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Michael "TheZorch" Haney

"Nindo of the Force"

Chapter 8

Matey warbled a warning, Jiraiya check the scopes. He was starting to get better at reading them. "We've got company on the way." he said.

"I've got this," Naruto jerked on the controls as something hit the ship from behind making the deck lurch. "Those new shields are holding. Matey, get the hyperdrive going for Florrum." The utility droid warbled in acknowledgement and went to work.

"Seven, eight, nine, no wait...twelve," Jiraiya read the scopes. "Goddamn woman you really pissed them off!"

He saw Sing roll her eyes, "Is that all."

"We're jumping to hyperspace, everybody hold on!" Naruto grabbed the hyperdrive throttle and pushed it forward. Jiraiya felt himself being pushed back into his seat as the stars in the forward viewports turned into streaks, then they were in the light tunnel effect of hyperspace travel.

"According to this it will take twelve hours to reach Florrum." said Naruto, who was currently reading one of the navigational screens.

"Alright then," Jiraiya sighed. "I'm gonna take our guest to the common area and have Matey do a scan on her." He reached out to grab her arm but she jerked away from him.

She hissed, "A scan, what for? You've got all of my weapons, and your kid destroyed my favorite blaster."

"They knew where to find you, how to locate you," he grabbed her arm and pulled her along to the common area. "Which means they put a tracker on you somewhere." She stopped struggling and he was able to lead her to a seat without any further hassles.

"Matey, get over here," he ordered the droid. Matey warbled happily and trundled his way. The droid's single eye turned to face him. Jiraiya still wasn't sure what to make of droid. They were machine, yet they were sentient, but to his shinobi senses he couldn't feel them. They had no chakra, yet they seemed to be alive. He could only imagine what a Hyuga might see if they looked at them using their Byakugan.

"Scan her, you're looking for a tracker," he said. "Probably somewhere under the skin. That's where they usually put them. Be careful, it might be rigged like a slave tracker and could have an explosive in it." Matey gave him an acknowledging warbled and extended a sensor probe which he moved slowly over Sing's body.

"How does he do those things?" Sing gestured towards the cockpit. Jiraiya frowned at their passenger. She was trying to get information out of him that she might use against them. At least that's what his instincts were telling him, but he also sensed something else in her. Something that perhaps even she didn't know was there. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a feeling she wasn't quite as bad as she pretended to be.

"Who, Naruto?" he jerked his head in the direction of the cockpit. "I taught him how to do most of "those things", young lady."

"But, those clones of his, they're solid and can think and act on their own." she said looking perplexed.

"Its a ninjutsu technique called kage bunshin," Jiraiya explained. "Its very advanced. Normally a ninja of his age doesn't yet have the ability to pull off a technique that complicated. However, Naruto is...special." Sing raised her eyebrows at that.

"Special in what way?" she asked.

"Lets just say he has an annoying knack for doing the impossible." he told her. He wasn't about to say anything about the Kyuubi no Youko. Not even Shmi Skywalker knew about the Nine-Tails, and Jiraiya was going to keep it that way if he had anything to say about it.

"He is very strong with the Force." she commented.

"What, Naruto?" Jiraiya laughed. "He isn't a Jeddy, or Jedi or whatever they're called. He's simply just a very...gifted...ninja." He wanted to add knuckle headed and unpredictable, but he thought better of it.

After a moment of silence Sing said, "I don't know, every time he uses those powers of his I sense a strange movement in the Force. Exactly how do your ninja powers work?"

"We use Chakra," he explained, giving her only most basic of descriptions. "Its an energy created inside all living things. Ninja learned to mold this energy to perform jutsu. Its generated from the exercising of the mind and body, and when both sources are molded together we can use it to perform jutsu like the ones you saw."

"So, when you turned into Zygerrians that was the same power." Jiraiya nodded.

"But, that wasn't an illusion, you actually turned into Zygerrians." she said.

"Yes and no," Jiraiya told her. "Its very complicated to explain, and without a basic knowledge of ninja arts you'd never understand it." Matey pulled back his sensor arms and warbled something.

"He found your tracker," he said, making a rye face.

