Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Star Wars, they belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It is not for sale or rent.

Chapter 6

=KoSS=

Inner Courtyard

Seireitei

Revan smiled thinly at the brutish Captain in front of him. The General held his Zanpakuto in a one handed dueling stance. His free hand was cracking with energy. Ichigo waved his left arm at Zaraki. A ripple in the air marked the only obvious effect of his attack.

Kenpachi stumbled mid-step, his movement suddenly slowing down. The giant of a man felt as if he was in a pit full of quicksand, the stuff sticking to his frame and making him sluggish. Ichigo wasted no time in exploiting the advantage he created, moving like water, around his slowed down opponent. Kurosaki delivered a series of slashes, opening angry red lines in the muscles of the giant man. Instead of faltering because of the wounds, Kenpachi smiled like the madman he was and roared in joy.

"This is it! Show me more!" Zaraki dispelled the energy slowing him down by spiking his Reiatsu even further and simply blowing it away.

His swings became wilder, harder to predict. The lunatic caught Ichigo's blade with a hand coated by a thick film of yellow Reiatsu. Despite that protection, the Zanpakuto bit deep in the palm of the Captain's hand, scraping at the bones. Kenpachi retaliated, aiming his sword at Kurosaki's left shoulder. Revan was surprised by the actions of this madman, reacting a split second too late. The General managed to create partially formed barrier of Reiatsu and the Force, which prevented the attack from killing him outright. The Zanpakuto still bit deeply in Ichigo's shoulder. Revan was unperturbed at the wound. He left his sword, still embedded into the Shinigami's arm and took a step forward, while Zaraki's blade was biting even deeper into his flesh. Ichigo placed the palm of his right hand on Kenpachi's stomach. Midnight black strands of energy were weaved into perfect sphere by Revan.

"CERO!" The former Dark Lord of the Sith shouted a single word.

An explosion of darkness separated the opponents, throwing them in opposite directions. The sudden motion widened Kurosaki's wound, but at least it tore away the offending Zanpakuto. The General's right hand was a charred ruin, bones protruding through burned out flesh.

Despite that, he was the lucky one. Zaraki had a gaping hole in his guts showing many of his organs ruptured and cooked by the searing heat. Both opponent's forms were left where the explosion threw them, blessed unconsciousness claiming them.

=KoSS=

Rukia's cell

It was a fine day. Cloudless, with the sun shining brightly, yet its rays were merely warming pleasantly instead of scorching with their heat. A light wind was bringing fresh air from far away mountains. If her circumstances were different, Rukia would have enjoyed the great weather immensely.

Instead, she was cooped in a death roll cell, wallowing in pity. Her her dreams had intensified in the last couple of days, leaving her chronically restless. The Kuchiki heiress was wondering if she was going insane because the whispers she heard in her head beside Sode no Shirayuki. If one had an active imagination, then he would be able almost see a bunch of storm clouds, gathering over her and soaking her with despair.

Suddenly she bolted upright, her eyes centering on a specific point of the floor. Her gaze was so intent as if the reishi rock was transparent and she saw beyond it. Rukia could feel the change, the whispers cooing in confirmation. For a moment her world stayed still and then she felt a gentle wave of energy washing over her body. It was making her nerves tingling with excitement. She had never felt more alive. Rukia was bathed by a calm current, the energy slowly entering her body, reinvigorating her. The feeling was made much more potent, because of her current situation being surrounded by Reiatsu countering material and thus cutting her from passively replenishing her other power or even using it.

Her new-found joy was interrupted by sharp pain in her left shoulder. It was as if a jagged blade had bit deeply in her flesh. Rukia hissed in pain wondering what was happening. She could feel a new sense unfolding, following the all encompassing stream. She could sense a blazing ribbon of energy, connecting her through this strange new power to a man, whose mind was a mental fortress. It was as if she was watching his actions from somewhere outside his body.

