Rising Malevolence

## Premise

Creating panic throughout the Kung Fu Panda-wall, a devastating Dark Empire mystery weapon terrorizes the clone starfleet. Tai Lung and Esther race to save Kung Fu Master Chao and his clone troopers in time. Master Chao and his squad barely survive an attack from a mysterious Empire warship called the Malevolence. Can they stay alive long enough for Tai Lung and Esther to find them?

## Synopsis

Aboard the Triumphant, Kung Fu Master Chao and Clone Commander Wolffe locate the Malevolence in the Abregado territory and immediately move the fleet into position to engage it. Before attacking, Chao orders Commander Wolffe to contact Wally of Peace and relay their position; he then contacts Tai Lung and Esther, who are stationed in the nearby Bith area, telling them that he has found the Malevolence and requires reinforcements. Tai Lung tells Chao that there is little he can do, as he has been ordered by the master High Council to protect the Bith area.

The Triumphant's communications are then jammed by Master Boar at the behest of Master Bear. The Malevolence's massive ion cannon fires, knocking out power on all three Kung fu attack cruisers, and leaving them defenseless against Boar' turbolasers. Chao, along with clone troopers Sinker, Boost and Commander Wolffe, manage to board an escape pod, just before their cruiser is destroyed. Aboard the Malevolence, Bear orders Boar to deploy the pod hunters, in order to find and kill any survivors and keep their secret weapon's position a secret.

Meanwhile, Tai Lung and Esther inform Masters Daniel, Thundering Rhino, and Oogway, and Shifu, about the loss of communication with Chao. All four tell Tai Lung and Esther not to go out to the Abregado territory to look for survivors, despite Esther's vehement objections. Rhino tells Tai Lung that all their task forces have been assigned to defend their supply lines. After the meeting, Tai Lung scolds Esther for her outburst of insubordination. Nevertheless, a short time later, they take off for the Abregado territory in Blue Ship. Huffily, she asks why she got scolded for wanting to do what Tai Lung has, in fact, decided to do. He explains that he always intended to look for survivors, but will obey the spirit of the Council's orders by leaving his fleet on station.

Back in the Valley of Peace, Daniel, who knows Tai Lung all too well, guesses that Tai Lung has gone off alone, and both he and Shifu issue repeated demands for Tai Lung to resume command of his fleet.

Back in the debris field, while attempting to fix their escape pod, Chao and the clones spot another pod. However, upon closer inspection, they realize it has been broken open and the clones inside have been killed by a pod hunter. The group then witnesses one of the pod hunters attack another nearby escape pod, breaking it open and killing all inside. Then the pod hunter crew notices their escape pod and latches onto it. Chao and his men fight and destroy the pod hunter, but this alerts Boar that Kung Fu warriors survivors are still in the debris field.

Soon after chao's victory, Tai Lung and Esther arrive and rescue him and his men. As they are preparing to depart, the Malevolence arrives near their location. Tai Lung and Esther shut down the Blue Ship's systems, hoping to blend in with the debris and avoid detection.

Unfortunately, they forget to shut down the on-board medical droid, whose faint signal alerts Boar to their location. Forced to flee the blast from the ion cannon, Blue Ship narrowly escapes with a desperate hyperspace jump. Boar reluctantly informs Master Bear that the survivors have escaped, meaning the Kung Fu Warriors will learn of the Empire and Arkeyans' secret weapon. Bear, vexed, says he will have to contact his master.

Once Blue Ship reaches Tai Lung's fleet, Commander Wolffe thanks Tai Lung for assisting them. Tai Lung and Chao then contact the Master Council, informing them of the secret weapon and its capabilities. Tai Lung asks Esther to come with him, claiming that they should both share the responsibility for their actions.