Dark Possession
Dark secrets revealed! After various random on Ithor drew the attention of the Alliance, General Madine made an investigation made an investigation and discovered that the attackers were not Imperials at all but belong to a mystery third party faction. Unbeknownst to them, the forces on the surface belong to a mysterious criminal organization being led by the shadowy Tyber Zann and the lethal Urai Fen!
But as Madine attempts to convince the Ithorian Elders that more troops must be moved to the planet's surface, Jedi Master K'Kruhk arrives to Ithor with a Miraluka woman who claims that the gathering darkness comes from the Sith homeworld of Korriban and belongs to a long dead Sith Lord named Darth Nihilus, so powerful that he could drain an entire planet of its life! After arriving on Korriban and discovering that Nihilus's spirit lives on in his mask, they were attacked by bounty hunter Boba Fett who took the mask in an attempt to sell off to the Empire! Now they find themselves going through hyperspace, hoping to find some clue of where the bounty hunter has gone…
Hyperspace
"Are you sure you want to keep piloting?" asked Luke as he entered the cockpit of the shuttle where K'Kruhk was piloting "I mean; if you're still injured, I could always—"
"It's alright" said K'Kruhk "I'm alright"
"Okay, that's good" said Luke as he sat down in the chair next to him "So there's was one thing I wanted to know; back at the tomb, that shot that Fett got you with should have killed you; was it some kind of Force ability?"
"Not exactly" replied K'Kruhk "My species, the Whiphid, have the ability to go into a hibernative trance to heal intense injuries that could otherwise kill us. During this time, our metabolism lowers to the point that we appear to be dead while our body repairs itself. The amount of time varies depending on how great the injury, ranging from days to months in worse cases"
"You got up almost instantaneously" said Luke.
"I suppose after everything I've been through in the Clone Wars, a simple blaster shot was barely anything" said K'Kruhk "I was once mauled by General Grievous and I only walked away from it because of my trance. It's fortunate that blaster shot didn't hit any vital organs, it just went straight through me"
"So how are we going to track Fett?" asked Luke "He got away before we could lock onto his coordinates"
"He'll most likely go to Coruscant since the Emperor would want Sith artefacts brought to him immediately" replied K'Kruhk "To get there, he'll have to travel halfway across the galaxy since Coruscant is in the Core Worlds. I doubt his ship will get there in one trip, so he'll have to stop at least once along the way to refuel"
"So we'll just search system to system until we find him?" asked Luke.
"Not exactly, but we'll have to try something" said K'Kruhk "We saw what Nihilus was capable on his own even without a true body; if the Emperor gets his hands on that mask, we can only imagine the pain and suffering that will come" He looked around. "Actually, I would appreciate it if you'd take control for a little bit; I have to inform Kota and Sitra about this"
"I'll stay on alert" said Luke as he sat down in the pilot seat as K'Kruhk left.
Meanwhile in Tafanda Bay
"With all due respect; this is not a subject to argue, we need more troops now" said Madine. He stood within the Ithorian Elders chamber with Tendau Bendon by his side.
"I understand what you are saying, General Madine; but you must understand the importance of our beliefs" said Elder Idduhl (male) in Ithorese "No matter what happens, we must respect Mother Jungle at all costs"
"We must not let war come to Ithor" said Elder Omflu (female) in Ithorese.
"I'm afraid war has already come to Ithor, whether we want to or not" said Madine.
"According to your reports, the intruders are not Imperial but rather a private army of some sort" said Elder Naurtea (male) in Ithorese "Surely they can be dealt with strategically rather than with a full out battle"
"That may sound like that on paper, but it's not that simple" said Madine "From what I've seen of this mysterious army, they have weapons and technology the likes of which the war has never seen before"
"Like what exactly?" asked Elder Mintun (male) in Ithorese.
"For starters, there was a tank that could fire a powerful plasma blast; and I heard reports of strange wolf-like creatures attacking our forces that don't match the description of any native fauna" replied Madine "If their entire army is made up of things like that, we could be in big trouble"
"Our forests and fields cannot grow in ash" said Elder Liw (female) in Ithorese "Flowers cannot blossom when the roots are cindered. If a battle is fought, what is to say the aftermath will not be a bloody one?" Madine looked back at Bendon who gave him a concerned look.
"Listen; I admit that I cannot guarantee that there will be no collateral damage, but that is not the defining point" said Madine "These people may not be Imperials, but they're not afraid to cause even greater damage to the planet and they're very dangerous. If a battle does come to be, there will be damage; but if we have the forces needed to drive them back, you will be free them. The thought of the aftermath may be daunting; but given time, your forests will grow new life. I'm not asking to build a permanent base or place an occupying force on planet; I'm just asking to allow more military forces on the surface. And when it's over, the only rebel forces on Ithor will be relief missions. It's your choice; but for the safety of your future, I urge you to consider my offer" Elder Idduhl stroked his face in thought.
