Hi everyone thank you for the follows/reviews/faves! So I think everyone has been looking forward to this chapter for awhile now. I know I've been and I have to admit, it was a tricky one to write and I struggled a little with this. However, I got it done but I also didn't want to make it too long or short either. This chapter is also kinda violent so heads up with that. But I'm sure you guys knew that was coming LOL. However, please read and enjoy it!
Chapter 11 The Merciless Hero
(…)
The sight around him was a sobering one and it reminded Ahab too much of his time of service. He already knew he was asking for trouble when he volunteered to help the colonists defend their homes and peace but he knew it was the right and noble thing to do. He knew he was risking his livelihood and was most likely crazy for volunteering but it was done and over with. Now he and the citizens of Sauza had paid dearly for their defeat and were being held together in one of the storage warehouses on the airfield.
Ahab knew he did what he could but he knew it wasn't enough. He didn't even really manage to shoot any of the pirates and he found himself quickly separated from allies and immersed by a small group of foes. They quickly subdued him and he was forced to either surrender and cooperate or be gunned down. The man felt ashamed that he had been overcome so quickly but he was happy he was at least alive. He still held onto the hope he would see his wife and son again and that was what prevented him from acting rashly or trying something too bold.
All around him, he could hear people talking softly amongst themselves. Some people were sitting silently and staring blankly ahead as they tried to remain as calm as possible during this harrowing, uncertain period and make sense of what exactly just happened. Others were weeping once they realized that their family members were missing and were most likely amongst the deceased that were lying in the streets in the settlement. The rest of the citizens communed quietly amongst each other and were allowed to speak to the folks closest to them as long as they didn't appear to be speaking too quietly or suspiciously before their captors.
He further counted himself lucky that he found himself being seated next to Byle and Les. The Human male felt relieved and blessed that they were alive and that he would be joining for the time being. He could see that Byle's leg was spread out and away from his body as he gave it as much room as possible. It turned out that the elderly Neimoidian was shot in the leg.
"Your wife is fine, I assure you," Byle said as he kept an eye out on the ten pirates that were monitoring things inside the warehouse. "I told her to keep going and she seemed like she understood what I was getting at. I can only hope she will bring help."
"Now…" Ahab wet his lips and inched a little closer. "What you mean by that is the man that supposedly has my son?"
"Indeed." Byle winced as a surge of pain gripped him. The blaster bolt wound would still pain him for quite awhile unless if he got medical attention soon. It wasn't fatal but it was enough to cause him obvious discomfort and it didn't help that he was hobbling about earlier. "I know she made it to him in enough time. I can only hope he was motivated enough to come to our aid."
"He would be making a sacrifice by doing that," Les added. "I don't think he's so ready to do that, Byle." He warily eyed his friend's injury. Then he remembered the story the cyborg told him where he said he executed the Imperial forces who were attempting to create an outpost to the north. "Then again…he might have a change of heart."
So desperately, Ahab wanted to know what manner of man this was that they spoke of. From what he could gather, he certainly seemed to be a charismatic, mysterious and elusive fellow but he was at a loss as to who he was exactly. The fact that his wife knew more about this stranger than he did made him nervous and a part of him wished that he could've accompanied her to the mountain if the pirates hadn't attacked Sauza. But now it seemed that these legends were actually true and that there was someone truly out there. The longer he thought about it, the more open he was to the idea. It was unsettling and a bit disturbing to him that someone had been lurking out there for so long and looked so monstrous.
"You obviously know what he looks like and who he is," Ahab started, "and I would appreciate it if I knew what my wife and son are dealing with. I want to know the inner workings of this mystery as well."
"You will know soon enough," Byle smiled. "I can guarantee that there was a reason why your wife chose to not tell you anything about this man. She indeed is familiar with him. In fact, they have a history that extends back quite some time." The Neimoidian lowered his voice. "Think about it, Ahab… You heard the tales of what he looks like. If you're a good husband, you will remember that your wife holds a certain someone in high regard. Tell me, do you know who lives on the mountain now?"
Ahab was becoming quite fed up with everyone's cryptic words and he wanted to know the truth desperately. However, he kept as quiet and calm as possible to avoid the attention of their captors who would no doubt inquire what was going on if he raised his voice. He decided to reflect and take Byle's words into consideration…
(…)
The five children remained as quiet as possible yet they couldn't help themselves as they started to breathe heavily. Even through the floorboards, they could hear the sound of the pirates outside of the house, shouting at one another. Collectively, they knew that this house was to be checked next and they had a feeling that they were going to be discovered.
"Do you think they got Mom and Dad?" Det fearfully asked his elder brother.
"I don't know, Pyrus," he replied. "It sounds like that they won."
The brothers turned to their three neighbors who were huddled behind them. Junee and Ashura clung to one another. Ashura held her younger sister in her lap and cradled her closely to her and the siblings did whatever they could to comfort themselves in the colony's darkest hour. The boys' Rodian friend, Karr, was also sheltering with them in their cellar and the reptilian humanoid was struggling to keep himself as calm and silent as possible. He sat with his head being cradled in his hands and he muttered inaudibly to himself about the end being near.
In the chaos, the five children banded together and decided to hide in the Starfire boys' cellar and wait until things blew over. Their parents explicitly told them to hide since it would elevate their chances of survival and they were keen to follow the directions of their elders this time. Karr, Pyrus and Det's friend, Tikal, was nowhere to be seen but they only hoped that the Nautolan boy was alive and well, wherever he was exactly.
For the past two hours, they hid in the darkened, earthen basement. Things had gone quiet very quickly but now that they could hear the voices of unfamiliar men outside, they knew that they had lost the fight. Right now, they were at the mercy of the enemy and they could only pray that they wouldn't be uncovered. Their young minds were hounded with many harrowing and unsettling questions and they wondered if any of their parents had perished in the fight. They longed to put those troubling thoughts out of their heads but such tortuous occurrences kept them mindful and fearful of the ultimate truth. They were afraid to stir in their hiding spot and they were trapped.
"We can't fight back," Ashura told her neighbors. "We don't have any blasters!"
"Sissy, I'm scared..!" Junee mutely cried as she buried her face into her sister's chest.
