Chapter 44
Vengeance
The inky void was filled with explosions. Laser fire and the odd torpedo touched off brief but brilliant balls of expanding heat and plasma. Sometimes that heralded the death of some clones, sometimes just the destruction of an automated drone.
High above Separatist stronghold of Muunilinst, the home of the InterGalactic Banking Clan,a major financier of the Confederation of Independent Systems, the battle raged. If the Republic managed to capture this world, they would cripple the Separatists and their pocketbook. It would be a most important victory…if they could get it.
Vader clenched his teeth and went into a dive steep enough to make Artoo scream as he swooped down to obliterate a droid Tri-Fighter. They were a recent innovation that the Separatists were churning out en mass. Unlike the smaller, more versatile Vulture droids, they were dedicated space fighters with no terrestrial mode. And while they could be devastating in huge swarms that overwhelmed Republic squadrons, they were just as predictable as the Vulture droids.
Without pausing for a breath he twisted into a tight spiral and arced off to one side, blasting through a dense cloud of Vultures. On the other side he picked off another Tri-Fighter that was dogging a clone-piloted ARC-170. And then he made a tight one-eighty, swinging back around to blast away at the flock of Vultures he'd previously ignored.
Obi-Wan was out here somewhere, probably whining about having to actually pilot for himself. Vader was supposed to be playing the part of his wingman, but the chaos of battle and the adrenalin high he was getting had led him astray. He was just enjoying his high performance Eta-2 too much to follow Obi-Wan's more conservative lead.
A flicker at the corner of his eye drew his gaze as he sought new targets. He glanced over to see something that wasn't a Vulture droid or a Tri-Fighter. It kind of looked like the fighter that Obi-Wan and Alpha had stolen to escape from their mystery captor. Except the S-foils were extended, changing the rod-like profile into a shiny, half-circular fan shape.
Intrigued, Vader veered off to chase it down. Oddly, the exotic mystery fighter seemed oblivious to him shadowing it. The fighter just kept weaving through the chaotic mass of dogfights, apparently seeking a specific target. Vader took advantage of this to try and probe it.
He didn't find much. Whoever the pilot was, they had tight mental shields. He couldn't get any sort of read on him. All he could tell was that his nemesis wasn't a droid. A strange sense of unease began to seep through his adrenalin haze and he debated breaking off his pursuit.
But then the fan-blade fighter suddenly whipped around and charged him head on. Vader snarled a litany of Huttese curses and twisted aside at the last moment to avoid a collision with the suicidal enemy. Continuing to spew profanity, his startled panic quickly morphed into fury. Crazy bastard almost killed us both!
Drawing on a fresh burst of adrenalin, Vader snapped his fighter around and kicked the afterburners into high gear as he darted after the fan-blade. That crazy psycho was going down! And he was the one who would do it.
As the pursuit intensified, Vader's anger and frustration grew. Every time he had the fan-blade in his sights, the fighter would twitch left or right, breaking his targeting lock. And whenever he did manage a hit, the fighter's shield would soak up the damage, leaving the fan-blade unscathed.
Before he realized it, the fighter had led him away from the thick of the fighting and away from the planet. The fan-blade was rapidly approaching the hyper-limit, the point where a ship is far enough from a gravity well, a planet for example, to make the jump to lightspeed. Vader narrowed his eyes in concentration as he sped up further.
Oh no you don't! He snarled silently as he struggled to cut the fleeing enemy off. You're not getting away from me! Vader tried to arc around and block the fan-blade's escape route, but the enemy fighter suddenly decelerated at the last moment and elegantly twirled around him, an S-foil almost scraping over his cockpit pod. And then the fan-blade accelerated again, rocketing out into deep space.
Then a light on his console flashed, indicating an incoming transmission. Scowling, Vader jabbed the accept key. A text-only message scrolled over his screen.
YOUR PILOTING SKILLS ARE PATHETIC. PERHAPS YOU'LL BE MORE OF A CHALLENGE ON THE GROUND. FOLLOW ME IF YOU DARE.
Amended to the message was a series of numbers, spatial coordinates for a NavComputer. Vader gaped at the message as his foe made the jump to lightspeed. He couldn't believe what he was reading.
