#x sith reader

- His brothers agreed to have the same feeling while some reasoned it was stress from the battle kicking in, making them paranoid. They had not been allowed to rest or properly treat their wounds after all. Their suspicions were silenced by Krell ordering them to pick up the space, which not only irritated them further but forced them to ignore the feeling of being watched. 

- After a rough confrontation on the road with the Umbarans which cost them more casualties, they were preparing to continue forward by Krell’s order. But then, a hooded figure suddenly jumped out of the shadows and attacked the general with a red lightsaber. Rex and his brothers have seen their fair share of battles with the Sith, so they did not hesitate to open fire on the attacker once Krell pushed them far enough. 

- The attacker blocked their blaster fire and fled into the woods, turning off their red lightsaber and hiding in the shadows. Fives noticed something and told Rex that the attacker was wearing clone armor on one of their arms. Rex felt confused as he caught glimpses of the clone armor as well. 

- Krell looked more annoyed with their assistance and then reasoned the attacker was a Sith assassin, sent by the Separatist. 

- Rex felt strange as he was familiar with most of the Sith serving the Separatists, yet he couldn’t pinpoint any Sith who would wear clone armor. Was the assassin perhaps someone new? 

- Krell ordered them to be more vigilant for the assassin, before giving the order to move forward with their plan.

- Fives found the assassin concerning and questioned why a Sith would wear clone armor pieces. Rex could not give a direct answer and some of his brothers began speculating if the Sith took clone armor pieces as trophies. It sounded reasonable, which meant their lives were in much more danger. The idea made them feel even more agitated, and there was little Rex could do to comfort them. He found one thing strange the Sith did not even try to harm them after attacking Krell. 

- The Sith came back after they claimed the Umbaran airbase. Rex and the rest of his battalion were still recovering from the fight that claimed many lives. Krell was talking to them in his usual arrogant tone till he sensed the assassin and blocked their lightsaber after they jumped out of the shadows. A fight ensued between the general and the assassin. Rex, Fives, and those still in fighting conditions raised their blasters and waited for the opportunity while watching the general fight the assassin. 

- After Krell pushed the assassin back with the force, he ordered them to open fire. They did and the assassin was forced to block their blaster fire. The assassin then used the force to push them away while focusing on Krell. It caught Rex’s attention because the attacker could have easily killed them yet they only moved him and his brothers away. 

- When more of their brothers joined in the shooting, the Sith used some of the debris as cover before retreating into the woods. 

- However, this time, Krell ordered them to chase after and capture the assassin. Rex tried to reason with him as going against a Sith was a high risk. Krell threatened him with his still-ignited lightsaber and he was forced to comply. 

- Him, Fives, and a few others who were still capable of fighting went after the Sith, chasing them into the woods. 

- Fives was cursing the general as they were ill-equipped against a foe who could easily crush them. What hopes do they have to capture the assassin? 

- Rex agreed with him but they had no other choice. He had a feeling Krell might punish them severely if they failed to capture the assassin. 

- The assassin ambushed them, picking them off one by one. When Rex thought the assassin killed his brothers, he found them groaning and unconscious. It made him baffled as he realized the assassin was not attempting to kill them, simply knocking them down. When the assassin tackled Fives down, Rex was then pushed against a tree and held against it by something invisible. He then saw the Sith standing before him, using force on him. 

- He now had a clear view of the assassin’s helmet and the clone armor that covered their arm. The assassin then spoke to him. 

“Krell…” Said the assassin. 

“What?” Rex struggled against the force that had him in its grip. 

“I want Pong Krell. I have no quarrel with you or any of your brothers. I will leave you to continue your war once you give me Pong Krell,” the Sith explained. 

- It took a moment, but Rex realized that the Sith before him was only after Krell. 

- He suddenly heard Fives call out to him and saw the assassin get hit with a stun blast. The Sith pushed Fives down with force before they were then stunned from behind. Jesse and Hardcase quickly jumped down, shooting the assassin with stun charges. It took six charges for the assassin to fall down, stunned and unconscious. 

