Okay, once again I thank all my reviewers for their comments and enthusiasm. Now back to the story.
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A man in a robe was looking at Starkiller, his eyes pleading. Pleading even as the lightsaber stabbed him and the light left his eyes...
Starkiller was eleven, dodging swings from Dooku that would surely kill him if they connected...
Starkiller screamed in agony at the body in front of him. He looked at the face and...
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Starkiller bolted up in his cot. He began panting, his heart racing from the dreams. They had been happening repeatedly over the month since the destruction of the Malevolence.
Is it that girl that's doing this to me? he wondered as he swung his legs out from the cot and walked into the hallway. He was on another Separatist ship, somewhere near Tatooine.
Should I meditate on this? No, that never works, he thought as he shook his head to clear his thoughts. The Sith assassin was waiting for a new mission from Dooku, who wasn't talking to him at the moment. It was probably a good thing too, as the old man had basically exploded in anger when he heard about the Malevolence.
Starkiller suspected Dooku wasn't assigning him any missions as punishment, instead giving all assignments to that weakling Ventress. He chuckled to himself. Ventress almost always failed assignments she was given. Dooku would call him back soon enough.
Starkiller turned to the left and saw a battle droid approaching. "You have a mission from Count Dooku," it said as it handed him a data disc. Starkiller chuckled again and muttered "Speak of the devil."
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On board the Republic ship Tranquility, Master Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano were attempting to interrogate Nute Gunray, who had recently been captured by Republic forces. "I sense fear, viceroy. Why would you be afraid if you have nothing to hide?" Luminara asked.
Gunray had been denying his involvement with the Separatists ever since he arrived on the ship, though in vain. Everyone there knew he was guilty, and they knew he would talk. He was too big a coward to do much else.
"I know nothing," Gunray said weakly, fearing the Jedi and her abilities. He even refused to make eye contact. "Tell us your allies. Your bases. Your operations," Luminara said with her eyes closed, attempting a Jedi mind trick. Unfortunately, the trick was in vain. The viceroy was a coward, not a fool.
"I tell you, I know nothing! I am innocent!" Gunray protested. The viceroy's denial soon caused a certain Togruta girl to become immensely irritated. "Enough talk!" Ahsoka snapped as she jumped onto the table and activated her lightsaber, pointing it at Gunray's neck.
"Tell us what we want to know, or I'll gut you like a Rokarian dirtfish!" she growled. Gunray leaned back so much that he fell out of his chair and landed on his head. Luminara grabbed Ahsoka's arm and pulled her off the table, snatching her lightsaber away.
"Padawan! We do not use terror as an interrogation technique!" Luminara scolded. "I wasn't serious. Fear's the only thing that'll make him talk!" Ahsoka told the Master.
Gunray sat up in his chair, rubbing his head and saying "Okay. I'm ready to negotiate." Luminara looked at Ahsoka, who smiled sheepishly. Luminara gave a small laugh and handed the young Padawan her lightsaber back.
Before any negotiating could commence, the entire ship rocked, knocking Ahsoka and Luminara about. Gunray fell out of his chair and landed on his head again.
"What was that?" Ahsoka asked as she got up. Luminara deactivated the holding cell's ray shield and said "An explosion." She turned on her wrist comm and said "Commander Gree? Are you there?"
Over the comm, the Commander said "Yes general! We're under attack! Super battle droids everywhere!" Over the comm, the familiar sound of blaster fire and screaming clones could be heard.
"I'm going to help him. You stay here with the viceroy," Luminara said to Ahsoka before running toward the elevator and heading down. Ahsoka sighed and muttered "Yes, master."
Gunray sat in his chair as Ahsoka reactivated the ray shields. "Looks like I am about to be rescued," the viceroy said smugly. Ahsoka shot him a look and said "Rescue? They're probably here to make sure you don't squeal."
Gunray shuddered in fear. He prayed that the Padawan was wrong. Ahsoka looked at the elite Senate Commandos guarding the viceroy. If the Republic had dispatched them, then the viceroy was an important hostage.
Ahsoka didn't realize how important he was until later.
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Down below, the clone troopers sealed multiple blast doors, locking the super battle droids in a single corridor. The battle droids blasted at the door in front of them until a side door opened.
The droids turned to see Luminara and Gree enter the corridor. Luminara leaped forward and, in three quick movements, destroyed three battle droids before turning to the remaining dozen in the small hallway.
Gree joined a small number of other clones near the closed blast door, Luminara stepping in front of them. The battle droids continued firing, Luminara deflecting the shots into either the walls or the droids that had fired them.
