EDIT: I'm embarrassed to say that I forgot to put in a part of the conversation between Naruto and Ventress in the Day Two portion of the chapter. Sorry for that.
*Sigh*
So, here's the deal.
Long story short, somehow the file for this chapter became corrupted, and in the span of minutes, became deleted.
After having a rage fest at having over 3000 words be deleted like nothing, I decided to write it all over again.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
*Starts to sob in the corner silently, then stops*
By the way, Ventress may be a bit OOC.
*Continues to sob again*
I do not own Naruto or Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
(Author Input)
'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Warrior
Outer Rim-Trident Cockpit
"KIDNAP ROTTA THE HUTT!" Naruto exclaimed.
Ventress sighed as she rubbed her temple. She and her partner had just received their next mission from the holographic projection of her master. It was sufficing to say that Naruto wasn't happy.
"Yes, as I was saying-" Dooku's shimmering blue form began, only for Naruto to interrupt again.
"No," The mercenary refused, "No way in hell. Jabba's a well-respected client. If he even hears a whisper that I was involved-"
"If all goes according to plan, he will not suspect a thing!" Dooku shouted in anger at the Mandalorian's defiance. "Do not forget our agreement, mercenary."
And just like that, Naruto settled down, slumping back into his seat and crossing his arms. Ventress was surprised at how easily her master had silenced her usually vocal partner. Turning back to her master's projection, Ventress signaled that they were ready to receive the rest of their orders.
"After receiving the coordinates of the path Rotta's escort takes every day, provided by Jabba's uncle, Ziro.-"
"That sleemo." Ventress heard the Mandalorian mercenary whisper.
"-You will set an ambush. After capturing the Huttlet, you will take him to the Teth system while I convince Jabba it was the Jedi who took his son." Dooku finished.
Ventress bowed her head in respect towards the hologram.
"We will not fail you, my master."
"You had better, for your sake." Dooku stated before cutting their connection.
Ventress began typing the coordinates into the ship's autopilot while Naruto growled out in displeasure.
"How the hell are you okay with kidnapping children?" He asked the Sith assassin.
Ventress paused her actions when he asked. Closing her eyes, she took a small, shaky breath as she tried to rebury memories of a young girl's cry and forests covered in mist. Straightening herself out, Ventress continued setting the ship's destination.
"Who says I am?" Ventress whispered, staring at her partner out of the corner of her eye. "Why does it matter? Isn't this just another job for you"
"It matters to me because I've been hired by Jabba more than once to protect his son from the exact kind of thing we're about to do! Hell, I even took a blaster shot to the shoulder for the kid!" Naruto shouted, throwing his arms up in the air.
Silence reigned between the two after that statement. Naruto stared out into the vacuum of space while Ventress completed setting the coordinates. Realizing that they needed a plan of attack, and since Naruto's worked last time, Ventress swerved her seat towards the now silent mercenary.
"We'll need some kind of strategy." Ventress stated, "Any ideas?"
Her partner sighed and cradled his face in his hands, and after a few seconds, turned to the assassin.
"Alright," He began, propping himself up with his elbow on the armrest. "I'm thinking that I can go to the convoy under the guise that Jabba wants more security for his son. When they're all good and comfy with me aboard, I'll take them by surprise. Maybe use just my saber to make it more believable that it was the Jedi that took Rotta."
Ventress was surprised at how easily Naruto had concocted a plan for a kidnapping he just voiced against. Seeing the reaction, Naruto sighed and sat up straight in his chair.
"I told you beautiful, I'm a professional. I don't break deals, especially with what the Count is giving me in return for my services." Naruto stated in a serious tone.
The Sith assassin turned back to the console, preparing the ship for hyperspace. While she was doing this, Ventress gazed at Naruto, his eyes closed in sadness, in the corner of her eye. Something inside her turned when she saw the downcast expression on the normally happy going Mandalorian.
"I hope that whatever amount of credits my master is paying you is worth you betraying your morals, mercenary." She muttered, flipping the final switch and sending the Trident into hyperspace.
Naruto said nothing or a few moments before replying
"He's not paying me in credits." Naruto whispered back to her.
The rest of their trip was spent in silence, with Ventress pondering what she had just been told, and Naruto preparing himself for what he was about to do.
Tatooine-Desert Barge
Deep in Tattoine's Dune Sea, a Desert Barge, accompanied by two Desert Skiffs, sailed through the endless sand on their usual route. The day was as normal as any other before it. Pirates hustled about, performing their daily tasks to keep the transport running.
'Another hot day on this hot planet.' A pirate thought as he kept watch at the front of the Barge.
However, soon after he completed his thought, something caught his attention. Out in the seemingly endless void of bright orange sand and blue sky, a single black dot appeared and began to grow bigger. Taking a pair of binoculars, the pirate zoomed in on the approaching UFO, and discovered it to be…
'A man?' The pirate questioned in his mind, wondering if he was seeing a hallucination.
Taking another look confirmed what he saw.
A man wearing mostly black armor and some kind of jetpack was heading directly towards their position.
"We've got incoming!" The pirate shouted to his fellow crewmembers.
As everyone began rushing to grab their weapons, the flying man was getting closer. It wasn't long until he was hovering above the Barge. Dropping down on the deck and landing on one knee, the arrival instantly gazed into a multitude of blaster barrels.
Raising his arms in surrender, the arrival was immediately barraged with questions and orders.
"Who are you!?"
"On your knees!"
"How are you not dying from heatstroke with all that black on?"
All the shouting died down when the captain, a Twilek wearing an eyepatch, walked in front of the angry horde of pirates.
"You've got about 10 seconds to tell me who you are before I order my men to fire."
The arrival looked around at all of the blasters pointed at him with a nervous expression underneath his helmet before answering.
"Would you believe me if I said that I was lost?" The armored individual asked.
His answer was the sound of all the pirates' blasters having their safeties switched off.
"5 seconds." The captain informed him, not at all amused at the attempt of humor.
"Jabba sent me!" The arrival shouted quickly.
A few of the pirates lowered their guns in confusion, while the captain narrowed his one eye at the black armored individual.
"Why?"
The arrival lowered his hands slightly as he began to explain the situation.
"Jabba heard that there was going to be an attempt to kidnap his son, so he sent me as extra security."
"Why only you," The Twilek demanded, finding the situation suspicious. "And why didn't Jabba inform us you were coming?"
The arrival shrugged.
"When it comes to me, Jabba pays in quality instead of quantity." He stated, finally lowering his arms. "And as for why you weren't informed, I have no idea."
Silence followed after that sentence. The pirates were still aiming at him, itching to pull their triggers. The captain appeared to be in deep thought. Finally, the captain raised his hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons.
"All of you get back to work!" He barked, before grabbing two of the pirates. "Except you two, follow me."
The two pirates nodded in confirmation. The captain began to head towards the door that led into the lower levels of the Barge. Before entering the entrance to the lower deck, the captain looked up to see the arrival still standing in the same place.
"Hey, you!" The Twilek Cyclops yelled.
