Chapter 10: Nihil

As the ship was lodged between trees with smoke coming from it. As Anakin, Shaak Ti, and Obi Wan would be knocked out as the impact was hard and the crash would leave the ship unusable. With Obi Wan being the first one to come too as he went to check on the others as when he went to check on a still knocked out Anakin. Shaak Ti would also come too but with hitting her head she would be dazed as she asked, "What happened?" As Obi Wan looked over at Shaak Ti as he said "Not sure. But I think Anakin is injured. Because he is not waking up." Shaak Ti worried would get out of the gunner spot as she made her way towards Obi Wan as best as she could in the damaged ship. Shaak Ti would say while making her way over "What's wrong with him?" Obi Wan would try to wake Anakin up as Anakin was knocked out as Obi Wan replied to Shaak Ti "Not sure, but we need to move him." As Shaak Ti would finally make it to them as she then grabbed Anakin by the shoulders as she tried helping Obi Wan move him out of his spot. When suddenly she would get the burst of force energy going into her through Anakin as she then felt Barriss's presence within Anakin and how it felt like warmth and carefulness and then Shaak Ti would fall back almost losing her balance but keeping her footing as the bond would put her in a trance. With Obi Wan subsequently breaking Shaak Ti out of the trance by saying "Are you alright Shaak Ti?" As she then shook her head while saying to Obi Wan "Yes sorry about that." Anakin then waking up as he would look over at Obi Wan and Shaak Ti as he would say "What is it Yoda and Aayla?" With Obi Wan and Shaak Ti looking at each other confused as they before then looked at Anakin both asking, "Anakin are you okay?" As Anakin would shake his head and notice he was talking to Shaak Ti and Obi Wan as he then said, "Oh sorry but yeah I think I am okay just a knock on the head." As all then would exit the burning ship as they tried to figure out where they were.

Yoda and Aayla would get to where the noise came from as they saw Barriss lying on the ground unconscious. Yoda would walk up as he went to touch Barriss to see if she was alright as he said "Barriss okay you are?" but as soon as Yoda touched Barriss he would get a brush of force similar to what Shaak Ti felt when she touched Anakin, but Yoda would feel Anakin in Barriss and the warmth and love she had in her as he would then almost lose his footing as he would go into a trance as well. With Aayla catching Yoda as she asked, "Are you okay Master Yoda?" Yoda then coming out of the trance he would shake his head as he then got his footing while putting his hand on his head as he then said, "Not sure I am." But then Barriss would come to as she then looked up at Aayla and Yoda with then Yoda asking Barriss "Here what happened?" Barriss then lifting herself up as she replies, "Not sure Obi Wan and Shaak Ti." With both Aayla and Yoda looking at each other in confusion as both then looking at Barriss while they said "What?" As Barriss finally got to her feet she would notice that she was standing in front of Yoda and Aayla as she then said "Oh sorry masters. But not sure what happened my head just started hurting." Both Aayla and Yoda would look at each other again as Barriss then would continue "But I think I will go to my room to get some rest." With both Aayla and Yoda then nodding in confusion as they then said, "Oh Okay Padawan Barriss you can take your leave." Barriss then bowing as she said, "Thank you I will take my leave." With Barriss walking passed them as Yoda then looked behind himself as he looked at Barriss walking away but seeing a yellow translucent form of Anakin shadowing her every move. Yoda would look away as he would then shake his head as he thought he was seeing things. Aayla would look at Yoda as she then asked him "What's wrong Master?" Yoda then looking up at Aayla saying "No… Nothing. Meditate I must." Yoda then walking to the elevator as Aayla replied, "Oh Okay well I will go back to trying to figure out who messed with the cameras." Yoda then would get in the elevator as he replied, "Good figure this out we must." As the door then closed with Aayla going back to the monitor she was on.

