AN: I don't own Naruto/Star Wars: Legends


GRS 4:10:2


The pelting of bolts were not a quick firing barrage as they initially might have considered, which meant it was far more likely that they were trying to take their time and fight by taking more precise shots, meant to be close enough to the group without waste. However, the roar and charge of the rancors spoke volumes more, the creatures barreling into the crash site and sweeping over much of the prior rubble, throwing up pieces of the ship around as they moved to try and get into a position to get around them while screaming at the small group. For normal spacers, civilians, or even a good number of lesser bounty hunters, it would be quite the effective sight.

For Naruto, it was another day.

"Move!" He shouted, motioning rapidly to Aayla to move away. She didn't move immediately, hesitating and shifting rapidly, trying to gather a sense of what she needed to do when she was almost struck by a piece of the debris. "Now!"

Aurra was already preparing a shot when she saw the rancor, and quickly deciding that pissing off the large creature was not something she wished to do. Pushing off and racing in the direction Naruto indicated, she glanced back when she idly noted something odd. "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, they're chanting or something - maybe it's a welcome party?" Naruto replied, throwing himself away from the oncoming threat. As they ran, they began to see parts of the forest beginning to curl around them unnaturally. "What in the..."

As he spoke, vines seemed to begin dancing, shifting and weaving in a wind that did not exist. Some roots seemed to push up from the ground, creating a number of obstacles that could force them closer to the vines. Even more seemed to be pulling out of the ground, reaching for them, as though to drag them to the world. Aayla rapidly shifted back to them, eyes wild as she looked between what was going on and them, seeming to beg for some kind of help.

"Well, that's a forking problem." Naruto growled, picking up the pace.

Leaping and weaving through the trees, Aurra grimaced. "Where are we going?'

"Away from the crash - if we fight there I'm going to lose the trail of whoever that was. Go!" Naruto nodded to them, then broke off and began racing off to the side. Ignoring the two sudden startled shouts, he shouted again, "Go!"

"That karking... come on!" Aurra shoved Aayla forwards, trying to get her to run faster. The two of them would need to take whatever time Naruto was going to give them and run with it.

They could hear a number of people breaking off to chase Naruto, which was good, but with some leaving, they'd inevitably have at least one or two chasing them. And, from the sound of the ground still shaking behind them, that was indeed the case. The only good thing that seemed to come from it was that whoever had been chanting had left to chase down Naruto, leaving the forest floor much less blocked than before. A small victory, but one that Naruto was likely hoping for.

Hearing the crashing of the rancor through the forest, Aurra silently thanked the Force for speed. Without it, the rancor would gain on them much faster. They were gaining, that much she could tell, but not with the same speed as if they'd just been running. That, and they were able to take dives between smaller trees that the rancor either needed to attempt barreling through, or running around; the first slowing them down enough that they could press the advantage of their lead to begin trying to think of something to do.

"What do we do?" Aayla asked, clearly struggling to come up with an idea, her lightsaber not yet lit up, but in her hand all the same.

"Working on it!" Aurra took a moment to glance back, and almost felt like choking. The rancor behind them were massive, larger than any she'd seen before. Jabba had run through a few, but these were more massive than those she'd seen before. "New plan, keep running!"

"We're already running!" It was funny to hear the sass, however with their current scenario it wasn't what Aurra needed to hear. Of course they were running; that's why they were still alive.

Ducking behind some trees, Aurra took stock of what she had. Cycler, blaster pistols, lightsaber. Not the worst options, as the lightsaber could cut through near anything, but many rancor were able to simply ignore blaster fire, and the slugs of a cycler might just end up pissing it off more. Which went back to the lightsaber. A good option, but only if she planned on getting closer to the rancor, which made it a bad option.

"Come out," A voice suddenly pierced the wooded area, getting both women to glance to each other. Another feminine voice. "The longer you run, the more likely I'll just let my pet here snack on your bones. Running will only get you so far."

"Pet..." Aurra rolled the words in her mouth. Probably for the best Naruto wasn't here then. Hearing that might actually get him upset with them. But, if they were saying that here, then they might say it with him. Raising her voice, she tried not to laugh, "I really don't think that's a good idea then. Sorry not sorry."

