand in hers for just a moment. The metal gave her none of the comforting warmth of life that she longed to feel from him, a sign that he still lived, that he fought on, and she gently set it back down by his side. Perhaps it was best he didn't move anyway.

She stared at him moodily, her anger temporarily deflated. "You'll live, Anakin. You'll live. You always do. Somehow. What would you do without Obi-Wan and me to pull you out of these scrapes you're always getting yourself into anyway?"

"That's not a question I'm sure either of us wants to know the answer to, Ahsoka." The Togruta turned swiftly, beheld Obi-Wan, and managed a smile.

"I guess you're right," she agreed. But neither of them were doing a very good job at easing the tension with their feeble attempts at jokes. Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest, and both were silent. Lost in thoughts of their own. Some time passed in that way. It could have been mere minutes, but it felt like hours to Ahsoka for Anakin was looking worse by the minute. What was going on his mind? Judging by his labored breathing, nothing good. And there was nothing she could about it.

"General Kenobi, sir. A transmission." Obi-Wan shot a glance towards Ahsoka, a sudden look of hope in his eyes, and dashed from the medical bay. Ahsoka didn't need to listen in to know what had happened and relief flooded through her so abruptly that she had to shake it off and regain her composure.

Through the small window in the medical bay, A Republic Cruiser was visible. Come to rescue them. Come to save them. To save Padme. To save Anakin.

"Master, they're here! You're going to be all ri-" She had turned away from the window and back towards him and froze to see tears on his face. And he was moving. Then, before she had a chance to talk, he was reaching for her. Desperate. Pained. And the words that he spoke would have broken her heart if she hadn't been so relieved to hear him saying anything at all.

'It's me, Skyguy." Ahsoka gently took him by the arm -- the part that wasn't metal so he could actually feel her -- and set his arm back down. "You're wounded, you shouldn't move. There's a Cruiser here to pick us up. You and Padme... you're gonna be all right."

And this time maybe, just maybe, she could actually believe it.

His words still haunted her though. The panic in his voice had been real, the tears were definitely real. What could he have been thinking of?
 
Tralissk | Renegade | Trandoshan | 34 | Amras’ Ship, Er’kit Airspace | Tagging: Shona, Amras, Renegades

Tralissk felt the corner of his mouth crack into a faint grin when he saw what Amras did to those droids. Now that was how you wipe out an enemy. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, he made his way back to Shona through the smoldering street, which was now thoroughly littered with scattered piles of rock, twisted pieces of metal, and the countless bodies of droids and organisms alike. As he mentally and casually watched the others continue to gather, he noticed that several of them were missing. His grin faded into a grim expression. Not many of them were left at this point; maybe a couple handfuls by his standards. The rest must have been killed in this onslaught.

While Amras' barrage had decimated a good number of the droids present in the immediate area, there were still several continuing their advance, along with a whole 'nother battalion beyond the tanks. Tralissk made short work of the few nearest to him, taking extra pleasure in eliminating them in retaliation for killing the others. While droids weren't as satisfying of a prey as flesh-and-blood was, they were certainly worthy of being killed mercilessly.

By the time he caught up to them Amras himself had joined the fray, and judging by his condition, whatever his task had been had not gone easy on him. So what was he doing out here, completely exposed to everyone around? At most, all he would have had to do was land the ship just long enough for them to run onboard. Not like they really wanted to stay there any longer than they had to. What was so important about this fight that he needed to be physically present right now, of all times? The heat was picking up again from the droid fire, and one more person fighting wasn't going to do much when they could just fly away right now. Something told him there was more to this mission, something far more crucial than what they had been told. Nevertheless, he remained silent.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn to see some crazed fool trying to make a run for the ship's entrance, desperate to escape the impending doom of any who remained in the village long enough. However, it was a futile effort as he was soon ejected from the hold with a swift kick from the Trandoshan. He didn't care if the fool survived this disaster or not; unless they were a Renegade, nobody was getting on this ship.

