Megara observed the lava planet with careful eyes as she guided her starfighter to Mustafar's surface. Even from here, she could feel the power of the Dark Side practically pulsating from the planet's core.
R-2 beeped anxiously, causing the Grey Jedi purse her lips. "I know R-2, I don't like it here either."
As she flew into the planet's atmosphere, she spotted a dark fortress sitting on a river of lava, and made sure to stay a good distance away so she wouldn't be detected.
After landing, she stepped out of her fighter and looked at R-2. "Stay with the ship, and take this. If I signal you, fly the ship to my coordinates."
She handed the little droid a comm-link before reaching into her pocket and pulling a little sphere. Activating it, Megara smiled as the bright blue lights that acted as the droid's eyes blinked open.
"I need the schematics for the tower Tikki. Quickly."
The droid beeped before cloaking itself to blend in and flying away.
Megara pulled the hood of her cloak up and over her head, obscuring her features, and began making her way towards the fortress, taking care to mask her Force Signature as she walked.
The Dark Force began more potent as she got closer to the fortress, making Megara frown. Whatever's in there, it must be truly evil.
A sudden, sick realization came over her. What if the Sith Assassin is here?
She shook away the fear she felt, knowing that any erratic show of emotions will make her Force Signature more palpable. If he is here, I'll just have to be more careful.
With her emotions successfully smothered and her Force Signature hidden, Megara continued creeping along the rocks towards the dark fortress. Even though there were a few droid patrols here and there, the Grey Jedi was honestly expecting more. Guess they thought no one would be stupid enough to break into a Sith fortress.
After a time of creeping about and avoiding what little patrols there were, Megara made it to the base of the tower. By then, her scout droid came back with schematics of the tower. Pressing a button on top of the little droids head, she pulled up a map of the fortress layout Tikki had collected before zooming in on the central control room where the holo-computer. It was located ten floors above her, the elevator was located three hallways over from her location. All she had to do was avoid droid patrols... as well as anyone else who was lurking in the halls.
-Somewhere else in the Fortress-
Vader's eyes opened.
Someone was roaming around his domain.
A hungry grin that rivaled that of any nexu spread itself across his face. It's been a little under four days since his... activities, on Takodona. And he was aching for something fun to do besides guarding information of Force sensitive children.
Time to play.
-With Megara-
Two droid patrols, and five very close calls later, Megara took an elevator up the last three floors to the holo-computer, after knocking out the cameras of course.
The Grey Jedi took the vents again to avoid the hallways before finally making it to the room where the holo-computer was. After dropping down through the vents, Megara walked towards the computer and pulled up the files... which required a voice passcode in order to extract.
She hadn't expected this part. Megara had assumed that they would have something protecting the information, but something this thin? They must really be confident in the fact no one would be stupid enough to break into their fortress.
The Grey Jedi snorted and pressed the button for the voice passcode.
"Sith."
It beeped blankly, indicating it was the wrong word.
"Separatist."
The voice port beeped blanky again. Megara pursed her lips and looked at the holo-computer. A word suddenly appeared in the Grey Jedi's head... she honestly had no idea where it came from, but it was suddenly there.
"Angel."
The voice port beeped, but not blankly this time. The chip containing the information rose from a port. Smiling triumphantly, Megara plucked the chip from the port and slipped it into a pouch hanging from her belt by her lightsaber... That's when she felt it.
(Author's Note: Start playing Jonathan Young's Cover of Hellfire here.)
Cold.
Fear.
Evil.
She wasn't alone.
Spinning on her heel, Megara crossed her gauntlets together just in time to stop the blood red lightsaber from cutting her in two.
Her attacker's - he was obviously male based on the broad shoulders and tall frame - face was hidden by a pitch black cloak, the light from his saber making him seem more intimidating. The powers of the Dark Side flowed off of him in waves.
This was the Sith Assasin
"You are either very brave..."
Megara felt shivers roll up and down her back at the sound of his voice. It was husky, arrogant...
And familiar.
No... It can't be... it can't!
But whether the shivers were from fear or from something else... she couldn't say.
"Or very stupid."
The Grey Jedi gritted her teeth as more pressure from his lightsaber was applied to her gauntlets. Megara took a deep breath before using the Force to push the Sith Assassin away from her, at least far enough to give her time to draw her own lightsaber and moved in for her own attack.
"You have information regarding the good of both the Republic and the Jedi Order. I am here to take it back."
Vader stiffened as the voice of the Jedi with the grey lightsaber filled his ears. It sounded familiar, almost like-
No, this can't be her. I would have sensed if it was.
The Sith Assasin chuckled darkly before standing up. "Well then, that information must never get to the Republic and the Jedi Scum if it's for their good."
Megara's grip on her lightsaber tightened as the Sith insulted the home she was raised and trained in. "And it must not fall into the hands of deceitful hands of you Sith."