The arrival snapped towards the direction of the shout before looking around. Seeing that there was no one else that the captain could have been talking to, he raised his hand in a hesitant fashion and pointed it towards himself. The captain could almost picture the face underneath the helmet mouthing the unsaid question.
"Me?"
"Yes, you!" The captain shouted in annoyance. "What's your name?"
The arrival raised his arm and pressed the side of his hand to his forehead in a mock salute.
"Naruto Satine! Reporting for duty sir!" He shouted in a serious voice.
"Well, Naruto," The captain sneered. "You're coming with us. I'm going to see if there's any truth to your 'someone's attempting to kidnap Rotta' story."
The now named arrival then jumped, activated his jetpack mid-air for a boost, and landed in front of the captain.
"Lead the way, sir!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically.
The captain rolled his single eye at the childish behavior of his supposed "backup."
The group of four descended into the Barge's innards, with three of them having no idea what was about to happen.
Desert Barge-Comm Room
The door to the Barge's communication room opened and the captain and Naruto entered. The room's interior was similar to the rest of the transport's insides. Rusted walls, floors, and containers filled with Mandalore knows what. The only difference the room had was that there was a single holo-table located at the center.
"Guard the door, make sure no one interrupts us." The one-eyed Twilek ordered as the entrance slid shut.
Walking over to the communications device, the captain turned back to the mercenary, his one eye piercing the black armored individual.
"Now let's get to the bottom of this." The captain stated, turning back to the holo-table and pressing a few buttons.
The electronic table lit up for a few seconds, then flickered back into deactivation. The captain brought down his fist in anger at the machine's defiance.
"Blasted thing!" He shouted.
"Something wrong?" Naruto asked, walking up behind the Twilek.
"Damn thing won't work," The captain began as he rubbed his temple. "And that usually means one of two things."
"Which are?" The Mandalorian inquired.
"The first would be that Womprats got inside and started chewing the wires, which is not likely since we did a sweep before taking off and it came back clean."
"Or?" The mercenary pushed.
"Or," The captain began, his eyes suddenly widening in alarm. "We're being jamm-MRRPH!"
FWAASH!
The captain didn't have time to react to the gloved hand that had wrapped around his mouth, for an orange blade of light forced its way through his chest.
"Sorry, captain. But I can't let you raise the alarm just yet." Naruto stated, pulling his lightsaber out of the captain's back.
The Twilek's response was muffled, but if Naruto had to guess, it wasn't a compliment.
Shutting off his weapon and returning it to his waist, the whiskered blonde lowered the captain to the ground, so the guards wouldn't hear. After making sure the captain wouldn't be a problem, Naruto took out his communicator and contacted his partner.
"Shadow One to Ventress. You there beautiful?" The Mandalorian asked
"What's your status, Shadow One?" Her voice replied through the device.
"I'm in the Barge's comm-room. The captain wanted to talk to Jabba to confirm my story. Actually saved me the trip of sneaking in here and jamming the comms in secret." Naruto told her as he turned his attention towards the body with the smoking hole in it.
"How many hostiles?"
"That I actually do know, thanks to my grand entrance. I think a few of them actually shit themselves in surprise when I landed on deck." Naruto replied, moving over to the one-eyed corpse.
"How many, Naruto?" Ventress growled, wanting him to get to the point.
"You've seriously got to lighten up." Naruto told the Sith assassin.
He chuckled when he heard her growl of frustration on the other side of the device.
"Anyway, I counted about ten men on deck, not counting the captain. It looks like he got lazy and chose a skeleton crew to save a few credits. The Barge has two Skiffs escorting it. Each have about five pirates on them, making the total amount of enemies twenty." He stated while crouching over the dead captain.
"Can you handle them?"
"I'm insulted that you would think otherwise. I can handle the crewmembers on the Barge, the Skiffs, however, are all you. That way we get ten each!" He cheered softly enough as to not alert the guards. His eyes widened a fraction as he realized something.
"Let's have a contest! First one to reach ten kills wins!" Naruto whispered excitedly
"Why are you talking so quietly?" Ventress questioned her partner.
"Well, besides the fact that I'm inside hostile territory, the captain was smart enough to actually place two guards outside the door of the room I'm in. I'll have to take care of them before moving on to the rest of the crew."
"And how do you plan to do that?"
Grabbing the dead captain's arm, Naruto slung the body over his shoulders to make it appear as if he was helping the corpse walk. While positioning the body to get the illusion right, Naruto made sure to hide the lightsaber mark left on the captain's body.
"I have an idea." Naruto stated, grinning like a maniac underneath his helmet.
Desert Barge-Upper Deck
The two pirates that the captain placed at the entrance, a Weequay and Kajain'sa'Nikto, sat around lazily, waiting for the Twilek and their new arrival to exit.
The Weequay, while fiddling with a knife, suddenly thought of a way to pass the time.
"Hey." He called out to the Kajain'sa'Nikto.
"Yeah?" The pirate replied, digging his fingernail between the crevices of his teeth.
"You ever wonder why we're her-" (1)
The question, however, was interrupted when the door to the comm-room opened and the arrival burst through, carrying the captain, who seemed to be unconscious.
"Help! Please, help!" The arrival begged.
The two pirates sprung into action, with the Kajain'sa'Nikto taking the captain's limp form off the mercenary's hands, and the Weequay leading Naruto to the side for questioning.
"What happened!" The pirate demanded.
"Th-the console! It went crazy and fried him when he turned it on!"
As the two conversed, the Kajain'sa'Nikto laid the body down on the floor and checked for a pulse. Feeling no movement of blood, the pirate closed the captain's single eye in respect.
"He's dead." The criminal stated without looking over his shoulder.
However, upon closer examination of the body, the pirate noticed a blackened hole in the center of the Twilek's chest.
"Hey, what's this?" He asked as he leaned in to take a closer look.
FWAASH!
The Kajain'sa'Nikto didn't even get a chance to register the Weequay's head roll right next to him as a blade of pure energy passed through his torso.
"What really killed him." Naruto stated coldly as he deactivated his lightsaber
'Two down, eight to go.'
Turning on his communicator, Naruto contacted his partner to tell her about his progress.
"Took care of the guards. You almost here?"
"Just arrived." She replied.
As if on cue, the roar of the Trident's engine was heard, and said ship flew past the Barge, causing the transport to tremble.
Looking up in the sky, Naruto witnessed as the squid-like ship switched into a hovering position above the convoy. The pirate crew's shouts were heard as the aquatic ship fired down on the two Skiffs, destroying them.
While the crewmembers rushed around the ship, taking defensive positions, Naruto just stood in dumbfounded silence as the Trident began to wrap its metal appendages around the Barge.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have perfect timing?" Naruto asked absentmindedly into his communicator.
In all of the commotion, one pirate noticed that Naruto had not gone into an alarmed state like the rest of them.
"Hey!" He shouted.
The Mandalorian turned his head in the direction of the shout, tilting his head slightly. He was greeted to the sight of the pirate that had called his name along with two others trying to set up a mounted laser turret next to the helm, probably hoping that it would be of some use.