Meanwhile
"Those things were unlike anything I'd ever encountered before" said Ahsoka as she and Uchji sat at the back of the shuttle "They were beasts but I could sense the Force within them and it was like they were targeting me with them"
"Sentients are not the only beings who are Force-sensitive, various creatures are too" said Uchji "Although very few can manipulate it, they can still feel it and use it to whatever ways their natural behavior sees fit. I can sense that there's another question on your mind, please tell me"
"It's just something I've been wondering for a little while" said Ahsoka "You seem to know a lot about Nihilus; I mean, I was with the Jedi Order for years and I never knew about him or any of the Sith Lords of the Old Republic"
"The Lurmen monks taught me much about lore and history, after a while it becomes second nature to you" said Uchji.
"That's not the only thing I was concerned about" said Ahsoka "Back on Korriban, you knew instantly where Nihilus's tomb was just by sensing it; I couldn't make out anything with all the dark energy in the air. You and Nihilus seem to share some kind of connection and you've never met before. There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?"
"It's something about my heritage that I wanted to forget; and yet, I keep finding myself back in this situation" replied Uchji "It is true that Nihilus and I share a connection; but it was not something that formed between us, rather something that was handed down to me"
"By the Force, you don't mean—" asked Ahsoka.
"Yes; I am the last descendent of Visas Marr, Nihilus's Miraluka apprentice" replied Uchji.
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Ahsoka.
"Like I said, it was something I would rather forget" replied Uchji "I know that may sound selfish; but if you knew what my bloodline has been through, you would understand why I desire to get away from all of it. Don't look at Nihilus sparing Visas Marr's life as a kindness; she may have been his apprentice, but she wasn't given the same rights as a Jedi Apprentice or even a regular Sith Apprentice. She was essentially his slave, begging for death but never receiving. Even with Nihilus dead, their bond as master and apprentice didn't end there; it stayed with her 'till last breath and it was passed on down her bloodline. All those who had the bond were haunted by nightmares of him for their entire life, and now I'm all that's left and they're worse than ever. I could see him, I could feel him, I can barely sleep because of how real they seem to be getting. For years it was thought to merely be an after effect of his death, but I now know the truth; it was a warning, and I received the worst of it because his return was in my lifetime. I joined the monks so I could escape them, but they only got worse. After I had the latest dream, Samfor knew immediately that we had to act"
"It's not your fault, we were about to get ahold of that mask until Fett showed up" said Ahsoka "But we'll get it back, I promise"
"You don't know the gravity of what awaits us if he returns" said Uchji "He is a wound in the Force, more presence than flesh; and in his wake life dies…sacrificing itself to his hunger"
"Wait, that's it!" said Ahsoka.
"What is?" asked Uchji.
"If the bond is passed on to you, perhaps we can use it to our advantage" said Ahsoka "Maybe you could sense where it is"
"Ahsoka, I'm not sure if that would work" said Uchji.
"Just think about it" said Ahsoka "You were able to locate Nihilus's tomb back on Korriban when we couldn't find anything beneath all the dark side that shrouded the planet, that's got to count for something"
"We were in close proximity so sensing it and finding it wasn't too much of a stretch" said Uchji "But you're talking about locating a potentially moving target that is potentially parsecs away"
"Uchji; if what you say about Nihilus is true, we have to find that mask immediately" said Ahsoka "This is perhaps our best option and we can't lose it"
"Okay, I'll give it a try; but if doesn't work, then it doesn't work" said Uchji.
"It's better to try doing the right thing then to just give up" said Ahsoka.
"Easier said than done" said Uchji as she sat down with her legs crossed and meditated.
Meanwhile
Tyber Zann stood at the top of his palace looking out with a pair of electrobinoculars at the gathering rebel forces.
"How was the interrogation?" asked Tyber as Urai walked up to him.
"Unsuccessful" replied Urai "We used every method without killing him and he still won't tell us the information we want"
"He's much tougher than he seems then" said Tyber "Did he say anything useful at all?"
"Only one thing, but I strongly advise against it" replied Urai "The moment I mentioned the Alliance, he said he wanted to join us"
"Really?" said Tyber "It's funny you should mention that because we could really use more assistance now. The rebels must really have gotten into the Ithorians' heads. They're not scouting anymore, they're preparing for battle"
"We should leave now" said Urai "To get involved with either side of this galactic conflict is unwise" Tyber scratched his chin and looked up at the sky.
"Where there are forces on the ground, there must also be forces in the sky" said Tyber "With a possible Alliance fleet up there, most of our ships would probably get shot down or captured before we even escape; and we know all too well that they can't be bought. No, we have to play this delicately"
"What is to be done?" asked Urai.
"The largest Ithorian village is not far from here" replied Tyber "I'll send out our forces to hold it hostage while you go out with the vornskr to thin out the rebels numbers. With shortening ground forces and Ithorians hostage, they'll have no choice but to let us out"
"I can't shake the feeling that this isn't going to work" said Urai.
