Vader blocked effortlessly with his crimson blade, holding it with one hand. Strong as the woman was with the Force she was nowhere near competent enough with the weapon to put a serious threat to him. That was something that had to change if she were to become the new Emperor's personal bodyguard.
And no student of his would ever be as unskilled with the Jedi weapon as Setsuna was right now, even if he had to cut a limb or two to make sure of it.
Setsuna pressed on with the weapon of 'a more civilized age' with the intent to shred the man before her. She had both her hands on the hilt, the blade flaring violently as she pressed it onward.
"Your powers are weak, woman," Vader taunted as he batted the lightsaber aside and landed a back-fist to Setsuna's temple. "I now understand why the Silver Millennium fell." He'd slowly started to unravel the mess Setsuna's memories were, and he could more effectively push her buttons now.
Gritting her teeth, Setsuna hissed. "Nothing is perfect. And neither is your army, if you keep having to kill them yourself..." She said, taking an educated guess. Her eyes glowed fiercely as she was trying to figure out how to get the lightsaber; Darth Vader between her and it.
"They are weak and foolish. They do not deserve to follow the Emperor," Vader said slowly and pointed his red lightsaber at her. "Are you strong enough to serve the new Emperor? Can you gain what you most want?" He lowered his weapon. "Most likely not. You're nothing."
Setsuna grit her teeth in anger. How DARE this asshole say she wasn't good enough to do anything? DAMN IT! She had watched the Gates of Time for millennia as a diligent guardian. She could watch some bastard Emperor with no problem.
But to do that, she needed her weapon...
...
... Did it just roll on its own?
"Wait..." Setsuna thought. Narrowing her eyes, the red light in them seemed to grow stronger. She made a motioning gesture with her hand...
Vader felt her use of the Force and pressed on. Her hate would make her powerful indeed, once she could master it. "You're fated to live alone. Your wretched existence will be damned with watching all you hold dear die.”
The light in Setsuna’s eyes grew and one couldn't discern her pupils from the sclera, it was so bright. The lightsaber was now rolling across the floor towards her at high speeds, practically cart wheeling.
Vader swung with his lightsaber just as Setsuna's own was ignited. As she blocked he loomed over her, forcing her to her knees with his sheer strength. "Yes. You will do nicely once better trained... my Apprentice."
Setsuna grit her teeth. Apprentice, hell. She'd be happy just to kill him. Now if only she had the bare strength to get his foot off the back off her neck.
"In time you will learn to call me Master. You'll learn I am the only one that can get you what you desire. What you deserve!" Vader's voice boomed across the room and he let Setsuna go.
Setsuna panted as she tried to regain her breath. As much as she hated this monster, she was slowly coming to terms that he was right. If she was to ever get what SHE deserved, this man would help her pave the road to it. Even if it were a road paved in blood.
Vader seemed to read her thoughts, maybe he did with the way he'd raped her mind continuously, and nodded. "Stand up."
Setsuna slowly stood to her feet, the lightsaber hilt grasped firmly in her hand.
"What is your purpose? What do you deserve?"
"I deserve what's coming to me..." She stared sharply at Vader. "I DESERVE TO BRING ABOUT THE COMING OF A NEW GLORIOUS EMPIRE!"
Of course, her mind was torn on if that was to be Crystal Tokyo, or the Galactic Empire...
But slowly... Surely... She WAS going to the Dark Side...
With no turning back.
---
Ryoko frowned from her spot in the living room, a pillow fort having been erected around her.
For all the good that would do.
Tenchi sweat dropped to the side. "... Ryoko... What are you doing?"
"Hiding!" Ryoko snapped.
"In a pillow forth from Spaceships?" Tenchi asked thinking it was stupid.
"...You never know..." Ryoko said, trying to move a futon so it made a ceiling to her little fort.
Ayeka snorted. "Please, Ryoko! That is the most childish thing I've ever heard!"
Tenchi shook his head and took his book bag in hand. "I have to go to school. See you later."
"Tenchi..." Ryoko whined from her small fort. "Don't go."
