This… sucks," I said, waving my hand in front of my nose as I glided along so much trash that the planet may as well be made entirely of it by this point. The horrible smell was… well, horrible. Chemicals, rot, and smog of all kinds entered my nose before a quick surge of wind kept the smell away from me and Pitou.
Pitou bobbed her head in a small nod in thanks to me as she moved ahead using her absurd range with En to find him. Hopefully he wasn't batshit insane by the time we find Maul, but if he is, we just kill him. If he is sane and can be reasoned with but refuses, then he dies again.
I didn't need someone running amok and doing more damage to the galaxy. Hypocrisy aside, both of us were leaping and gliding through the planet until Pitou stopped, crouched on a pillar of trash. Her neutral expression turned into a happy smile. With a great leap she cleared several small hills of trash with me using the wind and glide in tandem, skating across the air and catching up with her.
Seeing what Pitou had found was some alien snake. He looked up at Pitou, mouth ajar, his eyes wide, feeling the gaze of a great predator staring down at him. "Hi." I waved my hand at the little guy.
"H-hello." He looked between me and Pitou like he was ready to run.
"Pitou, I know you didn't come here for this guy. Is he close?" She nodded at my question, looking towards a far-off dark tunnel in the trash.
The snake alien was silent, trying to shrink in on himself in hopes that we wouldn't hurt him. A casual wave of my hand had a plant rise out of the polluted patch of soil from some bag of fertilizer that lay next to it to get the snake's attention.
"For your troubles, take care." I got up and walked off with Pitou as the snake looked at the tiny apple tree I had grown with only a small dip in the tank. Mini apples adorned it, looking odd and out of place with their colors compared to the desolate nature of this planet.
The snake quickly grabbed some apples and swallowed them down, munching away before quickly coming after us when we entered the cave entrance. "Wait!"
He yelled as I paused with Pitou patiently staying by my side, tail moving back and forth. "I can help you!"
"How?"
"You're looking for the horned one, right? I can lead you to him! But you have to be careful; he might think you guys are a meal." He said, slithering his way up my arm. A simple gesture stopped Pitou from killing him for getting close to me.
"We know where he is at." I said, walking forward with Pitou leading me towards where Maul is hiding in these tunnels.
"Y-you do?! Well… uh, I know where lots of valuable trash is!" He was desperate, seeing what I did with that tree that was likely to die on this day with how corrupted this whole planet is with trash and smog.
"Do you want to leave this planet with us?" I said, making the snake almost snap his neck courtesy of how fast he looked at me.
"Yes! If it means more of that delicious food. I don't even care if it is fruits or vegetables." He said, tossing a half-eaten mini apple that was about as big as my index and middle fingers curled together.
"Then welcome to my empire… What is your name?"
"My name's Morley, what's yours?" He said happily, munching away on another apple.
It was a surprise for me that those things looked so healthy when they came from that contaminated dirt, but then again, it's not like my powers adhered to physics or laws of the universe.
"Tobi. I and Pitou need to meet the red-skinned guy with black tattoos and horns on his head, and then you can come with us to where my palace is being built."
Morley looked happy, shaking his head while munching away. "I don't care where we live, so long as there is food. I'll do anything."
We walked for a time as Pitou took point before we found ourselves near a cave that led to a dead end. "This is where he dwells." Morley chimed in, slithering forward and gesturing up and talking quietly but excitedly to Maul, despite not seeing him with my eyes, I could feel him through my Haki.
Find Maul. One bronze ticket. Use now? Y/N
[Stick]
|Common Ability|
Allows you to stick to objects like super glue.
If I ever wanted to live out my childhood of pretending to be Spider-Man while climbing up a wall, which I have had plenty of times, I can now do so. Not a completely worthless Ability despite it being of common rarity. Plenty of uses for it, both traversing environments and combat utility.
Morley was letting him know we were interested in talking to him, and I idly wondered if he was going to try and harm the snake guy. I'd rather he didn't. The guy probably helped lead people to die to Maul, but he did it out of necessity and not because he enjoyed it. At least that's what I was going with and giving him the benefit of the doubt.
A snarl, and the next thing I know, the anger and hate coming from Maul grew thicker, but it was mixed with something else. It was chaotic, yet ordered. Struggling to figure out which one it was, one moment he was in control of the inferno, the next the inferno was doing the tango. Morley started gasping as he was raised up by an invisible force flailing about.
"Pitou." It was all I needed to say for her to know what I wanted her to do. She rushed in, grabbing Morley and extending her Nen to his body, ending the telekinetic grip, or at least softening its grasp on Morley as he gasped, sucking in precious air regardless of how polluted it was, choking and coughing.
A form slammed down where Pitou had been, a figure in red and black. What held my attention for a brief moment was the yellow eyes that were like bonfires.
"You… bring others to kill me." He hissed through teeth at Morley.
"N-no. I am your loyal servant… they want to talk to you." He said, looking towards me for help while wrapping tighter around Pitou for protection. Pitou herself merely stared at Maul as he rose to his full height with the lower half of his body revealed.
Much like what the show portrayed, it was trash turned into a makeshift spider-like body for him to move around as he stepped closer to us. But unlike the one from the show, this lower body looked functional, but it was incomplete. I couldn't remember everything from that show, but I knew enough that his walking apparatus didn't look close to what he had when he was brought back. So he might not have lost his mind entirely just yet, given the lack of extra legs and his capacity for speaking without it sounding completely unhinged.
I stepped closer, unconcerned and confident in my ability to handle Maul should it come to blows. "Nice place you got here… really screams scary guy that could kill most people."
Maul's hand shot forward, and I could feel the hate and malice ooze from him as the telekinetic force moved across the air in full sight of my Haki and Sharingan. Maul blinked when the floor cratered, where I had been with me now standing closer to him unscathed. "Thankfully my lovely companion Pitou and I are not most people. I have an offer."
Maul gritted his teeth, but his eyes were now calculating. Before he was willing to attack, but the moment I showed I could dodge his attack and move so fast that his base senses couldn't keep up, he hesitated.
His hate grew stronger like a fire running out of fuel, yet it burned that much stronger for it. He took in a deep breath before letting it out, pacing back and forth, gauging me almost like a rabid animal that still had some sense and capacity to reason.
"What do you want? Did my master send you?" He asked, trying to fish for information.
His hands couldn't hold still, his fingers squirming like blackened maggots incapable of ceasing any movement. They constantly moved and twitched, his upper body looked emaciated, yet it didn't hide the strength and muscle he still managed to retain, even if it was all a shell of who he once was. His eyes moved everywhere, despite keeping me and Pitou in his line of sight. Like he was expecting an ambush or some kind of trap.
"Sidious, as far as he knows, you're dead… which is perfect for what we both need." Maul's eyes narrowed, trying to sense any lies, but he wouldn't find any from me. At least from what I wanted him to know. Maul looked desperate, similar to some homeless I had seen before drugs and madness fully laid claim to them. He had that look beginning to grow in his eyes as he violently muttered to himself yet somehow managed to remain far quieter despite the intensity of it.
His time in almost complete isolation and the loss of his legs combined with whatever darkside trick he used to stay alive had taken its toll on him. How he remained coherent enough to hold a conversation was beyond me. If I had been subjected to what he was just to stay alive, I would have broken a long time ago. I could be wrong and was just underestimating myself, but I didn't think I was.
