[fic] Shrouded in Darkness: Yuthura Ban's Tale

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

Haha, yeah I suppose it was not a good question huh? I guess it was a brain fart on my part. What I had ment, was generally what it lacked, like emotion, suspense etc. I think you made it clear what Canderous thought about Yuthura and battle. It was clear to me anyway. You have done a good job of displaying Yuthura as capable yet a novice of war - something that I think is a difficult thing to show, but you did it!

 

Ah, addition noted. I like Canderous' war theories. Makes him deeper then the stereotypical hack an slash Mandelorian.

 

~HOP

[Darth_Yuthura]

I think you made it clear what Canderous thought about Yuthura and battle. It was clear to me anyway. You have done a good job of displaying Yuthura as capable yet a novice of war - something that I think is a difficult thing to show, but you did it!

 

Ah, addition noted. I like Canderous' war theories. Makes him deeper then the stereotypical hack an slash Mandelorian.

 

~HOP

 

I appreciate your feedback. Comments about more specific aspects help me to know what catch a reader's attention and what repels them. I do try to go beyond the surface of a subject and evaluate the baser causes of emotion and beliefs.

 

I've been considering working with Master Vrook to display him as a more complex individual than the standard hate-filled guy I displayed in the first few chapters. Most of the characters I have are a bit too complex while others are too simple, but I try to give all of them a purpose for Yuthura to reflect upon.

 

In this case, a non-force user showed her that being a jedi often doesn't make up for what can only be learned through experience. For her to understand war, she must also go through it like any non-jedi.

[JAvatar80]

First of all, I want to say this is my first post here.

 

Yuthura, I have to say, I love this story. When I played Knights the first time, Yuthura became one of my favorites, instantly. For a "minor" role, she invoked sympathy and a desire to help. Even on subsequent run-throughs, including the requisite "dark side", I could never bring myself to strike her down, or even double cross her.

 

This story is excellent. My one piece of criticism, is in regards to your last few chapters. I personally don't know any affiliation anyone here has, I haven't seen any comments regarding such, but I (from what I've read) don't think anyone here is in the military. I could be wrong, I know, but I didn't read anyone stating that they serve. The following criticism comes from the fact I'm active duty.

 

My issue is in regards to the Republic troops' morale, and state of mind. We serve, willingly. Yes, our forward deployments are supposed to be for "x" amount of time, but before we go, we always know it can last longer. Things could go wrong. Reinforcements may not come. But, we don't hate the military or the government for it. As a "grunt", I know I don't know the full logistic or strategic reasoning for combat or deployment maneuvers. I don't know enough of everything else to make an educated assement. Yes, we can get demoralized, even mad at the situation, but in that event, we welcome every bit of help we can get.

 

The other issue is the men who tried to sabotage the plant. Master Vash was worried about the men who died, but in a case of mutiny/sabotage, any personel found involved in said acts would be brought up on charges of treason.

 

Now that I gave my criticism, I have some advice, coming from a soldier. Ease off on the anger from the troops. After the skirmish going their way, the fact that the Jedi were on the front lines, not cowering in the outpost, there would be a very changed atmosphere. Not a celebration, mind you. After all, they're still stationed there. But relief, appreciation, guilt for earlier outbursts, that kind of thing. I put myself in Mendoza's boots for a moment:

 

"I'm tired, living on rations, watched half of my fellows, my friends...my family....die. Yes, I'm mad at the higher ups for not getting us out of there sooner, I shoulda been gone over a month ago! Now, some jedi princess comes on, with little jedis followering her around, she takes over my boss' job, and I still have to be here?! Well....they did bring food...and clothes....and kolto. We can get proper medical treatment...at least.....and real meals again....and that purple twi'lek did help me move those supplies...on top of assisting the mechanics with the fighters....and she took out a few of those tanks...."

 

If I were a soldier on that rock, especially if I had an outburst like him, I'd feel guilty as ****. I would go out of my way to make the jedi know I was sorry, and truely thankful for the supplies. After the adrenaline rush of the skirmish was over, morale would definately be better, because we actually got something done, and we got some real help.

 

Other than that, I love it! I feel you captured the Knights characters very well, from Juhani's anger to Canderous' gruff, tell-it-as-it-is attitude. I could truly see the Yuthura from the video game continuing in this manner. Keep up the good work!

[Darth_Yuthura]

My issue is in regards to the Republic troops' morale, and state of mind. We serve, willingly. Yes, our forward deployments are supposed to be for "x" amount of time, but before we go, we always know it can last longer. Things could go wrong. Reinforcements may not come. But, we don't hate the military or the government for it. As a "grunt", I know I don't know the full logistic or strategic reasoning for combat or deployment maneuvers. I don't know enough of everything else to make an educated assement. Yes, we can get demoralized, even mad at the situation, but in that event, we welcome every bit of help we can get.

 

The other issue is the men who tried to sabotage the plant. Master Vash was worried about the men who died, but in a case of mutiny/sabotage, any personel found involved in said acts would be brought up on charges of treason.

 

Other than that, I love it! I feel you captured the Knights characters very well, from Juhani's anger to Canderous' gruff, tell-it-as-it-is attitude. I could truly see the Yuthura from the video game continuing in this manner. Keep up the good work!

 

I greatly appreciate the feedback! Welcome to the forums! And thanks for your services to the US. I recognize that your opinions on war have greater validity than mine, so I would appreciate a cross-reference.

 

First, the mutiny... I meant to have a subplot that continued from that, but it didn't take off. I have to change that.

 

The issue with the time restrictions comes from another fiction where troops on the front line are rotated after only 90 days. That's not like a tour when a soldier is stationed and is not always in the heat of battle. In addition, the fact that the Republic would send supplies to ensure the troops would be able to stay there for as much as another three months would have to be hard. After two months beyond the original expectations with the assumption of being pulled out when the supplies were replenished, wouldn't that upset you? I would have considered it like the upper officers were able to recognize their troops needed food, but that they forgot to ship them out of danger.

 

After seeing over half the people die around you and being told you could very well be there for months beyond my obligation would make me protest. I would rather be court martialled than take my chances indefinitely. (I mean undetermined... not exactly forever) If an officer of higher rank defiles their own rules, then why should those below feel they should are still to be followed? The chain of command is broken if an officer defiles the rules that give him his command.

 

When Yuthura demanded Vrook punish himself along with her group, (given that he was also a part of it) was that unreasonable? Although it was within his rights to do so, he did not set the example that the 'one for all and all for one' idea that the exercise emphasized. Would you have objected if you knew others would back you in that situation?

 

Does this make sense, or would I end up doing about a thousand pushups for my such a statement?

[JAvatar80]

I greatly appreciate the feedback! Welcome to the forums!

 

First, the mutiny... I meant to have a subplot that continued from that, but it didn't take off. I have to change that.

 

The issue with the time restrictions comes from another fiction where troops on the front line are rotated after only 90 days. That's not like a tour when a soldier is stationed and is not always in the heat of battle. In addition, the fact that the Republic would send supplies to ensure the troops would be able to stay there for as much as another three months would have to be hard. After two months beyond the original expectations with the assumption of being pulled out when the supplies were replenished, wouldn't that upset you? I would have considered it like the upper officers were able to recognize their troops needed food, but that they forgot to ship them out of danger.

 

After seeing over half the people die around you and being told you could very well be there for months beyond my obligation would make me protest. I would rather be court martialled than take my chances indefinitely. (I mean undetermined... not exactly forever) If an officer of higher rank defiles their own rules, then why should those below feel they should as well? It's not the chain of command anymore if an officer breaks the rules that give him command.

 

Does this make sense, or would I end up doing about a thousand pushups for my such a statement?

 

Thank you for the warm reception.

 

With your extra input, I can definately sympathise with the troops a little more. My critique came from my experiences and training, personally, which I'll give a little more info on, so you know how I came to my conclusions. I'm in the Air Force, and our deployments to the warzone are supposed to be a certain amount of time. While I'm not trained as a front liner, in fact I'm a maintainer of our jets, I serve in the convoys next to our Army bretheren if needed. My deployments to our war-zone is actually very similar to the troops in your story, being away from the "front lines" but still dealing with artillery, skirmishes, and a blasted, life-barren landscape. Your story is more "worst-case scenario" than I deal with, but the initial situation is very similar.

