Important AN at the bottom.
Excerpt from JA-ML File 34521-F
According to all available sources, the planet of Shin'o is a highly militarized peoples with applications of the Force previously unexplored and not fully understood. One such application is the seemingly limitless application of the art known as Fuinjutsu. Translated best as "Sealing Techniques", Fuinjutsu serve a singular purpose; to place something with a Force empowered matrix that is placed upon either another body or object. As most simple techniques, the Shinobi of Shin'o have militarized and weaponized such a powerful art. Examples of Fuinjutsu include the creation of paper based explosives, which according to an expert on the subject are "simple journeyman level stuff". By swiftly sealing the explosion itself, the Force user is capable of caring a thermal detonation level explosive on a sheet of treated paper that can then be applied to near any surface without issue. Another example of Fuinjutsu is the "simple" storage applications. Shinobi have been known to hold entire armouries within scrolls of paper, and so long as the matrix is accurate, there is no limit to what can be stored. Further research is required, as is further exploration. The aforementioned expert has warned that experimentation with matrixes are extremely dangerous; a single missed stroke, incorrect modification or application in the wrong sequence could have dire consequences.
When asked if it is possible to seal living organisms within the matrixes, the Expert was extremely tight lipped. Upon further questioning, it was discovered that yes, it is possible however such a thing should never be attempted if avoided. Not only does the effort required outweigh the majority of the benefits, if the living organism has a strong enough connection to the Force, or a great enough natural presence, the matrix could fail unless properly prepared. Further questioning only lead to the single term from the expert, and no translation granted.
Jinchuriki.
Error- all data past this point is restricted by the Council of First Knowledge. For access please contact the Caretaker
Plo Koon looked at the planet with eyes narrowed. His padawan, Naruto, easily read the expression even behind the protective gear that the Jedi Master wore. With the confidence of a young pilot, Naruto ordered R4 to check the planet for any signals that weren't on the standard channels. As the astromech ran through the hundreds of non-general channels with a droid's accuracy and pace, the Jedi thought about what he was feeling from the Force.
"My padawan. What is it that you feel on the surface of the planet?" The master asked his young pupil. He did not hide his pride as he usually did. He openly wore it as Naruto reached down with his connection, and his brows rose.
"There… there is conflict happening. Not as bad as a war… but it's close. Maybe a coup?" Naruto questioned slightly before looking towards Plo. His master nodded, confirming what the younger jedi was feeling.
"A coup sounds like a strong possibility. We must also assume therefore that…" he trailed off, allowing his padawan to complete the thought verbally. A common tactic that he used to make sure that Naruto was thinking before acting.
"They likely know we are coming. We should also assume that they have a Force sensitive." Naruto frowned and when Plo cocked his head in a silent question he expanded. "I felt a small… connection? A tether maybe? I'm not sure. It felt as if it were attempting to hide…" Naruto shook his head and hardened his face. "No, I'm certain it was attempting to hide. It didn't feel as strong as a jedi but that doesn't mean much…"
Plo hummed thoughtfully. It was not often that you had Force Sense that could be used to feel out life forms through the Force they interacted with just by existing, but it was not as rare as other Force abilities. Knowing his father though, he was certain that the ability would only increase as Minato was a great Sensor type shinobi; able to feel people's movement with a mere finger to the ground for miles around him. "We should never underestimate an opponent. That is true Naruto. However, we should also not over estimate them. If we plan for something they cannot do, we may fall into their trap. Such are the mechanizations of the Dark Side; twisted plots that cause strife and turmoil."
"You're right Sensei. If I may propose a plan?" At Plo Koon's nod, Naruto continued, his voice eager and his eyes confident. "I suggest we spring the trap. We should land as if we didn't sense anything out of the ordinary, and survey the situation. While I know the Force User is somewhere in the capital, I don't know where, and I don't think I am accurate enough to pinpoint them. So we survey, ask some questions."
"And when they question us on why we are questioning them?" Plo asked. Even in mid-rim, it was rare for a Jedi to randomly start asking questions. So rare in fact it would be a red flag to anyone thinking that they didn't know something was occurring.
