RuroKen Star Wars, a Rurouni Kenshin / Star Wars crossover fanfic by Raberba girl
Episode XII - Unsavory Assignments (ROUGH DRAFT)
A/N: This chapter is SO FRIGGIN' BADLY WRITTEN, I'm so sorry guys... DX
0-0-0
It should have been more obvious. This one's uneasiness continued to grow, and so did his brother's power.
0-0-0
The job did not prove to be unduly difficult, since Kenshin had experienced far more impressive adrenaline highs during some of his adventures with Katsura. Most of it, with the accompaniment of I'izuka's instructions and annoying jokes through the commlink in his ear, was standard lock-disabling, computer persuading, a few instances of darting into shadows, and also having to silence some of the bodyguards. Kenshin tried to disable them without actually killing them, but in a couple of instances it was unavoidable, they would have manage to raise an alarm otherwise.
Soon he found himself face to face with the target, a squid-like creature drifting in a large water tank who seemed to be asleep. Kenshin drew in a breath, then put on a stern expression and rapped smartly on the glass. The creature's five eyes popped open at once.
"Drak-sylKRANi'vkmyen Dril," Kenshin said formally, you are under arrest for crimes against the Galactic Republic."
Drak-sylKRANi'vkmyen Dril made a gurgling sound.
"Great job, Kenshin!" I'izuka cheered into his commlink. "Thanks for opening the gate. I'm coming up the hallway now with some clones."
"All right."
A few seconds later, I'izuka entered the room, gave Kenshin one of those annoyingly hearty pats on the back, then gestured enthusiastically at the clone troopers. "All righty, boys, haul 'im in! Oh, you can take off now, Kenshin, we've got it from here."
"You sure you don't need any help, or do you at least want me on standby until-? Oof!" Kenshin started coughing, the thunk on the back had been so hard this time. "Lighten up, I'izuka!" he exclaimed. "It's like you're trying to hurt me."
"Nonsense, Kenshin! We're fine, go on!"
"All right, if you're sure..."
Once the redhead left, I'izuka smiled and gestured toward one of the troopers, the only one who actually was not a clone. "He's all yours, Yukishiro."
Yukishiro, muttering something under his breath about the clunky uniform, moved forward and studied the squid-like alien for a moment, which had begun sloshing around its tank in distress. Then he smiled, punched some buttons on the control panel, and watched as the tank drained. He kept watching as the squid creature flopped and thrashed with increasing desperation on the tank floor, then slowly began to shrivel and grow still until it was nothing but a dried-out chunk of organic material that no longer even resembled a living creature. "How was that?" he asked I'izuka casually.
The other man gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head in rueful admiration. "Yep, seems pretty dead to me."
"Hmph. If that's Shishio's idea of 'challenging,' then maybe it's time for me to look for a new tutor."
As Yukishiro strode out of the room, I'izuka watched him go. Then he chuckled softly. "Believe me, kid. You're just getting warmed up - both of you are."
0-0-0-0-0
The reports began trickling in with a kind of regularity. As more and more of the traitors were identified, Kenshin was given assignment after assignment; many of his nights were now spent breaking into one compound after another, rousing people from their beds to place them under arrest. One target resisted capture so violently that Kenshin, trying to subdue him, accidentally killed him. Kenshin was so horrified at this fatal mistake that he expected and even desired censure, but Shishio merely dismissed Kenshin's guilt and praised him for the zeal and dedication he put into his work. The chancellor's reaction gave Kenshin no peace, and he became too ashamed to share his feelings or the details of his assignments with Katsura or even Tomoe.
And through it all, the nightmares persisted. Kenshin was almost afraid to sleep now, it was so exhausting having to relive his wife's death so over and over again.
The newest target, a fat, green-skinned man, was sprawled obliviously snoring in a bed that also contained a female. She was also fat and rather homely, and Kenshin had the uneasy feeling that she was his wife, rather than a casual lover. He hesitated, but I'izuka's voice in his commlink was starting to get agitated, so Kenshin drew in a deep breath, took hold of the man's shoulder, and shook him awake. "Ziik Merolaetov, you are under arrest for crimes against the Republic."
Ziik and his wife stirred, opened their eyes and reacted in fearful, angry astonishment upon finding a stranger in their bedroom. The green-skinned woman began to scream when troopers entered; Ziik began storming about how they had no right, this was ridiculous, things had gone too far, etc. Kenshin's heart sank as he watched Ziik angrily proclaiming his innocence, but already I'izuka was shoving him out of the room. Just once, Kenshin wished that they would not put up such a fuss, since an unreasonable sense of guilt would set his heart churning, the sensation only growing worse with each incident.
