The Fox and the Stars: A Skyward Adventure

by ZeroDivisionRaijin

A fateful meeting, arranged by the Force. One meeting was all it took to push Naruto onto his new path that would show him a brand new bigger world that he had no idea existed. The serenity of the Jedi and temptations of the Sith face him on his new adventure. Which path will he take? Will he bask in the Light or wallow in the Dark? Strong/Smart Naruto, F!Revan.

4. Chapter 4

AN: And for your patience, I come at you all with the longest chapter of this story! Here I am again, kiddies, with the end of the Mandalorian War arc and the beginning of the true story! I'll admit, I probably rushed it a bit by the end of the chapter, but it was intentional, as I know you all want to get to the meat of this one! But enough of by blathering!

Chapter 4: Malachor

"I'm sorry, General Uzumaki." The Vanguard's navigations officer apologized. "I haven't seen General Surik. She may still be coordinating cleanup down on Dxun."

"I see." Naruto slowly nodded as he tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "Thank you, Lieutenant." He bowed to the man and excused himself.

It was only just a short two weeks after the initial battles for both Dxun and Onderon. Two weeks of blood, sweat, tears and pure hell that turned not only Naruto jaded, but the rest of his Shinobi entourage. They were all affected in different ways by Konohamaru's death, which was compounded by countless more deaths that they either witnessed or directly caused. To cope with the loss, every one of them directed their grief against the Mandalorians, save for Hinata who stuck to the back ranks helping the tide of wounded flooding in every day. Naruto, however, took it the hardest and spent almost every waking moment out in the field with the advance scouts or cutting a swath through the thickest fighting on the frontlines, which earned him countless praises from Republic brass, a few medals, and a new moniker: the Bloody Maelstrom, coined when he almost single-handedly decimated an entire company of Mandalorian elites when his platoon had been cut off and killed before him.

He wasn't blind to what was happening to him, however. He had been meaning to seek counsel with Meetra, but she had always been busy with the whole Dxun front of the battle that she couldn't readily see him. Now, with he battles for both Dxun and Onderon drawing to a close, he had assumed that she'd be aboard the Vanguard, but now it seemed that she was handling the cleanup detail personally.

'More meditating, it seems.' He inwardly mused to himself as he sighed, his fingers fidgeting under the fabric of his sleeves.

"General, sir!" The communications officer cut off his exeunt. "Holo coming in from Commander Revan."

"Pull it up." Naruto ordered, being that he was the ranking Jedi on the ship at the moment.

"Naruto." Revan greeted the boy with a nod of the head. "Have you been in contact with your Master recently?"

"No, sir." Naruto shook his head. "I believe she's still down on Dxun, making sure that the Mandos have surrendered."

"Then I shall trust you with what I'm about to say." The blue image before him flickered with a moment's disruption of static. "I believe we know where Mandalore has retreated."

"This is good news!" Naruto exclaimed. "We can catch that snake and bring this war to a close!"

"I share in your enthusiasm my young friend, believe me." Revan shifted in place. "I believe he's fled to the Malachor system. I also believe he intends to make his final stand there."

"Let the dog fight." He snarled. "Like every rabid beast, we shall put him down."

"Such viciousness." The commander noted. "The war must have gotten to you."

"I…" Immediately, Naruto took in a breath to calm himself, then bowed. "I apologize, sir. That outburst was uncalled for and was against the teachings of the Jedi. I let my emotions get the better of me, like I have foolishly done so many other times prior to my life as a Jedi."

"I sense trepidation in your words, young Padawan." Revan crossed his arms over his chest. "Has Meetra counseled you on these feelings you're keeping bottled up?"

Leave it to Revan to see right through him.

"No, sir." He shook his head, still bowed.

"Rise, Naruto." Revan beckoned him so and he did. "This should be spoken about in person. Meet me aboard my flagship, the Resolute; there we can talk."

"Yes, sir." Naruto nodded, then gulped and let out a held breath as the blue image of his Commander flickered out when the call ended.

Aboard the Resolute in a meeting with the Supreme Commander himself… well, this would be interesting.

(The Resolute: Minutes later)

The room was darkened and barren of any furnishings, save for two mats laid upon the floor. Upon these two mats sat Revan and Naruto, facing each other in a lotus position. Blue eyes reflected off of the polished surface of the mask the man before them wore, which did nothing to ease the growing anxiety that Naruto was now feeling. Revan was unmoving, save for the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed and Naruto couldn't be sure if the man had his eyes closed or not, again, because of the mask. They had sat there for a good ten minutes meditating and he was sure Revan could feel his anxiety, his worries, the unspoken fears rattling around in his head.

"You fear what's happening to you, don't you?" Revan's voice suddenly broke the palpable silence. "You fear reprisal for relentlessly pursuing the Mandalorians for the injustices they've suffered upon the galaxy."

"I fear my own methods." Naruto nodded as he opened his eyes. "I fear that my example during this war will reflect badly upon Master Surik and jeopardize not only my official candidacy for the Order, but her position."

"And why exactly do you fear this?" Revan asked plainly.

"Because my anger, my burning hatred for the Mandalorians could lead me down a very dark road." He balled his hands into the fabric of his pants. "The Council may suspect me of corruption, label me Dark Jedi. They may either kill me on the spot or exile me back to my home planet, where I most likely will be tried for desertion and executed."

"The future is never certain, Naruto." Revan counseled. "In the short time you've served on Dxun, you've already received medals and commendations, requests for promotion from the upper echelons of even my personal staff and a name that has stricken fear into the rank and file soldiers of the Mandalorian menace." He leaned forward slightly. "The Bloody Maelstrom is a name that the soldiers we've captured know too well, it's among the three names that have been blacklisted by Mandalore himself as names to either prioritize execution or to retreat from."

