Chapter 1

Are you an Angel?

Latest Holonet News

Republic Victory at Seleucami

Sources confirm that the Grand Army has successfully taken the central separatist world of Seleucami, allowing our forces to push closer to the Confederation home worlds. The battle was a fierce one, with heavy casualties, including Jedi High Master Oppo Rancisis. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine congratulates this monumental victory, and expresses his regret at the lives lost. "Though we have won a great victory this day we must never forget those who died in the service of the Republic!"

Count Dooku, Supreme Commander of Separatist forces is killed by The Hero with no Fear.

It is confirmed that the Supreme Commander of Confederation forces, Count Dooku, was killed by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker during the Battle of Coruscant. The death of the Count, as well as the decimation of the Confederate Grand Fleet and the successful rescue of our beloved Supreme Chancellor is a huge step closer to victory in this war.

General Grievous defeated!

It is confirmed that General Grievous, Second-in-command of all Separatist forces has been defeated and killed by Jedi High Master and Republic High General Obi-wan 'The Negotiator' Kenobi. Heavy fighting continues on Mygeeto, but with the death of the Confederate Military High Command it seems only a matter of time before victory is assured.

Senate pushes for Supreme Chancellor to remain in office.

The senate unanimously agrees to the passing of the High Security Act, giving Supreme Chancellor Palpatine broader powers to ensure the security and integrity of the Galactic Republic.

Felucia

Outer-rim Territories

Aayla Secura walked out of the tent and stretched her aching muscles, failing to suppress a groan as she felt her joints pop. She had been stuck in that communications tent for the past two hours being debriefed by Masters Yoda and Windu. To be debriefed by the first and second Masters of the Jedi Order was an intimidating endeavour, and not something she would like to be in again anytime soon.

She needed to get out of that tent, and get a breath of fresh air. Though whether the air here was fresh or not was a matter for debate. Her friend and former teacher, Quinlan Vos, had said it best. Felucia was a burning death trap. The temperature during the day was staggering at between sixty to eighty degrees, except during the night cycle or heavy storms, where it was known to fall to minus ten.

Her choice of attire was just right for this environment. At the moment she had chosen to wear a pair of skin tight leather pants, a cut leather vest which left her arms and stomach bear and a pair of knee high black boots. Even with this attire it was still hot, and she was usually covered in sweat from her exertions before the day was out. She certainly didn't envy her Clone Troopers, boiling away inside those armoured suits.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them to see the stream of activity taking place around her. The base was being taken down and packed up. Her army was on the move. Clone troopers were loading themselves inside All Terrain Open Transports, AT-OT's, and the four legged All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, or AT-TE's. All in all they were on schedule, and the 327th Star Corps would be ready to advance within the hour.

The 327th Star Corps was a division she had been in command off for the past year, and they had fought many battles side by side. She had come to respect the Clones of the division for their battle prowess, and she knew they deeply respected her for getting them out of scrapes where they would have died in. The Divisions Clone Commander, Bly, told her as much after their first tour together. Aayla was hoping for the division to return to Coruscant after the battle of Seleucami for leave, but was denied and given a new mission.

Originally the mission was to capture high ranking Separatist leader Shu Mai. But that had quickly changed just a few days after they arrived on planet. They had saved a fellow Jedi Knight, Barriss Offee, who had reported that not only had Shu Mai left the planet, but she had planned to poison Felucia's water supply. Aayla reported this to the High Council, where she was ordered to remain and stop this crisis.

Reports suggested that since the Confederation leaders departure the enemy strength on the planet was low in a few thousand battle-droids and mercenaries with mid armoured support. For all intents and purposes it seemed that the Separatists had almost abandoned this planet entirely, leaving behind an expendable token force to make it look like they tried to defend it.

"Ma'am," She turned to see her friend and confidant standing to attention right behind her. Bly was her Clone Commander, the second-in-command of the 327th. He had watched her back since she was assigned as their superior, and the two had become close friends over the years they spent together. Bly was fully garbed in his field armour, the once pristine white with yellow trim now chipped and scorched from combat. "The division is ready to move out. All we are waiting for is your order."

She nodded her head, "Very well commander. Tell the Division they may advance."

"Yes, General," The commander replied, before leaning in a little. "Are you alright, old scruffs didn't give you a hard time did they."