"We have to try to have some hope," Pyrus firmly reminded them. He was just as scared as everyone else but he saw that as the eldest of the band of children and he had to be a pillar of strength for them. "We have to tell ourselves that everything will be okay."
"Stop lying to yourself, Pyrus!" Karr hissed lowly. "Do you know how stupid you sound?!"
"Shut up!" He glared at the alien youth furiously. "Shut up and don't say another word until this blows over!"
The five younglings fell silent as they heard the front door open. Their blood ran cold and their hearts nearly ceased beating and they were reluctant to even breathe for fear the enemy would discover them. A cold sweat formed on their flesh and they trembled but they tried to remain as quiet and brave as possible.
Ashura firmly placed her hand across her little sister's mouth to make sure she remained silent. The elder girl's eyes were huge and unblinking as she stared at the floorboards above her. At any moment, she expected one of the ruffians to place his grungy, dirty face against the floor and peer directly back at her with a sickening grin on his face.
They could hear low, muffled voices; there were mostly likely a small group of men who were outside and some of them entered the house to poke around. The floorboards creaked above them and they quaked in terror, hoping and praying the horror would pass and they wouldn't be found out. They had no idea what fate was in store for them and they had no intention of finding out what it might exactly be. Personally, they had felt that the future was a frightening and bleak concept to ponder over at this time.
"Ugh, it's too quaint!" one man complained. "What could we loot from this house besides some food and some spare ammo?"
"Shut up and get the task done," another voice said. "Captain Ivar said we're gonna check every nook and cranny to make sure no one's hiding or sneaking about. We can't have any rebellions!"
The five children took shallow, shaky breaths as they could make out rough silhouettes of the pirates walking above their heads. Their bodies were wracked with paralysis and they shuddered to think what would become of them if they were uncovered. Some of them entertained the idea of fighting back and trying to escape but the thought the intruders were most likely armed and would shoot them if they attempted to run away. Their lives were flashing before their eyes and they wondered if they would see their parents again or live to see another sunrise.
"Pyrus…" Det whispered as quietly as he could to his brother.
The elder boy pressed his thumb against his brother's lips to keep him silent. Ashura still held Junee closely to her chest and Karr still quivered like a leaf in a violent windstorm.
It felt like many decades were going by but in reality, it was only two minutes since the pirates entered the house. They could hear the invaders stomp about above them and walked up to the second floor to poke around some more to check for any signs of stragglers. The children still remained immobile in their hiding spots and they could only hope they wouldn't think to check for a cellar.
"Looks dead to me," another voice reported. "No one's home. They're probably dead or rounded up at the airfield."
"We gotta check for a basement," his companion said. "Some of these houses have one and we might as well look for one here."
Karr almost screamed out at the top of his lungs once he heard the exchange. He slapped his hand across his mouth to strangle out the scream and his eyes widened immensely upon learning the pirates were going to look for their hiding spot. Worriedly, he glanced back at Pyrus and Det, hoping they had an idea as it was their house they were sheltering in after all.
The eldest member of the group felt his color leave his face during this eavesdropping and he looked about his basement for any weapons that he could use to fight off the enemy. To Pyrus' frustration and horror, all he could see were old, empty crates, a few small jars, a packaged box containing his late grandmother's belongings, a few cords of firewood and a small hatchet.
Det slowly and silently crept over to the tool and grabbed it, deciding it might be worth their while to try to fight back. Pyrus quietly studied the hatchet, wondering if it would even be worth wielding against the pirates. He had his doubts about it and wanted to persuade his brother to put it down and be open to the possibility of a peaceful surrender so they might have a chance at life.
But before either of the brothers could try to communicate with each other, they heard the men above them shift over the boards. They creaked dully as they remained in place and appeared to be quiet for the moment.
"Something's wrong," one of them said.
"What is it?" the other asked.
"Avo and Kesk were found dead. Avo's skull was crushed and Kesk had his head cut off."
There was a silence that fell upon the pirates and the children had also heard those words. They nearly all gasped out loud and would've given away their positions but they remained as quiet as possible.
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"They're dead, idiot!" his comrade retorted.
"What could it be?" the third pondered. "Some colonists running free and getting vengeful?"
"No, I don't think so. It doesn't seem like it. Something doesn't feel right… I can feel it in my bones." The man then paused for a few more moments as he got another update from a comrade on the other end of his comm link. "A few of our men haven't been reporting and it's getting weird… Captain Ivar is sending more men out to figure out what's going on and why no one's reporting or coming back."
The children were at a loss as to what was happening. They had no clue what was going on what was causing the enemy to dwindle and go missing but they had a feeling it might be a blessing. In this moment, they held on to what little hope they had and wished that these pirates would go away and try to figure out what the problem was. They wanted this attention diverted from them in the worst way.
"Do we check for a basement or what?" one of them said impatiently. "Or do we stop this and go try to figure out what's going on?"
"Shut up!" another hissed. "I think I hear something on the roof!"
Silence filled the air yet again as all tried to figure out what was happening around them. The five young folk tried to strain their hearing to see if they could detect the sound as well but they couldn't hear anything. They held their collective breath and waited for anything to unfold.
"You're making it up!" one claimed. "I didn't hear a thing! Stop trying to spook me!"
"I swear, I heard something on the roof! It sounded like footsteps."
"Stop lying and let's find the basement. Maybe it's under this rug here."
Directly on top of their hiding spot was the hatch that led to the basement. On top of that was a rug that covered that doorway. It wouldn't take long for them at all to be rooted out and uncovered. Their doom seemed to be so near and they braced themselves for the worst.
They heard the rug being pulled away and they could see a somewhat clearer view of the intruders through the boards. Now only the hatch stood between them and the pirates. The hatchet in Det's hand shook visibly and the boy tried to still himself so he could at least fight back enough so the others could escape. He could feel his brother's hand on his shoulder and he gripped onto him tightly, wordlessly telling him he would remain with him no matter what.
"You've worn out your welcome."
Those words were uttered by someone entirely new and unexpected. The voice of this sudden soul was deep, grating, rugged and also sounded rather angry. That same voice also made the pirates stop in their tracks and cease with opening the hatch to investigate further.