"That's the point though isn't it? We are trying to get someone to crack in some way. Jiraiya Sensei always says that the best way to find information is to look for it without looking like you are. So that's what we do. We go in, as if aren't expecting an ambush, and when it happens, we are prepared, we have gathered information, and we have an accurate report we can relay to the Council." Naruto finished his thought with a wide grin. The plan was foolproof in his opinion. There was absolutely no way Master Plo would reject-
"I have to disagree Naruto. While yes, it would work, it could put the citizens of the Capital in danger. That is something we cannot allow. This is not a planet like Naboo where there are many different areas to meet with the leadership. Here, the only places hospitable are the cities, and those are harsh existences. We cannot risk the death of the innocent here as it is a toll that could take millennia to repay." Naruto's eyes widened at the thought. If it was a military assisted coup, then one could assume that heavy casualties were acceptable… and if there was a Dark Sider involved, that risk increased a hundredfold. He set his teeth, and nodded.
Plo Koon watched his padawan's reaction to the thought of crossfire. After Naruto nodded, he continued. "Instead, we will use what we know of this planet. Belnar is run by two equal officials, and they rule on the central island city. On different sides of the Capital. We will split up, and seek a meeting with both." Plo pulled up the information available on the two rulers. One was a larger specimen, with gray facial tentacles. The other was thinner, and lanky, with his facial tentacles styled into a mustache. "You will meet with Grand General J'oons. He commands the military of the planet. The military is in charge of the sea mining of various metals, and the protection of those loads. I will be meeting with Consul Onn'e. He is in-charge of anything that does not involve military action."
Plo Koon was calm as he was escorted to see Consul Onn'e. It was easily enough to gain an audience; after all this was an area of the galaxy that he was well known. It was easy for him to communicate as well; basic was the planet's natural language after nearly four millennia as part of Republic space. It was ironic that the hardest part of this meeting was the Belnarian peoples insisting that he was given the best treatment possible. Especially since Belnarian concepts of "best treatment" involved things that his oath to the Order forbade, including but not limited to copious amounts of various mind-altering substances. Luckily, he was more than politically savvy enough to navigate that particular minefield. He was currently seated in front of an elegant curved desk that held two data terminals and a beautiful decorative statue that seemed to radiate purple light.
After Onn'e greeted him with a bow, one he returned with greater respect, the political leader of the planet got straight to business.
"You received our SOS Master Jedi. That is a relief." The Belnarian spoke through his tentacles, giving his voice a nasal quality. Plo Koon motioned for him to continue.
"We suspect that there is some form of armed rebel cell. There have been multiple attacks on various important cultural sites. As you are likely aware, Belnarian custom is to celebrate our ancestors once every 14 day-cycles. On that day, all physical based labor ceases on the planet, barring that which is essential for the celebrations."
Plo Koon nodded. He was well aware of that tradition, as it was one that the few Belnarian Jedi had a hard time ceasing while in their training years. A Jedi's job was one that had no true off days as some of the Knights of the Order were fond of saying.
Onn'e sighed, the sound similar to a very baritone trumpet. "The attacks started over three Celebrations ago. They were brutal, efficient according to my counterpart. They were targeted to destroy our sites, where our people gather. Despite our best efforts, the attacks continue. It is to the point that some of my inner council believe that my counterpart is affiliated with the attacks. Alas, the people are terrified. They are close to boycotting the celebration day entirely."
Plo Koon thought about the situation and asked a question,"What would the motivation be?"
Onn'e shook his head, his tentacles twisting around him. "I do not know Master Jedi. The majority of our people are water miners, prospectors and refinery workers. We are one of the only planets where all components of Durasteel appear naturally. As such our entire economy is based around the trade for the material and its components." The jedi swiftly connected the pieces, and formed a hypothesis.
"What is your general work schedule like? Including the day of celebration?" Plo Koon asked Onn'e. While he was familiar with the customs, he was not as knowledgeable as he would like about the scheduling as it was something that was commonly eliminated in all Jedi hopeful by the time he came across them.
