Chapter 7
Cloud retreated back to the rendezvoused point he set up with Darth Tyranus mentally battling himself with what to do. He just revealed his identity too his best friend and his old love, Dooku let Obi-wan know the truth because he was supposed to be executed; and Cloud wasn't expecting a Jedi to save Shaak-Ti. Now to Jedi alive and Kicking know he is alive, and suspect him to be a Sith Lord. 'Amazing that a long term plan can break apart easily within a single day,' Cloud thought to himself, 'Now is not the time to worry now is the time to plan, what Master Kreia said.'
"The force is the will of the Galaxy the will of all life, everything happens because the force lets it happens, and there is nothing we can do about it…. At least that is what the Jedi think. The force is a weapon meant for those who can manipulate it to rule…. That's what Sith believed. Both sides are correct, and both sides are wrong. The Force lets the events in the galaxy happen for reasons, but it can be changed. The Force is not a weapon, but it can be manipulated. Think of it this way, there are a few places you can go to, but there are many ways to get there, some take more time to reach others take more effort. Forge your own path to your destination, I do not care if you wish to save the galaxy or condemn it, you are a being of free will your actions determine what the force will do for you."
"Well it seems I have fell of my path, maybe I can just take a detour," Cloud said as he turned off the auto pilot to the speeder and flew manually taking the more dangerous route rather than the quickest. In about an hour or so Cloud landed his speeder next to the landing pad. After getting off the speeder and replacing his cloak, Cloud entered the building. 'Guess I'll get the ships prepared for an emergency escape'
Obi Wan, Anakin, and Zack managed to chase Dooku down to a small hangar, the three Jedi quickly ran in as the ship took off only to be shot down. There was two hangars and in between was Dooku standing before a robed figure who was on his knees, "My Lord, it seems we have some trash to expose of. Obi-wan's heart dropped as he recognized the voice. "Shall I deal with them?"
"No go prepare for your assignment; acolytes have no place in a battle between Jedi."
"Understood My lord." The figure stood up and ran, "Not on my watch," Anakin gave chase cutting off the figure before it reached the second hangar. "Anakin hold that one off until Obi-wan and I defeat Dooku."
"Understood Master Fair." Cloud froze at the name, sensing out he felt the familiar sense of his brother's presence. Anakin noticed the figure wasn't focusing and charged directly at him over head swing that was blocked by a crimson blade. Cloud's emotions were creating Havoc, first his best friend, his girlfriend and now his brother, the fact that all three of them he saw, and the pain returned. Cloud couldn't think he wanted to cry, he wanted to break something and most dangerous, felt the primal need to end a life. The force is not a kind thing, putting the young Gaian through so much emotional pain; luckily it provided a good practice dummy to let out all this emotion.
Anakin was shocked; the figure was using a Fighting style that was similar to Vaapad, a revenant of the 7th saber style Juyo. Anakin found himself only able to defend and dodge, he hasn't fought someone who was this skilled and tried to kill him. Cloud was spinning lunging slashing and hacking in the primal form Juyo, Forgetting the world around him, forgetting that Obi-Wan just got cut by count Dooku and Zack is Facing the Darth lord alone. At the moment Cloud just wanted the hate and pain to go away. Anakin being unable to keep up couldn't move his arm in time, for the Cloaked figure struck so quick and powerful he cut of Anakin's hand. When Cloud felt his weapon cut threw skin and bone he felt like something was coming out and he needed to release it or he would implode, so he did what he could, he yelled an agonizing shout.
Anakin didn't know what happen one moment he was blocking the next his arm was cut off and last the man shouted him across the room, like a force push, after that the padwan passed out from the contact his head made with the wall. Zack got distracted from the Force Scream long enough for Dooku to shock him and through him, defeating both master Jedi. "Is this the best you Jedi can do. My how the order has fallen." Dooku looked at his not so secret apprentice, 'I don't remember teaching him force shout, I haven't even tried to master it yet, but the force behind it was evident enough Fenrir you grow too fast.