- To Rex’s relief, none of his brothers who came with him were lethally wounded, simply bruised from the ambush. 

- They were confused as the assassin could have easily killed them. Rex did not want to question it any further and instructed them to cuff the assassin before they could recover from the stun charges. 

- Rex and the others then returned to the airbase with the assassin. Krell feigned surprise seeing them alive and the assassin was set on their knees in front of him. 

“Now, let’s see the face of this assassin,” Krell mocked as he removed the helmet, revealing your face. 

Krell’s eyes widened with genuine surprise for the first time. 

“(Name)... You’re alive?” 

You only glared at him. “No thanks to you, master,” You growled. 

- Rex and 501th were shocked to say at least. They had not expected the general to know who the assassin was, or that the assassin was his former padawan who was proclaimed dead after a disastrous battle with the Separatists. 

- Krell feigned sympathy about how you had fallen to the dark side and became an assassin for the Separatists. You sneered at him, claiming you had no business with the Separatist, you only came to Umbara to kill him and make up for what he had done. 

- Krell ordered you to be imprisoned in the holding cells, claiming you might have intel on the enemy. Fives became suspicious, something about your supposed death did not sit right with him. 

- After you were contained and Krell finally allowed them to recover, they began questioning and theorizing about you and your reason for coming to Umbara. Fives did not blame your want to kill your former master, but there was something he couldn't pinpoint like the clone armor you wore or how you avoided killing them. It was not very Sith-like. 

- Rex became curious as well and decided he would interrogate you for it. He came to the holding cells where you were contained. You looked at him as he stood on the other side of the ray shield. 

“I did not steal the armor from the clone it belonged to,” You answered before he could present his question. 

“That was not my question,” Rex replied. 

“No, but it’s what you were thinking,” You said. 

- You then explained the clone who the armor belonged to was a dear friend to you, and also the last thing you had. You then advised Rex to start questioning Krell and be suspicious of his orders. He could save his brothers before it was too late. 

- It made Rex feel conflicted, but something in your words made him feel like there was some truth in them. He wanted to ask more, but you advised him not, because Krell might just eliminate him for knowing the truth. 

- Your advice made him feel suspicious. By any reason, he should not trust the words of a Sith, but since your eyes bore no hatred for him or his brothers, neither were they yellow like with most Sith. He began to see how unlike you were to the Sith despite seeking revenge and wielding hatred for Pong Krell. 

- After Fives, Jesse and Hardcase flew the ships and destroyed the supply ship with Hardcase sacrificing himself. Fives and Jesse were arrested and sent to the holding cells to wait for their execution. 

“Let me guess… treason?” You looked over at them after their handlers left. 

“Disobedience of orders, even though our plan worked and helped us advance toward the city,” Fives said angrily. 

You only chuckled. “Sound about right. Master never liked when his orders were not obeyed,” You said. 

- When Fives observed you and the clone armor that covered your arm, he asked for your story and reason for wanting Krell dead. 

- You concluded that since you were most likely going to die, there would be no harm in telling the whole truth about your supposed death. You asked them to sit down and started telling your side of the story. You and the battalion you fought with were ordered to retreat but the ship malfunctioned, causing you to be left behind as the Separatists claimed the planet. You later found out that it was your master who sabotaged the ship, allowing you to be captured by the separatists.

- Only you and ten other clones survived, one of them being a clone commander who was your friend. You managed to escape through a stolen ship and tried to reunite with one of the Republic ships, to tell the truth of Krell’s betrayal. Unfortunately, Krell was on the ship you managed to contact with. He made your allies believe you were spies thus ordering your termination. 

- Your friend gave up his life to protect you, pushing you into the escape pod before the ship you stole was destroyed. All that was left of him was the arm that got caught between the closing doors as you were left alone drifting through space. 

- Your escape pod aimlessly floated through space for countless rotations, causing you to starve and desperately try to contact anyone through the radio. You eventually lost your mind to the dark side as you were filled with despair and rage. Your mental breakdown unintentionally caused the bleeding of your kyber crystal, turning the once blue color into red. 

