35. An Unexpected Interruption

Coruscant, Windu POV

The Jedi, it seems, are not beyond reason. Once they understood the severity of my... 'condition' for lack of a better term, on the condition my activities not be traced back to them.

Understandable. They did not want the fact one of their number is now a cold-blooded killer to be known. My Queen gave me access to one of her abilities, which she calls 'inventory' which allows me to in essence store the corpses of my prey for later consumption. I can also use it to equip various outfits.

Did I mention I'm now a cannibal?

It's not just the urge to hunt, or to kill. It's also to consume. The Force is my Guide during a hunt, you see. All my requirements are taken into consideration.

How long it's been since a hunt, how much I have in reserve in my inventory, how close my prey is at any given moment... And the big one especially. That they are a Criminal, actively committing a crime.

The torturers are my personal favorites. I always try to take those ones alive. Why not give them what they like? I find myself thinking. Torture is an art, pure and simple. Only... The recipient must not be innocent, and must be deserving of the pain. Oh, how they scream and plead and cry for mercy! But they won't be getting any mercy. Not from me.

After all, they made their choice. Just as I made mine. I hunger. It's time to hunt.

My equipment is all stored in my Inventory, in a separate tab than my meat and trophies. I can switch from my Jedi garb to my hunters outfit in an instant. That said, I must not become overly reliant on my inventory.

A pull. Mid-hunt. Strange. I pause on a rooftop, to focus in on that pull. It... feels like a child. A Force sensitive child. I turn around and stare in that direction, thinking hard on what I should do. My Hunt for prey is important, but at the same time... My Queen dictated all force sensitive children should be protected. I slip into an alley, making sure no one sad my escort follows, then Switch my gear to my armor and bolt in the direction of the child, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

Poor thing. I can feel it's fear from here. I vaguely sense my escort call in that something is very wrong and that I appear to have abandoned my Hunt.

I look back at him briefly, but quickly look away as continue to move. Stupid thing. Can't he sense it? The Child is going to die! I'm getting really close now. But where is she?

...There!

"Stupid Jedi brat! I'll kill you!" Like Hell you will!

Just as the blaster shot is fired, I land between the stupid one and the Child. ...It would seem he soiled himself. I look him square in the eyes, and speak.

"Run. Run away, little mouse, and pray to whatever gods you believe in that I never find you, for if I do, you will die. And I can assure you, it will not be quick, or painless."

He runs. My 'escort' arrives, I give them a withering glare, then turn and pick up the Child. A Togruta female, by the look of her. Wait. This is the one Master Plo Koon found. I held her, Asoka Tano, and leapt to the rooftops, heading back to the Temple.

My 'escort' calls ahead to inform them I am bringing a Youngling back to the Temple, and that it appears that the child was in mortal danger which is what caused me to break off my hunt.

I would have thought that obvious. The Child stirred in my arms, I stopped briefly. "You are lucky. That man was going to kill you. he would have succeeded were it not for me. Now, be still. We have nearly returned to the Temple."

"...Your not a Jedi are you?"

"... You may call me Mortuus."

I landed near the Temple stairs, and set her down on her feet. My 'escort' moves to check on her, and I take the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. Finally! Some alone time. I did continue to wear my assigned tracker though. No need to make them paranoid.

He glanced around, noting my seeming lack of presence. I sent a pulse through the Force, telling him I was present nearby, but didn't like the crowd, then cut my Force presence nearly completely, making me completely undetectable, save to my Watcher.

"Master Plo!"

"Little Soka! Are you hurt?!? The Council said that the Black Hunter found you! He NEVER spares his prey! How did you escape?"

"... I didn't. He let me go. I wasn't his target. And..."

"And what?"

"He said I could call him Mortuus. And Master Plo?"

"Yes, Little Soka?"

"Mortuus... he is a Force user. I could tell from how he was moving, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It would explain why the police have never been able to catch him."

Fear. Master Plo Koon knew full well what Force users who were determined to kill were capable of. After all, he is a Jedi Master.

I hide myself on a roof nearby, send a slight pulse through the Force, and he snaps around and spots me. I send a sense of contentment, as if to say, 'I did my good deed for the day', all while staring straight at him.

To my shock, he sent back a pulse filled with relief, joy, and thanks, and bowed his head slightly. I stare, for a good minute, then nod back.

There is an unspoken respect and understanding in this most simple of gestures.