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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒

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Aurora had spent the last month training Laken alongside Grizz and part of the 212nd at the Jedi Temple. She thought it was a waste of their time, especially since a war was happening in the galaxy. The Jinn woman never had the urge to join the battles, only to aid those in need. But after spending weeks within the Temple's walls, Aurora was willing to do anything to get out, even if that meant waltzing onto a battlefield. Unfortunately for her, the Jedi Council thought it would be a great way to get Laken used to fighting alongside the battalion. And for Aurora, it was to get used to fighting alongside the same battalion instead of going where she was needed.

But the Jinn woman knew the real reason why they kept her at the Jedi Temple. She knew that the Jedi Council wanted to show her that the mission was always the most important thing. But there would always be part of Aurora that disagreed with that, no matter how many times she was reminded.

Just as they were about to start Laken's next round of training, the sound of the door opening and closing caught Aurora's attention. They weren't supposed to be disturbed for another hour. When the Jinn woman turned her attention toward the door, she found a Youngling approaching her. He looked to be a few years younger than Laken. It wouldn't surprise Aurora if he began his Jedi training soon.

"Master Jinn," the brunette boy greeted with a bow before standing back up at his full height, "Master Yoda would like to see you in the communication center."

"The communication center? Interesting place to meet," Aurora muttered under her breath, unsure as to why the Jedi Grandmaster would want to speak to her there, "Alright. Thank you..."

"Caleb. Caleb Dume."

"Thank you for delivering the message, Caleb," the Jedi Knight told the young boy, earning a small nod from the Youngling. After watching him leave the room, Aurora turned her attention to Laken. "I need to see Master Yoda. You keep practicing. I'll be back soon."

"Have fun," the Diem girl said before returning to the mat to rejoin the clones.

Aurora watched her Padawan for a moment before walking out of the training room. Dozens of thoughts bounced around in her head as she walked through the halls, all focusing on what Yoda could possibly need her for. The two of them hadn't spoken much in the last few months, only to get her training assignment. Aurora wondered if it was because he was disappointed in her for putting Laken above the mission. But she knew that Yoda was above that. He wouldn't let something as small as that get in the way of the relationship they built during her training.

It wasn't long before Aurora finally reached her destination. She let out a long sigh as she entered the communication room, only to stop in her tracks when she saw that the room was empty. Well, somewhat empty.

"Hello, Aurora," Obi-Wan's hologram greeted while watching the brunette woman stop in front of the holotable, "it's been a while. How's Laken's training going?"

"It's been going well. She's come a long way since you last saw her," Aurora responded as she crossed her arms over her chest, "but something tells me you didn't call to ask about her training. Is everything alright?"

The Kenobi man couldn't help but let out a long sigh before responding. "Not quite. Anakin's missing. I could use your help with this."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" the Jinn woman muttered under her breath. After taking her turn to let out a sigh, she continued speaking. "I'm always happy to help, Obi-Wan, but I would need the Council's permission to join you."

"I already received their permission, but I wanted to see if you wanted to join me."

"Why wouldn't I want to join you on another life-threatening mission?" Aurora teased, earning a small smile from Obi-Wan, "send me your current location. I'll join you once I get someone to cover Laken's training sessions."

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It didn't take long for Aurora to arrive at the Kenobi man's ship, which was located far in the Outer Rim. He quickly caught her up on everything he knew as they traveled toward Anakin's last known location. Aurora still wasn't surprised that the Skywalker boy was the one missing, but she was surprised that Count Dooku was involved. Obi-Wan finished his explanation right as they arrived at their destination, which was a lone Separatist ship. Again, the Jinn woman wasn't surprised. The Jedi quickly changed into their spacesuits before making their way toward the exit of the ship. Once they knew everyone was clear, they opened the door and began their spacewalk.

Chills ran throughout Aurora's body as they flew through space. She always hated these kinds of missions. She was always afraid that her jetpack would malfunction and she would be left alone in space. But Aurora never told anyone about how she felt. She didn't need anyone thinking she was weak. So instead, the Jinn woman pushed away her fears and stuck as close to Obi-Wan as possible.

