Darth Aizen Chapter 3 Parts 5&6, a Star Wars + Bleach Crossover fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Star Wars, they belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It is not for sale or rent.

Chapter 3

=DA=

Part 5

=DA=

Meeting Hall

Division One barracks

Soul Society

There were nine Captains and one prisoner bound with at least fifteen high level Bakudo spells waiting for us. Interestingly enough, there was no trace of Ichimaru, which meant two realistic options. He either grabbed Rangiku and was busy fleeing in desperate hope he could outrun me… or he was off to the living world begging Urahara for help.

Tosen on the other hand was right here, standing tall besides Komamura. I wondered if he could see what was likely to happen to him if my improvisation even partially worked.

Yamamoto observed us through narrowed eyes. "Captain Soi-Fon, dispatch the Stealth Force to locate Captain Ichimaru. We'll begin without him."

The Captain of the Second Flash Stepped outside for a few moments before returning.

"Lady Shihoin," Yamamoto began and terrible pressure fell upon the large chamber. "Explain yourself."

"Maa, maa… I think I can help with this." Kisuke Urahara, the Exile himself entered uninvited, with Gin following a step behind him. My former ally had his face stretched into a butchered facsimile of a genuine smile.

He though he had me now, he might even be right.

Or he was fucked in the long run. We would see.

I offered them a bemused smile. "Kisuke, long time no see, my friend. How is the world of the living this time of the year?"

Urahara glared at me while hiding his expression behind a paper fan.

"I'm here to reopen my case." Kisuke ignored me. "And to bring to light the real perpetrator along with his countless monstrous crimes, including the murder of Central 46, crafting a fake order for the execution of Rukia Kuchiki and much, much worse..."

"You're slipping." I pointed out, showing no trace that his accusation effected me. This? It was a possible outcome from the start. "Back in the day, you had much better sense of the dramatic."

Unsurprisingly, after my latest stunts, Urahara had less open support that he might have had just a few hours ago.

"If you want me to go another round of questioning, I'm up to it, sir." I addressed the Captain-Commander. "I just have one request – that Kisuke over here, answers one of my questions for every single one I answer."

"Granted." Yamamoto immediately declared. He gave a pointed looks to his students and Unohana.

The rest of us stepped back so the trio could create the necessary Kido seals, something the rest of us observed in silence. When they were done, I stepped into the one to the right, while Urahara did the same, using the second one. A moment later, all the Captains began channeling Reiatsu into the spells. I drew my sword, glad that Aria's true form was still running around, now busy with a few contingencies after finishing with the most critical tasks.

Kisuke mirrored my actions, stabbing Benihime into a smaller circle so the spells could properly bind us.

"Captain Aizen, did you murder Central 46?" Yamamoto asked.

A good question, very much to the point. I smiled and for second time tonight tested the limits of these interesting spells.

"No." My past self killed less than half of the bastards by himself and what he did could hardly be called a murder. Self defense, pest extermination, a favour to all worlds? Certainly. Murder? Not from where I stood.

The Kido pressed upon me, testing, probing, yet that simple words I uttered was true as far as I understood the concept. It let it go.

Kisuke's eyes widened slightly. This he didn't expect. Or perhaps he did and was simply leading me into a trap? That remained to be seen.

"My turn." I glanced at Yamamoto for permission and got a slight nod in response. "Kisuke Urahara, where did you put the Hogyoku you created?"

The disgraced Captain glared at me for a moment, however he answered nevertheless. "Into a gigai."

"Answer in full." I snapped before anyone else could open their mouth and looked at the Captain-General. "It's important, sir."

Yamamoto thought for a moment and looked straight at Kisuke. Their eyes met for a few endless seconds, however Urahara did relent in the end.

"I put it into the gigai I gave Rukia Kuchiki in the world of the living. How many crimes have you committed against Soul Society, Sosuke Aizen? Or whatever you call yourself these days…"

"That depends." I began, carefully choosing my words. "If Central 46 is really dead as you believe, then I've either committed no crimes of note or countless."

Well, now everyone stared at me, some in confusion, others with shock and more than a few people in glee.

"Extrapolate." Yamamoto's eyes cracked open as he ordered.

"Do I get to ask my question of Urahara first, sir?" Our gazes met and no matter how much Spiritual Pressure he used to try and make me obey at that point, I refused to back down. "It's important he answers." I bit out barely keeping myself from wavering.

"Ask and then you will answer in full." Yamamoto's voice brook no argument.

"Kisuke Urahara, what would the Hogyoku do to Rukia's Soul? Why did you put it in her?" I rapidly shot two questions. "It's the same question." I clarified before Yamamoto's Reiatsu could try and crush me again.

Surprisingly enough, Kisuke did answer succinctly, which was as much proof as I would get that he was weaving a net of his own and had a trap for me in mind.

"It would slowly drain her powers, turning her into a regular soul. It would be destroyed in the process, which would be for the best. That way you couldn't get your hands on it." He actually smiled now. "It's your turn to answer now."

