Yeah, I don't own Naruto or Star Wars!

AN: Yeah, I've always played around with this idea. This is my latest attempt! Read and Review!

Captain Tai, an officer in the 497th legion in service to the Emperor, watched his soldiers scurry about. They were like ants, insignificant drones ready to die for a cause they had no true understanding of. They rushed up on the walls with turret emplacements, tripping over themselves as they struggled to mount the heavy weapon securely. Others serviced the air support, checking the various sensors and gauges. And yet more simply waited grimly for the inevitable attack, their fingers twitching nervously near the triggers of their DC-23 rifles.

Tai watched impassively from the command tower in the middle of the base. What was the point? They were all going to die. Their enemies were shinobi, trained killers, not peasants on some backwater planet. Many analysts compared them to Jedi without the taboo against killing. And everyone knew how effective of a force they were before the Purge. But still, the preparations gave the men hope; something to keep their minds off things.

His thoughts kept turning to his home world of Coruscant. Of how he wished he could see it one last time. To hold his wife, to hug his newborn daughter. It pained him to know she would be growing up without a father. His heart sank.

Footsteps came from behind him. It was his second in command, Lt. Jain. He steeled his visage; it would not do for his men to see his despair, although he suspected they all felt the same.

"Sir, all preparations have been completed. We await your orders." a rough voice reported.

Tai continued to stare at his command. Their postures radiated determination; the will to live. They were prepared to fight, for their families, for their honor, and most importantly, for their right to continue living.

'Perhaps we have a chance,' he mused.

-break

Naruto Uzumaki crouched low on the ground a few miles away from the Imperial base under Tai's command, his fingers tracing a route on a map. His mouth worked slowly, carefully explaining the role of each of the shinobi in the coming attack. They surrounded him, silent, loyal, hanging on his every word. He had hunted them, recruited them as weapons, but with each act of spilt blood, they had become something more. Friends? Siblings?

"Deidara will blow a hole through their defenses here," Naruto finally finished, indicating a section of wall on the right side of the enemy base, "that will be the signal for Kisame to summon mist for cover." He looked to the shark faced man. "Put enough chakra in it to disable their sensors."

If anything, this seemed to piss the shark ninja off. "I know how to handle myself, kid," Kisame snapped, "I've…"

"Please spare us the war stories, Kisame-san," Neji said dryly, "I don't think I could take another one of your graphic descriptions of amputation." The arm of said mist-nin wrapped around the young Hyuuga's neck, and the boy found himself subjugated to a painful noogie.

Their antics seemed to lighten the mood considerably, and even Naruto found himself smiling. "Okay, I guess you all know what to do, let's get to it!"

"Hai!" his team replied, before teleporting away in swirls of leaves.

In the sudden quiet, the blonde jinchuuriki stared at the cloudy sky. The sun shone brightly, the clouds lazily moving across the horizon. He closed his eyes, felt the breeze on his skin. It was so…peaceful, a word not often used anymore. If only she had been here to enjoy it. With a sigh, Naruto disappeared after his companions.

-break

Captain Tai sat in his office taking another sip of his drink. Liquid courage he had casually joked. Over time the contents of the bottle grew smaller and smaller, and his mind started to wander. When he had been assigned to this planet, he had been overjoyed. A recently discovered planet with rebellious natives, this was a place to make a name for himself. He had imagined the glory of conquering a planet, showing this new world the strength of the Empire and welcoming them into its embrace. The truth was not so honorable.

The Empire wasn't interested in glory or honor. They didn't want the planet's resources, or the knowledge the natives here had acquired. This was genocide, plain and simple. Entire villages were slaughtered during the initial attacks. The men, the women, not even the children were spared.

The military strength of this world was primitive. Swords and other simple weapons were commonly used as the weapon of choice. The only force that could offer any resistance was the shinobi forces. Fierce warriors wielding powers much like the Jedi were rumored to possess, they destroyed hundreds of Imperial patrols. So in retaliation, the higher ups had every trace of civilization glassed from orbit. Within a week, all of the shinobi villages had fallen. In two, everything from a sprawling city to a dirty mud hut was nothing more than a crater.

For several years there was peace. Colonists had started to arrive and several large settlements had been founded. That's when the shinobi returned. At first, it was missing patrols. Believed to be the last struggling of a dying race, it was considered a minor inconvenience. When they blew up a small settlement, they were taken a bit more seriously. When they wiped out a large fort, they became a true threat.

Back when he was a private, Tai was with a squad that stumbled upon the remains of a missing patrol. It had been … slaughtered. The smell of blood and rotting flesh had overwhelmed him, and he fell on his knees and retched. Heads were missing from bodies, some had their entrails hanging out, but they all had one common characteristic. They were all missing their hearts. It was then that Tai realized that shinobi were not men. Such cruelty and barbarism couldn't possible come from a human being. Shinobi were demons, monsters, and dark things, taken human form to destroy. He would see them dead.

Captain Tai's musing were interrupted as a stormtrooper walked in and saluted.

"Sir, may I be permitted to speak?"

"What is it, soldier?" Tai responded, giving the man his full attention.

