Chapter five: The lies from the other side
Shika watched the Clone Troopers prepare to leave from behind a pile of crates; she had already gotten her R4 unit in her Jedi Starfighter, R4 was only awaiting her return so he could pilot the ship to the moon. She watched as the Clone Troopers packed up ammunition and weapons. They were moving rather quickly, as if they were eager to get off Coruscant. With a faint smirk, Shika tossed a tracking device onto the side of the ship and then backed up from the crates and silently moved to her Jedi Starfighter, Eleic beeped.
"Shh, we're not supposed to be following these guys, so keep it down." Shika whispered as she quickly hopped into the cockpit. Eleic then grunted quietly as the cockpit slowly began to close." I know, I shouldn't be going against the orders of master Yoda and master Windu, but I can't help it. I've got to fight the General; it's what my gut is telling me." The R4 unit beeped and Shika laughed." No, my gut can't really talk. It's just a saying, but droids wouldn't understand." Her attention was then turned to the Clone Troopers ship lifting up from the ground." Okay R4, lock onto my homing device." Eleic whistled and beeped and Shika smiled, then the Clone Troopers ship took off into space. Then Shika's Jedi Starfighter lifted into the air as well, and then it shot up into space after them.
As Eleic piloted the Starfighter through space, Shika sat there, making a small popping sound with her lips. Then, her stomach growled, she looked down at it and rubbed it." I should have eaten something before I left…" She muttered, she then looked down at a small window on her control panel, crimson words spread a crossed it and she smiled." I can stand a few more hours without food. Besides, it's a forest we're going to, right? So they should have fruit or some kind of eatable thing there. So don't worry about it." She looked up from the control panel to stare out the front of the cockpit; it seemed so quiet out here, with the war taking place a little ways behind her. But she knew it wouldn't last long, the war was already slowly spreading out towards this area of the galaxy, so it was only a matter of time before this area of space was covered in battle cursers and star ships blasting away at each other. The R4 unit beeped and words began spreading across the small window on the control panel. Shika looked down at it, and then looked out the front window again, floating there was a large planet, and the Clone Troopers ship was headed towards one of its moons." Perfect! We'll land a little ways away from them, okay?" Eleic whistled and the ship flew towards the moon.
Once it reached the moon, it landed in a small opening in a large forest; the landing gears slowly fell out from the ship and gently hit the ground, the cockpit opened and Shika climbed out. Eleic beeped and Shika looked back at it." Stay here and keep quiet… I don't want Cody to know we're here." She whispered. She turned back towards the forest and lifted up her hood, then she began walking deeper into it, she didn't hear blaster fire, yelling, or anything else you'd hear from a battle. All she heard was the sounds of creatures that lived in the forest. She didn't like it. It was way too peaceful. This was just like Kashyyyk, so she attempted to remain calm.
Then she heard a twig snap.
She pulled out her light saber and held it tightly, she stared at the area where the snap had come from, it had come from a near by bush, she took a step closer and then some kind of bird flew out from it. She blinked before letting out a sigh of relief.
"You're nervous." Came a voice. Shika spun around and looked up, there the General staring down at her while sitting hunched over on a branch up above her. She gasped and back up, her light saber switching on as she did so. The General chuckled.
"You!" Shika snapped." So you were on that shuttle!" The General slipped off the branch and landed on the ground, he then stood taller than Shika, looming over her a bit, just because he enjoyed watching her eyes grow in fear. She only took a step back.
"Don't fear me, Jedi. I'm not here to fight." Shika narrowed her eyes at him; she then got into a defensive stance.
"Yeah, right, like I haven't heard that one before." She growled. The General sighed, then took the light sabers from his belt and dropped them onto the ground, Shika watched in confusion. The General backed up from his fallen sabers." What… What are you doing?" She asked.
"I'm here to talk," He answered." You see, Count Dooku has asked me to come talk to you… He says that it is time for you to learn the truth about your Council." Shika raised an eyebrow at him.
"What do you mean?..." She asked. The General slowly walked towards her, avoiding his light sabers. She only moved back, attempting not to allow him to get close.