On the Planet Xeon with Cloud within his palace a few days later, the clone war has officially started
Cloud felt the pain and hate leave his body, his stress leave him, and his opponent defeated, he didn't know what happened exactly but he remembered he had to get back to his planet Xeon and prepare for another assignment. So he quickly entered his small ship and set the coordinate and when he hit the atmosphere he failed to notice his master fighting Yoda.
Inside Darth Fenrir's personal meditation room, was where we find the young Sith kneeling to the holographic image of his Master Count Dooku. "I have failed you master, there are two Jedi who know me by name and both have lived to fight another day." Dooku looked down at his apprentice, disappointed in him. "You have done could jeopardize our plans, luckily I already explained the situation to my master." Cloud remained kneeling not daring to look into his master's face. "Darth Sidious believes you to be one of my many acolytes and doesn't suspect your real Identity. For now on your aloud to be called Fenrir, and as for the Jedi Obi-wan is vulnerable emotionally, the guilt he feels will keep his mouth shut, although he will let you be known but they won't suspect you to be Cloud. As for Shaak-Ti she will hold the same guilt. It seems we can still pull of our plan, but now there can no longer be direct contact between us. Sev'rance Tann should be heading to your palace as we speak, she will be our contact from now on."
Cloud nodded as a show of understanding to his master as the hologram faded away, after a few more seconds of kneeling, the young sith stood up and dusted of his robes. "I hate pretending to be his weak and faithful apprentice." Cloud sensed someone about to knock on the door. "This better be important Lieutenant."
Biggs was outside his meditation chamber suddenly nervous, but after a few hesitant seconds he remembered what he had to say, "My lord it seems we got a hail from an unknown vessel, its waiting in the docks and some of our men are bringing the Chiss to you." Cloud smirked 'she came faster than I thought.' Replacing the cowl of his cloak cloud walked to the exit of his circular chamber, hiding the amusement from Biggs scared reaction when the door opened finding himself starring at his hooded master. "She is early."
When Cloud was back on his throne Avalanche Leaders, the Mercenary, bounty hunter, and his droid present at the table before him, in time for a few green avalanche pirates to bring in the Interloper. Sev'rance Tann had an annoyed look on her blue face, when the pirates finally let her go and left to go back to their post. "I know you're a secret sith lord and all but was it necessary to bring me in by force." Cloud stared directly in her eyes, and severance Tann felt herself unable to move, she knew that glare. She only seen it when she pissed of Dooku, the cold eyes of a sith.
"You got three seconds to explain how you acquired that information." Darth Fenrir stated. Sev'rance Tann lost her fear and regained her confident attitude, "Count Dooku told me everything, if I'm going to be the contact between master and student I had to know everything, by the way. Dooku said you will need to wear a mask of some sort in future missions, so when your hood falls off your all powerful head that people can't see your cute face." Cloud's gaze eased up but his frown was now more defined, clearly he was not pleased. "Mind the way you speak to me Tann, now what's the real reason you're here."
"I'm serious about the mask but you right. We lost a lot of droids and resources in the battle of Geonosis, so Dooku would like you to provide me command over a third of your confederate droids and ships to use on my missions. Considering you recently doubled the size and strength of Avalanche and still making it grow, it should be fine." Cloud's frown didn't twitch. Cloud wanted to build up his personal military strength so that he can soon invade both Sidious and Dooku in the future; it seems the force will make him wait longer than he planned. "I see, Reaper, go set up the necessary arrangements. Is there anything else?"
"He also required two of your best." Cloud nodded, "Biggs, and Vincent will accompany you on your mission." Vincent nodded and stood up already wearing his armor and equipped. "Permission to take my personal ship." Cloud nodded. "I'll wait for you Mrs. Tann at the docks." Biggs stood up, "I'll just need to get a few things before I go."
"Make sure you switch your uniform to match confederates, no one needs to know Avalanche is working with the CIS." Tann said to the lieutenant. When all that was said and done everyone that was left awaited to be dismissed. "Tifa, Lenzor, go train the greener pirates. " The two Lieutenants stood up saluted and left. "Jesse head into the city and see if you can find someone to make me a battle worthy mask. Barret take your ship and check on the situation on Gaia, see if your contacts found anything useful, and do some recruiting on the way. Yuffie go with him." Barret and the Bounty hunter saluted and left immediately.
