Invasion {HERE WE GO YALL}
For a while there, Ventress was genuinely worried. It looked like Kenobi would succumb to his infection. He grew weaker by the day. From her lofty flat she had an excellent view (aided by the military grade binocs) of his progress. He had visitors, of course. Kenobi was a popular man, a symbol of the Order, even as relatively young as he was.
She looked on and chuckled as he received her flowers- the look on his face was priceless.
She watched anxiously as he lapsed into a coma. If he died, then there went her last chance.
The day she saw him open his eyes and sit up, she was actually glad. Good. It would be a crying shame if her rival were to meet his end at anything other than the tips of her bloody red blades.
And she smiled to herself when she woke up one day and his bed was empty, the room remade, the flowers gone. He had moved back to his quarters. She’d give him another day, perhaps two, while she prepared.
Asajj Ventress was under no illusions. This was her last chance to prove herself. If she failed, she may as well impale herself on her own lightsabers because it would be a quicker end than the one Sidious would grant her. The plan was not one of her best –it was so risky as to be borderline suicidal- but it would have to do. She’d rather it be this way than kill him in his bed. That… For whatever reason, that was just wrong. And if she failed, well. Ventress chuckled grimly. Chances are she would not live long enough to regret it.
This was all or nothing, literally do or die. And she was ok with that. It would be the greatest challenge of her life. Kicking down the front door of the Temple and killing one of their own right under their noses, in their very halls, would cripple the morale of the Jedi as well as grant her revenge and assure her place as Sidious’s apprentice, open the way for the real teachings of the Sith, not the tidbits and snippets that her dark lord had been feeding her. She could not be more motivated.
Ventress spent her time slowly, methodically, preparing. She pulled up records of the Temple, some official, some not. She watched the guard changes, found patterns and weaknesses and blind spots. As an assassin, this was something she liked, preparing a plan and having it go off without a hitch, elegant in simplicity, brutal in application. But she did not delude herself into thinking that it would be as easy as she hoped.
Kenobi had a damnable way of fucking things up.
The yslamir scale necklace that hid her signature in the Force would be essential, as would the small packet of explosives she ‘acquired’ and the maps of the inner Temple’s halls, which she memorized, along with the surrounding area- streets, sewers, potential hidey-holes, exits, distractions. Her lightsabers, of course, clipped to her belt. A few assorted items that might come in handy. Tight-fitting, mobile clothing, black as the space between the stars, unadorned except by menace, and a hooded cloak. All of these she carried. Ventress relied on fast, furious offense, speed, and agility to win her battles, and in the past it served her well, even against Kenobi.
On the second day of her preparation, she took to the lower levels. The Jedi Temple had independent power and backup power systems. They would both need to be taken care of. This would plunge the Temple into darkness and chaos, which she would take advantage of. Ten minutes of programming a slicing module would trigger every automatic door in the Temple to slam shut and lock, limiting potential interference. She would strike just after supper, when most of the Temple had either retired for the day or was eating. Then, the goal was simple: find and kill Kenobi.
But despite everything, she found herself… apprehensive the night before. Ventress did not find sleep easily that night, and when she did, the nightmares came to her, an old familiar torment like an abusive lover. Her slumber was uneasy and not restful in the least.
Still, she had operated under less favorable conditions before.
So she rose, checked everything and rechecked it, looked over her maps once more, and settled herself on the balcony to wait for the sunset. Watching the Jewel of the Republic go on about its life was oddly soothing, despite the fact that the ‘Jewel’ was as cracked as any imperfect thing, flawed like the Republic it represented. Speeders, taxies, personal vehicles both luxurious and unremarkable passed her by. The sun began to droop in the sky, and it bathed Coruscant in tones of gold, pink, periwinkle, and at the far edge of the skyscape, twilight indigo creeping over, the coming darkness.
Oddly appropriate, Ventress mused, and stood.
She changed into her battlewear. Now, there was no doubt, no hesitation; her entire body got that thrumming excitement that reverberated through her, turned her trickle of apprehension to anticipation. She honed that, sharpened it, remembered her hate and her anger and her grief and her need for vengeance. Ventress could feel the killer in her, the savage predator, the night hunter, stir from where it lay, never quite asleep, never quite at peace, always pacing with barely contained passion, and open it's sharp silvery-blue eyes. Her eyes.
By the time she completed the ten minute walk to the Temple, she was completely in tune with the Force and itching for a fight. If she hadn’t been wearing the scales, the Temple would have felt her coming from miles away, so strong was her signature in the Dark Side. The Light Side blazed around them and it, ruled like the Dark Side ruled Dagobah.
Her lips twisted in a wicked smile.
Ventress rounded the corner. There it stood, bathed in shining rays as the sun dipped below the buildings. She reached into her pocket and palmed the trigger.
A push of a button was all it took for the explosives she planted beneath her feet to go off. She fancied she felt the vibrations through the soles of her black boots. The tiny but powerful bombs reduced the generator and the backup generator to smoking wrecks.
An instant later, the lights in the windows of the Temple went out. The guards at the door turned, startled. It was all the distraction she needed.
Ventress leaped on them with a wordless growl. She didn’t even bother with her lightsabers at this point, hooded as she was, just drew the Force around her. Crack went the guard on the right as she kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and dropping him like a rock. Ventress didn’t look to see the damage she caused, but lashed out with her fist into the solar plexus of the other and helped him to the ground with an elbow to the back of the head. The entire attack was accomplished in the blink of an eye. She landed silently and straightened like a shadow given form and substance and dark purpose.
With that, she entered the Temple. Ventress dragged the guards inside and left them by the door, so no outward sign was visible other than a splatter of blood. She focused, looking for her quarry.
Recalling her mental map of the Temple with perfect accuracy, she padded down the now-black halls. Only her silver eyes seemed to flash in the dark, like a manka cat. Third time’s the charm, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I hope you’re either ready to die… or kill me yourself this time.