As Kenshin exited the house and began the journey home, he found himself thinking, 'I wonder how much more of this I can take...'
0-0-0-0-0
"Himura Kenshin, you can be on the Jedi Council as the Emperor's-I-mean-Chancellor's personal representative because Shishio twisted our arm(s) and/or tentacle(s) to elect you, but you are not allowed to be a Jedi Master. So there, hah!"
Kenshin's face fell. "Oh. Okay." He was standing, as usual, in the center of the Ring of Humiliation - er, that is, the floor of the Jedi Council's meeting room. "Um...is there a particular reason you all are barring me from Master status, even though I'm perfectly qualified? Besides the fact that no one here except Master Katsura likes me very much?"
The head of the Council looked rather smug as he answered, "No."
"...Oh. Well, okay."
"Young Himura," another Jedi said severely, "doesn't this unfair and suspicious treatment raise any dark feelings within you? Resentment, perhaps? Fear, anger, hatred? A desire to fly into Battousai Mode and send our heads rolling, along with artistically-splattered showers of blood?"
Kenshin looked rather alarmed. "I mean - I'm rather disappointed, yes, but I'm not about to go on a murderous rampage or anything. Is that really the kind of thing you all expect of me?"
"Of course!" shrilled a foot-high creature with six eyestalks and a single purple wing. "You've had dealings with Hiko Seijuurou XIII! Doing such a thing would be as easy as breathing for you! You're crawling with Dark Side cooties! Calling you 'Aniken' is WAY too much of a coincidence! WE SHOULD HAVE YOU ARRESTED RIGHT NOW!"
"But I haven't done anything! And I do not so have Dark Side cooties!"
"Do so!"
"Do n-!" Kenshin forced himself to calm down. "Very well, you may believe what you want. Still...seriously," he pleaded, "do I look evil?"
Apparently, some aliens were naturally immune to the Big Blue Puppy Eyes look. "That's just the thing," one of them sniffed. "It's always the quiet friendly ones who turn out to be serial killers in the end."
"What? When have I ever killed anyone? ...Er, in cold blood? ...For non-plot-related reasons?"
"Oh, give it up," someone else snorted. "We've got more interesting things to worry about right now, such as Katsura's hunt for Usui in the Outer Rim."
"Oh yeah...how's that going?" Kenshin asked half-heartedly.
"None of your business!"
"Wh...What do you mean it's none of my business? That's my master out there, doing the hard work while you all sit here and - and eat grapes!"
Everyone regarded him with outrage. A one-eyed humanoid quickly shoved a dish of purple fruit balls out of sight.
Kenshin gave up, bowing to the Council at large. "Forgive my outburst. If you will excuse me, I will take my leave now."
"Yeah, that's right. Get out of here, Aniken," someone mumbled in a hostile whisper.
Kenshin frowned, which sent a shiver through the assembled Jedi Masters, but he left without another word.
0-0-0-0-0
Thankfully, Kenshin had the night off. He helped Tomoe with dinner, which they ate together on the balcony. Then they settled down to watch a film together, a light romance which she enjoyed until she noticed that her husband was either not laughing at all or only laughing in a loud, startled manner whenever she did. Tomoe focused on him then, and noticed that even though he was facing the direction of the screen, his eyes were half-closed and were not following the movements of the characters.
Experimentally, she picked up the controller and switched away from the film to a news station. For several long seconds, Kenshin did not react. Then he seemed to notice the change, raising his head a little and frowning. Still he said nothing for a while, then finally ventured, "Tomoe? What's the name of this film again?"
"'Love in the Midst of Peril'," she invented.
"Oh. I expected it to be a bit more...romantic than this."
Tomoe sighed. The film they had been watching was actually called 'The Corellian Next Door.' "Kenshin, what's bothering you?"
"Mm? Oh, no, we can keep watching, I like this."
"Kenshin, I'm not talking about this film. And this is not the film, by the way. I switched that off a while ago."
"Oh." He sat up. "Really?"
Tomoe turned the screen off entirely and then took his face in both her hands, giving him a hard look. "Why are you hiding from me?"
"I'm not! Well, maybe I am." He squirmed, but she did not release him.