As they looked around the woods to find their way towards the capital. Shaak Ti would keep looking over at Anakin ever so often as when she looked over at him, she would see a yellow translucent form of Barriss shadowing his ever move. Shaak Ti would wondering what it was as she was about to ask "Anakin…" But blaster fire would interrupt her question as they all ignited their lightsabers and went into a guard position. As eight HK-Sentinel Mark-V War Droids would be firing using the trees for cover as they as approached the crash site. Obi Wan would ponder as he then said while defecting blaster fire. "Looks like the bandits don't actually want to negotiate with us!" As they continued to deflect the blaster fire, two droids would get hit by the deflected fire as the droids tried to get closer to the Jedi. "As Anakin said, "I have now had enough of this!" As he then leaped towards the droids cutting three as soon as he landed with two being beheaded and the third being cut in half. As he then deflected a blaster fire back to the droid head of the one who fired it destroying it instantly with the remaining two then turning to Anakin as they were about to fire on Anakin with there E-5 blaster rifles. But then suddenly both of them get sliced in two as Obi Wan and Shaak Ti lunged towards both of them. With Anakin turning his lightsaber off as he then said "Well that's done. Let's get to the leader now!" Shaak Ti would look at Anakin in confusion as when he spoke Barriss's voice would echo his every word. Obi Wan would then interrupt Shaak Ti's thought as Obi Wan then also turn off his lightsaber before he said "Lets get to the centre of the town square. Pretty sure the bandits are holding hostages there. So might be hard to get the leader if we don't save the hostages first." Anakin and Shaak Ti would nod as Shaak Ti also turned off her lightsaber as they all then made their way towards the gate of the Capital.

In a random abandon building in the town square of Cholganna a Hk-Sentinel Droid would walk up to a Hooded figure as the droid then told the person "The Strike Team failed. The Jedi are heading towards us." The hooded figure would laugh as the hooded figure then said "Thought that would happen. Don't worry got another plan. Tell the droids to use the hostages as human shields. They won't try a frontal assault if innocents are in the way." As the droid then nods as it then replied, "Yes Master Nihil and what about the asset." Nihil would then turn away from the droid as he then said, "I will deal with him." The Droid then saying, "Yes I will send troops to delay the jedi while I prepare for the jedi assault." Nihil would look back at the droid as he then put his hands behind him as he then said, "Good and I will prepare for the trap." As both then would leave the abandon building to go to the spots.

As the Jedi then got to the gate of the Capital, they would then get ambushed by 6 more HK-Sentinel droids as the Jedi took cover as the droids were using the abandon buildings as cover. Obi Wan would ask, "Where are all these droids coming from?" As Anakin rushed to one abandon building while deflecting blaster fire while he would reply back to Obi Wan "Not sure but might as well take care of them." Anakin would leap on the roof as he then rushed and sliced a droids' head off as the droid was taking the roof as cover while shooting at the jedi. Shaak Ti would then rush through the center of the street as she would cut a droid using a speeder for cover. Obi Wan would then rush from behind the gate to the center of the street as he then deflected a blaster fire right back at the droid destroying it as it was poking its head out of a window of an abandon building. Anakin would then jump into another building in front of him as he landed in the building through the window slashing a droid using the building for cover in half. Shaak Ti then leaping towards the roof of a building where another droid was while deflecting its fire as she then cut its head off as she finally reached the rooftop. Obi Wan would be deflecting the last droid's fire as it then got impaled by a lightsaber as Anakin would appear as the droid fell from Anakin's stab. "Well saved you again Master!" Anakin would laugh while saying it to Obi Wan. With Obi Wan giving Anakin, a look of annoyance as he then replied "That doesn't count Anakin. I had that covered." Shaak Ti then breaking it up by saying "Well let's get to the town square before reinforcements come." Anakin and Obi Wan would both look over at Shaak Ti with a stern look as they both then nodded. With Obi Wan then saying, "Yes we better hurry!" As the three jedi then headed towards the town's square as they hurried their mission along.

Heading towards the town square they would take cover as they then see the town's folk all in the centre of the town square as they also see a bunch of HK-Sentinel droids guarding as they used the town's folk as human shields. Obi Wan would say as he then looked over that Anakin and Shaak Ti "We need to find the leader and take the leader out. He will probably have something to deactivate the droids." As both Shaak Ti and Anakin would nod as Obi Wan then moved closer to the hostages while staying covered as he used carts, crates, and other things in the town square. Anakin and Shaak Ti would go the other way as they also remained covered. Anakin would break cover though as he noticed a little girl get kick by a droid as she was only scared and looking for her mother as Anakin would leap towards the droid stabbing it in its chest. The rest of the droids would notice and take fire as both Shaak Ti and Obi Wan would break their cover to protect the hostages from crossfire as they started deflecting blaster fire. As Obi Wan then said, "Well there goes the element of surprise." Anakin then attacking other droids that came up towards him and the girl. But another droid would come from behind them and grab the girl as it then took her away through an alleyway. Anakin would leap back as he then went to pursue the droid that took the girl away as he then yelled "I will get that girl back." Obi Wan would then say "No! We must…" But would get stopped in his track as he had to concentrate on the droids as more appeared to split the jedi from each other. Both Shaak Ti and Obi Wan would continue deflecting the droids fire as they tried to find a way to get to Anakin, but knew they needed to deal with what was going on. "We will take these ones first before going after Anakin." Shaak Ti would say to Obi Wan as she continued to deflect the blaster bolts with her lightsaber with Obi Wan nodding as he also continued to deflect blaster fire for him.