"And those are?" Naruto asked, though he was sure he knew where this was going.

"Revan, Alek and Meetra Surik." Naruto could feel the smile tugging at Revan's face. "And now Naruto Uzumaki, the Bloody Maelstrom. You've gained much distinction and honor during this campaign, Naruto; enough for the Republic generals to sing your praises right along with our names as one of the four heroes of the war. When this war ends and the Council, by some twisted miracle, do declare you unfit for the Order, the political backlash from touching one of us four would be too much for the Council to talk their way through; they'd be forced to bite their tongues and sit on their hands while you, Alek, Meetra and I lead our armies through Coruscant in a victory parade."

"That still doesn't change the fact that I know something is wrong with me!" Naruto's eyes snapped open. "Revan, I'm trying to rid myself of these feelings; I know that the route I'm on right now will lead to my fall! I've spent my whole life resisting the dark side even without knowing what it was, but now that I know that it exists, now that I've fallen prey to its temptations…" His gaze fell to the durasteel floor. "I'm scared, Revan. I'm scared of falling, I'm scared of turning into something I don't want to be, I'm scared…" Desperately, he raised his head once again and met the 'T' visor of his Commander. "I'm scared of Master Surik seeing me like this."

Where it wasn't immediately apparent to Revan, now he could see. As if a veil had been lifted, there was a light tint of yellow in Naruto's blue eyes, immediately surrounding his pupils and his skin was starting to pale slightly, save for his whisker marks, which were growing bolder and darker. He had been touched by the dark side of the Force and its roots were starting to encroach upon him.

"I need guidance, Revan." Naruto clenched his eyes back shut and bowed his head. "Please… help me."

'Never have I seen someone so touched by the Force that they show signs of corruption this early on.' Revan inwardly pondered. 'It was a subtle thing at first, but now with this veil lifted, I can see Naruto for who he truly is…'

Swirling around the boy in question was a whirlwind of Force energy. He seemed to be a living conduit of the Force, a nexus in which it could most easily flow through. Such Jedi were rare, but there had been practitioners of such natural skill, much like himself. The drawback was being easily swayed by either extreme end of the Force; one could be drawn to the light and never succumb to the dark or conversely, they could be dragged down into the depths of the dark, never to see the light again. As he stared at the swirling energy around the blonde, Revan realized the magnitude of what was sitting in front of him. Naruto, whether he knew it or not, was the single most naturally gifted practitioner of the Force he had ever seen; a rare diamond in the rough, a once in a millennia miracle gifted to the world by the living Force itself… and he was asking for advice.

"Use these feelings, Naruto." Revan finally spoke after considering his options. "Use the anger you feel for the Mandalorians, feed on the hate and never forget the anguish of losing your 'little brother' to them. We're so close to ending this war; don't extinguish your fame when you have only just ignited it, let it burn and allow it to help light the path to our victory."

"B-But…" Naruto gulped. "I could fall even farther…"

"This war had been hard on us all, my young friend." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Alek, Meetra and I have lost our fair share of friends and comrades already; we've ridden the emotional waves just as you're currently doing and we've learned to inherently cut ourselves off from the world when performing our duty in whatever capacity is necessary to end this once and for all."

"So… this is just a natural thing?" He asked, his eyes wide with seeming recognition.

"It's called being human, Naruto." Again, Revan wisely counseled. "Because you can still feel all of these emotions bubbling up inside you means that you haven't fallen as far as you think; you can still feel the pain of losing a friend, the remorse of having to cut down an opponent. You're still alive, and you're still Jedi."

The words Revan was saying, the way he said them… it all felt right to Naruto, who accepted the counsel with open arms, almost missing what was to come next.

"And I believe some sort of official reward is in order, other than your medals." As he stood, Revan took his lightsaber from his belt and activated it with a loud snap-hiss that jolted Naruto out of his reverie, as he was in the middle of mulling over their entire conversation. "Naruto Uzumaki, kneel."

After a hesitation, Naruto shifted his position so he was on one knee in front of his Commander, his head bowed.

"As of now, I, Revan, Supreme Commander of the Republic, pronounce you Knight of the Jedi Order." He hovered his lightsaber over one of the blonde's shoulders, then hovered it over the other. "Rise, Jedi Knight Naruto Uzumaki."

Too stunned to do anything else, Naruto merely stood with wide eyes and a dumbfounded look upon his face, his mouth opening and closing with a number of yet unspoken questions.

"And know that you are now officially a Jedi General, a rank you previously held through your Master." Revan continued as the violet blade of his lightsaber retracted back into its hilt. "You now share Meetra's standing and I now consider you a part of my inner council. With your new rank comes your own ship, the right to choose a Padawan of your own and the command of a fourth of the total forces at our command."

"Wh-Where…" Naruto found his voice and immediately cleared his throat. "Where will these forces come from? The fleet is already divided into thirds between you, Alek and Master Surik."

"I'll be diverting ships, soldiers and supplies from all three of our fleets to yours." Revan coolly answered. "I have the main command fleet, Alek as the defense fleet, Meetra the heavy fleet… and you shall command the newly established support fleet."

"Thank you, Revan!" Instantly, Naruto bowed his head once again, this time a bit deeper than before. "Not only have you counseled me through a dark time, you entrust me with a fourth of our total forces. The faith and confidence you have in me humbles me greatly!"

"Pay back my faith and confidence by helping me end this war and standing beside me as an equal as we march through Coruscant." Again, Naruto could feel Revan's smile through the Force. "Now, report to Onderon for some down time. By the end of the week, we'll have your fleet ready for you to assume command and we all will be ready to head to Malachor."

"Yes, sir!" Naruto snapped into a salute, the biggest smile plastered on his face as he turned on his heel and began his walk out.

"Also give some thought on who you're going to take on as your Padawan!" Revan called after the boy as he exited the meditation chamber.