"The Belnarian people are a strong people. We require only 6 standard hours of sleep every 70 standard hours, and can survive entirely on fluids. As such, our workers operate in 6 shifts. Each shift works approximately 52 hours, with few if any breaks. Our output is unmatched in the galaxy!"
Plo Koon nodded. "Except on the 14th day… then your output is zero, which allows others to stay in business. You are recent additions to the Republic are you not?" At Onn'e's nod Plo Koon continued,"What were the provisions for your addition if I may ask?"
The Consul started to speak only for Plo Koon to hold up a hand as he felt Naruto scream through the Force. His face turned toward the twin tower that his apprentice went into to speak with the Grand General. In a moment the door to the room slammed open, showing Belnarian officers holding blasters aimed at the Jedi and the Consul.
"Freeze! By orders of the Grand General, the Consul is to be detained! Please come quietly." The lead officer spoke as he leveled the blaster at the seemingly calm Jedi Master.
Plo Koon was anything but calm, but it seemed the Force provided yet again. A wonderful method of relieving him of his stress about what stupid situation his padawan had got himself into now. As he blurred into motion, cutting through blasters and limbs and deflecting bolts he idly thought about what he would have to do to save his padawan this time.
Naruto easily entered the building; his jedi robes making it clear that he was allowed access even if the lightsabers on his hips didn't guarantee his entry. He was met with cautious respect as well, similar to how Jedi were viewed in various Hutt Space territories. As he was escorted to meet the Grand General, he made note of the various choke points in the hallways. Each point was held by three to five Belnarians with blasters and a field generator to cut the hall off. Yet these defenses paled compared to the ten Belnarians that were stationed outside the Grand General's office. Five per side, each with two visible blasters along with some form of field device attached to their left arms.
After he was allowed entrance, he bowed to the Grand General, a gesture that was returned with a mere nod. "Master jedi, please tell me what brings you to my planet?" J'oons' voice was scraggly, even through the tentacles that formed his mustache.
"I was ordered here to investigate some disturbances." Naruto was vague in his response as he started to move around the room. He was mindful of the room's guards watching his every move. He grinned softly as his blood pumped slightly in his ears. This was one of his favorite parts of being a jedi. Jiraiya said it was his "Shinobi blood" pumping through his body.
"Disturbances? You must mean the terrorist attacks on our heritage sites! The vermin have attacked our people on their much-deserved days of rest!" J'oons' tentacles shook as he huffed in rage. Though, Naruto noticed that the rage didn't seem…
With a hiss, the door opened and broke off Naruto's thoughts. As the door hissed shut behind the new entrant, Naruto realized that one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen just stepped into the room. Her blue skin had wonderful contrast to her ruby red eyes. Those same eyes were locked onto his face, memorizing it as he memorized hers. A classical sort of beauty would be how he would have to describe her, yet with a contemporary flair to her appearance with a rebellious white streak in her otherwise black ink colored hair. She walked closer, and Naruto noticed that her movements were as graceful as some of the Jedi Masters he knew. Immediately as the thought entered his head, he felt outward with the Force.
His eyes widened as she swiftly moved, a lightsaber appearing in her hand. He was able to roll to avoid the first strike, as she swung through the air where his head was just a second before. Before he had regained his feet, his twin sabers were in his hands and their dark purple blades were blocking the blaster bolts that the Grand General's men were firing.
As bolts were batted away, Naruto flicked outward with his left hand, slamming the Grand General into the desk he was reaching into for another blaster. With a flip, Naruto avoided the yellow bladed lightsaber the Chiss woman wielded, and immediately he started to cut through the blasters of the guards. The same guards who were stupid enough to move towards him to surround him. As he twisted around another bolt, and his saber cleaved through the last blaster, agony erupted into him.
It felt as if every cell in his body were being electrically fried at once. Every single cell was screaming in agony, as well as every single cell in his body rebelling to avoid the pain. In an instant it was over, and he was on the ground, twitching.
The Chiss woman held her lightsaber, lit, by her side. The low hum nearly masked Naruto's groans as he attempted to stand once more. The Chiss woman sighed, raised her free hand so the fingers pointed towards the young Jedi, and Naruto watched a blue lightning blasted out and the agony returned.
