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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄

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Night had fallen on Christophsis and while most of the clones were winding down after their failed mission, three of them found themselves in the command center. Cody stood beside Grizz as they watched Rex place the tactical droid on the holotable before connecting two cables to it. A hologram of the buildings they were stationed in only a few hours ago instantly appeared in front of them. Not even a second after the image appeared passed when the tactical droid began reciting their plans.

"The Republic Army is in the north and south towers, level 46."

"It just doesn't make sense," Rex said after watching the level they were on flash bright red.

However, before they could continue digging into the tactical droid's information, it began to spark followed by an electronic humming. It wasn't long before the droid shut down completely.

"Well, at least we're not the only ones having a bad day," Anakin said as he, Aurora, and Obi-Wan walked into the command center

"Generals, Commander," Cody greeted after the Jedi took their places around the holotable, "they had all our intel."

"That would explain the ambush," the Skywalker boy sighed, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice, "how could we have left ourselves so vulnerable to a security breach?"

Obi-Wan took a moment to finish studying the screen in front of him before finally turning back around to face his allies. "I don't think we did."

"Are you saying that you think someone infiltrated our defenses?" Grizz questioned, unsure of where the Kenobi man was going with his thoughts.

"Possibly," the redheaded man responded while keeping his eyes glued to the tactical droid, "it would have to be someone cunning and resourceful enough to gain access to all our plans."

"I'll admit, what you're saying does make sense," Aurora declared before letting out a long sigh, "but that still doesn't explain how they got our intel."

"You're right. They wouldn't act alone. They'd have someone working with them," Obi-Wan admitted after taking his place between her and Anakin.

"A spy, sir?" Cody questioned with a hint of disbelief in his voice, "but who would want to betray our troops to the Seppies?"

"Excellent question, Commander. Perhaps it's time we made a visit behind enemy lines. I think we'll find our answers there."

"We'll get right on it."

"No. I need you here to find the security breach," the Kenobi man explained as he looked between the three clones standing in front of him.

"You can count on us, sir," Grizz declared while trying to hide the pride in his voice. Only Aurora seemed to pick up on it.

"One more thing," Obi-Wan said with a hint of urgency in his voice, "this mission is extremely confidential. The spy could be anyone. Let no one know of our mission."

"Understood, sir," Rex responded after stepping up to stand beside his fellow clones.

Obi-Wan and Anakin sent them grateful nods while Aurora gave them a reassuring smile before they exited the room.

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Outside on the destroyed streets of Christophsis, Aurora rode alongside Obi-Wan and Anakin. They were headed deeper into the Separatist territory, hoping to find whoever was leading this attack. If she were being honest, the Jinn woman didn't know how she felt about this plan. It didn't seem right to go blindly behind enemy lines in search of some stranger. But she was outnumbered by Anakin and Obi-Wan and there was no turning back now.

It wasn't long before Aurora noticed more and more droids appearing around them. They stayed to the side of the street and just watched them. It unnerved the brunette woman. And it seemed that she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"We appear to have picked up some friends," Anakin announced.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan responded in an unbothered tone, "in fact, I believe the number of eyes watching us has been steadily growing."

"That probably means our adversary has learned about our mission," Aurora said as another group of droids appeared out of the shadows.

"Of course, nobody's tried to stop us yet," the Skywalker boy added before taking a moment to think over the situation happening around them, "they want us to get to the Separatist headquarters."

"Meaning this is most likely a trap," the Jinn woman sighed, completely unaware of the mischievous smirk appearing on Anakin's face.

"Well, that's unfortunate," the brunette boy said as the grin on his face slightly grew, "for them."

Aurora couldn't help but look over at Obi-Wan with uncertainty in her eyes. To her surprise, he was already staring back at her with the same look. Both of them knew this wasn't going to be easy, especially since they were to be expected. And on top of that, they had no idea how many Separatists were waiting for them to arrive. But despite obviously having the same doubts, they knew they needed to complete their mission. So neither of them said a word as they continued riding toward their destination.

What felt like an eternity passed before they finally arrived at the dark building at the end of the destroyed street. The Jedi parked their speeders at the top of the ramp before hopping off and heading to the door. It wasn't until they reached the entrance that Aurora realized they were no longer being watched. The droids they saw on their way over have vanished, leaving the Jedi alone in the darkness. That was enough to make the Jinn woman's senses work on overdrive. She listened and watched everything around her, not wanting them to become victims of an ambush. It seemed to her that Obi-Wan was starting to become the same way, but Anakin was still as calm as ever.

"No guards, no barricades. You'd think the Separatist headquarters would be better protected," the Skywalker boy commented after taking in their surroundings.

"But clearly, keeping us out is not what they intend," Obi-Wan responded.

"Making it more clear that this is intended to be a trap," Aurora stated while looking between the duo by her sides. When she noticed they still had the same expressions on their faces as before, the Jinn woman let out a long sigh. "We're still going in, aren't we?"