This was a voice that was alien to the children and this didn't certainly sound like a neighbor or any of their parents. This was some stranger and it appeared that he was going to do something about the presence of the pirates. He clearly didn't sound amused or happy and it occurred to the children that it was more than likely maybe he was responsible for the confusion the enemy was experiencing.
"What…" one of the men choked out. "That's not possible! This isn't real!"
"You're supposed to be dead!" another exclaimed.
No other intelligible words could be uttered from their mouths as the sound of some sort of weapon activating filled the air. There was a brief outburst of screams but they were hastily silenced forever and they were so caught off guard and shocked that that they didn't even fire a single shot. Bright blue and green flashes of light briefly lit up the room but then quickly disappeared as swiftly as they manifested. The pirates barely even had enough time to make sense of what was happening before they were struck down.
A muffled scream came from Junee as she heard the sound of the pirate's bodies collapsing onto the floor above her. Ashura was shaken out of her terror induced stupor and hushed her. The older girl could feel sweat coursing down her forehead and she struggled to remain as silent as possible as she drowned out her own cries.
They could hear the soft, almost soothing hum of the lightsabers still going on, informing the children that this being was still very much present in the house. They tried to peer through the floorboards to get a better view of the killer but the corpses of the pirates had obstructed their sight.
The hatchet was now shaking violently in Det's hand and it almost appeared as if his hand was experiencing a disturbing fit of sorts. Pyrus gently wrenched the weapon from his brother and held it despite the fact his own hand trembled as well. Karr was nearly on the verge of fainting and he had his legs pulled up to his chest as he rocked himself in place.
Then they all heard the sound of the hatch above them being opened. As soon as that happened, they all crowded around each other, feeling a bit safer cloistered in a tight formation as they faced whatever was above them together. They knew they had been saved from the rogues but now they wondered if they could stand a chance at survival with whoever killed the intruders.
The door opened up and instantly, they were met with a figure they didn't expect to see. Before their very eyes, they finally got a clear and unmistakable view of the mysterious creature they had known of. Never did they think that they would see him so near and clear to them.
The light fixtures in the room above illuminated his form enough for them to gaze upon him and take in all his features with no effort. His golden eyes were peering at them from behind the bony mask he had over the remnants of his face. His frame was indeed comprised of metal alloy and inorganic elements but it still had that eerie resemblance to a skeletal system that led them to christen him the Skeleton. The fingers that gripped into the wooden hatch were clearly claw-like and his talons lightly dug into the boards beneath him.
But now that he was so close and so revealed to them, he looked alarmingly identical to the former droid general that had once led the Confederacy's automated armies. In particularly, the three boys were the eldest of the group and they recognized him after staring at him for only a few seconds. It didn't take them long to realize that the once feared Kaleesh cyborg was standing before him. Adamantly, they wanted to deny their own eyes with what they were looking at and they tried to tell themselves that maybe their own horror was causing them to hallucinate. Yet as time dragged on and he kept gazing back at them, it was obvious to them that this was wholly real. There was no other being like him. The impossible seemed to be made manifest before them and now they ended up wondering if he would slaughter them as well.
Karr's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted for as long as he stared back at him. The shock of it was too much to bear and he had succumbed after only looking back at him for a few seconds.
"A clever hiding spot but not clever enough," he said. "It would've fooled them completely if only they were a little stupider."
The four remaining pairs of eyes stared back at him, huge and unblinking. Obviously, they were absolutely rocked to their cores and they were seized by their fear. Grievous held no ill will or vendetta towards them and he found himself a bit relieved he had stumbled across the small group of pirates in enough time to prevent the children from being discovered. For now, he saw he needed to placate their fear and assure them he wasn't going to lay a harmful hand on them.
"Remain here until your parents retrieve you," he instructed. "It is still unsafe and there are still more enemies afoot."
"It's been you all this time?" Det choked out. "But how? You're supposed to be dead!"
"I've been on this planet for a long time. I've been keeping a close eye on your colony since it was first being built. I am the one who keeps the woods safe when you go in when you are forbidden, Det."
The fact that he knew his name was another unexpected blow to them. It only confirmed that he was the supposed monster that was wandering the wilds and keeping watch over them. He had remained unidentified after this mysterious decade and now that the truth was unveiled before them, they didn't know what to think. They were aware of his infamy during the Clone Wars and what matter of man he was then but now Grievous stood before them as their savior.
"I decided to help and help I shall," he continued as they remained silent and unmoving. He grabbed one of the deceased pirate's blaster rifles and handed it to Pyrus. "Here, keep this with you. If I happen to miss any of those brigands and they come into this house and find you, shoot them."
Pyrus hesitated for a few seconds but then took it from the cyborg. He inspected the gun and hoped he wouldn't have to actually use it unless if it was absolutely necessary. He looked back at Grievous and nodded his head nervously, still having a hard time processing what was going on. The boy wanted to speak but he could find no words to say to him.
"Thank you," Junee said meekly. She managed to say what was on everyone else's minds. "You saved us! Thank you so much!" The youngest member of the group even managed to give him a small smile. She felt as if she could trust him since he saved them from a potentially fatal fate. "Are you going to save everyone?"
Grievous knelt down on one knee to come a little closer to the stragglers while he still kept the door open with one hand. He eyed Junee curiously, finding himself amused that although she was the smallest and apparently youngest out of the group, she was the first to not appear to be so frightened.
"Indeed I am," he said. "I will free your colony and get rid of the enemy for you. All of you remain quiet and stay where you are. Danger is still rife in this place and it is unsafe for any of you to come out of hiding."
"What will you do after this?" Ashura pressed. "Will we see you again?"
"Those are questions that cannot be answered by even the wisest. I do not know. For now, all I know is that the past has happened, the future is to come and the present is what matters the most."
The cyborg stood back up. He stared back at them for a few more seconds to see if they had anything else to say. They remained silent but he could see in their eyes that they had so many questions but didn't know how to present such queries or find the proper words to say to him.
Once he waited for that amount of time and saw all they were going to do was stare back at him in sheer disbelief, he carefully shut the hatch and then locked it to make sure one of the children wouldn't get the idea of trying to leave their hiding spot. He dragged the corpses out of the house and tossed them aside. After that, he pulled the carpet over the hatch, concealing the secret location to assure them of their safety and security.