Maul was one of my favorite characters in the entirety of Star Wars, even before The Clone Wars came out and brought him back. He was evil, killed people, and did Sidious' bidding with no qualms about it, yet I liked him all the same. He was someone I could use to bring Sidious toppling down. Just as I could use Dooku.
Hypocritical to let Maul live despite what he had done because of his usefulness and my childhood of watching him battle with the theme Duel of the Fates playing, yet I had no issues killing Asajj. It wasn't like I didn't have an issue killing Dooku either, but with Maul he showed he was unique and not just a caveman trained to swing a club for Sidious.
He was his apprentice. I may not have been the most well-versed in Star Wars lore, but even I knew that the Rule of Two era Sith didn't just take anyone as an apprentice, and those they made into an apprentice were more than just muscle. Maul proved that when he created a criminal empire in little to no time during the Clone Wars.
"And to answer your other question of what I want, well, I am here for you. I intend on bringing your former master," I didn't fail to notice the look of intrigue in his gaze that even with the madness creeping in, he was aware enough to understand the weight of those words, "And his potential Empire down before it ever has the chance to rise."
That got a bark of laughter out of Maul. It was a mixture of hysteric giggles, the kind those with mental illnesses tended to have, and the other half was born out of disbelief.
"Do you have any idea of who you are speaking of? The most powerful being in the galaxy." He said with awe that was soon replaced with annoyance when I snorted.
"Yeah, okay. Most powerful being, my ass. Sidious is powerful, that much I will give you. But for all that power, he lacked the skill and finesse that made the Sith of my era far greater. All that power means nothing if you don't properly know how to use it."
Maul blinked at that, his mouth opening and closing, his emotions all over the place. Instead of asking me again, his hand snatched the lightsaber I just tossed at him. He looked down at it, then at me and it again. His fingers shaking as they brushed over it, looking at it in a new light.
I walked nonchalantly towards him, my lightsaber humming, bathing the cave in a blue light with Pitou and Morley, our spectators. "A god once said words without power are meaningless. I intend to show you my power."
The words were laced with every bit of my inner edgelord I could channel. Maul bought into it, his eyes narrowing, falling into a loose stance that showed how rusty he had become. His lower body wasn't doing him any favors before I rushed towards him, floating an inch off the ground, something that made Maul's eyes widen before my blade slammed into his.
Reinforced muscles enhanced with Ren knocked him off of his metal feet before he landed, digging trenches into the ground. He was trying to bleed off the momentum, and the next thing he knew, I was already beside him, the blade aimed for his back leg, severing it, and circling back around him, avoiding his attempt to stop me, missing by a mile.
Maul's body was now unbalanced as he tilted to one side before another leg was lopped off, making it impossible with the two remaining legs straining to keep him up. On my third attempt, he finally managed to block the blow, only to struggle when I used the momentum combined with glide and so many other powers to press him further into the cave before his body pressed against the wall.
His legs pawed at the ground, pulling away from me. That was me being generous when they helped about as much as an oar with a hole in it paddling in water. In reality it was the force behind my blows that knocked him all the way there. Maul heaved heavy breaths, his emotions growing taut, a building hurricane of fire and brimstone.
Another glancing blow for me, for Maul, it was a battering ram that knocked his weapon off to the side where it shut off. Instead of yielding, Maul's negative emotions grew before he threw both arms out, sending me sliding back, arms held up shielding my face, making my newly robes and clothes flutter with the cave cracking and the ground cratering.
"Impressive. I can see why he chose you as his apprentice." Maul snarled at me before throwing his arm back and firing the biggest Force Push yet.
My hand held up towards the unrelenting telekinetic tide that surely would have been the end for most people, Force-sensitive included. Most would have seen nothing but death rushing towards them.
"Almighty Push." I calmly said as my own superior equivalent to Maul's attack tore up the cave floor, slammed into his Force Push, shattering it like glass to any who could sense or feel it, and it kept on going to Maul's horror.
His arms raised, trying to create a barrier, only for it to break upon contact. The Almighty Push slammed into him, pain felt through Haki, with his back pressed against and even forced into the wall. The cave shuddered with the area around us rumbling with dirt and trash falling around us.
My trust in my Haki was enough that I wasn't worried about the cave collapsing. I waltzed forward unconcerned as Maul forced his way out of the part of the wall he had been pressed into. He was looking worse for wear compared to me. Dirt and trash covered him now more than it had before, he breathed heavily like he had run three marathons without a break, and the pain felt through Haki told me what he got hit with hurt.
Not just Almighty Push, but my lightsaber strikes in our exchange, despite all of my attacks being love taps, managed to push him so far. Maul, now realizing the gap between us, did the thing I had expected.
"I submit. You are stronger." He said finally with grudging respect when the urge to attack was still present, but it was relinquished.
You beat Maul and made him admit defeat. One silver ticket. Use now? Y/N
[Myrtenaster]
|Uncommon Item|
RWBY - "Don't even try to spell it." is a mechashift revolver rapier with 6 slots for dust rounds. By activating a dust cartridge, the rapier can cut with flames or even freeze depending on the dust used. You get 6 dust rounds per day of a specified dust type of your choice.
Ignoring the roll I got for now, knowing I could summon it out later on when I didn't have others watching. The weapon itself could be useful when I was in the mood to not fight a lightsaber wielder, especially when they could just melt through the blade regardless of Nen. The dust rounds, however, would prove useful.
"Not half bad." I idly said, looking over at Maul, who in turn looked at me in a new light and then at Pitou. "I expected you to have fallen further than that."
"You underestimate me."
"Maybe a little." A waggle of my hand had him narrow his eyes. "I swear it seems like no matter the era, Sith always take offense to the mildest of things, even when it is a compliment."
This made Maul blink again, surprise clear in his emotions, growing after the first comment of my era. Whatever he was about to ask was cut off by me. "Considering where you live and what you had to feed off of, I doubt you were eating a balanced diet. Even with the Force sustaining you, that could only go on for so long. I see it has taken its mental toll."
Maul seethed, his teeth gritted against each other so hard I was surprised sparks didn't form. It wasn't directed at me, more someone else. That person, I have a pretty good idea of who it is. For the time being, Maul will have to be kept on a short leash, making sure he doesn't go on a rampage after Obi-Wan like he originally did and got an ass-whooping when he thought Obi-Wan was weak in their second or third rematch.
Then he got further humiliated when Sidious personally came for him. "My hate and training from my master is what allowed me to survive."
It wasn't long after that I got a piece of metal that could carry Maul since I damaged his lower half, and he couldn't move on his own without assistance. Applying my power over the sheet metal as it acted as a flying carpet, carrying Maul alongside us. He was busy scarfing down various fruits along with Morley, enjoying them as he hung from my form.
"So what now… master." Maul said, eyeing me. The ship was already in hyperspace as we headed back to Tatooine, with work having started on my palace with the planet going through changes.
Some of the populace wouldn't like it, but those people can get over it. Not like slavers' or slave owners' opinions mattered to me. Especially when a recently hijacked Separatist droid factory that was way out of the way and not the biggest nor most important factory was churning out copies of one of my absolutely loyal Magnaguards.
"First, you can call me Tobi. Second, the next thing that needs to be done is getting you back into shape and beyond what you would have been had you reached your full potential before you lost it all."
