Wong Family Mansion, Earth
"So...you say that this barrier and teleportation experiment went haywire after she escaped out of the barrier?" Touhou asked.
The whole newspaper group nodded in sync as they sat at a table across the self-proclaimed Otaku. By his side was Ling Ling who stood with a circular tray. She had served everyone tea while Tsukune and his group relayed the details of the last week.
Touhou hummed, placing his wrinkly hands on his chin. "There may be one way we can tell where she is...at least verify whether she is dead or not."
His first statement got everyone's hopes up, but the latter made everyone grow worried. Ling Ling spoke up, placing a hand on the dark lord's shoulder with a menacing pressure that seemed to cause the more powerful Yashi to freeze.
"That was completely unnecessary, grandfather," Ling Ling threatened with her eyes closed and a "smile".
Touhou quickly cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth, then provided some reassurance.
"I mean, knowing how resistant and how many times that girl has played with death, I'm sure she'll be fine!"
That seemed to make the mood a little better. Tsukune let out a wry smile, nodding his head towards the dark lord.
"Any answer would be helpful. We just want to remove any uncertainty," Tsukune stated. While he wanted to hold hope like any of his other friends, there was also that shred of fear that may turn out to be true.
"Yes, well..." Touhou hummed, "...I suppose we should go ahead and perform the preparations. Did you bring anything related to her disappearance?"
"Ah, yes!" Yukari shouted, rummaging into her pouch on her side. She pulled out the damaged talismans that were used in Ruby's setup.
Sliding it on the table, Touhou picked it up and examined it. "Well, it's overloaded but that should be expected from your story. However, there may be a little of Ruby's youki that could still be stored within. If so, this may be exactly what I need."
"Huh? But the markings aren't glowing?" Tsukune asked without thinking. Of course, he would be the last person to know how a talisman works.
"Fool, that kind of visible sign doesn't mean anything! It only means that there isn't enough energy poured in to make it glow, but it doesn't indicate a lack of energy either," Touhou scolded before taking a grumbling to himself.
Tsukune rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment but remained silent knowing he shouldn't have let his thoughts roam outside. Regardless, he and everyone watch intensely as the dark lord laid the talismans on the table and then held his hand out an inch away from each of them. His hands glowed with a purple light as he concentrated.
"Hmm...yes, this one seems to hold the most out of all of them," Toujou affirmed to himself as he scanned the paper slips. He picked up the one and then hopped off the table.
"Alright! We've got the first piece! Now then, we'll head to the crystal ballroom!"
'''Crystal ball room?'''
Everyone had the same thought as they raised their eyebrows curiously except for Ling Ling and Fang Fang. As they all followed the dark lord to the destination, Ling Ling explained.
"It's where father and mother keep track of people who owe us. I never thought of it, but I guess it could be used to find the whereabouts of your friend."
Tsukune stared at Ling Ling incredulously. He should know better by now, but the lengths a Youki mafia family will go does make him glad he's not an enemy with them.
"That is correct," Touhou hummed, "...I set this crystal ballroom fifteen or so years ago as a birthday present to my granddaughter."
"Which granddaughter?" Mizore spoke up, cocking her head lazily.
Touhou burst out laughing, rubbing the back of his head with his loose robe. "Hah! I forget that I had many of them, haven't I? Er...Ling Ling's mother, Ten Ten, I suppose...or was it her mother...?"
"It would be for my mother," Ling Ling corrected with her eyes closed, "...except, it wasn't a birthday present at all. My mother threatened Touhou that she would kick him out if he didn't contribute to the family. It only happened to be nearing her birthday."
Touhou cleared his throat and waved his hand up and down like a fan at his granddaughter. "Oh, I care for this family, Ling Ling! I've lived for so long and seen this family grow so much, how could I not care about you and everyone else?"
"Of course, you say that when you've been mooching off our wealth to buy your dumb Otaku games and gadgets," Ling Ling retorted, her eyes narrowing at her great-great-grandfather with a threatening smile.
"You...even though your dead, you have the same eyes as your mother. Scary..."
That was the end of the discussion as everyone watched with intrigue and awe at Ling Ling to talk to such a powerful Youkai like that. Whatever Touhou's intentions are though, it wouldn't be a lie to say he holds his family dearly. When Akua invaded and threatened his family, he released his true form with the intent to kill her. His love for his friends and family may be his only truly redeeming quality, but one that speaks distances.
"Here we are!"
As Touhou announced the end of their steps passing the many doors of the mansion, they come to a door like any other. Opening it though, it led to a clean and nearly empty room. The floor had marble tiles that reflected the contents of the room.
Within the center was a pedestal with the crystal ball Touhou was talking about. It reminded Tsukune of a certain anime series he watched when he was a kid. A witch in that series also held such ball.