- You then crash-landed on a planet where you were found by wandering monks who were familiar with the ways of the force. They healed your mind and helped you balance the dark and bright sides of the force allowing you to recover mastery over it. However, to find peace, you decided to seek revenge and put an end to your master's life as his evil was allowed to live and you turned out right. You wore your friend's armor in order to remember him and in poetry to have him with you as you put an end to your master’s life. 

- Fives had doubts about your story, but seeing you speak fondly about your dead friend made him feel like you were telling the truth. There was also deep sadness and tiredness in your eyes unlike with many of the Sith he had seen. He realized you were still mourning the loss of your friends, which made you feel more genuine to him.

- Fives quickly found it easy to talk to you. You two shared a few jokes and you even told him what some clones in your old battalion were like. 

- When they were taken out of their cells to be executed, you nearly wanted to intervene but kept calm when you sensed the true intentions of their brothers. They were going to be fine. 

- After Fives and Jesse were not executed, Fives told your story to Rex as they were sent on a mission to confront separatist droids who pretended to be clones. Rex felt strange by your story but then they encountered the supposed droids and started fighting them. When Rex realized they were fighting their own brothers, everything you said to him began to make sense and he quickly stopped the battle from continuing. 

- When Krell’s treachery became known, Rex, Fives, and the rest of the 501st battalion decided to put an end to him. They confronted the Jedi general, trying to arrest him. It ended with many dead and Krell escaping the airbase. 

- Rex ordered them to follow him but then Fives stopped him, suggesting they let you out as you were capable of fighting Krell. 

- Rex hesitated, but Fives had a gut feeling that they could trust you to help them stop Krell now that it was known he was indeed a traitor. 

- They came to the holding cells, freeing you and returning your lightsaber. They will let you go if you help them stop Krell. 

“As I said before I have no quarrel with you. I will help bring Pong Krell down, but I will kill him. Trust me. He’s way too dangerous to be kept alive,” You said, attaching your lightsaber to your belt. 

- Rex and Fives decided to allow it. When you ran outside the airbase, Dogma tried to stop you. You talked him down, revealing all the horror your master did and that he should not follow his supposed programming blindly. Rex and his brothers were surprised how you were able to convince Dogma down through talking but did not complain since it meant Dogma would no longer try to follow Krell’s orders. A Sith would have killed him on the spot, so they were more convinced of your claim of not being there for them.  

- You were familiar with your master’s tactics, thus you were able to track him through the misty woods easily. You also came up with a plan to fight your master with minimal casualties as possible. 

“You know, for a Sith, you’re quite more considerate than your former master,” Rex stated after you explained the plan. 

You chuckled dryly. “A Sith is someone who seeks to dominate and is fueled by anger. My lightsaber might be red, but I do not seek to dominate nor do I allow my judgment to be guided by anger. I seek to kill Krell for his wrongdoings against me and to stop his twisted ideals from ever coming to life,” 

- Rex was surprised by your reasoning and did not disagree with you. He was more convinced of your story and wondered if he would be able to talk General Skywalker into taking you in once Krell was taken down. Even if you sought revenge, you were not like the Sith he had encountered. 

- After agreeing to your plan, and tracking down your master. A fierce fight ensued between you, Rex, the 501st, and your former master. You were surprisingly equally matched with your former master even though he wielded two double-bladed lightsabers.  

- With 501st and you working together, Krell was outnumbered. Your former master fought viciously back, killing many clones and trying to kill you. Your lightsaber had a modification that allowed you to separate it into two lightsabers, allowing you equal ground with your master. 

- After leading your master to the trap which was a root monster Rex and his brothers encountered before, you tricked your master into the trap and watched as he struggled against the tentacle-like roots that tried to feed him to the largemouth on the ground. He used his lightsabers to cut the roots as he was trapped under their weight, you took the chance to decapitate his head from his body, killing him and ending the nightmare. 

