Separatist-Controlled Space — Orbit Over TethTime: Shortly After the Battle on Christophis
The Separatist frigate glided through the noxious upper orbit of Teth, its crescent-like hull blotting out the dim sunlight like a bird of prey. Below, steep and jagged mountain peaks punched through layers of acrid cloud. There, tucked between sheer cliffs and overgrown ridges, stood an ancient Jedi monastery, now twisted into something darker—something forgotten by time and claimed by war.
Its once-sacred spires were now draped in shadows. Columns that once honored peace now bore scorch marks. In the torchlit gloom of a stone hall, a pair of B2 super battle droids stomped forward, servos whirring, carrying something that squirmed and whimpered—a small bundle wrapped in faded silk, limbs twitching, voice wailing.
The cries of Rotta the Huttlet echoed down the stone corridors like a haunting lullaby.
Waiting at the heart of the chamber stood Asajj Ventress, a phantom carved from the dark—tall, bald, and draped in flowing black that shimmered like oil. Her pale face was a marble mask, lit only by the flickering lights dancing along the walls. Her red eyes narrowed, and she extended a long, gloved hand.
"Place him here," she ordered, voice like velvet across a knife's edge.
The droids obeyed with mechanical precision, setting the transparent pod gently onto the cold stone. Rotta stirred, letting out a soft, pitiful coo, unaware he had become a pawn in a galaxy-spanning war.
Ventress knelt beside the child, fingers trailing coldly over the pod's surface—not with care, but with measured calculation.
"I have brought Jabba's son… to the abandoned monastery," she murmured, then stood slowly, her silhouette tall and predatory against the shadows. She turned from the child, walking toward a flickering holoprojector that sparked to life with a buzz of static.
"He will be safe here."
A blue hologram crackled to full shape—Count Dooku, regal as ever, one hand behind his back, the other resting atop his curved lightsaber hilt. The golden embroidery of his cape shimmered within the interference.
"Good, good," Dooku said, voice soaked in aristocratic amusement. "Everything is going as planned."
Ventress bowed shallowly. "Yes, my lord."
The darkness around them deepened as a second signal bloomed beside Dooku—Darth Sidious, cloaked in abyssal black. His presence felt like gravity tightening, the air itself growing colder. Even Dooku inclined his head.
"Soon the Jedi will not only be at war with you, Count..." The voice slithered through the chamber like smoke.
"...but the Hutt clan as well," Sidious finished.
Rotta whimpered. The shadows grew darker still.
Christophis — Forward Command Post
Dust, ash, and static clung to every breath as Clone Troopers raced to reinforce crumbling barricades. The republic banners, shredded by fire and shrapnel, fluttered weakly in the dry wind.
On a raised platform surrounded by sandbags, Captain Rex stood still as stone, macrobinoculars pressed to his visor.
From behind, Anakin Skywalker, his expression hard beneath his clone armor, climbed the slope with Ahsoka Tano at his side. Jason Shan, calm but vigilant, trailed behind, one hand resting on the hilt of his lightsaber.
Anakin stepped beside Rex. Arms crossed.
"What's the status, Rex?"
Rex didn't even glance back. "Quiet for now, sir. They're gearing up for another assault."
His helmet turned slightly toward Ahsoka.
"Who's the youngling?"
Ahsoka straightened. Her chin lifted. "I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan. The name's Ahsoka Tano."
Rex blinked. Then looked to Anakin. "Sir, I thought you said you'd never have a Padawan."
Anakin exhaled sharply, irritation rising. "There's been a mix-up. The youngling isn't with me."
"Stop calling me that!" Ahsoka snapped. "You're stuck with me, Skyguy."
Anakin turned sharply. "What did you just call me?"
Jason smirked, leaned in toward Rex. "Ten credits says they kill each other before the droids do."
"Don't get snippy with me, little one," Anakin muttered.
"You know, I don't even think you're old enough to be a Padawan."
Ahsoka stood her ground. "Well, maybe I'm not… but Master Yoda thinks I am."
