Comfort Zone

Six

As soon as the rain hit the camp, Anakin rushed an ill Obi-Wan and an injured Ahsoka into a nearby crashed freighter. The rain had a foul scent to it, a sour blue milk tint. Everything about the moisture felt rotten, not to mention the stinging sensation that came along with it.

He carefully laid Obi-Wan into the busted cockpit, folding out the captain's chair into a makeshift bed. The window outside was singed, dark with liquid. The acidity in the rain wasn't enough to bleed through glass and metal durasteel, to Anakin's relief.

The Jedi Knight's head pounded with every strain of his muscles. It felt as if his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets as he felt so much pressure behind them.

Willing the pain away, he set Ahsoka gently down onto the co-pilot's seat. The cast Quinlan had crafted for her looked musty and damp. Shrivelled, giving off a foul odor. It'd have to be changed soon.

R2 sat between them, beeping as always. He must have been in full power mode for hours now. Anakin wondered how R2 managed to upkeep his power reserves, but as long as he remains online, he won't ask questions.

Obi-Wan wreathed in the chair, mumbling incoherently. Anakin felt a knife of pain and guilt puncture his chest. He couldn't stand seeing his Master in such a vulnerable state. His only hope now was for R2 to reach someone.

With every hour that passes by, that waterfall of hope slowly turns into a weak stream. Anakin's furnace heart only grew stronger.

"Master?" Ahsoka quipped, sitting up slightly, wincing at her movements. "How long has Master Vos been gone?"

Anakin closed his eyes, bringing a damp palm to his forehead, pinching the skin between his eyes. "Half an hour, maybe. Why?"

"Did he take his lightsaber with him?"

"I'd assume so."

"Then whose lightsaber is this?"

Snapping open his eyes, he followed Ahsoka's gaze to a glovebox beside her, a curved lightsaber hilt poking through. Snatching it, he recognized the design. Dooku.

Igniting it, a blaze of red illuminated the ship. Anakin felt a pull, a coax to something. The interior is familiar now, sigils carved into the walls with careful aggression, the aesthetic of red and black. He lowered his head.

"We're on Ventress's ship."

At that, R2 chirped enthusiastically, beeping coordinates rapidly approaching them, but when Ahsoka cheered, Anakin didn't smile.

A roar broke Quinlan out of his trance-like state. Spending kriff knows how long glaring at the smoldering ashes of the fire across from him left his eyes dry and stinging. Blinking rapidly, he looked towards the opening of the cave to see the shadow of an enormous vessel soar above the trees. His heart pounded in his chest, recognizing the clone commander symbols on the doors.

"Looks like we've got company."

Ventress stood from her spot and gripped the lightsaber at her hip. Quinlan thought of an idea.

As she moved to tread past him, he carefully watched her footing and quickly extended his left leg, effectively tripping her and resulting in her collapsing against the jagged ground.

The startling sound of flesh hitting stone awoke Boba with a fright, instinctively reaching for his blaster and pointing it at Vos.

Vos shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly at the child. He was more concerned with the furious Dathomirian, fuming. If she clenched her teeth any tighter, she'd be foaming at the mouth. Vos noticed the crimson tint in her tousled blonde hair, and how it trickled down the side of her face.

Maybe that wasn't the best idea.

A sudden tightness found its way in his throat, and his breathing hindered at the intrusion. Invisible fists clenched his neck as he floundered in her phantom grip.

"If you weren't useful to me, I'd have you swallow the length of your intestines."

With a final clench, Ventress released, and Vos breathed raggedly.

"You're brave, Jedi. But foolish."

Another stupid idea. Quinlan tilted his head at Ventress's words. "Those are Dooku's words, aren't they?"

Boba gasped from his corner, looking at Vos in silent horror. Ventress's shoulders twitched as he stared at her exposed back. The tendons contracted and the muscles expanded.

"That's it." Was all Ventress said before she leaped atop Vos, crushing his abdomen with her weight, and wailed on his chest.

Before she could get a dozen punches in, Vos bucked his head into her chin, causing her to shout and stumble back. Quinlan raised to his feet, struggling slightly. A click echoed in the cave, and he heard a blaster fire.

Honing into the Force, he turned to Boba just in time for the plasma bullet to ricochet against his stun cuffs, which snapped at the attack.

"Oh, Kriff " He heard the boy mutter, and Vos could almost laugh.

Almost.

Before he had the time to enjoy himself, a weight pulled him down to the floor onto his stomach. A hand wrapped itself around his dreadlocks and another pressed the cold opening of a lightsaber hilt against the hollow of his throat.

"Go ahead," Ventress hissed in his ear. "Make my day."

Instead of a response from Vos, Boba was the one that broke the silence.

"They're here-!" He shouted, before a shot of a stun-gun was heard, and Boba collapsed.

"Kriff," As quickly as she was atop him, she fled to the Mandalorian, only to be stunned as well, falling to the floor with a sickening thud beside him.

Vos staggered to rise, and was aided by the cool armor of the 501st legion of Clone Troopers. He mustered a small thanks and limped to the ship waiting for him at the entrance of the cave.

As he entered the medical bay, Vos was almost blinded by the white of the room.

"You're not faring too well, no?"

A smile formed on Vos's chapped lips at the sound of his friend's voice.

"You have no idea."