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A blaster bolt fires above her head and Ventress sighs as she runs from the clones chasing her. What a Bounty Hunter she is. She is supposed to be the best, and she was supposed to not get caught. She was caught just as she took out her target and now a Jedi and their battalion are chasing her.
Ventress runs into the rocky part of the planet, filled with huge boulders, caves, and rocky hills.
“Split up, if any of you find her, call for backup immediately, you can’t take her alone.” A clone says.
“Yes, Commander.” They all say and rush off. Ventress sighs in relief as she hides in a crack in the huge walls surrounding the rocky area. A lightsaber ignites and Ventress shakes her head.
“Hello, Kenobi,” Ventress states as she squeezes herself out of the crack. She sees Kenobi and his blazing blue saber.
“Ventress.” Kenobi greets.
“What? Don’t feel like flirting today? Did being dead knock that out of you?” Ventress asks and Kenobi flinches at the mention of his recent mission, Ventress notices this and frowns. Kenobi gets into his Soresu position. “Alright.” She ignites her sabers and gets into her stance. She studies Kenobi closely and looks at him confused, it looks as if he hasn’t slept at all these past days, there are bags under his eyes, his eyes red, exhausted. His hair is disheveled, and even his Soresu position is a bit sloppy. What was going on?
They start fighting, and as usual, Ventress is the aggressor, and Kenobi blocks each strike. But this duel is different, his blocks have less strength in them like he is not even trying.
“Fight, Kenobi!” Ventress snarls and Kenobi ignores her. What in the Force was happening? Was the war finally breaking the Negotiator? Was the last mission to much for him?
Without intending to, she strikes his shoulder and Kenobi doesn’t even hiss, he just keeps fighting her, like his body is on automatic, like he doesn’t even care he’s hurt.
“What is wrong with you?” Ventress mutters as she strikes him and he blocks. She burns his leg and once again he doesn’t even falter in his blocks.
“I can’t believe this,” Ventress mutters as she makes up her mind. She holds her saber against his, and she can tell he is straining to uphold her attack. She turns her other saber off and hooks it to her belt. Ventress lifts that hand to Kenobi’s head as he looks at her in confusion.
“Sleep,” Ventress states, sending him a Force suggestion. Giving her one more look of confusion, Kenobi falls unconscious and Ventress gently lays him on the floor. “What am I doing,” Ventress asks herself.
Why did she do that? What is she going to do now? She just can’t leave Kenobi here, his clones are clearly not taking care of him, and his Jedi clearly don’t care that something is wrong with him. Maybe she could drop him off at the Duchess’s place.
She shakes her head and grabs his comm, looking through his call history, she might know what’s going on but she has to make sure.
8 Unanswered calls to Anakin Skywalker.
5 Unanswered calls to Ahsoka Tano.
6 Unanswered calls to Satine Kryze.
3 Unanswered calls to Bail Organa.
4 Unanswered calls to Quinlan Vos.
“Well, I guess the Duchess is out of the picture,” Ventress mutters. “I didn’t even know you were friends with Senator Organa,” Ventress says, looking at the sleeping form of Kenobi. Even in his sleep, he looks so… wrong. She looks back at the comm and feels a bit… tiny bit... of guilt as she looks through the messages. She presses the recent one from Skywalker and listens.
“I told you to stop calling me, Master Kenobi.” She hears the harshness in Skywalker’s voice. “I do not want to speak to someone who clearly doesn’t trust me. And stop calling Ahsoka. I don’t want her speaking to you. She held your dead body and it was all fake. Do you know how much that messes someone up?” Ventress winces at that, remembering her own Padawanship and having to hold her own Master as he died.
“Master Qui-Gon would have never done what you did. He would actually care about our feelings.” Skywalker pauses. Ventress looks at the message and sees that it is read, meaning Kenobi had already listened to it. “I wish he would have been my Master instead, he wouldn’t have hurt me or my Padawan, he would care.” Ventress frowns at the comm. Skywalker was just saying this to hurt Kenobi now. And Skywalker is truly idiotic if he doesn’t think Kenobi doesn’t care about him or Tano. Force, he even cares deeply about the clones.
“Don’t call again. Don’t call Ahsoka again.” Skywalker hangs up and Ventress sighs. She looks at the message box and sees one that is unread from the Chancellor. Hm, this should be interesting.