"Worry all you want, Urai; it's our best option, and the one I'm going to take" said Tyber "Gather the vornskr; I'll handle the village"
"Even with do claim the village we still have the matter of holding it' said Urai "The rebels are known for their stealth skills; if we underestimate them, we could lose everything"
"Well; we have a few tricks up our sleeves as well, don't we?" said Tyber.
"Tyber, I know what you're thinking; but I advise against this" said Urai.
"I'm just mentioning it because you told me about his talk of joining us" said Tyber "With someone like him, we might not even need to take the villagers themselves hostage; we'd probably leave the ground forces in a state of surrender"
"Dark Jedi are not to be trusted, they seek only their own gain" said Urai "Whatever he says about an allegiance is merely a trick to free him; and once that's done, he'll turn on us without hesitation"
"I only mentioned that he wanted to join us, I never said anything about being loyal to him" said Tyber "Once we're done with him, we'll dispose of him"
"You don't know Dark Jedi like I do, it's not as simple as that" said Urai.
"Alright, alright; a worst case scenario then" said Tyber.
"Not even that" said Urai "I'll gather the vornskr and attack the rebels; but remember what I said; do not trust him even if you merely wish to trick him"
"Dually noted" said Tyber. Urai turned and left. "And ignored" He turned and left.
Meanwhile
The rebel army gathered in front of a herd of cellwan.
"Everyone's here, good" said Madine.
"General, our scouts have discovered a mysterious building near the largest Ithorian village" said a rebel trooper who walked up to him "They also noted that they spotted tanks and troopers who look like the ones that attacked you earlier"
"Then I guess we've found them" said Madine.
"Who are they exactly?" asked Rianna.
"That's what we intend to find out" said Madine.
"General, I think I found something" said Napiat.
"What is it?" asked Madine as he walked over to him.
"I examined the remains of the tank and I found a symbol on it" said Napiat "I did some searching and finally found some information on it" He lifted up a datapad that had the Zann Consortium symbol on it.
"I've seen that before" said Madine "It's the symbol that was on Cadfurew's stomach"
"It's the Zann Consortium logo" said Napiat "They're a crime syndicate that have been interfering with Rebel and Imperial operations in the war and have been gaining power within the underworld at an alarming rate. We've found information Cadfurew may have been affiliated with them"
"Do we know anything about their leadership?" asked Madine. Napiat brought up a picture of Tyber Zann on the datapad.
"They're led by this guy—Tyber Zann" said Napiat "He was a cadet at the Imperial Academy of Carida until he was expelled due to taking part in black market operations, the start of his criminal syndicate. Afterwards, he formed an alliance with Jabba the Hutt to help further his underworld operations; but after Zann attempted to gain power over the Hutt, he was captured by Imperial forces on Felucia and brought to a prison on Kessel. He was eventually freed by his partner slash bodyguard Urai Fen who had been furthering his operations in his absence. Ever since then, the Consortium has been gaining more and more power within the criminal underworld; and now it appears they've attempted to gain Ithor as a base of operations"
"That Talortai, Urai Fen, he's the same one that helped Havdori escape" said Madine.
"Do you think they're connected somehow?" asked Rianna.
"It's certainly no coincidence" said Madine "We know that Havdori was an associate of Cadfurew and we haven't seen him since that incident above Nal Hutta. Maybe he's found refuge within the Consortium to plan his next move" At that moment, there was a flash of black and one of the rebel troopers was pulled back into the jungle.
"What was that!?" exclaimed Tani.
"It must have been one of those creatures from before" said Orrimaarko "Get ready for them!"
"No" said Madine "We couldn't defeat them before, we have no time to risk lives just to try it now. Let's get back to the ships and try to move to higher ground far away from this area"
"We should just bomb the building and get it over with" said Orrimaarko.
"That's what the Imperials would do" replied Madine "Remember, we're trying to convince the Ithorians that we're better than the Empire; it took a lot of effort to convince them to let us down here. Now back to the ships" They turned back to the GR-75 medium transports when a group of vornskr leapt in front of them with Urai stepping in front.
"Going somewhere?" said Urai. A stern look befell on Madine's face.
Meanwhile
Tyber stepped into Havdori's cell.
"So you've finally come to see me yourself, Tyber Zann" said Havdori.
"Forgive Urai's cynical behavior" said Tyber "It was his idea to lock you up, not mine"
"You seem perfectly content with him torturing me though" said Havdori.
"He seems very convinced that you're too dangerous to be reasoned with" said Tyber.
"And what do you think?" asked Havdori.
"I don't know; we haven't truly met before, have we?" replied Tyber "However, Urai did inform me that you wish to join us"
"Indeed I did" said Havdori.
"Urai however remains skeptical about this" said Tyber "He tells me that Dark Jedi like yourself are not to be trusted"
"I wouldn't necessarily call myself a Dark Jedi, although the term is generic for any Non-Sith dark side user" said Havdori.
"What would you call yourself then?" asked Tyber.