As Tralissk stood at the entrance while the others began to board, Shona approached him and made a quick gesture up towards the cockpit while ushering a couple stragglers in. Nodding once, he dashed inside, skipping every other step up the ladder to access the main level and slightly shoving his way past anyone standing in the narrow hallway.

There was no time to waste. It wasn't often when they asked him to fly the ship since he wasn't very dextrous with the controls, but when they did it was always for an important reason. This was definately one of those times. He wondered why now, though. Not to say he had any problem with it, but Amras had just been flying the ship, and while he was still outside, he could have come back in to pilot it just as easily. Or even Shona.

What was going on?

Regardless of who was at the helm, they had to get out of here now. The longer the ship sat in the middle of this battle, the greater the chance of it getting damaged– or worse– and most likely them with it. Everyone pitched in where they could, and nobody asked questions.

Upon entering the cockpit he ducked his head to avoid hitting it on the doorframe; a habit he was well-accustomed to. Laying his rifle aside, he slid into the pilot's seat on the left and scanned the controls– apparently Amras had left the engines ready to go at a moment's notice. Good. That meant he wouldn't have to waste time with prepping them.

With everything set, he was about to lift the ship off when he realized he could still hear faint sounds from the chaos outside, meaning the hatch was still open. What were they waiting for? He had been one of the first ones to board, but it should take thirty seconds or less to get everyone on and close the hatch. Leaning forward over the dashboard to look out, he blinked in disbelief at what he saw: hundreds of blaster bolts were suspended in mid-air, as if they were stuck in a moment of time. Droids were continuing to advance and fire, but the energy would only go so far before coming to a halt. It seemed like whatever kind of force was acting upon them was coming from a central location down by the nose of the ship. Was it one of those Jedi?

No. It couldn't be. Was that.... Amras?

He was standing there, alone and surrounded, holding his arm out stiffly in front of him, and he certainly seemed to be the one in control of it all. But how? He knew Amras was skilled, but... this? Since when did he have this kind of power? Even a discharge from the tanks was caught in his hold, frozen in place but still quivering with energy, waiting to be released.

Tralissk hissed something under his breath. In all his years, in all his travels and hunting, he had never seen anything quite like this. He looked like one of those Jedi, with the way they can push things back without actually touching them. Amras wasn’t one of them... was he?

No time to ponder or stare. Hearing Shona shout from the cargo bay to take off, he straightened himself in the seat before revving the engines. Amras had better get back inside soon. He lifted his arm to flip a switch on the ceiling and hissed again when the area where the droid had nailed him burned with the extended motion. It was nothing serious, but he could definitely still feel it. Stupid droid. Wrapping his scaly hands around the yolk, he lifted the ship up, keeping a firm grasp to hold it steady with all the heat drafts arising from the ground. After hovering above the village’s remains for a few seconds he sensed the the ramp had been shut.

Time to make their exit.

Pulling the yolk back towards him, Tralissk accelerated their ascent towards the upper atmosphere, making sure to watch the radar for any possible threat approaching. Several other ships were filling up the airspace as well, all flying upward in various directions towards the safety of space. Before long, the bright color of the sky had faded into the cold blackness of the open expanse, speckled with tiny bright stars everywhere– and a recently-created debris field.

Scraps of ships, floating pieces of charred cargo, the occasional body; it looked like some who had tried to escape didn't make it very far before being overtaken. He wasn't worried, though. Stuff like this happened all the time across the galaxy.

He carefully navigated the ship through the field, weaving around to avoid major clusters and keeping an eye out for any distinct heat signatures of ships approaching. As he reached the outskirts he took a moment to concentrate on inputting the coordinates for a hyperspace jump, which with his claws was not the easiest thing, but he completed the calculations. Finishing up with that, the target sensors began to beep incessantly in alarm as a small freighter was drifting towards them from the bow just off of starboard. He snorted in amusement. As if that would be any match against their ship in a few moments.