She smirked at his statement. Bly had become quite protective of her over the years, heck half the corps had become overprotecting of her. Anyone who even looked at her wrong would immediately feel the glares of at least ten Clones on their backs, and another five slowly reaching for their blasters. Aayla was used to him calling the High Masters a bunch of Old Scruffs, and it didn't bother her. "Nothing I couldn't take care of. They just want to know when we'll be finished mopping up."

"Our offer is still open." Bly whispered in an almost conspiratorial manner.

Aayla laughed at that. The offer was to barge into the Jedi Temple, stun the entire High Council and hang them by their feet from the Senate entrance, "Tempting, but no."

The commander shrugged, "It's still open."

She sighed before changing the subject. "Has Barriss moved out yet?"

"About ten minutes ago General," Bly replied. "Don't worry she's in good hands."

"Of course she's in good hands, Galle's with her." Aayla replied with a pout, turning around to survey the thick alien jungle before her.

It happened suddenly. Her mind was assaulted by a mass of memories and emotions that were not hers. So many that it was impossible to filter them out, they were completely incoherent. Hands blurred up to hold onto her forehead. She let out a gasp, and then a startled cry as the psychic backlash continued its assault. A few images became clear.

An entire continent plunged into war.

A woman dying on a sidewalk, shoulder length hair of a strange pink, a hole in her chest from a powerful strike. She tried to speak, but her words were muted, lost.

A young man, black hair, onyx eyes which turned crimson, was ramming a blade of blue electricity through a young woman's chest. Her long dark hair framed a pale round face, and pupil-less lavender eyes starred in shock at her killer as death took her.

A city in ruins, buildings burning and streets littered with corpses.

A man, hair black stretching down to the small of his back, pale white skin, purple pigment over his eyelids and eyes a sickly yellow with slit pupils.

Ten figures, their faces hidden in shadows, dressed in long high collared black cloaks, red clouds adorning them.

A man, dressed in that same black cloak with red clouds. Face hidden beneath an orange mask, surface covered in a swirling pattern. The only visible portion of his face was an eye hole, a single crimson eye starring intently.

A large animal, fur a blood red, nine tails writhing and twirling around it. It seemed to look right through her, and opened its mouth to release a terrible, silent scream.

A young man, human, dark blonde hair, azure eyes, tanned skin, whisker like markings on his cheeks. He reached out to her with his right hand, mouth going through a set of silent words.

"Find me!"

Aayla awoke with a start, feeling a set of hands grip her shoulders and shake her. Slowly she opened her eyes to be met with Bly's worried face. His mouth moved, but she could not hear the words. They sounded as if they were being spoken in slow motion, just a mass of deep sounds. But slowly her senses returned to her, and she heard his voice much more clearly.

"General, damn it Aayla. Can you hear me!"

"Yes," She replied, voice a croak. "Yes Bly, I can hear you."

"Are you alright?" The commander asked, face set in a worried frown as he helped her into a sitting position. Had she blacked out? She didn't know, but judging by her commander's reaction she must have.

"I don't know," Aayla replied with a frown, right hand absently massaging her temple in a vain attempt to rid her of the lingering pain. "I think I had a vision, but it was strong, stronger than anything I've ever had before."

The commander nodded. He had been around Jedi enough to know when they were having visions. Usually when this happens he wondered about their mental health, but until now this never seemed to happen to Aayla before. "Should I call a medic?"

"No," Aayla replied, accepting his extended hand to help her get back to her feet. "It's nothing, I'll be fine."

"Find me!"

Her hand shot up to massage her forehead again. That voice, it was softer this time, but it was definitely the same voice she heard in her vision. She turned, ignoring Bly's worried glance to look over the alien Felucian forest. Mushroom shaped trees reaching up to the skyline, barren landscape occasionally broken by the shoots of smaller vegetation she did not recognise. Something in those woods was calling to her.

"Bly, can you take command for a moment?" She asked, knowing the answer before it left his mouth.

"Of course," Bly replied in an unsure voice.

"Then lead them to the rendezvous point." She ordered lightly, offering him a reassuring smile to try and negate his fears. Aayla should have known it would never work.

"I don't think I should leave you alone after such a…well, I don't know what it was."

She waved him off, "I'm fine now Bly, but something in this forest is calling out to me, and I don't think I'll get any rest until I find out what."

Bly studied her for a moment before sighing in defeat. The rest of them will have his balls on a hook for this. "Can I at least convince you to take a squad of ARC Troopers along?"

She gave him a cheeky grin. "They'll only slow me down."

"This could be a trap you know." Her friend spoke up, unwilling to concede just yet. "A Dark Jedi trying to separate you from us."