Pain gives some clarity Naruto.
Jiraiya's voice prompted his mind to push the agony aside for a second. He remembered his first injury during training. It was a shattered elbow and a dislocated shoulder from sparing with his Godfather. He was throwing punches and kicks with his usual energy at 6 years old only for the Toad Sage to grab his left fist as it flew towards his face, and casually break the arm while yanking it out of socket. It was only after, when he finally decided to talk to him again, that Jiraiya explained himself.
Pain gives some clarity Naruto. I hate having to cause you pain, but as your teacher, pain is a tool. It is something you will experience in life. Getting used to pain, and how to manage it, that is one of the few lessons that the Jedi way does not teach you. Jedi are taught to let go of agony, pain and such negative things. However… pain gives some clarity. Eventually, especially in the Shinobi world, it would not be a rare occurrence for you to be tortured or injured in the midst of a mission. There are moments where a Jedi will also suffer from this. Therefore, it is my duty as your godfather and as your teacher, to educate you on how to handle pain… and its rare benefits.
Naruto pushed the pain aside, and attempted to move, only to find his muscles locked up, and his vision growing dimmer. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the flashing blue lightning eased and ceased. He couldn't move, even as the woman walked towards him and raised her lightsaber to strike him down.
"Sev'rance! You cannot kill a jedi here! You'd ruin the entire objective!" Grand General J'oons' voice stalled her actions. Sev'rance nodded as she turned her lightsaber off.
"Take him to my ship. I'll send word to Lord Dooku. Goodnight Jedi." The word Jedi was hissed as if it were the most insulting term she could ever call him as the pummel of the lightsaber slammed into his temple and he knew no more.
It only took Plo Koon a few seconds to tear through the men who had entered the office. As his lightsaber swung towards the Consul, he asked in a voice as cold as Hoth in the winter,"Do you know what that was about?"
"I swear to you Master Jedi, I do not know what is going on!" The Consul replied, his tentacles shivering in fear as he eyed the lit lightsaber that made swift work of some the most dangerous Belnarians on the planet.
"Fine. I am going to solve this mystery Consul, and should you have lied to me… the Senate and your deal with the Republic will be the least of your concerns." Plo Koon allowed himself to feel a sliver of anger before turning his lightsaber off and running from the room. While he may regret that outburst later, he certainly didn't at the moment. After all it was true. If Naruto died while on a mission for the Jedi Order, there was no telling what the Shin'o response would be, or Jiraiya's for that matter. The Jedi Order would respond as they did when any padawan was lost on a mission.
Plo Koon shuddered mentally. He wouldn't wish the Shadows on any planet, especially a planet like Belnar that was ripe with methods to make people disappear. Especially those with their minds broken.
Drip.
Drip.
-h-m I?
Drip.
Drip.
W- y v- -w?
Drip Drip
A single red eye with a slit black pupil opened, radiating knowledge, marred with fear and centuries of endless bottomless…
RAGE.
A sea of images flashed.
An army decimated, defeated on the ground before him as he walked away, his massive footfalls making no noise on the field bathed in the aggressors' gore.
Freedom. Freedom tasted like a night breeze hiding the scent of slaughter.
A red spinning eye, its three comma like tomoe spinning in a hypnotic fashion, lulling him into a dreamless slumber.
A lone man standing on moving fauna, fending him off as he used as little effort as he could under the Red Eyed Demon's control.
Freedom. Freedom sounded like a low yip from a child.
A baby fox being nudged gently back towards its litter mates by a claw larger than trees even as fauna grew around the giant furred hand.
A woman, old beyond measure with wrinkles like canyons and a red gown. Speaking with a voice that warbled with age. "Soon, you will have a new prison. But thank you for your wisdom." With a bow, the woman faded away.
Pain… agony that spiked whenever a tremor ran through his body. His hands, feet and all nine of his glorious tails were pinned to the chunk of rock with massive spikes. He refused to give in, and slowly the spikes moved, a millimeter at a time. A grin flashed on his muzzled snout.
