The haze of mists and dreams surrounded me once more.
Shaking my head so as to dispel the drowsiness still clinging to my thoughts, I blinked and peered at my surroundings.
Behind me and to the sides rolling clouds of haze and dark fog encircled me, the only path open to me being forward. With no other choice available to me I took a step. Gradually the path I was on grew more defined, more real, a very familiar metallic mesh starting to form underneath my feet. In an instant, akin to someone flicking on a light-bulb the haze all around me faded but I paid no attention to the illusory environment.
For some distance across me, sprawled on a dark throne, a broad-shouldered man lay with his eyes closed. Shadows emanated all over him while simultaneously serving as a simile of clothes. Only unlike normal robes those swayed as if alive. His head was laying on his chest and in conjunction with his long dark locks hid his eyes from view, the slow shallow rise and fall of his chest the only hint that the man was alive.
I audibly gulped while beads of sweat started forming on my temple.
This room was very familiar. The obvious disrepair all around me only serving to heighten my panic. The man stirred. His head started lifting off his chest and his eyes flashed open while his mouth formed a parody of a smile.
"So it is time at last..welco—arriving at system."
Recoiling with surprise, I could only gaze dumbly as the dream? Vision? Unraveled around me, my last glimpse of the man being a hint of purple behind his bangs.
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"Arriving at system, please wake up Master..Subject remains unresponsive, administering wake up aid in 3..2.."
"'M 'wake, I'm awake!" I hastily shouted, snapping my eyes open and after surrounding my hand in a bubble of Force energy batting away the approaching robotic arm, warily eying the zapper at the end of it as well as the angry sparks leaping off it.
I shuddered. Here's hoping that 2B's unhealthy fascination with Ork bullshit doesn't last for much longer.
A faint jolt accompanied a moment later by the retraction of the protective shutters was all the indication I had we arrived on Naboo, or the wider system at any rate.
"Transfer successful, removing contaminants and biological waste." Came the ship's monotone voice from the speakers, before, with the faintest of shudders the cargo stored within the ship's storage spaces was ejected. Well, that answered that question. It was definitely not cloned tissue.
A heavily burned and mutated arm bumped into the cockpit's glass, before the inertia carried it away, along with its dead owner.
"Initiating decontamination protocol."
My eyes widened comically and I could only watch, mouth hanging wide as thin wipers unfolded along the canopy's bottom edges, outside the cockpit and proceeded to wipe away the blood stains, spraying some sort of disinfectant all the while.
"Transferring control back to user, course plotted for Naboo." Said the ship and a stick alongside a throttle emerged from a compartment in front of me. Grasping the black rugged surfaces of both items I turned my gaze away from the window and the glimmering stars outside, focusing instead on the silver circular projection serving as my panel, ignoring for a moment the details about the ship's status and engines, focusing on the plotted course towards the planet.
"Ok, let's see, I think this—Woah!"
With my head crushing back into my seat I hastily let go of the sticks, the hum of the engines rapidly dying out.
"Right, right. Gentle movements, think massaging 2B's ass not plowing Gwyndolin, got it." I muttered and grasped the instruments again, and with delicate motions set course for Naboo.
A few minutes of flying later, and after I got the hang of this unholy spaceship I spoke aloud, "Ship, engage supercruise."
"Field clear of potential obstructions, frameshift drive charging, entering supercruise in 3..2.."
The stars all around me seemed to momentarily compress in on themselves and space bend for a moment and then, with only the lightest of shudders racing through the frame of the ship we were off. This slower if somewhat more reliable offshoot of the experimental ftl drive helping to ensure that I would reach Naboo before my hair started turning gray.
A low groan started emanating from the whole Ship's structure.
"S-ship, how's the structural integrity?" I asked with a worried gulp, warily eying the trembling frame all around me.
"No need to worry Master~, structural integrity reading steadily at 95—" a whole patch of metal chose that moment to detach from the front of the engine, flying backwards and out of view at superluminal speeds.
"—at 85%, well within projected tolerances." Assured me the voice, slowly losing its monotone tone.
I gulped.
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Trusting the Force's warnings and remembering all the loops of shame I've had to perform in Elite I dropped out of supercruise at just the right moment. The pale blue of Naboo filling my view a moment after, alongside the frames of nine droid mothershi—wait nine?! The hell, there was only one in the canon timeline. Fuck.
