Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. It belongs to Disney, as well as any authors, designers, and developers that came up with characters and ideas mentioned in the following. Any OCs (which numbers two) are exceptions.
The silence unnerved Omega. For a clone, it was an unusual feeling. Moreso for Omega who led his men through many missions and on behalf of his master. This one brought the most discomfort, but he didn't show it. He couldn't afford to when he led the Dredge Mire's crew from his command chair.
"Status report," Omega called from the center of the tiny bridge.
"Resistance has been quelled," droned an officer from a dark corner. Despite the dimly lit command console, Omega could tell the man wore the same gray armor and the same pale face as himself. After all, they were all clone saboteurs.
"Any escape pods?" asked Omega, the head saboteur on this particular mission.
"Unable to tell. Interference from the nearby planet has been affecting our sensors."
Interference? Nothing should be coming from the planet. It should've been dead for years. "Pinpoint the interference and eliminate. Use whatever is necessary."
"Specify what is necessary, captain,".
Omega held in a sigh. For a clone, he had forgotten he was among the few to have personalities from the flash learning. "Permission granted to send soldiers or shoot from orbit," he clarified.
Then, another saboteur at another dimly lit console spoke up, "Captain, we're receiving a transmission from inside the Republic cruiser."
"Put it through."
A second later, Omega shot up in his seat. An unmasked clone saboteur popped on the screen in front, blocking out the Republic vessel. "Sir! Sir!"
"What is it?" Omega asked, barely seeing another saboteur pass over the screen.
"We're under attack! We-we've lost three men!"
His eyes narrowed. "I thought resistance had been put down,"
"It's not the Republic! It's… it's…" The voice on the other side trailed, and the clone on the screen looked away. His face-eyes, mouth, and cheekbones-were filled with fear. "He's coming!" the clone had said, raising his rifle.
His gnawing feeling realized, Omega stood up. "Stay your ground!" he ordered the clone, then he looked to the clone in front. "Get them on this ship, now!"
The order came too late. Already, a scream rang from the other end, "N-no! Stay back! AAAAH-!"
A bright flash and a hiss of plasma killed the screen, leaving static in Omega's ears. His eyes whirled from the Reliquary outside the viewport. "Secure the airlock! Nothing must come through! Tell everyone aboard to get ready!"
Omega's order snapped the other few clones into action, and they conveyed commands to other saboteurs throughout the ship. Omega himself got up from his seat, put on his helmet, and shakingly drew his blaster from his side. If he was capable, Omega would've berated himself. Now wasn't the time for hesitation. Now he had to make sure his men would survive. Hopefully, they could stand a chance.
That hope waned after exiting the bridge. The dull walls softly groaned, and Omega's wrist-mounted comm blared from the screaming. He kept running and kept count of the time, as he had been conditioned. Given the layout of the Dredge Mire, it would take him five-point-eight-seven minutes to reach the airlock.
In one-point-five-nine minutes, the screams bounced off the closed-in walls. Omega had passed by the first junction. Point-seven-six-nine minutes later, he had reached the second junction and slid down the ladder to reach the level below.
Omega's feet touched down in point-five-two minutes. On the far end of the corridor, three other saboteurs had already gathered by the hatch they guarded. "Open it, now!" Omega ordered and ran to the hatch to continue for the airlock.
His feet stopped when a bright green beam pierced the hatch. The beam turned clockwise, carving through the door and a nearby clone's torso. The minute the section fell atop the dead clone, Omega's blaster rose and fired. In point-zero-zero-nine seconds, the red bolt shot across the hall towards its target.
In less time, the target's green beam swatted the bolt away.
A clone fell, his chest burnt by the redirected shot. The other nearby clone aimed at the target, but his blaster went to the side like it had a mind of its own. He had no time to process it, not when an invisible push flung him back at Omega's feet.
As the intruder stepped through the hole, a cloak draped over the shoulders, Omega recognized what this was. He had seen it enough times to guess. It explained how this intruder got onto the ship so quickly. "Jedi-!"
Omega's cry and shot were silenced by clawed feet bounding on the floor. The lightsaber, green aura around a white core, again deflected his red bolt. In one-point-eight seconds, one equally red hand had grabbed his throat, and another rose the lightsaber to strike.
Only it didn't. The blade stopped right in front of the clone's eyes. Even if it hadn't, the face glowering down was enough to freeze Omega.
For all the hood had obscured, a strong and blood-colored jawline jutted out. Jutting out of it were tiny spikes. Above those spikes, cracked lips snarled to unveil rows of sharp teeth. And the eyes-by the masters, those eyes. Dark pupils rested in the center of yellow and red irises that screamed of a hellish existence. They burned right into Omega like the lightsaber was about to.
Then, Omega froze again hearing a voice deep and gravelly like a destroyer's ion engine. "The only reason why you're alive now," the intruder had said, "is because I wonder why you would go to such lengths to find me. Call me a Jedi again, and I shall reconsider my act of mercy."
Something washed over Omega. Fear, if it were possible. No Jedi he knew of could bring that out of him. This creature, this monster, did.
"Now," the monster snarled, "tell me who sent you."
Omega's mouth opened when his conditioned mind screamed for silence. He didn't have to say anything when his comm blared. "Captain, report?" said a voice Omega recognized. "Did you find the target?"
The monster looked to Omega's wrist. The look was all it took to raise Omega's comm for the monster to grab onto. "You wanted to see me?" the monster said.
The man on the other end was quiet, at first. "Yes," he said calmly. "I see my men were successful in rescuing you. I must speak with my captain and-"
"Your captain's life is in my hands now," the monster growled. "Your men were only a distraction. I freed myself without your help. Yet, I wonder what you would want with me."
"An alliance. If you do not comply, then I will send my ships to hold you."
The hood shook from the snort. "The Jedi couldn't hold me. Your tools won't either."
"Perhaps," Omega heard his master say in derision, an emotion he rarely heard. "Still, I have a deal for you. You help me. I help you."
"Nothing you can offer will ever-"
"Sidious."
As if there hadn't been enough surprises, the monster froze. His eyes blazed like the deepest molten of carbonite. Omega, within the limits of his programmed and air-deprived mind, could only wonder what that word-that name-had meant.
The monster didn't answer. However, he deactivated the lightsaber and let go of Omega. The clone collapsed on his hands and knees, panting so hard he did not notice green blade return into its bronze hilt. Omega only saw the monster standing over him, hands in his cloak.
"You will live a little longer, it seems," the monster said quietly. Then, he stood and spoke loudly for Omega's master to hear. "Very well, I will listen."
Through his gasps for air, Omega heard his comm say, "Is my captain still there?"
The captain answered a second later. "I… I am here, master-"
"Give him your comm, and clear the area. I don't want you or anyone to listen to this," he had been told suddenly and sharply.
Omega hadn't questioned it. His conditioning suppressed any emotions lurching forward. He stood, detached his comm, and handed it over. Then, as he dragged himself back to the bridge, Omega noticed the monster standing before the trail of his fellow clones' corpses.
AN: Might be a bit different. What you just read was supposed to be part of a trilogy of SW PT rewrites (the first chapter in the first installment, actually), where it would introduce the main villain. A lot of ideas were taken from the old EU/Legends and mixed into its own story that would be different from what had been seen in the movies. As usual, I gave it up and I have no intention at the moment to get to it again.
Raika out.