A Look to the Past
AN: Hello there, my dear readers!
(sigh) Yeah, I know. This chapter took way too long. And I deeply apologize for that. And it's not because of the lack of time either, as some of you probably saw with me pumping out chapters of my Attack on Titan story or even making a brand new one with the My Hero Academia/Superman crossover. It's just that... The words just wouldn't come out, despite the clear vision I had for this story. But wait no more! I finally have a new chapter for you guys! And the upcoming chapters will pretty much be all action. I hope you enjoy them.
Now to reviews.
AnimeGoji91: Don't worry, this story will continue.
lioukouan2406: Quite interesting developments, eh?
SWEUFan2007: Thanks for all the praise.
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I'm glad you like it.
21 Kill the War, Save the Planet - Part 1
'So, in the end, it has come to this,' Danek thought as he looked ahead of him, the mighty walls of the Imperial Capital stood tall, with an opening that had the soldiers of the Thousand Year Empire defending it.
Danek couldn't believe what was currently happening. Well, that's a lie since he could actually believe it, but just found it somewhat funny that his originally simple search for his sister escalated to the point where he was once again fighting a war where the future of an entire planet is at stake.
And his sister was still there, no doubt eager to fight him again. He hoped beyond all hopes that he would be able to convince her to change her mind somehow, make her see the light, and that he didn't end up killing her.
The people fighting alongside him, however, did not share his sentiment. They were a lot more eager to kill Esdeath, even Najenda, and considering what happened he couldn't really blame them. Despite all their tragedies, Danek couldn't help but act on his own bias, with Esdeath being his only surviving relative, one that he planned on not losing this time.
But that's just how it was. His life was never simple, not even when he was a child. Born in an arranged marriage where his parents pretty much hated each other, needing to fight to survive, losing his home and clan, even when he was brought to the wider galaxy, the conflict the Sith Empire had with the Galactic Republic also guaranteed he would be fighting, whether he was a student, a padawan, a knight, or a master.
And all the bonds he forged over the years brought him both joy and pain. Being saved by a friend, betrayed by a lover, finding a crew, losing a Master. All of it made him powerful, possibly the most powerful man in either the Republic or the Sith Empire.
Honestly, he probably could have given it all up. Just go away from all the conflict and settle down on some out there planet with a new identity and live in relative peace. But he knew that wasn't his destiny.
Because above all else, Danek was a warrior, a protector, a fighter, and a leader. Traits that he accumulated over the years of fighting. And right now, that's what the men behind him needed.
Danek raised his hand that held his lightsaber high in the air, before then pointing at the opposing forces.
"Charge!" he exclaimed loudly, before running forward.
He was soon followed by everyone else, the armies, members of Night Raid, and Esdeath's own troops, all following him to the final fight against the current regime.
The soldiers of the Thousand Year Empire could feel the ground shaking as they saw the enemy army charging at them. Everyone was nervous as not that long ago did they have another attack on the Capitol. Even the presence of Esdeath and General Budo can only do so much for the morale considering recent events.
Esdeath narrowed her eyes, searching for her brother and seeing him charging right in front of everyone. A sadistic smile graced her lips. It was going to be a bloodbath for sure.
She then took out her rapier and pointed it forward. No verbal command was given as her Ice Cavalry began charging, their icy hooves trampling on the ground making it shake.
They moved through the destroyed entrance of the Imperial City Walls, their huge lances at the ready.
The soldiers of the Revolutionary Army looked shocked at the unexpected threat, but they didn't falter with Danek running in front of them, he himself seemingly unfazed. He was the Hero of the North and they were assured he knew what he was doing.
And knowing what to do he did, as Danek threw his lightsaber straight at the advancing ice constructs. It spun rapidly as Danek guided it with the Force, making it appear as a blue disk.
The lightsaber then slashed through several moving statues of the Ice Cavalry, making them crumble into icy chunks. Using his control in the Force, Danek telekinetically moved his lightsaber through the air, slicing through an entire row quickly.
Esdeath frowned, knowing that Danek may as well take on the Ice Cavalry by himself. However, they expected that to happen.
