Star Wars Crawling Back To You

p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"It's true, we're all a little style="max-width: 100%;" /But it's so clear,br style="max-width: 100%;" /Now that I'm unchainedbr style="max-width: 100%;" /strong style="max-width: 100%;"Fear is only in our minds,br style="max-width: 100%;" /Taking over all the time./strongbr style="max-width: 100%;" /strong/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"It burned like embers had been buried in her skin. A shriek of pain escaped her lips as the lightsaber brushed her side, burning a hole through her clothes to touch her sensitive flesh. Nova bit down hard on her tongue and the scream cut off. The metallic taste of warm gooey blood filled her mouth. She concentrated on the flavor of it to keep her mind off of the searing pain in her right side./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You must not show weakness in battle."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"It was the first thing he'd said to her in over eight hours. Icy blue eyes glared at the expressionless black mask. Nova barely had time to fall backwards as his lightsaber swung down at her again. She deflected his next attack weakly, still scrambling on the ground. Her breathing came in heavy gasps, sweat pooling beneath her. The lightsaber was easily knocked from her hand and Nova fell back panting, her world spinning./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I-" she panted heavily, "Can't."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You must. And you will."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"That was more encouragement than he'd ever given her. Nova slowly dragged herself to her feat, managing to leap back this time as his lightsaber came down. Extending her hand, her own saber flew into it, igniting in time to block Vader's next stroke. The two crimson blades clashed angrily and Nova felt all the muscles in her body straining against him. She knew she would never beat him with strength, instead she'd have to use cunning and precision to bring him down. The fact that he wasn't even out of breath did nothing to bolster her nerves./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader felt her resilience fading as she gave ground, her strokes becoming slower and weaker. With a simple force push he could have sent her sprawling, but that was not what he was there to do. The Emperor was working with Nova on her use of the force, here they worked on lightsaber combat. It would be some time before the two would be combined. Strengthening his attack, the girl barely had time to deflect the angry red blade. Quite suddenly her body went limp and she fell back and hit the ground hard in a dead faint. Vader observed her coldly, deactivating his lightsaber. She was weak. She was nothing. Turning he took a step to leave./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Twirling around, Vader's lightsaber clashed with her's, but not before she had shredded the lower right corner of his cloak. Panting she glared at him, and in her eyes were anger, fury, and hate. Good. The Emperor would be pleased. Shoving her back Vader had his lightsaber to her throat in moments. Nova's jaw clenched at the burning blade so close to her skin but did not make a sound. Perhaps he had underestimated her. His blade edged a little closer to her neck and her eyes clouded over in pain. It would be so easy. To end the threat here and now. He would pay for it, but the Emperor would not kill him, would perhaps even show him new respect. He stared at the lightsaber so close to her throat and swallowed dryly./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"She stood perfectly still. Was this another test in patience? Or was she supposed to get out of it? No. Nova sensed there was something much darker going on here. She dared not breathe lest the movement bring her into closer contact with his blade. The heat was burning her skin and Nova was almost biting her lip in two from crying out. Her legs were shaking from exhaustion but she couldn't move or she'd die. And the adrenaline pumping through her veins wouldn't allow that, it stimulated her senses, kept that primitive basic need functioning; survival./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"It seemed an eternity before Vader was dragged out of his dark thoughts as his eyes were pulled up to watch a single tear carve its way down her cheek. Her blue eyes were wide with pain and Vader stepped back, deactivating his lightsaber. Nova fell to her knees, shuddering. She took in large shaking gulps of air and looked up at him, but Vader had already turned to walk away./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"He thought, hollowly, that he'd need a new cloak./p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"Fear is only in our minds but it's taking over all the timebr style="max-width: 100%;" /strongstrong style="max-width: 100%;"You poor sweet innocent style="max-width: 100%;" /strongstrong style="max-width: 100%;"Dry your eyes and testify./strong/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The angry red welt on the side of her neck was starting to fade, but you couldn't tell that from above the bandages. It was wrapped around her neck as if someone had taken a knife to her throat. A similar bandage covered her side and smaller patches tended to the scrapes and minor burns. The salty sweat that fell into the still raw wounds must have been excruciating but none could tell that from the look on her