Once the ship's computer gave the all-clear to jump, he glanced at the vessel before making his move. In mere seconds, the pinpoints of starlight stretched to become bright streaks all around them as they attained light-speed.

Sitting back in his chair, Tralissk took a deep breath. Their mission on Er'kit was over, but there were questions that needed answering. He didn't usually need to know all the details in order to do a job effectively, but this was too big of a deal to ignore.

For now, though, he just watched as the ship glided silently among the stars to their next destination.
 
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Amras Von | Renegade Leader | Chiss | 23
Amras's Ship, Space | Tagging: Shona, Tralissk

---

Even in his weakened state, Amras could sense her emotions as she listened. He could sense the shock, the worry, the fear, the concern, and he didn't need to sense anything at all to know that she was trying to hide all of it for him. He knew her well, well enough to know without the use of the Force. She would be strong for him and for the Renegades and he knew he could trust her to lead them wisely, even if he were to die here and now; but just as he needed her, he could sense that she needed him and to that end, he would fight, no matter what stood in the way. He had already proven that by leaving Skywalker and the Senator without being confirmed dead in order to save her. For a moment that thought jolted him. Had that been a mistake? Had all of this been a mistake? Was it worth their prize?

That answer was obvious to him immediately. For the plans he'd taken from the Senator, it remained to be seen as to whether the risk they took in this mission and the lives they lost was worth it in the end. In fact, this mission had only just begun. They still had to use it to push the Separatists and the Republic harder against each other, to lay blame on both sides, and that would be no easy task. They would have to infiltrate deeper into both sides than they ever had before. Strings would have to be pulled. Lives would be sacrificed. But this was where he could come in again. Too long he felt that he had been hiding behind the scenes as the others did the hard and dangerous work, trying to remain concealed as to who and what he was, and to a point that would still be important. His full identity wasn't out yet. However, these would be mostly missions of espionage and he could do that very well, secret or no secret. At least now he wouldn't have to hide it from the Renegades. It had crossed his mind to tell them several times before but he wasn't entirely sure if every single one of them could be trusted, as he was more than a little paranoid, but it was all out now. It was time to test their loyalty.

But as for the question of was it or was it not worth it to leave Skywalker alive, that was an immediate yes. It was a pity he couldn't have killed them both personally, and even more of a pity that he had allowed them to get past his guard or they would certainly be dead already, but if it meant Shona was alive... Amras's red eyes flickered over to meet hers and he was more than satisfied in his choice to have saved her instead, despite it all. It wasn't only Skywalker and the Senator that was affected by this choice, either. Everything was affected by it. Shona be alive was affected by it. The droids having seen him was affected by it. He was unsure about the other Jedi -- they hadn't seen his face and very few people even knew Chiss existed much less Force-sensitive ones. Perhaps this was another thing they could use to play the Separatists and Republic more forcefully against each other if they could only find the right angle... Ah, but his head was throbbing far too much to think more about this just now. It was his instinct to get directly back into work. Unfortunately, neither the pain in his head nor the medicine that was starting to make him drowsy would allow him to do that. It would just have to wait

At her response, he nodded wearily. All of the talking had taken a lot of out of him. 'I know, Shona. The droids saw me and if word gets back to the Count, which it no doubt will, soon or later... Well, it's not as if there is an access of Chiss force users roaming the galaxy. He will know me. He taught me everything I know, he will recognize me the moment he hears of it. But I had to, don't you see that?"

A pause. He winced and closed his eyes as a wave of pain shot through him, and when he spoke again his voice was tight and pained.