The grin on his face rivaled that of a nexu, but he said nothing. Instead, he raised his lightsaber. "Your move, Jedi."
The Themyscira born woman raised her own lightsaber, her face the epitome of emotionless, and refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.
With the nexu grin still on his face, the Sith charged forward...
And their lightsabers clashed.
It was obvious that she's had training with a sword that was not her lightsaber. Once again, his thoughts went to his angel, and the vision he had when they were both young and he watched as she sparred against her mother before pushing her away with the Force when her mother's sword swipes got too close.
The Jedi aimed a swipe at his head, and he ducked just in time to avoid it. Then the little minx disappeared behind a power generator. When he circled around, she was gone.
Vader kept his ears and senses open. "Come out come out wherever you are."
The doors to the control room open, and a group of droids marched in. "Lord Vader! The alarms have been-"
He crushed them without even looking at them.
Her gauntlets...
NO!
This couldn't be his angel, it just couldn't.
Megara swore that she knew him from somewhere. But where?
As she pressed the com-link button to signal R-2, her thoughts went to the boy she saw in her visions, and how his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. His voice was similar to the boy's in the last vision she had of-
The Grey Jedi tucked and rolled out of the way as his red lightsaber slashed exactly where her torso had just been. She quickly stood up and held her hand out to Force Push him the exact moment his hand shot out to do the same thing.
The two struggled for dominance as the power grew between their hands. But it became too much, and sent both of them flying into power generators, causing Megara's hood to fall from her head.
Knowing to hesitate in this fight was to die, she quickly grabbed her lightsaber using the Force before running forward just in time for her lightsaber to meet Vader's...
Eyes the color of chocolate met eyes the color of the sea after a storm.
They both froze. One remembering those eyes as they looked at her but didn't see her while his face was being pressed into the sand while the other remembered the eyes that looked at him but didn't see him as she peeked over her father's shoulder.
The words that came from Vader's mouth was shaky. "It's you."
Time stopped.
No.
No!
"NO!"
She quickly yanked her saber away and Force pushed him away from her before jumping up to the top ramps and sprinting through the doors.
Vader quickly disregarded the pain as he was sent flying into a wall. It didn't matter... His angel was here!
He immediately picked himself up and before using the Force to jump towards the top ramp and through the doors, his voice booming after her.
"STOP!"
She didn't stop. His Angel kept running away from him, probably looking for an exit.
He will not allow it.
Now that he was found her, he will not allow his angel to escape from him ever again.
It couldn't be true... it couldn't!
The boy who's voice echoed in her head and who's shadow sparred with her when they were young, couldn't have been a Sith. But there he was, right behind her. Chasing after her like a wolf chasing it's prey.
She saw a window and took the chance that R-2 was close enough to see her before running towards it. Now that they've made contact with each other, Megara could now sense every emotion that flowed through him, hear his thoughts in her head, and felt how close he was.
Megara felt the familiar presence of the Force as it wrapped around her waist and she stumbled backwards towards the man chasing her. Just as Vader's fingers wrapped around the curve of her shoulder, the Grey Jedi's hand grabbed her lightsaber and swung...
Completely severing his forearm from his elbow.
While Vader reeled back, screaming in pain, Megara used her body to shatter the glass and she fell towards the river of lava below...
And landed in the pilot seat of her starfighter.
R-2 quickly closed the shield and flew them away.
Away from Vader.
She could still hear his screams of pain in her mind. Screams because of his now severed arm, and screams because she got away.
Vader howled in pain as he watched his angel fly away in a starfighter, what was left of his heart broke into an uncountable pieces.
A droid approached from behind. "Lord Vader? Lord Sidious has demanded you contact him."
The Sith Apprentice growled irritably before using the Force to lift his hood over his face and walked down the hall to the communications room. Already plotting to hunt his angel down and bring her back, even if that means dragging her back kicking and screaming.
It wouldn't matter anyway. She would understand eventually.
She had to.
With his cloak covering his now severed arm, Darth Vader walked into the communications room before kneeling in front of the largest hologram just as a blue image of a cloaked figure appeared.
"What is thy bidding, my master?"
Darth Sidious's voice was grim, and lacked its usual sadistic tone. "I have felt a great disturbance in the Force. What has happened to you, Apprentice?"
Vader's thoughts went to the pain in his now absent arm. "Someone has broken in and stole the information about the Force sensitive children."
"And cut off your arm."
The Sith Apprentice winced as the burning sensation of his severed arm seemed to increase. "Yes, my lord. The thief..."
Behind his hood, Darth Sidious raised an eyebrow. Vader was never one to be hesitant when speaking, quite the opposite actually. Something of great magnitude must have happened if it left his apprentice without words.
"Speak, Lord Vader."