Maul's hands clenched around the orange in his hand, squirting juice everywhere as his hate became an inferno. But it soon faded when he registered the rest of what I had said.
"My full potential?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "My potential is now gone." He looked down in sorrow at where his legs should have been as he just lay on the floor. His inferno turned into a sputtering candle flame trying its utmost to stay lit.
"Not quite." A wave towards Pitou, who had been observing our interactions, made her step forward. "Pitou has a unique gift, one that will bring your legs back. And then increase the power you command over the Force."
Maul slowly looked up at me, his anger and rage at what was stolen from him fading. Instead, a brief moment of light appeared in the dark. It wasn't anything that would get him to atone or become a good guy per se, but it was hope he could reclaim what was taken and then go beyond even that.
The realization hit him like a sack of bricks thrown off a high rise. "You can?! Do it now!" He demanded of Pitou.
She looked at him with a smile that formed at his antics. She looked like she was thinking it over before shaking her head. "No."
"What?!" Maul looked at her as if he had been struck. "You will fix me now or suffer the consequences." Maul warned her, and Pitou just giggled.
She skipped forward, tail swaying. "I can see why you wanted him, Tobi. Even if he is a cripple and only half a man, he is funny." She smiled, all teeth, emphasizing how Maul was no longer a full man.
He sat there stunned at what Pitou had said before his eyes narrowed. A hand thrust forward followed by the side of the ship's wall crumpled like tin foil with Pitou nowhere in sight. Then Maul felt it. A small weight on his back with a white tail hanging over his shoulder, waving in front of his face.
"But he could make a nice seat to lay on." Pitou smugly said, reclining like she was on the beach and not on a former Sith Lord's back, completely uncaring of the filth that clung to his skin.
Another telekinetic shove all around him that sent my newly made robes fluttering and the metal of the ship groaning. Pitou hung from the ceiling, smiling down at him. The scene before me devolved into a one-sided fight where Maul sent Force Push after Force Push in an attempt to vent his anger and frustrations on Pitou. All of which was evaded with contemptuous ease.
She appeared in front of Maul, and instead of flinching out of surprise, he threw his hand back and launched the last of what he had to throw at her. Instead of dodging, Pitou took the attack head-on as she braced her arms with her feet digging trenches in the metal of the ship. She came to a stop about three meters from Maul without even a cut or a bruise to show for his efforts.
Pitou tilted her head, smiling condescendingly. "Is that all? A shame… I was hoping you were more capable."
Maul looked wiped. Yet the fire in him burned brighter. "As you can see, Pitou is quite capable. But for now you need to rest, when we land and get somewhere discreet, she will heal you. It will take time. Days potentially."
Maul was forced to drag his glare he sent towards Pitou towards me, hanging on to every word, his expression became more stern than angry.
The guy didn't have a choice. It was either this or die and be left behind. That, or if I wanted to be extra cruel, leave him on a random planet and wipe the navicomputer on the ship before scrapping it to maroon him for the rest of his life.
Even I am not that vindictive. May as well kill someone if you are going to do that… unless it's Sidious, then, if given the chance, he will experience all the petty stuff my mind can come up with if I can get away with it.
"Then after you are healed and improved beyond what you were before, you and I will train in what little time I have."
Maul nodded, but he was curious. "Ask," I told him, not having an issue answering some of his questions.
"You say improve me…" Maul trailed off, uncertain of what I was referring to. He was skeptical of what he suspected it was.
"Your connection with the Force." His eyes widened and he looked doubtful, like I just promised to make him immortal like all Sith desire so badly.
"Impossible." He said in disbelief.
"Nothing is impossible when it involves the Force, Maul. You are living proof of that." My head did a top-down of him as he wanted to argue with me, to counter, but he knew I had a point when he, against all odds, was still alive.
Not every day do you meet a man who is cut in half and managed to not only survive but remain somewhat sane after nearly ten years of isolation and struggling to survive every single day. People weren't kidding in online forums when they said the Force is bullshit with what you can do with it. Especially if my theory back in my old life and Esper further nudged me in that direction when it involved the Force.
With my assistance, Maul would become far stronger than he had ever been before. It would take a lot of time and philosophical teaching, but if the theory proved true, he would become a force to be reckoned with.
"How do you know so much? You speak of my former master so well as if you knew him and have skills and knowledge that go beyond any known Jedi or anyone touched by the Force."
Even though Maul couldn't see it, he likely felt the smile behind the hood that hid my face. I was tempted. Very tempted to put on the act I planned for the rest of the galaxy. To give him a sneak peek behind the curtain. But I reigned my desires in, knowing better than to spoil the grand reveal.
I paced slowly in front of Maul, my hooded face never straying from him. "My name is Tobi. And as for how I know all that I do… well, that will remain a mystery. In time, you will learn who I was." My voice took on a conspiratorial whisper to it, making Maul eat up every word.
I don't care who you are, everyone loves a good mystery. Just look at Joker, it's practically one of the bigger reasons people are drawn to the guy.
"Know this, Maul, so long as you don't backstab or betray me, I won't do the same to you or abandon you like your old master had. Rest up, Maul, you're going to need it." I patted him on the shoulder with Pitou screwing with him to his annoyance before we left.
Capture Maul and make a tentative alliance with him. One silver ticket. Use now? Y/N
[Renown]
|Uncommon Trait|
You are quite well known, aren't you? The news of your exploits and accomplishments travel fast. And the effect on your reputation is slightly increased. If you saved a village even the king may learn about it and decide to reward you. Your reputation is always well known if possible.
…
Ash fell like blackened snow across the shattered plains. Blaster fire was exchanged, the staccato of the heavy cannons rang out like the bell tolls for the Grim Reaper to bear witness to this battlefield like all the others. The battle had been going poorly for the Separatists.
Across the battlefield, chaos reigned. A squad of B1s, like all the others, getting massacred, huddled behind a shattered wall, peeking over as blaster fire screamed overhead.
"We are going to die." One droid said flatly.
A second one shrugged. "Well, we are losing. But we aren't dead yet and still might pull off a win." A third leaned out, fired wildly, and was immediately blasted apart. "Statement retracted." The second droid took back its words of confidence.
Nearby, a squad of clones advanced under covering fire. "Push up! We got them pinned." A B1 popped up hearing their words.
"For the Separatist Alliance- agh!" It declared and was instantly shot in the chest, collapsing in a heap. Another droid stepped over it, blaster held at the ready.
"I will avenge you friend I did not know." It said aiming for them and taking only two steps before it got blown apart by a stray random shot. A heavier B2 super battle droid stomped into position beside them, raising its arm cannon.
"Target acquired." It said opening fire, forcing a group of clones into cover but not before a grenade plopped down at its feet. The B2 looked down, uttering its last words. "… Unfortunate." The explosion scattered its parts and those of the remaining droids behind the wall across the area.
Initially they held the advantage once the Republic forces were cut off from reinforcements and supplies. It was only a matter of time with the now growing tide of droids picking off the clones that they would achieve complete victory over the planet.
Or so their droid commander had believed. This battle was like many others proving how the tactical droids needed an upgrade and their hubris was undeserved. Orthodox tactics that are known, they are capable. When someone does something they never could have anticipated nor planned to happen, their plans and tactics are all for nothing.