She continued this until only four were left. She leaped forward and sliced, cutting one in half. She then sidestepped and grabbed a second one, using it as a shield as its brethren shot at it to hit the Jedi master.
Luminara then used the Force to throw her droid shield into droid number three. She then jumped onto the wall, and jumped forward, stabbing droid number four and landing on its body. She looked up and saw droid number three get up and point its blaster at her. It didn't last long, as five clones behind Luminara opened fire, blowing the droid into pieces.
"Nice work, general," Gree complimented, amazed at Luminara's skill. She smiled as she deactivated her lightsaber. "Thank you Commander. But I sense that we're not out of this yet."
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Ahsoka smiled as she heard the blaster fire stop. She turned to the viceroy and, in a smug voice, said "So much for a rescue mission." Gunray sighed and slammed his head on the table, ready for the next round of interrogation. It never came.
Ahsoka turned to see Captain Argyus approaching, ready to report on the failed droid attack. Then she saw the ceiling above the elevator controls. A red lightsaber blade was cutting through it. Ahsoka pulled her lightsaber off her belt and ran forward as a familiar black form dropped down from the ceiling and twist around, decapitating the two Commandos at the elevator controls.
Starkiller turned and locked eyes with Ahsoka, who activated her green blade. "Well look who it is. Ahsoka, right?" he said pleasantly as he hopped down from the controls he was standing on.
"You remember my name. I'm touched," the Padawan quipped as she lifted her blade. Starkiller shook his head and said "I'm not gonna have to fight you to get to the viceroy, am I?"
Ahsoka grinned and said "Afraid so." Starkiller shrugged and waved his hand. Ahsoka felt like she was hit by a rancor as Starkiller's Force Push sent her flying down the hallway. The Commandos opened fire immediately.
There were three of them. The two guards and Captain Argyus. They fired on Starkiller, who simply deflected their bolts into the walls. Then he used the Force to pull their blasters out of their hands. The Sith deactivated his lightsaber and put it on his belt before twisting his neck around, a sharp crack emanating from it.
"Your move," Starkiller said as he got in a fighting stance. The Commandos saw what he was doing. He wanted to fight hand-to-hand. The three charged forward, their fists raised.
Starkiller chuckled and leaped over Captain Argyus before throwing his clawed hand at a Commando's chest. His artificial claws pierced through the Commando's armor, sinking into warm flesh. Starkiller turned and threw a backhand that hit Argyus in the cheek, the other Commando's blood splattering all over his face and armor. Argyus hit the wall, stunned.
The third Commando threw his fist forward, but Starkiller grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward. The Sith then sidestepped and wrapped one arm around the Commando's neck, placing his other hand on the Commando's head. Ahsoka stood up, sore from the Force Push Starkiller had dealt her. When she saw the Commando's head in Starkiller's hands, she closed her eyes, knowing what was coming next.
CRACK!
When she opened her eyes, the Commando's dead body fell on the floor, his neck broken. "Rest in peace," Starkiller said quietly as he pulled his lightsaber off his belt. He was sincere when he said it; Ahsoka could tell from his voice.
Starkiller then looked up at the young Padawan and activated his lightsaber, the blade going behind his back in that all-too-familiar stance. "Now then, where were we? Oh, yes. We were going to dance," Starkiller mocked as he charged forward. Ahsoka swung low, hoping to cut off a leg, but Starkiller side-flipped over it and swung down.
Ahsoka brought her lightsaber up behind her back and caught the blow just in time. She could feel the heat from the blades on her back, they were so close. "I thought you said you couldn't kill me," the Padawan said as she turned, knocking Starkiller's blade to the side.
"I can't. Why do you think you aren't dead yet?" Starkiller answered as he tried four quick blows, Ahsoka blocking all of them. "Why do you serve Dooku? You could do so much good with us!" Ahsoka said as she connected her lightsaber with his, holding it at bay.
"Good? I'm a killer. I've slaughtered many of your troopers and fellow Jedi. I can't be good, no matter how hard I tried," he said as he twisted and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying. She landed next to one of the dead Commandos. Ahsoka then felt something warm on her hand. When she looked, she saw it was blood.
"See what I mean?" Starkiller asked as he turned and deactivated the viceroy's ray shields. Ahsoka charged forward as Gunray stepped out of the cell. Ahsoka brought her lightsaber down on Starkiller's helmet...
She gasped as she saw the blade didn't cut through the helmet. Starkiller grabbed her lightsaber and used that to throw her into the cell. Starkiller reactivated the ray shields, trapping Ahsoka in the cell that had just contained the viceroy. Ahsoka jumped up and looked at Starkiller, her lightsaber in his hand.