There was a moment of silence at that, as though they were incredulous at her comment. Then, there was a pair of barked laughter - two women then, numbers that were good to know.

"Then you will just die foolish. I - surely you must realize this is a bad idea? We have rancor, and if you try and run, we will be able to pursue you longer than you can run, if we don't simply catch you first."

"Perhaps she thinks she has a fighting chance sister." The other voice said, helping Aurra get a better idea of where they were, a plan forming now. "Against a rancor. Clearly she has not encountered such a majestic beast of destruction before."

"Oh I have." Aurra shifted, pulling out her cycler. "They are majestic, but if you all them beasts of destruction, I know someone who might rip the ground out from beneath you and let you get ripped in half."

They laughed again at that, not knowing that she was being completely serious. However, it gave Aurra a better idea again at where they were. She wouldn't get many chances at pot shot if they were waiting and thinking the two of them would simply give up. Shame that they weren't bright, they sounded almost foolish enough to be funny any other day.

Peaking out from behind cover, she aimed rapidly, able to draw a near bead on one of them who was atop the rancor. On top of them; it was like recalling Naruto on Nar Shaddaa all over again. Scoping in, she could see their face for a brief instant, felt a shiver of warning, and pulled the trigger while backing up, barely getting clipped by a bolt from the other as they took a shot with what appeared to be a blaster bolt fired from a bow, as her own shot rang out and had a visible impact against the other.

"Gah!" Aurra scowled, gripping her arm as she snapped back behind the tree. "Clipped me..."

"You foolish - kill her!" The first voice - the one who'd been shot it seemed - seemed to reverberate with such rage, Aurra swore it caused the tree behind her to groan. "Kill them both and feast on their bones!"

"That didn't go as planned did it?" Aayla grimaced, getting an eye roll from Aurra.

"Yes, I wanted to piss them off. Now move, move!"

Pushing off, she barely slung her cycler back into is holster before they began running again, the thundering of the rancor behind them a cacophonous stampede. Apparently they'd been holding back before, as the sound began gaining speed at a much higher speed. Worse, they now had a number of those bow bolts being fired at them with unnerving closeness. Only closer trees would save them now, and the forest was cleared out enough that running in a way like this would end with them rapidly getting run down and killed.

"This isn't working." Aayla managed to say, somehow able to complain and run at the same time.

"Then we fix it." Aurra growled, looking out to where there was denser forests ahead. "Go that way! It'll give us some time, and maybe a moment to-" She ducked as a bolt flew past her face, cursing under her breath. "Just go!"

Racing into that part of the forest, they heard the rancors near breathing down their necks. Weaving between trees, the two of them heard the rancors peeling around the trees, looking for holes through which they could continue the chase. There were enough to get through, but fewer than before. This wasn't an area that the rancor traversed much, and if anything seemed to slow down further as they raced onward.

Jumping and weaving through the forest, they managed to keep their lead for a while before Aayla suddenly began tensing, looking wide eyed like a wild animal as her head snapped from side to side. Aurra noticed it as well, frowning. She wasn't looking back at those chasing them, but out into the forest around them. Like she felt something-

"We went the wrong way..." Aayla began slowing down, the panic building as she tried to back up, stopped only by Aurra gripping her arm. "This isn't where we want to be!"

"We're here though, and if we go back, there are rancor waiting for us." Aurra hissed, glancing back to the rancor and their riders who were gaining on them. "We don't have a choice!"

"End of the line!" The first voice called out, a sound of triumph and ecstasy. "Now you will be ground up and-"

"Run away!" Aayla shouted, turning back and trying to wave the two back. "Run!"

"What are you shouting child?" The second, more rational voice said, shifting on her rancor and glaring down at them.

As she asked that, they all tensed, a sudden bellowing resonating through the clearing as something else suddenly seemed to acknowledge their presence, and made its own known. Turning to Aayla, Aurra froze, suddenly began to understand; they'd gone the wrong way.

In the distance, she could just barely see the trees; the ones with x-marks across them. They'd crossed their border, and now were in something else's domain.

[=-x-=]

Racing through the forest atop their rancor, the sisters kept up their chase. They were five strong, now that two had moved to follow the girls, but those who chased him down knew their prize, and what they represented. They could sense him, if just for a moment, when he reached out to sense them. An offworld maleing who was able to touch the majicks; a prize that any other clan would certainly wish to bring to bear under their servants, and add to their number - if only for a time.