General Budo, was now lacking his cloak and was fully prepared in his battle gear, the Imperial Arm, Adramelech. He bumped his fists together causing several lighting sparks to emerge from the point of impact.
Without a word, Budo jumped at high speed, easily moving over the Ice Cavalry. Bringing his fists together, he formed a large lightning bolt and fired it at Danek.
Danek noticed the incoming attack and swiftly moved out of the way. That lightning bolt lacked the purple hue that he knew Darth Nox had so Danek knew that wasn't him.
Landing in front of him was the large and bulky form of General Budo. The man walked through the dust and stared intently at Danek.
"So, you're the mighty Hero of the North," Budo said as his armor crackled.
"General Budo, I presume," Danek said, getting a nod. "I suggest you be reasonable and surrender. We can avoid any more bloodshed."
"Unfortunately, that is something out of the question," Budo said as he got into an Imperial Fist fighting stance. "The Empire will fight, and we will be victorious as always."
Danek internally sighed. "Then I apologize in advance for what's about to-"
He then ducked to the side as a giant spike of ice pierced the ground where he stood just a moment ago.
Esdeath then landed next to Budo, a large smile gracing her lips as she looked intently at Danek. "Hello again, Danek."
"So, you're both fighting me?" Daken asked. "Where is Nox? Why isn't he here?"
"It doesn't matter," Budo said. "We're your opponents."
Budo didn't waste any more words and immediately charged at Danek. The Jedi immediately jumped over a mighty punch sent by his opponent, however, as his armored feet landed on the ground sister was immediately upon him. Bringing his arm up, Danek blocked a rapier thrust sent his way and sent a kick in Esdeath's direction.
Esdeath flipped backward to avoid the attack, and Danek frowned as he blocked a lightning strike sent his way by Budo with his lightsaber.
The ground shook as the Ice Cavalry marched right past them, with Danek being distracted by the two generals.
"INCURSIO!" Tatsumi yelled as he was encased in his armor, and slammed his fist through two of them, and with a few rapid dashes, he smashed several more. A small energy blast cut through another before it shattered to pieces, followed by several more energy blasts. Further back, Mine smirked as she saw the cavalry falling one by one.
Susanoo smashed through the moving ice statues with his weapon. He jumped over one's attempt to skewer him with its lance, but that statue found itself shattered to pieces soon after. Akame joined in, slicing through the cavalry with her katana while avoiding their attacks.
However, just as Tatsumi smashed another statue to bits, he saw a blue blur appear in front of him. He instinctively brought his arm for defense, right when a blue armored fist struck him and sent him back. Tatsumi planted his feet on the ground and stopped himself before seeing the armored-up Wave moving in his direction.
Wave roared as he sent a barrage of punches at Tatsumi, who quickly began blocking the onslaught. Each punch Tatsumi blocked created small shockwaves as they were sent at incredible speed.
Deciding to change things up a bit, Tatsumi summoned his lance, deflecting a punch and swinging it at Wave's direction. However, the blue soldier saw the attack and ducked under it before placing some distance between them.
As Akame cut through another statue, her red eyes widened when a flash of steel appeared. With her honed instincts, she moved her katana and blocked the attack with a loud clang. The assassin grunted as she found herself in a sword bind with her sister Kurome, who grinned in mad glee as she looked at Akame.
"Hello, big sister," Kurome said. "I hope you're ready to join me."
Akame grunted before pushing Kurome back. She then pressed her assault with Murasame, sending several quick slashes in Kurome's way, but the younger sister was able to block and deflect the strikes. Deciding to switch tactics, Akame went for a feint which Kurome fell for as she moved Yatsufusa to block. However, as Akame's blade was reaching Kurome's neck, it suddenly struck a sea-through material that halted the attack.
With a gasp, Akame quickly moved away as she looked at the newcomer who blocked the attack. As it turned out, it was a bald man wearing a white suit and sunglasses, a riot shield in his hands. But he wasn't the only one. Because at Kurome's side were several more people that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, indicating that they were puppets under Yatsufusa's influence.
One of them was a young man with short blond hair and blue eyes, a mask covering the lower half of his face. He was dressed in a white coat, dark pants and brown gloves. A spear in his hand as his weapon of choice. Akame recognized him as Natala, one of their comrades from a while ago.