"I nearly killed Skywalker. It is possible he could be dead even so but somehow... somehow I sense that he is not. I felt his power, Shona, and I think I would know if such a power was wiped from the universe. I left the battle only because I had a vision. Of you. You were overwhelmed, they were all falling, dying, and then you..." Amras winced again and couldn't finish the sentence, instead shaking his head firmly. "I was only just in time to save you. If I hadn't revealed myself, you would be dead. I know the consequences of my actions will be severe but I don't regret it and neither should you. I only wish I could have been faster..." There were others there. Renegades. Dead. Amras only chose the best to personally travel with him and became moderately familiar with most of them after being together so long, and today they had lost several. Their talent would be missed.

With that he fell back against the pillow, a sigh escaping his lips as he finally allowed the tension to leave his body. He hadn't even noticed how tense he had been until just now and it helped to ease the pain in his head once he allowed himself to relax. But he had one final thought and voiced it now, fighting.

"Even with all his skills, Skywalker found me... far too easily. I should have had plenty of time... to finish with the Senator... before he got there. I suspect there's a.... tracker somewhere on this ship and as soon as you are able, I want... the entirety of this ship scoured until it's found... and removed. Inform me as soon as it's found. And... if the crew has questions, tell them... I will answer as soon as I have recovered. Not all the details, mind you... but enough to suffice..."

Dammit, he needed sleep. Too many thoughts and concerns were running through his mind, he couldn't quiet his brain. Too much to do. Luckily the medicine was kicking in harder now and he could barely keep his eyes open, though he tried to. There was just so much he still had to say and organize! A few times he even opened his mouth to try and say something else but the words simply would articulate properly anymore.
 
Anakin Skywalker | Jedi Knight | Human | 21

Ahsoka did indeed speak to him, and even touch him. But that didn't make his sense of panic go away, because the sensations and sounds in his vision had felt equally real.

Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Padmé were alive, yes. As far as he was aware. But what if this was just another strange vision?

And he was too exhausted and confused to be able to reason his way out of this terrifying mental trap. There were signs that could have told him that this world was real and the other one wasn't, such as being able to control his own speech and movements in this reality. But he was beyond any ability to think logically, nor could he even communicate to Ahsoka the full extent of his distress. He had no choice but to endure the pain and existential terror in silence. And hope that he wouldn't see anything so horrifying again.

