The life of Darth Midnight's secret apprentice took an unexpected and deadly turn the day his master first spoke of General Celestia.
She hadn't anticipated such an important moment approaching. During her nightly meditations, kneeling on the metal floor of her room while the construction droids worked on the Executor, oblivious to its existence, she had not seen any premonitory images in the pure and intense red light of the lightsaber she held before her eyes. like a red-hot iron. Despite not having looked away from that light until the world disappeared and the Dark Side flowed through his body like a bloody tide, the future had not been shown to him.
That is why she was unprepared for the events that took her away from the strenuous and unpredictable exercises of that day. Her teacher was not a patient instructor, nor was she talkative. She preferred action to conversation, just as she preferred reprimand to reward. In the days that they had practiced combat with the lightsaber, telekinesis, or suggestion, the Dark Lady had never uttered a single word of encouragement. And she knew that it should be so. Her teacher's mission was not to guide her disciple along a single well-laid path. Rather, it consisted of allowing him to make his own way through the forest, and to intervene only when the student was completely lost and needed to be corrected.
But he knew that even in the wrong ways he could find wisdom. If something didn't kill her, she would make her stronger on the Dark Side.
And on many, many occasions, she believed that she was going to die. Panting from a grueling series of attacks and having lowered the lightsaber in submission, she knelt in front of her teacher and prepared for the coup de grace. She felt the anger radiating from the Dark Lady like a wave of heat, intense, visceral heat that made her shiver. For an instant that seemed eternal to her she could only hear the rhythmic, relentless breathing that kept the woman behind her mask alive.
"When I found you, you were weak" His voice seemed to come from the bottom of a long and deep tunnel "You should not have survived my training"
She closed her eyes. She had heard those words before. They were the closest thing she had ever had to stories when she was little. Her moral had been burned into his mind.
"Learn... or die".
Inside her, she again visualized the clean, purifying heat of the lightsaber. Her skin had brushed that luminous edge on many occasions, defying pain and sustaining numerous minor injuries during duels with her teacher. She thought she had an idea of what she would feel when the sword fell on her. She was partly unhappy that she would come to that moment.
The sword came so close to his neck that he could smell his hair scorching.
"But now, your hatred has become your strength" The lightsaber moved away and deactivated with a hum "At last, the Dark Side is your ally".
She didn't dare nod or look up. What was that about? Was it a new trick for her to trust herself and fail again?
His heart skipped a beat upon hearing the next words from his teacher.
"Get up, my young apprentice".
"Apprentice" She had always considered herself his apprentice, but they had never made it clear to her. And that strange movement of the lightsaber... was it possible that she had knighted him?
She deactivated her sword. It was the only thing she could do to balance herself on her knees, that they felt rubbery. The black shadow looming in front of her was impenetrable, outlined by the crimson glow of the planet that shone on the other side of the lookout. The space around her, metallic, angular, and functional, was as familiar to him as the scars on the back of her hand, but suddenly, without knowing why, everything seemed different.
The apprentice looked up and kept the same tone of voice.
"What is her will, Master?"
"You have defeated many of my enemies. Your training is nearing completion. The time has come for you to face your first real test".
Images of previous missions flashed through the apprentice's mind. Over the years, Lady Midnight had instructed her to dispose of numerous enemies from within the Empire; mainly spies and thieves, but sometimes there was also a traitor of more rank. She only felt the satisfaction of duty accomplished. Her victims had wrought their doom, they were nothing more than vermin gnawing at the foundations of the majestic edifice that was the Empire.
However, this was different. There was something else in her teacher's words. Darth Midnight was not referring to a common smuggler who knew nothing of the Force. It was time for her to face the enemy of whom she was finally worthy.
"Have his spies located a Jedi?"
"Yes. General Celestia" That name meant nothing to the apprentice; it was just one of many names found in the unconfirmed Jedi death files "She is attacking a major shipyard in Nar Shadaa. Destroy her and bring me her sword".
The apprentice felt crippled with excitement. She had trained for that longed-for moment for as long as she remembered her. And she had finally arrived. She could not be considered a true Sith until she had finished off one of her master's old enemies.
"I will leave immediately, Master".
When she had barely started toward the door, Darth Midnight's peremptory voice stopped her.
"The Emperor must not know about you".
"As you wish, Master".
"Leave no witnesses. He Kills everyone on board, whether Imperial or Rebel".
The apprentice nodded, not revealing the doubts that suddenly haunted her.
"Don't fail".
The weight of the lightsaber dangling from her belt was suddenly reassuring and comforting.
"No, my lady" she assured with her back straight and her voice firm.
Darth Midnight turned and clasped his hands behind his back. The red sun bathed his helmet in reflections of lava.
Her secret apprentice wasted no time on the last and darkest mission of all she had undertaken.
"General Celestia".
The name came to his mind as he hurried through the maze of secret rooms of his teacher. They were functional and austere rooms consisting of a meditation room, a droid workshop, meager individual quarters, and a hangar. They were on a hidden floor of Darth Midnight's flagship that had long since been expunged from the plans. The future crew would not know of its existence.