Jason let out a low whistle. "She just played the green card. This is going to be good."
Anakin stepped forward. "Well, you're not with Master Yoda now. So, if you're ready, you better start proving it."
He turned to Rex. "Captain Rex will show you how a little respect can go a long way."
"Right," Ahsoka muttered.
"Come on, youngling," Rex said, already moving toward the defense line.
"Padawan," she corrected, stomping after him.
Jason lingered beside Anakin. "Have you thought about moving that line back, Captain? They'd have better cover that way."
Rex half-turned. "Thanks for the suggestion… but General Skywalker thinks they're fine where they are."
Ahsoka's eyes lit up. "So, if you're a captain and I'm a Jedi… then, technically, I outrank you, right?"
Rex chuckled. "In my book, experience outranks everything."
"Well, if experience outranks everything, I guess I better start getting some."
Jason smirked, clapping a hand to her shoulder. "Congratulations. You're about to get promoted the hard way."
Then came the low whine of energy and the distant rumble of metal. Mist formed around the perimeter.
"What's that?" Ahsoka asked.
Jason's grin vanished. "Not good."
"They've got an energy shield," Rex confirmed grimly, eyes narrowed. "That's gonna make things damn near impossible."
"If you wanted experience, little one… it looks like you're about to get plenty."
Christophis – Command Ridge, Republic Lines
The holographic map flickered above the makeshift war table, ghost-blue terrain glowing with wireframe precision. The advancing Separatist energy shield pulsed steadily, a creeping dome that swallowed the city sector by sector, pushing ever closer to the Republic's heavy cannons.
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood at the center, one hand resting on his hip, the other gesturing to key locations. His expression was tight, lined with fatigue but focused. The lights cast long shadows beneath his eyes.
"The shield generator is somewhere in this area," he said, tapping a sector on the map. "They're slowly increasing the diameter, and keeping it just ahead of their troops."
Jason Shan leaned in, frowning as his gaze swept across the advancing forces. "Heavy cannons are gonna be useless against that."
Obi-Wan nodded grimly. "As they get closer, I suppose we could try to draw them into the buildings. That might level the playing field a bit."
Ahsoka stepped forward. Her voice, sharp with insight, cut through the static. "If that shield's gonna be such a problem, why don't we just take it out?"
Anakin's smirk was subtle, glancing at Obi-Wan as if to say finally. "Well, I, for one, agree with her." He clasped his hands behind his back, tone calm but laced with purpose. "Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key."
Obi-Wan arched a brow, gaze flicking between Anakin and Ahsoka. "Right, then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines... and solve this particular problem together."
"Can do, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka said immediately, her voice steady despite the crackling tension in the air.
Anakin crossed his arms, jaw tightening. "I'll decide what we do."
Obi-Wan leaned in again, pointing toward a narrow alley that cut through the inner buildings. "If Rex, Jason, and I can engage them here... you two might have a chance to get through their lines undetected, here."
Rex, still watching the map, pointed toward the approaching dome. "They will march forward under the protection of their shield... until they are right on top of our cannons. Then they'll blow them away."
Ashoka took a step closer, calculating the timing, the cover, the odds. "We'll figure out a way."
Ahsoka was already adjusting her belt, pulling her lightsaber into her hand. "Come on, Master. Let's go."
Anakin sighed. "If we survive this, Snips, you and I are gonna have a talk."
They disappeared into the smoke-choked rubble, cloaked by the shield's shimmer.
Behind them, Rex turned to Obi-Wan, lowering his helmet for a moment.
"They make quite a pair, don't they, sir?"
Obi-Wan's eyes followed the young Togruta's retreating form. "You think they have a chance?"
"They better," Kenobi said. "If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons... there'll be no escape for any of us."
Planet Teth — Jungle Canyon Region
Far across the galaxy, beneath Teth's green-hazed sky, thick mist coiled through vine-choked cliffs like the breath of some sleeping beast. Perched atop the highest point stood the ancient monastery—its sacred bones now armored in turret nests and droid sentries.