(Onderon: Iziz Cantina: Some time later)

"And he finally shows up!" Ino blurted out, red dusting her cheeks and a half-empty bottle of juma juice held in her right hand. "Naruto, come on and celebrate being alive with us!" She slurred with a hiccup.

"We survived, that's what she means." Shikamaru corrected the trashed blonde behind him. "Just blowing off steam." He shrugged and took a drag of the cigarette he was nursing, then downed the last of his Tarisian ale.

"Saved you a seat!" Sakura gestured to the seat to her right. "Come on, take a load off!"

"Gladly." He sighed contently as he settled into the seat with a smile. "Despite the hardships we've faced, today's a good day."

"How so?" Shikamaru asked.

"I just got knighted, promoted to full Jedi General and received my own fleet." He answered casually as he took a sip of the Corellian whiskey that was brought for him.

"T-That's wonderful, Naruto-kun." Hinata, albeit quietly, spoke up as she returned from the bar with a tray of finger foods.

"Wait, wait." Ino slammed her bottle upon the table. "Just how high up the hierarchy are you now?!"

"Fourth." He answered after another sip of his whiskey. "Revan, Alek, Master Surik and then me."

"Gods above…" Shikamaru sighed. "Looks like we're gonna have to address you properly from now on."

"My fleet's being organized as we speak, and within the week, I should have my flagship and we all should be ready to make our next move." Naruto continued. "I know where we're heading next, but I'm choosing to wait for Revan to address everyone at the same time."

"One more reason to celebrate, then!" Sakura declared. "Let's all just live it up while we can!" She lifted her glass of Tarisian ale. "To Naruto and his new command!"

"Hell yeah!" Ino raised her bottle of juma.

"T-To a better future!" Hinata declared with a smile as she raised her watered down ale.

"To just surviving." Shikamaru lazily raised his glass or Tarisian ale which he was hesitantly sharing with Sakura.

"To the end of this damned war!" Naruto raised his Corellian whiskey and clinked it against everyone else's drinks. "And to lasting friendships; may we never drift apart!"

As the day turned to night, the group of five Jedi celebrated away with drink and countless games of pazaak between both them and the flood of Republic soldiers who were now frequenting the watering hole. Surprisingly, Hinata had gone undefeated in the many games of pazaak they had played, but by that point they all were sloshed, the usually conservative Hyuuga princess included.

"To the Republic!" Naruto shot out of his seat suddenly, a half-drunk bottle of the same Corellian whiskey he had been drinking throughout the night held aloft.

"Here, here!" A Republic Lieutenant stood up and toasted as well. "To Generals Revan, Alek and Surik!"

"To all the Jedi!" Another Lieutenant stood that Naruto recognized as Carth Onasi. "May the Order thrive for generations to come!"

"I lost again…" Shikamaru groaned as he set his cards down. "How are you so good at this game, Hinata?"

Hinata was passed out in her chair. All too late, Shikamaru realized that he had lost to himself.

"If ya can stop riling the crowd…" Sakura stumbled to her feet, a heavy slur to her voice. "Ino and I need help getting back to our apartments…"

Inebriated as he was, Naruto could still hold his liquor, so as the Republic soldiers cheered and toasted, he set his bottle down and slung one of the pinkette's arms over his shoulders.

"Up you come." He turned his attention to Ino, who was dangerously close to passing out herself, and hefted her to her feet.

"Ohhh…" Ino groaned. "I'm gonna regret this in the morning…"

"We all will." Naruto agreed with that sentiment with a nod, then began guiding the pair out of the lively cantina. "Here's hoping Shikamaru's coherent enough to take care of Hinata while I'm gone."

"They'll be fine." By this point, Sakura was starting to hiccup.

"Heeeyy~~" Ino slurred into his ear. "You're really cute, Naruto. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"I may be sloshed, Ino, but I'm still coherent enough to not rise to this." Despite his blush and the feeling of Ino's very well endowed breasts being pushed into his arm as he walked, Naruto was content to let the horny drunk of a blonde raddle on until getting her to her apartment.

"Like Naruto would…" Sakura stopped for a hiccup. "Would ever stoop to your level, Ino-pig!"

"You're not woman enough for him, Forehead!" Ino drunkenly snarled.

"And you're both shitfaced." Naruto sighed as the two drunken friends took verbal shots at each other, even as they approached their apartments. "Go and sleep it off. That's an order, ladies."

"Fuck you!" Sakura flipped him off as she entered her apartment and slammed the door behind her.

"You wish you could, flatty!" Ino called out after her. "So, Naruto~~…" As she turned, she found that her fellow blonde was nowhere to be found. "Dammit." She clicked her tongue with a pout.

"By the Force, those two are a handful…" Naruto muttered to himself as he made his way back to the cantina for more drinks and a few more rounds of pazaak.

As he stumbled through the dimly lit Iziz streets, coming across the occasional celebrating Republic soldier or fellow Jedi out on patrol, he took a shortcut through a side alley. Upon rounding the corner into the alley, he had bumped into a person who had rounded the corner at the same time as him.

"My apologies." He inclined his head to the person.

"It was my mistake." The girl he bumped into returned the nod then continued on.

"You want to stop walking." Immediately, it seemed as if Naruto had sobered up as he rounded upon the person while waving his right hand.

Following the Force suggestion, the girl from before stopped walking mid step as the blonde crossed the distance between them.

"You will give my credits back." He waved his hand again and pocketed the credits that the pickpocket had lifted from him.

"Didn't know you were a blasted Jedi!" The girl panicked. "A thousand apologies, Master Jedi; I didn't mean to cross you!"

"Did my robes not give me away?" Naruto deadpanned with a twitching eyebrow. "Or the lightsaber on my belt?"

