DISCLAIMER: High School DxD belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi and Star Wars belongs to Disney (Unfortunately). The scenario and original characters are mine.
Chapter V
Hyōdō and the Red Dragon
Hyōdō Residence, Japan, 2012 A.D. (16ABY)
Miki Hyōdō was just setting down the last plate of food when she heard the front door open. She carefully slid a hand down to the concealed blaster she'd been given by one of the Imperials back when she, Gorou, and Issei had followed Vader. It had been a way to alleviate the fears she still had of a repetition of that night's events. Finding out that there were beings other than humans and animals on Earth that were after her and her family scared her to no end.
Gorou was sitting at the table and hadn't noticed the sound, as he was too engrossed in his reading. It was the newspaper he'd missed this morning because of some emergency at work. He lowered the paper slightly, indicating he'd heard the door open.
"It's alright, Miki, it's only Issei," her husband told her calmly.
It wasn't that she didn't believe Gorou, but she couldn't tell from here. How he could was a mystery to her. The footsteps approaching them stopped just before entering the kitchen before Miki got her confirmation.
Issei's voice called out to her from beyond the living room entrance. "Mom, it's okay, it's only me. You can stop reaching for the blaster."
"I'm sorry you two. I wish I could grow out of my fear, but after what Vader told us all those years ago…" she said sadly as she removed her hand from the blaster's grip.
"Mom, you don't have to worry. Vader's teachings have taught me a lot. I can fight almost as well as he can now, and I can tell where, when, and how I could be in danger before it even happens."
"That is great and all, don't get me wrong Issei, but we're your parents. We'll always be worried about you," Gorou said as he fully put down the paper.
"I know. I'd be lying if I didn't feel the same. The problem is, I can't simply hide away. Palpatine is already on the move and I'm the only one who can help Vader when the time comes, at least for now."
"What do you mean by that?" both parents asked, Gorou's hand stopping from trying to take a pair of chopsticks and Miki halting herself from taking a seat at the table.
"We've recently made some new allies, plus we learned why the Grigori are after me. First off, the allies we've made are similar to the Grigori. Don't start worrying about them though. They're firmly on our side, since they're already at war, technically, with the Grigori. Secondly, the Grigori are after me because they've been mind-controlled to do so. Palpatine's done something to them that basically makes them his slaves. Vader and I are calling it 'Corruption'."
"How similar are these 'allies' to the Grigori?" Gorou asked, his gaze focusing solely on Issei.
"Similar abilities as far as I can tell. Vader would probably be a better judge of that kind of stuff. Anyway, let's talk about this stuff later, alright? I'm starving."
"Alright, Issei, but we are going to talk about this later. We agreed to no secrets in this family anymore."
"I know, Dad."
Miki watched her son lower his hood before sitting down and grabbing herself a pair of chopsticks. Issei sat down and took a couple himself before they all began to eat. They ate in silence for a short time until Gorou talked about his day at work. It helped remind Miki that despite everything, they still had relatively normal lives. Issei's weren't normal by any means… but there was at least a modicum of normalcy there.
She often found herself wishing that the prophecy about their son was someone else's problem. He was the only living child she'd been able to create with Gorou after multiple tries. If he only lived because he was supposed to fulfill the prophecy then what kind of existence was that? It wasn't fair to her or her husband. It was selfish, she knew that, but still, it was her son whose life was on the line.
That prophecy had already made him a target too. That bastard Palpatine was determined to kill her son so he could do as he wish. He nearly succeeded once almost a decade ago. What's to stop it from being successful now? Sure, she could agree that the training did help even the odds, but when would it be enough? Miki was sure she would never know for sure.
So, in the end, as was often the case when she had these thoughts, she pushed them aside. She couldn't allow her son to become distracted by her. So she smiled and kept her thoughts to herself, just as she knew her husband did.
With dinner done, Issei told her and Gorou the latest news in his "other life". That was what she referred to his life as Vader's apprentice. She and Gorou weren't that much involved in it, truth be told, but their presence was felt all the same. They'd made genuine friends with a good number of Imperials. When Miki and Gorou had a problem, the Imperials were always there to at least try and help. She didn't always appreciate it but at the same time, she welcomed the help. For example, she and Gorou were taught how to wield blasters by some of the Stormtroopers. That was bound to come in handy someday they both knew.