"You were sent by Jabba as extra security, right? Help us set up this thing so we have at least a chance of surviving!" The same pirate that had Naruto heard before said.
The mercenary's grin was hidden by his helmet as he spoke his next words.
"Sir, yes sir."
With that, he sprang into action.
Unclipping his lightsaber, the whiskered blond activated his jetpack and launched himself up to the three unsuspecting pirates.
Shutting off the propulsion mid-air, Naruto braced himself for landing as he made contact with the floor. Rolling into a crouching position directly in front of his soon-to-be victims, he then released the amber blade within his saber.
In one swift motion, Naruto moved his blade in an arcing path and sliced through both the turret and two of the pirates. The one bandit that managed to dodge in time, which was the one that called Naruto over to help ironically, fell onto his back and began crawling away from the man who murdered both of his friends.
"What are you doing?!" He asked desperately.
The traitor said nothing. His only action was bringing his saber down, impaling the pirate.
"What I have to do." Naruto finally said as the pirate let out his last breath of air.
'That's five.' Naruto thought absentmindedly.
Unfortunately, the crew members that were left were also on the main deck and witnessed the Mandalorian's act of betrayal and opened fire on him.
Dodging a few of the shots aimed at him, Naruto took cover behind a few crates that the pirates he previously killed had set up for defensive purposes. Trying to come up with a plan since stealth was out of the question, Naruto quickly peeked out from behind the crate to count how many enemies were firing on his position.
'Let's see. One…two-whoa! Three and four.' Naruto mentally counted as he dodged their blaster fire.
The Barge then shook violently as the Trident tightened its grip on the transport, causing everyone on board to stumble slightly. A few pirates actually had to dodge pieces of debris falling from the frame that held the tarp used for shade on the Barge.
'That gives me an idea!' Naruto realized.
Moving fast while the crew was still trying their footing back, Naruto reactivated the flying device on his back and soared towards a portion of the red tarp that was had been released from the frame that held it in place
Arriving at the freed corner of red fabric, Naruto activated his lightsaber and dragged it along the outline of the tarp. With no frame to hold it in place, the tarp fell onto the main deck and blocked the pirates' sight.
Slicing through the last of the fabric, the mercenary then flew back down to the deck, now able to deal with the pirates. Attacking each and every struggling form he spotted underneath the tarp, the Mandalorian killed all four of the pirates that had been shooting at him.
Taking a look in the air, Naruto saw no evidence that would suggest that there was anyone else left on deck to deal with.
Landing on the deck and returning his saber to his belt, Naruto activated his communicator.
"All clear, beautiful. You can come on down."
While speaking, Naruto decided to do a quick recount to make sure everyone onboard that needed to be dead, was.
'Let's see. There was the captain and the two guards. Three. The three guys that were with the turret. Six. Then the four that I took care of with the tarp. Ten. Since the two Skiffs were destroyed, that means the crew was too. That makes it twenty.' The mercenary recounted, proud of himself.
Click!
Only to feel the barrel of a blaster be pressed into the back of his helmet.
'Oh, that's right. I didn't count the captain the first time since I had already killed him.' Naruto reminded himself before drawing his attention to the situation he was in.
"Son of a bitch!" Naruto heard a voice pit out from behind him.
"I'll have you know that my mother is a Duchess, thank you very much." Naruto shot back, not turning his head around.
"Shut up, then put your hands up!"
Following the voice's orders, Naruto raised his hands up in surrender.
"You idiot. Don't you know what Jabba's going to do to you when he finds out about this?" The voice asked in anger, digging the barrel further into the base of his skull.
"I was kind of hoping that there would be no one left alive to tell him." The Mandalorian replied in honesty.
"Well, you were wrong, and now that I have you hostage, you're going to tell that ship to stand down and surrender."
"I don't think that plan's going to work." Naruto replied, still not looking behind him.
"And why not?" The voice asked in a sneer.
SNAP! HISS!
The sound of a lightsaber activating was heard, and Naruto could feel the blaster pull away from his head. A few shots being fired was sounded out as well as the sound of them being deflected. It wasn't much longer until the sound of the saber cutting through flesh was heard.
"Because of that." The Mandalorian answered.
Turning around, Naruto was greeted to the sight of Ventress, with one of her sabers activated, standing over the body of the final pirate, which had a smoking gash through its torso.
"Took you long enough." Naruto stated as his partner put away her saber.
"A simple 'thank you' will be enough." She replied as she walked past him.
Stopping for a second, Ventress gazed over her shoulder as she spoke her next words.
"By the way, I won."
"Won what?" Naruto questioned, tilting his head to the side.
"The contest," She answered while starting to walk to the entrance to the lower levels. "I killed eleven while you killed nine, so I win."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Doing the math in his head, the whiskered blond realized that she was correct in her statement.
Chasing after her, Naruto began to spout excuses as Ventress entered the interior of the Barge.
"Hey, you cheated by using the ship! I demand a recount! Best two out of three using the droids on the Trident! C'mon, beautiful!"
Desert Barge-Rotta's Chambers
Two Gamorrean Guards stood watch in between the door to Rotta's chambers and the long corridor that led to the Barge's hallways. They had heard the fighting that had taken place above them but decided not to help. They were charged with guarding the life of Rotta the Hutt, not the lives of the crew.
One of the swine-like aliens snorted in confusion when the lights leading to the corridor and hallways suddenly shut off, surrounding them in darkness. The two humanoid pigs stood defensively, gripping their axes in preparation of attack. Searching out in the pitch-black void, they tried to spot any enemy trying to sneak up to them.
FWAASH! SNAP! HISS! HISS!
Their efforts were proven fruitful when they witnessed one amber and two ruby energy blades spring to life just a few feet in front of them.
Recoiling in surprise, the guards didn't have a chance to defend themselves when the beams of light lunged at them. The orange blade impaled itself on the guard on the left while the guard on the right was decapitated by the two red sabers.
As the bodies fell to the ground, the lights returned to the corridor, revealing that the killers were Naruto and Ventress.
"And you said hacking into their electrical system was dumb." Naruto teased.
"You also said that there were only twenty hostiles to deal with." Ventress shot back, walking over to the electronic lock that kept them from their target.
"No, I counted twenty threats. Theses two," Naruto stated while absentmindedly poking one of the bodies with his foot, "Are not threats."
"I could never understand why the Hutt's always made Gamorreans use axes instead of blasters." Naruto continued, deactivating his lightsaber.
Ventress followed his example and turned off her weapons before fiddling with the access panel to Rotta's door.
"Are you really complaining about the lack of difficulty in getting to our target?" Ventress questioned her partner while rewiring the console.
"No, just wondering how many death sticks Jabba had smoked when he decided the last line of defense for his son would be just two pigs with sharp pieces of metal." Naruto replied while leaning on the wall.
A beep from the console drew their attention. Ventress pressed the open button, causing the metal door to slide open. The Sith assassin was about to enter the room until she felt a black gloved hand stop her.
