Hey everybody! How you been doing? Well, I gotta say, things have been going a bit tricky, but after finally going through a bad breakup, having to give up my Siberian Husky puppy, the death of a family friend, and a short bout of depression, I believe I am finally back to my old self. Without further ado, I present to you, Chapter 10 of Under the Stars.

Previously…

"I will hold your psyche intact, but be warned; you shall still feel the mental strain." And with that, the swamp, bodies, and Kyuubi were gone, and the only thing left was the pain.

Agony. Death. Despair.

As Naruto was forced to the endless torment of memories, he found that the Kyuubi had not lied; with each memory, his head felt a thousand tons of pressure, as if a million of his Shadow Clones had dispelled at once. In the darkness of each dream, he felt as though he wished to curl into a ball and hide from the howling winds of the dark plain of thought. All there was to meet him was pain.

Seven times he felt his mind start to slip; in those moments, the howling would cease, the darkness would lift, and he would feel a strong hand on his shoulder, pointing him toward a dim light, almost like a candle in the surrounding darkness. The Kyuubi would lead him forward until he found the light, and Naruto would dive in, reliving his own memories, those which brought him immeasurable joy. When his tears turned to those of relief, the Kyuubi's grip would steadily lessen until the surge began again.

As the end of his torment slowly approached, Naruto found it easier to stand against the winds. He ignored the cyclone surrounding him, and strode through the deluge, his steps slow, yet confident. Slowly, ever so slowly, he felt the Force trickle through the darkness, bolstering his strength, until he could control the swarm. Reaching into the darkness, he pulled specific memories from the life of the Sith Lord. Within a matter of hours (or was it days? Weeks? In here, time had no meaning) each ability the Zabrak had was memorized, and his to command.

Finally, the deluge ended, and he stood upon the sea, the waters calm and impossibly blue. The Kyuubi appeared next to him in a silent swirl of mist, both gazing up at the sky. Half of the field was a baby blue, cloudless and serene; the other was the darkness of night, the stars winking out at him. The sun and the moon blended together, and Naruto felt an inner peace. "Balance," he murmured, and the Kyuubi nodded slowly.

"The Jedi and the Sith devote themselves to the two extremes, and are destined to destroy each other. Dark and Light, Good and Evil, Strong and Weak. Two sides to the same coin." The fox turned, slowly reaching out and placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You've done well here, Naruto. Remember balance, and you will do greater things yet." So having said, the Kyuubi disappeared, and the world faded away.

The awakening was slow, and as his vision steadily focused, he felt as though a weight were pressing on his brain; not such as to cause him pain, but such as to make it hard to form coherent thought. He looked around, taking in the interior of the cave with a curious expression before turning toward the central console, where the droid had induced his memories. Seeing that no living being was present, he relaxed his muscles, and started meditating in an attempt to clear his thoughts.

As his mind finally regained its lucidity, the door to the cave slid open, and Dooku strode through, accompanied by his ever-present SBD guards. "Your appearance has changed since I last saw you," he stated in his ever-smooth voice.

"Slave clothes really don't flatter me," Naruto rasped, and Dooku's lip curled in amusement. The Sith continued to the console, before inputting a series of codes. A moment later, the tank began to drain, and the top opened, allowing him to climb out. His muscles, surprisingly weak, gave way, and he hit the compacted floor hard, skinning his arms on the rough gravel. Shivering in the cold, he rose to his feet, and quirked an eyebrow when the Count tossed him a bundle of clothes. He shrugged, before pulling the cloth over his body, observing his reflection in the tank's glass once he was done.

As the Kyuubi had promised, his silver skin had darkened back to the original tan tone the sun had created. The tattoos were now iridescent silver, seeming to shift and flow whenever he moved. The cerulean slits still appeared feral, but blonde streaks now ran through his silver hair, and it appeared to have grown an inch or so. The cascade seemed more natural now, falling between his horns in a way he found appealing; after all, this time he had exuded some control over the transformation.

