"All clear, sir. There are no Separatist craft in the system." A trooper reported to Obi Wan, Anakin and I as we stood on the bridge of the cruiser, looking down on the planet below which held our next mission.

"It's been 10 rotations since Master Yoda's transmission." Anakin started as we all walked back to the control room. "I just hope we're not too late."

"Rex. Take us down." I ordered as we approached him in the control room.

"Yes, sir." He responded with a nod. The group of us moved towards the hanger, catching Ahsoka on the way. Everyone piled into the speeders, anxiousness filling us all at the thought of being too late.

"Anybody else think it's too quiet? I haven't seen any colonists." Ahsoka pointed out as we sped through the town on our speeders, finding nothing in sight.

"They're probably hiding." Anakin told her simply, though something felt off to me.

"Let's hope they stay hidden. It makes our job easier if we don't have to worry about them in battle." Obi Wan pulled up beside them on the speeder with Rex by the blasters beside him.

"I don't like it. The clankers have never been shy about using civvies as living shields." Rex gave his input on the situation at hand.

"I'm sure they're here somewhere. Let's make for the city center." Anakin instructed, leaving us to follow after him and his Padawan.

"Biker droids dead ahead!" Ahsoka warned as all of us rounded the corner into enemy territory.

"Squad, tighten up! Form on me!" Anakin ordered. Rex began to shoot at the droids while Ahsoka and I used our sabers to cut them down as they sped behind us, attempting to corner us. Our gunners turned behind as the enemy shot from our backs, shooting back with precision.

"We're all clear, Master." Ahsoka told him as we found the droids in the Center of the village. Rex had set up his rocket launcher and shot at one of the large tanks, blowing it up with ease. I had jumped off my speeder suddenly and flipped over the tank, dropping detonators inside as I passed. The tank exploded behind me as I dove and covered, the others speeding around to meet me.

"Captain, have your men secure the area." Obi Wan told Rex which was followed by a nod and the soldier walking off to gather troopers to secure the area.

"How are we doing, Boil?" I asked up at the troopers on a chicken Walker.

"We're still mopping up clankers here and there, sir. We've established a perimeter around the Governor's Tower. No one gets out without a fight." He explained the situation.

"Good work." I told him before turning back to Cody. "Cody, any word from the Separatist commander?" I asked, Obi Wan joining us to discuss.

"He's barricaded inside. His name is Darts D'Nar. He sent you a message, sir." Cody pulled out a holo transmission for us.

"Master Kenobi, come to the tower. We will negotiate terms for surrender." The hologram said.

"Well, that was easy." Obi Wan shrugged at the simplicity.

"Zygerrian scum. I'll handle that slaver." Anakin growled as he used the force to take the transmission and crush it.

"Anakin, he asked for me. I need you to locate the missing Togruta colonists." Obi Wan reminded as Ahsoka and I looked together with worry for her masters sudden emotion over everything.

"Fine. I'll have Admiral Yularen initiate a planetary bio-scan." Anakin walked off in a huff.

"Why is he so upset?" Ahsoka asked Kenobi once Skywalker was far away.

"Anakin has never talked about his past, has he?"

"Only to tell me he won't talk about it." Ahsoka answered the Jedi Master.

"As a child, Anakin and his mother were sold into slavery by the Hutt clans." Kenobi started.

"Oh." We both sighed at the realization.

"And these Zygerrians, they're slavers?" I asked in a slight form of statement.

"Anakin has struggled to put his past behind him."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him." Anakins Padawan promised, caring for the man who was like her big brother.

"Yes, make sure you do." Obi Wan and I both walked off in different directions, setting to work around the village.

~~~

Beep

Our com links all sounded off with a transmission fro Obi Wan coming through. All of us gathered around to hear what the problem was, but all we heard was the conversation happening in the tower above.

"No, you are wrong, Jedi." The man Obi Wan was talking with stated.

"Am I? You are no doubt aware your droid forces have been destroyed, and you are surrounded. Do the honorable thing and give up now, D'Nar. I promise you will receive fair treatment." My former master voiced out.

"You've broken through my defenses. You think you've won? Think again. I have planted bombs all over the city. No one will survive." We all looked to each other at those words, worried for the people's safety "Now, surrender."

"If you're not bluffing, then I must concede. But you'll have to make considerations. First, you release the colonists." Obi Wan ordered.

"Here is my counter-offer." The man spoke before a bomb went off beside us in one of the houses. The group of us was blasted back, falling to the ground harshly. Ringing filled my ears as I tried to push myself to my feet, struggling to get up by myself.

"I need a medic over here!" I called out as I crawled towards a wounded soldier, urgency and adrenaline pushing me forward. "Medic!"

"Artoo, where are you? Watch yourself, buddy. This is still a war zone." Anakin reminded his droid as Kix rushed over to me.

"Take care of him" I ordered the clone medic.

"Yes, sir, do you want me to check you too?" Kix questioned as blood dripped down my forehead. I reached up to touch the wound, wincing at the pain.

"No, no, I'm fine" I waved it off, moving to go help others.

"Cody! We don't have time for the planetary scan. Hook Artoo up, and he'll locate the bombs." Anakin ordered the commander.

"Right away, sir!"

"Ahsoka, let's go." Anakin pulled his Padawan along.

"I'm coming too" I told them as I walked over to the speeders with them.

"But your—" Anakin started as he nodded towards my forehead.

"Fine. I'm fine it's just a little blood" I cut him off, wiping it off quickly.

"Where are we going?" Ahsoka asked, changing the subject as we got onto the speeders and prepared to set off.

"To disarm the bombs while Obi-Wan negotiates. I hope he can buy us some time." Anakin explained as we all sped away to find the other bombs.

"General Skywalker! Your droid is transmitting the bomb coordinates now." Cody reported to us

"Copy that, Cody. We're approaching the first bomb now." Anakin told him. "Let's go!"

"Do you hear that?" A droid asked as we rounded the corner. Ahsoka and Anakin shot at them while I rushed in, cutting them all down as the bomb beeped behind us. Quickly rushing towards the bomb, I pulled off the cover and inspected it.

"There must be a wire we should cut or something to stop the countdown." I started.

"Stand back." Anakin warned he simply took his saber and cut through it all in one swift motion.

"How did you know that would work?" I crossed my arms to face him.

"I trusted my instincts." He shrugged.

"You mean you guessed." Ahsoka corrected with a smirk.

"Yeah, but it was an educated guess. Now, come on. There's plenty more to go." We got back on our speeders and took off to find the others.