Bastard! Swallowing a scream he locked the provided coordinates into the computer and prepared to jump after the jerk. He was blind to Artoo's worried text messages that flashed over the screen. He was deaf to Obi-Wan's repeated hails. As he keyed up the internal hyperdrive he'd just installed last week, his mind was focused on one thing.
You're going to die bastard!
When Vader dropped out of hyperspace, he found himself alone in a rather barren system, a place the NavComputer listed as Yavin. There was a star (of course), a small ring of rocky debris circling it, and a single large orange gas giant just beyond that. A quick consultation of his sensor readouts told him it was uninhabited, there was no noisy signal traffic or ships in the area.
Damn it, did that bastard trick me? Vader snarled, glaring venomously at the sensor results. What little calm he had achieved during the half hour long hyperspace jump was shattered as he raged at his own stupidity. Never trust an enemy! The slime ball tricked me into leaving the real fight!
However, before he turned around and left, the incoming transmission light blinked again. He glared at it for a moment before pressing the accept key. Another text-only message came up with some in-system coordinates attached.
SO YOU CAME. IMPRESSIVE. NOW LET ME SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT. COME AND GET ME.
Vader felt like he was going to explode. Ignoring Artoo's worried warnings and pleas to turn back, he steered his Eta-2 towards the orange gas giant, also called Yavin, specifically Yavin's fourth moon.
Yavin IV, while it was a moon, was the size of the average life-sustaining planet. It had a breathable atmosphere and liquid water, two things that made the moon comfortable for most intelligent species. The damp humid climate supported a dense tropical jungle and probably a very diverse biosphere.
Vader didn't care. He was too busy trying to find a clearing large enough to land. Eventually he did find a spot near some ancient stone ruins.
After landing he hopped out of the cockpit, unhooked his saber hilt, and looked around in search of his foe. He didn't see a soul. And he was starting to think that the slime ball was justjerking his chain.
He growled deep in his throat and slowly wandered away from his Eta-2 towards the moss-covered temple ruin. Behind him Artoo squealed anxiously, but he didn't even glance back. His mind was on finding that fan-blade pilot, if he was down here at all, and beating him senseless.
There was a distinctive snap-hiss and Vader ducked just as a crimson blade cut through the air where his head had been. He dropped to the ground and rolled away from his mystery opponent, rising smoothly to his feet to face his enemy. It wasn't quite what he'd expected.
First of all, he was a she. A bitch instead of a bastard. And she was a rather disturbing looking alien of some kind. A pale, bald, slender humanoid with white, seemingly sightless eyes.
In one hand she held the ignited crimson saber. In the other she held a second, still unlit. He noticed the distinctive curved hilts and immediately thought of Dooku. He shuddered and lit his own sapphire blade before she charged him again.
"Hmm, you had better make this worth my time." She hissed in a cold dry voice.
"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Vader snapped, shifting into an aggressive stance.
She narrowed her pale eyes in disdain and lit the second saber. Now with two scarlet lightsabers at the ready, she raised them into a complicated stance. She held her position for a minute before deciding it was time to attack.
Vader barely had time to blink as he angled his lightsaber to block the volley of blows that she threw at him. For every strike he blocked, there was always a second one to worry about. Trapping one of her sabers wasn't enough, there was always the other one to contend with.
Horrid clashing sounds shattered the peace of the surrounding jungle as lightsabers crashed and grated against one another. Flashes of blue and red light splashed over their faces and surroundings. And around them the Force was just as active and swirling as their saber blades. Dark and Light spinning and mixing into an ugly twilight gray.
She pressed him back and back. Each strike drew her blade closer to something vital, forcing him to retreat. He was kept on the defensive for the simple fact that he didn't have time to try and slip in an offensive jab of his own.
At the shadowy, vine-choked entrance to the nearest of the abandoned temples she came close to disarming him. Desperate, Vader was forced to lurch backwards and put some distance between them to try and regain his balance. Instead of chasing him down, she stayed where she was, studying him like a scientist studied a particularly interesting insect.
"We have a lot in common, you and I." She murmured after a long pause.
"Yeah?" Vader panted, his tone derisive.
"We have both suffered at the hands of the Jedi." She told him.