"The Emperor must not know about you".
The requirement her master had placed on her immediately clouded her excitement at the thought of hunting down the Jedi. All her life she had been trained to turn fear into anger and anger into Force. She realized that for Darth Midnight she was no different either. Who could Darth Midnight turn to to increase her power if she was not the Emperor? People were divided into victims and predators. That was one of the basic principles of life. Together, Darth Midnight and her apprentice would ensure that her joint power continued to increase.
However, she should first survive combat against a Jedi. She wouldn't be surprised if her teacher had located one of them at large. Some were suspected of having survived the Great Jedi Purge, and Darth Midnight was the most interested in finding them. The Dark Side had conquered the entire Galaxy, so nothing could remain hidden forever. Perhaps one day, the apprentice thought, she too would be able to find her enemies through her thoughts and feelings, since that ability had not yet manifested itself in her, just as she could not see the future. She had never seen a Jedi. They were a mystery to her.
But she knew his story. Her Master did not give her classes or examine her in writing, but she allowed her access to the documents that they had preserved from the Republic and the Order that she herself had helped to overthrow from her undeservedly privileged position. The apprentice had devoted herself to study, knowing that someday her knowledge of her enemy could tip the balance of life and death.
"General Celestia"
That name brought her no memory related to her fighting style, her character or the last time she was seen. She would access the database when she reached her ship, the Rogue Sun. On the way to Nar Shaddaa she would have time to consult the documents. If she investigated thoroughly, she might end up finding out some detail, however trivial, that would prove useful at some decisive moment. It was the only preparation she needed.
She entered the hangar and made her way through the usual maze of boxes, shelves stacked with weapons and starfighter parts. The hangar was dimly lit, shadows closing in on the corners. The air smelled of metal and ozone, an acidic mix to which she was already used. Some believed that the belly of a Star Destroyer was a strange place to grow up, but she felt very at home among those unmistakable symbols of technological and political power. Ships like this one had patrolled the trade routes of the Galaxy for many years. They had put down rebellions and crushed resistance on hundreds of worlds. What place would be more suitable as a residence and school for a Sith apprentice?
"Kill everyone on board, whether Imperial or Rebel. Leave no witnesses".
As she pondered the turn of events, she heard a familiar snap to her right and a blue and white light appeared in a dark corner of the hangar. A white-robed figure ran towards her brandishing a lightsaber.
The apprentice immediately crouched down and raised her lightsaber to parry the blow, baring her teeth in a grimace of pleasure.
She and her adversary held their respective positions for a moment, their swords crossed in front of their chests. The apprentice quickly assessed her attacker. She was a human woman, slim and with rainbow hair. Her gaze was calm and serious and her jaw clenched resolutely. Anyone who had lived through the Clone Wars or had access to the Jedi archives would have recognized her immediately.
Jedi Master Rainbow Dash, a general of the Galactic Republic and an expert in the Soresu style of lightsaber combat, slid her sword down to the right, ducking at the same time to avoid the inevitable backlash. Sparks flew as the apprentice took a Force leap into the air and landed on stacked boxes with extraordinary agility. She reached out with her left hand and tossed a piece of metal across the hangar, aiming for her opponent's head. Dash crouched down and leapt toward her, deflecting a succession of blows that would have smashed an ordinary person to pieces. Then, she forced the apprentice to dodge her own attack by jumping from box to box in a temporary retreat.
The duel went on for almost a minute. Dash and the apprentice danced like Gados acrobats as they leapt from one pile of boxes to another, brandishing and clashing lightsabers, using shelves and pieces that temporarily turned into throwing weapons with which to attack each other. There was considerable scandal, the danger was real. Dash tore the sleeve of the apprentice's combat suit with a movement that would have amputated her arm at her elbow had he not pulled away from her in time. On two occasions she noticed the sword of the Jedi above her head.
The apprentice was not afraid of death. Her only fear was disappointing her master, and she made good use of that fear. She felt more powerful than ever.
Midnight had ordered her to eliminate an old enemy of hers, and killing the woman who was one of the most famous Jedi in the Galaxy was an excellent way to warm up her engines for the mission.
Excited by killing instinct, the apprentice rushed in front of her brandishing the red beam to deliver the final blow.
Author's Note
This is the first chapter of a story based on the video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed", starring Sunset Shimmer, in the role of Starkiller.
Will she manage to defeat the legendary Rainbow Dash?
We'll see.
Hearing a weapon of unknown energy activate nearby, Flash Sentry looked up from his work and reached for the blaster beside him. He had finished welding the hull of the Rogue Sun, and was about to check out the new systems he had installed when that noise completely wiped out his concentration. Drills were common on large Imperial ships, but she hadn't seen anyone on the security deck (or the entire ship) other than Lady Midnight. His appointment was so recent, and so early after the Callos catastrophe, that he was forced to react cautiously to any unexpected situation.