After a moment, he turned his gaze to the clothing. The first layer of clothing was a pair of baggy black pants, a light-gray shirt, leather belt, and black suede boots extending up to his knees. On top of that was a grayish-black robe extending to the mid-calf. The bottom was segmented so as to allow him a full range of motion, and each edge had ornate silver thread decoration. Unlike most of the Jedi robes he had worn, this one came without a hood. Sewn onto his left shoulder was a layer of gray fur resembling a pauldron. He ran his hand over the fur, and marveled in its soft texture. He sniffed it for a moment, trying to identify the animal. It smells like one of the giant wolves from the Forest of Death…. He finished dressing and turned back to face Dooku.

"Your planet has given us much, young Padawan," he said, observing his reaction. "The cloth and the fur both come from your planet."

"You knew I was a Jedi?" Naruto asked, his voice calm and blank. Each word was chosen carefully, reminding him of who he faced, what he had to lose, and the new image he had to maintain; that of a blend of two beings, each opposite extremes.

"We knew the moment you received your mission from Master Windu," Dooku replied, his look condescending. "How do you believe the Jedi Council came about the information of the tournament? You are here because my Master wished it. You are nothing but a pawn in my Master's plans."

"I am no man's pawn," Naruto said, and Dooku narrowed his eyes at the young Jedi for several moments. "What I do, who I follow, and everything I am is my own choice to make." The Count remained silent, before turning and motioning for the young Padawan to follow him.

As they traveled through the web of tunnels, he found himself looking over his new appearance and observing the sensations of his body, trying to gauge how much time had passed since he had entered the tank. His legs were still weak, so he could guess it was more than a day, at the very least. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, but he would be able to go a couple more hours before he had to find something to eat, so that upped the number to at least a week. Unable to come to a conclusive decision, he asked the Kyuubi. I don't know, young one, the Fox replied, meditating inside his jailer's mind. You and I were both trapped in the darkness. I could no more tell you how long it has been than you could tell me how to effectively use a tail. Naruto blinked in confusion at the analogy, before finally asking the Count.

"You were in stasis for three months."

A young man stood on the bridge of a small freighter, gazing at the panorama of hyperspace displayed before him. He absently scratched his chin, where he felt the itch of the fake beard he wore. He turned his eyes toward the schedule, and saw that they would be landing on Geonosis in a few hours. Turning, he began walking back to his cabin, intent on gaining some rest before he went to see the Gladiator Tournament.

Ahsoka stood in her room in the Temple, gazing out the window at Coruscant's night life. She cracked her window open, enjoying the soothing sensation of the cold air on her bare skin. Running her hand over her arm, she sighed deeply, her mind on her love.

Naruto…

It had been three months since the start of his missions, and he had gone dark. Even the most stoic Masters were worried; his mission had been expected to take two weeks at the most. They had sent her squad to gather the informant who had given the information about the tournament, only to find a small battalion of droids waiting for them. When she had seen the droids, fear had bubbled up in her chest, and she had carved her way through. Afterwards, they had gone to Iruka, the smuggler who had taken Naruto to the planet. After hearing of Naruto's predicament, Iruka gave them every single piece of information he had ever collected on Naruto, the Separatists, and Dooku, even going so far as to reveal his past as Naruto's teacher. The Council, in order to protect the information from the Separatists, had taken the man, hiding him in the Temple.

Even now as she gazed out the window, the Council sat in deliberation, arguing about whether or not they should try to rescue their agent. As her thoughts turned to the sensations he caused in her that she so greatly missed, she sent a silent prayer to the Force.

Please… bring him back to me…

Naruto groaned as he slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his stinging arm. As Dooku sent another blast of Lightning at him, he rolled out of the way, desperately wishing he had his lightsaber. He felt a pressure on his throat, lifting him off his feet, and he struggled silently for several moments, trying to gather some air into his lungs. As the edge of his vision started to flicker, he managed to send off a small blast of the Force at Dooku, breaking the man's concentration long enough for him to get out of sight and hide in the shadows.