He was wounded, it was his pain she felt throbbing in her shoulder. Rukia could sense a torrent of dark hollow-like energy, gathering in the man's right hand. There was the sensation of release and her arm exploded in searing pain, like it was submerged in a vat of molten metal. She screamed, the agony overloading her nervous system. Rukia fell to the ground with her mind still plunged into this strange connection.

=KoSS=

Shared Inner world

When the pain lessened to a dull ache, Rukia found herself in a room full with dozens sparkling fountains. This beautiful place was familiar, bringing comfort to the distraught Shinigami. She knew this room, as if she had spent many hours relaxing by listening to the calming bubble of the water.

"This was my favorite place in the temple." A familiar voice startled her. "Your's too when I think about it."

Rukia whirled around to face its owner. Ichigo was walking towards her, dressed in black robes. His form was streaking between the fountains producing a sense of deja vu... As if she had seen him in this room many times, wearing a similar outfit.

She ran to him, desperate to see if he was all right.

"Ichigo!" She exclaimed in relieved voice. He looked fine, unharmed. Both his right arm and shoulder were hale.

The relief was soon replaced by anger.

"It was foolish to come here! I told you not to follow me!" She shouted at him, her voice thick with emotion.

"Ah." Revan's smile was extinguished. This was not shaping to be the reunion he was hoping for. He knew in his mind that this Rukia, while she *was* his deceased wife soul, had none of the memories of their previous lives. Yet that fact did not help him feel heartbroken at knowing she did not remember him. That she didn't care for him him as something more than a friend.

"You have to run back to the living world!" Rukia continued in a frantic voice.

Ichigo placed an index finger on her soft lips silencing her. He waved at the room, saying:

"Do you remember this place? The last time we were here, the room of a Thousand Fountains was a battlefield." He waved around as he spoke.

Rukia opened her mouth to say no, when she could feel a blazing light pulsing through the connection in this strange new energy field. For a moment, the Kuchiki heiress wondered how she managed to forget something so significant. Then she had a revelation, it was in the way the bond felt, natural, a part of her that has always been there, just as any other sense. You do not need a conscious effort to hear or feel a touch. But now, when she was aware of the connection once again, Rukia could see it blazing, a starlit bridge, connecting her with Ichigo. The bond pulsed as if alive and plunged them in a vivid dream of the past.

=KoSS=

Flashback

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

She was coordinating the last ditch defense of the Jedi Temple. The Sith assault had caught them by surprise. Dozens of Jedi died in the first minutes of the attack.

She was using the Force to heal a severely wounded Padawan, who had run afoul of one of the Empire's bounty hunters. The young Togruta, had been shot twice with powerful blaster, surviving so far only by the will of the Force. The Jedi Master smiled to the hurt boy, hiding her desperation well. She could hear the fighting coming near, the Jedi and what few republic troopers were left falling back before the Sith onslaught.

There were no reinforcements coming. The Empire had struck with overwhelming numbers, sending five full fleets to this campaign. Coruscant system defense forces were being slowly ground to nothing, pinned against the planet by most of the enemy capital ships. This still left scores of cruisers and hundreds of troop transports free, eleven of which were descending over the Senate building and the Temple. They were preceded by waves of bombers, gunships and assault shuttles. The few units of the Republic army which were close enough to reinforce the two strategic buildings were unable to do so.

The soldiers were busy dying, overran by swarms of Sith.

She looked around the room, in which the major part of surviving Jedi still on Coruscant were about to make their last stand against the darkness. This should have been a place of reflection and spiritual healing.

Instead the room of Thousand Fountains was made into improvised triage center and was about to become a battlefield. The building shuddered, the loud crashes of assault shuttles delivering more enemies echoing through the Temple.

It won't be long now. The Jedi Master did what she could for her patient and made her way to one of the doors, lightsaber in hand. She silently thanked the Force, that her husband was off world, commanding the campaign in the Corellian sector. With Revan surviving the inevitable fall of the Capital, the loss of Coruscant would not be the death blow for the Republic, which the Sith were hoping for.

The Jedi ran out of time. A solid wall of war-droids, followed by a phalanx of energy shield equipped storm-troopers, crashed into the barricades blocking the entrances to the room.

