Chapter 16 - The Fires of Ryloth [Continued 2] (1/2)

Part 4

Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force ”Retribution” Flagship; Hyperspace

She was bored. Reeealy bored!

All the channels the small holoprojector in her room could get were showing the same things, again and again! Or they were speculating about the consequences of the attacks on Coruscant.

She knew more about the CIS operation on the planet than the reporters anyway. So she had to speak with those folks from Republic Intelligence for days!

What was wrong with them anyway?! She told them the truth as she knew it the first time! And the second, and the third... She lost count how many time she had to repeat it! But they continued asking the same questions, day after day, until she was tempted to Force Choke them to death! That would at least be interesting... Riiight?!

The blue skinned woman pouted. If this was it, living was overrated!

The bland routine was driving her insane.

Where was that man, the one who saved her, anyway?! He promised that he'll talk with her soon. She had met him for a couple of minutes after she awoke. Then he somehow managed to persuaded her to speak with those people from Republic Intelligence and then disappeared. Men!

She glanced at the image shown by the holoprojector. It showed the domed building she thought was the Republic's Senate and dozens of small specks swarming it. Ah. It was showing how the clones ȧssaulting it. Again.

Her head whipped around and her mismatched eyes stared at the sealed door which slid into the walls with a quiet hiss.

”Hi! We finally have some time to catch up!” said the man who had saved her, and then sent her to this hellish boredom!

She felt his presence in the Force. It called to something dark deep inside her. She heard a seductive whisper before everything went red. She smiled, relishing in the feeling of power coursing through her very being. A growl escaped her lips before she sent a telekinetic push his way.

=RK=

Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force ”Retribution” Flagship; Hyperspace; twenty minutes earlier

I smirked at Jaybo who waited impatiently next to the workbench over which I was working. The kid wanted some ”serious” training. So I decided to oblige him.

The last component of the device I was finishing slid in place with a quiet click.

”Its done.” I declared cheerfully.

I used telekinesis to levitate the short cylinder, made of dull gray metal to the expectant hands of the kid.

”A lightsaber?! Cool!” he exclaimed and grabbed it from my intangible grasp.

Jaybo wasted no time in pressing the weapon's activation buŧŧon. A vibrant, azure blade came to life with the characteristic snap-hiss of a lightsaber. He stared at it and his brilliant smile fell. Jaybo pouted at me.

”Its blue!” he stated the obvious. ”You are a Sith, right?! And I'm supposed to be your apprentice! So why is it blue?!” he asked in accusing tone.

I grinned at the kid like the proverbial Chestire cat.

”You see, my young apprentice, while I may be a Sith, you are not. Not yet at any rate. Two things must happen first, for you to be one.” I started lecturing my student. ”First, you have to want to be a Sith, and frankly you don't know enough yet to make an educated decision. When the time comes that you know the basics, you'll have to make a choice.”

”You are damn persistent with sending me back to school!” Jaybo grumbled.

I chuckled. Oh, he had no idea!

”Second, you have to earn the right to be called a Sith. But that is a topic for a later time. Now, you wanted some ”serious” training, as you put it, didn't you? Oh, my foolish, young apprentice. You'll learn to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes it comes true!” I gave him an evil smile with accompanying chuckle which made him take a hasty step back.

I used the Force to manipulate the contents of couple of lockers which were hugging the wall behind Jaybo. Their doors snapped open and six fist sized spheres flew out. They had small red blisters spread evenly over their surface.

”Uh, oh.” muttered my apprentice.

The spheres darted forward and surrounded Jaybo, floating about a meter and a half over the floor.

”The average Jedi starts training with one of these toys. I naturally expect better of you.” my smile grew wider.

One of the balls sent a tiny, red bolt of energy at Jaybo who jumped out of the way, letting the attack to harmlessly splash on the ground.

”I've shown you how to access the Force. Let it flow through you, then use it to enhance your perception and reflexes. Soon enough you would be consistently seeing the attacks a moment before they occur. When you reach that stage, what you need to do is train your body to be able to keep up.”

”Ouch!” exclaimed Jaybo after he was not fast enough in avoiding the next attack.

”Tsk. You have a training saber now, kid. Use it.”

He tried to parry the next attack, but missed, and started waving around his left hand which was stinging from the hit.

”It hurts!” he grumbled.

”It will keep you motivated to get the hang of it faster. Besides you have stage two to look up to!” I quipped.

”Do I even want to know!?” he exclaimed.

This time two of the spheres shot at him. Jaybo sidestepped one bolt and managed to interpose the blade of the training lightsaber in the path of the other attack, deflecting it at the ceiling. It was crude, but worked.

”That's the spirit!” I cheered him. ”Just remember, next you'll have to do it with your eyes closed.” I smirked.

”What?!” Jaybo exclaimed, loosing his concentration. ”Argh! Delkatar, you bastard!” he shouted when three bolts struck him simultaneously.

”Have fun kid!”

I left the grumbling Jaybo to his fate and headed for a meeting I've postponed for more than long enough.

=RK=

Perhaps I should have made the time to visit my guest earlier. Much earlier.

I could feel her frustration and boredom. Not a good combination for a Force Adept, especially one whose training I suspected to be a hack job. Oh, boy. I had my work cut out for me.

I nodded to the squad of clones guarding the room of the woman I saved and waited while they executed a security scan. They all knew better than becoming sloppy. I made sure of that.

I really should have met her earlier. For the past week or so since she awoke, the Chiss female was known only as Azure, the code name given to her by RI. Not terribly original. She needed a real name.

At least she had managed to control herself and the agents who interrogated her made it out of those interviews unscathed.

Perhaps it was time for me to get myself a personal staff. There was only one of me and an eternally increasing mountain of paperwork that had to be done in order for my fleet to keep running. That was before the conception of Operation ”Retribution”. Now, despite Piett being back from Naboo and doing excellent job as my aide, I was simply swamped. Even getting Veers to help didn't improve the situation.

I lamented the days of the Empire when I could simply dump most of that never sufficiently damned paperwork on my minions. I frowned. That thought just reminded me that I didn't have minions anymore.