That aside, there was a peculiar set up. Beneath the ball ran a wire that drooped down the pedestal, onto the floor, and...
Tsukune's eyes widen as he follows the wire to gaze at an LCD television screen. The remote for that television screen was set beside the crystal ball.
"Eh..."
Touhou could see it in the newspaper club's eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"You youngsters are surprised huh? I expected you to think ahead of the times! We can transmit the images of anyone we're following to the television for a bigger picture. Why would anyone want to huddle around a crystal ball like that anyway?"
Nobody knew what to expect, but it made sense. Still, Tsukune never thought of the way such ancient artifacts could be enhanced through modern technology. It only made him wonder how the world would look if human and Youkai fully merge and share with each other.
"Anyways," Touhou digressed, "...the function of the crystal ball is simple. Although creating such a ball takes months and a lot of energy, all we have to do is let the ball absorb some of the person's essence. If it turns out they are dead, the ball will turn black. If they are alive, it'll turn white and project an image of their current situation on the screen. Easy, huh?"
"What do you usually give to the ball?" Mizore asked, her eyes curious. All her friends turned to her in an instant and clasped their hands over her mouth.
"M-mizore! Do we even want to hear the answer in this family?! Don't you remember what it was used for!" Kurumu quickly whispered into the snow maiden's mouth.
"Eh...?" Mizore expressed her confusion in a muffled voice. Perhaps she wasn't as easily worried about the things the mafia family performed.
Tsukune released his hand while the others kept the snow maiden silent less she asked more questions. His gaze turned to Ling Ling who couldn't resist showing an amused smile. That easily spoke of an opportunity she couldn't let go.
"N-no, you don't have to say it!" Tsukune shouted, waving his hands; however, that only made Ling Ling want to answer even more.
"If you must know..." the zombie began.
"No, we don't want to know. Keep it to yourself!" Tsukune shouted, cupping his hands over his ears.
"...we like to cut off the fingers of people who owe us," Ling Ling continued and then popped off her finger as an example to those who refused to hear.
"""Uwah!"""
Only Fang Fang seemed to be unamused, staring at his sister with a sigh.
"Sister, let's not fool around anymore. Besides, I thought we only store people's blood instead."
Ling Ling smiled innocently as she connected her finger again. "Of course, brother. We cut their fingers if they refused to pay us, that's all."
"What is wrong with you people?!" Kurumu exclaimed, shivering in place.
"Hey now, that's enough!" Touhou ordered with a small smile on his lips. Even he found it funny, but he continued, "...let's worry less about others and more on your witch friend."
Everyone agreed, gladly returning to the main reason they came. They entered the ballroom and Touhou turned on the television. A white noise appeared on the screen as there wasn't any signal.
Touhou didn't waste any time as he took out the best of the damaged talismans and placed it on the orb. Everyone stiffened as they began to fear and hope the results of the orb.
The crystal ball glowed brightly, surrounding the room in white light. Everyone had to turn away for a moment as the talisman began sinking into the ball.
Slowly, the light faded and everyone's eyes readjusted to the normal white painted walls of the room. Their eyes focused on the crystal ball.
It was completely black.
"N-no!"
Yukari pushed forward, nearly screaming as the black ball reflected in her eyes. Touhou stopped the young witch from coming closer with the wave of his arm.
"Be patient! I forgot to mention that it will turn black the first time while it tries to process the energy. Given the amount the talisman had, it may take it a little longer to extract a signature."
"Damn it old man, you could have given us a heart attack!" Kurumu shouted, gripping her chest and breathing out. She particularly was sensitive to the feelings of others being a succubus. It would have pained her, literally, if she had learned that one of her friends was dead.
"Who are you calling old man...oh!"
Touhou's protest was cut short as the ball began to react. He gripped the pedestal as he leaned closer to the ball. Before everyone's eyes, the black color within the orb turned a soft grey.
The television sprang forth with a little life, revealing a fuzzy image of...stars?
"Oh hoh...this is...unexpected."
As everyone stares at the screen, each of them could only make out a bunch of stars in space.
"What...does this mean?" Yukari asked, echoing everyone's thoughts as their eyes were glued to the television.
Touhou cleared his throat, checking the orb to make sure nothing is out of place. He then hummed and stroked his chin.
"Well...the good news is that your friend is alive. The bad news is that my orb seems to lack the power to see where your friend is at, thus the weak color of the orb. What we do know though is that...she's definitely not on Earth."
Everyone was at a loss for words. They didn't know whether to feel relieved, happy, or sad. This was simply beyond what they had hoped.
"Wait, I see something!" Yukari pointed at the screen of a star that was flickering.
Everyone watched carefully and slowly, their eyes widen to see an incredible sight of an object stretching into view almost instantly. It kept stretching for a few seconds before snapping into view.
