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.
Author's Note: Due to the slow-down in traffic reviews, thanks to the summer, these stories will be capped at 1000-plus words per chapter. As always, C&C are welcomed.
Part 25
Meanwhile, Kasumi waited out in the snow with her droids R2-D2 and C3-P0, and Captain Panaka, her personal escort. The incoming ice storm appeared to be picking up speed, as the snow cover picked up in intensity.
"Oh, dear," Kasumi said, as she used her binoculars to scan the path that the Jedi Master Yoda had taken to get to the Jedi Temple of Ilum. "I'm worried about Master Yoda, guys…"
"BWeep-Bop-BOOP!" the astromech R2-D2 said.
"R2-D2 has said that the chances that a Jedi Master of Master Yoda's caliber can survive this storm are excellent," said the protocol droid C3-P0.
"Still, I would feel better knowing that Master Yoda is safe," Kasumi said, as she lowered her electronic binoculars. "I should never have allowed him to go on his rescue mission alone."
"As the droids have said, Master Yoda is quite capable of handling himself in this situation," Panaka said. "And I do believe that if he needs our assistance, he will tell us."
"In this weather?" Kasumi said. "Are you sure that Master Yoda would be even capable of informing us of his situation?"
"Perhaps you are correct, Senator," Panaka said, as he turns towards the ship. "I can see if I can boost the signaling strength of our yacht."
"Please do that," Kasumi said, as she continued to stare out into the snow.
"As you wish…"
A few minutes later, Kasumi turns towards R2-D2.
"Is this weather having any affect on your sensors?" Kasumi asked.
"BWeep-Bop-BOOP-erk!" R2-D2 replied.
"Not in the slightest, Senator Amidala, ma'am," C3-P0 said.
"Good, because I will look for Master Yoda," Kasumi said, as she bundles up tightly before attempting her trek. "Come."
"Oh, dear..."
After trekking through the snow for twenty minutes, R2 informs the Senator from Naboo that she, R2-D2 and C3-P0 by multiple objects. Of course, C3-P0 translated this to her
"Oh, my," Kasumi said, as she looks out into the drift. "Then, I shall deal with them…"
"But Senator Amidala-!" the protocol droid said with a protest.
Kasumi walks right into the open. For a long time, nothing could be heard accept for the hail of snow and the gale that blew across the mountain side. And then-
FWOOMP!
"Oh, dear," Kasumi said, as Chameleon droids appear all around Kasumi, with their gun turrets locked on her. These droids were spider-like, and were designed to crawl on harsh terrain, mostly on walls and in caverns. Normally, they were used for mining purposes. However, these droids were militarized for the purpose of destroying the Jedi Temple on Ilum, as well as anyone that stands against the Separatists. However, for some strange reason, these droids could not bring themselves to discharge their upon the Senator of Naboo…
CRREEK-CRAAK-SPURK!
"BWeep-Bop-BOOP!" R2-D2 said.
"That IS unusual, R2," C3-P0 said. "I have never known a droid willing to go against its own program like this-"
Suddenly, the droids short out in unison.
BOOM!
SPLURK-ONK!
"Oh, my," Kasumi said with a sigh. She never wanted to see any life, even if artificial, end so miserably…
"Strong in the Force, you are," Master Yoda said, as he, and the Jedi Knights Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. Both looked like nuns with tribal markings on their faces. Barriss was Luminara's 'padawan', and that she was completing her training, with the fashioning of her own lightsaber, when the Chameleon droids attacked. The Jedi had chosen Ilum for training purposes because the crystals that were a part of the ecosystem were used to fashion lightsabers. Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple and Red crystals were the most common, and were alignment specific (with Red crystals being the sole domain of the Sith). Of course, synthetic crystals could be used to create lightsabers, such as the synthetic crystals that were used to fashion the weapons for Asajj Ventress and Usagi Tsukino. But the point of construction a lightsabers is being able to imbue the crystal with the willpower of the Force-user that fashions it, which is why no lightsaber is equal in caliber and strength…
"Thank you, Master Yoda," Kasumi said with a bow. She then sees Master Luminara.