Finally she sighed, brushed his bangs out of his eyes and let her hands drop so that she could take his in her own. "Are you still having those nightmares?"
"Hm? Well, yes, but...I mean, it's other stuff, too."
She regarded him. Then, to his surprise, she smiled a little. "I was not going to tell you until it was ready, but...Kenshin, I'm planning something for you."
"You are?"
"Yes. A gift. It is a surprise, so I don't want to give you any details until I have laid it in your hands. However, I will say that you might find it helpful in these new assignments the chancellor has been giving you."
"Really?" he said guardedly, wondering if she guessed more than he had told her.
"It really bothers you sometimes, doesn't it," she said softly. "Your lightsaber."
"Ah - yes." This subject had come up before in their conversations. "It's just...so powerful, so easy to use now that I've been trained...there's some jobs I don't like taking it on. I'm so afraid of accidentally killing somebody ag- of accidentally killing someone."
"Since you can wield a lightsaber," she asked curiously, "do you think it would be easy to use different types of swords?"
He looked thoughtful. "Probably. If the blade is significantly different, I'd have to get used to some specialized techniques, but I'm sure the basics would be the same."
"Good," she said, sounding satisfied.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
0-0-0-0-0
In his own apartment, Yukishiro flexed his fingers in anticipation, then closed his eyes and concentrated on his other senses. The objects in the room began to take shape in his mind, until he had a nearly complete mental picture of everything in his immediately environment. Then he took a slow, controlled breath, and began to reach out.
First the mirror, lifting it with his mind off its place on the wall and letting it hover in the air. Then the other mirror on the other side of the room. Tugging gently at the two reflective surfaces until they were orbiting each other in a graceful circuit around him, forming the illusion that his body was copied and recopied infinitely in their depths. Then, a little trickier, the bowl of fruit on the low table, lifting it up and then each individual piece of its contents floating up and forming a constantly moving, geometrical pattern.
With his concentration already taken up by these, Yukishiro was more careful than ever as he mentally reached for the recently built lightsaber in his belt. He could feel a drop of sweat roll down his temple. Using the Force to press the ignition button, a thrill of excitement suddenly went through him at the sound of the blade, and he could not help smiling. Keeping everything suspended and in their patterns no longer seemed difficult.
More confidently, he positioned his lightsaber to slice each piece of fruit in half, though his body did not so much as twitch. He also kept his eyes firmly shut, using the Force to envision how the reflections of the blade at its work would appear in both mirrors. Then, carefully, breathlessly, he opened his eyes, then whooped as he realized that each detail in the mirrors had been captured in his mind.
The whole network shuddered at the slight lapse in concentration, the fruit pieces banged awkwardly into each other, one of the mirrors dipped as the other tilted too far, and a few moist seeds plopped to the carpet, but Yukishiro was still elated.
"I've gotten better," he whispered to himself in excitement. "I'm so much stronger now." Shishio was right. Killing those scumbags, embracing his anger, even entertaining his fear - it had all only served to draw him further into the power of the Force, had helped him grow in this ability that he thought had been taken from him in childhood. "You were wrong, Father," Yukishiro said aloud. "This power isn't dangerous, not to me. It isn't to be feared. It's my destiny." He frowned, gritting his teeth a little. "Did you know that, Father? Did you know that I was meant to master the Force's secrets when you told me to suppress my power and never use it again?"
Everything but the weapon hit the floor. One of the mirrors cracked; the fruit began leaking colorful smears. "For your own sake, I hope you were just...misguided in trying to protect me. Because if you were deliberately trying to hold me back, I'll..."
0-0-0-0-0
Kenshin might once have had a hard time getting into one of the swankiest theaters on the planet, with his customary shabby clothes, short height, and humble manner. However, these days people were beginning to look askance at him, to let their eyes rove over the red hair and the lightsaber at his belt before making way for him, as if rumors had begun spreading.
"Ah, yes - the chancellor has been expecting you."
Shishio's name carried a lot of weight these days, Kenshin supposed. Seeing as how he was practically the de facto ruler of the entire galaxy. 'I hope this war ends soon,' Kenshin thought uneasily. For many reasons, one of them being that he was finding his special assignments to be more and more distasteful. 'Tomoe...sometimes I think you're the only thing that's keeping me sane...'
"Is that you, Kenshin?"
He blinked and hurried into the private box that he realized he had been daydreaming outside of. "Chancellor," he said, bowing in greeting. "You called for me?"