"Obviously," Anakin said with a small smirk while the Kenobi man used the Force to open the doors.

Aurora stayed back while she watched the Jedi Generals walk into the building. It wasn't long before she let out a long sigh and followed them. No one said a word as they got into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. The tension in the air grew as they got closer and closer to their destination. The next thing they knew, a soft ding came from the elevator before the doors slowly opened.

Anakin was the first to step out followed by Obi-Wan and Aurora. They weren't immediately greeted by anyone, which only made this entire situation more stressful for Aurora. She despised not knowing what was ahead of them and didn't like being kept in the dark. That was the main reason she made most of the plans when it was just her and Grizz.

"So this is the belly of the beast," the Skywalker boy muttered under his breath.

It wasn't long after he finished speaking that all three of them felt as though they were being watched. They instantly turned around to find a cloaked figure walking toward them. Aurora's hand landed on her lightsaber's hilt as she, Obi-Wan, and Anakin kept their eyes glued to the newcomer. It wasn't long before they stood directly in front of the trio and removed their hood.

"Ventress," the Kenobi man greeted with disdain in his voice, "and here I thought this mission would be unpleasant."

"The pleasure's all mine, my dear Obi-Wan. I've missed you," Ventress responded before letting her cloak fall to the floor. Not even a second after that passed when she unsheathed her lightsabers. The smirk on her face did nothing but grow as she watched the Jedi copy her actions. Ventress then spun around and slipped up the crumbling staircase behind her. The trio below watched with anticipation flowing through their veins, waiting for their enemy to attack. But after no one made the first move, Ventress continued speaking. "My loyal informant let me know you were coming."

"Well, then, we thank you for your hospitality," Obi-Wan told her while Anakin continued to glare at the former Jedi Padawan.

"If that's what you wanna call it," Aurora scoffed, earning an eye roll from Ventress.

The next thing anyone knew, Anakin charged at the dark side user. Ventress simply shook her head at the Jedi before blocking his attack. Their lightsabers continued to clash with the Skywalker boy on the offensive. Unfortunately, that soon changed due to Ventress having the higher ground. Anakin was soon forced to become defensive as two red lightsabers continued to slam against his. Obi-Wan and Aurora prepared themselves to join the battle as they watched them descend the stairs. The two of them waited until Anakin and Ventress were on their level before jumping into the fight.

The dark side user was very skilled at blocking the Jedi's attacks. Her lightsabers moved as if they had a mind of their own as she initiated her own blows. Aurora was forced to jump after Ventress swung at her legs. She landed back on her feet with ease before swinging her lightsaber at the Separatist. To her dismay, the dark side user was able to dodge her attack. It wasn't long after that when Ventress used the Force to throw a piece of debris at the Jinn woman. Before she had a chance to react to the object coming at her, Obi-Wan jumped in front of Aurora and sliced the debris in half.

Not even a second after that passed when Ventress began ascending the staircase once again. She continued to block the Jedi's lightsabers until reaching the landing. The space between her and her enemies gave her enough time to turn and sprint up the next set of stairs. Aurora, Obi-Wan, and Anakin followed her without an ounce of hesitation. They ran down a hallway until they reached another room that was much smaller than the previous one. But they only made it a few steps into the room when Ventress hurled a dozen books at them. The Kenobi man stopped the books with ease before Aurora used the Force to spin them around and send them back at their attacker. Ventress used her arms to block as many as possible before sprinting down another hallway.

The Jedi quickly followed her before they found themselves in a room with a view overlooking Christophsis. Ventress was sitting in the center of the room with her lightsabers sheathed in her lap. She stared at the trio with her smirk still plastered on her lips. The Jedi sheathed their lightsabers but kept them in their hands as they studied the Separatist.

"Give up, Ventress."

"I'm all yours, Obi-Wan."

They ignited their lightsabers as they approached the dark side user. But none of them expected Ventress to ignite her lightsabers when they were only a few feet away. Her actions caused the ground below them to break away, sending the Jedi to the floor below them. Aurora groaned as she, Obi-Wan, and Anakin got to their feet. They looked back up to find the dark side user looking down at them.

"You've served your purpose," Ventress announced with a proud grin on her face.

The glare on Anakin's face deepened as he watched her before his attention fell on Aurora and Obi-Wan. "We have to get back. Now."

"It's already too late," their opponent declared, drawing their attention back to her before she continued speaking, "so hard to know whom to trust these days, isn't it?"

"What's the plan, Master?" the Skywalker boy questioned with anger in his voice while keeping his eyes glued to Ventress.

"Bringing us here was a mistake, my sweet," Obi-Wan responded, forcing Aurora to suppress an eye roll. She knew their banter was nothing but playful, but it still bothered her to no end. What the Jinn woman didn't notice was Anakin's sudden interest in her annoyance. But he knew this was neither the time nor the place to question her. So instead they both focused their attention back to the situation at hand when the Kenobi man continued speaking. "You've overestimated your abilities."

"Really?" Ventress said before sprinting away from them.

