Purchased skills were strange. Technically, I had the knowledge of a Blade Master. I knew how to hold the blade, the techniques, and counters. It was the practical knowledge that I was lacking. Sparring like this was as much for me as it was for Ahsoka. It helped that I acquired the practical aspect of things at an accelerated rate. My skill with blasters was far ahead of that with a lightsaber.
Carrie watched from the side of the platform. She looked over the selection of practice weapons but didn't say anything. I made a mental note to ask if she wanted to spar as well.
"Why aren't we using training sabers?" Ahsoka asked.
"It's a psychological trick," I replied.
She stared at me for a moment.
"It helps your mind disconnect from actual combat," I clarified. "You've been using a lightsaber for real combat for a while. Your natural instinct will treat it as an actual fight. This is practice, these are practice weapons. Your brain will make that connection."
She shrugged.
"We'll spar for a stretch," I explained. "Then we'll switch to half-speed to adjust technique and address anything that comes up." I paused. "Armor or no armor?"
Ahsoka jumped like she had been shocked, "What?"
"Do you want to fight me with my armor or without?" I asked. "I could also see if I had armor that would fit you or have some made for you if you'd like."
"You would take off your armor just like that?" Ahsoka asked in reply.
I shrugged, "You seem tense. It might help."
"I'm tense because I just woke up in a strange place with no idea how I got here and I'm being held captive by a crazy person," She snapped.
I chuckled, "I see how you got the nickname Snips."
"What did you say?" She narrowed her eyes.
I ignored her question, propped my stick against my leg, and unlatched my helmet. Her breath hitched as my head was exposed. I continued removing my armor ignoring her shock. The main reason I was taking it off was to show her who I was under the armor. It unnerved me a lot more than I let on. This armor was like a second skin to me these days. I felt naked without it.
Carrie stepped up to take my armor. She placed it to the side in a carefully stacked pile.
"What are you?" Ahsoka asked. "I've been to some backwater planets, but I don't think I've seen someone like you before."
"I'm one of the last of my people," I shrugged. "Originally, we were called Sith. We go by Ryett now for obvious reasons."
"Sith?" Her voice rose as she said the word.
I nodded, "Which is exactly why we changed it. The Sith are a boogeyman to the galaxy at large. I'm trying to bring my people back from extinction. A crusade to eradicate us would complicate matters."
"You're not a Sith?" She asked.
"I am a Sith," I smiled. "Just not that kind of Sith."
I rolled my shoulders and raised my blade. Ahsoka understood the unspoken command. She dropped into a defensive stance. Her eyes scanned me a few times searching for any sign of the lightsaber form I would use. My knowledge of the forms was limited to the fact that they existed. The details beyond that escaped me. I vaguely recalled that Dooku used a complicated dueling form that most people didn't. My focus was on her stance rather than potential style with my limited knowledge to draw upon.
Ahsoka held her blades in a proper grip rather than reversed. Her feet were slightly wider than shoulder-width. The muscles along her legs and torso were tense and ready to pounce. I kept my stance loose, ready to adjust to whatever would come.
She burst into motion, springing forward with her practice blades sweeping in from two directions. I stepped back out of range. She flowed through the missed strike. Her next swing moved both blades as one, sliding upward at an angle. I twisted to the side to slip out of the way.
Ahsoka changed her approach. One blade went low while the other aimed high. I pushed forward inside of her range so she couldn't complete her swing. My knee came up smacking her in the chest. The impact knocked her back a few steps. She didn't let that slow her down falling backward and rolling over her shoulder.
"You want to play it like that?" Ahsoka asked with a wide smile. "I'm game."
She lunged forward sweeping at my feet with both legs following with her blades. I blocked her blades with my own stopping her mid-swing. The impact sent a jolt up along my arms. I snapped out a kick expecting her to dodge it, which she did, and pressed my attack.
My blade came down at an angle aimed at her shoulder. Ahsoka spun away with a swipe at me as she did. Most of my knowledge was from theory while she was mainly practical. This was also the first time I had fought someone with two blades. Maul was more like fighting someone with a staff rather until I crushed the lower portion.
I lifted my leg to avoid a strike, hopped back from her follow up swing, and blocked a sneaky kick with my other leg. Her speed and focus were impressive. She never let her frustration become true anger and adjusted her style as the fight continued.
She hopped out of reach, "You're fighting defensively."
"I'm assessing your style," I replied.
Her eyes went wide, "How many people have you fought with?"
"In a one-on-one duel?" I clarified. "Just Maul. Most of my experience is against multiple ranged opponents."
She cocked her head to the side, "And you're a Master?"
"Nope," I replied with a chuckle.
She gawked at me, "But you're training Anakin."
"To be a Mandalorian," I corrected. "I'm keeping him away from the Jedi."
"But he's the chosen one!" She yelled.
"Exactly," I nodded. "No one should grow up with that hanging over their head. Being a Mandalorian won't change his fate if he truly is the Chosen One. Whatever that means."
"He's supposed to bring balance to the Force!" Ahsoka continued.