Screams, a woman's screaming in agony as he slowly forced himself into existence through a pinprick opening of his prison.
Freedom. Freedom smelled like turning leaves in the wind.
A red spinning eye, its three comma like tomoe spinning in a hypnotic fashion, lulling him into another dreamless slumb- NO HE REFUSES TO BE A PUPPET AGAIN!
Rage.
Hate.
Fear.
Agony.
The world shattered like a pane of glass, as a blade of light slammed into his chest, his mind clear again. It didn't cross his mind to flee. Lost in the pain, rage and hate that spewed through him, he attacked.
Chains, golden chains from his previous prison, holding him down as a blonde man wrote around a possible new prison. No, freedom tasted like a sea breeze filtered through millions of leaves.
A brown skinned human thing landed on his snout and forced a green blade of light into his face. As he let loose a roar of rage, the thing moved further on his body. Flashes and pinpricks of pain, as blurs of green light cut through his tails, and his flesh. Each instantly reforming, as he struggled against the chains holding him down.
The blonde man looking him in the face as he finalized his fate. Only his final words registered to him, as he eyed the new prison that he would be forced to reside in.
It ran through his mind to kill the babe. To drive a claw through the blonde and spear the babe through.
To kill the innocent child, guilty of only taking its first breaths and being placed in a crib.
His claw didn't twitch as the being behind the blonde started to pull him.
He took a deep breath.
Freedom smelled like a broken family and lost dreams.
The massive red eye's slit pupil thinned even further before in a flash, the Vision ended.
Naruto jerked awake, recognizing that he was in the hold of some ship. Seated against a crate, his hands were held together with durasteel cuffs that forced his palms to nearly touch. On his neck, a heavy metal collar sat, beeping.
He attempted to reach to the Force, only for the metal collar to shock him heavily. He screamed as electricity raced through his body.
"Good. You know what happens should you try anything with the Force Jedi. You are completely removed from the Force with that collar. As you should be." A cultured voice, dipped in venom, spoke as the door towards what Naruto assumed was the front of the ship opened. The Chiss woman, Sev'rance, walked forward into the hold.
She knelt before him, his twin lightsabers hanging opposite her personal blade on her hips. With a flick of her wrist, he was slammed back against the crate with a Force push. He didn't even realize he had lunged.
"My Lord wants you alive for some reason. Even stated that you weren't to be harmed unless absolutely necessary. This ship is about to leave the planet, and you will be on it." Sev'rance spoke as if these were mere facts and not possibilities.
Naruto closed his eyes and lowered his head as if he was submitting. His mind though, was racing with one of his lessons with Jiraiya.
Kid, remember, that eventually the Force will be cut off from you if you are captured. What won't be cut off from you is your inner chakra. Even on Shin'o, it is impossible to cut that off from you. You can be unable to mold it, unable to unleash it from your body. But as long as you live, this power will always be with you.
Naruto's mind went to his options. None were appealing. He could go with it, assume that he would gain an opportunity to escape. He could power through the shock, hoping it wouldn't kill him as he attempted to force his way out with the Force. Or… he could do what Jiraiya suggested if he was ever in a situation like this.
He sighed and tuned back into the conversation the Chiss woman was going on with. She had started to idly monologue about her accomplishments on Belnar; how she had convinced the Grand General that dealing only with her Lord would be the most profitable. How it was easy, without even having to use the Force. She stopped speaking as Naruto pointed at her with his hands, clasped in durasteel cuffs.
"Fuin,Kai. Suiton, UMI!" Naruto's voice ground out as he braced for the pain.
"Naruto. These seals are unique in their design. Most are either release the object sealed, or seal it within the matrix. This extra design here," Jiraiya pointed at the relevant point."Allows you to use your chakra like a valve. Basically, if you didn't have this… you would drown if you did this anywhere other than extremely open area."
Using his chakra as he was taught was difficult, even as the collar registered it as Force use. Blasts of electricity rocked his body, even as a razor thin blast of water, forced out of the seal at such high pressure it pierced through the durasteel. As soon as the cuffs were destroyed, Naruto's chakra forced the razor stream into hundreds of needle like bursts of water, each moving at speeds comparable to speeders.