Feeling confident that they would remain safe and untouched, Grievous left the home and resumed his task with eliminating Sauza's captors.
(…)
The group of men didn't stand a chance as they were quickly and viciously disposed off. As quick as a strike of deadly lightning, the enemy appeared out of nowhere and slain them ruthlessly. One of them was decapitated, another's skull was crushed as if it was an egg, a third had a lightsaber thrust through his chest and the fourth man had his neck snapped effortlessly.
His method depended on whatever appealed to him in that exact moment. Grievous took some pleasure in quickly eliminating them as he strove to relish the terror in the other pirates who were struggling to comprehend what was happening to their comrades. He would dispatch a small group and move on to single in on and spy on another squad before he'd descend upon them and tear them to pieces. From there, he would repeat the process.
The terror they had reflected in their eyes and the sheer shock they had etched on their faces was something he delighted in. Some of them recognized them before they died and some tried to beg for their lives or flee. However, most of them were granted no spare time to even react in some cases. Justice was going to be swift, righteous and brutal. Their scourge would be removed and they would never trouble any decent denizens of the galaxy ever again.
The cyborg looked at his bloodied claws and shook them off, sending crimson flecks flying. He hardly paid any heed to the gore he created and walked away from these freshest kills. As he slaughtered more, he became less secretive, bolder and more open about his presence. His lightsabers were no longer sheathed and he prowled through the empty streets of Sauza.
"I'm sorry, Captain!" one pirate cringed as he was forced to bear the brunt of his leader's fury. He nervously looked at the comm in his palm. "We're trying to figure out what's happening but everyone's going silent… All we hear are a few screams and some words we can't make out and then that's it!"
"Find out what it is and eliminate whoever is killing my boys off!" Ivar yelled from the other end of the comm's line. "Are you men so stupid that you can't track it down and kill it?!"
"Captain, it ain't natural! I saw some of the bodies! Some of them look like an animal got a hold of them!"
"I don't care what it is, find it and kill it!"
The light of the moon faded, abandoning the group to marred vision and uncertainty. Thick, concealing cloud cover obscured their vision, only heightening and magnifying their anxieties even more. Their only means of seeing in the darkness now were flashlights mounted on some of their blasters, street lights and some lamps that remained on inside the vacated houses. Everything seemed to be plunged into an abysmal, dismal, choking darkness that held their hearts in an icy grip. The looming and dire situation even made some of the stoutest ruffians tremble in their boots.
The discoveries of the bodies chilled them. They were roughened and hardened in their own right but this sort of violence was something even they weren't accustomed to seeing. It looked as if an unknown animal had killed their comrades but the beast remained mysterious and unidentified. They firmly believed some form of higher intelligence was responsible for this horror and it was actively seeking to place fear into them.
"I think the Captain doesn't know just how bad this is!" a Quarren huffed. "If he saw the things we saw, he would be just as scared as us. I say we head back to the warehouse and hole up there with the others."
"I'm afraid I have to agree," another voiced his concern. "Our numbers are dropping and this isn't good for my nerves! Just how many of us are left?!"
"No, we have to try to hunt it and kill it before it kills all of us!" a third jumped in. "We're grown men and we have to act like it!"
"Okay, all of you shut up!" the group leader demanded. He put his comm back into his pocket and faced his comrades. "We're going to look a little bit and if we can't find anything, we're going back to the airfield and telling the captain about it."
"I had a feeling this was a bad move from the very beginning," the fifth member bemoaned.
The five men then fell silent when they could make out two far off sources of light, one blue and the other green, approaching them as something rounded a street corner. It appeared that these bars of light were being held as they lightly swayed, indicating someone was walking towards them. They stood perplexed at the sight, wondering what this was exactly. Some of them were even hesitant to raise the barrels of their weapons and shine light on whatever person was advancing toward them.
"Halt!" the leader commanded. "Stop right there or I will shoot!"
His order went unheard as the figure continued to come closer. The stride of the being must've been impressive because it seemed to be taking no time at all in getting closer to them. It almost appeared as if it was walking briskly towards them with some unknown intent.
One of the men at last lifted his weapon and shone his light on the advancing figure. The light was shifty and unstable as his trembling hands failed to steady himself as his horror started to envelop him.
What they saw made their knees turn to water and their jaws drop. Their eyes grew to huge proportions as they saw the past walking directly towards them. Golden orbs seemed to glow in the light as the half droid aberration closed in on them. The man's lightsabers almost seemed to hum menacingly as he drew nearer.
"Shoot him!" the leader ordered. "Shoot him with all you got!"
While three of them managed to snap out of their stupors, one of the other pirates took off running, screaming like a mad man in the process. The remaining four men opened fire upon the encroaching, former droid general to try to bring him down before he could get any closer to them and wreak havoc.
Grievous simply raised his blades and blocked the blaster bolts, redirecting some of them at the group. It had been a long while since he had last used his lightsabers but he was pleased to see he hadn't become completely shoddy during those years of inactivity. He was only happy he was able to deflect them back at them with not much effort. Count Dooku's teachings hadn't gone to waste.
The exchange of fire only lasted three seconds and the skirmish was already over. The redirected blaster bolts came back to the pirates and struck three of them, killing them. The survivor ended up with a shot landing a hit on his shin and he collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.
"Scum, I have some questions for you," Grievous said as he at last stopped when he was only a foot away from the injured survivor.
He placed a clawed foot on the man's chest and forcefully pressed down on it, forcing the air out of his lungs and causing the pirate to cough and heave deeply. The man placed both of his hands on Grievous' foot to try to pry it off him but the talons dug into him as he did so. An agonized cry came from him as the pressure increased and he swore he could feel his ribs starting to crack.
"Why did you come here?" he pressed.
"Captain Ivar wanted a new place for us to serve as our base of operations!" he exclaimed, being mindful to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. "We picked Hyleea because this was the only settlement here!"
"You chose poorly! Your precious captain has doomed you all!" He snarled and leered at the writhing man beneath his foot.
"Please, let us go and we'll never come back here!"