The Jedi quickly used the Force to jump back up to the top level. They then followed the dark side user, who used her lightsabers to shatter the window before running out onto the roof. Aurora, Obi-Wan, and Anakin didn't hesitate to follow her out of the building, only to find Ventess standing on top of a gigantic octuptarra magna tri-droid.

"Come and get me," she told them as Separatist ships began to surround the building.

"You didn't tell us you were bringing friends."

"Poor Obi-Wan. You've been betrayed," Ventress mocked before a glare replaced the smirk on her face, "and now we're about to take control of this world."

The next thing Aurora knew, Obi-Wan and Anakin jumped off the roof and landed on the giant droid's legs. She let out an annoyed sigh before quickly following their actions. Once they found their footing on the metallic surface, the Jedi used their lightsabers to slice the droid's legs in two. Ventress lunged toward Anakin and the two became locked in battle as the droid began to fall toward the planet's surface. Panic coursed through Aurora's veins as they got closer and closer to the ground. But she was quickly snapped out of her daze when Obi-Wan called out to her.

Not even a second after that passed when she watched him jump onto a Single Trooper Aerial Platform flying past them. Anakin was quick to copy his actions, followed by Aurora. After throwing the droids off the platforms, the Jedi flew back toward their base hoping to clean up Ventress' mess.

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What felt like an eternity passed before they finally returned to their base. The Jedi quickly made their way through the corridors and toward the command center. They planned to help Rex, Cody, and Grizz in their search for the traitor. But what they didn't expect to find after turning the last corner was the trio of clones escorting a cuffed clone out of the command center. And what added to the shock was who the traitor was.

"Slick? It was you?" Obi-Wan questioned as soon as he, Anakin, and Aurora stopped in front of him.

"He gave us a bit of a chase, sir," Rex told them without bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"You couldn't be a greater disappointment," Anakin sighed while crossing his arms over his chest, "how could you do this to your brothers?"

Slick simply scoffed in response before looking up to meet the Jedi's gazes. "Only a Jedi would ask that. It's the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more."

"And all you had to do to get it was put the rest of us all at risk," Rex said while Cody continued to glare at the traitor. To Aurora's surprise, Grizz hung back with a blank expression on his face. But before she had a chance to try to decipher what he was thinking, Slick began speaking once again.

"I...I love my brothers. You're too blind to see it, but I was striking a blow for all clones."

"If you loved your brothers, you wouldn't have put them at risk. You betrayed every one of us," Cody retaliated right as two clones turned the corner and began walking toward them. The clone in yellow glanced back at them before returning his attention to Slick. "Take him to lockup."

They watched him go in silence until Obi-Wan turned his attention back toward Rex, Cody, and Grizz. "Were you able to salvage anything from the weapons depot?"

"Slick pretty much scorched the whole thing," Rex explained before letting out a long sigh, "that seemed to be what he was going for all along."

"We managed to save the heavy cannons though," Cody added.

"That's good," the Kenobi man told them while thinking back to the information he, Aurora, and Anakin discovered on their trip, "because there are about a thousand battle droids on their way here."

"The fight goes on, gentleman," Anakin declared before he and Obi-Wan turned around and began walking down the hall they had just come from.

They only made it a few steps when they realized Aurora wasn't with them. When they looked back, they found her still standing in the hallway. Her eyes were glued to Grizz and she seemed to have no intention of going with them. Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged a quick look before the former called out to her. "Are you coming, Aurora?"

"I'll join you in a second," Aurora told them, earning small nods in response before she watched them turn the corner. As soon as they were out of sight, she sent a quick smile at Rex and Cody before walking toward Grizz. The lieutenant wouldn't make eye contact with her, which was more than enough to tell her something was bothering him. They let the silence surround them for another moment before the Jinn woman broke it. "Walk with me?"

Grizz simply sent a nod in response before the two of them walked in the opposite direction Obi-Wan and Anakin went. Neither of them said a word as they continued walking down the hall. But as soon as Aurora knew no one would be able to hear their conversation, she forced her friend to stop and face her. "What's wrong, Grizz?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't give me that. I've known you too long for you to play this off. Now what is it?"

The lieutenant just stared at her for a long moment, making Aurora begin to think he wasn't going to tell her anything. That was until he began speaking. "Slick kept accusing me of being the spy during our investigation. Said that it had to be me because I'm defective and a defective clone is a disloyal clone."

A wave of anger soon washed over Aurora that she quickly pushed away. She wouldn't let some traitor be the thing to push her over the edge. But she always hated it when people threw that in Grizz's face. She wished his unfortunate label wasn't known, but that was never an option. The Jedi had to know why the lieutenant couldn't be a permanent member of their legions and the clone quickly figured it out.

The Jinn woman let out a long sigh before placing a comforting hand on Grizz's shoulder. It wasn't long after that when she began speaking. "You aren't defective, Grizz. You're just different. We both are. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"Thank you, Aurora," Grizz responded before letting out a shaky breath, "I hope you're right."

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