Katsumi

Chapter 1

   A long time ago, during a time when the Clone War still ravaged the galaxy; in a time where the Jedi had lost their way…

   The sun had set hours ago on the planet of Coruscant, but the bustling cities were just as alive as always. Things never seemed to slow down there. Thousands of bright lights flashed and zoomed through the post-twilight skies as civilians flew around on speeders and such. Lights were still on in many of the buildings, and restaurants were just starting to reach peak activity. However, in an old, cheap apartment on the streets, a young couple was starting to bed down for the evening.

   Shijiru sat at the foot of a large bed, dressed in robes like what the Jedi would wear. His long, blonde hair flew down to his shoulders, and his chiseled countenance was in a scowl. He looked over at a table, and his gaze fell to the two lightsabers sitting on it. He felt a special connection to them both, one that couldn't be aptly described with words. Something mystical tied him to that blade. Something strong. Something holy.

   All of the sudden, a door opened, and out came the young Katsumi. She, unlike her husband, was dressed like someone about to sleep, in a soft and simplistic nightgown. Her auburn hair fell to her shoulders in waves. She walked over and leaned into her husband, hugging him tightly.

  "Tonight's one to celebrate," she smiled.

   "It's hard to believe," the man said, standing up and looking out the small window at the lively cityscape, "hard to think that we've been together for a year at this point."

   "I know," she said, floating over to his side. "Remember what we said so long ago?" she asked.

   "About the Order? I remember... Have you made your decision yet?"

   "Nope... You?"

   "Not at all..." he sighed.

   "They're going to find out at some point. We've all felt this tension building for months now. They must be suspicious of us."

   "To be fair, they have a lot of justification in that."

   "I know, and that's the point. Think about what's been happening with all these Jedi we know? They've been leaving left and right. Sooner or later they're gonna realize we're no different. And then what? What are we gonna do if they find out about us?"

   Just then, as she finished uttering the last word, there was a knock at the door.

   "Hello?" asked an all-too-familiar voice. It caused fear to come over both Jedi, as they stared at each other in a panic.

   "Hide!" she told her husband, who ran into a closet and noiselessly closed the door behind him. Katsumi shoved his things under the bed with a quick flick of her hand, including an old decrepit book, as she hastily attended to the door, putting on a welcoming smile.

   "Why, if it isn't my good friend Lirio. What brings you here so late?" Katsumi asked, trying her very best to keep her cool under the circumstances. Her "friend" stood before her, long black hair flowing down his back like a long waterfall. His beard did little to hide his scowl as he stepped into their apartment, followed by a group of clones.

   "Oh no, what's the matter here?" she asked in fake shock.

   "You can cut the deceptions, Jedi. We know what's going on between you two." Lirio looked around the room, peering down every corner he saw. He saw her lightsaber on an end table and with a single swoop pulled it off the table, then latched it to his belt. The troops kept their blasters pointed at Katsumi.

   "Why, whatever do you mean?" It's a good thing Katsumi didn't pursue the life of a stage performer, for she was no actress.

   "I said, you can drop the act!" the older Jedi growled viciously. "We know about what you've been up to, and we know about Shijiru!" The closet door cracked at this. Shijiru slid out, his hands in the air.

   "Don't shoot, I'm unarmed," he said solemnly. He gestured over to Katsumi, trying to get her to do the same.

   "Lirio, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this that you'd love to hear!" Katsumi coaxed as she slid in front of Shijiru, as though to hide him.

   "Katsumi!" Lirio steamed, igniting his lightsaber and pointing its aquamarine blade in her face. The mechanical purr of the Jedi's sword radiated through her ears as she tried to figure out what exactly her next move was.

   "Honey, stop this," Shijiru said, putting his arm on her shoulder and stepping out from behind her. He looked down at her, and whispered, "Go with me."

   No, no, this can't be… This can't be happening… she thought as thousands of anxious thoughts ricocheted through her mind. And, as the climax reached the tipping point, she turned around and darted for the window. The clones instantly took after her, shooting their stunning blasts towards her as she ran. She pulled her lightsaber off Lirio's belt in a way only one with the Force could and jumped through the window (which was just barely big enough for her to squeeze through.)

