Teth — Separatist Forward Infiltration TeamMain Vault Entrance, Interior Gate
Super battle droids stood shoulder to shoulder, their arms raised, blaster cannons humming. Sparks burst from the door's control panel as a cutting torch drilled through the vault's final lock. Smoke hissed. The red-hot blade hissed into metal.
Two droids argued at the control feed.
"The red one?"
"No."
"The blue one?"
"No, not that one."
A spark caught, and the lock released with a click.
"That'll work."
BOOM.The door blasted inward.
"They've cut the lock!"
"Here they come!" shouted a clone.
Blaster fire erupted. A line of clones held formation, shoulder to shoulder behind overturned crates and rubble.
"Hold the line!"
Another explosion. More droids spilled in.
"Second wave! Second wave!"
A clone took a hit and spun backward. "Watch your left!"
Teth — Rear Wing Corridor, Lower Monastery LevelsElsewhere in the Temple
Far from the main battle, Jason Shan, Anakin, and Ahsoka raced through a forgotten corridor, carved from stone and soot-blackened by years of neglect. R2-D2 rolled ahead of them, scanning doors as they passed. Rotta, bundled tight, bounced on Ahsoka's back.
A distant explosion shook the walls.
Jason muttered, "That sounded bad."
Anakin pushed open a warped side door. Light spilled through—a narrow, exposed landing platform framed in iron and jungle vines.
"A backdoor landing platform!" Anakin said. "We'll call for a gunship when we get there."
"Lead the way, R2."
The droid chirped and zoomed ahead.
Anakin paused as Ahsoka suddenly gasped and looked behind her. "Ahsoka, wait. Where's Stinky?"
Her eyes went wide. "You told me to put him down!"
"Find him!"
They turned, frantically checking crates and behind fallen columns.
Jason spotted movement. "Come outta there, you grubby little slug."
he scooped Rotta up, who let out a weak cough, handing him to Ahsoka where he nestled against her.
Teth — Separatist Command Point, Inner Sanctuary
Asajj Ventress watched the battle unfold on a tactical display. Clones were falling. The vault was nearly theirs. Behind her, a group of B1 droids waited nervously.
She turned, voice like a blade. "Take care of what's left of the clones.I'll go after Skywalker."
"Roger, roger."
She swept from the command post, cloak trailing like smoke.
"Seal the main gate and all portals. Let nothing escape this castle."
"Yes, Mistress."
Teth — Vault Chamber, Rex's Interrogation
A captured Rex knelt before Ventress. His helmet had been torn off, blood running from a gash above his eye.
Ventress knelt beside him, whispering.
"Where is Skywalker?"
He sneered. "I don't talk to Separatist scum."
Her eyes narrowed.
She waved a hand before his face, her voice turning smooth and cold.
"You will contact Skywalker now."
His body tensed, eyes fluttering.
"I will contact Skywalker now."
Teth — Rear Landing Platform
Anakin tapped his comlink as the static cleared and a voice cut through.
"Let's see you get away this time."
Then—crackling across the channel:
"Anakin, come in."
He slowed. "'Anakin'?" His eyes narrowed.
Jason looked at him. "That's not Rex."
A pause. A distorted voice followed.
"We've held the droids, sir."
Anakin froze. "That's not like Rex."
Jason drew his lightsaber.
"What is your location?" Rex asked
Anakin, his tone sharp now.
"Ventress."
Jason's grip tightened. "Dooku's assassin?"
Anakin nodded grimly. "She's here to kill the Hutt. Come on."
Teth — Separatist Command Link
A B1 droid stumbled into the chamber, out of breath and clearly nervous.
"Mistress, I must inform you that Republic reinforcements have arrived."
Ventress's eyes flared with frustration.
"We must hurry."
"Roger, roger."
Teth — Rear Landing Platform, Monastery Cliffside
The jungle wind howled across the exposed platform. Vines whipped in the gusts, and scorched durasteel groaned under the heat of nearby explosions. The sun—once bright above—was now blurred behind gray clouds and smoke from the battlefield.
Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Jason Shan emerged from the monastery's interior, crossing the unstable ground toward the edge of the cliff. Behind them, R2-D2 beeped urgently, sensors spinning as he scanned the horizon. Rotta, bundled tightly, whimpered softly in Ahsoka's arms.
Anakin pulled out his comlink, pressing it tight to his mouth as wind lashed around them.
"Skywalker to Obi-Wan.Mark my position.I need a medical ship immediately.Do you copy?"
Static.
Jason turned, his expression tight. "Signal's weak—barely anything coming through."
Anakin tried again, pacing toward the platform's edge, comlink raised.
"Anakin, do you read me?" came the faint, distant voice of Obi-Wan… then silence again.
Ahsoka pulled her hood down tighter around Rotta. "I can't get ahold of Obi-Wan."
Jason pulled out his own transmitter and switched channels.
"I'll see if I can find Captain Rex.Come in, Rex. Do you copy?"
Teth — Upper Atmosphere, Above the Monastery
The sky above the ancient fortress had become a storm of engines and fire.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's starfighter twisted through the air, its twin cannons blazing as he banked hard to avoid incoming vulture droid fire. The shields flared. One of his wingmen spun out in a plume of flame.
Below, the monastery was nearly buried in plumes of black smoke.
Obi-Wan's voice came through clipped and urgent, speaking into his comm as his ship spiraled toward another attack run.
"Anakin. Come in!They're jamming our transmissions."
He gritted his teeth as a pair of vulture droids fell in behind him, lasers slicing past his cockpit.
"I hope Anakin is having an easier time than we are."
He banked again, locking onto the incoming fighters.