The news wasn't all good. The agreement made between Vader and the other beings, called "Devils", which had its own negative connotations, had him fighting a monster on the outskirts of Kuoh. Yet another creature to add to the list of worries. The financing from Gremory Large Enterprises and the Shitori Medical Group was a nice addition… hopefully, they could access a little portion of that money. It would be nice to pay off the mortgage sooner rather than later when she and Gorou were in their sixties.
It was time for the adults to go to bed after an hour of talking had passed. They both had an early day tomorrow. It was going to be a fun day for them. Miki could hardly wait.
Day Four of Issei's Mission
Kuoh Academy, Japan
Issei suppressed a yawn as the teacher went on and on about the book they were assigned to read. The young apprentice wasn't sure he'd be able to read given his more important life after school. With the alliance between his master and the Devil heiresses, things were bound to become far more interesting, to say the very least. After a moment or two, he found his gaze wandering towards the window nearby.
He allowed his mind to roam as he looked outside. He thought about last night's fight and the frequent sense of being watched by that other presence within him. He wished the damn thing would quit hiding and reveal itself already so he could focus on more important matters. Being watched tended to make individuals sloppy, and while the Force helped with that issue, it didn't totally counter it. The "watched" feeling had made his training difficult at times. That was, of course, only when it was at its strongest.
"-ōdō. Mister Hyōdō!" the teacher's voice called from right beside him.
With a jolt, Issei was brought out of his thoughts as he faced his annoyed teacher. "Yes, mister Wakao?"
"Your name was called on the intercom by miss Shitori. You had best start heading to the student council room. You don't want to make her angry. Considering the time, no need to head back once she's done. Class is nearly over now."
"Of course, mister Wakao," Issei replied as he stood up from the desk, using the Force to keep his lightsaber in place as he stood up.
Wakao moved back to let the apprentice out. Issei gathered his things and then walked out of the classroom. He wondered what the Sitri heiress wanted with him as he strolled to the student council room. He caught sight of Rias on the way there but decided against bugging her. She seemed to be concentrating on something as she walked.
He took this time to study her. Before, he had been focused solely on her background and hadn't really thought about her beyond that. Now he realized that she was quite beautiful. He already knew that due to her title as one of the "Two Great Ladies" of Kuoh, but he could now fully agree with the title. There was also the mystery surrounding her that had its own allure. Granted he knew a good chunk more about her than most people did, but at the same time, he was just as in the dark as they were.
Now that he thought about it, he knew that part of that mystery was born from what she did at the old school building near the back of the school's campus. He guessed that it was a base of operations for her and her Peerage. Other than that though, he had no idea what they did. Perhaps the meeting in the student council room would shine some light on that particular issue. Rias entered the student council room ahead of him as he lowered his hood.
The room was slightly brighter compared to the last time he'd been inside. There were also more members of Sona's Peerage inside who were busy dealing with paperwork. They looked up as he came in, caution evident on their faces. He couldn't blame them for that. The alliance between the Imperials and the Devils was a day old, plus, the Imperials did kidnap two of their fellow Peerage members yesterday.
"Hello Rias, mister Hyōdō," Sona greeted politely from her seat at the student council table. Rias smiled at her fellow heiress before sitting down at the table as well.
Issei bowed in greeting. "Good morning, heiress Sitri… or should I address you as miss Shitori?"
"I would prefer Shitori while we're here at school. When outside the school and dealing with the supernatural, you may address me as Sitri. I assume you've already got an idea as to why I called you?"
"Something to do with the alliance?"
"Yes. Particularly, Rias and I wish for you to join the Occult Research Club."
"I see. I assume this is to keep tabs on me?"
"In part, yes, but this is mainly so that we can easily contact the other Imperials from here rather than heading to their home. It is rather far outside Kuoh Town proper, and it would be suspicious if I or Rias were seen there. That area is well known for its crime and poverty."
"We know. We've tried to fix the former issue to the best of our ability, but that is somewhat difficult as we can't exactly move around freely. Our equipment isn't exactly subtle…"
"We all saw that quite well. There is, however, the gray-armored troops Reya and Momo told us about. They would serve our needs quite well regarding secrecy if the Stray is closer to Kuoh than the last one you, your men, Rias, and her Peerage dealt with last night. I assume they have a name?"
Rias cut in before Issei could answer. "They call themselves 'Stormtroopers', at least the white and blue-armored ones do. I'm assuming they're all called 'Stormtroopers', of course."