"I am a historian" replied Havdori "I collect things that I wish to research, specifically things of dark side properties or history. Unfortunately, the Emperor doesn't take kindly to those who collect such items and doesn't give it to him; so I hid as the Chief-of-State of the Rebel Alliance to continue my research with a smokescreen, setting up underworld ties to find them further. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. Now here I am, your prisoner"
"Cadfurew always thought highly of you as an ally due to your…powers and knowledge" said Tyber "It just so happens that I could use some assistance. There's an army of rebels forming not far from here and I need help dispersing it. Urai retrieved your lightsaber from the ship so I'll supply it to you before the attack. You fight for us and in return we'll let you continue your research"
"It's good to know that we can come to an understanding" said Havdori.
"Never make an enemy out of someone you can make a friend" said Tyber "We'll free you shortly" He left the cell. "Commander" A defiler walked up to Tyber.
"Yes, Tyber Zann" said the Defiler.
"When we go out into battle, have you and the rest of the men keep a close eye on him" said Tyber.
"But isn't he supposed to fight with us?" asked the Defiler.
"Yes, as planned" replied Tyber "But Urai is right in one respect, he can't be trusted fully. Once he does what I want him to do, there's no guarantee that he won't turn on us. The moment I give the order, shoot him at once"
"How are we supposed to kill a Dark Jedi?" asked the defiler.
"The same way you kill a regular Jedi" replied Tyber "Ever wonder why the Jedi could start out as a power but became nothing more than a dying race? Their armies of clone troopers outnumbered them a hundred to one; so we will do the same, outnumbering him and killing him"
"I thought you said that you kept him around this long because he may come of use" said the defiler.
"I thought that at first" replied Tyber "When I heard of his achievements, I became fascinated and thought he could be of good use to us. But Urai was right; and as much as I hate to admit, we have to accept it. But perhaps we can get some bit of use out of him before we "retire" his services"
Meanwhile
"The moment you get that mask, you must return it to us immediately" said Kota's hologram "I've heard about spirits of Force-users existing within the material world; but being able to physically interact with the material world, that is something so rare it could be called nonexistent"
"An artefact that contains the spirit of a long dead Sith Lord that can interact with the world, it's worth exploring" said Sitra's hologram.
"We have to make sure it's secure and that it has no contact with anything or anyone else" said Kota "The possibility of Nihilus coming back to haunt to galaxy is something we cannot afford"
"That we can all agree on" said K'Kruhk "We'll do what we can, I just wish it was more"
"We're already sending out available troops to systems between Korriban and Coruscant; but I fear that bounty hunter might just slip through our fingers, he has done so in the past" said Kota "Is there anything else you wish to discuss"
"There was one more thing" said K'Kruhk "It's time we talk about Skywalker's training. Ever since what happened to Obi-Wan, he's relied upon himself to complete his training. Whilst the progress he's made is impressive, it feels like we're only pushing him away by not assigning a proper master to him. As each day passes, the fear of creating another Vader haunts me; so I believe we have to do something now while there's still hope"
"We've been over this before; with no proper Order and the danger of the Sith looming over the Alliance, to be part of the war whilst training a padawan is to invite disaster" said Sitra "Look; I care about Luke's wellbeing as much as everyone else, but we have to have rules that we stick to"
"Perhaps, but what if it's not a usual master-apprentice teaching?" said K'Kruhk.
"Explain further" said Sitra.
"His partnership with Ahsoka Tano has become a big part of his progress" said K'Kruhk "Perhaps we should turn to that as a means to continue his training"
"I have sensed a powerful connection between the two of them; something I've hoped would be a positive thing" said Sitra "If we can find a way to use their connection to further the growth of both of them, I would be behind it"
"I have spoken to Luke about keeping his emotions in check" said Kota "Perhaps you've found something that could help all of us. We'll discuss this further after Nihilus's mask is secure"
A few minutes later
K'Kruhk entered the room of the shuttle where Uchji was meditating.
"What's happening here?" asked K'Kruhk.
"Uchji's searching for Nihilus" replied Ahsoka.
"Given the vastness of the galaxy, it should take some time" said K'Kruhk.
"Not as much as you'd think" said Ahsoka "The two share a bond; I think if she can focus enough, she'll find where the mask"
"How do the two share a bond if they've never met before?" asked K'Kruhk "She may know about the legend, but he died thousands of years ago"
"Believe me, it's a long story" said Ahsoka. As the two of them talked, Uchji felt a strange and sinister (yet familiar presence) almost leak into her mind.
"Where are you?
I know you're out there somewhere but where exactly…"
Uchji's vision
Suddenly, the images of various planets flickered past her at an alarming rate before the image of Malastare finally stopped right in front of her. The image zoomed into a spaceport where Slave I sat with Darth Nihilus's mask lying in the back of it.
Back to reality
Ucji gasped abruptly and fell onto her hands.
"Is she alright?" asked C-3PO. R2 beeped.
"Uchji, what is it?" asked Ahsoka as she ran over to her side.
