1400, Smoking Forest valley
The twilight world of a prehistoric forest, filled with gigantic plants and towering trees, overgrown with vines and creepers. Magma pools lay interspersed amongst the charred trees. The team, with BZ-2946 at point, walk alongside a wandering lava stream bed, weirdly illuminated by shafts of light, streaming through the openings in the trees, as if from spotlights, a hundred feet above.
It is early afternoon, hot and humid, the air buzzing with the sounds of insects, the crying of birds and animals. The stormtroopers are moving fast and quiet, straining to see into the dense foliage, aware of every sound, sweating, quietly slapping at biting insects.
A giant hardwood tree lies across their path. As the troopers climb over a rotten section, MA-7839 stops to assist BL-2673 with his mini-E-Web, "I've seen some bad-sheb bush before, but nothing like this, man" pauses, "Little taste of home?"
2673 nods and pauses to rest, looking around him as 7839 withdraws a small silver pocket flask. He takes a nip, passing the flask to 2673 who also takes a sip. "I hear you bro, this is some poodoo. Makes Felucia look like Tatooine. Lose your way in here, man, you be in some kinda hurt." BL-2673 hands back the flask, 7839 replaces it inside his pouch. They do their hand dap, looking warily behind them before they move on.
Dante and the Twilek have fallen behind, Dante looking worriedly ahead at the team out distancing them. The Twilek is keeping her pace purposefully slow. She trips on a root, falling to the ground. She lies there motionless. He quickly reaches down to haul her to her feet. "E chu ta. Come on..."
Like an uncoiled spring, the Twilek turns, flinging a handful of dried magma dust into his face, momentarily blinding him. She lunges for his blaster with her bound hands. Suddenly the barrel of a WESTAR M5 is thrust in her face.
Looking up she sees RZ-0619, calmly holding the blaster rifle on her, the look in his polarized lenses indicating he'd have no trouble shooting her. In Ryl, "Don't try it." She looks back at Dante, wiping the magma from his own lenses. She moves on. RZ-0619 gives him a cold look as Dante hurries past. Coolly, "You should put her on a leash, ISB Agent Man. If you can't handle her, just say the word."
Dante moves on, ignoring 0619, who turns, scanning the forest behind him before moving on. Dante catches up with the Twilek, turning her sharply by the chin. In cold Twileki, "Try that again. Please." She looks at him contemptuously, undaunted. She will try it again. She breaks away from his grasp and moves on, Dante watching her go, he won't hesitate next time.
The Hunter travels, directly overhead, timing his movement with those of the team. He moves closer to the slower moving humans.
The stormtrooper team moves cautiously through the winding magma bed, now wearing their clothing in various stages of disarray for comfort, sweat dripping from their bodies. BZ-2946, in the lead, picks his way along the magma riverbank, his concentration rapt, aboriginal. His face a trance like mask of expectation.
BL-2673, cradling the heavy mini-E-Web as if it were a toy, swings the blaster relentlessly across his field of view, his bucket hangs from his belt. He pauses to adjust the hanging, belted loop of gas cartridges trailing from the back pack magazine. An insect lands on his face and is trapped in the grease paint near his lips. He draws the hapless bug into his mouth with his tongue and quietly spits it out, his concentration unbroken.
MA-7839 follows, holding his DLT-20A high across his chest armor.
CA-4878, bent, cautious, his feet moving aside the dry leaves on the ground, heel to toe and on foot edges. He glances around, checking the team's position and progress.
HK-2267 follows, his mouth agape under his bucket, breathing deeply, exhausted, the sub-space radio a 60 pound demon.
The Twilek, struggling to climb a section of the lava stream bank, slips on some loose dirt. Unable to assist herself with her hands tied, she nearly falls. Dante prods her with his blaster, forcing her to her feet. She scrambles up the bank, Dante following.
As BZ-2946 enters a small clearing, bordered on one side by the towering trees, carpeting the volcano side. High above in the thick, impenetrable treeline, brightly colored birds squawk loudly, chasing each other from branch to branch. Suddenly BZ-2946 stops. CA-4878 holds up his hand and the team freezes in position. An eerie silence, like a slowly falling curtain, descends over the forest until even the buzzing and clicking of insects have ceased.
Sensing an ambush, the stormtroopers move quietly into the foliage. Dante moves into the undergrowth, dragging the Twilek with him. He slings his E-11b over his shoulder, withdrawing his vibro-blade. Grasping the Twilek by her shirt collar and pushing her to the ground, he holds the weapon near her throat. Dante signals to RZ-0619 who approaches. Dante hands 0619 the vibro-blade.
