A/N: Last time we left off, Kim and the other padawans were captured by General Beta.
Chapter 19
I.
Aching. Agonizing. Her head throbbed as if a baseball beaned her in the temple. Dull, dark metal paneled floor filled her vision, her knees pressed into it. Cuffed wrists in electro-binds behind her back prevented any escape, and it seemed they took extra measures by binding her fingers together.
General Beta's armorweave cape came into view, cascading over his shoulders. He stood atop the pyramided floor, abreast of the helm and the captain's chair. She turned to her left and right to find an unconscious Ahsoka and Yori in the same position she was.
They must have tried to rescue me. Darn! I should have stuck by Obi-wan. Now I have to figure something out. Kim glanced around, trying not to catch any unwarranted attention.
The crew, to her surprise, wasn't just composed of combat droids, but beautiful, uniformed women. Their unique identities told Kim they were a far cry from the Jango Fett clones. They were their own individuals.
"Ah, you're awake."
Kim snapped to Beta's voice.
"It took you long enough to come around. I can't start negotiations with your counterparts until you all look well kept," his voice dulled into a serious tone.
"Negotiations?" Kim replied. What does he mean by that? At that very moment, the bridge shook.
"Shields at twenty percent!" a crew member shouted out.
Republic turbolaser fire. If the situation couldn't get any worse, it was possible that the Republic didn't know that she and the others were being held captive aboard a Separatist vessel.
"If you and your friends stayed asleep any longer, then I would have the unfortunate pleasure of testing my ship's hull armor."
"Maintain our course. We need to keep the Republic lured." The silver-haired woman ordered.
Kim focused her attention on finding a plausible way out. Obi-wan is going to give me an earful when I get back. I can feel it.
"You won't find anything to get out of here. I have your weapons safely secured with me on my belt. And behind those doors are destroyer droids ready to enter at a moment's notice. There is nowhere to run, so might as well enjoy the view," Beta gestured to the busy bridge.
Kim snubbed her nose. "The Jedi don't negotiate with cowards. I bet right now Obi-wan and Anakin are forming a plan right now to rescue us."
Beta chortled. "If I was a coward, then I would cut you down on your knees right now. That would also be very tactful."
"Then why don't you do it if that's so tactful?" Kim slammed herself mentally for saying something so stupid and brazen.
"I hypothesized, 'if I was a coward', and I am not. Even so, it isn't the best strategic move."
"How so?"
"I've learned a lot throughout the war from some of my comrades, though I don't need their experience to tell me. Holding a Jedi hostage or killing one doesn't win you the Republic's surrender. It only serves to bring their full efforts down upon you," Beta replied. "If I kill you or the others, what's stopping the Republic from obliterating this ship without a second thought? I already told you, you're my bargaining chip."
"For what?" Kim turned to find Ahsoka awake. "If you're counting on either Master Kenobi or Skywalker to accept surrender for us, well, you should know they're a bit more reckless than that," Ahsoka spoke.
Beta laughed. "I know exactly who your masters are. Their reputation is quite credible. I'm not looking for their surrender. Besides, they'll find me just as reckless."
"Sir, an enemy cruiser is moving to intercept us," one of the female crew-members shouted out, piercing everyone's ears like a klaxon.
"It looks as if Tano-san is correct in that Master Kenobi and Skywalker are coming to aid us," Yori smirked.
"And just in time. Lieutenant, establish communication with the enemy vessel."
"Yes, sir!"
"I told you it won't work," Kim said.
"Ah, fear of the unknown. You fear that if I succeed, then you'll lose access to something you care about. I already told you I'm not bargaining for your Master's surrender."
"What do you mean?" Yori asked curiously.
Beta ignored the question. "Are they responding?"
"No sir. They are maintaining an intercept course," the fair lieutenant answered.
"Fire three warning shots across their bow in front of their bridge," Beta ordered.
"Roger sir! Imputing coordinates…" the lieutenant trailed off.
"She asked you a question," Ahsoka said.
Beta turned to them and sighed. "If you both recall, you captured two of my subordinate officers over Cathar."
Cathar? The two Neimoidian officers on the Trade Federation battleship, now Kim remembered. She assumed Ahsoka and Yori did, too. "So, what about them?"
"I'm going to ask for a prisoner exchange."