"A...spaceship?"
To Tsukune, given his reading of various science fiction novels in his youth, that was the only conclusion he could come up with.
Everyone stared at him for a second before also agreeing with that. Unfortunately, nobody could make out the details of the strange pyramid shape as it sped off-screen.
"No way! Don't just leave us hanging like that. Can't this stupid orb follow it or something?" Kurumu groaned, edging closer to the pedestal with her hands about to touch the orb.
"No, don't touch! You'll break the connection!"
Touhou tried to stop the succubus, but her fingers already touched the orb too late before she could halt. She felt sudden shame that her emotions got the better of her, but she couldn't dwell on her actions as the orb glowed brightly.
Ensnaring the whole room in a bright light, everyone once again shut their eyes. It wasn't long before the light died down and the orb showed a white color.
If it was capturing Kurumu's state, she would naturally be still alive. Seeing that she messed up the connection to Ruby's possible whereabouts, she grew guilty.
"A-ah...s-sorry."
Nobody blamed the succubus because something on the television screen captured their eyes.
"Uh...is that what Earth is supposed to look like?" Fang Fang pointed and asked. It was naturally a stupid question, but he couldn't help it seeing how a non-Earth planet was coming into view on the screen.
Nobody responded as they saw the planet brimming with lights around its orange atmosphere. Many types of ships could be seen, orbiting the sphere.
"Is...that where I'm at? No, wait..."
Kurumu focused her attention on the screen, furrowing her eyebrows. At this point, everyone could only stare with confusion and awe at the sight of such an alien planet.
Touhou broke away from the screen and then hummed, turning his attention to the orb. He fought the urge to touch it like Kurumu had and only raised his hand a few inches above the white-brimming orb.
"Well, this is just getting more and more interesting!"
Touhou flashed a wide grin, his body quivering with excitement. Based on what he could feel, he could sense some of Ruby's and Kurumu's essence mixed together. Although the orb was nearly overflowing with just a fingertip's worth of the succubus' energy, it seemed the orb had used it in reference to the witch's energy.
"Don't leave us hanging, Touhou!" Yukari begged, growing impatient as it felt now like they were experimenting with the orb rather than finding where Ruby was at.
"Jeez, can't you let an old man think for a little bit!" Touhou shouted before grumbling to himself.
'Now he calls himself an old man...' Tsukune thought with an exasperated smile.
Turning away from the others, Touhou thought a bit while staring at the screen. It was still fuzzy, but with the planet nearly taking up the space of the viewport, there wasn't a doubt over what they were seeing.
"Hoh...so that's how it is. How enviable."
Touhou's quiet words didn't escape everyone's ears but they all kept silent for the sake of getting an answer. He kept muttering incoherent phrases all over the place for a few minutes, making it hard for everyone to maintain their patience.
Finally, as Touhou rattled his brain, he crossed his arms and stared at the newspaper group with his eyes wide and a giant smile cracking his lips.
"There's no doubt about it. Ruby's not just far away in space, Kurumu is out there as well!"
"Huh? I am?" Kurumu questioned, pointing at herself with a blank expression.
"No, not you!" Touhou pointed, "...another version of you! This can only mean that Ruby was sent not just space, but to another universe!"
"""What?!"""
It was one thing to say she was somewhere in space, possibly on another planet undiscovered in their galaxy. Yet, it was another thing to say she wasn't even in the same universe where they were standing in!
"N-no way..." Yukari began, her voice quivering. Her knees dropped to the marble floor as she stared at the screen, "...h-how do we even get her back!?"
That was the next big question. They all gained hope with renewed confidence that Ruby was still alive, now they had to figure out how to reach her.
Touhou once again rubbed his chin, then stared at the screen again. The planet reflected on his round sunglasses.
"Well honestly, I didn't even think about the possibility that my orb could show another universe. Unless...we broke something. I highly doubt that after we saw a glimpse of a spaceship..."
Touhou lowered his head and then grabbed his head, groaning. "...oh! I'm so jealous! Here I've been playing tons of VR games, living in new worlds but Ruby is out there for real! How can I..."
Touhou's worlds crawl to a stop as an idea hit him.
"...no...if it's possible for my orb to show an image and there are people with the same signature as us then, it may be possible to..."
Everyone waited with baited breath to see the dark lord coming with a plan. Out of the three dark lords, he had the most experience with black magic and various forbidden spells. So far, he had provided more clues to Ruby's whereabouts than the newspaper club could ever imagine.
"Ling Ling!" Touhou raised his head and shouted, causing even the zombie girl to flinch, "...bring me the Book of Souls from the library!"
Ling Ling widened her eyes for a moment, then narrowed them. "Even if you tell me, I have no idea what you are talking about. There are over a thousand books in our library that I would have to sift through. Are you also telling a zombie with limited mobility to fetch a book?"
