War of Love

Chapter 8

As Annalise is escorting Nute Gunray onto a ship she sees a familiar face and she smiles as she says, "Ahsoka Tano, my have you grown." Ahsoka smiles at Annalise and bows and says, "Your Highness, Annalise, it's a pleasure to see you again." Annalise waves her hand and says, "Enough with the formal casualties, please just call me Annalise." Ahsoka nods with a smile and says, "As you wish, Annalise." Annalise looks over at the Commander Gree and she says, "Commander Gree, will you please escort Gunray way while I catch up with the Commander Tano." Commander Gree nods and says, "Right way, sir." Commander drags Gunray away. As Annalise and Ahsoka walk around the ship, Annalise says, "So, how are you doing?" Ahsoka smiles and says, "Great. Being a Jedi is fun although, it has it's perks." Annalise nods with a smile and says, "It does. So, how's training with your master?" Ahsoka sighs and says, "It started off as a rocky start, at first my master didn't want me, but then he grew to like me and wanted to train me." Annalise says, "I see. It is strange to hear that a Jedi Master wouldn't want you as their padawan. Who's your master?" Ahsoka says, "Anakin Skywalker." Annalise widens her eyes in surprise because she knows that Anakin said he didn't want a padawan and says, "It makes sense why he didn't want to train you, he didn't want that responsibility, but it's good to see you change that part of him." Ahsoka softly smiles. Annalise says, "Anyway, I'm so excited to partner with you up on this journey of taking Gunray away." Ahsoka smiles and says, "Me too. When I heard I would be helping you out I was so excited to see you again after so long." Annalise smiles. Later, Annalise is in the cockpit, and she looks over at the captain and she says, "Captain, have you made contact with the cruiser?" Captain says, "Yes, general. We'll patch you through now." Annalise looks over at the screen and she says, "Jedi cruiser Tranquility this is General Annalise Organa requesting permission to land." Captain Argyus says, "You are cleared, general. We await your prisoner's arrival." Annalise says, "Thank you, Captain Argyus. I look forward to delivering him to you." Ahsoka walks up beside Annalise and says, "Finally. It's been such a boring trip." Annalise chuckles at the young one. They depart in the cruiser and escort Nute. Nute says, "This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. I demand my litigator." Command Gree says, "Keep moving." Captain Argyus walks over with his men and he says, "Greetings, general. We have the brig all ready for this traitor." Annalise says, "Very good, captain. Commander Gree let's get underway." Commander Gree says, "Right away, sir. Let's move." Command Gree pushes Nute along. As Annalise and Ahsoka follow behind, Ahsoka says, "Senate commandos? How does a money-grubbing worm like Gunray rate all this security? He doesn't look that dangerous." Annalise glances over at Ahsoka and says, "Don't let your overconfidence give Gunray another advantage, Ahsoka. Gunray tried to kill me many times before and he'll probably try to do that again. Even now, his allies may be conspiring against us." Later, Annalise and Ahsoka are in the cell with Gunray trying to get information out of him. Annalise says, "Your thoughts betray you, viceroy. I can sense your concern, the fear that you will lose the wealth and the power that the war has given you." Nute says, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Annalise says, "You hide a great many things: The names of your secret allies, the locations of their bases." Nute says, "I am an innocent pawn in all of this." Annalise scoffs and says, "If you're merely a pawn, then who are you protecting?" Nute says, "No one. I... I know nothing." Ahsoka slams her hand down and angrily says, "Liar! Liar!" Ahsoka brings out her lightsaber and she angrily says, "I'm tired of all this whining." Ahsoka brings her lightsaber under Nute's neck threateningly and she angrily says, "Tell us what we want to know right now, or I will gut you like a Rokarian dirt fish." Nute gasps frightened and he falls to the ground with a grunt. Annalise sighs, shaking her head grabbing onto Ahsoka's arm and says, "Ahsoka, terror is not a weapon the Jedi use." Ahsoka says, "I wasn't serious. But the only way he'll talk is if he's scared enough." Annalise shakes her head at Ahsoka because she's more like Anakin then she thought. Nute gets up and says, "And perhaps I was too hasty. Let us negotiate." Then they hear an explosion and the ship rattles. Commander Gree speaks in his comms and says, "Captain, status report." Captain says, "Droid fighters, incoming. They've brought boarding ships." Commander Gree says, "Green company, prepare to repel the enemy." A clone speaks through the comms and says, "Green Leader to Commander Gree, super battle droids have breached our hull. They're headed for the detention level. We need reinforcements." The comms go out and Annalise looks at Commander Gree and says, "Commander, I'll need your assistance." As Ahsoka walks beside Annalise, she says, "Let's go." Annalise stops and turns around to face Ahsoka and says, "You will stay here with Captain Argyus. Guard the viceroy." Ahsoka says, "But..." Annalise narrows her eyes at Ahsoka and Ahsoka sighs and says, "As you wish, Annalise." Annalise walks away with Commander Gree. Later, Annalise and Commander Gree arrive where the battle droids and she ignites her lightsaber and slices and dices the battle droids and then she fights off the droids with the help of the clones. As they finish them off, Commander Gree says, "Looks like the last of them, general." Annalise says, "Yes, commander, but I sense our troubles are not over." Annalise hears lightsaber fighting and she worriedly says, "Ahsoka!" Annalise runs away with the clones. Later, Annalise arrives at the cell, and she watches Ahsoka trapped in the cell courtesy of Gunray and Ventress. Annalise rushes over and she angrily says, "Halt, assassin!" Ventress ignites her lightsabers and Annalise uses