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When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 35
Several months go by as each set of muscles across my body are mapped out. Through all of it, I wonder how well the conflict with the Republic and Trade Federation was going. What news I could gather from watching the Holonet showed it had reached a stalemate.
The Hutt's forces had been spread thin trying to both push the Republic back while protecting and trying to hide the other assets and businesses they had left.
The loss of Ryloth was a big one since it was not only a major hyperspace lane but a world that provided a significant amount of spice and some Hutts even had some businesses that dealt in turning it into medicine.
So a loss for them despite having managed to get smugglers to arm up those still loyal on the planet acting as rebels while doing a guerilla warfare campaign against the Republic and Trade Federation forces.
According to the news anchor, they are providing aid and relief efforts to the Twi’leks with what they could spare as the inner rim was going through shortages of all kinds.
The Twi’leks had to have realized that they will abandon them when it becomes convenient for them. After all, where was this outcry for Ryloth for the past thousand years and longer as their people got exploited? Used as pleasure slaves for generations.
It’s just a propaganda piece to try and get support from the mid and inner rims. Not surprised. But if anyone was going to take advantage while they could it would be Cham Syndulla. Only knew of the guy from an episode of Rebels that I had to watch when keeping an eye on a coworker's kid.
Didn’t think too highly of the show but the episode was set on Ryloth as Cham and his forces were fighting against the Empire. Give the guy that he didn’t give up. I don’t put it past him to take advantage of the aid while he could and get what he needed out of this while it lasted.
However, the Republic had managed to get some victories against the Hutts. It had helped that the planetary defense forces that have experience in the outer rim had been recruited for this conflict. With those hardened troops bolstering them they managed to take down several businesses of the Hutts while liberating multiple worlds.
It of course didn’t come without cost as the worlds the planetary defense force were supposed to be protecting were now vulnerable and the Hutts had taken advantage of this with spiteful retribution.
The Hutts have also continued to attack any transports carrying trade goods leading to the inner rim along with any supplies being used by the Republic. Death by a thousand cuts if you would.
The Hutts and our opposition have both suffered losses, but the Hutts from the looks of it are going to come out of this conflict better off than the Republic and Trade Federation since the damage they have sustained will have repercussions for years.
Despite the stalemate the Republic is going to have to do something soon, as things stand the Hutts can outlast them as supplies for everything start to run dry.
They have made attempts to capture key Hutts that have more power than a standard Hutt, like the Council of Hutts but they either didn’t find them showing the information was nothing more than bait to try and kill off any of the Republic's more capable troops or they never got far enough.
Though all of this is from me having to read between the lines as the news is pro-Republic so you have to sift out the propaganda from the truth. Which is harder than one would think. Some of it was obvious, but other parts not so much.
I am rather happy seeing some of my forces from the Deathkorp and my droids making a name for themselves with the Jedi and Republic having grown wary of them as footage was shown of them making the Republic work for a victory that in the end, they won which was inevitable but they made them pay a heavy price for it.
The kicker is they don’t even know who is manufacturing the droids the Hutts have purchased in bulk after seeing how effective they are. At least the public at large is not aware but that doesn't mean the Jedi and Republic didn’t. I feel a tinge of pride at the sight of a Jedi fleeing for his life from a barrage of blaster fire from two Sentry droids.
Of course, the news anchor was trying to act like the footage is nothing but a hoax being used as propaganda by the Hutts. They are partly right. From what Selene and Serleena had told me in passing the Hutts are using it and other recorded events as a means to get their men to not fear the Jedi.
That was another factor. Similar to a match in Smite I had years ago in Assault. My teammates would not get aggressive and remained defensive for the majority of the match until I showed them we could beat them when we almost killed all of them. Once the illusion of them being invincible was shattered before their eyes, they realized we could do this and we won because of it.
This is no different.
I do not believe that just anyone on even ground could beat a Jedi. But with enough blasters and weapons that can counter some of their abilities then it becomes possible. But you need to believe that you can in the first place since staying on the defensive all the time is not going to get you anywhere in a conflict like this. The Hutts can’t outlast the Republic and Trade Federation if they lose the assets allowing the sustained conflict they need to win.