"So that's how we are his bargaining chip… They'll never agree to it," Yori said.
Beta turned to the two young Jedi. The doors behind them slid open, and OM-1 and the other commando droids walked in.
"We'll see," he replied to them. "Stand them up!" He ordered OM-1. "Admiral Norith, ensure your crew is ready for anything."
II.
The Lucid Voice pushed away from Bandomeer's gravity well, the sole escapee of the Separatist Armada that now organized itself into an unbreakable blockade. Between the blockade and the fleeing Lucid Voice were dozens of burnt-out hulls from both sides.
In pursuit, or rather a mix of pursuit and withdrawal, the Republic task force of Jedi cruisers chased after the Lucid Voice, abandoning the planet of Bandomeer and leaving it to the Separatists and its droid armies. The Republic fired relentlessly at the Separatist flagship but so far, to no avail. Its shields too strong.
Grayson watched the battle transform from a safe distance in his new sleek infiltrator craft, waiting patiently for the Lucid Voice's shields to go down. Behind him, his new partner assigned to his mission, trained with a crimson blade.
The constant whir behind him didn't help his focus.
"Your master's orders were to maintain a low profile. That includes stowing that fairy tale weapon of yours away," Grayson commented.
The whirring stopped. "You're no fun. It'll be a long time until I get to use this weapon again. It's abhorred that I have to use a blaster."
"That feminine voice and those words don't fit your vocabulary. You should just stick with you unless you want to stick out like a sore throat to the Jedi."
"Don't you mean sore thumb?"
"No, I mean what I said. Forcing words like that out of your mouth must put a tremendous strain on your brain and vocals."
His partner plopped down next to Grayson; her face contorted in anger. "Whatever. I just can't wait for this little mission of yours to start. It's been so long since I've been close to Kim. I can't wait to get close enough for the kill."
"Get over yourself. She's mine. You had your chance. You're here to help me meet that goal, which means you get close to her and gain her trust, which seems to be a task you're at least mediocre at."
"Kim Possible is mine!" the woman growled.
"No. She's mine. If you want to debate that, take that up with your Lord. Or perhaps I shall contact that girl."
The woman grimaced, thinking about Lord Fist's daughter. "Fine, just get on with the mission already."
"First things first. Stow that weapon. When we rescue the Jedi, your job is to get close to Kim Possible and befriend her. Don't make it awkward."
"And what's your job?" the woman asked.
"My mission so far remains unchanged. Kill Kim Possible. But to accomplish that feat, we're going to befriend her powerful allies. We can't just kill her right away. That won't work."
"I could accomplish the mission quickly."
"The Jedi would strike you down before you could lay a hand on her. It's imperative to get close to her. The latest intel from your psychotic master tells me that a Separatist officer that goes by General Beta has captured her. They're on that Separatist dreadnought."
She smiled. "So, when do we board?"
An alarm bleeped on the control panel. An image of the very blond girl they spoke of appeared in front of them. "Are you in position yet?" She wasted no time.
"We're just waiting for the ship's shields to falter and then we're inbound," Grayson answered.
"My contact on the ship has assured me the shield will lower. You can move in now."
"The shields are still at fifteen percent. We'd be vaporized?"
"My spy will lower the shield."
"But won't that raise suspicion?"
The girl's scowl puckered. "Don't doubt my word. Move out." With her last command, her hologram faded away.
Grayson turned to his partner. "It looks like we're boarding now," he said.
III.
"Ma'am. We have an unidentified craft approaching at high speed," A Hapan officer shouted.
"Unidentified? How do you know it's not Republic?" Norith questioned.
"No registration."
"I don't want that ship interfering with our operations. Shoot it down," Admiral Norith instructed. She didn't know what the ship was, but at the moment, she didn't have the time to discern its origin.
"Fire the point-defense cannons! Fire now!"
"Point-defense cannons six through twelve have failed to fire!" Captain Ginn shouted.
"Our shields just went down!" A droid alarmed.
"What?" Norith whispered. With their shields down, the Republic only stopped firing because they held hostages, which meant they would send Jedi to rescue them. Their only defense were the point defense cannons bristling all over the ship. If they were down, they had no defense.
"Don't worry yourself, Norith. Whoever is approaching, they aren't Jedi," Beta reassured.