What felt like an eternity passed before they finally reached the Separatist ship. Aurora waited beside Obi-Wan as he pushed a red button, causing it to turn green. Not even a second after that passed when a door below them opened, allowing them to enter the lone ship. The Jedi quickly discarded their suits and began silently walking down one of the halls. It wasn't long before they reached one of the control rooms. The two of them remained in the shadows, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to themselves. As soon as they knew they wouldn't be spotted, Obi-Wan and Aurora snuck passed a droid and into another hallway.

Neither of them said a word as they walked down the corridor. They barely made it a few more steps when the Kenobi man stopped in front of a door, forcing Aurora to do the same. They exchanged a quick look before Obi-Wan pressed a big blue button, causing the door to open. But Anakin wasn't on the other side. Instead, they were greeted by two pirates staring back at them.

"Don't bother to get up. You're not the prisoner I'm looking for," Obi-Wan announced before pressing the same button, closing the door in the pirates' faces.

"I think we interrupted their game," Aurora said with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, no. That wasn't my intention," the Kenobi man chuckled as they approached the next door.

Now it was Aurora's turn to press the big blue button. She waited for Obi-Wan to enter the cell before following them. Both of them were on high alert when they realized the room was empty. Just as the Jinn woman was about to speak, she sensed a presence behind them. Aurora and Obi-Wan seemed to work in unison as they ignited their lightsabers and spun around. But all they found was Anakin staring back at them with a hint of shock in his eyes, not expecting to have two lightsabers pointed at his neck.

"Oh, it's you," the Skywalker boy muttered under his breath as the shock faded from his face.

Aurora couldn't help but roll her eyes at Anakin as she and Obi-Wan extinguished their lightsabers. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"This is how you thank us for rescuing you?" the Kenobi man said while gesturing to where his former Padawan dropped down from, "pounce on us from the ceiling?"

"Kind of difficult without a lightsaber," Anakin retaliated, only for his voice to trail off when she saw Obi-Wan holding out his lightsaber. He quickly took his lightsaber from his former Master and hooked it onto his belt. "Thanks."

"Did you manage to locate Dooku before landing in jail?" the redheaded man asked as the three exited the cell.

"Well, I know he's on board," Anakin responded before letting out a somewhat irritated sigh, "I might have been able to do something about it if I had my weapon."

"It was important for you to arrive without it so your capture would be convincing," Obi-Wan declared, earning a confused look from Aurora.

"Wait, hang on," the Jinn woman said, drawing their attention toward her before she continued speaking, "are you saying that Anakin's capture was planned? Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Would you have come along if it wasn't an emergency?"

"I've been training at the Jedi Temple for the last month. I would've come if you said Anakin got his lightsaber stuck in his ship's exhaust pipe."

"Right. Like that would ever happen," the Skywalker boy scoffed as they turned a corner that led to another corridor, "how come I'm the one getting caught all the time? It doesn't look good."

"When you're a Jedi Master, you can make the plan," Obi-Wan responded without looking back at his former Padawan.

"That's just it. How can I become a Jedi Master if I'm always getting caught?" Anakin retaliated.

"At least you're a master at getting caught," the Kenobi man declared, gaining a small chuckle from Aurora that earned her a glare from Anakin.

It wasn't long before they finally reached the end of the hall, which led them to the largest door they'd encountered on the ship. They hesitated after sensing a dark presence on the other side. But that only lasted for a moment before Obi-Wan pressed a button on the panel beside him, causing the door to slide open. Aurora couldn't fight the breath getting caught in her throat when she found Count Dooku meditating in the center of the chamber. But after letting out a silent breath, she followed Obi-Wan and Anakin into the room.

"Surprise, surprise. If it isn't Count Dooku," the Kenobi man said after he and his allies stopped a few yards away from the Sith Lord.

The Jedi didn't waste a second as they grabbed their lightsabers from their belts and ignited them. However, the sight of three lightsabers aimed at him didn't faze Count Dooku in the slightest. Instead, he simply let out an irritated sigh while keeping his eyes closed as if he were still meditating. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought I sensed an unpleasant disturbance in the Force. I see you and Aurora have freed young Skywalker. Where might he be if you weren't always around to rescue him?"