"Ok, maybe I knew you were a Jedi." The girl conceded the point. "I thought I could be quick enough that you wouldn't notice."

"I wasn't always a Jedi you know." He chuckled as he let the girl free from his Force stasis. "Once upon a time, I was a street urchin and a thief who eventually turned assassin more or less."

"So, what?" The girl turned to face him. "You get where I'm coming from?"

The girl in front of him turned out to be a Zeltron. She stood at around 5'6", had deep red skin and dark blue, almost black hair, seemed to be maybe a year or two younger than him and had bright lilac eyes wearing simple commoners clothing that was smudged and scratched here and there.

"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" Naruto smiled at the girl. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Jedi Knight and General of the Republic."

"Riza." The now identified Riza introduced herself. "Riza T'Loak. So, what now? Are you gonna arrest me?"

"You tell me." Naruto crossed his arms. "You should be able to read me good enough to judge my intentions."

"I'm a Zeltron, sure, but you're overestimating out telepathy." Riza frowned at the challenge. "Besides…"

"I'm a Jedi." Naruto finished for her with a smirk. "I knew you were going to say that."

"Again, because I'm/you're a Jedi!" Naruto and Riza respectively intoned at the same time.

"Stop that!" They continued.

"I'll keep doing this until you show me how potent your potential is!"

As they both intoned this, a look of sudden realization dawned upon Riza's features when she realized that Naruto had been leading her on the entire time in an effort to draw something out of her.

"Your natural talent." He explained calmly. "I may still be a relatively new Jedi, but I can sense the Force's hand upon your shoulder. Whether you know it or not, you're touched."

"M-My telepathy is just sharper than others'!" Riza hesitated. "I can't be 'touched' or anything of the sort! I'm not that special!"

"The Force doesn't discriminate, Riza." He shook his head as he uncrossed his arms and took a couple of steps towards her. "You've been touched by the Force; what's more is you've unknowingly been using your latent gifts to help you read people better." His neutral face faltered into a smirk once again. "How many games of pazaak have you hustled for quick creds?"

"Too many to count…" She admitted with a downcast look. "It was all I could do to help support myself. Parents were killed by the Mandalorians and my sister was sold to the Exchange. Been hustling pazaak and pickpocketing strangers for a living."

"A living that you don't have to endure anymore." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm offering you a new life; Revan needs as many good soldiers and Jedi as he can get and I sense greatness within you."

"No more slumming it?" She asked as her lilac eyes caught the ocean of blue that was the Jedi's eyes in front of her.

"Not anymore." He shook his head with a smile. "Should you come with me, I can arrange for you to receive proper training. And you can help us take the fight to the bastards that murdered your folks."

"So long as those monsters pay… I'm in." Riza nodded resolutely.

"Welcome to the Order, Riza T'Loak."

(Onderon Orbit: Days later)

"Crew!" The Captain of the Vanguard barked out. "Atten-HUT!"

At once, a chorus of boots on metal rang throughout the hangar as Meetra, Naruto and a freshly robed Riza made for the shuttle.

"At ease!" Meetra ordered. "Let's not stand on ceremony here, people; a dear friend of ours is leaving us for his own command!"

"To General Uzumaki!" One crewman declared.

"To General Uzumaki!" The whole hangar bay erupted with chants and cheers.

"It's been an honor serving with and getting to know you all!" Naruto stepped up with a meek Riza sticking close to her Master. "You know I'm not one for over excessive emotional displays, so I'll keep this short; I have my own fleet now and I'm going to use it to help kick these Mandalorian bastards right in their asses!" He paused for an uproar of more cheers. "The end of this blasted war is in sight, so let's all do our part and push these monsters out of the galaxy!"

"Back to your posts, the lot of you!" Meetra barked out over the cheers and jibes. "I want the fleet prepped for hyperspace within the hour!"

"Riza, go tell the pilots to prep my shuttle." He turned to his Padawan as the entirety of the hangar quickly emptied to carry out their duties.

"Yes, Master." She bowed and walked off to do as she was ordered.

And then they were alone…

"I can scarcely believe it." She beamed at the blonde in front of her. "One moment, you're my Padawan and the next you're knighted and my equal. I knew you were destined for greatness."

"All thanks to your guidance, Master." Naruto bashfully smiled and scratched the back of his head. "I made it this far because you decided to visit my backwater little home planet. All I am, I owe to you."

"And still so humble." She giggled as she ruffled his hair. "You're a fine Jedi, Naruto, and your faith to the Order is finally being rewarded." Her right hand moved from his crown to his shoulder. "I'm going to miss having you on this ship."

"I'm gonna miss being here." He lifted his left hand to caress the hand on his shoulder. "But I have my own ship now, my own crew and my own fleet… and we're heading out to end this war."

"If there were no war…" She took a step into him and grabbed his left hand as she linked their fingers together. "We would have never met."

"If there was any good to come out of this conflict… it's that we met." He smiled at her, a smile which faltered momentarily. "Master… what's to become of us?"

"… I'm not blind to what's happening." She took in a calming breath. "There's an attraction between us… an attraction I attribute to our Force Bond. We've developed an unusually strong bond, stronger than a bond between Master and Padawan should be..." Another small step into him she took. "And we've slowly been dancing around each other, gradually becoming more physical with our affections, like right now… it's against everything the Order practices and preaches."

"What the Council doesn't know won't hurt them." Naruto shook his head. "Master, these feelings aren't wrong or perverse at all… it's a human emotion that everyone feels, including the Council."

"We can't, Naruto." She also shook her head, albeit a bit more desperately. "I was your Master, I'm older than you by a few years and I'm still technically your superior. Not to mention the Code forbids – AAHN!" She yelped in surprise when she felt a pair of lips envelop hers.