"Ma'am! We have an incoming transmission from the enemy ship!" Captain Ginn shouted out.
"Put it through!" Admiral Norith ordered, stepping behind Captain Ginn.
The ship shuddered against fire from the approaching craft. The sleek shuttle zipped by the bridge and ascended up, looping back around.
"Our communications have been disabled! We can't receive the transmission!" Captain Ginn sounded out.
"Prepare to be boarded!" Beta ordered, shouting at the bridge's battle droids. The doors that connected the main bridge to the rest of the ship opened and more combat droids swarmed in behind the three Jedi prisoners.
"Should we take the prisoners back to the detention hold?" OM-1 asked.
"No." Beta stopped his commandos. He watched the shuttle arc back as it flew straight for the command bridge.
"Shoot it down!" Captain Ginn shouted.
"Roger ma'am!"
Outside, the self-defense cannons and repeating blasters failed to fire. The shuttled fired its cannon, lasers raining down toward the Lucid Voice's command bridge, rocking the ship.
A thud sounded against the ceiling as the shuttle landed. Then a hiss as the ship docked and air-locked to the bridge.
"They're preparing to board!" Beta said. "OM-1, Move to position."
OM-1 motioned the other commando droids to battle positions. OM-2 and Four took up positions around the entry point and Three and Five by Beta.
While Beta distracted himself with the commotion, he failed to notice the Jedi lightsabers hanging from his belt begin to tremble. His vision dedicated itself to the air dock, that by the time he felt the reverberations in the Force, it was too late.
"Now!"
Lightsabers detached from Beta's belt and flew into Jedi hands, severing the energy cuffs binding them. Before moving in for the attack, Yori and Ahsoka slashed Kim's restraints, who retrieved her lightsaber last, flying into her hands.
OM-1 stepped in quick to block Ahsoka and Yori with its vibrosword. Kim somersaulted over the tussle between the three and moved to strike Beta himself. Before her saber could find its mark, OM Three and Five countered, blocking her blade with their arms. Kim gritted her teeth as Beta seemed unperturbed about the entire situation, remaining solely fixated on the opened airdock in the ceiling.
IV.
What once had been an organized counterstrike against Beta's Separatist offensive had turned into a retreat. Chaos and panic erupted in the Republic star cruiser Resolute after Kim, Yori, and Ahsoka's capture.
"We're closing in on their position, sir!" a clone officer yelled from below the bridge deck. The staff above argued about how to rescue the captured Jedi.
"I'm telling you Anakin, someone on that ship is trying to communicate with us." Obi-wan and the others debated on how to rescue the padawans. Usually, debates between the two were settled by actions over words. However, the situation remained complicated with the unknown variable of General Beta.
"We should have boarded when we had the chance. I told you we could have staged a rescue," Anakin argued.
"Anakin. You… We don't know exactly who we're dealing with here. This general has ample knowledge of the Force if not more and took both Kim and I."
"And dealing with Separatist scugs is what the Council has us do. We can take him," Anakin smirked.
"I understand Anakin. But this one is different. He's begging for us to take action," Obi-wan rebutted. "I told you we couldn't with their deflector shields up. Besides, he's probably expecting an infiltration." Obi-wan paused. "I bet it was General Beta who ordered those warning shots."
"And what makes you think that, Master? They've been pummeling our hull with turbolaser fire for hours."
"Yes, but most of their shots are at random and none have been at any crucial systems. It's unusual that the Separatists aren't disrupting our communications or trying to gun us down. Someone precisely fired those shots to get our attention." He stroked his beard, stepping closer to the viewport.
"We tried contacting them, but no answer on their end. So what was the point?"
Admiral Yularen offered some insight. "Something could have happened? Perhaps their own chain of command could have intervened?"
"That is possible, but I don't sense that in this battle," Obi-wan replied. "Beta has orchestrated this battle and no one else. He's in complete control."
"Sir! We've picked up an unidentified shuttle attached to the enemy's command bridge," a clone officer shouted.
They all peered out of the viewport at the growing Separatist ship. "Veer port-side twenty degrees so we can get a better angle. Fetch me a pair of electro-binoculars." Yularen shouted. A clone hurried to him with a pair, handing them to him.
