Chapter IV: Maris Brood Vs Starkiller: The Rematch
"Admiral Kataar, we've reached the destination Lord Starkiller's Navi-computer entered before we lost contact." one of the Lieutenants spoke from below deck. Admiral Kataar stepped forward towards the large windows, walking past the bridge personnel below him.
"Excellent. With any luck, Lord Starkiller is down on that planet somewhere. Send word to the scouts to begin with the forest areas first. Then move on to the smaller towns. Start from least populated to most heavily." he ordered.
"Yes, sir." the Lieutenant confirmed, beginning to apply the order as directed. A few moments passed before another crew member spoke up.
"Sir, sensors indicate that Lord Starkiller is visible in a small town just north of our present course." Admiral Kataar felt something was off. Having served under Lord Starkiller once before, he understood that the Sith knew better than to hide in plain sight.
"We were expected. Prepare to fire weapons. He may have betrayed the Empire and gone rogue," Kataar ordered. Upon command, all the cannons on the Star Destroyer pointed toward the location of the Sith Lord.
Meanwhile...
Unbeknownst to the crew of the star ship, a Sith Apprentice was crawling through the air ducts. Cloaked in black with her hood up, she managed to find an escape hatch and opened it. She was greeted by the atmosphere of the world, sickeningly sweet to her senses. With practiced acrobatics, she grabbed the roof of the hatch and threw herself out, flipping upward towards the top of the starship. The Force carried her most of the way. She gripped the edge of the deck and threw herself up. The wind blew the hood off of her face to reveal a grey-skinned Zabrak female. Her cloak blew backwards, held on only by the string tied around her neck. Her lightsabers rattled in their holsters, shaped like two tonfa. Even in the setting sun, her eyes glowed a sickly orange as the Dark Side of the Force flowed through her.
"I'm coming for you, Starkiller." she growled under the rush of the wind.
On The Planet...
"What in Celestia's name is that?!" Applejack asked, the shock plain on her face.
Starkiller rose to his feet. He knew exactly what it was. He'd used them often and even dealt with one once. "A Class One Imperial Star Destroyer. Fairly common among the Empire's ranks. I'm not surprised they sent one of those after me." he replied.
"How in Tartarus are we supposed to compete with that?!" Rainbow Dash asked, throwing her hand in the direction of the ship as if to emphasize its mass.
"Watch closely." Starkiller replied. The ponies looked at Starkiller as he raised a single hand. Their attention turned to the Star Destroyer as it began to make creaking sounds from afar.
"Is... is it moving? I mean off course?" Twilight asked, her eyes widening into saucers as she watched the Star Destroyer begin to angle off course towards the ground.
"When using the Force, size is irrelevant. An item is only too big to move if you believe it to be." The Sith explained as he closed his fist slightly and began to slowly drag his arm down. The ship reacted accordingly by moving its nose downward towards the ground. Green lights began to protrude from the starship and the ponies identified them as the ship's weapons.
"You're going to crash it?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding excited. Starkiller didn't answer as he tried to focus everything on the destruction of the ship. That focus was divided as Imperial TIE Fighters were sent to stop him. With practiced efficiency, he continued to pull the Star Destroyer down at a slower rate with one hand while using the other to grab one fighter and throw it into another and proceeded to repeat the process. Pieces of TIE Fighters flew everywhere, undoubtedly hitting or at least coming close to hitting civilians, but Starkiller had to get rid of the big one, otherwise everyone would be dead.
"Try and protect the civilians as best you can. I have to get that ship grounded," Starkiller ordered. Twilight nodded and flew off towards the ground to gather Ponyville's inhabitants. It took only a few minutes, but when everypony was accounted for, Twilight erected a barrier just in time to prevent a sharp piece of a TIE Fighter's wing from killing them all.
After another few minutes of struggling, Starkiller's efforts bore fruit. The Star Destroyer kissed dirt, the sheer force of the landing combined with the solidity of the ground caused the hull to bend and break away. The Star Destroyer slid along the ground, uprooting trees and turning the lush greenery dirt brown in its wake. All that was left for Starkiller to do regarding the Destroyer was to stop it.
Using both hands this time, he pushed against the Destroyer's approach. The nose of the ship bent and shortened as the Force closed in on the vessel. The wreckage came to a screaming halt a few kilometers outside the town's edge.
"That. Was. AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash cried out, leaping into the air. Starkiller realized that when it came to the Force, this particular mare would always be easily impressed.
"It's not over yet." The Sith cautioned, jumping off the tower to land just beside Twilight's shield. The ponies had never seen Starkiller before and were immediately startled by his sudden appearance.