"Your council has been lying to you, Jedi. They told you things and you believed them. Including the so called 'death' of your master." Shika's eyes grew large as he continued." You see, the Jedi Council has power over all Jedi on your side; slowly they lost their minds to where they only cared about that power. Some Jedi saw this and left the Jedi order to join the sith, knowing they wouldn't lose their heads in power… And your council didn't like that. So they made up stories on how the Dark side corrupts the mind, making Jedi like you easily follow their rules without question."
"How would you know this?" Shika asked.
"Count Dooku told me so…" He replied." He was once apart of the Jedi you serve under, until he learned the truth about the lies your council told him. He didn't want other Jedi to suffer as he did, so he began to show others the truth, the council then said he was a liar, and only wanted all the Jedi dead. Everyone believed the council, only a few followed Dooku." Shika's head jerked back a little in shock, was the council really lying to her? Was Count Dooku only trying to show others the truth? But why trust a droid who she only knew as the General who killed thousands of Jedi in his past time.
"Grievous…" She said, Grievous looked at her, he wasn't at all surprised she knew his name." If you are serving under Count Dooku, why did you slay all those Jedi?" She asked.
"It was necessary," He answered." You see, those Jedi were attempting to kill Dooku, so the truth would never escape. I tried to get them to understand and to see the truth, but they all attacked me. Saying I was a liar just as he was, so I defended myself and ended up killing them on… Accident."
"What of the Wookiees!" She snapped." You killed them all, and you almost killed me!" Grievous laughed.
"The Wookiees were attempting to kill us just because my army made a small camp on they're territory. And you? I thought you were there to kill me as well, so I was just going to kill you to get it over with." Shika narrowed her eyes at the General.
"Oh, that makes me feel so much safer." She growled. Grievous snickered lightly as he slowly lurked his way toward her.
"It wasn't till after I returned to Count Dooku that he said you were the one who was lied to the most. Saying your master was dead… And the council never spoke of your family, did they?" Shika watched the General carefully as he began to slowly circle around her." No. They never said anything about your family, and they never told you why the letters your family sent you stopped coming…"
"How would you know all this?" Shika snapped." You know nothing of my personal life, or my family!"
"But Count Dooku does…" Grievous Continued." He went to your family on Tatooine, to tell them the Council was lying to you… But when he arrived he was only able to see the Jedi known as Mace Windu slaying your family." Shika's eyes grew large, her mouth slightly dropped open.
"That's… Not true. Master Windu would never do such a thing." She said in a light whisper, her light saber returning into the hilt.
"Who told you this, hm?" Grievous asked." The Council no doubt. They have you wrapped around their fingers like a puppet." Shika slowly shook her head, attempting not to listen to him.
"It's not true… He wouldn't do that… He's a Jedi master, and Jedi masters don't slay anyone unless it was necessary." She said.
"Once more, you have listened to their lies… They've slain plenty of innocent lives without you knowing." Grievous explained." I should know, I've seen them, I tried to stop them, they only attacked me…" Shika looked at Grievous; he only looked back at her. He could tell she was slowly breaking, her eyes were full of confusion and sorrow, but he knew it was too early, she would continue to deny it.
"That can't be true; you're the one who's lying, General!" She snapped.
"Oh?" Grievous said, his voice somewhat shocked." Then explain this, girl." He then pointed to two scrapes on his mask; they looked much like scars running over his eye." That was given to me by Mace Windu when I attempted to stop him from murdering a young child. Is that proof enough?" Shika backed up from him, her eyes full of shock now.
"No… No that can't be…" She stuttered, not sure on what to say." It's impossible… Why would the council lie to me about something like that?..."
"I've already told you," Grievous explained as he slowly walked towards her again." They didn't want to lose another Jedi to the truth." Shika placed her hand onto her chest; it felt like her heart was being slowly ripped in two. For all these years, she had believe everything the Council told her, she didn't even bother to ask any questions about her family who stopped writing to her, she never asked how her master really died, or if she really did die. But if the council was lying to her, wouldn't that mean Obi-wan knew all of this as well? She slumped against a tree, her gaze lowered at the ground, her eyes full of shock and confusion.