Vader was struck speechless for several minutes. "I don't know about you," he said at last, "but I haven't."
"Oh? And what would you call your abandonment on Tatooine? You must know that Master Jinn could've arranged for you to come along with him." She hissed.
He gaped at her in shock. He hadn't thought that Dooku was aware of his past interaction with the Jedi Master. But either he knew or he had found out and then told this crazy bitch about it. A slow boil of fury sparked in his gut.
"You know nothing!" Vader hissed, raising his saber aggressively. Qui-Gon was busy with the Naboo crisis, he didn't have time to deal with me too.
Her reply was to press the attack again. Now she drove him into the dark temple. The only illumination came from her two red sabers and his one blue.
She forced him backwards down the dark hallways and into a vast central chamber lit by an enormous skylight. Against the far end of the chamber was a raised platform and stairs with a crumbling stone altar. If there were any other decorations in the room, they were hidden in the shadows that the square of sunlight couldn't dispel.
With more room to maneuver Vader could put some distance between himself and his attacker. They circled each other, darting in and out of the light. The vast echoing chamber resonated with the jarring crackle and buzzing hum of a lightsaber duel. The humid atmosphere, only slightly cooler in temperature inside than it had been outside, was thick with tension.
The longer they fought, the more that Vader began to see the patterns of her attack. Her combat style was very fluid, two sabers always in complimentary motion. But he was beginning to see ways to overcome it, gaps he could exploit to his own advantage. Before he could do that though, she drew back again.
"Do you know what this place is?" She inquired without a hint of curiosity.
"No," Vader growled.
"This is one of the Massassi Temples, built to worship the ancient Sith Lord, Exar Kun." She told him.
"Lovely," Vader grumbled sarcastically.
"If the Jedi had not persecuted him, he might've formed an empire more powerful, stable, and just than the corrupt, crumbling Republic." She declared coldly.
Vader wasn't sure what part of her delusional statement he should attack first. "Well pardon me for being glad that the Jedi 'persecuted' Lord Kun and his fledgling empire into oblivion."
Her pale eyes narrowed. "Show some respect for your ancestor."
"What ancestor? I'm not related to that miserable bastard." Vader snorted. "And even if I was, why should I respect a murderer, corruptor, and conqueror like a Sith Lord?"
"Why do you continually deny your destiny?" She countered frostily.
"Why do you keep talking?" Vader shot back. "You're just making yourself look like an idiot."
She peeled her lips back in a silent snarl, revealing slightly pointed teeth, and returned to attack mode. Vader smirked and gave himself a point. He'd pissed her off. It was a nice change from her pissing him off.
Of course by sparking her rage he just gave her more power and aggression. The thick warm air grew thicker and cold as her fury fueled the Dark Side. The stained mossy stones of the temple seemed to reflect and magnify the Darkness, probably as a result of the place being a former Sith temple. But Vader held his own.
Instead of her forcing him to move, he led her by purposely giving ground through the maze-like dark halls of the ruined temple. The narrow corridors restricted his movements and strikes, but they limited hers too. Now if only he knew the layout of this place, he could really take control here.
Somehow, Vader found his way out onto a balcony ledge thing halfway up the roughly pyramidal temple structure. Outside once more, he vaguely noticed that the white wispy clouds had thickened into a solid threatening gray mass. If the lightsaber hadn't made so much noise he might've heard some ominous rumbles of distant thunder.
Suddenly spying an opening too good to pass up, Vader stabbed through the gap and his sapphire blade scored a burn just below her left shoulder. She hissed in pain and fury, lashing out at him with redoubled rage. Before he could say 'Holy Bantha spit!' she had him pinned against the wall of the temple, her crossed blades slowly pressing his own saber back towards his face.
"Since you reject your destiny, I'll just kill you and take your place!" She hissed.
"Go ahead. Take my place. But you won't kill me." He sneered.
"You will die," she snarled venomously. "And when you die, I'll take Master Kenobi and have a little…fun…with him." Her cold eyes, which had reminded him of a predatory fish or reptile, dead and remorseless, now lit up with unholy glee. "I've really missed him, you know. Playing with him was a great stress reliever."
