Chapter Three: They know more than you think
She grunted slightly, her left eye twitched in pain, she was in bad condition after the last fight with the General and the spider. Shika slowly limped out of the jungle and towards the once living Wookie village, only to find the droid army that once stood around it was decimated and the town up in flames. Her jaw opened slightly as she stared in shock at the burning town. Who could have done this? The Wookies couldn't have, they wouldn't burn their own village, and the droids wouldn't kill each other in the processes of burning down the village.
Then she remembered her ship.
"Oh no." She gasped as she looked towards the direction of it, she quickly began limping toward where she had landed, her waste was burning in pain and her arm throbbed, but she cared less for her pain, she wanted to see her ship, she wanted to see if it was still all in once peace. She finally reached the landing area only to find her ship in perfect condition, and to find a black hooded figure standing in the way, two light sabers in her hands. The hood covered the figures face down to her mouth, her lips covered in red lipstick. Black strands of hair were seen hanging out from the hood; red highlights were seen as well.
"Get away from my ship you!" Shika snapped as she wobbled to one side. The figure smiled faintly, she took a small step forward and Shika lifted her light saber with her right arm, she whinced slightly.
"Don't bother to fight me, Jedi." The figure said calmly." You're wounded and weak; it would be no fun in killing you if you were not at your full strength." Shika narrowed her eyes and growled slightly.
"I won't trust a Sith warrior." The figure tilted her head slightly.
"How would you know if I am a Sith warrior? For all you know I could just be a rouge Jedi. Or I may not even be a Jedi at all…" She replied simply. Shika kept in her same position, her eyes not leaving the figure.
"The Force is lifting off you, I can sense it, and it isn't a good sense either, it's evil and dark, full of hate, the same kind you find rising off the Sith." Shika explained as she switched her light saber on. The figure only laughed.
"Well, Jedi, you were trained well when it came to the Force, but I can tell you aren't wise when it comes to using it properly." The Sith warrior tossed her extra light saber into the air and then held her hand out, Shika's light saber then slipped out of her hands and right into the Sith warriors grasp. The other light saber fell toward the ground, but stopped in mid air next to the warrior. Shika stared in amazement.
The warrior looked at Shika's light saber, seeming to be studying it; she smiled faintly at the hilt." I remember this weapon." She said as she twirled it around in her hand." Double bladed light saber with two purple Force crystals, a rare crystal… But it was simple enough for me to find such a treasure." Shika raised an eyebrow as she watched the warrior float the light saber back to her; Shika grabbed it and stared at it." I'm surprised you still carry that weapon around with you. Normally, Jedi make they're own light sabers…"
Shika gazed up at the warrior, tilting her head slightly." Who are you?" she asked. The Sith warrior smiled back at the girl.
"When you are at full strength, we will fight… We will have the duel I so longed for... But for now, regain you're strength, for you battle has only just begun…" Then, the sith warrior took off running at high speed, she whipped into the jungle and was gone. Shika stared off where the warrior had run to, a confused look on her face.
"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder." She then slowly made her way over to her ship, the R4 unit still inside." R4, did that person mess with anything?" She asked as she slowly got into the ship, the R4 whistled as a response. Shika sat herself down; the cockpit window began to close. She leaned back in her seat, holding her broken arm." She didn't do anything to the ship, weird… R4, set a course to Coruscant, you get to fly the ship this time." The R4 unit beeped wildly and the window closed shut, then the ship lifted off the ground and shot off into space.
His ship landed in a large hanger bay on Geonosis, the door hatch slowly fell down and hit the ground gently, the General came storming down the platform, pulling webbing off his dented armored arms. His own body guards followed behind him, holding tightly on electric staffs, ready to attack anything that would attempt to harm the General." I can't believe I let that woman live! It's like I wasn't even controlling my own thoughts." He growled.
"Let who live?" Came a dark voice. The General stopped and looked over at the entrance to another room, standing there was Count Dooku, his hands placed behind his back, his normal smug look on his face. The General backed up slightly before allowing his cloak to drape over his cybernetic body, covering the dents and marks from the spider attack.
