Disclaimer: Lucas owns Star Wars, we own five Singapore Dollars between, think he'll be willing to part it with that much?

A/N Nerwen Aldarion: Once again my sister has frightened me with a gorychapter. And when I say gory, I mean gory. You better not read this chap after eating, or before for that matter.

A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: This has got to be the bloodiest chapterI have ever written. Several times when I was writing this I would stop and read what I just wrote and go, "Where did that come from?"

Reviews:

MicroChips: Thanks for reviewing.

Waygate: You'll see how Kyle learns about his father's death in this chap, hope you enjoy.

RowenR: Hope I pulled it off good, and I hope you like this chapter.

Darkness1: Love at first site? Not in this chap, but soon my friend, very soon.

shanesnest: Jan is evil, but evil can be redeemed. There is still hope for her, and who do you tink will save her?

Bjrn Fallgvist: Well I have conitnued this one as I promised.

Chapter 4: Assassin

The Rebel Base was stationed in a secluded spot on the moon Yavin 4. The Rebels worked more fearful than ever now. Everyone knew what had happened to Alderaan, and the fear of their home world could be next was thick in the air. One officer wasn't surprised at all by Alderaan's destruction. He hadn't known about this Death Star before anyone else, nor had he known that Alderaan would be dust beforehand. He did know firsthand how deadly the Empire could be. He had been one.

Kyle Katarn worked on his ship the Moldy Crow, and reminisced on his share of memories. He remembered his father, how sad yet proud he had looked that day Kyle had joined the Imperial Academy. He could see the Imperial Officer's face as he told Kyle that his father had been murdered by Rebels. He knew that he had wanted to destroy the Rebellion piece by piece, man by man. If it hadn't been for Mon Mothma, and her insight in what the Empire would tell him, she never would have sent that spy and never would have told Kyle the truth.

Now he worked for the side he had hated for so long, and he despised the side that he had worked for. This destruction of Alderaan was just the beginning. The Empire had more tricks up their sleeves.

Kyle looked up when he saw a young woman in a white dress run to Commander Willard and hugged him. He recognized the woman right away, and a smile spread across his face.

He climbed down from his perch, and set his feet on the ground. Princess Leia was speaking to two men whoa had come with her. One of them appeared to be only a boy around 20, while the other man was a guess at any age, and rough looking. Corellian, Kyle decided.

"Princess," He greeted with a smile, and extended hi hand.

"Kyle," Princess Leia cried happily and forgot about the hand and leapt into an embrace that surprised Kyle.

"Well this is a first for me, holding a princess," Kyle said.

Leia laughed, "I'm so glad you're alright, I was afraid that the Imperials had caught you."

"Nah, those scum bags couldn't catch me," Kyle said. He expression grew serious, "What about you? Everyone here thought you were dead."

"I'm alright," Leia replied.

"How bad was it?" Kyle asked. He already knew that those Imperial had to have done something to her.

"Bad," Leia said.

"I'm not surprised."

"I might have some information that might surprise you," Leia replied.

"Alright then, what is it, another mission?" Kyle asked.

Leia shook her head, "Vader has an apprentice."

Kyle was stunned, "I'm surprised."

Leia smiled, and then it faded, "Oh dear I completely forgot." She turned to the two men, "Kyle this is Luke Skywalker, and Captain Han Solo," She said Han's name like it was a poison. He obviously wasn't well liked by her.

"Luke, Han, this is Kyle Katarn," She finished.

"Hi," Kyle extended his hand and they shook it. "So who is this apprentice you were telling me about?"

"Oh, yes, she came to me in my cell…"

"She?" Kyle interrupted, "It's a she?"

"Yes, "Leia said.

"I'm surprised again," Kyle shook his head, "Go on."

"Well she is always at Vader's side, and she seems deadly, and sort of…scary," Leia said remembering her encounter with the girl.

"Wow, sounds like something out of a nightmare," Kyle said, "So I take it she's a Sith."

"No, she didn't carry a lightsaber."

