*I still don't own Ben 10, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, or Mega Man EXE.!*

Dialogue Key

"May the Force be with you." = Regular Speech

'Sending us on a reconnaissance mission? This doesn't seem right.' = Someone's Thoughts

"Prepare to die, Jedi scum!" = Someone Yelling

Darkness on the Move

"I can't believe that ungrateful bastard!" exclaimed Gwen as she punched a near indestructible wall… and put a decent sized dent in it.

Rook had just returned to Plumbers Headquarters with the other members of the Plumbers who were on the scene. Mr. Baumann had been brought in for questioning despite heavy protest from the man, and Subdora and Exoskull were already incarcerated for their actions. Of course, they followed the necessary procedures so as to avoid another incident involving the Galvan lawyer, Chadzmuth. Lord knows he's still under heavy scrutiny after one of the bad guys he set free not even a minute after their arrest destroyed one of Azmuth's research laboratories. But I'm getting off topic here.

"Calm down, Gwen. I know you're mad right now, and I understand your anger, but bloody knuckles aren't going to help matters. And they're certainly not going to help us find your cousin." said Maxwell Tennyson, Gwen and Ben's grandfather.

"Can't the two dorks just track the energy signature of the Omnitrix and find Ben?" Kevin asked referring to Blukic and Driba, a couple of bumbling Galvan.

"We tried. But something's jamming the Omnitrix's tracking system." Driba explained.

"It's almost like Ben figured out how to hide the energy signature of the Omnitrix." Blukic added.

"He can do that? Since when?" Kevin asked.

"Since the last time Vilgax used its energy signature to track down Ben and attack him. It's a skill I taught him for undercover purposes, but right now I'm beginning to regret doing so."

The group jumped in surprise at the new voice, even though they instantly recognized who the voice belongs to.

"Jeez, Azmuth! Didja have to give us all heart attacks like that?" exclaimed Kevin, who is currently clutching his chest where his heart is.

"I could. But what's the point in making an entrance if I can't have a little fun?" Azmuth asked with a small grin. "Besides, I was the last one Ben spoke to after he drove off because of certain ungrateful humans pushing him towards the edge of insanity."

The elderly Galvan hopped up on the computer, looking at the screen with regret for what's been happening recently in Ben's life. Much of which has been negative and putting enough strain on him both mentally and emotionally. After what happened today, Azmuth wouldn't be surprised if Ben decides to commit suicide.

"The pressures of being a well-known and at the same time highly feared hero have begun to take their toll on Benjamin. It's better, I think, for us to give him some space and let him cool off. Perhaps even let him find his own way in life." Azmuth said. "I've already treated his wounds, but that gash across his torso has become a terrible scar and will remain with him for the rest of his life. The perfect symbol of his shattered faith in humanity."

"After what I have witnessed today, I can honestly say that Ben has every right to be upset with the people of Bellwood. Everywhere Ben and I go when on missions, I see the fear in the eyes of the people. Fear that is directed entirely at Ben." Rook said as he walked up to the group.

"So what's gonna happen to Mister Baumann?" Gwen asked.

"Due to that stunt he pulled with the Vengers and the forcefield he illegally obtained, he's likely going to be doing time in prison. A little time behind bars should help him reflect on what he's done." Max explained.

Gwen nodded in acceptance as she knows that Baumann deserves it. He not only had a bunch of false heroes attack an injured law enforcer, but he also caused a whole bunch of civilians to be put in harm's way. Especially since they could have easily been caught in the crossfire has Ben not chosen one of his smarter aliens. She began walking away with her head down as she thought about the kind of danger her cousin could be in right now.

'Ben, wherever you are, I hope you're okay.' she thought to herself.

The sound of humming and laser clashes resonated through a training arena as the Sith Lord, Darth Tyrannus, A.K.A. Count Dooku, was once again training an important general for the Separatist faction. Grievous is certainly no Jedi or Sith, but his ability to grasp the concept of Lightsaber combat is not lost to him. The cyborg general wielded two Lightsabers stolen from the corpses of Jedi he's killed in the past, the green and blue blades clashing with Dooku's own red blade from his curved hilt Lightsaber.

However, Dooku took notice of how easily predictable the strikes from the general were. And he was sorely disappointed in how the general failed to grasp the concept of finesse.

