It's me again, Got the Jitters! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I was having technical difficulties. In other words, I would start this chapter, stop, re-read it, decide I didn't like it, erase it, and start all over again several times. That and the fact that this chapter is longer than usual caused writing this chapter to take a while. I'm sorry!
A meeting was being held. Two figures, one armored, the other dressed in brown robes, stood in the center of a room. Surrounding them on all sides were black droids. These droids were not Separatist droids, but something far more sinister. Each droid was shaped to look like a tall robed man clothed in long pitch black robes that billowed and flowed, making the illusion of shadows.
You could not make out any of the droid's features, except its shape. The droid's photoreceptors were just as black as the robes and with the long hood drawn over the droid's head it was like looking into an empty black void when you tried to look into its face. The hood was attached to its head, so it could not fall down and reveal the droid's face. They were strong, fast, and agile; their intelligence was higher than any other droid's, and they were programmed to obey all orders. Their weapons were built-in and hidden beneath their cloak. As a result they were not given away by bulky blasters, or slowed down by troublesome electro-staffs. But their weapons were all the more deadly, and they always had a surprise, literally, up their sleeves. Little could stop them. They were built to kill.
The figure in brown robes was pleased; he had designed these droids himself, and they would serve their purpose. He had named them Phantom Droids. "Masster," the armored figure hissed, "what have we dissscovered?"
"The key to destroying all that stands in our way. We will kill them from the inside out!"
"How, Masster?"
The Master explained his plan, and his companion nodded in evil glee. "Thiss shall be the end of all opposssition!"
"Caution comes first, my friend," the Master reminded him. "We have yet to test it, this plan could easily backfire."
"Who should we tesst it on?"
"How about… our Kaminoan friend."
"She will be perfect…"
"I will tell the droids to inject her with it. We will see if it is effective, and if it has the effect we want."
"Wasss it made to have a quick effect?"
"It should start almost immediately. Droids, bring her here."
The droids hurried off and returned a little while later with a struggling Kaminoan in tow.
"Taun We," the Master greeted her coolly. "I hope you have enjoyed your stay here."
"Quite the opposite, I assure you," she replied bravely, doing an impressive job of keeping her terror out of her voice and expression.
"I am afraid that your friends will not be of much assistance to you," the Master said slowly.
"They will look for me," Taun We replied confidently.
"Maybe they will, but they will blame the Separatists, and look in all the wrong places. So I wouldn't expect a rescue party. Even if they did know where you are, your lazy species would be too cowardly to attempt a rescue," the Master said, his voice thick with disgust and spite as he added the insult. Taun We glared at him, but wisely refrained from arguing further. The Master insulted her and her species a few more times, but Taun We said nothing. Losing interest in toying with her, the Master decided it was time to get to business. "We have invented a new way to destroy our enemies. From the inside out," he said ominously, with an evil gleam in his eye. "The Jedi will never stand a chance, and by the time they realize what is happening, it will be far too late."
Taun We's eyes widened, but she kept her silence and waited for him to continue. The Master decided not to enlighten her with their plan, but instead to torture her with the unknown. "We have not yet tested this new plan, but you will serve us as an experiment. I'm sure in the end you will make a fine example."
Taun We didn't know what he planned, but when the Phantom Droids parted to reveal a new ominous looking droid, and as she was dragged towards it, her worst fears were confirmed. Her screams, however loud, were not loud enough to bring the help she called for.
Rex sat up in bed, sweating and gasping for breath. "Another bad dream…" he thought, then corrected himself, "No, a vision from the Force." He KNEW somehow, that this vision was a warning. And if he had learned one thing from experience, it was to NEVER take a warning lightly. He should talk to Ahsoka about it, but not now. Yoda had called for a Council Meeting, and had specifically asked for Rex to be there.