"Not a Sith, who is this woman?"

"I don't know," Leia said, "She wouldn't tell me her name."

"Interesting," Han who had been eavesdropping said, "Hey, is this that same girl I saw on the Death Star?"

"You saw her?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, and she wasn't short on looks let me tell you," He said.

"Did you fight her?" Kyle asked

"Uh, no, actually when I saw her she uh, pulled out this sword and…"

"You mean you ran away," Luke laughed.

Leia chuckled at the comment, and Han's face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Watch it, Kid," Han warned, but Luke kept laughing.

An Officer came up, "Katarn?"

"Yes sir," Kyle said.

"Commander Willard wants to see you about your last assignment."

"Of course," Kyle turned to Han and Luke, "Nice to meet you two, and good to see you again Leia."

Han looked at Leia when Kyle left, "So who is he? Some old….uh what do you call them… suitor from Alderaan?"

Leia rolled her eyes and sighed, "His name is Kyle Katarn and no he is not from Alderaan, he is from Sulon. He was the one who stole the Death Star plans and sent them to me."

"Oh so he's the lunatic who got the plans that are stuck in the R2 Unit."

Leia blinked at his statement, "Not quite in those words, but yes."

"So why didn't you say so before, sweetheart?"

"Do not call me that," Leia snapped, "And I would have eventually."

"What did he mean when he said he wasn't surprised, "Luke asked.

"Kyle was once an Imperial, until he found out the truth about his father and his death, he knows their tactics very well," Leia explained.

Commander Willard came back over to them, "Princess, they have downloaded those plans from the R2 Unit, we might have found something."

Jan walked beside her master as he led her through the Death Star. He hadn't told her where he was taking her, to merely follow him. She never disobeyed him, but she was curious as to what he had in mind.

She frowned when she realized that they were in the hangar bay. Several small snub fighters and few Imperial Shuttles were docked and being repaired. Vader walked over to one highly advanced fighter.

"Master, why have you brought me here?" Jan asked her eyes searching for any hint in his posture.

"I want you to get on this ship and leave this station," Darth Vader informed her.

She blinked in surprise and worry, "Master why? Have I done something to offend you?"

"No, my apprentice," Vader assured her.

"But why must I go?" Jan begged, "Soon the Rebellion will see its last, please may I watch its destruction."

"Jan, I fear that something terrible is going to happen," Vader said, "Too much trust has been put into this machine, Tarkin may pay the price with this station and his life. If this comes to past, I don't want you anywhere near this Death Star."

"I…I see your point, master," Jan said, "I would prefer staying by your side, but I will obey my instructions. What course am I to set?"

"Return to Coruscant," Vader said, "I shall find you there."

"As you wish, my lord," Jan said. She climbed up the ladder, and sat in the cockpit. She put on the helmet and checked her controls, then she looked back at Vader, "May the Force be with you master."

"May the Force be with you, apprentice," Vader replied with a hint of sadness. He had grown fond of this girl, whom he thought of as nearly a daughter. He hoped that no harm would come to her as she flew to Coruscant.

Jan's small fighter left the docking bay of the Death Star and blasted its way to Coruscant. She had no idea how close she had come to dying that day, not until later.

The skyline of Coruscant was the same as Jan remembered it, but today she did not admire how beautiful and large the city was. She had jus arrived in Coruscant, and worry about her master had long since set in. What had her master sensed that had moved him to have her leave the Death Star? What danger was there?

"My lady?" Someone said from the door.

"Who is it?" Jan inquired venomously, "Who dares to disturb me?"

"My lady, we have just received word," The young officer said, "The Death Star…it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Jan repeated the weight of the word seemed to crush her chest. How could it have been destroyed?

"My master?" Jan asked, "Has he returned?"

The officer shook his head, "No, Lord Vader has not arrived."

He couldn't be dead, it was impossible. He was alive, he had to be. Jan kept saying that over and over in her mind.

"My lady, the regional governors have called a conference, since you are Lord Vader's apprentice you are to speak on his behalf."