"Stop using the standard attacks! Use the unorthodox!" Dooku instructed.

After doing so, Grievous began to use attacks that were far more elaborate and a bit harder for the aging Sith Lord to counter. He even used his mechanical talons on his feet to grip one Lightsaber and extend his reach while spinning like a breakdancer. However, Dooku was still unimpressed.

"How often must I tell you? Control my central line!" Dooku scolded.

He got his wish as he was forced to retreat from one of Grievous' downward slashes before the general used a sideways upwards slash that could have done some damage if he wasn't careful.

"Good." Dooku praised.

Grievous charged at Dooku, but the Sith Lord countered by sending him to the ground using the Force. This did not deter the killer of Jedi, however, as he began to attack in a more aggressive manner. Dooku noticed this, but also took note of several key flaws in his doing so.

"Faster, destroy my focus!" Dooku exclaimed before adding "You're holding the saber too tightly!"

Grievous loosened his grip, but this caused his blue bladed saber to be knocked from his hand by Dooku, extinguishing its blue blade in the process. The elderly man caught the Jedi weapon as training concluded for the day.

"Now, too lightly." Dooku said as he finished his instruction.

However, as he took a closer look at this Lightsaber, he noticed that it's not one of the ones that the cyborg General of the Separatists normally uses.

"Hmm. A new one?" he asked.

Grievous extinguished the green blade of his other Lightsaber before clipping it to his hip, revealing three other Lightsabers hidden under his cloak.

"Your training has served me well. It has awarded me with many trophies." Grievous replied.

"Don't let your pursuit of trinkets cloud your reality. Remember what I taught you, General, if you are to succeed in combat against the best of the Jedi you must have fear, surprise, and intimidation on your side. For if any one element is lacking, it would be best for you to retreat. You must break them before you engage them. Only then will you ensure victory, and have your trophy." lectured Dooku.

He used the Force to levitate the Lightsaber in front of Grievous, which the cybernetic General took back.

"Wise council, my apprentice. Most wise." said a hologram of a hooded man who sounded older than Dooku.

"My master." Dooku greeted, bowing to the hologram.

"Report General! What news from the front?" Sidious inquired through his hologram.

"The strategy is working perfectly, My Lord. The Jedi and their forces are stretched thin across the outer rim territories in a vain attempt to contain our new offensive." Grievous reported.

"Good, good. Now all that is left to do is wait for their forces to become significantly weakened. Then we can begin our final operation." Sidious said before asking Grievous "Will everything be ready for your special mission by that time?"

"Yes, Lord Sidious. The unsuspecting fools know not what awaits."

But Dooku can sense there is something else his master wishes to discuss with him. Something of utmost importance. He quickly motioned for the cyborg general to leave them, and though he was reluctant, Grievous did so without argument. Once they were certain he was gone, Sidious began to speak.

"I have sensed a great tremor in the Force recently, Darth Tyrannus. A well of pure Dark Side energy has made itself known to me, and we must retrieve this Dark Side user before the Jedi are made aware of their existence." the hooded figure explained. "Therefore, I have new orders for you and General Grievous. You are to go to Planet EA4-55-D46 in Sector 22-E of the Gamma Quadrant, find this Dark Side user and test them. If they pass this test, then you are to recruit them to our side and train them in the ways of the Sith. But should they fail…"

The hooded figure let the sentence hang, leaving his apprentice to use his imagination to know what he means. And he knew exactly what he meant by that.

"Yes, my Master. We shall leave at once. However, I feel as though I should bring Ventress along to further test her sensory abilities and find out just how much she has improved in this regard." Dooku replied.

"Do as you wish. You are to leave immediately." the hooded figure said.

As the hologram faded out, Dooku began to walk off and find his current apprentice in the Sith Arts. They had a long mission ahead of them, and they're on a tight schedule.

*To Be Continued…*

Poll Question: In my story Ben 10: Jedi or Sith, which of these two NetNavis do you want me to model Ben after?

Bass: 4 votes

Mega Man: 4 votes

Thanks a bunch for reading this new chapter, everyone! Please don't forget to cast your vote on the poll if you have not already done so, and I'll see you all in my next update! Buh-Bye now!