"Malastare!" gasped Uchji "He's on Malastare!"
"I'll inform Skywalker of this" said K'Kruhk "Take care of her" He walked over to the cockpit while Ahsoka helped Uchji lay onto her back.
Meanwhile
As several rebel troopers shot at Urai, he ran up to them (showing little signs of weakening from the shots) and slashed through them with his blades. Madine shot at the vornskr who were attacking the troops and vehicles when a vornskr leapt onto him and pinned him to the ground. But just when the vornskr was about to devour him, Rianna leapt onto its back and stabbed it in the neck various times with her spring-knife until it was dead.
"Thanks" said Madine as he got himself up.
"Don't mention it" said Rianna. The two of them looked over at Urai who was slicing his way through rebel forces effortlessly with the vornskr. "I think it's best if we take him out first"
"Agreed" said Madine "Everyone, aim and fire at the Talortai" The T2-B repulsor tanks and AT-APs began opening fire on Urai who dodged the shots and began dismantling the rebel vehicles with relative ease. BX began shooting at him but Urai cut one of his arms off and kicked him aside. He then grabbed Napiat by the tail and slammed him into Carlp's face. Tani snuck up behind him and threw a thermal detonator at him which he deflected with his blades.
"Oh shoot!" said Tani. She ducked down and avoided the grenade just before it collided into the forest behind her. Madine, Rianna, and Orrimaarko began shooting at him but he deflected it with his blades and charged towards them, knocking them straight off their feet.
"You should never have come here!" said Urai as he raised his blades, ready to slash all of them. Suddenly, a plasma blast shot out and destroyed an AT-AP. Urai turned his head and looked out at the various vehicles speeding out; various MZ-8 Mobile Pulse Cannons, Missile Attack Launchers, and Canderous-class assault tanks sped out and opened fire on the Rebel forces.
"Quick, before he sees us!" said Orrimaarko quietly as he, Madine, and Rianna snuck away. As Urai looked out at the approaching forces, he noticed Havdori leading them with his lightsaber ignited and using his Force powers to destroy the rebel forces.
"Is that—" said Madine quietly.
"No time to talk" said Rianna quietly "Let's move it!"
"Tyber, what have you done now!" growled Urai.
Meanwhile
"Here, keep the change" said Fett as he handed the Dug fueler some credits "Still can't believe how much of a toll on my fuel that last hyperspace jump took. You're just lucky I'm on the job and in a hurry"
"Gongadan!" said the Dug before walking off. Fett huffed and walked back inside Slave I where he sat down on a crate, picked up Nihilus's mask, and looked at it.
"What's so special about this little thing?" said Fett as he looked closer into the mask "Some kind of special power? There must be some reason why the Emperor wants things like this" As he looked closer at the mask, he began to feel a great urge to put it on himself. As the urge rushed through him, he found himself slowly start to pull his helmet off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Fett" said K'Kruhk. Fett readjusted his helmet and turned to see K'Kruhk, Luke, Ahsoka, and Uchji standing in front of him.
"Jedi!" said Fett as he stood himself up and placed the mask behind the crates "You don't just give up, do you?"
"Enough of this" said K'Kruhk "Fett, you have no idea of the danger of the item you carry. Give it to us and we can end this without bloodshed"
"I spent days looking for something of this item's caliber" said Fett "I'm not handing it over to the likes of you!" He unleashed his flamethrower upon them.
"Get back!" exclaimed K'Kruhk as he and the others stepped back away from the flames. He reached out and crushed the flamethrower with the Force. Fett pulled out his blaster rifle and began firing like mad at them so they ignited their lightsabers and deflected the shots. Suddenly, Fett activated his jetpack and flew at K'Kruhk, pulling him to the ground. "Go for the mask, now!" As Luke, Ahsoka, and Uchji ran inside the ship, Fett activated a device on his wrist which triggered several modified Mark IV sentry droids to arise from the surrounding crates and start shooting at them with modified blasters.
"He really had this all figured out, didn't he?" said Ahsoka as she and Luke deflected the shots.
"I can't get past there!" said Uchji "Too many…shots!"
"Then just follow us, we'll cover you" said Ahsoka. They began slowly moving over to the crates, deflecting each of the shots in the process.
"Oh no you don't!" said Fett. He activated his jetpack again and flew back towards the ship. As K'Kruhk got himself back up, Fett noticed him and began shooting back at him. As K'Kruhk deflected the shots, he force-pushed Fett into a nearby building and rushed back over to Slave I. Fett activated his jetpack again and flew back to his ship; shooting out his fibercord whip at Ahsoka's wrists and pulling her out and throwing her into K'Kruhk. He then flew down and landed on top of Luke. "Say goodbye!" As he aimed his blaster rifle at Luke's head, Luke rolled to the side, ignited his lightsaber again, and pointed it at Fett.