"Yes, I see," Jan said, "Take me to them."

In the large conference room, the governors were seated and arguing. Chaos had been thrown over them like a blanket. Panic was etched onto more than one's face. Jan walked into the room, silencing their prattle. They looked at her with confusion and despair.

"What will we do now?" One governor said breaking the silence, "Tarkin was the strongest of us all; without him what will we do?'

"How did the Rebels find a weakness in the Death Star?" another one asked.

"What does it matter, it's destroyed."

"They may come to Coruscant next, what will we do then?"

The first governor stood up, "I say we should surrender to the Rebellion."

Jan scowled when a few of the other governors began to agree. She swiftly tore her sword form her scabbard and stabbed it into the center of the table. The crystal blade sliced through the metal with a loud CLUNK! The governors looked at the strange blade with horror and amazement.

"You weak and pathetic fools!" Jan hissed, "You think that because we have lost one battle that we should give up. You are cowards!"

"Who is this woman?" The first governor asked angrily.

"I am Lord Vader's apprentice," Jan replied, "I speak for him, although why he would want to speak before you all is something I cannot fathom."

She took her sword out of the table, "Too much hope was placed in that station, now you see that all machines have a weakness. We will not give in because of Tarkin's mistake, we will continue."

"But how?"

"We must discover who destroyed the Death Star," Jan said, "The Rebels will flock to their new hero; we must kill him. When he is gone then the Rebellion will lose hope of victory. Once they feel they have no chance; then we shall crush them!"

"Well said, my apprentice."

All eyes turned to see Darth Vader standing in the entrance way. Jan smiled at him and bowed, "My master."

Vader nodded, "She is right; in order to destroy them we must find their new idol."

"I will go, master," Jan volunteered, "I will uncover who our new threat is."

"You would put the fate of our Empire in the hands of a foolish girl?" a governor asked.

Vader raised a hand and the man began to gasp; his hands at his throat while his face turned purple, "Never call her that again." Then he released him.

"I will succeed," Jan assured them, "I won't fail you master."

Darth Vader turned to his apprentice, "Return to me when you have uncovered his name, we will hunt him together."

"That would be a great honor, my lord," She bowed before leaving the room.

Her sword seemed to hum beneath her fingers. It called for the blood of the Rebels; soon she would quench its thirst.

The jungles of Yavin 4 were dense and lush. It was so easy to hide the fighter she had taken under the great ferns and tropical trees. Jan knew the she would have to hike to the Rebel base so the guards on patrol wouldn't shoot her down. Vader had informed her that by now the base would have been deserted by the leaders, namely Princess Leia, but it would still be in commission.

She reached the base within the hour, and hiding behind a large fern. A guard was on alert, searching for a sign of an Imperial. Jan smiled; he wouldn't be expecting a pretty young woman, a pretty young deadly woman.

Pulling a blaster from her holster, she looked at her prey one last time, and fired. He went down without a scream; he never knew it was coming. Jan had to move fast, other patrols would have heard that shot.

She stooped at the body and rifled his waist-belt for a passcard, snatching it; Jan slid it through the lock. The door opened, and Jan walked inside.

Jan was in a corridor with doors on either side. She opened the first one on her left, and found nothing but an empty bunk. Disappointed, she moved on to the next one. Three Rebels were seated at a table with a bottle of whiskey in each hand. No doubt they were still celebrating from their recent victory.

"Hey, it's a girl," One of them said with spotting Jan.

"You think she's a (hiccup) whore?" another one asked, "Hey, you a whore?"

Jan's anger was brushed by their accusations, but she smiled when she raised her blaster.

"She's got a…" the Rebel never finished his sentence as he was hot right between the eyes. One of his friends tripped his way out his chair before she shot him in the chest.

The remaining Rebel gathered his wits and pulled out his own blaster. She grinned wickedly, and whipped out a dagger. With a groan, the man fell to the ground the dagger in his heart. Jan pulled out her weapon from the corpse and left the room. That was the price for over-drinking.