the force to open the cell and Ahsoka charges at Ventress. Annalise charges at Ventress and she says, "Surrender." Ventress puts away her lightsabers and puts her hands up. Annalise looks over at Ventress's arm to see a red dot glowing and the ship rattles making almost everyone fall down. Annalise steady's herself as Ventress goes to attack but Annalise blocks her attacks and Ventress makes her escape with Annalise and Ahsoka running after her. Ventress goes into the elevator shaft and slides down with her lightsabers. As Annalise and Ahsoka go over to the shaft, Ahsoka says, "What are we waiting for?" As Ahsoka goes to jump down, Annalise grabs Ahsoka's arm before she gets crushed by the incoming elevator. Ahsoka says, "Thanks." Captain Argyus says, "Everything's running haywire, the doors, lifts. Communication's down. Propulsion's dead. She's cripped the entire ship." Annalise says, "Our attacker has come for Gunray. Stay here and guard him. I'll confront her myself." Ahsoka looks at Annalise and says, "Master, all due respect, but Ventress is too powerful for any one Jedi to fight alone. Let me help you." Annalise says, "I am more than capable of dealing with a lone assassin armed with undisciplined fighting skills." Ahsoka says, "But--" Annalise cuts her off and says, "Stay here and keep a clear head." Annalise then jumps down the shaft going after Ventress. Once Annalise lands on the floor she needs to be on, she finds a bunch of dead clones and she sighs igniting her lightsaber running with a determined look on her face. Later, as Annalise walks into a room looking around, she ducks when Ventress tries to attack her from jumping down below. As Ventress slices at an air duct, Annalise accidentally inhales the smoke coughing. As Ventress charges at Annalise who's still coughing, Annalise fights Ventress off. Ventress says, "Do you think you'll still be able to call on the Force after I've separated your head from your body?" Annalise says, "I recognize the fighting style of Count Dooku. Your version is unrefined, amateurish, sloppy." Ventress screams forcibly attacking Annalise. Annalise blocks all of Ventress's attacks, fighting her off. They both use the force on each other as they let go, they're both pushed away from each other. As Annalise jumps over Ventress, Ventress turns and kicks Annalise and Annalise falls off the platform with a groan. Annalise looks up to see iron rods falling towards and she uses the force to push them away, so they don't crush her, but one accidently does. Annalise tries to use the force to push it off, but she's struggling, and she looks up to see Ventress. Ventress smirks and says, "Now you fall, as all Jedi must." As Ventress goes to kill Annalise, Ahsoka uses the force and pushes her away. Ahsoka runs over and uses her lightsaber to break Annalise free. Annalise stands up and Ahsoka says, "I know, I know. You told me to stay." Annalise smiles and says, "Well, as long as you're here." Ventress glares at both of them and goes to attack them, Annalise and Ahsoka fight her off with their lightsabers. Ventress then escapes away, and Annalise says, "We have to find her. We can't let her get to Gunray." Annalise and Ahsoka go after Ventress. As they look around the place, they see something moving in the rubble, and they carefully walk over, and Annalise removes the rubble to find a droid. The droid rolls away. The two search for Ventress, when Annalise says, "Ahsoka. Ventress, I've never faced an adversary like her. I should have listened to your advice." Ahsoka says, "I never meant to overstep my bounds, but--" Ahsoka gets cut off by Annalise's comm. Commander Gree says, "General Organa, we've been betrayed. Argyus has freed Gunray." Annalise says, "I can't believe this. I've been a fool." Ahsoka says, "Let's get back there." As they both run away, Annalise senses something headed towards them, so she turns around and slices it when Ventress jumps down on the platform. Ahsoka says, "We'll take her together." They both charge at Ventress and Ventress screams going to attack them. They all battle and Ventress evilly laughs. Ventress jumps away and uses the force to throw debris at them. Annalise and Ahsoka slice at the debris. Ventress than escapes once more. As Annalise and Ahsoka go after her, she ignites a bomb making Ahsoka fall down but not before Annalise uses the force to catch Ahsoka and set her down. Later, Annalise and Ahsoka are running through the halls trying to catch up to Ventress when they're too late because Ventress escaped in an escape pod. They watch Ventress escape along with Argyus who has Gunray. Later, Annalise and Ahsoka are speaking on a hologram with Anakin and Master Yoda. Ahsoka says, "I'm sorry that despicable wealth-worm Gunray got away." Anakin says, "It's okay, Snips. I know you did your best." Ahsoka says, "Master, I--" Master Yoda cuts Ahsoka off and says, "Troubling is the treachery of the Senate guard, Captain Argyus. Revealed all around us our enemies are." Annalise says, "I'm not sure all is lost. Gunray and his accomplices stole a Republic ship to make their getaway." Anakin says, "It could be tracked." Annalise smiles and says, "Indeed." Master Yoda says, "A coward Viceroy Gunray is, but powerful allies he has. Swiftly, we must move if we are to recapture him." Annalise says, "Master Fisto's fleet was near Gunray's position. I've already contacted him to follow the signal." Anakin says, "Ahsoka, I'll meet you at the rendezvous point." Ahsoka says, "Yes, master." The hologram shuts off. Ahsoka turns to face Annalise and says, "Annalise, I guess this is goodbye for now." Annalise smiles and says, "I owe you my life, Ahsoka." Ahsoka smiles and says, "Protecting a Jedi Master is the role of the Padawan." Annalise smiles and says, "And teaching is usually the role of the master. Master Skywalker should be proud. Farewell." Ahsoka smiles and says, "Thank you, Annalise." Ahsoka walks away. Annalise turns towards the bridge and says, "Commander, let's get underway." Commander Gree says, "Yes, General. Ahead full."