"Come, sit," Shishio said pleasantly, waving away his companions at the same time. Kenshin watched, a little surprised, as everyone else in the box rose and drifted away without a word.
"Um...you wanted to speak to me, sir?"
"No, I don't, I just called you all the way over here to watch the space opera with me," Shishio said impatiently. "Of course I want to talk to you. So, Kenshin. How are things?"
"...Good." Usually, people who asked that question did not want a literal answer.
"I'izuka tells me that you've been doing a fantastic job."
Kenshin winced, thinking of the target he had killed, not to mention of all the bodyguards who had fallen at his hands. "Not really... By the way, sir, I've been meaning to ask you something. The other day I tried to look up some of my earlier targets, to see how they fared in their trials, but I couldn't find anything in the court records. Do you know where I can find information about them? I'm...curious."
Shishio waved that away impatiently. "Never mind that, you've got far more important things to occupy your time with. Kenshin, did you get my message about the newest Constitutional amendment we passed in the Senate the other day?"
Kenshin shifted uncomfortably. "You mean the one about how anyone with sufficient evidence against them for treason can be legally executed without a formal trial?"
"That's the one. I just wanted to make sure you understood, Kenshin. All the lawyers and red tape have gotten ridiculous, especially in light of all these recent arrests. Those criminals you're so curious about? There's no records on them because they're still cooling their heels in jail. The judicial system is such a tangled mess now that it might be years before they'll be able to stand trial."
"Really?" Kenshin was frowning. "That's terrible, but...will it really help matters to - to throw these instant executions into the mix? It seems...to me, it seems kind of extreme..."
"Nonsense, it will make things run much more smoothly. Now, watch the show. It got rave reviews and is said to be spectacular."
"Is that so?" Kenshin watched for a few minutes. "It looks like a bunch of squid swimming around in circles."
"I know, right? Someone should shoot those reviewers."
Kenshin gave him a startled look.
"Kidding, kidding! Say, Kenshin. You look like you haven't been sleeping well. Is there anything on your mind? Anything in particular that you've been really worried about for a while? Come on. We're best friends, you can tell me."
Kenshin squirmed. He would hesitate to call Chancellor Shishio his best friend. "Well...not that I'm complaining, I know I have a duty, and I am willing to fulfill it if it means we will see peace in the galaxy again...but...um, is there any chance you that you, perhaps, have one or two other people who could...maybe take over for a while? Just for a very little while, so I can kind of...catch my breath?"
'Why,' Shishio thought, gritting his teeth, 'WHY was this idiot cast in the role of the second-greatest villain of all time?' Out loud, however, all he said was, "Oh, don't worry about the hitokiri thing, it's your wife I'm thinking about, Kenshin."
Kenshin was startled. "Hitokiri?"
"Sorry, slip of the tongue. Now focus! Your wife!"
"You mean Tomoe?" Kenshin frowned, then drew himself up in his seat and looked hard at the chancellor. "Why, sir? Do you know of any attack that's been planned against her?"
Shishio was about five seconds away from storming out of the box, into the break room for a quick snack, and then out of the fic altogether. "Oh, no, no, nothing like that. It's just that - you know how omniscient and awesome I am. I can see people's thoughts, you know."
Kenshin blinked. "Really?"
"Yes." Shishio gave one of the smirks he did so well. "You've been having some...interesting dreams, haven't you?"
Kenshin looked away. "'Interesting' is not exactly the word I would choose."
"So, tell me," Shishio said with mock-sympathy, "when are the two of you expecting?"
"We're not," Kenshin grumbled, "why do people keep asking me that?"
Shishio, pretty much at the end of his patience, was about to draw his sword for a Homura Dama, when Kenshin suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, you mean that you can see what I dream about?" Which was a disturbing thought.
"Kenshin," Shishio said through gritted teeth, "I regret to inform you that if you don't start looking at this Jedi business from a different point of view, your wife is going to die."
"I WON'T let that happen," Kenshin said fiercely.
"Oh, good. Let me give you a hint, then, on how you can save her."
"Save her from what?"
"Will you just shut up for two seconds and let me get on with the plot?" Shishio thundered. "I swear, you yak away more than I do."
Kenshin blinked. "Um...have I displeased you in any way, chancellor?"
"No," Shishio lied. "Now, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was an idiotic dark lord who taught his intelligent, handsome, and amazingly talented apprentice how to bring the dead back to life."
