"Somebody has to save our skins!" I yelled as I pushed the droid I had decapitated onto the ground, sparks flying from its severed wires.

"Can you not see I am doing the best I can?"

I rolled my eyes as I stepped forward and blocked a laser from hitting my former best friend's face. I looked him right in the eyes and nearly growled through clenched teeth.

"Then do better."

Obi-Wan Kenobi just looked at me, his blue eyes peering deep into my brown ones. The sound of more droids drew our attention. We both raised our lightsabers as we stood back to back watching the metal soldiers surround us.

"I would say it's nice to see you again but I think now is not the time." His voice called over the roar of the incoming droids.

I swung my yellow saber, zapping the damp ground creating smoke. "You think? I wouldn't exactly call any of this nice considering it's your fault."

Despite the droids coming closer, Obi-Wan turned to look at me, his hurt expression almost making me regret what I said.

Almost.

"Deek-Ama, what will it take for you to forgive me and move on?"

I just stared at him, my eyes hardening as I decided to stay bitter. "Perhaps if you could help me convince the whole Galaxy and Outer Rim that I am not the bloodthirsty, cast away, disgraced Jedi you made me out to be. Tell Yoda to take me back. Give me my padawan you took. And help remind me why in the world we were friends in the first place."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth but the sound of all the droids stopping all at once gave him pause. We slowly looked around us; a wall of droids twelve rings deep separated us from freedom. I turned away from the red head and held up my sabor, staring the unfeeling machinery down.

When I was contacted by my broker, I didn't think having droid clean-up duty would not only come with complications but a side quest down memory lane. But after a small sparing between the two of us and the arrival of the droids, Obi-Wan told me that he, too, was sent here to take care of the last known large outpost of killer bots. He took it as a sign that we were to clear the air between us. I took it as a major inconvenience and rather stick my face in a pile of wompa dung than relive my painful past. It wasn't like I don't already think about that day like it happened yesterday.

I looked at Obi-Wan who now stood next to me, his face pulled into a concentrated stare. I had to glance away from his face in fear of my old self-resurfacing and telling me to throw myself into his arms and beg for things to go back to how they were. Figuratively. But I knew that was no way near possible. So I opted for my second choice. Raising my lightsaber, feeling the heat near my face, I chose my words carefully.

"After this, I never want to see you again."

Then I ran at the droids, yelling out my frustration, fear, and anger into the air.

"Deek, wait!" I heard him call after me, but I ignored him.

I swung my blade and sliced every droid that I could reach, the air filling with the stench of soldered wires and burning metal. I plowed through them like a Shaak let loose on a field. But something didn't feel right. I hacked, slice, and severed, the anger in my core slowly ebbing away. The tears that once pricked annoyingly behind my eyes finally stopped, leaving me feeling as though I had sobbed for hours. That was when I noticed what it was that seemed a bit off.

The droids weren't fighting back. I came to an abrupt stop, my saber pointed at the face of one of the battle droids. The hair that came loose from my braid and fell into my face moved with my labored breathing. My brows furrowed and I looked around. Not a single one of them moved, but I knew they were on by the flashing red light on each of their radio packs or ammunition arms.

I turned to a B2 super battle droid next to me, tapping its head. It did nothing. So I pushed it harder, toppling it and the ones around it to the ground. I turned around looking down the metal scraps littered path I had cleared to Obi-Wan who was also pushing over non-responsive droids.

I called out to him. "What do you think happened?"

Obi-Wan sheathed his lightsaber and took apart the relay grid off of a B2, turning it over in his hand. "I'm not sure. Perhaps the general hub has been damaged or destroyed."

I shook my head as I made my way over to him, sheathing my own sword. "No, or else they would have collapsed like they did on Naboo when Anakin had destroyed the command center."

Obi-Wan quickly looked at me, his eyes full of surprise. "You were there?"

I rolled my eyes. "But because I met you at the celebration dinner doesn't mean I didn't exist before then." I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I know I just didn't think-"

"I know that too."

And just like that my anger returned, Obi-Wan looking down with what I assumed was shame. I walked away from him, going back to where I had made a dent in the droid barrier. I kicked at one of the fallen scraps and looked up at the sky. It looked like it was about to start raining.