It’s why the Hutts have entered a stalemate. Instead of outright crushing the Trade Federation and Republic they are trying to ensure they have profits at the end of the day. If they lose a lot of ships in some grand battle out in space that is a lot of money wasted.
Instead of that they are harassing the supply lines for both the Republic and Trade Federations armies and the supplies being shipped to the inner rim to keep them supplied while trying to protect the assets that give them a profit that made all of this possible.
The leader of the Republic Task Force is the one who caught me by surprise. Jedi Master Dooku. Give the man this he knew what he needed to be done and was causing the Hutts no end of headaches. He knew that in a sustained conflict like this, the Republic would lose even with the Trade Federation backing them up.
So instead of playing the game the Hutts wanted them to, he is forcing them to play his game. By harassing major business sectors if not outright removing the Hutt's control of those areas.
In doing so he was forcing the Hutt to go to those areas to try and reclaim them as they divided their forces spreading them thin. Now I don't know what happened when their forces confronted the Republics.
The news isn’t covering those battles. But I can make an educated guess. Either Dooku has a small but capable force go in and make a lot of noise to draw Hutt forces to the area so another group can push into other sectors and it leads to a vicious cycle the Hutts are forced to deal with especially when its major revenue areas that are getting attacked.
But what I wanted to know is how Dooku and the Republic intend to bring an end to this conflict. How are they going to win? They can’t outlast the Hutts, and using conventional means of fighting them and destroying their assets while annoying they have enough money saved up to replace all of it.
So how are they going to beat them?
Incapable of currently figuring it out I just shook my head before changing the channel to the new episode of Staro & Hoop that was now onto its second season. Eternally grateful for the show gathering just enough support to get a second season.
The show despite the quality of its actors and the story being decent enough didn’t have as many as the other shows which looked like cheap poorly made soap operas now. But it didn’t stop me from trying to find anything like Staro & Hoop.
They had managed to take down Norudos criminal empire on Coruscant and he is currently behind bars but still a surprising threat. One that may not be in the limelight but a threat that existed out of sight and has proven to still be just as if not more dangerous than he was before.
Like Kingpin in the DareDevil show. But now they have a new threat as the vacuum left in Norudo's absence has led to a new crime lord no one knows anything about taking over and starting with a bang trying to kill Staro & Hoop by sending hit team after hit team to kill them.
“Oh, a new episode of Staro & Hoop!” Celeste plopped down on the couch along with several of her sisters and even Selene walked.
“Did we miss anything?” Selene asked, never taking her eyes off the screen. Each of them was relaxed and enjoying the moment.
“No, the episode just started.” I casually said my eyes glued to the hologram.
We all just sat there enjoying the show as the episode went on before ending on yet another cliffhanger of them finding something that may hint as to who the Broker is as the new big man on crime.
“Well, that was enjoyable. Now Corvo it is time for more training.” Selene said with a smile as I stopped myself from groaning. “Celeste, you will come with us.”
The young woman got up looking ecstatic at this while I dreaded it. The other daughters hadn’t exactly accepted me yet. It was more like they respected me when they saw how far I had come since I got here.
I had managed in the months since this all began to come farther than most. Not all Echani had access to this level of training since not everyone can do it, never mind most outsiders.
Despite the potential that Selene and Serleena see in me they both made it clear that the vast majority of sentients never get taught these specific stages of the Echani arts.
Even among the Echani not many make it to these stages or have access to someone who is capable of teaching them. In my case, it is because of House Atrix's stunt that will embroil the Echani in a conflict that could spell doom for their people.
They need me to showcase that an outsider in a short period of time got good enough to beat their greatest fighter, ending any bid they had to force their people out into the wider galaxy.
For one to learn the later stages it took not only intelligence and being incredibly physically capable but also a determination to push on no matter what. The same stubbornness I was known for back in my younger years. A strength and a weakness. But here it has served me well.