Though immediately startled, Meetra found herself, against her better judgment, stepping fully into him to allow him to wrap his strong arms around her waist as they deepened the kiss. Their eyes were closed, her hands were exploring the wild ocean of blonde that was his hair and their lips moved in perfect sync with each other… until sense returned to her and she pushed him off.

"W-We…" She struggled to regain control of herself. "We shouldn't have done that…"

"I… I'm sorry, Master." Naruto quickly bowed his head. "I don't know what came over me." He rose and turned on a heel. "I should… head to my ship."

With not another word spoken, he beat a hasty retread onto the waiting shuttle, which eventually took off, leaving a still flustered and very confused Meetra standing there alone with her thoughts.

The shuttle ride was deathly silent as Naruto stood at the far end of said shuttle, away from Riza, who was sitting in one of the seats staring at him curiously.

"Are you alright, Master?" She asked.

"Fine." He answered a bit too quickly for his own liking. "Just had an emotional goodbye with Master Surik."

"The bond between you two must me strong." She idly noted as she leaned back in the seat. "Hopefully I prove to be as good a student to you as you were to her."

"You will, Riza." He managed a smile as he rounded upon her. "I have faith in you."

"We're here, General." The pilot called back to the both.

"Here we go…" Naruto took in a breath as Riza stood and took her place at his right as the loading ramp opened.

What greeted them as they made their way down the ramp was the entirety of the crew lined up in formation to greet them, all standing at attention with the Captain waiting at the foot of the ramp.

"Welcome aboard, General." The Captain snapped to attention with a salute. "I'm Forn Dodonna, Captain of the Paladin. Welcome aboard, sir."

The Paladin was the sister ship of the Vanguard. It was a Centurion-class battlecruiser that was only a couple hundred meters larger than its sister yet still carried the same armaments and fighter compliments, albeit with a few more guns added in because of the added length.

"Glad to be aboard, Captain Dodonna." Naruto shook the woman's hand, then addressed his crew. "At ease!" At once, the entirety of the assembled crew stood at ease as ordered. "Like I just got done telling the Vanguard's crew: The end of this war is in sight and I'm making it my mission to use my new command to my fullest ability. We're all here for one reason and one reason alone; to end this damned war, and that's just what we're going to do!"

"You heard the General!" Dodonna began barking amidst the cheers. "To your stations! Let's welcome the General properly; with a smooth jump to lightspeed!"

As the crew hopped to their tasks, Dodonna motioned for Naruto and Riza to follow her to the turbolifts, whereupon they reached the bridge after a short ride.

"General, priority holo coming in from Commander Revan!" The communications officer reported in immediately.

"Patch him through." Naruto ordered as he linked his hands behind his back.

"I'll be over here, then." Riza stepped back, but was halted by her Master.

"You should be here for the call, Riza." He smiled at her. "Please, stand beside me."

"Naruto." Revan nodded to the boy as the blue image fizzled to life. "And Riza." He regarded the girl. "How do you find your nee life among us?"

"Different, sir." Riza's back straightened when the man addressed her. "Different, but worthwhile so far."

"Stick by Naruto's side and he'll guide you towards your destiny." He nodded, then turned his attention back to Naruto. "How are you finding your new ship, my friend?"

"Fits me like a glove." Naruto smirked at the blue image in front of him. "Ready and eager to prove myself as a part of this inner council of yours."

"On that note, I have your new orders." Revan put on his 'commander' voice. "Your fleet shall accompany mine into the system, where we'll bait the Mandalorians into a final stand over Malachor V. Meetra's fleet will be taking most of the heavy lifting on this one while Alek will be securing the rest of the system."

"So I need to divide my fleet between yours and Master Surik's." Naruto nodded in understanding as he folded his arms across his chest. "Mandalore would relish a chance of facing you personally and we're banking on that. While you take on Mandalore, my support fleet will be aiding Master Surik's heavies while also providing orbital support for the planet itself."

"Your fleet may have just been formed, but it will play a vital role in the coming battle." Revan spoke. "Your forces will be engaged both on the ground and in space while the rest of us make sure this bait and switch goes smoothly."

"My boys can handle it, Revan." He declared with clenched fists and a fire lit in his blue eyes. "Just give me the go ahead."

"We're all ready to jump, General!" The navigations officer reported in.

"Revan?" Naruto directed the report to his superior.

"All ships…" Revan seemed to pause as he took in a breath. "Engage."

With the order given, the four assembled fleets began their jumps to hyperspace. First went Revan's fleet, then Alek's, third Meetra's and finally Naruto's. This was it, they were headed towards their destinies."

(Battle of Malachor V: Hours later)

The ship rocked as a full broadside of turbolasers were unleashed upon a passing Mandalorian capital ship, ripping through whatever shields it had left and shearing it in half in a vibrant explosion. Aboard the Paladin the crew were rushing form terminal to terminal going through status reports on both the space battle and ground war while their General stood there still as a statue, hands linked behind his back as he observed the battle passively.

"Divert Red Squadron and Gold Squadron to harass that frigate in front of us while Blue Squadron goes in for a bombing run." Naruto coolly ordered. "Forward batteries open fire when its shields are down."

"Tell the commanders on the ground we're prepping reinforcements for them!" Riza called out over the chatter and explosions. "Light armor should be on its way as we speak!"

The frigate in front of the Paladin was ripped apart when the forward batteries scored a direct hit upon its bridge while the fighters buzzing around the ship passed by occasionally, chasing down opposing Mandalorian fighters.

"General, status report from Padawan Haruno!" The communications officer barked. "She's made it to the surface of Malachor V and is leading a battalion of Jedi and soldiers into the thickest of fighting; requesting orbital bombardment on a stubborn base!"

"Divert the request to the Ravager!" Naruto ordered as he turned to face the Comms officer. "She should be in range for some heavy bombardment!"