"And hello, Master Luminara."
"Hello," Luminara said. "Have you met my Padawan?"
"No, I have not," Kasumi said, as she smiles gently at the Luminara's padawan. "Hello."
"Hi," Barriss said with a bow. "It is good to finally meet my hero."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Luminara said. "Barriss has followed your exploits ever since the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation. By the way, how is Ranma?"
"Well, he has gotten married recently to Proconsul Hoshi Saotome…"
"WHAT?" Luminara said. "When did this happen?"
"Shortly after the conflict on Genosis, my former padawan got married," Yoda said. "Left with you apprentice, you did, when this occurred."
"And this is legal? With the Jedi Council?"
"Regulations, we've changed. Prohibition, we lifted."
"Drat! Well, I'm going to have a word with that 'former padawan' of yours, Master Yoda…"
Meanwhile, back of Mon Calamari (aka "Dac"), in Coral City, young councilmember Ackbar led his fellow council members into the antechamber, where they would be protected from the assassin sent to kill them.
"Please, hurry!" Akbar said, as he sealed the chamber's doors behind him. "The assassin that we were warned about is almost here!"
"How can one female wipe out our guard?" said a council member.
"And they are mostly battledroids we had acquired before the Techno Guild sided Count Dooku," said another council member. "Surely, we can prevail over one little woman, eh?"
"No, but I have been informed that the Jedi will send someone to intercept this harridan, if he gets here in time," Ackbar said grimly.
Meanwhile, outside of the council chamber, the Sith Acolyte Usagi Tsukino had begun her final sprint towards completing her mission…
Hzzzzz-SLICE!
"Arrrgh!" said a guardsman, as he slumped over dead.
Usagi noticed two more guardsmen taking aim at her, without her actually seeing them.
"Hu-wa!" Usagi said, as she performs a spin kick that knocks one through a wall, while she swung her lightsaber through the chest plate of another.
BAM-CRASH!
SLICE!
Usagi then quickly recovers, as she activates her second lightsaber.
SNAP! Hzzzzz…
She then ran through the throng of guards, sticks out her lightsabers outward at her side, and slides across the ground.
SLICE!
"Arrrghhhh!" said many of the guards, as they lost their legs.
Usagi rolls to her feet, just as a combat droid takes aim. Still clutching the lightsaber in her left hand, Usagi take her index and middle finger, and points it at the droid. Before it could do anything, Usagi used the Force to crush it into a ball, before it fell unto the floor.
CRUNCH!
KLANG!
Additional droids drop from the ceiling, ready to pounce on the Sith Acolyte.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM-!
Usagi deftly ducks and weaves, as she uses her blades of energy to deflect the intended shots. Knowing that time was of the essence, she leaps into the air, scrunched up and fanned her body outward with enough force that the surrounding droid was shattered by Force.
"Ho!" Usagi yelled, as a wave of energy shattered everything in its path.
FWOOSH!
She landed on her feet with ease, as she stands up. Usagi looks to see some sort of giant mech moving into position…
So she threw her lightsabers at the legs of the construct, just as it discharge an energy arc, designed to weld metal together, at Usagi.
ZAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRKKKK-!
Usagi caught the blast with one hand, grunting at the sheer magnitude of the energy discharge. As soon her thrown lightsabers decapitated two of the legs of the droid, which was spider-like, Usagi used her free hand to discharge Force Lightning at the main node of the droid.
SLICE!
KLUMP!
ZAAAAARRRRRKKKKK-!
Usagi's counter-attack shorts out the droid, as it falls over.
BLAM!
"Humph," Usagi said, as she deactivates her lightsabers, although she kept them in her hand.
Hzzzz-snap-snap!
