The Multiverse Hunter

"Who are you?" Drogan asked, his voice weak but firm, his sharp eyes narrowing as they locked onto Ali.

"Ali, a Sith like your son," Ali replied simply, his figure towering in the doorway. His tone was steady, devoid of emotion, as if stating a fact that needed no further elaboration.

Drogan's gaze shifted briefly to Drogath, his son who now stood tall and imposing in his black Sith uniform. His expression softened for a moment before hardening again as he looked back at Ali.

"Father, we have to get you out of here," Drogath said, stepping closer to his father's frail form. "This place is killing you."

Drogan let out a rough cough, his body trembling with the effort. "And where would we go?" he asked between laboured breaths, skepticism lacing his words.

"You'll all come with me to the tower," Drogath said with determination. "You'll live there for now while I set things straight."

The statement stunned his family. The tower? The very place where countless members of their kind had entered but never returned? Even the thought of going there sent a ripple of unease through them.

Drogath's resolve, however, remained firm.

Ali shifted slightly, his gaze lingering on Drogath and his family. "Drogath, stay with them and catch up. I'll be back," he said in a low voice. Without waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared through the doorway, his footsteps silent and deliberate.

Drogath looked over his shoulder, but Ali was already gone, leaving only a faint trace of his presence in the air.

Outside, Ali crouched beside a small mud house, his crimson mask catching the faint glow of the setting sun. The street was empty, desolate save for the quiet hum of distant machinery. Ali's eyes fell on a scorched circle in the ground, a faint black mark burned into the dirt.

At the centre of the circle, he noticed a folded piece of paper. Reaching out, he picked it up and unfolded it carefully. His eyes scanned the message written in sharp, hastily scrawled letters:

"You have twenty minutes before I gut her like a fish."

At the bottom, coordinates were scribbled in bold strokes.

Ali punched the coordinates into his comms device. His mind raced as he studied the map that appeared. 'Jedi? Players? Bounty hunter? Sith?' The possibilities turned over in his mind, each one carrying its own unique set of threats.

Without hesitation, Ali took off running, his powerful strides eating up the distance as he followed the route displayed on his device.

The trail led to the peak of a small mountain, where a circular stone platform awaited. In the centre of the platform stood a man outfitted with mechanical limbs—both arms and legs replaced by gleaming metal. His posture was confident, and his grip on a red lightsaber was steady as he held it mere inches from Renella's throat.

Renella was on her knees, her hands bound behind her back. Her green tattoos seemed to pulse faintly, though her usual defiance was muted by the blade hovering so close to her neck.

The man turned his head toward the sound of approaching footsteps. Slowly, the distinct visage of a red mask came into view, followed by Ali's muscular frame. As Ali stepped into the open, the man's lips curled into a twisted smile, and his tongue flicked out to lick them.

"Well, well, well… The Sith Warrior actually cares about his girlfriend, huh?" the man mocked, his voice dripping with amusement. The red lightsaber in his hand moved even closer to Renella's neck, forcing her to tilt her head back slightly.

"Your terms?" Ali asked calmly, his tone devoid of fear as he stepped closer to them.

"Terms?" the man sneered. "How about this: first, stop moving." His voice grew colder, and he pressed the lightsaber even closer to Renella's skin, the faint hum of the blade filling the air.

Ali stopped, his posture still relaxed. "You know, I was surprised," he began, the man's tone conversational. "When Malvok called me after such a long time."

Ali remained still, watching, waiting.

"The last time Malvok asked for my services," the man continued, his voice taking on a sinister edge, "it was to kill a father out in the middle of nowhere and toss his daughter at a specific location. Oh, that was a fun night." His smile twisted into something more grotesque, a reflection of his bloodlust.

"But this time, he called for your life," the man said, extending a hand toward Ali. "Now, hand me your lightsaber."

Ali tilted his head slightly, his body language relaxed but his gaze sharp. "Malvok took his time to act against me," he said. "But I feel disrespected that he sent someone of your caliber to do it."

The man stiffened slightly at the insult, his grin faltering.

"You're so weak," Ali said, his tone dripping with disdain.

The man opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word—

UGH!

Ali spent half his Spirit in an instant, telepathically freezing the man in place. The mechanical limbs that had once made him so confident groaned under the pressure before collapsing entirely, crushed into useless scraps.

Renella seized the opportunity and stood, a deep green dagger materialising in her hand.

"Wait! Please! I'll give you anything!" the man begged, his voice cracking with desperation.

"They always say the same thing," Renella said coolly as she stepped behind him. Her fingers gripped his forehead, tilting his head back to expose his neck.

SPLASH.

The sound of blood gushing filled the air as Renella's dagger sliced cleanly across his throat. She moved slowly, deliberately, ensuring he felt every agonising second as his life drained away. The green dagger evaporated into thin air as she released the man's lifeless body, which crumpled to the ground.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Ali remarked, his voice calm as he extended his hand. The man's lightsaber flew into his grasp, joining his growing collection.

Renella turned to him, her expression frustrated. "How did you let someone like him kidnap you?" Ali mocked, his tone laced with amusement.

"Oh, I don't know," she snapped. "Maybe it had something to do with the shock collar activated by the Force that someone thought was a good idea!"

Ali chuckled faintly. "Oh, right. I forgot about that. Anyway, now carry his body back to the ship without anyone seeing it," he ordered, already turning away.

Renella's green magic lifted the corpse, floating it behind her as she followed Ali. "Wasn't this the part where you take off the damn thing?" she asked, pointing at the collar.

"Nah," Ali said with a smirk under his mask. "It was fun saving the damsel in distress."

Before she could respond, Ali jumped into the air, using the Force to propel himself far down the mountain. Renella's face turned red with frustration, her anger simmering as she stomped after him, the floating corpse in tow.

Back in the tower, Jask sat in his quarters, watching the surveillance feed. His red eyes burned with hatred as he observed Drogath's family entering the floor just two levels beneath him.

"These creatures think they can live near me…" he hissed through clenched teeth, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his desk.

Behind the family, Jask noticed Drogath's enormous figure—and, further back, Ali's imposing presence. The sight of Ali's red mask turning toward the camera made Jask's skin crawl. Ali stared directly into the lens, as if he knew Jask was watching.

Fuming, Jask shut off the feed and, with a flick of his hand, sent the monitors crashing to the floor with the Force. His mind spiralled into chaotic thoughts.

'First this exile, and now they send these worms to change things around here…' His anger fed the dark side, twisting his perception until it felt as though the entire galaxy was conspiring against him.

Ali sat in his quarters, speaking calmly into his comms device. "Sivara, you understand what I sent you, right? He helped the assassin track me."

Renella, sitting in the corner of the room, gave Ali an incredulous look. Her expression practically screamed, "Really?"

"Yes, Ali, I understand," Sivara replied with a heavy sigh. "See? This is what happens when you challenge a Sith Master. Didn't I warn you? And now I have to…" Her voice trailed off into another exasperated sigh.

"Just give me the green light to take care of Jask," Ali said. "As for Malvok, don't worry about him. I'll handle it." He paused.

"Sivara? What is it?"

"Okay… okay, fine. Do it. I'll leave Malvok up to you, but don't take too long, or I'll kill him myself," Sivara said before abruptly ending the call.

Renella scoffed from the corner. "Nice master you have there," she mocked.

Ali smirked under his mask. "Women I have sex with tend to do what I ask of them after."

The blunt statement left Renella momentarily speechless, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find a retort.

Unbothered, Ali sat at the table, enjoying a large meal. Renella sighed and returned to the bed, assuming a meditative pose as she began practicing her magic.

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