She found herself in front of commando squad. The veteran Republic soldiers were pouring a torrent of blaster fire from their assault cannons. They were reaping swaths of the enemy troopers and droids, yet it was not enough. Never enough.

The robots were expended as "living" shields, allowing the storm-troopers to come in close. The Commandos couldn't take down the enemy soldiers fast enough. There were simply too many of them. The Republic troopers claimed four Sith soldiers for every one of them who fell, but the enemy had the bodies to spare.

Soon Rukia, who had been telekinetically slamming objects at unlucky enemies and deflecting blaster bolts was alone at the door. The Sith had overran the outer barricades over a mountains of their dead.

Now they were able to fan out in the vast room and use their superior numbers to greater effect. Jedi and Republic soldiers alike were pushed back into an ever shrinking perimeter. Groups of Sith warriors were appearing behind the storm-troopers. Their crimson blades were thirsting for Jedi blood. The new enemies were taking positions, ready for the final assault.

A hail of blaster bolts paved the way and was followed by charging Sith Warriors. The Jedi Master threw away a squad of Sith Troopers, their bodies hitting a nearby fountain's marble walls. They died with the sound of shattering bones.

She deflected a long burst of fire, returning it to the senders. Her victory was short lived however as four Sith Warriors choose her as their next target. She was forced to fall back by a solid wall of plasma blades and their wielders who were charging her.

Series of deafening explosions shook the Jedi Temple, their sound overlapping to create a continuous crescendo. Another round of tremors followed as even more assault shuttles were blasting their way through the building's walls.

The Sith advance faltered, their combat network filling with warning messages. Suddenly the Sith onslaught abated. Most of them were falling back to defensive positions. The Jedi Master breathed a sigh of relief. She could feel a shift in the Force. The sense of impending doom and encompassed darkness that had been a constant companion ever since the Sith attack on Coruscant began, lessened. She felt like the universe was taking a deep breath as if waiting to see what was going to happen next.

=KoSS=

Republic Cruiser "Victorious"

Seventh Fleet Flagship

The fate of a galaxy rested on the shoulders of a single man. Revan's shoulders.

Again.

He was flanked by two old friends. On his left was the Grand Admiral of the Republic, Carth Onasi. The years were kind to the old soldier. His face was the same the Force Adept remembered from their escapades on Tarsis and beyond, if with a bit more worry lines. The flag officer's short, gray hair was giving him a distinguished look.

Onasi was wearing a deep frown, wondering whether Revan has finally lost his mind or if the former Dark Lord of the Sith was an evil genius.

To the right of the general, clad in gun-metal colored armor, was the current Mandalore – Canderous Ordo, who despite his advanced age was still one of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy. The grizzled old warhorse had reformed his people after the end of the Jedi Civil war. He had gathered the scattered clans, ending their raiding days and reforming them in a new nation. In the two decades since that war, they were on the ascension, becoming a power to be reckoned with in their sector of the galaxy.

"What will it be, Revan?" Asked the Mandalorian Warlord.

The Force Adept's sight was locked on the holoprojector, watching the battle playing out. He had sufficient forces to save the besieged Coruscant defense fleet, but that would mean the fleets with which he had just jumped in system would be decimated. And they would have to flee afterward anyway. Revan knew that Sith High Command had placed absolute priority on this operation, with two more fleet racing through hyperspace to reinforce the Sith armada already in system.

The Emperor and his cronies were hoping for a political knockout blow, which would buy them time to consolidate the captured territories and rebuild their forces. That was something that Revan couldn't allow. He cursed, sadness evident in his eyes. It was time for another one of those decisions, the ones because of which he was known to many as a cold-heated butcher.

