This is a bit of a cross-over, in that it has elements from the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic, as well as references to other parts of the Star Wars Universe for posterity and historical reference. Due to no real statement, assume Ahsoka is 16 at the start, and Barriss is 17. In case you're wondering, there will be A LOT of assumptions about future Clone Wars and TOR content.
Ensign Jive stared at the blank monitor in front of him, looking for any irregularities. They had been stationed out in the middle of nowhere, in some no-name system at the behest of the Jedi Council. He had no idea why anyone really cared about what was out here, but it wasn't his job to ask questions.
The constant pulsing of the ship's instruments returned only dead air. Every five seconds, another pulse went out. The hypnotic consistency caused him to lose his focus, lulling him into the back of his own mind. He didn't see the ping of the ship the first time, or the second. Then, the alarms started blaring.
"Jives, report!" Admiral Gunn shouted. The Ensign shot up in his seat, digging through the information on his terminal.
"Sir, it looks like a cruiser sized object, on a collision course!"
"All hands, brace for impact!" The admiral shouted. The cruiser jumped out of hyper-space right on top of them, tearing away the Aralia's upper-decks. Collision alarms began blaring, and sections began out sealing. From their view on the bridge, the ensign and admiral could see bodies shooting off into space, the explosive force of the impact carrying them off into eternity. "Damage report!" The admiral shouted.
"Sir," one of the clones said, "we have hull breaches on decks 1-5, deflector shields are off-line, and the engines have locked up."
"What kind of ship is it, ensign?"
Jive compared the scan to everything in the ship's databases, but nothing matched. "Sir, there's nothing in the system about, neither is its IFF."
"Try and raise them on an open com channel." The admiral shouted. A static-laced message blared through the bridge's speakers.
"Sith...identify...current stat...Lord Kr...Ryloth..."
"Clamp that signal down, now!" The admiral said. "Un-identified vessel, we could not make out your last transmission. Please repeat."
Over the speakers came a deep, powerful, and dark voice. "This is the Sith Cruiser Korriban's Blood. Power down your systems and prepare for boarding, or we will destroy you." A sharp click ended the transmission.
"Send a message to the Jedi Council, immediately. Lieutenant, are our weapons systems on-line?" The admiral's voice was barley a whisper, his face whiter then snow.
"Sir, weapons systems had to be restarted, we are still bringing them back up." The admiral didn't respond. The seconds seem to last hours, pinpoints of red light began forming along the edge of the Sith ship.
"I'm sorry Lara." Admiral Gunn whispered as the first shots of the volley connected with the bridge.
Anakin stood on the bridge listening to the last recording sent by the destroyer Alaria. Despite all his training, he still cringed when he heard the strange voice.
"This is beyond strange." Obi-wan said, his holo-graphic image barley the size on Anakin's hand.
"I agree. Have we been able to identify the voice, or the type of ship?" Master Windu said.
"Not yet," Ahsoka answered. "We've expanded the search, and its taking some time."
"What about the voice, does it match any known Separatist generals?" This time it was Plo-koon, the gurgley voice echoing through the speakers.
"No," Anakin said, "but that doesn't mean that he isn't one. Or, worse, Dooku's latest attempt at an apprentice.
"No, not an apprentice. Too quick to respond, patient this one is. A fringe group, perhaps?" Master Yoda said. "Skywalker, you and your padawan must investigate. Perhaps, some clue, found maybe."
"We're on it, Master." Skywalker said. "Snipps, we know what we're dealing with, yet?"
"Let me check." The togruta walked with an experiance and power the belied her age. A potentially dangerous mix. Barley 16, and she had seen more death and destruction then most of the admirals in the Republic fleet. She crouched besides R2, the droid letting out several beeps and whirls. "R2 thinks he's found something."
R2 brought up a holo-graphic diagram of ship, similar to the Republic's current makes, but more jagged, with several seemingly useless protrusions.
"This can't be right." She said.
"What is it?" Anakin asked.
"Well, according to this, this is an S-Cruiser. I type of ship used by the Sith Empire three and a half thousand years ago. If that's really the case, what's it doing here, now, attacking Republic ships. More importantly, who's commanding it?"
"No doubt we'll find out once we get there. Admiral, make the jump." Anaking ordered. The black-blue of space began to stretch and pull as the ship jumped into hyper-space.
Darth Sanguine'ar watched bits of debris drift through the endless void, his black and yellow eyes keen for anything still moving on its own in the wreckage. One of the last bits of wisdom that his master had imparted on him echoed through his skull:"The only time victory is ever assured, is to completely destroy your enemy. Let them, even one, live, and you they may raise up against you in the future."
"Have the scanners picked up anything, private?" He said.
"No, my lord."
"Really? Then perhaps you can explain why there is an escape pod full of Republic soldiers floating in front of us?" The private froze, fear filling him.