"Umi was an urchin, a fitting name for such an attack.".
Sev'rance started to move even as the blonde boy moved his hands towards her. A flash in her mind of wet pain, was her only warning. She wasn't fast enough, as her left arm was caught and she was forced into an uncontrollable spin.
Naruto watched as the water acted similarly to a shotgun. Blasting through Sev'rance's left arm, making it look less like an appendage for a Force Sensitive and more akin to a pile of ground meat that was attached to her body.
He stood slowly, as she tried to crawl towards the hold's door. He took a single step, before his legs gave out. He realized he couldn't move his hands, he couldn't feel- oh yes he could.
It hurt nearly as bad as the lightning did. Yet this kept building, kept growing even as the lightning was constant mind shattering agony. He looked at his hands.
Through the haze of pain he took inventory. You weren't supposed to be able to see bones, or tendons in your hands. Your pinky on the left should not be hanging limp. The right ring finger was missing the top joint. Yet the worst was the sliver of Durasteel lodged in his right thumb, nearly bisecting the digit.
He pushed the pain aside as adrenaline rushed through his body. His eyes hardened, and water erupted from the seals once more, even as he grimaced from the collar shocking him again. A tendril of water grabbed his sabers from Sev'rance even as she continued to drag herself towards the hold's door weakly. The sabers gently went into Naruto's ruined palms, the blades being activated by the tendril before it collapsed into normal water. Naruto couldn't hold the right blade firmly, and the left was unsteady without a pinky, but it was enough to remove the collar. Its material was not a match for his saber.
As he did that, Sev'rance finally reached the door to the hold. She dragged herself up, and propped herself on the door. She smiled evilly, the blood in her teeth worsening the image, before slamming the panel by the door. "Prisoner is free. I repeat. Prisoner is free. All units capture or eliminate the prisoner. He is not to leave this ship alive." With a hiss the door opened and she slipped through, before it hissed shut.
Naruto looked at his lightsabers before with a sigh he deactivated both. He firmly anchored them to his belt, Plo Koon's words in his head. "If you can't use a tool correctly, then do not use it."
He took a deep shuddering breath, let his hands hang limp and ran towards the door that Sev'rance exited from. With a roar of effort, and a chakra and Force enhanced kick, the door was blasted out into the hallway, causing the platoon of brown droids outside to point their blasters at the entrance.
Naruto grit his teeth as he released water from his water seals once more, the forms of two endless water serpents erupting from his wrists and blasting forward absorbing the bolts meant for his body as they snaked around every droid. It took everything Naruto had to force the water around the droids and to increase the pressure until their chassis all shattered under the force.
As the last droid fell, he staggered towards the wall of the now soaked hallway. Leaning his forehead against the cool metal of the hall, he brought his thoughts back together. He couldn't do that again. It was so much more difficult without handsigns. Tears threatened to fall before he shook them away.
With a strengthening breath, he stood once more and ran down the hallway.
Plo Koon cut his way through the last choke-point in the Military Tower by slamming the final two conscious guards against the walls hard enough to crack the armor they were wearing. With another push, the Grand General's office door blasted through slamming against the desk. His saber deflected a few dozen bolts from the General himself before Plo had him against the window of the office.
"Where. Is. My. Padawan?" The Jedi asked, his voice a cold monotone. Looking into the General's eyes it was obvious from the unconscious forms of the Grand General's men that this one was not one to mess with. While he felt bad for the boy, he only wanted to do what was best for his people. Sev'rance, with a mind that could match her incredible body, may have took him to her ship in the Alpha Launch sector-
Plo tore himself away from the mind of the General as his mind shifted towards the pleasures Sev'rance gave him, his revulsion clear. The General decided that his concubine, who was a Dark Force User, was better equipped to give him advice about the affairs of his planet than his native advisors. With a small manipulation of the Force, the General went unconscious and Plo Koon ran out of the room.
Stay strong my Padawan. I am coming.