Racing through the forests, one turned to the others with a clear bemusement. "Couldn't stay your hand Terresh?"

"Shut it Kyrisa! I had a shot, and I took it. How was I supposed to know he'd choose to run?" Terresh grimaced, getting a light laughter from the others.

"You know we tease, but what would you have done if you hit?" Another sister asked, getting Terresh to flush in embarrassment."

"It was meant as a wounding shot..."

"At his head?"

"Shut up, he moved!"

"To dodge the bolt at his head!"

Kyrisa shook her head, focusing instead on the chase. One sister was weaving a Chant of Living Wood to attempt to grapple or slow down the man, but he simply seemed to use the lifting wood to vault forwards, ducking under grasping vines, and keeping a remarkable pace ahead of them. One with such vigor surely would make for a maleing worth taking.

Still, he ran with the determination of one who had some idea of where he was going. Surely he did not think he could outrun them forever? He was certainly doing a good job at it thus far, which was not necessarily the best for them, but then they knew the world better than he. There would be no escaping their pursuit.

"Should we give him warning that running is pointless Ah'le?" Terresh asked, her own smirk beginning to grow as she moved to pull again on her bow.

"No need to waste shots yet." Ah'le, the leader of their chase group, waved her down for the moment. Her mount was slightly smaller than their own, but was a more recent acquisition. Strong, and kept up well, once Ah'le had managed to wrangle it under their control. Too free spirited to be left alone for long, though without the same touch Kyrisa herself tended to use for her rancor. "He will tire long before we do... but pinning him in will be our best bet. See if you can get around him."

"There's no hills to run him up to slow him here, and he's dodging the vines." Kyrisa quickly pointed out as Terresh nodded, causing her to pause. "We're going near the marked woods at this point - if he goes there, we will lose him for sure."

"We will not!" Ah'le looked livid, causing those nearest her to flinch back. "We lost several already, and we came back with nothing. We will return with a prize of some sort, and this one will be our best bet. Follow him. I don't care if he goes to the ends of Dathomir to do so, we will have our prize!"

Kyrisa wasn't so certain about that, but Ah'le had been given command and charge of this raiding party. After they'd lost so many trying to raid just a while ago, Ah'le had been acting a bit more compromised, and had been a tad more manic. With how their Mother tended to get, perhaps that was for the best, but running into the unmarked deep wood was still a bit more than Kyrisa was wanting.

"We can track him when he leaves, surely we-" Kyrisa cut off, seeing Ah'le scowl. "... very well. Lead on."

Crashing through the undergrowth, and shoving aside much of the woods between them, Kyrisa couldn't help but begin to notice something odd. They'd been running a short time, but even with a short time, a rancor could out pace most people quite quickly without things between them. While the Chant of Living Wood was being used to slow down the maleing, it was also being used to smooth their own pace where possible, making it easier for the rancor to keep up with him. And yet, his position ahead of them had wavered only in the slightest. An impressive feat; he'd make for a great catch; should they be able to first catch him.

Idly, Kyrisa and Terresh took note of them passing the border, Terresh looking to Kyrisa with a worried look. The deep woods were marked by rancors themselves without need for their instruction, with even the wildest of rancor seeming to understand the signs. A x-mark had become quite unanimous for danger, and was an area of the unexplored portion of the world they tried to avoid if and when they could. Yet, the maleing had chosen to run into it, taking no heed for their own safety, and Ah'le had chosen to follow without head for anyone else's.

"Yes, him... soon..." Ah'le seemed to chant, a near feral look to her face as they raced after him. "Faster... faster!"

Frowning, Kyrisa noted the forest around them and grimaced. If there was ever a place that the maleing should be able to lose them in, it was here. The trees were denser, unmoved by rancor herds moving through them, and given with more shadow and shade, their visibility was going to end up being impeded. All of this should make for ways that would cause their chase to end up fruitless; yet, instead, he seemed to run onward, ducking behind trees at a few points, but continuing on even so. Even turning back at times to ensure they hadn't given up the chase.

