GN: Sorry for making you wait guys... Please don't stab me me again Katana...
KG16: Yeah, I believe the term is "real life is a bitch" and our muses ran away, or at least Ganja's did . . . My part of the chapter was done in January, so blame him. ;)
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Darth Vader. A Dark Lord of the Sith...Very few could ever truly claim that title. So he found it curious that someone with such a feared and rare title would be assigned a task that could be done just as easily with a squadron of Stormtroopers. Perhaps this was the Force's way of getting at him for unbalancing things so horribly. Darkness now reigned throughout the galaxy, when his appearance should bring order.
He shook his head as he entered into the brig his cape billowing behind him. After his arrival and making a few examples out of the rebellion leaders, the uprising was quelled and the Wookiees were back to their duties. However, during the operation he'd overheard the transmission of a lieutenant, Solo if he recalled correctly, had refused to fire upon one of the wookiee escape pods that had been able to jump to light speed. Originally they intended to execute him, but Vader had belayed the order, wishing to have a word with the lieutenant. He wasn't certain as to why he was so interested in the man, his file had shown a long list of disciplinary infractions, most of which were of insubordination. The only saving grace that kept him in the fleet was his superb flying skills, which even Vader would admit could rival his own with proper training.
He did not pause as Commander Nyklas saluted and took stride beside him. "The Lieutenant is right this way sir." Nyklas said rather triumphantly, a tone Vader did not like. There was no triumph here. The uprising had effectivly destroyed most of the structure, it would have to be torn down now and completely redone. Vader however tempered his anger, he would gain nothing if he scared the lieutenant speechless. "My Lord?" He glanced at the man silently. "I have heard of your...fondness, of disposing of others and-" An invisible grip then wrapped around his neck silencing him.
"Your lack of respect tests my patience, commander." Vader growled releasing the man. "Do not tempt me again." Waiting for him to regain his breath he continued. "Where is the prisoner?"
Nyklas, deciding he would like a longer life expectancy replied "In there, sir."
Vader closed his eyes, he sensed fear. Anxiety. On instinct he put his hand on his lightsaber "Stay here." Vader stated as he opened the door.
From seemingly nowhere, a chair was swung from the left, which he promptly cut in half as Nyklas leapt back in surprise. He held his blade at neck level and his assailant, the young Lieutenant inside paled slightly upon seeing that it was Darth Vader himself of whom he had attempted to assault. "S-Sir" He stated blankly.
To be truthful, Vader was almost proud. Were the positions reversed, he would have attempted something similar, and he didn't miss the cuff links lying on the ground. Deactivating the blade Vader extended a hand indicating the bed, "Take a seat, Lieutenant." The man did as he was told, becoming slightly less pale than before as Vader shut the door on the Commander and a small squad of newly summoned Storm Troopers. "Lieutenant, I have received an interesting report of your actions during the Wookiee Uprising. I would like an explanation."
"Sir, I acted as I thought correct in the situation, Sir. I was ordered to fire upon a ship full of wookie kids, something I thought was wrong, they didn't deserve to die. Aren't we supposed to protect the innocent, Sir?" Solo's voice was less than formal bordering on insolent. "Slavery isn't exactly something I thought I'd be fight for, when I joined up."
Oh, how the wheels of irony do turn... Vader thought sourly. Once, in a different life, Vader would have agreed with Solo, perhaps given him a medal. And maybe it was that past life that encouraged his decision on the matter, he opened the cell door and motioned the kid out before exiting himself. "Lieutenant Han Solo, you are hereby dishonorably discharged from the Imperial Navy, you have 1 standard hour to gather your belongings and get off this vessel. These troopers will escort you. I am placing orders that if you set foot on Coruscant or commit even a minor infraction again you are to be executed on the spot. Am I clear?"
Solo stared at the black giant before quickly saluting and taking off down the hall, Storm Troopers in pursuit. Meanwhile, Nyklas was looking rather speechless. "B-but Sir!" He protested "You-You can't do that!"
Vader smiled darkly from behind his mask, he'd been seeking a reason to kill this idiot and now, with the compounded insubordination and his inability to properly contain a prisoner he had all that he needed to justify, in his mind, the man's death. "Once again," Vader stated flatly, flexing his hand and grasping the man's throat. "You forget your place." and with a sickening snap, the life was ripped from him. As he stepped over the body and departed, his comm link went off showing a message from his ship. Taking it from his belt he activated the hologram and was greeted by the sight of the general. "Speak."
"Sir, we are recieving a message from the Rogue Shadow on Planet Vassek."
"Patch it through." He did and instead of his apprentice, he was met with a robed figure, a woman. There was a lightsaber at her side. "You."
The figure smirked. "I've gotta say Vader, your apprentice was a real disappointment. I barely broke a sweat."
Vader frowned. That voice...I have heard it somewhere before... "Lower your hood. Show me my attacker."
"You assume I still obey you. That's cute."
Still obey? That implies she was under my command at some point. "Answer me this then, why do you seek to kill me? Does that not go against your Jedi principles?"
This seemed to strike a nerve with her. "The Jedi Order is dead. You saw to that. You stole everything I ever loved; my home, my friends. But worst of all, you took away my Master, the man I loved. The man I would have given my life for, had he only asked. And I swear to you, I will hunt you down and I will make you suffer the same agony I feel every minute of every hour of every day. I will destroy you and this damned Empire you helped to create!"