"Where?" she demanded, probably not liking the way he was looking at her.

Jiraiya tried not to laugh, "Under the skin of your right ass cheek." Down the hall in the cockpit he heard Naruto burst into laughter.

"That's very funny, ha, ha, ha!" Sing groused, she muttered under her breath about perverted thugs.

"We gotta get it out," he told her. "They can find you easily if we don't. I wouldn't be surprised if they're following us right now."

Sing just laughed, "Here I thought you were smart, everyone knows you can't track ships in hyperspace. Its only when we drop out of hyperspace that they can detect the tracker."

But, she sighed and added, "But, you're right. They can track me until it's removed and destroyed. So, can your droid do surgery?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "Nope, but I've got some emergency battlefield first aid training, so I'll be able to take it out. Its not far under skin, there shouldn't be much blood." He grinned trying not to look like he was enjoying this.

She rolled her eyes at him, "You mean I have to drop my pants, for you?" He just smiled at her, and held up a bottle of antiseptic and one of his kunai.

"Goddammit!" she growled. "You so much as do anything perverted and I will kill you old man." He waited for her to stand, get into a kneeling position, then helped her pull her pants down. For a brief moment he appreciated the view, felt her smoldering eyes on him, then quickly went to work.

In less than a minute later he had the tiny tracking device on a tray for her to see. The cut had been shallow, there was very little blood. All he had to do was spray on an antiseptic and wound sealant spray and she was done. His job done, he handed the tray over to Matey who promptly took it to a workbench, extended a probe arm, and zapped the tiny device until it start smoking and let out a small pop and a spark.

"So, how did a pretty girl such as yourself become a ruthless criminal?" Jiraiya asked her, curious about her life, but was really more interested in passing the time in conversation rather than sitting around in silence.

"If you must know, I was once a Jedi Padawan," she admitted with bitterness in her voice.

He wasn't expecting that. He asked, "You obviously aren't a Jedi now, what went wrong?" He didn't expect the sudden look of hatred and malice on her face when she answered him.

"My bitch of a master sold me off to Sennex pirates because she thought I was a failure!" she cried. "They raised me as their own, but I was capture by Wallanooga the Hutt and handed over to Anzat Assassins who trained me in the art of killing. Have you ever met an Anzat?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "Can't say that I have."

"They've got a way of getting into your head," she told him. "They're telepathic, very much like a Jedi but much more powerful. They do this so they can subdue their prey."

"What do they prey on?" he asked her, wondering if maybe she was making this up to unnerve him. Maybe to see if she could put him off his guard.

"They've got these twin tentacles on their cheeks," she explained. "When they've got their victim thoroughly enthralled, they thrust them up the nose and into the brain cavity. Getting your brains sucked out by an Anzat is a gruesome way to die. I've seen them do it first hand."

Jiraiya shivered with revulsion, "Are any of those Anzats on Tatooine?"

Sing nodded, "Jabba employs several Anzat as his personal assassins. When their tentacles are retracted they look like ordinary humans. You could be passing dozens of them on the streets of Mos Espa and not even know it."

Jiraiya wondered if advanced counter genjutsu techniques could be used to prevent being prey to those aliens. He wasn't in any hurry to find out if he was right. He wondered if there might be a way of detecting who might be an Anzat, perhaps a blood seal of some kind that could tell who was and wasn't human. He'd have to research it.

"You say your Jedi master sold you to pirates," he said, recalling what she'd told him earlier. "I've heard quite a few stories about the Jedi, and that doesn't sound like something they'd do." Sing shot him a look of venom that was almost on Tsunade's level.

She cried, "Are you calling me a liar!?"

He calmly replied, "No, I'm calling those pirates liars. I've seen more than you could ever imagine, young lady. Naruto and I come from a world where innocent children are often manipulated into becoming lethal weapons. I'm quite familiar with the kinds of people who would take someone like you, play on their fears, tell them the right kinds of lies, and use their hate for their own gain." He saw the hardness in her eyes waver, only a little, but it was a start.

"You don't know the Dark Woman," Sing spat. "I was a failure to her, so she sold me!"