"Structural integrity at 30%"
Eying my surroundings with caution I pulled on the Force a tad, shrouding my form in a barrier of cosmic energy. Better safe than sorry amirite? Still, I frowned with confusion. The energy field, although as eager to respond to my commands as ever felt..a tad more.. sluggish? And it took a bit longer for the shield to form too?! Hmm, on the other hand it felt easier to control the energy itself.
"Unidentified spacecraft identify yourself, refusal to comply will result in your destruction. Roger-roger."
Putting the pros and cons of having less power at my disposal out of my mind I gazed at the donut like control ships, their white surface glimmering underneath the reflected sunlight, smaller robotic spacecraft rapidly closing the distance.
"Ship, activate 'friendship' protocols." I said with a mad grin, my eyes starting to shine gold.
"Punching through droid network..hack successful, overriding signal block.." Classic rock started blaring out of the ship's speakers. "Aaand we are broadcasting live to the whole galaxy~!"
'When I get high I get high on speed..'
My grin widened, amping the amount of Force energy flowing through my form and enhancing me to the brim I punched the throttle to the max, banking the control stick sharply to the right, avoiding the first salvo courtesy of the incoming clankers.
"Gooood morning galaxy!" I said while simultaneously blasting a pair of approaching droid starfighters to smithereens. My ship's laser's carving them to pieces like metallic turkeys. "This is your boy, Anakin motherfucking Skywalker! Here to help liberate Naboo, fondle booty and kick ass. And I'm fresh out of booty. Yahoo!"
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Coruscant
Syveri's eyes nearly popped out of her skull, the data-slate held in her hands almost slipping out of her grasp, with the girl barely managing to grasp it before it hit the ground.
"He's doing what?!" screeched the flabbergasted Zeltron, staring with awe and trepidation at the outrageous stunts taking place right this instant on the other side of the galaxy, relatively speaking. A moment later a loud laugh escaped her mouth. "Hah! I knew it! There was no way his name was actually Gilgamesh!"
Chancellor's office
"Err, my lady are you alright?"
Blinking Lily gazed down, the shattered remnants of her cup stared back at her, pieces of glass sticking out of her palm, droplets of blood seeping out of her clenched fist. The sunlight reflecting off of the shards making the wound seem so much worse.
"Oh, just fine my friend." She said, waving with her other palm, holding a lit data-slate as if to assuage his fears. "It's just that I didn't expect such blatant proof of the trade federation's misdeeds." She said, smiling sweetly.
"T-true my lady, but still, your arm.. Go!" said the man, turning towards his aide, tone snappish. "Get a medic for the Chancellor!"
Lily suppressed a snort, shaking her head. It was just a few cuts..
Jedi Temple
The dark skinned man waived away the knight who had brought them the data-slate. The girl departing with a bow.
Mace Windu sighed and closed his eyes, before opening them and starting to lift his head, tablet grasped firmly in his hand.
"Motherfu—"
Corellia
Taking a sip from her beer the raven haired woman let out a snort of amusement.
"Heh. Interesting, brat. Very interesting."
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Yanking the control stick back, hard, caused my ship to sharply turn. Causing me to perform a tight U-turn around the control ship's core, feeling the insane amount of g's pressing down on me caused my eyes to glint molten. My adrenaline spiking. For at such speeds even the ship's inertial cancelers struggled to compensate. Thank the Rob for the Force and my waifus for the nanites.
"And that," I pressed a button, causing a proton torpedo to shoot off from the back of the ship. "Is how you destroy a droid mothership. Pretty easy amirite?" I said grinning as in the background, the ship's core exploded causing flames and shrapnel to reach for me. The galaxy wide broadcast momentarily showing both the cockpit's interior and my rear view. Fortunately, my ship's speed allowed me to easily outpace the shrapnel.
"Woohoo! Ain't this fun!"
"Yes, master! It is, more. More! Let's keep crushing your enemies! Hehehe."
I eyed the console in front of warily, "Err ship, you okay there?"
The lights surrounding me blinked, as if in glee. "Never better! This Ship is dai-shouri, des!"
I sweatdropped, "Okay then. So, dear viewers. That was control ship numero duo. Let's see if we can make it three for three without eh—" banking hastily to the right allowed me to avoid a barrage of laser beams. "Oops, almost wrecked my no hit run there. But no matter, let me just clear the trash mobs first.."