Hearing a chanting build, Kyrisa glanced to Ah'le as she began weaving rapidly a Spell of Storm. This was as good as done then. None who they'd come across had found a good way to avoid or escape from the spell, as the winds themselves whipped first around Ah'le, then raced out towards the maleing. Watching as they seemed to slam into him, they watched as he was lifted into the air, the Chant of Living Wood assisting and throwing vines around them rapidly around his hovering form, binding and immobilizing him rapidly.

Or, rather, it should have. As they watched, his form seemed to suddenly fade and their effort be revealed to be holding onto nothing. Nothing.

"NO!" Ah'le screamed, gripping her fingers into the rancor's head with a howl. "Where is he?!"

"Me?"

They all turned back, staring as they watched as the maleing stepped out from behind a tree; up in the trees branches. How had he gotten up their so fast? Ah, but of course, he was able to touch the majicks of Dathomir. Perhaps he had some way to utilize them to move through the trees, or to lift himself when he had moved behind them. He had used some skill in creating an illusion, so why not?

Ah'le began her chant again, trying to gather the air around him again, but the tone of their chase had changed the moment he'd spoken. No longer was this a change, or a capture mission; it was a fight.

The maleing leapt from his spot in the trees, abandoning the high ground in favor of moving among them freely. Kyrisa and Terresh understood immediately, leaping off of their rancors to give the maleing more targets to have to focus on. The more divided his attention, the easier it would be to take him down.

Finishing her chant, the wind began howling through the clearing, trying to grip at the maleing with a hellish fury. The maleing's ability with noting the danger was sharp, and was able to dodge the near invisible bindings. They would keep him at a distance, but not forever, as he still managed to be making his way forwards. Moving closer to the rancor.

Closer? To rancor? Surely he was out of his mind. Seeing Terresh beginning to draw her bow, Kyrisa quickly held up a hand, watching the display with a faint hum. If Ah'le couldn't bind him, that was no longer her problem. Ah'le had led them in here chasing this man, which meant that she likely intended this maleing to be her prize. One man could not necessarily be shared freely, though not impossible, though not something she was necessarily considering as she watched him dance through them.

"I have a shot though..." Terresh whispered, trying not to draw attention to them.

"Just... give him a moment." Kyrisa's eyes flashed in amusement, watching the fruitless attempts of Ah'le to bind him. "Ah'le didn't ask you to shoot him anyways. Wait until she says."

"Ah, getting around the rules again?"

"A little."

The maleing let out a growl, moving faster towards Ah'le, only to back up when another wall of wind was whipped up in front of him, preventing him from approaching. "Alright, I'll admit, that is annoying!"

"Then hold still and accept your fate!" Ah'le chanted wildly, trying to force the winds to collapse around him, only for him to leap up and suddenly land atop the rancor in front of her. Her eyes widened, leaning back as the man reached out and gripped the rancor's head, the maleing pulsed with majick, and then suddenly froze as he stared down at the rancor.

"... no..."

All the sisters felt a sudden chill run up their spine at that one word. Something had changed. Once more, the situation was no longer in their favor. A chase, a fight, to something new... something more dangerous.

[=-x-=]

"Hello brother."

The words were like a stab into Naruto, and he felt his hands shake as the tips of his fingers dug into the rancor's head. Slowly, he stared up at the woman, locking eyes with her, the wild and manic look to her seeming to shift with flickers of wonder, worry, and fear. She could feel what he'd done, the weaving of the Force that had acted like a leash and a net snapped rapidly by Naruto simply pulling it apart to reach out and bonding to the rancor. A simple, easy thing. Too easy. Too familiar.

"Brutus." Naruto said slowly, leaning forward. "You... you bound him."

"I - what are you -"

"You enslaved him." Naruto's voice was surprisingly loud, despite his words being barely clipped, snappish whispers. "Bound him in the Force, and forced to work for you..."

The woman seemed to catch her feet at that, eyes staring back with a malicious snarl. "As will you. Now!"

Before she could reach out to her sisters, she was already doubling over, being thrown off Brutus back as Naruto struck her and threw her into another one of her sister's on a rancor. Two had leapt off, leaving their rancors to bellow and snarl at him and Brutus.

"Free."