"You're half right, heir- miss Gremory. They are Stormtroopers, though they do fall under the classification of 'Shadow Troopers'. We have several types of special forces, Shadow Troopers being one type, but our troops are mainly standard Stormtroopers. I'm sure we'll speak more about them later," Issei began before addressing Sona, "and you would be correct that they would be a better unit to use in Kuoh Town. Their armor is outfitted with a cloaking generator, which makes them invisible to all spectrums. That's at least how I understand it, but I'm sure the troopers themselves would be better at explaining how it works."
"I'm sure they would. That, however, is a topic for when we actually properly meet with them. Do you have any problems with joining the ORC?"
"I don't. What do I need to do to join?"
"Simply fill out the club application form and report to the old school building after classes end today. Rias will handle the rest from there."
"I look forward to seeing you in the clubroom, mister Hyōdō," Rias said, an impish grin on her face.
Issei chuckled before replying, "Since we talked about preferred titles earlier, I would prefer 'Issei' to 'mister Hyōdō'. Mister Hyōdō is my dad. I'm simply Issei."
Surveillance Outpost Omicron, Japan, 2012 A.D.
Master Vesek Draiz scowled as he read over the new information gathered from their asset in Kuoh Academy. Not only had the blasted Hyōdō boy joined Gremory's little club, but there were other supernaturals at the academy as well. It had been bad enough when he found out about the Devils. The new wave of supernaturals was only going to complicate the upcoming operation.
Draiz and the men of Surveillance Outpost Omicron, which itself was a small part of Palpatine's Terran Empire, were tasked with monitoring and on occasion acquiring the supernatural in this section of Kuoh Town. They were all part of a growing force that would one day retake the galaxy and restore its rightful owner to power. Draiz and his fellow surviving cultists of the Disciples of Marka Ragnos were promised important positions when that goal was achieved. At least, that was what he had been promised. He didn't really care what happened to his fellow cultists. Why should he? They were the reason they were now all stuck on this backwater planet.
They never should have joined the Imperial Remnant. Those fools had been too sloppy and allowed Skywalker's Jedi Order and the New Republic to discover their efforts to resurrect their old deity. Now, Ragnos was gone for good and most of their cult was either dead or missing. All thanks to one damn Jedi named Korr. Draiz was lucky in that he'd managed to escape Korriban before the Jedi could reach him. He and his band of survivors drifted for a time before they were compelled to head deep into the Unknown Regions by the Emperor, who was supposed to be dead.
"Sir?" a voice asked from in front of him. Judging from the filtering, he guessed it was one of the new Stormtroopers Palpatine had managed to create in the time he'd spent on Earth.
The armor this Stormtrooper wore was far more advanced than the sets Draiz had seen. It was almost a mix of old Clone Trooper and normal Stormtrooper armor. The armor looked far more flexible, however, and far sleeker when compared to normal Stormtrooper armor. The helmet of the trooper had an enlarged visor that connected with the newly extended mouth line. Rather than the white of a normal Stormtrooper, his armor was painted completely black with a dark-red visor. This, coupled with the hint of Dark Side power emanating from the trooper that Draiz felt, signified him as one of Palpatine's newest iteration of "Dark Troopers".
Draiz glanced up from his datapad with an annoyed grimace. "I take it you've seen the new intel, Commander?"
The Dark Trooper Commander, Draiz couldn't remember his name, nodded. "Yes sir. I'm not concerned. My men are perfectly capable of carrying out the operation."
"They had better be. The Emperor doesn't take kindly to failure, Commander." Draiz stated bitterly, hiding his discomfort at the Commander's monotone voice. It reminded him too much of the Death Troopers he'd had the displeasure of working with during the height of the Empire's power. He remembered himself sounding more human than this Dark Trooper did.
"I know, which is why you should focus more on your own work back in Kyoto rather than here. The corruption of the Yokai is a higher priority than this post. One of your followers should suffice if we are discovered, sir."
"Don't tell me my job! I'm only here to ensure the transfer goes smoothly, remember? As soon as that is done, I'll be out of your hair. You on the other hand, should perhaps start preparing for tonight."
"Already done, sir."
"Good. You are clear on your orders?"
"Yes sir. Snatch and grab the known supernaturals from the academy and bring them here for conversion. Key targets are Sitri and Gremory. Any word on how we'll get them both, sir?"
