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 10

=DA=

Part 5

=DA=

Las Noches
Hueco Mundo

Fuckfuckfuckfuuuk… This wasn't supposed to happen! Nope! Never like this! It made no sense! Fuck! What was wrong with Aizen?! When Nnoitra broke that stuck up bitch's skull, the bastard merely shared a conspiratorial smirk with him and that was it! Everything that happened afterward all but proved they shared an understanding! Fuck!

Nnoitra's body did its best to shake with terror, yet those black shits kept him immobile, ate up his Spiritual Power, and tried their best to squash him! This wasn't right!

He could barely hear Aizen speak and whatever this shit was, it distorted the bastard's words. However, Nnoitra could clearly see that smile on the Shinigami's face, despite the black tentacles whipping out of the middle of his chest.

This was the malicious smile that meant hell for someone! Fuck! What did he do wrong? He saw Aizen during the meeting, read the signs, and didn't buy all that shit about them being all nice now. Aizen was a monster, no he was The Monster to rule Hueco Mundo with all that entailed! Besides, it wasn't like Nnoitra could let those two bitches get together, much less leave them with enough time to plan some shit or another!

He did it once before, it should have worked again! He could recall the delectable look of shock and despair on the green-haired woman's face when he bashed her skull in. That alone had him in high spirits for months! The thought of doing the same to the blonde bitch! H had to show Harribel her place – on her knees in front of him! Well, that was irresistible, especially when the other one came back and ran to her friend for protection! He was sure Aizen wouldn't mind! He certainly didn't care the last time around, so why would he gave a damn now?!

Speaking about the Devil, Aizen pointed a finger at him. The monster still had that damned smile on his face. Pale lighting lanced from the two extended digits, and it effortlessly sliced through Nnoitra's right arms. His super-strong Hierro didn't even slow down the attack!

Fuck! This was going to suck…

More pale lighting surged from the Shinigami and Nnoitra screamed in his mind when his other arms joined the rest on the sand.

This wasn't right! That shit in the throne room was just for show, right?! Nnoitra saw Aizen's expression back then. It was the same when the Shinigami looked at him after he dealt with the first bitch that dared call herself, Espada! That shit was supposed to be for the other Shinigami's benefit, a performance, nothing more!

A weird sensation broke Nnoitra's trail of thoughts. While his High-Speed Regeneration kicked in and began healing his wounds, there was something odd happening at his stumps. Nnoitra blanched when he comprehended what was happening. Those black fucks around him were sucking not only his Spiritual power but now his blood too! He tried to force more power into his regeneration, however, the more he tried to use speed it up, the faster the suction became. His cut arms couldn't heal, whatever that shit around him was wouldn't allow it.

And it kept sucking his blood too. Nnoitra paled at that. He wasn't going to die this way! He was a warrior! If he was to ever die, it would be in combat, against a worthy opponent, not this way!

He tried to tear himself away from the spell, surged his power as much as he could, only for the Shinigami horror to ravenously eat it, leaving him stuck in place. No, it was worse. While he couldn't see it, he could feel the suction seeking purchase in his wounds and tearing bits of flesh along with the blood. There was no Steel Skin to protect his stumps!

At that point, Nnoitra's mind blanked, and he went into a berserk rage, trying his best to getaway.

=DA=

I watched with sick fascination how the singularities affected Nnoitra. I could feel his Reiatsu spiking wildly I could also taste his terror in it. A better man would have put him out of his misery then and there. Me on the other hand? A part of me was rightfully disgusted with what I was doing. Nevertheless, this paled in comparison with many of the horrors I've wreaked either as Aizen. Or as the Dark Lord of the Sith for that matter.

Another part of me observed the torture, because this was nothing less, with curious detachment. This wasn't a way I had tortured someone before. It wasn't a way I had seen someone tortured either for information or fun. I knew how the Bakudo was supposed to work, and I also knew that if used on someone not strong enough, it would have torn them apart in short order. If the target was strong enough, it would properly bind them, unless they could overwhelm the energies creating the spell in short order.

