Okay, here is another commando chapter! Oh, and from now on, whenever I say 'I'll update by such-and-such a time', you all have my permission to laugh condescendingly. I know I do. Maybe if I decide to take a long time to post, I'll write faster.
General Fisto, his lightsaber humming as he moved, ran ahead of the commandos into the small room that Boss had pointed out. "No enemies here," he called over his shoulder, shutting off his lightsaber. "Though it appears we have found that extra power generator."
"Oh, good," said Scorch. "Let's blow it to bits."
"Fixer," said Boss. "How many charges do you have left?"
"One det pack."
"I'm out. And Scorch will have two left after this room."
Fixer turned to check the hall behind them. "Will we need more, sir?"
"Not for the mission," Boss said. "But I don't like the idea of escaping while Grievous still has a working ship."
"We could plant a few thermals inside it," Fixer suggested.
"Let's keep it in mind, anyway. Completing the mission is no good to us if we get killed on the way out."
"All set here," Scorch reported.
Kit Fisto moved past him, his long tunic swishing around his knees. "I'll check the last room," he announced. "Something is wrong."
Boss felt his eyebrows lift. "Besides the fact that Grievous is here?" he inquired.
"There is danger here," the Jedi Master replied, edging along the wall as he neared the wide, dark doorway. "I do not think it is Grievous."
Boss glanced at his tactical display, locating the indicator that showed where Sev stood on guard, some twenty meters away. It may been caused by General Fisto's words, but all of Boss' survival instincts were tingling, and he'd learned never to ignore those instincts, especially not in a situation such as this. "Sev, form up."
"Yes, sir."
"The room is empty," the general said slowly. He glanced back at the commandos, the pale light casting strange shadows over his green face. "But I sense there's something near . . . We must be careful."
Boss nodded to him and lifted his rifle to ready position. "All right, let's get to it, Deltas. Keep your eyes open."
They moved into the high-ceilinged room, Sev and Scorch turning to either side as they entered, and Fixer and Thirty-Eight covering the center of the room. Sure enough, it was completely empty. No ammo crates or storage compartments, which was strange in and of itself. Why would such an immense room be empty?
Scorch seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Hey, maybe Grievous uses this for practicing with his lightsabers."
"On what?" Fixer said critically, lowering his gun and pulling his last det pack from where he'd clipped it to his belt.
Sev stood between Fixer and Scorch, facing outwards. The general was just inside the door, his large eyes a dark shade of purple as he carefully studied every corner of the room. Boss checked his tactical display again, then his chrono. Advisor should be checking in any second now. . .
"One to go," said Scorch, running across the room to the third wall. Fixer rejoined the others, checking his datapad one last time before slipping it into his pack.
General Fisto, his posture tense and alert, looked suddenly at the ceiling.
Boss eyed him for a moment, then swapped the attachment on his DC-17 to sniper configuration. There was nothing here, so whatever danger they were in would be coming towards them, down the long hall that was their escape route. Best get as many enemies as possible before they got near enough to hit the det packs.
I don't fancy getting killed by our own explosives.
The comms clicked. Advisor's voice came through a sudden burst of static, his voice raised in alarm. "Deltas! I've got the data, but Grievous is headed straight for the control room! I'm locking everything d –"
His voice cut off in a shrill burst of static.
The room shook. Sev stepped back toward the wall and dropped to one knee, facing the door. A low, loud roar vibrated through the air.
Boss glanced at the general just in time to see his eyes widen in alarm, and then the Jedi spread his hands to either side, shouting, "Look out!"
A strange, invisible force took hold of Thirty-Eight, shoving him back towards the wall beside Fixer as Scorch and Sev were thrown in the opposite direction.
A grinding sound filled the room. The general jumped backward, landing in front of Sev, his lightsaber casting a green gleam through the sudden curtain of dust that fell from the ceiling.
"Don't move!" commanded the general, his usually mellow voice gone sharp and low. "Stay quiet."
He deactivated his lightsaber.
Boss tilted his head back carefully. Half of the ceiling had disappeared, leaving a ledge about six meters wide on either side of the room. On the ledge opposite him, under which Sev, Scorch and the general stood, was a massive, crouching shape, barely discernible in the shadows. An immense clawed arm reached out to clutch at the wall, and another roar vibrated the air.
Beside him, Fixer drew in his breath quickly.
Delta Thirty-Eight leaned further back into the shadows and looked over at Sev and Scorch. They and the general were indistinct shapes in the shadows – except for the commandos' glowing visors, which were focused on something above Boss and Fixer.
Well. I guess we ran into those two creatures after all.
He reached for his commlink and spoke softly. "Deltas, keep your heads down. Your visors will attract attention."
They half-turned to the wall, tilting their heads toward the floor.
"Sir," said Sev. "What's the plan?"
"If we make it to the door before they realize we're here, we should be okay. Stick close to the wall."
Whatever that thing was, it was big, and it was being dangerously quiet. Watching them? Or was it somehow unaware of their presence? Not likely.