Turning her head, Ventress saw the hand belong to Naruto, who now had his helmet off.
"Let me handle this." He told Dooku's apprentice. "It'll probably go smoother if he sees someone he knows."
Naruto walked past Ventress into Rotta's room, with her not far behind.
The quarters contrasted quite greatly with the rest of the ship. The walls were a bright baby blue, and on the far edge of the room was a large window which was blocked by metal shutters. Toys littered the floor, causing Ventress to almost trip when she stepped on a stuffed animal. (2)
Looking over in the corner, Ventress spotted her partner leaning over…
'A crib?' She thought in surprise.
Dooku told her that Rotta was young, but a baby? She expected a teenager, maybe even a youngling. That was younger than-
'No, stop remembering.' She had to remind herself.
She knew the Sith had little in morality, but there had to be a limit, right? While she was having her inner struggle, Naruto began to speak to the crib's inhabitant.
"Hey, little man." Naruto whispered softly. "Guess who's here."
His response were a few happy sounding coos.
"That's right, its Uncle Naru!" He exclaimed, bringing his hands to the side of his face, going cross eyed, and blowing a raspberry.
He received a squeal of joy for the funny face.
Ventress watched on in amazement as her partner showed her yet another side of himself she didn't know of. Something in her chest fluttered as she watched Naruto interact with Rotta. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was there. However, questions also arose, overtaking the feeling inside her.
This was the same man that had just slaughtered every other living being on the transport without mercy? The same man who led a group of mercenaries so elite that her own master personally hired them? How could he be so light-hearted, so happy, so…
'…kind.' Ventress thought.
It had been a long time since Ventress had seen any form kindness in her line of work. So long, she had barely any memory of what it looked like before now.
"Hey, you want to go on a trip?" Naruto asked the unseen baby.
The Huttlet gurgled loudly, and to Ventress's surprise, Naruto understood what he was saying.
"Alright, here we go." He said, scooping up the Huttlet
Rotta shared the same appearance as the rest of his species, a slug that had grown arms, and was as big as a torso. Which made it easier for would-be kidnappers to transport.
"Oof, you've gotten heavy," Naruto groaned, supporting the baby on his hip. "Have you been snacking on bugs again?"
Rotta gurgled profusely, answering the Mandalorian's in his own little language.
"I'll take that as a yes."
The mercenary turned and started heading for the door, all the while Ventress was staring at him. Noticing her gaze, Naruto stopped and turned his head towards his partner.
"Do you still want to do this?" He asked sincerely.
Snapping out of her daze, Ventress regained her natural scowl and nodded her head towards the door.
"Of course." She snapped as the Mandalorian exited the room.
All alone in the room, Ventress had to steel herself.
The Sith assassin clenched her hand into a fist. Why was this happening? She had trained for this moment for so long, and now she was starting to weaken because one simple task may make her uncomfortable?
Ventress would not defy her master just because of one child. She knew what it would mean when she went down this path, and there was no turning back.
As she began to leave the room, Ventress felt her foot brush against something. Looking down, she gazed at the stuffed animal that she had previously tripped over when entering the room.
Picking up the toy, the conflicted Sith gazed at its exterior. From what she could remember, it was one of the most popular items for children of the galaxy. Ventress even remembered owning one when she was-
'Don't remember! Don't remember! Don't remember!' A voice, sounding suspiciously like Dooku, in her mind yelled, drowning out every other sound she could hear.
Bringing her hands to her ears, Ventress groaned in pain as the voice grew louder and louder with each second. It felt like it was going to split her skull in two!
However, in all of the non-existent noise her mind was hearing, another voice spoke. At first, Ventress couldn't understand it through the uproar of the Dooku voice. Then it spoke again louder, but still she could not make out the entire message it was saying. Finally, in the third attempt, Ventress heard the second voice.
'Remember.'
It was soft and soothing, like a mother speaking to her sleeping baby.
And she did.
Flashback
Outer Rim-Dathomir
A 4-year-old Ventress was sitting alone in her room, playing with her toys with as much spirit as one her age would have.
However, she stopped in her activities when voices were heard from outside the closed door to her room.
"There has to be some other way Mother. Please, I beg you to get him to reconsider!" A woman's voice declared in desperation.
"Forgive me, my child, but there is no other way. He will bring our destruction if we do not do as he says." A second voice replied. It sounded old and ancient, and as if it were a woman's voice speaking and some sort of monster repeating it.
That voice was sometimes scary to young Ventress, but her fear was soon replaced with excitement when she recognized the first speaker.
Grabbing her favorite toy, a familiar looking stuffed animal she had named Snuggles, the young girl rushed towards the door. When she opened the entryway, she was greeted to the sight of two women in front of her door.
The first woman was significantly younger than the second. She wore red wrappings around her entire body, covering the necessary areas of her body. Long white hair cascaded down to the area where her shoulders and neck met, framing a beautiful, chalk white face with gray markings on it.
The second woman appeared as ancient as she did wise. Unlike her companion, long red robes covered her entire body, leaving only her face and hands visible. Black markings covered her face, along with some sort of piercing on her forehead.
"Mama!" Ventress shouted in glee, running towards the first woman with her arms outstretched.
She was met with equal happiness as her mother scooped her up and spun in a circle with her child in her arms.
"Hello, my little night. Did you behave for Mother Talzin?" She asked her young daughter.
"Mmm-hmm!" She hummed, nodding her head up and down enthusiastically.
"Mala." The second woman interrupted with a solemn expression, gaining the attention of the two. "It is time."
Ventress's mother closed her eyes and let out a trembling breath. Looking down at her now confused daughter, she put on a false smile for her offspring.
"You're going to go on a trip, my little night. All by yourself, like a big girl." She whispered softly.
Ventress tilted her head slightly, and her eyes lit up in excitement when she registered what she had been told.
"Really?" She asked energetically.
Her mother nodded her head, trying to hold back tears for some reason.
"Can I bring Snuggles?" The child asked, pointing at the stuffed animal in her hands.
The young woman looked back to the second, hoping for an answer.
"He said that she could bring nothing from her life here with her." She said.
The mother closed her eyes and sighed heavily before turning to her daughter.
"I'm sorry, my little night, but Snuggles is going to have to stay here." The mother replied.
Defiance rose up in Ventress. She puffed her cheeks and stomped the ground the same way any child would when they didn't get what they wanted.
"But why!?" She asked.
"Because…I'm going to miss you so much while you're gone, I'll want him to remember you by." The mother reasoned, trying to sound as calm as possible.
Ventress stopped her mild tantrum, and after a few seconds, relented.
"Okay." She agreed before running into her room.
Arriving at the head of her neatly made bed, Ventress placed Snuggles in the center of the stacked pillows, making sure that he wouldn't fall over.
"I'm going to have to go on a trip, Snuggles. I won't be able to take you with me." She whispered to the stuffed animal.
"Make sure the other toys don't fight while I'm gone," Ventress continued. "And make sure Momma doesn't get lonely."