Weaving madly between the clanker horde, in twists, banks, and turns which left even their near light-speed processors confused, I proceeded to blast the whole battalion to smithereens, turning a moment latter towards the originating control ship.
"Ok, once more. First you approach just so." I said slamming my stick forward, the metallic donut in front of me momentarily climbing above me. "And then you do..this!" I shouted, and proceeded to perform a series of turns and loops, allowing me to avoid the droid starfighters seeking to surround me as well as their blaster fire. Blazing past them, the donut's entrance rapidly came into view.
"Now remember, you need to shoot those little buggers to disable the shield." I said, and pulled the trigger on my rough hewn stick, causing pale bolts of lightning to spew from my ship's guns, targeting the exposed machinery producing the shield around the ship's entrance. The lasers making short work of said machinery.
"Hahah! Yes, yes! Crush your enemies chips and hear the lamentation of their main processing banks Master~!"
Steadfastly refusing to contemplate my vessel's..inclinations. I rocketed into the larger ship's interior, once again performing a tight U-turn around the pulsating core and letting another proton torpedo fly on my way out. Blasting both droids and spaceships all the while.
"And that makes thre—gkh!" The Force loud's shout in my ear caused me to momentarily lose control, making the ship wobble for an instant. Coming perilously close to one the donut's walls.
"Master?" came the worried tone from the Ship, not even bothering to pretend with the monotone robotic tones any longer.
Removing my left arm from my throbbing temple I clutched the thruster, punching it once more.
"'M fine." I mumbled, while trying to parse through the Force's incoherent warnings. A moment later my eyes widened. Shit. While I was having fun up here, down on the planet's surface events were progressing as well.
All I could make out of the energy field's jumbled warnings was that, that.. Oh shit! Can't have that now, can we?! Not even trying to parse out the other warning I sharply banked left.
"Change of plans dear viewers, I'm about to show you how to perform a..'Tactical insertion' if you will. Now pay close attention."
Letting the Force guide me, I followed the direction indicated and headed straight for Naboo. In mere moments the planet's atmosphere started engulfing my ship, tongues of rapidly swelling flames licking my vessel.
"Activating barrier, structural integrity at 25%"
"Meh, good enough." I said as we punched through the atmosphere like a bullet through wet tissue. With the Force screaming in my ear, I performed a rolling spin to the side. Avoiding the artillery fire targeting my precious booty.
"23%"
The planet's surface came into view, as did the capital's buildings, rapidly closing in. I grasped the stick tightly, ready to pull back.
"To all you folks out there, this is how—"
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Panting and kneeling behind a ruined piece of marble, the color and the beautiful artwork almost bleached from it, courtesy of the blaster fire originating from the detestable federation war machine, she closed her eyes. Wincing a moment later as a sharp lance of pain traveled up her side, opening her eyes she glanced downwards and to the burn wound covering her midriff, courtesy of a stray blaster bolt.
"Bli.."
"I'm..sorry my lady, it seems we have failed."
Despite her pain, Padme smiled at her most trusted friend, crouched a few paces away from her beneath another ruined piece of Naboo's history.
"It's ok Sabe, at least we die free." She said to the trembling woman. Turning to the little droid her smile turned bittersweet, "When its time, you run R2 ok?"
"Come out and your deat—capture, will be swift. Roger-roger."
She snorted at the federation droid's idiocy, so simple minded, unlike what Anakin could build..
Shaking her head, she focused on the here and now, this was no time to think about the very cute boy or his creations. Turning her body around, wincing at the spikes of agony originating from her wound she gave a grim nod towards her guard captain situated next to a pillar to her left. One the man solemnly reciprocated.
She clenched her blaster tightly, her heart hammering madly within her chest, the taste of blood on her tongue and the feeling of rough stone on her back. Her muscles tightening in preparation.
"Come out or the tanks will open fire, Roger-roger."
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, the smells of freshly tiled earth, of wood and stone, and of recently bloomed flowers hit her nostrils. A small smile formed on her lips. Good, this would do as her last memory. A shame though, it was spring, she would have loved to have shown Ani around, Naboo was especially pretty this time of the year..
She started to rise, "Charg—"
"E-eh? Blast it! Blast iiit! Roger!" the panicked sounds of the droids alongside the loud music blasting from above them made her pause.