The bellow of Brutus was one of elation, freedom, and conquest. Free of the bindings of the Witch atop her, it turned to the others around him. Easy pickings were the two on the ground, but that meant they could wait. Turning to the others, seeing that now only one of them was atop a fellow rancor, Brutus moved to engage them.

Naruto reached out through the Force, noting a few of the women were trying to do something in the Force. Likely whatever the command the initial rider had attempted or wished for. Scowling, Naruto threw out his hands, pushing the two on the ground back and away. They didn't need distractions.

Brutus was smaller than the others, younger, but with Naruto, they had taken down a king beast. Feeling that similar bond between them snapping back into place as easily as it had once before, Brutus felt a feeling of power and elation. There was no creature that could stand up to the Sons of the Queen when they were together, fighting as one.

Grappling the larger rancor, Brutus shook the beast, trying to force its rider to dislodge themselves without his intervention. Not easy, as she was utilizing something that had been placed on his own back. Difficult for him, but easier for his brother. So he trusted in Naruto, forcing the rancor to be occupied with his screams and hold, while Naruto leapt off and engaged the woman atop it.

They had apparently never had someone fight quite like Naruto had before, and were not prepared for such things. However, they were not without defenses. As Naruto leapt up to engage the fifth sister, she pulled out a bow not unlike one of the others had, and turned its string towards him. Seeing the pulsing glow of it, Naruto quickly decided he didn't feel like being struck by it. Dodging back, the hum of the bow string whipped past him, the hum of it screaming 'danger' with each swing. Scowling, Naruto ducked another slamming his hand into her arm to try and dislodge the bow, moving back again as the bow swung past him again.

"Back! Away maleing!" The woman shouted, seeming to be in complete shock at Naruto's behavior. "You will not take me!"

"Take you? What the - You're trying to take me you crazy witch!" Naruto scowled, kicking her wrist and finally dislodging the bow from her grip.

As he did so he flinched, suddenly feeling wind wrap around him. He hadn't been paying attention to the first woman, and she'd taken advantage of it. Squirming and scowling, he kicked his feet as he was lifted off the rancor's head, immobilized and restrained by the wind.

"Finally..." The woman scowled, having picked herself off the ground with the woman she'd collided with. "You are... far more trouble than you're worth."

"I could've told you that." Naruto growled, then choked when a sudden pressure clamped around his throat.

"Silence! I will not listen to you continue to speak to us like that!"

"Sister, I do not think-"

"I do not care what you think! He is a thief, and has proven to be a menace. We need him to learn his place. Now. Now!"

The wind tightened around him, causing jolts of pain as he felt the wind attempt to crush him, his throat feeling suddenly devoid of air as he gasped and struggled. Hearing Brutus roar, Naruto focused on his connection to him, feeling the woman attempting to throw her net over Brutus mind again. Cutting through it once had been simple, but she hadn't expected it, and he wasn't willing to allow her to do it again.

"Cease! Cease your foolishness!" The woman sounded near manic, throwing her hands up towards him and tightening her grip further. "You cannot win! We will not allow this!"

"Ah'le," one of them called out to her, from somewhere behind him. "Killing him isn't-"

"I won't kill him. I'm just going to hurt him. Slowly."

Naruto could barely hear her, the wind beginning to pick up as it tried to bend him into an awkward, and uncomfortable position. His chest felt aflame, his grip on consciousness flickering about as he struggled to force his way through it, to surprisingly no avail.

"They're working together."

"... Kurama?"

"Heh, thought you were rid of me?"

"No, I just..."

"You're doing that thing again. The one I don't like. That 'dying' thing."

"I'm still alive."

"For now. But for how long can you keep yourself alive?"

Naruto had no answer for that, gasping for air that was simply not fill his lungs as the winds around him were kept from him. He couldn't even claw at his chest or throat, his arms pinned to his side. So this was what it felt like to be helpless again? It was just as terrible as every other time he'd had to deal with it.

Pushing out with the Force, Naruto let loose a shockwave, pushing it further out until it burst, the winds scattering as he coughed and stumbled back, falling into Brutus hand. Brutus, moving quickly, lumbered back and away, roaring and trying to force the other rancor and witches from moving closer. Valiant, but there was more 'nets' of the Force they were trying to throw his way, forcing Naruto to reach out and cut through them, coughing and trying to refocus, but he couldn't do so with his focus as scattered as it was.