Another was a girl with long blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a brown hat, gloves, and vest over a white shirt, with two guns in her hands. And another was a Danger Beast that resembled a muscular ape with dark fur and red eyes.
"Don't worry, Akame," Kurome said. "They won't kill you. I'll make sure to deliver the final blow myself."
Akame narrowed her and prepared her blade for battle. This definitely wasn't going to be simple.
Susanoo took out over a dozen more of the Ice Cavalry in quick succession. It was a good idea to have the heavy hitters at the front, otherwise, the Revolutionary Army would have suffered a lot more casualties.
Just as he shattered a few more moving statues, he heard a familiar hum. One heading in his direction. Susanoo quickly dashed away as a big red disk flew past him, before turning around. The disk was then caught by Xalek, and the disk turned out to be the double-bladed lightsaber Xalek usually had.
"Hello again," Xalek said as he pointed one end of his lightsaber at Susanoo. "Come."
Susanoo stared at the alien, eager to face him again. He could feel Najenda watching what was happening, and under her command, he once again activated his transformation. His hair turned white and his skin gained a stone-like hue as a big transparent sword appeared in his hands.
The two of them then sped at each other, their blades clashing against one another.
Back inside the palace, Loten looked up at the form of the most powerful Imperial Arm ever conceived in the history of this planet. The child Emperor was slowly entering the Shikoutazer before casting down a glance at the Sith Lord.
"Lord Nox, are you certain this is the only we can win this fight?" the Emperor asked.
"Certainly, your Highness," Loten answered. "This weapon is the only chance we have of defeating the Hero of the North. Only your help will allow your Empire to gain victory over the Revolutionaries."
"I understand," the young Emperor said as he entered the weapon. Soon, Shikoutazer began humming loudly, its eyes began to glow as the body twitched slightly but made no major movement.
"Excellent!" Nox said as he smiled. "The weapon should be fully active in a little while! Once it's finished charging up, take it out to the battlefield. And this entire rebellion will be reduced to nothingness!"
"As you say, Lord Nox! I won't fail you!"
'No, you won't,' Nox thought as he looked at the weapon with a smirk. 'I made sure that you won't.' He cast a glance in the direction of the battle. 'Though it would seem I will have to get my hands dirty after all.'
Daken blocked a lightning-enhanced punch from Budo and made an effort to block a speedy barrage from the general. The man's reputation wasn't unwarranted. He was definitely a match for Esdeath, and he had a refined martial technique. Not to mention the lightning ability of his Imperial Arm made for a good way to fight against a lightsaber.
After blocking another punch, Danek countered with a thrust that was deflected by Budo's forearm. Budo sent a lightning blast Danek's way, but the Jedi moved to the side to avoid it. Danek then brought his arm to block an axe kick sent to him by Esdeath, the force of which cracked the ground underneath him.
Danek pushed his sister away, making her flip through the air before she landed fairly gracefully on her feet with a grin. Budo threw a punch that Danek blocked but responded with a kick that struck Budo's abdomen, though the armor reduced the impact of the strike and only made the grand general grunt.
Bringing her hand up, Esdeath formed a large ball of ice above it. She pointed at Danek and sent the ball flying in his direction. Seeing the attack, Danek brought his hand up and stopped the ball just about a meter away from him. Only for that ball to immediately shatter into icy dust, some of which ended up flying right into Danek's eyes.
Danek groaned from the unexpected move and immediately began to rub his stinging eyes. However the moment he opened them, he saw Budo's fist right in his line of sight. With no time to react, the blow struck him square in the jaw and sent Danek hurling back, with his lightsaber even falling out of his grip.
Quickly catching himself in mid-air, Danek landed on his feet before wiping his lips with his wrist. He had to admit, that was probably one of the strongest physical blows he felt.
Esdeath smiled as she moved next to Budo. She brought her arm up and sent a large ice wave at the lightsaber on the ground, encasing it in a thick layer of ice.
"Looks like you lost a major advantage, brother," Esdeath said mockingly before pointing her rapier at Danek. She had to thank Loten for telling her about a similar move he did.
