Saga To Tame the Storm (AU - Obi-Wan, Asajj, Dooku - The Clone Wars) Updated 12/3

Title: To Tame the Storm

Author: epithree

Genre: Alternate Universe

Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku

Timeline: The Clone Wars

Summary: Obi-Wan believes that his bitter rival, Asajj Ventress, can be redeemed. This story explores how Kenobi arrived at that conclusion. During a confrontation upon Kamino, what happens to alter Obi-Wan's opinion of the dark acolyte?

Author's Notes: The first three posts will be relatively short, just so I can see whether or not this story generates any interest. If so, the tale will continue with longer installments.

Disclaimer: Star Wars is not mine. Just playing with the sand.

-o-o-o-o-o-

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

TO TAME THE STORM

KAMINO

1
Arrival

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi patted Arfour's wet dome as he hopped out of his trusty starfighter. A look of urgency was etched across his face. "Arfour, send the message that I've arrived," Obi-Wan commanded to the droid while pulling up his tunic hood.

Arfour beeped an affirmative, but the pensive Jedi didn't take notice, for he was already halfway along the durasteel pathway that led to the clone facilities. Even the pelting rains did not distract the Jedi master. He was consumed by thought, pondering the intricacies of his current mission.

Thunder rolled in the distance as Obi-Wan arrived at the automatic doors. They opened with a whoosh as lightning flashed across the expansive, planet-wide ocean. During the hyperspace trip, he had wondered which dark acolyte he would be facing, and now he knew.

There was no doubt. Ever since he had set foot on the circular landing pad, Obi-Wan had sensed that Asajj Ventress was here at Kamino. The Jedi master had come to recognize her force signature easily, due to their multiple confrontations.

Obi-Wan removed his hood as the doors slid closed behind him. There was no one in the circular, white room. No Kaminoans. No clones. 'That's curious,' he mused to himself while stroking his dripping beard.

Earlier that week, the confederacy had ambushed the republic's post at Rishi. All signs pointed to a Kamino invasion. However, the Jedi never expected to find out that an acolyte had infiltrated the facilities at Tipoca City this early.

Just yesterday, clone intelligence had relayed a message from deep within the complex that a dark Jedi had been sighted. Taun We had confirmed that sighting, with accounts from ten other Kaminoans.

Prior to Obi-Wan's trip, the Jedi Order had lost all communication with the clone facilities. Before sending in a team of clonetroopers and several knights, the Jedi selected Obi-Wan to infiltrate and survey. The republic was completely in the dark about the situation, and it was Obi-Wan himself who recommended that he go alone.

Obi-Wan dropped into a meditative state and reached out through the force. 'Ventress,' he reflected. After a moment, Kenobi was fairly confident that he could trace her whereabouts due to his honed meditation.

Unexpectedly, Obi-Wan experienced a vision produced by the force. He could see Asajj Ventress quite clearly, her white skin camouflaged by a surrounding white chamber of some sort.

The Jedi master concentrated hard, and the vision became clearer. One by one, he noticed cylindrical transparisteel pods popping up throughout his mental construction, until there were thousands.

Asajj was surrounded by them. 'Those are the clone pods!' Obi-Wan thought with much concern. Each pod contained a newly grown clone. He now realized that Asajj was located in one of the clone containment units deep within the facility. Just before ending his meditation, Kenobi noticed that Asajj Ventress was holding a device.

It was a very large plasteel detonation pack. "No!" Obi-Wan exclaimed as he opened his eyes. He was on his feet in an instant, sprinting towards the deeper modules of Tipoca City. The Jedi enhanced his speed with the force, and hoped that his vision was of the future. A future that he could stop.

 

2
Eavesdropping

Asajj Ventress, one of Count Dooku's dark acolytes, was making the final adjustments to an advanced detonation pack. She had attached the plasteel device to an immaculate white wall, amongst hundreds of newly formed clones.

The pod containment unit had been abandoned earlier that morning. All of the Kaminoans and clonetroopers had trekked to the submerged levels of Tipoca City in fear of a confederacy invasion. It was Asajj herself who had orchestrated the clever ruse, planting several bombs and sending fake transmissions produced by Dooku with careful precision.

Now, she only needed to make her escape and press the detonator to complete her fiendish mission. However, she felt as if some aspect of the task was amiss. Asajj rarely questioned her own actions when performing a deed of darkness, but somehow she knew something was terribly wrong. It was an unfamiliar feeling for the female Rattataki, and it was causing her to become nauseated.

Before she could ponder about the sensation any further, a transmission came in from Count Dooku. She held out her hand and began to interact with her palm-sized holoprojector.