"Silence! Do not speak unless if I ask you a question, scum!" His stare hardened and he lowered his head more. "Tell me, where is your captain? Where are the citizens?"
"Captain's in the ship! The prisoners were all herded into the warehouse on the airfield until we figured out what to do with them!"
"Do you realize what you've done? Do you realize you have angered and motivated me so much that I came down from my home on the mountain just to kill every single one of you?"
He increased his pressure and he could literally hear the man's ribs begin to crack and break beneath him. His victim let out a strangled cry and his breathing became labored as the weight of his foot and his breaking ribs prohibited him from inhaling properly.
"I'm sorry!" he gagged.
"Because you have no honor, you will be given none in return," Grievous uttered. "You prey upon the young, defenseless and weak so you deserve no mercy. You will not live to see the sunrise above the forest. You're all going to pay and perish."
Grievous ignored his fevered cries and applied as much pressure as he could to his captive's chest. The revolting sound of ribs being shattered and the squish of organs and blood filled the uneasy silence of the night air. There was a gargled, wet moan that came from the man but then he quieted very quickly as he expired.
The cyborg didn't even bother to observe the carnage he created and merely pulled his foot away from the crushed torso of his victim. He peered into the darkness, looking for any more ruffians that may have been out and about. There was one member of the group who had fled when he appeared but he reasoned to himself none would be left alive when he would be finished with his rampage. He almost hoped that survivor would run to his captain and tell him what was going on.
Slowly, he began to walk through the desolate street, his eyes peeled for any other living soul. If they were a straggling colonist, they were going to be preserved. If they belonged to that gang, there would be no hope of survival for them. His mission was as simple as that.
(…)
As the pirate fled, he could see more bodies of his comrades lying on the street. At this point, he was seeing far more of his faction dead than any of the colonists and he knew that his gang took out a hefty number of the citizens. It was a reality that frightened him and he feared that perhaps he and his remaining fellows would join the dead in short time as well. He knew he disobeyed the orders of his group leader but he knew that he couldn't remain still and try to shoot. He obeyed his instincts and fled as swiftly as he could.
Frequently, he looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed by the unmistakable shape of the remorseless, monstrous killer. He could scarcely believe what his eyes beheld as they looked upon the figure. It was simply impossible to believe that somehow the infamous droid general was alive on this backwater, isolated planet and was now hunting him. All reason appeared to have been thrown out the window and he knew he didn't have enough time to think things through. He knew what he saw and he had to make sure Captain Ivar knew of the situation. They had to get off of Hyleea and either never come back or return in greater numbers and with bigger guns.
"Captain!" he screamed.
He knew that the colony was rather small but it still felt as if he had been running for days. His mind was a fearful flurry of thoughts and he only wanted to board the ship and forsake this cursed planet. Furiously, he pushed himself to go faster, nearly tripping on his own feet in the process.
In the distance, he could make out the silhouette of his ship on the airfield and the structure of the warehouse. He was getting closer. Once more, he looked over his shoulder and he was relieved that he saw nothing following him. However, he knew this was only the most temporary and fleeting of comforts.
"Captain!" he called out again. "Captain, everyone is dead!"
A few of the pirates lingering outside the warehouse and the ship lifted their heads up when they heard their comrade screaming, sounding as if he was being chased by some kind of monster. They braced their guns and kept an eye on him as he got closer, curious as to what he had seen while they were posted in that particular spot.
The man halted whenever he made it to the closed doors of the warehouse and the side of two of his brothers in arms. He panted heavily and haggardly as he attempted to catch his breath for a few moments so he could explain to them what he had seen. A million words wanted to spill forth from his mouth at once but he couldn't calm down enough to find the right ones to say to them as he struggled to calm down.
"What's wrong?" one of them asked. "You've got no color in your face and you look like you've seen a ghost!"
"Forget the colonists and this place, we need to leave now!" he whimpered. "You must believe me with what I'm going to say! Where's Ivar?!"
Before the guards could say anything else, the captain emerged from inside the warehouse. He immediately left upon hearing his underling's terror and left his men to guard the colonists on the inside. The grizzled man eyed his shaken, fellow pirate, taking in the horror that was clearly displayed before him. There was something in his eyes that told him this was no joke or game. Whatever he had seen was wholly real and it rocked him to his core.
"What did you see?" Ivar asked, placing both of his hands on the spooked pirate's shoulders.
"Captain…" he murmured. "We need to leave!"
"Tell me what you saw! Spit it out!"
"I know what's been killing everyone and why no one is reporting back! He's killing us all and he's not gonna stop until we're all dead! Captain Ivar, I saw him with my own eyes… I swear, I'm not lying. I saw General Grievous come out of the darkness, with two lightsabers! I saw blood on his frame and he was walking toward us with the intent to kill us!"
One of the pirates snorted and stifled a spray of laughter at the other's claim. Ivar looked over his shoulder and shot his underling a harsh and stern stare, immediately informing him to silence himself or else face the consequences. The pirate quickly looked away and broke eye contact with his leader.
Ivar was at first very skeptical of what he might've seen but the sincere fear in his eyes, voice and on his face was all too real to deny or dismiss. He was absolutely frightened out of his mind and he had never seen any of his men like this before. There was no lie that he could sense in him.
The claim was utterly fantastical and outrageous but he was indeed reminded that after the Battle of Utapau, it was revealed that the General's body had vanished into thin air. It was accounted for and had been placed in storage concluding the battle but a week later, it disappeared without a trace. From there, legends and rumors had been made, suggesting that his body had been seized by spacers or some shifty dealers on the black market. There were other stories as to what became of the infamous Separatist's body but none could be proven or disproven either due to the lack of evidence. All that was known was that it was never recovered and it was a matter that remained unknown and unanswered for all those years. The general population had accepted that it would most likely be a withstanding and elusive myth for generations to come.
Now it appeared that the Kaleesh cyborg was now alive and he was lurking in this colony and systematically wiping out Ivar's forces. The fact that his minion's forces were dropping at worrying rates and failing to report to him only stressed him further. The captain felt his heart quicken as he found himself entertaining the seemingly impossible. Terror and curiosity brewed within him and Ivar found himself temporarily torn as to what to do.