Touhou waved his arms. "Bah! You've made your point. Fine, I'll head there myself!"
He turned towards the group. "Alright, you youngsters. Stay here! I may have something that would allow us to reach her, at the very least! It won't be long!"
Touhou ran out of the orb room before anyone could react. They all stared ahead at the door with their arms drooping. It seemed they could only wait for the dark lord to come back with a solution, even though they wanted to know what he had in mind.
However, what should have been "not long" ended up being more than a few hours of waiting for the dark lord to come out of the family's library.
The Works, Coruscant
Tsukune groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. The smell of iron and steamy air permeates his nose and skin. His ears adjust first as the noise of gauges releasing air pressure and the whirling of machinery enters his ears, some far and some closer than he'd like.
As he opens his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by metal walls and large machinery, all glowing in orange thanks to the heated atmosphere. Pipes could be found everywhere, some needing repair and others carrying some form of an essential resource to the surface.
'This is...The Works!' Tsukune realized and tried to get up, but he found that his arms are tied behind his back and his legs were tied to an aluminum chair.
Panic rising in his throat, he thrashed a bit trying to get out, but all he managed to do is make his own clanging which added to the robots that were hard at work attending to various repairs.
'Damn it...when did they knock us out?' the soldier questioned, trying to recall the events after a Sith apprehended them. Unable to remember, he tried to remain calm for a bit and took in more of surroundings. Currently, there seemed to be nobody but himself, but he was sure that HK-51 and Wraith were taken along with him.
'...We were careless,' he thought, berating himself, '...We should have kept moving. Instead, they pulled out their trump card right when we hid for a little.'
He knew that there was no use in regretting the actions he and Wraith took. He could only try to figure out the intentions of the Imperial agent and the Sith. He figured they might interrogate him just as Wraith interrogated one of their own, but he found it odd that nobody was around him to watch over him.
'They're keeping us separated, huh?' Tsukune figured. He only wished he could know for sure and how much time had passed. The fact that he was taken to The Works, a place very few dared to enter, meant that the Imperial agents and Sith were careful about possible eyes on them. Obviously, if evidence of their presence was learned, it would put a dent in the "peace treaty".
Somehow though, Tsukune wasn't worried about the Imperials as much. Scanning his surroundings as much as he could turn his head, he was more worried about the robots that dwelled in this place.
After the attack Sacking of Coruscant, it damaged many of the units that remained underground. As a result, many of the robots saw humans as contaminates that needed purging to keep the system clean. For the most part, they continued the job in keeping the upper levels ventilated and water clean, but anything that required human intervention resulted in high-risk jobs that now many engineers were reluctant to apply for.
At the thought of being scrubbed by the bots that own this level, Tsukune tried to wriggle himself out of the metal cuffs once more. He only stopped when a female voice called out to him from behind, away from his vision.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll just make noise to call these working robots here."
Tsukune froze. He could vaguely remember the tone and voice of this unfamiliar woman behind him. Of course, having been subdued so suddenly before being put to sleep, it was the last thing he could remember.
"Sith," he growled through his teeth, his hands tightening into a ball.
A chuckle rang through the heated air.
"Good of you to know. At this point, there's no reason to hide it either. I'm sure that I don't need to explain the situation to you."
Tsukune couldn't see the woman but he knows she is behind him, pacing based on the sounds of her light footsteps.
"An eye for an eye, right?"
"More or less," the Sith hummed, a smile painting her lips underneath the darkness of her hood.
"Compared to that other green woman, you're talking far better than her. Are you sure you're a soldier of the Republic?"
Tsukune didn't plan on bending to the Empire's tactics and giving away information, but certainly, Wraith wasn't the kind to make small talk regardless of who was in front of her.
"She's on a different level, so I could hardly say that's a fair comparison."
"Is that so? Well, it's a good thing we have you here then."
The cloaked Sith finally stepped in front of the soldier, walking with unwavering confidence in this dangerous area filled with machinery. She didn't turn to face the solider but only look to the side, taking in her surroundings for a little bit more. Her hands were clasped together behind her back.
"If you are going to kill me, then you may as well do it now," Tsukune declared with as much firmness in his voice as he could muster.
"What a very typical Republic response. At least change it up...Tsukune, is it?"
She somehow knew his name, but he isn't surprised by that given he's sure that his squad was on their radar for a while ever since Dathomir.
Still, he remained silent and when the Sith figured she wouldn't be getting a response, she let out an amused sound.
"Well, either way, your presence here is worth more than your words at the moment."
Tsukune furrowed his eyebrows, but he forbade himself from letting himself get caught in her words.
Although he is worried for Wraith and the others, he could only hold out to hope that they are still alive.
