♢ || chapter 42. vanished
Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and I were on another request. Missions are always prompted in our days, I suppose.
We were needed on Kiros due to some conflicts happening there, and it required us to go immediately.
"It's been ten rotations since Master Yoda's transmission," Anakin informed Obi-Wan and I. "I just hope we're not too late."
"Rex, take us down," Obi-Wan commanded.
"Yes sir," he answered.
Once we had landed on Kiros, it was awfully quiet when we arrived at the common field of where people would be outside and about. I knew this planet was different than what I'd expected.
"Anybody else think it's too quiet?" Ahsoka urged as we traveled onward. "I haven't seen any colonists."
"They're probably hiding," Anakin replied to her.
"Let's hope they stay hidden," Obi-Wan added. "It makes our job easier if we don't have to worry about them in battle."
"I don't like it," Rex joined in. "The clankers have never been shy about using civvies as living shields."
"I'm sure they're here somewhere, right Jewel?" Anakin emphasised my name.
"I can't tell really right now... Let's find the center and see from there," I replied with my senses trying to pick up any life forms nearby.
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Once we cleared out the droid bikers when they tried to take us out along with the Separatist droids by the center of Kiros, it felt awfully mysterious to see what was lying ahead on this planet.
My Echo Sense was nearing to a spot as I checked and saw some interesting turn of events behold the bracelet.
There were people here, but they were taken away by the droids I witnessed.
Dooku was probably a part of this since the droids were informing him of this action.
Then, another person was there, but that's when I noticed it was a familiar look.
Zyggerian.
That's when it cut to the little girl holding the bracelet dropping it before she was taken among the others captured.
"Jewel, any intel?" Obi-Wan inquired with my view coming back to him.
"There were Separatists here. Zygerria is involved too," I informed him, brushing over the fact I've dealt with those people before.
His eyes widened with him remembering the brutal acts I endured when I was captured. This was a kind of trade off for his reminders of Qui-Gon and my reminiscence of Zyggeria.
"Let's tell the others," he advised me. "It'll be better to have them know."
I nodded with the both of us heading to the center. The situation was getting resolved for what we could gather intel around here while Ahsoka pulled me aside and questioned my special technique on the Echo Sense.
"So it's basically seeing the past and being able to feel the connection too?" Ahsoka asked.
"Pretty much. It's quite handy if there's anything we need to get," I told her.
"Cool."
Ahsoka seemed surprised by the special trick I had with Obi-Wan coming over to provide the intel we had so far.
"Any word from Darts D'Nar?" I requested to Obi.
His face changed heavily from investigated to confused. Confused at the name I had just spoke.
"Uh... who is that again?" Ahsoka charged in on the name.
"The Separatist commander in there."
I pointed to the building behind Cody as he came nearby plausibly about to notify on who was still here. My senses did get better ever since the Mortis encounterment back a while, and with the spare time I've had, I maintained to continue learning on identifying more and more tactics. Obi-Wan did try and take me away from these studies to enjoy us time, which I never turned down since he always sassed on what was more important.
"Cody, any word from the Separatist commander?" Obi-Wan turned slowly over to him.
"He's barricaded inside," Cody replied. "His name is Darts D'Nar."
Everyone around looked at me with my grin showing. Not a smug way to show off, but rather what Master Windu hinted for me to learn, and I finally managed to.
"I learned this back at the Temple," I assured them. "It's another mysterious work of the Force."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes in amusement as Cody informed us that he wanted me to meet him. Specifically me.
"Master Kell, come to the tower," Darts D'Nar spoke through the hologram Cody pulled up. "We will negotiate terms for surrender."
"Well, that was easy," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath.
Anakin then pulled the hologram with the Force as he seemed angry by this. The look on his face bothered everyone with how quick he did his movement.
"Zyggerian scum," Anakin spoke with hate. "I'll handle that slaver."
"Anakin, he asked for Jewel," Obi-Wan reported while walking over to him. "I need you to locate the missing Togruta colonists."
Anakin seemed bothered by it, but he agreed.
"Fine. I'll have Admiral Yularen initiate a planetary bio-scan," Anakin complied.
He walked away with R2 concerned for him. Ahsoka had been questioning what made Anakin so mad about the Zyggerian people.
"There's a lot to it, Ahsoka," I recounted. "I've managed to deal with Zyggerians before. We've both dealt with their kind."
"Anakin has never talked about his past, has he?" Obi-Wan inquired Ahsoka.
"Only to tell me he won't talk about it," Ahsoka answered.
"Well... Anakin and his mother were sold in slavery by the Hutt clans," I started.
"Oh... only these Zyggerian, they're slavers."
