Cloak of Darkness

## Premise

Esther and Master Elida escort captured Viceroy Nute Gunray to trial, unaware that master Bear has dispatched his deadly apprentice assassin Su Wu to free the prisoner and eliminate the Ice Master.

## Synopsis

Viceroy Gunray has been transferred to the Tranquility under Master Elida, where he was to be carefully taken to the Jade Palace in Valley of Peace to face trial for war crimes. Esther and a number of Senate Commandoes under Captain Faro Argyus had also been transferred. Esther does not think that all the extra security is necessary, but Master Elida assures her that the wolf  is more dangerous than he looks. Elida suggests that his allies could be conspiring against them.

Elsewhere, The Unknown Enemy informs Master Bear that Gunray poses a significant danger to them and their plans if he is interrogated. Bear tells him that he has already put a plan into motion. Bear is sending his assassin and best agent Su Wu, despite her previous failures, to either rescue or silence Gunray. Once The Unknown Enemy is gone, Bear impresses on Su Wu the fact that failure is not an option.

Back on the Tranquility, Elida and Esther interrogate the Viceroy. When they get nowhere and the Viceroy refuses to answer their questions, Esther threatens him, only to be chastised by Elida. Nonetheless, the threats coerce Gunray to start talking. Unfortunately for the two sisters, a swarm of Arkeyan Copters escorting three Arkeyan War Machines attack the Tranquility. Arkeyan Shield Juggernauts assault the Cruiser and hold off the clones, allowing Su Wu to slip inside undetected. Commander Gree, a squad of Green Company, and Elida go off to deal with the Arkeyan Shield Juggernauts, leaving Esther to guard Gunray. Su Wu infiltrates the engine room and plants a number of thermal charges on the cruiser's generators before going to the brig. Arkeyan Shield Juggernauts are destroyed, leaving Su Wu the last enemy on board. She duels Esther for a short while before ironically locking her in Gunray's cell. Luckily, Elida's timely arrival prevents Su Wu from rescuing Gunray. Unfortunately, the assassin detonates the charges, rocking the ship before fleeing down the elevator shaft. Elida goes after Su Wu, confident that she can defeat the assassin, leaving Esther again, in spite of the kung fu student's insistence that Su Wu is too dangerous for any one kung fu master to combat. Argyus advises Esther to do what she thinks is right.

In the generator room, Su Wu and Elida duel: Elida is swiftly outmatched as Su Wu, outraged because Elida is taunting her fighting style as a sloppy, amateurish and unrefined imitation of Bear's, overpowers Elida and traps her under a number of collapsed pipes. Esther makes a timely save only for Su Wu to escape again. Back in the brig, Argyus betrays his fellow commandos and frees Gunray, revealing that he was bribed by Bear to help rescue the viceroy. Commander Gree manages to overpower him after a brief fight. Gree asks Argyus why he's doing this. Argyus tells him "A clone like you wouldn't understand but I wanted a life filled with more than empty servitude." A disgusted Gree snarls, "And for that you'd betray the kung fu warriors." Argyus states "It's like I told the kung fu student: Sometimes being a good soldier means doing what you think is right" and dives for his blaster. Gree intercepts him and knocks him out. Gree snarls, "You and I disagree on what makes a good soldier" and prepares to kill the turncoat only to be knocked out by Gunray. They make their escape on the docked kung fu ship in the lower hangar, joined by Su Wu, who uses an escape pod. Argyus gloats that he will take most of the glory in his report to Bear, but Su Wu impales him, killing the turncoat.

Later, Elida and Esther report to Oogway and Daniel about the loss. They are told that they may be able to track the stolen ship. Esther leaves to join Daniel with master Croc's fleet, but not before receiving an apology from Elida for not having listened to her monition about Su Wu