He tapped her lightsaber hilt on his helmet and said "Mandalorian iron. Lightsabers don't work on it." Ahsoka growled and said "Do you ever fight fair?!" Starkiller shrugged and said "Ask those dead Commandos back there."
As he turned to look at the bodies he had just mentioned, he saw a woman in a black robe running forward, a green lightsaber in her right hand. "Master Luminara Unduli," he growled in enthusiasm. He pushed the viceroy out of the way as he activated both his lightsaber and Ahsoka's.
Luminara swung, Starkiller knocking it aside with his red blade and swinging with the green one. Luminara bent back quite a distance, dodging the blade. "I'd heard about your ability to dodge lightsabers. The descriptions don't do justice to what you're really like," Starkiller said, impressed. Luminara connected her blade to both of his.
"Thank you. The feeling's mutual. You're more powerful than I'd anticipated," she said as she pushed back on Starkiller. He chuckled slightly, which was Luminara's only warning before he did a Force Repulse, knocking her back down the hallway. Unfortunately, it also destroyed the ray shields holding Ahsoka.
The Padawan used the Force to call a lightsaber to her hand. Starkiller turned and saw her activate a blue blade. He readied himself as he saw Luminara regain her footing. He looked back and forth between the two, trying to assess the situiation. After a few seconds, the Sith sighed and deactivated his lightsabers, putting them on his belt.
Ahsoka thought he was surrendering, but Luminara knew better. "Padawan! Stop him!" she shouted, but it was too late. Starkiller threw his hands into the air, then brought them down quickly.
The entire ship rocked as Starkiller used the Force to tear apart the engines to the ship, causing an explosion. The two Jedi and Gunray fell down, the vibrations too powerful. Starkiller used his magnetic boots to keep himself upright. He looked up and saw clone troopers emerging from the elevators. "I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short," he said as he leaped over Luminara and charged the troopers.
They fired at him, but something strange happened. Starkiller seemed to be surrounded by blue energy, and when he got closer, they saw it was lightning. Their blaster shots deflected off this 'Lightning Shield', Starkiller still advancing.
He slammed into the clones, the Shield blasting them all with Lightning when it touched them, knocking them into the walls and rendering most of them unconscious.
Starkiller leaped over the elevator controls and slammed into the doors. The Shield melted right through the doors, sending Starkiller falling into the elevator shaft.
Luminara and Ahsoka ran after him, stepping over the dead bodies. "What are we waiting for?" Ahsoka asked as she prepared to jump after the Sith Lord. Luminara grabbed Ahsoka's shoulder. A second after that, the elevator fell down the shaft, damaged from the explosion. "Uh, thanks," Ahsoka said sheepishly.
"The Sith Lord crippled the entire ship," Argyus said. He had just woken up from the beating, the blood still on his face. He began to wipe it off, a look of anger on his face. "He's here for Gunray," Luminara guessed. Why else would he be there?
"I'll find him. If we're lucky, maybe I can take him alive. He'll hold very valuable information," Luminara said. Ahsoka interrupted, saying "Master, I know you're very powerful, but so is Starkiller. He can do things I've never even seen before. He fought six Jedi at once and came out on top!"
"Ahsoka, I think I can handle a crippled Sith Lord who requires a full body suit to survive," Luminara said. She seemed very overconfident for a Jedi Master.
Ahsoka wanted to protest, but Luminara ordered "Stay here and guard Gunray." Then the Master jumped through the burned hole in the wall and down the shaft, chasing her Sith Lord quarry.
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"She may be a Jedi Master and a formidable fighter, but Starkiller is a whole different level of warrior!" Ahsoka said to Argyus, hoping for his advice. Gunray was back in his cell, miserable as ever.
"I can't just let her fight him alone! Wouldn't we stand a better chance together?" she asked the captain. He shrugged and said "Good soldiers follow orders. But sometimes the best soldiers do what they think is right, not just what their commander says. That's something droids can't do, and it's why clones are superior to them."
"So you're saying I should help Master Luminara, against orders?" Ahsoka asked. "That's your decision, young one," Argyus said simply. Gree spoke up, saying "I wouldn't."
Argyus saw the doubt in Ahsoka's face and said "Don't worry, we've got everything handled here. Gunray's not going anywhere." Ahsoka glanced toward the viceroy, who still looked unhappy at his incarceration.
Ahsoka smiled and took off, hoping that she wasn't too late.