He was fading into unconsciousness once again. But now, that stubborn focus on his will to live had ebbed away into fear and apathy.

~~~

Obi-Wan Kenobi | Jedi Master | Human
| 36 | Aboard the Republic Cruiser | Tagging: Ahsoka, Clones

That Cruiser hadn't arrived a minute too soon.

Now that he wasn't having to focus so hard on simply keeping himself and the others alive, Obi-Wan could finally take a minute to meditate on the Force. And the energies he picked up were not good.

The minute they landed the ship in the Anaheim's hangar bay, Obi-Wan sent out two clones to fetch medical help, and went immediately to the back room. Not being there with his former apprentice during his time of dire need... that was tearing him up inside. At least he had managed the cockpit in such a way that Ahsoka had been able to stay with Anakin and Padmé.

"How are they?" he asked quietly, but judging by the traumatized look on Ahsoka's face, and the deathly vibes from the Force, it couldn't be good.

Obi-Wan had been through many battles and could sense through the Force when someone was on the edge of life. This was where Anakin seemed to be. Padmé, though weakened and in rough shape, was not at that point.

He couldn't believe he was standing here thinking about this. Coming to terms with the fact that Anakin could die. He wasn't supposed to outlive his Padawan... that was an unnatural order of things, like a parent outliving their child.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for help. Clones and medical droids quickly appeared and rushed the wounded pair away, hooking them up to all sorts of complicated machines and tubes. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka wordlessly agreed to follow the group as far as they could, but it wasn't long before Anakin and Padmé were both shut away into different rooms and no one was allowed inside.

He had confidence that Padmé would recover, but would they save Anakin? Obi-Wan knew Ahsoka was thinking the same thing.

She looked rigid and numb, staring at the closed door that separated them from Anakin. Obi-Wan's heart broke for her. He was having a hard enough time coping with all this himself, and he had many more years of life experience than she did. When Obi-Wan was her age, the Jedi Order- the Republic in general- had been so different. Yes, Obi-Wan had seen some people wounded and even killed in his peacekeeping missions as a Padawan. But he hadn't had to bear the brunt of an intergalactic war, nor had he ever lost someone close to him at that point. He had been several years older than Ahsoka when he lost Qui-Gon.

He hoped that losing a master would not be a thing he had in common with Ahsoka.

Laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, he spoke quietly to her. "There is nothing either of us can do for him right now, young one. We can only wait and trust the medical droids to do their job. Anakin and Padmé, they're in good hands now." He paused for a moment before adding, "You and I need to get some rest. Visit some medical droids ourselves, perhaps. We've been through a lot today too, you know. Don't forget that."
 
Ahsoka Tano | The Anaheim | Jedi Padawan
17 | Togruta |Tagging: Obi-Wan | Mentions: Anakin and Padme
--

Her own injuries were minor and it hadn't even occurred to her to see a medical droid herself after they were finally rescued and onto a ship that wasn't going to fall apart. Sure, her head was still ringing from the damage she had taken to her Montrals and Lekku which were very tender areas, and sure she could use a good cleaning and patching up, but it wasn't important. Not really. Not compared to this. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest, so tightly it was as if she was trying to hug herself for some small comfort. How were they doing in there? Was Anakin going to live? He had woken up earlier which gave her some hope, but whatever he had been dreaming about had clearly haunted him terribly and she wanted nothing more than to go and tell him that it was going to be all right.

But it wasn't just Anakin's condition that disturbed her, though that was a lot of it. It was the strange Pantoran that had given off such an immense feeling of the Dark Side. It was the alarmingly strong feeling she had gotten when she sensed the danger that Anakin was in. It was the fact that, if he did die, she would be expected to move on more quickly than she knew she ever could. It was the stark realization that hadn't properly hit her before now that she was attached; not only to Anakin but to Obi-Wan, and to Padme, and she was quietly questioning why such things weren't allowed. Why couldn't she be allowed to mourn him, if he died? They said a Jedi could have compassion but not attachments, and yet Ahsoka was struggling to separate the two. Having compassion was stopping to help a stranger in need or risking yourself saving a planet that was on the brink of destruction, even if you didn't know anyone who was there, which was what the Jedi were supposed to be for. But without people to love or anyone to love you then surely a heart would grow hard and all compassion and caring would dry up, leaving nothing but emptiness.

Even this pain she felt for Anakin was better than emptiness. She didn't regret a single moment with him and wouldn't take any of it back, not even to ease this horror.