When she finished talking, the child placed a kiss on Snuggles's fabric-covered head.
Finished with her goodbye, Ventress ran back into her mother's waiting arms.
"Okay, I'm ready." She confirmed.
As they began to walk away from Ventress's room, its owner took one last glance at the toy that she was being forced to leave behind, still visible through the open door. Her mother noticed her daughter's gaze, and quickly redirected it to herself by softly grabbing Ventress's chin.
"Don't worry. You'll see him again when you come back." She whispered as the three of them made it outside the temple.
Ventress turned her head to see a Siniteen waiting for them with a ship on standby as her mother tightened her grip slightly.
Little did young Ventress know that her mother was lying. After that day, it would be a long time before she would see her, or Snuggles, ever again.
End Flashback
That was when it began for her, the path that led to her current position now. Doing the exact same thing that happened to her to someone else.
It wasn't long before she felt strands of moisture run down her cheek. Wiping the substance off her face with her fingers, Ventress gazed down at what her digits had collected.
'Tears?' She thought.
She had long since turned cold to the world, locking away all other emotions in her heart. That led her to wonder.
How long had it been since she last had cried? Since she had last shown any other emotion except anger?
Drying her eyes and straightening herself out, Ventress made a decision.
She would not let another child endure what she did, nor will she defy her master.
Leaving the room with the stuffed animal in hand, Ventress headed in the same direction that her partner went.
Desert Barge-Upper Deck
Exiting the inside of the Barge, which was still wrapped up in the Trident's mechanical arms, and arriving on the top deck, Ventress was greeted to what she believed to be the strangest thing the galaxy had ever seen.
Somehow, Rotta had managed to slip out of Naruto's arms, grab his lightsaber, turn it on without hurting himself, and had aimed the orange energy blade at the mercenary's…ahem…thermal detonators.
"Oh, hey beautiful." Naruto stated nervously as he stood unmoving with his hands up for fear of losing something precious.
Rotta turned his head, which was pretty much fifty percent of his body, and gave a small wave to the assassin with his free hand while giggling.
The scene was so comical that Ventress almost chuckled.
Almost.
"Please help." The Mandalorian begged to his partner.
Raising her hand, the assassin used the force to gently pull the mercenary's saber out of the Huttlet's hand. Almost instantly, the metal cylinder flew from the child's grasp and into Ventress's palm. Naruto gave a sigh of relief as Rotta gurgled angrily at the loss of his new toy.
"Oh, thank Mandalore." Naruto breathed out as he relaxed his body. "It usually takes a lot longer to get it back from him, and sometimes a lot more severed limbs."
The Mandalorian crouched down to the Huttlet's level and poked him, ignoring the small giggle.
"You know that you've been told a thousand times that you shouldn't play with Uncle Naru's weapons." He chided.
Rotta gave a series of gurgles to the mercenary.
"I don't care that its closer to two thousand." Naruto stated, before realizing something. "Wait, have you actually been counting?"
Ventress, deciding that enough time had been wasted, cleared her throat to gain the attention of the two.
"While this is an interesting conversation, boys, I believe it's time we leave." As she spoke, Ventress pressed a button on her wristband, causing the Trident's bottom to open up, ready for people to board.
"Alright then." Naruto said as he picked up the young Huttlet.
"You better keep your hands off my saber this time." The Mandalorian warned as he held the child close to his chest.
Rotta giggled innocently as the Mandalorian started up the rocket strapped to his back. He turned his head towards the Sith assassin before taking off and spoke.
"I'll come back down here to get you after I make sure this little guy is settled!" He shouted over the roar of propulsion.
Ventress smirked at her partner's words and responded
"That won't be necessary, mercenary!" She replied in equal volume.
"You sure?!" He asked.
Seeing her nod in response, the mercenary relented and took off in the air, baby Hutt in hand, unaware of the Sith apprentice's eyes on him.
Ventress watched as the whiskered blond soared through the air, giggling Huttlet in his arms. Her eyes narrowed as the Mandalorian performed a loop in the air, causing the Huttlet to full on laugh. There it was again. The mercenary was showing kindness to their kidnapping victim, but why?
In all of her time in the galaxy, every group of hired guns she met were cruel and uncaring. Why is it that he was so different?
The Mandalorian had a conscience. He had a moral code. He appeared to have lines that he doesn't cross. If anything, it seemed like he would be better suited working for the Republic, so why wasn't he?
All things led back to what she had been told before they had arrived on Tatooine. Dooku had something that wasn't credits so important to the mercenary that he was willing to break his own moral code to gain it. But what kind of gain could it be for him. A fleet of ships? A continuous supply of arms, free of charge? His own planet?
Ventress observed as the enigma that was Naruto Satine land in the Trident and disappear from view.
Shifting into a crouching position, Ventress only had one thought on her mind.
'Just who are you, mercenary?' She asked herself mentally.
Using the force, she propelled herself towards the Trident's entrance, determined to get answers.
Tatooine-Trident Cockpit
THUD!
Naruto had just finished securing Rotta in his seat when he heard the sound of something landing on the Trident's metal floor. Checking the entrance, he spotted his partner in a landed position. Walking up to her, the Mandalorian offered a hand up to the Sith assassin.
"Remind me to try out your training regimen for leg day." He quipped.
Ventress seemed hesitant at first, then accepted the mercenary's hand up. Walking to their respective seats, the mercenary decided to inform the assassin of his actions.
"I've already set the coordinates for Teth, and I also contacted a squad of my men to be there to help us if we need it." He stated, sitting down in his chair.
The Sith assassin nodded and sat in the main pilot's chair, ignoring a wave sent by Rotta.
"Good, the more security we have on the Hutt, the better." She replied, pressing the commands to send the ship into hyperspace.
Familiar blue light surrounded the trident before taking off, forcing everyone to sit back in their seats. It wasn't long before the ship's inhabitants were able to move freely around the interior again.
As Ventress did a checklist of all gauges, making sure the ship was well stocked for the journey, a sound of coughing reached her ears.
Swerving in her chair, Ventress spotted the cause of the noise. A slightly sick looking Rotta in the arms of the mercenary.
"It's alright buddy, Uncle Naru's got something to fix that." The whiskered blond stated as he pulled out a bottle of black capsules.
"What's wrong with him?" Ventress asked as she moved over to his side.
"Remember that giant window in his room." Naruto responded, unscrewing the top of the bottle.
Seeing the Sith assassin nod, he continued.
"That wasn't just for decoration. You see, baby Hutts need a lot of vitamin D while they grow, and what better source than the sun? That's why Rotta was on that Barge in the first place. He would be getting sunlight through that big window while constantly being on the move. If he didn't get any, he would get sick and die." Naruto explained.
"This," He continued, holding up one of the small, black capsules. "Is going to be a substitute source of Vitamin D for now, since Teth only has one sun. Unless, of course, you have an extra star in that dress of yours." He teased the Sith apprentice.
She scoffed at the mercenary's joke and watched as he attempted to give Rotta the pill.