"It's nothing…" He replied, attempting not to make eye contact with the Jedi. Dooku raised an eyebrow before slowly walking towards the General. The General stood tall." I came to report that your droids are idiotic, and that they only needed me and your little sith friend to only kill women and children. A complete waste of my time." He then walked past Dooku, attempting to make it to the door Dooku had come out of without answering anymore questions.
"General…" Dooku said calmly as he turned to stare at the General. The General stopped again, not turning to face Dooku." You didn't answer my question…" The General shook his head slightly. Knowing Dooku, he would most likely be displeased with him allowing a Jedi survive, he didn't like dealing with an angered old man, especially when he needed to repair his armor, it was pretty beat up. So he could only do one thing at a moment like this.
And that was to lie.
"It… Was one of the Wookies… A young woman I couldn't kill, I'm sure the droids took care of it." He replied. Dooku raised an eyebrow once more, confused to why he allowed a 'Wookie' to live." I couldn't bring myself to kill her, not in that condition. Perhaps I just lost my head for a moment." With that said, the General quickly shifted to the door, Dooku said nothing. The General glanced over his shoulder to see Dooku wandering away from him, shaking his head in confusion." I can't believe he went for it… That isn't like him to just allow something like that slide..." He muttered before quickly walking up to the door, it slid open and he went inside, once the door slid closed, Dooku smiled faintly.
"Everything seems to be going as planned." He said as he gazed over to a young man who was leaned up onto the wall near him, his arms folded a crossed his chest and his eyes closed. His hair was shortly cut and was a dark brown, it was slicked back a bit, some of his bangs dangled in his face. His outfit was pretty much like a commander's outfit with a long black cloak, and two light sabers were tided around his belt.
"He met my master's old apprentice and lied about letting her live, just as Lord Sidious for saw. All we need now is for you to give him the order of attempting to bring the Jedi girl into out hands." The young man snickered as he opened his eyes aquatic to look at Dooku." Her saber techniques are impressive, we add her to our small collection of sith and we will be un-stoppable." Dooku shook his head slightly.
"We cannot be un-stoppable until Master Yoda and Master Windu are dead. Don't let your head drift off to far into the clouds, Sasha, we've got a few more steps to take other than getting the girl on our side." Sasha raised an eye brow at Dooku before shrugging.
"Whatever, old man." He then pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the door the General walked in earlier. Dooku watched with an angered look.
"That boy…" He muttered.
Shika's Jedi Starfighter landed in the same hanger bay on Coruscant that it had taken off from many hours ago. The cockpit window lifted off and Shika got out carefully, attempting not to hurt herself anymore than she already was. A few helper droids ran over and began taking care of the ship, one helped R4 down from its wing and onto the floor it then quickly sped after Shika who limped through the hanger that was full of clone troopers getting on and off of ships.
"Shika! Thank goodness you're alright!" Obi-wan called out as he ran out from the crowd and right to her, and then wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Shika made a tiny squeak and Obi-wan quickly pulled away." What was that?" He asked.
"Oh. It's nothing I just… Got a little bruised up. The General was a tough opponent." She replied as she gently rubbed her broken arm. Obi-wan tilted his head slightly before grabbing that arm, once more Shika yelped in pain." Don't DO that!" She snapped. Obi-wan raised an eyebrow at her.
"A little bruised up, huh?" Shika grinned as Obi-wan grabbed her right hand." Come on, we're going to the medical center." Shika's eyes grew semi large, ever since her last visit to the medical center, she had a somewhat large fear over that place. She had gotten a horrible sickness and she needed special medical treatment, and let's just say it wasn't the best treatment she's had.
Hours passed, Obi-wan waited in his seat outside a medical room, his Jedi robe lying on the seat beside him, he sighed as he gazed over at the door. Before long it slid open and Shika came storming out, her arm was fixed and her waste was bandaged, she came to a stop right before she left the area, she sent a glare at Obi-wan.