A few of the Jedi commanders had picked up some tricks from the maverick Anakin Skywalker, though they didn't use anything nearly as brazen or reckless, it was still enough to ruin the plans the various droid commanders would have had in place.
The Jedi in charge of what was left of the clones had made a desperate move, attacking and managing to temporarily take out the droid factory they were sent here to destroy. The factory in the distance had smoke pouring out of the holes and fire peaking out.
With it temporarily out of commission, the droids were doing their best to keep the clones and their commander at bay. They still had a number advantage, but against an entrenched enemy that was flanking and cutting through their forces like a lightsaber through durasteel, it had turned against the droids. It was only a matter of time until they had lost control of the planet.
Columns of B1 battle droids lay scattered in pieces across the ruined streets, their thin frames blasted apart by disciplined volleys. Smoke crawled upward from burning AAT tanks while clone troopers advanced in tight formations, blue bolts flashing through the haze. Above them a Republic gunship screamed overhead.
"Forward! Maintain the line!" A clone officer shouted over the comms.
Their Jedi commander moved ahead of them, cloak whipping through the ash as his lightsaber carved arcs of green light through the remaining droid resistance. Each movement was calm and precise, at odds with what to the clones looked like speed fueled by ferocity.
The droid army was losing, being pushed back and dismantled like a patient being carved up by the doctor's scalpel. It was until the agent that Dooku had requested had arrived.
A single pod launched off of a ship that just exited hyperspace of Hutt origins slammed down onto the battlefield, kicking up dirt and grass. For a moment a few of the clones had paused to look at what landed not far from them.
Then the ground shook. At first the formation of clones thought it was from the artillery, another tremor ran through the battlefield, making rubble rattle across broken durasteel plates and the duracrete of what was left of a road.
The group of clones wasn't taking any chances. Two of their members at their squad leader's gesture took their launchers and fired two shots that detonated and demolished the black obelisk-like pod.
The group was about to move on when some of them paused, watching in horror to see a figure emerge from the smoke and flames. It was tall, broad-shouldered, bigger than a Wookiee, yet it looked wrong.
The massive figure stepped into view, towering over the droid infantry like a walking siege engine. Thick black restraints wrapped around its grotesquely powerful frame, and pale, scarred skin stretched across bulging muscle.
Nemesis had arrived, and he was the closest to happy anyone could ever say he was. Because he was rewarded for his deed of taking the Venator, his master had seen fit to give him two massive weapons.
In one, a custom-built rotary blaster cannon spun, the weapon nearly the size of a speeder engine. In the other rested a thick-barreled slugthrower launcher, its chamber loaded with high-explosive shells designed to punch through armor.
The battlefield went silent for half a heartbeat, then Nemesis broke it like a boulder tossed into a still pond. He opened fire, the rotary cannon howling to life. A storm of blaster bolts erupted from the spinning barrels, ripping across the group of clones like a scythe through a wheat field. The group didn't even have time to shoot back before they were all massacred.
Other groups noticed the new enemy and retaliated. Their blaster shots washed harmlessly over Nemesis, who simply turned the rotary cannon in their direction. The clone front line was ripped apart by a hurricane of red light. Troopers dove for cover, armor plates sparked and exploded under the barrage.
Three clones vanished under a cloud of vaporized dust, another squad tried to reposition, they never made it as Nemesis tore them apart. The modified Tyrant walked forward, slowly, methodically, the massive cannon tracking targets with brutal precision, En helping it keep track of all of them and making sure none escaped alive. Every step left deep craters in the street.
As Nemesis advanced, dozens of rifles snapped up. "Focus fire!" The clones returned fire with wild abandon, hitting Nemesis with everything they could think of. Blasters screamed, blaster cannons roared in defiance, and the blaster bolts hammered into the monster's chest and shoulders in a blinding storm of light.
Several clones quickly realized the blasters weren't going to cut it. Salvos from rockets were fired, filled with their resolve to continue fighting for the Republic, grenades fired from underbarrel attachments blossomed into hope that it would bring whatever abomination the Seppi's had created to an end.
All of that and then some, only to have any hope come crashing to an end. Smoke and fire rolled off of his body, Nemesis did not slow in the slightest. His Nen aura clinging to him kept him safe from anything they could hope to throw at him, the heat distorting the air making it shimmer and making Nemesis appear like he was something that crawled its way out of hell.
Ten blunted the impact of the next wave of blaster bolts as he pushed through it all. The rotary cannon swept left, and a barricade with a group of clones disappeared in an explosion of sparks and debris.
The green blade hummed and whizzed past five Super Battle droids, who each fell to the ground cut in half as the Jedi commander's head snapped up. He senses it now, a ripple in the Force like something heavy crashing into water. He killed off the last wave of droids in front of him and his men before turning and seeing the creature.
"What in the--" Before he could finish that sentence, Nemesis lifted the second weapon, and the slugthrower roared. Like a ship crashing into a planet's surface, the shot rang out louder than most weapons in this hectic battle. A high explosive shell streaked across the battlefield and slammed into a Republic armored walker.
The explosion tore the machine open in a blossom of fire and twisted metal as the crew manning it as their lives he could feel through the Force were snuffed out in a horrific and painful way to die regardless of how fast it may have been. The walker collapsed sideways, crushing a barricade beneath it, making the clone troopers scramble for cover and trying not to get crushed.
"We need more anti-armor! Hit it with more rockets!"
What was left of the clones under his command did as commanded by the remnants of the officers. At least two dozen rockets sailed towards the looming threat that now had begun to run while shooting at them. Far too many clones died in that attempt, followed by the rotary cannon sweeping wide. The arc of blaster bolts met the rocket's, detonating them before they reached the creature. It was intelligent, not a dumb brute despite his first impression of it.
Out of the rockets, only five remained as they streaked toward it and detonated against his chest in five bursts of flame. For a moment the charging monster and the battlefield vanished in smoke. The smoke hadn't even cleared before the thing rushed out of it. Pieces of its armor had slid off of it, both the Jedi commander and the clones hoped that would make it easier to harm it.
All of whom still questioned how that outfit was shielding it from their attacks, believing it had some kind of advanced shield generator. Its rushing form aimed the rotary cannon as it began to spin again. Panic rippled through the clone ranks, or the closest they had to panicking.
Never once had their commander seen them panic like a civilian would or a trained Judicial operative, but they had their own signs that he had learned to pick up on in his time fighting with the clone army. Even without the Force, he could see the stiffness each one had, which told him all he needed to know.
"Why isn't it going down?!" Blaster bolts poured into it from every direction, dozens upon dozens upon dozens of rifles hammered the advancing giant. The creature's response to their blasters was relentless fire. Clones were thrown backwards as the rotary cannon shredded defensive lines.
Whatever they used for cover was disintegrated, any heavy blaster nests they had set up vanished under the torrent of bolts. The slugthrower fired again, another shell smashed into another AT-TE, detonating beneath its hull and flipping the entire vehicle onto its side.
Their commander made his decision then and there, realizing what he must do to ensure his men survived and this battle was not lost. May the Force be with him and all those that fought by his side.
Chaos Gacha:
[Stick]
|Common Ability|
Allows you to stick to objects like super glue.