Naruto fell into a rhythm, a rhythm that only he recognized. After the second squad of droids he had to dispatch, he ended up running along the ceiling, using his chakra to hold himself to the metal. From there it was easy to fall atop a droid in the middle and Force push the entire squad into the walls with enough force to destroy them. The ones that survived that initial attack were always damaged, and easier to dispatch. With swift kicks and the occasional elbow, each enhanced with chakra and the Force, the metal held no chance against his assault.
He had dispatched over a hundred droids thus far, and he knew he was close to the escape pods. He praised whatever gods may exist that he found that map outside the med bay. He looked over his awkwardly bandaged hands. If he hadn't stopped by the med bay on the ship he may have bled out by now, he idly noted as the previously crisp white bandages were spotted crimson.
He began to run again, this time straight down the hall, as he prepped himself for a massive Force push. He knew that the next door would lead towards the bridge and subsequently the escape pods. The giant door came into sight as he rounded the last corner. The two gray droids were radically different from the other droids, with larger bulbous torsos, and heavy-duty plating. However, they didn't stand a chance against the massive telekinetic force that Naruto unleashed.
All his fear, his anger, his hope, his love of living, his love of his sensei was poured forth, embraced by the Force as it sang to do what Naruto bid. The Push was beyond anything the padawan had ever done previously, buckling the hallway, as the two droids were crushed instantly and the door blasted back and through the main systems in the bridge, its momentum destroying the systems completely.
Naruto ran into the destroyed bridge, as klaxons started to ring, an automated voice ringing out.
"All personnel. Please make haste to the nearest escape pods. Should that be impossible, please brace for impact."
Naruto watched in horror as the horizon plane that signified the exiting of the atmosphere slowly rose along the viewing bay. Naruto knew what that meant, as any jedi worth their salt did. He turned and bolted back down the hallway, hoping to reach the escape pod before this ship finished falling from the sky.
It was only luck that he saw the blinking red light of the escape pod. He slid through the hole, noting it was the last of the two available the first likely taking Sev'rance away judging from the blood on the floor by the hatch. With a hiss the hatch closed after him, and he pulled the eject lever with his left elbow.
With a shudder the pod blasted from the ship. Headed straight towards the sea as the ship fell. Naruto dove for the controls, ignoring the agony of his hands as he pulled back on the stick. He screamed as he felt the bandages soak through with his blood, and the sea rush towards him.
As the glass of the viewing bay cracked on impact, he slammed forward, his head hitting the console.
His last thought before oblivion claimed him was amusing.
That's another ship I ruined.
Plo Koon angrily spoke on the holo com to the nearest Jedi Handler even as he raced towards the space ship that had just crash landed on the stormy seas of the planet in a speeder provided by the kind Launch Warf Master.
"I do not care what the protocol is! I need to speak with Master Yoda immediately! This is of Alpha Priority!"
"Yes Master Plo Koon! I apologize!" The jedi swiftly transferred the master to the Council chamber. Unknowingly, Plo Koon was interrupting a meeting between Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi Wan Kenobi about an upcoming diplomatic envoy coming from Shin'o. As soon as the Masters appeared, Plo Koon spoke.
"I apologize for interrupting. However, my padawan is currently missing. He was struck with some form of Dark Side attack, and then our bond went… hazy. It didn't disconnect, but was blocked as if by mist. It recently came back fully. Naruto… Naruto is in agony. I don't- I don't know how he is moving but he is. I will require medical assistance."
Yoda immediately straightened in his chair, as he commanded the situation. "Gather your padawan, Master Plo Koon. To the nearest Med Station take him. What of the Dark Sider Master Plo Koon?"
Plo Koon frowned behind the mask he wore. "I do not sense them at all. Either my padawan killed them, or they escaped. My priority however is my padawan; he can shed more light on the topic than I."
Master Mace Windu interjected. "Agreed. Gather Padawan Uzumaki. Get him medical, and then report. We shall send a team of Knights to handle the ground situation."
"May the Force be with you Master Plo Koon." The trio intoned before the transmission cut off as Plo sped faster towards the wreckage, pushing the speeder as fast as it could travel.
He followed his bond with his padawan, through the smoldering wreckage of the ship that tried to kidnap him, towards a lone pod that floated in the sea. With an application of the Force, the pod's door was torn off and his padawan exposed to his sight.