There were two weapons in combat, buzzing and clashing, and to that harsh, almost rhythmic noise were added the sounds of physical violence. There was the clatter of metal pieces impacting and exploding as if a dozen soldiers were attacking with their armor. Many fragile parts were stored in the hangar, some of which could become dangerous if not handled carefully. A cry of fear played on his lips. There was something about the noise of those weapons... something familiar that he could not remember.
He put down the welder, unhooked the gun, and crept out from under the ship. At first glance, the Rogue Sun was unremarkable: she was a long ship with symmetrical armament and the chassis of a small transport, two solar panels on the starboard side and a heavier armament bay on the port side. But that was precisely the intention. Although it was a prototype designed in order to appear nondescript and not attract attention, it was actually a fighter ship with the fastest hyperdrive the Flash had ever seen, as well as possessing an authentic camouflage system. All of this, with top-notch scanners and sensors, competitive sublight engines, and powerful deflector shields, made the Rogue Sun the most fascinating craft he had ever flown.
Or that he would pilot if he survived his first day on the job.
"Your file impresses me, Captain Sentry" Lady Midnight had told him a week earlier. He had just returned from Callos and was still shocked by what happened there with the Black Squad, so he was not as proud as expected "There are very few pilots of his category who have such a risky sense of duty".
"Thank you, Lady Midnight".
"I have a new mission for you. Some would consider it a reward if they found out, but they won't. Is that clear?"
Despite not having understood those words, he nodded. Darth Midnight had given him instructions on how to access the hidden rooms of the flagship and described the small ship he would find there. It was for him.
"You will be working with one of my warriors performing under the name "Sunkiller". She will be known soon. I have placed great trust in you, Captain. Make sure you do not disappoint me. The price of failure is higher than ever".
"Understood, Lady Midnight" Before she ended the conversation, he asked, "What is our mission, my lady? You have not explained it to me yet".
"You will find out".
The masked figure turned his back on him. He supposed he shouldn't ask any more questions.
Flash, as an obedient officer to the Empire, did as ordered and went to see his new ship. He was impressed. He just needed a few minor adjustments to get it working at full capacity. But now, strange screams and a scandalous duel had taken over the hangar and threatened to spread out of Lady Midnight's secret space and onto the ship itself.
Sneaking around a cryogenic cylinder taller than him, Flash was finally able to see the combatants. He widened his blue eyes in surprise.
The weapons were the first thing that caught his eye: they were lightning swords that he had only seen once, in an old forgotten hologram that his father found in a recess in the database in his new home. He showed it to her before erasing it with a notch. "Assassins" he murmured at the sight of those figures. They were men and women of various species dressed in brown robes, fighting droids with blazing blades of pure light. "They're all traitors".
"What did they do?"
Flash was young and unable to understand the frustration and resentment that his father built up inside him. He only manifested them when he gave him reasons, and for that reason she always seemed so.
"What did they do?" He turned to him and spoke in a harsh, contemptuous tone. "That Jedi carrion betrayed Tirek. That's what they did. What nonsense do they teach you at school if you don't even know that?"
The memory of that reproach still hurt him. Flash struggled to push it out of his mind as he tried to understand what was happening in front of him. Two women (one with the rainbow hair, the other of the same age as her, thin as a whip and with red hair with yellow tresses) were engaging in a duel with weapons identical to those wielded by the hateful Jedis. One of the swords was so blue and luminous that it looked white. The other was red and deadly. When they collided, sparks flew in all directions. Both women jumped and bounced around with superhuman agility. When gesturing, the metal walls sagged and engine parts as flying missiles.
He didn't dare to make any noise. He remained crouched in the shadows, with the paralyzed muscles and filled with a mixture of fear and awe. In all the years that he had served the Empire he had never seen anything like it. He had heard rumors about the mysterious powers of Lady Mindnight and the cylindrical hilt that hung from her belt, but he had never seen anything. He had simply ignored the gossip as alarmist propaganda designed to fuel fear and bolster loyalty. He had never needed to be threatened to serve the Empire, so it was easy for him to ignore the rumors.
Now he regretted not paying more attention to them.
The situation became even stranger when the younger combatant, with a wild glint of satisfaction in her gaze, pierced her opponent's chest with the vermilion light from her lightsaber. Defeated, the other woman collapsed on her knees with a look of surprise on her face.
Flash adopted the same expression as the rainbow-haired woman's body began to sparkle and blink like a hologram. He confirmed that was indeed her nature a few seconds later. Her arms, legs, torso, and face flickered and disappeared, revealing the bipedal silhouette of a purple and green droid. He jerked and fell forward with a scrapping noise.
"Well done, master. Another perfect duel".
The droid whispered those words until the young woman who had "killed" him turned him over.
"You have caught me by surprise, SPIKE" observed the girl with an unexpected affection after the brutality she had shown before "I had not fought against that training program for years. I thought you had eliminated it".
The droid tried to get up, but only managed to lose his balance and almost fell again. His owner held him in time and helped him up.
"Easy, SPIKE. You have a bug."