   She rolled toward the bottom of the cone-shaped building, which like a steep ramp extended down, running outward. Clones fired at her through the window, and others rushed to the roof to get a better aim. Lirio himself flew through the same passage she had and ran down after her, as she plotted her escape. Down on the streets below the building was a flock of mynocks, which planted an idea within Katsumi. She looked back behind her at Lirio, mere yards behind her.

   "Stop it Katsumi!" he yelled, this time not furious, but with a genuine concern for his old friend in his deep voice.

   "Sorry…" she sighed as she realized what she had to do. As she approached the end of the building, she leaped off into the air. In a split second, she pulled out her lightsaber and set free its emerald beam of energy. She threw it towards Lirio like a boomerang, letting it twirl through the sky as it found its receiver. She then realized it was time to let her secret go. Her eyes began to emit a green glow, as viridescent energy emitted through her body. She visualized the mynocks in her mind— their wings, their long tail, their large, gross suction cup of a mouth. And then, she used the energy around her to become one… Her body morphed, in that split second, into a mynock. The clones all saw this. Shijiru saw this and knew she would do it. Lirio, who, was in the process of dodging the blade, and saw nothing but a flash of green making its way towards him. And Katsumi, in her mynock form, flew down and joined the herd. She had already won this encounter.

- 32 BBY -

  A young Shijiru sat back, his feet propped up on the control panel of the ship. Outside of it, his Jedi Master was handling some negotiations.

   "Stay inside, no matter what," she had told him an hour ago. As the result, things were quiet on the ship. He was slightly nervous about this meeting.

  Why did she tell me not to come? And why has she been so long? I mean, we're out in the middle of nowhere, and if something bad's happening, I have no way of getting in touch with help. Shijiru, stop this. This isn't Jedi-like. The Force will provide. 

  Just then, a piercing scream shot through the hills. It filled his ears and cut through his mind. He saw the face of his Master, bloody and unconscious. He saw a group of hooded, demonic figures standing around her. And thus, despite her orders, he bolted out of the ship. The sun was shining, but it did little to lighten the tension of the situation. He ran up the hill closest to him with all his might. Upon reaching the top, he saw a ring of black cloaks surrounding the bashed and bloody body of his master, whose insides poured out, leaving a stain on the grass. 

   In a righteous rage, and forgetting all the training the Jedi had instilled within him, he ran down the hill and to the villains with all the energy he had in his teenage body. In his mind, all the precious moments he'd had with his Master flashed before him, as he realized her very existence hinged on him at this moment. Pulling himself out of the past as he skids to a halt before them, he unfurled his brilliant blue lightsaber and stood defiantly before them, holding his weapon in a dignified battle-stance. Raw malice pumped through his blood vessels.

   "I'll kill you!" he yelled violently, "I'll kill all of you!"

   "Vengeance isn't the way of the Jedi, now, is it?" one of them laughed belittling. In her hand, she grasped an ornate and mystical-looking book. It caught Shijiru's eyes before they fell to the void face of the crook. It was clouded by the shadows of a hood, making her identity all the more intriguing to the young man.

  "Who said I was a Jedi?" he yelled as he darted for her, ready to take what didn't belong to him. Just before the azure beam pierced her flesh, she evaporated into the very air around them. The others laughed, causing Shijiru to fall even deeper to the Dark.

  "My, the Order has turned soft," said she from behind him, where she had somehow reformed.

  What was that? What is this? Shijiru thought to himself as he stared at the ground bewildered. "Who are you?" he muttered as he darted around, letting his aggressions burn within his chest.

  "We? We're royalty compared to you and you're pathetic Jedi cohorts," she laughed once more.

  "How did you do that?" he pushed turning around and staring at the shadow of her face.

  "Child, the Force is much more than what they tell you," she said, nodding down at his master's disturbing body. Then, his eyes fell to the book once more. He closed his eyes, then let out a breath of fear and sadness. Then, he asked:

  "Well then, what is it?"

  "It is a world... a universe of possibilities, just waiting to be explored. In it, the secrets of life lay. In it, the power to make your wishes and desires a reality sit, waiting to be acted upon. Those who know the Force... The true Force... are the real rulers of the universe. The ones who mandate reality."