"On whose word," he countered. "Those pirates? I wouldn't trust the word of pirates verbatim. Hondo's the most honorable pirate I've ever met, and I wouldn't trust him any further than I could throw this ship."

Sing laughed, "He was my boyfriend, and even I didn't trust him." That made Jiraiya laugh.

"Do you realize what you're saying," Sing continued, in a low voice. "It means my entire life until now has been based on a lie." He put his hand on her shoulder.

He said, "You wouldn't be the first, trust me. Just think about it, think about who these people are who've been jerking you around you're whole life. They're all pirate scum and crime lords. Do you really believe they'd tell you the truth, especially if telling you a lie was far more profitable?" She looked up at him when he said that last part, and he could see realization on her face. Then, she put her face in her hands and started to cry. Jiraiya had the feeling this was the first she's ever cried in years.

"I've killed so many Jedi," she admitted. "How could there be a future for someone like me. All I've ever known is killing and death!"

"Nobody is beyond redemption," Jiraiya looked to Naruto who was now standing next to him.

"Hey, who's flying the ship?" he demanded. Naruto stuck his thumb towards the cockpit.

"Autopilot," said Naruto. "Matey set it when we jumped to lightspeed."

Jiraiya moved back to let Naruto sit next to Sing. He knew Naruto had an unusual effect on people. He could turn enemies into allies. To himself he jokingly called it Therapy Fist, but there was more to it. Part of it was his enthusiasm, part of it was his refusal to give up on anyone no matter how far into the darkness they've fallen. He'd just reach right in and pull them out into the light. He was beginning to believe what the toads had told him so long ago. Maybe Naruto was the child of prophecy they said would be his final student.

"I have a friend, he's a little like you," Naruto said to Sing. "His brother murdered his entire clan, and he dedicated himself to getting revenge. All he cared about was power and getting stronger. In the academy I was considered a loser. I was last in the class. A lot of people considered me a failure. But, as I started getting stronger and stronger and reaching his level faster and faster he got angrier and angrier." She looked up at him and wiped the tears from her eyes. Jiraiya just watched, he knew this story well.

"I tried to make him understand that he didn't have to suffer alone," he continued. "This wasn't a contest, we were a team and we could help lift each other up. But, he saw my growing strength as weakness in himself, and then he started to believe that our sensei was deliberately hold him back. People called him a genius his entire life because of his clan, who were all very gifted, so he believed he was better than everyone else. When that belief was challenged he decided to take the easy path to power, and abandoned our village to join with our worst enemy." Sing was just sitting there listening to him as if mesmerized.

"He sided with this guy named Orochimaru," he said. "A traitor to our village who's obsessed with living forever. He found a way, but he has to take over people's bodies to do it. Every so often he had to change bodies because they wear out, and he wants Sasuke as his next one. Sasuke can't see the danger he's in. His hate, obsession for vengeance against his brother, and desire for power at any cost have blinded him. And, now, I can't save him. We came to Tatooine by accident and have no way to find our home. I failed Sasuke." He saw the boy clench his fists, trying to stave off the tears he know the boy wanted to shed for his friend.

"In three years Orochimaru will take his body," said Naruto. "And I'm stuck out here with no way to find our planet. I failed Sasuke, so I'll be damned if I ever fail anyone else ever again." Jiraiya saw his face turn hard with rigid, unwavering determination and a fire hotter than the suns of Tatooine burned in his blue eyes.

"But, still, I'll never give up on Sasuke even if I can't be there," said Naruto. "And I'll never give up on you, no matter how many people you've killed, no matter how many bad things you've done, no matter how far into shadows you fall I'll always be there to pick you up. That's my way of the ninja and I'll never back down." Naruto reached out and held her as she started to cry. It was a deep, sorrowful, cleansing cry. Jiraiya smiled, he couldn't have been more proud of his student than he was now.

"Master, I've investigated Tatooine as you requested."

Dark Sidious observed the hologram of his apprentice. He'd been awaiting word from Darth Maul for days since dispatching him to the distant outer rim desert planet. He'd sensed something on that world, but couldn't quite tell what it was. After his conversation with his own master he thought it prudent to send Maul to investigate.

"What did you find?" he asked.

