sparky // a padawan story

chapter 43. revival.

Obi-Wan, Master Gallia, and I fly through hyperspace. I sit behind them in the passenger's seat. Obi-Wan looks troubled.
"What's wrong, Master?" I ask through the Force.
"It's nothing, little one, don't worry. I just have a suspicion about who this was, is all."
"Who do you think?"
He ignores my question as the ship exits hyperspace in front of some sort of freighter. "The distress signal is coming from here, the Meridian sector, Cybloc system," he tells us.
"It is close enough to the earlier attack," Master Gallia states.
"I have a feeling it's them," Obi-Wan says.
"Wait, you think it's them?" I question. "And why couldn't you just say that when I asked?"
"I figured you'd figure it out easily enough," he answers. We land on the freighter, and someone greets us and begins to show us around. I don't pay much attention to what he says, as I find myself lost in thought. Is Obi-Wan right? Is it really them? Are they still out to kill Obi-Wan, and maybe me along with him? I can't say I'm scared to die, because at this point, I'm really not... but Obi-Wan dying... I can't go through that again.
I snap back into the present. "They ought to be flush, the freighter guy says. "Chips were all unlocked. No way to trace 'em. All done by the two crabbiest Zabraks this side of the Hydian."
"They were alone?" Obi-Wan questions.
"Yup, yup. What were they, a couple of Jedi gone rogue or something?" The three of us share a look.
"They're not Jedi," Obi-Wan tells him.
"Do me a favor, spark up that lightsaber, would you?" Obi-Wan obliges and ignites his blue saber. "Mhm. Well, the droids that got attacked said that theirs were red."
Obi-Wan turns off his saber and puts it on his belt. "They are Sith, and we need to find them, before they strike again."
"Well, they took my cargo ship. The droid survivor said they heard something about the Sertar sector." The Sertar sector... I know whole lives near there. And so does Obi-Wan. He begins to walk away and stroke his beard. Master Gallia and I follow.
"What is in the Sertar sector?" Master Gallia asks.
"That's where Florrum is," Obi-Wan tells her.
"You've been there?" she asks. "What can we expect?"
"Pirates," Obi-Wan says.
"I bet Hondo will be happy to see us," I tell Obi-Wan as we reboard our ship.
Obi-Wan sighs. "I hope so, if he isn't working with them already."
"Hondo's no idiot, you know that. He's done some questionable stuff, but I don't think he'd go to the means of siding with Sith... not willingly, at least."
—
"We have a match on the cargo ship," Master Gallia says to Obi-Wan and I as we near Florrum.
"It seems Maul and Savage have picked up a pirate escort," Obi-Wan states.
"Maybe to unload the stolen cargo," Master Gallia suggests.
"Like Arlo said before. I'm not sure the pirate Hondo would have an alliance with Maul and his brother," Obi-Wan tells her.
"So you all know this Hondo personally?" she questions.
"Unfortunately, yes," Obi-Wan sighs.
"Unfortunately? Have you met the man?" I question.
"Have you?"
"I've known him my whole life, Master, I'm sure I'd know better than you." I then turn to Master Gallia. "Oh, and he's a bit much, Master Gallia, just to warn you."
"How much?" she asks.
"Me, but a trillion times worse. He's insane."
"...Oh wow," Master Gallia says as her eyes widen. Obi-Wan sends a transmission down to the surface of Florrum to Hondo. A pirate answers it.
"What do you want, Jedi?" he asks.
"We're looking for Hondo. He'll probably know me by Kenobi. And go ahead and tell him that Arlo is with me." The pirate nods and ends the call. A moment later, Hondo pops up on a hologram. "Greetings, Hondo."
"Greetings? What kind of menace have you brought to my planet now? First, you lose this system and Grievous comes in and destroys my entire stronghold, leaving me here to just rummage through the leftovers of my once great empire. And now these two horned men show up. Who are these horny-headed maniacs? They don't seem like normal Jedi."
I stand up and move behind Obi-Wan's chair. "Not Jedi, Hondo, Sith. We tracked them here."
"Oh! Hello, Arlo, m'dear. Anyway." He stands from his chair. "They just threatened to attack with a group of my men! My own men!"
"Yes, we are looking at them right now, a cargo vessel and three of your starships. They are heading towards you, Hondo," Obi-Wan tells him.
"Da-da-da, more to the point, are you going to help me when you get here?" Hondo asks.
"There's nothing we can do about your men, but we can certainly do something about the Sith," Obi-Wan answers.
"Good. I'll deal with my men, you deal with those tattooed crazies," Hondo says. I try to hold back a snicker at his name for the Sith brothers, but fail.
"Right," Obi-Wan says as he ends the call. We watch as the planets in front of us enter the atmosphere, and we enter close behind. We land on a small cliff above the Sith's cargo vessel. I stand up to walk out, but Obi-Wan grabs me by the shoulder to stop me.