It seemed that Rotta didn't want to comply, since he refused to open his mouth for the medicine.
"Rotta, this is good for you. Stop fighting." Naruto ordered as he struggled to get the capsule in his mouth.
Finally, the whiskered blond managed to slip the small pill into the Huttlet's mouth after poking a ticklish side. However, as soon as the pill went in, Naruto pulled his face back while Ventress looked on in confusion.
"What's wrong?" She asked, only to hear strange rumbles coming from the Huttlet's stomach.
Naruto watched in alarm as she brought her face closer to the Hutt to hear the rumbing.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" He exclaimed.
Ventress turned her head to face the mercenary, completely unaware of the Huttlet's cheeks puffing.
"Why-"
BURP!
Ventress had to cover her nose as the Huttlet belched in her face.
"Yeah, I should have warned you about that." The mercenary stated as the assassin waved away the stink.
The glare sent his way could have melted Hoth from its intensity. Naruto then decided it would be best to start making preparations for when they arrived on Teth.
Teth-Trident Cockpit
Four hours later
Naruto felt a kick on his leg as he rested in his chair. Since he hadn't gotten any sleep since before Tattoine, the mercenary had decided to get rest when he could.
Blinking away the blurriness in his vision, Naruto noticed the gray skies of Teth through the nearby window as the ship soared through the planet's atmosphere. Feeling a small weight on his side, Naruto turned to see Rotta sleeping comfortably. Sending the small Hutt a smile, Naruto turned to where the kick that had woken him originated from.
Ventress stood in front of him, her face neutral and expressionless. Seeing the mercenary was now able to listen to her, she spoke.
"We're here. Get ready to leave." She stated simply before walking away.
"Morning to you too." He whispered, not wanting to wake up Rotta.
Slipping out of his chair while positioning Rotta to where he wouldn't fall over form the lack of support his body had provide, Naruto walked over to the window that he was previously observing through to get a better look at the world they arrived at.
Teth's gray, cloudy skies gave any color a dull tone to it. Its surface was blanketed by jungle and wildlife. The only sign of intelligent life was a strange cylinder of stone that elevated from the ground with a temple on the top.
As the Trident grew closer, Naruto noticed two familiar ships on the landing pad outside and smiled to himself.
'There you guys are.' He thought to himself.
A gurgle from behind him drew his attention, and Naruto turned to see Rotta, upset that he was left alone.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He stated, walking to his former charge.
Teth-Temple
The Trident lowered itself down next to the two docked Kom'rk fighters. Settling in place, the squid like ship lowered its ramp, and the three occupants left.
However, Naruto and Ventress could tell something was wrong. The courtyard was barren of any signs of life, despite the two ships docked prior to their arrival. None of Naruto's men were guarding the ships, nor were there any of Dooku's droids present.
As they walked, Ventress grew irritated with the lack of response to their arrival.
"Dammit, Naruto! Where are your men?" She exclaimed looking towards the mercenary.
She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Naruto had his eyes narrowed and his head tilted as if he heard something behind him. Then, without warning, he placed Rotta in her arms and activated is lightsaber.
As soon as that happened, the trap they walked into was sprung. The sound of jetpacks being used reached Ventress's ears as several Shadows flew up from the edge of the cliff and drew their weapons, pointing them at the duo. The sound of feet hitting the ground caused her to turn her head towards the entrance of the temple.
More Shadows appeared from behind the door to the monastery and formed a circle around the two. Holding Rotta in one hand, the Sith assassin activated one of her sabers and stood back to back with her partner.
The tension was thick as the apparent traitors of Naruto's group kept their weapons trained on them. The assassin counted a total of twenty turncoats as they stood in silence. Ventress was trying to think of some way for them to escape when her partner decided to speak.
"You guys seriously need to be quieter. I could hear you coming from a mile away."
Ventress was dumbfounded when the Shadows then began to laugh and lowered their blasters. Even more so when her partner deactivated his own weapon and laughed alongside them.
Seeing the questioning look on her face, Naruto decided to explain the strange course of action that took place.
"There's a famous rumor in the Shadows that if any of the members could sneak up on me, then they truly made it as assassins. Apparently, today is not that day." That last part was directed at the Shadows that had surrounded them before.
"Oh, give them a break." A female voice said.
Turning her head, Ventress witnessed one more figure exit the monastery.
The person was obviously female, based on her figure and voice. Like the rest of the Shadows, she wore Mandalorian armor. However, what made her different was the fact that her armor was pure white, and her visor was a darker shade of red then the rest.
Naruto pouted as the woman walked up to him and Ventress.
"But if I don't point out what they did wrong, how are they going to get better?" He asked the white armored Mandalorian.
Before the conversation could go any further, Ventress cleared her throat to gain the attention of the two.
The female Shadow turned her head and examined Ventress from head to toe, making her a little self-conscious, before turning her head back to the whiskered blond.
"Who's this?" She asked plainly.
"This," He began, suddenly wrapping an arm around the unsuspecting Sith and pulling her into a one-armed hug. "Is Ventress."
"Dooku paired me and her together when he hired us. Since then, we've been thick as thieves." He stated dramatically.
Ventress scoffed and shoved Naruto's arm away. The female Mandalorian chuckled as she watched the exchange between the Sith assassin and her boss.
Putting her hands on her helmet, the white Shadow removed the head protector, allowing Ventress to see her face.
Red hair cascaded down her head, ending at her neck, all being held by a hairband. Green eyes that seemed to glow led to a beautiful face that had a youthful glow to it.
The unmasked Mandalorian then held out a hand to the Sith assassin.
"Bo-katan Kryze," She stated. "Known in the field as Shadow-Two, or in Naruto's case. Auntie Bo."
Ventress had to stifle a snort when she heard that piece of information. Naruto groaned in embarrassment at his aunt's comment.
"I haven't called you that since I was a kid!" He stated, crossing his arms.
"And I miss that every day." Bo chuckled as she rubbed the top of his spiky blond hair.
The Mandalorian just grumbled under his breath as his partner decided to speak up.
"Not to interrupt, but do you know if the forces that Count Dooku have sent are here?"
The sound of metal feet clanking on the floor answered her question as squads of battle droids, super battle droids, and spider droids exited the same doorway that Bo and the Shadows came from.
"Sorry mistress." The droid commander stated as he moved to the front. "They threatened to use droid poppers if we did not listen to them, and since our programming identifies them as allies…" It trailed off, fearing that he would be dismantled.
Ventress sighed as she rubbed her head. It would appear that Naruto's need to act foolish ran in the family.
"No matter, how many battalions do we have?"
"Around two, not including the squad of mercenaries ma'am." The droid answered.
Ventress nodded in confirmation before turning to her partner.
"Take your men inside and position them at ambush points for when the Republic finishes the droids."
"Uhh, what?" The commander droid asked, still present.
"Got it." He replied before turning to the Shadows. "Alright men, you heard her!"
All the men gave a "Yes, sir!" before carrying out their orders and heading inside. Bo decided to stay and see if there was anything her boss/nephew needed.