At the present moment, Asajj Ventress was unaware that Obi-Wan had found her. Hiding behind a storage unit on the overlooking balcony, he eavesdropped on her conversation with the holo. The Jedi master had learned to mask his presence well thanks to Yoda's unique teachings.

"I take it your mission was a success?" Dooku skipped any pleasantries.

Asajj's lithe form could be seen through the holo transmission, but not her surroundings. Knowing that the count was unaware of her whereabouts, Asajj felt compelled to lie. She could be anywhere, for all Dooku knew. "No, my master. The task is incomplete." Already contemplating the consequences of her unfavorable report, she paused. It made her burn with anger to speak the next line. "I have failed you."

Dooku took a long moment to consider this. Then, he spoke again. "Lord Sidious informs me that Jedi Master Kenobi was sent to thwart our plans." His holo image cocked an eyebrow. "Is this true?"

'Kenobi?' Asajj thought. 'No Jedi were here.' She was a bit perplexed. And then she realized to use that as her cover story. True or not, Count Dooku believed Kenobi to be there. "Yes master. Jedi Kenobi disarmed the device before I could detonate." She knew that all this would unleash Dooku's fury, but continued with the charade regardless.

"Pity... my apprentice." Oddly, Count Dooku did not reprimand the confused Rattataki. The newest Sith Lord gave further commands instead. "You are to remain on Kamino as a spy of the confederacy," the count ordered. "General Grievous shall report to your sector immediately. Prepare for his instructions." He paused for a moment. "And Ventress... be ready for your punishment." Dooku cut the transmission and the holo crackled out of existence.

Asajj Ventress exhaled, and sighed quietly. "What's wrong with me?" she spat out in a vicious tone. She couldn't yet explain her actions. Then, her gaze drifted over to the hundreds of newly formed clones. Once more, she looked upon the detonation pack located amongst them. She mentally cursed herself, for she now realized the agonizing truth.

 

3
Tempest

Obi-Wan Kenobi placed one hand to his chin, pondering his next move. He had listened to the whole conversation between Asajj and Dooku.

The stealthy Jedi master believed that there was potential for good in all sentient beings. However, what he had heard still shocked him. It seemed as if Asajj Ventress had opted not to go through with the sinister plan.

It was Obi-Wan's duty to find out for certain, so he removed his outer tunic and dropped off of the high balcony. He hit the spotless floor with grace, landing just behind a busy Ventress. She was dismantling the detonation pack.

"Kenobi," Asajj spat out in a vile tone. She did not fear the Jedi master, so she just continued to work with the plasteel device. Obi-Wan deduced that she had detected him as soon as his feet left the balcony.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan said with a forced smile. "What? You're not even going to turn around?"

Asajj could sense his grin and it sickened her. "No," came her reply. The word was spoken plainly, and in the next instant, she had executed an impressive back flip, sailing over Obi-Wan's head. The Jedi master whirled around as she hit the floor on his opposite side.

With a double snap-hiss, both of Ventress' curved lightsabers were ignited. She instantly rushed towards Obi-Wan with red-bladed fury.

Obi-Wan's smile disappeared as his mighty blue blade sizzled into existence. His saber was activated just in time, meeting both of Asajj's with a pair of golden flashes.

The Jedi master considered Asajj Ventress to be Dooku's most dangerous dark acolyte, and he knew her fighting style well. Obi-Wan would not underestimate the skilled Rattataki. He opened up using the Soresu form of lightsaber combat.

"I knew there was good in you." Obi-Wan took notice of the grace Asajj fought with. She moved like a serpent, calculating and precise. He blocked multiple swings with his blue blade, backing up towards the immaculate wall.

"Wretched Jedi," Asajj said icily. She hurried towards Obi-Wan again, in the hopes of pinning him against the white wall. However, just as his back grazed the detonation pack, he leaped upwards, grabbing onto a pair of clone pods.

It was an impressive feat, for Obi-Wan had deactivated his saber in the process so he could hang from the pods with both hands. Asajj glowered up at him, her eyes ablaze. So far she had fought with intense ferocity, fueled by the hatred she was feeling towards Obi-Wan.

"You just couldn't bring yourself to do it, could you?" Obi-Wan climbed higher, using the pods that extended out from the wall like pegs. He could sense each clone through the force as he ascended. Once he had reached the highest row of pods, he performed a somersault that put him back on the lofty balcony.

The truth in Obi-Wan's words generated much rage within the female Rattataki. The Jedi master knew he was using a dangerous tactic. To build up Asajj's anger was a risk, but Obi-Wan felt that he could use it against her. The wise Jedi knew that fighting out of anger led to recklessness.