Down below, nestled in the misty undergrowth, a Republic recon patrol watched through their scopes.
A clone commander—face hidden behind a polished visor—spoke softly into his comlink. "What's the status?"
Another trooper pointed toward a faint path winding toward the monastery. "It looks like those bounty hunters went up there."
The commander's voice remained low but resolute. "Contact General Windu. Tell him we found the Hutt."
The call connected. A holofeed shimmered to life, revealing General Mace Windu, arms folded in the Jedi Council chamber.
"Yes, Commander?"
"We've discovered that Jabba the Hutt... has also hired bounty hunters to track down his son... and we followed them to a monastery on planet Teth. We feel it's where Jabba's son is being held..."
Windu's voice cut through with commanding calm. "Commander, stay out of sight and await further orders."
"Will do, General."
The jungle fell silent again. The Huttlet's fate remained veiled behind ancient stone and enemy lines.
Coruscant — Jedi High Council Chamber
Backlit by the glow of Coruscant's shimmering skyline, Master Yoda stood beside Windu, listening as the report ended.
"Unusual, it is," he said, leaning on his cane. "A problem Obi-Wan has, subduing the droid army."
Windu's eyes narrowed. "I'll take care of it. Get me Admiral Wurtz. I need three of his star cruisers."
A nearby Temple Guard bowed and vanished down the corridor.
Yoda turned slowly toward the window. His voice was soft, almost lost to the hum of the Temple's silence.
"Greater than we think, this mystery may be..." he murmured.
Then, firmly: "Go with the fleet to aid Master Kenobi, I will."
Christophis – Separatist Siege Lines
The battlefield roared.
From above, the city burned like a dying star. The shimmering Separatist energy shield advanced steadily, the last Republic cannons glinting in its path.
Below, Anakin and Ahsoka crouched in the belly of a rusted transport crate, sweat and carbon soot on their faces. Droid legs marched inches from their hiding place—tanks rolled like thunder over gravel.
"This is a stupid plan," Ahsoka whispered. "We should fight these guys, instead of just sneaking around."
Anakin tilted his head, watching the shimmering blue arc pass overhead.
"Except for the fact that their deflective energy shield just passed over us."
Ahsoka blinked. Realization dawned. "If you can't cross their lines, let their lines cross you."
He smirked. "If you say so."
They crawled forward—ghostlike—beneath the humming dome, between the thudding boots of droids and the hiss of passing tanks.
Christophis — Behind Enemy Lines
Smoke curled into the sky as Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano slipped through the half-shattered underbelly of the city. Under the humming arc of the Separatist shield, their movements were swift, silent, threading between debris and collapsed buildings. Only the pulse of nearby droid footsteps reminded them how close they were to death.
Ahsoka pulled herself up over a steel beam, whispering with quiet urgency. "I think we made it past all of them, Master. We may pull this off yet."
Anakin crouched beside her, gaze fixed on the flickering horizon. "We still have a ways to go before we get to the generator station."
She turned to the repulsor sled trailing behind them, its metal wheels hissing softly with each bump. "Do we still need this thing?"
Frustration crept into her voice. "I can't take it anymore. I have to stand up."
Anakin turned, voice calm but firm. "Be careful. You never know what you're gonna run into."
She stood anyway—just as a sudden mechanical screech broke the silence. A shadow shifted.
Then—WHAM—the curved shell of a Droideka unfolded before them, spinning into shape, red eyes blinking alive, and its deflector shield snapping into place with a crackling hum.
Ahsoka dropped. Anakin's lightsaber ignited instantly.
"See what I mean?" Anakin muttered.
The Droideka opened fire—blaster bolts slamming into surrounding metal, forcing the two Jedi to split and deflect in a blur of blue and green.
Ahsoka gritted her teeth. "We can't beat its shield!"
"Run!" Anakin shouted.
"What? Jedi don't run!"
"I said, run!"