The next thing they knew, the entire ship began shaking. Not even a second after that passed when a droid's voice cut through the air. "Sir, there's a Jedi cruiser attacking."

"Your ship is surrounded, Count," Anakin declared as the Sith Lord slowly opened his eyes to glare at the Jedi. It wasn't long after that when the three of them prepared for a fight. "Republic troops are boarding as we speak."

"Jedi fools," Count Dooku scoffed as the floor opened below him, allowing him to make a quick and easy escape.

"We should've seen that coming," Aurora announced before her attention landed on Anakin, who was approaching the hole in the floor, "what are you doing?"

"Following him," the Skywalker boy said in a way that made it seem like it should've been obvious.

"Not that way. We need to cut him off," Obi-Wan retaliated while they extinguished their lightsabers.

"He's right, Anakin. Going down there isn't gonna solve our problems," Aurora added, earning an eye roll from Anakin.

"You two cut him off. I'll follow him and meet you at the hangar," the brunette boy told them before leaping into the hole.

"Why do I even try with him?" the Kenobi man muttered under his breath.

"I always ask myself that question whenever I'm with the two of you," Aurora announced, only for Obi-Wan to scoff before they rushed out of the room.

The two of them ran through the halls, not caring if any droids saw them. For if they did, the Jedi took them out with ease. Their pace didn't slow until they made it to the docking bay, where they were helpless to stop Count Dooku from taking off in his ship. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate to sprint toward the ship Anakin arrived on, forcing Aurora to follow him. The Kenobi man had barely started their ship when they heard the droids firing at something. The Jinn woman couldn't help but glance back just in time to see Anakin board their ship. Once he was safely inside, Aurora pressed the button to close the door before Obi-Wan took off.

"I thought you were following Dooku," the Kenobi man said after Anakin sat down on the other side of Aurora.

"I was. I followed him here," the Skywalker boy retaliated while taking the controls in front of him to help steer the ship.

Aurora's grip around her armrests became so tight her knuckles turned white as they flew toward the closing hagar door. Her breath got caught in her throat when they barely managed to squeeze through the exit right as the door closed. The Jinn woman just stared out the window before letting out a long sigh and glancing between Obi-Wan and Anakin. "I didn't miss flying with either of you."

"Aw, but I really missed seeing the nervousness in your eyes," the Skywalker boy mocked with a large grin on his face, earning an eye roll from Aurora.

"Ahsoka, Dooku managed to escape," Obi-Wan said into the comms, completely ignoring the conversation happening beside him, "we're in pursuit, but we could use reinforcements. Follow us in what ships you can round up."

"We'll get there as soon as we can," the Tano girl declared.

It wasn't long after that when Aurora grabbed the controls in front of her. Determination flowed through her veins as she lined her target up on the screen. Once it was centered, she pressed the buttons repeatedly. Shots instantly fired from their ship, mostly making contact with stray asteroids. But soon one lucky blast hit the back of Count Dooku's ship, causing it to erupt in flames and fall toward the nearest planet.

"That was easy!" Anakin exclaimed after letting out a triumphant laugh.

"Lucky for you, Captain Panaka taught me well," Aurora responded with a proud smile on her lips.

But their victory was short-lived when Count Dooku's droids began blasting at them. The joy on the Skywalker boy's face soon vanished as he looked over at the woman beside him. "Well, now those fighters are attacking."

"I see them," Aurora announced without hesitating to fire at their oncoming enemy.

"Uh, he's getting too close," Anakin said while Obi-Wan stayed silent, trying to think of a way out of their current situation.

Not even a second after that passed when the droids hit one of their engines. Tension formed in the air as Obi-Wan and Anakin steadied the ship, which was falling at an increasing speed. The only good thing was that they were headed toward the same planet Count Dooku had crash-landed on. Beeping was the only thing that cut through the silence on the ship. That was until the Skywalker boy began speaking once again right after they broke through the atmosphere.

