Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Interference/ Chapter One

Here's chapter one. :)

I have to admit, working on the prologue was fun. Writing this chapter and the next chapters ought to be fun, as well.

Previous: Prologue

Next: Chapter Two

Chapter One
Captain Rex tapped on his holographic comlink, trying to get it to work.

"Darn com... they really need to do better repairs on these things!" Suddenly it started working and a projection of Master Plo Koon appeared. "Finally! I wanted to update you on our status here on Geonosis."

"Well?" Plo Koon inquired. He was also using a holographic comlink, though it was working more efficiently than Rex's.

"Our mission had been sabotaged. Somebody, I don't know who, leaked information to some Dark Jedi who interfered with the mission. Whoever they are, they got their hands whatever it was that was so important in that Separatist base."

Plo was silent a moment, then replied, "Contact me again if you obtain any further information."

"Will do sir." The hologram of Captain Rex disappeared right after that.

Plo turned towards his apprentice and commented, "This is... an unusual situation."

"Indeed." Jayna replied, twirling her Padawan braid around her finger. "But what is it with the Separatists and Geonosis?"

"The Council suspected that the Separatist base had been hiding an ancient artifact that may have been related to... something that the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn said many years ago."

Jayna frowned. "'Anicent artifact'?"

"We are not sure what it is, precisely," Plo Koon told her. "We only know it likely has something to do with..."

"With what?" Jayna asked.

"Having to do with-"

Suddenly, there were alarmed beeping noises from a red-and-white astromech droid that burst into the room.

"What the...?!" Jayna exclaimed in surprise, turning around to see the droid.

Plo glanced at the droid and said, "R2-Z4. Your new astromech droid." He studied the droid briefly and then asked, "What are you here for, R2-Z4?"

The droid - R2-Z4 - made a lot of beeping noises, like it was trying to tell the Jedi something as best as it could.

"She says one of the Jedi Padawans is insulting some of the clones," Plo told Jayna. "They're in the room adjacent to this one."

Jayna frowned and said, "I don't know about you, but I think it would be best to check it out."

"I would think so as well." Plo started walking towards the room that R2-Z4 had come from.

Jayna followed her master, but she stopped for a moment to pet R2-Z4's dome. The droid then made an appreciative beeping noise in response to the petting.

Plo opened the door to where R2-Z4 had come racing from- to see a titan haired female screaming insults at a group of clones.

"Freaks!" she shrieked. "You're all slimy freaks! All you slime covered clones of Jango Fett!" She then rudely spat on another clone's boot.

Jayna glared at the girl and muttered, "How dare she?"

"Padawan Nik-Ki Oakerene!" Plo addressed, glaring at her as well. "Leave these clones alone- or I will tell the Council of your behaviour and you will face the consequences of your actions. And if this continues, we will have no choice but to expell you from the Jedi Order."

Nik-Ki stared at Plo a moment, likely considering whether or not to throw an insult at him too. Since he was a member of the Council, she decided not to. Instead, she turned and stalked away arrogantly into another room.

Jayna sighed and said, "That was good."

"It is the truth, unfortunately," Plo replied. "And all that will happen if she continues to act the way she does. Such behaviour can easily lead to the dark side."

One of the clones looked at Jayna and Plo Koon and said, "I'm glad she's gone. Some of the things she said earlier were... unrepeatable."

Jayna smiled at the clone. "Are all of you alright, though?"

"Yeah," the clone replied. "We're okay." He glanced down at R2-Z4, grinned, and commented, "That droid there- R2-Z4- is good, but can be a bit odd. Keep it outta trouble."

"'Odd'?" Jayna chuckled, while R2-Z4 made a beeping noise.

"You'll figure it out," the clone told her, chuckling as well. "Well, we better get to blaster practice. Got to keep in shape, you know?"

"'Keep in shape' he says," another clone repeated, grinning.

"Good luck." Jayna said, also grinning.

"Good luck to you too," the clone told her as he and the rest of the clones left for blaster practice.

Jayna chuckled. She turned to her master and asked, "So, what now?"

"I have a feeling that we should head to Geonosis. I suggest we go now."

"Yes, Master."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

"You know," Ahsoka spoke as she and Anakin walked towards the clones' landing site on Geonosis, "it's funny, how this is all turning out. Feels like history is repeating itself, almost."

"I agree," Anakin replied. "And somehow... I don't know. It still feels like something inside me is changing, but I can't figure out what. It's just... I don't think it's a good thing."

"It'll be fine, Skyguy," Ahsoka told him. "You probably just ate too much of that weird soup."

"Hah hah, very funny. You know, you haven't called me that nickname in a while, Snips."

At that moment, Rex interrupted.

"General? There's something I think you should see." As he spoke, Rex displayed a hologram of a small pendant adorned with a viridian-coloured crystal. "Apparently this is what that Dark Jedi was looking for."

"I saw something like that back on-"

Anakin interrupted Ahsoka saying, "Hold on there, Snips. Let him finish."

"Anyway," Rex continued, "whatever it is, it's pretty important to that Dark Jedi. That Separatist base was so heavily defended that no one could go in and out without being seen- even a Jedi, dark or not."

"Well, we still have to find out where that Dark Jedi went," Anakin spoke, "if we're gonna find that artifact."

"No argument there," Ahsoka replied, frowning. "What is important about this artifact?"

______________________________________________________________________________________

A ship belonging to Jayna and Plo Koon landed on Geonosis, only a few miles away from the clones' landing site.

"We have arrived," Plo announced, deactivating the ship's engines. The cockpit's console beeped loudly as the engines shut down.

Jayna didn't reply, simply petting R2-Z4. The droid in question made some beeping noises in response.

"That droid is enjoying that, it seems," Plo commented as he opened the ship's slightly rusty doors.

Jayna chuckled at her master's comment.

Plo stepped outside the ship and looked around. "Odd. I thought I sensed something..."

Jayna followed her master, also looking around. "I think I sensed it, too. We may have to be careful."

"I agree. Let's go." Plo started heading down a path that winded through the canyons of Geonosis.

Jayna motioned for R2-Z4 to follow her, then she ran to catch up with her master. As a precaution. she kept her hand on her lightsaber.

The astromech droid, tagging along behind, made worried beeping noises.