Teth — Monastery Courtyard, Ruined Entry Hall
Ash drifted in the air like snow.
Captain Rex knelt, bruised and helmetless, flanked by two battered clone troopers. Their hands were bound, their weapons long confiscated. Around them, battle droids circled with blasters raised. A super battle droid stepped forward, arm-cannon humming, preparing to execute the remaining resistance.
Rex narrowed his eyes, refusing to flinch.
And then—a beep.
A soft, high-pitched tone from his comlink echoed through the ruined chamber.
"Did you hear that?" one B1 droid asked.
The super droid turned its head. "It came from the prisoners."
The droid leaned closer, curious.
With a sudden twist, Rex sprang into motion. "Let me show you how it works, clanker."
His foot swept the blaster from the closest droid's grip. He rolled into cover as one of his men tackled another droid. Blaster fire erupted—short, chaotic, point-blank.
Rex dove behind a scorched support pillar, snatched up a rifle, and clicked the comm switch on his wrist.
"Do you copy?Captain Rex, respond."
He ducked low as a bolt sizzled overhead.
"I read you, General.We're pinned down in the courtyard."
Teth — Rear Landing Platform
Anakin's comlink crackled with life. He pressed it close.
"Do you need help?"
The sound of blaster fire and shouting filtered faintly through.
Anakin smirked. "I'll take that as a yes, Captain.Stand by, we're on our way.Skywalker, out."
He turned to Ahsoka just as she cradled Rotta, whose skin had turned an alarming shade of pale greenish-gray.
"Master, Stinky is really sick.He's turning every shade of greenexcept the one he's supposed to be!"
Anakin's jaw clenched. "Our mission was to get him back to Tatooine alive."
Jason nodded grimly. "Obi-Wan will get here eventually. Right now, we need Rex to help us find a ship."
Suddenly, a shrill whine echoed through the corridor behind them. Droidekas.
Three of the rolling destroyer droids unfurled from spheres, their shields flaring to life as they advanced, blasters charging.
Jason drew his lightsaber. "Great. Rolling death balls."
"R2, the door!" Anakin barked.
R2 whirled forward and plugged into the side panel as sparks flew.
"I think now's a good time for a retreat." Ahsoka said, stepping back with Rotta in her arms.
Jason snorted. "'Retreat'? That's a new word for you."
They turned to the exit—just in time to see the door creak open to a narrow path of vines, roots, and towering jungle.
"Maybe into the jungle." Ahsoka offered.
Jason peered into the underbrush. "Wait, I remember the jungle was a bad place."
A massive roar echoed through the trees.
Anakin grimaced. "So much for going that way."
Teth — Rear Landing Platform, Edge of the Monastery Cliff
The droidekas advanced, their shields shimmering in the mist as they rolled through the crumbling archway. Blaster cannons charged with a high-pitched whine.
"Looks like we're out of options," Jason muttered, stepping in front of Ahsoka and Rotta.
Behind them, the wind kicked up. R2-D2 beeped anxiously, sparks flying from the terminal.
"No, not now, Stinky," Ahsoka said through gritted teeth as the Huttlet squirmed in her arms.
"Master! Another landing platform!" she shouted suddenly, eyes catching movement across the gorge.
Jason followed her gaze — a platform across the gap, hidden by vines and half-suspended on the cliff wall. At its center: a small ship, powered down, but intact.
"With a ship on it!"
"Nice work, Stinky." Jason grinned.
Anakin stepped to the edge of the platform, scanning the distance.
"So, how are we gonna get over there?" Ahsoka asked.
Anakin narrowed his eyes as something massive swept through the fog — a huge, dragonfly-like insect, its wings slicing the air with a thunderous hum as it buzzed just below the platform.
He smiled faintly.
"Leave that to me."
Then, without hesitation, he leapt from the platform, saber in hand, landing with precision on the back of the dragonfly-beast. It let out a screech but leveled off beneath him as Anakin guided it toward the distant landing platform.
Ahsoka blinked. "I hope I don't have to learn that."
Teth — Monastery Rear Exit
Suddenly, the wall behind them exploded inward in a rain of sparks and stone. A red lightsaber sliced through the rubble, cutting the door apart in one smooth stroke.
Asajj Ventress stepped into the light, her twin sabers igniting with a snap-hiss.
Her eyes locked on Jason and Ahsoka.
"Where is Skywalker?"
Jason stepped forward, blade igniting with a flare. "You'll have to get through us first."
"Right here, Ventress!" Anakin's voice called from above, as he swept low overhead on the back of the giant dragonfly. Blaster bolts rained up at him from the cliff below.
"Time to go."
He hovered beside the platform, reaching out a hand.
"Hop on, Snips."
Ahsoka launched herself onto the insect's back with Rotta in hand. "Like I have a choice!"
Jason backed toward the edge, blade in guard. Ventress lunged.
Their sabers clashed in midair, red against purple in a flurry of light and motion. Jason ducked under a low swipe, spinning with surgical precision, but Ventress was faster than she looked—relentless, elegant, and brutal.
Ahsoka, still holding Rotta, twisted around, passing him to Anakin, Jason used the force to push Ventress back enough to give him room to hop on his own giant dragonfly.
Teth — Separatist Command Channel
High above, a Separatist comm droid stepped cautiously toward Ventress, still standing near the cliff's edge, sabers humming low in her hands as she watched the Jedi escape on their winged mount.
"Count Dooku demands a report on your mission."
Ventress didn't turn.
"Should I tell him they got away or what?"
She exhaled slowly, watching the shrinking shape in the sky. Then she snarled and raised her hand. With a surge of the Force, she ripped the battle droid off the ground and hurled it off the cliff.
"Why?"