On the Paladin's starboard side rumbled into view the Ravager, another Centurion-class battlecruiser that was under Naruto's command as one of his heavies as it pushed through the Mandalorian lines and opened upon the planet with its red turbolasers.

"Full reverse; let's get out of her way, people!" The blonde Jedi General ordered once the Ravager began its bombardment.

As his ship began its reverse, he tuned himself back into the overall battle. He watched as countless fighters on both sides were shot down, ships ranging in sizes from cruisers to dreadnoughts were felled and Revan was nowhere to be seen. He had been delayed and Alek was securing the rest of the system, leaving just his fleet and Meetra's fleet against the whole of the Mandalorian armada… and it was a losing fight. Finally, as though answering a prayer, a third fleet jumped in and began firing upon the Mandalorian lines; this was Revan's fleet, their Commander had finally made it.

"Sorry I'm late to the party." Revan's voice sprang to life through the comm channels. "Scouting party delayed me, but I took care of them."

"I thought I'd have to take on Mandalore myself at this rate." Naruto cracked a smirk. "Seriously, I was this close to ordering my shuttle to prepare!"

"There's a battle going on here, in case you haven't noticed?!" Meetra barked over comms.

"So what?!" Naruto shot back. "Let these bastards come at us; more bodies to burn at the end of the day!" He didn't know what it was, but the feel of the entire system was… off. It put him on edge and all he wanted was to end the battle and be away from the place.

"Naruto's right, Meetra." Revan agreed with his young friend. "Now that I'm here, Mandalore's probably salivating at the thought of taking me on personally…" The tone over comms darkened significantly. "I'll give him the fight he wants."

"Make it bloody, Revan!" Naruto snarled, unbeknownst to him his eyes were now flashing yellow.

"Revan, wait!" Meetra called out too late, as the channel had been cut. "You're encouraging him!" She scolded her former student.

"He doesn't need encouraging from someone like me!" Naruto denied. "He's doing what he must to end this war and I'll do what I can to support him!"

"We're not having this conversation now! Concentrate on the battle!"

"That's all I've been doing since Dxun!" More yellow seeped into his eyes. "Yet I'm stuck on this ship! Fuck this!" He rounded upon his Padawan. "Riza, have my shuttle prepped; I'm following Revan onto Mandalore's flagship!"

"Naruto, DON'T!" Despite his former Master's pleas, he cut the channel and stormed off towards the turbolift at the far end of the room.

The flight was rough, as to be expected from a raging battle, but after a few close calls, the shuttle containing Naruto, four of his elite Jedi and a company of Republic shock troopers landed within one of the hangar bays of Mandalore's flagship. As the loading ramp lowered, his orange lightsaber sprang to life and he charged out of the craft, followed closely by his four Jedi. Weapons were cut in half, limbs were dismembered, blaster bolts deflected and a swath was cut into the Mandalorian hangar bay.

Desperately, one Mandalorian hurled his entire pack of thermal detonators at the blonde who he recognized as the Bloody Maelstrom, only for the pack to stop midair as Naruto held it there with the Force and sent it careening back into the hapless individual who threw it. As the soldier stumbled back, the pack detonated just as he fell against a bomber, which in turn detonated its payload, nearly leveling the entire hangar in the process.

"All clear here, sir." One of the female Jedi under his command reported in.

"Shame Riza can't be here." He found himself chuckling. "If she'd have begun crafting her lightsaber, I might have considered bringing her along for practical experience." He then shrugged as he got on his comlink. "Revan, I followed you in; just cleared a hangar bay of all hostiles, where are you?"

"Upper levels." Revan's voice crackled over the comlink. "My men and I should have cleared a way; just follow the bodies and clean up whatever we missed. Meet Ino halfway; I left her behind with a contingent of soldiers to guard my rear."

"Roger that." Naruto nodded, then turned back to his strike team. "Let's move it, people!"

As Revan said, the path towards the upper levels of the dreadnought were indeed clear, with only a sparse few soldiers offering opposition along the way until finally the team came upon another blonde Jedi guarding an intersection.

"Master Revan said you'd show up." Ino smirked as she joined Naruto in his approach to the turbolift. "Leave some of your forces here to reinforce mine; we're going up to reinforce Revan."

"You two stay here with a few soldiers; hold this point!" Naruto barked a two of his Jedi elites. "The rest of you follow us!"

The other two Jedi and about six other Republic soldiers filed into the turbolift with the twin blondes, their mission clear: Reinforce and guard Revan at any costs. As the turbolift slowed to a halt, Ino withdrew her saber and licked her lips as a tint of yellow found its way into her eyes.

"How many have you killed?" She asked.

"Too many to count." Naruto also licked his lips as he held his lightsaber loosely in his right hand, the yellow now bleeding into his eyes once again as well.

"Let's both add to the pile, shall we?"

"Show me how well you can dance, Ino-chan." He teased her as they both crouched down into a ready stance just as the turbolift doors opened.

Orange and double-bladed purple sprang to life with Ino taking the lead as she spun her twin-blade in a flourish, blocking the incoming volley of blaster bolts while Naruto dashed ahead of her, blocking a few stray bolts as they came, and decapitated one Mandalorian as he Force pushed another back first into the durasteel walls of the ship. On instinct, Ino leaped over his head and right into the middle of the Mandalorian formation. Two spinning cuts relieved one soldier of their arm and head, a backswing bisected another at the waist and as she charged forward, she spun her lightsaber once again, mincing two others as they retreated while Naruto cut through the heavy carbine of the commander and lifted her up off the ground with the Force. Without a second thought, he closed his left hand into a fist and crushed the woman's throat, then casually tossed the corpse aside.

"Overachiever." He chuckled at the carnage he and Ino had just wrought.

"Don't be mad because I make this shit look good." She swayed her hips seductively as she walked away from him, her lightsaber now deactivated and hanging from her belt.