At Obi-Wan's words, she shook her head. "I'm not tired." It was a lie, of course, but it didn't matter. She couldn't properly rest now anyway. "Maybe I should go visit the Clones that were with us, see if they're doing any better."

But she didn't move from her place staring at the door.
 
General Grievous | Supreme Commander of Separatist Droid Armies | Village of Aganar, Er’kit | Tagging: Battle Droids, Survivors

Aganar was no more.

As the dust finally began to settle in the evening light, all was quiet, at least in terms of the ceased blaster fire. The painful wailing of wounded victims and survivors could still be heard occasionally, along with the clanking of battle droids as they patrolled and led search teams. With the vivid sun low in the sky, everything looked as if it was superheated to an intensity with a bright orange glow, ready to burst into more flames. There was little to no clear ground visible beneath the piles and piles of bodies and rubble everywhere, and only fragments of buildings remained standing. When all was said and done, the battle had taken its toll on the once modest town that many had called home to. The whole place was completely unrecognizable by all standards, and in the midst of it all stood General Grievous, surveying his handiwork. If he weren't so irritated at the loss of the Senator and the Jedi, Grievous would have enjoyed the results of all this destruction more thoroughly.

Still no sign of either of them. None of this had yielded the results he was planning for, and he knew he would never hear the end of it with Dooku. Nothing but a burning village to show for his efforts; no Senator, no plans, no victory. Just yet another failure he would ever be continuously reminded of through Dooku’s disappointment. The anger and frustration from it would only drive him on further and harder like always, but he still hated it.

His cloak billowed around him in the heat as he stalked along, giving no consideration to what- or who- he stepped over. He still hoped for the chance that the Jedi or the Senator had been caught in all of this, but knowing them, they had probably found an escape route by now. Even of all the escaping ships he’d had shot down, none of them contained his prey. If only he hadn’t been held up by other tasks in the base, he would have come out to engage Kenobi personally. Then he surely would have succeeded. A frustrated growl rumbled from his vocal emitter, followed by a violent cough. In response, a startled sound echoed from nearby, followed by quick but soft murmurs. Intrigued, Grievous determined the source of the sound to be from behind a fragmented wall up ahead.

Indeed, behind the wall was a Rodian, who was hunched down and thoroughly examining something in the rubble. As Grievous stepped closer, he realized the alien was rifling through the clothing of a carcass and stuffing things in his pockets. The Rodian paused for a moment as he noticed something in the dirt beside the body. He leaned forward and brushed rocks aside to reveal a handheld blaster, which, after a moment of examining it, he dropped into a holster attached to his leg.

Muttering to himself as he turned back to the body, he froze as a large shadow suddenly grew ominously over him. Slowly pivoting around to confront this shadow, his eyes widened in fear as he realized what was standing before him. So large was Grievous to him that he lost his balance and fell backwards while trying to look up at him against the bright sun. The jolt must have made him regain some composure, though, for he suddenly gave a short cry before scrambling to get up.

Before the Rodian could run, Grievous lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, effectively keeping him in place. He lifted him up just slightly enough so that his feet barely reached the ground, holding him a little lower than eye-level.

"Where are the Jedi?" He growled. His victim struggled under his grasp and tried to avoid eye contact, his large, black, starry eyes looking everywhere except at Grievous' own piercing, mucus-covered golden ones as he glared down at him. In his current state of aggravation, he was in no mood for patience. "Where are the Jedi???" He shook him a little harder this time. "Tell me now, or I will grant you the mercy of joining your friend." He began to reach behind himself for one of the lightsabers sitting in his cloak, but paused when the Rodian swallowed and seemed to calm down a bit.

"P-p-please don't kill me. I don't know where the Jedi went. Honest!" The Rodian's gaze finally met Grievous', but only for a moment before nervously averting it once more. He was lying.

“I have no patience for your feeble attempts to deceive, Rodian. You know something, now tell me!”

“Okay, okay! Ah....” His eyes darted back and forth as if trying to find some excuse when they settled on the body he had been stealing from beside him. “Ah! You see that Pantoran lying there? She’s still alive.”

Grievous barely moved, still glaring at the Rodian. “What do I care? She has nothing to do with the Jedi.”

The Rodian tried to make himself sound as convincing as possible, waving a hand towards her. “Ah, b-but she does! She personally knows a Jedi, and I can prove it.” Grievous thought for a moment at this. While it was most likely possible that the Rodian was just trying to get himself out of trouble, it wouldn’t hurt to hear his defense. Perhaps something useful would come of it.

“...Speak quickly.”