"—You save a queen and her sexy maids! Suck it you shitty clankeeeeers!" Wide eyed, Padme momentarily glanced at Sabe who gazed at her equally flabbergasted showing that no, she wasn't dreaming. Ani's proclamation was soon followed by the sound of approaching burning laser lances and explosions in the distance, said lasers proceeded to turn the droids and their vehicles surrounding the royal delegation into molten scrap.
A moment later, and as she dared to peek out of her hidey hole, the ugliest spacecraft she had ever seen flashed in front of her eyes. Passing so close to the plaza's ground that Padme's heart momentarily stopped in fright, yet as if to mock her fears the vehicle successfully avoided the ground. Well, mostly, the ship's rear touched the ground for an instant causing angry sparks to fly in between the whine of tortured metal before it blasted upwards once more.
"Woohoo! This is better than pod-racing goddamn, I have a bon—" Ani's voice and the music accompanying him faded out, leaving a wide eyed Queen staring with her mouth open.
"Bli?!"
"I haven't got a clue R2.." replied the distracted woman. Numbly dropping her blaster.
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"Warning, don't try this at home kids, this is an experienced pilot trying those stunts.. Well, pod racing counts as experience, right?"
"That it does Master~!" chirped the ship.
"Bravo Squad Leader come in, I repeat Squad Leader come in." The unidentified female voice sounding through my ship's speakers caused me to pause.
"Err hello?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.
"Good, we have a signal, orders Sir?" Continued the regal sounding woman.
I blinked, "Erm, who are you guys again? And why are you calling me Squad Leader?" I asked, barely paying attention as I avoided the blaster fire coming from a couple of overzealous clunkers with an almost bored twitch of my flying stick, before I lazily replied with a couple of my own bolts, and unlike them and as indicated by the pretty fireworks now lining the sky, I did not miss.
"This is Lieutenant Dinee Ellberger, acting as commanding officer of Bravo squad while Commander Olie's is indisposed,"
"Of all the times for my ship to malfunction.." Grumbled an older male voice, joining the comms. "As for why you are the temporary Squad Leader lad.. Well to put it bluntly, with the size of your cojones alongside your crazy handling of that weird piece of junk you fly,"
"Hey!" came my ship's affronted voice.
The man continued undeterred, "there is none better to trust my Squad too. Besides even if I don't have a clue who you are, you did save our Queen and took out the AA towers keeping us grounded. Consider yourself an honorary member of our flight after this." The man said, before the sound of flesh hitting metal reached our ears. "Work you piece of junk.." The sad warble of a pair of engines failing to start was the only response. He sighed, "In any case, take good care of my men Skywalker."
Naboo's traditional starfighters came into view on either side of me. Causing me to simply gaze at my favorite ship for a moment, the vessel's yellow rear contrasting beautifully with the gleaming silver front half, snapping out of my trance I noticed that the pilots were almost redlining their throttles, if the angry flame leaping out of their ships engines was any indication.
I gave an invisible two finger salute to the man on the planet bellow, "Aye aye Cap." I said, before. "Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Squad leader?"
"Can your ships keep up with my current speed?"
"Negative, not for long Sir. Or at least not without blowing something important up."
I hummed, "then I suppose some of my crazier stunts are out as well then."
"You bet your ass! Damn dude, but you are crazier than my ex! I don't know how you performed some of those stunts."
"Shut it Wendik." Came the shout from Dinee.
"Aye ma'am, sorry ma'am."
I shrugged, "Well, he does have a point." I said pulling back on the throttle a tad. "Very well, squad fall in!" I said, and started to reach with my mind towards the group through the Force.
After all this was a great opportunity to try out something that I'd always wanted, namely battle-meditation, or at least the most primitive and basic version of it. After all I didn't have a clue as to the technique's inner workings, only some half-formed ideas. Thankfully instinct and the Force's eager guidance caused something to happen, even though I was sure Bastila shan would laugh until she ran out of breath if I showed her my 'technique'.
"Aim for the station dead ahead!"
"Roger Bravo leader."
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"Gkh! Careful Obi-wan!" shouted Qui-gonn, bursting forward and meeting the Sith's blade with his own. "Don't let your guard down!" snapped the man before entering into a furious exchange with the dark sider, their blades appearing as twin pillars of azure and crimson, the humming beams almost a symbolic representation of the larger battle waging eternally across the galaxy between Ashla and Bogan.