 

To directly answer your questions. If I were in their place, particularly, say, Mendoza's, yes, I would be mad as **** with those circumstances thrusted on me. But, this is where military training comes in. I know that the Old Republic armed forces aren't the US military, but I would infer some basic doctrine would be simliar, if not the same. I always gathered that their forces are volunteer, like ours. From day one in basic, we are indoctrinated with following legitmate and legal orders. In blunt terms, it's "shut up and collar". If my squadron was in their position, been there for almost twice as long as we should have been, and are resupplied to stay another term, yes we would be upset, demoralized, and all around pissed off. But, in the end, we would grit down, bear it, and pray no more of us die. There are respectful, legitimate methods of showing our displeasure through proper channels, which would not get us in trouble. Mendoza, if he were in our military, would definately have been reprimanded for his outburst. Not a courtmartial, after all we are all human. But he would have gotten in some trouble.

 

That's not saying we can't break. It can happen. And sometimes(I'm personally guilty of this) we lose our military bearing and snap. We get reprimanded, and depending on the circumstances, the punishment can be quite minimal, such as a stern talking to behind closed doors, usually leading to some form of public apology for the outburst. In the end, though, our duty is to still follow the orders given to us. It's how we show our displeasure that counts.

 

As for the leader following rules....this is a little more tricky. When I read the chapter where the mutiny is mentioned, *I* read it as a group of men got so fed up, they tried to sabotage the facility. The commander, in response, had to break a couple "standard policies" to prevent the entire plant from going up in flames, which would have wiped out the entire base. In doing so, 200 men got killed(among who, I presume are the saboteurs). If I read that chapter correctly, the the Commander did the right thing. He is given authority to get the job done. The losses, though tragic, are...well...part of the job. If the deaths, or damage, were excessive to stopping the problem, he would be held accountable for that, though. And, any sabateurs that were alive would be court martialed, of course.

 

Now, if I read it wrong, and the commander was responsible for the sabotage in the first place, then there is a whole different ball of yarn. He would be court martialed for disobeying orders, sabotage, treason, the deaths of the men under him. And, while they may have been following orders, any men directly involved in the sabotage under his order would also be court martialed. We in the military are required to follow the legal orders of our superiors. If our commander ordered us to sabotage the plant, because we wanted to get home, we would be accountable. The only way that the men directly responsible, if so ordered, would be cleared is if they were misled to believe that the enemy was about to overrun the base, and they had to ensure the enemy could not use the plant.

 

As for Yuthura demanding Vrook to punish himself, I found that part hillarious, and personally agree with her demand. Only in basic training(boot camp) did the leader not join in on group punishments....but basic is more than physical training. It's a mental and emotional break-down of the civilians going into the military, to be rebuilt into Airmen, Soldiers, and Sailors. Since basic, if there was a group punishment, such as mandatory 12+ hour shifts, or being called in on a weekend for a commander's call for some stupid person getting a DUI, all our supervision was there with us. If a person messes up and needs to go see our commander for something, his direct supervisor is right there with him. The Jedi and US Military have a similar mindset of our superiors answering for those under them(whenever a Master is held accountable for his padewan's errors). The fact that, as far as I could ever tell, the Jedi order is more of a private club than a recognized military orginization would allow Vrook to try and demand such a punishment, and Yuthura's demand of him would be totally justified.

 

Now, of course, when all is said and done, this is your story, Yuthura. It's a great read, and if your version of the Old Republic military doesn't match the current US Armed Forces, then there's nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to give you a little "inside the mind" of a military person.

[Darth_Yuthura]

I again appreciate your comments. Since I have not served in the US military, I am expecting to get certain aspects in this story wrong. I have had football practice... which has a few cross-references. And I hated it when they punished the entire group fro the acts of one individual. I was angry at the time and didn't get the point, but as I became older and wiser, I realized that I was angry because the coaches didn't follow through with the punishment, themselves.

 

I like getting accurate feedback on people's mindsets. I may go back and drastically change the RS 159 chapter. I can only imagine what it is like to be in despair, but having to hide it from others when all you want is to be elsewhere.

[Darth_Yuthura]

Master Vash wasn’t too thrilled to be awoken. She was clad only in her undergarments except for the coat she had covered herself with... I could tell just by the way she gripped it. I suppose that she had a strong sense of modesty, but knew that anyone disrupting her in the middle of the night was likely bringing something urgent. All she could do was throw her coat on and answer the door as quickly as possible.

 

When she saw that it was me, she glared at me as if to silently say ‘this had better be good.’ That was not exactly the kind of thing I expected from one who could hide her emotions while another’s life was in her hands. I suppose that anyone who had just been in a deep sleep would not be fully aware of her surroundings; she was extremely groggy.

 

After a few minutes of explaining the situation, Master Vash realized that she was not going to get anymore sleep that night. She invited me into her quarters to discuss my plan further. I insisted that she get dressed first, but she said that it didn’t matter to her.

 

Although I didn’t really care one way or another, I knew what it was like to be exposed in front of others. I didn’t expect a master would be so comfortable as one such as I. “Master Vash... your sense of modesty is very apparent. Are you just too proud to admit it, or is there some other reason that you are gripping your cloak like your life depended on it?”

 

She looked as if I had insulted her, but then realized there was no point in trying to hide it. Since I had insisted, she asked for a minute and I was glad she did. Her body language reminded me much of the way new slaves acted when they were taken from their old lives. Omeesh often took people who were not bred as slaves, but who simply owed money to the Exchange.

 

Most Twi’lek women were raised explicitly to be sold, so they were used to being scantily clad. That was not common among people that had lives before being captured and sold. Because most were taught that they were their own person, the transition to belonging to a Hutt was a painful one. Somehow, watching Master Vash being concerned with modesty reminded me of the non-twi’lek slaves. Most had lives before they were captured and enslaved.

 

I stood in the hallway for about a minute before Master Vash returned, fully dressed. It was odd how my attention went from Canderous’s plan to something that was quite irrelevant, but at least Master Vash would not be distracted anymore. The whole idea with modesty was not good or bad unless one makes it an issue... and I didn’t want to confront it while something critical was ahead.

 

The lights in her quarters were at a fairly dim setting, but it was more than enough to see the room. The quarters were very Spartan compared to those in the enclave, but they were much more desirable than the survival shelters outside. Those cheap tents had been sheltering those thousand troops for months. They provided no luxuries at all, but they were enough to protect them against the elements.

 

The walls of Vash’s quarters were made of duracrete, but the carpeting increased its livability. If the floor had also been made of duracrete, the room would have looked like a prison cell. Of course, these quarters for all the station’s personnel were not made for comfort... just privacy and a place to sleep. That was often enough.

 

The only furniture in the room were a bed, a footlocker, a small table, and a matching chair. Vash had a robe that was just thrown on the floor next to her bed. I noticed that it was stained with blood... likely Belaya’s. She had duffle bag on top of the footlocker that still was not unpacked. On the table was a stack of data pads and a mess of junk a bureaucrat would likely have on her desk. The room was not I expected to see from a Jedi Master, but I’m sure that she didn’t put much concern in the condition of her living space.

 

Vash had pulled back the chair so that the table was between it and the bed. She picked up the stack of pads and brushed everything to one side of the table. She gestured me to sit down and she used the bed to sit across from me. “Okay... you told me about taking out the air defense towers. How would you infiltrate the sith base without a stealth generator?”

 

I shrugged my shoulders as if to gesture to myself. “I wouldn’t need one. Officially, I’m still a sith with all the rights and privileges that go with the rank of a master. I could just blend in and no one would suspect.”

 

She crossed her arms and gently shook her head. “That sounds dangerous. That still hinges on whether or not the sith declared everyone on Korriban dead. You were the head of the academy there... surely someone is bound to recognize you.”

 

I gently nodded, but was confident that I wouldn’t be known. “Uthar was the head master. Few would have known the second in command unless they took his place. And even if I am questioned, I could always say that I wasn’t on Korriban when the massacre happened. Or I could just say that I was the last sith standing. I also have the authorization to get almost anywhere I need to be, so I would be the logical choice.”

 

She raised her hand to ensure I didn’t get ahead of myself. “That in itself is still a long shot in my opinion. If you aren’t successful, the pilots we send in would not stand a chance if even one of the AD towers are not taken out. This whole thing sounds too great for any one person to accomplish within the time restraints. I also don’t want anyone to go into an enemy stronghold alone.”

 

“Master Vash...”

