"This is a mess."
Aizawa had to agree, the villain attack was bad enough. But add the sith and these 'stormtroopers' that had nearly killed two students, as well as the the vigilante duo of Ronin and Hana Botan; and with only one of the two being caught-and that one not being ronin-it was a resounding failure all around. They had truly only been saved by the arrival of the jedi.
And wasn't that a development? Ronin had been sure they were extinct, and yet here five of them were, a master, two knights and two apprentices, they'd been instrumental in driving off the sith and their allies.
"How is thirteen?" he asked Nezu.
"She'll live," the chimera said simply, "her back was lacerated by the destruction of her suit, but the timely intervention of the students and their immediate first aid saved her life."
"They tend to do that." Aizawa sighed, "Tai Inui protected myself and Ronin when we were both injured."
"He also let Ronin escape." a second year teacher grumbled, smoke curling out of his nostrils, "he let a dangerous vigilante escape-"
"-considering the circumstances, i think it more than understanding that injured and safety were prioritized over capturing someone who's out of your weight class." Nezu said, an edge to his otherwise cheerful voice, "as is, we're lucky that Ronin was there to distract the sith, had he not I daresay Aizawa would not be with us."
"Do we have a lead on where he went?" Cementoss asked.
"City cameras have his ship heading directly towards the national forest." Snipe said, "they lost it soon after, the…sith's ship went into orbit, no telling where."
"Has the jedi said anything?" Toshinori asked.
Nezu shook his head, Melissa Shield had told them their own starship had gone looking, but past that the young woman had been tight lipped about their operations.
It didn't sit right with him, his contacts abroad had no knowledge of the existence of force users outside of Japan, and yet, there were six Jedi, obviously having been staying on earth for quite some time if Melissa shield was any indication.
"Young Miss shield has said her master will be coming to address us, but past that there has been no new information available."
A knock on the door sounded and Nezu smiled, "that must be them now." he pressed a button and the door slid open to admit a collection of five robed figures, all of whom filed in quietly and stood off to the side, a sixth followed in, pulling the hood of his robes down to reveal a bald old man, a kind smile wrinkling the corners of his blue-grey eyes. "Good evening." he greeted cordially. His entire being exuded a calming aura that had many teachers letting go of the tension they'd been carrying in their shoulders for the last few days; behind him his disciples followed his lead. Pulling their hoods down and revealing that not all were human. With a tall shaggy haired beast man and what looked like a bipedal fish man being the most blatant of the bunch.
Melissa shield stood confidently alongside a green skinned woman with twin head tails. She offered Toshinori a quick smile before schooling her expression.
"Good evening, might I take it that you're the leader of these jedi?" Nezu asked jovially.
"That I am." he confirmed, "I am Jedi Master Nerre Olec, with me are Jedi Knights Gunji, Katooni, Meela Sarik, and Alex Morgan. As well as Meela's padawan Melissa Shield."
"It is good to meet you, I am principal Nezu." he greeted, "now, would you like to tell us your part in what's quickly starting to look like a galactic war?"
Olec smiled sadly, "I know that Ronin has come to the planet, I also know that the sith have set their sights here; to what end, i'm sad to say I don't know."
"Are you not in conflict with these…sith?" Powerloader asked.
"Quite so, however i-as well as the knights accompanying me-came here over twenty years ago in a bid to escape the Empire's purge of the jedi Order. We'd performed a random jump to one of the star systems we were told was safe; imagine my surprise when we found a planet that didn't even know of the wider conflicts in the galaxy, much less that four aliens were living in the woods of oregon. We met Alex while he was hiking one evening and he showed a latent talent with the force. He's our youngest knight, having just achieved his status before we learned of Ronin's appearance and that of the sith."
"And how did you find them Melissa?" Toshinori asked gently, looking at his honorary niece, who smiled brightly.
"About five years ago when Dad and I took a vacation to Mount Hood, we ran into some villains trying to camp out in our cabin and Master Olec and Master Sarik saved us."
"During the fight, Melissa was able to throw one of the assailants across the room without touching them." Meela took over, smiling at her padawan with fondness, "I offered to train her in the ways of the force, and she accepted-with some stipulations."
"I wasn't about to leave my dad." she explained, "and I didn't want to lose my education.'
"So, what information do you have if you don't know what the sith are here for?" Cementoss asked.
"With the targeting of younglings like Hana Botan, as well as powerful quirks like Katsuki Bakugo, I surmise that the sith are here to attempt to recruit new followers into their ranks."
"It makes sense." Vlad King muttered, "if you're right and the galaxy doesn't know about this planet, then we're prime targets for kidnappings and impressments."
"It's one of the things we've been focusing on while we've been here." Katooni said, "there's been a few lesser known syndicates and slavers who've tried their luck over the years to kidnap powerful quirks. We've managed to stop all save one."
"One?"
Gunji let out a low, keening whine, shaking his head miserably.
"It was a child who'd been taken from a park here in japan." Katooni explained quietly, "they were able to jump to hyperspace before we could save him, Gunji took it to heart that we couldn't save the child."