"It's my fault, master" the droid said with an electronic sigh, studying the smoking hole in his chest "I thought using an ancient training modality would manage to surprise you and kill you. Sorry to let you down again".
A worried smile crossed the young woman's face.
"I'm sure you will keep trying".
"Of course, master. It is the main objective of my program".
The droid and his master began to make their way through the hangar's maze of rubble. Flash reacted in time. Before they saw him, he ducked and ran toward the ship. His voices sounded closer. He holstered the pistol frantically and reached for the welder.
"Don't ambush me again until we've changed your central stabilizer. It could take weeks, being so far from the Core ..."
Flash did not look up as the pair circled the cryogenic cylinder he had hidden from them a few seconds earlier; however, he noticed that the young woman was looking at him and intercepted his sudden silence as a delayed reaction. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground with an incipient wave of fear. He didn't know what would become of him if this stranger found out that she had been spying on her.
An almost inaudible sound of footsteps told him that the girl and the droid had disappeared from sight of him. He tried to decipher the excited whispers they exchanged.
"SPIKE, who is that?"
"Ah yes. Your new pilot has finally arrived, master".
"But who is it?"
"According to the archives of the Empire..."
There was a moment of silence during which Flash regretted being so curious. That side of him had given him nothing but trouble.
But then, he heard his own voice echoing through the hangar and forgot about his great flaw.
"Captain Flash Sentry" said the holodroid in the voice of Flash "Born in Corulag, where he became the youngest student of the Imperial Academy. He is a decorated fighter pilot, with more than a hundred missions of experience. He was the commanding officer during the bombardment of Callos. Lady Midnight selected him to lead the Black Squad, though she later assigned him a highly confidential mission..."
He hastily circled the cryogenic cylinder and saw himself standing directly ahead. It was an excavated replica held by the woman Flash identified as the agent sent by Darth Midnight, the one named Sunkiller. Flash's face burned with outrage at this blatant invasion of his privacy.
"Is my psychological profile in there too?" he asked.
The girl and the droid looked at him. With an expression of poorly concealed embarrassment, Sunkiller released the droid and broke away from him. SPIKE staggered, then adopted an attentive expression that was a good imitation of him, with neat blue hair, the regulation uniform, the tricolor insignia, and a blotch of grease beginning to form on his cheek as the droid updated the files he had. contained their images.
"Actually, yes" explained the robot "but it is restricted information" and added to Sunkiller "Master, I am afraid it will be impossible to reprogram it".
Flash had to fight the urge to reach for the soldering iron and open another hole in the droid's pierced chest. This face-to-face encounter with a replica of himself was the last thing he expected; he was not prepared to face it.
The girl made a gesture. The droid disabled Flash's simulation and regained his robotic appearance.
"Do you know why you are here?" Sunkiller asked him.
Flash regained control, lowered the soldering iron, and took a deep breath.
"Lady Midnight gave me instructions personally" he replied "I am here to pilot your ship and take you wherever your mission is".
Sunkiller's face showed neither satisfaction nor disgust.
"SPIKE" she ordered the droid "prepare the Rogue Sun for take off".
The drilled robot staggered to his orders as her Master and Flash spoke more calmly.
"Did Lady Midnight tell you that she killed our last pilot?"
Flash was watching her with the same attention with which she appraised him. He wore a black combat uniform that looked like it had been patched up many times. His hands and arms were covered in scars.
"No. But I guess her previous driver gave him good reasons for doing it" He paused and added, "I won't".
"We'll see. I'm sick of training new pilots." Her gaze fell on the changes he had made to the Rogue Sun. She raised her eyebrows at the new panels he had welded "What is that? What have you done to my ship?"
Suddenly Flash felt self-conscious and wiped the stains off his cheek.
"I have taken the liberty of upgrading the sensors on the Rogue Sun. So you can spy on any suspicious ships in an entire system".
He waited for a sign of approval, but she just nodded. Flash, with her wounded pride, said:
"I suppose that's part of your mission. You must be one of Darth Midnight's spies. Your ship has fabulous long-range sensors and a cloaking system that..."
"The details of my mission are none of your concern. It is enough for you to know where I am going."
"And where we go?"
"To Nar Shaddaa. Will you know how to get there?"
"Of course" he replied furiously, biting his lip.
He rushed past her and headed for the ramp that led to the ship.
In the cockpit he found the droid fiddling with the controls, not knowing what he was doing.
"Leave that" he snapped "I'll do it".
"Yes, Captain Sentry".
The droid walked away accompanied by a recital of cracks and clicks from his pierced belly. It was then that he remembered the strange observation he had made to her master about ambushing and killing her, and he wondered if he maybe he should have been nicer.
Author's Note
Sunkiller meets the pilot of his ship, Captain Flash Sentry.
Next stop: the planet Nar Shaddaa.
Who will General Celestia really be?
The Rogue Sun's sublight engines revved smoothly as the new pilot deftly operated the controls. The apprentice watched him closely as he worked, assessing his capabilities and other qualities of the boy as well. It was the first time she had worked with a male pilot. He was his age and very handsome, yet he behaved like a professional in the pilot's seat. He conveyed security and precision; he moved as if he had been born in a cockpit.