She then willed the Force to bat aside the damaged droid like a simple paper.
FLING!
BAM!
"Now," Usagi said, as she stood at the doors that led council chamber. "Show me…DOOR NUMBER ONE!"
Usagi uses a Force-kick to knock in the heavy doors.
BLAM!
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, who's first…?"
"I am," said a familiar voice.
Usagi focuses her eyes unto a familiar face.
"R-Ranma?" Usagi said. "Is it really you?"
Ranma narrowed his eyes, as he examines his friend's posture. He could tell that she was a split-second away from attacking him. But still…
"Yes, it is," Ranma replied. "You have to stop this madness."
"I'm sorry, but I can't," Usagi replied, as she reactivates her lightsabers.
SNAP-SNAP! Hzzzzz…
"I was…refashioned into a weapon against you, Ranma," Usagi said. "Me going after the council was just a diversion."
"I know," Ranma said, as he raises his lightsaber up in a fighting stance, before activating it.
SNAP! Hzzzz…
"We've been friends since forever," Ranma said. "But I will stop you if necessary."
"I know," Usagi said. "That's why I would hate to do…this…."
Usagi opens her mouth, and performs a "Force Wail"
"WAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!"
Essentially, it was a sonic attack that Usagi had developed while under the care of the Sith. At its highest intensity, the attack could crack stone.
"Gah!" Ranma yelled, distracted by the attack.
BLAM!
Luckily, Ranma still had his focus on Usagi, as she attacked with her lightsabers.
BLAM!
Ranma blocked, twirled around, and struck back.
BLAM!
Usagi blocked, crouched to perform a classic leg sweep. This forces Ranma to leap over Usagi.
"I got you!" Usagi said, as she trusts her sword back at Ranma, once he lands on feet.
ZAAAM!
"Huh?" Usagi said in shock, as she sees Ranma taking the intended blow directly in his hand. The more she tried to push her sword forward, the more the "blade" seemingly flattened.
"Surprised?" Ranma said. "Energy is energy, right? I figured that since Master Yoda can contain a Force Lightning Bolt in his hand, why can't I do the same? But, as you can see, I took it up a notch…"
"No!" Usagi said, as she swung with her other lightsaber.
Ranma, in turn, performs a "Force Palm Attack", that sends Usagi sailing into the antechamber of the council chamber.
BAM!
"Huh?" Ackbar said, as the other council members see the prone, unconscious body of their would-be assassin.
"Is everyone okay?" Ranma asked, as he walks in while deactivating his lightsaber.
Hzzzz-SNAP!
"We are fine, thank you," Ackbar said, as he sees Ranma kneel at his friend's side…
"Good," Ranma said, as he checks Usagi's vital signs. "She's alive…"
"Then we must kill her, and be done with it," said a council member.
"No," Ranma said, as he picks up his friend. "In fact, you're not going to say anything about this, other than the fact that my friend was under the influence of a mind control attack."
"And if we refuse?"
"Then I will submit evidence that your abuse of the Quarren and the other natives of Dac is what caused them to turn against you," Ranma said. "Oh, yes. I know the truth about how 'Mon Calamari' got its name."
"How dare you-?"
"No, we have to be honest with our past," Ackbar said. "While I don't condone this secrecy, we owe ourselves and to our brothers and sisters of Dac to be a better world."
"You're too young to understand."
"Maybe, but I am just old enough to chart a new future for ourselves, starting with a serious negotiation to share planetary power…"
"Including a name change back to its original?" Ranma asked.
"First thing on the agenda, I shall fight for it."
"Good. I'll be sure to have the Jedi send you the bill."
And, with that, Ranma leaves Coral City's council chambers, with his friend in his arms.
"Don't worry," Ranma said. "We'll get through this one yet…"
Tbc.
Next Time: As the Clone Wars heat up, Ranma will have to fight for the life, and soul, of his friend Usagi. See you then!