"Sir, I have a wife waiting back home on Coruscant," the stormtrooper pulled a letter from his back pouch and handed it to him, "I want her to get this should I die."

He took the letter carefully. "It will be done," Tai promised, clasping the man's arm, "You have my word." With a salute, the stormtrooper turned and left.

Tai grimaced as he looked at the letter. In all probability, none of them were going to leave this planet alive. Their orders were to hold position until more reinforcements arrived, but judging by the caliber of shinobi they were about to fight, the amount of men he had wouldn't be nearly enough to hold off an assault. Glancing at the envelope, he realized there was no address. Sighing, he left his office and approached the man at his post on the western wall. Holding up the letter, "Soldier, I'm going to need a name and identification number."

Turning to salute, the stormtrooper began, "It's Ra…"

A massive explosion blew through the barricaded gate below, engulfing three men unfortunate enough to be stationed there with shrapnel and flames leaving their armored bodies a blackened mess. Twisted metal and melted slag groaned as the full weight of the wall bore down on the now weakened supports.

The stormtrooper grabbed Tai by the shoulder, "Sir, you gotta get outta here!" Pushing him towards the stairway, "This isn't gonna ho…!" Within seconds, the wall collapsed sending men screaming to be crushed or worse.

Tai felt himself falling. Looking around, he saw the stormtrooper who grabbed him falling to his right. Until a melted rod stopped his fall, piercing his armored chest as he continued to slide down. "God, I hope that doesn't happen to me!" was the captains last thought before hitting the ground.

-break

Deidara considered himself an artist. Some would look at his chosen profession and see it as monstrous as the mouths that salivated in his hands. But when his clay bird hit that wall, and the explosion ripped through both metal and flesh, it was worth it. As the heat washed over his face, blowing his blonde hair in the wind, it was worth it. Thinking of his childhood, the whispers behind his back, being called "freak" and "creepy", it was worth it. Art is a bang, yeah! Killing stormtroopers was just an added bonus.

At first, he had admired the Empire. The first time they had called down the green lasers, it had left quite an impression in his mind. But when they started killing civilians, he realized their threat. What good was his art when there was no one left to appreciate it? That's when he started killing them. The stormtroopers, they were easy. As long as he was high up, he could kill them with little effort and no risk. It's when they had their flying machines, their great metal beasts, that the Empire was truly deadly.

It was his first encounter with these "Tie-Fighters" that left him without his right arm. He had been in the sky riding one of his clay creations, having just destroyed a minor patrol, when it came upon him. He heard the whine of its engine as it flew at him at speeds he couldn't match. There was no escape, it fired, and he felt a searing heat on his right side as the shot flew past.

At first, he felt nothing. And then all at once, all the nerves in his body seemed to burn, filling him with agonizing pain. He blacked out, and when he awoke, he was staring up at the sky. He could feel himself falling, the air rushing past him. Using his arms, he attempted to slow himself down, uselessly flapping in the wind. One arm would not respond to his call, as there was only so much one could do with a burned stump.

The Tie-Fighter flew above him, heading back to wherever the hell it came from. This allowed him to appreciate the simplicity of its design, for even Deidara could admit it had some artistic qualities. He blacked out again when he hit the ground.

He had dreamed. At first, it had showed him his childhood. The rejection and fear that accompanied a young boy with mouths in his hands. It showed his genin team, the only people he truly could count as friends. It showed their death, the wounds carved in their bodies by the Konoha shinobi. It showed him his abandonment of Iwa, and his final gift to the village in the form of an exploding Tsuchikage tower. Then he woke up.

A cooling sensation was the first thing he felt upon regaining consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he saw…pink. It was a girl, her glowing hand over the right side of his chest. She was healing him. She was pretty, although a bit young for his tastes, with green eyes framed by a determined face, with shoulder length bubblegum pink hair.

"That was quite a display." she greeted, breaking the ice.

Deidara was at a loss of words. Never had he met a girl that appreciated his art. "Thank…you," he croaked, his throat quite dry.

"You can thank me by not talking!" she scolded, "The energy you were hit with vaporized your right arm and the stress in your nerves is causing the rest of your body to dehydrate." She moved her hand lower, to his abdomen. "What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish? The …"

As the pink banshee continued to rant, Deidara noticed two masculine figures standing behind her. One was a blonde male, although a much brighter shade of blonde than his, with well defined whisker marks and cold blue eyes. The other had black hair and black eyes, as well as an arrogant smirk, one which he could recognize anywhere.

"An Uchiha," the blonde demolitionist spat, earning a glare from said person.

"Deidara, formerly of the organization Akatsuki," Whiskers interrupted, before his companion could do anything foolish, "You are a hard man to find."

"My rates aren't cheap." the demolitionist replied, already knowing where this is going.

Whiskers looked at him casually. "After you here my offer, you might have a change of heart," he suggested finally.

Deidara listened, clearly intrigued.

"This world is dead, Deidara, our people have been wiped out. You've seen it, not a single child roams the streets of Iwa, nor anywhere for that matter. Only the strong have survived, to wander until the Empire takes the time to muster the strength to kill them as well. And you know they have the resources to do so. Your art is feared by every Imperial soldier on this planet, but when they die, who will remember. If we work together, if we take the fight to them, your art could be known throughout the entire galaxy."