"I know you are there, young Uzumaki," Dooku said slowly, casting his gaze around. "You know not the power of the Dark Side." Turning directly to face the young Padawan, he sent another blast of lightning hurling at the young Jedi, lifting him off his feet and slamming him against the wall of the cave. Howling in pain, Naruto slowly rose to his feet, controlling his convulsing limbs through sheer force of will. He managed to stagger forward several steps, before Dooku forced more power into the lightning, forcing him down on one knee. Bringing his arms up, he tried to block the stream from his face.

After several seconds, he realized that he no longer felt the Lightning, and, looking up, amazement split his features as he saw the energy being absorbed into his hands. Dooku quickly cut the stream, and drew his lightsaber just as Naruto roared, sending a blast of Force Lightning of his own at the Sith Lord. As Dooku stumbled back, Naruto increased the stream, his eyes wild and smoke curling from his hands. As Dooku was slowly forced to his knees, Naruto strode forward, his lips curling in a snarl as his fingers slowly burned. When Dooku's lightsaber was finally blasted out of his hands, he began thrashing, and Naruto ended the attack, summoning the Sith's lightsaber and holding it to his throat.

Before he could finish off the Count, he felt a blast of Lightning stronger than any he had ever felt smash into his back. He was lifted off his feet, spinning into the wall, smashing his head against the jagged rock. Sliding down, he hissed in pain, his back feeling as if it had been bared to the heat of a thousand suns. As his vision slowly faded, he saw a cloaked man, and two Dooku's standing before him, until the one he had fought transformed into a raven-haired young man with red eyes.

Naruto awoke slowly, finding he was lying in a grandly furnished room. Rising out of his bed, he turned slowly, gathering in his surroundings. Lush tapestries covered the carved stone walls, depicting various Separatist symbols. Running his hands over the walls, he was surprised to find that it was polished marble, smoother than the silk sheets on his bed. Striding over to his nightstand, he found his lightsaber resting on the polished wood, and he picked it up, glad to have the familiar weight back in his hand. Activating the blade, he found that it had been left its current blue color, and he switched it off, sealing it into one of his hip seals. He pulled out the original crystal he had made on Ilum, and set it down. Now that he no longer had to try to hide his identity, he could use it again. After a few moments, he also pulled out his communicator, and the pieces for a secondary lightsaber, and set the items on the bed, staring at them for some time.

Reaching for the communicator, he switched it on, messing around with the signal until he was able to find one to bring him into contact with the Jedi Council. He paused before pressing the button, and wrapped one of the sheets around his body, hiding his new skin, cloak, and horns. Making sure his appearance was in shadow, he pressed the button, and the layout of Council chambers appeared in the hologram. Curiosity crossed the faces of all of the Council members, and he bowed to Mace, saying, "Master, it's Naruto. I'm not sure how much time I've got, but I've a lot to tell."

Ahsoka sat silent in her room, gazing at the shoto resting several inches from her hand. Picking it up, she pulled out the crystal, feeling it cool her flushed skin as she rolled it in her palm. Gazing at her flushed skin, she recalled the vision she had just seen, one that made her skin tingle and her heart pound like a drum.

She found herself surrounded by grass, gently rolling in the breeze. The stars shown through a crystal clear sky, granting a surreal beauty. She saw two people lying under the stars, entwined tightly together in the throes of passion. The man wrapped his arms around the woman, and lay her in the grass, taking control of their act; as his body moved faster and faster, he dragged his lips down her breasts, causing her knot her fingers in his silver hair. Before she faded, she somehow recognized the jerking bodies as hers and Naruto's.

Feeling her body reacting to the memory of the dream, she pressed the icy crystal to her forehead, slowly running it across her skin, enjoying the chill it brought her. As she finally set it down, she heard a long banging on her door, before it slid open, revealing a panting Gaara. His red hair, now reaching his shoulders, clung to his forward, and before she could react, he blurted out, "Naruto's made contact!"