At first, Vader stared at her blankly, uncomprehending. But then ever so slowly, what she'd just said sunk in. And then a tremendous clap of thunder exploded overhead at almost the exact same moment that he snapped.
"You!" He roared, the sound more like an animal scream than a word spoken by an intelligent being.
A Dark haze settled in his mind. He didn't think about what he did. He simply did it. It was like watching a holo-drama. An out-of-body experience some might call it.
He shoved her backwards several feet, almost knocking her over the ledge and down the sloped stair-like side of the temple. She somehow managed to recover and move away from the edge, just in time for him to lunge at her. He hacked at her with reckless abandon, pressing her back into the temple.
The only reason she survived his onslaught as long as she did was the fact that she fought with two lightsabers instead of one. So when he had her back in the enormous central chamber, now dark due to the gathering storm, he chased her up the stairs to the raised back portion and pinned her to the side of the stone altar. He caught her left wrist and twisted it until it aggravated her lightsaber burn and caused her to drop her weapon.
Without missing a beat, he caught the dropped hilt before it even had a chance to automatically shut off. He swung his blue blade hard, locking it with her remaining weapon so that she was defenseless, trapped. And then he drove the stolen weapon through the center of her chest, pressing the hilt deep into her breastbone, the red blade exploding out from between her shoulder blades, severing her spinal cord.
The expression on her face was of dazed surprise. It was like she hadn't even thought this situation was a possibility. She was a fool to underestimate her opponent so severely.
All he felt was hatred. Pure, deep hatred for this pathetic creature he'd just skewered. He twisted the curved lightsaber hilt slightly, hoping to cause her as much pain as possible in her last few moments.
Vader leaned in close to her face and snarled. "You'll never touch my Master ever again." He ground out slowly, spitting out each word like poison. "Now die bitch!" He jerked back and his blue Jedi blade swung around and decapitated her.
As the lifeless corpse slumped to the floor, he calmly deactivated his weapon and clipped it to his belt. He then gathered up her weapons to turn in, partly as proof that he'd killed her and partly to ensure that there weren't lightsabers floating around on the black market and falling into wrong hands. And then he took the time to stare at her, which in hindsight he probably shouldn't have done.
He never really looked at the people he'd killed before. Thankfully Dooku hadn't held onto him long enough for him to have to kill anyone. But, somewhat ironically, he'd killed for the Jedi. Then the war had come and most of what he 'killed' were droids, things that weren't technically alive to begin with. Now, though, he looked at her.
Her pale eyes were starting to film over, staring out into space at things only the dead see. A few feet away, the rest of her body lay completely slack, lifeless, collapsed into a position that a living being would've found deeply uncomfortable. The corpse was completely still. Thunder boomed overhead, echoing down through the skylight.
He'd done it. He'd avenged his Master. Obi-Wan would never have to worry about…whatever-her-name-was…ever again. And no one else would ever have to fear her either.
But after he'd stared at her carcass for several minutes, the sense of satisfaction he felt began to fade. As that oozed out of him, the Dark haze went with it, bringing him a rush of clarity. And then just exactly what he'd done hit him square between the eyes.
He had just killed her. That wasn't particularly shocking. He'd killed people before. But he'd never really wanted to. And he hadn't ever enjoyed killing someone. Nor had he ever lost his head so spectacularly while killing a person.
Vader spun on his heel and strode out of that cavernous chamber at a speed that approached a run. The cold thick air, tainted with Darkness, was smothering. He couldn't breathe and he felt decidedly sick. By the time he reached the ground-level archway through which he'd entered the ruined Massassi Temple, he had to stop and retch.
When his stomach stopped rebelling, which was several minutes after anything had come up, he staggered outside into the rain that had just started pouring. His Starfighter wasn't all that far away, but by the time he reached it he was soaked through and his hair was plastered to his head. As he fell down into his seat Artoo squealed in concern.
"Hey Artoo," Vader greeted hoarsely. "Take us back to the Valiant please." He requested shakily, for once not feeling up to piloting the fighter.
SURE THING. Artoo warbled, sounding worried.
"Thanks," Vader muttered.
What sort of sick freak am I? He wondered as Artoo steered the Eta-2 through the turbulent, stormy atmosphere. His stomach cramped as another wave of revulsion and self-loathing swept through him. What's wrong with me?
