TRTSS1: The Warrior of Stars! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, and the other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 22
Later, after the defeat of Druge for a second time at the hands of the master Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Banking Clan surrendered to the Galactic Republic.
"Well, all in a day's work," Kenobi said with a smirk.
"General Kenobi, we have an incoming communiqué from HQ," said Commander CC-2224 (nicknamed "Cody").
"Ah, put it through."
CHIRP!
A tiny holographic figure appears in front of him.
"Master Jinn," Kenobi said with a nod. "To what pleasure do I owe you this visit?"
"How goes the Munnilist campaign, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon Jinn asked.
"We have succeeded in toppling the Separatists here in the capital, and are proceeding with 'mop-up' operations."
"Good," Jinn replied. "I have received word that the Separatists have secured an alliance with the Quarran on Mon Calamari, and Dantooine has been invaded by droid forces. Master Windu and Master Fisto will be dealing with this new crisis respectively."
"Will they need assistance?"
"Perhaps if you spare Padawan Mizuno and Adept Saotome, we might be able to remedy this crisis."
"Then I shall inform them. Kenobi: out."
CHIRP!
Kenobi then presses his wrist communicator.
CHIRP!
"Kenobi to Padawan Mizuno and Adept Saotome, please respond…"
An hour later, Ami and Ranma are preparing to leave Muunilist. They would rendezvous with the fleets that were heading for Dantooine and Mon Calamari respectively.
"So, you can handle things while I am gone, Ani?" Ranma said, as he prepares to dock unto his ship.
"Leave it up to me, Ranma," Anakin Skywalker said, over a secured channel, as he continues to engage the remaining droid fighters that were scattered about.
"I expect nothing less from you," Ranma said. "See back at the Temple."
"Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"May the Force be with you."
"Same here."
With that, Ranma docks his starfighter.
A short time later…
"I wish we could take the time to look for Usagi instead," Ami said with a sigh, as she looks at the planet on the deck one of the departing starships.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Ranma replied, from the deck of another starship via holographic generator. "Sooner or later, she'll show up like a bad penny."
"We're ready to move out, sir," said a clone trooper who was the captain of Ranma's ship.
"Thank you, Captain," Ranma said, as he glances over towards the ship's captain. He glances back at Ami, via holographic generator. "See back on Coruscant, Ami."
"Take care, Ranma," Ami said with a smile, before her image fades from view.
BLIP!
Ranma then turns toward the captain of his ship.
"Captain, move out."
"Yes sir," the captain of the ship replied, before he gave a direct order.
Later, a pair of twin crafts appeared over Muunilist.
FWOOSH-BLIP!
"Remember the plan," Asajj Ventress said, as she prepares to engage Anakin Skywalker and his squadron of fighters in mortal combat.
"Well, that's fine and dandy, but…aren't there supposed to be twenty-four star cruisers instead twelve?" Usagi replied while looking at her scopes.
"What?" Asajj said, as she saw the same sensor readings that Usagi was looking at.
"See? Nor do I see or sense Ranma's presence."
"Yes, I see that. Well, no matter. I'll deal with Anakin Skywalker. You find out where your target went."
"Aye, aye, Cap'in," Usagi said, as she heads for the planet surface below…
Meanwhile, Ranma arrives at his destination, where he would partner up with the squid-man himself, Jedi Master Kit Fisto. After his starship arrived at the meeting point, he was transferred to the Acclimator-1, a heavy cruiser and troop transport. For this mission
"Master Fisto," Ranma said, as he bows slightly.
"Adept Saotome," said Fisto, as he bowed slightly in return. "I take it that your trip was uneventful?"
"Eh, a little bumpy, I suppose," Ranma said. "But I am surprised that I was assigned to this mission."
BLIP!
"Special, you are," said Jedi Master Yoda, as he appeared on a dial via holographic projection.
"Master Yoda," Ranma said with a slight bow. "What's up?"
Yoda explain the assignment on Mon Calamari Prime (called "Dac" by the inhabitants), home of the Mon Calamari, and home of one of the biggest ship-building facility in that quadrant of the Lukas Galaxy. Apparently, there are multiple aquatic, sentient species, with the Quarren (squid faces) being the rival of the Mon Calamari. Besides being offended by the idea that the rest of the Galactic Republic refers to their home by the name of their chief rivals, the Quarren also sought to gain greater prestige, hence the desire to join the Separatists. Making matters worse, a droid army has been deployed, including a powerful "Crab Cannon", a prototype weapon that could be used off-world. Master Fisto and Adept Saotome's mission was to take down the droid army, and free Dac.
"Sounds like a plan," Ranma said with a deadpan expression. "I SO love getting wet and wild."
"Indeed," Yoda with a mischievous. "Nevertheless, may the Force be with you."
BLIP!
"So, can you swim?" Fisto asked.
"Hey, I can swim entire bodies of water that stretch for miles without resting," Ranma said with a cocky grin. "Just don't hold me back."
Fisto smiled at the confidence that Ranma was displaying.
Elsewhere, Jedi Grand Master Mace Windu and his apprentice Padawan Ami Mizuno were dealing with the droid troops on Dantooine. Dantooine was an agricultural world that was the key to health of the clone troops. Should Dantooine fall, deployment of the clones could be slowed down significantly. Unfortunately, the droid troops have deployed super weapon called a "Seismic Tank". Basically, it is capable of stomping the enemy flat while creating a shock wave that can be felt for miles.
THOOM!
Sailor Mercury ears were throbbing. Her vision was blurred. Her skin felt the grit of dirt and rock.