Quickly leaping to her feet, she slammed the crystal back into her shoto, tearing past Gaara and charging to the Council chambers. He remained hot on her tail, and they barged through the chamber doors together, seeing a hologram of a hooded Jedi before them. "Naruto!" she called, and everyone in the room, including the hologram, turned to face the two Padawans. His bearing relaxed slightly, and they saw his mouth open to speak.

As his lips formed a word, lightning shot into view, arcing around him and causing him to thrash uncontrollably, whatever words he prepared melting away into a cry similar to an animal in a slaughterhouse. He fell out of view of the communicator, and a figure strode into view. Gaara roared in anger, screaming a name none in the room had ever heard before.

"SASUKE!"

Naruto glared at Sasuke as the young Sith picked up the communicator, flicking it off with a grin. He tossed it on Naruto, before kneeling down to look the young Jedi in the face. "I don't think your friends will be coming to help you," he said, his voice mocking. Standing up, he placed a kick into Naruto's stomach, causing the Jedi to curl into a ball, his breath ragged. Sasuke smirked, lifting Naruto with the Force, watching the Jedi revolve in the air before him.

"You've no honor Sasuke," Naruto spat, blood landing on the Uchiha's face. "Your parents must be rolling in their graves at the spineless coward their son has become." Sasuke snarled in rage, slowly beginning to choke the young Jedi.

"You know nothing of me, you bastard. How could you possibly know what it's like to have everything taken from you in a single heartbeat? My brother is responsible for everything I am, and I swear, you will not stand in my way!" Naruto sent a quick shock at Sasuke, just enough to force the Uchiha to drop him, before he summoned his lightsaber, holding the tip a hair's breadth from the Uchiha's chest.

"You want me out of the way, Sasuke? Then why not fight with honor? Indulge your pride? Fight me in the arena, where all can see just how great the Last Uchiha is." As he saw Sasuke's lip curl into a smirk, he knew he had won, and he deactivated his lightsaber, tossing it onto his bed as Sasuke strode out, the Uchiha obviously planning to make the arrangements for the match. Naruto rubbed his chin, wondering about the decision he had made. I should have made sure of all his abilities.

Yes, you should have, the Kyuubi replied, going through a series of forms in Naruto's mind. Any shinobi knows that to rush in without full knowledge of your opponent is tantamount to suicide. Naruto sighed, sitting on his bed, and began assembling his secondary lightsaber as the two conversed.

What exactly do you think he can do now? From past knowledge, we know he has high mastery over Fire Jutsu. He's remarkably skilled with the Chidori, as my scar can prove. Given his new Sith nature, we can assume basic Force skills, as well as those associated with the Dark Side; namely Lightning and the Force Choke, both of which he has displayed.

We can also assume that he has learned Juyo, Kyuubi responded, flipping over an enemy he had formed before utilizing a decapitating slice. Your Vaapad, while based on the Juyo style, is inferior to the original. Soresu is a good counter, but it's too defensive. Your memories from Maul give you the knowledge to use Juyo, but I'm afraid that without proper muscle memory you won't be able to effectively utilize it.

I think the best option here is to inquire as to his abilities from someone who has seen them, Naruto stated, sliding in his emerald crystal and snapping his new lightsaber shut. He thumbed the switch, and the blade emerged, glowing the familiar frosty green. He snapped both lightsabers, their hilts identical, on opposite sides of his hips before he strode out of the room.

Two Geonosians appeared next to him, and spoke to him in their clicking language. To his surprise, he found he now understood what they said. "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed to leave this room," the shorter one said, waving him back through the doorway. "If you need something, we can send for it."