I smiled right back. "As I said, it depends. Central 46 was a loose end. If they're really dead so they could be silenced, I'm either guilty as the greatest traitor Soul Society ever had… or everything I've ever done has been with authorization by the government, if not direct written orders. It all depends if all records of said orders have been removed as well."

Utter silence met my words. A flash of doubt flashed even through Urahara's face. Gin on the other hand? He looked mostly resigned. He might have suspected what game I was playing now, perhaps he even believed that all I said was the truth. Well, it was true. If the records Aria crafted were still there when Gotei 13 went to check, if they passed muster, then technically, everything my past self did would be legal. It was another question if those orders could shield me even if people accepted them as genuine, thus Aria being busy with contingencies, which was less than ideal. My Bankai had already burn through nearly a third of my Reiatsu and the food I ingested tonight did little to help in that regard.

The two most interesting reactions came from Tosen, who had his blind eyes wide open and his posture made his shock painfully obvious. The second one was Yamamoto. He had his eyes fully open now as he stared at me.

"I'll answer the next obvious question, sir. As I stated earlier tonight, I am loyal to Soul Society, to Gotei 13's primary mission – to protect the balance between the worlds and keep all off reality from destruction. From where I stand, what I've done has been in order to strengthen us all… even if many of my actions were terrible to behold."

"The Hollowfication." Ukitake muttered and stared at me, not bothering to conceal how he felt. I glanced his way and saw the mixed feelings struggling on his face. I just got him healed tonight, yet now I admitted to what might very well be treason and worse.

"An experiment to further increase the power of Gotei 13. One that certain entities deemed failure to be discarded." Said entities being my previous self and his superiority complex.

"Central 46 did that?!" Toshiro explained in disbelief.

"They were deemed too dangerous. Abominations even." Komamura growled. "Was it all a lie?"

"I can't say for certain." That was even the truth. Central 46's decision had been predictable, very convenient and that was as much as Aizen cared about that part of the verdict about that mess. "That said, it was a convenient way to remove loose ends that could not be controlled."

"Just as the murder of Central 46 is convenient to you?" Kisuke asked.

"It is in fact very much inconvenient." If those particular fools were still alive, the odds of me getting away with my past crimes would be even greater – bribery, blackmail, the works, in that case I might have been able to get myself genuine backdated orders.

"The real question is if Central 46 is dead, what would you do, Sir?" I asked the Captain-General.

"Captain Soi-Fon, Captain Unohana, I'm authorizing you to investigate the state of Central 46. Determine if they're alive. If not, investigate the reasons and time of their deaths, then report. We'll continue this trial in your absence." Yamamoto's voice thundered and suddenly, it was very hot in here.

=DA=

Part 6

=DA=

Meeting Hall

Division One barracks

Soul Society

When Kisuke sent the children to Soul Society, he planted for a lot of possible outcomes. Sadly, all of them perishing was one of them, no matter how much he hoped otherwise. On the face of it, what actually happened was beyond his wildest expectations, though he wasn't going to admit it aloud to anyone. Well, perhaps Yoruichi if she became particularly insistent, and more importantly, violent. All children were alive, as far as he knew, no one had suffered permanent damage, which was good of course. On the other hand, Ichigo failed to achieve Bankai, though not because any fault of his own. That by itself wasn't much of an issue, especially if Kurosaki didn't have to fight against another Captain in the foreseeable future.

The outcome of the invasion he engineered nevertheless fell very close to disastrous and things could still turn up for the worse. Urahara managed to hear just from couple of his agents in Gotei 13 and they were pretty sure Aizen had met all of the children, which meant all of them had seen his Shikai release and would be helpless if they ever had to face against that monster. That didn't mean much for most of them. No matter how much potential for growth they have, only Ichigo might have been ready in time. Now, that was one potential trump card neutralized, a pity really. Well, no matter, it wasn't like he was going to try and send the boy as anything but an absolute last resort against something like Aizen of all beings in the known dimensions.

At least he could console himself that he didn't get the children killed. Now if he could only entrap Aizen so that monster could reveal his real face…

Kisuke Flash-Stepped into First Division's Meeting Hall. Unsurprisingly the place hadn't changed in the century or so he hadn't been around. The Captains standing inside on the other hand, too many of them were different, not necessary for the better… and Yoruichi was right here, bound by enough spells to give even Tessai pause. That wasn't good. At least he got here in time it seemed.

Or perhaps not as the following exchange of words and supposed truths revealed. Aizen was acting odd, though that wasn't much to go by. Kisuke would be surprised if there was anyone living who really knew the man. The monster was either playing with them or finally letting out some of his personality shine through the bullshit he had been feeding everyone for centuries.

Could Gin be right? Did Aizen really plan things this way, so he could blame his crimes on the conveniently murdered government and hope to walk away with a slap on the wrist at worst? That was a possibility Kisuke didn't foresee. He had been convinced that Aizen was about to abandon Soul Society for good now that his work here was done. Urahara's mind ran through what he thought he knew about the traitor, evaluating and re-evaluating possibilities, different angles, motives. Every time Aizen opened his mouth to speak, Kisuke had to struggle to keep his composure. If they were anywhere else, under any other circumstances, he could dismiss this interrogation as a charade.