It took him a few moments before the Resolute positioned itself at the correct angle before he spotted it. He pointed out the transparisteel before handing off the device to Skywalker.
"Is it one of ours?" Anakin asked.
"Nothing we've allowed, General," Yularen replied.
"No." Obi-wan felt something else was happening out on the Separatist cruiser. "Open the hangar doors and order the bombers to prepare for assault."
Admiral Yularen gawked. "Are you mad, sir? We would have to lower our shields. That would leave us wide open for attack." He protested.
"That's an order, admiral," Obi-wan was stern. "Besides, they're not attacking, so now is our chance. Have our turbolasers on standby."
"You heard him, admiral," Anakin smirked.
The admiral shook his head in disagreement and walked away, giving out sets of orders to the crew. Obi-wan turned back to the viewport. Obi-wan let the Force take his emotions and his thoughts.
For the first time, he could feel Beta's feelings, at least their brief, wispy presence. The Separatist general had been surprised, if not outright maneuvered, and though this was a relief to Obi-wan, he couldn't discern if he should trust the padawans rescuers just yet.
V.
Tension ran thick through the cold pressurized air on the command bridge of the Lucid Voice. The Hapan female crew and droids had all stopped their monitoring at their terminals, waiting for the tension to snap. Some didn't know whether they should attempt to flee past the Jedi, and others stood completely still at their posts.
Captain Ginn remained seated, glaring at the assailant that had dropped in front of her. The Monitors above her flashed, warning her of the Resolute's approach from the rear, its turbolasers heating, preparing to fire, and that its shields were lowering. However, she kept ever still, not wanting to provoke a reaction.
OM-1 and the other commando droids had surrounded both Ahsoka, Kim, and Yori at the top of the room. Ahsoka and Yori stood back to back, waiting for Beta's next move, knowing the droids wouldn't act unless he did. Admiral Norith drew out her blaster pistol and aimed it at the intruder.
The intruder didn't talk, wearing a white plain mask that didn't show any signs of optical or audio sensors that substituted the eyes or ears. They pulled out three oblong, hand-sized metal objects from a pouch hanging off their shoulder.
For the first time, Kim sensed the Force lift her up, showing her a path to freedom, if just briefly. It told her that Ahsoka and Yori could see it too. But Kim saw a different path. A path that the Force didn't show her but her fiery heart.
The Force guided her and the others to deactivate their lightsabers and jump over the battle droids and to the person with the oblong objects which deterred Beta and the other Separatists.
But Kim saw her path. Beta. Her first link to find Ron. His location in the galaxy so close to her she could almost feel his presence. As if the Force found her will intriguing, power flickered through every fiber of her being. Kim found access to the cosmic well easier.
With the flick of her hand, she found Beta's commando droid thrown and collide into the two holding back Ahsoka and Yori. With her friends now free to pursue their own paths, Kim stalked toward her target. The one supposedly responsible for Ron's capture.
Everyone who could sense the Force palpitated Kim's surge in power. It overwhelmed them. Even the commando droids themselves, as if their processors were affected, collected themselves and tuned their focus to her as she drew closer to Beta.
In her sights, the distance grew smaller. Feet drew down to inches, her simmering blade already within striking distance. All she needed to do was disable his weapons and even his armor wouldn't be enough to protect him. She would capture him and get the truth.
But when her newfound resolve found the cosmic energy, the Separatist general pivoted to meet Kim's advance. Not with his blade drawn nor fists raised, but with just his own presence in the Force. He stood there, arms and hands complacently by his sides, slightly under his armorweave cape.
Now Kim understood as she froze in place. His beskar helmet glared down on her insignificance. Beta revealed his own presence in the Force. Just as she saw the path to escape earlier, she now saw the scale in which this general dwarfed her in everything from raw power to refined skill.
All the paths she imagined that brought her victory burned up in a wisp of fiery flame and embers. The cold flame of fear surrounded her heart, the burning flame of her will blown away by his power's wind. Everything around her crumbled until there was only her and her foe in the Force.
Before her flame burned out, a bright flash filled the room, burning away Beta and everything else in her line of sight. She could feel familiar hands grasp her as she lifted off the floor and into the air before being rushed into a dark, colder void.
V.