[Myrtenaster]
|Uncommon Item|
RWBY - "Don't even try to spell it." is a mechashift revolver rapier with 6 slots for dust rounds. By activating a dust cartridge, the rapier can cut with flames or even freeze depending on the dust used. You get 6 dust rounds per day of a specified dust type of your choice.
[Renown]
|Uncommon Trait|
You are quite well known, aren't you? The news of your exploits and accomplishments travel fast. And the effect on your reputation is slightly increased. If you saved a village even the king may learn about it and decide to reward you.
…
I have set up a Patreon and SubScribeStar! If any of you are interested in seeing a chapter a week early just donate a dollar and if you want to see the chapter the week after that you can donate five dollars.Last edited: Apr 21, 2026 Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:InfinitusAnimous, Ben rain, commanderjoe and 41
The Jedi commander sprinted forward, his blade hummed and hissed like a viper. Greenlight flashed with red as he deflected a stream of blaster bolts back toward Nemesis. Its head turned slowly, watching the new threat that had emerged.
For a moment the battle field seemed to shrink around this single confrontation. Nemesis now advanced like an unstoppable juggernaut to the clones, the blaster cannon roaring with the explosives thundering from the volatile bolts. Behind the looming titan, surviving Separatist droids rallied and began pushing forward again, their mechanical voices echoing through the ruins.
The Republic charge had been broken, and what was left of their line was about to crack and break apart. Ash swirled as the Jedi broke into a sprint that most living things could never hope to match. He was a blur with the green light in his hand, snapping and dancing in tight arcs, deflecting incoming fire. Each step was measured, every breath steady, the Force flowed through him, helping guide and warn him.
It showed him what he must do. Close the distance. That was the answer in a firefight like this. Close the distance and the monster will fall. If its shield could handle small arms, blasters, and rockets, then a lightsaber should be capable of piercing and cutting it. That's what the Force tugged and nudged him towards thinking.
Ahead of him, Nemesis turned. Now fully facing him and no longer distracted by any clones that tried and failed to fell the beast. It moved deliberately, as if it acknowledged the challenge. The rotary cannon in its grip spun up again with a rising mechanical scream. The Jedi even found himself questioning how the creature's weapons hadn't been damaged by the amount of explosives used on it.
The Jedi's eyes narrowed as the world exploded into light. A torrent of blaster fire tore its ways toward him, far denser than before. But the Force felt another disturbance. It felt like something was sliding off of the thing before him and suffusing itself into the bolts.
His blade snapped up, intercepting them, and that's when he realized his mistake. The bolts struck his blade with unnatural weight, each deflection sent vibrations up his arms, and he staggered half a step. He had to abort the charge and rolled out of the way of the barrage, then got up and ran low to the ground. Something like that had never happened before to him. What he felt… what was this thing?
He tried again, another stream of fire that was both tighter and heavier. He angled his saber, redirecting the barrage, but each impact felt wrong. As if each of the bolts was resisting getting deflected. Behind the weapon, Nemesis adjusted its stance. It felt instinctual to the bioweapon, guiding its movements and, more importantly, its Nen. Without understanding it, it pushed the aura outward into its weapon.
The spinning barrels began to glow faintly, but only Nemesis could see it, and the Jedi merely felt it. Nen clung to the barrels, then bled into the stream of bolts pouring out of the cannon. Unlike the first time, this was superior to the first attempt, but it was still crude, unrefined, yet effective.
Each shot carried more force, like the difference between a thrown stone and a spear. The Jedi felt it immediately when he tried deflecting again when a barrage got too close to him. He ignored the tremors running up his arms in favor of pushing forward until one bolt slipped through his guard and struck the ground beside him and blew up with enough force to throw him sideways.
He rolled with his cloak catching fire at the edges before he smothered it with a sharp motion of the Force. That wasn't normal blaster fire anymore. Nemesis stepped forward, having long since stopped running and instead patiently taking its time.
Another roar of the cannon, and he braced, blade flashing, redirecting another storm of enhanced bolts, but he couldn't advance. Every attempt was met with overwhelming suppression. It dawned on him, the thing was keeping him held at range, it controlled where he could go, pinning him tighter and tighter the closer he got.
Its head tilted, like it was a curious animal. It fired again and adjusted, whatever it was doing to the weapon had become smoother this time, clinging to the weapon more consistently. Unknown to Nemesis, it was trying to use Shu without realizing it. It wasn't quite there, but it was close enough that it made it far more dangerous.
The Jedi rose again, breathing harder now. Since he couldn't get close enough to use his lightsaber, then he would use the Force. Getting into cover that would hold for a few seconds, if that, he raised his hand and concentrated, trying to grasp the creature, to slow it, and move it only to feel resistance.
His eyes widened before leaping over his cover that was soon demolished, heading for other areas. Whatever was protecting it wasn't absolute, but it made the thing heavy as if it was being anchored by something. It continued to keep shooting with each salvo, forcing the Jedi back step after step. He couldn't get close, not like this. He noted how each shot was more controlled than the last, the barrages meant to corral him.
For the first time in this battle the Jedi was forced entirely onto the defensive by something that shouldn't have been capable of the things it had done.
The smooth, flowing confidence he once had to reclaim victory against the Separatists was now carved away piece by piece the longer this darkside creation lived. He knew not what else to call it beyond something only the ancient Sith would create. Across from him, Nemesis did not tire like he was. Even with the Force, it could only help so much.
The Jedi firmed his wavering resolve, steadying his blade as his grip tightened. "May the Force be with me, always." He said far too calmly for what he was about to do. The Force surged around him, and so he moved.
Becoming a living blur, moving faster than he ever had before in his life. He would have enjoyed the feeling had the situation not been so dire. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched forward, deflecting the first wave of fire with a storm of precise movements that didn't slow him in the slightest. Bolts bounced off his blade with controlled arcs redirected at the creature, rubble, the sky, and anywhere but himself.
The shots managed to harm Nemesis, becoming the first and only thing to harm him by this point. His Ten, to the Jedi, a foreign feeling he couldn't make out through the Force, had buckled under the blaster bolts infused with a rudimentary form of Shu. The bolts pierced through it and slammed into his arm and chest, charring the flesh, but nothing more than surface level.
Nemesis became more focused, recognizing the Jedi as a greater threat and focusing far more on him after he felt the bolts impact his massive body. The distance between the two quickly shrank, Nemesis adjusting his cannon, tracking not where it was but where he would be before it opened fire.
Despite the previous deflected shots harming the bioweapon, he continued using his new trick. The barrage thickened, every bolt carrying that unnatural force. The Jedi twisted through it, pushing his body and connection to the Force to their absolute limits and then beyond. It was a dance on a knife's edge, one that would either see him fall or succeed.
But the more he pushed, the harder it became to get closer to Nemesis. He would soon reach his limit and collapse if he didn't get to him now, feeling his body protest his cruel treatment of it, muscles tearing, bones creaking dangerously. He was close, so very close.
One bolt grazed his shoulder, spinning him in the air with pain shooting up the rest of his body with his arm falling behind him, now severed. He couldn't stop. Ten meters. Faster than someone would blink, it became eight. Then six. He had gotten close enough and leapt, lightsaber raised, gathering all of his remaining strength into a single decisive strike meant to end the fight in one motion.
He used the Force, it all but told him where to strike, where the bioweapon's weak point was. To his surprise, Nemesis stopped shooting. Throwing his caution and surprise to the side, he couldn't let this opening go, his single arm held the blade above, ready to strike Nemesis down.