face. One of pure concentration./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader watched impassively as Nova ran the course, deflecting blaster fire with her saber, cutting down droids, dropping and doing one handed push-ups on her fingertips and assorted flips and handstands at set points. The course changed daily so that she would never acclimate to it. Instead she was kept constantly on her toes, changing from saber to force use, sprinting between stations./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"He knew the Emperor was pleased with her progress, and secretly Vader was slightly impressed. He'd only ever trained Starkiller, but that had been from a very young age and Nova was already catching up to how advanced she should have been if she'd been trained from the proper time. Vader himself hadn't started training until nine years old, quite late compared to many Jedi, but it was nothing compared to Nova's fifteen years. It was obvious to him now that the Emperor had been waiting for Nova's powers to awaken before starting her training. It explained the Emperor's anger at the extended time it took for her powers to break free from the shield in her mind. Her training had been delayed by a good five years./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"His mind returned to the pale figure, fighting for all she was worth, in front of him. She had changed in the months of training she'd thus far endured. Her body, always lithe and thin, had gained shape and muscle. Her frame was not bulky, but defined. There was now a dangerous aura that hung around her and already she would be a match for many strong warriors. Vader knew for certain, however, that she was still no match for a member of the Emperor's royal guard and would not stand a chance against a Jedi. Despite her obvious progress Vader knew that she needed to learn faster or she'd soon be killed, the Emperor wanted to send her on missions and she wasn't yet strong enough./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"As Nova completed the course Vader registered that it had been done much faster than she usually took. Another surprise. Vader wondered if it had anything to do with him watching her. Perhaps she learned so quickly because she felt that she had to. If that were true then Nova really had changed greatly from that young suicidal child he'd first met. She might actually be of use if she'd found a reason to live./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Come here." he said, and she glanced up at him, wincing as she did so from across the room. Wiping a towel across her face she hurried over to him, standing in front of him wearily, ready to reach for her saber at any moment. Nova developed a bored sneer as she stood in front of him, looking every bit a Sith apprentice but for her white uniform. The tight white fabric stirred the memory of another woman in his mind but Vader pushed it back down and smothered it before the image could fully surface and take shape./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""What is it my Lord?" She asked after he said nothing, prepared to wait hours for the answer to her question. She knew there was nothing in this universe or any other that could make him talk if he didn't want too./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader inwardly frowned at the hoarseness of her voice. The sound still hadn't dissipated, her vocal chords remaining ruff and scarred after nearly a week since the lightsaber duel that had ended in her neck burn. He wondered if it would ever go back to the soft lilting soprano or if her voice would remain scratchy and torn like the rest of her body./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You have improved much," he said and an expression of shock flickered across her face. "But not enough."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Yes Lord Vader," she said through clenched teeth. Did he have any idea how hard she'd been working? How far she'd pushed herself? And he had the nerve to say she was not good enough, after only four months of training./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You will practice longer and I will no longer be so lenient on you." He said and her eyes narrowed. 'Lenient'?/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Yes Lord Vader."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"By the time he was done with her it was nearly three in the morning and she was covered head to toe in bruises and burns. As she wearily dragged herself up towards her chambers she sensed something. Something was not right, someone was in pain. Nova turned hesitantly and her senses led her to the Emperor's chambers. She paused and stared trying to make a decision. Two red guards stood at attention outside of his doors and she walked towards them hesitantly. As she expected the guards did nothing and she crept close to the door, placing her ear against it./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Nova jumped back at the scream she heard and turned to run but something stopped her in her tracks. Instead she found herself back at the door, prying it open. When she saw what was behind it she did run./p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"You know you live to break me. Don't style="max-width: 100%;" /Sweet style="max-width: 100%;" /One day I'm gonna forget your name,br style="max-width: 100%;" /And one sweet day, you're gonna drown in my lost style="max-width: 100%;" /strong/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Tears