"Carth, order the Coruscant fleet to reform in formation Gamma-one-three. It will buy them few more minutes. Mandalore, I need you to lead the relief strike to the Senate. Save whoever is left and evacuate. We can't hold the planet and I won't waste any more lives than necessary. Our fleets will attack the Sith formations here and here." Revan pointed at the two enemy forces that had bypassed the system defense fleet and were directly attacking the capital worlds fortifications. They consisted mainly of transports and planetary assault cruisers with relatively few dedicated capital ships and their lighter escorts. Ichigo planned to overwhelm them fast with the superior numbers and fire power of his three fleets. He had to thank the Force for the Sith's impatience.

The Empire had attacked a couple of centuries before Revan thought them to be fully prepared to take on the whole galaxy. That had cost the Republic in the early years of the war, but it had its silver lining. If the Sith kept their original timetable, they might have been able to take apart the Republic. Who knew how it would have fared after two more centuries?

Instead they acted now, when the Republic was exhausted by the wars, yet they were far from ready for such a conflict too. It was a risky gamble, unfortunately one that was apparently paying off.

The only reason the Republic wasn't dying right now was because he was leading three fleets consisting of Star Forge built ships.

Right now he had nearly three thousand ships of all classes (not counting fighters, bombers and shuttles) ready for action. It was a force with which Revan could decide the outcome of the war if he played his cards right. At this very moment, both sides had committed their reserves in battles across a thousand systems. The Republic was holding in most strategic locations, bleeding the Sith who were attacking in the teeth of prepared defenses.

The general was content to let them have the Capital, for he was ready to turn the masterstroke of the Sith high command in a strategic defeat they could not hope to recover from.

Thousands of light ships and transports were busy delivering millions of mines on the hyperspace routes leading to the planed considered by many the center of the galaxy. He had gathered those vessels by cutting to the bone the defense forces of hundreds nonessential worlds, leaving them defenseless while their governments screaming bloody murder. The Sith leadership would know in hours at best, but it would be all too late. The two Reinforcing Sith fleets were already passed the point of no return, too deep behind enemy lines. With mine-layers busy behind them, cutting them off. All that remained was to achieve his objective here and leave before the last hyperspace lane leading out of this sector of space was sealed. He planned to take a large chunk of the Sith Fleets out of the war until they could travel out of the sector, which would take weeks with the hyperspace lanes being unavailable to them. In that time he planned to win the war.

Carth looked at the holographic representation of the system defense fleet.

'Those poor bastards...' The admiral thought.

"Carth, I'm leaving the space battle to you. Deal with those two forces and commence long range bombardment on the forward elements of those assault fleets. We have about eighty minutes of free reign before we have to pull out. Whoever is not aboard our ships by then will have to look after themselves."

"I'll deal with it. May the Force be with you." The admiral said with a grim voice.

"And with you, old friend." Revan nodded to Carth and left.

Onasi hated the plan. It left hundreds of thousands of his fellow soldiers to die, not to mention that the most important Core Sector would be at the nonexistent mercy of the Sith. However, he was aware of the strategic situation. The Republic was tired of the wars and the time was nearing when the whole house of cards could tear itself apart from the inside. That was something the fucking Sith were counting on.

Revan's plan was the best chance the Republic had not only for its continuing existence, but to actually win the war in one fell swoop.

"Good luck!" Canderous said and left the bridge on Revan's heels.

They were running to the docks, where assault shuttles were preparing for lift off. Meanwhile a division of experimental dreadnoughts, armed with ion cannons, took position and started blasting at the Sith Cruisers which had made planet-fall and were providing close air support to their ground forces.

Division after division of republic cruisers, arranged in formations maximizing the number of ships which could bear their guns on the enemy, fell upon the two Sith fleets which were supporting the ground invasion. Red turbolaser bolts clashed like an avalanche on the straining shields. Two hundred and fifty one wings of Republic fighters clashed with the pathetic CSP (combat space patrol), which the enemy fleet had. Thankfully most of their fighters and bombers were planet side, supporting the invasion.