"What will I do Master," Reaper sounded curious, "upload the blueprint of your creation, I just received the necessary data to make you your own team." Reaper replied with a cheery tone, "Finaly something that can finally challenge my skills, the useless meat bags kept here can't aim for nothing. Bantha fodder can do better, and the droids were worse, I never felt so disappointed in my kind in my life." Cloud allowed himself a small smile; he truly loved his slightly insane droid.
On The Jedi temple on Coruscant, in the Library.
Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi was reading a data pad but if you looked at him carefully you can tell he was lost in thought. "No, it can't be the reports said you were dead, Cloud." Obi-wan was so lost so confused and so hurt, he couldn't believe Cloud was alive and working with the sith. "That doesn't mean I was dead, only a fool believes in what a report only said. When Dooku nearly killed me I thought that you my best friend would be able to sense me screaming through the force. But know you Zack and Shaak-Ti left me, never even sent a search party, leaving me in the hands of the Sith! I was your brother in all but blood, but as soon as you read a report by an anonymous bystander you believe me dead." Cloud started out mad but when he finished the sentence he got so quiet that Obi-wan barely heard him. Obi-wan looked at his older friend, the look of youth that cursed the boy to wait a long time to fully become a padwan, now still making him look no older than his own padwan. Cloud looked up his face cold and lost spoke, "But now all that doesn't matter, they're going to execute you publicly, and you have no way of getting out of this alive, the Jedi will come trying to save you but they too will die. We have an army on this planet of intense strength. And many of Dooku's acolytes running around ready to wreck so Jedi's apart, even if you do bring in the clones". Obi-Wan stared at his friend unbelieving how much he knew, then he felt his heart break when he realized Cloud was staring at him hatred obvious in his eyes. 'Cloud I'm sorry for thinking you died; now you have fallen to the dark side, only because we let you down.'
Obi-wan closed his eyes letting the guilt drown him. "Obi-wan, are you ok." The Jedi master opened his eyes and quickly saw his fellow Jedi master Shaak-ti. "Nothing I was just remembering those that left us since Geonosis. 'It wasn't a lie for many Jedi died that day, Jedi he called friend, and now a man he called brother is no longer the same man.' Shaak-ti had a far look in her eyes. The Cloaked Man walked up to the edge as he stared down at her. ' I Have to make sure,' Shaak-Ti force pushed the man's face, but the man had a force barrier raised, but it wasn't strong enough to stop it from removing his hood, revealing the face that Shaak-Ti always wanted to see, but now she wished she didn't. Tears were threatening to escape her eyes as she watched the man she loved lift his leg up to kick her off the edge, time slowed down but just when the foot was about to make contact.
"Shaak-ti, Shaak-ti are you listening?" Obi-wan was concerned Shaak-Ti rarely spaces out. Standing up, Obi-wan tapped her shoulder, and the Togruta finally snapped out of it. "Shaak-Ti did something happen back on Geonosis, you spaced out on me when I mentioned about the battle?"
Shaak-ti sighed, "Just remembering a battle I lost, if it wasn't for my padwan I would have died."
The confused look on Obi-wan's face was evident to what he was about to ask, "How,"
"I confronted one of the many reported dark acolytes that Dooku had. I was holding on the edge of one of the landing pads a when he was about to kick me off, luckily Aayla was there and distracted him but he escaped. "Was the Acolyte Cloud?" Obi-wan whispered so no one but those two could hear. Shaak-ti was astonished by Obi-wan's statement, "You fought him to?"
"He confronted me when I was captured; He knew that we had a clone army. He is not the same, he is lost and the dark side has left him wandering blind. I betting he defeated you with the Kuro-Shikon." Shaak-Ti nodded. "Considering that no one else knows about Cloud, you reported an unidentified Acolyte in your report." Obi-wan nodded. Both Jedi shared a silence as guilt over came both of them, for abandoning Cloud to reporting incomplete information.
