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Leverage

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Anakin's POV
"And that's how we ended up in the cave with Cal. But I promise she's okay now, just a little beat up and tired."

I side-eyed her, completely blaming her for all of this right now, "A little beat up?" I kept my composure calm even though I was burning with rage on the inside, "After all she's been through, you dragged her here on a suicide mission. Where she got shot with an arrow, and miraculously you are unscathed." This was Ashoka's idea yet (y/n) is the one paying the price. Maybe I should stab her with an arrow. Okay, I would never actually do that, but it's going to take me awhile to forgive her for this one.

She avoided eye contact, "I know, I already feel bad enough as it is, you don't have to make me feel worse." She quickened her steps so she was ahead of me and we were no longer walking side by side, "We're almost there." She said low, "Just a few more minutes."

I followed quietly behind her and looked around at all the trees surrounding us. I'd sense if someone was close, so would she now that I removed her collar, so I was looking around at nature rather than for the enemy. Though my gaze locked on a figure not far from where we were causing me to stop in my tracks, "I hope you haven't forgotten your promise." The apparition of Mather Talzin remained at a distance, but her voice was close, almost as if she were whispering against my ear.

"I haven't," I whispered back. Ahsoka hadn't notice that I stopped and continued walking, I could hardly see her anymore, "As you may have noticed, something came up."

She hummed, "I do see that, but I am also aware that you're having second thoughts about bringing my son Maul back to me."

"He murdered Qui-Gon and almost killed Obi-Wan," I reminded her bitterly, "Of course I'm having second thoughts."

"Dire repercussions will take place if you go back on your word Skywalker." She warned me, "You came to me for my services—"

"Going to you was a mistake and not my idea, I could have found her without you."

"But you did come to see me, and you didn't find her without me. So keep to your word, or your future will become very bleak, very fast." Following her warning, she disappeared. Her apparition evaporated into white mist that came my way and went right through me. Cold washed over my body and I shivered as goosebumps arose along my skin.

Screaming filled my mind and my head pounded in pain, "Master Skywalker, what are we going to do?" I heard a small voice speak, followed by more screaming and the sound of a lightsaber searing through flesh.

"Stop, please stop." I cried, tears filling my eyes as I dropped to my knees, "I'll do it, just stop." I begged for the pain and the voices to end.

And it did, everything lifted at once and the relief came with a wave of calmness, "Master Skywalker, what are you doing on the floor?"

I looked up to the voice. Ahsoka was staring down at me, confused, "Um I was—" I stood up with a deep breath and glanced in the direction Mother Talzin had just been, "I was just tying my shoe." We had agreed before that we wouldn't search for Maul. We had thought; what could Mother Talzin do to us from another planet? But something is now telling me she has a lot more up her sleeve than we gave her credit for.

Those screams, those visions of death, where did they come from? What will she do if I defy her? Would it be worse than handing her Maul and risking him wreaking havoc?

"Well let's go," She continued walking again.

I got up and wiped the dirt from my knees with a sigh, I'll be damned if I do and damned if I don't.

A few minutes passed and Ahsoka stopped walking which caused me to walk right into her, "What the hell," I complained, "Why'd you stop?"

I looked around her at the cave that was uncovered, blood could be seen outside of it and the longer I looked, the more I began to realize there was a leg sticking out. In an instant she was running towards it and I was running behind her. Both of us panicked beyond belief that the leg belonged to someone we cared about.

We entered the cave and stopped when we were standing over the body. We sighed in unison, relief washing over us when we saw it was neither Cal nor (y/n), just another one of those vile people with a metal rod through his eye socket. The rest of the cave was empty, other than a spot on the floor with smeared blood next to a burnt out fireplace, "Maybe they got away." Ahsoka mumbled, continuing to inspect the cave as I was.

I turned around and noticed multiple sets of footprints within the dirt surrounding the entrance, "I don't think so, it looks like they were outnumbered." And from the looks of it, they took this man out fighting back.

She faced me, brows furrowed, "Why would they take them then? They've been killing us and leaving corpses around this place like they're decorations. Taking hostages isn't apart of their routine."

I thought for a moment, my finger rubbing against my lip, "Unless, they know Luke and I are here, unshackled. Leverage is the best thing they can have in this situation. Their only advantage now." At least there's a chance they're alive.

For their sake, she better be or I'm not only going to kill them, I'm going to start wiping out bloodlines.

"Come on, we'll follow their footprints to see if they'll lead us to them."

Luke's POV
Hidden atop a tree, the leaves and branches gracing me with cover, I glared down at a hidden base. It wasn't hard to find. For hunters, they sure are careless with the amount of tracks they leave around, a child could have found them.

I watched their every move, and counted as many as I could see. With the amount Anakin and I got rid of, their numbers seem to be significantly low, only about half a dozen were there.