“Hello, Master Kenobi.” He sounds creepy, Ventress decides. “I am calling to thank you for saving my life. And thank you for cooperating with the mission.” What in the Force did he mean by cooperating? Ventress wonders. “I am glad you decided to agree with the mission and stop things from going south for the Jedi.” Ventress’s eyes widen. Did the Chancellor make Obi-Wan do the mission? It would make sense. The Chancellor has always been suspicious to her. “I look forward to meeting with you again. The Republic is grateful to have you, Master Kenobi.” The Chancellor hangs up and just the way he says Master Kenobi sounds wrong. Horribly wrong.
“Well, what am I going to do now,” Ventress mutters, looking at the sleeping form of Kenobi once again. She shrugs her shoulders and delete’s the message from the Chancellor. Kenobi could use one less horrible message.
“Are going to kill me now? Or trade me for credits?” A raspy voice says, she looks up to see Kenobi awake.
“You must think very low of me,” Ventress states. “You know, it is no fun fighting an injured opponent.”
“You have my apologies then.” Kenobi rolls his eyes, he sits up, and takes a deep breath as he puts pressure on his shoulder. “What are you doing with my comm?”
“I thought I’d call you a cab and bring you to your place. But surprisingly, there are no cabs here.” Ventress sarcastically states.
“Why did you make me sleep?” Kenobi asks and Ventress mutters “so many questions.”
“I may be a former Sith and a Bounty Hunter, Kenobi, but I do have a conscience,” Ventress replies. “Now may I ask the questions?” Ventress asks and Kenobi motions for her to go ahead. “Did the Chancellor for you to fake your death?” Kenobi flinches.
“Why do you want to know that?” Kenobi whispers.
“Did he?” Ventress asks.
“Yes, if you must know, he did.” Kenobi sighs. “I can’t believe this,” Kenobi mutters, probably talking about this whole situation. You and me both, Ventress thinks.
“That’s all I wanted to know,” Ventress states and walks towards Kenobi. She holds out a hand and Kenobi hesitantly grabs it. He gets up with her help, his body weak but no sleep could do that to someone.
“So, what is your plan now?” Kenobi asks and Ventress shrugs.
“My ship is not far from here. We can take my ship and go to my place.” Ventress states and Kenobi looks at her confused.
“Why should I go with you? I still have my saber, I could capture you or leave at any time.” Kenobi states and Ventress sighs.
“Do you sense any ill feelings towards you from me? I am trying to help you.” Ventress admits and Kenobi raises his brow.
“Why are you helping me?” Kenobi asks, confused. Oh Force, does he have a thick skull.
“Because you, whether I’d like to admit it or not, actually helped me when I was your enemy. So now I am repaying you.” Ventress states and for the first time since meeting him that day, he smiles a little.
“I’m glad I was of service,” Kenobi states, and Ventress huffs. “Won’t the Republic think you kidnapped me though?”
“They can live without you for a few days or weeks,” Ventress states. “You do know you are a human right? Not a droid. You do have limits and it seems you like to test them.”
“Ha, a lot of people tell me that. I just never bother to listen.” Kenobi huffs and Ventress looks at him in amusement.
“Well, perhaps you should start listening. It might do your health well.” Ventress states.
“Maybe,” Kenobi mutters.
“You will have plenty of time to think that over, however,” Ventress states, and Kenobi once again raises his brow.
“How do you mean?”
“Did you think we were going to just spend our time sitting? We’re going to investigate this war.” Ventress states and Kenobi motions for her to keep going. “I have a hunch on who the main Sith is. I heard his voice but it belonged to a certain Chancellor.” Kenobi doesn’t look that much shocked by the news. “You had a hunch too, didn’t you?”
“Well, not a hunch. More of a bad feeling about him.” Kenobi replies.
“You and your bad feelings.” Ventress teases and Kenobi snorts. They arrive at the ship and go in. Ventress sets the coordinates, and the ship takes off.
Kenobi comes into the cockpit with a bottle of Jawa Juice. “I didn’t know you went to Dex’s.”
“His Diner is not the only place that serves Jawa Juice I’ll have you know.” Ventress counters. Kenobi pours Ventress and himself a glass and then passes Ventress her glass.
“A toast?” Kenobi asks, and Ventress snorts.
“Ever the dramatic one.” Ventress laughs.
“You know me so well,” Kenobi responds and Ventress huffs.
“To taking down Sidious.” Ventress raises her glass and Kenobi smirks.
“To taking down Sidious.”