would not come, but the hollow feeling in her chest was worse. The image had been cemented in her mind for over a month now. The young boy couldn't have been more than thirteen. But now he was dead, his blood had stained the Emperor's chambers and his body had been systematically destroyed. The torture the child had endured surpassed all imagination and it haunted her. Nova knew it was her fault. If she hadn't been so busy with her training the Emperor would not have had to go to another to fulfill his sadistic desires. Nova was not unused to Palpatine having other lovers but he had never been so violent with anyone other than her. It was obvious now that since they'd both had such little free time due to her training the Emperor's sadistic urges had been building./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Now as she walked back from another torturous sparring match with Lord Vader she sensed pain once again and without thinking, headed quickly to the Emperor's quarters. There was no hesitation this time, no pause to acknowledge the guards, instead Nova boldly threw the door open and walked in. Her cold eyes turned to the young bleeding girl in the Emperor's bed and she glared at her./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Get out." Nova snarled, the young child quickly complied, racing from the room, shredded clothing clutched to her body. Palpatine observed Nova silently from where he lay, a small smile on his face./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Hello my butterfly."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""My lord," Nova said, with a deep curtsy, before walking forward. "I'm afraid I have been neglectful of you these past months."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I am prepared to accept your neglect." That made Nova pause in surprise. Palpatine was offering her a way out, at least partially. His abuse would be turned on another and Nova would be free, freer than she could have ever imagined. She looked at the door, all she had to do was turn and walk away. But there was the memory again, all the blood of that small boy and the terrified look on that girl's face. And something inside her, something left of her humanity that hadn't been driven out that kept her rooted to the spot./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I am your mistress my lord, you chose me," she said, her eyes cast down, shielded from his stare by thick lashes, "My neglect should not be permitted."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Then it shall not," he confirmed, his smile widening before crooking a finger at her. "Come here my butterfly."/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"I dream in darknessbr style="max-width: 100%;" /I sleep to die,br style="max-width: 100%;" /Erase the silence,br style="max-width: 100%;" /Erase my style="max-width: 100%;" /strong/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The sight seemed so familiar, the bandages wrapped around her body, carefully disguised by loose white clothing. He almost felt pity for her if it weren't so pathetic. Her movements were slower and weaker than normal but Vader gave her no leniency. He soon had her on her knees before him, she was sweating profusely with new scrapes and burns. Deactivating his lightsaber Vader stepped away./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I'm sorry," she managed, falling to the ground with a gasp of pain./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Sorry is not acceptable." Vader sneered coldly./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Alright," she breathed through her teeth, dragging herself to her feet. She stepped back painfully into a fighting stance and leveled her saber at him. "Again."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader defeated her quickly with little effort. Throwing her to the ground and stepping back./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You are weak." He told her apathetically. "If you want to survive you must do better."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I'm trying."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""That's not good enough, you must succeed."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Then help me to!" She snarled, rushing at him. Good, Vader thought, her anger made her strong, it made her powerful. Nova still had yet to grasp that concept, once she did she would have the ability to stand against a Jedi. A weak Jedi, but a Jedi nonetheless. If she didn't figure that out soon Vader wasn't sure she'd live much longer. Her icy blue eyes blazed in her hatred of him and her broken soul seemed to scream for his death. He would not give it to her so easily though he longed for her to take it./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Her entire body was practically a mass of scars and burns by now with the exception of her face which was left relatively untouched. The stress she was under must have been enormous, there had been days she hadn't been able to get up and Vader had to physically drag her from bed. She was never given enough time to fully recover before being inflicted with more wounds./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Nova was caught in the side of her head by Vader's metallic fist and once more fell to her knees. The blood dripped into her left eye, temporarily blinding her. Nova knew that if she didn't do something quickly she'd once again be defeated./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Rolling