† Vendetta Squad †
"I think it's time for you boys to move…" Abhay, Salvador, and Saam continued to stare at the tentacles at their backs as if they could see through them. "Right now!"
The men hitched their gear up on their shoulders and hastened their pace as they moved between the tentacles. As the tapping grew louder, Saam started to mumble to himself.
"I could use a death stick, right about now. Something to calm my nerves, something that I can always count on to be there for me…"
"Shut it, Saam. Concentrate on what you're doing. If you hurry up I'll let you have a whole pack of sticks when you get back, okay?" Both Abhay and Salvador couldn't help but notice how Jatne was acting oddly towards Saam. It was obvious that she was trying, in a twisted way, to calm his nerves.
"Okay…" Saam mumbled, almost dreamily. "But that means that you can't yell at me!"
"Alright, Beskarkot, it's a deal. But you need to get moving or else…" She was cut off by a loud screech. Before they could determine where it had come from, a dark, slimy creature shot out of the darkness and latched itself on to Abhay's back.
"Get it off!"
The creature had many long, wiry legs with two razor-sharp claws on the ends. Its head was abnormally circular with deep green eyes that seemed to look at everything and nothing at the same time. Its mouth was small and held rows of diminutive, thorn-sized teeth that thrashed at Abhay's neck as its thin legs tried to find purchase on his armor.
Salvador reached Abhay first. With a steady, armored hand he grasped what he thought was the creature's legs. With a hard yank he ended up with a handful of what was once the creature's abdomen. A thick, steady stream of green slime oozed down Salvador's hand and arm as Saam came up and wretched the rest of the screeching mass off of Abhay's back, threw it on the floor, and shot it several times with one of his blasters. The sound of the weapon being discharged continued to echo around the large room as Saam walked over to the writhing body and smashed on its head, ending it's already fading life.
† Vendetta Squad †
"What the haran was that?" Salvador yelled as he helped Abhay gain his balance again.
"I don't know, but its dead now…" Saam lifted his foot up to examine the goop from the dead creature that was hanging off his boot. "Sir, do you know what that was?"
"No, I don't know for sure."
"But you have an idea." It wasn't a question. If anyone knew what the answer was, it was the boss. And if she didn't know, she had a good guess.
"I'll let you know when you come back."
Salvador jumped in saying, "But what good will it do us then? We have these things following us," he paused to point a thumb over his shoulder where they could all hear more of the tapping feet, "and we don't know what they are or what they could do!"
"Shut up," Jatne growled. To their relief they could hear the sound of a monitor being activated and Jatne's fingers speeding over the controls. Tired of waiting, the three men started to move again while waiting for more information. "Here's what I got: They are subspecies of a bug genus that has been extinct. They will most likely try to swarm – going for your legs and arms first, while one heads for your neck."
"So, Sir, what do you suggest?"
"Keep it tight. Stay together and stay in formation. They can climb, too, so watch the ceiling and keep an eye on your feet for ankle-biters."
"I don't think I have that many eyes, Sir," Saam retorted.
"If you keep quiet and keep it professional I'll help watch your back," she snarled back. The men saw an orange light blink on and off before going green inside their helmets. Their armor could do many, many things and having a 360 view of what's around them inside their helmets – and at the ship - was just one of them.
"You're close to the door. I'll see if I can get you through without delay…" There was the sound of Jatne tapping away, and then they saw a light up ahead as the door slid open, revealing the next hall.
"Oya! Finally! I want to get out of this place!" Saam said giddily as he leaped over some of the fallen tentacles and moved ahead of his fellow squad mates.
"Saam, above you!"
"Huh?" Saam didn't see the looming creature that was crawling towards him, but his squad mates did. Before Salvador or Abhay could take aim, the thing darted for Saam's head. He looked up in time to see white teeth as it opened it mouth, ready to latch on to his less-protected neck.
There was a flash of light, a shriek, and then nothing. Saam stared blankly at the spot he had last seen the snapping jaws of the creature, but couldn't see anything left of the monster. Part of his mind was screaming to raise his weapon, and another wanted him to try and make sense of what just happened. He could hear the loud curses of his squad mates, but they sounded more like background noise to him as his mind tried to pull itself out of shock.
Then a different voice filled his head.
"I told you I'd be around to keep you in line."