Obi-Wan had to use all of his willpower to keep from pacing the bridge of the Republic Star Destroyer, Valiant, like a caged Nexu. The reason behind his desire to pace, of course, had to do with his errant 'Padawan', Vader. This time the young man had really gone too far.
This was the third time Vader had gone AWOL, the lovely military acronym for 'absent without leave', since his 'induction' into the Jedi Order. The first time was just before Ansion, the second was when he abandoned his post on Varonat, and now he had just run off in the middle of a battle. The first two times Obi-Wan was willing to forgive, but this most recent offense he was having a hard time with.
What possessed him to run off in the middle of a space battle after that strange fighter? Obi-Wan had called to him repeatedly, warning him off the pursuit. It was more important that he stay in-system and help destroy the droid fighters and orbital defenses. That one lone fighter was of no consequence. There were no Separatist fleets close enough for it to call in and drive the Republic forces away. And that was something about that fighter that he hadn't liked. Something had felt wrong about it.
But Vader had completely ignored him and given chase, even into hyperspace. Obi-Wan had wanted to go after him, however he simply couldn't. He was in charge of the fighter squadrons during the assault, it was his responsibility to oversee things. He couldn't run off after his wayward Padawan. He had to stay.
The instant he gets back, I'm going to kill him. Obi-Wan swore. He had no doubts that Vader would return. The only question was when.
"General Kenobi?" A clone asked, coming to stand at Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"Yes Commander Cody?" Obi-Wan replied.
"The hanger crew has just reported that Commander Vader has returned." The clone commander reported.
"Thank you Commander," Obi-Wan responded shortly, not quite managing to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "You have the bridge while I'm away."
"Yes sir," Cody nodded. "I have the bridge."
Obi-Wan stiffly nodded his thanks in reply and hurried off the Star Destroyer's bridge. He tried to hold on to his calm Jedi Master façade and move at the proper slow pace. He really tried. But his irritation sabotaged his efforts.
When he reached the hanger entrance, he had to stop for a moment and do a quick breathing exercise to purge himself of the un-Jedi-like desire to strangle his impulsive Padawan. After properly composing himself, he opened the hatch and strode into the Valiant's hanger bay. And then he was immediately struck by the chaotic, negative emotions roiling off his wayward apprentice.
It took a moment for him to divorce himself from the churning emotional storm so that he could think clearly. There was revulsion and self-loathing mixed together with fear. It seemed that strangulation or even the threat of it wasn't needed in this case.
Now deeply concerned instead of irritated, Obi-Wan strode over to Vader's modified Jedi Starfighter. The younger man was perched on one of the flat red-and-white wings, hugging his knees to his chest and staring blankly out into space. He was as white as the bleached sheets used in hospitals and his left hand was trembling as it clutched the opposite sleeve. In short, Vader looked the worst Obi-Wan could ever remember seeing him.
He quietly approached the Starfighter, noticing as he got closer that Vader was rather damp, like he'd stood out in the rain or gone swimming. So he must've landed, but where and why? Obi-Wan drew on his vast reserves of patience, Force knew he'd need a lot of it to deal with this, and prepared to carefully interview his charge.
"You're back," he stated neutrally.
Vader started at the sound of his voice. "Huh?" He croaked.
"Where did you end up?" Obi-Wan asked instead of repeating himself.
"Some place called Yavin." Vader mumbled, visibly shuddering.
"Was it raining there?" Obi-Wan wondered, running a hand over one of Vader's sleeves to see just how soggy it was. "Come on, let's get you into some dry clothes."
"Yeah, it was raining when I left." Vader muttered, sliding off the edge of the wing and tamely allowing Obi-Wan to tow him by the wrist back to their tiny little cabin.
Space is a very valuable thing aboard a spacecraft, and war ships are no exception. Weapons have first priority, followed by shields, hanger space, and life support systems. And only after all that comes crew quarters. So to squeeze all the crew required to keep the ship running, the rooms for them had to be small and shared.
The room that they had been granted was little bigger than a medium-sized closet. There were two bunks set into the wall on one side, and a small storage place and desk with a data terminal on the other with a narrow pathway in-between the two sides. And in the back there was a tiny refresher unit attached to it that was barely big enough to fit a narrow shower stall, a miniature sink, and a toilet.