~~~

"These are the last of them." Anakin reminded as we rounded the corner into another droid battalion. "Defuse the bombs! I'll cover you!" He shouted the orders as droids shot at us.

"Anakin, I think the bombs are linked." I warned as I pulled off the cover and they both beeped violently.

"You're supposed to disarm them, not activate them!" He shouted to us with frustration and panic.

"Droids on the roof!" Ahsoka warned as they rolled out to shoot us down.

"If they're connected, we'll have to defuse them at the same time." I reminded, thinking back to any knowledge I could remember on bombs. All three of us blocked shots from the droids on the roof as more came out to attack us.

"Snipers!" Ahsoka warned. "Their shields are too strong!" We took cover from the incoming attack, diving to duck behind rocks.

"I'm pinned down! Master, we're running out of time!" Ahsoka called out to him as Anakin and I hid together and Ahsoka was on the opposite side of the field, hiding behind a wall.

"I know. We have to do something and quick! Ahsoka, they're weak from the side. I've got an angle on your droid." Anakin called out to her.

"Okay. I've got a view of yours too. Same time. Ready?" Ahsoka asked.

"Go!" They jumped out, deflecting the blaster shots ran back at the droids side taking them down instantly. I used this time they had given me to run out towards the bombs. I stood in between them, unsure of how to disable them both when I got an idea. I flicked my lightsabers on and threw them out with the force, cutting through the bombs before any damage could be done. The sabers had been returned to my hands, blades collapsing into the hilt as I knelt between the two now disabled bombs, letting out a sigh of relief at our plan working.

"That was a close one." Ahsoka sighed too.

"Let's hope Obi-Wan shares our luck." Anakin reminded us of his situation back at the tower. A moment later we looked up to see the tower in the distance exploding.

"Anakin! Lyra! come in. D'Nar is making his escape from the tower." Obi Wan warned us over com link.

"On our way!" I promised as we sped off again on our speeder bikes.

"We'll never catch him in time." Ahsoka worried.

"I am not letting that slaver scum get away." Anakin growled with anger. We watched as the ship grew father away from the planet, D'Nar flying it. I nodded to Anakin in agreement to his plan before we all jumped off our speeders, pushing ourselves with the force to land on the ship.

"So, what's your plan?" Ahsoka panicked as we held on for our lives, moving farther from the surface.

"I'm open to ideas." Anakin told her.

"You didn't have a plan?" I snapped.

"I thought you could figure something out"

"Well, it doesn't look like I have much of a choice now does it" The doors we had been sitting on opened beneath us, dropping us inside the cargo hole. A slimy tentacle had wrapped around me as I let out a shout of sudden panic in the dark.

"Hold on!" Anakin told Ahsoka and I as it had a grasp on all of us.

"Hold on"? Do I have a choice?" Ahsoka asked back with attitude. She cut the legs grip on her and it threw Anakin and I around violently with pain. Ahsoka stabbed into the head of it and it dropped Anakin and I, but grew mad. "Master!" Ahsoka called.

"Ahsoka, you're only making it angry! I'll handle this. Go stabilize the ship." Anakin ordered as Ahsoka ran off, leaving me to follow after her once I scrambled to my feet, knowing Anakin could handle this and Ahsoka would need my help. Sneaking into the cockpit Se began flipping switches until the pilot noticed, pulling out his whip.

"Young Jedi, you'll learn your place." He snarled.

"I'm not so young anymore." Ahsoka claimed as she ignited her sabers. He had hit me with the whip, causing me to fall to the ground in a lash pain. Ahsoka had acted fast and pushed him back with the force and pinning him down. "Gotcha." Ahsoka claimed, her saber close to his neck. "Mission accomplished, Master." The young Togruta reported.

"Where are the colonists?" Anakin interrogated, joining us.

"I will tell you nothing." The slaver claimed.

"Where are they?" Anakin held his saber hilt against the mans throat.

"Anakin." I warned, pulling myself to my feet. He pushed the guy down to where I once was on the ground and received the answers he was looking for.

"My queen is going to bring back the royal slave auction as in the days before the Jedi. Zygerria will be rich and powerful again. The Jedi will not stop us this time."

"We'll see about that." Anakin scoffed.

"General Skywalker, I ran the bio-scan twice, but the results were negative." Admiral Yularen reported to us over com link.

"Are you saying the colonists are not in the city?" I asked with confusion.

"I'm saying they're not even on the planet. The entire population appears to have simply vanished." He continued.

"Vanished? That's impossible. Those are my people." Ahsoka was down about the news, worried for what would happen next.

..................................................

Question of the day: what is your favourite Star Wars species?