"Huh?" Kenshin said in confusion. "Don't you mean that he found out how to keep people from dying by influencing midi-chlorians to-?"
It was the last straw. Shishio flung himself on the young man in an irritated fury, so that Kenshin was forced to fight for his head against the ruler of the galaxy. Their epic battle crashed through the theater, raging for about twenty minutes until Shishio had finally blasted the young Jedi into a mostly-unconscious heap on the floor.
"That felt good," he mused, sheathing his sword again. "Anyway, so this promising apprentice killed the thickheaded master as soon as all the secrets of the Force had been learned, and he went on to rule the galaxy and live a happy and satisfied life, except for the constant nagging urge to gain more and more power. But that's okay, because the universe is infinite and therefore there's plenty still left to conquer."
Shishio pulled the script out of his pocket, scanned it quickly, then folded it up and put it back. "And if you learn the ways of the Dark Side, the stuff that those Jedi sissies don't dare even talk about, you'll be able to save Tomoe's life yadda yadda yadda." He spun on his heel and marched away, yelling for someone named "Yumi" who technically was not supposed to have been born yet.
Still on the floor, Kenshin stirred pathetically. "Ow..."
0-0-0-0-0
"Feeling better?"
"No," Kenshin mumbled. "The chancellor sure packs a punch." He winced as his wife took the healing pack out of his hands and pressed it gently against one of his black eyes again.
"So you're saying that he attacked you because you talked so much?"
"I get confused," Kenshin tried to explain. "There's, like two or three scripts, all saying things that are kind of the same but also really different, and sometimes I get more into character than others, except I'm kind of playing two characters and...I get confused."
"I know how you feel," she said sympathetically. "Though, not having the central role myself, I imagine it must be much harder for you."
"Do you think he really meant that, about the Dark Side of the Force having powers the Jedi never even dreamed of?" Kenshin asked worriedly. "It's like...he made it sound like the Dark Side was stronger, or something."
"My love, when has evil ever been able to triumph over good?"
"Usually in those Doomed By Canon prequels, which I'm pretty sure this is."
"...True. But you are the hero, after all. As long as you follow the plot, everything will turn out all right eventually."
"I dunno, I just keep feeling like I'm missing something," Kenshin mumbled. He sighed and lay back in the chair, making it recline. Tomoe picked up the remote for the lights and dimmed them, which he appreciated. "Tomoe, are you sure you're not pregnant?"
"My love, I am not going to die in childbirth," she said firmly.
"I guess you're right." He paused. "Yet I still have the very uncomfortable nagging thought that you'll...I don't know...die of something else."
She arched an eyebrow. "Even if that were true, do you really think you could save me by Sith arts?"
"It's not like the Jedi ones have been doing me much good," Kenshin said slowly. He thought of how he had been using his skills lately. "It...only gets worse each time, not better. Sometimes I feel like it's poisoning me somehow. The Jedi have never liked me to begin with. What if...they really have been leading me wrong, trying to get me to self-destruct so they can get rid of me for good?"
"Aren't you mixing it up a little?" Tomoe suggested. "Your work is for the chancellor, who seemed to like you before you annoyed him. Your ability to do his bidding was given to you by the Jedi who don't trust you. It's like you can't win either way."
Kenshin sat up slowly. "Is it possible that I could have been getting it wrong all this time?" he murmured. "Katsura has taught and supported me for as long as I've known him, but he had to defy the Council to do so. My own masters don't trust me. The chancellor has my loyalty, even though it's killing me to obey him. I don't understand...who am I supposed to follow?"
"This war has been hard on us all," Tomoe said softly. "I think you need to stop considering the Council or the chancellor for a moment, and decide for yourself what is right. For yourself," she added sharply. "Don't bring me into it, either. With or without me, you have your own life to live, dear one, as do I. I don't want to be the deciding factor of your choices."
He studied her for a while. Then he smiled and lifted a hand to affectionately caress her cheek. "You're so strong, Tomoe. You've become a part of me...and I don't think I can make a decision without taking you into consideration."
Her eyes widened a little as she stared at him, and her breathing became a little faster. "So you're saying...that if what you believe to be the right course of action were ever to come at the cost of my own safety...you would choose me?"
He thought a while. "...I guess I see what you're saying," he admitted. "I...I don't know, Tomoe. Maybe...maybe I won't know for sure until I've been tested."
After a moment, she leaned her head to rest on his shoulder. "Then I pray you will never be tested on such a thing," she whispered.