"Watch her." Before RZ-0619 can respond, Dante slips into the undergrowth. 0619 holds the vibro-blade on the Twilek, cautiously scanning around him for movement. Unseen by 0619, the Twilek's outstretched hand slowly tightens around a stout root-burl, lying loose on the ground.
BZ-2946 remains frozen and transfixed, staring into the treeline. Something is moving, fluid, silently and downward, into the forest. 2946 remains rooted to the spot, lost in concentration.
CA-4878 senses something very wrong with 2946, moves alongside MA-7839. "What's got BZ so spooked?"
"Can't say, Major...been squirrely all mornin'...farkin' weird...sometimes I think that nose of his is too good...smells things that ain't there." CA-4878 signals to 7839 to cover him and then moves low and quiet towards BZ-2946. Dante appears, looking to MA-7839 for an explanation. 7839 ignores him, concentrating on the forest. Dante looks forward at...
BZ-2946, his eyes riveted to the canopy above, as he unconsciously reaches to his throat, grasping a dewback leather pouch, secured to his neck by a thong. He fingers the medicine bag talisman.
The Hunter slowly descends through the trees, moving towards BZ-2946, who's eyes search the treeline for movement.
CA-4878 approaches 2946, gripping his shoulders and in a hoarse whisper, speaks his name. "BZ, what is it...?"
BZ-2946, rigid, does not respond. 4878 forcefully jerks him around to face him. "BZ...What the hell's wrong with you?"
2946 speaks as low as he can, "Something...in the trees..."
The Hunter is still closing on BZ-2946. 2946 turns back, looking high in the trees, puzzled and frightened. He's lost sense of the Hunter's presence. He lowers his vision, looking towards the Hunter, now on the ground, thirty meters across the clearing from BZ-2946. The Hunter pauses.
BZ-2946 whispers, "Can't you see anything..." points, "...there?"
CA-4878 stares hard at the forest. "It's...nothing...."
The Hunter moves behind a broad bush, skirting around BZ-2946 and CA-4878, heading away from the column.
CA-4878 shakes his head, continuing to stare into the forest. He turns to BZ-2946. "What do you think...?"
2946 turns, a puzzled look in his eyes. He nods in agreement. "It's nothing..."
Sensing the danger has passed, RZ-0619 releases his grip on the Twilek. As they start to rise, 0619 sheaths his vibro-blade and unslings his WESTAR M5. The Twilek still stares hard into the forest. Suddenly, without even looking, the Twilek with the trained reflexes of an experienced fighter swings the burl with all her might, catching 0619 hard on the side of his bucket, just above the lens, opening a wicked gash. Spinning around she knees him brutally in the groin. As RZ-0619 goes down, doubled over in pain, the Twilek turns, scrambling up the embankment, running for the forest.
RZ-0619 cries out.
Hearing 0619's cry, CA-4878 signals to HK-2267 to move. 2267 moves out, fast, heading towards the sound...2267 sees the Twilek running away. He gives chase. The Twilek, although bound, is light and fit and runs fast, hurdling logs and branches, charging through the undergrowth. She has a good start.
HK-2267, hampered by the commo and blaster but in tremendous shape, thunders after her, closing the distance.
The Hunter passes from behind a large tree, surrounded by dense foliage, seeing the fleeing Twilek. He watches her and then begins to move parallel with her, only faster, the purples, blacks, and blues of the forest rushing by in a blur.
The Twilek bursts through a grove of black-blue ferns, drives on, breathing hard with the exertion. HK-2267, ten meters behind, closing the distance, taking advantage of any hesitation the Twilek makes, struggling with the dense forest. The girl hits a small clearing, an alleyway through the trees. She sprints hard across the clear ground.
The Hunter moves through the forest. As he steps clear of the foliage he sees the Twilek driving hard into the alleyway, running directly towards him. Twenty meters away, HK-2267, closes in.
2267 is only a meter behind the rebel and lunges forward, knocking her to the ground. In a second he's on her, his blaster ready. She struggles to her feet, fighting, gasping for breath. HK-2267 holds the E-11 on her, looking at her, almost pleading. He doesn't want to shoot her, but he will if he has to.
"Please..."
She looks at the blaster, to HK-2267 and then hopefully to the forest. She stops, staring hard down the alleyway. Something...suddenly she sees it! In Ryl, "Look out, behind you!"
HK-2267 spins...seeing the mottled outline of the Hunter's body, racing towards them, as if the entire wall of the forest were rushing in. The Hunter's weapon flares to life.