"Think about it, Snips," I spoke evenly. "Was he being the 'chosen one' helping him at all? Did the Council give him more training?"
"No," She shook her head. "That isn't the point."
I nodded, "They did pile on extra responsibilities and expectations. Do you think your Anakin was happy with how they treated him?"
"He didn't care much for the council," She shrugged.
I studied her for a long moment, "Do you want to know how things progress in your world?"
"How would you know?" She asked. "Are you a seer?"
I shook my head, "I like you Ahsoka, you're also the second person I've summoned from another dimension. You're going to find this galaxy isn't the one you know."
"And you know the future of my world how?" She asked in a tone that all teenagers know.
I kept my expression neutral, "This dimension, world, galaxy, or whatever you want to call it is a story where I'm from. Like a holo-vid. This world started out like yours, but your past. More than just the timeline has changed. There are people here that don't exist where you are from. Technology too."
"My life is a holo-drama?" She asked narrowing her eyes at me.
I nodded, "In another world, yes. Where I'm from all of this is fiction. Here it's reality."
"How?" She asked.
I shrugged, "No clue. I can still tell you what was supposed to be your future."
"Fine," She sighed. "Tell me."
I sat on the floor and motioned for her to do the same. She did.
"As the war progresses the stress on Anakin increases," I explain. "A dark lord in the shadows uses this to manipulate him. They stoke his discontent with the council. You two start to be separated for missions for some odd reason. It has nothing to do with isolating Anakin to further erode his faith in the Jedi. Plus, his hidden marriage with Padme complicates matters."
"I knew it!" She yelled. "Sorry, continue."
I chuckled, "No problem. You should see them now. He's already in love."
She smiled.
"You are framed for a bombing in the Jedi Temple," I continue after a moment. "You are put on trial and lose your faith in the Jedi. You continue on with your post, but step away from the Order."
"I leave the Order?" She asked.
I nodded, "It saves your life in the end."
"How?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"The Clones were created with a secret command chip," I explain. "There are specific orders that they are conditioned to follow. The eradication of Jedi being one of them."
"No," She gasped.
"Good soldiers follow orders," I whisper.
Her face lost some of its color. Apparently it was a phrase she had heard before.
"Activating a single order turns the clones on the Jedi," I explain. "The Order is cut down from a few thousand to less than a hundred."
"Does Anakin survive?" She asked hopefully.
I sighed, "In a way."
"Does he survive or not?" She snapped.
"The Dark Lord in hiding corrupts him," I replied. "He becomes Darth Vader, Sith Lord. He arrives when the Jedi tries to arrest the Sith Lord and kills Mace Windu in the process. From there, he is recruited. His first mission is to purge the Jedi temple."
She scrunched her brow, "The temple? Why? The only people there are younglings and teachers."
"And he leads the 501st in killing as many as he can," I said.
"No!" Ahsoka screamed. "He would never."
I take a deep breath and let it out before continuing, "Younglings, healers, teachers, and anyone else that happened to be there. Anakin Skywalker dies that night, and Darth Vader is born. Obi-Wan tracks him to Mustafar where Vader was sent to kill the surviving Separatist leaders. Padme tries to appeal to his love for her. He's too far gone, thinking she has betrayed him as Obi-Wan had stowed-away on her ship. She dies shortly after giving birth to their children."
She was visibly crying now.
"Anakin and Obi-Wan fight," I continue. "Obi-Wan wins but can't bring himself to kill the man he considers a brother. Anakin is left on the planet burned, broken, and barely alive which is were his Sith Master finds him." I pause for another breath. "The specter that is Darth Vader hunts and kills as many of the surviving Jedi as he can over the next twenty years. You are on the run until you cross paths with the burgeoning rebellion."
Ahsoka wiped the tears from her eyes, "You know, don't you?"
"Know what?" I asked.
She glared at me, "This Sith Lord you mentioned. The one that stole Anakin and killed the Jedi."
"Yes," I nodded.
Ahsoka jumped to her feet, "Then why don't you stop him now before all of that happens?"
"I doubt people would listen to a random Mandalorian that killed the Chancellor," I stated flatly.
Her eyes went wide in shock, "The Chancellor?"
"Palpatine used the situation on Naboo to further his political station," I explained. "He covertly ordered the creation of the Clones. He is also the one that created the Separatists. The war is a smoke-screen to spread the Jedi thin, distract the populus, and place those loyal to him in positions of power while targeting his enemies in the conflict."
"You could arrest him," Ahsoka announced. "You don't have to kill him. Then you could get him to confess to everything."
I shook my head, "You're a Jedi. You hear that the Chancellor has been kidnapped and is being held hostage. To make matters worse, he was taken by a Mandalorian that has already gathered a number of followers. What would you do? What would the galaxy at large do? The Clone Wars haven't started yet. I may have delayed it by a few years at best. Palpatine has backup plans for his backup plans."
"What do we do?" She looked lost.
I got to my feet to stand with her, "I'm gathering the Mandalorians to prepare for the Clone Wars. Tatooine has been freed from slavers and the Hutts. I'm a long way off from being able to stand against Palpatine. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop."
