The Clone Wars Gets A New Victim

Chapter 18: Compassion Breaks

The peaceful togrutan colony of Kiros had been invaded by the Separatists army. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had been sent with their padawans to assist the togrutas.

Grim had remembered the mission the moment she had heard of it, although she hadn't had the chance to warn the others. While on the ship, Grim paced back and forth, anxious about what would take place on the mission.

Ahsoka watched Grim. "What happened to them?" she asked her.

Grim stopped her pacing. "What? Oh...well.." she realized Ahsoka had noticed her worry.

Ahsoka walked over to Grim, "dear, you're not good at hiding your worry. Something has either happened or is about to happen."

Grim rubbed the back of her neck and gave her girlfriend an awkward smile. "You can see right through me, huh?" she asked nervously.

"Grim..."

"Both," she admitted. "They are all gone, they were kidnapped."

"All of them?" Ahsoka asked, her eyes wide. "How could the Separatists kidnap all of them? Where are they being held? We need to tell Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker!"

"Ash wait-" Grim started, but Ahsoka had rushed off to tell their Masters.

Grim muttered a curse that only Obi-Wan would understand and ran after Ahsoka. When the two padawans reached their Masters, it looked like Obi-Wan and Anakin were about to find Grim and Ahsoka.

"Whoa," said Anakin. "You two are in a hurry," he commented.

"Yeah," said Grim. She looked at Obi-Wan, "Master? May we talk?"

Obi-Wan looked at his padawan with some mixed confusion. "Sure, what is it, Grim?"

Grim dragged Obi-Wan to the side so Anakin couldn't overhear. "Long story short, I've seen this before. The colonists were captured and taken to Zygerria to be sold as slaves," she explained.

"Well that certainly complicates matters," said Obi-Wan stroking his beard.

"The way I see it, it's completely straightforward, we go to where they are and rescue them," said Grim.

"That would be the goal, but it isn't a plan. Not to mention we have no evidence of this matter-"

"Is my word not enough?"

"It is for those who know about you, but things get complicated when other parts of the problem are involved."

"Oh, so I should just tell everyone my big secret?"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying we need to work around the fact that the only people who know are the Council."

"So are you saying we go ahead with this mission even though it is pointless to do so and we both know it?" Grim asked him. "The lives of everyone in that colony is at stake!"

"You think I'm not aware of that, Grim? We're in a difficult situation. The only way we know this is through you, and while I and everyone else on the Council trust you, the simple fact of the matter is, nobody else knows and it is not like it's just the two of us involved on this mission. Otherwise things would be different."

Grim considered his words. He was right. It wasn't just them on this mission, what she knew couldn't alter the course of this mission. "So it must go as I know," she sighed defeatedly.

"No, it can change."

"How?"

"Well, how was this discovered? What should we expect?"