When she had made sure she and SPIKE were in safe hands, the apprentice focused on the details of the mission.
"SPIKE, show me the target".
The purple and green droid, who had been her only companion for most of her life, sat in his seat at the back of the cockpit, buckled up. The usual distortions appeared on his metallic skin as he activated the holoprojectors that made him unique. The droid assumed the appearance of a slender, unflappable, warrior human woman with white skin and green, blue, and pink hair. She was dressed in the classic white robe of the hated Jedi She had high cheekbones and a prominent nose. Her light purple eyes were impenetrable and did not reveal her thoughts.
"According to the official files of the Empire" said SPIKE in a deep and authoritative voice that was not his own "Master Jedi Celestia was a respected general during the Clone Wars".
"The Clone Wars?" Flash spun from his seat at the controls as he readied the ship to jump into hyperspace. His expression was as serious as that of the woman who was occupying the place of SPIKE "You're hunting Jedi".
The apprentice had not realized that he was listening.
"What I do is bring Darth Midnight's enemies to justice" she clarified "and now you're going to do the same".
Before he could reply, the apprentice said:
"Continue, SPIKE".
"Of course. Master Celestia was a military genius, but she believed that clone troopers were unfit for combat. She selected a small battalion from among the troops that she herself had trained. That was the only thing that prevented her execution when the Emperor discovered the Jedi plot against the Republic".
Flash nodded.
"In her battalion there were no clones that could kill her".
"That's right, Captain Sentry. She disappeared after the issuance of Order 77. Actually, in the imperial archives she is listed as deceased".
Celestia's hologram blurred and SPIKE regained her usual look.
Flash still seemed more interested in the mission than making the jump to hyperspace.
"And why does she suddenly appear to attack the Empire?"
"Celestia wants her to find her".
"So we're heading straight for a trap" he looked at SPIKE and back at the apprentice "How many pilots have you lost before I arrived?"
"To ten".
"Fabulous..." he flicked a switch on the Rogue Sun's complicated control panel. "Nar Shaddaa coordinates entered. Ready for light speed".
The apprentice took hold as the stars elongated into lines and the familiar unreal tunnel opened around the ship. With a buzz, the Rogue Sun and her passengers jumped into hyperspace.
Nar Shaddaa, also called the Smugglers' Moon, the Vertical City, or even Little Coruscant. The apprentice had never been there, but she had thoroughly investigated the place by consulting historical and educational holograms. Its criminal gangs and extensive underground networks were famous across the Galaxy, and tens of thousands of underworld characters flocked to the satellite in search of ill-gotten fortunes. Despite its small size compared to Nal Hutta, the corrupted planet it orbited, Nar Shaddaa outshined the other worlds in the Y'Toub system in every way. Dozens of different species called it home.
The apprentice couldn't help a sneer as the Rogue Sun approached the satellite. This crime capital, famous for switching sides according to its interests, was trying to win the favor of the Empire by inviting (or tolerating) the presence of a construction facility of TIE fighters in the upper atmosphere. The apprentice could well imagine the reasons behind the special leave: more money and resources for the system, a new way of offering legal work to the few who needed it, and the arrival of potentially corrupt officials willing to be bribed. Unfortunately for the natives, the station's crew was entirely human and security was in the hands of an entire legion of Imperial stormtroopers.
The apprentice frowned as she remembered Lady Midnight's words: "Leave no witnesses". She was more concerned with that order than with her first confrontation with a fugitive Jedi. Despite the fact that, according to her Master, these people wanted to defy the Emperor and take power from him, she saw no sign of treachery in the troops and officers working in the service of the Empire. if they did not break any laws or plot plots against her Master, she should act against those whose only crime had been to cross her path. Was it a test to see how far she was capable of going to reach her destiny? If so, she swore that she will not disappoint her master. She would obey his orders and would trust his instincts. She was not going to fail.
Sometimes she believed that she would never be able to gain absolute mastery of the Force and thus earn her master's respect, but she knew how to harness her desperation to fuel her anger and increase her lust for power. In time, she would get it. There was nothing she couldn't do if she tried with all her might.
Her unease increased as she observed Flash piloting the ship to the station. What did she know about him? Actually, nothing. He was an almost perfect example of the Imperial officer: precise, efficient, and humane. Her Master was not concerned that the boy had no hair in the lagoon, so she should not be concerned either. She would entrust him with the controls of the Rogue Sun while she fulfilled her missions and the Emperor would take care of him if she failed.
The TIE fighter factory was much larger than it appeared. It was a column made up of round saucers that hung above the Vertical City. What at first looked like lights flashing across the surface turned out to be explosions, she could see as she drew closer. Huge balls of yellowish gas shot at irregular intervals from shattered viewing windows, smashed cargo doors, and burst access pipes.
"That station has been seriously damaged" Flash observed casually as she searched for a place to land.