Seeing that Tsukune wasn't going to question her, the Sith decided to share some of her plans to the solider. She lightly paced around him.
"Originally, I was planning on interrogating you just like how you interrogated one of my men. Yet, based on our intel on your squad and the missions you have performed, I'm willing to bet that there's a sense of camaraderie between you all. I also have a feeling that your squad is still searching for the cargo."
Forgetting about his own situation, he even liked less what the Sith was implying, but he remained silent and listened. If anything, he needed to remain calm no matter what.
The Sith continued.
"So if anything, I find it better not to waste the limited time we have in interrogating you. Your green friend had provided nothing useful and I'm sure you'll put up your own resistance. Rather than that, isn't it better to use you as leverage against your captain?"
Tsukune furrowed his brows deeply as he glared at the Sith. Turning her head slightly to see the expression on the soldier's face, that was all she needed as a response.
"If anything, it will at least impede your squad's progress. I will be in far more trouble if I bring news that I eliminated a Special Force's squad than if I secured the cargo."
Tsukune finally spoke with irritation in his voice.
"So what? You'll just hope that the rest of my squad comes to save me? Is that it?"
The Sith chuckled. "You think I'm underestimating your squad? Perhaps. Yet, I know there are only five of you...well, maybe six."
Her correction made Tsukune freeze. Could they know or have a suspicion of Ruby? Regardless of the answer, he quickly composed himself and didn't leave any time for the Sith to read his body language.
It didn't matter to the Sith as she smiled. "Actions speak the trust of a squad. However you hide it though, it is still a weakness that can be exploited and it is one that I will not hesitate to use."
With that, the Sith didn't waste any more time talking. She raised a communicator device that was either his or Wraith.
Tsukune frowned but remained silent as she pressed the center button. Even though he was restrained, he could only hope that his captain understood that their capture couldn't impede the mission.
Undercity, Coruscant
Ruby, Sess, and Larin were crouched behind a trash dispenser within a little make-shift park that protruded out from the metal ground.
In front of them was the warehouse where the bounty hunter, Kurumu was led based on her communicator position. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to get in contact with her.
"She may not be in a good position to be talking with us right now," Sess suggested.
Larin bit her lips. "That I can figure, but I'm not able to get a hold of Wraith or Tsukune either for an update. I'm more worried about them since they actually have someone tailing them."
Ruby grew worried as well, especially for Tsukune, alternate or not. If she had her talismans, she could have a raven be sent out to watch over the rest of the squad, but she could only send herself as a bird.
Right now, it seemed she needed to get into the warehouse to at least know how Kurumu was doing.
"I can sneak into the warehouse as a bird and check on the situation?" Ruby offered.
Larin smiled despite the worrying creases of her forehead. "That would be appreciated, Ruby. Come back quickly."
The witch nodded and transformed before their eyes in a flurry of black feathers. Despite it being the second time, they still couldn't get over it.
"Just seeing her shrink up like that makes my head hurt," Larin groaned, grabbing the side of her head.
"Could she be able to transform into something else maybe?" Sess questioned, watching the witch's raven form disappear behind the abandoned building.
Larin shook her head, not because she didn't believe in the possibility but because she didn't want to think about it.
"If it weren't for her abilities, I wouldn't have believed in the possibility that she's not even from this universe. Rather than wonder what she can do, I'm just glad that she's on our side," Larin explained.
Both soldiers hummed as they were reminded of the events on Dathomir. Their time of reminiscing was cut short as Larin's communicator beeped.
Quickly, she turned it on, recognizing the code coming from the other half of the squad. She placed the communicator on the ground and turned it on so Sess could see.
"Tsukune, Wraith! Where are you n-"
Larin cut her own voice and held in her breath. There wasn't a need for an update since it was apparent based on the shadowy figure that was being projected.
"So this is the leader of Hexes squad? I must say, you've picked out a fine group of people to lead my own team astray," a female voice hummed.
'Sith...' Larin cursed in her mind. It couldn't have been any more literal either.
The squad captain regained her composure. She couldn't show any hint of weakness or else the Sith would try to take advantage. "I'm guessing you've already interrogated them?"
A small smile played within the darkness of the woman's hood. "They're not dead if that's what you're wondering. I've only interrogated your second-in-command and I'll commend her for her resilience. In the end, though, time is of the essence. I'm sure you know that as well. I figure that it would be best to contact you first given we have your men hostage."
Larin hand tightened into a fist and quivered. She did her best to avoid showing a scowl towards the Sith. On the other hand, Sess was brimming with anger over the potential harm to his comrades. Larin was only glad that he wasn't in the picture.
"...then, I'm guessing you want information from me?" Larin responded in a barely maintained voice.
The Sith hummed, pleased. "I'm glad you are quick to pick up. In exchange for your comrades, you will give us any information on the cargo. You would do well not to get in our way and I can assure you that we'll be gone like we were never here."