It was a tempting offer, Deidara had to admit, but there were many risks. "What's in it for you?"

The pink haired medic, seeing his indecision, drew his attention to her, "Please, Deidara-sama!" she begged. "With your power we can avenge our friends and families. I can avenge…" she choked on the words, the ghosts of tears in her eyes.

Deidara looked closely at the young girl, searching for any hints of deception. He could find none. "Fine," he agreed, turning back to Whiskers, "I owe you guys my life anyways. Guess that means I'm in, yeah."

Whiskers smiled and took the blonde demolitionists hand, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

The Uchiha sneered, "Sasuke."

The pink haired medic-nin smiled and bowed, "My name is Sakura Haruno."

Thinking of the pretty kunoichi brought a smile on Deidara's face as he flew over the Imperial compound. "I wonder if she'd be interested in someone like me," he wondered before turning his attention back to the battle. He grabbed a large clay figurine from the bag at his side. "Time to show off my art!" he crowed, throwing it into the air. Using his chakra, the blonde primed it, making it grow larger and larger until it was the size of a small cow. "Art is a bang!" he yelled, putting his hand into a familiar seal, as the figurine plummeted towards the Tie-Fighters scrambling to take off.

The explosion was massive, and without shielding, the aircraft had little defense. The heat from the blast was so intense it had the added bonus of igniting the fuel rods powering the ships, doubling the force of the explosion, sending troopers flying to the ground.

Deidara laughed as he flew away.

-break

Kisame was having fun. His mist had covered the advance of the attacking ninja perfectly. He rushed into a group of nervous stormtroopers, their guns shaking as they nervously searched through the mist. Standing silently in their formation, he readied his sword, Samehada. "Don't rely too heavily on the sensors in your helmets," the shark man laughed, "I've put enough chakra in this mist to blind a Hyuuga." This earned a snort from his companion.

The troopers turned to face him, fear evident in their movements. With one sweep of Samehada, he swiped them away, feeling the cracking in their armor, and relishing in their screams of pain.

Neji Hyuuga, ducking as a body soared over his head, asked, "Do you always have to play with them, Kisame-san?"

"Hey brat! In this day and age, you take pleasure where you can find it!" Kisame smiled at him, his pointed teeth forming a parody of the expression that normally meant happiness.

"I'll keep that in mind." the young Hyuuga said honestly. Ducking a blaster shot, Neji rushed the offending stormtrooper, using his chakra to enhance his speed to get within its guard. He thrust his palm forward, slamming it lightly into the trooper's chest.

If Neji had been a normal boy, such a blow would have been pathetic, humorous even. But Neji was a Hyuuga, and with such a family comes great knowledge in the clan taijutsu, Jyuuken. Chakra stabbed deep into the trooper's chest, reaching for his heart. A second later, said organ exploded with a painful burst, and the stormtrooper had the unpleasant experience of having blood rush out of his mouth before blacking out.

Kisame nodded in acknowledgement. Despite his age, Neji was a formidable opponent. Without a word, they spun and charged back into the fray.

-break

Captain Tai knew his life was forfeit as soon as he woke up. The shinobi had destroyed his air support, along with much of the other defenses. The mist prevented him from seeing how many of his men still lived, but judging from the minimal blaster fire he could here, the odds weren't good. Grabbing the pistol at his side, he prepared to join his men in death.

-break

Naruto walked over the corpses of the Imperials. Some had horrific burns, fusing their bodies to the armor. Others were crushed, their armor cracked just like the bones in their bodies. Still more were pierced, with ice needles lodged in their throats, or slashed, the blood leaking from the deep cuts.

An Imperial saw him, an officer by the looks of him. He carried a pistol in his right hand, and to his credit, there was no fear on his face.

"You are going to die," the blond jinchuuriki promised, "for what your people did to mine." Rushing the man, he drew a kunai in his left hand. He was met with blaster fire, which he ducked or sidestepped, never breaking stride. When he was within arm distance of the man he pivoted on his right foot, turning to the left and sliding right behind him, the kunai at his neck.

"You are going to die," Naruto restated.

The man cursed in his language, but retorted with one word Naruto did understand. "Demon!"

The blood spray was immense. It drenched the front of the man's clothing. Naruto put away his now bloody kunai and pushed the body to the ground. He stared at it, breathing angrily, before lifting his foot and crushing in its skull. He looked at his hands. They were crimson now, and Naruto had the sneaking suspicion that no matter how much he washed them, they would always be covered in red, new or old.

The mist soon dissipated, revealing the carnage that remained. The bodies of stormtroopers were scattered, all dead. There were still fires going on in isolated parts of the base, the result of Deidara's handiwork.

It was night now, and the moon shone blood red, as if showing approval for the slaughter. Naruto stared at it. He could his team waiting patiently behind him, watching. They were fourteen in number, including himself, all prepared to die for his dream, his vengeance. For when he stared at the moon, he saw only the masked demon with its scarlet blade humming in its hands.

"Anko-chan," the blonde whispered, "I will avenge you."