His mangled padawan. Cuts, and bruises lined every piece of him that Plo Koon could see, yet that didn't have Plo Koon pushing the speeder beyond its limits, as he blasted back to the Capital. His padawans hands were mangled messes. The tip of his right ring finger was gone, his left pinky was limp due to severed tendons. Yet all of that paled in comparison to the fact that his palms were shredded to the bone. Honestly the fact that the boy was even alive right now was incredible.
He looked back as he felt a sliver of Force bubble over his young charge. He watched in awe as the wounds he had unwrapped to assess damage hissed and steamed. Slowly the blood that should have been pouring from his wounds started to swiftly coagulate. He had rewrapped the bandages and carried Naruto towards the speeder.
It took him thirteen minutes to reach their ship from the escape pod. By the time they arrived the speeder was smoking, and being held together by the Force and grace of whatever god existed. Plo Koon rushed his padawan up the ramp, instructing the pilot droid to set a course for the nearest medical station. As the ship took off, Plo Koon tucked his padawan into a cot and contacted the Council once more.
Sentari Med Station 2 was one of the most sophisticated stations in the quadrant. Led by the leading medical minds in the Galaxy, it was one of the Republic's greatest assets. It was not a rare occurrence for them to treat jedi from the field, however it was a rare occasion that a Jedi Master forced his way into the station, ignoring the blasters that were pointed as his face as he carried his padawan into the station.
"Fix his hands."
Without a word, the bacta tanks were prepared and Plo Koon waited. He would wait and then he would learn once his apprentice was awake and healed.
Drip
Drip
Naruto walked through the corridors of his mind; their gleaming white stone surfaces marred with cracks. From the cracks, drips of what seemed to be water fell, forming puddles. He continued through his mind, following the cracks as they led deeper and deeper into his consciousness.
He realized, as the walls started to shift from their white stone and omnipresent lighting to the gray ribbed walls that he remembered from his time on Shin'o, where he was going. Thus it came to no surprise that the hallway opened into a truly massive area.
The ceiling rose above, taller than some of the buildings on Coruscant. The room was circular, with half of the space cut off by a series of red bars that were each the size of his torso that stretched into the void above. Behind the bars, darkness held a single eye that was slowly opening. Revealing its slit red pupil.
With bravery he didn't know he had, Naruto spoke. He was proud his voice didn't shake as the feeling of overwhelming force rolled over him.
Once, when he was younger, he connected to Grandmaster Yoda during his meditations with his mind. A practice that every padawan and youngling engaged in, mental connections allowed a Force Sensitive to gauge the connection one had with the Force. Naruto, connected to the oldest living Jedi was floored by the connection. Nearly washed away by the Force that ran through the Grand Master's form, he was forcibly ejected from the connection, severed purposefully by Yoda. Plo and Yoda explained that he wasn't ready to feel such a connection yet, at his young age of 7.
As the power of the being washed over him, he knew one truth beyond anything that the Jedi had taught him. Beyond even the fundamentals of the universe such as gravity.
"Hello Fox."
The Galaxy would never be ready for the Nine Tailed Fox and no Jedi could ever tell him otherwise.
AN: So... this chapter has been written baring the last scene for 3 weeks. I rewrote that last scene over 50 times and decided on this. Time do some housekeeping. At the beginning of this chapter you saw a Data Entry.
Those will continue for the entirety of the work. Originally, they were going to be mentioned periodically throughout the story, and the understanding of the world would build organically through the characters. I realized that in order for that to occur, Id be adding to my already massive word count for this work by at least 20%... when your outline is already 300k words without dialogue and without descriptors, you suddenly realize that you can't do that.All data entries will be relevant to the chapter. For example, this data entry came from the Jedi Archives, Master Level section on the topic of the Shin'o art of Fuinjutsu. And you got a hint of something more from them.
The updates for this story are going to be slow as it seems mother nature has decided that this hurricane season she will make the Gulf of Mexico states her bitch. As I do live in that area, my priority is of course living.
-Zero