We moved along the manor and besides the one incident, no more had come to pass. Initially, I had thought it best to move to a more hidden area to continue my training but Selene had believed that House Atrix had done this out of desperation and growing impatient at not finding me on their homeworld.
She seemed to be correct as other Houses that had issues with House Atrix were also inspected and raided to try and find the fugitive.
House Atrix would be keeping an eye on her and her family since they would still be suspicious in their eyes. So any attempt to slip me out could increase the likelihood of this all falling apart.
Stepping into the same training room that may as well be my room as much time had been spent in it training.
“Celeste you don’t need to hold back as you have before. Don’t go all out but make sure Corvo has a chance.”
Her smile looked like she just had an infusion of happiness and sunshine put directly into her veins. “Yes, mother.”
That can’t be good…
Both of us got into our stances as I dreaded this as I had every other time. Celeste doesn’t charge at me more like she flickered in and out of existence for brief moments of time.
She became solid when her hand outstretched in a knife-edge strike was halted by my arm just when she reappeared right next to me. Having to grit my teeth at the tremors that ran up it going deep into my bones but I ignored it as I learned to do early on and countered.
Unlike before where she would weave out of the way of every single strike this time she dodged most but a few managed to connect even if she blocked each one, but not once does the smile on her face go away.
If anything I would say it had grown. Each punch and kick sent gusts of wind dispersing the air around us.
It’s almost surreal comparing myself to what I was before. It’s like winning against everyone in running when you were a kid, then facing off against someone like Usain Bolt making you realize you are a small fish in an ocean bearing witness to the leviathans you are surrounded by.
However, I guess Mike Tyson would be a better comparison since I had come a long way since I made my debut as a bounty hunter.
Especially now since I was able to keep up with Celeste now. She had more experience and was still the superior between the two of us but if I was allowed to use my guns or blasters then I was certain I could take her.
A leg sweep that was jumped over. The sweep transitioned into a mule kick that I sidestepped before slamming a leg down where her head had been making her kickflip away getting some distance as I blocked the kick letting her go.
Circling one another line two wolves sizing one another up we looked and saw what the other aimed to do as I felt the burn in my muscles from exerting myself.
Even after all of this training and having increased my stamina before with my bullet time training I struggled to keep this going for long periods. Deciding that I refused to lose again I cheated a little as my stance relaxed. Celeste look3: at me bewildered not understanding why I just gave her more openings.
Her muscles and posture said it all to me.
Do you really think you can beat me now, leaving yourself open like that?
Yes. Yes, I can.
She smiled, her eyes becoming half-lidded like she was indulging a child. I didn’t like using what I was about to, since it was counterproductive to my training, much like Goku using Kaioken or Super Saiyan to boost himself when training, defeating the purpose of training if his base form lagged behind.
This was no different. But I had a reason to do so. To see how far I have come and how much it can boost me even. Looking at her posture just as she did me we both waited for an unseen signal.
Seconds went by as she went from simply standing there to crossing the many meters separating us within a fraction of a second far faster than she had been so far. I was almost too late, but her form slowed down just in time.
She still moved almost like a normal person in this state but there was just enough slowness to every move she made. The muscles in her legs were moving like a well oiled machine yet not all of them were being used, not to the fullest.
How much more can she do?
Her form was low to the ground before she dropped down, her leg snapped out in a sweep while I remained standing feeling my stamina being burned away like napalm had been poured into my body.
Timing it just right where she would cross the point of no return. My speed now had surpassed hers and my foot hit her ankle pinning it to the ground like a nail into a coffin. The shock of what I just did registered to her with her slow enough for me to capitalize on it before she could process what just happened.
Trying to remove my foot she almost hit the side of my knee with a palm thrust but I leapt over it and by the time she was trying to get away I slammed down with both feet where her torso was moving forward like a hungry wolf hunting a lost lamb.
Instead of retreating she went to face me head-on with the two of us exchanging blows like something out of a shonen anime. We moved in a circle avoiding each other's strikes with her beginning to pick up speed again.