"Yeah, Master?" I ask as I turn to him.
"I need you to be careful, Arlo. Please. Something just feels off about this whole situation, but I can't put my finger on it."
"I will, Master." He pats my shoulder as we exit the ship beside Master Gallia. We run to the ledge and overlook the already destroyed pirate's den littered with blaster fire. Two presences come up behind us, and we hear lightsabers ignite as we turn around. Maul and Opress stand before us, angry as ever.
"Throwing in with pirates now? Oh, how the mighty Sith have fallen,"mObi-Wan says before the three of us ignite our lightsabers. Maul, of course, jumps at Obi-Wan, while Savage takes on me and Master Gallia. We each parry with one of his double sided blades as he pushes us back towards the ledge. I backflip over one of his swings at me and down the rock, Master Gallia and Obi-Wan jumping down behind me. We run as the brothers chase after us. Opress comes for me and Master Gallia once again. I dodge and block every one of his blows. Obi-Wan and Maul jump on top of the ship beside us as we continue to struggle with Opress below. He stomps over and causes a canopy to collapse while he swings his blades low repeatedly. I just manage to roll underneath them, as does Master Gallia. She jumps up and lands a kick on him, which does absolutely not damage except for making him even angrier. He Force pushes the two of us in opposite directions. I skid onto the ground and I feel the wind sucked out of me, while Master Gallia is pushed into the bottom of the ship Maul and Obi-Wan are on top of. Opress charges as Master Gallia and rams into her stomach with his head horns, impaling her stomach. I try to crawl back up in time to help her, but it's too late. She falls to the ground, clutching her stomach, and he stabs her straight through the heart. "No!" Obi-Wan and I shout in unison. I stand fully off the ground and charge back over to Opress, where Obi-Wan jumps down from the ship, knocking him down and swinging at him. He's followed down by Maul, who blocks the blade from hitting his brother, and Savage stands. The two of them slash their sabers quickly at us, which we struggle to fight off. We jump backwards up on top of the ship, stil parrying with the both of them, until we hear a shout from Hondo below.
"Arlo, Kenobi, this way!" I hop down and begin to run towards Hondo as Obi-Wan fends off a few more blows and grabs Master Gallia's saber with the Force, then Force jumps right next to me. We block a couple of blasts as we enter the destroyed halls of the once-was pirate's den. We turn off our sabers as we jog up to Hondo.
"Where are the rest of your men?" Obi-Wan asks him.
"They are setting up an ambush," Hondo tells us. "We can use your help. Where is the other Jedi?"
Obi-Wan and I share a sad look. "She's... she's dead," Obi-Wan says.
"She's d— They are to powerful for even you?" Hondo asks, and shakes his head in disbelief. "I am semi-speechless." We hear voices from down the hall. The pirates ready their blasters as Obi-Wan and I ignite our sabers and hold them at the ready.
"We shall draw the brothers away," Obi-Wan tells Hondo. "Once that's done, blast the passageway closed."
"And leave you two alone with the two crazies?" Hondo questions. "Well, okay." We turn and see Maul and Opress stalk down the hallway, followed by some of Hondo's former men. "Retreat, retreat!" Us, Hondo, and his men run down the hallways away from the Sith. Obi-Wan and I veer away from Hondo and his men, prompting the brothers to go after us instead of the pirates. Hondo blasts the passageway closed, like Obi-Wan said to, leaving us alone with the Sith as we run. We soon find ourselves at a dead end.
"Surrender," Maul commands Obi-Wan. "We are two, and you are no match for us both."
"You miscounted us," Obi-Wan says. "We are two, and you are mistaken." He ignites his and Master Gallia's blue sabers, while I ignite my gold. Obi-Wan blocks Maul's and one of Opress' blades, while I take the other half of his saber. Obi-Wan Force kicks Maul back, who skids on his claw-like legs, while we parry with Opress for a moment. Maul comes up behind Obi-Wan and slashes at him, but I block it just in time, and our blades lock.
He scowls at me. "You are weak, child, and I will break you."
"You can never break me."
"Then watch." He pushes me down and I somersault backwards away from his blade driving down at my chest. I stand up again and he swings furiously. I know I'm overpowered, but I'd be damned if I were to stand down. So I struggle on, continuing to block his red saber with my gold. Our blades lock once more. He pushes my own lightsaber dangerously close to my neck, close enough to where I can feel the heat emitting from it. I use all of my strength to push his blade over to the side, which I manage, but before I can react slashes upwards at me. His blade starts at the bottom left of my stomach, and it slits open the skin crossing all the way up to my right cheek. I let out a scream of pain. He Force pushes me back into a wall, and I drop my lightsaber as I slump down it. The pain is unbearable. It sears across me, causing everything except for the huge gash to go numb. I feel the warm, crimson blood begin to soak my tunic.