The duel between the small craft ended in minutes, with the Sith ones being blown out of the sky. Fighters and bombers swarmed over the Sith fleets, supported by waves of missiles and proton torpedoes launched by the Republic heavy ships. The local advantage of the Republic forces was too great to withstand for long. Reinforcements from the Assault fleets engaged with the system defense forces were ten minutes from effective range and that turned to be three minutes too late. In just seven minutes, the cream of the Sith ground forces were decimated, eighty percent of them snuffed out of existence on board of their transports or blown away in the assault shuttles while trying to make planet-fall.

=KoSS=

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

There were less than a hundred Jedi and Republic soldiers still standing when Revan and his reinforcements disgorged from their Assault Shuttles. Squads of Republic Special Forces and Mandalorinan heavy troopers marched through the halls of the Temple, eradicating any and all resistance in their path.

They were led by a man in black armored robes, with a silver bladed lightsaber in his right hand. Revan was clearing the path of the troopers he was leading with torrents of lightning, frying the imperial soldiers unfortunate enough to stand between him and his wife. A Sith warrior met the general, crimson and silver blades dancing in a shower of sparks. The Sith was promptly flanked by Republic soldiers and shot to pieces, while his blade and force powers were neutralized by Revan.

The Force Adept jumped over the smoking corpse and continued forward, the few Sith standing in his way dying without slowing him down. Soon, he reached a barricaded stairway, its dura-steel door welded shut. He cut a circular hole in it and used the Force to dislodge the assorted furniture used as a makeshift barricade which was blocking his path. Revan made his way down, emerging into the room of Thousand fountains.

He cursed seeing what was left from the heart of the Jedi order. Nineteen Jedi were still on their feet, half of them Padawans. Yet they were standing proud and protecting two dozen republic commandos by deflecting Sith blaster bolts. The knights were led by his wife, who looked like a warrior goddess of old.

She was fine.

Revan sighed in relief. During the last few days the Force was so turbulent that he couldn't say for sure how his wife and Bastia were faring, despite the strong Force bonds he had with the two women.

The soldiers "escorting" the general promptly went forward, lessening the pressure on their comrades. Revan made his way to his wife, taking position to her right, his blade weaving an impregnable barrier.

"You are late! Our guests are just dying to meet you." His wife deadpanned, glancing at him with a hint of a smile on her full lips.

"You know, being late is all the rage nowadays!" Revan joked in kind. Nothing like a bit of humor to keep you sane on the battlefield.

=KoSS=

High above the husband and wife, the Coruscant defense fleet died well. Outnumbered, outgunned and caught by surprise, they fought like lions! Keeping in formation despite mounting losses, the be-leagued Republic ships had rallied around two defensive platforms. It took nine hours of constant combat for the Sith to win. The Coruscant fleet managed to drag a fifth of their enemies to hell with them.

It was a great tactical victory for the Empire, made bitter by the loss of the ninety percent of ground forces. However painful, it was a survivable blow, deemed acceptable for the control of the Republic's capital.

What followed was not. Revan's gambit was successful. The minefields kept the five Sith fleets in the Coruscant Sector for nearly a month before they could reach a free hyperspace lane.

With those ships out of the war, Revan used with his secret fleets to execute a counter offensive against many critical Empire shipyards, crippling or outright destroying many of them. These surgical strikes weighted the balance heavily in the Republic's favor.

Thanks to that, the fracture within the Republic that the Sith expected after the fall of Coruscant never happened. The war was posed to continue for years to come, yet the balance had finally shifted firmly to the Republic's side.

Flashback end

=KoSS=

Shared Mind scape

Rukia's legs felt weak as the vision ended. She would have crashed to the ground if not for Ichigo's hands steadying her. In all her years as a Shinigami, she never saw such vicious combat. The sheer scale of war she witnessed was mind-blowing.

The Kuchiki heiress didn't want to think about the casualties and destruction caused by that conflict. It was simply unthinkable, with constant battles on thousands of planets across the galaxy, a volume difficult to truly comprehend for people who did not possess the means to travel across the stars. Then it hit her, the woman in the vision was the one from her dreams. And Ichigo…

He smiled gently and nodded.