However, it didn't take long for him to reach a decision. He had to see him with his own eyes.
"Arm yourself and prepare for the worst," Ivar instructed.
The pirate had a look of pure dread and fear on his face when he heard those damning words. His eyes grew and his jaw dropped.
"Captain, you don't understand!" he raved. "We have to go and we have to go now! You'll get us all killed!"
"If what you say is true, then this is an opportunity we cannot pass up," said the bearded man. "If we can capture him, his head will fetch a pretty price. For too long, his whereabouts have been unaccounted for and never confirmed. This may be a gift being dropped into our laps!"
"Have you lost your mind, Captain?! He has literally killed almost every member of the crew besides you, myself and the ones guarding the colonists! He means to end us and savor the kill!"
Ivar only raised his hand and struck his underling with a firm and mighty smack across his temple. The resulting force and impact knocked him off balance and the pirate collapsed onto his backside. He clutched the red and swollen side of his face as he sat stunned on the ground.
"What is going on here?" a new voice called out.
Ivar didn't bother to look up as he identified the voice as belonging to his second mate, Ylendi. The captain merely looked into the direction from where his underling originated from earlier. At any moment, he expected the dread figure to appear out of the night, brandishing his lightsabers and making his way towards him.
The Twi-lek walked down the ramp that extended out from the underbelly of the shuttle as he heard the commotion that was going on. He walked over to his captain and briefly looked towards the man who was still sitting on the ground.
"Ylendi," Ivar said, "quick, we don't have much time. What do we have on board that can restrain something with a lot of strength? I preferably need something that not even a Wookiee can break out of."
"We might have something in the cargo hold from that Duros fellow's shipment we looted," Ylendi replied.
"That's not a good enough answer!"
Ivar growled and saw that he would have to try to improvise. He knew that wherever he was, he was most likely closing in and he wouldn't be granted much time to plan something to properly deal with the threat. Yet the captain knew he would have to try something.
The stricken pirate at last got up onto his feet and began to make a run for it whenever he saw his captain wasn't going to leave the planet. In his delirium and fear, he bolted away, abandoning his fellows and deciding to hide elsewhere. He didn't know where to go but some place was better than remaining out in the open and looking vulnerable.
The man didn't travel very far as Ivar hastily drew his blaster pistol and shot him in the back. He let out a gargled groan as the shot tore through his torso and brought him to his knees. He succumbed quickly to the wound and perished merely seconds after he made contact with the ground.
The guards and Ylendi looked to Ivar, a bit startled that he resorted to that measure. Whereas they were caught off guard and remained somewhat stunned with that event, Ivar looked entirely unfazed and indifferent at what he had just done.
"Now that's outta the way," he said. He kept his pistol in his hand as he briefly surveyed his surroundings once more. "We're going to hole up inside the warehouse. Our eyes are going to be peeled and our guns are going to be ready. Open the door, now."
Without hesitation or delay, the guards opened the door and they all slid in. As soon as they were inside, the door was hastily closed and then locked.
"I'm still not sure what's going on," Ylendi said as he raised a brow. He was becoming increasingly concerned and he could detect the urgency and the obvious tension Ivar and the guards radiated.
"You'll know," Ivar frowned.
He took note of the other men who were stationed inside the warehouse to keep an eye on the prisoners. He had a dozen men left besides himself and Ylendi and he realized that this was quite the dangerous and dire scenario. For a second, he regretted killing the frightened crewman but he reminded himself there was no room for cowards in this final stand. He would possibly jeopardize this operation and cost them all their lives.
Now that he found himself looking at the huddled crowd of colonists, a question suddenly presented itself to him. He wondered if any of these souls knew that Grievous was amongst them. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he had a feeling someone most likely knew something and the cyborg was possibly summoned to wreak havoc on the attackers in retaliation. The longer he thought about that, the angrier he became and he found himself eager to search for answers.
"We seem to be stuck in a rock and a hard place," Ivar addressed the whole body of survivors. "There is someone out there who is killing my men. He is literally cutting them to pieces and tearing them apart. Now, it might be unbelievable or unthinkable but I know who it is. I want to know who knows about him and I want answers right now. He's unique and you wouldn't be able to miss him. He'd stick out like a sore thumb from the crowd…" He smirked but there was evil in that seemingly harmless look. "You really will not be happy if I am made any angrier than I already am."
The colonists remained silent and looked back at him with surprised yet confounded faces. Only Byle and Les knew the true nature of this attacker but they dared not to say anything just yet. They only held their breath and hoped the half droid rescuer would come and deliver them from these ruffians.
"Men," Ivar commanded the remainder of his forces, "be on guard and be ready to shoot as soon as you see him. It appears that we have a long lost droid general running free in this town and he must be stopped at all costs."
Many of the colonists wondered if they heard the pirate correctly when he uttered those words. Some of them shrugged it off as inane babbling or madness on their part but some others were certain they heard the man correctly.
"Are you serious?" Ylendi whispered to Ivar. "You can't be!"
"I am," he asserted. "That frightened fool spoke no lie."
Ylendi remained skeptical and disbelieving of the claim but when he looked to the guards who accompanied him into the warehouse, they only nodded their heads. This was no ploy and it appeared they wholly believed of the matter as well.
"I want answers," Ivar went on. "Give them to me or I'm going to start shooting each of you one by one."
He noticed that they all appeared frightened when he made that particular declaration. They exclaimed amongst themselves fearfully and some of them made pleas to him, begging him to explain what he meant and to spare them. Some of the guards kept their weapons on the crowd, ready to shoot anyone who got too rowdy or tried to strike back in some way.
"Either you must take me for a huge fool or you all really have been ignorant of what had been living alongside you," he resumed. "Which is it?"
He didn't wait for long as he became increasingly irate and wrathful. Ivar took a few steps closer and grabbed the colonist that was nearest to him. The captain's patience was dwindling rapidly and he was steadily losing his composure and calmness.
He hoisted the Nautolan woman up by her tendrils, eliciting a pained scream from her. He noticed that another Nautolan, a young boy gave him a pleading look as his mother was pulled away from his side. Warningly, Ivar brought the barrel of his pistol up to the younger being's face, threatening to shoot if he moved an inch.