"And now Ronin is stalking the streets of Mustafu." Midnight muttered, "do you think-'
"-that the boy we failed to save and Ronin are one and the same?" Olec asked, "I do not doubt it, though i'm hoping we'll get more information from Ms. Botan, if you allow us to see her."
Nezu nodded, "It can definitely be arranged, she's being held in a nearby police precinct, Hound Dog is watching over her. But before we do that, there's one more thing i'd like to talk about." he hit a button and a wall of mugshots suddenly sprang up in hologram form, showing about thirty men in various states of injury. All of them with a military haircut, "These thirty men were arrested alongside the villains who attacked the USJ, they were in what appeared to be reinforced plastic armor."
"Stormtroopers." Katooni said, a bit angrily.
"Former soldiers of the Galactic Empire." Olec explained while Gunji growled, "odds are they attached themselves to these sith when the regime splintered. Were you able to get any information out of them?"
"Only 'TK' numbers and names." Aizawa said.
"Unsurprising." Sarik said, "they may no longer serve the empire, but there's protocol for when you're captured."
"What will become of them?" Alex asked.
"Well, they attacked minors and broke into a highly secure highschool." Nezu began ,"odds are they'll be in jail for quite a number of years."
"Will you be attempting to keep them from speaking about the galaxy at large?" Olec questioned.
Nezu shook his head, "at this point, it's more of an open secret than anything else." he explained, "twice now have the sith escaped by star ship, even Ronin appeared and disappeared from the USJ upon his own vessel; i think it's safe to say the secrets out, if not officially then definitely through every unofficial channel available."
"Can't argue with that." Alex mused, "does this mean we have free agency to act? I'd like to get the jump on Ronin as soon as we can. "
"Patience, young one," Olec warned, Katooni shooting him a warning look, "Ronin is best handled by our full order, and I don't want to put Principal Nezu at odds with any governing body here in Japan."
"Yes i'd rather you didn't." Nezu agreed jovially, "AIzawa is the current hero in charge of investigating Ronin, I direct you to him if you wish to try and capture him."
Aizawa nodded to them, "with your help we may actually be able to put a stop to him without having to resort to All Might."
Olec nodded, "I look forward to it, for now, we must attend to the young girl sitting in your lock up."
"Is she being held for any crimes?" Katooni asked.
"Officially? No, but she is being held on the suspicion of being a collaborator of Ronin, her guardian is on her way so that a detective can officially interrogate her."
"They must be worried about her," Melissa said softly, "master…?"
Sarik smiled at her padawan, 'If you'll allow us." she said to Nezu.
"Of course, follow me."
He remembered when his master found him,he'd been snatched by slavers who'd found earth long ago and had taken advantage of it's anonymity and lack of wider knowledge of the galaxy to try and set up a slaving operation-with Izuku being their first victim. They hadn't been far out of the system when a ship had knocked out their engines and a green lightsaber wielding woman came slicing through the air dock, shawl covering her face save for her startling golden eyes. She'd make quick work of the bandits before turning to him, practically staring into his soul.
"You are strong with the force."
It was the first thing she said to him, he didn't know what it had meant but it hadn't taken long for her to explain, and then make an offer.
Train with her, or return home.
At the time it was an easy decision to make, he wanted to be a hero, and what was a jedi but a hero for the galaxy? He'd promised himself he'd return to earth once he was a fully fledged jedi to be a hero his planet needed.
Oh how foolish he'd been.
They'd been caught in a few months, his master taking him from one out of the way outpost to the next until one day they went to one the Empire had found before them.
He'd tried to fight, but Shan Ra had only been teaching him a few months, and the Inquisitors weren't ones to take it easy on a padawan in over his head.
He'd been captured and Shan Ra escaped. And he only knew pain after that.
WVWVW
"Where is she?"
he didn't move, too exhausted from the days torture to even cry as he'd been doing since he'd arrived at the cold fortress. They wanted the location of his master, but he didn't know where she'd gone. And he hadn't been told of any other outposts than the ones they had gone to before he'd been captured.
He'd given those up the third day, and still they hurt him. Not because he truly had any more information. But because they enjoyed his pain.
Static pain tore through his body as the torture device he was hooked up to powered on once more, he didn't yell, or scream; what would the point be if it would only invite more pain?
Soon it ended and the dark clad inquisitor stepped forward, "where is she." they asked again, their voice a modulated growl.
Izuku forced himself to look up, putting everything into a glare, "I don't know." he practically spat, finally allowing the only emotion that hadn't been beaten out of him shine through.
Anger.
His tormentor stopped, the eighth brother stepped forward, looking interested, "anger…I can work with anger."
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He was thrown into a batch of other force sensitive recruits, starved and pitted against each other both physically and mentally; he wasn't sure how he survived the first three months, the days blurring into fighting for scraps, punishments, and stolen moments of sleep on cold durasteel. It wasn't until he was led back into the torture chamber that his mind seemed to focus.
The poor youngling hadn't survived his attentions, and he'd spent the night throwing up and sobbing. Trying to reassure himself that this wouldn't happen again.