0-0-0-0-0
"What are you waiting for, Kenshin?" I'izuka asked.
Kenshin looked into the wide eyes of the woman whose throat he was holding his lightsaber blade near, preventing her attempted escape out the window. "I'izuka," he said quietly, "just because I am permitted to execute traitors on the spot now does not mean I'm required to. Where are your men?"
"Didn't bring any," I'izuka said in surprise. "With the way things are now, Shishio said we didn't need them."
Kenshin's eyes flicked to him in surprise. He was warned only by a desperate war-cry from his hostage, and then only enough to leap back from the knife she was suddenly sweeping at his midsection. Caught off balance, he brought his saber up to knock the weapon out of her hand as she came raging at him; then she was smashing a vase beside her to get at the blaster hidden inside, he aimed for the weapon, missed because she moved too fast and he would have hit her shoulder instead; the gun fired - and I'izuka cried out.
"I'izuka!" Kenshin shouted, not daring to tear his eyes away from his opponent, "Are you all right?"
"I'm hit!" the other man gasped, sounding shocked and near tears in a childish sort of way. "She shot me!"
She was about to do the same to Kenshin as well. He plunged the lightsaber into her chest just as the blaster went off again; he felt the heat of the bolt as it zinged through his sleeve, singeing a few hairs on his arm. Then the woman slumped to the floor, leaving Kenshin to stare at her corpse. It took him a while to respond to I'izuka's whining, and then when he moved to help, it was with slow, stumbling steps, as if he was stuck in a horrible dream.
0-0-0-0-0
"See for yourself." Shishio opened the holo-vid he had Photoshopped together and began playing it for Yukishiro.
In the holo, someone in Jedi robes was walking. The figure suddenly crouched and waited for a while, then raised an arm. On the other side of the holo, a Nubian ship was coming into view, its reflective surfaces distorted by the recording technology. An object floated through the air and attached itself to the ship, apparently via the Force through the will of the crouching Jedi.
The ship finished docking, and a group of people began to disembark. Yukishiro caught his breath when he recognized the elaborate costume that the decoy had been wearing the day of the attempted assassination on his sister. Then an explosion, originating from the object that had been attached to the ship.
Even though Yukishiro knew that the woman in the holo was not actually his sister, he still had to glance away as the explosion, rendered nearly invisible in the recording, enveloped her body. When he looked back, the dying woman was sprawled on the ground, and survivors of the blast were being cut down by the Jedi, who had run out into the open with his lightsaber flashing in his hand. At the edge of the holo, the real Tomoe was being dragged away by the ship's captain until they both disappeared at the edge of the recording's range.
The holo ended.
Yukishiro sat there for a while, his fists clenched on his knees. Shishio watched him patiently.
"I can't believe it," the young man said numbly.
"You have been killing traitors all this time," Shishio pointed out.
"But...I didn't know they were Jedi. The Jedi are supposed to be doing their jobs protecting people, not running around trying to...trying to blow them up." Yukishiro's breath was coming hard. "Why would they want to kill my sister?"
"Who knows. She is a very prominent member of the Senate, and would serve as great hindrance to them if their plan really is to take over the Republic. Perhaps they want to eliminate all potential opposition before they reveal themselves."
Yukishiro got shakily to his feet. "I have to think about this. I have to talk to my sister."
"All right." Shishio lifted his eyebrow. "What will you do once your mind is made up?"
"I'm going to protect my sister, of course!" Yukishiro shouted. "What are you, stupid?" He hurried from the room.
Shishio rolled his eyes. "No, you are, you gullible little puppet." Then he laughed.
0-0-0-0-0
While all this was going on, Katsura was searching Utapau until he found a base where the natives were being held hostage by Usui. It was up to him to distract the dark warrior until clone troops could arrive, a task which he did easily.
"What? That's IT for my screen time? Curse that Raberba woman!" Usui howled with his dying breath.
Katsura blinked as he lowered his weapon. "Not me?"
"Yeah, curse you, too!" Usui spat. Then he died. Before the Jedi's arrival, he had had time to relocate the Separatist leaders to the volcanic planet of Mustafar ("I've never really understood why we're even in the script," one of the Separatists commented en route, "since we don't even do anything important in the whole story. Except, you know, die"). However the Utapauans did not know this, and would not have cared even if they had, so they cheered ecstatically anyway. Some of them even broke out into song.