A clone officer on the Resolute monitored the shuttle that had attached itself to the enemy ship. Admiral Yularen stood above on the platform that split the pit of monitors and clones apart. The Gunnery officer sitting next to the clone monitoring the shuttle waited for his own signal to fire his turbolaser directly at the Lucid Voice's port side.
The monitor flashed red, showing that the shuttle was now in motion.
"Sir! That shuttle is taking off!"
Obi-wan resumed his meditation, focusing on his student's life force. As soon as the shuttle separated, he could sense them. All of them aboard, and the call from a clone officer below confirmed it.
"We scanned the shuttle. There are now five life forms aboard it, sir!"
"He's right! You're clear to engage admiral," Obi-wan said, satisfied with his own findings.
Yularen turned to the viewport. "Prepare to fire at thirty percent power on my mark!" He ordered the gunnery officer, holding his hand up.
The officer watched his control terminal as the shuttle took off.
"The enemy ship is locking on to the shuttle."
Admiral Yularen threw his hand down. "Open fire! Order the fighters and bombers to launch!"
The Resolute's main guns rotated to bear their sights on the Lucid Voice and bombarded the enemy ship. The Lucid Voice's hull burst in explosions as the Resolute slowly passed by, but the Separatist ship did not return fire, instead, slowing to a crawl. Yularen and the Jedi watched as fighters and bombers lifted from the main hanger below and begin their assault.
"They're on that shuttle, I can feel it," Obi-wan said, taking in a breath of relief.
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. "We should meet them in the hangar. Admiral, make sure that shuttle is hailed in and the crew receives everything they need, from fuel to supplies. They've done us a great favor."
"Will do, general."
VI.
General Beta recovered from the stun grenades thrown onto the bridge. The crew frantically tried to bring up all power to the forward shields after the airlock resealed. After that, the crew gunners manually unleashed on the fleeing shuttle as it dashed away toward the Republic star destroyer.
"Sir? Do you want us to return fire?" Captain Ginn sounded out in response to the Jedi cruiser lashing out at them.
"No. Prepare the ship for the jump to hyperspace. Set coordinates for Cathar," he instructed.
"But sir, that system was just retaken by the Republic," Captain Ginn protested. "We risk running into a Republic task force!"
"Recycle the shields and recharge the primary weapon suite. Set the coordinates."
The captain wanted to protest, but once Beta decided, there was no changing it.
"Yes, sir." Captain Ginn complied at Admiral Norith's shrugging nod and tapped instructions on the monitors in front of her.
More Confederate ships poured in from hyperspace.
"Sir, Colonel Coryn has arrived. Do you wish to contact him?" Admiral Norith asked.
"No. He'll know the drill. He doesn't need any further instruction," Beta replied.
Beta walked over to OM-1, who was near the other commando droids at the bridge's entrance. "Did you locate Captain Kushro's distress beacon inside their ship?"
OM-1 nodded, looking back at OM-5. "We're locked onto the signal. He's on the ship's lower detention level."
"Good. Go prepare and issue orders to Commander Crous. I'll meet up with you in the hangar soon and give you further details there."
"Yes, sir." The commando droids turned and hurried down the corridor to prepare for their next mission.
Beta turned back around and walked to the side of the Captain's chair. He watched as the Jedi cruiser inflicted as much damage as it could, but it was of no use. They brought the main shields down, but Admiral Norith reinforced the outer hull of the ship with extra plating and special nano-tech repair. The extra thermal shields installed for the command bridge and the Conn tower over Ord Canfre's third moon proved more than sufficient protection.
A Republic bomber dove toward the bridge. The battle droids and Hapan crew maintained the shields and activated the extra particle shields.
"Sir, we're ready to make the jump hyperspace," Captain Ginn informed.
"Has Grim squadron returned to their station?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Do it."
The captain tapped the monitor and engaged the hyperdrive. The starlight ahead stretched out as the ship made the jump at the moment the Y-wing bomber launched its warheads.
"Prepare the new heavy turbolaser turrets we installed and await my next orders." Beta turned and walked off the bridge, with Admiral Norith and Captain Ginn saluting him as he left.
The Jedi were only Plan B. He never intended to have them follow him into his ship, so their escape wasn't a concern. Even Kim wasn't an issue. In the end, it all worked out. The Neimoidian's Kushro and Gune were separate matters entirely. He couldn't let them question Kushro. But first, he needed to take care of a problem.