"I-I'm sorry, my lord. There must be a problem with the sensors. I-I'll have maintenance look into it." Sanguine'ar grabbed the private's head, twisting it so that he could look the soldier in the eye.
"Or perhaps you just need to learn to look with your own eyes from time to time. I trust that that isn't too terrible a task?" He slammed the private's head into the terminal. "Have we gotten a hold of Imperial Command yet?" He snarled.
"No, my lord. I've tried every channel, but all I'm getting is static. I'll try increasing the signal strength, it may just be a storm."
Sanguine'ar pulled on one of bony points on his chin. "Someone better give me some good news, soon."
"I may have some, my lord. We're definitely at the right co-ordinates. We can be at Ryloth in less than a standard hour."
"Good, prepare-"
"Sir! Three unidentified vessels just jumped in behind us!"
"What kind?
"Two frigates, and one cruiser, sir!"
"Everyone to battle stations, prepare the fighters, get me a firing solutions on the starboard frigate, and get the marines to the boarding craft!" Sanguine'ar shouted. His crew scurried around the bridge to follow his orders.
"General Skywalker, the ship is coming around, it has us locked." Admiral Yurtz said.
"Well, so much for a friendly chat. Admiral, get all of our pilots to their ships. Have the frigates move to flanking positions. Remember, we want to capture this ship and its crew, not destroy it." The two frigates forked away from Anakin and his cruiser. The Sith cruiser, however, headed straight towards them. "What the hell is he doing?" Skywalker yelled.
Motes of red light streaked away from the ship, heading towards the Almnesty. The lasers impacted with the Almnesty's deflectors, creating burst of red, yellow, and green. The Sith ship kept firing, quickly smashing through the frigate's deflectors. Plumes of smoke and fire shot up from the vessel, as the ship began to spin. One of the Sith lasers hit the frigate's bridge, causing the ship to suddenly veer off. A few more hits, and the frigate was torn to pieces.
"Were there any escape pods launched?" Ahsoka asked.
"Negative, Commander." One of the clones said. The clone's console began beeping frantically. "General, the Hope of Alderaan is hailing."
"Let's hear it." Anakin said. There was a crackle as the speakers came to life, followed by the frantic sounds and chaos of battle.
"-calling General Skywalker. We need immediate assistance, there are fifty, no-sixty fighters. Our deflector shields have failed, and we have taken severe hull damage. I repeat, we need immediate assistance."
"This is General Skywalker, we are sending-"
"Sir," one of the clones yelled. "The Sith cruiser is on an impact trajectory!"
"Take evasive maneuvers!" Skywalker shouted.
"Too late!" Admiral Yurtz yelled. The Sith cruiser slammed into them, the sound of grinding and shearing metal deafening them.
"Damage report!" Anakin said.
"It looks like they barley hit us. Must be trying to-" Ahsoka tried to respond. The com system crackled to life, the sounds of blaster fire and explosions flowing through. A clone shouted over the sounds of the battle.
"General, we have boarders on decks 1, 3, and 9. Requesting reinforcements! Wait, what is that? Take down the one with-" The sound of a pained scream and the familiar hum and whirl of a lightsaber cut off the clone.
"Ahsoka, get down to deck 9, I'll head to deck one. Admiral, you have control of the ship." Skywalker said. They both nodded and went off.
Ahsoka bounded down the hall, listening for the distinctive sound of blaster fire. A clone went flying through an intersection, smoke trailing from his armor. She activated her lightsabers, the green and yellow providing a stark contrast to the red hazard lights. She rounded the corner, and stopped dead in her tracks. The figure in front of her looked nothing like what she expected. Instead of the standard robes worn by the Jedi and the Sith, he wore heavy, bulky, armor that covered his entire body.
She could hear the distinctive sound of a respirator, heavy, deep, breath pushing through the filters. From her position, it looked like he was holding something in the air. She eased closer, carefully placing each step so she didn't make any noise.
"Togruta." The Sith said. Ahsoka froze solid. "Glad you could make. I was beginning to wonder how many of these poor sods I'd have to kill to get your attention."
"What are you doing?" She asked. The Sith laughed, and took stepped to the side. Six troopers hung in the air, clutching at their necks, trying to pry off hands that didn't really exist.
"C-commander, w-whatever he wants, d-don't do it!" One of them chocked out.
"I'll make you a deal, Jedi. Lay down your weapons, and some of them might live."
"And if I don't?" Ahsoka hissed.
"Then they die, and then I take what I want, probably killing you in the process." The Sith's hands twitched, tightening his grip on the troopers.
"Fine." Ahsoka said. She deactivated her blades, throwing them to the Sith.
"Smart move." He opened his hand, dropping the troopers to the floor. One of them grabbed his blaster, firing several shots. The Sith didn't even flinch as the rounds impacted with his armor. "Brave. Foolish, but brave." He lifted his hands in the air, shooting out arcs of blue-ish lightening. The troopers began spasm-ing, smoking, and crying out in pain.