"Ding, dong, the blind jerk's dead! Which blind jerk? The creepy one! Ding, dong, the creepy blind jerk's-"
"Please," Katsura interrupted hastily, "no singing. In consideration of my health." Luckily, they were only too happy to comply with their rescuer's wishes.
Back on Coruscant, Kenshin, alone in the sunset-bathed Council room, was working himself into a nice long angstfest about how the Jedi Council didn't trust or like him, how he wanted to be stronger in order to save his beloved Tomoe, how he would really like to be just a little bit taller, etc. Just when he was really getting into it, the door whooshed open and a random Jedi Master walked in.
"Kenshin, there's been news from Katsura."
"Really? What did he say?" the young man asked at once, hurrying to meet him.
"It seems like he has executed Usui with no problem."
"Why would there be a problem? He's Master Katsura."
"...Anyway, we want you to go break this news to Chancellor Shishio."
Kenshin gave him a sidelong look. "I'm pretty sure that the chancellor already knows. He, um, knows everything." He gave a little involuntary shiver.
"Nonsense, you're just making excuses. Now get going, and report Shishio's reaction to us. There's something fishy about that man, and we want to know if he's really on our side or not."
"Well, I will tell him, but since he probably already knows, trying to gauge his reaction seems kind of pointless."
The Jedi leveled a Look at him. "Young man. We don't like you. Do you or do you not wish to get into our good graces?"
"Actually, I've just been wondering that myself-"
"JUST GO!"
"...Yes, sir." Kenshin bowed, feeling uncomfortably sarcastic as he did so.
When Kenshin was ushered into Shishio's office, he found the chancellor posing magnificently before the large window overlooking the city.
"Chancellor?"
Shishio looked up and smiled. "Well, well. If it isn't my rising star, come to tell me of Usui's death on Utapau."
Kenshin fidgeted, unable to convince his hand to stray very far from his weapon. "Yes. I've come to tell you that Master Katsura has executed the villain Usui on Utapau."
"Thank you for bringing me this perfectly useless piece of news, Kenshin."
"You're welcome." The two studied each other for a while, Shishio smirking thoughtfully, Kenshin glaring warily. "All right, well, I'm going to leave now."
"No. Stay a while, Kenshin."
Kenshin sighed.
"Have you given any thought to what we talked about earlier?"
"You mean when you tried to kill me at the theater?"
"Yes, at the theater," Shishio agreed coolly. "Your wife - she's not looking very well these days, is she."
"Tomoe is fine, thank you."
"Rather sickly girl, isn't she."
"Look, she may not be some l33t bokutou-wielding warrior princess, but she's not a pansy either, okay?"
"I fear she might not fare well when the child's time comes."
"For the last time, Tomoe is not pregnant!"
"Haven't you guessed by now that I'm not listening to a word you say?"
"Why not? People never listen to me, and this is usually why I end up having to beat them up!"
Shishio smirked. "Do you intend to beat me up, Kenshin?"
"Yes!" the young man cried wildly, "Because you're a Sith lord, aren't you? You're the one who's behind all the terrible things happening in the Republic! I know because of your creepy vibes! And because you made me kill people! And because your sword smells like burning human flesh! And because you also have a lightsaber - that's red!"
"Very good, Kenshin. But I'm afraid that knowledge won't help you a bit." And with that, Shishio flew at him, red lightsaber raised, so swiftly that Kenshin only had time to fling himself out of the way. As he rolled, he managed to get his own lightsaber, which was already gripped in his hand, detached from his belt and activated by the time he had swept back to his feet.
Light from their clashing blades crackled, and the scream of their weapons was thunderous in Kenshin's ears as he warded of the chancellor's relentless attacks. Kenshin was not nearly as afraid or confused as he had expected to be. His harsh anxiety for Tomoe fueled the rising fury he felt at his adversary, as he realized how much evil Shishio was in a position to spread throughout the body of the Republic. "How could you? The people trust you! As leader, you're supposed to be helping to make their lives better, not spreading lies and discord from even the highest ranks of the government!"
"Ah, Kenshin," Shishio sighed, shaking his head in mock-disappointment. "How little you understand. The general public - you see them as human beings, as individuals, as a mass of humanity deserving of the best life has to offer." As he spoke, he swiped and thrust with his lightsaber, calling on the Force to wrench heavy furnishings from the walls and hurl them at Kenshin. "What you fail to understand is that they are nothing of the sort."