"Don't tell me" The apprentice stood next to her. Former General Celestia had wasted no time "Come closer".
The Rogue Sun glided nimbly through the flames. The apprentice couldn't help but admire the Flash's dexterity in manipulating the controls. As the ship rocked and trembled, he clenched his jaw with hardly any tension.
The apprentice overcame the turbulence calmly and confidently, reveling in the currents of the Force. There were people who needed peace and quiet to withdraw from the Galaxy; she had learned to isolate herself in any situation. In fact, the noise favored her. Her conflicting environments helped her meet the Dark Side. Violence was the perfect meditation.
"There" she said, pointing "It looks like an open hangar".
He nodded energetically.
"It is protected".
"There is no time to talk about security" Nor to explain that she had been forbidden to make herself known "Come in. I'll take care of circumventing the defenses".
With well-trained movements, she activated the ship's weaponry and aimed at the cannons guarding the open hangar. She waited for the automatic sensor to detect her presence and spun them around to target the Rogue Sun. She then she destroyed the cannons with two precise shots and cleared the way for the landing.
Flash wasted no time. He streaked through the hangar and parked in a debris-free spot. The apprentice jumped out of her seat before the Rogue Sun's thrusters shut off.
"I will infiltrate the main computer and guide you through the facilities" said Flash, placing a small headset on his right ear "Your friend will help me".
The apprentice did not try to dissuade him, although she knew his efforts were unnecessary. She sensed the dazzling presence of the Jedi like the sunlight that pervades everything after a snowstorm. It was true, Celestia wanted them to find her.
"Just protect the ship" she told Flash "and get everything ready for take off as soon as I get back. You'll have to be quick".
"It's my specialty" he replied through the apprentice's wrist communicator, which was heading towards the open exit ramp. The air smelled of smoke and spilled blood. That smell, coupled with the Jedi's presence, made his heart race. She narrowed her eyes and jumped out of the ship.
She activated the lightsaber before her feet touched the ground, prepared to dodge the shots from the contingent sent to investigate her landing. The Force guided her arm... no, the Force was her arm. That's how she felt. At times like that, she was a carrier of the Dark Side. She flowed inside her like wine slides down the neck of a bottle, reveling in her freedom and the promise of being poured out again. Her sword drew luminous lines in the air, from which shots ricocheted and were returned to their emitters in a shower of sparks.
A dozen hooded men and women dressed in brown combat uniforms, identified by the apprentice as Celestia's rebels, appeared in the hangar access corridor and blocked the door behind them. The apprentice lunged at the group, showing her teeth, wanting to attack. A single push was enough to scatter them like tin soldiers. The first one she attacked with an electric shock. The second she strangled him until he lost consciousness. She got rid of the third by jamming it into the nearest cargo door. She dismembered the others with graceful gestures, ignoring the screams of panic and pain.
The door rose, and both the rebels and the Imperial soldiers withdrew.
"All Imperial patrols keep the offensive" ordered a thunderous voice over the intercom "All Imperial patrols keep the offensive".
The apprentice smirked and ran down the hall to chase her welcoming committee.
"Do you hear me?" Flash asked him over the communicator.
"Yes".
"The Celestia rebels have reportedly taken over the command bridge".
"That's where I'm going".
She stepped on the bodies and followed the pilot's instructions to the letter.
Her calm voice guided her step by step into a huge chasm that led to the upper end of the facility. He couldn't see her, so he wasn't afraid of asking her for explanations about the carnage he was causing among her supposed allies. Lady Midnight would take it upon herself to update him on the situation, if she deemed it necessary. For now, Celestia was his top priority.
"The intruders may be using the TIE fighter assembly lines for defense" Flash told him. "Also, my sensors have detected explosives. Be careful".
She assured him that she would, even as she dodged a trap that Celestia's rebels had set up in the turbolift shaft. The voice she boomed over the station's intercoms sounded increasingly alarmed.
"Threat status updated. Eliminate all unauthorized personnel".
"The use of excessive force is allowed".
"All K-tier battalions report immediately!"
"Send reinforcements to the security posts immediately!"
There was an explosion so close by that it shook the walls and probably blew out all the loading doors on that floor. In her mind the words of Flash were repeated incessantly: "Then, we are going straight towards a trap". But she was the one who got into the wolf's mouth while he remained on the ship, safe from the BlasTech E-11 rifles and the mediocre weapons of the rebels.
"Another squad of stormtroopers has reached hangar number twelve" Flash informed him "It seems that we will have help to reconquer the station".
"The station is not our problem".
"But the Imperial High Command won't be happy to lose TIE fighter assembly lines".
"I'm not under the command of the High Command. And now, shut up. I'm trying to concentrate".
She stood atop a fighter-mounting platform, head up, lightsaber pointed forward. A prick to the back of her neck warned her of a new danger just as a magnetic cannon fired to her right and she sent TIE fighter pieces in all directions. She managed to dodge the main blast, but couldn't stop small pieces of shrapnel from digging into her right hand.
"Surrender!" the rebels shouted "We have the factory!"