The Hunter hurtles towards them, their faces frozen in surprise.
A splitting thud as HK-2267 is hurtled backwards into the undergrowth. The Hunter's hand and weapon flashing through the air. Blood splashes across the Twilek's face. She screams as HK-2267's E-11 fires a short burst into the air.
Hearing the blaster-fire, CA-4878 whistles low and sharp. RZ-0619, face bloody, swings into action, moving in a coordinated defensive/offensive pattern into the forest.
The Hunter's arm and spur hook into HK-2267's leg, and he is dragged into the forest.
RZ-0619 runs forward ten paces, drops to a crouch, scanning to each side. Immediately CA-4878 runs forward twenty paces. As he passes 0619, 0619 turns and scans the rear and flanks. Dante, MA-7839, and BL-2673 repeat the maneuver, leap-frogging forward, canvassing the forest, providing areas of intersecting cover.
RZ-0619 enters the alleyway where HK-2267 was killed and sees the Twilek girl, cowering in the bushes, her blood splattered face glazed with terror, her eyes vacant. He approaches, angry, wary, but the girl is so stunned. He sees the trail of blood and crushed grasses leading into the forest. He gives a low whistle and then moves on, the rest of the stormtroopers assuming defensive positions around the clearing.
He follows the trail, finding first HK-2267's blood-covered blaster, and then, a few yards later, the sub-space radio. RZ-0619 cautiously parts the brush before him. A look of puzzlement and then revulsion comes across his face.
BL-2673 and MA-7839 arrive at the alleyway at both ends, cautiously searching the forest. BZ-2946 covering their flanks. CA-4878 and Dante approach the Twilek. She seems unaware of their presence, staring numbly ahead. 4878 checks her out, looking for wounds, he wipes some of the blood from her face. "It's not her blood."
RZ-0619 emerges from the forest carrying HK-2267's E-11 blaster and commo. He approaches, dumping the equipment on the ground. "Major, you'd better take a look at this."
"HK-2267?"
RZ-0619 responds oddly, "I can't tell."
Dante follows behind them, as RZ-0619 parts the brush with his blaster. Before them, covered with dirt and leaves, are HK-2267's entrails. There is no body. CA-4878 is shocked, "What in the Emperor's name...?"
"I think it's HK."
"Where the hell is his body?"
"There's no sign of it."
Back at the alleyway the entire team is gathered, still holding defensive positions. The Twilek, still stunned, is beginning to come around. She looks up at CA-4878. He turns to RZ-0619. "RZ, ask her what happened."
RZ-0619 drops to one knee and talks softly to her in twileki. She mutters incoherently in twileki, still dazed, shaking her head. Dante listens closely to her response. 0619 turns to CA-4878, he seems confused. "She says...the forest came alive, and took him..."
Dante, "That isn't what she said...she said..." pondering to 0619, "...she doesn't make sense."
RZ-0619 growing angry. "Couple of sappers been trailing us all the way from the camp, Major. BZ heard them. She set us up, ran for it...They were waiting. I should've wasted this tailhead when I had the chance."
CA-4878, looking at HK-2267's bloodstained equipment lying at the Twilek's feet, looks up. "Why didn't they take the commo and his blaster?" quietly, "Why didn't she escape?"
Dante looks at the equipment and then the girl, still numb with shock. "They did the same thing to JS-9640..."
The two veteran stormtroopers look at each other. Finding no explanation between them. CA-4878, urgently to the team, "I want him found. Sweep pattern and double back. Fifty meters."
They move out. CA-4878 moves into the forest, searching. He crouches at the base of a huge black-barked Magma-Oak, covered with purple-red vines, studying the forest. He moves away from the tree and into the forest, looking for signs on the ground.
Where he was sitting, a drop of blood falls. Another drop falls, dripping from a leaf and above that, from another leaf. Above that, high in the top of the tree, suspended from vines from his ankles is HK-2267's body, his chest a gaping wound. He hangs there as if he were an animal, field dressed.
BL-2946 is crouched in the undergrowth. There is movement in the brush before him. He wipes the sweat from his neck under his bucket, and clicks the safety on the mini-E-Web to fire. The sound is growing closer. 2946 levels the weapon. A smile crosses his face. Whispering, "Come on in farkers...come on in. 'ol 'painless' is waiting'..."
The movement in the brush is growing louder. BL-2946's finger moves closer to the trigger. Suddenly a large lava-flea bursts through the leaves, startling 2946. He relaxes momentarily as he watched the meter-tall insect scurrying from sight. He stands...