I moved slowly along a thick branch, like a tiger stalking their prey. I had seen them take my mother and Cal inside not too long ago, hostages doesn't seem like their forte. But if my guess is correct, they know they have a couple of Jedi here unrestrained, this is the only leverage they have. Knowing I could kill then with the snap of a finger.

One poor soul was on patrol and his slow strides led him near me. When I knew there was no one else around I used the force to lift him from the ground high enough to lock eyes with me. He was taken by surprise, therefore he dropped his weapon on the way up, "Scream and I'll drop you." From this height, he'll die on impact. His eyes widened as the fear set in, "I just have a question, where can I find your ship?"

"We don't—"

I dropped him, but only a few feet before I caught him again and brought him back up with a smile, "Bullshit, there's no way I'm going to believe you idiots stay on this island twenty-four seven, there's an emergency ship somewhere and I just want to know where it is." This way I get my mother, Cal, Ahsoka, and Anakin and we leave immediately.

"We don't have one I swear," He cried, "But wait!" He yelled when he saw a shift in my hand, indicating I was getting ready to let him fall to his death, "There's a ship coming in an hour to pick up the Chief, he leaves every evening at the same time while the rest of us stay here and man the island."

"By man the island, do you mean search for your captives during the night in hopes to catch them sleeping for an easy kill?"

He was silent and shaking.

I hummed, "Figures, now where will it land?"

"Here on the base in plain sight, I swear that's everything I know."

"Not everything, where are the two people that were just brought in being held?"

"Holding cell," He answered fast.

I rolled my eyes, obviously, "And where is that?" I asked while clenching my jaw.

He gave me the directions to the holding cell from the entrance I've been watching this whole time. I smiled and placed two fingers in his temple, "Thank you for your cooperation," I quickly put him to sleep and lowered him back down to the ground, hiding his unconscious body in a bush.

With a deep breath I jumped down and landed next to the weapons he had dropped previously. The same as the previous men, a bow and a quiver of arrows... does no one use blasters anymore?

I suppose it gives the feel of a real hunt. Who knows how these idiots think.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" I yelled as I approached the base entrance. The door slid open and someone appeared, without missing a beat I flung him against the wall and knocked him unconscious. That's two out of the six I've seen, so there's around four people left, possibly one or two more if I missed anyone.

I followed the directions I was given towards the holding cell, not seeing anyone else as I turned down the halls that reminded me of a ship itself. What is the purpose of this place? There has to be more to it than killing Jedi, specially Padawans, for sport. This place was too well maintained and expensive looking for simple hunters.

I made a final turn and stood outside a door that was meant to be the holding cell, if I was given the right directions that is. I paused and peered through the glass on the door, searching for—there she is. I sighed with relief and opened the door, trying to hold back my happiness. I needed to look professional and not as if this was a personal mission.

But a smile couldn't be contained—Mom.

She was laying unconscious on a bed made out of a metal slab and Cal was sitting next to her, eyes open and feet tapping impatiently. His gaze darted upwards, meeting mine, "Don't," He warned, standing up fast just as I was about to take a step in. I paused my food midair, "He knew you'd come, it's a trap. The floor will shock you."

I brought my foot back to me and stared at the ground. Little volts of electricity could be seen moving through the floor made of grates.

Definitely more than just hunters.

My mind immediately went to the separatists, it would make sense for them to work with these people in lessening the competition by removing a large portion of the next generation of Jedi. It's just a theory, but a damn good one that I'm finding hard to shake.

I sensed someone close to me and looked to my right to see a hunter approaching me with a stick with a volt of electricity on the end. He was about to push it against my neck when I avoided it by taking a step back and grabbing ahold of it from the middle. I pulled it from his hands and upper cut him with the end he was previously holding, hitting him under his jaw before twisting it around to electrocute him. His body shook uncontrollably before he dropped to the floor.

Down the hallway were three more heading in my direction, and on the other side were another three. It's six against one, they likely felt elated. Little do they know that I still had the advantage. I dropped the weapon and raised up both my palms, causing all six to lift in the air. I threw my hands up and they slammed against the ceiling before I threw my hands back down, so they'd slam against the floor.

I thought it was easy, I thought I had the upper hand. But a sharp pain in my neck said otherwise. I touched the spot where I felt the sting and pulled out what looked to be a dart.

My vision was hazy, my balance was gone.

I dropped to my knees and watched as someone approached me, his legs getting closer and closer the more my vision began to drift away, "Let Tambor know we caught another one of the knights and we'll have the other two by nightfall."

"Yes sir."

"He'll be please to know we upgraded from Padawans."

Tambor? As in Wat Tambor? I knew this was a separatist ploy, I fucking knew it.

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