Vader took a deep breath. "The thief who stole the information was a Jedi wielding a grey lightsaber-"
Now this grasped Sidious's attention. "A grey lightsaber?"
The Sith Apprentice internally raised an eyebrow. "What importance is that to us?"
His master's sadistic tone returned. "A Grey Jedi serves neither the dark or the light. They claim to only serve the Force."
Darth Vader looked up. "So she could be persuaded then?"
Silence. And then... "She?"
Vader realized his mistake and looked down to the floor again. From where he was, the Sith Lord frowned. "Speak Apprentice."
Vader found himself at a crossroads. On one hand, he could wait until after he has caught his angel and taught her how to view the Force from his side before he told his master that he has found her. But usually when he makes plans like that, something - mainly Ventress or Grievous - interfered and ruined everything. It wold probably be best if he told his master now and avoid a harsh punishment via Force Lightening.
"The Grey Jedi... Is the woman whom I've been bound to through the Force since childhood."
Sidious froze. Moments later, a grin that could only be conjured by the most insane of people spread itself across his face. He knew that with his teachings, his apprentice would hunger and obsess over the person whom he was connected to. And now that he's met the woman, the obsession would become more powerful now that he's met her and she is not by his side, and so his powers would increase to heights that would rival his.
"And you failed to keep her here. You failed to keep her from stealing the information that is needed for expanding our ranks."
Vader kept his gaze to the floor, anger coursing through him like the river of lava his home sat on. "Yes Master."
Sidious clicked his tongue. "Shame. If she posses the skill set to amputate your arm, she would have been a brilliant addition to the dark side. The two of you together could have brought the Jedi and the Republic to it's knees."
The Sith Apprentice allowed his eyes to close and his mind moments to conjure up images of him and his angel side by side destroying the Jedi and seeing that the Sith took their rightful place as rulers of the galaxy before killing his master and take the galaxy for themselves.
He opened his eyes and looked straight at the hologram. "All is not lost Master."
Sidious raised an eyebrow from underneath his cloak. "Oh?"
"She said the information of the Force sensitive children regarded the good of both the Republic and the Jedi Order. Which leads me to believe she took the information back to Coruscant."
The sadistic smile crossed the Sith Lord's face. "Well down my apprentice. You will begin your search as soon as the droids give you a new arm."
Vader suddenly remembered the burning pain in his arm, and the smell of burning flesh was starting to get to him.
"Thank you Master."
The hologram flickered away and Vader stood up before walking to the medical bay that was in the tower.
After he was sitting down and the droids were working on his mechanical arm. He let realization kick in.
He found his angel. And he knew where she was going.
Now that he's met her face to face, he remembered feeling her emotions blasting at him through their bond. Vader couldn't help but wonder... if he could do more that just feel her emotions through the bond. He wondered if he would be able to look into her memories, learn about her, and find out exactly how to catch her.
But the bond was a two way street. If Vader was able to sense his Angel's emotions and maybe be able to see her memories, she would be able to sense his emotions and see his memories. And since he wasn't ready for that just yet, he knew that he was going to have to be extra careful while walking through her past.
Which meant he couldn't get greedy and dive fully into her memories. Yet. He was going to have to sate himself with only one memory for now.
Closing his eyes, Darth Vader let his mind open up to the bond that has yet to be closed. He realized that she didn't know how to block it yet, and struggled to keep his emotions under control so she wouldn't detect him. He decided to start with a recent memory. It would be easier for him to see it and there would be less of a chance for her to sense him.
The memory he found was from three days ago. He was seeing everything from her point of view, she was standing against a balcony, looking out at Coruscant at night.
"Meg?"
Meg.
Megara.
Mine.
Megara looked up to see a woman walk into the room. His Angel smiled in the woman's direction. "Couldn't sleep Padmé?"
The woman, Padmé, sighed before leaning against the balcony with her... friend? No, cousin. "I can't help but think of what the Jedi Council asked of me,"
She frowned. "Why would they ask me to spy on Clovis of all people?"
Megara sighed before she took Padmè's hand in her own."Clovis is... Suspected of conspiring with the Separatists."
Padmè's head snapped in her cousin's direction. "What?! Yoda didn't tell me this... I can't believe Clovis would do that. I never thought he would do something like this."
She looked at Megara with a firm face. "Someone has to find out what he's up to."
His angel furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you sure? You did say that your relationship with him ended on a bad note."
"That doesn't matter. I've changed my mind, you've convinced me that it's vital to learn what Clovis is up to. I accept the mission."
"Lord Vader? Your mechanical arm is now complete."
Blue eyes looked down at his now finished robotic arm.
"Open and close please."
The Sith Apprentice did as he was told and open and closed his fingers.
"The procedure was successful, you are free to leave."