"How about we go work on our saber skills, so the next time we see him, we can defeat him without harming him." Obi-wan stated, while Shaak-ti smiled glad for the change of subject to do one of her favorite pass times. When the two masters walked away they failed to notice two young Jedi on the second floor above them.
"No way Cloud is still alive; we have to tell the council." Aayla said to her fellow padwan. Anakin shook his head, "I don't think we should, Cloud was important to both of them, if they didn't tell the council they had good reason, maybe they think they can bring him back to the light. Plus it's their business not ours." Anakin walked off and Aayla stood looking back to where both masters once were. Watching from the second floor, Aayla admired the skill the two older Jedi showed, Jedi knight Obi-wan and Padwan learner Cloud were so much faster, so much stronger and smarter with their duel than any of the other younglings did. While the beautiful colors of red, blue and silver danced around their bodies, Aayla was inspired to dedicate more time to her saber skills. "Whoa, Obi-wan is being pushed back," one of the younglings said. And it was true, the padwan Cloud started to use a different form of saber style and yet she couldn't remember it. "Master Drallig, what form is Cloud using?" The young Aayla asked her teacher. Cid Drallig never took his eyes of the two Jedi, "That young one is Cloud's personal form, he calls it Kuro-Shikon, it's based of the sith light saber form." Aayla gasped, "Jar'Kai" She loked back at the fight and notice how even Obi-wan Kenobi, the Jedi who defeated a sith, was barely keeping up with the new pace. 'I wonder if he could teach me Jar'Kai and Kuro-Shikon.
Aayla found herself walking into the very same training room when she first saw Cloud, Aayla took her light saber from her waist and made her way to the center, after a few breaths she turn her Light saber ablaze practicing Ataru, after a few beginner stances she showed off why she was adept in that form, looking like a dancer her feet never staying in one place for too long. It wasn't until she heard the sound of a light saber turning on that she stopped her movement to eyeball the person who snuck up on her. "Serra, you shocked me." Sure enough there stood her friend Serra Keito, a human female with black hair and blue eyes. Serra turned on both of her Green sabers for she preferred the use of Jar'Kai more than any other form.
"Sorry about that how would you like a sparring partner, I need the work out." Aayla smiled and brought out a second saber and ignited it the emerald blade shining next to its Sapphire brother. "Let's try to better our Kuro-Shikon." Both young Jedi smiled as they got ready for their duel. Ever since both of them witnessed Cloud use Kuro-Shikon they tried to copy it back when they were younglings, and they failed epically. When they turned to padwans, Aayla Asked her master Shaak-ti to teach her Kuro-Shikon since out of all the other masters Shaak-ti was the only one who was taught the special form. Sadly she did not master the incomplete form, and even worse the creator of the form was thought dead. Leaving the form to be incomplete.
The two friends charged at each other with the basic strikes of Kuro-Shikon, the intense speed and power behind each blow taking its taxes. Both Jedi have caught up to Shaak-ti's level in the form, but none of them could try to complete it, but Aayla felt that she was close to completing it, she would call it Azul-Shikon, Blue Fang, but it was still incomplete. Aayla had a hard time keeping this pace up for long mainly because she wasn't used to extreme speed and power with each strike. Though her Ataru helps her last longer than Serra, as the black haired girl had to jump back giving the two the much need rest. Aayla could feel her arms starting to burn, amazed at the story Shaak-Ti. How at their age now Shaak-Ti could hold the form for Ten minutes were as Cloud held it for thirty. And yet Serra and Aayla can barely hold it for anything more than eight minutes.
"Ah There you are my padwan, and hello to you Serra" Aayla turned around to see her master standing their hands tucked in the robes as she smiled lightly towards her padwan. "It is time for us to train a little before we get assigned to a mission. "Good after noon Master," Serra bowed and switched off her sabers. "I should go find my master." With that said Serra left. "Master forgive me but I'm a little tired, I was just practicing with Serra."