Maul replied, "Nothing of significance. I felt no disturbance in the Force, not like what you described, master."

Sidious gave a frustrated sigh, "Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected."

"I can widen my search, master." Maul added quickly.

Sidious shook his head, "No, the great plan takes precedence. We'll have to place this matter on hold for now. The time has come to make our move on the Black Sun. You know what you must do."

Darth Maul nodded, "Yes, my master, it shall be done." And with that his hologram vanished.

"I never cried that much in my entire life."

"How do you feel?" Jiraiya asked. He, Sing, and Naruto stood at the foot of the boarding ramp. They were now on Florrum, a world as barren as Tatooine if not quite as hot. In the distance they could see an oncoming speeder of some kind. Jiraiya had taken Sing's advice so they didn't land within Hondo's compound.

"Better than I have in a very very long time," Sing admitted with a smile.

"You want this back?" Naruto held up her lightsaber. Jiraiya saw conflicting emotions play across Sing's face. Then, she smiled, reached out, and closed the boy's fingers around the weapon.

"No," she shook her head. "That represents the past. A past I have to leave behind. My days of Jedi hunting are over." She pressed the weapon toward him, then reached out and hugged the blonde causing him to blush.

"Will you be alright here?" Jiraiya asked her. Sing nodded.

"Hondo owes me, I can trust his sense of honor enough to know he won't turn me over to the Hutts." she told him.

"About that, I've got connections with the Hutts," Jiraiya offered. "I'll talk to them, see if I can find a way to get them to let you off the hook. That way at least you can show your face around Tatooine without needing to watch your back. At least, no more than you already need to watch your back on Tatooine."

Sing laughed, "Thank you, both of you." She leaned down, kissed Naruto on the cheek, and turn and kiss Jiraiya on his. He could now hear the engine of the speeder as it approached. The big vehicle came to a stop and an all too familiar Weequay jumped out.

"Nashtah my dear," Hondo shouted in greeting. "Its been ages. And, Jiraiya and Naruto, its good to see you my friends."

Jiraiya exchanged a look with his student, in unison they said, "Friends?"

"Come now, you aren't going to take what happened between us on Tatooine serious are you?" Hondo laughed, then he turned to Sing. "My dear, I hear you've gotten yourself into quite a mess."

"You owe me a favor," she told him. "I need a place to lay low for a while until things calm down." Hondo put his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"And that I do, my dear." he said. "Very well, you shall be given your old room back at the compound. I haven't touched it since you left, so you're old clothes should still be on the floor where we left them last time." Jiraiya shivered, wondering how the woman would let this guy do anything like that with her.

"Come back with us, have a drink for old time's sake." the pirate gestured to the speeder. Jiraiya shook his head.

"Can't stay," he said. "We came to drop off Sing. I need to get back to see if I can get the Hutts to back off." He looked over at his apprentice with a smile.

"And, we have a couple of giant krayt dragons to hunt down." He smiled at the boy who smiled back just as happily.

Sing gasped, "Krayt dragons! Hold on, just the two of you!?"

Hondo waved dismissively and laughed, "Don't worry about them, my dear. I'd worry more for the krayt dragons, ha!"

"You take care Sing," Naruto waved. "Remember, when you get back to Tatooine come look us up." Jiraiya reached up and tapped the controls to raise the ramp. He and Naruto waved as it started to rise.

"I will, and thank you!" they heard her say just before the ramp closed.

"Come on gaki," said Jiraiya as he headed for cockpit. "Lets get out of here before these pirates get into their damn fool heads to try and hijack us."

Naruto nodded, "Good idea." He took the controls and had them in the air as soon as Hondo's speeder moved off. Jiraiya had Matey program a return course to Tatooine before they left the atmosphere, then as soon they reached orbit Naruto kicked the ship into hyperspace.

From the Author

You could call this chapter the Redemption of Aurra Sing, and I just had to add that Therapy Fist reference in there. I've got some plans for her character later on in this story, especially during the Clone Wars. Her role in events will be radically different this time. You'll have to see, but that's a long ways off still. There will be more action coming soon as Naruto and Jiraiya start their hunt for a pair of epically sized Krayt Dragons. Please look forward to it.