Aayla closed her eyes and concentrated, allowing the force to flow through her. She sent it out in the general direction of where the psychic whiplash originated. It wasn't evil. It wasn't of the dark side. In fact it was feint, and seemed more confused and scared than dangerous. "It's not a trap, and don't even think about rolling your eyes at me Bly. This isn't a trap."

"Very well, general," Bly relented, rolling his eyes anyway just to let her know his opinion. Even though he had his helmet on he could tell she knew by her half hearted glare. "But if you're not back by the end of the day I will send an ARC squad after you."

She smiled, before taking off in a force propelled leap, shouting back, "I wouldn't expect anything less!"

Bly shook his head, bemused, before turning back to the column of Republic troops, a single thought leaving his mind. "Maybe she should have left me one of her lightsabres."

Aayla jumped from the cliff ledge, skipped across a small series of branches, landed on the ground in a crouch and took off at a pace which would be impossible for any force-blind individual to duplicate. She rushed across the flatlands, slowing only to occasionally jump to navigate across any rocky outcrops or rolling hills.

After nearly fifteen minutes of running at a force augmented pace she came to a stop, tired and panting. A Jedi knight she may be, but such usage of the force was a little much for her. Aayla was no Anakin Skywalker, though she wished she had his stamina and strength on occasion. After a minute of catching her breath she began to wander through the suddenly dense undergrowth at a more sedate pace.

Felucia was known for its deadly wildlife, but she couldn't sense any dangerous predators in the immediate vicinity. Still she felt something powerful and foreboding. It was as if some influential creature was unleashing just a trickle of strength, keeping the other predators well out of range. Aayla didn't let this deter her though. The force was calling to her, almost demanding that she follow this signature, so she did.

Finally she pushed aside a last barrier of branches and foliage, coming to a clearing devoid of any plants or wildlife. It was just a barren spot of land, maybe twenty meters across with a single large mushroom shaped tree in its centre. She felt something about this plant. The force itself was coalescing around it like a shining beacon. Timidly the young Knight inspected the tree closer, and saw that its purplish trunk was hollowed out, a meter long sickle shaped slice the only way in. Curiously she peeked in, and gasped.

There was someone in there.

The slit was too narrow for her to squeeze through, so she reached for her hip where one of her dual lightsabres was clipped to her leather belt, and slowly drew the cylinder. She ignited the weapon, feeling the heat emanate from the azure blade before carefully cutting away at the opening.

Finally it was large enough for her to squeeze, and closing down the lightsabre she began to edge through. Like many females of her race Aayla had a lithe and slender build, meaning that she could force her way through narrow spaces easier with most others. Inside the hollowed trunk the forces influence increased tenfold, and she felt slightly light headed from the emanating power.

The inside was dark, the only light creeping through the still narrow slit. Deftly Aayla raised her right hand and concentrated, allowing the force to extend through her arm and create a soft white light on her fingertips. It was then that she saw what was inside the trunk. It was a human, a young man about her age, maybe a year or two younger. It was difficult to make out colours in the dark, but she could tell that his hair was light, his skin was tan and his clothes were colourful.

Slowly the young Jedi knelt to inspect the man. She checked the pulse point on his neck, and found that although weak it was still there. He was breathing, albeit his breathes were shallow and slightly ragged. Finally she checked this man with the force, and gasped as great warmth flowed over her, as if she had been submerged in a pool of warm water. The disturbance in the force was coming from him. All of that raw power was coming from him. It was like a burst dam.

She looked around, and knew she had to get him out of this tree. She needed more space to try and heal him. Aayla was not a healer. She was nowhere near as well trained as Barriss but she was good enough to deliver first aide. Quickly she stood, reignited her lightsabre and cut a much larger hole through the bark, easily large enough for her to drag this young human through. When that was done she grabbed a hold of his clothes and pulled. She cursed, he was quite heavy, and she wasn't physically strong thanks to her slender frame. In combat she relied more on her speed than brute force.

Finally she managed to drag him from the trunk, and gently set him down on the forest floor. She fell into a sitting position for a moment, silently trying to catch her breath. The humidity of the atmosphere, coupled with her fifteen minute force propelled run, and her efforts in dragging this young man to open ground had taxed her. She was covered in sweat, and her breath was leaving her in quick gasps. Her master was right. She definitely needed to train more.