Clutching her chest, Obi-wan coughed, droplets of blood escaping her lips, dying her tunic with spots of red, while her bruised ribs send pulses of agony throughout her body.
"S-sorry Master." She said with a cough and hastily rose to her feet, before with a jump she was momentarily parallel with the ground, her feet touching the indentation in the wall, where she had crushed into, courtesy of the Sith currently locked in a deadly duel with her Master. With a Force leap of her own she blasted towards the Sith. The hole behind her growing deeper.
Both Qui-gonn and the Sith remained silent, although the Sith's eyes gleamed with triumph as she approached.
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"And that squad and friends is how.." Another pulse of warning crashed through the Force, making me feel as if my skull was about to split open. Making my brain pulse in agony.
"Gkh!"
"Sir?"
"Master?!"
Ignoring both the Lieutenant and the ship for a moment I paused, peering through the Force's whining until— My skin paled.
"Oh shit."
"Sir?" tried the lieutenant again.
I shook my head, harshly yanking the control stick once we'd cleared a sufficient distance from the remnants of the droids fourth mothership . Causing my ship to turn, its back now facing Naboo.
"Sorry guys, you are gonna have to clear the rest of the clankers out yourselves."
Panicked and confused shouts started blasting through the cockpit. "Enough!" I shouted, both in the physical and in the Force. Making them shut up.
"You can do it don't worry; I have faith in you." No I bloody didn't. "I don't want to leave either, but this is Jedi business unfortunately." I said and slapped the watch on my wrist, activating my shield while also flaring my Force shield. "Ship, you know what to do."
The cockpit's lights dimmed as if in sadness, "Yes Master, flying with you was most Dai~shouri! This ship was privileged to have you as it's Captain, have a safe trip and goodbye..." Saying thus, I could feel the ship's engines going critical as she diverted part of her weird space folding abilities around her frame and..the canopy above me shattered and I was ejected, heading straight to Naboo.
In front of me the, she redlined her engines, heading straight towards one of the remaining motherships, aiming for its core.
"Hoes for the hoe throne, booty for the booty god! Die for my Master you wastes of silicoooon."
Feeling a tear drop down my cheek as she exploded in a glorious kamikazi inferno, the donut disappearing with her, I gave a half bow, or at least the approximation of one, free-falling as I was through space towards Naboo.
"You were never ugly." I mumbled holding back another tear. The approaching planet snapped me out my funk, listening to the energy field nagging in my ear, I adjusted my trajectory with a couple of Force pushes. Who needs thrusters when you have a nagging mom like the Force. No! Don't turn your back on me baby I love you too!
Breaking atmosphere, and as the flames of re-entry subsided, I looked towards where the Force insisted my target was. Nodding, I started weaving energy in front of me in a conical shape. My two shields flickering as they struggled to protect me. A few more pushes and I was right above my target, Naboo's royal building.
Flaring my power to full, I sent a blast backwards, further increasing my speed and then—
"GIGAAAA DRILLLL BREAAAAKERRR" I punched through the building's floors like the fist of an angry god. My energy drill crushing stone and clanker alike. Until, with the Force shouting in my ear I let out a downwards blast of pure Force energy, halting my momentum but not before I'd dug half way through to the next floor.
Panting I let the energy around my drill and shield dissipate, standing on and enormous crater and swaying for a moment while my ray-shield started angrily buzzing. Shit! It seems I pushed it too hard. Swaying drunkenly, I still managed to slap the deactivation button on my watch.
"Don't worry Senpai, everyone saw that! We captured it from some of the camera's surrounding the building." Chirped my kouhai as I shook my head in an attempt to clear the dizziness.
"That's great," I said as the room stopped spinning. "Tell me you've activated super-chats?"
"Of course! Who do you take me for Senpai?!"
I closed my eyes in bliss, almost feeling the moolah flowing into my account by the second, I grinned and opened my eyes.
"That's great and—oh, oh fuck!"
Maul, standing a few paces away, grinned. Lightsaber active and humming, the crimson blade's bloodlust almost palpable.
"Oh..you can't imagine how long I've dreamed of this moment."
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Will the chosen one survive, will he bite it? Tune in on the next exciting episode of Star wars Z to find out!