 

She interrupted me. “I cannot order you to do this, but if you are willing, you must coordinate your actions based on what I decide. Which means that if you are sent in, you can’t contact us after that and you won’t be allowed to abort your mission. Once you’re committed, you will remain there until the job is done. If you cannot abide by that, you must make it known now. This is a volunteer mission, but if you decide to do it, you must do everything that is required of you. Do you understand?”

 

I don’t know why, but hearing those words made the situation worse than it already seemed. ‘Everything that is required’? That sounded like a business agreement to a Hutt. With every deal to them comes more than was bargained for. I knew never to agree to such deals with an open end on my side. “What exactly do you mean by ‘everything’?”

 

She looked towards the floor for a moment before facing me directly again. “I had something else in mind, but if you would be infiltrating the sith encampment... could you also retrieve information on the sith’s battle plans?”

 

“I suppose, but I have no idea whether or not that I can do it... at least without drawing attention to myself. Besides, I don’t think such plans would be of any use if they are attacked by the fighters.”

 

She shook her head. “No. I was intending to coordinate that attack based on whatever information you could retrieve. If you could determine when the attack begins, the sith forces would organize every unit they had into a single column. Instead of attacking while their units are under the cover of armored hangers, they would be completely exposed, but not yet underway. Those four fighters we have could take out a significant number of their armored vehicles and demoralize their troops enough to balance the tide of battle in our favor.”

 

I didn’t appreciate all that she was telling me. She didn’t seem to recognize that it was only making things worse by defining exactly what would not happen if I didn’t volunteer. It was one thing to be directly responsible for hundreds of deaths, but it was another to simply stand by and watch them die... knowing I could have done something to reduce the number of victims.

 

I knew exactly how many I’ve directly murdered, but the number of people who I’ve saved would always remain unknown. I know I influenced millions of people on Kuril by destroying those sith weapons, but I also caused deaths that wouldn’t have occurred because of me. Although I had influenced more people of Kuril than most jedi do in a lifetime, it didn’t seem as significant as I would have believed. Since I didn’t know how many people had lived or died as a result of my actions, I was left with a sense of mediocrity.

 

Although the impact of my actions were obvious, I would never know just how many lives I saved. The casualties in the first month of their war resulted in nearly 2 million... those lives were a result of my actions. If one side had the advanced weapons that the other didn’t, the casualties would have been much greater. It still left me with an erie feeling that I had a part in that war. I tried to dismiss those thought by realizing that those millions on Kuril chose their fate, but just being a part of it left me without an account of my actions.

 

Master Vash recognized that I was in a difficult position. As the commander of the forces protecting the station, she had a responsibility to save as many lives as possible. At the same time, she didn’t want to gamble on the success of one person. The eight who would be flying those fighters were going to depend on me. The rest of the troops who were left to fight an enemy force three times their size depended on me to do as much as possible to weaken the enemy’s strength. Much depended on me and I didn’t fully embrace what I was getting myself into.

 

She finally made the decision for me. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to take that risk. If it’s too much for you to handle, then it would be best not gamble anyone’s lives.”

 

I wanted so much to accept her final decision, but I knew that I was capable... I simply didn’t want to go through with it. I knew it was possible that I would be discovered, but the thought of fighting such a massive force of sith soldiers with so few exhausted and demoralized Republic troops was even worse. I knew that everyone’s best chance depended on me.

 

Before Vash could say anymore, I stood up and told her what needed to be done. “I know I can do it. If I don’t, we would have to face an overwhelming force that would result in terrible losses. If our few fighters can make that much difference, then I must give them that chance.”

 

She looked as if she wanted to believe me, but knew it was against her better judgment. However, she knew that the risks to myself and the pilots were much smaller than the Republic forces facing an entire legion of sith troops. And since I was volunteering, Vash nodded very gently. “If we do this, then our forces must be prepared well before a sith task force can be assembled. You would have to go in before they can deploy their forces.” She looked at her clock to see that it was 01:22 hours. “You’ve been working on the fighters. When were you expecting for them all to be ready?”

 

“I heard that four were expected to be armed and ready later today. I don’t know exactly when.”

 

Vash stood up as though she were rushed for time. I could tell she was already in the mindset that the mission was on. “I need you to report to the hanger and determine how quickly your group can complete the work. Whatever resources or personnel you need are at your disposal.” I nodded and turned to leave, but she gently grabbed my shoulder before I reached the door. “You’re also going to need to be rested before then. If you can designate work from yourself to another, then do so. I’ll wake the other jedi and I’ll be on duty for as long as you need.”

 

I nodded. “I’ll need every mechanic on duty or off to be in the hanger. When do they need to be ready?”

 

“There is no finite deadline. The sooner they can fly is the more likely we can catch the sith when they’re vulnerable. We’ll deal with the time of the attack when you give me your assessment.” She grabbed her cloak and one of the data pads on the table. “Alright, let’s go.”

 

-----

 

Natasha’s team looked very groggy when they first entered the hanger, but after telling them what I had in mind seemed to invigorate their spirits. Although most had already invested a full day of work that would normally drain a non-jedi, they were working harder and faster than when they started. Some of them got only two or three hours of sleep, but they had more energy than ever before.

 

After months of wondering when they were going to be able to leave RS 159, the mechanics saw their greatest chance emerge within the course of a few hours. They were more dedicated to their jobs than I had hoped. After only half an hour, a third fighter was assembled and ready to fly. Natasha projected that the fourth would be completed within five hours.

 

When I thought I had completed my part for the fighter assembly, I intended to rest for a few hours. When I told Natasha that her team could finish the job without me, she said that there may be enough left to assemble a fifth ship. That was not something I was glad to hear, as it would mean forgoing those few hours of sleep I would have needed.

 

When Master Vash came to evaluate our status, Ross and Hayashi were with her. I didn’t know why they were awake... it wasn’t like they would have been of any use to the repairs or the mission. I didn’t know how to explain the status of a fifth fighter, but Master Vash had to know.

 

Master Vash was speaking to Hayashi about another issue, but I couldn’t hear exactly what they were talking about. Before she had reached my position, she handed a data pad to him and he bowed to her.

 

While on his way across the hanger, Hayashi looked at me and smiled as if to give me his praise. When I saw that look, it reminded me of how far I’ve come since I returned from the sith. When he first saw me return wearing sith tattoos, he stared as though expecting treachery from the only sith to ever return to the Order. Now that I was going back, he smiled at me. If the situation was not ironic, then it would almost seem as though he were glad that I was leaving.

 

Before he disappeared from my sight, Master Vash approached. “I heard that the ships were expected to be ready in a few hours. Well done.”

 

I shook my head. “It wasn’t me. They just want to leave, so they’ll push themselves to do whatever it takes.” I looked at Ross and came to the realization that I never directly told him of what I was about to do. It must not have been pleasant to hear it from Master Vash instead of me. I faced him. “I’m sorry Ross, but I’m going to have to abandon you for a while.”

 

He crossed his arms defiantly. Master Vash glanced back at him and then faced me, smiling. “When do you expect that fifth fighter to be ready?”

 

I originally wasn’t going to say anything about that, but since she brought it up, I had to tell her that I didn’t have the energy to keep working. “I’m afraid that even if we could repair a fifth, I wouldn’t have anymore energy after that point. I need some sleep before I go in. I also don’t think any other jedi could take my place since they don’t have the skills to do so.”

 

Vash looked a bit disappointed, but nodded and accepted the truth. “I suppose it’s all the same. Since we were already short on pilots...”

 

“There aren’t enough pilots?” I asked.

 

She nodded. “Most of the dedicated fighter pilots have been pulled out once their ships were lost. We’ve had to recruit anyone with any flight experience, but there are only so many who qualify.”

 

“I do have flight experience, but I’ve never flown a ship into combat. Are you suggesting that I take part in the fighter battle?”

 

She shrugged her shoulders. “Considering that you would be in the heart of the sith’s encampment, you would know exactly where to strike and what other defenses the sith base may have. If you could bring another fighter online, there would be no one left to fly it.”

 

I smiled at the thought of being given my own fighter, but before I could even consider it, I had to know if it was even an option. Natasha said that they MIGHT be able to assemble another fighter from the parts that remained from the ones we scrapped. Even if there were, that would also mean more work for me in the next few hours and less time to rest.

 

If I were a true jedi, I would not have let my mind be clouded with visions of leading a flight of fighters as fast as possible. Doing overheads to encourage troops, going mach 2 at a few hundred meters to scare the enemy, and the glory of success. I knew that all those holovids I’ve seen were fictional, but the thought of me actually being behind the controls of one made me forget about the burdens that it carried.

