Agents of The Clone Wars (Book 1): The Clairvoyant Conspiracy

Rookies

"Hi Mike. I saw what you did on TV and it meant a lot to me." Skye said

"Are you a reporter? Listen I'm just a regular guy trying to make a living. I'm not interested in giving a statement." Mike replied

"No...no I'm someone that is trying to warn you because there's not many good men out there anymore. I think it's honorable that you're using your abilities to help people. You're setting a good example for your son. The Separatist want to recruit you and use you to cause destruction. You gotta come with me if you want your son to be safe." Skye warned

"Debbie warned me about someone like you. Someone that would recognize me and want to recruit me. So she sent me back up to stop you."

Skye stared in horror as a non human woman with chalk white skin and thin black lines on her cheeks and the sides of her forehead glared at her behind a crowd of tourists.

"Listen Mike you need to calm down. Where is your son? You need to get him away from these people. Please? The Separatist are dangerous."

"He's with my sister. And I'm tired of being stuck with no options and no money! My son deserves better. He deserves the toys behind that store window." Mike replied pointing at the store window

It was the same store display that Skye saw Mike and his son looking at yesterday. Mike clenched his fists in frustration. His hands started to glow orange and his eyes glowed a bright yellow color.

"Did Debbie do something to you?" Skye asked

Skye placed a sympathetic hand on Mike's shoulder. Mike was at a loss for words over his temper.

"Why are you trying to help me?" Mike asked in fear

Debbie walked into the conversation standing behind Skye. For a brief second Skye saw the cloaked woman but she disappeared again.

"Because she has no choice just like you Mr. Peterson. Shield is using you Skye. Your talents would do wonders for people like Mike who need financial support and as a result volunteer themselves for my experiments to receive that support. You think those rich snobs in the United Republic care about hard working people like Mike just trying to make a living?" Debbie argued

"Please I'm not fooled. I can tell you did something to Mike and its hurting him. Remember Mike with great power comes...a lot of weird stuff happening to you but you still have to do right by your son." Skye explained

As Debbie took Mike who walked gingerly away from the public square.
Out of the corner of Skye's eye she saw Ward perched on a roof with a sniper rifle.

"Sir you should have authorized me to take the shot. Mike is deregulating. He's using extremis tech that Shield confiscated from Advanced Idea Mechanics and he's starting to break down. If we aren't careful an explosion will..." Ward gasped

A red lightsaber passed through his chest and he turned and saw the chalk white woman who was skulking in an alleyway earlier. He gasped and started choking as he collapsed to the ground.

"Nice moves Shield Agent but I'm not falling for it." The woman said with a smirk

Ward disappeared and in his place was a small black ball that emitted a bright light. The real Ward appeared on the other side of the roof firing his blaster. The woman blocked the blaster bolts with her twin lightsabers. She then knocked Ward off the roof by extending her arm forward utilizing the Force. Ward flew off the roof and Ventress smirked.

"Don't underestimate what Shield can do with Jedi backing them up Ventress." Anakin warned

Anakin gestured to Ward hanging from the roof by a strand of rope at his waist buckle.