However, the Kido circles they stood within were very real, just like the one examining and binding Benihime, which were identical to those keeping Aizen and his treacherous Zanpakuto honest. There was no mistaking their souls, and under the channeled Reiatsu of all the Captains, including Yamamoto himself feeding the spell, even someone like Aizen couldn't succeed crafting a good enough illusion. Perhaps once he bound with the Hogyoku, an event they had to avoid at all costs, the man would be able to fool even this technique.

Here and now? Everything Aizen uttered was true. Oh, Kisuke knew that it was anything but full and complete truth, however while both of them could refuse to answer a question, they had to tell the truth as they knew it. Their souls simply couldn't lie under the influence of these spells and all the power pressing upon them.

And that was most concerning of all. Like right now, when no matter how much Urahara wanted to be evasive, he couldn't lie about what he did to Rukia Kuchiki… while Byakua was right here, watching and listening.

"As I said, it depends. Central 46 was a loose end. If they're really dead so they could be silenced, I'm either guilty as the greatest traitor Soul Society ever had… or everything I've ever done has been with authorization by the government, if not direct written orders. It all depends if all records of said orders have been removed as well."

This was a truth as Aizen knew it. Yet, Ichimaru did confess that he took part of the slaughter of Central 46 alongside Aizen and Kaname and here was the crux of the matter. Illusions. What those two saw, what they did, what they felt the day Central 46 was murdered, it could be all fake. Aizen might have been anywhere else in Soul Society but at the government compound at that time. Technically he might be innocent from carrying that particular crime with his own hand. Even worse, if that was true, what else that Kisuke believed he knew wasn't as it appeared. Oh, he knew that no matter the charade that Aizen was trying to pull in front of everyone, that man was anything but innocent. Proving it though? That suddenly became much, much harder. Because right now, any piece of evidence Kisuke believed he could bring to light, everything he knew about what Aizen had done, it could be a lie he had been meant to see.

Sosuke Aizen was truly a monster… and Kisuke Urahara had underestimated him yet again.

Kisuke felt like laughing bitterly at that. Aizen went out of his way to all but confirm that he had committed crimes… and that Gin was right, the bastard intended to get away with it. It was at that moment doubt began to gnarl at Urahara. Could it actually be true? Oh, he had no illusions about Central 46, just like everyone of the veteran Shinigami in the room, Urahara knew that the government had authorized outright atrocities in the past, sometimes ordered them. Even his brainchild, the Twelfth Division, was now a screaming advertisement of all that was wrong with Soul Society and unfortunately, no matter how much he wanted to do it, Kisuke couldn't lay down all the fault at the feet of that hack Kurotsuchi. What his successor did, he did it legally, following a mandate approved by Central 46. What they let him get away with, what they actually ordered him to do… Could the same be true for Aizen? Did it really matter if the did his crimes because Central 46 ordered it or if he went to them and convinced them through bribery, blackmail and threats to authorize his own atrocities?

The sad truth was that it mattered very much. It would be the difference between Gotei 13 going after the bastard with everything they had and at worse, nothing of consequence happening to Aizen.

At that point, Kisuke's soul burned with hatred the likes of which he had never experienced before. He couldn't let Aizen get away with everything he wrought about countless souls!

As if everything else wasn't enough, Aizen continued to run his own interrogation, thus rubbing salt into flesh wounds.

"My turn." Kisuke gathered his resolve as he spoke. "Sosuke Aizen, what are you plans for the Hogyoku?" One way or another, Urahara was going to use Aizen's crimes to hang the bastard with, especially if said bastard was so keen on admitting he had committed monstrous acts already.

"Twofold." Aizen answered with a pleased smile, which did nothing to reassure Kisuke. "First, obviously, I'm going to unfuck some of the messes done in the past. Second, I'm going to use it for its primary purpose, experiment with ascension, making a soul surpass its natural limits and thus ensuring the continued protection of the balance."

"You want to become a god." Kisuke accused. "By doing so, there is only one thing you can aim for."

"You know, the more you speak tonight, the lower my opinion of you falls. Do you really believe that I want the Soul King's throne?" Aizen actually began to laugh at that, he doubled over and had to use his Zanpakuto in order not to disrupt the Kido circle, which would have been highly unpleasant for everyone involved.

"Answer the question!" Kisuke snapped. This man, he was nothing like the Aizen he had prepared to face. More lies, more deceptions and he fell for them

"That wasn't a question but all right. I solemnly swear, I do not wish to replace the Soul King. I do not want the fucking job. Unless the Soul King or his court decide to fuck with me and mine, I'm more than content to live and let live. Happy?" Aizen snapped right back, speaking slowly and clearly.

And just like that, with couple of sentences, Aizen dismantled most of Kisuke's plans and contingencies. What the hell did that man want?!

A loud explosion interrupted the stunned silence that came with Aizen's outburst. Only centuries of experience allowed Kisuke to keep his face impassive. Tessai came through. Whatever documents Aizen had planted at Central 46, even if they were genuine, were now little more than dust. Good. Now he was back in the game.