 

I didn’t consider that at the time, so I stood with my back straight as a soldier would to their commanding officer. I proudly declared, “You can count on me! I’ll take that fighter when it is operational.”

 

Master Vash didn’t smile, but she didn’t react any differently when I accepted yet another role in the upcoming strike. She stepped back so that I and Ross were both in her sight. “In that case, I will have to brief you on your objectives first. I would like to ensure you can take down those AD towers than to sacrifice preparations for another fighter.”

 

I just had a gut-wrenching feeling. She looked as though she were addressing both me and Ross. I had hoped that it was just my imagination, but I had to ensure that she was only addressing me. “Wait... is there something going on that I’m not aware of?”

 

Vash and Ross looked at me as though they didn’t understand what I was referring to. They couldn’t possibly be naive enough to assume that Ross was coming with me, but Vash gave me a confused look that seemed to answer my question. She had to have assumed that I intended Ross to accompany me.

 

Before she could ask what I was talking about, I answered the question first. “No! You can’t be implying that he’s coming with me.”

 

“It’s not expected that a Master leave an apprentice in the face of danger. You also can’t go into the sith encampment alone... two of you stand a much greater chance than one.”

 

“Wrong! I would have enough trouble as it is watching my own back. I can’t afford to be watching over another. This is a covert operation... I can avoid attention because I’m officially a sith to their ID scanners. Ross...”

 

Vash completed the sentence for me. “...Is your apprentice. Is there anything conspicuous about that?”

 

My jaw was hanging in disbelief. I did not see how anyone would think to force that... child on me. I agreed to train him; not to have him attached to me. “This is war! There is no time for training when our lives are at stake! I can’t afford to be burdened by him if I have a job to complete!”

 

Hearing me shout against him was not easy for Ross to hear. I remember what it was like when I was forced upon another. Hearing Alfred say that I made his duty more difficult when he didn’t know I was listening was painful. It was like he insulted me, but never had to courage to say it directly. I knew later that it wasn’t meant to hurt me, but I could not deny that I burdened him greatly... just because he was obligated to me.

 

When I had started training students on Korriban, I had never allowed myself to be burdened by students. If they were too weak to deal with their own problems, then what should I have been expected to do? I just brushed them aside as I was doing to Ross. Only this time, I was doing it for his sake... and mine.

 

Fear was very visible in his expression. “Master... Yuthura... I wasn’t intending to just tag along. I’m expecting to enter danger. I’m willing to go with you. And I know the consequences of being discovered.” He took a deep breath as if he had to force it into his lungs. “You have a better chance if you have another with you. I don’t think they’d suspect me... I could pass off as your apprentice you’d have someone to watch your back... create diversions... anything you can’t do alone.”

 

Master Vash had turned her attention from Ross to me. She looked at me as Alfred had when I left him and the jedi behind. Her expression and that of my apprentice reminded me much of that day. To complete the simile, I was about to confront the sith like I had so long ago...

 

In the end, my heart had overcome my head. I knew that I was making a mistake, but it meant so much to me that Ross was willing to brave extreme danger to follow my lead. I have had other students that put their faith into my hands, but never for my sake. Revan was the exception, but only because he didn’t have enough sense to know better. It was more because of his influence than mine. This was the first time where I’ve genuinely been regarded as a role model.

 

I made no mistake that I was not the ‘great jedi who resisted the darkside’ that he likely saw me as, but it was comforting to know that he did not want me to not go into harm’s way alone. I wish I could say I did it for him, but I was gratified to know I did not have to face the sith alone. His presence was of little value to my mission, but it was a huge psychological benefit that I couldn’t refuse.

 

“I cannot emphasize the danger you would be in. Even Revan was fearful of being discovered. If you come with me, you must not be afraid to emulate a sith in its entirety. It could mean just about anything... murder, humiliation... I may have to hurt you in order to accomplish my mission. Are you willing to put yourself in that position?”

 

I asked as though I were already assuming that he were going to be discovered. The words I said were painful to consider, but I had to ensure that he knew what he was going to face. If it meant me having to treat him like Omeesh treated me, it was better that than being caught by the sith. I wish I were just being paranoid, but I’ve seen the brutality of the sith too often.

 

He didn’t display as much fear as I had hoped. I thought that the idea of me becoming a monster in front of his eyes would have been too much, but he likely didn’t want me to confront the sith alone. “I’m aware of the risks... and I know that it would mean that you can’t protect me if I get into danger. But having two would increase the odds of getting the job done. If you encounter a security system where a single person cannot bypass it, the presence of another could increase the number of options you would have for almost everything.”

 

I held his shoulders. “I’m not questioning your usefulness. It would simply be more conspicuous to have you along.”

 

Master Vash gestured to the two of us. “What if you two are seen together? A master and her apprentice... there’s nothing conspicuous about that. In fact, an apprentice might allow for you to escape an unusual situation.” She got between us and gestured to Ross. “If something goes wrong, just say your apprentice just made a mistake and they’d be more inclined to believe that than that the kid is spying on them. Wouldn’t that work?”

 

I stared at him for a moment as I considered the help he could be to me. Although he’s not officially a sith, I am. They would just pass him off if I did the talking and took the lead. “I guess that a second person could also allow for more equipment to be taken as well. We would have to carry everything we need to destroy the AD towers and infiltrate their war room. We may have to split up in order to do all the work...”

 

“Do you even know how to take out an AD tower? Anyone going in would have to know how to disable the towers without being caught. I know where to plant the explosives so that they would not be seen, but where they would effectively destroy the defenses.”

 

“How do you know that? Where did you learn to do that?”

 

He smiled very smugly. “Because I and my old master took a few out during a campaign. He showed me how to take out vital power conduits instead of the generators... much more vulnerable and often not rigged with cameras. They also don’t explode when you’re inside.”

 

Master Vash stepped back. “Then I assume it’s settled. You need Ross and he’s willing to go. I see no other problems before you.”

 

I gestured for her to stop where she was. “How are we supposed to even get through the defenses? We need sith robes... a mission plan... as well as other things.”

 

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve got a few sith robes for you. Your transportation would be a speeder bike we salvaged... it’s not in prime condition, but it’s at least of sith design and can get you to their location quickly. Once inside, you would have to improvise your own mission.”

 

I nodded and shrugged my shoulders. “Alright. Let’s get changed and be underway. No sense in waiting around.”

 

Vash stepped in my path when I tried walking away and grabbed me by the shoulders... not in an opposing way, but just firm enough to keep me from leaving. “You’re not leaving yet. We’re still a few hours away from completing the last fighter and you need some rest before then.”

 

I was tired, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep with the mission on my mind. I hated the idea of going back to the sith and just wanted to be through as soon as possible. Even if I had time ahead to spare, I wouldn’t have been able to make any use of it. Staring at the ceiling for three hours wasn’t going to make any difference. In fact; it would have made things even more tense than they already were. “Master? I’m not able to sleep. With this on my mind... I would rather just get it done as soon as possible.”

 

“You need rest.” She declared.

 

“We need to get this done as soon as possible. We don’t know when they will launch their attack and the longer we wait, more likely we’ll be too late.”

 

“The attack begins in eight hours. That is the most likely time they will start assembling their forces. You should be off in four.” She gently patted my shoulders. “In the meantime, please return to your quarters and we’ll do what we must here. You two are key to this engagement and we need you at your best.” She stepped back to face both of us. “Dismissed.”

 

Ross and I bowed to her and we turned around to leave when I just realized that I was still needed for that fifth fighter. Balancing everything I had to do and include that task couldn’t be done if I were asleep. I went back to get Vash’s attention again. “Wait! They still need me for that last ship. I have to help the mechanics with whatever I can.”

 

She turned her head made an embarrassing grunt. “Of course. That would be too much for you to handle.” She stared at me for a moment as if to evaluate my psychological condition. She then looked towards the few fighters in the hanger as she went into deep thought. The value of another fighter was high, but if it meant pushing me further in order to get it assembled; it might push me too hard. She also knew that we had to strike sooner than later. Once the sith forces were underway, an attack would be less effective. When she made her choice, she turned back to me. “We won’t worry about that fifth ship. Once you get the job done, you just get back here. We’ll handle the rest.” She grabbed both our shoulders and turned us away. “Both of you; report to your quarters. We'll have everything ready for you in a few hours.”

[Burnseyy]

Ohh, Yuthura's pushing her apprentice away not a smart move. I see she still thinks like a sith in a few manners. It's good she hasn't just completely let go of that life.