"Let my Mom go!" he begged. "Don't hurt her, please!"
"Tikal, it'll be okay," Lanay said as she tried to soothe her son despite her obvious fear.
Ivar backed up and kept his weapon fixed on Tikal until he made his few steps backwards. When he placed enough space between the mother and son, he redirected his gun's barrel on the hapless woman. He set it square against her skull, prompting her to whimper and go rigid in his hold as he held her tightly.
Ahab could scarcely believe that this was unfolding before him. It all appeared to be some nightmare and he desperately wanted to lash out and try to free himself and the colonists from this scourge. He hated feeling powerless but there he sat, disarmed and being forced to remain immobile and defenseless. Despite his unhappy circumstance, he was only happy Celia and Alaric were safely away from this pandemonium. Balefully, he glowered at Ivar and he wished he could send a shot right between his eyes.
Ivar's earlier words of a droid general going about and butchering his cronies instantly intrigued him and Ahab wondered at first if he indeed heard accurately. The Kaleesh warlord came to mind instantly when in reality, there were many other droid generals that had served during the Clone Wars. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and he pondered if perhaps this really was happening. If this was indeed the case, it would explain Celia's reluctance to disclose much to him about who had custody of their son since the animal attack. The more thought he put into it, the more sense it made as to where the myth of the Skeleton came from…
"I'm going to shoot her if I don't get answers, right now!" Ivar announced. "Explain this now!"
Shortly after he said those words, a dull noise began to fill the silent and apprehensive air. It echoed through the metal, enclosed space and it seemed to come from no direction in particular. It sounded much like something being welded or something hot singeing and cutting through metal. The mysterious racket held everyone's attention and many pairs of eyes wandered about the expanses of the building to try to identify what the source was.
As unexpectedly as it started, it stopped only a few seconds later. Moments after that, a loud crash rang through the warehouse, sounding as if a sizeable piece of metal had crashed onto one of the catwalks perched near the ceiling of the building. The commotion caused everyone to jump at the sharpness of it.
It reverberated sharply as it clattered to the platform and then everything went silent once again. Seconds ticked by and everyone's hearts raced in rapid unison as they anticipated literally anything to happen. Their nervous eyes turned to the catwalks, eager yet frightened to see if anything would stick out to them in the looming and darkened heights. What they could see was a gaping, circular hole that was rimmed with molten metal, indicating it had been cut by something extremely hot. It had been carved into the ceiling, giving away that someone had made it and was most likely inside the structure.
"Release the woman, scum!" a booming and powerful voice commanded.
That uneasy quiet was then abruptly shattered as the rugged and deep voice of the mysterious assailant echoed through the warehouse. It originated from the catwalk and the pirates directed their guns to that position. Acting on pure instinct and fear, they opened fire though they still couldn't exactly confirm where exactly their deadly target was.
Amidst the sound of many guns going off at once, the loud and swift sound of footsteps sounded out. The shooters could make out a large, dark shape racing along the catwalk at an incredibly fast rate. They could barely swivel their guns quickly enough to keep up with the agile dervish and once they caught a glimpse of the target, it disappeared again.
They didn't lose sight of it for long as they could make out a figure literally racing across the side of the warehouse. The assailant's talons were magnetized to the wall, allowing him to move gracefully and rapidly across the surface almost as if he was racing on solid, smooth and stable ground. In mere seconds, he closed in on the pirates and ignited his two lightsabers. His golden eyes gleamed angrily and if anyone looked into them, they would be chilled and daunted by his fearsome gaze.
Grievous vaulted himself from the wall, gliding through the air for a second and then landing beside one of the pirates. With a simple swipe, he was cut in half and no longer a threat.
The remaining enemies kept firing at him but it was a vain effort. The cyborg merely deflected some of the shots back at their point of origin. He aimed them back at the pirates as best as he could as he strove to make sure none of the colonists were struck by any stray bolts. Other pirates were decapitated or impaled if he got close enough to them.
The terrified citizens were lying flat on their stomachs at all of this carnage as they chose to remain out of the way as much as possible. Some of them dared to lift their heads up a little so they could behold their rescuer slay their captors and could hardly believe what they were witnessing. Indeed, it appeared to them that the previously thought-to-be-deceased General Grievous was laying waste to the enemy.
Their minds were flabbergasted and blown at this revelation but all they could do was gawk and watch as he tore through them and mowed them down swiftly and brutally. Sauza's legend of the skeletal demon proved to have a kernel of truth after all and it was suddenly so clear that the youngest citizens weren't lying or telling tall tales after all.
It took no time at all and they were all cut down except for Captain Ivar and Ylendi. The leader stood mortified before all this destruction as he watched his crew perish so quickly before him. Now all that stood before him and Grievous was the crowd of captives.
When the shooting had ceased and things grew quiet, the colonists raised their heads to see the full extent of the brief yet explosive fight. All around their circular formation, they could see the freshly killed pirates that were engaged with Grievous only seconds earlier. Some were intact and others were either sliced in half or were missing a few limbs or a head. They could only look on in sheer disbelief and shock at this gruesome aftermath but many of them were still struggling to comprehend that the Kaleesh was still indeed alive.
Grievous fixed his stare on Ivar and the Nautolan woman he still held captive. He walked forward with the intent to deal with the remaining two foes.
As he drew closer, the colonists spread out, giving him a wide berth and enough space as he walked. They tilted their heads up to him, in complete awe with what had just transpired. When he walked past them by mere inches, it was all the final confirmation that any of the doubtful needed. Some of them whispered amongst themselves, asking their neighbor if they believed what they were seeing while others remained silent and only chose to wait and see what more would happen.
Then he halted when he made it to Ivar and Ylendi. He stopped a foot away from them and he fiercely eyed the two scoundrels. The fear was so rife and evident in their eyes and he found himself relishing and taking joy in it. He found it ironic that this supposed captain was so merciless and threatening earlier but now that he stood before him, he appeared as cowardly and submissive as a beaten mutt.
"Release the woman," he repeated.
Ivar was so terrified that he did exactly as Grievous commanded. The cyborg subtly nodded at the Nautolan female, informing her all was well and she could go to be reunited with her son.