Each palm thrust or punch was met with the opposition's hand or fist like a game of chess the two of us were constantly planning ahead against one another.
At first, we were even when it came to speed. Knee strikes and kicks were added when the fight had grown more intense.
We both leaped around the room looking like old-school movie martial artists. The longer it went on I began to slow down losing steam far too quickly. A pool of sweat formed under me and her smile grew a vicious edge to it. She kicked it up a notch with her speed growing even more, beginning to now overwhelm me.
Occasionally a punch would get through that I couldn’t intercept fast enough. All of it began to add up the longer the fight drew on with me getting slower and slower. Becoming more defensive she pressed the advantage sending out a punch that instead of standing and just brushing off the attack I used the force of it to help me backflip away Celeste in hot pursuit.
Leaping into the air with her leg ready to end it, but that’s just what I wanted her to do. She now realized this far too late.
I felt a hint of pride that I managed to hide something from her. My arms pushed off the floor shifting into a corkscrew spin. Just as the leg would have connected I managed to avoid it with the angle of the spin using all the generated momentum with my leg lashing out hitting her in the side and despite her arm blocking it she was sent crashing into the floor face first.
Before she could do a thing I fell on top of her pinning her throat to the floor, my knee on her back placing her in a headlock with one arm and the other snaked around one of her arms with my other leg outstretched on the other one pinning the wrist down to the floor.
She fought it at first trying to use her legs to hit me in the back but I ignored the strikes getting a few grunts out of me. At the realization it wasn’t going to work she changed tactics to instead wrap her legs around my head to choke me out instead but with how far I was from her legs she couldn’t reach me.
Having shut off bullet time not needing it after pinning her and despite my exhaustion, my position was more than enough to win. After trying to get me off a few times Celeste finally tapped out to my relief. Getting off of her and grabbing a swig of water they kept in here to stay hydrated.
Downing it like a man who hasn’t seen water in days out in the Sahara. “Well, it would seem Celeste doesn’t need to hold back as much. How did you manage to hide that from us?”
Selene asked me, stepping over to me while Celeste was downing some water herself looking me over.
“No need to have Celeste do that just yet. It’s a trick I have had as far as I can remember. It speeds up my perception of things, making everything move in slow motion around me.”
“Interesting. So is that why you're sweating so much? What about all the other times when we sparred?” Celeste jumpin in now looking interested.
“Yes and no. I only used it this time since it would be counterproductive to training. Everything before that was without it.”
“Well as nice as it would have been to know this before you have your reasons Corvo, and you had enough sense to not make an attempt at a shortcut in your training that would have left you unprepared for what we had in store for you.”
“So he isn’t allowed to use it in our spars anymore?” Asked Celeste instead of being happy about it she sounded more disappointed than anything else like she just had her favorite toy taken from her.
“No. If anything judging by the state of Corvo this would help with both stamina training and can be used in the coming battle with House Atrix’s champion.”
We both look at her with different emotions. Celeste looked ecstatic despite her face being neutral, her relaxed muscles couldn’t hide how excited she was. Like she was looking forward to me using my trick more often.
Figured they would want to settle this feud with honor and show how much better they are. Serleena merely nodded at my unspoken question.
“Under other circumstances, this House would do so. But when dealing with another who is willing to go far beyond such things to win, especially with what is at stake for our people, we will use whatever is at our disposal. Of course, no one else outside of those that need to know of this will be aware of this.”
I can only shake my head chuckling at her response, “Something I can agree wholeheartedly on. Use what’s at your disposal when it is necessary especially when you know your enemy isn’t going to be pulling their punches. Far too many people in my opinion try to go the honorable approach for my liking.”
In my case, it stemmed from the days of playing multiplayer games like Shinobi Striker. Spam a heavy attack or something annoying over and over then you better expect something cancerous used right back at you.
“As it should be. Honor has a time and a place. But with all of that aside you and Celeste have had enough time to rest, time for your next fight. Celeste, you are allowed to not hold back as much as before and Corvo, you will instead work on using your trick conservatively instead of keeping it active for so long.”