"I don't like you anymore." She snorted as Obi-wan laughed; he pushed himself onto his feet and slipped his robe on. Obi-wan set his arm around Shika's neck and gave her a slight nudge on the head; she smiled at him before letting out a chuckle. Then the two walked out of the Medical center and towards the Jedi Temple. Once the two reached the Temple, they were summoned right away to the Council Chamber, once more, Shika stood in the middle of the room while the small group of Jedi Masters all stared at her.
"So tell us, any weakness found in the General?" Asked Shaak Ti. Shika gazed around the room with a disappointed look.
"I am deeply sorry, but when I finally got the chance to fight him, we got a little side tracked… A giant bug came out from the ground beneath us and attacked. We fought him and then we-" Ki-Adi then slammed his fist onto the arm of his chair as he leaned forward, Shika looked over at him with a startled look.
"You mean to tell me you sided with that monster?" He snapped. Shika shook her head slightly.
"No, I only helped hi-"
"It's practically the same thing!" Ki-Adi snapped once more." You helped him defeat the monster, meaning you two were sided that whole battle! Where does your loyalty really lie, Miss Cloudrunner?" Shika's head jerked back a little; she was shocked that he judged her that easily. Yoda cleared his throat to speak.
"Judge her like that you mustn't, good reason she must have." Shika looked to Yoda and smiled before realizing… She didn't have a good reason, she could have just let him die right there and that would have been the end of him.
"So, lets hear your reason for saving the General." Windu spoke up. Shika looked over to Windu, and then to the rest of the council, she gulped.
"… There is no good reason," She replied." I saved him because I thought that if I let him die, then my whole trip would have been useless… So I saved him in order to continue fighting, but, I was injured from the fight with the beast and I couldn't defend myself from his attacks… And he spared my life." The council looked at one another in shock, Yoda, however, never left his eyes of Shika.
"And that is how you lived his attack?" Obi-wan asked." You saved him and he repaid you by sparing your life? That doesn't sound like the General Ki-Adi faced…" Ki-Adi nodded slightly, as did Aayla and Shaak Ti.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true," Shika explained." He said he wouldn't kill me there, and he then he was gone. Then I returned to my ship but there was this sith stan-"
"Sith?" Windu cut in. Shika looked to him and nodded.
"She burned down a Wookie village and destroyed all the droids that were with the General. Or so I'm guessing… She said she remembered my light saber and how she got the crystals, and then she said she would face me in some duel… Then she ran off." Yoda and Windu looked at each other with concern. Shika went to speak more before Yoda lifted his hand to stop her.
"Dismissed you are, young Cloudrunner." He said.
"But I-" Obi-wan shook his head at Shika; she only stared at the council before she bowed to them and walked out of the room, a confused look on her face. Obi-wan looked over to Windu and Yoda with a worried look.
"You don't think the Sith she spoke of was Riku, do you?" Aayla asked as she looked to Yoda and Windu as well. Windu sighed deeply.
"I believe it was; Riku and the other two Jedi did turn to the dark side. It would be no surprise if Riku returned to attempt to change her old Padawan as well." He answered.
"Truth if she finds out, crush she will be… Dark side she will turn…" Yoda added.
"Then we must continue to hide the truth from her," Spoke Obi-wan." I don't want to see Shika turn against us." Windu nodded in agreement.
"If that is the case, we must remove her from his Grievous following. She's bound to find the truth if she continues to follow him." Windu said. The council all nodded.
Shika wandered into her own small room deep within the Jedi Temple, it was nothing special. Just a bed, a window, a small bathroom, a dresser and several things to make her room more livable. The R4 unit rolled into the room after her, it parked itself at the end of her bed and whistled a bit. Shika slipped her robe off her shoulders and tossed it onto her bed; she did the same with her light saber and sat herself down beside her gear.
"I wonder why the council wanted me to leave right there and then, it isn't like them…" She muttered as she laid down on her bed, staring off into her room. The R4 beeped a bit." Maybe they wanted to discuss things only Jedi Masters can talk about?... I guess I'll get information on it later when Obi-wan fills me in… That's if I can get the truth out from him, sometimes its like talking to a brick wall when it comes to Master Kenobi." She smiled faintly as her eyes slowly closed." Obi-Wan the brick wall…" She whispered right before she drifted to sleep.