"Send for Arana'samura. She's one of the gladiators, a Twi'lek female. Also, bring me some meat." One of the guards cast a nervous look at his companion, before buzzing down the hall, disappearing around one of the endless bends in this maze of caves and tunnels. Naruto closed his door, and at on one of the chairs, waiting. The food arrived first; uncovering the silver platter, his mouth began to water as he saw the plate was piled high with steak and some unknown fried bird. He devoured them in a matter of minutes, three month's hunger finally catching up with him.

As he finally finished the last of the food, the door to his room opened, and the Twi'lek woman was thrown into the room. He quickly rose, running to help her, before he froze in surprise. The Geonosians had stripped her of her clothing, throwing her into the room naked. He saw mottled bruises across the entirety of her blue skin, and with his shinobi skills he knew immediately that they weren't from combat. She seemed to exude an aura of submission, and as he helped her up, she murmured, "Let's get this over with."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, setting her on his bed. He wrapped her form with one of the sheets, before throwing one of his robes over her to keep her warm. She gazed at him in confusion, and he asked, "What's going on?" She started shaking, and tears began running down her face. Awkwardly trying to comfort her, he slowly sat down next to her, allowing her to sob into his shoulder as she told him of what Sasuke had done.

"Over the past three months, Sasuke has been showing up at the various training sessions. No one ever really made mention of him, but each night one of the combatants would disappear, and they were never seen again. About a month ago, the female gladiators started disappearing during the night, and when they reappeared they were disheveled. They told of rape. Just a few days ago, Sasuke found me. I couldn't resist him… he was too strong."

As she slowly cried herself to sleep, Naruto slowly sighed, running a hand through his hair. What do you think? he asked the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi sighed as well, absently tracing one of the swirls on his white beskar gauntlet.

You know what must be done.

Ahsoka ran across the deck of one of the Republic Star Destroyers as a flurry of activity exploded around her. Engineers were prepping ships for flight, soldiers were maintaining their weapons, and the overall mood was grim. After receiving Naruto's report, and watching him get attacked by a previously unknown Sith, the Council had decided that a rescue mission was in order. She saw Rex briefing his men, and she sat against a pile of crates, staring yet again at her shoto. Gaara arrived next to her after several minutes, and slid down next to her, wrapping his arms around his chest. He recently had changed his outfit as well; he wore a pair of black pants and matching combat boots. A blood-red tunic, matching his hair, hung on his torso, and a white hooded cloak with gray sleeves rested over that. (AN: his outfit from Naruto's Trial of Spirit)

"You ready for this?" he asked, rubbing his neck absently, gazing at the flurry of activity as the ship prepped for hyperspace. She nodded, and he sighed, tucking his knees up under his chin. "Even if we leave now, we won't be able to launch the assault until midday tomorrow," he complained. Casting a sideways glance at her, he whispered, "You love him, don't you?" Ahsoka froze for several moments, before she nodded, trying to hold back tears. "It's a good thing, 'Soka. He deserves someone as sweet as you." Closing his eyes, Gaara began meditating as the ship made the jump.

The young man from the freighter took a seat on the rough-hewn seats of the Colosseum, observing the many different species in attendance. He pulled the hood of a sandy cloak over his head, protecting his onyx hair from attracting the beams of the harsh sun. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to brush away the sleepy sensation the sun gave him, only to slowly cause a headache to set in. He turned his attention to the stands as a gate slowly slid open, and a silver-haired youth strode in.

Naruto watches as Sasuke slowly made his way to the center of the arena, waving and showboating the entire way there. Once they were two feet from each other, they glared into each other's eyes as the people screamed, and Count Dooku made a speech. Gazing at Sasuke, Naruto found that he no longer felt remorse or regret for the man; instead, he merely felt cool logic. This was to be a match to the death. And this time, Naruto wouldn't let his former friend live.

Alright, nobody move! I've got the next chapter hostage, and if you ever want to see it alive, you better press that little review button and tell me what you think. I'm warning ya! I'm an author on the edge!

Catch you all later.

-Zeratide, out.