"What about the clones?" Ahsoka asked. "I can't let him do this to them."
A sly smile crossed my face, "I am in the market for some clones."
"What?" She asked.
"Like I told you earlier," I answered. "I'm one of the last of my kind. Kaminoans might be able to increase our number. It just depends on if they can provide genetic diversity to bring us back to a viable species."
She walked over to the rack to return her practice blades, "I don't feel like sparring anymore."
I watched her walk away. Carrie approached me with my armor in her hands.
"Was it too much?" I asked.
Carrie shook her head, "She needed to know."
+100 FPThe Truth Hurts+100 FPBut It Will Set You Free[Roll – Bank – Shop]
I had been neglecting the shop.
SHOP.
[Brave – 100 FP][Anything is possible when you’ve got the nerve and you have that in spades. You keep your cool in the heat of battle even when seriously outclassed and continue to think rationally in spite of any fear you feel.]
[Animal Magnetism – 300 FP][Beasts naturally seem to like you, will not hurt you unless provoked and tend to follow your instructions.]
[Refractory Period Removal – 100 FP][The recovery phase following orgasm, typically lasting from minutes to several hours, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm. Not you. You can keep going until you run out of energy or get bored.]
[Re-Roll Shop – 100 Forge Points]
Damn. Those were all good. It was also a small reminder that I hadn't gotten laid in quite a while. Bo had been a casual tumble so her hooking up with Beth wasn't an issue. Sabe wasn't as young as I thought and she was clearly attracted to me. It didn't feel right to sleep with Mette. I will admit to having a crush on Ahsoka. Her age was potentially an issue. Galactic Age of Consent didn't mean I would be comfortable following through with it.
PURCHASE ALL.
Brave, Animal Magnetism, Refractory Period Removal – 500 Forge PointsCONFIRM. Yes - No
YES.
[Balance: 950 Forge Points]
RESTOCKING SHOP.
[Roll – Bank - Dismiss]
Nine-hundred and fifty points. I had plenty for another roll.
ROLL.
[COST: 500 FP][SKILL: Esteem][Regardless of the path you choose, you will steadily and reliably rise in prominence. Your actions do not go unnoticed, and your presence leaves a lasting impression on society. Over time, you become a recognized figure whose influence shapes public perception and discourse. This effect carries across worlds, ensuring that wherever you go, you naturally become a focal point—whether as a symbol of inspiration, authority, or fear.] [Purchase – Dismiss]
That was a good one too considering my focus on becoming Mand'alor.
PURCHASE.
[Balance: 450 Forge Points]
It was a good time to stop now. I didn't want to waste my points on something I didn't need.
~
I sat at one of the stations on the bridge. There wasn't much else to do at the moment, which gave me plenty of time to get to know the ship. The controls were rather extensive compared to the Zepplin. Part of the reason was that the ship was much larger as well as a military vessel. The other part being how old the systems were. They still functioned just fine, but they lacked the refinement of newer ships.
The communications array had scans running on frequencies that no one used anymore. Ancient Republic channels that were now overrun with droid binary, forgotten Jedi transmissions that floated along undiscovered for centuries, and the occasional connection to something I didn't recognize.
It made the fact that it picked up a recent distress beacon all the more impressive.
"This is Jedi Knight Ky Narec, I am stranded on Rattatak and request assistance," Words came through the static just clear enough to understand. "My ship has been destroyed. Standard Galactic channels are being jammed. This old Jedi distress beacon is all I have. Repeat, this is Jedi Knight Ky Narec. My padawan and I are stranded on Rattatak and request assistance."
I listened to the message play a few more times, "Carrie, can you tell me how old that message is?"
"Two Galactic Standard years," She replied. "There are no replies on record."
Rattatak. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place why.
"Bring up the Galaxy Map," I ordered.
The planet was on the Outer Rim practically on the opposite side of the map.
"How long would it take to get there?" I asked.
Carrie stared off for a moment before replying, "One Galactic Standard Week, give or take a day from our current location."
"What about from Alderaan?" I asked.
"About the same," Carrie answered. "Most of the travel time is due to sub-light travel once we leave the Corellian Trade Spine. There are smaller lanes that require dropping out of hyper-space for recalculations and adjustments."
I drummed my fingers along the armrest of the chair.
"We should go," Ahsoka spoke as she entered the bridge. "A rescue mission is more important than meeting the crew."
I looked at her over my shoulder, "Are you sure?"
"Someone needs help," She answered with a nod. "It's the right thing to do."
I shifted my gaze to Carrie, "It looks like we're taking a detour. I'm glad we didn't call ahead."
"We should still update them," Carrie cautioned.
I sighed, "Good point."
"Should we arrange for some Mandalorian support?" Carrie asked.
I shook my head, "We can handle this ourselves with the battle-droids we have on the ship." I paused. "Prep the commandos though. Don't tell them the mission yet, just to be ready in case they are needed."
"Roger, roger," Carrie replied.