Revelations
After a day of hyperspace travel the crew came upon a jungle world. But even in orbit they could all tell something was...wrong about this place. Hiro and Gogo were especially sensitive to the feeling of wrongness that seemed to permeate the very atmosphere. Through Gogo's sight it was like looking through smog while Hiro felt a chill creep up his spine.
This very place was suffused with the dark side.
As they dropped lower they could see that the jungle below looked dead, with everything withered away and lifeless. None of them liked it here one bit.
But they pushed on, following the Holo-trace's coordinates until they could spy a compound hidden amongst the dead trees. Everyone exchanged a glance nervously. That was where Callaghan-Yokai- was. Gogo had Wasabi stop a considerable distance away and get low enough to the ground for the one continuing on to get out.
In the end it was decided that Baymax, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Gogo, and Hiro would go while Fred stayed with the ship. Fred had no complaints, commenting that this planet gave him the creeps. Thus Fred landed the ship in the cover of the trees while the others continued on. It was eerie walking through the dead jungle, the gnarled leafless branches looked almost like skeletal hands, ready and poised to lunge out and grab at them at any moment. But they continued until they reached the compound.
The place was old, walls crumbling and rusted, vines and moss growing on its surface. After a close inspection they found a door. Together Hiro and Gogo managed to open it with the Force, allowing them all to enter.
They trekked through the dark halls as Baymax scanned the facility. He could detect only one life sign but couldn't pinpoint it's location. Everyone looked around as they tried to make heads or tails of what they'd walked into.
"What is this place?" Hiro asked just to break the tense silence.
"Not sure...but the design looks Imperial," Gogo commented. Wasabi and Honey Lemon nodded in agreement.
As they were going Hiro suddenly stopped in his tracks. Gogo noticed this and turned to arch a brow at him. Hiro remained on the spot before his head turned slowly to the right to land on a door. He walked up to it slowly, arms extending to press a button to its side. To the others' surprise it slid open, revealing that this place had some form of power. They followed Hiro inside, walking into some kind of laboratory.
The others spread out, looking around as they looked through cabinets and drawers for clues. Hiro swept his eyes over a counter before his eyes landed on a small metal container. Feeling some kind of pull he walked toward it. When he was before it he reached a hand out. He pulled back the lid on the box, revealing some kind of crystal, glowing a faint sickly green. Hiro was mesmerized by it, without his knowledge he began to reach a hand out toward it when Gogo suddenly reached a hand over his head and shut it.
Hiro blinked and snapped from his daze before taking a step back.
"Don't touch it. It's filled with dark side energies. No telling what it would do to you," Gogo warned. Hiro swallowed before nodding and leaving it be.
"Yo Gogo," Wasabi said aloud. Gogo looked over to him inquisitively. He pointed at a computer. She nodded and understanding as they all crowded around it. They tried accessing it, but it was old and the screen was faulty. Gogo gave a grunt of annoyance.
"Hang on. I got this," Hiro chimed in. "Baymax," Hiro said to the droid. Baymax reached a hand out before resting his palm on the monitor. Hiro removed Baymax's chest piece, allowing the team to view the images he was pulling up on his chest as he downloaded the data from the computer.
"So what are we looking at Baymax?" Hiro asked.
"Files repeatedly mention a project...Ersatz," Baymax explained as he sifted through the files.
"Ersatz?" Hiro said in confusion.
"It means a fake," Wasabi explained. "An inferior substitute."
"A fake of what?" Honey Lemon asked aloud.
"Project Ersatz was an attempt to imbue individuals with artificial Force sensitivity," Baymax revealed. The group gasped in shock.
"Did it work?" Hiro asked after a pregnant pause.
"Tests were met with mixed and conflicting results," Baymax discovered. "One such test subject was a Abigail Callaghan."
The group gasped. Callaghan...he had a daughter? Asking for more details Baymax pulled up a video file of an experiment involving Abigail. They watched as a handful of Imperial scientists watched behind a glass window while Abigail was strapped to a table. Among the scientists was the Moff, Krei.
They watched and listened as he spoke with other Imperial Moffs. He explained that after thorough years of research he believed he had discovered a way to imbue soldiers with the Force, meaning the Empire could create an army of Force sensitives at their leisure. Apparently Abigail was a bright and exemplary young Imperial officer and had volunteered for the final test.
They watched as she was strapped down and then injected with the blood of a Force sensitive, thus enriching her blood with mid-chlorians before a large crystal imbued with dark side energies was lowered in front of her to bathe her in those dark energies.
Hiro glanced back at the crystal, suddenly very glad he hadn't touched it. They watched and watched as they monitored her vitals and stress levels for signs of change. The Moff seemed to be very proud of the apparent progress when a small alarm went off. They watched as Abigail seemed to grow agitated and stressed, straining against her binds as her vitals started going erratic.
One of the scientists suggested a sedative and stopping the procedure, but the Moff disregarded his advice as he tried to talk to Abigail and calm her down. But with a loud scream the glass separating the scientists from their subject shattered outwards. They watched as Abigail continued to scream before everything in around her began to crumple on itself. Her bindings ripped off of her as she continued to scream and shout in a craze.
The Moff ordered her subdued, several scientists tried to rush in with sedatives but with a gesture of her hands they were thrown back. As one of them tried to get up he was lifted off the ground, feet kicking as he clutched at his throat. Then with a crack his head lolled to the side before he fell to the ground.