"You should have gone with the easy option, Fett" said Luke "You could have just given us the mask and we'd let you get away this one time; but now, we're taking you down too"
"Better rebels then you have tried" said Fett. He shot a rocket out at Luke who leapt back out of the way; and before anyone could react, Fett pulled up the loading ramp and lifted the ship up. "So much for Jedi; really shows how far they've fallen"
"I might have something to say about that" said a voice. A hand swung in and knocked Fett in the back of the head, knocking him out. Uchji stepped out from the shadows and took over the controls of the ship, lowering it down.
"What's going on?" said Ahsoka as she got herself up.
"It's coming back down" said Luke as he ignited his lightsaber "Get ready!" Ahsoka and K'Kruhk ignited their lightsabers as well.
"Wait, where's Uchji?" asked Ahsoka. The moment Slave I landed, the ramp went down revealing Uchji standing over the body of the unconscious Boba Fett.
"He's out, but I doubt it's for long" said Uchji. Luke and Ahsoka ran up to Fett and pulled him out by the arms over to the shuttle.
"Where's the mask?" asked K'Kruhk. Uchji pulled Nihilus's mask out.
"I found it amidst the crates" replied Uchji.
"Good, now hand it to me so we can get it out of sight" said K'Kruhk. Uchji was about to hand the mask over when she pulled it back. "Uchji, hand me the mask" Uchji looked down at the mask and began hearing the sounds of Nihilus's Sith speech in her head. "Uchji? Uchji? Uchji, hand me the mask, please" Uchji stuffed the mask into his hands.
"Take care of it" said Uchji.
Force sight
As K'Kruhk nodded and headed back to the shuttle, Uchji looked over at him and at the red light coming from the mask which she somehow found very alluring.
Meanwhile
Tyber leapt off a moving F9-TZ transport with his blaster ready and started shooting down squads of Rebels.
"Good to see you've done good work, Urai" said Tyber.
"What is the meaning of this, Tyber?!" asked Urai "You said you were going to take the Ithorian village hostage!"
"In due time, Urai" said Tyber "But I figured I may as well help you with the thinning out of the rebel forces"
"And what's he doing here?!" snapped Urai whilst pointing at Havdori "I told you not to let him out!"
"And you were right, Urai; I misjudged him when he arrived" said Tyber "I thought he could be useful, but he really is more dangerous than I originally thought. But that doesn't mean we can't get him to do something for us first"
"This is a bad idea" said Urai "We should kill him now"
"In due time" said Tyber "Don't worry, I have this"
"Sometimes I wonder if you do" said Urai.
"To the ships, quickly!" yelled Madine. The remaining rebel forces desperately rushed over to the transports (many of them getting shot down in the process), got onboard them, and flew off, with one of the transports being shot down by plasma tanks in the process.
"Pursue them at once!" snapped Urai.
"No, it would only tire us out" said Tyber.
"With all due respect, Tyber; you shouldn't just expect the enemy to be no longer a threat simply because they retreat" said Urai "A retreat is not necessarily a defeat, sometimes it's merely a device for the enemy to regroup and save their energy to fight again"
"You should listen more to your bodyguard, Tyber Zann" said Havdori "At times he's the only voice of reason around here"
"Yes; you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" said Tyber as he turned and aimed his blaster at Havdori. The mercenaries and defilers followed suit.
"Tyber, what is the meaning of this abrupt act?" asked Havdori.
"Did you really think I was going to keep you around forever?" said Tyber "I know all about you Dark Jedi; you're like Sith like Darth Vader, only you don't give yourself a name that starts with Darth"
"Your more naïve than I originally thought, Zann" said Havdori "I am nothing like Vader, and you should know that if you wish to dabble with Force-users. Besides, your behavior seems quite contradictive to when we first met; when you first brought me aboard your star destroyer, you told me that you kept me alive because I may be of some use to you"
"I thought that when I heard that you were able to manipulate the Rebel Alliance, a major faction in the galactic war" said Tyber "I saw you as an asset; and while you are to an extent, you are also a threat. One who could stab me in the back anytime; there are only so many risks I'm willing to take"
"Pity, I thought we really had come to an understanding" said Havdori "But I had no idea you had both extreme ego and paranoia. So how exactly are you going to kill me?"
"By shooting you of course" replied Tyber.
"Right, shooting me" said Havdori "With the help of these mercenaries who you hired with the use of credits"
"What are you on about now?" asked Tyber.
"I'm just mentioning that this seems to a lot of loyalty for hired guns" replied Havdori "How much is he paying you anyway? Surely it's enough to potentially throw away your life on"
"You're the one who's dying here" said Tyber
"I will admit that is so" said Havdori "How exactly are you planning to kill me anyway?"
"By shooting you of course" replied Tyber.
"Very well" said Havdori "I will let you know this, I will not go down without a fight; I still have my lightsaber on me and the moment you begin shooting, I will dedicate the last moments of my life to kill as many of you as I can. I cannot guarantee who, but I guarantee I will make the most of it. Is that really what you want?"