Shaak-Ti saw the sweat that built up on her apprentice, "I see, well in that case," Shaak-Ti turned on a blue light saber and using the force she borrowed Aayla's green light saber. "Time to see how hard you can push yourself when you're tired, and to make sure you struggle I'll practice Kuro-Shikon on you." Shaak-Ti smiled as she saw the worry on her apprentice's face as the young Twi'lek raised up her blue saber. 'I said this would train her stamina, but it will also help her learn to defend against Kuro-Shikon, hopefully long enough to hold off Cloud should they ever meet.
On the planet Xeon a few hours from before, with in Darth Fenrir's Bedroom.
The room that was meant for Cloud was more like a miniature house, it was 30X50 feet, it had a restroom and walk in closet that can only be reached by going through his room. A miniature living room, and a work space right next to it, his King sized bed was in the farthest part of the room and the bed was in an oval shape. Anyways inside the room you see Cloud without his cloak on letting his black, silver lined robes be seen. He was currently at the work bench which was surrounded by droid parts, programs and much more. Reaper stood nearby watching his master work on his soon to be brothers. One of them was complete and downloading the nessacary programs to make it just as great as Reaper, while Cloud was almost done with the second. Yes things are about to change drastically.
Time skip one month later.
Standing guard nearby Darth Fenrir's throne was Reaper, Harbinger, and Dirge. Harbinger was a near replica of Reaper except his amour had red streaks instead of silver. And Dirge had Yellow streaks. Currently on one knee before the sith Lord was, Vincent, a Mercenary that proved to be more elusive and faster than his GHK-1 droids. He even Defeated Reaper in Galactic chess a Feet that Fenrir hasn't done yet. Strangely the only people who did beat Reaper in Galactic chess were Vincent and Barret. When Cloud found that out he challenged both the Merc and the Pirate leader to chess and lost faster than he would against Reaper. Since then Cloud made Vincent one of his Generals.
"Master I regret to report that the fleet under Sev'rance Tann has been destroyed, and both Biggs and Tann have been reported KIA, by the Jedi Master Echuu Shen-Jon, And the Jedi is still on Krant. What shall we do?"
"The loss of at least 1/3 of our confederate resources is insignificant; the loss of Lieutenant Biggs is a shame." Cloud placed a hand up to his chin with was covered by a face mask similar to the style of Darth Nihilus but black with silver streaks. A Sith who had exiled Kreia back when she was Sith, and the most powerful among the sith lords. Having the ability to eat away the force from all those who can sense it. Cloud figure a model of this mask will be symbolic in a way. Instead of eating away the force from other people he will slowly eat away at the strength of the Sith, CIS, Republic, And Jedi
"We can't let this Return to the council, if he was able to kill Briggs there is a chance he could find Biggs holo pad and find out our location and spread word. Barret, Biggs was your friend you will be in charge of killing this Jedi; take two others to go with you." Barret was seated at the table along with the other Lieutenants and Yuffie. Barret stood, up "Jesse, Lenzor with me, we got ourselves a bastard to kill. Tifa watch over Avalanche for me." "Yes sir" Tifa saluted. The three Gaian pirates soon packed up and got ready to leave.
"Yuffie, I want you to give Dooku this report, don't get caught or we will have to kill you. The skillful Thief walked up and received the data pad she will give to Dooku. When she left that left Vincent and Tifa. "Tifa you are free to go, Vincent rest for the day." After a quick yes Lord Fenrir, they left leaving cloud with his droids. Cloud sat in his throne thinking, meditating. 'Something doesn't feel right, what is the force telling me.' Then it hit cloud.
"Reaper, take your brothers and provide back up for Barret, don't jump in until someone is about to die." The droid complained about babysitting meat bags and his brother soon joined in. Cloud skillfully blocked them out as he thought about what else he needed to check on. Just as Team GHK-1 left, one of the many servants walked in with a platter and placed it on the table in front of the throne. "your meal is ready my lord." The human servant said. Cloud stood up from his seat and walked up to the table and uncovered his platter to see big juicy ripe fruit with emerald green vegetables. Soon the Servant placed a chalice full of wine for his master to drink from. The servant made his way to exit until he heard the darth lord's voice. "Steven, would you mind summoning Navar Kalem to my palace, I need to talk to him about our planets security. "Right away my lord." The servant went to do what he was told as cloud took his mask off to eat.