Nnoitra simply lacked the impulse power to shatter the Bakudo. I was pretty sure that those above him in the Espada would be able to do so unless they were crippled first. Especially Stark and the sneaky bat.

At any rate, it was example time, so I did my best to keep on Aizen's creepiest smile. I knew Hollows well enough. Until I had enough time to influence my minions in different ways, probably after that too, I would still need to demonstrate I was the strongest, scariest monster in Hueco Mundo. Otherwise, my authority would melt like snow during high noon in the desert.

Two more silent and overpowered near to failure spells removed Nnoitra's legs at the knees and hastened the process of blood loss. Soon, he would be unconscious, and at that point, I would be trampling over what little of my conscience came back in the absence of the Dark Side.

It was necessary, I told myself. Otherwise, I would have to fight a two-front war.

If I was, to be honest with myself, what disturbed me more at that moment wasn't the torture, but how easily I found it to justify it to myself and feel better.

I needed tons of therapy, and I knew very well I wouldn't be getting it anytime soon if ever. As if that wasn't bad enough, I could feel the excitement rolling in waves from Unohana, and I was pretty sure she found it hard not to fidget in place.

I really didn't want to think about what might be going through that woman's mind right now.

=DA=

The former King of Hueco Mundo watched Aizen demonstrate his power impassively. Outwardly, his face was a frozen sculpture, which displayed no hint of emotion. Inside, it was a different matter. He had felt a surge of hope when Aizen returned from Soul Society. The man had changed. He was letting weak emotions influence him, something that Barragan might be able to exploit in the future. He allowed himself to believe so anyway.

Tonight, the Second Espada had to rethink his previous conclusions. He didn't like the change of direction. He loathed that even more, cursed Shinigami crawled all over his domain. However, now he was much less eager to test the new world order.

Because whatever had changed within Aizen, he was still powerful; he was still a monster.

When Nnoitra was near death and fell out of his Resurrection, Aizen kept the spell going. The Fifth Espada became little more than shivered mummy as if Barragan himself had done a number of him. Only then did Aizen dispel his magic and let the mutilated Arrancar fall to the ground.

"Tier, would you kindly drag this to Granz? I'm sure he would find your former colleague invaluable in his regeneration research." Aizen spoke in a light, happy tone.

The Third Espada bowed deeply and vanished in Sonido. A swirl of sand was the only trace left from Nnoitra after her passage.

That was a fate much worse than mere death. It was a fitting message. Barragan was sure almost all the whispers about Aizen would stop now. No one would dare test the Shinigami again anytime soon. He would have to carefully and quietly bide his time if he was to ever reclaim his position as King.

Barragan ground his teeth and kept his impassive facade, not daring to show any hint of emotion.

=DA=

Part 6

=DA=

Las Noches
Hueco Mundo

There's no rest for the wicked. Or for warlords who actually want to get things done.

Tonight, the objective was quite simple – keep ahead of a particularly amorous Unohana. All because for some odd reason, without the Dark Side I wasn't exactly all right with a night of rough sex right after I tortured someone to the edge of death and then condemned the bastard to the not existent mercies of a mad scientist. Go figure.

That's why, instead of finally getting a night of peaceful sleep, I ended up skulking around the endless corridors of my palace while masking my presence to the best of my ability. Unohana did nothing to hide herself. If anything, the spikes of Reiatsu I could feel coming from her at irregular intervals told me that she was particularly excited by the chase. That in turn convinced me that it would be for the best I don't get caught before she tired of this game.

What I noticed that night was both exhilarating and disheartening.

On one hand, there was nothing like the feeling of powerful beings cowering at the mere mention of your name. The fear and reverence they spoke of me, the hushed whispers and awe… That was something else indeed. On the other hand, those were supposed to be my people and I wasn't exactly happy that they were downright terrified of me. I had to keep repeating to myself that they were Hollows and this was for the best.

I wasn't really sure what to think of the fact that I had no trouble believing myself. After so long under the influence of the Dark Side it was apparently very easy to lie to myself when I wanted. It was practically a second nature by this point.