Without a word to the droid, Vader stood up and pulled his hood over his head before walking out.
I'll find you. I'll find you if I have to burn down the whole galaxy.
-On Coruscant-
Megara, still tense from the duel on Mustafar, walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple towards the Council Chamber. It was only after she delivered the information she felt like she could finally breath. She was currently walking down the halls she spent a good portion of her life in with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. And the latter raised an eyebrow marking that served as her eyebrow in the Grey Jedi's direction. "You look exhausted Meg."
The Grey Jedi sighed before smiling in Ahsoka's direction. "Dodging the droid patrols were harder than I expected them to be."
"Which is why the Council had me inform Senator Amidala that you will be resting here for the night and will report to her in the morning."
Megara's head whipped around to look at Obi-Wan. "That wasn't-"
"As my padwan said, you look like you're ready to fall asleep anywhere. Captain Typho and his team will be in charge of the senator's protection tonight."
Knowing that trying to argue was pointless - and the fact that Obi-Wan was right when he said that she was ready to just collapse at a random place and not wake up until the Clone Wars ended - Megara thanked Obi-Wan and said goodbye to both him and Ahsoka before making her way to the living quarters where the room she stayed in whenever she had to stay for long nights and didn't feel like catching a speeder or walking back to Padme's apartment was.
As she continued to walk, Megara couldn't shake the feeling that someone was... there. Not, watching her per say, just there. Like there was a presence lingering in the back of her mind.
It was truly starting to frighten her.
She walked through the hall towards the room she stayed in whenever she rested at the Temple finally heard it.
'Megara...'
The Grey Jedi froze, hoping that it was just a vision.
'Angel...'
Hoping that whoever called her name was here physically, Megara looked around the halls. But alas, she was the only person here, and she could sense it.
Since she knew it was pointless to reply physically, the Grey Jedi replied mentally. 'Who is this?'
The reply was almost immediate. 'You know who it is.'
No.
It can't be!
'What is this?! What did you?!'
'I didn't do anything. You and I both know that this Force Bond has been here since we were children.'
Memories of the three times Megara saw Vader and the uncountable times she's heard his thoughts sprout up in her mind. He was right, they've been connected since they were young.
Now, the question was how was she going to control this?
'You won't be able to. It's the Will of the Force.'
And that was exactly the problem.
Megara closed her eyes and dived deeper into the bond.
Hera give me strength.
Turning around, she came face-to-face with the man she's been bound to. The hood of his cloak was down, and since she was more focused on escaping than getting a good look at his face, she was stunned. His face was almost... prince like. With dirty blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the aftermath of a storm.
And it was as if he was right there in the Temple with her, but deep down she knew he wasn't.
It became obvious that she had been staring for too long when he raised an eyebrow and smirked. A warm blush spread across Megara's face and she quickly looked away, eyes instead going to his side. The arm that she had cut off has been replaced with an arm made of metal.
Vader looked down at his new arm before looking back at her, smirk widening. 'Like it?'
The Grey Jedi frowned and crossed her arms. 'I'm not going to apologize if that's what you're expecting.'
'I hold no ill will against you. If anything, I should thank you.'
'Why?'
The smirk on his face grew bigger. 'Because in a way... You marked me as yours.'
She reeled back, blush spreading as he laughed.
This was going to be very difficult.
-Time Skip-
Megara had trouble falling asleep even though she was exhausted.
Even though she wasn't looking at him, she knew he was there. He wasn't saying anything, but he was there.
Maybe that's why I'm afraid to asleep, because I'm afraid that he'll walk through my mind.
'You're going to make yourself sick if you keep staying awake like this,'
'Go away.'
The bond pricked with slight irritation. 'No.'
Megara rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, still not looking at him. 'Why? Why can't you just leave me alone?'
The bond pricked again, the irritation stronger. 'We are meant to be together. This bond is a testament of that.'
'We may have been binded together since childhood, but you're still a murder.'
The irritation was silent now. 'Megara-'
A sigh escaped the Grey Jedi's lips. 'Please leave. I just want to sleep.'
Vader didn't leave. Instead, even though he - hopefully - wasn't even on the same planet as her, Megara felt him lay next to her, not quite touching, but if she was to shift around in her sleep, they would end up pressed together.
A ghostly hand brushed through her dark brown hair. 'Go to sleep Megara.'
She tried to fight against it, she really did. But because of the surprising warmth the he gave off, it was in vain.
The Sith Apprentice's voice was soft, seductive, as it flowed through the bond.
'Sleep.'
Megara tried fighting just a little longer, but she just sank into the darkness of sleep.
Author's Note: So I'm going camping next week *insert gag here* and I wanted to post something before I'm forced into my brief exile. I may be able to get something else published before next week, but I wouldn't hold out much hope.
Also what did you guys think of Meg and Vader's meeting?