"Your revolution ends here," Budo said as his fists sparkled with electricity.
Danek glared at them for a moment before letting out a smile of his own. "I'm impressed. Honestly," he said, making the Partas woman raise an eyebrow. "Esdeath, I thought you would be overtaken by pride again and attack me on your own. However, you teamed up with another strong fighter and your teamwork helped get an upper hand on me."
His fist clenched. "Still, do not think I'm at a disadvantage. I know more than just swordplay and the Force."
Danek bent his knees a bit. Snow around him began floating for a moment before dispersing as he dashed at the two generals at great speed. Esdeath was shocked for a moment before she and Budo dashed at him as well.
However, just as they were about to clash, Danek jumped over them. And once he landed, put his hand forward. Esdeath felt something pull on her before she was sent hurling backward with a gasp.
Budo turned around and once again went for a quick punch, only for Danek to catch that punch in his hand. Budo's eyes widened when he saw how his attack was stopped, but his thought process was interrupted as a fist slammed into his face.
The grand general took several steps back as the pain of the attack affected him. He shook his head before looking at Danek who simply stood there.
"As I said," Danek spoke before bringing up his fists in a sort of battle stance. "I am not limited by a single weapon."
Wave jumped over a swing sent by Tatsumi's lance before sending a downward kick that Tatsumi blocked by his weapon's shaft. The two separated, and Tatsumi frowned when he saw his spear's shaft has cracked.
"You should have stayed with us!" Wave exclaimed before dashing forward again.
Tatsumi swung his spear at Wave, but the Jaeger caught the handle. The moment the attack stopped, Wave swung the spear around, with Tatsumi yelping as he was sent flying. Wave slammed the shaft on his knee, cracking the weapon in two before throwing away the two halves.
"You helped cause this chaos!" Wave exclaimed loudly as he dashed at Tatsumi. "And you'll pay for that!"
Tatsumi grunted heavily in frustration as he saw Wave approach. With his enhanced reflexes, he deflected Wave's punch with his arm before kneeing the wielder of the Grand Chariot in the stomach. Wave gasped in surprise, which gave Tatsumi a chance to punch him square in the face, actually cracking the helmet.
Wave was sent flying back. He skidded on the ground for a bit before he regained his composure and jumped back to his feet. However, Tatsumi gave him no chance for rest as he gave Wave a gut punch that sent him flying back again.
"I won't join those tyrants!" Tatsumi exclaimed. "The fact you still support them makes me sick!"
Tatsumi once again moved to strike Wave with a mighty punch, but a sudden stream of flame struck him and hurled him to the side. Once the blazing heat stopped, Tatsumi noticed Bols standing there, his flamethrower in hand.
"Forgive me, Tatsumi," Bols said as he aimed his flamethrower in Tatsumi's direction. "But unfortunately, I will have to put you down."
Growling, Tatsumi looked at Wave who got back to his feet and back into a battle stance. So this was two against one. 'Well, this will definitely be a challenge.'
Akame quickly dodged a hail of bullets sent her way by the blond girl after which she was forced to block a spear thrust sent to her by Natala. She then quickly moved away as the apeman slammed its fists down where she stood.
She barely got a moment of reprieve as the main with a riot shield almost slammed into her, but Akame jumped over him. Her instincts flared again as she blocked a slash sent at her by Kurome. They exchanged blows again, with Akame trying to pass her sister's guard but Kurome avoided her again.
Then the gun girl appeared in her field of vision, her guns aimed as a small smile graced her lips. Akame's eyes widened as she saw the fingers slowly press the triggers… only for the girl's head to suddenly burst into a shower of blood.
Gasping, Akame saw the familiar form of Leone in her Lionel form, her leg stretched in the place where the girl's head used to be as Kurome looked shocked at the development.
Leone landed on her feet and looked at her friend with a grin. "Hey, ya miss me?"
"So you're alive," Akame said with a small smile.
"Hey, I'm a tough gal," Leon said. "I'm not dying that easily."
The apeman roared as it was about to hit Leone, but the blonde lioness jumped over the attack and kneed the beast right into his face, making him spew blood from the nose and mouth as it was sent backward.