The average citizen might find such living conditions cramped and difficult. But the clones that crewed the ship didn't mind. And neither did the Jedi who commanded them.
Obi-Wan sat Vader down on the lower bunk, the one he'd claimed for himself, and turned to dig through the storage bin for some of his Padawan's spare clothes. "So, what exactly possessed you to chase that fighter down after I called you back repeatedly?"
"I was worked up and she insulted me." Vader mumbled so quietly Obi-Wan wasn't sure he'd heard him right.
"She?" Obi-Wan blinked, peering over his shoulder at his young friend.
"Yeah," Vader shrugged out of his damp cloak and removed two metallic items from his belt. "She," he confirmed, revealing the things to be two identical curved lightsaber hilts.
Upon seeing them, several questions of his were answered before he even got around to asking them. But it also sparked a whole new list of questions. Foremost of which was what happened between Vader and Asajj Ventress.
He had tried to keep them apart. Whenever his Padawan had asked about the being responsible for his imprisonment and torture after Jabiim, he had managed to avoid answering. But it seemed the Force had other ideas and they'd come into contact with each other anyway. And it had apparently gone very badly.
Obi-Wan took the two captured lightsabers from Vader and passed him some fresh clothes. "Did she hurt you?"
Vader started to peel off his damp clothes. "No."
The Jedi Master thought about pressing further, but refrained for the moment. Instead he set Ventress' sabers down on the desk and leaned against the wall, waiting. Vader just busied himself with getting into the dry clothes. Though after he had finished, his left hand kept trembling.
"She insulted me a lot, kept spewing abunch of nonsense too." Vader spoke at last. "And then she threatened to kill me…and take you back as…as her personal toy…" He trailed off, staring intently at the floor. "I killed her for that."
While that sounded bad all by itself, Obi-Wan sensed there was more to it. Vader wouldn't be this upset if this was all it was. He waited to hear the rest, hoping he didn't have to ask and force things.
"I was so angry…and afraid…of what she would do. I showed her no mercy. I wanted her to suffer. I hated her. And I skewered her on her own blade." Vader's voice grew numb, distant, like he was far away. Then the numbness was crushed under anguish. "What's wrong with me?"
"There is nothing wrong with you." Obi-Wan assured him. "Now if you killed her the way you said you did and felt no remorse or regret, I would be worried."
"But…" Vader looked up from the floor, his expression haunted and tight with guilt.
"Even Jedi make mistakes and have regrets." Obi-Wan abandoned the wall in favor of sitting beside Vader on the lower bunk. "All we can do is learn from our experiences and strive to do better in the future."
Vader slumped limply against Obi-Wan's side. "I…I suppose." He murmured.
"So in the future, don't go chasing after strange enemy fighters." Obi-Wan scolded, almost jokingly, hoping to cheer him up a little.
"Yes Master," Vader mumbled, cringing in shame.
Obi-Wan reached up and gave Vader's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Why don't you visit the mess hall and get something to eat?" He suggested.
Vader somehow managed to blanch even paler. "No thanks, I'm not hungry." He shuddered.
"Well try and rest then. I have to get back to the bridge, but my shift will be over soon." Obi-Wan sighed, reluctantly standing.
The Padawan wilted, looking miserable. "Alright."
"I should be back in a few hours. Try to stay out of trouble until then." Obi-Wan warned, again rather teasingly, trying to get the young man to relax.
"Yes Master," Vader muttered, totally missing the joke. Again.
Obi-Wan gave his shoulder one last pat and reluctantly exited the cabin. He didn't want to leave, but he had no choice in the matter, duty called. Thankfully, though, he wouldn't be gone long.
Seeing how distraught he was, Obi-Wan was seriously doubting how well he would handle the next step of the campaign. Now that the orbital defenses had been disabled, it was time to prepare to make landings. It would be time to try and take control of Muunilinst itself. And now it appeared that Vader wouldn't be able to participate in the early stages of it.
Well, hopefully he'll learn from this and not run off in the middle of a battle again. Obi-Wan sighed as he approached the bridge. And maybe now he sees why the Jedi Order does not believe in revenge.