Anakin would chase the droid who took the girl as he got further away from where Shaak Ti and Obi Wan were. As Anakin eventually caught up with the droid, it would suddenly stop in front of a building with a plaza in front of it as the droid would then hold the girl as a shield as the droid held its blaster aimed at her. Anakin would hold his lightsaber in an attack position as he was about to make a move to try to save the girl but, through the force would feel something behind him as Anakin then turned around. As a hooded figure approached, Anakin would then get shocked as the hooded figure would then bring out two lightsabers as Anakin would then ask himself loud enough for everyone to hear "Lightsabers?" The hooded figure would subsequently ignite the two lightsabers one blue and the other being green as he would dash towards Anakin locking blades with him as Anakin brought his lightsaber up to guard the hooded figure's attack. Both would be struggling to overpower each other as Anakin would say "Wh-Who are you?" With the hooded figure replying, "Someone from the dark." As they both then jumped back to make another attack. Standing there Anakin would then ask, "You can't be a Jedi?" The hooded figure would smirk as he then replied "A Jedi… I defeated a Jedi once." Anakin stunned by the hooded figure reply as Anakin then said, "You what?" The hooded figure would get his attack ready as he pointed his two lightsabers towards the ground while saying "Tell me… Tell me why he picked you?" The hooded figure would then rush towards Anakin as he dragged the points of the lightsabers on the ground leaving chard lines behind him as he got closer to Anakin, he would continue, "Out of all the jedi! Why you!?" As the hooded figure then swung down on with his one lightsaber but Anakin guarding it above his head as the hooded figure continued with "I killed my master for him!" The hooded figure would then flip over Anakin as he then slashed at Anakin again with his other lightsaber then again with Anakin blocking it again as the hooded figure would continue as he got louder "I killed the innocent! I did whatever he told me to do!" Anakin now taking charge would strike the hooded figure's blade as the hooded figure would continue to say as he then had to guard Anakin's attack. "So, tell me Why!? Why did he pick you!?" The hooded figure would then get a flash of light making him jump back as he looks then at Anakin as he then sees a yellow translucent form of Barriss shadowing Anakin's ever move as Anakin stood there get ready for another attack. As the hooded figure then realized why Anakin was chosen as he started getting ready to attack, the hooded figure would say "I see... That's why." The hooded figure would then rush slashing as soon as he got to Anakin as Anakin would then dodge. Dodging the hooded man's attack by jump from side to side left to right as the hooded man attacked furiously. The hooded man's one slash would then almost connect with Anakin, but Anakin would hold up a guard above his head. The hooded man would then repeatedly smash Anakin's lightsaber with both of his lightsabers one after another as Anakin guarded every blow with the hooded man yelling "I will show him I am better than you! I will show everyone you are a weakling! I will show her I am the Great one!" As the hooded figure would then knock Anakin's lightsaber out of Anakin's hand with a side way strike. Knocking it away as it fell on the ground a few steps away from them as Anakin then rushed to his lightsaber but get stopped as the hooded figure would be standing in front of the lightsaber as he used force sprint to beat Anakin to the lightsaber. As the hooded figure would point one of his lightsabers at Anakin as he said, "She won't be able to save you this time." Anakin would shake his fist in anger but through Barriss's love for him flowing through him as Anakin would feel it as he then said, "I don't need anyone's help!" With Anakin then using the force to his lightsaber as it flew into his hand as the hooded figure would then get taken aback as he didn't expect that by shouting "What!?" As Anakin then slash the hooded figure from his right shoulder ending at the left side of the gut. The hooded figure would deactivate his lightsabers and dropping them as he then walked pass Anakin thinking.

