Disclaimer: I do not claim the rights to Star Wars and any related games and books. They are the property of George Lucas

Four Thousand Years

Chapter 6: The Assassins

Droid armies have several advantages over conventional volunteer armies. First, massive numbers of combat droids can be built; allowing droid armies to quickly replace looses and overwhelm opponents. Secondly, droids are fearless, perfectly loyal, and can operate in conditions that would kill most organics.

Droid armies have one critical flaw however. They follow orders EXACTLY, and are unable to modify orders to changing or unique situations. As was the case on Ketea III; where a droid army was annihilated, because it ignored several defensive turrets disguised as automated fire extinguishers. The droids did not even respond when the turrets activated and fired on them.

Recently cloning technology has advanced to the level where clone armies are a definite reality. Though clone armies cannot be produced as fast or as cheaply as droids, they can adapt to new situations and learn from experiences in a way droids cannot.

The planet of Kamino is the current leader in cloning technology and soon clone armies may replace volunteer armies.

Darth Revan stared out the glass window of the Star Forge. A massive black orb the size of a small moon hung in space above the blue homeworld of the Rakata.

"Milord, is it necessary to destroy the Star Forge?"

Revan turned around to see Bastila walking towards him; her black robe clinging tightly to her ageless body.

"Yes. I never intended to keep the Star Forge. Consider what happened to the Rakata, how they lost all connection to the force. I believe the Star Forge literally sucked the force out of them. That's why I have put the last thousand years into making our new headquarters."

Bastila nodded to herself. "Of course. But as you said, it took a thousand years for even the Star Forge to complete our new base of operations. Is such a project really necessary?"

Revan chuckled behind his mask. "Yes. Aside from being completely self sufficient, this new base is completely mobile, and it sends a message of power to our opponents and potential allies. While it cannot match the production capabilities of the Star Forge, it more then makes up for it in sheer versatility. Soon we will be ready to move beyond the Star Forge, and nothing will stop us from ultimately achieving our goal!"

xXxXx

Anakin's eyes snapped open; the remnants of the vision dancing across his eyes. "What in the force's name was that?"

"Anakin!" Anakin's head snapped towards the door. Obi-wan stood there leaning against the door frame, HK-47 towering over him. "We need to go; Senator Amidala is waiting for us!"

Anakin nodded and got up from his bed. He would worry about strange dreams later…

xXxXx

"Anakin are you sure about this? I know he is your droid, but can we really trust him around the senator?" Obi-wan asked uneasily as they waited outside the senator's room for any assassins to appear, he didn't trust HK-47 at all.

"No," Anakin responded bluntly. "But I threatened to turn him into a household cleaning unit if he didn't behave."

Inside, R2-D2's scanner swept back and forth across the room and over the form of the sleeping senator. HK-47 stood hidden in a corner, his photoreceptors dimmed to hide his presence, and his blaster rifle charged. Though his master had ordered that the senator not be harmed; he said nothing of what state any assassin had to be in…

xXxXx

The assassin scaled the walls of the apartment complex with ease. Coming to the window of the senator's apartment, he scanned inside. He knew the two Jedi were waiting outside, but he wasn't planning on going inside. He pressed a tube to the window and watched as the attachment on the end cut through the glass. "Too easy." Then he looked up and noticed what he thought was a protocol droid pointing at him. It had what looked like a rocket launcher attached to its arm… "Sithspawn!" he leapt back from the window, just as a plasma rocket hit it. The burning plasma melted the glass and sent a jet of white hot flames shooting into the Corescent sky.

"Statement: Master, the meatbag is getting away. We must pursue it!" was all he heard the droid say as he ran for the hovercar he had saved for a quick getaway. He started up the engines and shot off into the nightscape.

BOOM!!

A rocket exploded close to his hover car, nearly sending it into a building. He looked in the direction the rocket came from to see the Jedi chasing him in another hovercar. The droid was sitting in the backseat, holding what looked like the mother of all repeating blasters. "Shit," he swore as he pulled the hovercar into one of the shadier areas of the Galactic Capital. As soon as he had lost sight of the Jedi he ditched the car and entered a crowded cantina. He was quickly lost in the crowd of various humans and aliens.

xXxXx

Obi-wan sat down at the bar within the crowded cantina; looking for a trace of th4e bounty hunter that had attempted to kill senator Amidala.

"Hey buddy, wanna buy some deathsticks?"

Obi-wan looked over at the alien sitting beside him. "You do not want to sell me deathsticks."

"I do not want to sell you deathsticks."

"You will go home and rebuild your life."

"I will go home and rebuild my life."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his target duck out of the cantina, followed by a shout of alarm. The jedi rushed outside to see Anakin and HK-47 standing in front of the assassin. HK-47 was gripping the hunter around the throat and holding him at least a foot off the ground.

"Ultimatum: Inform the master of who has posted the bounty, meatbag!"

"I don't know…" the assassin choked out grasping at HK's grip.

"Observation: The meatbag is being uncooperative. Shall I rip his legs off?"

"Yes," Anakin answered.

"ANAKIN!"

"It was a bounty hunter!" the assassin choked out.

"What was his name?" Obi-wan pressed.

"His name was… ack!" A metal dart pierced the assassin's neck, and his corpse shrived in seconds. The two Jedi spun around to see a shadowed figure blast off into the night.

"Damnit!" Anakin swore. Obi-wan bent over and pulled the dart out of the shrivelled flesh of the assassin. "What in the force's name is this…?"

"Observation: That is Kaminoian Sabre Dart," HK-47 piped up. "An extreme effective poison dart originating from Kamino."

"Kamino?" Obi-wan asked.

"Recitation: Kamino: an oceanic planet along the Outer Rim. Inhabited by a species of long limbed meatbags. The planet is known for its specialization in cloning technology."

"And how do you know this?" Obi-wan inquired.

"Statement: I am programmed with the knowledge and use of over 1 million weapons types."

Obi-wan just cast HK-47 a suspicious look.

xXxXx

"A bounty hunter you say?"

Yoda gazed at the two jedi before him.

"Yes, we have a potential lead on the planet of Kamino," Obi-wan explained. "With your permission, we would like to investigate it."

"Permission you have," Yoda replied. "Disturbing, this is."

"However," Mace Windu interjected. "You are still on assignment to protect Senator Amidala. Your apprentice will accompany her to Naboo."

"Of course." Both Obi-wan and Anakin bowed before leaving the room.

xXxXx

"Master," Anakin said, as soon as they had exited the room. "I'd like you to take HK-47 with you."

"Why?" Obi-wan asked. It was no mystery he was suspicious of HK-47.

"I can't take him with me," Anakin explained. "He attracts too much attention." Obi-wan couldn't argue with that. "Besides, the extra fire-power should help you right?"

"Anakin, taking your droid with me is just asking for things to go wrong," Obi-wan protested.

"And leaving him unsupervised in the Order is?"

"Good point."

"Objection: Master, why must I travel all the way to Kamino with this meatbag? He flies like shryke with one wing."

Obi-wan nearly jumped a foot in the air. HK-47 had a way of sneaking up behind people and scaring the hell out of them. It was especially surprising for Jedi, who were used to knowing when someone was behind them.

"Yes, you will go with him, and you will not kill him." Anakin reported.

"Query: may I maim him instead? His repair skill are dismal."

"NO!"

"Profanity: Sithspawn!" HK-47 flipped Obi-wan an obscene hand gesture.

Authors Note: Wow, been a while since I updated any of my stories. Hope you enjoyed this new, abit brief chapter of 2000 years.