  "And that's you? You all rule the universe?" Shijiru asked in disbelief. If he was a little older... a little more mature... this wouldn't have phased him. He wouldn't buy into their seductive lies. However, his mind was young and innocent, not yet spoiled by the brutality of real life. 

  "We have the power to, yes," the woman said. At this, a flip was switched within the young man. Everything he ever wanted was in that book. The secrets of reality's nature abided in there. The secrets of salvation rested in that woman's hands. He realized just then what was necessary. he instantly darted over to the woman and speered her with his blade. This felt anticlimactic to him. She had just dodged his attack... why'd this one land? Regardless, he was just happy to see her body turn to smoke, as she left the world. The book fell to the ground, falling open to a page of foreign text. He turned around, and the other murderers were too gone. He knelt down beside his dead mentor and held her cool hand. He placed his forehead up against her and whispered, "I'm going to save you. I promise." Tears rolled down his pale cheeks as he mourned.

 

- Present-day -

   Katsumi ran down an old, dark hallway. Months had passed since Shijiru was arrested. She had succeeded in staying hidden all this time, as she no longer used Katsumi as her name. In this time, she had become a lawless vigilante. A hero to people who had none.

The lights around her flickered, and sparks would fly from a bulb every few seconds. Katsumi was seemingly alone in here. Despite this, she had her identity well-sealed and flew through the corridor without making a sound. She could be likened to a ninja because she played and looked the part well: a white mask covered her face and head, leaving only her (at times) menacing glare peering out of a slit. This mask wasn't made by just anyone... no... It was custom fitted for her face, and was made of more than just cloth that would be used for common clothing, and wasn't shabby in the least. The rest of her body was also concealed in a matching armor of plastoid. And on it, in small Aurebesh text, were characters that spelled out the title: Royal Jedi.

   Gripped in her right hand was her lightsaber, made with a sleek black metal, which shone brilliantly in the lamplight. She continued down the hall until she reached a fork in the road. She stopped and looked down both halls, which both contained armed criminals. Most of the crew were Weequay, but a few human-likes and a small select were Nikto. All of them looked spitefully at Katsumi as they aimed at her head. A leader emerged from the hall on her right... another Weequay. Strapped to her back were two long rifles, and multiple smaller pistols were fastened to her hilt.

   "My, if it isn't the famed Royal Jedi?" she asked, strutting to Katsumi like a lioness about to devour her unfortunate prey. Katsumi looked at her, then glanced down the other hall.

   "What a pleasure to have your acquaintance, captain," she said with a mocking curtsy. She then threw her lightsaber at the villain, once again like a boomerang. The magnificent green blade poured out as the weapon left her hand, and it went flying towards its targets. The captain and her troops swiftly ducked down and rolled under the attack.

   "Missed me, fool!" she cackled. However, her victory was short-lived, as the blade flew back to Katsumi. A dozen birds were killed with one cruel stone. The entire hallway of pirates, plus their leader, had been annihilated. The left hall realized what had just gone down, ran at Katsumi with all they had, firing their various weapons rapidly. The Royal Jedi jumped up and grabbed onto a pole running along the roof. She dogged their initial attacks, and then swung her body over towards them, letting go at just the right moment as to throw herself at them, knocking them all out with ease.

   Katsumi continued to run down the hall. She came to the end at a closed door. Quickly she jammed her lightsaber in it, and with relative ease tore it down. Two guards stood, petrified. They could see behind Katsumi and knew exactly what had happened. They saw the remains of what she did behind her. And they had also heard stories of the great warrior— The Royal Jedi. A fierce fighter, who had been going around the Coruscant underworld fighting for the people the Jedi had neglected as they consumed themselves with galactic politics. They knew what she was capable of. And knew what she was about to do.

   "Please, show mercy..." one of them cried, dropping his weapons. "We were forced into this... The captain... Jas... I'm in her debt, and she forced me to do this... Or else... My family..." he cried rapidly. Katsumi sensed his urgency, as well as that of the man next to him. She knew it was real.

   "Then please, go," she said, stepping aside and gesturing for them to leave. The two didn't waste a single moment in getting out of the terror they'd been living through.

As they left, Katsumi's gaze shifted to what they were guarding: barrels of stolen and smuggled food and medicine from other worlds. She knew what she was to do with all of it.