Joy.

For a short while I wasn't paying much attention where I was going. I only kept track of Unohana's current location and my legs carried me silently in the opposite direction. That's how I nearly ran over Hinamori. I found my Lieutenant walking down a well lit corridor with a dazzled expression on her face and a glazed, far-away look in her eyes. That was enough to get me out of my funk. I narrowed my eyes at Hinamori, wondering who I needed to eviscerate.

"Momo, what seems to be the issue?" I asked as I fell in step beside her and engulfed the two of us in a cloaking spell.

"Captain Aizen!" Hinamori squeaked and jumped up at my sudden appearance.

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and felt her shiver at the touch. She blushed too and I had to fight a twitch that tried to contort my face into a grimace. Oh, yes. I could recall it clearly now, Aizen had her properly mind-whammied without the help of Kyoka or any spells. His raw charisma and nice guy act were enough for the girl to fall head over heels for him.

Then he had to squash her potential by not training her properly because she was a genuinely nice girl and thus of no real use to him beyond a pawn. That made her another item on my very long list of fuck-ups to fix. It was a very good thing at the time here ran much faster than it did both in the real world and Soul Society.

"Yes, Hinamori, it's me. Relax, I'm not biting." I said in a humorous tone. "Unless you ask nicely."

Hinamori squeaked at that and she would have jumped again if it wasn't for my hand still gently holding her shoulder. She her face turned cherry red as well and she refused to look at me.

I suppressed another grimace. I honestly wasn't sure how to deal with my Lieutenant and all her issues.

I already had an overly amorous Captain on my case, one who wanted to kill me through sex only to resurrect me for another performance. There was the funny vibe I was getting from Tier as of late and now this. It was a recipe for an outright disaster.

A long vacation sounded like exactly what the doctor prescribed. It was too bad I wouldn't be getting one anytime soon.

"Are you all right, Hinamori?" Even if I knew better, my voice came out like honey by its own volition, especially when I spoke her name. The sound made her shiver with pleasure, exactly what I didn't want to happen.

"I'm all right, Captain Aizen!" And now she was squeaking like a flustered schoolgirl or a first year Academy student.

Bloody hell, I needed a drink and perhaps a chance to redo tonight. Scratch that, the Hogyoku might get ideas and the last thing I wanted was to risk playing with time. That could get particularly messy.

"Momo, I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you did. I'm grateful that you chose to believe in me and follow me here." For once, I wasn't bullshitting her.

"Of course, Captain Aizen!" She finally turned to look at me. "I'll follow you to hell and back!" Hinamori declared earnestly and there was steel in her shining eyes when she looked up at me.

And to think that my former self discarded her as a mere distraction. That was disappointing.

"Thank you." I offered her a sincere bow.

"Captain! You don't have to! It's not proper!"

"Oh, but I do. I never properly told you how much I appreciate your work and effort, Lieutenant Hinamori." I told her kindly and she beamed at me as if starstruck.

I was digging myself a deeper hole, wasn't I?

"Hinamori," I began in a serious tone. "Despite my best efforts, this isn't the safest of places." I looked sadly at her, while she hung upon my every word. "Further, it would be some time before either of us could go back home safely. Perhaps a long time. We'll need to train, to become even better in order to protect those precious to us from the storm we're facing."

"I'll do my best, Captain!" Hinamori's voice rang with conviction.

"Good. That's why, we're going to be unlocking your Bankai as soon as possible." And that would be merely the beginning if I had anything to say about it.

Hinamori was loyal, perhaps the most loyal person to me in the whole of Hueco Mundo. The very least I could do was to give her the training and power she would need to survive my past self's stunts.

I could feel a sense of distant approval from Yuriko. Good. Both on the approval part and the fact that she was resting and not getting ideas about helping.

Meanwhile, Hinamori practically bounced with happiness at my announcement.

=DA=

If you want to support my writing or discuss this story, see the following links:

Pat re on: Delkatar's writing corner

the space battles forums - this is where most discussion over my stories takes place

the sufficient velocity forums

the alternative history forums