The Multiverse Hunter

In the wilderness of Tartek, a large clearing between the towering trees revealed a blue and white spaceship sitting amidst the verdant expanse.

The serenity of the forest was broken by tension, as outside the ship, a pilot stood with his blaster aimed at Veronica and her young sister.

Veronica's hands trembled slightly, one tightly clutching her sister's small hand while the other gripped a hefty luggage case. She glanced between the blaster and the pilot, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Only when the Jedi return and vouch for you will you get on the ship," the pilot said coldly, his grip firm as he kept the weapon trained on her.

Veronica bit her lip but nodded, pulling her sister closer as they stood under the unrelenting gaze of the pilot. Minutes felt like hours until the sound of engines broke the tense silence.

The vehicle carrying the Jedi descended and landed smoothly beside the spaceship.

Veronica's eyes fixed on the two Jedi stepping out. For the first time, she saw Kale without his hood, and his face struck her as surprisingly handsome for someone who had built a dangerous and ruthless image in her head.

The pilot saluted as the two Jedi approached. "Lords," he said, lowering his blaster momentarily.

Kale's gaze landed on Veronica, and his serious expression softened into a faint smile. "Good job, Veronica," he said, crouching down to meet her sister's wide-eyed stare. He patted the child's head gently, his voice warm and reassuring. "You two earned your ticket out of here."

"Thank you," Veronica murmured, her voice barely audible, as she guided her sister toward the ship's entrance. Her sister, however, hesitated, looking back at Kale with eyes full of an unspoken request.

Kale noticed but failed to understand what the little girl was asking for. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of finally completing his mission and returning home.

The Jedi master and Kale followed suit, boarding the ship and quickly changing into their Jedi uniforms. The pilot gave a curt nod and motioned for everyone to buckle up for takeoff.

Veronica sat next to her sister, her hands trembling as they rested on the luggage case now placed between her feet.

She looked at the bag for a moment, then glanced at the two Jedi, who were deep in discussion near the cockpit. Turning to her sister, who squeezed her hand tightly, Veronica steeled herself. Ali's words echoed in her mind:

"Count to three after takeoff and then press the button."

Taking a deep breath, Veronica counted silently. One. Two. Three.

Just as the ship began its ascent, the Jedi master's sharp intuition flared. Her eyes darted to Veronica, who was holding a small blue stick with a button at its end.

"What—" the Jedi master shouted, her voice alarmed as she stretched out her hand to yank the device away with the Force.

But she was too late.

Veronica's thumb pressed the button, and a small box hidden in her bag began to emit a high-pitched whine before releasing an electric shockwave that surged through the ship.

BOOM.

The entire vessel jolted violently as systems abruptly shut down. Veronica threw her arms around her sister, holding her close, while the pilot frantically pressed buttons in the cockpit.

Warning lights blared and controls refused to respond. The ship was dead, plummeting toward Tartek like a stone.

"What have you done?!" Kale's voice roared with fury as he stumbled toward Veronica, his hand outstretched, ready to unleash the Force.

Before he could act, the ship hit the ground with a catastrophic BOOOOOOM.

Trees snapped like twigs, and metal groaned as the ship tore through the earth. Explosions erupted across its battered frame, scattering debris into the clearing. Inside, Veronica's world spun as her vision blurred.

The last thing she remembered was Ali's assurance: "The pilot will be forced to land the ship. Don't worry—the landing will be smooth."

It was anything but.

In the aftermath, Ali strode calmly toward the wreckage, his boots crunching over scorched grass and shattered metal. His crimson mask gleamed in the flickering flames as he surveyed the destruction.

Amid the debris, Kale stirred. UGH. He groaned, each breath sending pain shooting through his chest. Two ribs, possibly more, were broken. Struggling to his feet, Kale's eyes darted around in search of the relic.

"Where's the relic?"

The chilling voice made Kale freeze. Turning, he saw Ali standing just two meters away, his posture commanding and his tone sharp enough to cut steel.

Kale gritted his teeth and sprang to his feet, ignoring the pain as he drew his lightsaber hilt from his belt. "The whore betrayed us," he spat, his green blade igniting with a furious hiss.

"Did you expect loyalty from a prostitute?" Ali mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. With a flick of his wrist, his cross-guard lightsaber activated for the first time, its red blade bathing the forest in an ominous glow.

Ali didn't wait for pleasantries. He disappeared in a blur of speed, reappearing mid-strike with his saber aimed for Kale's head.