"Anakin's bothered to leave the past behind. I imagine you've seen this transpire more than once."
"Yeah... Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him," Ahsoka assured Obi-Wan and I.
"Yes. Make sure you do," Obi-Wan told her before I began to travel to the building. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm obviously following what D'Nar wants me to do," I called to him. "I'll go and visit him, deal with his terms, and get this situation back on our hand."
"Not without me, you aren't," he sassed before catching up to me.
"Oh, Obi-Wan, such a protective partner, aren't you?"
"I will forever be a protective partner."
We both shared a happy look while we continued on to deal with these matters.
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My senses were rising as I can tell D'Nar was close by to the elevator entryway. There were other droids too with him. Not a surprise.
"Want to start your remarks this time or shall I?" I advised Obi.
"Remarks? You mean clever introductions," he stated.
"Yes, like you always do."
He stroked his beard before agreeing. Last time I did it, he had to speak his part before the droids were alerted and started blasting at us.
Once the both of us arrived on the top of the building, we both looked ahead and saw D'Nar awaiting us.
"Do tell," he said with a smirk at the man.
Droids were in front of us with our hands placed up for surrender.
Obi and I both realized D'Nar was in another conversation with Dooku and another fellow Zyggerian.
"Gentlemen, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi and Juliana Kell, Jedi Knights," Count Dooku introduced.
"It's actually Jedi Master now," I fixed his statement. "Did get the ranks up for a reason."
He turned and told D'Nar, sitting in the chair by the big window, to bring us to him on our knees.
Obi-Wan and I walked towards D'Nar as we still had our hands up.
"We were going to discuss surrender?" Obi-Wan reminded on what D'Nar wanted.
"Yes," D'Nar uttered. "You two will surrender."
"We obviously have a misunderstanding, my friend."
I noticed Obi-Wan click his comlink on to have the others hear the conversation.
"No, you are wrong, Jedi," D'Nar doubted Obi.
"Am I? You're no doubt aware your droid forces have been destroyed. Do the honorable thing and give up now, D'Nar. I promise you will receive fair treatment."
"You've broken through my defenses. You've think you've won. Think again. I've planted bombs all over the city. No one will survive. Now, surrender."
"We will not," I spoke this time.
D'Nar looked at me as I continued on. His anger seeped in him by how he was doubting my blurt in.
"If you're not bluffing, then we'll have to take action. You tell us exactly where the colonists are," I continued.
"Here's my counteroffer," D'Nar pronounced.
He then clicked a button, setting an explosion off with smoke coming from outside. Obi and I looked to see one of the buildings was destroyed.
"There were no colonists in that structure, but there could've been," D'Nar stated. "Now, bow down and surrender to me, you Jedi filth."
Obi-Wan and I looked at each other as we figure this might be a while.
"Let's just buy us some time as Anakin and Ahsoka disarm those bombs," I spoke to Obi in thought.
"Seems unfair," he replied.
"They have the fun and we deal with this? Oh, of course, love."
"Let's get this over with."
We walked to the table and put our lightsabers there, "surrendering".
"Very well," Obi-Wan told D'Nar. "We yield."
D'Nar seemed pleased, but he continued on talking. He seemed too confident right now, and this would definitely get an upbringing for him to get distracted.
"Long before this war, you Jedi destroyed the great Zyggerian Slave Empire," he began. "I would kill you two now, but Dooku would prefer you alive."
"We understand your misfortune," I recognized. "It's unbalanced to seek to settle our differences as how you would in your tradition."
The bird in D'Nar's arms flew as he laughed, walking over to me and not Obi-Wan.
"You would fight me with open arms?" he aske, his face nearly touching me.
"For good reason," Obi-Wan butted in, standing in front of me.
At least I had a bodyguard too.
"Let's say if we win, you reveal the location of the colonists and the bombs," I peeked over Obi.
D'Nar smiled as he then put his offer up.
"And if I win, I'll deliver you two to Dooku in a cage, like one of these filthy creatures," he pointed out.
Obi-Wan turned to me, knowing this would buy some time for Ani and Ahsoka to help out while we distracted D'Nar.
We both agreed to terms.
That's when D'Nar grabbed Obi and head butted him, pushing Obi out of the way to swing at me.
I dodged the hit and kicked him to the ground. My Force energy pushed D'Nar away from us with Obi standing up from the low blow the Zyggerian man placed on him.
"Come on, let us settle this," I helped Obi.
He smiled at me before adding, "You're such a demanding, gorgeous woman."
"I hardly ever demand," I replied in thought.
"You demand on being the prettier one."
"Tell that to how you look, kind sir."