"False orders from the Archduke, calling for them both to destroy a Stray Devil near the Industrial District," a new voice cut in, that of a younger man in a combat jumpsuit covered by a black robe. The black mask he wore hid his face, but the former Cultist Master knew the young man had an arrogant smile underneath it.
"You're going on this mission? You've only just begun to learn your new Force powers, Yaris," Vesek said, folding his arms as he looked at the youngest of his followers.
"It's only a pair of Devils. Nothing I haven't dealt with before," Yaris countered as he began tossing his lightsaber and catching it.
"Very well. If you fail, however, the consequences will be severe."
"You are far too cautious, Draiz. They have no defense against the Force!"
"They don't always need one. I have more important matters to attend to, however, so try not to fuck up," Draiz finished, using one of the Earth curses he'd learned out of habit.
Yaris nodded and looked like he was about to say something else when Draiz turned and began toward the nearby elevator. As the Dark Trooper Commander had mentioned and he had just said, the former Ragnos Cultist Master had more important business to deal with. He didn't want to anger Palpatine by wasting time here. As he left for Kyoto, he got the distinct sense that the operation wouldn't go as planned…
Kuoh Town Outskirts, Japan, 2012 A.D.
DT-491-001 readjusted his grip on one of the few original blasters the Terran Empire had as his squadron approached the abandoned church. The few members of the Empire Reborn that had survived both the destruction of Byss and the second death of Palpatine on Onderon. DT-491-001, born Reizo Juba, didn't know much about that period of history, seeing as he hadn't even known aliens existed until five years ago.
Reizo had originally been a member of the Yakuza when he'd been approached. He'd gotten swept up in the promises of power and wealth made by the Emperor. He also welcomed the chance of being called a hero for helping Earth become the dominant power in the galaxy. This was contingent, of course, on the Emperor taking control of Earth.
What Reizo and many like him didn't know, was that they'd been brainwashed by the Emperor. The Emperor used a mixture of his own silver tongue, Dark Side Corruption, and Dominate Mind abilities. This allowed him to gather followers from even the supernatural races of Earth. At this point, many were too enthralled to ever be brought back from the Emperor's control.
Reizo stopped as his squad leader, Captain Daigo, raised a gloved fist. Reizo and another trooper, DT-491-002, were the only Dark Troopers in this particular squadron. The others looked like members of any modern military on Earth, though in this case, they drew heavily on the look of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force. Most of their unit carried Type 89 or Type 64 rifles, three carried the JGSDF's main submachine gun, the Minebea 9mm Machine Pistol. All the weapons were magically enhanced, just in case this part of the operation went sideways somehow. Reizo doubted that would happen.
Daigo scanned the forest until a girl with twin tails and wearing a Gothic Lolita outfit appeared from out of the trees. If Reizo remembered right, this was the Fallen Angel Mittelt. She looked annoyed.
"The operation's tonight? Are you fucking kidding me? Raynare just got back with the Argento brat," she muttered as she walked toward Daigo.
Daigo rolled her eyes before responding. "About Argento, there's been a change of plans. The Emperor wants her brought to him. Something about her Sacred Gear being useful."
"So we don't get to kill her?"
"No, you don't. Where is she?"
"The loyalist Stray Exorcists have her in a sort-of VIP room. Raynare and Dohnaseek have been keeping an eye on her."
"Bring her here. You, Raynare, and Kalawarna are coming with us. Dohnaseek, Sellzen, and the Strays loyal to us will distract the loyalists."
"Where are we taking her? Omicron?"
"Yeah, there first, and then we'll head for the Emperor. Have to bring our resident Reborn with us too, and he's working on the Devil operation."
"Right. Be back soon," Mittelt said as she headed back to the church.
Reizo watched her go, and out of boredom, wondered how the Devil operation was going. Little did he know it would not go smoothly.
Kuoh Town Industrial District, Japan, 2012 A.D.
Sona Sitri frowned as she stood before the dilapidated warehouse. There was something about the new orders from the Archduke tonight that felt off. For a Stray Devil to require both her Peerage and Rias's… it must have originally been a Rook or perhaps a Bishop reincarnated. That didn't make sense, however. Rooks, Bishops, and the like were usually destroyed before they could escape. This is because they have had longer to adjust to being a servant. Pawns and the like are fresher and are far more comfortable on the surface.
A red transport circle appeared near the entrance. Rias and her Peerage came out of the circle. Rias took no time in locating her, since she, Tsubaki, and her own Rook, Tsubasa Yura, were standing in front of the warehouse's main doors. She raised an eyebrow at Rias as she and her Peerage approached.