Something grazes his shoulder, a gout of blood erupting. He starts to turn, the mini-E-Web held low, ready to fire...from out of the forest, thirty meters away, the Hunter's weapon streaks at him like a proton torpedo. He screams as it enters his back, erupting from his chest in an explosion of blood.
MA-7839 has heard BL-2673's cry. He moves fast through the brush. He hears a rustling in the bushes. A wet sucking sound. 7839 charges into the clearing. In the instant before the Hunter disappears into the forest. MA-7839 sees a vision so brief and fantastic that it seems like a hallucination.
The Hunter's eyes flare momentarily from the green before they vanish.
MA-7839 sees his friend, lying on the ground, his chest open, the powerful stormtrooper, dead. He shouts, "Contact, 30 right!" He opens fire with his DLT-20A, belted tibanna gas shells slamming into the weapon from the magazine at his waist, expending it in one long burst.
The other team members are flying though the forest, blasters ready, eyes searching for movement.
MA-7839 throws down the weapon and with a cry of rage, lunges forward to grab the mini-E-Web. As he stands, the cartridge belt, attached to BL-2673, strings out between them. He opens fire and the foliage before him explodes with the fury of the terrible blaster. 7839 sweeps the mini-E-Web from left to right, like a man possessed, mowing down the forest.
The other team members race into sight and begin firing with MA-7839. RZ-0619 opens fire with the six-shooter thermal detonator launcher...explosions rock the forest.
The Hunter is moving. A piece of shrapnel cuts his shoulder. A splash of orange blood splatters across the leaves of a nearby tree, plasma bolt holes ripping through the surrounding foliage.
More firing. MA-7839, his blaster expended, continues to thrust the mini-E-Web forward, still squeezing the trigger. Suddenly, as quickly as it started, the firing stops. The stormtrooper move nexu-like into the forest, reloading, searching, their nerves taut, stretched to the limit, ready to fire again at any second. MA-7839 is frozen, eyes wide, unblinking, his breath coming in rapid gasps as he stares into the forest, still squeezing the trigger of the weapon, its breech locked open, cyrosteam wafting from the chamber and barrel.
CA-4878 moves in front of 7839, still staring into the forest. Dante pushes the Twilek into the clearing, moving towards the body. The Twilek looks at the dead stormtrooper and then up to MA-7839. CA-4878 sees a terrifying moment of recognition flash in her eyes as she continues to stare at 7839. He turns to 7839, the stormtrooper sergeant is confused, "I...saw it."
At these words, the Twilek reacts in shock, drawing a sharp breath. 4878 turns, seeing her staring at MA-7839. He turns back. "You saw what?"
"I saw it." MA-7839 answers still dazed.
CA-4878 turns back to see the blue Twilek, staring fixedly at MA-7839. 4878 turns quickly to BL-2673's body and kneels alongside Dante. 4878 is shocked at the sight of the mutilated body. "BL...just like the other...no laser burns, no shrapnel."
"The wound all fused, cauterized...what the hell did this?"
CA-4878 stands, looking at the body. Behind them the Twilek drifts away from the group. 4878 speaks to 7839, "...MA!"
MA-7839 stares ahead, dumbly, not hearing. He grabs 7839 by his shoulders, shaking him violently back to awareness. "MA! MA! Look at me!"
7839 turns to face CA-4878, "MA, who did this?"
MA-7839 is suddenly angry and frustrated, he has no explanation. "I don't know. Emperor be damned, something...I saw something."
RZ-0619 runs from the forest, breathing hard, shaking his head. "Nothing. The same thing. Not a farking trace. No bodies, blood, anything."
MA-7839 stands. Instinctively the team has now grouped around CA-4878, their blasters pointing into the forest, ready, their nerves on total edge. CA-4878 looks upwards at the darkening red sky. "We're losing the light. MA, I want a defensive position above this ridge, mined with everything we've got."
MA-7839 is again the hardened professional. "Yessir."
CA-4878 looks down at BL-2673's body. He turns to RZ-0619 and BZ-2946. "Put him in his poncho and liner and carry him back. We'll bury him in the morning."
7839 interrupts, "I'll take him."
The Twilek hardly watches the team, her attention focused on something clinging to the leaves, well of to the side of where MA-7839 saw the Hunter. She draws closer, reaching out, hesitant, as if drawn magnetically to the leaves. Clinging to the leaves, thick, viscous, pale-orange, almost like the sap of an exotic plant. Her blue fingers hover above it, hesitantly, and then touches it.
She examines the blood, transfixed. Dante appears at her shoulder, startling her. He motions for her to return. She turns, wiping the blood onto her pants leg.