Archie Ilaiah's Star Wars Quests: Book I: Vengeful Entity

Chapter 8: The Phantom Apprentice [Part 3]

Jedi Knight Archie Ilaiah

When we return to the undercity, dead clones are scattered. A surviving clone explains that they were ambushed and I notice a wounded clone.

"Rex," I say. "Fortify A-Deck."

He nods and I walk quickly to the wounded clone. "Trooper—John, is it?

"Yeah," He grunts. I grasp his hand and Bo-Katan comes over to aid him with bandages.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Maul took us all out. One by one. He took interest... in one of us because he's older."

"Who?" Ahsoka leans forward.

"Jesse," he grunts. "He took Jesse alive."

"As in Lieutenant Jesse..."

We look at Bo-Katan and she nods. "Let's get this clone to the med-bay and go question Almec."

---

"I'm flattered you came to see me." The old man jokes from his cell, but I'm not in the mood. I don't have time for jokes. I've got places to go, people to see, a lover to hold, and more.

"My home is under attack by itself and you only care about making jokes?" I clench my fists. "You're gonna answer the questions or you're done, Almec."

"What's Maul's escape plan?" Bo-Katan presses.

"He isn't trying to escape because he sees no point in doing so." He rolls his eyes.

"Does he believe he can defeat us?"

"He's been filled with some sort of dread for the past few weeks."

"Did he mention The First Brother?" Korkie asks. I try my best not to shiver.

"Yes..." Fierfek. So Maul is in on this.

He hired his siblings to come after me.

"Did he mention Darth Sidious?" Ahsoka asks.

"Not that I can recall. Although, he did say something about his former Master suffering a tragic death fairly recently."

"Why did he want General Kenobi on Mandalore?"

"He wanted him to bring someone else."

"Who?"

He turns around with a cocky smile on his face. "Oh, if only there was some way I could remember..."

This man is making this really difficult.

I want to go home.

What's the point of asking him anything?

Shouldn't we have known he'd be like this?

What if we're asking the wrong questions?

And what if this whole siege turns out to be a trap Maul made to distract me from the Clone Wars?

Didn't Razer say something about that in the beginning of my fall?

A distraction. The Clone War was a distraction?

War is old men talking and young men dying. Don't think otherwise. This whole Clone War is worthless. Everyone was almost revealed to be a true tool of Palpatine's until your little Chosen One killed him.

But why draw something out for so long? Why use Dooku and Grievous as tools?

"Oh." I act surprised, sharing the same grin. "That's just fine. Hey, Bo. Help him remember."