The dust in the air was beginning to aggravate his wheezing considerably, which put his prisoner on edge. A short, harsh cough escaped, rattling both of them, but he quickly regained his composure.

The Rodian swallowed hard and struggled desperately to adjust his position under Grievous' iron grip before giving up and continuing. “I-I saw her with a group of several others earlier on, exiting a cellar. They traveled as a crew together through the streets, and fought side-by-side against the droids. When the tanks came she was caught in one of the blasts, and another one from the group, a Twi’lek who seemed to be the leader among them, went back for her.” Grievous was tiring of the Rodian’s story and mentally rolled his eyes. This was going nowhere, and it had nothing to do with his original demand. The Rodian was merely stalling. If anything, this woman was simply someone from a random pirate crew or something. He began to slowly move his fingers upwards from the Rodian’s shirt to also encompass his neck, adding pressure as he did so.

“What does any of this have to do with the Jedi? You are wasting my time.”

“Wait! I’m not finished yet.” He once again tried to push off the ground with his toes to ease the tension around his throat, clasping his hands around Grievous' rigid arm for leverage. "A ship suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started shooting down droids everywhere over by the group before landing right in the middle of the battle. Another Pantoran ran out to join them. As they were running on board, he stayed outside and froze all the blaster bolts coming from the droids, just like a Jedi!" He held out his green, scaly hand in similar fashion to demonstrate. "I almost couldn’t believe what I saw. Then- and then he took a great leap and jumped onto the ship as it was flying away. He was some sort of a Jedi, I tell you!” His speaking had become more frantic and excitable as he reached this part of his story.

Grievous latched on to that detail. Another Jedi, associating with a group like that? Was he some rogue? Still, this was an interesting piece of news. Perhaps the Rodian’s story wasn’t all talk after all. Who was this other mysterious Jedi? And why did he return, if only for this seemingly insignificant crew?

This Pantoran would provide the answers.

The Rodian seemed to think that Grievous’ silence was an invitation for more talking, for he gave a small, nervous smile before resuming. “I was hiding in another building across the street during the battle, but after all the ruckus this group had caused, I decided to watch them- from a distance, of course. Didn’t want to get caught in the fighting myself, heheh. Many of them were killed, but I still can’t believe they have their own Jedi! I-"

"-Tell me more about him," Grievous abruptly interrupted.

"Who, the Jedi? I don't know. He was only here for a minute or so. With all that was going on, I didn’t see him too well, but his face looked like it was covered in blood. Must have been in some scuffle. As I was saying, I would have gone in for a closer look, but I-"

"-What else?"

The Rodian looked at him dumbly for a moment before responding. "What else do you want to know? I told you everything I saw. When he came out he spoke to the leader of the group for a moment before they ran inside his ship. I don't know. Maybe he was a Jedi hired to rescue them. I would have gone in for a closer look, but I became distracted by- hey, what are you- ACK!" The twinkle of life in his round eyes swiftly faded as his head fell back and his body immediately lost all muscle tension in Grievous' grasp.

Grievous lowered the blaster he had slipped out of the Rodian’s holster to shoot him with. Finally, silence again. He released the Rodian’s body to collapse to the ground beside the Pantoran’s, eyes wide open and a hole burned through his chest. He stared at the woman laying there, using his enhanced eyesight to assess her for life signs. Indeed, she was still living, as evidenced by a faint pulse and shallow breathing. He thought about what the Rodian said. There was always the possibility that the group he had seen had merely been a crew of pirates or some other kind, but what if they were more than that? And who was that Jedi seen with them? Interrogating this prisoner could reveal some very interesting pieces of information.

Turning towards two battle droids standing passively nearby, he ordered them to bring her back to base for interrogation. They immediately advanced, stepping around the Rodian's body and roughly grabbing her by the arms to pull her out of the rubble. As they marched past Grievous dragging her along, her body limp and head dangling forward, he heard her give a faint groan.

Grievous turned his back on them as he continued to move through the village remains in search for the Jedi and Senator. He knew Dooku would be most displeased if he did not retrieve the plans or the Senator, but he had discovered news of a new Jedi which, while in its own was not overly remarkable as there were Jedi everywhere throughout the galaxy, was peculiar enough to warrant investigation due to the details of the situation. And who knows? Maybe all of this could still lead back to the location of those plans and he would still get the credit.

Wouldn't that surprise Dooku.

Either way, he wasn't finished out here yet. He set out in search of more survivors, determined to find out more of what happened.
 
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