Vader closed his eyes, he could feel her rage channeling through the force all the way from Vassek. "Brave words. But words do not win battles." He paused. "If you are in such a hurry to die, Assassin. Then stay where you are and I'll come to you."
She seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking her head. "No...I'm not the stupid little padawan you used to know Vader. In a time and place of my choosing you will meet your fate."
Vader growled. "Mark my words Assassin, and mark them well; You will not be able to hide from me for long. I will find you and I will kill you."
She scoffed. "How can you kill someone who is already dead?" And the link went dead.
xxx
Sai Tok tossed the holodisk to the floor and walked past the groggy form of Starkiller. "Where are you going?"
She glanced back at him her eyes cold. "So, you're conscious now?" She saw him squirming slightly. "Don't bother trying to move. After I knocked you out I injected you with a powerful nerve agent." His breath hitched. "It's not lethal. But you won't be moving for a few hours, long enough for me to leave uninterrupted." He glared at her and his fingers twitched. She fought a smirk. Even after hearing that he was trying to make a fist. Or perhaps some sort of human gesture of insult.
"Why?" He grunted. She rose an eyebrow. "Why did you not finish me off?"
"I have no desire to kill a wounded Akul pup. You were just a convenient test of my skills."
A wave of fury erupted from him. "Don't...mock me. Finish me off!" He forced out.
"So you're just going to surrender then?" She extended her hand lifting him with the force and holding him in a cross formation. "You fool. If you enjoy combat as much as my duel with you has shown me, then you should stop whining for me to kill you. Don't lose then beg to be killed. I've never met a Jedi or Sith who ever admits defeat until they're dead." Starkiller was stunned at the blazing fury the woman possessed, The amount of unbridaled rage she could generate...It was suffocating. Apparently his moment of weakness had evoked only rage in the rogue jedi. "If you are beaten and are still alive afterword, consider it your lucky day." She tossed him aside and turned exiting the shuttle. "If I were you, I'd live. I'd dedicate my life to killing the one who left me alive."
Starkiller watched her depart into the mists of Vassek and grunted again. "Wait." She stopped again and glanced at him over her shoulder. "Tell me...your name."
She didn't answer at first and then reached up, pulling back her hood. Revealing a Togruta wearing a blue and white striped Akul headdress. "Ahsoka. My name is Ahsoka Tano. Tell your master to seek me where his story began." And then she vanished, leaving nothing but a swirl of the mist in her wake.
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Ahsoka did not look up as she passed Ra'el who was standing next to The Viper. "Left him alive?" He asked as she passed him. She didn't dignify him with a response. "There's a first."
"He's not the one I'm after...He was just a convenient warm up." She stated coolly as she climbed aboard The Akul. She'd named it for the predator she'd killed when she turned seven. Akul was a Cutlass-9 patrol fighter that once held the name of The Sharp Spiral. It used to be the ship of her good friend Master Saesee Tiin, who had taught her the most basic things about space travel before she became his padawan. She'd hot wired the ship strait off of Coruscant to escape the Jedi Purge that was going on. And after meeting her current Master she began to seek out parts and modify it. Once it contained only two laser cannons on the tip, She'd replaced those with four proton torpedo launchers in an X formation. The two cannons were then relocated to the wings along with two more of the same. Before she acquired it, it was a bronze and gold ship, Yet with the new paint job it was black as night with crimson lines on the wing tips. Out of all their ships Ahsoka had worked painstakingly hard to make it the fastest. If he had taught her anything about combat, be it in space or with a lightsaber; never compromise either speed or power for the sake of the other.
Ra'el smirked as she climbed into the cockpit. She's excited. Haven't seen her this lively since she first got here. He watched her take off before sighing as he entered The Viper and sat down at the controls. Still, she's unnaturally fixated on Vader...It's more than simple revenge for the Jedi Slaughter...It's personal for her. Ra'el leaned back as the ship fired up and began to make it's way on auto-pilot to Tattooine. Why is it that she hates him to such a degree? Did she know him before now? If so, how? I hate the Sith on principle but she almost goes out of her way to grow in strength just to combat one of them. Ra'el groaned in annoyance. "Sai you are really becoming a pain in my ass..."
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Ahsoka closed her eyes as her craft entered hyperspace. Well, next move is his...No doubt his apprentice is going to tell him my real name...A slim smile crossed her features at that thought; of the look on his face when he realized she was after him, not some random assassin. Then again he may not even care, but she'd remedy that soon enough. She closed her eyes and looked at her arm, the small burns his apprentice had left, a reminder of how far she still needed to go. She shouldn't have even had a mark...She was still too weak. She needed to increase her reaction times, not only that, least twice he was able to overpower her...Perhaps she should add a few more elements of Ataru into her style...
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Starkiller groaned as awareness returned to him and he slowly sat up. "Where-"
"I have brought you aboard my vessel for medical treatment." Starkiller whipped his head to the left and into the masked face of his Master.
"Forgive me master, I was careless."
"Obviously." Vader waved his hand. "I want to know what happened. In detail. How did she defeat you?"
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KG16: Thanks for stopping by, make sure to review on your way out!
GN: And keep kicking ass!
KG16: *face-palm*