We were in a slightly more jungle area of Difnip 12, an area I wasn't fully familiar with. The last line of droids backed up against the tree line making me wonder if even more were back under the canopy. I also began to wonder how in the world these droids had not rusted or eroded in such a damp environment. I turned to a battle droid and took off its battery pack and started to mess with it, my fingers familiar with the feel of wiring and circuits. I looked up to see Obi-Wan doing the same to a B2 droid's arm. Shaking my head I moved faster, not wanting him to learn anything before me.

Suddenly the battle droid came to life, its eyes flashing on and it's gun falling to its side.

"Roger Roger," it relayed in its robotic voice, but it didn't move.

I gave it a look, turning my head slightly. "Last command given."

"Detain Jedi. Wait for further instructions."

I shook my head, dropping the relay pack, turning to look at the other Jedi. "I think we should just forget this and go. They're clearly not a threat anymore."

Obi-Wan looked up, his own hands dropping his relay pack but not for the same reason I did. My blood suddenly ran cold as I felt the Force suddenly constrict inside of me just as Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide while igniting his blue saber.

"DEEK-AMA!"

But it was too late. The ground opened up and took hold of my legs as I felt several pairs of arms wrap around me from behind. I tried to fight them off, knowing they weren't from the droids but some kind of human-like creature. And they were too strong for me. Things moved in slow motion as I tried to assess the situation.

The ground beneath me should have been a give away to what was going to happen. I looked down and noticed it was a vine nest of some sort. They don't like to be disturbed. Looking around I saw more of them right where droids were strategically placed around them. Then I also took note of the first few circles of droids were on, the ones after that were off. The deeper you got in the barricade the less amount of droids were on. That made it easy for these creatures do disguise themselves as the droids, the B2 droids to be exact. Lastly, I could then see several eyes staring back at me through the trees and in the leaves. I wanted to kick myself for being such a blind fool and even after the Force tried to warn me otherwise.

Obi-Wan raced after me, his eyes full of worry and fear. Something I hadn't seen since the day I was banished. Then something in me snapped. I looked my one dear friend in the eyes and gave him a sad smile, shaking my head.

"Get out of here. Go. I'm sorry."