- You talked with Rex and Fives, asking what they planned to do with you now that Krell is gone. Fives suggested they could take you back to the Jedi order and clear up the mystery behind your and your battalion's fates. You shook your head at the thought. You had no intentions of returning to the Jedi Order as you had walked the path of the dark side for too long. You now wished to rest and start a new— away from the Jedi Order and everything involving the war. 

- As you had done nothing to harm or sabotage them, they agreed to let you go,  though promising to tell the whole truth to their general and the council. You decided to leave your lightsaber with them as a gesture to the Jedi Order that you will not be a danger to the Republic and that you had no need for it anymore. You were going to start over. You thanked Fives for his company before returning to your ship and leaving Umbara. 

Walking through the red misty, desolate village on Dathomir, searching for Ventress, you can’t help but let your mind wonder. What would your life be like if you’d continued down the Sith path? Would you have still stuck with Echo? Would he have been able to tempt you to “come to the light side” as he put it? You’re almost certain that there’s no way in hell that you and Echo can work past this. You’re just too different.

But Maker, you already miss the warmth of his chest and the coolness of his metal limbs. 

“Well, well, well.” You hear a familiar sultry voice purr. “Look who’s found me.”

“Ventress.” You smile politely, turning toward her. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve tried to come and collect the bounty on me.” She chuckles, having her lightsabers ready to strike you down.

You shrug. “Thought about it.”

“And then realized it was a terrible idea?” She leans against a wall. 

You stand across from her, at a safe length, in case she decides to try to kill you anyway. “I thought maybe we could stick together again?”

“Who are you running from?” She smirks, putting her lightsabers away.

With a sigh, you come and stand next to her against the stone wall. 

“Who is he?” She asks. “Or she? Or they?”

She’s really enjoying this. Perhaps it just proves that you still aren’t cut out for this lifestyle. 

“The clone I saved on Skako Minor…” You murmur, your thoughts going to his lips against your skin again. 

If there 

“Ah.” She hums. “And what happened?”

This is the most she’s ever asked you. Maybe she was going soft too. You didn’t dare tease her about it, though. 

You look at her. “He couldn’t trust me. Couldn’t see past what I used to be.” 

“Trust isn’t everything…” She shrugs with a teasing smirk and pulls herself off the wall, motioning for you to follow.

You quietly follow beside her, walking through the rundown village. 

“I had a lover too, once…” She murmurs, thoughtfully. “His name was Quinlan. He was… a Jedi.”

Your eyes go wide at her confession. “What?”

“Don’t be so surprised someone could love me.” She half jokes. 

“That’s not what I’m surprised about, Asajj.” You look at her. “You hate the Jedi…” 

“That’s true. I did hate the Jedi. Good thing they’re not around anymore, right?” She stops as she comes to a cave-like structure. 

Is this where she’s been hiding out? You remember the Nightsisters. They were supposedly witches, able to use dark magic. 

“Back to your roots, hm?” You feel the cool stone wall. 

“Har har.” She leads you to a large door and you watch as she pushes in on a rock that was otherwise hidden to the naked eye and the stone door opens.

You follow her through the door and what you find is shocking, to say the least. A large cavernous opening with stone structures with pools of water running around them. It looks like a mini city. 

“Shortly before the end of the war… I brought Quinlan here. To teach him the ways of the dark side. I wanted to help him kill Dooku… But he wasn’t able to.” She looks down at the glowing blue water as she talks.

For the first time ever, you think she looks sad. But you don’t say anything. 

“He wanted to further the Jedi mission after the fall of their precious order. I told him that wasn’t my path and we parted ways.” She looks up at you before continuing walking down the rock path toward one of the stone structures. 

“I’m sorry.” You tell her as you walk up a set of stone stairs. 

“I don’t want your pity.” She turns around at the top of the step to look down at you.

Holding your hands up in surrender. “It’s not pity. It’s compassion.” 

“Yeah, well. Keep it at the door or go with it.” She continues walking until she reaches some sort of living space. “You can stay here for a few days if you want.” 