"What are you thinking?" Naruto asked Ventress.
"Position the droids in standard defense positions, after the enemy defeats them, they'll be lured into a false sense of security."
"I'm still here, you know." The droid stated, only to be ignored by the two.
"Basically the same thing that we did on Christophsis?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. We will cut off the remaining Republic forces with a fleet, then destroy them."
Bo watched on in a smirk as her nephew and his partner shot back and forth in their conversation without missing a beat, completely unaware of the others still present. To outsider, it would have looked like the two had been working together for a long time, not just a few cycles.
"I'd say that we keep the droids inside until we absolutely know that the Republic is here, that way we won't draw attention."
Turning to the droid in charge, Ventress gave her orders.
"You heard him, get inside." She stated, unintentionally repeating what the Mandalorian said to his own men.
"Oh, so now you notice me?" The droid question, irritation evident in its voice.
SNAP! HISS!
That irritation soon turned to fear when Ventress ignited her lightsaber while having a cold glare in her eyes.
"I mean, yes ma'am!" It stammered before ordering the droid army inside.
Soon, all that was left in the courtyard were Naruto, Ventress, Bo, and Rotta, still in Ventress' arms. The red headed Mandalorian crossed her arms and faced Naruto
"So, how long until we see any real action?"
Naruto hummed and brought his hand to his chin in contemplation.
"By now, Jabba would have found out about our attack. He'll probably send out bounty hunters in order to preserve his image, so we need to be on the lookout if any come here." Naruto started as he began walking back and forth.
"If and when that plan fails, he'll then have to swallow his pride and call the Republic. So, with all of that information, I would calculate that we have about three days before they arrive, not counting bounty hunters." Naruto finished as he clasped his hands behind his back and in front of the two women.
How Naruto, a man that could be so foolish as to somehow get his weapons stolen by a baby, could come up with such complex conclusions, Ventress would never know. Bo saw her reaction and leaned in towards the Sith assassin and whispered.
"You get used to it with time."
Ventress just sighed as she began to walk, Rotta still in her arms, towards the entrance of the temple to get some much-needed rest. It was going to be a long three days.
Day One
"Well, that was quicker than anticipated." Naruto said to himself as a ship that seemed to barely hold itself together landed in the now barren courtyard.
Naruto had decided to move the Kom'rk fighters, so they would not appear suspicious to any unexpected arrivals. He also chose to scrap the Trident, so any possible trackers placed on it would have been destroyed.
Yet somehow, a few bounty hunters managed to find them.
Naruto watched as the ramp of the ship, if you could call the hunk of junk one, lowered itself and the ship's pilots exit the spacecraft. The Mandalorian counted four in total, a Rodian, a Gran, a Kajain'sa Nikto, and a protocol droid modified for battle, all armed to the teeth.
"You sure this is where the fuel tail leaded?" The Kajain'sa Nikto bounty hunter asked, resting a scythe on his shoulder.
"Positive. My calculations only have a 3.3% chance of being incorrect." The protocol droid stated, carrying a blaster pistol.
Naruto then decided to walk up to the group, only to raise his hands in surrender when they pointed their weapons at him.
"Whoa, whoa! I come in peace." Naruto stated calmly.
The Gran decided to speak up and question the whiskered blond.
"Who are you?"
"I'm one of the bounty hunters Jabba sent out. I followed the same lead that you guys did and ended up here." The Mandalorian answered, gesturing to the monastery behind him.
"Me and my men already searched the place. Besides a few dusty artifacts, there's nothing here." Naruto continued, lowering his hands down.
The bounty hunters shared looks of disbelief before walking up to the Mandalorian.
"If it's all the same to you, we'll just take a look ourselves." The Gran stated, shoving Naruto aside with his shoulder.
The Gran's men followed, chuckling as they passed the lone mercenary and headed towards the monastery's entrance.
"Alright," Naruto stated to their turned backs. "Just remember-"
In one swift move, Naruto pulled out one of his blaster pistols and shot each bounty hunter in the back, dispatching them with ease. As he observed the fallen bodies of the bounty hunters, Naruto notice the Gran trying to crawl away.
As he walked up to the three eyed alien, Naruto began to hum a small tune that he had heard a band play in Mos Eisley once to himself. When he reached the hired gun, he placed his foot on the hired gun's back and forced him down to the ground. Bringing up his blaster to the back of the Gran's head, Naruto finished the statement he had begun before the speedy slaughter.
"You had a chance to walk away."
Pulling the trigger, Naruto watched as the Gran's skull was penetrated by the blast of energy and the Gran's form go limp.
Satisfied with his work, Naruto began to hum the tune again as he holstered his blaster and grabbed the Gran's legs. Dragging the body all the way to the edge of the cliff, the Mandalorian unceremoniously dropped the legs and went back for the other bodies.
Once all for were grouped into one pile, Naruto placed his foot on its side and prepared to kick them off the side of the cliff.
"Wait." Naruto heard a voice behind him say.
Turning his head, the mercenary was greeted with the sight of his partner behind him. Raising a brow, he signaled for her to explain why she had stopped him from removing the bodies of those that had found them.
"We can have a use for them." She stated, walking over to the Rodian's body, the only one that seemed to have its head sticking out from the pile.
"What do you mean?" He asked his partner.
Ventress activated one of her blood red sabers and turned to face the Mandalorian.
"Ever hear of psychological warfare?" She asked before bringing her saber down on the Rodian's neck.
Day Two
The day after went by slowly. Not a single thing happened after they sent the bounty hunters' heads to Jabba and moved their ship over to a nearby ridge. Ventress decided to use the time available to meditate at the edge of the cliff and reminisce over the events that had happened since Christophsis.
Thoughts like her past. Why was she experiencing this now? She had no problems keeping her memories under lock and key, and now its like all of the repressed thoughts were now coming back with a vengeance.
She tried to figure out what caused their revival, but nothing came to mind. Ventress had long since decided that she would keep them buried and would never even consider the thought of changing that.
'You shouldn't be keeping them locked up.' The woman's voice stated in her mind, worry evident in its tone.
Maybe it was right. After all, you can't run from your past forever, maybe it was time that she faced it instead of repressing it.
'No,' Dooku's voice harshly countered. 'Remember the heartbreak you felt on Rotta's Barge.'
Ventress physically cringed when the Dooku voice returned.
It did speak the truth about when Ventress recalled her past. The heartbreak she felt was greater than anything she had felt before.
"Why do you do that?" She heard someone say beside her.
The Sith assassin jumped slightly at the sudden break of silence, but quickly regained her composure. When she directed her sight to the source of the sound, she was greeted by the form of her partner sitting on the edge, letting his legs dangle lazily in the air.
"What are you talking about?" She questioned, trying to hide the dilemma that had been happening inside her mind.
"That flinching thing," Naruto stated as he gazed into the horizon. "You've been doing it ever since Christophsis."
Ventress narrowed her eyes and faced forward before answering his question.
"It's none of your business."