 

I really liked this chapter... it was like a pause in the action, but still with talk of action. You've got the characters perfectly, I loved the descriptions of Vash's quarters and how 'different' she was to the typical Master, and the dialogue is great as always.

 

Glad to see the inspiration is back.

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

 

Glad to see the inspiration is back.

 

Indeed. Though this is a break from the action, all the planning is a good thing. It really gets the reader into the mission, and adds some suspense. Great dialogue in here.

 

I like how Vash is becoming an ally to Yuthura. Not the typical stodgey jedi master but not a free spirit either. Way to keep it realistic yet enjoyable!

 

~HOP

[The_Catto]

ZOMG! My brain is all mushed! Lol. I read the first 7 chapters and all I have to say is that its been a fantastic read so far, and by the looks of it, I have a lot more to enjoy!

I should have kept up with this story since it was first posted. Sorry for my lateness!!

 

I will continue to read through the story as much as I can.

I love the idea of reading through Yuthura's perspective. She was always my favorite Sith, and now you've fleshed out her character even more! Wonderful work, indeed!

 

As I said, I will continue to read through, but I just wanted to post something to klet you know that I AM reading it x] and also, enjoying it VERY much.

[Darth_Yuthura]

Master Vash said the speeder bike we received was damaged, but brought back up to working condition. It had a transponder that we needed to get past the base's defenses. From the moment I got behind the controls, I assumed it was a bucket of bolts. I didn't think about it breaking down because we just needed it for a fairly short trip.

 

As we got on and started our departure, hundreds gathered to see us off. I didn't think I should have spoiled the moment for them by casting doubt upon the mechanics who repaired the bike. I should not have played hero for them when I should have asked to have the bike checked again.

 

I stood behind Ross as he tinkered with the speeder bike after it died about 100 kilometers away from the Republic station. He was clad in the same black sith robe as I, so he was unbearably hot. We didn’t carry much survival gear, so we were forced to keep our robes on to avoid dehydration. We didn't have any survival gear with us at the time... even bottled water carried a Republic mark on them. I also wasn't concerned with wilderness survival at the time. I still wish we brought some water and just thrown away the bottles before entering the base.

 

I was more capable of enduring the heat, but Ross had to work in these conditions as well. He stayed in the shadow of the bike to avoid the direct rays of the star over the horizon. I also cast my shadow to give him more shade under which to work. Since I wasn’t doing much else, I might as well have provided even that little sum of worth.

 

I stared at the locker on the bike that normally would have held survival gear, or even a toolbox. Instead, it was filled with everything we needed for the mission. There was no room for anything else.

 

In a large insulated case were 20 small demolition plasma charges. They were simple white blocks with a cylindrical device in the center. Designed for efficient packing and simplicity, each one could punch a hole through 25 cm of duracrete or 10 cm of armor. At the back were magnetic and adhesive strips.

 

Canderous briefed me on the workings of those explosives, so I got an idea as to what they were capable of. Only half of their weight represented the explosive. The other was taken up by the detonator; equipped with every kind of function that could be found on a mine or grenade. It had a proximity sensor, timer, remote detonator, impact fuse, and ‘collective programing’ as Ross described it. Since he knew how to work the mines better than I, he carried the remote control.

 

Another item I included was a compact blaster pistol. Although neither of us used blasters, I thought we should have at least one ranged weapon with an advanced sniper scope. Although not very powerful, it was accurate up to 100 meters. We might have needed it for a sniper attack or for a distraction. It had only 25 shots, but I didn’t included another power pack... We likely shouldn’t have included the pistol at all.

 

Communications had been jammed by the ionized particles in the planet's atmosphere, but we had comlinks along that allowed us to send and receive simple signals. It wasn’t enough for us to talk with one another, but we could transmit pulses on a few different frequencies. Up to 8 responses could be set.

 

The last mission item was a data pad equipped with the advanced lock-breaking features we would need to interface with almost anything. With my computer skills, there would be little that I couldn’t do with the pad.

 

We did have some room for a few tools, but we couldn’t risk carrying anything with a Republic emblem. Everything except for the explosives and my data pad were captured from the sith. Our lightsabers were unique, so they didn’t matter. I only wished we had some red focusing crystals to complete the ensemble.

 

-----

 

After almost half an hour of working, Ross was getting frustrated and cursed in another language before turning around and laying with his back against the bike. Although frustrated, I knew that he had to keep working. A sat next to him and pulled his opposite shoulder into a comrade-like embrace. “So what did you just say?”

 

He was hunched over and didn’t intend to relax. “It was a term that means tainted by the ones who made it. The lift fan is a Republic design and it wasn’t meant to work with the sith engine.”

 

“Can it be fixed at all, or is the damage irreversible?”

 

“There is permanent damage to the clutch between the two. Both seem fine, but if they can’t work together...”

 

“What does the lift fan do? How does the clutch work?”

 

He got up and pointed to the front of the engine. “The engine’s drive shaft runs to the front of the bike and provides the lift fan with its power. The problem is that the engine would cause the front of the bike to nose up or dive. The clutch bleeds off excess energy, but it doesn’t allow any energy to the lift fan if it’s damaged.”

 

I saw exactly what he meant by it. “Is there anyway to transfer power directly to the fan? That would cause it to nose up while we are going faster, but we could sustain about 50 Km per hour to avoid that.”

 

He pulled his head up at the idea. “That would not work for non-jedi, but we would have to levitate the bike while going at slow speeds. And there is a better solution to slowing down. We can’t waste that much time anymore. So if I...” He leaned over to slide under the back of the bike and started fidgeting with some systems that I couldn’t identify.

 

After he removed a completely separate part the one that was damaged, I asked what he was doing.

 

He was still on his back under the engine nacelle. “I’m compensating for the additional power devoted to the front of the lift fan. We’ll have more thrust downward, but we’ll be able to reach 200 Km per hour without any problem. We just have to worry about the bike at slow speeds.” He then shifted himself to the front of the bike and fixed the lift fan to the drive shaft. He left the damaged clutch in place.

 

He rolled back to his feet and started up the engine. There was no hesitation, but it was louder than before. He brought the throttle down to speak to me. “Since I modified it, I should take over. We can’t afford the time to test it, so we have to be underway.”

 

I gestured him to get on and I sat behind him. “Are you sure of this?!” I yelled over the engine which had been pushed to full throttle.

 

“It’s fine! I'm sure we'll reach our destination, but I wouldn’t take this out again! Don’t worry... It’s not likely to explode!” He put his helmet on.

 

I didn’t like the sound of the engine, but I didn't say anymore. There was little choice but to go on. The sith base was less desirable in any event.

 

The bike took off with only his force power to hold it off the ground. He slowly let the lift fan take over as he reduced his force levitation. The ride was much more nerve-racking after that. I kept hoping that there wouldn't be another breakdown, or we would be out of time and likely have had our remains scattered across the surface. It sounded better than any other death we would endure, but it wasn't pleasant to think of how best to die.

 

I didn't want to suffer by the hand of the sith, but it didn't mean I wanted to ensure it never happened. Many sith would kill themselves than face the wrath of the others, but I wanted much more to get back to Alfred and Revan. I also didn't want to see anything happen to the kid... I hated the thought of him suffering that fate because of me. I just hated being liable for him as well.

 

-----

 

When the sith base had come into view, we received clearance to enter the perimeter and return to swoop garage 3. Ross took over with using his force power to balance the bike and came in to the closest swoop hanger we could identify. It didn't have any numbers on the exterior, but we were allowed to go in without being stopped by security.

 

When we set down, Ross leaned his head back in relief. I realized that I never formally briefed him on how to behave while he was with me. I got off the bike and spoke quietly into his ear. “Now that we're in, you are to never say anything other than what you must. There will be no lessons, small talk, or anything outside the mission. We are not jedi... we are sith... follow my lead and don’t act if you don’t know what you’re doing. That is an order.”

 

He still had his helmet on when we nodded in acknowledgment.

 

After he got off the bike, a mechanic was looking at us. He was wearing the standard gold and black uniform of a sith soldier and carried a datapad that was likely the repair log or something that we weren't on. After examining us and checking the info on the pad, he confronted me. Through the voice box, he stated “I have no record of this bike being used. What were you...”

 

I snapped right at him with the boldest tone I could use. “I was doing an exercise with my apprentice.” I faced Ross and gestured for him to follow me. “Come along... keep up!”