In that instant Saam's mind came back to his surroundings in a flood of senses. He could hear Salvador and Abhay scrambling to get to him, could smell the fresh scent of burnt meat and ozone. Cold sweat had formed on the back of his neck and he could taste blood on his tongue after biting his lip. In the distance he saw the familiar spectacle of his boss with her sniper rifle still poised in a firing position in her hands.
† Vendetta Squad †
"What were you doing?" Saam's feeling of relief was replaced with fear as Jatne stood up from her crouching position, balanced the long sniper rifle on her shoulder, and began to bear down on him.
"Osik," Saam mumbled, both because of his near-death experience and the realization that he was in trouble – again.
He looked down at his hands to see they were shaking and one of his blasters was on the floor. At the sound of boots clicking, he looked up to see Jatne only a few feet away. Without pausing, she swung the end of the heavy sniper rifle to connect with Saam's head.
Saam felt the impact but he had zoned out of his body again. He only barely took note of the pain shooting through his head – his mind telling him it shouldn't be there because of his helmet. He scarcely realized that the armored person in front of him was getting farther and farther away.
Moments before his mind blanked, he blearily looked up to the black helmet that was leering down at his sprawled-out body on the floor.
† Vendetta Squad †
"How hard did you hit him?"
"Was it really necessary?"
"I think you might have killed him."
"The next time you want to render him unconscious, you can carry him."
"You gave him a planet-sized welt!"
"I've had to carry his shebs practically everywhere today…"
"So when are we going to bury him?"
Saam could faintly hear the sounds of Salvador and Abhay through the thick haze that was clouding his mind. He managed to open his eyes and was greeted with Salvador's frowning face.
"I'm alive?" was Saam's blunt question.
"Sadly," Salvador mumbled before adjusting his arm – which was around Saam's waist to help hold him up – and allowed him to look around to see the other squad mates.
He and Salvador were on the floor in another hallway, this one a dirty brown with dark grey floors that were similar to the scheme in the dark, creature-invested rooms from before. Standing before them was Abhay searching through his medical pack as he balanced it precariously on his knee.
Behind Abhay, leaning against the wall, was Jatne. Her black armor was pristine, heavy pistols polished, assault rifle slung low on her back, helmet securely in place, and the Mandalorian symbol was proudly displayed from its spot on her left shoulder piece. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her armored chest and her head cocked to the side while her long sniper rifle was propped against her hip. Even with her intimidating helmet in place Saam could tell – practically feel – her glaring at him.
Then, as he stared at Jatne, the memory of what had happened before he blacked out came to mind.
"Y-you hit me!" Saam screamed as he jabbed an accusing finger at Jatne. He quickly scrambled to get up but was instantly restrained by Salvador.
"I think she more bashed your brains in than just hit you. If you're smart, you won't even think about touching your head for a week." Abhay didn't even look up from his bag as he spoke. He hopped to the side as Saam stormed over to Jatne after he fought his way from Salvador.
"Who do you think you are, hitting me?" Jatne didn't move as Saam started to yell in her face, impassive as ever.
"I'm the person who saved your life, or so I'm told." Jatne drawled as she moved her head slightly in Salvador's direction before leaning back against the wall again to stare at the ceiling. "And here on Kashyyyk, that means something to me, even if it doesn't to you. Should you have been in any other Mandalorian squad, you would have been killed for leaving your position, and in doing so putting your squad in jeopardy." Saam felt his stomach tighten up as the anger that had filled him began to dissipate. "Consider yourself lucky I haven't kicked you off the squad yet," she looked down at Saam's finger that was still pointed at her face, "Unless you want to keep going and ignore the seriousness of the situation. Do you realize that I, in all probability, compromised our squad's position by firing off a shot? And do you comprehend that I went ahead and did so, against my better judgment and the overall importance of the squad's safety, to save you? I believe that I more than make up for hitting you in my rage and given right, with all the other things I do to take care of you, ner vod."
† Vendetta Squad †
Without question, Jatne took up the lead of the squad as they marched through the compound. The argument between her and Saam had ended before it began, leaving Saam quietly following behind, holding his blaster, dented helmet, and yet another syringe full of some liquid he didn't want to know about that he injected into his system.