"Oh," Kenshin snarled, hacking at him furiously, "and I suppose you think that the people under your power are simply mindless idiots just begging to be used in an attempt to slake your ever-growing lust for galactic domination."
"Very good, Kenshin!" Shishio praised. "If you had said 'universal' domination instead of a mere 'galactic,' you would have hit the nail right on the head."
Kenshin paused for a moment, gaping. "I was exaggerating!"
"Exactly. Your thinking is far too backwards and uninspired, which is why, despite the potential of your combat abilities, you have proved to be absolutely useless as an evil apprentice so far." When he finished speaking, Shishio dealt his opponent a blow so powerful that Kenshin, even though he blocked it, was sent crashing through a window.
Shishio deactivated his lightsaber and slung it back on his belt. "Good-bye, Kenshin."
0-0-0-0-0
Yukishiro was pacing in a garden, trying to get his thoughts in order so that he could speak coherently to his sister in a way that would not make her coo at him to slow down and please be sensible. He had to convince her that he was a reasonable adult, and not still the kid she sometimes thought he was.
A crashing noise distracted him. Yukishiro frowned and looked up to find Himura Kenshin dangling from a ledge above and to the right of where he was standing. "The gardeners will want to shoot you for getting bloody glass shards all over the lawn."
"Can't be helped," Kenshin said through gritted teeth, his knuckles white from the effort of holding on. "Little brother, do you think you could maybe...?"
"Did someone throw you out a window?" Yukishiro asked interestedly, moving closer and tipping his head back to see where the broken glass (and the blood) had come from.
"Yukishiro, help me!"
The prince folded his arms and did his best to smirk, though his thoughts were a little divided at the moment. "I will if you divorce my sister."
"Yukishiro, get me DOWN," Kenshin finally snarled, his eyes blazing.
Yukishiro saw those eyes and shuddered a little, even as he tapped his finger against his lips thoughtfully. "Hey. Brother. Are you angry right now?"
Kenshin made up his mind to attempt a Force-cushioned jump to the ground and then, if he was successful, thrash his little brother-in-law black and blue.
"Are you," Yukishiro continued, "angry enough to kill some people?"
"Like you, you mean?" Kenshin growled, trying to brace his feet against the wall in preparation for a flip.
"Like," Yukishiro went on quietly, "the people who want my sister and the rest of the loyalist leaders dead?"
Kenshin was so surprised that he lost his grip, and went tumbling the rest of the way to the ground. Luckily, his fall was broken by the Nubian prince, who was so caught up in visions of vengeance that he did not realize he needed to step out of the way until it was too late.
"Thanks," Kenshin muttered, staggering to his feet. He tried to wipe away the worst of the blood on his face and arms from when he had been cut falling through the window. "What was that you were saying?"
Growling, Yukishiro climbed upright as well. "The Jedi," he said in a low, hot voice. "It's them. All along. They're the ones who've been trying to assassinate my sister, who've been causing all this trouble. Those sorcerers have always had the true power, they've always wanted to one day come out of the shadows and rule this galaxy themselves." It was so obvious, now that he knew. He could not believe he hadn't realized it sooner. And now that he had a possible ally to go up against the most powerful warriors in the galaxy with him, he might very well be able to succeed in getting rid of them for good. After this night, Tomoe would be able to live in peace, knowing that those who had wanted her dead were gone. After this night, perhaps Himura Kenshin would earn the right to have taken Yukishiro's sister away from him.
"It can't be," Kenshin was saying. Yet even as the words left his lips, he felt numb, because he knew. The Jedi had been careless, to let him sense their malignancy, but it explained so much now: why they would target Tomoe, why they had never warmed to him, perhaps even why the chancellor had been allowed to gain so much power unchecked. "It can't..."
Yukishiro moved in front of him, facing him squarely, his expression hard and determined. "Help me...Brother. We can do it together." Yukishiro hesitated, then raised a hand and laid it uncertainly on Kenshin's shoulder. "Please," he whispered. "I have to keep her safe, and I...I don't know if I can do it without you."
Kenshin looked deep into his brother's eyes, and what he saw there gave him hope. He could not understand why his heart quaked with foreboding as well.
0-0-0
This one has forsaken the Jedi way forever. The ways of the Force are closed to him. If this one must fight, it will be with this sakabatou.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Again, see previous author's notes. I was frustrated with the Star Wars prequels, and ended up using this fic to vent at times.