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It had been easy for Luminara to track Starkiller. He left a lot of dead bodies in his wake. Some were sliced by a lightsaber, others looked like they were injured by the Force.
She followed the bodies right into the engine room, which was in bad shape. There were fires and smoke everywhere. Luminara looked around, expecting an ambush any second, as the current environment was perfect for ambushes. Through the hissing steam and crackling fires, she heard one sound that sent a chill up her spine.
HOOOO CUHHH HOOOO CUHHH
Luminara looked around anxiously. She couldn't detect the Sith Lord anywhere. The sound echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls, making the breathing sound like it was coming from all directions at once. Then Luminara heard the hiss of a lightsaber behind her and ducked as a red blade sweeped over her head.
"Not bad," Starkiller said as he continued his assault, swinging horizontally, knocking Luminara's hand back. He then delivered three quick cuts, all of which the Jedi Master blocked.
"I recognize the style of Juyo, the seventh form of lightsaber combat," she said as she lifted her blade. She swung, Starkiller ducking under it and striking again, Luminara backflipping out of the way.
"And in a reverse-grip. You are a talented swordsman," Luminara admitted. Starkiller chuckled and said "You're making me blush." Luminara smiled a little. What she had heard was true: Starkiller was unique. Very powerful and vicious, but civil as well. Not to mention having that sense of humor. It was a strange combination.
Starkiller spun around, twisting his lightsaber behind his back in a blur. Luminara blocked two quick jabs before Starkiller swung down, knocking her blade to the floor. He then kneed her in the ribs, knocking her back and winding her.
As Luminara struggled to catch her breath, Starkiller tried to stab at her, but she leaped over it and tried to use the Force to push him. He twisted and attempted the same, their hands inches away from each other, neither able to overpower the other. Both then released and jumped back.
Starkiller then quickly shot a bolt of Force Lightning at Luminara. It caught her off guard and sent her flying back onto the main platform, her lightsaber falling out of her hand.
An explosion then erupted overhead. Starkiller and Luminara both looked up. Large exhaust pipes began to fall, knocked away from the explosion. Starkiller saw that many of them were about to land right on the Jedi Master.
Quickly, the Sith Lord deactivated his blade and reached out with the Force, stopping the pipes about two feet from the Jedi's face. He then chucked them over the side of the platform into the fiery depths below.
Luminara stood up, shocked. "You... Saved me?" she asked in awe. Starkiller nodded, saying "A powerful warrior deserves an honorable death. Crushed by pipes? Kind of an embarrassing end."
Luminara was amazed by this Sith Lord. Maybe... "Then why do you fight for the Sith? You act more like a Jedi," she said. Starkiller chuckled as he walked toward her, his lightsaber still deactivated in his right hand.
"Don't bother, the Padawan tried the same trick on the Malevolence. I could never be a Jedi. I've killed too many of you and your soldiers. Besides, if I became a Jedi, I couldn't kill anymore of you and take your lightsabers. Where's the fun in that?" he said.
Luminara sighed. He would have made a powerful addition to their forces. But he had a point. He had killed many Jedi and clones. Even if he tried to join, he'd probably be rejected.
Starkiller prepared to strike when the door behind Luminara opened. Both fighters looked and saw Ahsoka run in, the blue lightsaber in her hand. She Force Pushed Starkiller away and stood next to Luminara, deactivating her (stolen) blade.
"I know, I should've listened to your orders. But I figured you'd need the help," Ahsoka said, picking up Luminara's lightsaber and handing it to her. "Well, you're here now," Luminara said, a small smile on her face.
Starkiller walked toward them, saying "I just can't keep the ladies away from me." The two activated Jedi activated their lightsabers in preparation. Starkiller looked at Ahsoka and said "You're the second Jedi to steal one of my blades. I must say, it gets annoying."
Ahsoka smiled grimly and charged forward, Luminara right beside her. Ahsoka went for a low attack, and Starkiller jumped over it, striking at Luminara's head, only for her to block it.
Starkiller then leaped back and looked at the two Jedi before pulling Ahsoka's lightsaber hilt off his belt. "I'm going to need that lightsaber back," he said. Ahsoka felt a sense of deja vu. She deactivated the blue blade and tossed it to Starkiller. "What are you doing?!" Luminara exclaimed, thinking the Padawan crazy.
Starkiller caught the lightsaber in mid-air with the Force, then tossed Ahsoka's lightsaber back to its owner. Ahsoka caught it and lit it up, smiling at the familiar texture. "You just keep surprising me," Luminara said to Starkiller. The Sith shrugged and pushed a button on his wrist comm. A red light began flashing on it.