"Let me introduce myself properly. Ichigo Kurosaki. I was once know as Revan and I'm quite content to use that name again. I'm glad to make you an acquaintance, my fair Lady!" He exclaimed with a bow. The declaration earned him a small fist to the top of his head and an order from indignant Rukia.

"Explain from the beginning! Now!"

"In the beginning there was the Force…" Ichigo was interrupted by growling which would have made a small tigress proud. Yup, he still could get a rise out of her! "Fine! No sense of humor left..." Revan managed to catch her fist before she bonked him over the head for second time. He tried again. "After I had that unpleasant misunderstanding with your brother and that pineapple headed imbecile, I lost my Shinigami powers. Our not too friendly mad scientist threw me into something called the Shattered Shaft. There my reincarnation kicked in high gear and I started remembering bits and pieces. Got my connection with the Force restored too. However, if you ask me how we ended with the souls and my case full package from people in the Republic I have no idea. Hell, I'm not even sure if the Republic exists in this dimension."

Rukia listened to the explanation with raised eyebrow. Considering her dreams it made some twisted kind of sense. Or she had gone insane.

"You are aware that I might have your wife's soul but I am not her, right?" Rukia asked concerned. The last things they needed was Ichigo with even more delusions.

"Yeah, I know." He said quietly.

Rukia could see the pain in his eyes at the confirmation, as if he had just admitted the truth to himself. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently in support.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

"Nonsense. You have nothing to apologize for."

They stayed that way for some time, deep in thought, never noticing how the room they were in started to vanish. Rukia felt a pulling sensation and blinked in surprise.

She was back in her cell, just awakening. Was that another dream? Rukia decided to test it.

She concentrated and searched for the bond. It took her mere moments to locate it. She felt that Ichigo had awakened too, which threw their minds back in the real world.

Rukia studied the bond for a few minutes, marveling at how it felt. It was like something she didn't know she had missed before, making her feel special, complete. She shook those thoughts to the side and focused her attention on the energy that made the bond. She could feel it around and within her.

Rukia motioned at an empty jug of water which was on the other side of the room. The new energy, this Force was singing through her veins, enveloping her whole world. The jug slowly lifted and tumbling through the air made its way to her outstretched hand. She grabbed the object, her eyes widening in wonder.

Outside was already close to midnight.

=KoSS=

The Same time

Hidden Training Ground

Ichigo awoke, looking around wildly. He found himself placed in a hot spring, the bubbling water soothing his crippled hand. He saw a purple haired woman, whose skin had the color of cocoa with milk, chatting with Retsu. He sat up groaning.

"Ladies, I hope you didn't take advantage of me." He smiled, letting some of Revan out to play.

The purple haired woman smirked at him.

"Tsk, tsk. Would we do that?" She struck a sexy pose and battled her eyelashes at him.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow unperturbed.

"Who can resist to that?" he waved at his body while smirking. "Very nice view, Yoruichi. I'm glad to see the real you, all of you." Ichigo smirked. "If you decide to continuing with this show I'll appreciate it. I'm a red blooded male after all. I hope we haven't irritated Captain Unohana. We haven't right?" Kurosaki asked with concern written all over his face.

Yoruichi chuckled and slipped back into the water in a single sensual motion, which would have caused a cardiac arrest to weak hearted man. She joining him in his corner of the pond, her exquisite form glided next to him. He didn't even bat an eyebrow at the sight. She had a body to die for, that was true. However Revan had seen many women who rivaled her. That was on of the benefits of being a Sith Lord… at least until his wife caught up to him.

At any rate, he hadn't been celibate.

Revan smirked at the thought. No, he hadn't been a model Jedi or Sith for that matter. He looked at the naked woman who was soaking next to him and smiled. Her antics had succeeded in preventing him from falling victim to his gloomy thoughts.

He had acted as an arrogant Padawan and got his ass handed to himself. The Reiatsu used in this world and the people wielding it were formidable, in many cases much more powerful than the most Jedi and Sith that he knew of. The main reason for his success so far was his enormous spiritual pressure and the surprise his Force powers were. And when he failed to leverage them properly...