"Who is she?" one of them asked "Some kind of shadow soldier?"
"It doesn't matter, attack her!"
Anger grew inside her, eliminating all worries. She jumped over a pile of dislodged solar panels and sent a whirlwind of scrap metal toward where the shots were coming from.
There were a few screams muffled by the crash of falling metal parts. The Celestia rebels abandoned the TIE command cabins they had used as shelter. She received a few shots from all kinds of weapons, which showed a lack of organization, limited resources, or both at the same time. She dodged all the shots with a controlled rage and fought back with all the anger that she was able to accumulate. There was no need to hold back. Those anti-imperialist rebels deserved the maximum retaliation.
When the last of the rebels was buried under a pile of titanium alloy helmets and radiation shields, she took a closer look at their equipment. Along with their motley weapons and mismatched armor, the Rebels wore timers for explosives, and had been distributing charges throughout the plant. The apprentice told herself that she should hurry before the station was blown up.
Right at that moment, another explosion much stronger than the previous one shook the structure. She managed to balance herself on the platform, but a wave of TIE fighters and parts fell around her. Flash was saying something to her, but the roar of the intercom did not allow her to hear the entire message.
"...the stabilizers or the repulsion motor, I don't know what it is. It's not working well".
"As you say?" she asked "Repeat it".
"I have said that the insurgents have severely damaged the facilities" she summarized "So, whatever you are doing now, finish soon, or we will die along with the station".
"Got it" The rig was still moving under her feet when she started to leave the assembly area, blocking access with a bunch of ejection seats and dismounted engines "Where did you tell me the control center was?"
Flash guided her through the unstable station. Any wretch in her path was ruthlessly shoved away by telekinesis. The doors were closed and the weapons were locked. He didn't have time to play.
"To all available squads" the intercom announced "immediately defend the security posts!" And then he added: "They are invading the security posts!" And to finish: "Command bridge to all squads, we need help..."
The last warning was interrupted by a burst of blaster fire. Then a relative calm washed over everything.
Gravity was slightly less when he reached for the doors that, according to Flash, led to the control center. That meant the station was falling apart faster than she had calculated. She paused for a moment to recover and wrap an iron will around her burning heart filled with rage, preparing to face the Jedi whose presence she could sense through a few inches of durasteel.
Then she waved a finger and the heavy doors slid open.
On the other side was a room like many others in the Galaxy: cold and metallic, with red screens that kept the crew informed on the status of the station. A long elevated bridge led to the command post, where General Celestia stood with her back to the door, in a posture that revealed both confidence and contempt. She hadn't even drawn her lightsaber, which she hung diagonally between her shoulder blades in a custom-made sheath. She wore a white cape pinned to two metallic shoulder pads that reinforced her physical presence. She was a warrior to the core, and she proudly wore her darling scars.
The apprentice had burst into the room ready to attack, but she had a moment's hesitation. This was not what she expected. Jedi were weak because they led privileged, old-fashioned, worn-out lives. She didn't expect to find a soldier.
Celestia's voice, when she spoke, was deep and authoritative, just as SPIKE had imitated.
"I've finally forced you out of hiding" She turned "I ordered my men to lower the containment field when you approached and ..." She stopped when she saw the apprentice and her face reflected surprise.
"A girl?" She with a swift movement she drew her lightsaber, which glowed green in her hand "After so many months attacking Imperial targets... Midnight sends a girl to confront me?"
Serious and silent, the apprentice crouched preparing for combat. Her trap was not directed at her, but at her Master. If Celestia was disappointed, the apprentice promised herself that it would be the last emotion she would ever feel.
She raised her left hand and attacked the renegade Jedi with a volley of Sith lightning, unleashing the power of the Dark Side.
Celestia just laughed. She raised her left hand in a motion identical to the one the apprentice had made and deflected her discharge back to her place of origin. The impact of the energy knocked them both back.
The apprentice aborted the attack and blinked the smoke out of her eyes. Her anger increased. She was the first to touch down after the recoil and she broke into a run as soon as she had regained her balance. She felt light and very fast, like a spear flying toward her target. Her red sword left a luminous trail in the air and aimed at Celestia's neck.
The Jedi general crouched down and swung her green sword up and down, trying to intercept the enemy in her path. It was a move that the young woman had learned to avoid a long time ago. It consisted of lowering the head towards the center of gravity and rolling in the air. Then, she would approach her opponent again by propping her foot on the nearest wall and pushing herself off her. She launched a telekinesis attack trying to take Celestia down before she had time to swing her sword.
But Celestia again intercepted the Force energies and struck back. Both women were separated again.
More cautiously, the apprentice circled around her, ripping chunks of chairs as she walked and throwing them at her enemy's head. Her anger made her impatient, but she knew better not to rush. She had not been humiliated. She had successfully tested Celestia's defenses. She now she knew that a direct attack would probably fail, she had to find another way to get close to the woman. Or to get the Jedi to get close to her.