 

The sith stepped in front of me, but not in my path as to directly oppose a sith master. “I have no record of this bike being taken. I can’t just let you go without clarifying things first. Who authorized...”

 

You stopped and stared incredulously at him. “I don’t have time for this! There is nothing wrong with the records.” I started walking past him with no regard to his duty. We clearly weren't on the record, so I had to make him disregard the issue by portraying myself as a sith with little patience and a bad temper.

 

“I assure you that no such bike was granted to this ‘exercise’... which was authorized by me. I’ll would rather let security decide who is right.”

 

He started logging onto his pad and I knew I had to end the incident that was about to brew. I stepped up to him in a threatening manner. “Are you calling me a liar?”

 

“I’m saying there has been a mistake.”

 

“If there was, it was your mistake.”

 

He paused for a brief moment and stopped tapping the pad. “With all due respect, I would not have made...”

 

“There are three outcomes I see that security will come to. Either you are calling me a liar; by which case I’ll execute you. If a mistake has been made, it was yours; and security will execute you for your incompetence. Or they are no mistakes, but which case you will stand aside and I will complement you for your good work.” I put my face within centimeters of his helmet and he leaned away. "Are there any problems they should be aware of?"

 

His face was hidden by the gold mask, but I could see the fear brewing within him. He had a duty to perform, but he didn’t want to go up against a sith master. I think I was both convincing and threatening enough to make him step back. “Uh... no. There are no mistakes Master...”

 

“Ban... Yuthura. Keep up the good work and carry on.” I looked back to Ross and then started walking at a brisk pace. The average sith was not one for patience, so we had to move very quickly. Once I found a corner where we could get out of sight, I turned right and saw no others around. When Ross caught up to me, I had to discuss our plan.

 

He grinned at me for my wonderful acting back there. “You were great. I wouldn’t have wanted to be that...”

 

“Save it. We’ll compliment each other later, but for now... there will be no pleasantries here. If you do well, I’ll praise you later. For now, we have to find the AD towers and plant the charges.”

 

His smile vanished as if I just struck him down. He did understand that it was not personal. “I have set timers to have them go off at a specified time. We will be able to trigger them by remote or reset the timers if we need to. We’ve got three hours before the strike fighters are deployed.”

 

I nodded and looked around. There was an AD tower in sight and I gestured for us to go for it. How we would get to the power generator was going to require some thought.

 

-----

 

Being among the sith again was a very uncomfortable experience. I could blend in and not be seen, but I was concerned that Ross would be exposed and I wouldn’t be able to help him. I still didn’t like bringing him along. He may have solved the speeder bike issue when I wouldn’t have, but he was now a liability to me. Even if that weren’t an issue, I need him to infiltrate the towers and work the explosives. The consequences to both influence the mission outcome, so I knew I could not leave him behind if he were captured.

 

The base was a collection of hangers and barracks that were simply placed wherever needed. The base did not go by an overall design, but rather a small city of various buildings and hangers spread across about a kilometer. The encampment was fairly uniform in height with few structure more the four stories. There was one hanger that appeared large enough to house strike fighters, but there were no fighters inside. I was requested to confirm that there none when we had the chance, but it was not our priority.

 

There was bare ground where no duracrete or buildings rested, but no vegetation anywhere. If there were, the base would have resembled a city I visited on Dantooine. Almost everything was prefabricated, but many of the simple structures were made of materials were dug up from the land. The fuel tanks, hangers, and command centers were state of the art while the warehouses and barracks were unremarkable.

 

When we first saw the encampment, the first AD tower was among the other buildings while the other two were either outside or on the outskirts on the far side. Because they were the tallest objects, it was easy to locate our primary targets. The command center and war room were likely not going to be as easy to find. We would have to follow any data cables to their source, but they were buried and difficult to trace. The orbital image we got was very distorted by electronic interference, so we could only identify a few of the locations within the base.

 

-----

 

The towers were about fifty meters tall and appeared to have a single weapon at the top level, but the emplacements were heavily fortified and could shoot down fighters with ease. Getting inside appeared more difficult than originally believed. When we reached the first one, there was one entry at the ground level and a security perimeter around the foundation that appeared dangerous to walk over.

 

As I stared at the field, Ross told me about it. “The power generator has a conduit running under the ground. It doesn’t drain much energy unless a something passes over it. It works very much like a lightsaber... only gives off light energy until something comes in contact with the blade.”

 

I smiled at the clever nature of the kid. “I assume you know how to get though?”

 

I looked at him with positive anticipation, but didn’t see much confidence. “This tower has its own power generator and is independent of the base’s power grid. The only way to shut down the security field surrounding the base is from the inside.”

 

“I thought you’ve dealt with this kind of fortification before? How did you get inside?”

 

He nodded nervously. “The tower’s security grid is tied to the shield network. That’s another reason that they don’t simply lock down the entrance. We could step through an energy shield because the security grid drops during a battle.”

 

“So are you saying that we need to make them think an air strike is in progress?” I asked.

 

“Maybe, but I think there should be an easier way of going about this.” He rested his head upon his knuckle to gesture that he was thinking seriously. I didn’t like how obvious it was that he didn’t know what to do. I had often given off the impression that I was thinking about a problem when I knew I wouldn’t come up with a solution... just to make it look like I hadn’t already given up. Ross wasn’t expecting to come to a solution, but he wanted me to believe that he was.

 

I had to come up with the solution on my own. “They have to maintain these towers, so a repair crew could get through. We just have to dispatch someone and see how they pass through.”

 

“And then use the technique for the other two... brilliant.”

 

“I said save the compliments.” I hissed. “You don’t know who may be watching.” I turned away to go for the most likely building where I could arrange for a repair crew to report for the tower. I had turned my back on Ross and expected him to follow, but instead... he offered resistance.

 

He followed and got right behind me to speak into my ear. “Yuthura... you’re being paranoid. You expect to be...”

 

A surge of anger flooded my mind and I shot around to drive my order into him. “And you’re not taking this seriously!” I shouted at the loudest volume I could whisper. I grabbed him and dragged him into a narrow alley between two barracks. “You can NOT underestimate the danger we are in. I’m trying to keep us out of sight and all you’re doing is attracting attention!”

 

He looked as though I had just offended him in the worst way. “Me?! All I did was complement you!”

 

I was getting even more frustrated that he didn’t realize his own error. I grabbed his robe and pressed him against a wall. “You don’t know anything about the sith! If you let your guard down, they will see your weakness and exploit it. Don’t EVER assume something you don’t understand. If I must beat that lesson into you... then I will!”

 

He was fearing that I meant what I said. Ross turned his head away as though I were going to hit him. Although he was terrorized of me, he did not whimper or tell me what I wanted to hear. He uttered words that he didn’t want to say. “Master... please don’t do this. I don’t want to go against you, but you're not being rational...” He turned to look me directly in the eye. “...please don’t do this.”

 

I saw the fear in his eyes that I had come to enjoy while I walked around Korrian as a sith master. It was the same fear that I had in my eyes when I was on Sleheyron. That was the fear I wanted to never see again from anyone... and here I was seeing it in the one who had braved the sith alongside me. Suddenly, I had noticed how easily it came to me to threaten him in order to get what I wanted... not to get caught. Although I was giving a good show, there was no one around... and I wasn’t acting.

 

I let go of him and stepped back, hitting the opposite wall behind me. I was not expecting it and my reflexes drove me forward, almost hitting the opposite wall. Ross saw that I was off-balance and caught my left arm before I lost it completely. He was relieved that I released him, but at the same time still concerned for me.

 

I had been breathing intensely at what had just happened. Ross kept quiet, but I knew that he wanted an apology. “I’m sorry. I was letting my anger take control, but you didn’t recoil. I didn’t mean to threaten you.”

 

He looked like he wanted to physically comfort me, but kept his distance. “Can I say something... without angering you?”

 

I leaned my head back against the wall opposite of him. I was trying to relax for whatever he was about to tell me. “Go ahead.”

 

“I know what you said about not being discovered by the sith. I don’t know what the consequences are, but you don’t have to assume I need to be reminded. And I’m willing to put of with anything you need to do, but I didn’t exactly appreciate being blamed just then. You and I both need to communicate to do this... I didn’t do any more than you did that could pot us at risk.”

 

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” When I heard some distant gunfire, I remembered that we had to complete our mission as soon as possible. We were secluded in that alley, but we might have been seen. I stepped past Ross and pulled him by the shoulder. “We have to keep moving. We need to get out of here.”