backwards she threw her hand up and shoved against him with the force, instinctively knowing where he was. Her sense of satisfaction was cut short when she felt a large metal object slam into her back, throwing her to the ground. When her head stopped spinning enough to allow her to look she saw that it was a tile, ripped from the wall./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader raised her off the ground where she was lying and threw her back with one swift flick of his wrist. Her groan as she impacted with the wall fifteen feet away was barely audible. She slid to the floor, the bone in her right forearm sticking out of the skin. Blinking back tears of pain Nova tucked her useless arm into her tunic, grimacing with pain but quickly doing her best to mask it. As she stood slowly Nova realized that by using the force against Vader in their fight she'd now given him permission to incorporate it into their training. Spitting blood out on the floor Nova held out her left hand, her lightsaber flying into it./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Twin blades of fiery red clashed half a moment later. A half moment after that Nova was once again bombarded with chunks of metal and machinery being ripped from walls and flung at her. She was barely able to deflect the smaller projectiles and had to duck and jump away from the larger ones. Blood and sweat stained her skin, hair, and her white suit. Nova was once more thrown to the ground, this time unconscious. A small blood pool was quickly forming beneath her as medi-droids scurried in to bandage her. A large gash had been opened, running from her left cheek up into her hairline. Nova's labored breathing implied at least a few cracked ribs. The blood stood out brilliantly, bright scarlet against her pale skin and clothes./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The red suited her, gave her an illusion of life./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader turned and walked from the room, unwilling to see her mangled body. It took so much strength to keep from killing her every time they sparred. He would not give her that mercy, not release her from the pain until she had endured all that he had. Glancing down at his hand he rubbed away the blood that was crusting onto his body armor./p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"Our burning ashesbr style="max-width: 100%;" /Blacken the day,br style="max-width: 100%;" /A world of nothingness,br style="max-width: 100%;" /Blow me awaybr style="max-width: 100%;" /strong/p  
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p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The Imperial Palace was a Galactic wonder, taller than everything on Coruscant, the home of the Emperor, of the Galactic Senate, and the Mistress. It was also the center of Court, where up and ups rubbed elbows and made connections. As Nova walked in slightly behind the Emperor, her silvery hair carefully and skillfully done up to hide the scar on her left cheek, she could not help but lift her chin in revulsion. As the Emperor seated himself on his throne Nova resisted the desire to fiddle with her heavy diamond choker, instead hovering slightly behind and to the right of Palpatine's chair like a ghost./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Nova was aware that her presence at his side today was a reward. Though Palpatine had been once again growing annoyed by her lack of progress her latest sparring match had pleased him to no end. Though still defeated by Vader she had managed to slice off two of his mechanical fingers, a greater feat than she'd ever managed before, and she'd come away from the battle with barely a scratch. Palpatine had been gentle with her for the first time in years when they made love, it was almost pleasant, she had orgasmed and that had pleased him almost as much as her hurting Vader. Of course it made her feel absolutely vile./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Quickly turning her thoughts away from such memories Nova shifted slightly and looked out at the crowd. Her eyes alighted instantly on the vivacious red headed dancer who Palpatine was also watching. Mara Jade was a beautiful woman, with the kind of curves and buoyant personality Nova would never have. On the outside she appeared just a simple dancer, but Nova knew she was dangerous. Jade couldn't have been much older than herself and was brought to the palace as a child. Jade had been carefully trained to be an Emperor's Hand, sent on dangerous and impossible missions that were of the utmost secrecy and importance. Mara was a powerful force-sensitive, but not as powerful as Nova, only a back-up./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"She had recently gotten back from a scouting mission. Nova mentally frowned, wondering what Jade had found. She'd most likely reported her findings already./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Feeling cold eyes on her Nova looked up suddenly, her gaze lighting on the man for a moment before she looked away. Grand Moff Trachta was one of the few men who scared her, third on the list after the Emperor and Darth Vader. He reminded her of Vader, wrapped up in a life suit, the mechanical eyes glowing red. There was something dangerous that hung around him and she desired anything but his attention. She allowed her gaze to pass from him as if she were scanning the room in perpetual boredom, but that didn't keep him from continuing to stare at her. There was something wrong with him./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The swish of a familiar dark cloak made Nova's face color slightly. Vader flexed his gloved hand, remembering their last sparring match as he walked to her side, leaning over her shoulder and whispering in her ear with his metallic voice. Nova's cheeks instantly returned to their chalky pale and the Emperor smiled slightly. Trachta's red eyes followed after her as Nova walked quickly from the room, Darth Vader like a shadow behind her./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""A Jedi?" Nova breathed nervously as they exited the main room. Vader nodded almost imperceptibly./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""A very famous one, the Dark Woman."