Suddenly, Celestia moved, attacking with astonishing speed and a repertoire of furious blows. The apprentice backed away, gritting her teeth. "Keep it up, girl!" Green and red lights collided as she parried blow after blow, and Celestia continued to approach, trying to outmaneuver the young woman with her determination and speed. The apprentice took four steps back and stopped. She brought the sword close to her body to form a solid defense, deliberately mimicking the Soresu style that Rainbow Dash was always a fan of. Realizing that she was not going to break the fence, her Celestia stepped back and tried another way: slow and deliberate, with sudden and devastatingly fast movements. The apprentice also managed to dodge them, attacking in turn as the old woman seemed to let her guard down.
The duel dragged on in the control room, which shook and vibrated as the station crumbled around them. The apprentice was ignorant of everything - Flash's voice, the sudden fluctuations in gravity, the endless explosions, the rise in temperature downstairs - and she was concentrating all of her attention on this life-and-death match. Celestia wouldn't defeat her, but could she defeat Celestia? She must. She would rather go down with the station than run away and have to admit her failure. Darth Midnight's secret apprentice knew the fate that awaited her if she failed.
The general was strong and cunning and practiced movements the apprentice had never seen. But she was older and she was unaware of the Dark Side of the Force.
She tried to attack two more times, hoping that her opponent would make a mistake or begin to show signs of fatigue, however, it was she who began to notice the effects of the duel and it was she who took the blows. After a while, her cloak was tattered and one of her metal shoulder pads had turned red.
The apprentice pressed her with renewed energy. She sensed the proximity of victory and her absolute power. Soon enough, the lightsaber and the head of the Jedi would be his. So... she would be worthy of her master's praise!
She began to strangle the General and kept the pressure on her neck, despite the Jedi returning it to her and strangling her in turn. She was prepared for that eventuality, she had filled her lungs with air. However, the General held her neck with one hand, while she with the other tried to free herself from the pressure of her opponent. The apprentice felt her lungs burning. Her thirst for victory redoubled. The darkness threatened to blur her vision, but she kept throwing all kinds of objects at Celestia's face and legs, attacking her indiscriminately.
In the end, a smoking piece hit the General's knees. With a cry of frustration, she staggered and fell. Her face was bruised and her eyes bulging. The apprentice eased the pressure a bit so they could both take a breath, but before Celestia reacted from her she pounced on her. The lightsabers collided and crossed, sizzling just millimeters from her faces.
Celestia pushed to push the red sword away from her body; she could not. The apprentice searched her purple eyes for hatred and found only regret. Celstia held onto her Jedi methods until the last moment.
"Midnight thinks she has changed you" muttered the old woman "But I have seen your future... and Midnight does not appear in it".
The apprentice brought the swords even closer to Celestia's face. The Jedi Master's forehead was covered in sweat.
"I just... I only perceive..." A shadow of surprise and confusion changed the expression on her face. "To me?"
The apprentice thrust the swords into Celestia's eyes.
And suddenly, as if it were a vision from another time, just the kind of vision that the apprentice was looking for in the red light of her sword, Celestia's face became that of another woman. Hers He had dark blue hair and her marked features, much like her.
The General uttered a cry of pain and the apprentice thought she heard a woman screaming:
"Run!"
She flinched back, blinking in anger and thought that perhaps Celestia, desperate, had used some insidious Jedi mind trick as a last resort. But in her mind there was no trace of alienation and the general did not seem to be thinking of attacking.
Blind and dying, she crawled back. Her lightsaber slipped from his fingers and fell to the platform with a thud. The Jedi used telekinesis to smash every viewing window in the command center. The apprentice went flying through the air. A violent gust of wind penetrated the room, sucking up the smoke and shrapnel from the duel. Celestia was also sucked into the current and fell into the atmosphere with a gasp. Or had she jumped?
The apprentice was carried away by the gale into the hole that had once been the viewing window. Holding onto a crooked prop with one hand, she cautiously peered out and scanned the empty space below the station, her lightsaber poised to avoid a last-minute surprise.
Celestia's body was already far away, her arms legs spread wide, disappearing into the air lanes of the Vertical City. A large transport ship crossed her path, and then her body disappeared. The apprentice guessed that she had been crushed like a mosquito on a transparisteel windshield and she forced herself to feel the satisfaction of the mission accomplished.
But she didn't make it.
General Celestia was blind and seriously injured. She probably wouldn't cause any more trouble. However, the apprentice could not assume that she had died until she saw with her own eyes the corpse of the old woman, and at that moment it was impossible to find her.
Besides, she didn't want to acknowledge her failure to Darth Midnight either.
What could she do?
"This place will collapse at any moment" Flash's voice said through the communicator "Have you finished yet?"
"I'll be right away".
Determined in her eyes and her heart empty with triumph, she turned away from the viewing window and headed for the exit. She only stopped to pick up the lightsaber from the defeated Jedi Master.
Author's Note
What did Celestia mean about Sunkiller's future?
And who was the mysterious dark blue-haired woman Sunkiller saw in his vision?
We'll see.