Then Nemesis moved not backwards, but forwards. The slugthrower rose in its off hand, the massive barrel tilting upward to meet the descending figure. For a fraction of a second, the Jedi's instincts and the Force screamed at him to abort. But it was too late as the weapon fired, thundering across the battlefield.
As the high explosive shell zoomed towards him, he tossed the extinguished lightsaber into his teeth, clamping down on it, his sole remaining hand raised, and he pushed with the Force. The round detonated once it made contact with the Force Push, the strongest he had ever done in his life, surprising him briefly with the raw power in it. The push turned the space the shell and the growing explosion occupied, which then took its place, forming a concussive wall.
One that was briefly keeping the flames and shrapnel away from the Jedi while Nemesis let the flame and debris wash over him. The wall shattered like reinforced glass, and he was knocked off course, the blast consuming his momentum and sending him flying away. His body twisted, control slipping from his grasp.
The pain of where his arm had been was now hitting him full force, he hit the ground and rolled, trying to rise only for his eyes to widen when the whine of the rotary cannon greeted him. Opening his jaw and grabbing his blade, he looked up in time to see Nemesis had closed the distance and he had no space left to maneuver, let alone room to breathe.
He centered himself once more, fighting to the bitter end. Blade snapped into the familiar form of Soresu, he wished he had focused more on training the form, but that time had come and gone. The barrage hit, at the range he was forced to block at, there was no elegance.
Each bolt slammed into his guard like a hammer, forcing his blade down inch by inch. His boots dug into the ground, carving trenches as he fought to hold on. For what, he didn't know. They had lost just when they nearly claimed victory against all odds.
Nemesis was unconcerned by any of it, all of his focus was centered on the Jedi before him that was proving to be more of a nuisance after his arm had been clipped. The cannon droned on, relentless and overwhelming as the man's sole remaining arm trembled.
The Force surged one last time in him as he tried to push forward, step by step, that felt only like he was moving too slowly to try and reach Nemesis. Nemesis merely stepped closer, not afraid, nor did it view the Jedi as a threat any longer. To the Jedi's growing dread, the muzzle of the cannon was all he could see, and he didn't have the strength or angles needed to redirect the shots back at it in hopes of dismantling the accursed blaster.
A dozen shots were deflected before he heard a crack and the weapon stopped for a brief moment. He looked up at Nemesis, confused, before he felt it. The dead weight of his left arm, trying to lift it, proved futile, the bones turned to splinters under the onslaught, and his body finally gave out on him. He fell onto his back and exhaled. There was no fear, just understanding.
He understood he didn't have a chance. But that never stopped him before. His last thoughts as the cannon's shadow loomed over his face were that his men and fellow Jedi would survive and destroy this abomination.
The gun spun briefly, and Nemesis turned away, ignoring the charred mass that was once a Jedi Knight. Smoke rose from Nemesis' weapon, his massive frame remained unmoved before he looked around and sensed the various clones with En.
The clones were in full retreat. The final offensive, one that almost worked, had been broken, and what was left of the Republic's forces was in full retreat.
A droid walked up to Nemesis as he stomped ahead, ready to chase after what was left of his enemies.
"Uh… the commander wants to talk to you?" The droid sounded unsure. On one hand, it had its orders, on the other, death by a giant monster that glared down at it made it question its programming.
A hologram sprung up of a tactical droid with its arms behind its back looking arrogant despite doing nothing in this battle save for almost losing. "Your orders are to meet me at the command center for a thorough examination to ensure you are in top condition to continue the campaign against the Republic."
The droid commander droned on about its plans to wipe out what's left of the clone forces and begin the process of getting the factory up and running again. It turned and looked around for a moment. "Where is the creature?" It asked the droid, staring up into the sky.
"He jumped away when you were busy talking about how great you are, sir." The droid cheerfully chirped, now happy that it wasn't going to be crushed.
…
Help Nemesis become strong enough to easily defeat a Jedi Knight. One silver ticket. Use now? Y/N
Save the droid factory from being completely destroyed. One gold ticket. Use now? Y/N
Managed to turn a battle the CIS bungled into an overwhelming victory for the planet. One platinum ticket! Use now? Y/N
[Move Earth]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to telekinetically move earth in your sensory range, does not have much lethal power.
[Rain]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to make it rain from the skies, the more energy you expend the larger the scale of the rain. Slightly boosts water-based abilities and slightly weakens fire-based ones.
[Silver Samurai Armor]
|Epic Item|
The Wolverine/MCU - A specially designed adamantium-plated powered exoskeleton paired with a superheated Adamantium blade. The armor itself has over 100 tons of lifting strength; in addition, it has life support systems inside for its user that can allow even a sick old man to use it to its full potential. The armor has been modified in such a way that it will conform to the shape of the user as long as they are vaguely humanoid in shape and size. The power supply will charge itself to maximum within an hour as long as its not in active use.(Mutagen manipulation device not included)
A deep chuckle escaped me as Maul was loaded into the section of the castle that had been completed. Nemesis on his own did wonderfully. I didn't even know of his progress until that happened. My robes fit snugly on me courtesy of both my skills in art and my power to casually create strands of it for different purposes.
They were black and gold, with various symbols and images of tigers and dragons I felt looked cool and were appealing to me. Maul simply had a silk robe loosely clinging to him to hide his appearance as he floated around on a repulsorlift just big enough to fit him on it.
He paused moving forward, looking towards the black metal suit that was off in a corner under a massive tapestry I had created. Maul's eyes were drawn to it, seeing the image on it of two people. The background was a dark abyss matched by the obsidian-colored silk, a ruin of some kind with hints of red interspersed.
What drew his gaze was a person in pitch-black robes that was even darker than the bulk of the silk making up the background, but he wore a carved bone-white mask with red markings above where the eyes should be bowing before an old blind woman. For a brief moment he stared at the image before his gaze slid back down, eyeing the Berserker Armor.
My hand tapped his shoulder, knocking him out of his weird state. "Well? What do you think?" I gestured to the various tapestries and rugs on display that I had created in what spare time I had with various forms of media depicted on them.
Most were made to look like my own artistic input of iconic moments throughout Star Wars, all of which were of the past. Others had things like an image of Kratos holding the Blades of Chaos with Zeus standing across from him.
Others had images of famous assassins like John Wick, Agent 47, and Kiritsugu Emiya. Maul paused, hovering near a silk sheet emblazoned with the three figures of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Altair, and Connor from the Assassin's Creed series.
"It will do. You have quite the collection…" He trailed off, his head about to snap towards the Berserker Armor again as Maul seemed drawn towards it.
"Why thank you! Many of these have significant ties to me. Treat them with care. For now, we need to get you prepped and ready for when it's showtime." My hand waved through the air dramatically as he looked unsure of what to make of me.
"Speak your mind." It wasn't hard to clue into Maul just not understanding or being used to someone like me.
"What are your aims? Beyond toppling my former… master." Maul said bitterly.
He didn't take to learning he had been replaced and missed out on so much in the galaxy well. When he learned of Kenobi being alive and well, Pitou had to step in and stop him from throwing a tantrum and causing the ship to be damaged. I wasn't about to have all my near-death experiences and all that had been done up until this point end up for nothing when I was stuck in space for who knows how long because he couldn't handle the one who brought him low succeeding in life.