"Still more Mandalorians to kill, though." He jogged until he had caught up with her. "And we still have to find Revan."

"We could just as easily clean this entre ship out, take her a prize." His fellow blonde suggested.

"And use it as what?" He scoffed. "Our personal pleasure yacht?"

"Could you two just hurry up and find a room?" Revan's voice cut the light flirting short.

"R-Revan, sir!" Naruto exclaimed with a blush. "How long have you been listening?!"

"Long enough." He grumbled. "Mandalore's dead."

"About time!" Ino cheered.

"Orders then, sir?" He asked.

"We scuttle this ship and return to our own; there's still the war to win, after all!" Revan ordered.

"We're just below the bridge, we'll wait for you here, sir."

About the time Naruto said that did the turbolift doors in front of them open to reveal their Master and Commander.

"Wait's over, let's go." He suggested.

He seemed to be in a hurry. Though, considering that he had just killed Mandalore and the end of the war was at hand, Naruto could understand why he was in a hurry. It didn't take long for them to reach the hangar bays, and Naruto would have crossed the threshold into the bay that held his shuttle… except for the fact that he felt something. It was an echo in the Force, what started off as a ripple that was heading his way.

"You feel that?" He turned to Ino, who was gripping her head between both hands. "I-Ino?!"

"It h-hurts!" She bit out.

And then it hit him. A wave of pain unimaginable, echoes of thousands upon thousands of voices crying out in betrayal, in anguish. He could see their faces, friend and enemy alike. He could see their terror, their tears, he could hear their screams… among them he saw Sakura, crying out in sheer terror as she was crushed along with everyone and everything else. It was pure hell, and it hurt more than anything he had ever experienced before, it was stabbing him in his very soul, the Force itself was crying out.

As this echo washed over them, both Naruto and Ino screamed at the top of their lungs before this echo turned into a wound and the wound turned into a hole that rent even the living Force asunder. As the Force rippled and echoed around them and then was turned to nothingness, their minds went blank and darkness consumed them.

"Mass Shadow Generator has been activated, Revan." Alek's voice came over Revan's comlink. "I felt it even all the way out here."

"The war is over, Alek." Revan coldly replied as he stared down at the unconscious but alive forms of the twin blondes. "The war is over, yet another has just begun…"

"How do you mean?" Alek asked.

"We'll talk more on my ship." Revan dismissed the question as he hefted Ino onto his left shoulder and Naruto onto his right as he boarded the shuttle before him.

"W-Where to, sir?" The shell-shocked pilot queried.

"Back to the Resolute." Revan ordered.

(The Resolute: Some time later)

His eyes struggled to open, he could barely move his body at all, but through sheer will and determination, Naruto opened his eyes to the sight of a Republic medbay. Well, at least he was alive, that was a plus. His head still hurt like hell, but that was nothing a few painkillers couldn't fix. He groaned as he sat up in his bed and ran a tired hand down his face. He couldn't remember anything, save for this massive amount of pain and sensory overload before passing out, so with this blank spot in his memory plaguing him, he spared a glance around the medbay and found Ino lying in the bed beside him, still unconscious.

"She's going to be fine." A familiar voice called out to him. "You both are, thank the Force."

"Where are we, Shika?" Naruto asked hoarsely.

"The Resolute." Shikamaru answered as he passed the drowsy blonde a glass of water. "You and Ino have been out for the better part of two days; I only woke up a few hours ago myself, same with Hinata."

"And Sakura?" Naruto asked after gulping down a generous portion of the given water. "How long until she wakes up? Or has she woken up already?"

"She…" Shikamaru hesitated, then took in a calming breath. "Sakura's dead, Naruto."

"… What?" He glared at the Nara.

"She was on Malachor when the device was set off; she died quickly… hopefully."

"Device?!" He snapped. "What device?!"

"The Mass Shadow Generator." Revan answered as he calmly strode into the room. "It was a secret project ordered by myself. It was a last-option fallback to ensure the Mandalorian's unconditional surrender."

"Did we know the effects?!" Yellow tinted blue eyes glared daggers into the 'T' visor of their commander.

"We had an inkling, yes." Revan nodded. "Sacrifices were necessary for the total surrender of the clans."

"Half of those sacrifices were my soldiers!" Naruto yelled as he balled his fists into the fabric of the bed. "Sakura was among them!"

"And you think I don't mourn their losses?!" The senior Jedi snapped. "I ordered the project and your Master ordered its activation! If there were any other way to ensure the end of this war, I would have taken it in a heartbeat, believe me!"

"It's just…" The blonde swallowed as he cast his gaze downwards. "I lost Konohamaru to those monsters… and now I've lost Sakura…"

"We all have lost Sakura." Shikamaru pitched in. "I don't like it, but I agree with Revan; it was the only surefire way to ensure total surrender."

"Though there are still stragglers and holdouts." Revan mentioned. "Alek and I have decided to pursue the survivors; we're just waiting for yours and Meetra's input on the situation."

"Give me some time?" Naruto asked as he glanced from Shikamaru to Revan, who nodded in understanding.

"Get some rest, Naruto." The masked Jedi advised. "When Meetra wakes up, we'll inform you."

With that, both Revan and Shikamaru filed out of the room to give the blonde some quiet and privacy. The memories were coming back to him now; he remembered the echo, he remembered seeing Sakura amidst the ghosts, he remembered this echo turning into a wound… and even as he pondered over these memories, he could feel the wound in the Force that Malachor left in its wake and he shuddered. He must have spent a good long while sifting through the memories and dealing with the fallout because the next thing he knew, one of Revan's Jedi walked in.

"General Surik has awakened, General Uzumaki, sir." He reported.