"No!" Ahsoka cried out. She pulled her lightsabers to her, and switched them on.
"I guess we're doing this the hard way then. Tell me, girl, have you ever fought a Sith Lord before?" He asked, switching on his own blade.
"You'll find out soon enough, murderer." She lunged at the warrior, bringing both blades down in a smooth arc. The Sith lifted his arm, stopping her in mid air. He slowly closed his hand, simultaneously crushing and choking her. With a simple gesture, he threw her down the hall, and into a bulkhead. She felt her ribs crack, and tasted blood. All she could see was white, as she tried to struggle back to her feet.
She tried to pull her sabers to her, but she could barley focus. The Sith cut one, and grabbed the other.
"A simple 'no' would have sufficed." He said. He turned the lightsaber over and over, examining the construction. "I will admit, you have potential. A few more years, and you would make for a powerful Jedi. Or, a mediocre Sith. Who knows, you may even become a threat to me in the future."
"S-so what?" Ahsoka gasped. The Sith walked over and kneeled down next to her. She could hear the hiss of the respirator's connections being broken, and the clacking of the armor plates hitting each other. Warm flesh touched her face and neck. She was sure that the Sith was going to strangle her with his bare hands, or maybe beat her to death. "I-I w-will not die o-on my knees." She struggled to say.
"You don't need to die. Not today, at least." He ran one hand under her chin, and raised her head. Through blurry vision, she could make out some basic features. His eyes were yellow, and seemed to emit a faint glow, his lids were a blue-black. Bony plates lined his face, most ending in points. His hair was raven black, and spiked, his skin was a blood-red.
"W-what are you?" She asked. The Sith smiled, revealing a ivory-white, slightly-pointed, teeth.
"I am Darth Sanguine'ar, born of Pure-Blood."
"T-that's not p-posible. The S-Sith Purebloods are extinct." She whispered.
"Oh? Since when?" He asked.
"T-the last of the P-Purebloods died over t-three thousand years a-ago." Sanguine'ar snarled at her.
"You lie!" He spat. The Sith back-handed her, knocking her to the ground. "I said that you didn't need to die today. Lying to me isn't helping your cause." He pulled Ahsoka to her feet, and started pushing her down the hall. He flipped on a com-link mounted to his wrist. "Commander, tell the Jedi and troopers that I have the padawan. I'm heading to the bridge, if either group wants to try and save her life, they should meet me there."
"Yes, my lord."
"As for you, Togruta, we're going to get to the bottom of this."
Anakin ran down the corridors of the Fate's Justice, his mind blank, save for the responsibility of saving his Padawan. He opened the door to the bridge, skidding to a halt. A bizarre alien stood behind Ahsoka, the rest of the crew keeping a healthy distance from the two. Next to them, Admiral Yurtz was curled into a fetal position.
"Good of you to join us, Master Jedi. Let me make this quick, so we can all get on our way. I want information, information you have. Give me the information I want, I let your padawan go, and I may not order my ship to finish off your cruiser." Sanguine'ar said.
"Why should I believe anything you say? You're Sith, or something similar. You're a born liar." Skywalker said.
"'Something similar'? I'm not just some two-bit Dark Jedi, I am a descendant of the ancient Sith, a true son of Korriban!" Sanguine'ar began to shout, the blood rush darkening his face.
"Oh, so you're not just Sith, but the Sith. I still don't see why I should trust you."
"I'm not really hear to change your opinion, Jedi. Let me restate the situation. Either you help me, or I kill your apprentice in front of you, then I blast this chunk of metal into a billion pieces."
Skywalker clenched his fists. As much as he hated the idea, he wasn't willing to risk the life of the crew and his padawan over some information. "Fine," he said, "what do you want to know?"
"A great many things. To start with, what branch do you belong to? Some sort of secret military development team? Out here testing some new type of ship based of the Empire's designs? Second, what happened to the occupation fleet that was supposed to be here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. This is a Jedi cruiser, a design pioneered by the Kaminoans, to serve as a flag ship of my battle group. As for your occupation force, I can only assume you mean the Separatist fleet that we blew to hell and back. I'm surprised Dooku didn't tell you. He must be getting paranoid about his attempts at apprentices." Skywalker said with a sneer. The Pureblood stared into Skywalker's eyes, searching for any sign of deceit.
Sanguine'ar let go of Ahsoka, turning to face the endless void of space. "It's clear to me that you don't have the answers I seek." He eyed over the never-ending blackness, considering his options. "Take me to the Jedi Temple."
"And what makes you think I'm going to do that?" Skywalker said.
"Because I've killed over one-hundred Jedi. Including five masters. At least a dozen of them fell to my blade during the destruction of the Jedi Temple, at the battle for Coruscant." Sanguine'ar smiled wickedly at Skywalker. Anakin had to fight down the urge to just grab his lightsaber and hack the Sith to pieces.