"Here's the biggest surprise of all," Starkiller said as he clipped his lightsabers on his belt. He then leaped onto a generator, and finally into the rafters, where they could not see him. "That can't be good," Ahsoka muttered.
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In front of Gunray's cell, Captain Argyus's wrist comm began flashing a green light. "What's that sir?" one of the guards asked. "Nothing," Argyus said before turning and shooting the two guards.
"What the--" Gree managed to say before Argyus fired on him. Gree jumped behind a section of the wall, dodging the blaster fire. Argyus then deactivated Gunray's ray shields, grabbing the viceroy.
Gree jumped from cover and saw Argyus holding Gunray like a meat shield. "I'm being paid handsomely for saving you, so don't die," Argyus said to the viceroy as he continued to fire on Gree.
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Back in the engine room, Ahsoka and Luminara searched for the Sith warrior. They sensed him nearby, but he was good at not being seen. Nearby was a pile of rubble that began to move. Luminara and Ahsoka lunged forward and knocked the rubble away, only to see a small droid stuck on its back.
Luminara used her foot to lift it up, and the droid scurried off. The two walked down the pathway when Luminara spoke up. "You were right Ahsoka. This Sith Lord is more powerful than I imagined. I was overconfident," she said.
Ahsoka was about to speak when Luminara's wrist comm went off. "General! We've been betrayed by Argyus!" Gree's voice shouted. Luminara and Ahsoka looked at each other, and ran for the prison center.
Before they reached the door, Starkiller fell from the rafters and landed in front of them, lightsaber drawn. "Surprise," he said in mock humor as he sent forth a blast of Force Lightning. The two Jedi blocked it with their blades, the Lightning pushing them back slightly.
He ceased the Lightning and charged forward, a sense of satisfaction empowering his attacks.
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Gree and Argyus stared each other down. Both had their helmets knocked off, and both were disarmed. "Why'd you do it?" Gree asked. "I wanted to be different, not some soldier to obey orders and die," Argyus said calmly.
"You'd betray the Republic just for that?" Gree asked in anger. "Like I told the girl, the best soldiers do what they think is right," Argyus said before jumping after the blaster on the ground.
Gree grabbed his arm and pulled, punching Argyus in the face and then kicking him on to his back. Argyus looked up to see Gree holding the blaster. "I disagree," Gree said. He was about to execute Argyus when something hit him on the head and knocked him out.
Behind Gree, Gunray stood with a broken blaster in his hands. "Nice work, viceroy," Argyus said as he rushed to the elevators. He clicked a button on his wrist, signaling Starkiller.
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When Starkiller's wrist comm started beeping, he let out a Force Repulse and leaped into the ventilation shafts. "What is it with him and that move?" Ahsoka snapped.
Luminara's eyes widened. "We have to get to Gunray! Now!" she said as the two took off toward the cells.
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Meanwhile, Starkiller headed for the ship that was being used to escape. He climbed through the doors just as the ship took off.
In the cockpit, Gunray was praising Argyus's work. The door opened, and Starkiller walked in. "Not bad Argyus. I thought for sure you would mess this up," Starkiller said as the ship entered hyperspace.
"The feeling's mutual, but we both succeeded," Argyus said with a smile. Starkiller then took a seat in the chair next to Argyus and said "Yes, we did. But why would you betray your fellow soldiers?"
Argyus chuckled and said "Dooku promised me riches and freedom." Starkiller felt anger. "So you betrayed your friends and brothers for money?" he asked harshly.
"When you put it that way it AACK" Argyus managed to say before Starkiller began to choke him with the Force. "I can't stand traitors. Especially ones who do it for money," Starkiller growled as Argyus let out one last gag. His dead body then fell to the floor.
"Now we head to Felucia," Starkiller calmly said as he climbed in the pilot's seat, acting as if nothing had happened. Gunray gulped and rubbed his own throat, afraid it might spontaneously constrict and kill him.
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After Luminara and Ahsoka finished their report to the Jedi Council and the blue holograms flickered out of existence, the Jedi Master turned to the Padawan. "Starkiller is different, isn't he?" Luminara asked. Ahsoka nodded, saying "He's actually not such a bad person once you get to know him a bit. He could be a Jedi, if he wished it."
Luminara nodded, and said "Either way, I owe you my life Ahsoka. Never forget that." With that, she smiled and walked off, leaving Ahsoka with a strong sense of pride.
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Okay, this is my longest chapter yet, and my favorite so far. Next chapter has Kit Fisto and his old apprentice chase after Starkiller on Felucia. Guess who makes an appearance?
