In one of the briefing chambers inside the headquarters of the Second Sector Army, a meeting had just concluded. Yoda turned to Master Windu.
"On contact, Master Kenobi has not been…"
"No. We sent him a message—with a courier and a small reinforcement detail. It should have reached him."
"Strange it is, that Obi-Wan has not yet driven the droids from Christophsis."
"The situation has likely become more complicated."
Activating the communications console, the Korun gave a sharp order:
"Contact Admiral Wurtz. I need his squadron."
Yoda closed his eyes thoughtfully.
"More complex than we think, this puzzle may be. To assist Master Kenobi, go I shall."
"And what about Jabba's son's kidnapping?" Shaak Ti asked. "If Kenobi and Skywalker cannot join the search, shouldn't we send someone else?"
"Knight Vikt, manage he must," Yoda replied.
"And we simply have no other free Jedi in that sector," Windu concluded, bringing the discussion to an end.
***
Ahsoka and her master had already reached the monastery's exit and stepped into the inner courtyard when a sudden sense of danger made them stop short.
"Master, what is it?"
"Ventress…" her master murmured. "She's here. Can you feel it?"
The girl nodded. She could feel it—the throbbing pain, the all-consuming hatred, the sharp, blinding malice churning through the Force… And as if that weren't enough, Puck added fuel to the fire:
"Sir, we're getting reports from orbit—ships are heading our way. Four frigates. Ours are attempting interception."
"Damn it… Medic, here. Ahsoka, hand the Hutt over to him. Puck, protect him. Lucky, prepare to repel the assault! Ahsoka, with me!"
Turning toward the monastery entrance, her master shouted:
"Ventress! You're here! Come out! You can't hide in the shadows—I can feel you!"
Deep within the corridor, two red blades flared to life.
"Well, Vikt, we meet at last," Ventress said, locking the hilts of her lightsabers together into a single double-bladed weapon. She cast her cloak aside. "Today, you die."
"Are you always this angry, or just on Mondays?"
Ahsoka unclipped her shoto and ignited it, staring straight at Ventress. Their eyes met. Ahsoka shuddered despite herself—those cold, fathomless depths held nothing but hatred. Forcing her fear away, the Togruta centered herself and stepped forward. She did not consider herself a hero—far from it. It was just that... deep in her soul, she too craved the clash.
Her master, meanwhile, stood perfectly still, not even shifting his stance.
"What's the matter, Vikt?" Ventress called mockingly. "Going to let your little padawan do all the dirty work for you? How very Jedi of you."
"Well… don't complain later that there were two of us."
Ahsoka heard the familiar snap-hiss of her master's blade igniting and allowed herself to savor the fleeting change in the Dathomirian's expression.
"We'll see about that." Ventress let Ahsoka come closer—then abruptly began spinning her lightsaber like a staff, a vicious blur of crimson. She was clearly trying to knock the weapon from Ahsoka's grasp. "Nothing personal."
Ahsoka, take the left.
Yes, Master.
Ahsoka made a graceful lunge, then trap the woman's blade with her shoto. At least, she tried. Of course, Ventress read her intent and sprang back swiftly, avoiding the strike of the main blade aimed at her legs. Ahsoka rolled back to her feet and darted to circle her opponent, aiming to strike from behind. But Asajj slipped aside with practiced grace, keeping the Togruta at bay—only to find herself met head-on by the man.
Their blades crashed together, and the Dathomirian was driven back—the sheer force of the master's strike was… overwhelming. Hissing like a furious nuna, Ventress lunged at the Jedi, seeking to cut him down—and in doing so, exposed her back. The Togruta struck at once…
Behind them, the sounds of battle erupted: blaster rifles cracking in sharp bursts, the frantic howl of rotary blaster cannons, and the thunder of detonating rockets…
***
They had been fighting for forty-five seconds already, and from experience Ventress knew that duels like this rarely lasted long. Her patience began to fray.
In that short span, she had thoroughly studied all of her opponents' techniques. The girl alternated swift strikes with feints, darting across the courtyard from end to end as though trying to exhaust her enemy before delivering a single crushing blow. In short, the little wretch fought like every Togruta she'd ever faced. Vikt, on the other hand… The bastard fought as he always did, standing immovable at the center of the courtyard, calmly thwarting her every attempt to force him back.
But the color of his blade… Asajj had never seen such a hue among the Jedi. The orange blade drew the eye irresistibly. No time for that. By now, the ambush unit had surely begun its operation. All she needed was the right moment—once the battle droids finished off the clones, the Jedi's fate would be sealed.