"Oh, I don't know…" I said, shaking my head and acting like someone who is shy about revealing their hobbies in life. I looked over towards a giant window made with that glass they used on the ships in this galaxy-- transparisteel. Outside in the distance, I could see the two death claws watching over their clutch of eggs they had just laid.
The buildings and particular caretakers hired on to help breed and facilitate any needs the familiars would have were all hired. Several animal trainers, when they heard of the new unseen species that Jabba had procured, came quickly.
My death claws had been ordered to not attack or kill them unless they harmed them intentionally or the eggs. If they get too rough, give them a warning. It would probably take a couple of months for the numerous eggs they had laid to bear fruit, but once they did, I would have an army of shock troopers at my disposal.
"Maybe sit back on a nice luxurious planet with a beach, a nice view of its ocean, with some scantily clad ladies keeping me company." I said with my hands up like I was taking a picture of the moment and was already visualizing the moment, and it made me excited.
"That's… it?" Maul sounded like he was in disbelief. He probably was. Heck, if I were in his shoes and a guy like me showed up, I'd half expect the guy to make promises of ruling the galaxy instead of Sidious and promising what I could while giving little to Maul.
"Yep. Hate to break it to you, Maul, but ruling the galaxy is not something I am interested in. It's a futile effort that would only end in disaster since it's nothing more than a trap." I walked along, moving past the Silver Samurai armor sitting in a corner that I plopped down on without Maul noticing as he paused to stare at it.
"A trap?" He asked me. He was skeptical, questioning how such a thing was a trap. "How? You can rule it all." He looked around at the finished portions of the castle as the crews worked tirelessly to make it a reality off of the designs I had created using my newly gained artistic touch.
I stopped and so did Maul. I slowly turned to look at him. "Come on, Maul. Sidious didn't take you as an apprentice just because you were skilled with a lightsaber and nothing more. Think about it. What will you do once you claim the galaxy as yours?"
"I would consolidate my power and ensure my empire remains strong and capable as I begin to acquire more knowledge." He said without hesitation. "Find a means to rule indefinitely, never fearing death."
His eyes had a far-off look to them as if he could already picture it all. My chuckle made him snap out of it. "I guess you love torturing yourself." I continue to walk with Maul shaking his head, sputtering.
"W-what do you mean torture?! I would rule the galaxy and be the most powerful being of all! I would become immortal. What more could you want than that?!" He snarled at me, his anger rising.
My head tilted towards him as he was right by my side. "Enjoyment. I would have none of that ruling such a thing. Just think about it. Imagine ruling over an empire of Sith or darksiders like the ancient Sith of past eras. Constantly backstabbing one another and you."
"It wouldn't matter, I would be strong enough to keep that from happening." He denied like a sweet summer child, ignorant to the brutal torture one would suffer under such a position.
"You mean like all the other Emperors who existed in the past, who became the leaders of the ancient Sith? All of them were far more powerful than you, and yet their empires had fallen all the same. Imagine this, Maul." It was time for a wake-up call.
If he doesn't get it after this, he is a lost cause, and I would just wipe my hands of him understanding this. I don't expect him to understand immediately if he doesn't, but I have faith in the Rule of Two not just choosing someone as an apprentice because they are powerful but because they have intelligence.
A door slid open, and we walked further into the castle on the outskirts of Mos Eisley. "Imagine running the empire you see in your mind. Now picture this-- every person who can use the Force, like yourself, vying for your position. You constantly have to look over your shoulder, waiting for the next betrayal. You are forever alone, no one to talk to or confide in. No equals to you. Every discussion you must dissect to ensure you remain as the ruler."
"That is to be expected. Those that use the dark side desire more power." He said with less intensity, but he sounded like he was more arguing with himself. But I think he was starting to see what I was getting at if his emotions got bluescreened for a moment with a hint of dread taking shape.
"Oh? Then let's go deeper. Any children you have, fully expect them to become instruments of your undoing. Getting a wife or concubines? Forget it, they will either willingly or get manipulated into being your undoing. Then the work involved in running the empire. Either you have competent people, and those are the ambitious ones who will dethrone you or make things difficult in the long run since they would never be fully satisfied. The alternative is doing what your former master intends to do, and that's just surrounding himself with nothing but idiots, causing constant headaches and stress for you to just keep everything running."
On and on the rant went with me listing off plenty of reasons as Maul remained silent, staring intently, no longer trying to come up with excuses or reasons as to why it would work. He soaked it all in, asking a question occasionally, realizing I had no issue answering and explaining things.
"And that's why it is ultimately a bad idea. It is a trap, one that would never end well."
"I now understand your reasoning, but wouldn't achieving immortality and ultimate power correct such a thing?" He was no longer gung ho about the idea of creating an empire like the ancient Sith, but it wouldn't stop him creating his own organization.
He was ambitious, and I could respect that. "And that will be my last point," We had long since taken seats on some furniture purchased to furnish the castle. In Maul's case, he remained hovering in the air. "Let's say you begin the process to achieve ultimate power or immortality. Every time throughout galactic history someone has attempted this, both Sith and Jedi banded together to deal with them."
Maul realized the implications now. "That's not even getting started on the Force itself creating or empowering someone to topple you. This too has occurred a few times."
Maul gave me a calculating look. "… is that why you severed any connection to the Force?"
I gave him a so-so gesture of my hand. "Part of it. The other was I grew tired of it, and all that I had gained and achieved was without it."
My hand wagged at him. "Also, I wouldn't recommend doing what I did. I don't think it can be replicated. Plus, with the Force, you could make Force equivalent abilities to my own."
Maul sagged at the comment, but I could see the determination in his eyes. When I was about to give him his current regimen with the food he would be eating to get himself in good enough shape to ensure Pitou had an easier time of repairing him. Not that she couldn't already, it would just make it a lot easier, and I'd rather her not be completely exhausted or at half her strength if Maul decided he didn't need us after getting healed.
Speaking of Best Girl, she soon entered the room with her ears perked up. "We must go to Jabba." She said suddenly, with me quickly following her.
The three of us made it to a massive chamber with Jabba on a raised central platform, looking at a hologram of Dooku.
"Jabba, while your enforcer, Nemesis, has done wonderfully, the Separatists and I need more." Dooku said, gazing sweeping towards me, Pitou, and Maul. His gaze lingered on Maul for a moment longer than the rest of us. He likely didn't recognize him since like me, he was completely covered in luxurious silk robes that obscured his body.
"There are currently several planets in the Outer Rim that could use their assistance. One of which has received reinforcements." An image replaced Dooku showing a map of the galaxy before it zoomed onto a planet. The planet was a part of one of our hyperspace lanes that had been riddled with mines.
A few Republic ships tried to sneak past or brute force their way through, and all of them met grisly ends when they exited hyperspace at several points along the hyperspace lane. To learn one of them got through had me suspicious.
Not many, if anyone, could have done that. One point along the lane when they exited would be one thing. But at least five… something was up.
"The Republic ships that have gotten past your eyes," Dooku had a small smile at the joke at Jabba's expense, not knowing he had gotten bamboozled. "Have begun reinforcing those planets. One in particular would be a great loss to lose in the Outer Rim, especially since it would open up an avenue of attack on Tatooine."