"Arlo!" I hardly make out Obi-Wan shout. My ears are ringing, and my vision is starting to get blurry. I start to feel lightheaded and drowsy, and my breathing becomes more shallow and slow. I do everything in my power to try to keep my drooping eyes open. I clutch at my stomach, where his blade went deepest, which soaks my hands with my own blood. Seconds feel like hours as I hardly sit up against the wall. Tears prick at my eyes from the unbelievable pain. This can't actually be happening...
I suddenly hear a crash against the wall I rest against, and come to find out it's Obi-Wan. Rubble crashes in front of us, blocking us in. Obi-Wan crawls to me and holds me in his arms. He looks as if he's on the verge of tears. Does he think I'm dying? Wait, am I actually dying?
"M'okay, Obi... just a scratch, heh?" I try to lighten the mood as a tear slips from my eye.
Obi-Wan wipes it away before it can reach the end of the wound on my cheek. "Stay awake for me, Arlo, I need you to stay awake, okay?"
"Am I... not gonna... wake up?" I mumble out.
"No, don't say that, you're gonna be okay, I promise you."
I thought I wasn't afraid of dying. If I died in my sleep, got shot down in battle, crash landed while flying, I wouldn't be scared. When I was little, I wasn't completely sure I'd even live to see my teenage years. But the look on Obi-Wan's face is enough to terrify me of the thought of ever dying him and leaving him. I know I have to pull through, I know I can't let Maul make him suffer even more than he already has... but I feel my thoughts begin to slip away.
I lift my hand and lightly graze the side of his face with it. I can hardly make out the light streaks of blood left from my fingers across his cheek as I drift off. "Don't... let me..."
"Don't even say that, Arlo, please... Arlo? Arlo, wake up, Arlo!"
—
I don't even bother to wipe her blood off my cheek as I grab her saber, along with mine, scoop her up in my arms, and sprint towards an exit. Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic...
I run out and Force jump over some rubble as I look up to see Maul and Savage escaping, and mine and Arlo's ride home destroyed. This could not be worse timing for this to happen. Arlo is almost lifeless in my arms, and now we have no way to get her back to safety. This can't possibly be happening. One of Hondo's men fires a cannon at the Sith brothers' ship, destroying one of the engines. I walk over to Hondo and watch as it crash lands.
Hondo's eyes widen at Arlo in my arms. "What did those crazies do to her? Oh, damn them!"
"Hondo, I need a ride off this planet so I can get her help, please tell me you have something that can just get me at least to nearest Republic outpost," I practically beg.
"I normally wouldn't let you just have a ride, but I would make an exception for this... if I actually had one that hadn't just been destroyed. But! She is a fighter, my friend. She has never not pulled through, I have seen it myself."
"Yes. She certainly is that," I, for once, agree with the pirate. "Could you hold her for a moment while I send this distress call?"
"Out of the pure goodness of my heart, Kenobi, I suppose I can." I hesitantly hand her over to the pirate as I press the button on my comlink.
"Hello? This is General Kenobi, does anyone copy?"
"What's wrong, General?" I hear Cody respond on the other end.
"Oh, thank the maker, Cody. We need an immediate rescue on Florrum. Arlo's hurt. It's really bad, Cody, please get here as fast as possible."
"Don't worry, sir. We're on our way now."
"Thank you, Cody." I end the call and take Arlo back from Hondo's arm.
"Well, Kenobi, while we wait for your rescue, let's get out there and see what riches have fallen from the sky for me... and you," Hondo laughs. I look down at Arlo, unconscious, possibly dying, in my arms, then look out towards the wreckage. I become... angry. I need to find those brothers. "Shall we?"
"Very well," I sigh.
—
I ride on the back of Hondo's speeder, Arlo resting in my lap. Hondo brakes the speeder to a stop as we pull up to the wreckage. I step off and sit Arlo gently against the speeder as I step towards the rubble of the shipwreck. I look around with Hondo for a pit.
"There's no sign of those two, boss," a pirate calls over to us.
"Well, if the condition of these goods is any indication, ah," he says as he examines a damaged cannon, "your friends have been vaporized."
"I wouldn't be so sure," I tell him. "I cut one of them in half once, and he survived."
"Well, isn't that interesting?" he replies. I venture deeper into the wreck, looking for them, frustration and anger beginning to grow. Wait, I'm not supposed to think like this. I can't let my feelings cloud my judgement. The last time I was this angry was when Master Qui-Gon was stabbed by Maul, and that obviously didn't end well in more ways than I thought. I need to regain control of myself, for Arlo's sake. I suddenly hear the rumble of a ship overhead. I rush out and see my cruiser approaching nearby. I go over and pick up Arlo, and Hondo walks over to me. He pats her on the hood side of her face. "I'm telling you, Kenobi, she always pulls through. She might as well be a womp rat. When she's up, tell her Hondo knew she'd do just that."