Kale barely managed to raise his blade in time, the clash of red and green sending sparks flying. He grunted as he staggered back, Ali's strength and speed driving him into a defensive retreat.

The Sith was relentless. He struck again, and again, each blow heavier than the last. Kale's arms trembled under the strain, his movements growing slower as he struggled to keep up with Ali's overwhelming assault.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Each clash of their blades echoed through the clearing, the ferocity of the battle tearing apart the ground beneath them.

Ali's style was brutal and unrelenting, a masterful blend of speed and raw power designed to suffocate any chance of counterattack from a weaker and slower opponent.

'The only way to fight this is with perfect defence,' Ali thought as he observed Kale faltering. 'But he doesn't have it.'

Gripping his saber with both hands, Ali delivered a devastating downward strike. The sheer force of the blow drove Kale to his knees, his breathing ragged as he struggled to hold his green blade against Ali's crushing strength.

"You are weak, Jedi," Ali sneered, his voice a venomous whisper.

To Kale's horror, Ali released his grip on the hilt and stepped back. Yet the red blade remained, pressing down with unrelenting force as though Ali were still holding it.

"I expected more from a Jedi," Ali mocked, his tone laced with scorn as he reached for his second lightsaber.

The second saber ignited mid-air, its red blade forming an arc as it floated behind Kale. With a flick of Ali's fingers, it darted toward the Jedi's exposed back.

AAAAAAAH!

Kale screamed as he felt the heat of the blade inches from his skin. Desperation clawed at him as he extended one hand, using the Force to push against the incoming saber. But his strength was waning, and Ali's mastery of telekinesis far outmatched his own.

"You should have stayed a cafe server," Ali said coldly, his voice devoid of sympathy as he raised his twin desert eagles, the barrels aimed directly at Kale's head.

Kale's eyes widened in horror. He tried to summon more of the Force, but Ali's blades pushed harder, sapping his energy with every second.

"Wait!"

The sharp cry came from the ship's remains, where the Jedi master emerged, her lightsaber already ignited.

BANG. BANG.

Kale's head snapped back, a spray of crimson marking the end of his struggle. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Ali looked at the Jedi master as he fired two more shots into Kale's corpse. "Just to make sure," he said mockingly, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

The Jedi master's fury ignited, and the shattered remnants of the ship began to levitate around her. Ali's eyes narrowed as three lightsaber hilts, including Kale's green one, floated to his side.

The tense standoff was interrupted by movement from the wreckage. Both Jedi and Sith looked at the ship's remains where Veronica used her shoulder to push against a sheet of metal.

She stumbled out of the ship to see the Jedi master and Ali in a standoff while her former boss Kale dead at Ali's feet.

"You said it would be a SMOOTH LANDING. YOU BASTARD", Veronica screamed at Ali, her voice breaking with Anguish as she raised her hands in the air.

She was holding what little remained of her little sister corpse…

The Jedi master's heart ached at the sight of the dead child, but Ali remained unmoved, his expression hidden behind his mask.

Veronica's anguished screams filled the clearing as she clutched her sister's lifeless body. Her sobs shook her entire frame, her pain radiating in waves that seemed to silence even the forest around her.

"Why… WHY me?!" she cried, her voice breaking under the weight of her grief. Tears streamed down her face, her words dissolving into ragged breaths. "Why does it always have to be me?"

Her hands trembled as she gently laid her sister's body on the ground. The child's blood-streaked face was peaceful, almost as if she were asleep. Veronica's cries softened into whispers as she pressed her forehead to her sister's cold one, lingering in a moment of quiet despair.

But then something inside her broke. Her grief twisted into fury, and her tear-streaked face hardened with rage. She turned her gaze to Ali, who stood motionless, watching her with the cold detachment of a predator observing prey.

"You!" Veronica screamed, her voice raw. "You did this! You ruined everything!"

She pushed herself to her feet, her legs unsteady but driven by the fire of her hatred. She staggered toward him, her hands curling into fists. Tears blurred her vision, but she could see the Sith standing there, the crimson glow of his mask piercing through her anguish.

Ali didn't move. He stood like a monolith, the three unlit lightsaber hilts orbiting him, floating in eerie silence. His stance exuded control, calm in the face of the storm raging inside Veronica.

With a guttural cry, she lunged at him, her fists raised to strike. Her aim was wild, her intent clear as she aimed for his masked face.

From behind Ali a black handle dropped to the ground and flew between his legs before a button on it's side was pressed with the Force.

SPLASH.

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