As Abigail turned her attention to the other scientists a figure in black leapt before them. They assumed this person was a darksider in service to the Empire as they saw them throw their hand out and in the next instance Abigail was thrown across the room and into the wall and finally going still.
They watched as the Moff apologized to his fellow Imperials and declared the test a failure.
"Krei!" they all gasped as they saw Callaghan appear, rushing the Moff only to be halted by Imperial soldiers and scientists. "You said she'd be ok! You promised me! Abigail!" Callaghan called out.
And then the recording ended. Hiro tried to enquire about Abigail, asking what happened to her. Baymax could only find that she was taken into custody of the Empire for 'treatment' and apparently she just dissapeared as if she never was. The group remained rooted to the spot, glancing at each other in horror and silence. That was why Callaghan hated the Moff so badly. That was why he wanted revenge.
"So Callaghan served the Empire at one point?" Honey Lemon pointed out. They all shrugged. It would explain how he always seemed to get data on them. He must have had an inside source or something.
"There is more," Baymax suddenly said to get their attention.
"What is it buddy?" Hiro asked.
"Tadashi."
The air was sucked out of his lungs. "What?" he breathed out. Baymax pulled up more images and recordings, Holo-transmissions between Callaghan and Tadashi. Callaghan had apparently sent out some kind of beacon, calling for any surviving Jedi to come to this place, stating that he was hiding with a small group of younglings that had survived the Jedi purge. Tadashi apparently answered the call. He said he was on his way, though upon seeing who it was Callaghan tried to persuade Tadashi to stay away.
But Tadashi came anyway and upon arriving he was ambushed by Imperials. They all watched as Tadashi fought, but was ultimately gunned down by stormtroopers. Once the recording was over everyone looked at Hiro as he stared numbly at the screen. He had never known the exact detail of Tadashi's death until now. But what he had just witnessed was more horrible than he could have imagined. Tadashi was betrayed, lied to someone he trusted.
Callaghan.
Suddenly the lights in the laboratory came on. Hiro and everyone looked up to see a familiar masked figure standing on the opposite side of the table.
"Hello team," he said in an altered voice.
Glaring at the person responsible for his brother's death ignited the flames of rage inside Hiro. He saw only redas he snatced his lightsaber off his belt and leapt through the window with a scream. He ignored the calls of the others as he ignited his lightsaber and slashed at Callaghan's head.
With sparks it came off, revealing that it had been a droid the entire time.
"You shouldn't be here team," came Callghan's voice from the walls and ceiling.
"You liar! You traitor! Tadashi trusted you!" Hiro shouted out angrily.
"That was his own fault! I told him to stay away! I was trying to capture some other Jedi, trying to find a subject that would help me understand what went wrong with Abigail!"
Hiro narrowed his eyes, his anger extending the reach of his Force senses as he locked onto his enemy. He was about to take off running when someone grabbed at his arm. He looked back as Gogo yanked his wrist back, makign him cry out in pain and drop his lightsaber.
"No Hiro. Don't let your anger take control," she commanded firmly.
"He's the reason Tadashi is dead!" Hiro cried out.
"I know. And I understand. But you're skiritng dangerously lose to the dark side right now. You would've killed out of anger just now if that had been the real Callaghan. We came here to capture him. Not kill him. Or did you forget?" she asked as he kept him in a vice like grip.
Hiro struggled, but couldn't break free. With no choice he calmed down, realizing she was right. He took deep breaths as he calmed his mind. When she felt him regain his senses she released him.
She frowned as she looked around the room. "It's this place. This whole planet is trying infecting us with the dark side. We need to get this over with fast," she said sternly. She handed him back his lightsaber, Hiro took it with a nod, clipping it to his belt as he kept his head.
Now calmer he followed her as she let him lead the way.
"Turn back team. I don't want it to come to this, but the Moff has to pay for what he's done!" They kept going. "Please team. I'm begging you to leave," he asked imploringly.
"You have to be stopped Callaghan. Your anger is leading you to endanger and kill the innocent. It's not right," Gogo said aloud. They kept going until Gogo suddenly stopped. They all glanced at her as she looked over her shoulder.
"She's here," Gogo whispered, dread evident in her voice. They listened, hearing the sound of many footsteps echoing off the walls and coming right for them. Hiro could feel her too, closing in, dark side adding to the stifling energies already permeating the air.
"Let's move," Gogo ordered. The group broke into a run, looking for a way out until they spotted light up ahead. They ran for it, eventually running outside and into an open courtyard likely used for landing ships. And it was chaos outside.
In the sky they saw TIE fighters flying and weaving through the air as they battled a small army of Vulture droids. On the ground before the group was Callghan. Clad in his Yokai disguise and surrounded on all sides by an army of battle droids. There were the standard, super, assasin, Commando, and even a few MagnaGuards. And they were all engaging stormtroopers, stabbing and blasting at them as Callghan gave his orders to his army.
Gogo took her eyes off the battle to look to the way they'd exited. There she found Dragon, staring at her with a dark smile with a small squad of stormtroopers at her side.
"Seems you've stumbled upon quite the secret Ethel," Dragon said in surprise. "You have my thanks. I owuld never have suspected that Callaghan would hide here. It was quite clever actually." Gogo scowled at her as she and her friends took a few cautious steps back. A battle behind them and an Inquistor before them. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Dragon grabbed her lightsaber off her back and ignited the blade.
"Time for you all to die."
dun dun dunnn! new chap. Was it shocking enough for you?! Hope you like