"Lucky for you, I'm an excellent pilot," the young Jedi declared while pulling back on a lever, causing the landing gear to deploy.

Their ship continued to shake as they got closer and closer to the planet's surface. What felt like an eternity passed before they finally made contact with the ground. The ship glided across the dirt with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. That was all it took for Aurora's hands to return to her armrests, once again turning an eerie white.

"For all your expertise, this is not a very smooth landing," Obi-Wan told his former Padawan, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

"And if Aurora had hit that second fighter, we wouldn't be in this mess," Anakin argued as the ship continued to spin out of control.

"Says the one who followed Dooku down his own tunnel without a plan," the Jinn woman retaliated while trying her best not to give in to her nausea.

It wasn't long after that when their ship finally stopped moving. The Jedi couldn't help but exchange a look before leaving their seats. Their senses were on high alert as they left their ship, unsure of what they would find on the planet they landed on. What they didn't expect was to spot Count Dooku's ship sitting a few yards away from them. Their senses were on overdrive as Obi-Wan cautiously approached the ship. Anakin and Aurora followed closely behind, prepared to jump into battle at any second.

They were barely a foot away from the ship when they heard a faint beeping. It didn't take long for Obi-Wan to find the source of the sound. His eyes scanned over a small device attached to the side of Count Dooku's ship. "What's this? A homing beacon?"

"Which means the distinguished count is waiting for help," Aurora mocked while brushing her fingertips over the flashing object, "he has to be hiding somewhere close enough for the droids to find him."

"His engine is damaged. He's not going anywhere," Anakin declared after looking over the condition of the Count's ship. The Skywalker boy soon unsheathed his lightsaber and cut the beacon in two, detaching it from the ship and sending it to the ground. "Especially not without a homing beacon."

Not even a second after that passed when the Kenobi man called out to them, causing Aurora and Anakin to look over and find him pointing at something in the distance. "Caves are a good place to start searching."

"Oh, great. A dark mysterious cave. I'm sure nothing will go wrong," the Jinn woman muttered under her breath, earning an eye roll from Obi-Wan and a chuckle from Anakin. However, all of Aurora's wit soon faded when they walked through the mouth of the cave. "That's strange."

"You sense it too," the redheaded man said while trying and failing to look through the darkness surrounding them, "many life forms in there."

A determined look soon appeared on Anakin's face as he grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. "And Dooku's one of them."

"Let's try to get him before something else does," Obi-Wan told them before he and Aurora copied the Skywalker boy's actions. But the Jinn woman wasn't expecting to find Obi-Wan looking over at her with a hint of worry in his eyes. "You should stay out here and keep watch, Aurora."

Aurora couldn't help but stare at Obi-Wan with a hint of confusion in her eyes. "We were just talking about all the life forms in there. Some of them could be hostile. And you want me to keep watch?"

"Obi-Wan is right, Aurora," Anakin added, earning shocked looks from both of his allies, "what? It would be nice to have someone out here in case Dooku manages to slip past us."

The Jinn woman couldn't help but let out an irritated sigh as she extinguished her lightsaber. "Fine. I'll stay here. But if I even think you two are in trouble, I'm coming in after you."

The two of them instantly sent her nods in response before venturing further into the cave. She kept her eyes glued to them for as long as she could. Chills ran throughout Aurora's entire body when they disappeared into the darkness. The only sign that Obi-Wan and Anakin even existed was the shine from their lightsabers.

Despite knowing she should be calm and collected, Aurora couldn't help but pace in front of the cave entrance. She tried to keep her emotions at bay, like she was trained to do. Yet, she was worried about her friends and wanted to be there to help them. But deep down, the Jinn woman knew it was best if one of them stayed behind. It was a large cave and they didn't need Count Dooku evading them again. She just wished it was one of them who stayed back and not here. If there was one thing Aurora hated more than anything else in the world, it was the unknown.