Eventually one got through, wrapping around Brutus mind and forcing him to scream in outrage. Then, Brutus huffed, snarled, and pulled Naruto closer. Confused, Brutus shifted, moving to protect Naruto further, feeling the orders coming in rapidly, getting him to back up quickly.

"He still has control!" One of the women shouted, moving to her own rancor to follow them. Curious. She was the one who had wrapped Brutus mind with that net. "Follow him, he's using it to get away!"

"Curse him!" The one, Ah'le, shouted, moving to get onto a rancor with one of the other witches as well. "Curse him and bring him down! Shoot it!"

"The rancor has done nothing wrong. Killing it when it can do as it has would be as much of a waste as killing the maleing."

"Then wound it and leave it as stock! Bring it down!"

Brutus shifted, wanting to move deeper into the forest, to follow the command to run, and to protect Naruto. So strange, feeling his own desires mirrored in another; not the same, he knew, but mirrored all the same. Snarling, he leaned forwards and bellowed at them, his pride not wanting him to simply run. Protect, yes, but running? Only if it was absolutely necessary.

Suddenly, another screech reverberated through the clearing. All there shifted, looking back and around in confusion, trying to look for what had made the sound. The rumbling of something moving towards them was heard, and each of the rancors turned back to look towards it. A shadow, not near the majesty and size of the rancors, was lumbering forward slowly, then seeming to lope at them at a building speed. Such a creature surely would not think to challenge them; five rancor, with riders of great power. Though, many creatures simply did not have the wisdom or intellect to know better.

Seeing it race forwards, the witch Naruto had tried knocking off her rancor, who had been in the back, turned herself and began chanting. Throwing out her hands, she let loose a blast of energy towards the creature to deter it. Brutus had seen many witches do this, and had watched them throw those creatures and even people around. Nothing had withstood attacks like that.

This creature though, this thing, continued it's charge straight through it. Armed with spines, tusks, and claws, it screeched, rushing up and slamming the tusks and claws into the rancor, throwing it off balance, and quickly knocking it to the ground in surprise. As the rest began moving around to try and get a better vantage on the creature, the woman on the rancor cried out, pinned by her rancor's saddle and fall. The screams grew in volume as the creature suddenly reached across the rancor, ignoring the beast except to use it as a footstool. Gripping her, there was a terrible screaming as she was yanked out of her saddle, her leg cracking audibly as she was removed, followed by another crunch as the creature stuck her in its mouth and bit down.

"What in the rings of Fornax..." The woman who'd bound Brutus whispered, her grip on him slipping as she stared at this creature, watching as it chewed on her sister, throwing back its head and swallowing her down. "No, no!"

Slowly, the creature turned to the rest of them. The rancor beneath it was trying to move, faintly struggle, as it suddenly slammed down against it, screeching and ripping out the creature's throat before snapping its arms to the side with its maw curled into what some might consider a malicious, dark grin. As it stared down the other two on the ground, a flash of yellow moved between them.

"Run..." Naruto blinked back his conscious thought, staring up at this creature, barely processing the danger as he turned to the two women. "Run!"

As he screamed, the creature roared as it raced at him, saliva and blood drooling down its face as it rushed at them. Realizing those behind him weren't moving, Naruto cursed. So Naruto chose the only option that made sense to him. He screamed, and rushed towards the monster.


AN: I know a few people will have an idea of what this is, but I'll reveal what it is in the next chapter. This thing... this thing is mean. Very mean. And very dangerous. And I let loose two of them. Personally, I think this will be fun.

And finally, for those who were waiting and confused or curious, I'm introducing Kyrisa - a Nightsister who, in Legends canon, was sent offworld for... reasons. Thankfully it doesn't give a number of details, like when that happened, or how old she is. So, I can fudge numbers, and just have fun with seeing how she interacts with Naruto. Of course, that doesn't mean good things will happen, but hey, it's a start.

Thank you all for your reviews, they are always great to read. If you haven't seen, there's a poll to go over the pairing options for Naruto for everyone, as well as those new to the story on my Profile. I look forward to seeing who you choose, and how I'll be able to consider and use it through the building story.

May this chapter find you well, and may the Force be with you.