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Dark woman?" Nova murmured, the name didn't sound Jedi-like at all./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""She is very powerful, and one of the last surviving Jedi."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""The emperor wants me to go after her?" Nova breathed nervously as she walked quickly towards the lift that would take them to her chambers./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Yes, he believes you are ready to undertake your first mission."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""But... a jedi?" She murmured, "A powerful one?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Stepping from the lift she frowned and hurried towards her chamber's Vader keeping pace with her silently. She walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open so she could speak to him still./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I do not know why he is sending you on this mission." Vader's mechanical voice told her as she pealed off her jewelry and clothes. "It is unlikely you will survive... Perhaps he has grown bored of you."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I assure you Lord Vader," Nova snarled slightly as she stepped from the bathroom, a thin robe covering her body. "He has been anything but bored with me recently."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The truth of her words was evident from the fresh red scratches and cuts on her skin. He knew that what he'd told her wasn't true, but he could not understand why the emperor would send her on a mission of suicide. Although Vader was now confident that she could hold her own against the average Jedi, the Dark Woman was a legend that he, himself, would struggle with defeating./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You will not survive this mission." he said as she dropped the robe from around her body and started tugging on a tight white suit. Her lack of modesty was not surprising, by now he'd seen her without clothing so many times both had become relatively comfortable with it. Vader didn't care, and Nova was just too tired to most of the time./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Yes," she said at last, sitting wearily on the bed. "He must know, that's the only reason he'd send me to my death."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Know what?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""That I plan to kill him once I'm powerful enough." She murmured, head in hands. "He must know."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""An attempt to kill him would be futile, he is much too powerful."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Is that what you tell yourself?" She asked, looking up at him through a curtain of snowy hair with an amused sneer. "To help you sleep at night. Does it remove the guilt, the burden of what you've done. em style="max-width: 100%;"He's too powerful/em, is that your excuse my Lord?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"She'd gone too far and she knew it, knew it before the words left her mouth yet they had to be spoken. And now she couldn't breathe, her hands lifted too her throat to grab at the large black hand crushing her windpipe. She knew resistance would only make it worse. Nova's world flickered in and out of darkness before she was permitted to breathe again, falling to the floor with shuddering breaths./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You cannot possibly understand."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I don't want to understand." She gasped. "I hate you, and I hate him, and I want you both dead!"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Who do you hate more?" He asked, his voice quieter than she'd ever heard it./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""What?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""If you could kill one of us today, right now, who would you destroy?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Him." Nova said, her voice laced with hate and malice. "He did this to me. Made me into a monster."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""What would you be willing to sacrifice to kill him."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""...everything," she mumbled. "But it doesn't matter. I'm about to die anyways."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""If you want so badly for him to die then you cannot allow yourself to be killed."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""It's not like I have a choice."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Become my apprentice." Nova physically flinched, looking up at him in disgust./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""And why would I ever do that."