Then I gave up. I stopped fighting. I let the creatures pull me back into the forest, Obi-Wan's cries drowned out by the exciting chapter of the woodland creatures that now came out in droves, pulling and tugging at my clothes and limbs. I closed my eyes and let them carry me away to who knows where, tears slipping down my cheeks for the first time since all those years ago.

~~~~~

I stared at where Deek-Ama once stood, my blue saber dropping to my side. I felt it first before I noticed it. Hundreds of these humanoid creatures came sulking out of the shadows and out of B2 droid carcasses so quickly I didn't know what to do. But as soon as I saw them start for Deek-Ama I panicked. I haven't panicked like that since my padawan days. I didn't know what to do. So by the time I had moved, she was already overtaken.

But it was the look in her eyes that nearly made me weep. She was done. She was through with fighting. Seeing me again most likely didn't help either. She was done remembering her past and what had happened to her. I couldn't really blame her either, especially since she was right that it was all my fault she was being hunted.

I didn't mean for the council to be so harsh, but I couldn't stand by and watch as she blatantly helped the separatists gain power. They took her padawan, Ahsoka, and banished her, the clothes on her back and the saber at her waist the only thing she had to her name. She lost everything all because of me and my quick actions. She told me it wasn't what it looked like and to this day I haven't an idea what she was really doing. But once we started winning more wars, I knew that part of it had to be thanks to her. However, it was too late to bring her back. That was when I vowed to do everything in my power to right her name and bring her home.

But it seems as though Fate wished for quite the opposite.

Rain started to pour and quickly grow stronger and stronger, forcing me into the woods. The decommissioned droids all fell to the ground from the sheer force of the rain. The vine nests covered themselves with the droids as lighting starting to strike. I looked around me, taking in the greenery and thick woods, wiping my hair from my eyes.

There, just a few meters away, was a strap of Deek-Ama's clothes. I rushed forward and took it, clenching it in my fist as I looked for more track marks. Sure enough, I could make out a path of broken greenery and drag marks on the ground. I kept her clothing scrap with me as I followed the path, turning and twisting with it as I hoped I was getting closer to wherever they were taking her.

Suddenly I heard voices, the Force around me pulling me in a direction other than the path I was following. I quietly leveled my breathing as I followed the sounds of chattering voices. Sure enough, past a wall of high brush, I found a small cove with a little river and waterfall. Peering over the foliage I saw the same creatures all huddled about, nearly hundreds of them climbing over each other to see something on the ground. A section of them moved revealing a Deek-Ama on the ground, unmoving and covered in what looked to be leaves.

I reached for my lightsaber but paused when he saw a figure step out from the depths of the cove, a figure I knew all too well.

Count Dooku.

Mace Windu made it a point to bring to my attention that I was one of the only Jedi who had mastered the ability to both uses and suppresses one's emotions at any given moment. But right now, the anger that seethed through my veins would have easily startled Yoda into sending them into isolation for deep meditation.

I clenched my saber tightly, sure my knuckles were going white as I watched the Sith lord walk up to Deek-Ama. Dooku knelt down and brushed something from her face before reaching down and taking away her lightsaber. With a deafening 'whoosh' in the quiet forest, Dooku illuminated her yellow sword, moving it about. After a few long seconds, he paused, said something I couldn't hear then lifted her saber over her head as if to run her through.

My lightsaber ignited and I ran forward, mutely bounding over to my dear friend's aid. Just as the Sith Lord was lowering her blade, I swatted it away with my own, sparks flying and the cove illuminating with a bright light I had only seen the day Deek-Ama was banished. The day she attacked me out of anger, and rightly so, my own sorrow being the only reason I defended myself against her blows.

I let out a breath and kept my saber pointed to Dooku's chest, my narrowed eyes never leaving his calculating ones.

"Ah, Master Kenobi. Come to reconcile with the one woman you ever cared for yet so easily betrayed."

"I do not have to reason with you, Dooku. Sulk back to your cave."

Dooku chuckled, looking at Deek-Ama then back to me. "Whatever it is you wish to do now that you have found her, I assure you will be done in vain. Do you not realize that when you alerted the counsel of her heritage it was the first time she too heard of such news."

Confusion and devastation coursed through me as I tried to make sense of what he was saying. I looked down at Deek-Ama's resting form, my face struggling to look unaffected by such a blow. Turning my attention back to Dooku, I moved so I was standing over her, protecting her as best I could.

"Lies," I seethed, backing him away.

Dooku raised his hands, dropping Deek-Ama's saber with a loud 'crack'. "You cannot tell me that she would ever know of her birth. No one of the council knew. Yoda may have discerned it but would you truly leave it up to him to alert her as to why she can feel the Dark Side so strongly?" Dooku shook his head. "No daughter of mine would have stood to be deceived. Therefore I am not at all surprised she went looking for me. Pity, she became stranded on a planet run by scoundrels and bounty hunters. So alone for so long."

I had heard enough. I raised my labor and lifted my hand, about to force him away when he let out a disgruntled shout, flying backward with amazing speed. I looked at my hand, confused as to what happened, I had not done anything.

There was a small grunt behind me and I turned, my eyes growing wide there was a small grunt behind me and I turned, my eyes growing wide to see Deek-Ama falling back on the ground, her face contorted in pain as she took shallow breaths. Coming to my senses, I dropped down to my knees beside her, putting away my saber and taking her head in my hands. Gently, I pulled her to me, blood slowly dripping down the side of her mouth. I stroked her hair back as her eyes slowly opened, her lips curving into a slight smirk.

"I suppose it's no mystery as to why I talk too much."

I gave her a small smile of my own, nodding. I continued to stroke her cheek, her hair, her tears as they fell. "Forgive me, dear friend."

Deek-Ama shook her head slowly, reaching up to place a cold shaking hand on my cheek. "There is nothing to forgive. You did what you thought was right. You were not aware of my ignorance. I was angry." She winced as she took a deep breath.

I looked down at her body, looking for what caused her pain. Those goblin-looking things must not have been gentle with her. She looked to be in bad shape but if I were to act quickly I could save her. Despite knowing what the Jedi counsel thought of her, I still wished to salvage what friendship I had with her. Quickly, I contacted my convoy and turned back to the woman in my arms.

"Come back with me."

"Home?" She whispered as her hand fell on my arm.

I smiled kindly, nodding. "Home."