The Multiverse Hunter

"Take her back inside," Ali commanded Drogath, his tone calm but firm. The giant obeyed immediately, carefully carrying the little girl back to her small bedroom. He closed the door behind him, shielding her from the escalating tension in the living room.

Ali's attention turned back to Veronica, who was still clutching his leg with every ounce of her strength, as if sheer desperation could save her. His cold, piercing voice cut through the silence.

"You poisoned me," he stated matter-of-factly.

Veronica's already pale face grew ashen. Her hands trembled as she clung to him.

"Why?" Ali asked, his tone sharp and devoid of emotion.

"I… I was ordered," Veronica stammered softly, her voice barely audible.

Ali crouched down, bringing himself to her eye level. His gloved hand seized a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back. Veronica winced, a small groan escaping her lips from the sharp pain.

"Tell me everything," Ali demanded, his tone low and menacing, leaving no room for hesitation or lies.

Veronica, her face twisted with fear and anguish, began to spill everything. She recounted her arrangement with the Jedi, the promises they had made to help her and her sister escape the clutches of this planet, and the tasks they had demanded of her in return.

Ali listened intently, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. When she finished, he released her hair abruptly, causing her to slump forward onto her hands and knees. "So, you spied for the Jedi and poisoned a Sith," Ali said, his voice laced with cold disdain. He straightened up, towering over her once again.

"Why shouldn't I kill you? And make you watch as I kill your sister too?"

"No! No, no, no! Please, you can't!" Veronica sobbed, clinging to his leg again. "Please, don't hurt her! She's innocent!" Her voice was hoarse, her desperation palpable.

She kissed his gloved hand repeatedly, her tears streaming down her face. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for any semblance of mercy.

Ali's mask shifted, falling to his palm to reveal his devilishly handsome face. Veronica's breath hitched as she recognised him.

"Y–You!" she whispered, her voice trembling. She remembered him now, the man who had saved her from the Trandoshans in the alley yesterday.

Ali wiped away her tears with his gloved hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. "Veronica," he said calmly, his tone a stark contrast to the earlier menace, "there is a way you can come out of this alive."

Her heart skipped a beat at those words. She latched onto the faint hope like a drowning woman clutching a lifeline. "Anything," she said quickly. "Just tell me what to do."

Ali leaned in closer, his tone cold and calculated as he laid out his terms. He explained exactly what he needed from her, the precise steps she would take to repay her betrayal. Veronica nodded frantically, too terrified to refuse.

When he finished speaking, Ali put the mask back into place, hiding his face once more. He called out to Drogath, who re-entered the room holding the little girl. The child ran past the giant and flung herself into Veronica's arms, burying her face in her sister's chest.

Ali watched them silently for a moment before his hand shot out. Using the Force, he pulled the child from Veronica's grasp. The older sister clung desperately to her, but it was futile—Ali's power was far too great.

"No, please!" Veronica cried as she reached out for her sister, tears streaming anew down her face.

Ali ignored her pleas. He held the little girl firmly, opening her mouth with one hand. With the other, he used the Force to levitate a small pill into her mouth, then closed her lips to make her swallow it. The child coughed and sputtered when he released her, and Veronica immediately scooped her up, holding her tightly as if to shield her from further harm.

"What did you do to her?" Veronica asked, her voice trembling with fury and despair.

"The same thing you did to me Veronica," Ali said coldly. "It will kill her in two days unless she receives the antidote."

Veronica's face contorted with rage and helplessness. "You monster!" she spat, clutching her sister protectively.

"It's just insurance," Ali replied calmly. "A guarantee that you won't do anything stupid."

With that, Ali turned and walked out of the apartment, Drogath following close behind.

As they stepped into the quiet streets, Drogath glanced back at the door they had just exited. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. The image of the frightened little girl clung to his mind, stirring memories of his own sister.

Inside the flying vehicle, the silence was thick with tension. Drogath finally broke it. "You poisoned the child," he said, his tone low but filled with restrained anger, Drogath didn't try to hide his displeasure at Ali's action earlier.

Ali didn't respond immediately. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small pill, and tossed it to Drogath. "Eat it," Ali ordered, his cold eyes were staring at Drogath making his heart beat faster as if imminent danger was coming.

Drogath hesitated, staring at the pill in his hand. But the look in Ali's eyes was enough to make him comply. He popped the pill into his mouth and bit down, only to taste an unexpected sweetness.

"Sugar?" Drogath exclaimed, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"I didn't actually poison her," Ali revealed, his tone dismissive. He looked out the window at the sprawling capital. "But her sister doesn't know that. As long as she believes it, she'll follow my orders without question."

Drogath's grip tightened on the armrest of his seat. "Why trick her like that? She's already terrified."

Ali turned to face him once again. "Drogath, I know you see your sister in every little girl, but we are Sith. Sith do evil things Drogath, wether they like it or not. So as long as you are a Sith, do not ever question me again. Do you understand?"

The weight of Ali's words hung in the air. After a moment, Drogath nodded. "I apologise," he said, his voice subdued.

"Good," Ali replied curtly, turning his attention back to the city lights below.

The next day, the capital of Tartek buzzed with excitement. The upcoming auction was all anyone could talk about. In the wealthier districts, lords and ladies prepared for an evening of opulence and competition, while in the poorer areas, people speculated wildly about the riches that would be on display.

Meanwhile, in the shadowy depths of the underground, an Asian man crouched on the rooftop of a three-story building. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, sweat dripping down his face as he adjusted his grip on a sniper rifle.

"There you are, you fucking bitch," he muttered, spotting a hooded woman moving through an alley below, she was looking around as if she just lost sight of something.

He steadied his aim and fired. The blaster shot streaked toward her head, but just before impact, a shimmering green barrier materialised, absorbing the shot with a crackling burst. The woman was thrown against the wall, but she recovered almost instantly.

Moments later, she leapt into the air, disappearing into a swirl of green energy. She reappeared on the rooftop where the shot had come from, but found nothing—just faint traces of the relic's power.

"Fuck me," the man muttered under his breath from a nearby crowded street, watching her from a safe distance. "This is getting old." He melted into the crowd, already planning his next escape.

Elsewhere in the city, plans were set into motion.

"Is everything ready?", the Jedi master asked Kale through the comms.

"Yes, everything is in order and now it's just a matter of waiting for the auction to begin"

"Good", the Jedi master said as she looked in the mirror at a beautiful green dress she was trying out at an expensive boutique in the capital.

Across town, the Trandoshan gang leader barked orders to his men, placing them strategically throughout the underground. When one of them questioned his commands, he didn't hesitate to make an example of the insubordinate, shooting him point-blank.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious penthouse, the Chiss meticulously coordinated his allies within the auction house, ensuring every detail of the auction wouldn't go by him unnoticed.

And in the Empire's headquarters, Ali sat alone in the training area, his two lightsabers hovering around him like ominous sentinels. Their crimson blades hummed softly, casting a blood-red glow on his face as he meditated, preparing for the storm to come.

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