"I will... thank you, Hondo." A Republic gunship flies our way, and the doors open as I rush over to it. Cody and Boil wait inside. The doors close as it flies back towards the cruiser.
"What's happened to the Commander—?" Cody starts to ask, but stops once he takes a look at her.
"Will she be all right?" Boil then questions.
"I sure hope so, Boil."
"She's a tough one, General," Cody tells me. "She won't go down without a fight, that's for sure."
"Poor thing," Boil says. "You know, General, she's a good kid."
"Yeah. Yeah, she is." The doors to the gunship open when we land in the hangar, and we hurriedly step out.
"Let's get her to the medbay, come on," Cody says. Him and Boil lead the way while I follow close behind with Arlo. I briefly remember a medic taking her from me, trying to follow them into the operation room, Cody telling me I can't, and slumping down the closed door with my head buried deep in my hands.
Maul almost killed the closest thing I have to a daughter.
If I had trusted my instinct that told me the situation was off beforehand, we wouldn't even be in this situation.
It's all my fault.
—
Arlo's finally out of the bacta tank. The only thing is that she still hasn't woken up. It's been almost a full day.
Her usual tunics have been replaced with a light blue polka-dotted hospital gown. Her hair is down instead of pulled back. And her lightly freckled face now has a gash at the bottom of her right cheek. A gash that runs all the way to the bottom left of her stomach. Thin black bandages hold her healing skin together. Heart monitors are hooked onto her, and they show her calm heartbeat on a nearby screen. The sight of it is almost comforting. I hold her cold hand in mine to try and warm it up as Anakin and Ahsoka burst through the door to Arlo's room in the Jedi temple's hospital wing.
"Finally, she's out! We've been waiting out there for forever to see her," Anakin says.
"There's not much to see. She's still out cold," I tell him.
Ahsoka looks at her sadly. "I still can't believe this is real."
"I'm shaken up too, Ahsoka, but Arlo is gonna be just fine. A silly Sith Lord won't be the one to kill our Sparky," Anakin says. "Now come on, Obi-Wan, the Chancellor requests us, Master Yoda, and Master Windu to discuss this matter."
"I don't know, Anakin, I really don't want to leave Arlo," I tell him.
"Ahsoka can watch her," Anakin suggests.
"She'll be in good hands, Master, I promise," Ahsoka says to me.
I sigh as I lightly graze over  the back of Arlo's hand with my thumb. "Very well. I'll be back as soon as I can be," I say, partially to Ahsoka, and part to Arlo. Anakin and I walk out of the medbay I had been couped up in for the past almost-day and out towards the Sentae building to find the Chancellor.
—
I take the seat where Obi-Wan previously was and grab Lo's hand, just like he had. I know she's gonna be okay, but it's really startling. She almost died. We've fought this whole war side by side, and to have her suddenly almost die, and me not even know about it until we get a call from Cody, asking how to get Obi-Wan away from the door of the operating room where they were working on my best friend? That's a real smack in the face. A smack in the face because we never know what this war could bring. We don't even know if we could see tomorrow anymore. Our futures are uncertain, and they aren't even ours to choose anymore. All of our fates are at the mercy of the war. But I'm hopeful that we can pull through. The Jedi Order is strong and perseverante. And the Separatists haven't even seen the half of what the Republic can do.
I suddenly hear a knock on the door. "Come in," I say.
Barriss opens the door and shuts it quietly behind her. "How is she?"
"She's asleep, still," I tell her.
She moves to stand beside me. "I don't understand how someone could ever do something like this."
"Me neither, Barriss. Im sure she'd be happy you're here, though, she's missed you."
"I've missed her, too. I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to her since before you all left for Onderon. I didn't think it felt like long until I head the news she was hurt. Then it felt like an eternity."
"I didn't realize everyone already knew this happened. Word travels fast, I guess."
"As does time. She'll be up before you know it, Ahsoka, I'm sure of it. She's one of the strongest people you and I know."
"You're right. Thank you, Barriss."
"Of course. Would you like me to leave, or do you still want some company?"
"You can stay. The more, the merrier." She sits down on the chair next to me as I stare up at the heart monitor.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Her heart beats at an easy pace, in a state of complete peace. If only she knew how rapidly my heart, along with Anakin's and Obi-Wan's, were beating rapidly with worry for her.
Please, just wake up.
—
okay instead of talking about how arlo is like... on the brink of death, let's talk about how hondo literally OWNS season 5. literally go off king 😤 on the other hand, f maul. all my homies hate maul 😐 i honestly expected this chapter to be longer, but i think the next one definitely will be pretty long. i might even split it into two different chapters, honestly, because i have a lot of ideas.
thanks for reading! -a 🪐