“Thank you.” You nod. 

She nods back and leaves you to your own devices. 

Now what?

You hear your name and you look up in time to see Master Dooku shaking his head at you.

“Sorry, Master.” You stare down at your breakfast, sitting across from him at the abnormally long table. 

“How am I to teach you if you do not focus?” He asks you.

“May I be excused?” You look up at him, angrily.

Dooku sighs and nods, waving you away. You quickly get up and walk out of the dining hall to the long hallway and to the lift. For the last couple days, all you’d been able to think about was the city, wanting to go for a walk through their markets, see their locals, taste their food… But Dooku had told you no. 

Well, today is the day that you don’t care anymore. Yesterday had been the last straw where you’d decided to stop trying to please him. You needed to get out of the palace. 

“Where are you going?” You hear a sultry voice behind you as you hop on one of the speeder bikes. 

You turn to find Ventress leaning against the palace wall. “What does it matter?” 

“You’re in a mood today.” She smirks. “Training didn’t go well yesterday?” 

You roll your eyes and start the bike up, pulling away from the hangar, speeding away toward the city. 

“Hungry?” Asajj asks you, offering you a bowl of some sort of soup. 

You take it from her, nodding a thanks to her. She sits at the table across the room and you take the soup and join her, sitting on her right like you used to do when she lived in Dooku’s palace with you.

“Did you know who your parents were?” You ask her.

She pauses to look at you. 

“Sorry. Never mind.” You continue eating your soup, looking down at the bowl. 

Asajj lets out a soft sigh. “I did. They died when I was young. A warlord named Osika Kirske killed them. I was originally trained as a Jedi padawan… and then my Master was killed… So, I decided to walk the path of the dark side…”

You didn’t know that. Honestly, you used to be too afraid to ask her anything about herself, finding it best to just mind your business.

“Do you know about yours?” She asks.

“My parents?” You ask.

She nods but you shake your head. 

“I do.” She murmurs.

“You… know about my parents?” You ask confused.

She nods again. “If you want to know…” 

Do you want to know? Why would Ventress know about them? Why would she wait until now to say anything? A million questions run through your mind.

“I can see your little mind going to work. And before I say anything… You need to know a few things.” She starts. “One… I found out purely by accident. Two… when I did find out… I went to Dooku and he forbade me from telling you. Threatened me even.” 

Why would he forbid her from telling you? 

You think about it a few more moments while you finish eating. Pushing the bowl away, you look back up at Asajj. 

“Alright… Tell me.” You sit up straighter, keeping a straight face.

She searches your eyes for a second, perhaps trying to decide if you’ll handle the news well.

“Your mother was the daughter of Jenza Dooku. The sister of Master Dooku.” She tells you, quietly.

Time seems to stop right then. Like everything just sort of slows down. Your heartbeat. Your blinking. Your brain… 

“Wait… No…” You struggle to form words. “No, because then that would mean…”

“That Dooku was your great uncle, yes.” She takes a drink of her wine.

“And he knew.” 

“He knew.”

You stand up abruptly, deciding to pace. Needing to move. 

“There’s more.” She stands up with you, but slower. 

That could only mean the news wasn’t good.

“What is it?”

You don’t miss the way that her eyes quickly glance to the saberstaff laying on the bed that you’d set it on earlier. 

“What…” You start again, but she cuts you off.

“I killed her…” She looks at you.

You suppose you should feel anger… But only confusion courses through your veins. And then you realize why she glanced at your saber. She was afraid you’d try to attack her.

“Why?” You furrow your brows in frustration at your emotions.

“Dooku wanted her dead… She had planned to reveal his plans to the Republic… so he sent me to assassinate her… I… didn’t want to. But he threatened me. I-I told her I was sorry. Her last words to me were to protect you.” She murmurs.

As you stroll the streets of Carannia, just a ways away from the palace, you find the stress melting away from your body. As if you could breathe again for the first time. You even smile for what feels like the first time in days.