"Enough!" snapped Tyber "Shoot now!" Suddenly, all the mercenaries turned their blasters towards him. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Sorry, boss; but he's right" said the defiler "We're willing to fight for you, but don't think for one second that we're willing to die for you"
"Why you!" snapped Tyber shortly before Havdori started force-choking him "You'll die for this, Havdori!"
"Will I?" said Havdori. Suddenly, Urai slashed past, cut Havdori's hand clean off, grabbed Tyber, and ran off into the jungle with the vornskr. The defiler and the mercenaries turned towards the jungle.
"No!" said Havdori whilst wrapping his bleeding wrist with the cloth of his sleeve "Leave them. He has no power anymore"
"Don't get cozy, big guy" said the defiler "You may have dismantled the reason we should follow Tyber, but why should we tolerate you any longer?"
"Two reasons" replied Havdori "Firstly, you all witnessed how I performed on the battlefield. I have great power and fighting abilities that is advantageous to leading figures. With me as your leader, I will personally lead you into battle"
"Tyber already did that" said the defiler.
"Which leads me to my second reason" said Havdori "Tyber paid you moderately in credits to perform the tasks he gave you"
"Yeah" said the defiler "And what do you offer us?"
"What I offer you is of much, much greater value than simple credits" said Havdori.
"And what is it?" asked the Defiler.
"Power" replied Havdori "Follow my orders and I guarantee that we will one day rule more than just the underworld, we will rule the galaxy. Under my leadership, the Empire and Rebel Alliance will be powerless"
Meanwhile
Uchji lay in meditation as the shuttle flew through hyperspace when she heard an unsettling yet somewhat familiar voice creep into her head.
"Uchji…
Uchji…"
Uchji stood herself up, breathed heavily, and looked around. She breathed in, stroking her fingers through her hair, and slowly walked off down the hallway.
Meanwhile
"Can't believe it, can't believe it!" said Ahsoka as she sat herself down in a corner "Everything's fine, everything's going smoothly; yet I can't shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen. Should I…Should I tell Luke and Master K'Kruhk? Do…Do I have to use Daughter?" She rubbed her hands on her forehead. "Stay calm, think straight. What would Obi-Wan do if he was here?"
"Perhaps you should ask him yourself?" said a voice. Ahsoka looked up to see Obi-Wan's ghost standing before her.
"Master Obi-Wan!" exclaimed Ahsoka.
"It's been a long time" said Obi-Wan with a smile "Hello Ahsoka"
Meanwhile
"We're halfway to Corellia" said Luke.
"The sooner we're there, the sooner we can decide on what to do with this mask" said K'Kruhk.
"Will we destroy it?" asked Luke.
"We'll see if we can" replied K'Kruhk "If we can't, we'll just have to hide it away somewhere where no one can find it. Uchji peered out the side of the doorway.
Force sight
She briefly looked at the two blue figures of Luke and K'Kruhk and then looked down at the small box behind them, noticing the red glow of the mask inside.
Back to normal
Uchji extended her hand out and moved the box towards her with the Force, slowly so not to attract their attention.
"I hope the others are doing well at Ithor" said Luke.
Meanwhile
"So that's the story so far" said Ahsoka "We've got the mask, we've apprehended Fett, and we're on our way to Corellia so we can decide what to do with it; yet I still can't relax, I feel even more tense then ever"
"Then what is it you're afraid of?" asked Obi-Wan
"If the mask falls into the wrong hands…there may be a way to stop it, but it will be very costly for me" said Ahsoka "You'd probably think this is insane, but—"
"Ahsoka, I know about Daughter" said Obi-Wan.
"You do?" said Ahsoka "Since when?"
"Ever since we left Mortis, you haven't been quite the same as when you entered" replied Obi-Wan "I could a faint of spark of life dwelling within you, growing as you grew, a whisper coming from it; it was so small that most Jedi wouldn't notice it"
"Then why didn't you tell me?" asked Ahsoka.
"It was something you didn't need to know at that time" replied Obi-Wan.
"Didn't need to know at that time?" said Ahsoka.
"Some explanations only mean something if you figure it out yourself" said Obi-Wan "You still had your training to complete, that was what was important at the time; if I had told you then, would you have needed it?" Ahsoka thought for a moment.
"Man, Luke's teaching must have been torture" said Ahsoka "Daughter told me that if I "bond" with her, she'll be able to take physical form again with all her powers and everything. We eventually tried it and it was…effective, but it didn't feel right. She thinks that if we stay bonded for too long we'll become permanently merged together as one. I know I shouldn't be worried, but I still can't shake this feeling from within. What should I do? What do you think Anakin would have done in this situation?"
"Ahsoka, you shouldn't think of what Anakin would have done and believe it's what you should do" said Obi-Wan "Believe me, I too have looked up to other Jedi Masters and aspired to be them; and while thinking of what they can do can help you make a decision, it shouldn't necessarily be the decision you make. You must do what you think is right, Ahsoka. I cannot make the decision for you; whatever you decide, it will be your own choice"
"I…I think I understand" said Ahsoka.