Tenchi sighed. "I have to go, Ryoko. There's a math exam today." With that he walked out of the room.
"I'll see you off, lord Tenchi!" Ayeka said as she ran after him, in as dignified a manner as she could. Oh, it was such fun to have Ryoko scared like this. It made her so much easier to control and get back at. Yes! Sweet vengeance! MUAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
After they were gone the house remained silent for a while, everyone doing something else and leaving Ryoko to her weirdness.
Walking along the path from the house, Ayeka stayed in step with Tenchi. "Quite a beautiful day isn't it?" She said to make some small-talk. "Why, you'd barely know there's an Armada, the sky's so clear."
Tenchi looked at Ayeka strangely. "Ayeka... you were just complaining about the invading army an hour ago."
"Well, they're OBVIOUSLY retreating," Ayeka said as she waved upwards. "Only ONE ship is up there still. It seems these brutes have gotten the point and will be giving up." She smirked superiorly. "A smart move on their part, unless they want the wrath of the Juraian Empire on their heads."
Tenchi shook his head at Ayeka's arrogance and was about to say something when he caught a glance of some movement to the side. His eyes widened when he saw two figures rushing towards the house. "Ayeka!"
No. Not Ayeka. Ryoko!
The two figures were moving at a rapid pace. From first glance, Tenchi could see one was very short, under 4', and the other a metallic black.
"We have to help Ryoko!" Tenchi cried and started running after the figures.
Ayeka rolled her eyes. Figures even if she wasn't doing it directly, Ryoko would still be getting between her and Tenchi. "You there! Stop!" Ayeka shouted as they made their way after the two figures.
Amazingly, the two figures DID stop.
Only to turn and both draw interesting-looking pistols.
"SCRLUUCH!" The smaller one 'said', the tentacles on either side of his face moving as he narrowed his completely black eyes.
"Halt-where-you-are." Said the metallic figure with the humanoid body, yet VERY spherical head.
Tenchi swallowed. Damn. A good time he picked to be heroic, with the Tenchi-ken out of his grasp.
The smaller one looked back at the house and back at Tenchi and Ayeka. "Scuu... Scruuch chuulshu?" He pointed at the building, while he stared at the two people.
"...I have no clue what he's saying. Do you, lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, hesitantly holding her hands up to show she was unarmed.
Tenchi sweated. "Uh... no..."
"Greetings-Carbon-based-structures," The robot said. "I-am-enhanced-protocol-droid-4-LOM," Said the droid. "What-my-technician-asked-you-is-simple. Do-you-live-there?" He pointed at the house.
Ayeka looked at Tenchi, wondering how they should respond.
"Uh... Yeah. We live there..." Tenchi said slowly.
4-LOM nodded. "Have-you-seen-this-person?" He held his free hand so the palm was upwards. A small pink-hologram appeared of Ryoko appeared.
"We-traced-her-biological-signal-to-this-area. But-it's-gotten-distorted-with-all-the-vegetation-around-here."
Tenchi did his best at trying to act casual. "Nope. Haven't seen her." He failed miserably.
4-LOM pressed his plasma-gun at Tenchi's forehead. "Perhaps-this-will-jog-your-inferior-memory-carbon-based-lifeform."
"THE HOUSE! SHE'S INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!" Ayeka shouted, rather willing to give up Ryoko if it would save lord Tenchi.
"Ayeka!" Tenchi protested.
"But they were going to shoot you..." Ayeka whimpered coyly. Not noticing that the two bounty hunters were already rushing off towards the house again.
"Now they'll be shooting Ryoko..." Tenchi said lamely. Ryoko could take a shot FAR better than he ever could. He also had to wonder, though. Why didn’t Ayeka attack those two?
*BOOM!!!*
Came an explosion from the house, dropping property value by another 100,000 Yen.
Then, from the sky, fell the mangled head of the droid.
Ayeka toed it idly. "I'd say she's doing fine for herself."
Tenchi winced. Yup. Ayeka was right.
… And his father was going to have a fit when he saw the house…
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(Posted Sun, 20 Mar 2005 17:23)
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