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I will keep you alive," he said, "On our own we cannot destroy him, together we have the strength to rule the galaxy."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""I don't need your help."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""The sooner you accept the truth the sooner he will be defeated." Vader stated impassively, Nova frowned at him./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Why do you want him dead, why should I trust you?"/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""He took everything from me," Vader said turning away, "He deceived me and for that he shall die."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Alright." Nova breathed, her voice barely perceptible, "I'll do it."/p  
hr style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: #000000; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"strong style="max-width: 100%;"Do you wonder why you hate?/strongbr style="max-width: 100%;" /strong style="max-width: 100%;"Are you still too weak to survive your mistakes?/strong/p  
hr style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: #000000; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader had been walking towards the powerful force presence he'd felt for nearly fifteen minutes. He was aware of Nova slinking after him, attempting to go unnoticed. Occasionally she'd be successful in masking her presence from him but he'd always sense her when she moved, he'd have to fix that. She'd followed him despite his orders for her to stay with the ship. It was no matter, she'd be punished for her insubordination later. For now he was seeking out the Dark Woman on this nearly deserted planet./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"To say Cophrigin V was beautiful would be an understatement beyond imagination. The light that filtered through the thick canopy of leaves above, gave an indescribable presence. It was as if the force had breathed into the plants and creatures here. It undoubtedly had to do with the Dark Woman's influence. Vader's eye was caught by a particularly bright and strong aura. It came inexplicably from a large flower that grew tall and strong in an area that had been tended to keep clear of weeds. The gentle beauty of it, morning dew that clung to the pink petals shining in the sunlight, drew him towards the flower. Vader reached towards it with a tenderness that he had not known still resided inside of him./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""One of the last of its kind," a voice said, making him pause in his movements, looking up to see An'ya Kuro, the Dark Woman, walking towards him. He was instantly angry that she had seen him in a moment of weakness, and he finished reaching out towards the flower, crushing it and the light it gave off in his black fist./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Nova hid in the underbrush of Cophrigin V watching the battle awestruck. Though she knew of Vader's legendary power she'd never seen him in battle. The Dark Woman, with her long white hair was equally striking and formidable, using agility and gymnastic techniques Vader's mechanical body was unable to copy. Nova memorized the moves, welding them into her brain. She'd need them to defeat the Emperor, and of course Vader once Palpatine was dead. She made a list of his weaknesses as he fought, the places he left open to attack, where he was slow, what attacks made him falter. The Dark Woman used a dual bladed technique, something Nova had heard of but never seen or practiced before. Nova felt fear course through her when the Dark Woman disarmed Vader for an instant, but she needn't have worried, the Sith Lord quickly recovered./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"They seemed so evenly matched for such a long time that Nova was unsure whether her new master would defeat this woman or not until with the use of the force Vader brought an enormous tree down on top of the Dark Woman, trapping her body there. She made no noise, didn't cry out in pain or struggle, seeming to merely accept her fate as Vader brought his lightsaber down and slayed her. A bright light lifted up and hung in the air and Nova had to shield her eyes, as the Dark Woman's body merged with the force. When she was able to once again see the shimmering vision of the Dark Woman stood before Vader an expression of peace on her face. Nova was barely able to contain the gasp that rushed from her lungs./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""You still have the power to become Anakin again, if you will only open your heart." She uttered and Nova could feel the anger rolling off of Vader as he raised his saber to slash at the ghost. Kuro merely faded away and with it went a sense of peace and fulfillment. Nova felt more alone than she had in ages. She frowned in confusion, who was Anakin? Surely the Dark Woman could not have been referring to Vader...?