"Before you ask, Issei is coming. Not sure when he'll get here, though, so in the meantime, we could come up with plans to take the Stray down," Rias offered as she gazed around the warehouse's surroundings.
"Yes, though I do want to talk about that. Don't you find it odd that we're both being sent to take care of a single Stray? I'd understand if it was multiple Strays working together. The order didn't mention anything about there being more than one Stray," Sona said as she cupped her chin in thought.
"Maybe it's a Stray Bishop or Rook? They make it here sometimes, you know?"
"That's another thing that's bothering me. They didn't say what kind of Stray that it was."
"True…"
"Something wrong?" Issei's voice cut in, startling Sona while Rias glared at him in slight annoyance.
"You realize that trick was only going to work on me once, right?"
"Yes. Apologies for startling you, heiress Sitri. I forgot you aren't used to Force Powers yet. Not to worry, though, Rias had a similar reaction, as did Akeno and Kiba."
"How-"
"I enhanced my speed with the Force. One of the many abilities the Force grants me."
"I see. I also noticed you called Rias by her actual name. I'm guessing she was getting a little tired of being called 'Heiress Gremory' all the time?"
"Oh yes. Didn't even let him step foot in the club room before telling him to call me Rias instead of my title."
"I would ask that you do the same for me then, Issei. Practically speaking, it's faster to say my name rather than my title. Anyway, back to your previous question, I have concerns about this Stray hunt."
"What kind of concerns?"
Sona never got the chance to answer. She tensed when she heard something click from inside the warehouse. She wasn't the only one. Rias and her Peerage had heard it too. Issei was confused for only a second before his expression grew tense and he unholstered his weapon.
"Well now," a voice called from behind them, "I suppose Devils having enhanced senses was true. Not that they'll do you any good."
Sona, Rias, and Issei turned toward the voice simultaneously. Standing on the other side of the entrance, a hooded man in a combination of black robes and metallic armor stood alone. His face was covered by a mask with red markings, but what really caught Sona's eye was the metal cylinder hanging on the man's belt.
"This will be much easier on all of you if you surrender. There is no point in resisting. You are already surrounded by my men," the hooded man said as he gestured to armored beings that appeared from out of the darkness.
Sona glared as she began summoning some of her water magic, "Who are you? It's obvious you aren't from lord Vader's forces."
"Now why would I tell you that? Take them!" the hooded man called as the cylinder belted at his side flew up and into his palm.
The cylinder ignited with a snap-hiss, and orange-red blade lighting up the night as he sprung towards her. Issei cylinder did the same, though it ignited in a light-turquoise color. Issei quickly engaged the hooded man before he could reach their group. The other armored men, on the other hand, were free to approach. Three of them held rifles while the others were holding what looked like batons and shields.
Kiba unsheathed his sword and held it in a ready stance as Koneko took a boxer's stance. Tsubasa backed them up while Akeno, who'd used her magic to change into her priestess outfit, and Rias stood alongside Sona. Tsubaki had taken a position in front of her King as a shield. Sona, in the meantime, studied the people approaching.
They weren't from Vader's forces, but their armor was certainly similar to the Stormtroopers she'd seen in their home. Sleeker, maybe, and more flexible, it still held an eerie similarity to the other Stormtroopers. Coupling that with the all-black color scheme with a red visor would make an intimidating display if she wasn't already used to far more terrifying visages.
One armored soldier with a rifle, which looked almost the same as the blasters Vader's men used, and a black pauldron was chivvying the other men to hurry and close with them. The other two rifle-wielding men fired blue rings at her and Rias. Tsubaki took one head-on and staggered as one of the armored men reached her. The man swung his baton at her, the end of said baton crackling with bluish-white electricity, only to be hit with a blow from Sona's magic. She hadn't seen where the other blue ring, most likely a stun blast, had gone.
The other baton-wielding men attacked as the pauldron-wearing soldier aimed his own rifle at her. He fired two shots in rapid succession, one at her and one at Rias. Akeno didn't have time to defend her own King as she was rushed by two of the baton-wielders. Tsubaki took the second blast and collapsed while the third hit Rias. She jerked from the impact as Sona shot at the man with a blast of water.
The blast sent the man backward and into a wall behind him with enough force to dent the crack it. He seemed to collect himself and tried to walk forward only to fall on his face a couple of steps in. She didn't see much after as she too was rushed by baton-wielding troops.