Ichigo looked at his maimed hand. That Hollow power, the "Cero", was an act of desperation. Against Zaraki, Revan had reached his limit at the moment and was found waning.

"Yoruichi, when my hand heals I need you to train me in the Shinigami arts. Please." He asked.

She was just about to say something, her lips were stretched in a small mischievous smile. The shape-shifting woman was taken aback at the request. She was intending to suggest the same thing but was afraid that after the prowess Ichigo had shown, he'd refuse. Whatever they were, his powers were amazing. But still, he had not faced the true strength of Seireitei. Kenpachi had been playing with Kurosaki, testing him and deciding if he could be a great future sparring buddy. If Zaraki was serious from the beginning... Not to mention that the captain of the Eleventh was the only one to achieve such a rank without having even a Shikai. The man was a monster with only a fraction of his potential power unlocked so far. She trembled at the thought of Zaraki with a Shikai or god forbid Bankai…

The point was that while he was one of the most dangerous Shinigami as far as raw power was concerned, most other Captains would have been even worse opponents for Ichigo.

She looked at the teen, noticing weariness in his eyes. The type she had seen in veterans who had fought too hard for too long. He was nearing his limits. She smiled softly and gave him a gentle nod.

"Yes I will. And with Retsu's help your hand will be as good as new in no time."

"That is true. However, Kurosaki-san, it will better if in the future you refrain from making such a mess from yourself." The captain of the fourth interjected with her face adorned by one of her creepy smiles.

Ichigo was nodding frantically at that. There was something in that woman that gave even Revan a pause.

Yoruichi giggled at the display.

"Oh, Retsu, you still got it!"

Ichigo drifted in a healing trance with her laughter chiming in his ears.

Next morning he had regained the use of his hand thanks to combination of the hot springs restorative properties, Captain Unohana's skills and his Force healing techniques. He had ended explaining her how healing through the Force works for half the night. To her eternal regret, Retsu had turned out to be blind to the Force and unable to put that knowledge to good use.

That day and night, Ichigo was trained by the purple haired fury in Hakudo, Kido and Shunpo. To her pleasant surprise, Ichigo's Mandalorian based close combat style had held well against her greater speed and experience. Revan had shown a surprising proficiency for Kido spells and was determined to find ways of enchanting them with the Force. That however would have to wait for another time. Messing with the Shinigami spells while still learning was a bad idea, something both teacher and student agreed wholeheartedly.

As far as the Shunpo was concerned, Ichigo had excelled. That was the one field in which he progressed furthest. Yoruichi needed to show him few of the tricks and then he had ran with it, adding the Force speed techniques to the mix. Still, when using pure Shunpo he was not amongst the fastest. His body needed much more training to keep with such speeds without tearing itself apart with prolonged use.

They had talked about Bankai training but agreed that even with her short cut, Rukia may not have three more days that would be needed, so that was left for when the girl was rescued.

=KoSS=

Senzaikyū

Seireitei

Early the next morning, hours before sunrise, Ichigo could be found near Rukia's prison. Her cell was near the top of the white tower, with a stone bridge leading to its door. The path was blocked by two captains - Byakuya Kuchiki and Sajin Komamura. They had a squad of rank and file Shinigami for color too. Ichigo looked over his target, his senses geared to maximum. He could feel his friends fighting a pair of Captains in the distance. That was what prompted him to cut his training short and head straight for Rukia.

The silver lining was Chad was against Kyoraku so he was not worried for his friends life. Ishida an Inuoe however were dealing with a man from whom, Revan could sense cruelty and madness. He could sense the Quincy weakening too. He cursed and vanished, leaving Rukia rescue for later.

=KoSS=

Interlude: Hueco Mundo

A purple haired girl was sitting on a high dune in the desert, looking lost. She knew that this place of endless white sand was not her home, yet she could not remember where or what it was. She gave up on trying to jog her memories. Her blue eyes were looking around, hoping to find something interesting. She was idly drawing lines in the sand, trying to combat the boredom.