"No," Asajj admitted, sounding defeated, and for a moment it seemed like she was done with the fight. However, Obi-Wan's white-skinned adversary let out a primal scream and ran full force towards the wall.

Obi-Wan was amazed by what he saw next. Augmenting her speed through the force, Asajj flew towards the pods like a rocket and then proceeded to run up the high wall vertically. She landed upon the balcony, forcing Obi-Wan to reignite his saber.

It had been Obi-Wan's plan to lure her away from the detonation pack all along. However, she had become enraged in the process. It was time to change his strategy. Obi-Wan backed away from Asajj, towards the nearby exit that led to an outdoor platform.

"It takes incredible strength to renounce the dark side and do what is right." Now Obi-Wan wanted to calm his opponent. His proclamation did not yield the desired effect. Asajj Ventress connected her lightsaber hilts, forming a double bladed weapon. Her white hands clenched at each side of the curve in the middle.

Sabers clashed again and again. The automatic doors whooshed open as Obi-Wan was pushed backwards through the exit. Asajj followed her enemy into the pouring rains of Kamino.

"I am a Sith!" Ventress shouted. "I am fear!" She lunged at Obi-Wan and the Jedi parried. The rain sizzled against the lightsaber blades, and thunder rumbled from afar. Obi-Wan noticed that the ocean waves were spilling over the nearby circular platform. This was a precarious Kamino storm.

"You're nothing but a dark Jedi, Ventress. I know you were trained by a Jedi... come back to the light!" Obi-Wan led the skilled girl to the round platform. The white lights that indicated the platform's border were barely visible through the fierce rainstorm. Both combatants were drenched already.

"Never... Count Dooku is my master now." The Rattataki challenged Obi-Wan with a string of blows from an ancient lightsaber form. The Jedi master recalled his confrontation on Naboo with the Zabrak Sith warrior, but quickly shook away the thought. However, it was enough to distract him momentarily. Obi-Wan lost his balance and fell upon the cold durasteel floor near the edge of the platform. He instantly stabbed ahead with his blade, defending himself from Asajj.

"Then why did you lie to him?" A mammoth wave crashed against the edge of the platform, preventing Obi-Wan from getting up. The water cascaded over him and forced Asajj to jump back. The rage in her eyes seemed to disappear. She thought hard about Obi-Wan's question.

Before she could answer, lightning struck a nearby tower. At such close range, the crackling sound made both warriors cringe. The disruption allowed Obi-Wan to get back on his feet, for Asajj watched the large structure fall, making sure she wasn't in the way. Obi-Wan slashed at her, knowing she would easily block.

"Why, Asajj?" Obi-Wan inquired again. "Why did you lie to Dooku?" As he waited for a reply, the Jedi master recognized the sound of realspace engines nearby, despite the noise from the storm.

"I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you, Kenobi." Asajj spoke the words with an acid tongue. The contempt in her voice was palpable. She then moved to the very edge of the weather beaten platform.

"There is good in you, Ventress. I can sense it," Obi-Wan explained. He was no longer trying to anger her. It was the honest truth.

Suddenly, all of Asajj's anger seemed to dissipate. She deactivated her double-bladed lightsaber as an unusual calm swept through the Rattataki. Obi-Wan was stunned. Her uncharacteristic move brought out an elegance that the Jedi master hadn't noticed in the girl before. And he had forgotten that she possessed a certain beauty.

"Take this Kenobi." Asajj Ventress placed the detonator upon the flooded platform. "Until we meet again." And in an instant, she was gone. The white-skinned girl had simply dropped off of the edge.

Obi-Wan ran the short distance to where she had dropped just in time to look over the side and see her slice into Kamino's planet-wide ocean. Asajj's unique starfighter was hovering just above the waves. She swam to it gracefully and entered the cockpit.

The Jedi quickly realized that Asajj had called for her ship while he was distracted by thoughts of Naboo. Obi-Wan picked up the detonator. It was a symbol of Asajj's aversion to Dooku's plan, for she had already dismantled the bomb. Relinquishing the detonator to Kenobi was just a sign.

At that moment, Obi-Wan Kenobi knew that Asajj Ventress could be redeemed. "Today, you've earned my respect." The Jedi said this as Asajj flew off towards the horizon. He deactivated his lightsaber.

 

Very interesting, I like the characterization. I always loved Obi's compassion and optimism

 

I haven't read yet but I'm interested, Epi. I am leery of what you'll do with Dooku, though. I'll comment more once I've read.