"Well done, Starkiller. That was an impressive display." Twilight commented, dropping the shield.
"Were there any casualties?" Starkiller asked. He wasn't sure why he bothered to ask that question, but Twilight was still smiling as she shook her head.
"Not a one, thanks to your quick thinking. Ponyville owes you a debt of gratitude," she replied. The Sith Lord couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement and pride at those words. However, the presence of the Dark Side brought that feeling to a screeching halt. He looked toward the wreckage and saw a hooded figure walking casually towards him. The height and stance of the entity revealed to him that it was a female, and she was strong in the Dark Side.
"Where are the tools I gave to you?" Starkiller asked.
"I gave the girls one each,” said Twilight.
"One will be enough." said Starkiller, grabbing the lightsaber at his side as he approached the Sith Warrior.
The Sith threw her arms forward to reveal bare grey skin and two tonfa sabers. Seeing them made Starkiller recall where he'd sensed that presence before.
"Maris Brood," muttered Starkiller. Twilight had the urge to ask who that was, but didn't act upon it. Starkiller felt her urge nonetheless and decided to elaborate. "A Zabrak female. She was the apprentice of a Jedi Master, one who I was ordered to kill as a test from my former master. Maris lost her way and fell to the Dark Side of the Force. Seems we're always at opposite ends of the board,” explained Starkiller.
"What's a Jedi?" Twilight asked.
"A Jedi is a Force user who is devoted to keeping the peace. It's like the karmic opposite of a Sith who seeks only power and stability under his or her rule. I was raised to be a Sith, but turned to the ways of the Jedi before falling back to the Dark Side once more. Now... I'm somewhere in between," Starkiller replied. Before Twilight could ask any more questions, Maris threw her hood back and removed her cloak entirely. All she had on her was her black leathery torso and tight black leggings with wrapped shoes. She then took out her lightsabers and activated them, revealing a deep red glow just like Starkiller's.
"She's got two of those things?" Twilight gasped.
"The number doesn't matter... still, better safe than sorry. Applejack, give me the lightsaber Twilight handed to you!" Starkiller called from atop the tower. Applejack lifted her hat and produced the saber. Even from down below, Starkiller could see it was Rahm Kota's old blade. The Ex-Sith didn't waste time and threw his hand into the air. The lightsaber flew out of Applejack's hand and made its way towards him before Maris intercepted and began to bring it towards her.
It had become a game of tug-of-war using the Force and the winner got a lightsaber. Starkiller was struggling to gain leverage over the young Sith. The Dark Side really had fueled her hatred for him. He could see it in her eyes.
"You're going to die, Starkiller! Our master has ordered it so." Maris hissed with a venomous tone in her voice. Even while speaking, she didn't give him any advantage over the lightsaber.
"I defeated you once before, and I can do it again!" Starkiller retorted. An idea came to mind as Starkiller began to charge the Force within his hand. At exactly the same time, Starkiller released his grip on the lightsaber and directed the charged energy towards it. Kota's Lightsaber was propelled towards Maris, the hilt striking her smack between the eyes. She lost all control over the lightsaber and it was free in the air. Starkiller dashed forward, just in time to grab it. With a flip, he activated his two lightsabers and brought them down on the young Sith. Maris had just enough time to recover herself and she activated her own sabers.
The hissing of the clashing blades could be heard from the top of the bell tower. Ponies watched in anticipation, wander and awe as the skills of the two aliens seemed beyond comprehension to them. Starkiller had had the crystal in Kota's lightsaber changed and the blade was now a nice crimson, fitting a Sith Lord. But, somehow, that color just didn't seem to fit the hilt given.
Maris shoved Starkiller away and took a second to collect herself. Starkiller began to measure her strength with her reaction time and adjusted his strength, speed and fighting style accordingly. The Force was used to augment these three aspects and he was almost ready to charge. All he needed to do was wait for the signal. It could have been anything, the falling of a leaf, the sneezing of one of the onlooking ponies, hell, even bird shit on his helmet. He waited and waited, circling with the Sith apprentice. Neither one showed signs of attacking.
"You've improved, Maris. But what of Shaak Ti? Would she approve of the path you've chosen?" Starkiller asked, trying psychological warfare.
"Shut up! I could ask you the same with your own Masters Would either Vader or Kota approve of your current situation? Going against the Emperor in such a fashion?" she countered.
"Both Vader and Kota wanted the Emperor gone, for different reasons. But at least their deaths weren't in vain like your old master's was. She was nothing more than a test for me. A graduation exam from Vader himself," Starkiller teased. Maris growled at him and made the first move.