As Aayla rested she took the time to study the human she had pulled from the tree. He was quite handsome. His hair was a shoulder length mass of dark blonde spikes, framing a rounded tanned face, two sets of whisker marks adorned his cheeks, giving him an air of the exotic about him. While she was dragging him out Aayla had gotten a good feel of his body under the clothes, and found that he was well muscled. She had seen him before, but where? The vision, this was the man from her vision.

His clothes were strange, a pair of dark green khaki pants and long sleeved jacket with a sleeveless, armoured combat vest over it. On his feet was a pair of black sandals and tied around his forehead was a headband of black cloth, the metal plate adorned with a mass of swirling lines which reminded her of a leaf. Over his clothes he wore a long trench coat, red with black flames on the cuffs and hem, and a massive scroll had been attached to the small of his back, which she had removed and set to the side before she set him down.

Taking another deep breath she kneeled beside him, and leaning down pressed the side of her head against his chest, hearing for his heart beat. There it was, beating a little slow but it didn't show any signs of convulsing. Releasing a breath she leaned back, and felt his pulse again. It was stronger than last time, and his breathing was becoming steady and continuous.

Suddenly a hand shot up, grabbing onto her slender wrist with an iron grip. She gasped under the pressure, and fearfully looked at his face to see his eyes open, beautiful azure orbs with slit pupils looked around manically before settling on her. They widened in confusion, and she guessed that he had never seen a Twi'lek before.

She tensed, expecting him to strike. It was not unusual for someone in his condition to unconsciously lash out. Instead of attacking her or panicking he smiled a sad smile and spoke in a voice that slowly got weaker with every word. "Well looks like my lucks improved. At least the angel they…sent for me…is… beautiful."

She blinked at his words as he passed out, and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. During and before the war she had undertaken many undercover missions for both the Jedi and the Republic, and had been on the receiving end of plenty of such comments. But the men from before were usually sleazy underworld mobsters, mercenaries, slavers or enemy soldiers looking for a quick romp. This man spoke as if he was dying. She frowned. Why did he believe he was dead? His life signs were all stabilizing at an impressive rate.

Reassured that the young man would be fine, and would awaken on his own in a few minutes, she sat down, crossed her legs and decided to meditate. Perhaps try and find an answer as to why the force had led her to this strange human. He was obviously force sensitive, as his very aura seemed like a beacon of energy to her senses. He didn't have the taint or heavy spiritual pressure of Dark Jedi or Sith.

A grunt of pain was her first indication that he was awake, and she opened her eyes to see this strange human sitting up, hand reaching up to rub his forehead. He didn't notice her, for his eyes were closed. "Damn it, never expected to get a hangover in the afterlife."

She frowned at his words. He really believed that he was dead. Slowly he started to get up, only to stagger when he made it to a knee, she moved to stop him with a worried glance, slender hands grabbing hold of his arm to anchor him. "Easy there, you've taken a bad knock."

The blonde flinched under her grasp, but she refused to remove her support, gently Aayla set him down into a lying position again. He tried to open his eyes, but the light was too much for them and he hastily shut them, groaning in pain. She smiled, "Open them slowly. That's it. There we go."

Slowly Naruto opened his eyes, flinching under the harsh sunlight but refusing to close them, blotches assaulted his sight and it took a minute for his eyes to adapt. He looked over at the woman kneeling beside him. Her voice carried a strange accent to it, almost enchanting to his hearing. But when he saw her he jumped in surprise.

She wasn't human. She was tall and slender, dressed in skin tight leather which left her stomach and arms bear, as well as giving him a nice view of some cleavage when she bent over to inspect him. Her skin was a dark shade of blue, cerulean maybe. A perfect face, full midnight blue lips, chocolate brown eyes, but the thing that surprised him the most was that instead of hair she had two long tails, extending down to the small of her back.

"Who are you…what are you?" Naruto asked as he flipped to his feet, a kunai flying into his grasp thanks to the wrist mounted storage device he held.

The woman in turn jumped back through what looked like a chakra propelled jump, and fell into a defensive stance, a slender right hand reaching for a cylindrical device on her left hip. She gripped it tightly, brought it forward and flipped a switch. A blade of pure blue energy came into existence with a snap-hiss.

Naruto frowned as he studied the weapon. He had never seen anything quite like it before, but he knew instinctively that it was deadly. He brought his kunai in front of him, falling into a defensive stance before this beautiful, yet strange alien creature.

"Please calm down." The woman seemed to plead in a strange, enchanting accent. "I do not wish to harm you!"