Why the Grand Master would ask for a clone to attend was beyond him, but he had a suspicion it had something to do with his light saber problem. Ahsoka had told Yoda all about his sensitivity, and Yoda, much to Rex's shock and surprise, agreed to help them out. He agreed with everything Ahsoka had said, and had even taught Rex a little about the mysteries of the Force.
So far they hadn't had a chance to get that blasted crystal on that blasted planet, and Rex was getting tired of using a blasted training saber. Well, when they practiced that was. During real battles, he still used his blasters so as not to be discovered, but kept his training saber hidden in his armor, just in case. Yoda had also helped him keep his cover as a mindless clone soldier by joining forces with Ahsoka and placing some sort of shield or cloak around his Force-signature, so that as his training progressed, his bright presence wouldn't be sensed by the Jedi or Sith. One thing that never ceased to puzzle him was why Yoda had protested so strongly about Anakin's training, because he was too old, and yet had no problem with him-a full grown man-training. Though he was sure Yoda had his reasons.
A few hours later, Rex was standing before the Council. Yoda looked around the room and waited until he had everyone's full attention. "Discuss Skywalker's Padawan, we are going to. Older and more experienced, she is. Test her, to see if she is responsible enough to lead a few missions we should. Send her on an easy mission, we should, alone," Yoda said, casting a meaningful glance at Anakin as he said the word "alone". As Rex predicted, Anakin practically exploded. "WHAT? No Masters, that is too much! She can't go alone! She's not responsible enough!"
"How sure of that, are you?" Yoda interrupted.
"W-well," Anakin stuttered, his face red.
"The point of this mission is to see if responsible enough she is," Yoda calmly pointed out. "Easy, we will make sure the mission is," he added to help calm the overly-protective Master.
"She must have at least ONE companion," Anakin argued, unknowingly saying exactly what Yoda wanted.
"Take a clone trooper with her, she should," Yoda agreed. "This clone, I think will be of great help," he added, gesturing to Rex. "Complimented him many times, you have. Able, I think he is."
Ahsoka, who had been watching and listening silently up until now, spoke up. "I'm ready Master," she said eagerly. "It will be an easy mission, and I'll have Rex with me! What could go wrong?"
"Knowing you two, everything," Anakin said dryly, but he seemed a bit less determined.
"I'll keep her safe," Rex said reassuringly.
"Well… alright. I'll be prepared to rescue you," Anakin said reluctantly.
"But we won't need rescuing," Ahsoka said playfully.
"Yah, right," Anakin said.
Both Ahsoka and Rex inwardly grinned. They could both see a crystal hunt in the near future.
"A mission I have for them," Yoda said, getting strait to business. "On the planet Danzoar a small base we have established, but terrorizing the few clones stationed there, an unknown and unseen monster is. Murdering and eating at night one clone at a time the monster is, leaving only the bones and damage behind. Signs of a large monster with claws, the clones of found. Heard no screams are, and footage of the monster, the cameras do not have. By the time discovered, the victim is, to late it is."
"Creepy," Ahsoka shuddered.
"Past cameras, the monster can get, but past the Force, it is impossible to. Go to Danzoar you must, and kill this monster."
"This is supposed to be an easy mission?" Rex asked nervously.
"Fairly easy it should be compared to infiltrating a Separatist base," Yoda pointed out, "done that many times you have."
"Well, you have a point, General," Rex admitted.
"Speak to these two alone I would like to. Dismissed, the Council is," Yoda said.
After the Council had dispersed, Yoda looked at Rex and Ahsoka. "Know, you do, that a cover-up this mission is?"
Ahsoka and Rex nodded.
"Very real, the mission and monster is, but search for the crystal you must also."
"So wait," Ahsoka broke in, "We have to do BOTH?"
Yoda nodded solemnly.
At that moment, Rex just knew they were in for a very, very scary adventure.
Oh yah, and in case anyone was wondering, I completely made up the planet Danzoar. So I don't think you'll be finding it on any Star Wars maps anytime soon. Please review and tell me if you hated this chapter, or thought it was cool, or you thought is was just okay.