/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"She was barely able to fall back in time to avoid the powerful stroke that had been aimed at her head. It instead landed between her legs, she could feel the deadly heat of the saber burning her inner thighs. Rolling backwards Nova twisted and ran hoping to lose him in the underbrush./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader watched as Nova's white hair disappeared into the forest. Deactivating his saber he walked slowly after her, he would not be able to take her by surprise in his life suit, but if he could goad her into attacking he could easily defeat her. His anger needed to be turned on someone and it was soon enough that Nova's training as his apprentice should officially begin./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"She was hiding, waiting for him as she masked her presence as the Emperor had taught her to do. Her lightsaber was switched off in her hand, she wouldn't turn it on until the last possible moment, it would be the first to give her away. She could hear him getting closer, he was making no effort to hide himself from her or mask his presence... but why would he need to? Nova saw him first as just a rustle of movement on the edge of her vision, she resisted the instinct to turn her head and made no movement at all. It would completely give away her position. Despite the fact that she'd hidden in the darkest shadow she could find in a branch above his head, he would be able to hone in on movement faster than if she'd been standing in the middle of a sunny patch in plain sight./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"He knew she was close, every time she became distracted and let her shield slip away he'd get closer and closer to pinning down her position. She made no noise as she leaped down at him, but the activation of a lightsaber brought on years of instinct that had become engraved in his mind and body and he managed to block her murderous stroke in time. Good, he thought. As soon as he began to attack she melted back into the trees, this was going to be a long game of hide and seek./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"The wound had cauterized instantly, that was the good thing about fighting with lightsabers; minimal bleeding. It hurt though, Nova thought as she clutched her abdomen, Vader had sensed her attack faster than she'd thought and countered instantaneously. She'd made a stupid move. It didn't help that she was dressed all in white. She made a mental note to only wear white for formal events and to camouflage when on a mission. With a master like Vader one never knew what could happen. That's when it hit her! As she doubled back she was careful to avoid him, but knew he was able to sense her despite her best efforts to hide from him. As she came to the tree Vader had brought down on the Dark Woman Nova began to peal her clothes from her body./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Vader paused as he felt her change direction and mentally frowned. What was she doing? He soon found himself back in the glade where he had first fought An'ya Kuro. Nothing alerted him as the white clothing was thrown at his face cutting off his vision. Knowing he had minimal time to react, he reached out with the force instinctively knowing where to block, using all his skill to disarm her immediately, this was a dangerous position. His gloved hand reached out and grasped her hair as she turned to run away, and she struggled as he pulled the clothing from his face. She'd changed into the clothing of the late Dark Woman, explaining how she'd gotten so close to him without alerting him to her presence. Blood was seeping down her face from how tightly he was holding her hair, nearly lifting her off her feet./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Swinging up Nova kicked Vader in the face, hair ripping out of her skull as she did so. She used his momentary distraction to pull his own saber from his hands with the force, aiming for his wrist. As he fell back from the force of her kick his hand moved and the blade cut through part of his hand and most of her hair. Nova fell to the ground, landing on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Short strands of hair clung to her sweaty face. Before she could move he'd rolled onto her pinning her beneath the weight of his suit. Struggling against him Nova rolled onto her back pushing up as hard as she could, but he was a good hundred pounds heavier than her with the suit and she barely moved him. He wrapped his arm around her neck catching her neck in the crook of his elbow, choking her and cutting off the blood to her brain at the same time./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"He didn't let go until she began to blackout and she fell forward into the dirt gasping. Bruises were quickly forming around her neck and on the front and backs of her legs where she'd been pinned beneath him. Blood mixed with her sweat and began staining her hair a light pink as she rolled onto her back with a groan. The groan was met with a sharp kick to her ribs and Nova gritted her teeth against the pain, knowing by now that a pained cry would earn her more pain./p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;""Hide it," He commanded and Nova quickly masked the pain with a glare of hatred. "Get up."/p  
p style="max-width: 100%; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"Pulling herself slowly to her feet Nova grimaced and was thrown to the ground, coughing as the breath flew from her lungs. Her eyes burned anger as she once more dragged herself to her feet, careful not to let her pain seep through. Vader turned to walk back towards the ship that would take them from Coruscant and set an unforgiving pace that nova struggled to match. Every time her features shifted she was mercilessly shoved onto the hard earth. Nova quickly learned to show no signs of pain in the two hours it took to get back to the cruiser./p 


End file.

Star Wars, Drama, Romance