The crowd of people muttered, glancing around, but none of them were afraid. All of whom were under my control, and with the Magnaguards left here on Tatooine, had grown four more members since my familiars grew in number the stronger I got. Not too big of a surprise since I never fully stopped training. Pushing my limits had become as natural as breathing, even if it was a massive pain in my red ass.
Jabba's eyes narrowed into slits as the droid translated for him. "Then Nemesis will deal with them." He waved it off, not concerned.
"Therein lies the problem, Jabba." Dooku said, sounding sympathetic to him, of all things, like he knew something that Jabba didn't that wasn't good news. "While I appreciate your aid in the Separatist Alliance, others among the leadership feel… you are not putting in enough effort. They wish to see what you can bring to the table and feel if you do not bring more to the table, then they would surely cut off support to you when you need it."
Dooku put on a good act, but anyone in the know knew he was full of it. At least partially. I couldn't confirm or deny the Separatist parliament was talking about such things, but with a Sith like Dooku, it was like dealing with some people I used to know. Anytime they contact you, always assume there is some angle or catch, something they want or have to gain out of it. Above all else, always expect a knife in the back, you just don't know when it will happen and where it's going.
Jabba's hum rumbled across the chamber before he spoke and the droid translated. I subtly signaled Pitou as she nodded, a small smile on her face. She deserved to let off some steam. It makes it even better when it's not me that will be on the receiving end of it all.
"Very well. The Republic has been overdue in their punishment for their foolish attempt. Mask, Strings, Paladin," He gestured to the three of us as Maul looked curious, yet he hid it like he did many things when the last name title was directed at him. Must have had to learn that early on when training under Sidious.
I was no fool believing he fully trusted me. Now am I willing to extend an olive branch? Sure! It's why he is here and me wishing to have him on my side. My plan is for him to take an interest in all that I have and my willingness to teach him and help him grow. Through seeing what I have to offer, he would stick around, and maybe, just maybe, when he realizes I don't intend to backstab or screw him over, he would do the same for me.
Now that doesn't mean I won't have means to keep an eye on him should he decide he no longer needs me and wants to get rid of me. If he wants to walk away, sure. So long as he doesn't become a menace to the rest of the galaxy, then I would be willing to let him go.
"Those three will deal with the planet. Now it is time for me to relax and enjoy myself."
It wasn't long after that I used some energy before we left, letting rain hit Mos Eisley and the surrounding desert, as the project for restoring the planet would eventually begin. Leaving behind the six Magnaguards to act as protection for Jabba, even though he didn't need it, I still had uses for his dead body being puppeteered by Pitou's new technique.
Not like I had to worry about backup when we had a bunch of mercenaries hired alongside a fleet of Hutt warships. They weren't exactly going to be going blow for blow against the Republic Navy from what Pitou had informed me, but that didn't matter. Not when a few more ships joined us, filled to the brim with copies of my other Magnaguards that were sent off to a droid factory and turning it around to only produce Magnaguards.
The factory in question was isolated both from the Republic and Separatists since it was on the smaller side. But if anything that made it even better because it was one of the few droid factories that had the capabilities to manufacture Magnaguards.
Not just any droid factory could produce that type of droid, they required far more precision and industrial capabilities that a standard droid factory lacked. It also helped the facility was more forgotten only pumping out the occasional small quantities of B1's and B2's but because of its smaller size and isolated location it made for the perfect facility to kickstart my own small elite army.
It was being fed plenty of materials that the Magnaguards helped procure, producing more of them, and now I had a steady supply that wasn't overwhelming, but they didn't need to be.
"… I thought I would be getting healed." Maul's voice broke me out of my thoughts, seeing hyperspace go by through the viewport.
"You will. Things happened, and instead you get to show me what you're capable of. Consider it a test."
Maul glared at me, his jaw tensing, but he relented, and his expression turned more neutral. "Very well."
I chuckled, shaking my head at him as he fit snugly inside the Silver Samurai armor. The life support system is capable of helping keep Maul alive without the Force of all things. Guess that suit was more advanced beyond combat capabilities from what I remembered of it from that Wolverine movie.
"You're not even going to ask what the test is?" The disbelief in my tone made him look at me like he was sucking on a lemon. "Pitou, get in here and bring a camera. I think he's pouting!" I pointed at Maul, whose eyes widened in disbelief.
"I am not!" His outburst made me laugh even harder. Maul crossed his arms while Pitou smiled, padding closer and leaping up to lay atop the armor's shoulders, lounging. "And you! Get off of there!"
He pointed at her, then at the ship's floor, getting annoyed. Getting my laughter under control seeing Darth Maul, one of the coolest yet coldest characters in Star Wars pout.
"The test is to see if you still have the most important muscle of all." Maul paused, looking at me. "Your mind. I need to know, despite the madness that still clings to you, that you have that sharp intellect that made you so dangerous. I don't want nor need a guy who can only use his brute strength. So… think you can get familiar with that armor before we get there?"
Maul looked at me for a moment and completely forgot about Pitou lounging on the suit like it was a nice warm spot on a comfy couch. He began getting more familiar with it as he went through several motions.
Hours went by with Maul getting better at using the suit. Despite missing his legs, the suit had built-in sensors for such an occasion, so he didn't have to worry too much about not using his legs to control the lower half of it. At first his motions and movements were either clumsy or too stiff, but he eventually got the hang of it. Just in time since we had arrived at the planet.
…
Blasters of red and blue crisscrossed through the streets of the city with the Separatist droids marching fearlessly towards them while Obi-Wan maintained his distance, acting as a defense for the clones behind him who took out any droids they could.
"General Kenobi, this should be the last wave for now." Commander Cody said, taking out two B2s with a few well-placed, precise shots each, showing his skill and experience when handling those armored units.
"We take care of the rest of them and then we reconvene with Anakin and his men." Obi-Wan ordered, ready for this battle to end. He looked around while blocking the bolts and could only see the destruction and toll this war has taken on everyone.
He could only hope it ended soon. "General Kenobi." The familiar hiss of Captain Fordo's jetpack greeted his ears as he casually mowed down over a dozen droids in less than a second. "Enemy reinforcements have been spotted entering the system."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at that, not having expected reinforcements so soon, nor did he expect them to even attempt to support a losing battle like this. Then Captain Fordo's next words may as well have been the biggest surprise he has had in some time, and he highly doubted he would have anything to top that for years.
"They are Hutt forces."
Chaos Gacha:
[Move Earth]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to telekinetically move earth in your sensory range, does not have much lethal power.
[Rain]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to make it rain from the skies, the more energy you expend the larger the scale of the rain. Slightly boosts water-based abilities and slightly weakens fire-based ones.
[Silver Samurai Armor]
|Epic Item|
The Wolverine/MCU - A specially designed adamantium-plated powered exoskeleton paired with a superheated Adamantium blade. The armor itself has over 100 tons of lifting strength; in addition, it has life support systems inside for its user that can allow even a sick old man to use it to its full potential. The armor has been modified in such a way that it will conform to the shape of the user as long as they are vaguely humanoid in shape and size. The power supply will charge itself to maximum within an hour as long as its not in active use.(Mutagen manipulation device not included)
…
I have set up a Patreon and SubScribeStar! If any of you are interested in seeing a chapter a week early just donate a dollar and if you want to see the chapter the week after that you can donate five dollars. Like Quote