VII.
Ahsoka, Kim, and Yori plodded down the shuttle's ramp with their two mysterious rescuers behind them into the Resolute's vast hanger. Clones hustled across the bay preparing the hangar for the return of Republic squadrons, readying medical capsules and fuel to ensure the pilots and their craft were in top shape for their next deployment.
Down below, Obi-wan and the others waited for them with mixed expressions of relief and disappointment. Obi-wan's scowl seared into her for disobeying her last order.
"Did the Seppies treat you guys well?" Anakin gave them all his usual carefree smirk. Kim remembered that Anakin's way of teaching his student had a more hands-off and reckless approach.
"The usual hospitality they usually off, Master. We were bartering chips as soon as we landed."
"Typical of any Separatist," Anakin arched his brow at Obi-wan. "And this Beta is no different from any other Seppie."
"Hmm. We'll see about that." Obi-wan stroked his beard dismissively at his former student's comment. "I know how Kim was captured, but how were the two of you captured?"
Ashoka looked away as if she was ashamed of something. "Honestly, Master, we don't know how. When we landed in the enemy ship, the usual happened. Clankers attacked us until they were called off. Then we confronted the general."
"They were called off?" Anakin queried.
"Yes, the battle droids all stopped firing and formed a large perimeter around us. That's when we met the Mandalorian."
"You sound unsure of yourself," Obi-wan pointed.
A confused look came upon the Togruta's face. "I don't know, it was like he beat us on accident."
"Accident?" Anakin asked.
"Yes, Master Skywalker. The general lured us, seemingly clumsy himself. But it was us who fumbled the duel and played right into his hands," Yori added.
"He seemed drunk, Master," Ahsoka finished. "And with that front he gave off, we felt we were more than a match for him."
Obi-wan stroked his beard pensively before turning his eyes on his own padawan. Kim didn't need him to say anything for her to understand his gaze. She had been the foundation of this whole mess, and if she had just followed his instructions, they wouldn't be in this mess.
But Kim had something to add. "You were right Master, General Beta isn't to be underestimated. He is strong, stronger than I think we realize."
Obi-wan nodded at her additional information and, with that, Kim understood the silent hint that she and the others were dismissed. Kim turned and walked away with Ahsoka and Yori into the maintenance bays where engineers worked on ARC-170's and Torrent fighters.
Kim looked down at the floor, frustrated with herself. Ever since Drakken's Diablo incident, she hit a rut. Time and time again, foiled. It took more effort than it usually did to stop Drakken, which in her eyes stopped her from seeing what Dementor was up to and lead up to losing Ron.
After following what she considered now to be an ill-thought, half-baked plan by Global Justice, Kim now found herself in the world, a galaxy filled with war and strife, order and chaos, diplomacy and savagery. And somewhere in this galaxy, Ron drifted like a grain of sand on a beach sifted by the omniscient sea breeze. Kim searched for that single grain, not knowing which beach to look on.
Just as divine providence bestowed upon her which coastline to look on, life itself hurdled a tsunami at her that washed up the sand. Another hurdle in trying to find her best friend. General Beta was that tsunami, a giant wave tumbling her and the sand she needed to sift through. Her life a constant struggle between her old abnormalcy and chaos. Any jump she got, life threw her a mile back.
Glancing back, Kim now couldn't determine the new unknown. The cold middle-aged man with graying hair and the masked female stepping down the ramp of the slick, charcoal shuttle.
VIII.
"So, I suppose we owe you thanks for saving our padawans," Anakin said. He observed the two unhired guns who saved Kim and the others.
The man replied first. "No thanks is necessary. You can say we have our own grudge against the Separatists, so you can consider our rescue free of charge."
"And how did you know they took our friends hostage?" Obi-wan asked.
"Separatist chatter. Whoever their comm officer is, they're chatty," the masked female replied.
"You were able to decipher their encryption?" Anakin raised a skeptic eyebrow.
The masked female brought out a module from the front pocket of her half-skirt. "We stole this off of Mechis III. It was quite a feat, and we evaded the entire Separatist blockade."
"Mechis III?" Obi-wan said, astounded. "You penetrated that deep into Separatist Space?"
"We don't bring armadas or clone armies to put them on alert. Anyway, in exchange, we want to help you out," the female asked.