She read the minds of the closest too and dodged their swings before Akeno and a groggy Tsubaki took them down. The third man struck Tsubaki in the back of the head with his baton and knocked her out before stepping over her and coming into range of Sona and Rias.
"Sona, down!" Sona's Rook called from behind her. The Sitri heiress ducked as the Rook's fist came flying toward the baton-wielder. The fist connected with the helmet, and the helmet grew visible cracks from the hit. The man fell backward as a trickle of blood started to leak from the helmet.
"Enough games! We only need the heiresses, kill the rest!" the hooded man called in a strained voice, just barely audible over the sound of his and Issei's duel.
"For the Emperor!" One of the men called as he snatched a strange gun from the holster that had been built into his armor.
The weapon barked and shell casings flew out, but rather than bullets, energy bolts shot toward her Rook. Sona put up a barrier just in time to stop the projectiles and began trying to disable the gun with magic. It didn't work. The other soldiers pulled out similar weapons and began firing on the others, hemming them in as they all put up barriers.
"They can't keep this up forever. Pour it on!" a man in armor said, this one being one of the original rifle holders.
Rias inched closer to Sona and whispered as she began summoning her Power of Destruction into a ball. "When I give the signal, lower the barrier, Sona."
Sona nodded and waited for said signal.
Issei grunted as one of the hooded man's fists clipped the side of his jaw. He swung his saber at the man to keep him from trying to attack while Issei was off balance. The man easily blocked the strike and swung at Issei again. The apprentice was forced backward by the ferocity of the strike. He saw the man swing for his legs and quickly blocked the strike.
"I have to admit, I'm surprised to find a Jedi here on this backwater," the man began casually, "I figure your kind would be busy on Yavin Four with Skywalker and Katarn. Then again, you do not feel like them…"
"I am no Jedi," Issei ground out through strained teeth as he struggled to keep his opponent's blade in place.
"Really? You're clearly not one of us, yet something about you feels familiar. Who was your master?"
"Now why would I tell you that?"
"You're learning already! Good. Here's another lesson!" the man shouted as he suddenly pulled his saber back and went for a slash at Issei's head.
The apprentice ducked back from the slash but fell for the feint and got a kick to the gut in response. His lightsaber fell from his grasp as he went to clutch at his newest injury from the fight. The weapon shut itself off, and before he could catch it, it was flung toward the surrounded Devils. The man stabbed his saber tip at the apprentice's chest and only missing by centimeters. Issei couldn't risk calling his lightsaber back to himself with his opponent so close, so he retreated toward the warehouse. It was to no avail as his assailant advanced as the apprentice retreated.
"Dammit, he's too fast! Think Issei think!" the apprentice thought as he glanced around for anything he could use to toss at the man. He spotted a pile of boxes and quickly used the Force to fling them at the man.
The man grinned evilly as he swept his blade through the crates, "Cute, but it won't save you."
Issei swore as he threw more crates only for the man to destroy those too. As the apprentice kept moving back, he failed to notice the body of one of the unknown troopers. He tripped over one of the trooper's errant arms and landed on his back. The man's pace never changed as he advanced on Issei, nor did his evil grin.
"Well, I can safely say this was fun, but as I told my men earlier, we only really need the heiresses. Last I checked, you aren't one of them," the man commented darkly as he slowly raised his saber above his head for an overarching slash. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the man brought the blade down.
Issei closed his eyes, unwilling to watch the blade cut into him, "I'm sorry everyone. I pray that you can continue the fight without me. Love you, Mom and Dad. I'm sorry I won't be able to make it home."
What kind of talk is that, Partner?
Issei's eyes shot open at the voice before he winced as pain lance through his left arm. A bright emerald light began to emanate from an orb in the middle of his hand before his forearm became covered in a red gauntlet. The orb appeared in the same spot that it had been on his hand, and ten golden spikes manifested onto the gauntlet as well. Issei had been distracted by the sudden appearance of the gauntlet that he'd forgotten about the blade coming down on him.
Out of instinct, Issei held his left forearm above his head to attempt to stop the blade. He knew it was a pointless gesture, but he couldn't help himself. He was shocked when he saw the blade bounce off the gauntlet as if it was a lightsaber as well.
"What?! How- is that a Sacred Gear? Dammit, focus fire on the Jedi troopers!" the man snarled as he leaped backward.