He watched as this strange ethereal creature came down in a crouch, shutting off her weapon and placing it on the ground. She stood up, took a few careful steps back and raised her hands in surrender. He looked at her for a moment, wondering what she was playing at, before nodding her head and copying her movement, setting his kunai on the ground.

"Look, lady," he said suddenly, hand reaching up to scratch the back of his hand as he gave her a sheepish smile. "You're not an angel by any chance, are you?"

She gave him a look, like she was wondering about his sanity. "Uh, no. Why do you ask?"

"So I guess that mean's I'm in hell?"

"Not that I'm aware off," she muttered, suddenly sounding a little offended. He flinched slightly, usually when he heard that tone with a girl he was on the short list to a good ass kicking. She made no such movements. He looked up, and azure eyes met dark chocolate. They stayed like that for the longest time. Two opponents sizing each other up, then the woman sighed and spoke in her richly accented voice.

"You were disoriented, confused." She explained. "I thought you were going to lash out at me."

Naruto didn't lax on his guard, he had been met with many over the years who said they wished him no harm yet tried to kill him anyway when he was within range. So he had a wind based Jutsu ready for deployment if she became hostile. Instead she did something that surprised him. She advanced until she was within two meters of him and then sat cross-legged on the ground, looking up at him imploringly.

Naruto starred at her for a long moment, before copying her gesture, sitting cross-legged on the ground two meters away from her yet remaining silent. Ever since the annihilation of Konoha he had been forced to learn many things about the outside world. But after a moment he took her form in again, eyes wide with the surprise and shock he felt when he saw her but a few moments ago.

The woman, definitely a woman, saw his widened eyes and shocked expression and smiled a little nervously. "I take it this is the first time you've seen someone like me before?"

He nodded dumbly. Ever since he had tamed the Kyubi no Yoko, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox he had seen some incredible and terrifying things. He knew there were other intelligent creatures in the world. Orochimaru's snakes, Tsunade's slugs, the Toads of Mount Myōboku, the demon fox clans who inhabited the dense forests of north Fire Country only to name a few. But he had never seen anything quite like her before. His younger self would have panicked, flailed his arms around and demanded what she was. Basically make a complete idiot out of himself. But with age came patience, and with age came the ability to control your emotions and keep your mouth shut.

"Uh, so who are you?" He asked at last, might as well start from the beginning.

She looked at him for a moment, "You first."

Naruto frowned at her, "I asked first."

The woman seemed to think for a moment. "I tell you what. I'll answer a question, and then you answer a question. Will that do?"

Naruto thought about it for a second, and shrugged, "Alright."

The woman smiled at him, and despite the situation he couldn't help but return it. "My name is Aayla Secura, Jedi knight."

"Strange name," He found himself saying. "And what is a Jedi Knight."

She raised a hand with a mischievous smile, index finger wiggling right and left "Ah, ah, I answered your question now you answer mine."

"Ah, Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, former Jonin of Konohagakure no Sato," She starred at him for a moment, before bringing her hand up to her mouth, covering it as she giggled.

"And you said my name was strange?" She started, before her features fell into a thoughtful expression.

"Hey,"

"Alright, you're turn."

"I don't want to be rude." He started, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "But what are you?"

She smiled, placing a hand against her chest. "I am a Twi'lek, native to the planet Ryloth in the Outer-rim Territories."

Naruto blinked, both confused and bewildered by her answer, which left far more questions than answers. "Twi'lek, Ryloth, Outer-rim…What are you talking about."

"You've never heard of any of this before?" Aayla asked, genuinely surprised, unless he was teasing her. Almost everyone knew this information, besides Humans Twi'leks were one of the most wide spread races in the galaxy. There were populations of her people located on thousandss of planets from the Core worlds to the furthest reaches of the Outer-rim. Her people were nowhere near as widespread as the humans, but she had thought that almost every being in the galaxy had at least heard of them.

"Nope, first time hearing any of this." Naruto answered a little sheepishly. This only cemented his opinion that he was not in the deserts of Suna anymore. In fact he had never seen anything remotely like the mushroom shaped trees surrounding them.

He knew that the collection of seals Madara used to destroy him were unstable. In fact many seal masters had surmised that mixing two such high powered Fuinjutsu would be too dangerous to even try, not even Orochimaru was mad enough to attempt it. Then again the blonde had always wondered about the Uchiha's sanity, after all what right thinking individual would think colliding the moon with the earth was a good idea?