 

He gently held me back by the same shoulder. “There’s one other thing... I know not to underestimate the sith, but I told you that you’re being overly cautious. I still believe it.”

 

I stood up confidently. “If you knew the sith as I have, you would not say such a thing.”

 

He looked at me grimly. “I can’t say that I have, but you seem to expect danger everywhere. You can’t look left... you can’t look right. Fear is a powerful thing, but you can’t let it influence your judgment. If you can’t keep your mind focused because you’re afraid of the outcome... then I will go without you.”

 

I just stared at him in amazement. I just thought he trusted in me implicitly, but I came to understand that I had to earn his trust. He wouldn’t have wanted to be my apprentice to just anyone. Ross wanted me and I felt great comfort to have his respect and admiration. I didn’t want to lose it or to see him face the danger on his own. Going on alone was foolish, but it was the kind of foolishness that motivates those like me into action.

 

I turned back and I embraced the kid. Something about him really made me feel more alive than ever before. As Revan had won a place in my heart, so did Ross. This must have been why Revan and Alfred were willing to sacrifice so much for me. Whatever the feeling was, it felt greater than when I plunged that knife into Omeesh’s throat. They were like everything that the Hutt was not... and I felt more like the belligerent protector I often fantasized myself as. This wasn’t just my imagination anymore... I was becoming that person.

 

Ross waited for a few seconds before gently pushing me away. “You aren’t acting like a sith. Didn’t you imply to never let your guard down?” He said in a jocular tone.

 

I smiled. “Not until after we are far away from this place. We still have to keep up the appearance of a sith master and her student."

 

We both smiled for a long moment before we nodded and got back to the task at hand. I was confident that we were not noticed... the sith didn't have eyes everywhere. That still didn't mean we could just leap into a corridor or a confined space to break character whenever we wanted to. I was confident that we wouldn't have to go through it again.

[Revan 411]

WOW! I love this story! Great Job! Keep Up The Great Work There!

[Burnseyy]

I turned back and I embraced the kid. Something about him really made me feel more alive than ever before. As Revan had won a place in my heart, so did Ross. This must have been why Revan and Alfred were willing to sacrifice so much for me. Whatever the feeling was, it felt greater than when I plunged that knife into Omeesh’s throat. They were like everything that the Hutt was not... and I felt more like the belligerent protector I often fantasized myself as. This wasn’t just my imagination anymore... I was becoming that person.

 

 

Aw, that was the most perfect ending to a chapter, ever. Really leaves a warm feeling in your heart! Or maybe that's the tea I just drank... Either way.

 

Loved it, very Ross and Yuthura oriented. I do like how Yuthura's progressed so far, and that moment of weakness she showed was brilliant... almost like she became the apprentice.

 

Even if you did make a few spelling/grammar mistakes and put 'you' instead of 'i' at one point...

 

5 stars.

[Darth_Yuthura]

Thanks. I was aiming more that Yuthura was fearful than that she was acting like a sith. At first, she was supposed to be acting, but as they BOTH became more visible, she would overlook her own fault and be fixated on him. When she saw the fear in him, she realized that she was not just acting anymore... she was reverting to her old self.

 

The moment at the end was meant for her to show that she was willing to take a moment to show she was no longer paranoid and would demonstrate it to him. I hoped to have her be more interested in herself than him, but she has come to believe that boy's life would have been on her conscience after that. She was more concerned about being caught than she was at keeping him safe.

[Burnseyy]

Thanks. I was aiming more that Yuthura was fearful than that she was acting like a sith. At first, she was supposed to be acting, but as they BOTH became more visible, she would overlook her own fault and be fixated on him. When she saw the fear in him, she realized that she was not just acting anymore... she was reverting to her old self.

 

The moment at the end was meant for her to show that she was willing to take a moment to show she was no longer paranoid and would demonstrate it to him. I hoped to have her be more interested in herself than him, but she has come to believe that boy's life would have been on her conscience after that. She was more concerned about being caught than she was at keeping him safe.

 

Indeed. I noticed her sudden change from acting to being, before Yuthura realised it herself. It was a good process, which made that particular paragraph even better!

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

I definitly noticed that Yuthura was more scared and not acting like a sith when shge got angry at Ross. This confrontation was very well written. I have a love for this kind of thing.

 

The ending made it perfect though. Realizing Ross' respect has to be earned, him correcting her. It's just a good thing the sith didn't see all that.

 

*****

 

~HOP

[Darth_Yuthura]

I'm just noting here that the chapter is complete. I may have more to add, but I'm satisfied to leave it as it is.

 

 

I definitly noticed that Yuthura was more scared and not acting like a sith when shge got angry at Ross. This confrontation was very well written. I have a love for this kind of thing.

 

The ending made it perfect though. Realizing Ross' respect has to be earned, him correcting her. It's just a good thing the sith didn't see all that.

 

*****

 

~HOP

 

 

She actually was thinking like a sith when she threatened her padawan. She was only pretending to be with the speeder bike mechanic, but as Ross started proving to be a liability, she becomes increasingly paranoid. That is not limited to cowering behind every corner, but lashing out at the wrong time and at the wrong person. It was fear that caused her to threaten Ross, but she behaved exactly as she would have before Revan.

 

She got angry at Ross because she feared for both of them. She believed that her threat was meant to make him do what was required to stay hidden. Yuthura acted like a sith for a selfless reason, but she didn't understand that her caution was leading her down a familiar path.

 

Does this make sense, or did I not show it?

[JediAthos]

I've been away from the boards for a bit and just finished reading all that I'd missed. I continue to believe that you are doing a wonderful job.

 

I think that, in reference to the last chapter, I was able to tell the difference between Yuthura's act and her true anger. She is very much afraid of the consequences of being discovered and she realizes that Ross is not helping the situation. Fear is a powerful emotion that can affect even the most stable person.

[Darth_Yuthura]

When Ross and I first set off from the Republic fuel station, we had nearly six hours to set our explosives and get out, but with the speeder bike delay and security issues, we set out for our second target with less than two. In order to hide our activities from the security personell, I had to delete the records of the repair requests. That meant accessing the base’s command center and mainframe computer... not exactly the most accessible place to be. Although I was a sith, that didn’t mean that I could just walk in and do whatever I wanted. AD towers didn’t routinely need repairs, so there was an even greater risk of discovery if we tried the same stunt as last time. Given the importance of covering our tracks, we had no choice but to take the risk.

 

The mainframe was in a fairly small building... only two stories high, but I traced almost every physical data cable to converge on that single location. It looked heavily guarded from the exterior appearance alone. With reinforced duracrete, no windows, and guards near the entrence, it was where we had to penetrate.

 

I approached the main entrance and placed my palm on the touch screen with the hope that my identity was still in the records. The guard next to the control panel looked at the panel to ensure that everything had been cleared before he would allow us through. A sense of relief came when I saw my portrait displayed on the panel and the electronic male computer voice just said, “Identity confirmed: Yuthura Ban. Rank: Force sensitive master. Access: Granted.” Along with the voice was my profile displayed on the screen. I hated the portrait of me in that grey uniform and a long list of my achievements while I among the sith.

 

The soldier read the screen and was surprised at what he saw. “So you’re the one who taught on Korriban. I thought it was a man.”

 

“What do you mean I’m ‘the one’? There were many instructors.”

 

He looked at me with some confusion. “I meant the one who was left standing after the academy fell. But I suppose that when you killed Uthar that anyone who didn’t respect your leadership deserved the same fate.”

 

I had completely let it slip my mind, but there was likely another sith out there that had survived the massacre at Korriban. I didn’t like the idea that there was one witness who could verify that I betrayed the sith, but that was not something that I could allow myself to think of at the moment. I just said, “Right. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to go through.”

 

When I passed through the open door, Ross followed only to be stopped by the same guard who welcomed me in. “You must have your identity verified as well.”

 

I turned around. “His identity is not on record.”

 

He faced me with that golden helmet and took a moment to realize I expected to bring Ross with me. “Why not?”

 

“Because he doesn’t have an identity.”

 

Ross wasn’t too thrilled at hearing me say that, but he hid his surprise. He probably expected to be given a false name or something, but no name at all?

 

That confused the guard, who shifted his attention between both of us. “I don’t understand.”

 

“He is not a true sith... yet. Until he earns that title, he does not have a name or anything that makes him more than he is... nothing.” I looked at Ross. “I will be accountable for his actions.”