Rias's voice cried out as the troopers closest to her spun to shoot at Issei. "Now Sona!"
The barrier that Sona had put up to protect herself dropped and a familiar magic ball shot out toward two of the troopers. They never stood a chance as they were disintegrated. The troopers already aiming at Issei turned to take care of the new threat but were far too slow. Kiba rushed out with his own blade and snatched Issei's lightsaber and flicked it on. Three more troopers died from Kiba's attack while the final two raised their weapons at the Gremory Knight, only to meet a fist from the Gremory and Sitri Rooks each.
"Issei, catch!" Kiba called as he deactivated the saber and tossed it toward the apprentice.
The man snarled and went to throw the coming lightsaber further away, only for Issei to charge him. The man tried to attack but again got his lightsaber blocked by the gauntlet. Issei then grabbed the man by his robes and drove his head into the man's mask. The man hissed in pain before Issei switched the man's saber off and knocked it out of his hands. The man roared in anger as he lunged at Issei, his mask cracked and a part of his face showing through. He wrapped his hands around Issei's throat, choking the apprentice.
"Just die already!" the man shouted as Issei felt his vision darken. He wouldn't survive being bisected just to be choked to death. He called his lightsaber, which had landed on the ground closer to him and the man, to his hand and quickly jammed it against the man's gut.
Issei ignited the lightsaber. The blade extended out of the man's back, the man too stunned to make a sound. He grunted as Issei deactivated the blade again, allowing the man to fall. The apprentice coughed as the man collapsed to his knees while holding the still-burning hole where the lightsaber's blade had gone through.
"H-how? How was I killed by a bunch of… teens…" the man asked with his final breath, falling onto his side.
Issei looked at the dead man and then at the lightsaber. Vader had taught him how to kill, but before now he'd never actually killed another living person. One might argue the Stray from last night counted but then again, he'd never actually killed it, had he? All he did was cut its arms off. The apprentice wasn't sure how he felt as he stared at the corpse before him.
That's enough of that, Partner. It was him or you. Don't think of it beyond that.
"W-what… who are you?" Issei asked in his mind as he tore his eyes away from the body.
All in due time, Partner, but for now, focus on the Devils. They're probably scared and confused after that fight.
Issei nodded to himself as he turned to face the haggard Devils. He noticed that Kiba, Tsubasa, Tsubaki, Koneko, and even Rias had injuries. Out of all of them, Tsubaki was the most injured. He could see blood dripping from the back of her head as she was supported by Sona and Akeno. He probably didn't look much better. He also saw that they were all focused on the gauntlet on his arm rather than him specifically.
Rias stared at the Boosted Gear on Issei. To think it would manifest so soon after the last user had died, and in its second state already, was unprecedented. From what she and Sona knew, the awakening of this particular Sacred Gear between users was at the very least fifty years. That was also not considering who it was attached to. Of all people, it had to be the one aligned with the newest faction. Rias had no doubt that Vader and his men would become a new faction in the supernatural. They were simply that powerful. The Sacred Gear also helped answer why Issei was targeted by the Fallen originally.
The Boosted Gear was a very powerful Sacred Gear, being one of the Thirteen Longinus. The Fallen would never allow such a gear in the hands of an untrained child. Had he the chance, Azazel would've likely taken Issei under his wing to train him in using the gear. Others would've killed him to prevent the other factions or Fallen leaders from getting their hands on Issei. That didn't answer, however, how the Fallen that had tried having Issei assassinated knew that Issei had the gear in the first place.
"Does anyone know what this thing is, or are you all going to keep staring at it?" Issei asked dryly, glancing around just in case more unknown people showed up.
Sona cleared her throat before speaking. "That, Issei, is the Sacred Gear known as 'Boosted Gear'. It is a supernatural artifact from the Great War of the Three Factions. The soul of the Welsh Dragon resides in it. There's more history to it but we have more pressing matters to deal with. Namely, whatever is inside the warehouse."
"Agreed," Rias interjected as she turned to the warehouse, "Be on guard, everyone. There could be more of these people inside."
"Before we head in, someone should keep an eye on our new prisoners," Issei mentioned, gesturing at the few unconscious soldiers.
Sona nodded and turned to the two Rooks and Knight of the group. "Right. Tsubasa, Koneko, and Kiba? Watch them. The rest of us will investigate."
