Author's Note: The following chapter contains graphic violence.
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Vissna walked the streets of Mos Espa as though it were just another day. She watched the locales scattering and hiding inside buildings like a bunch of bugs running from a boot. While Vissna stalked down the street like a predator ready to devour the person wearing the boot. Where the chaos was, that's where she'd find her Mandalorian.
Vissna smiled at the sounds of blaster fire, shouts and screams. She missed this. As much as she liked to plot behind the scenes, she loved to get her hands dirty. While she would love to feel the surprise radiating from Din's soul when he saw her…she wasn't going to him. She had work to do. It was enough for her that he felt alive. She would have to trust that he'd continue to stay alive.
Vissna's first stop was the port. She came upon what appeared to be a small shipment of Pyke troops at the port. It was underwhelming. She was unimpressed. She kept her hood down as she approached the shop full of Pykes. Then she paused, a speeder's length away from the ship's ramp. Noticing her presence, the troop filled out, blasters pointing at her. She ignited both sides of her saber and waited, purposefully, for the proper acknowledgment.
As she anticipated, the blasters lowered. "Darth Maul? Is that you?" And "Lord Maul, we weren't expecting you," was all she heard. She lowered her hood, because they would die knowing their killer's face. She held out her hand, taking a Pyke hostage and slowly beheaded him in front of his allies. This was met with blaster fire, easily avoidable. She spun in a half circle, whipping her saber around fast enough to shield her from the fire. "Peace is a lie!" She shouted attacking her enemy head on as more troops filed out of the ship after hearing the commotion.
"There is only Passion!" She rolled over the back of one Pyke, beheading him in one spin, and stabbing his friend in another. "Through Passion, I gain Strength," she breathed, cutting the hand off a Pyke, dropping his blaster to the floor. She ripped off his helmet and shoved her saber down his open screaming mouth, tearing it out through his front, spewing his guts across the sand. "Through Strength, I gain Power."
At this point the rest started to run. But they would not be getting away. "Through Power," she said, holding her hand out, bringing back her playthings using the force. "I gain Victory." Only four left. She held each of them on the ground in front of her. She ripped their blasters away and threw them. Then she circled them, no longer holding them there with the force, but with their own fear for her. Just used the force to remove their helmets, so she could watch them die. "Through Victory my chains are Broken," she said as she dragged one of her blades across the sand. The four Pykes begged, cried for her. With one slash, their heads were gone and their torment was over. "The Force shall Free me."
Vissna powered down her saber, equipping it back to her belt, feeling very freed. Then she turned away from the carnage she created to focus on a feeling. A sound. Movement on the ground. Droids. She ran. Actually ran. Feeling out for Din's emotions. She felt his presence but it was faint. She panicked. That was not the plan. If she lost him and the Pykes she'd have nothing except her Master's wrath.
As she ran for the city she passed a ship unloading five separatist annihilator droids. Vissna cussed. Shit. Now this was more like something she'd expect from The Pykes. She had started to think that The Pykes weren't actually serious about taking Tatooine. Shit, Din you have no idea what's coming for you, she thought. I tried to warn you. I really did. It wasn't too late. She could fix this. She could still betray Fett and win this for the Pykes. Salvage what's left of this. Take the best deal.
She knew Din and Fett weren't supplied to handle one full sized separatist scorpion droid, let alone five of them. They had particle-energy shields too. That means they had to be destroyed from the inside out. They were already headed into the city. They'd find Din within minutes. Time to show me you're worthy of me Mandalorian, she thought. There was no way she'd take them down in time. But she had to try.
She ran hard, using the force to propel her faster. She no longer felt the ground at her feet, she was practically flying. She held out her hand, picking and peeling at the particle-energy shield using her power. The droid felt the irritation, the invasion of its parts, and it turned to face her. Then the laser cannons started to fire. She lept, rolled and sprang up, keeping her momentum. Holding out two hands, she flew full speed at the droid. She stretched the shield around her body, ignited her saber, and sliced through the droid's scorpion-like leg.
Vissna hated fighting large droids. It took a massive amount of strength. They felt nothing, therefore, gave nothing to use against them. They were draining. She jumped up onto one of its legs and climbed, maintaining her balance despite its erratic movements. Then she plunged her saber into its head, forcing the saber deeper until she was certain it was out of commission. She ripped her saber back out, jumping off the slumped over pile of metal, panting heavily. She wished she had trained Din on his Darksaber. But there hadn't been enough time or trust.
One down, four more, she thought. She'd never make it in time. She took her hand and laid it against the side of a building, pushing her body weight up against it. Then waited a minute until her breathing was even again. Then she took the side of her saber hilt and smashed it against her hand hard. She grunted and bit her lip until it bled. Then she forced her hand into a fist. The throbbing, burning intense pain. This would get her through the next droid. She channeled her anger into her speed and her pain into her palm. Newly empowered, she reached out for Din. He was still hanging on. Good.
She sprinted up the side of a building, darted across its top and dove down onto the next building. She rolled on impact and sprang back up to run and jump again. Closer and closer to her next target. The droid's were much further into the city now then she would have liked. When the droid was below her, she dropped off the building and into the space she'd made herself inside its barrier. She sliced off its arm on her way to the ground, but she felt an impact on her side before her feet touched down. She was kicked in the side and flung against a wall. She felt herself breaking on impact. She leaned against the wall, living inside her pain, until the droid's other arm cannon targeted her and fired. She leaped out of the way.
Vissna took a stance and lifted her arm. She thought about her Master. Worthless apprentice. She pulled apart the droid's front legs. Powerless and weak. She crushed the droid's last cannon. You'll never be good enough. She reached into the droid using her hate and pulled out its internal components through its crimson-colored eye. The droid collapsed. Two down. And she was exhausted.
She knew her Master was behind these droids. That her Master supplied the Pykes with these old seperatist annihilators. He must have been doing very well in spice if he found the kind of credits to waste on finding, buying and transporting these deactivated droids. What a waste, she thought. Unless… unless he knew she was in the city, knew her plan.
Vissna stumbled back and propped herself against a wall. She was tired and could use some water. Scropenek droids can take out whole platoons of trained troopers. She had to protect her assets. If she didn't, infiltrating Fett's palace was for nothing. She would lose her informants. Vissna thought about how furious her Master would be when he learns of his old apprentice destroyed not only his trade route but his very expensive droids…. It was enough to impassion her. She could do it again. She could still save her Mandalorian. Then after that, all she had to do was Manipulate him into dying for her. That would be the easy part.
Vissna paled. She felt something she hadn't felt in some time. There was another force-wielding being on this planet, very close to her proximity. Her plans may have to change.
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