"I wish I could do more, but time has passed" said Obi-Wan "It is up to you now to decide what must be done" He faded away.
Meanwhile
As Uchji pulled the box in towards her, she took a deep breath in and slowly opened it. She looked down at the mask and carefully picked it up. As she looked closely at it, she could hear Nihilus's Sith speech in her head. Suddenly, there was a sudden jolt.
"What just happened?!" exclaimed Luke. K'Kruhk looked down at the controls and noticed that they were now on a course to Ithor.
"I don't know how, but the shuttle has changed its course" said K'Kruhk "We're not going to Corellia anymore, we're going to Ithor"
"Is there any way we can switch it back?" asked Luke. K'Kruhk typed into the controls but nothing happened.
"It's not responding" said K'Kruhk "How—" He looked down where the box once was and noticed that it was missing before turning his head towards Uchji who desperately shoved the mask away. He walked over to her. "What is the meaning of this? Why did you open that box?"
"I…I had to look at it one last time" replied Uchji.
"You of all people should know that is dangerous" said K'Kruhk. As they came out of hyperspace above Ithor, Ahsoka rushed up to them with C-3PO and R2 following them.
"I felt the jolt" said Ahsoka "What is it?"
"Nihilus's mask has sent us back to Ithor" replied Luke "We don't know why, but it can't be good"
"Good heavens, where's the Rebel fleet?" asked C-3PO. K'Kruhk looked down at the controls.
"It appears that we're on the other side of the planet" replied K'Kruhk. He sat down and moved the shuttle forward. "It looks like we can move again" At that moment, two StarViper-class attack platforms snuck up behind them silently. "I'll see if we can move it around to the other side to meet up with the—" Suddenly, the StarVipers started shooting at them rapidly.
"What is it now!?" exclaimed Luke.
"We're under attack, we have to move quickly!" said K'Kruhk. As he steered the ship, C-3PO accidently knocked into R2 who screamed
"Oh my!" exclaimed C-3PO. As the StarVipers chased them down towards the planet's atmosphere, they shot out a pair of missiles each which flew out and exploded in front of them, releasing countless yellow specks on them.
"What was that?!" exclaimed Uchji. The yellow specks squeaked and revealed themselves to be buzz droids which started tearing the planet apart.
"Buzz droids!" said Ahsoka "Shake them off, quick!" As they attempted to shake the buzz droids off, the StarVipers started shooting them more.
"We're losing control!" said K'Kruhk "Brace yourselves!" As they spiraled out of control, Uchji noticed the box click open again. She ran over to it, grabbed it, and desperately tried to close it just before the StarVipers shot them again and sent them crashing into the ground within the jungle.
A few minutes later
Havdori jumped off an F9-TZ transport and walked over to the crashed remains of the shuttle.
"How long ago was this?" asked Havdori.
"Only a few minutes" replied the defiler.
"Then it's good thing you called me when you did" said Havdori.
"Look at this" said one of two mercenaries who pulled out the unconscious Fett from the shuttle remains "Best bounty hunter in the galaxy indeed!"
"Are there any other survivors?" asked Havdori.
"Over here" replied the defiler. He brought Havdori over to the unconscious Luke, Ahsoka, and K'Kruhk who were laid out in front of the shuttle.
"Chain them up and bring them back to base" said Havdori "If they come to, have them stunned immediately" Several meters away, Uchji, C-3PO, and R2-D2 hid behind a large tree.
"I feel bad about leav—" said C-3PO shortly before Uchji placed her hand over his mouth and gave him a "shush" sign. Havdori turned his head in their direction.
"I can…I can feel a massive pulse in the Force" said Havdori. Uchji started breathing heavily and looked down at the box in her hands. She slowly raised it and examined it for a moment before lifting it slowly and looking inside. However, it was empty.
"No…" said Uchji quietly. She peered out at Havdori.
"It's coming from the shuttle" said Havdori. He walked over to the shuttle and force-lifted various debris out of the way until he saw what lay beneath. "I don't believe it!" Lying at his feet, undamaged by the crash, was Darth Nihilus's mask. He picked it up and looked at it with astonishment. "Magnificent!"
"Sir, why are we to take the Jedi back to base?" asked the defiler "Are we going to kill them there?"
"We're not going to kill them" replied Havdori "Not yet at least. I want them alive so they can witness the beginning of a new golden age of the dark side!" Nihilus's Sith speech rung subtlety from the mask as a small red light flickered within the eyeholes.
Author's note: Well, we're finally nearing the end of this season; one more chapter to go. The suspense is quite a lot.
Hellman76: Sorry; but while you're idea is good, I'm afraid it will be a little too much to the story I've planned out so far. My apologies, but I don't think I can fit it in.
Just a Crazy-Man: Glad you enjoyed last chapter.
CT7567Rules: Well, I hope this chapter answers your question.
Martin: Yeah; I figured it was a nice way to progress the two of them together, seeing as how Ahsoka was already calling Luke "Skyguy".