With that Celeste and I had gone back to training and despite my best efforts she still ended up beating me each time but it was far closer than before as I listened to Selene point out the times I should have used a quick use of bullet time and when I shouldn’t have. Despite the losses, I would acknowledge that I had come far from where I had begun.
Yet I was ready for this job to end. It was becoming far too much to just keep training nonstop. People like Goku and Vegeta were absolute madmen to even have only training in their minds. Anyone who ever said they could do what they did with that mindset doesn’t have a clue of how much time and effort was involved in this.
Then the pain and constant exhaustion keep you company throughout your efforts. But I pushed on regardless knowing that I was getting close to at least getting this done and over with so I could get back to managing my army and fighting a galaxy-spanning conflict.
…
Qui-Gon Jinn watched the holoprojector form the face of his old master and mentor Master Dooku.
“Qui-Gon, it is good to see you, my old padawan. I was worried you and your padawan would have been drawn into this conflict.” Dooku said, his smile dimming at the mention of the raging conflict with the Hutts.
It’s something that much like Dooku, he was glad to see action finally being taken against them, but how the Republic and the Jedi Order had handled it so far was not how they would have wanted it to be accomplished. One doesn’t just declare war on them and send in ships and men who are not properly prepared or trained for a conflict of this scale.
“As was I Master Dooku. I have been tracking the few areas the mysterious Jedi that the inhabitants of the outer rim are calling them have been spotted at. I can feel the dark side in those locations, and it’s not just the suffering and death that happened there. Whoever is doing this is shrouded in the dark side of the force. They also are rather skilled with a lightsaber, by how much I do not know but enough to handle even hardened criminals who have helped in fighting against your forces.” Qui-Gon said with the utmost certainty that Dooku did not doubt what was said.
If anyone other than Dooku would be capable of verifying such a thing it would be his old apprentice, especially after having to handle his former fallen apprentice in Xanatos. Of course, that is not the only time Qui-Gon had dealt with someone gifted in the force using the dark side. But also hearing him acknowledge someone skilled with a lightsaber, it made Dooku worried.
Dooku frowned, not liking the implications. Someone was sowing the seeds of conflict and adding fuel to the fire. From the reports, they were the ones responsible for the Hutts' anger at the Jedi. The Hutts viewed it as the Republic and Jedi using underhanded tactics against them ignoring the hypocrisy of it, some in the galaxy were looking at the Jedi in a way Dooku did not like.
It made the Jedi less trustworthy to the rest of the galaxy which was something that they did not want to happen.
“Qui-gon, be careful. I feel there is more to this than we know.”
“I am well aware Master Dooku. Which is why I have abstained from joining this… war. My padawan Obi-Wan does not agree with my decision…” Quigon said quietly, trailing off. Dooku could sense the conflicted emotions his former padawan had inside of him.
A master he may be, but no matter how much he has grown since the day he took him on as his apprentice he could still tell when something bothered him. Sensing Dooku remembering fond memories of the distant past, Qui-Gon was drawn out of his thoughts.
“Something on your mind Master Dooku?” Quigon asked.
Dooku could only chuckle. “I seem to remember a young padawan of my own ready and willing to jump into any conflict with a righteous fury like that of the Jedi from the old Republic…”
Despite the stress of those heated arguments in the beginning and the debates much later on between him and Qui-Gon on what a Jedi should be and should do when faced with such acts of evil and cruelty. Dooku had acknowledged to him many years ago that the Order should be doing something about it, and that given time they could reform them to be similar to what they used to be.
Qui-Gon at the time had accepted his reasoning even if he didn’t like it. A stark contrast to the fine man and even better Jedi he was now. A feeling of pride formed in Dooku's heart when he looked upon Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon smiled at the reminder of his younger years. “Yes, I was rather brash back then, but we were not dealing with a large-scale conflict that may as well be a war spanning the galaxy. Obi-Wan I fear is not ready for a conflict like this, especially when several Jedi Knights have fallen to the dark side.”