"I don't believe this… It can't be true…" She whispered before glaring up at Grievous." How can I believe someone like you? I hardly know you; you have the reputation for killing Jedi, for all I know you could be using this to soften me up so you can kill me!" She snapped. Grievous shook his head slightly.
"If you cannot trust me, and you cannot trust the Council, who can you trust?" He asked.
"I… I don't know." She replied. Grievous chuckled lightly as he took a step closer to the Jedi, placing his face in front of her own.
"You know deep within you, you believe me. You try to hide it, but I can easily see right through you. You trust me, and you no longer trust the council." He said in a light whisper. Shika slightly sunk down.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here?" Came another voice. Grievous jerked around to see Sasha standing there with a displeased look on his face, his arms folded a crossed his chest." General Grievous is flirting with a Jedi girl. Never thought I'd see the day." He snickered. Grievous attempted not to yell at the boy, he only pretended to look surprised.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. Shika shifted her gaze from the ground to the sith boy, she blinked at him.
"I'm here for the girl, what else?" Sasha replied as he pulled his light sabers from his belt." So just move aside and I'll get it over with." Grievous tilted his head as he stared in awe at the boy.
"What do you mean? This girl is-" Sasha spat to the side.
"That girl is Jedi slime that needs to be whipped out like the rest." Grievous' finger twitched slightly, the boy was ruining his plans already. Shika looked to Grievous and then to the boy.
"Sasha… Have you lost your mind?" Grievous asked, attempting to keep Shika's trust in him." This girl has only been lost in the Councils lies; I'm trying to get her to see the truth!" Sasha sighed, shaking his head lightly.
"That girl needs to die." He switched his light sabers on, red beams coming out from both of them. Shika's eyes grew large.
"A sith boy…" She whispered. Sasha then dashed at Shika, Grievous jumped out of the way and Shika did the same, she gripped her light saber tightly and switched it on just in time to block another attack from the boy. He slashed down at her leg but she moved it, she brought her saber down at him and he blocked with both sabers. He grinned as the sabers flickered, Shika only grunted as the boy pushed her back.
He began throwing out powerful and fast attacks at her; she kept blocking each one, this wasn't allowing her to fight back, and it was tiring her out quickly, his techniques were similar to Riku's style, forceful and powerful. His rhythm of movements was the same as Riku's as well. Shika watched as he pushed out one attack after another, she only was able to back up and block. The boy was powerful, but she saw one flaw in him, his legs, they would move forward when she moved back, other wise they stood in one spot. She took a step back and he moved forward, she then jabbed her own foot down behind his and pulled it forward, causing the boy to stagger back.
Shika then brought her saber down at him, he blocked once more." You're good." He said with a faint smile." But I'm better…" He then pushed her back, she staggered and almost fell over, and she once more blocked another attack. So he was just like Riku, he recovered just as she would; he fought like she did; only he was better. It seemed he made sure his style of attacks had no flaws; he knew how to recover from every trick attack Shika attempted to use.
Grievous narrowed his eyes at Sasha, he then picked up two light sabers and switched them on, and both of them were blue. He was to keep the girl alive, and just as Dooku had said, she was to be safe, and that meant even killing his own ally. He then charged at Sasha, slicing his arm off. Shika gasped and Sasha only yelled out in pain, almost falling over. He glared up at Grievous.
"What are you doing? I'm on your side!" He yelled right before Grievous brought his blade down, cutting him in half. Shika's jaw dropped open as she watched the two parts of the boy slump over onto the ground. Grievous switched his light sabers off and sighed. He then looked over at Shika who stood there, staring at the body in shock. She couldn't believe what he just did. She looked up at Grievous with fear struck eyes.
"Why did you do that? He said he was on your side…" She said.