She didn't waste a moment and she nodded back at him, silently thanking him for his gratitude. Lanay hastily rejoined her son and as soon as she sat next to him, the two cradled each other in their arms and silently wept in joy.
"We will leave," Ylendi started as he gulped hard. "We'll go and never come back and never tell a soul..!"
Grievous said nothing and placed a clawed hand around the first mate's throat. Ylendi barely had any time to beg for his life and the cyborg applied pressure, loudly cracking his neck and ending him.
Ivar let out an audible gasp as he watched Ylendi perish right beside him. His blaster pistol clanged to the ground and Grievous immediately crushed the weapon with one of his feet. The captain choked at this and he stumbled backwards, landing on his rump.
Grievous tossed aside the Twi-lek's limp corpse, letting crash to the floor unceremoniously. His eyes remained focused on Ivar as he privately pondered over which was the best way to kill him.
"You are no longer anyone's captain," he said. "I made sure none survived and they were all eliminated. I'm happy you are the survivor."
"Why are you here?" Ivar stammered. "Why are you alive?"
"It is of no great concern to you since you will be dead very soon. However, I will say that you chose the wrong planet to conquer. This is my world and you and your ilk are not welcome here. I have been here longer than anyone else and while I allowed Sauza to flourish and grow, I do not allow filth like you here. You have disturbed the peace and cut down innocents. I have seen your destruction when I roamed the streets and when I saw the dead, it only made me angrier. I have spared none of your crew and you shall suffer the same doom as they have."
Ivar's whole body trembled and he positioned himself to his knees. He folded his hands together and raised them, almost looking as if he was praying to some divine entity to intervene and deliver him from this waking nightmare. The captain silently pleaded with him, daring to stare back into Grievous' eyes.
"I'm sorry!" he murmured. "Please, if you let me go..!"
"What?" Grievous pressed. "You'll what? Give me money? Please, I have no use for such a thing. I haven't needed currency for so long and I have survived just fine. You were prepared to give none of these colonists mercy and you were prepared to snuff the life out of that woman so why should I bestow life to you? I have become someone else during my years of isolation and I have bettered myself. But I cannot tolerate or stand for what you've done to this place. They came here to live in peace and quiet and you ruined it. There are children and other citizens lying dead in those streets because of you. And now here you are, blubbering like a fool before me. How the mighty have fallen. A man's true colors and quality come out when he is in the gravest of situations and his life hangs in the balance."
Ivar realized this was going nowhere and he needed to try to escape. He stood up onto his feet and bolted to the door. Feverishly, he attempted to open it but he didn't get very far as he felt one of Grievous' hands on the back of his neck. He cringed and screamed at the pressure the Kaleesh cyborg administered and at any moment, he half expected his vertebrae to be crushed or dislocated.
"You will go nowhere!" he said.
Ivar then felt he was roughly tossed to the side and he landed a second later. He skidded across the ground briefly but he had no time to recover or try to escape further. One of Grievous' feet was firmly placed onto his abdomen and he cringed as he felt the talons digging into his flesh.
The cyborg didn't blink or say anything else as he activated both of his lightsabers while he pinned the captain beneath his foot. He brought the humming, luminous blades up to his throat, poised to decapitate him at any given moment. There was no pity or sympathy in his eyes as he glared back into Ivar's terrified orbs. His mind was decided and it would be for the best.
"Mercy!" the captain implored. "Are you still the monster you were during the Clone Wars?!"
That question made him hesitate for a moment. Grievous tightened his hold on his lightsabers and he continued to leer back at Ivar.
His desperate words lingered within his head, prompting him to take a few moments and ponder over it. He had been called a monster many times before and he always brushed such a label aside. Actions more often affected him than words but this was enough to pick at his brain. He had a feeling that his victim was powerless physically and was only resorting to this tactic in the hope that he could gain some victory in this way.
But Grievous knew the truth and it was all a ploy that was only good enough to be dismissed. He knew he was different and he made improvements over the years. He considered himself to be more man than machine. There was no way he could be as dishonorable, monstrous and wretched as he had been all those years ago. Grievous thought himself better than that.
"The only monster here is you," he said after some silence.
He gave Ivar no more chances and no more time to even take another breath. The lightsabers closed in on his neck in a scissoring motion and effortlessly decapitated the man. The head dropped to the floor and rolled about a few inches, the eyes still wide and the fearful facial expression forever remaining.
Grievous removed his foot from atop Ivar's chest and deactivated his lightsabers. With the captain's death, he was reminded of all the colonists that were still in the room. He turned around, seeing them all together and looking back at him with obvious confusion and bewilderment.
The seconds that went by felt like they were turning into years as he found himself unsure of what to do or say to them now that he had killed all the pirates and liberated the colonists. There were all these witnesses before him and the veil had been pulled back. The Skeleton had been discovered and identified once and for all. There was no denying who he was and his cover had been blown. He had once been concerned about his wellbeing at risk but it seemed to be a petty concern after he had been motivated enough.
"I have never had evil thoughts or considered raising my hand towards any of you with ill will," he said to the colonists. "My neighbors were and continue to be good people. I mean none of you harm and the only repayment I ask of for this is that you let me go peacefully. You have nothing to fear. You needn't walk through the woods with fear and suspicion any longer."
He had to admit to himself that he felt awkward with saying these things to them. Truthfully, he didn't know what to say exactly so he was brief and he decided to leave as quickly as possible just in case if some of the citizens would grow hostile with his sudden reemergence.
Yet before he could make a move or turn around, he heard a single applause. He looked at the crowd, seeing that it was Byle who was making the noise. The old Neimoidian had a proud and delighted grin on his face, obviously pleased that he had come to aid the colonists in their hour of need.
As his clapping persisted, more and more people began to do the same thing. Soon enough, the whole crowd was clapping loudly and merrily for him, thanking him for what he had done for them. The young, the old, the hunter, the innkeeper, the bartender, the medic and everyone in between all applauded, some of them looking bright eyed and cheerful with their fortuitous turn of events.
The joy and thanks they were expressing was something he wasn't expecting or prepared for at all. All he could do was stare back at them, silently asking himself what exactly he had just done and what would come about now that he made his debut…