"Alright, but it could make you feel better if you talked about it." He replied, dropping a small stone over the edge of the cliff.
"Though you could tell me after I've asked you six hundred times in a row as well." He continued.
The two sat in respective silence for a few minutes. Ventress had returned to her meditation, but the sounds of Naruto throwing stones of the edge made her keep losing concentration.
Just as she was about to snap at him to leave her alone, the Mandalorian spoke up.
"Tell you what. If you tell me what's going on, I'll answer one question of your choosing about me."
Ventress's eyes widened slightly at that prospect. She didn't know much about her partner, and despite how he acted, she didn't really know much about the Mandalorian except for the questions she asked when they were on their way to Christophsis.
Maybe, just maybe she could get answers to the questions that had arose on the Barge, but did she really want to talk about something so personal to a hired gun?
Then again, the Mandalorian seemed to be a lot more than a common blaster for hire from what she had seen.
Ventress sighed as her partner threw another stone off the cliff.
'Very well, I'll play along.' She thought before speaking.
"Since our mission on Christophsis, I've been catching myself trying to recall certain moments in my life that I'm not too fond of. In fact, I would've preferred that they were erased from my mind completely." Ventress explained, feeling a small weight being lifted off her shoulders.
"No, you don't." He instantly replied, finally looking at the Sith assassin.
"Excuse me?"
"Never say that you want to forget your past." He started, shuffling a few stones in his hand.
"It's what ties us to the world. It shows us what kind of people we have been so far, and what we need to do to better ourselves." As he spoke, Ventress noticed Naruto gain a sad smile as he tossed another rock.
"Memories, good and bad, define who we are and keep us and others from making the same mistakes again and again." He finished, turning his head back to the horizon.
"Mandalore's actually a good example of that." He stated, bringing his helmet to his lap and staring at its face.
Ventress raised an eyebrow at the mention of her partner's home planet.
"How so?" She asked.
"First, how much do you know of Revan and the Mandalorian Wars?" The mercenary questioned.
Ventress gave pause when thought about that question. Although she was no history buff, it was hard to not know anything about one of the greatest conflicts in the entire galaxy.
"Revan was a force user who that had started as a Jedi and ended up turning to the dark side. Though before he did, he and a group of Jedi helped the Republic defeat Mandalorian armies that were conquering the Outer Rim."
Naruto gave a sly smile to the assassin.
"And there is my proof. Tell me, what could have possibly happened if Revan and the Jedi didn't intervene?"
"Then the Mandalorians would probably have taken over the galaxy." The assassin answered, slightly annoyed by the mercenary's questions.
"Wrong."
Ventress's eyes widened in surprise as she gave a questioning stare to the rock throwing Mandalorian.
"What?" She asked in shock.
Naruto sighed before lowering his body to where he would be facing the sky with his hands cushioning his head.
"Sure, the Mandalorians would have controlled the galaxy for a short time, but eventually their government would have collapsed."
"And how do you think that?"
Naruto stared up into the gray sky and answered.
"After all the fighting had ended and all of the planets were conquered, who do you think would be left to sait their bloodlust?"
Ventress drew a blank to the Mandalorian's question.
"Each other." He answered. "Imagine it. Clan rivalry, internal power struggles, old blood feuds. All of it on planetary scales would have caused a Civil War with so many sides, no planet or system would have been be safe."
"But, thankfully, Revan and his Jedi did help the Republic fight back the Mandalorians, and in their defeat, the pacifist society of the Mandalore we know of today rose." He finished, propping himself up on his elbows.
Ventress considered his statement for a moment before she realized something.
"If the old Mandalorian ways were so dangerous, then why would you want to follow them?"
Naruto chuckled for a moment, then sat himself upright.
"Because I remember what we used to be, despite what it almost led to." He began. "I remember a time when Mandalore's military force was strong enough to the point where they could stalemate a force made from the combined might of several planets."
"My mother's pacifist ways may have united Mandalore, but it also left it defenseless. But that's not the point I'm trying to make. It's that by remembering its past, Mandalore learned from its mistakes and now has a slightly better future."
Ventress was stunned into silence by her partner's admittedly smart reasoning.
"Now it's your turn." Her partner stated, bringing her attention back to him.
"How does it not affect you?" She instantly asked.
"Hmm?" He hummed in a questioning tone.
"The killing, the kidnapping, the death, all of it. How can you still joke around and smile like you haven't just betrayed your morals?" She inquired, hoping that the mercenary's answer would be beneficial.
Naruto remained silent for a few moments before speaking.
"I guess it's because I just accept it."
"Accept it?" She repeated in confusion.
"The darkness that comes with the job." He stated, only to receive a raised brow from Ventress.
"I know it sounds cliché, but I knew as soon as I became a mercenary what it would mean. I knew that one day I would eventually have a job that would end up betraying Jabba just like I knew eventually that the Shadows would be hired to fight in this war."
"I don't let it affect me because just as I know what it meant to fight, I know that my enemy understood what it meant for them as well. They made their choice, and I made mine." He finished as he stood up from where he was sitting.
"I hope that helped you, Ventress." Naruto said as he walked away.
Ventress watched her partner's retreating form as he headed towards the monastery's entrance. Facing forward again, Ventress closed her eyes and began her meditation again, for she had much to process.
Day Three
Naruto woke to the sound of people rushing around, getting things prepared.
As he stood up and started to shake the cobwebs out of his mind, Bo came up to him and offered him his helmet.
"What's going on?" He asked while putting it on.
Bo followed his example and put on her own helmet before leading him outside.
"Turns out you were right, now everyone is getting into their battle stations."
Bo pointed towards the horizon, and Naruto could barely make out the shapes of enemy gunships approaching the temple. Turning back to his aunt, the whiskered blond blurted out a series of questions, which she answered easily
"Are those-"
"Yep."
"And that means-"
"Yep."
Naruto shifted his view back to the approaching gunships and could only say one thing.
"The Republic is here."
1. I do not own any of Red vs Blue.
2. You know, that reoccurring purple toy that all children of The Clone Wars have. Ex. Numa and that force sensitive Gungan baby
Okay, second chapter. Tell me what you think of it.
Am I doing a good job with Ventress's moral dilemma, or am I handling it poorly? Does it make sense that Naruto cares about Rotta in some way? Is the relationship that I'm building for them seeming natural or forced? Am I putting in too many jokes?
And most importantly…
What kind of personal starfighter should Naruto have?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST SITTING THERE?! THESE QUESTIONS WON'T ANSWER THEMSELVES!
Remember to review and give constructive criticism. Blades out.
EDIT: I hope the update that I made to the conversation was worth it.
While I'm typing this, I also want to make one thing that was brought to my attention when I reread the chapter clear.
Ventress is not suddenly changed and is going to be a completely different person when we reach the series arcs. Right now she is just curious as to how Naruto seems to be her polar opposite in personality, despite both of them working for the Separatists. There are still going to be moments when she's the cold, sexy Sith we all love (or hate), but there are also going to be moments where she is not as cruel thanks to Naruto.