The Jinn woman was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when the ground began to shake. She didn't think much about it, that was until she heard a loud crash coming from within the cave. Aurora was about to sprint into the cave when she spotted a figure approaching her. She instantly knew it wasn't Obi-Wan or Anakin. Not only were they alone, but a dark aura was radiating off them. Determination replaced all the other emotions the Jinn woman was feeling as she unsheathed and ignited her lightsabers. Not even a second after that passed when Count Dooku stepped into the light.

"Ah, Aurora. I was wondering when you'd show up again," the Sith Lord said while scanning over every inch of the Jedi in front of him, "I see you're still sporting the scar from our encounter on Geonosis."

The Jinn woman remained silent as she tightened her grip around her lightsaber. Every part of her knew she wouldn't be able to defeat the Sith Lord on her own. He was much stronger and had more experience than she did. All she could do was hope to stall him until her friends reappeared. "Where are Obi-Wan and Anakin?"

"I'm surprised that's your first question," the former Jedi Master responded with a somewhat sinister smirk on his face, "but if you must know, they're still in the cave...under a pile of fallen rubble."

Aurora's blood instantly ran cold as she continued to stare at the Sith Lord, whose smile did nothing but grow. It was at that moment that she realized that Anakin's lightsaber was hanging from his belt. She quickly shook away her emotions as best as she could and focused back on the mission, like Master Windu wanted her to do. "Count Dooku, you're under arrest by the order of the Republic."

"So much like your uncle. Torn between helping your allies and completing the mission," Count Dooku commented before letting out a long sigh, "I still believe he would've been a great ally, just like you would be. The offer to join me still stands."

"Things will be a lot easier for you if you come peacefully," was all Aurora said in response, earning a scowl from the Sith Lord.

The next thing the Jinn woman knew, Count Dooku sent a continuous bolt of lightning in her direction. She didn't hesitate to move her lightsaber directly in front of her, blocking the Sith Lord's attack. Unfortunately for Aurora, that wasn't all the former Jedi Master had in store for her. The second Count Dooku extinguished his lightning, the Jinn woman's feet left the ground. Despite everything she did, Aurora couldn't manage to break free from the Sith Lord's grasp. Count Dooku held her there for a second longer before tossing her through the air like she was nothing.

A groan passed over Aurora's lips as she forced herself to her feet. She tried to ignore the pain emitting throughout her body as she reached for her lightsaber, only to find it nowhere nearby. It didn't take long for her to locate it a few yards away, directly in front of Count Dooku's feet. The former Jedi Master didn't hesitate to pick it up and place it on his belt next to Anakin's. Aurora felt helpless as she watched the Sith Lord turn back toward the cave with his hands in the air. Before the Jinn woman had a chance to think, Count Dooku brought his hands back down to his sides, forcing rocks to fall from the cave ceiling and block the only way out.

"No!" Aurora shouted as she charged at the Sith Lord, not caring that she didn't have a lightsaber to defend herself. However, she didn't make it very far when her entire body froze. Panic began coursing through her veins as she tried to move, but none of her limbs were doing what they were told. It wasn't long before Count Dooku approached her with his hands held out in front of him. He continued walking toward her until he was standing just a few feet away. Aurora held his gaze for what felt like an eternity before forcing herself to speak. "Just kill me and get it over with. I'm tired of the suspense."

"Who said anything about killing you?" the Sith Lord responded, the smirk slowly returning to his face. He then grabbed Aurora's arms behind her back and placed her in stuncuffs. As soon as they were activated, Count Dooku released her from his Force hold. "I know your reinforcements are on the way. So you're my ticket off this desolate planet."

"I won't help you."

"You don't have a choice. Now move. I'd like to get off this planet as soon as possible."

Aurora didn't move an inch as she stared at the man in front of her with defiance in her eyes. If she was going to be taken prisoner, she wasn't going to make it easy. Count Dooku simply rolled his eyes at her before grabbing her arm and forcing her to walk away from the cave. As they ventured across the desolate landscape, the Jinn woman silently hoped that Obi-Wan and Anakin would find a way to escape the cave without her. But she also hoped that they wouldn't be the ones to save her. She would never hear the end of it if they did.

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