Seizing her moment, Ventress hurled the girl aside with a telekinetic shove. Splitting her saberstaff back into two blades, she launched herself at the Jedi in a furious assault—only to spring away the very next instant. The Jedi now held two blades. Hutt. And then his padawan was upon her again, striking from behind with renewed ferocity. The Hutt's bastard had trained the little wretch well. All the better—it would make killing her that much more satisfying. Ventress let the girl draw closer, neither dodging aside nor pursuing. At last, her patience frayed. Straightening, she lowered her blade. Now she would lure the young Togruta into a deadly trap…
But instead, the girl made a tremendous leap and landed beside her master—who stood beneath the archway leading to the landing platform.
"Sorry, Asajj. You're fun company, but we have to go. Duty calls," the Jedi said cheerfully.
In the same heartbeat, Asajj felt a powerful Force push—both Jedi shoved her toward the monastery gates at once. Curling midair, the Dathomirian landed hard on her knees. She glanced up and threw an arm over her face as a fierce blaze erupted ahead. A rolling wave of dust swallowed everything in its wake…
Several dozen seconds later, when the cloud finally began to settle, the Dathomirian sprinted forward. Her instincts told her the Jedi were retreating. Reaching the gates—now nothing more than a heap of shattered stone—she could only watch in impotent fury as shuttles and gunships receded into the distance.
Far below, three downed landing barges smoldered heavily—one deep in the jungle, two almost at the base of the cliff. On the platform itself lay the burned-out hulks of two Republic repulsor tanks. Their missile pods were empty.
Ventress activated her comlink.
"Master. I have failed. Jabba's son is in their hands…"
"That is unfortunate news. But the Jedi have not yet reached Tatooine."
"Permit me to—"
"No. Someone else will handle this matter. You, however, will proceed to Saleucami."
"As you command, Master."
***
Lichtendahl clenched his fists in frustration. The damned Separatist frigate had managed to break into the atmosphere after all, and now landing barges were peeling away from its hull. Overhead, the Resolute was descending upon the Munificent, and the fate of the last of the four CIS vessels was sealed—but the barges, shielded by Vulture droids, would almost certainly reach the monastery…
"Sir, one of the transports has been shot down by fire from the Persuasive… The ship has engaged the frigate… Multiple missile launches detected… Sir, both barges have been destroyed by surface fire."
"Ceкri, the ground forces are requesting evacuation!"
"Dispatch the shuttles and gunships!" O'Connor ordered.
The Atoan exhaled in relief.
Soon, General Vikt's voice echoed across the bridge:
"Excellent work, Cerri. Prepare to receive us aboard. The moment we arrive, be ready to jump immediately. Set course for Tatooine. Did you transmit the reports to Coruscant?"
"No, sir. The enemy jammed our signal," Mirro reported.
"Then belay that. I'll contact command myself. After that, we're leaving the system."
***
Most of the member of the Jedi Council had departed the Temple for various sectors of the galaxy, so Shaak Ti remained behind. She was meditating in the Council Tower when the comm system chimed, signaling an urgent transmission.
With a graceful wave of her hand, the Togruta activated the projector and allowed herself a faint smile—on the line was none other than Knight Vikt.
"Knight Vikt…"
"Greetings, Master Ti. We have little time, so I'll be brief. Jabba's son is with us—alive and unharmed. We are en route to Tatooine."
"That is excellent news…"
"Master Shaak Ti, I must relay important information regarding this matter."
"I am listening."
"It is imperative that Ziro Desilijic Tiure be located and arrested as soon as possible. He is a Hutt."
The Togruta looked puzzled.
"But he is—"
"Yes. Jabba's uncle. He was involved in Rotta's kidnapping, though he acted under pressure from Count Dooku. He must be apprehended and interrogated."
"I… will attend to this at once."
***
No sooner had they come aboard than Ahsoka firmly relieved the medic of Rotta and marched with him toward the command center.
"Oh, you're such a little thing… but heavy," the girl declared, setting the backpack containing the Huttlet atop a crate. "Master, may I look after him?"
"Of course. Just don't forget to rest. The little guy's about to pass out himself," I said, nodding toward the yawning Hutt.
"What, could something happen?" Blam asked.
"Well… nothing like Teth, probably—but a small scuffle wouldn't surprise me. So…"
"How many men should I prep?"
I ran the numbers in my head.
"I think one Kappa-class shuttle, two platoons with a pair of walkers. That should do it. Plus two ARC-170s for escort."
"It'll be done, General."
"Good. And how long until we arrive?"
"Fifteen hours and eight minutes, General," Sumeragi replied.
"Oh? That long. In that case… I'm turning in. You have the bridge, Cerri."
"Yes, sir!"