Dooku hid it well but much like Dooku knowing Qui-Gon so did Qui-Gon manage to pick up a few things to know when Dooku was less than pleased with something.
“How bad is it?” His question made Dooku want to clench his hands into fists at the foolishness of the Jedi Council.
“Bad. We have managed to reach a stalemate against the Hutts, but the issue is we cannot keep this up forever. The few saving graces we have are the Trade Federation droid armies and the ships and men that were planetary defense forces from the outer rim aiding us. But the Jedi are lacking, not prepared for a conflict like this.”
Dooku started pacing as he did when he was stressed about something. Qui-Gon had only seen Dooku do this on one hand the number of times his old master was this stressed. It worried him, Dooku being one of the few he could count on for both support and council when he needed advice.
“Besides the droids that the Hutts have deployed proving a nightmare to handle, and the surprisingly capable mercenaries in small groups have caused many of the Jedi to be… afraid. That and the pain and suffering along with seeing the deaths of many around them have caused several to lash out with the dark side.”
Qui-Gon stared into his old master's eyes for a long moment seeing how this conflict had not only aged him from the stress but also the impact it was having on both the galaxy and the Jedi Order. “I am sorry Master Dooku.”
It was all he could say to him, knowing that his old master would be glad to have him helping him but Qui-Gon was following the Living Force as he had learned to trust it and right now it was telling him to investigate the Jedi assassinating the Hutts and their men.
“You have nothing to be sorry about Qui-Gon. You are helping me and the Republic by looking into the one who has committed these acts and made this conflict much worse. Once this is settled it would be good to see you personally again and to meet your padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. From what you have told me he sounds like a fine padawan that will make a wonderful Jedi.” Dooku said a warm smile on his face as Qui-Gonn found himself thankful for Dooku being his master when he was younger.
He doubted he would have worked out with many of the other Jedi of the time. The call was cut after they said their goodbyes and Qui-Gon sat in the cockpit contemplating things.
“Master, what do we do now? Besides you using the force to track them we have no means to know where they are right now.” Obi-Wan Kenobi said, opening the door having been waiting for the meeting to end as he was instructed and Qui-Gon could feel his anxiety through the force.
“Calm yourself Obi-Wan, trust in the Force and we will find them,” Qui-Gon said calmly to his apprentice who did calm down but he knew it wasn’t the end of this. “Obi-Wan, I understand your desire to help in the conflict with the Hutts, but you are not ready for something like that.”
His padawan fumed at what was said trying to remain calm but he was struggling. “Master, how can you say that? We are Jedi, peacekeepers of the Republic. Many sentients are dying as we speak from this battle against the Hutts, we should be out there helping them against those crime lords. I am ready, I helped you with...” Obi-Wan said pacing back and forth, his arms crossed but stopped at the mention of Qui-Gon's second apprentice who had fallen so far.
Qui-Gon didn’t take it personally and if anything was proud of Obi-Wan for stopping from going too far and feeling guilty at what he was about to say. Far too many Jedi tend to move on from past mistakes and not properly reflect on them and change their ways.
“Obi-Wan, Xanatos was one thing. This is a conflict, unlike anything you or most sentients in the galaxy have seen in a long time. You will be faced with things that you cannot readily forget or move on from. We are helping them by finding the one responsible for all of these attacks.”
Obi-Wan, despite not entirely agreeing with his master, lets it go. “Yes, master.”
He followed Qui-Gon to the cockpit as they left the planet behind with some of the locals waving goodbye to them Qui-Gon let the force guide him as they drifted through space. Just as it had sent him visions of the masked figure when the killings had begun.
He had spoken with the Jedi Council about this and they had agreed for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to go and search for the culprit. They were initially against it since some felt it necessary for him and his apprentice to aid in the conflict but as Dooku had done so in the past so too did Qui-gon in playing loosely with the rules.
In this case, he had told them he was helping with the conflict by finding the one making it worse and causing the Hutts to be much more ferocious when dealing with any Jedi.
For now, Qui-Gon waited for the force to guide him where it needed him to be.
