Shadows of Tomorrow

Chapter 41 - Before You Go

Author's Note: I'm sorry. *sobs*

Also, I just need to scream that I am so proud that someone on ao3 has started a fic that was inspired by this one!!! I just cannot express how happy I am that someone found this fic so awesome (hopefully lol) that they decided to write something inspired by it. If you see this, thank you. You're awesome. ^-^

~ Amina Gila

"How are we ever going to find Ventress down here?" Theseus wonders as he and Anakin make their way through the busy streets of the underworld. As soon as Anakin left Padme at Ahsoka's cell to discuss the trial, the two of them headed out to the same level that Ahsoka was first spotted on with Ventress to begin with. If she's still here, she's likely going to be around somewhere on this level.

"When I look for her, she's easy to sense," Anakin replies as they keep moving, "She's close."

Anakin pauses in the middle of a walkway between two buildings, and moments later, an all too familiar figure walks into view down below. She suddenly pauses in her tracks, obviously sensing them.

Anakin jumps off the ledge, landing a short distance behind her. Theseus follows. "Anakin Skywalker," she greets, slowly turning around.

"I know you're behind all of this," Anakin snarls, lowly.

"Prove it," Ventress shoots back, whirling around and leaping onto the top of a nearby building.

Anakin ignites his lightsaber, jumping onto the building. Theseus jumps after him, only for Ventress' boot to promptly collide with his stomach. He stumbles back with a grunt, nearly falling over the railing. Anakin swings his lightsaber at her, and she ducks out of the way, punching at him. He shoves her back and his blade slashes through one of the poles near the walkway.

She doesn't draw her lightsabers, which is strange. Theseus ignites his own, just as Ventress flips over their heads and snatches up two pipes. She's planning to fight them with those? Where are her lightsabers? Did she lose them?

Theseus doesn't take the time to ponder it and lunges forwards, cutting through one of her pipes. Ventress swings the other at them, and Anakin lops it in half. He throws her back into the wall behind them, hard enough that the faintest fracture lines seem to form. Or at least, Theseus is pretty sure they weren't there a second ago.

Anakin raises his other hand – expression darker than Theseus ever remembers seeing – and Ventress' hands promptly fly to her neck as she's lifted in a Force choke. It should probably bother him more than it does, but he's too furious to care. If she's the one who did all this and set up Ahsoka, he'd be more than happy to kill her himself.

Anakin yanks Ventress over to him with the Force, wrapping a hand around her neck. "Tell me what happened," he growls.

Theseus aims his lightsaber at the Nightsister, in case she tries something, even if it's quite unnecessary. He has the overpowering urge to hurt someone right now, and he stubbornly refuses to give in.

"When I heard your little brat was on the run, I thought she might bring a large bounty," Ventress begins.

"Bounty?" the boys repeat in unison. Ahsoka had a bounty on her? Theseus isn't really surprised, but it makes him even more angry.

"I was going to catch your pet and turn her over to the authorities, collect whatever bounty was due."

Anakin lets go of her, and she stumbles a few steps away, coughing as she tries to catch her breath. "What stopped you?" he demands.

"At first, I admit I was just interested in the money and a little bit of revenge, but then I realized that your fallen Padawan and I had a lot in common." Excuse –