 

The guard stared at both of us and must have given a look as if to say ‘force sensatives...’ Then he stepped aside. “Very well. You may go in, but you had better stay with your master.” Ross nodded and then followed me through.

 

I just walked through naturally and went across a room filled with personnel seated at their control panels. Each of the twelve stations were responsible for a specific function around the encampment, which ranged from security to defensive countermeasures. Only four were flesh and blood while the remaining eight were droids. None looked up from their work as we passed through.

 

This was not where we wanted to be; we had to enter the mainframe computer, which was much more heavily guarded than the control room we had passed through. Ross kept close as we entered a stairway leading to a sub level and eventually found what appeared to be a vault. Although they had security in mind, the door also kept an airtight seal against the elements of nature.

 

Ross looked like he had a question, but I told him to remain completely silent while we were inside... there were cameras watching us here. I had to get through the locking mechanism to the mainframe, but we had to disable the security sensor watching us first. I asked Ross to hit it with a small burst of ionized energy so that it would just appear to be a result of the planet’s atmosphere; he was successful at distorting its signal without destroying the device altogether.

 

With the lock breaker, the vault door should have taken a long time to crack, but it only took a few seconds. After what seemed like a pleasant surprise came an unpleasant realization. Within the mainframe computer control room was a technician and a droid tending to one of the massive boxes of circuits and memory chips that had been dissected.

 

The human male stood up and looked at me as if he knew I were an intruder, but I didn’t react in any way. “Who are you? You don’t have authorization to be here!”

 

I calmly tried to get him to relax his guard and used the mind trick to help him see reason. “It’s alright. I’m authorized to be here.”

 

His mind was resilient, but I got him to act as I ordered. “You’re right. You may go about your business.”

 

The utility droid wasn’t so cooperative. In it’s droid language of beebs and electronic sounds, it addressed me. [Where is your security cylinder?]

 

“Security cylinder?”

 

[You must have a security cylinder if you are to enter the mainframe computer. You two do not have one with you.]

 

I noticed the male had a metal cylinder attached to his left chest pocket and realized that only certain individuals can enter restricted areas regardless of rank. It didn’t matter what rank I was; I didn’t have that special device.

 

The male looked at the droid and realized that the situation wasn’t right. “She has proper clearance. Why are you alerting security?”

 

The droid was interfaced with the terminal and turned its ‘head’ towards the male. [security has already been alerted. Those two do not have the proper authorization.] The droid’s head faced me. [You are to stand down when the guards arrive to...]

 

I jumped to deactivate the droid before it could finish its statement, but I knew I was too late. Guards had been alerted and were on their way. The human was too confused to know what was happening, but clearly realized that I was an intruder. After deactivating the droid, I started choking him to keep him silent. “Ross! Has the droid alerted them to our presence?”

 

He ran in and checked the terminal in front of the droid. “Intruder alert. We got to get out of here!”

 

He turned and grabbed my arm, but I didn’t allow him to run away. “We’re not leaving! Seal the door!”

 

“We have to get out of here!” He cried out in desperation.

 

I grabbed his arm and brought his face right in front of mine. “Seal the door now!” I snapped his arm away and turned my attention back to the human, who was still being strangled, and I removed his security device. After that, I snapped his neck and allowed the body to hit the floor.

 

Ross had done as I ordered and pulled the door closed, but didn’t yet lock it. “You want me to seal it?”

 

I faced him and shouted in anger. “Yes!” Then I turned my attention to the security cylinder and realized that the lock breaker was still in the terminal outside the door. “No! Not yet! The lock breaker is in the terminal out side... get it!”

 

He was getting scared, but was quick enough to snatch the device and close the door again. “Sealing it now!”

 

I rushed over and grabbed the device and almost frantically plugged in the security cylinder to interface with it. I squatted to the floor and started tapping the data pad, trying to establish a link.

 

Ross got next to me. “What are you doing?” Fear clearly present in his voice.

 

“Quiet! I need to concentrate!” I kept tapping the keypad and running through the security of the cylinder, trying to establish the interface.

 

Ross stood up and started pacing slowly turning his attention from the door to me and back again. I was distracted by his movement, but then came up with something I needed him to do. “Ross, I need you to destroy that body.”

 

“What!?” He shouted almost in protest.

 

I got up from my squatted position and calmly addressed him this time. “I need you to destroy that body or make it so they cannot ID him. I’m changing this cylinder to match me. If they can’t ID him, then we could say that he was an intruder.”

 

He looked at me with a gruesome expression. “What about the droid?”

 

I glanced away from my work and saw the droid was going to have to be destroyed. Then I thought of a brilliant way of covering up all the evidence we had with us... the blaster, the explosives, everything.

 

I pulled out the pistol I had in my pocket. “Use that on the droid. Make sure the memory is destroyed. Then set up our explosives around the room; make it look like he was going to bomb this place. Two bombs on the six computer cores leaves us with all we need. Place every other one on the body.”

 

He took the pistol, almost in panic. He feared that we were going to get caught this time and was on the verge of panic.

 

I couldn’t afford that... I needed him to do what I didn’t have time for, so I put my face within centimeters of his and tried to get him to calm down. I held his shoulders and got his attention on me. “Ross... I need you to do this. I need you to set up the bombs so it looks like an intruder set them up, but be able to disarm them. After this, we still need at least six. Then put whatever else we have on the body and move it away so it doesn’t take us out as well.” He was getting to the point of panic and I moved my hands to behind his head. I forced myself to smile as if everything was going to be alright, even thought it was the last thing I wanted to do. “We’ll get out of this... but I need you to act quickly. I know you can do it.”

 

He looked at me with great fear, but nodded and let go me. “I need you at one side of the room. Give me your charges.”

 

I removed my cloak and gave it to him. “I need to get this cylinder ready. Take out the droid’s memory and put the pistol onto the body. That would be even more convincing to have on him. I’ll say that I blasted him with lightning...”

 

“Yes! I know!” He shouted at me.

 

I would have been angry at him for that, but it was the greatest thing I ever heard from him. Anger was much better to have than fear.

 

I turned my attention back to the lock breaker and kept working. The sound of the blaster was very deafening for such a small weapon, but the droid was out for good. Then I heard the rhythmic sound of timers counting down as Ross moved across the room and by the computer cores. Then he dragged the body to the far side of the room to plant the last explosives... five remaining.

 

Then I heard the sound of the lock breaker completing the task of getting the interface with the cylinder. “Got it!” I shouted in great joy.

 

Ross looked at me with great relief, but it was broken by the sound of the door being accessed from outside. We had little time to celebrate. “Five bombs would be too much. I would only use one for this.”

 

I still had to download my information to the cylinder, so I didn’t have time to deal with anything else. “Just do what you must!”

[Burnseyy]

Ooh very suspenseful.

 

It's very interesting how Yuthura thought 'anger is better than fear' - does this mean that she's subconsciously turning Ross to the dark side? Yet another Jedi failing, that Yuthura isn't aware of?

 

Brilliant piece, here... can't wait to see the continuations. And no, that isn't me trying to make you speed up the process. Take your time.

[Darth_Yuthura]

She was glad that Ross was angry, but only because it meant that he had enough awareness of the situation to act. If he had not yelled, she might think that he would be too afraid to act. Anger was better than fear in that situation, but being calm would have been even better.

 

I'm trying to establish a range of feelings between these characters and show how dynamic one's thoughts are for the other. Ross would have to fall pretty far before you need to start being worried. Next chapter is well underway.

[Rev7]

wow. brilliant Darth_Yuthura! I really cannot wait until the next chapter. You really have me hooked now. Brillant I say!

[Darth_Yuthura]

wow. brilliant Darth_Yuthura! I really cannot wait until the next chapter. You really have me hooked now. Brillant I say!

 

Appreciate the compliment. I really am trying to explore certain issues in great depth and avoid repetition. There are certain lessons I try to include and hope that others take something away when they set this down.

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

This chapter had a suspenseful feel to it, all the sneaking around the base. Ross seems to have realized not to be totally submissive to Yuthura but they have very different views. Good suspense, good tension between the characters...

 

They despite their conflict work well I think. Ross keeps her aware of her anger and Yuthura is slowly turning him away from the goody goody to the what it takes to get it done guy. Slow, but I think I see it happening.

 

Take your time. Remeber the five week where I didn't post a single addition. *shudders* dark times...anyway, we will wait. Excellent addition.

 

~HOP

[Lance Monance]

Most fanfiction is of little interest to me but your fic is addictive. I'm hooked. Next chapter, please?