'Wha-where am I?' Sailor Mercury says, as she tried to get her bearings straight.
She then hears a voice, though it was muffled…
As her vision began to clear, she made out the presence of a dark-skinned man.
Ami…
Sailor Mercury shook her head. She swore that she heard a voice.
"Ami!" says the man, as Sailor Mercury began to finally hear the man clearly.
"M-Master Windu?"
"Good, you're not quite OUT," says the bald, stern-looking Black man, as he helps Sailor Mercury to her feet. "Are you injured?"
"N-no-"
The Jedi Master suddenly turns to face the floating fortress, as it moves towards them.
"Hang on tight," Windu says, as he immediately ran away—at speeds that boggled the mind—from the fortress. All around them, men dressed in white armor began to discharge their weapons towards the object-
Suddenly, a rather large cylinder shoots downward from the flying fortress's undercarriage.
THOOM!
The initial damage was devastating, as both the "cloned" and robotic soldiers were smashed into oblivion. However, the shockwave from the impact created a wave of earth that nearly swallowed the Jedi Master, and his student…
FWOOM!
Sailor Mercury and Mace Windu rolled into an open field, but found them selves surrounding by heavy combat druids.
CHK!
'Mercury and Mace slowly get up.
"You okay, girl?" Mace asked.
"I…I think so," 'Mercury says, as she placed her back against her teacher. "But…I lost my lightsaber-!"
"Doesn't matter," says Mace, as he scans his opponent. "So did I…but we're 'Jedi'. WE are the
weapons. Remember that."
'Mercury nods her head. When she first joined the Jedi Order with Usagi and the others, 'Mercury was worried that her training under Master Mace Windu—a "Battle Master"—would take her away from her true mission: to protect the Moon Princess. However, as time went on, it become apparent that Usagi could more than take care of herself. Thus, while waiting for a chance to return home, 'Mercury concentrates on her training.
Too bad the so-called "Clone War" took place...
"Ami?" Mace asks.
"Yes, master?"
"When I give the word, we strike."
'Mercury swallowed hard. She drew on her knowledge of Jedi Form VII: "Vaapad". Vaapad relies on precise strikes based upon mastery of one's emotions. The side effect of this is increased strength, speed and stamina, but without a cool and collected mind, one can easily fall for the clutches of "the Dark Side".
For a moment all was still…
"Now," Mace says, as he and 'Mercury went to work.
"Ha!" 'Mercury yelled, as she landed over a hundred blows into the first droid, before proceeding to the attack the next combat droid. She then sees one droid taking aim at Mace.
"NO!" she yelled, as she palmed another droid…from several yards away.
CRASK!
That droid broke apart into pieces, as 'Mercury willed the Force to do so.
Mace, on the other said nothing, as he struck his targets with grim determination. Once over a dozen of droids were smashed, master and padawan proceeded to head back into the heart of the party.
"Master…?"
"We have to take out 'romper stomper'," Mace says. "Otherwise, Dantooine will fall to the Separatists."
'Mercury nods her head, as she keeps pace with her Master. Being the "Warrior of Mercury", she took to Mace's speed training like she was born to-
THOOM!
Another wave of dirt and rock could be seen heading towards the pair.
The pair managed to leap over wave, but was caught in a second "stomp".
THOOM!
"Ahhhhh-!" 'Mercury yells, as she stumbled from the blast. However, she detected a pair of twin glints.
"Master-"
"I see them," Mace says, as he reaches out with the Force, as did 'Mercury…
THWIP-THWIP!
'Mercury silently thanked the Great Kami, as she depressed a hidden button…on her lightsaber.
SNAP! Hzzzzz…
The familiar blue glow of her "energy blade"—a color she had chosen after choosing the crystal that was the key to the creation of the lightsaber—gave her a sense of reassurance.
SNAP! Hzzzzz-
SLICE!
Mace sliced his opponent in half-
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
'Mercury sees this, and began to either block or deflect the blast fire.
PING! PING! PING-!
"We do don't have time, Young Ami," Mace says. And then-
THOOM!
Another dirt wave came upon them.
"Let's go!"
"Master-?"
"Push it, Ami!" Mace yelled, as he and 'Mercury RAN up the wave of dirt. As soon as Mace
leaped towards the floating fortress-
THOOM!
"Ah!" screamed 'Mercury, as she lost her footing, and began to fall straight into the danger zone.
"AMI-!" Mace yelled, as he sailed to the side of the fortress.
'Mercury tumbled, as she rolled into her fallen comrades. Some were still alive…most were dead or dying.
She looks up, just as the stomper was about to come down on her head. Somehow, 'Mercury managed dig deep into her soul…and power.
"ICE GLACIER SUMMIT!"
Just as the stomper slams onto its target-
DOOM!
A small, mountain of solid ice was covering 'Mercury and her allies. The impact of stomper unto the glacier caused the fortress to veer off course. The ensuing chaos allowed Mace to finish the job of destroying it.
Later, back at base camp…
"I…I should have been more careful, Master Windu," Padawan Ami says.
Mace, who had just completed his report to the Jedi Council, looks down of the girl.
"You should have. Remember that the next time we have to engage the enemy."
"Y-yes, sir," Ami says meekly.
"And Ami?"
"Yes?"
"You did good, padawan."
Ami smiled at the compliment.
"Thank you, sir."
"Well, don't let my compliment go to your head. We still have a planet to take back from the
Separatist."
"Of course, master…of course."
Tbc.