It was a few years earlier in the lower levels of Coruscant as a sorrowful Tan is kneeling on the ground as his master lays dead with a lightsaber stab in the heart of his master behind Tan. As a hooded figure approached Tan he would say "Good! Good you have done well." Tan would say while getting to his feet "Yes Lord Sidious" as he looked solemn for killing his master. Sidious would look at Tan with an evil look as he then said, "You seek answers." Tan would then nod to Sidious as Sidious continued talking "Love is a lie; the Jedi will fall because of love. Love is weak, love is nothing, you feel nothing, nothing is real. I can give you purpose." Tan would nod and kneel on one knee as he then said, "I serve you lord Sidious." Sidious would smile as he knew he had corrupted Tan as he would then say, "You are no longer Tan Yuster but will rise as Nihil." Tan would rise from his knee to his feet again as he then said "Nihil." As Sidious' smile got larger as he then replied "That is right… The new you." A flash would come as Tan would been thinking about the incident when he became Nihil.

Tan sitting in an empty void as he had his knee up and curled up as his head was tucked in his chest as he regretted his life. "Look who's finally awake." A voice would say as Tan would get surprised by someone actually being here as he looks over knowing who it was would say "Master!" With Tan's Master looking out towards the void as his master stood beside Tan. His master would say, "Or, maybe I have it wrong. Might be time to sleep. Soon, we won't be able to talk like this anymore." Tan would look away from his Master as he looked towards the empty void as Tan would then say "Does that mean… I lost." His Master would sit down beside Tan as he then asked, "You know, I've been thinking about something Sidious said to you." His master would look over at as Tan did the same to listen as his master continued "Tan, are you really sure that a jedi can't fall in love with another? Is it possible that all jedi can fall in love and not turn to the dark side? Like you, me, everyone… Or is that just wishful thinking?" Tan turning away as he thought as Tan would then reply "I don't know. I can't… Just look inside." Tan's Master would look away excepting a different answer as his Master would reply, "Yeah, I guess not." Tan would then continue talking as he then said, "But I figure, if there is something in there-inside us-like love. Then we'd feel it, wouldn't we? And if so… No, never mind." Tan's Master would be looking over at Tan interested while saying, "C'mon, don't leave me hanging." Tan continuing to look out at the void happier as he would reply, "Anakin and Barriss will find the answer we are looking for. I know they will. Because they are the best of the Jedi." Tan's Master would smirk and look back into the void saying, "True enough." Tan would start disappearing into light as he then looked at his master while saying, "Take care, Master." As his Master also started disappearing into light as his master then replied, "Right back at you, My Padawan." As they both then disappeared.

As the hooded figure walked past Anakin he would stumble as his hood would then fall back revealing to Anakin it was Tan as Anakin would then say, "Tan…" As Tan would then straighten himself as Anakin would then ask, "Tan is that you?" Tan would then look back at Anakin and with his last dying breath would say, "You better love her." As Tan would then fall forwards as he then died from his wound. As Anakin would stand their shocked repeating what Tan just said to himself. The Droid would try shooting the girl it was holding but the girl would get force pulled as a light saber impale the droid from behind. As Obi Wan stood deactivating his lightsaber standing where the droid was as Shaak Ti would be on the other side of the plaza telling the girl to go find her mother if she can with the girl nodding and running away. Both Shaak Ti and Obi Wan would then walk over to Anakin as Obi Wan then asked, "What happened here?" Anakin stunned in one spot not saying anything as Shaak Ti then got up to put her hand on Anakin's shoulder as she would ask "Are you okay?" Asking more like a mother caring for her child as Anakin would look up at Shaak Ti as he replied "It's Tan…" Both Obi Wan and Shaak Ti would get shocked as she would let go of Anakin's shoulder as both Obi Wan and Shaak Ti would say, "What do you mean!?" Anakin continuing to look at Tan's dead body as he then would reply "The bandit leader was Tan Yuster." As both Obi Wan and Shaak Ti would get shocked as they then looked at what Anakin was looking at as they then noticed the dead body was Tan.

Hope you guys liked this chapter of the story as the story will be soon entering the Clone Wars there will be a few new characters added in with characters from the clone wars CGI series. I choose the name "Nihil" for a reason for it is the word "Nothing" in Latin. The next chapter will be released on Monday but also, I am writing another story so check out "Underneath the Metal" as those will be released every 2nd Wednesday until this story is done. But don't worry I have a few more stories that I am cooking up that well be released in the future so stay tuned.