"Help how?" Anakin crossed his arms.
"What do you mean, how? Fight the Separatists, of course. We have a personal grudge with the Separatist on board the ship your students were held on. Particularly against the general you just faced."
"Really?" Anakin's ears perked up.
The masked female nodded. "We know him as the Wolf of the North."
IX.
Darth Sestra stared out the sullen windows. Icy slush beat against the reinforced glass of the Sith citadel on Ziost. The fog of her subtle breath stuck against the clear pane as she stared down into the dead and barren forest below.
Without her father present, she let her veil slip onto her shoulders and upper back, letting her golden hair cascade down her jet-black robes. If any person walked in on her now, many would think of her as a young widow who lost her husband or a mourning daughter that lost her parents.
Those who knew her, the few that did and left alive to tell her tale, knew her indignant spirit. Behind her soft, young brown eyes raged a massive hyper-giant star on the edge of supernova. In the depths of her core raged a battle between the gravity of self-immolation and the fires of fury and vengeance.
All the occupants in the citadel could feel her presence. Her anger swept through the rooms and halls like charring solar winds, corrupting any goodwill that might survive in the depths of the crust.
Behind her, a large holotable in the center of the room pinged and two familiar figures replaced the red hologram of the galaxy. Not that she needed to turn and see who they were. She kept her sight firmly on the dead vegetation below.
"Master," a feminine voice called out, "We have secured relations with the Jedi. I will enable the mercenary to do his job."
"Very good. Proceed with the mission and evaluate the threat. Report back to me in fifteen rotations."
"I will, master."
"And instruct Grayson that he is not to kill Kim Possible until I give the order. You are to simply observe and gain a relationship with the girl."
"What about her companions? And the Jedi? What about them?"
Her brow twitched in frustration, but the girl reminded herself she was talking to mere pawns in a larger game. She breathed in through her nose and then out, calming herself. Though the thought of killing them crossed her mind, she had wanted this control. "Make relations with whomever you must to gain intel and convince our friend, Kim Possible, that she has allies."
"As you wish, my Liege."
"And what do you have to report?"
"My team has entrenched ourselves with a garrison of the 54th Republic Legion. We are awaiting your orders to execute contingency order thirteen." A gruff, seething voice answered her.
"And what of… him?" The particular subject vexed her so much she turned to face the holograms over the table. "Have you spotted him?"
Both shadowy figures immediately fell to one knee to show the young woman reverence and their fear for her power. "Yes, my Lord. He and his troops have made an encampment outside of artillery range. Clone commanders expect the droids will attack next rotation. Your predictions have been flawless."
"Excellent. See to it he meets a grisly, unhonorable end."
"As you wish."
The holograms disappeared, and the girl turned back to the window to watch the sleet pound against the pane with the wailing wind. The fire she felt burning her eyes died down as she returned her mind, body, and soul to a place of peace.
"Darth Sestra. Are you sure Darth Verrader and your other acolytes are up to eliminating the boy?" a scribe for the order walked in from the hall behind the holotable.
"Before training with myself and Darth Bratr, he was a foolish student, but he has since improved with his techniques. I have full confidence that he will turn that trash into nothing more than pieces." the girl, Darth Sestra, clenched her hand so hard that the Force reacted to her emotions, shaking the room and the structure of the surrounding fortress.
"Of course, mistress, I'm sorry for doubting you," the scribe scurried to his hands and knees to offer submission.
"Take heed, scribe, for the hour is coming when the Old and New Order will rule the cosmos. Every star in the universe will eventually cry for our glory. Every being will bend to our power. But first, Ron Stoppable must die. Only when his blood is spilled across a barren field and chokes its soil can my thirst be quenched."
A/N: TBC...
To all the reviews I wasn't able to get to. I'll get to them here. To Bobtrumpet. I hope you found out where it's going. Thank you for your support.
Cajunbear73. Kim is quite surprised that someone else understands where she is from, especially when the Jedi don't. As for Beta, he is trying to figure out that exact question. Who is Kim? And what is she doing here? All in due time.
Thank you, cc14ca. I hope you like this one too.
What will the Jedi do? Will the Republic and Jedi be able to recover from their wounds?
Until the next chapter.
General Quin out.