"Thank you." Naruto nodded to the man as he swung himself out of bed and onto still slightly wobbly legs.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to walk straight as he slipped on his robe and made his way through the winding halls of the Resolute. He would have relied on his bond with Meetra to guide him, but strangely, he couldn't feel it; it was as if there were a hole where their bond used to be. Such thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind when he saw his Master up and about redressing herself in her usual Jedi attire.

"Master." He softly called out to her with a smile. "Just like you to be returning to action immediately."

"There's still work to be done." She monotonously intoned. "Revan wants to see us, no?"

"Y-Yeah." He nodded with a slight hesitation and a furrowed brow. "Meetra, are you feeling alright?"

"This war has been trying." She brushed passed him with not a second glance. "I just want it all to be over."

'Something's not right here…' He mentally mused as he followed behind his former Master until they both reached the bridge, where Revan and Alek were waiting for them.

"About time." Alek grumbled.

"How are you two feeling?" Revan asked after sparing his friend a glance.

"Still a bit stiff, but none the worse for wear." Naruto clenched his fists a few times.

"Tired." Meetra admitted with a sigh. "So, very tired."

"As are we all, Meetra." The masked Jedi nodded. "Unfortunately, there are Mandalorian holdouts who have retreated into the Unknown Regions."

"Revan and I are of the same mind; hunt them down and either destroy them or make them submit to the ceasefire." Alek added.

"You know I'm all for hunting more Mandos." Naruto smirked. "Count me and my fleet in."

"That's not our mandate anymore." Meetra shook her head. "The war is over; we now must report back to the Council."

"You must be joking." Alek found himself stifling a laugh. "The Council would bind us again and forbid us from chasing these dissidents, if not outright exile us all!"

"Be that as it may, that is our duty now." Meetra held firm.

"We're not going back to Coruscant, Meetra." Revan shook his head. "We still have a duty to make sure the Mandalorians never lift a finger against us again."

"Master, please." Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. "We need you."

"You don't need me." She shrugged the hand off. "And I won't be a part of this. I'm going back to Coruscant."

"You know what lies waiting for you there, Meetra." Revan called after the now retreating form of his former friend.

"Master!" Naruto made to run after her, but Alek's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Let her go, boy." He counseled. "You can feel it, can't you?"

"I think we all can." Revan grimly nodded. "It's as if she's already dead…"

Now that Naruto attuned his senses to his former Master, his eyes widened at what he was sensing… her connection to the Force had been severed. How that had happened, he didn't know, but as she walked away, he couldn't help but pity the woman that he had at one point fallen for, the woman that he had thought he knew… no more. Meetra Surik was dead, or might as well have been.

"Get back to the Paladin, Naruto." Revan commanded. "We leave within the hour."

"Yes, sir." Naruto nodded as he marched off to carry out his orders.

What had happened to her? Did the Mass Shadow Generator do that to her? Did she do it to herself unconsciously? He didn't know and he wasn't sure he even wanted to know in the first place.

"What's the verdict?" Shikamaru asked as he, Hinata and surprisingly Ino met him on the way to the hangars.

"Revan, Alek and I have agreed to chase down the Mandalorian survivors into the Unknown Regions." Naruto informed the group. "Meetra's quit the fleet and is returning to Coruscant to report to the Council."

"As is our duty." The Nara nodded. "Besides, we need to be officially recognized by the Council."

"S-Shikamaru-san is right." Hinata nodded. "There's already been enough death, let's just end it all and follow Master Surik."

"I guess you missed the part when I said I was heading out with Revan and Alek?" Naruto deadpanned.

"And I'm coming with you!" Ino declared. "Fuck the Council; there's a cleanup operation to be overseen and I'm not missing it!"

"Our part in the war is over!" Shikamaru rounded upon his teammate. "We have to go to Coruscant now so we can officially become Jedi!"

"And what if the Council says no, huh?" Ino fired back. "I'll take my chances with Revan, Alek and Naruto here; at least with them I know that I'm a true Jedi!"

"Ino-san, please!" Hinata attempted to placate the blonde girl. "Haven't you seen enough death?"

"Konohamaru and Sakura died for this cause." Ino glared hard at the Hyuuga heiress. "I won't dishonor them by giving up prematurely."

"You two leave if you want." Naruto pushed past the opposing duo. "Ino and I still have a job to do."

"You'll be declared traitors, I hope you know that!" Shikamaru called after them.

"We already are, remember?!" Ino barked. "By leaving our planet, we became traitors them, so what's changed?!"

Sakura dead, Meetra broken and the Shinobi group broken up… not that it mattered to Naruto one bit. He knew where his new loyalties lied and he knew what his duty was. He'd follow Revan to the gates of Hell and back if it meant living up to the potential he and Meetra saw in him. Besides, he had a taste for war now, he and Ino both did, and they'd be damned if they didn't seek out a good fight which they knew the Mandalorians could provide.

Yet there was still a feeling in the back of his mind, a feeling that he couldn't shake, a feeling of foreboding. Or it could have just been him sensing Malachor.

He didn't know which was worse.

AN: And done! So, what do you guys think? With shit about to hit the fan, how will the Jedi Civil War go with our favorite blonde knucklehead seemingly on the wrong side of the conflict? How did you guys like the little moment between him and Meetra? Or his developing relationship with Ino that'd (probably) being fueled by the dark side? And what about dark side Naruto as a whole? Too early to tell?

Now, as you all well know, Meetra's definitely in and has been for a very long time, and I'm still seeing cases for and against a second girl. Keep those opinions coming in, I want as much food for thought as I can get! For those voting for a second girl, I'm adding Ino into the mix for now, as she may just end up being a casual one off thing once in a while, but that could change! Realistically, either Visas, Mira or even the OC I introduced as Naruto's Padawan this chapter, Riza, might be the second girl (if there will be a second girl at all).

This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!