   Late that night, after she had taken the food back to a few impoverished villages, and delivered the medical supplies to a local apothecary, she stumbled into a meager hut, way back in the old forgotten parts of Coruscant. She opened the door softly, yet it still let out a loud and equally annoying creek. She pulled off her mask, letting her sweat-drenched hair air out. The house was dark, and she could barely see. However, she was still able to get herself to a room in the back. It was extremely small— only with enough room for a twin-sized bed and a small table. However, it was quite enough for her, as she sank into the bed, letting her lightsaber roll out of her hands and onto the floor as she melted into a well-earned slumber.

   She awoke to the sounds of family life the next morning— clinks and clanks sounded from the kitchen, the sound of a baby crying, the melodies of a young child playing with toys. It sounded way too normal considering what Katsumi had done the night before. She sat herself up, blinking away the sleep still left in her eyes. She realized that she was still in her armor from her prior engagement. She quickly tore it off and shoved it under her bed, leaving on her black tank and long blank pants. She stepped out of her room and soaked in the bright lights pouring through the glass-less windows. When her eyes adjusted, she saw her close friend standing in the kitchen, cleaning off dishes with a dampened rag. Her long black hair fell behind her back, and her beautiful dark skin shone in the light. She had a lovely yellow dress that flew down to her calves. It was loose and flowy, one of the few garbs she had kept for herself before moving to the chronically malnourished part of Coruscant and distributing her wardrobe to the denizens of the area.

   "Good morning sleeping beauty," the woman teased her friend, setting down her dishes.

   "Cut me some slack Lill, I had a long night," Katsumi ran her fingers through her messy hair, "Where's Rilioshi?" she asked, looking down a small hall to her right.

   "He's handling the baby right now," she said, nodding her head left of Katsumi, in the direction of the nursery. Katsumi began to make her way towards the room when she was interrupted by a small boy, about the age of eight. He bore a striking resemblance to his mother and ran over to Katsumi with a big hug around her waist.

   "Hey there, little man," she smiled down at him as she ran her fingers through his short but curly hair.

   "Auntie, I've been waiting for you to get up!" he said, pulling away, "All the others kids in town are still asleep, but I really wanna play SWG with someone!" SWG, standing for "Simulated World Game," was a popular virtual game that the children of the village shared. It was made on a faraway planet, but the remained one of the leading entertainment exports for the whole galaxy.

   "Sorry bud, but I need to go see Dad," she told him, then promising, "I'll play with you later, though, I promise."

   "Let Kat go back and speak with Dad. I need you to clean up in the living room anyway," his mother informed him.

   Katsumi slowly crept her way down the hall to the nursery. She sensed that the child was asleep, and wished not to wake him. However, the old and rusty floors of the place groaned loudly as she peered through the door. Light poured through an opening in the shabby walls to her. She stepped in to see "Rilioshi", more commonly known as Riloshi, staring down at a small child. His skin was bright like Katsumi's, and his head had a fuzz growing atop it. He sat there, soft asleep. At peace despite the chaos of the world around them. Riloshi himself had on a simple nightgown, and his black hair tied back in a braid that ran along his neck.

   "We need to talk," he said, looking up to his friend.

   "I know, I know. But first I need to tell you what I discovered!"

   "Katsumi… stop it…" he sighed, putting his face in the palm of his hand.

   "No, no, I'm serious this time. I—"

   "Stop it!" Riloshi interrupted harshly, "Grow up Katsumi! You have a child sitting here in my arms while you go out and play superhero likethose danged Jedi do!" he whispered loudly, still rocking the child back and forth. While he did this, the only audible sounds were that of his chair, creaking against the floor as it swayed to a soft, melodic rhythm. Katsumi stood there and let his words sink in.

   "Play?" she thought to herself, then continued aloud, "I am a real hero. I just took out Captain Jas of the Blood Crimson Syndicate. I'm not like them… Not like the Jedi. I'm saving people. I'm making their lives better, can't you see that?"

   "But what lives are you forgetting about? The ones of the people closest to you!"

   "Like who?"

Riloshi looked down at her son. Katsumi turned red with fury, then stormed out of the room. All the while the baby slept peacefully. Riloshi kissed him on the head and whispered:

  "It's okay, little boy. Your parents may have abandoned you, but you still have me and Lillias."