Watching as two children pass a ball back and forth to each other, you can’t help but chuckle when the older of the two kicks it and it goes between the younger’s legs, making the young one almost flip trying to catch it. Then, you find a food stand, immediately being drawn to the smell of whatever bird is roasting over the pit. 

“I’ll take a bit of that, please.” You smile at the vendor. 

He nods, smiling kindly as you hand him a few credits when he hands you the food.

“Make it two.” The sultry tone is behind you again and you can’t help the roll of your eyes. 

“What are you doing here?” You ask Ventress, angrily. “Sent to retrieve me again?”

The vendor hands Ventress a small bowl of what you have and she tosses him a few credits, causing him to give her a dirty look. She winks at him and he immediately turns away from her.

“What do you think of this little market?” She asks.

“What are you doing here?” You ask her again.

“You’re crazy if you think that I’m going to let you wander off by yourself only for something to happen to Dooku’s little pet. He’d kill me.” She takes a bite of the food and then makes a face, dumping the rest of it in your bowl and tossing the paper to some random bystander. 

“I’m not his pet.” You glare up at her. 

She may be taller than you, more lethal than you, more crude than you… but you could be just as rude. 

“So you’re not his pet. You’re still helpless.” She walks beside you as you look at all the vendor booths. “I saw your lessons yesterday and how they went. Imagine if someone like me attacked you right now.” 

She more or less had a point… but you wouldn’t admit that to her. She ends up following beside you in silence and later, when you return to the palace and Dooku asks you where you’ve been, she tells him that she was trying to train you. It’s that moment that you realize she may not be all bad… That maybe you could even look up to her one day.

“I’ve… I’ve gotta go…” You back away from her. 

She calls your name as you grab your staff and run out of the stone structure, back down the steps, and back toward the cave entrance where you came. You just need to get away from here… Away from her… You don’t know what to do or what to think. All you know is that you’ve just traveled all this way and you don’t even know if she was worth it… 

She killed your grandmother. Asajj Ventress assassinated your grandmother. What are you supposed to do with that information? Seek revenge? You didn’t even know Jenza… You don’t know anything about your biological family… 

As you walk back toward your ship, you see the Batch’s ship and then you see Echo waiting on the steps of their hatch and your chest tightens. He waited… 

When he sees you, he immediately starts walking toward you. You know that you can’t tell him about your grandmother… about Ventress… you just can’t. He’ll deem her too dangerous and want to collect that bounty. 

No, you need to lie…

“It’s been hours… You’re still here?” You ask him, when he reaches you.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving you here, not knowing if you were alright. I figured if you weren’t back by nightfall, we’d come looking for you.” He tells you, still giving you some space. 

You smile slightly at the sentiment. “Thank you.”

“Did you find her?” He asks.

“Only found an empty village.” You try to remain as close to the truth as possible, not wanting to lie to him.

He nods, accepting this. Anything you were feeling about Ventress or Jenza or Dooku gets pushed way down deep for now. 

“I… I need to tell you something.” He murmurs, stepping closer. 

You look around him and find his brothers all waiting at the hatch for him. 

“What is it?” You look back up at him. 

“I don’t want to give up on us. For the first time in a long long time, I finally feel content. Waking up next to you every single morning is what keeps me going.” He takes your hands. 

You glance back at his brothers and Echo rolls his eyes.

“I don’t care what they think. You make me happy. I love you and I have since the moment that you told General Skywalker off about clone rights.” He squeezes your hands. “You don’t have to say it back-”

Instead of using your words, which seem to be failing you at the moment anyway, you crush your lips to his and you can tell it’s taken him by surprise. He lets go of your hands so that he can pull you closer against him by your waist, wrapping his arm and his scomp around you. Instinctively, you slide your arms around his neck and smile against his lips. 

“It’s a good thing I feel the same way.” You cup his cheek. 

“I’ll say.” He pulls you to him again, kissing you gently.No matter what you’re going through, you know that eventually you’ll be able to tell Echo the truth about your past. The only question is when.