The Sith Empress
By AJ Marks
Part 4
Jessica turned to confront the blond-haired man who was the obvious leader of the gang. Using the Force she held up a hand and began to choke him, an easy enough task for someone like her. The others now moved, many were backing away as they realized the power she wielded before she relented and the man dropped to the ground clutching his throat.
“What do you want?” he rasped looking up at her, his eyes fearful yet a hint of rebellion in them. He was not used to being treated in such a manner.
“This room,” Jessica replied calmly to him. “I want to avoid bloodstains on the carpet, they’re hard to get rid of.”
She felt the subtle shifts behind her with the realization they were drawing weapons. Spinning around she drew her lightsaber, the red blade coming to life even as they fired at her. She deflected the shots watching as three men slumped to the ground, two appeared to still be alive, the third probably dead.
The swift action caused the others to freeze, most the moment the lightsaber came to life. She knew they finally understood how dangerous she was, and with the ability to use the Force they probably knew she wasn’t a Jedi either.
“Now, leave my room and take your trash with you,” Jessica said pointing the lightsaber at the blond man’s throat. Everyone stood in silence for several seconds.
“Fine, we’ll leave,” the blonde man said, looking at a couple of others.
“If I see any of you near me again, I won’t hesitate to kill you,” she said to them, using the Force to intensify their fear.
Several heads nodded in agreement before rushing out of the room. The leader looked back into the room as he walked out, looking her over closely not that he saw much other than the black armor. She had a feeling she would see him again, but it didn’t matter to her she had her own problems to deal with.
Walking down to the front desk she informed the man the room was now free and she would be taking it. He barely hesitated handing over a key as she walked back up to the room to make herself at home.
*****
Tyi watched the black clad figure walk into the local hotel, one which he was familiar with considering the local gang used it for their headquarters. They protected the hotel from others while extorting protection money from other nearby businesses.
He watched for a while wondering what might happen next considering he had no idea what the mysterious person looked like. Some surprise when the members of the game came walking out of the building, two appeared to be carrying a body while two others appeared injured. All seemed to be a bit alarmed at whatever happened.
The group walked by and he was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation. From what he put together the black clad figure stormed into their room and demanded they all leave. There was a struggle and the gang had never felt anyone with so much power, the word Jedi floated though the conversation until another shot that down, saying a Jedi wouldn’t act that way and the stranger acted more like a Sith. A few scoffed at that, but continued on the way.
“Hey, you,” a man said causing Tyi to look over, recognizing the gang leader. “I know you hand out at the space docks, did you see a black clad figure land there recently?”
Tyi considered his words carefully before replying. “Yeah, and whoever it is scared everyone there, mechanics, dock workers and security. Whoever that person is they are not to be trifled with Blondie,” Tyi said recalling the man’s nickname.
“So they are new, no one kicks me out of my room,” Blondie said with a snarl. Tyi looked at the others and noticed they didn’t share the same view as he did.
“That person is more powerful than you realize,” Tyi said. “I get the feeling he was only showing the bare minimum.”
Tyi watched as Blondie no longer was listening to his warning as he and the group made their way down to the space docks. He settled back down watching to see who else came or went from the hotel. He kept an eye out for anyone who might be the right height but aside from that had no clue to the identity of the person in the armor. He did know the person was humanoid.
“Find me yet,” a smooth voice purred into his ear a short time later causing him to jump and turn around. He found himself staring into a pair of ice blue eyes which sent a shiver down his spine with the knowledge this was the person in the black armor.
He heard her chuckle before sitting down beside him. He quickly wondered how she had managed to exit the hotel without him noticing, as he looked at her a bit longer seeing a human female with long black hair and was actually quite stunning to look at. She seemed to be looking back at him in a strange way.
“I need information,” she said to him. “I’m looking for something.”
*****
Gaia went through her training exercises again as Master Skywalker had intensified the training after the attack on the Jedi Academy. He also strengthened the defenses of Yavin IV with the help of the New Republic. Several Jedi had died in the attack against Desann’s soldiers which were called Reborns and Shadowtroopers. Gaia only knew they had been trained in the Force and were tough opponents but knew nothing else aside from that.
A few strands of hair fell out of her ponytail and into her face but she remained focused on the droid in front of her. It was using two lightsabers to her one and she was having trouble keeping the droid at a distance. She looked for some sort of weakness in the attack it used which might be an advantage.
The droid attacked again giving her little time to formulate her defense. Using the Force to increase her speed she blocked the attacks before coming to the realization she had to disarm the droid. Putting a few feints into her attack she saw an opening against the droid. With a quick and precise strike she cut one of the lightsabers in half which evened the odds a bit more in her favor.
With only one lightsaber the Gaia now had time to think about what she might do next and her plan of attack. She deflected a few more attacks by the droid as she retreated slightly. Not at the point she was ready to carry out her plan, the droid attacked again with a side slash which she didn’t block and avoided causing the droid to be slightly off balance. A quick Force push send the droid of the edge and onto the rocks below.