"He was attempting to kill you. I had no other choice but to slay him." He answered. Shika couldn't believe it; did he just save her life? Or did he only do that so he could kill her now because she was exhausted? She watched as Grievous set his light sabers back onto his belt, she couldn't understand why he did that. He turned and stared at Shika who only stared back at him.
"Why… Why did you save me?" She asked. Grievous shook his head, seeming to be annoyed. But then he saw it, he saw that she had gained a little more trust in him now.
"Because I felt I had to, do I need any other reason?" He replied as he slowly walked over, stopping a little ways away from her. Shika stared at him in awe.
"Do you mean to tell me the Trade Federation isn't evil, but people with too much power are?" She asked. Grievous nodded his head slightly." But that boy-"
"The boy was too over come by his own power," Grievous cut in." He lost control of it. It happens to all of us, lost in the power of control… Much like your Jedi council…" Before Shika could say a word, Grievous' head quickly jerked over to the sounds of rustling in the bushes. His eyes shifted towards Shika and she blinked at him." We shall meet again, Jedi." He said before quickly dashing into the trees. Shika looked at the bushes, she then pulled out her light saber, and she slowly advanced towards it and slowly peeked in to see a Clone Trooper wrestling to get his DC-15A rifle out of the bushes.
"What are you doing there, Trooper?" Shika asked. The Trooper looked up at her, his arm tangled in the bush.
"Uh. I am attempting to save you from the General, Ma'am." He said in a stutter. Shika smiled and hooked the light saber to her belt and helped him un-tangle himself, then she helped him onto his feet. He dusted his shoulder off before he faced her." Thank… Thank you, s… Sir, I mean, uh, ma'am." Shika chuckled.
"You're welcome… Um…."
"Uh. Oh, I'm 1659 ma'am." He answered.
"16…59… Could I just call you Daniel?" She asked in sort of a chuckle. He shrugged as a reply, and then she smiled." Okay, Daniel. Why where you attempting to save me from the General? He wasn't attempting to harm me, he acutally saved my life."
"Orders came in from Jedi master Windu that we were to take the General and his army out, ma'am." Shika rubbed the back of her neck in thought; the Council seemed more protective now, they didn't waste any time to figure out why the General was on the moon in the first place. Perhaps they were hiding something from her? From all the young Jedi? All of this just confused her more.
"… Are you alright, ma'am?" Daniel asked. Shika snapped up and looked at him.
"Oh, I'm fine… Listen, Daniel, could you do me a big favor?"
"Anything! I mean!... Um. Yes… Err, sure." Shika giggled before clearing her throat.
"Would you mind not telling anyone I was here? Just keep it a secret between me and you?" Daniel nodded.
"Sure thing, ma'am." Shika smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Thanks a bunch!" She then turned from the Trooper and took off running towards the area where she landed. Daniel watched before he shook his head, he then wandered back into the bush he had hid himself in. Little did Shika know, the Clone Trooper had listened the whole time, from the very moment she arrived in the area. He was originally passing by, but Shika had showed up and he hid himself, and he accidentally snapped a twig when he set his knee down, luckily a nest was in the very bush and he managed to scare the mother out. He took one last glance at the area before he continued walking back towards his squad.
Shika arrived at her Starfighter and climbed into the cockpit without answering R4's beeps and whistles." Let's head back to Coruscant, Eleic… I need something to eat and a long time to think." Eleic gave a worried beep before the cockpit window closed; it then lifted up into the air and shot off into space. Shika watched the planet slowly fade as they flew farther from it. Once Endor was out of sight she turned around to face the controls, she sighed deeply. She had never been so confused in her life, but was it true? Where the people she sided with really the enemy? She would talk to Obi-wan about it, but he'd be most upset about her disobeying Yoda and Windu, he was always a law follower, he never argued with the council or anything, he just followed orders like the Clones themselves.
She leaned back in her seat and laid her head back. Who was she to trust? If Riku was still alive she would tell her what she needed to do. Then she remembered what the General said, could that mean her master was alive? She had so many questions she wanted to ask Grievous. And so she only looked forward to one thing and that…
… Was to see Grievous again…