Jan continued down the corridor, opening doors to the bunk rooms. All of them were empty save the one that now housed the dead drunks. The corridor turned at her right and into the Hangar Bay. The Bay was devoid of most ships, but there were still Rebels there. All of them stopped their chores, and stared at her. Jan grinned; time to make the blood flow.

A hail of blaster fire came at her, and Jan rolled away. She took out both of her pistols, and fired at the men around her. They all fell, but several more were still firing at her in the distance. Jan ran behind some crates and continued to fire from her cover. She was puzzled, what to do now? Her eyes lit up when she spotted a Mark II Blaster Cannon not three feet away turned toward the docking bay doors. She fired a few more rounds, and brought down one more Rebel before running to the cannon.

She hit the switch, and turned the cannon around, the blaster fire coming at her with all sides. When she aimed her target, she punched the trigger and fired. With a burst of energy the laser struck the bridge mounted over the ships. The Rebels standing on it were thrown from the blast and smacked lifelessly to the floor. Jan aimed at another group of Rebels at the end of the bay. The blast exploded the crates behind them. Those crates carried explosives. Jan's face was rapt as she watched the explosion, but she had no time to lose.

She found a computer console outside the second entrance to the Hangar Bay. The console said that a password must be entered to get the system schematics. Jan kicked open the system's hardware. After fiddling with a few wires, and punching a few keys, the console showed her an entire map of the base. Jan traced her finger over the Hanger Bay, and searched for her destination. The Command Center wasn't to far away. She memorized the route she had to take, and then blasted the console apart.

Jan pulled out her sword, and ran her hand down the blade. The game was now over; it was time to get what she had come for. She weaved through the two corridors that led to the Command Center without stopping attack any other Rebels. Killing would be done enough when she reached her destination.

Two guards were posted at the door of the Command Center. They were shocked to see her, but quickly got over their surprise. Jan danced around the blaster fire, and leapt towards them. Her blade sang as it cleaved the first guard in two, and didn't stop until it had cut off the second guards arm. With a cry of pain, the soldier clutched his bloody stump. Jan sliced through his neck, exposing his arteries. His sticky blood pooled from his throat and around her black boot.

Jan opened the door with another pinched passcard. A half a dozen Rebel Officers were in the Command Center as well as several personal. The leader was hunched over a console and turned around when she entered. The guards fired, but Jan ducked out of their blasts. Her sword glinted in the light and flashed red as it sank into flesh. She twirled and caught one Rebel in the back, immobilizing his arms and legs. Then she took his head. A second fell when she slashed him across the chest. His heart fell open onto the floor, as it continued its final beats. Two guards ran like cowards for the exit, but Jan fished them by stealing a blaster from a corpse. She fired at the remaining personal, most were unarmed. When they all lay dead, Jan tossed the blaster aside with a smile.

The leader pulled out his blaster, but was too frightened by what he had just seen to fire. Jan stalked up to him, and put the tip of her sword at his gullet. He was unable to make a sound, except for a small whimper. Jan recognized him as Commander Willard, once a personal assistant to the Organa family.

"Who destroyed the Death Star?" Jan demanded, "Who does the Rebellion now cheer and congratulate? Tell me and I'll consider letting you live."

Willard weighed the situation carefully. He didn't want to die, but he couldn't betray the Rebellion. But was it betraying the Rebellion. The girl only wanted a name, she could find out some other way. Better to tell her and to live so he could continue to offer his support to the Rebellion.

"Luke Skywalker," He said.

Jan smiled, "Thank you."

"Please let me go," Willard begged.

"I said I would consider letting you live," Jan said, "but I've chosen not too."

She stabbed her sword into his stomach; making is eyes bug out in pain. With a sneer, she pulled it out and held it before his eyes. Willard saw his blood mingle with the red crystal of blade, and then he sank to the floor. His dying thought was that he had failed the Rebellion.

A/N: Yipes, how gruesome was that? Next chap, Jan meets an enemy who may prove dangerous to her, and her loyalty to Vader.