Larin couldn't help but scoff. "You make it sound easy! As soon as I tell you what I know, my comrades are dead...that is if they aren't already."
The Sith chuckled, lifting her hand in reassurance.
"I suppose I have to show you first..."
Slipping out of the view, Larin widened her eyes as the view shifted to Tsukune who has bound to a metal chair. He didn't waste any time to warn her.
"Don't worry about me, sir! Just focus on-"
Any further words were stopped as he began to gag and wiggle violently in the chair.
The sight further angered Larin but she could only helplessly stare while the Sith applied a light force choke on her subordinate. After a few seconds, any invisible pressure on his throat disappeared and he gasped, leaning forward into the chair.
The hologram view switched back the cloaked Sith with a light smile visible from the shadows of her hood.
"Do I have your attention, captain?"
Larin finally bared her teeth at the Sith. "Unfortunately."
"N-no..."
The weak voice of Tsukune could be heard in the background, but Larin couldn't heed her comrade's will to resist. Instead, she focused on her missing second-in-command.
"Where is Wraith?" Larin spoke heavily.
The Sith chuckled smoothly. "I assume you mean that green girl? She is alive as well, but I feel a little uncertainty of her state helps to put some pressure, no?"
'This shlutta...' Larin thought in her mind.
"Now, I give you my word that they will remain alive. How alive though depends up to you. If you aren't cooperative, I can ensure you that not even the best of Kolto will help your squad. Do we have an agreement?"
Larin glanced a little towards the warehouse. At this moment, she really hoped that Ruby confirmed the situation within the warehouse. Would this be where the cargo is stored...or is somewhere else?
'Yergen has to be somewhat cautious, right? Would he easily lead a bounty hunter to the cargo?' she thought.
During this moment of uncertainty, she had to assume the answer was no. While they did arrive at the warehouse where the bounty hunter was led, it may have been no more than a meeting place.
"Fine," Larin shut her eyes momentarily, "...what do you want to know?"
Sess stared at his captain worried, but a sharp glare back caused him to close his mouth. At this moment, Larin had a difficult decision to make and would not allow herself to be swayed. The value of her team was higher than some shady cargo that Garza refused to disclose. That said, it isn't as if she's giving up either.
The Sith hummed, pleased.
"The obvious one: What information do you have on the whereabouts of the cargo?"
"We're stationed right in front of a warehouse near the northern entrance to the Works. We believe it's there that Salaar holds the cargo," she replied immediately, surprising Sess at how easily she decided to give their intel away.
"Oh? I appreciate your promptness. Truth be told, we had our own sources that it is somewhere near The Works, so you've just verified that."
Larin narrowed her eyes, not feeling the least relieved. "I've told you what you wanted. Now, where are my comrades?"
The Sith chuckled. "Closer than you think, but I'll keep that information to myself. I said I'll let them live, but I think your time is better used to find them as assurance you won't be able to get in our way."
"You-!"
The communicator was cut off and Larin fisted the ground, growling.
"Sir was that really..."
"Sess," Larin snapped to the large Zabrak, forbidding him from speaking, "...I made a choice given the knowledge we know. Right now, we have two members of our squad to rescue and that is all that matters now!"
While Larin was having the unexpected conversation with the enemy, Ruby had snuck into the warehouse from a broken panel near the roof. From there, she swooped and surveyed the surroundings.
Aside from some empty crates of boxes and machinery, she couldn't identify, she couldn't sense any life around.
'Where is everybody? Where is Kurumu?'
As she searched, the answer lied in a tiny beeping noise that she began to hear more clearly as she descended amongst the towering crates.
'Could the cargo really be here?' she thought, but shunned the idea when she remembered how it was shipped originally. It was a lot sturdier than wooden boxes, that's for sure.
Regardless, she decided to first find the source of the beeping noise. As a raven, she could pinpoint the source easily and in the corner of the warehouse, she saw the communicator given to Kurumu left on the ground.
Transforming into her natural form, she picked it up with an uncertain expression. At first, she worried about the bounty hunter given her familiarity to her, but then also wondered if the girl simply bailed.
The witch hummed, curling her lips to the side. In her attempt to turn off the communicator noise, she pressed the only button she knew; however, this activated it and then sprouted up an image of the bounty hunter. The sudden appearance surprised her, but she quickly followed up.
"Kurumu! Where are y-"
"Hey there! I'm going to assume that someone from the Republic picked this up. Now, I know that this looks like I bailed and well, it's because I did. I did gain some information from the grunts Yergen left with me though! At the very least, I can claim I helped the Republic in some way."
"Eh...is this some sort of...message?" Ruby questioned, realizing that she wasn't being acknowledged.
The bounty hunter continued without regard to the witch, proving her suspicion.