The two darted through crumbling walls, leaping over beams as the Droideka rolled after them, its shield shimmering as it turned off mid-chase, grinding over the rubble like a hunting beast.
Anakin suddenly pivoted. "I said, stop!"
Ahsoka nearly tripped. "Make up your mind!"
Together, they spun back around, igniting sabers mid-motion. In a flurry of movement, two blades slashed down in unison.
The Droideka clattered apart, sizzling and sparking as it slammed into the ground in chunks of broken plating.
Smoke curled from its remains.
Anakin, panting, surveyed the damage and gave a rare, amused nod.
"Good. You take direction well."
Christophis — Front Line
The ground shook.
Clones scrambled through smoke, pulling fallen brothers to safety. The separatist shield glowed ever closer, now only yards from the Republic's final heavy turbolasers.
Near a shattered troop carrier, Captain Rex dropped to one knee, scanning the approach. Beside him, Jason Shan landed from a high leap, his lightsaber flashing in the light as he blocked incoming fire.
"They're right behind us, sir!" a breathless trooper shouted. "They wiped out most of my unit. We had to pull out of there!"
Behind cover, Obi-Wan Kenobi leaned beside them, gaze sharp as ever.
"The shield has almost reached the heavy cannons," Rex said over the rising thunder of tank fire. "We're not gonna be able to stop them, sir!"
Obi-Wan turned slowly, calculating. "Move your troops back to the heavy cannons. Do everything you can to protect them. I'll delay the droids."
Jason blinked. "Wait, what?"
Obi-Wan didn't answer.
"That is an order, Captain!" he barked, igniting his lightsaber and marching forward into the heart of the battlefield, cloak flapping behind him.
Jason stood frozen a second longer, then muttered under his breath.
"Of course it is."
He turned to Rex. "You heard him. Let's make sure there's something left of those cannons to protect."
As they ran off, Jason slashed another droid across the chest. "Welcome to my first day."
Christophis — Separatist Front Line
Separatist tanks rolled forward, relentless, pounding the street into molten rubble. Droids marched in perfect lines behind the shimmering shield.
Through the burning haze, Obi-Wan Kenobi walked alone.
He didn't run. He didn't draw attention. His saber remained unlit at his belt, his arms loosely at his sides. Calm.
From atop the lead tank, a massive figure stepped down—General Whorm Loathsom, clad in ornate battle armor. The Kerkoiden's bulk made the platform tremble. His mottled skin glistened under the light of flames and plasma, his beady, predatory eyes fixed on the lone Jedi.
A cruel grin broke over his tusked jaw.
"You must be the infamous General Kenobi."
Obi-Wan stopped, hands raised peacefully. "I surrender."
A ripple passed through the droid ranks—confusion, hesitation.
Loathsom narrowed his eyes. "Now, Master Kenobi, order your troops to stand down."
Obi-Wan didn't move. Then, without warning, he gestured with the Force—broken debris rising and reshaping into a table and two stone chairs, smooth and balanced. He smiled pleasantly.
"General, have a seat."
Loathsom growled. "Have you gone mad?"
"I've conceded the battle. Now we simply have to negotiate the terms of surrender."
"Don't try any of your tricks, Jedi."
"Surely there's no reason we can't be civilized about this."
The Kerkoiden huffed, eyes narrowing. Then, surprisingly, he stepped down from the tank and approached the table.
"'Tis a rare honor to be able to meet one's opponent face-to-face. You're a legend throughout the Inner Core."
Obi-Wan gave a slight nod, ever calm. "Thank you."
Loathsom bowed mockingly. "The honor is all mine. I'm so glad you decided to surrender."
Obi-Wan's smile widened slightly. "Well, at some point, one must accept the reality of the situation."
He cleared his throat and gestured casually to a nearby droid.
"Might we have some refreshments?"
Loathsom turned, barking at a nearby unit.
"You! Bring us something liquid."
The droid beeped, clanked off to obey.
Obi-Wan reclined ever so slightly in his seat. "Thank you. This shouldn't take long."
To be continued…