Only it did happen again, and again, and again and with each time it ended Izuku found he no longer felt sorrow or pain in torturing other younglings. Instead satisfaction and-dare he say-glee overtook him.
And with each successful youngling tortured and broken, he was rewarded, given better food, his own room, even a bed.
And a lighstaber.
The first time he was sent on a mission, it was to a den of padawans, masterless and without guidance he'd tore through them with a ferociousness that had impressed his handlers, it wasn't long until they sent him on more missions, more younglings and padawans that needed killing or subjugation. And when those became scarce there were rebels and dissidents who needed culling.
At some point he ran into his old master, it'd been three years since that fateful day, and he'd changed so much she hadn't recognized him when they first crossed blades. Her grief in realizing her short lived padawan had become one of the most ruthless Inquisitors in the galaxy had broken her.
It had allowed him to get the upper hand and he'd cut her down despite his orders being to capture her.
He should have left, should have gone back to the fortress Inquisitorius, left her body to fester and rot as she had left him to the whims of his tormentors.
But he didn't, with a heavy grief in his heart he buried her, mourned her; he'd cried for the first time since his fall to the dark. Great wracking sobs that hurt his tortured frame and caused a headache to sprout at the base of his skull.
He didn't know how long he stood there, glaring at her grave, angrily wiping away tears. But it couldn't have been long before something pricked at the end of his awareness.
He followed the feeling into his former masters ship, the bulkheads and yellow lighting the same as he remembered from before his capture. He walked the halls, hands trailing the well worn and cared for living spaces. Stopping outside his former masters room, he slid the door open. His eyes zeroing in on something she no doubt hadn't been able to put up before he'd come calling.
A jedi holocron.
Ronin woke in the bacta tank, his vision a bit blurred by the gel-like healing fluid, he jerked he looked about a bit until he noticed the medical droid checking over his vitals.
"Emptying Bacta Tank."
Ronin rolled his shoulders as his feet finally touched solid ground, he almost tumbled out of the bacta tank as the glass slid open and his limbs failed to hold his weight.
"I got ya Ronin." Stain grumbled as he caught the boy before he could hit the ground.
"Hana." he gasped out as soon as he tore the mask off his face.
"She hasn't returned." Stain said worriedly, "what happened?"
"We were called on." he grunted as he settled on the examination table, gratefully accepting a towel so he could dry off, "sith, two of them, attacking the USJ, they managed to get the jump on me. I wouldn't be alive without her." he shook his head, forcing him to his feet as he trudged towards his room.
"Then why isn't she here?" Stain demanded to know.
"Jedi," he rasped, "they managed to capture her…I was too injured to help her." he lurched a bit as he stumbled on the threshold, his hands steadying him on the desk inside. "I left her…she called for my help and I left her!"
Stain let his shoulder slump, 'There's nothing we can do…she's in custody of UA by now.'
"The hell I can't do anything." he growled, pushing off the desk and stalking to his closet where a few extra sets of robes waited.
"You can't seriously think you can break into UA." Stain demanded, "you've barely recovered-
"My padawan is waiting for me to save her," he said coldly, "i won't leave her to the machinations of the damned jedi!"
"And how will you help her if you're captured yourself? Or worse, dead." stain sneered, "you either need a better plan or…" he hesitated.
Ronin paused in his preparations, "or?" he prompted.
"...or you leave her behind." Stain finished finally, "she's a child, and our missions aren't exactly PG-13."
Ronin hesitated, before continuing his preparations, "she doesn't have to be a part of our missions, she only wishes to learn."
"And wouldn't the Jedi train her?" he pressed. "I like the kid as much as you do, but if they can train her without resorting to hiding away in the forest…then maybe it's better she's there."
Ronin closed his eyes, searching his feelings and calling upon the force to help him come to a decision, it was all so muddled, and he was still reeling from his injuries. But with each deep breath he could feel the cloudiness dissipate, could feel his mind centering.
he needed to go.
"I will let the force guide me." he said,opening a side panel by the door where a sleek helmet waited, golden T-visor glinting in weak light.
He donned it for no other reason than he knew it would piss this mandalorian off when they would inevitably meet again.
And finally, he picked up not only his own lightsaber, but the lightsaber of his former master, staring at it in mute hesitation before clipping it to his belt.
"I feel a convergence in the force," he said, his mind going to the holocrons sitting in the drawer not too far from where they stood, they whispered caution at the edge of his mind, attachments lead to the dark side, they were a weakness to be exploited. No matter which way he went, the girl was a liability at best, and his downfall at worst.
But he'd made a promise, and he couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least try.
"Hold down the fort," the tired teen said, stalking towards the ramp, "I don't know if I'll be back."
"Like hell i'm letting you go alone after almost dying the last time." Stain scoffed, glaring at the boy when he seemed to stare for a bit too long, "lets just go before we lose our chance, it's been about three days since the USJ incident so they shouldn't be expecting anything."
"Thank you." Ronin said sincerely, before squaring his shoulders, "lets go."