Maybe the combined seals were not an explosive like he thought. Perhaps they created some kind of dimensional shift, throwing him from one reality to another. Alternate realities were theoretically possible. A stone in a stream created ripples. A different choice would lead someone on a new path.

"If I remember the rules of this little session then you've already taken your turn."

She frowned at him, "No, I haven't."

"Yes, you have," Naruto pointed out with a mischievous smile. "You asked me if I've ever heard of your people or whatever else you were talking about, so it's my turn."

She glared at him for a moment, before sighing in defeat and waving him to continue. "What is a Jedi Knight?"

"A Jedi Knight is a rank for Jedi in the Jedi Order. When an apprentice, or Padawan learner is considered ready in the eyes of his or her master they would go through a set of trials, and if they passed they were given the rank of knight." Aayla explained, seeing understanding in the blonde human's eyes.

"Ah, and what is the Jedi Order?" Naruto asked. He guessed these Jedi were some sort of warrior organisation, like the Shinobi from back home, and a Knight was considered a similar rank to a Chunin level Shinobi.

Aayla raised a delicate eyebrow, the only sign of hair on her body, he thought. "It's my turn."

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry, sorry. Go ahead."

"What is a Jonin?"

"It's a rank of warrior in the village I was originally from. Jonin is short for High Ninja, or High Shinobi. It is one of the highest ranks, and those who carry it are considered elite warriors." Naruto answered.

The Twi'lek frowned a little, but nodded, allowing him to take the next question. "What is the Jedi Order?"

Bly frowned as he looked over the expansive forest from the cliff face. The column had been on the move for an hour before the weather took a turn for the worst. It started off as an increased humid breeze, then suddenly and with very little warning it began to rain. The rain was sudden and torrential, freezing cold drops of water pelting his armoured suit.

God how he hated this planet, Felucia was a world of unpredictable weather. It could be hot and humid, with no sign of rain for weeks or even months. A rain storm could come suddenly, usually only lasting an hour or two, but on the rare occasion it could last days, and become so heavy that it would kick up vast masses of mist. The Commander had been on this hellhole for a month, and he still hadn't figured out this jungle worlds weather patterns, he wasn't even sure what season it was.

Soon the pelting rain was joined by jagged strikes of lightning and near deafening crackles of thunder. Before long the ground was soaked, and slowly becoming a quagmire. His troops and machines were slugging through it, but it was a slow and arduous pace. If the Separatists took the initiative and attacked them now they would be at a disadvantage. Eventually he called for the column to halt and weather it out. The offensive against the Separatist holdings had to be put on indefinite hold.

Scouts were sent into the forest to keep watch for either Separatist forces, or their wayward General. He had not heard from Secura since she had taken off into the jungles, and he was becoming worried. Bly had tried to raise her on her personal communicator, but something in this storm was jamming communications, and all he had received was static. He couldn't even contact Commander Offee and the ARC Troopers he sent ahead. They were on their own too.

"Commander," He turned to see one of his ARC Captains, Briggs, standing behind him, fully garbed in his Advanced Recon armour, complete with red stripes along the helm, arms and legs and dual blaster pistols holstered to his hip. Standing behind him was a line of four ARC Troopers, the blue stripes representing their rank as lieutenants, hands holding the compact, scoped WESTAR-M5 blaster rifles. "It's been half a day and she's not back yet. Do we have your leave?"

Bly frowned for a moment, before nodding his head in agreement. "Go. Bring her back before the storm ends."

"Yes, sir," The Captain replied, and with a nod to his men took off into the hazy Felucian jungle.

The storm had come suddenly and without warning, drenching her and her strange companion from head to toe before they were able to find shade under one of the larger mushroom shaped trees. Slowly the storm got worse, and a light mist was starting to take shape, making visibility less than twenty meters.

Aayla sneezed, and began to rub her sides with her hands in a desperate attempt to get warm. The raindrops that hit her skin were freezing cold. She let out a breath which became mist, and was just able to stop her teeth from clattering. Her leather clothes were soaked, meshing against her form and making her feel naked. Her skin was glistening from the rain water, like she had been unceremoniously dunked into a pool. Funny how barely an hour ago it was boiling and now it was as cold as arctic tundra.

She spared a glance at her companion. He was soaked to the bone but didn't seem to care. His head was raised, azure eyes taking in the sudden dark storm clouds which blocked out the alien sun overhead. Water dripped from the edges of his blonde spikes in rivulets, matting them against his head, and continued to run down his face.