"...so," Kurumu cleared her throat, "...apparently, this place they led me is not the area where the cargo is held. This is actually where it used to be before it got swapped by Yergen's men. I was able to extract from them that the actual cargo you told me is somewhere down below in the Works."
"I was also able to learn that the Empire is a party interested in this cargo. Whether or not you guys knew this doesn't matter to me, but I'll have to rethink this job for now. Good luck!"
The message stopped at that, the hunter's blue pre-recorded form disappearing. Ruby stared, blinking a few times. Then, she drooped her shoulders and sighed.
"Well, thanks, I guess?"
The witch felt a little guilty, only because she did not mean to lie to her about the Imperial presence. She only learned of the other party after she met up with Larin.
Still, Ruby appreciated the message and the valuable information. That said, she wondered where some of Yergen's grunts laid since she could not detect any presence.
Scratching her head for a bit, she shrugged. It probably was best not to know.
Seeing there was no point in being here, Ruby transformed back into a raven and flew out where she came from with the communicator in her claws. Turning around the warehouse, she saw Larin and Sess in the same spot, but a grim expression wore on both of them. It seemed they were discussing something serious.
Getting close to the bin, she transformed beside them in a crouched position. Without knowing the conversation that occurred and danger that Tsukune, Wraith, and the HK-51 droid were in, she reported first without a second thought.
"Looks like Kurumu bailed. She learned about the other party who wants the cargo as well and decided she wouldn't be a part of it. She did leave a message though. This isn't where the place where the cargo is being held. Yergen swapped the real cargo somewhere else called The Works."
Larin's eyes widened and then breathed in sharply. She turned her head to Sess who likewise hummed and nodded.
"She did say, 'Closer than you'd think'," Sess supplied.
Ruby looked between the two of them, confusion evident. "What?"
Larin decided to catch the witch up. "I just got a transmission from a Sith. They've captured Tsukune, Wraith, and HK-51."
Ruby widened her eyes but before she could say anything, Larin held up a hand.
"Right now, our priority is to save them however...we may still have one up if what you say is true. The only problem is now..."
As she falters, figuring out the words, Sess kindly finishes for her.
"The problem is that most likely, they are also held in The Works and that there will be an Imperial presence there, not to mention any of Yergen's men and malfunctioning droids."
Ruby's eyes widen further. "Is he..."
She couldn't help but think about Tsukune first for the most obvious reasons, even if he isn't the same person she knew; however, the rest of the squad seemed to have grown on her, even if it hasn't been long. She wouldn't want any of them to be placed in danger.
"She showed Tsukune alive but refused to tell me of HK-51 or Wraith's state. We shouldn't expect them to hold their bargain at all though which is why we need to hurry."
With that conclusion which nobody could disagree with, Larin started sending off orders.
"Sess, I want you to stay behind and cover this area. Keep an eye out for the Imperial meeting and just in case, search as much as you can in case Tsukune and Wraith are somewhere near this level than The Works."
Sess frowned, not really liking to be the one to stay behind, but he couldn't refute the logic.
"Still sir, if there's any place to hold people hostage, it would be..."
Larin nodded. "Yeah, I know. Nobody would dare enter The Works which is why it's perfect for the Empire. Still, I don't want to make complete assumptions even if the likelihood is high."
Sess accepted the order and stared firmly into his captain's eyes. "Yes, sir."
Larin smiled for a bit and then faced the witch who had an anxious expression.
"Ruby...I need you to come with me to The Works. If you can use your senses to find Tsukune since he's familiar to you, then that's our best bet."
The Works, Coruscant
Shortly after ending the transmission, the Sith lowered her head and placed her hands at her side. A small smile played her lips.
"It seems that I was worried for nothing."
Tsukune was still recuperating from the Force Choke the Sith performed on him. Still, he forced himself to sit straight and glare at the Sith.
"They won't let you get away with this!"
The Sith hummed and faces the unafraid soldier. Normally, most crumble once they experience the feeling of the Force, but there would always be exceptions. In this case, the Sith could feel anger and frustration bubbling up instead of fear.
"You're quite daring to talk to me like that after giving you a taste of the Force. I don't necessarily dislike that."
She comes close and despite Tsukune's best efforts to draw away, her hand glides across his cheek.
She chuckles at his reaction.
"I'll tell you a secret because I do love seeing someone surprised. I was talking about wasting time earlier, so do you really think I would bring you and your comrade all the way here just to give you a place to die or be saved?"
Her logic seeps into the soldier's brain as he pauses. Slowly, his eyes widen in surprise. "Then..."
The Sith chuckled, seeing that he understood well based on his eyes. "Correct. Shortly after we apprehended you, our intel learned of a traitor amongst the Black Sun. Someone who was trying to get a one up on both the Empire and the Republic. I'm sure you know of this since you were the ones who captured him."