Off to the side Jedi Master Fie-Tel shook his head as he watched Gaia go through her training. She refused to use deadly force even when pushed. He finally thought he had an answer, though pushing the droid off the river bank was a bit different, and not exactly deadly considering what might be down there, but perhaps it was a start.
“I see she’s being stubborn,” Luke said as he walked up to Fie-Tel.
“Yes she is Master Skywalker,” not taking his eyes off the blonde young woman.
“Its impressive that she’s ingenious enough to change her plans to what you toss her way,” Luke finally said giving him a smile.
“She is unlike any padawan you’ve given me yet,” Fie-Tel replied back to him. “I know we shouldn’t change her, but I want her to use force is she ever has to.”
“I know that, and she knows that,” Luke said pausing for several seconds before continuing. “Perhaps its time for the next part of her training.”
“Do you really think so master?”
“Yes, and call me Luke,” Luke replied back to him, a typical reply to the fact Fie-Tel always used the term ‘master’ when speaking to him. It was a gesture of respect from the old days.
“Of course,” Fie-Tel replied as he always did knowing he wouldn’t.
*****
Jessica paced around the room waiting for the time she would meet up with a person who called himself Tyi. She had gained some information from his yesterday and now she had an idea of where she might have to do to meet up with this mysterious Darth Zarius who contacted her in the Valley of the Jedi.
A knock on the door interrupted any further thoughts. She opened the door waiting for anyone, she would not be surprised and noticed Tyi standing there. He made good time which pleased her motioning him inside.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’m early,” he said to her as he walked inside.
“Nope, actually good timing, I hate to wait,” Jessica replied, putting on the black cloak and turning back to him. She knew she had a different look with the cloak on by the look on his face. It was amazing how a simple wardrobe change could do so much for a person.
She had asked him about some of the tombs in the area and he replied by telling her of some local legends. He also mentioned that there was a great power out there for those who were strong enough to take it. So far many had tried but no one had returned and the few who had were forever changed, and not in a good way. They became sniveling fools afraid of their own shadows.
Jessica knew he did not put much into the legends but it felt like she had been drawn here, and it was that power which she was looking for.
“You found out where it was?” she asked.
“Yeah, not an easy thing, the few who know don’t like to talk about it much,” Tyi replied.
“Good, let’s go,” she replied as they moved out of the room.
Walking out of the hotel the streets seemed normal to her, people walking around doing their best to scrape out a survival in the universe. She had bigger plans than such pitiful things. She knew people understood that by the way they moved out of her way.
“You there,” a voice said as they passed a street.
Jessica looked on to see a man with blond hair and realized he was the same one she had evicted from her room when she arrived at the planet. Moving on she could feel the currents of the Force informing her of the danger and welcomed it.
The man had set up a trap for her and with a smile she decided to spring it. This might be a way to loosen up a bit before the real action began later on.
“Come on, in the alley, now,” the blond man said pointing a blaster at them both. “And don’t try any funny business. Tyi get out of here now.”
“Wait here Tyi, I’ll be right back,” Jessica said calmly to him before walking unafraid into the alleyway where she noticed more gangmembers waiting for them. Several of them were afraid of her, she could feel the fear coming off them which would be useful to her. She looked around before turning her attention back to Blondie.
“Now, I know you were the one who kicked me out of my place, and no one does that to me,” Blondie said with rage, even thumping his chest when saying me.
She looked at the group before an idea came to her. “You are nothing but space slime,” she said to him, turning to the group. “Now, if you want to be more than that, join me. Attack me and you’ll die, its that simple.”
“Won’t work with my men,” Blondie replied before anyone else could. “Attack her!”
Jessica reacted with the rage she felt at the blond-haired man as her lightsaber came to life with a familiar click-hiss. She Force pushed several members into the wall while deflecting a few shots fired at her.
Her red blade became a blur as she went on the attack and ran though the men in front of her. She cut though several men with ease before ending up in front of the leader. The rest of the group stopped, a few backing away with fear of what she might do next. She merely waited to see what Blondie would do next, feeling the rage course though him and knew he wouldn’t back down.
“You’ll pay for that,” he finally said, raising a blaster at her.
“I thought you might be intelligent, but it appears I was wrong,” Jessica said raising her hand. Force lightning shot forth impacting into him causing him to convulse in pain before dropping to the ground as she poured it on. A small smile came to her lips as she felt the power course though her at what she was doing as the man died in front of her.
Putting her lightsaber away she turned to the rest of the group, no one speaking and she saw the fearful eyes as the encounter was now over, the leader was dead. Perhaps they would be more open to her proposal now?
“Well, that was fun, anyone else?” she asked looking around at the group watching as several quickly nodded no. A few others glanced at the bodies on the ground then back at her before backing off as well. “No, good. Now if any of you out there want more than this petty life, meet me here tomorrow night, spread the word.”
She left before anyone could reply and made her way back to where Tyi was sitting waiting for her. He tog up the moment he saw her coming and did not appear at all surprised she came back out alive.
“Let’s go,” she said to him.
End part 4