"Come on," Naruto's voice surprised her, and she turned to see him half way inside the trunk of the tree, using the opening she cut just a few minutes before. "It's freezing out here. At least in here we can stay dry."

She nodded, followed him in and sat down at the other side of the tree, watching him set his huge scroll against the wall and lean against it, eyes closed as if he were about to fall asleep. She wasn't fooled though. A crackle of thunder seemed to explode from overhead, and she noticed him flinch ever so slightly. It seemed Naruto was a little afraid of thunderstorms.

Aayla shook herself, sending droplets of water flying from her glistening form before leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. She felt cold, tired and weary. Wishing that she had more clothes with her than what she had. She should have listened to Barriss, going on and on about wearing a cloak or putting on some of the modified armour Bly made for her.

Suddenly she felt a weight on her, and creaked open an eye to see Naruto's trench coat draped over her like a blanket. Naruto was kneeling beside her, looking at her for a moment before standing and walking back to his place at the other side of the trunk. She smiled at the small gesture. So he was a gentleman. Unconsciously she curled up, wrapping the coat around her, and before she knew it she was fast asleep.

She must have been tired. Barely a minute after he covered her with his coat Naruto heard the light steady breathes, telling him that Aayla had fallen asleep. He wasn't surprised. When he awoke she had looked tired. He saw bags under her eyes, and weariness in her gaze which meant that she hadn't slept well in a long time.

Naruto looked through the opening, saw the storm worsen and heard the continuous pelting of the rain. He sighed, wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. Even he wasn't crazy enough to leave this shelter in the middle of such a storm. It made the ones he went through in Konoha look like pretty descent weather.

Resigned that he was stuck here he decided to study this strange alien woman across from him. There wasn't a lot of room in the trunk, and their feet were nearly touching. He had to admit that she was very beautiful, even if he had never seen anything quite like her before. What had Aayla called herself? Ah yes a Twi'lek.

Her face, relaxed in the bliss of sleep was serene and beautiful, not a single blemish on her cerulean skin. Her mouth was partly opened, showing a glance of her white upper teeth. She snored, but it was soft and soothing, mainly breathe exhaling and inhaling from her mouth. She was very slender, with long legs which seemed to stretch for an eternity, a flat stomach, flawless complexion and a pair of mounds which seemed a little over a handful. He sighed, shaking the thoughts from his head. The skin tight leather she wore left little to the imagination, but somehow he was still able to conjure it up. He half heartedly cursed his deceased teacher for partially corrupting him.

Naruto stayed up most of the night, keeping watch, watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to the soft sounds she made in her sleep. She was mesmerizing to look at, and he bet Jiraiya, god rest his soul, would have tried to recruit her for his research once he got over the initial shock. He chuckled at the thought.

Eventually the rain stopped, and after a moment to make sure that the storm had truly ended he stood and made his way back out into the open. The sun was peeking through the slowly dispersing dark clouds and it looked like it was going to be a hot day.

When Aayla awoke the sun was creeping through the opening and the continuous pelting of the rain was gone. She sat up, wiping the gum from her eyes before stretching her muscles. Aayla was surprised by how tired she had to be to fall asleep like that, and chided herself for knocking herself out in the presence of a man she did not know. For all she knew he was a Separatist spy.

She stood, folding Naruto's long coat as she walked over to the opening and peeked outside. There he was in the middle of the clearing. Aayla noted the katana in his hand, his stance and the way he carried it. He had stripped down to his pants and a black shirt and for the first time Aayla took in his physique. The muscles were lean, telling her they were gained through hard work instead of the sterile environment of a gym. He was sweating from his exertions, the odd trickle flying from his hair and skin every time he made a sudden move. Naruto had been training for a while.

He was obviously a practitioner of sword-fighting, something which outside of Force organisations like the Jedi or Sith was quite rare. She watched him begin a set of forms, movements graceful and light like a dancer. He spun, ducked, and danced as if he were fighting an invisible foe, his sword swishing and blurring in a series of slashes, stabs and strokes which were done with such finesse she considered he would be a match to quite a few Jedi Battle-Masters.

Gently she stepped through the opening, and sat down, content to watch him go through the forms of his sword art. It was an art she was unfamiliar with, and was intrigued as she watched him go through the stances with ease born of practise. Finally he stopped, finishing his form and sheathing his sword in a quick motion. He was panting heavily, but he was smiling.

"Did you rest well?"