"Then, why lead them here if you already know where the cargo is?! What is your plan?"
Just after saying that, Tsukune felt an even bigger tightening against his throat that caused him to squirm and gag in pain. After a few seconds, he slammed to the plated ground as the metal chair creaked and dropped to the side.
After that, the pressure on his throat was released. Before he could breathe, his head lurched back in reaction as a red glowing line of plasma neared his chin.
The heat of the Sith's lightsaber caused his pores to release beads of sweat from his face. His heart beat furiously as he watched the red line with wide, dilated eyes.
Above him, he saw the red glowing eyes of the Sith and a scowl. Most of her face is still well hidden, but he could see the black strings of her hair drooping down as she gazed at him.
"I may forgive your first outburst, but do not forget the position you are in. Ultimately, I am in the one who will question and decide your life. It would be wise for you to shut up."
Tsukune sealed his lips and gritted his teeth behind them. He stared back at the Sith in defiance though he did feel a bit of fear in his heart. Naturally, he had things he wanted to do before dying. After all, he didn't become a soldier just to go against the Empire.
Seeing that the soldier quieted down, the Sith harrumphed and deactivated her lightsaber, allowing Tsukune's head to cool relative to the better heat of The Works.
The Sith turned her back and stopped just a meter from his downed position. "As it is now, I will leave your squad's efforts and machinery of The Works to determine your fate. Around this area, scanner droids will come every now and then to report on contaminants. You'll just have to do your best to survive bound to that chair."
Tsukune continued to grit his teeth but couldn't keep his lips sealed as he stared at the disappearing back of the Sith. Somehow or another, he needed to figure out a way to move on his own and warn his captain.
Entering The Works, Ruby could only open her mouth in surprise. When Larin described The Works as an underground factory, she expected something dark and gloomy.
Instead, she sees towering metal buildings like a city except there was no windows or apparent openings. Everything was lit up by the color of reddish-orange heat as if it were on fire, though mostly it was the reflection of machinery blowing embers all around.
Along with the smoke-filled "sky" where there was no obvious ceiling, she felt an obvious increase in heat that was enough to make her body sweat just a few seconds after descending from the elevator.
Clanging and whirling noises entered her ears coming from no specific direction. When she heard the cries of inhuman workers that filled the plant, she crossed her arms and shook a little.
"Are...you sure this isn't some sort of hell?" Ruby asked, now worried more for Tsukune and the others.
Larin sighed, staring at the chaotic landscape. "I suppose it is...Coruscant's Hell that is. To be honest, this is my first time here but we don't have time for sightseeing. Are you able to determine where Tsukune is using your...um...spells?"
Ruby nodded. Although she explained vaguely, she didn't expect the captain to understand. It was better to show than tell anyways.
Pulling her book from her pouch, the pages flipped according to her will until it settled on the same spell she used to find Kurumu. If her theory was right, then Tsukune should have the same signature as the one she knows.
With that in mind, she closes her eyes and tries to focus. The book glows purple so suddenly that Larin can't help but step back in caution. She watches intently at the strange concentration of the witch.
Unlike finding Kurumu, Ruby had no signature of Tsukune to trace. Even if he had passed through the same entrance as the one they used, it isn't like he could leave some remains of presence. She could only utilize her own memory since she had spent time under his presence. Plus, she knew the differences well enough that she could at least get some sort of estimation.
Despite all the noises and clanging, Ruby somehow managed to spread her senses out with the help of the book and her own magic.
When she felt out an area where he might be, hope filled Ruby's stomach. However, it quickly turned upset when she felt another presence that is also familiar to her, but definitely not one she could make out given she only happened upon it.
Opening her eyes, Larin had waited patiently for some answer she could provide.
"I think I found Tsukune..."
"...and Wraith?"
Ruby bit her lips and wanted to give a better answer to Larin, but she sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know her signature well enough. I'm only able to find Tsukune since I'm familiar with him, but even that's not full proof."
Larin sighed and placed her hands on her hips in resignation. "It's a good enough start. How far?"
Ruby provided apologetic eyes as she was unable to help temper her expectation further. "It's not really like I can determine how far someone is on the first try, but...I know the general direction to go. Later I can focus again and determine whether we're getting closer or not."
Larin dropped her head, however, she knew she had no right to complain. "Well, you've already provided better guidance than none so...thank you. Now, let's hurry!"
The captain was the first to move if only to take her mind off the status of her comrades. Following after her in a light sprint, Ruby decided to mention another important detail.
"I also found someone near that I'm familiar with! I can't exactly tell who though at the moment."
"Is that good or bad?" Larin questioned while keeping her eyes forward.
Ruby grew anxious when thinking upon the likelihood of each. "I'm not sure..."