"SHUT UP!" the Zabrak cried as she charged at Starkiller, who smiled under his helmet as he took one step forward, spun around and threw his arm out, parrying Maris' attack. The force of Starkiller’s blow sent Maris flying several feet backwards only to be stopped by the presence of a tree. Maris pulled herself up and charged at Starkiller once again.
"I have to kill you. Not just because the Emperor says it, but as revenge for my Master, Shaak Ti!' Maris yelled as she used a series of blows to try and wound her opponent, all of which Starkiller managed to either parry or outright dodge.
"And what makes you think that your Jedi Master would want you to seek revenge?" Starkiller asked. Maris just refused to answer and continued her barrage of attacks. Starkiller knew her technique well. She'd grown stronger, yes, the Force was stronger in her as well, but she hadn't altered from the same stale fighting style in the slightest. The fight was coming to a close, even with neither side injured.
Starkiller made a quick incision in Maris' leg, surprising her. She dropped down to one knee, but continued to fight. Another incision brought her to both knees. With her mind distracted, Starkiller simply used the Force to rip the lightsabers from her hands and send them to either side of the road. Maris was defenseless against Starkiller who now had both his sabers crossed before her throat.
"Go ahead. You spared me once before and it's only come back to the same situation. Kill me this time. Maybe then I can find the answer when I'm one with the Force." she goaded. Starkiller felt the Dark Side trying to persuade him into fulfilling her request and ending her life.
"Perhaps later." he said, deactivating his blades. He placed a hand over her head and channeled the Force into her. Within a second, Maris was unconscious, placed into a deep slumber. The ponies began to creep closer, examining the strange aliens. Starkiller took no notice of them as he looked at Kota's lightsaber, remembering the bright green it used to take on.
It was time to change things for the better.
Meanwhile, Back On The Death Star...
"She has fallen..." The Emperor softly said, anger and frustration laced within his voice.. "Maris Brood has failed me," he continued.
An elite member of a special task force dealing in the extermination of remnant Jedi knelt silently before the Emperor, knowing when he should and should not have spoken. This man was a Bounty Hunter by trade, but when it came to the Emperor, The Special Forces came first.
"What would you like me to do, my lord?" asked Boba Fett. The Emperor turned around to meet the Bounty Hunter clad in Mandalorian armor.
"Fortunately, we managed to receive some holo-footage from the ship before it was destroyed. Starkiller is on an uncharted planet in the Outer Rim. You will go there and eliminate Starkiller," Palpatine ordered. "And when you are done, I will send my fleets in to claim that... colorful eyesore of a planet for the Empire."
The Bounty Hunter bowed his head for a moment before standing to leave. He still owed Starkiller for mucking up his job working for the late Jabba the Hutt a couple years back and leaving him for dead. From what he heard, Jabba was strangled by Princess Leia, who he’d taken hostage, and his replacement had become Sarlacc food, a fate he’d had nightmares about being his own.
"I'm gonna need a team. They won't be coming back," Boba said matter-of-factly.
"Indeed..." the Emperor said before he pressed a button on his throne. "Bring them in."
Not even a moment later, a squad of Stormtroopers wheeled in several containment tanks containing what Boba could only assume had once been people, but had now been mutated and implanted with cybernetics to the point that they barely resembled abominations and monsters ripped right out of a horror holo-vid. Their razor sharp talons appeared to act as syringes, injecting their victim with the orange liquid, most likely some type of poison, that was embedded within the creatures. Following close behind were massive spider-like droids that had some pretty hefty defenses and seemed to be designed to construct and disperse the smaller spider-like droids that carried the same type of poison as the abominations.
"Some of Lord Vader's old pet projects, improved upon by my own scientists," the Emperor explained before indicating the creatures in the tanks. "My late apprentice's notes referred to these disgusting creatures as 'Terror Troopers.' They have been given an injection mechanism to disperse a powerful psychotropic hallucinogen, a panic-inducing poison. The Terror Walkers are designed to construct and disperse the smaller Terror Droids, which are equipped with the same type of poison. I trust these will suffice?"
An evil smile crossed Boba Fett's face, concealed by his helmet. "They'll do quite nicely, my lord," he said.
"Then I bid you take your leave," Palpatine said, prompting Boba to turn on his heel and head towards the elevator leading out of the throne room as the Stormtroopers who'd brought the Terror Troopers, Walkers, and Droids in did the same.
"Oh, and Boba..." The Emperor added, grabbing the man's attention once more. "If Maris is alive... kill her," he ordered, turning back around to watch over the maintenance of the Death Star. Boba Fett bowed once more before leaving the room. Under his breath, he muttered something that the Emperor heard, but took as a compliment.
"He still creeps me out."