"At least I'll make the odds a bit more fair!" Leone exclaimed as she moved away from Natala's spear strike.
With a nod, Akame once again engaged Kurome while Leone held off the other two.
From a bit away, Najenda watched the battle unfold. She honestly wished she could go into the fight herself but apparently, she was too important to be in the midst of it. Night Raid was holding its own against the Jaegers and the generals, and seeing Leone return brought a smile to her face.
The rest of the army was engaged against the Ice Cavalry. They were quite powerful indeed, but the sheer number of their forces after they were combined with Esdeath's own made fighting them easier. The casualties weren't minor, but the army was doing definitely better than what they would with their own numbers, especially with Mine's assistance against the Cavalry. The soldiers the Empire had weren't that great in number after the last attack, so their contribution against them was minor.
And she couldn't help but feel proud of how Danek was doing against his two opponents.
Still, from what she heard, the late Prime Minister's son Syura has also returned from to the Empire with his own group of strong fighters. So the question was where were they? That's something that Najenda couldn't stop thinking about.
Some really loud noise then reached her ears, making her groan in pain. She closed her eye shut and gritted her teeth, her hands dropping the binoculars as they found themselves on her ears. The men around her also felt the effects, making them scream as they tried to block out the noise.
Once it stopped, Najenda frantically looked around for the source but was caught off guard as a sole of a shoe struck her cheek. Grunting, she noticed the man she recognized by the description that the man who struck her was Syura, an arrogant grin adorning his face.
"Hey there, general Najenda, leader of Night Raid," Syura mockingly said before getting into a battle stance. "Oh, the fun I'll have while I beat you down."
Some distance away, Mine was rubbing her ears from that sound attack, though she kept a sharp eye on her surroundings. Whoever made that attack couldn't be far from here. Her eyes then noticed a girl with hair similar color to her own, a microphone in her hand.
"Hey, who the hell are you?!" Mine demanded.
"I'm Cosmina, nice to meet you, Night Raid," she said with a grin. "And good riddance." The moment those words left her mouth, she sang into the microphone, sending another large sound wave at Mine.
Budo was sent back after a kick he received to the face. He grunted as he regained his bearings and shot a bolt of lightning in his opponent's direction, only for that attack to be sidestepped. Danek ducked under a punched and swiped the general's feet, making him fall down.
Esdeath then came into play as she sent a series of attacks at Danek's way, but the elder Partas avoided or deflected the attacks with his armored arms. When the last thrust was avoided, Danek grabbed her arm and twirled her around before sending her flying.
Bringing his arms up, he caught Budo's punch, and couldn't help but grin at the grand general's attempt at a surprise attack.
"You're good, I admit," Danek said before bringing his free arm up and Force pushing the man away from him. "But I'm through playing with you."
He then dashed at Budo with speed greater than what he demonstrated in this fight and was immediately upon him. Danek began raining punches on the tall man, which came so fast that there was no time to muster a proper defense.
The barrage continued for several moments, with Budo continually grunting from the assault. Danek then pulled his fist back for a mighty punch, which connected with Budo's cheek. The grand general spat blood as he soon found himself landing roughly skidding on the ground on his back.
The people, including some Jaegers and members of Night Raid, looked absolutely stunned as the grand general was pummeled by the Hero of the North, boosting the morale of the Revolutionary Army.
Danek looked at his downed opponent, with Budo's face bloodied from the attack as he slowly rose. Danek then brought his arm up again and used the Force to stop a barrage of ice chunks sent his way by Esdeath.
Almost immediately, Budo, now risen, sent his own lightning attack at Danek, making the elder Partas use his other arm to stop the lightning. What on Earth were they planning? This combined attack only made sure that neither of them can engage him directly, so why limit themselves like this?
His answer came quickly as he felt a familiar smell of burning ozone, and he glanced back to see Ashara Zavros swinging at him with her lightsaber.
AN: And that is it for now, my dear readers! Again, I deeply apologize for the long wait. I definitely plan on finishing this story, and the uploads on it will definitely be more frequent. I hope you liked the action in this chapter because there's a lot more to come in the future.
So as usual, I implore you to check out my other stories. Trust me, they are worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.
See you next time!