After moving away from Saam, Jatne had quickly explained that Ladimir had dropped her off at a nearby balcony before he went off again to preoccupy the Trandoshans. She had hacked her way through their security systems and quickly made her way to the three man squad. She told how she had manually sliced the door out of the dark room from before, and that she was not in the ship the second time she talked to them over the comlink. Salvador had repeatedly asked why she hadn't told them she was coming, and she replied with that it wasn't important to their goal.
Jatne ignored all their other questions and started to lead them through the halls at a much faster pace. She had strapped her precious sniper to her back and donned the more standard assault rifle for the trek through the halls. Salvador followed her lead and readied his own assault rifle while holding up the end of the group.
Abhay kept glancing at Saam as he worriedly noticed that he wasn't acting normal. Saam's Vibroswords hung loosely from his back, the straps not retightened, and one of his blaster dangled from his fingers, barely being held in his hand.
With practiced ease, Abhay clicked his back teeth together and activated a private channel to Jatne.
"Hey, Sir? Is Saam going to be alright?"
There was a long pause, and then she sighed. "He'll get over it soon. I'm sure he's just shaken by the Legs."
Abhay glanced over at Saam again, only to notice that he was no longer looking at the floor, but the back of Jatne's helmet. No, it's something else.
"Legs, Sir?"
"They're the creatures that are being kept here, the ones you fought."
"I thought you didn't know what they were."
"I don't. Well, not for sure. So I named them myself."
Abhay chuckled. It was a habit their boss had. She named everything, even renamed some things. But it was understandable. No one in the squad really knew her whole story, but the bits they had heard included that she was an orphan, and had to name herself. After feeling that hole in her filled, she felt that everything that mattered had to be named. As a result, she was the one who had decided on the squad mates Mandalorian names. Not surprisingly, she always picked the best ones for them.
"So how long will it be until we get to the support beam, Sir?"
"Soon."
"How soon?"
Jatne walked up to a wall, spun around, and waited for Salvador and Saam to make their way over to them. "Roughly two seconds," she said matter-of-factly, leaving Abhay dumbfounded.
Within those two seconds, she tapped at her datapad. Suddenly the floor gave out beneath their feet and started to descend at a frightening speed. Gravity prevailed, pulling the four of them after the floor that was actually a hidden turbolift. After seemingly no time at all, their feet heavily hit the floor once again, sending them all to their knees.
Both Abhay and Salvador grunted and stood up while cursing to themselves. They heard Jatne suck in air through clenched teeth, much too uptight to complain about the bumpy ride. They looked around and saw that they were under the metal platform that held the giant compound.
To their backs was the main support beam. It was as wide as a capitol ship with smaller beams protruding from it to hold up the outer edges of the compound. As the wind blew through the support system it sounded as if it was whistling eerily. The head-sized leaves being swept around and the lack of light only added to the effect. But that was not what gained their attention at first.
Before them was the vast forest of Kashyyyk. Even with the many monstrously huge trees filling their view it looked so open. There was no trace of sunlight, only shadows. In the distance the sound of Kashyyyk's many inhabitants could be heard screeching and calling. The distinctive cry of the shyrack, the common squawk of the tach, and a growling katarn could easily be picked out from the many noises coming from the forest floor. The air was surprisingly cold to their skin before their armor's systems activated and began to heat the insides of their suits.
"Wow…" Abhay said, dazed.
"It looks so much bigger outside of the ship." Salvador started to walk to the edge of the unadorned platform. Jatne reached out and pulled him back by the shoulder and turned him around.
"No, we need to get this over with."
Salvador was about to protest when his eyes caught movement behind Jatne. "Beskarkot… are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He jogged over to the still crouching form of Saam.
"Na… n-no…" Saam managed to get out before throwing his helmet and blaster on the floor and all out sprinted for the edge of the platform, Salvador hot on his heels. He reached the end just in time as his stomach twisted. He fell to his knees heavily as Salvador patted his back, looking to Jatne for answers. She didn't voice a response to his questioning look, only glanced over her shoulder at Abhay as the sound of retching came from Saam.
"Uhhh, I guess I forgot to mention the side effects of that particular…"
"What?" Jatne snarled.
"Motion sickness," he responded as he numbly looked at the turbolift they had just plummeted with moments before as Jatne took up a position on the other side of Saam's shaking body.
† Vendetta Squad †
No translations this time. I'm sort of making up for last chapters truck load of Mando'a.