That was achieved when something crashed in one of the countless dunes behind her. The impact sent a plume of dust and sand in the air. The sound of the strike echoed through the night. The woman perked up and jumped to her feet. Finally something happened! She ran to the cloud of dust and looked curiously around.

The young woman found what had caused the commotion, the twisted broken form of a bear like Hollow. It was covered with cuts, its white pelt was singed and tuffs of fur were missing. A buzzing sound announced the arrival of a newcomer. He was a man in white Hakama, with light blue hair. His eyes were the same color but also had green marking under them. He had a feral look to him, which was only enhanced by the bone mask fragment on the right side of his face. He looked at her smaller form and sniffed at her. According to his nose, she had the sweet enticing smell of another big cat mixed with something wild and unknown.

There was the stench of wolf upon her too.

"What do we have here, woman?" he asked.

"I was bored." She muttered and continued to examine him. "I came to see if this would prove to be interesting." She waved at the messed up bear.

"You know what they say, about curiosity and little kittens..." The stranger smirked.

"You are not the one to talk about cats." She huffed giving him a pointed look.

He looked at her with critical eyes and smiled madly.

"You say you wanted some excitement to deal with boredom? So do I! I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! You should know the name of the man who is going to kick you pretty ass!"

"Men!" The woman sniffed derisively.

She heard the buzzing sound again and Grimmjow was in front of her, his right fist flying at her face. The young woman turned her head to the left. The fist passed a hear breadth from her cheek. She retaliated the old fashioned way, her right knee impacted between the blue haired man's legs with enough strength to lift him off the ground. Jaegerjaquez eyes became wide as saucers and small whimper slipped through his clenched teeth.

"That's it! I'll kill ya!" He hissed like an infuriated cat.

Grimmjow pounced at the offending woman. They became a whirlwind of punches and kicks. The nameless female was forced to fall back under the furious strength of the madman even if they appeared to be evenly matched in speed and strength. One in four of his attacks were slipping through her guard, leaving her battered and bruised. She had just blocked an elbow strike at her face, when Grimmjow, in a display of even greater speed turned his body to the side and delivered a kick in her gut. She flew, thrown off her feet and ended half imbedded in a dune.

That really pissed her off. She extracted herself from the white sands and snarled at the infuriating man. Her eyes had become yellow vertical slits. She stomped with her right leg and a shock-wave blew a line in the sand, heading straight at the charging blue haired man. He jumped over it and walked right into a purple Cero.

He deflected the attack with the back of his left hand, the beam of energy reflecting from his Hierro and blowing up a nearby sand hill.

"I'm an Espada! You'll need much more to deal with me!" Grimmjow shouted with excitement. This woman had spunk!

He jumped at her and threw her back after they exchanged a flurry of blows. She spat a mouthful of blood from a bitten tongue and snarled a warning, animalistic sound. Electricity covered her hands as the infuriating man dashed at her again. He was met by a torrent of purple lightning.

His Hierro turned out to be of no use against this attack which danced all over his skin. Grimmjow howled in pain as the electric storm picked up his body and threw him away as a broken toy. He found himself in a twitching, smoking heap. While his "steel skin" was still intact, he could feel the damage the attack had caused to his insides.

Luckily they were already healing. He stood up and drew Pantera. Jaegerjaquez moved leaving swirling sand in his wake.

He appeared behind the woman, who was panting on her knees. Their eyes meet, azure orbs looking at deep blue pools. His sword arched forward, turning in the last moment to strike her on the head with the flat of the blade.

The hit never landed. A sphere of invisible power emanated from her form and threw him back. Another lighting blast struck Grimmjow, dazing him for a moment.

Then the female was upon him, her fists slamming into his face.

"Kick my ass, will you?" The female hissed at him.

Grimmjow grinned and grabbed her hands before shifting them so he was above her. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. She stiffened for a moment, then growled and bit his lower lip, before hungrily kissing him back.

All thoughts of seeking another recruit for Aizen's army vanished from his mind when the woman rolled them both until she was straddling him in a rather delicious way.