"Yes, thank you for the coat."She smiled as he approached her, telekinetically grasping the towel hanging from a branch beside her and sending it drifting towards him. Naruto caught it with ease, and looked at her with a wry smile. He was confused about something though.

"That's an interesting ability."

"I'm a telekinetic." She explained as she rose to her feet, studying him.

"I've heard of those. You can move things with your mind." He said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yes," Aayla replied, still noticing that something was wrong. He wasn't very good at hiding it. She doubted those expressive blue eyes could hide anything. But underneath she felt a maelstrom of confusion and uncertainty. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, a little guardedly.

"I'm also an empath." Aayla explained, and upon his slightly confused look she sighed. "It means I can also read emotions. You feel troubled."

He sighed, and it took a moment of silence before he answered. Aayla had only known the man for a few hours, and the questions and answers session they shared only added more, well, questions than answers. But she felt through the force that he was a good man, strong and brave, with good intentions to anyone who met him. But she also felt that he had been hurt badly in his life, not physically but emotionally.

"I just…everything is so confusing to me right now. I'm guessing that I'm not on my home world anymore, yet I don't know where to look or even if it exists. I suppose…I suppose I can say that I'm scared." He chuckled sadly, "Nah, scared isn't the right word. I'm terrified."

"You're in a strange place, with people you have never met from races you've never seen," Aayla spoke up, her voice soft as she rose to her feet and walked over to him. "Everything around you is of the unknown, and it terrifies you…am I right?"

He looked nervous, almost like he was about to bolt, but nodded his head.

"I'm not going to lie to you Naruto," She continued, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. He was a full head taller than her, which was rare considering she was quite tall herself. "There will be much out there you will not understand, and it will frighten you. But I'll make you a promise. I'll stay with you, be your guide and help you find a way home. Okay?"

He nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. "Thank you Aayla."

She grinned, "You're welcome."

Her head suddenly darted to the right, just as a group of individuals came through the thick underbrush, wearing some kind of white armour, coloured stripes adorning the surface. One, with crimson stripes on his helm and arms stepped forward, and saluted sharply. "There you are ma'am. You had us worried there for a moment."

"Captain Briggs," Aayla greeted with a smile and a nod, before looking ever so slightly guilty. "I'm sorry; I sent you and your men on a wild chase didn't I?"

The Captain nodded, before his helm turned to Naruto's direction. "And who is this?"

"He's that disturbance I decided to look in on." Aayla replied, "Don't worry he's not a Separatist spy. Just a young man a long way from home."

"Very well, General," Briggs answered, he was obviously not convinced but was going to follow his commanding officers orders. "I'll just tell the Commander you're alright."

Aayla nodded, before turning back to Naruto, "Let's go get your stuff."

Naruto nodded, turning around and allowing his new acquaintance to lead the way back to their tree. Within a minute he had picked up his summoning scroll and was being escorted back by this strange woman and her elite ARC Troopers. It was all kind of surreal. These men, their armour, their weapons were all alien to him. He wondered how these black objects could be dangerous, there were no blades or any sealed tags on them.

Maybe this was because he was a Shinobi, and his kind fought in the shadows and on high ground, attacking from different angles and striking from the most obscure places. He didn't bother to look at a regular army and how they fought and deployed. Shinobi fought their own wars, their own battles.

He heard a small whistling noise, and turned his head to the Captain. Noticing him sling his weapon and reaching into his loincloth, pulling out a small disc shaped object and flicking a switch. A small figure appeared, maybe between ten and twenty millimetres in height. It reminded him of that holographic Jutsu the Akatsuki used to remain in contact.

The figure spoke, voice raspy. "Execute Order 66."

"It will be done milord."

Naruto suddenly felt a very bad feeling settle at the pit of his stomach. Unconsciously he reached for his right thigh pouch, pulling out a couple of kunai and imbuing them with wind chakra just as the soldier deactivated his disc and un-slung his weapon. Briggs walked back in line, shared a look with his fellow troopers and calmly nodded his head. As one all five un-slung their weapons and held them at the ready. Pointing them at Aayla's back.

"Watch out!"

Author's Note 1: Naruto and Star Wars are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Lucas Arts respectively. I make no claim to them and I make nothing from publishing this story. It's all fanfiction folks.

Author's Note 2: I've got this story written out until Chapter 4, I've half way written chapter 5, but might have to start from scratch, so there will be weekly updates until then. After that the updates may slow down a bit. I hope not but they might, so keep reading and reviewing, and if anyone has any advice for me just let me know.

Thanks everyone

Darth Malleus