The three agreed and each went to a soldier. Issei reached for something in his school uniform and pulled out a small black device. After talking into it for about a minute, he put the device back and turned back to the warehouse.
"Letting my master know about the attack. He's sending a squadron of Shadow Troopers to police the bodies."
"Good. Let's head inside before anything else happens," Rias stated as she and Akeno began walking briskly toward the warehouse.
She went to open the door, only to find it locked. She narrowed her eyes and went to force it open when Issei approached out of the corner of her eye.
"Stand back," he said as he once again ignited the lightsaber. With a quick sweep downward, he cut the obvious lock off the door. The door started to swing inward, revealing an empty warehouse.
Rias narrowed her eyes further as she stepped inside and looked around. It seemed like a normal warehouse from what she could see. That was when she noticed a strange flicker near the back of the warehouse. She led the others towards it, making sure to watch her surroundings.
She instantly put up a barrier as a red bolt shot out of the rapidly flickering back wall. Issei blocked the shot and with a grunt, a body fell out of the now-dissolving hologram that had been a fake back wall. The person, it looked like a woman, writhed as she grasped at her injured arm. Another bolt was fired at them, and Akeno sent a blast of Thunder magic at the user. The second person, a man wearing a black jumpsuit and similar helmet to the men outside, spasmed from the magic and dropped to the ground.
"Secure them," Issei commanded as he continued forward with his lightsaber held out in one hand. He was obviously waiting for another shot to come, but it never did. Rias and the others didn't question him as the woman was enthralled in a mind-control spell by Sona while Tsubaki and Akeno watched over the man the Thunder Priestess had knocked out.
Rias glanced around the new back area of the warehouse, seeing nothing out of the ordinary again. "What the Hell were those two guarding?"
"I'm not sure. Their outfits are similar to the ones our pilots wear, but I don't see a ship…" Issei replied as he shut off his weapon once more.
"Look around. See if there are any clues on what it is they were guarding."
"Right."
Rias and Issei searched the shelves lining the walls, hoping to find some kind of trace or sign of whatever was inside the warehouse. The Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess grimaced as nothing seemed to look out of the ordinary. As she turned to look at Issei, she saw that same flicker again. It was smaller this time, however, and focused on something in the middle of the room.
"Issei, did you see that?"
"Yeah. Let me try something…" Issei said as he started walking toward where the flicker had appeared. He never did get to try anything.
As soon as he had started moving, the flicker happened again and seemed to become more frequent. The flicker ended abruptly as a large spaceship came into view. The ship was unfamiliar to Rias, and from the look on Issei's face, he didn't recognize it either.
The ship was small enough to fit in the warehouse, but only just. The top wing had enough space to fit an average person between it and the roof. The other two wings, one on each side of the ship, stood a meter off the ground, held aloft by three mechanical legs. All three wings were equally spaced apart from the triangular center, which held the cockpit. The cockpit itself was elongated and ended just a few centimeters of the three wings. The part of the cockpit facing Issei and her reminded Rias of an eye. She leaned to her left and noticed the ship was far longer than she thought, with a large space that had a single open door on its side. There was a ramp touching the floor which led up to the door.
"Who exactly are we up against?" she asked quietly as she stared at the ship.
Issei turned to face her, a grim expression on his face. "It seems Palpatine has started making moves…"
Author's Note: Sorry for the late post once again. I got hit with a busy week at work and didn't find the right time to write until a few days ago. I'll try to be more frequent with updates, but no promises!
Anyway, finally brought Ddraig into this story, as well as fleshing out Palpatine's faction, the Terran Empire. It was the best name I could come up with it, so if anyone has a better name, let me know. I'll happily change it.
Some of the stuff in this chapter is from older Star Wars video games. Props to you if you can recognize them!
In regard to the Boosted Gear being able to block a lightsaber, if I remember correctly lightsabers can't cut through magic items. For reference, I'm thinking of swords imbued with the Force, and for this fic, Earth Magic is a type of Force Ability. Ergo, Sacred Gears are lightsaber resistant, as are any magic powers that are meant for defense or offense, and in turn, it means lightsabers can block magical attacks depending on what the magic is. Some magic would be unblockable, like Rias's power of destruction, obviously, but stuff like Thunder magic is blockable and also redirectable.
Anywho, that's all for now. I'll begin work on the next chapter in a day or so. Need a little time to gather my ideas. Please send reviews my way to let me know if the fic is good or not (and no one-word crap like "Generic". It ain't helpful)!