Boss almost looked up before remembering that there was a member of the team who was not wearing a helmet. "General Fisto," he murmured. "What is that creature?"
Scorch had dropped into a half-crouch, moving stealthily along the back wall until he reached the corner. When he reached it, he waited as Sev repeated the maneuver, and then General Fisto.
The Nautolan peered upward before lifting his commlink to his mouth. "I've never seen either of them, but I think the one across from you is a rancor –"
Another bellowing roar cut off his words, this one much lower than the other. The walls shook again, and Boss put out a hand to steady himself.
"Judging by the size, it's a bull rancor," Fixer said warningly. "Those things are nasty."
"We're running out of time . . ." Scorch muttered, but his movements were slow and careful as he moved along the side wall.
Sev followed. He turned, ready to cover the Jedi's movements, but General Fisto's voice came through the comm again. "Get to the door, Oh-Seven."
Fixer tapped Thirty-Eight's arm, gestured with two fingers at the creature across the room, and lifted a thermal in his left hand. Boss considered for a moment, made a slicing motion with his hand, and lifted his gun.
"General," he said. "This is no time for heroics."
The Jedi completely ignored his words. "You and Fixer get out first."
Boss leaned forward, tracking Scorch and Sev's progress. When they were a couple meters from the door, he moved, inching his way to the left, all his senses focused on the looming threat just over their heads.
A flash of yellow light filled the room, accompanied by a harsh crackle. Twin roars sounded. Pounding footsteps above them sent dust and tiny stones clattering down. A heavy weight struck the floor with an earth-shaking thud, and Scorch shouted, "Boss!"
Boss ducked, but something caught him in the shoulder, spinning him away from the cover of the wall. He hit the ground and rolled, vaguely aware that his three companions were shooting. Getting to one knee, he lifted his gun to his shoulder.
A massive shape filled his vision, and he sent a sniper round into it as he scrambled to his feet. He needed some distance – he took a step back. Something closed around him, forcing his right arm across his chest, and lifted him into the air.
Boss reached across with his left hand and stabbed his vibroblade into the creature's forearm once, then again. Another roar vibrated in his ears, and the pressure around him increased suddenly, crushing his arm. He clung to his rifle and twisted, trying to gain enough space to free it.
"Hey!" yelled Scorch. "Put him down, you filthy – agh!"
Over the clawed fingers that were wrapped across his chest, Boss saw Scorch get knocked across the room and into the wall.
General Fisto sprinted across the room and disappeared behind the monster. "Try to distract it!" he called.
Sev ran sideways, firing continuously, the blue lasers missing Boss by mere centimeters. Fixer, standing in the center of the floor, armed a grenade. "Flashbang!" he warned, flinging it directly at the rancor's head.
Thirty-Eight shut his eyes and turned his head, but the brilliant flurry of clinging sparks still blinded him momentarily. The creature holding him bellowed and reared back, its arms outstretched.
When Boss' vision cleared, he was staring directly into the red eyes and massive scaled face of the bull rancor. Boss jerked against the clutching claws, trying to free his gun, but his numb fingers loosened, and the blaster clattered to the stones below.
The rancor opened its mouth, revealing dripping fangs, and roared again.
Boss stared implacably back at it. "Come on. . . Come and get me."
The beast shoved him towards its gaping mouth. At the last possible instant, he kicked out, bracing one foot against either of its jaws and leaning back, knees locked. If his guess was right . . .
It was. The rancor pushed harder, intent on crushing its prey into its mouth. Boss bent his knees suddenly and swung his free arm straight into the side of the creature's face. His vibroblade pierced the thinner scales of its face easily, and he pulled back, readying another blow.
A flicker of green light, accompanied by a distinctive hum, heralded the arrival of the general, who soared into the air and landed on the rancor's head just above Boss. He balanced easily, stabbing his glowing blade straight through the rancor's skull.
The monster swayed, rumbling low in its chest, and the clutching fingers around Thirty-Eight's chest loosened. Boss slipped sideways. His left hand caught at one of the horny growths on the creature's lower jaw and he clung to it, the stone floor a full four meters below.
This isn't good . . .
"Hold on!" shouted the general. He jumped down, his lightsaber piercing the rancor's forearm. The claws tightened briefly before falling away. The rancor took a faltering step forward. General Fisto wavered and jumped clear.
Delta Thirty-Eight grit his teeth, weight hanging from his left hand as he fumbled for his ascension cable with numb fingers.
Sev's gravelly voice sounded in his ear. "Hold on, sir."
A cable imbedded itself in the rancor's neck with a soft thud just as his fingers slid from the grip. Boss caught the cable and slid down, throwing himself to the side as he hit the floor.
The rancor's body collapsed, one clawed hand falling just beside him. Thirty-Eight got up, his pistol pointed at its head, but there was no need. The red eyes were dull.
"Deltas, report," he said breathlessly, glancing at his three squad mates as they approached. "Anyone injured?"
"Nothing serious." Scorch hefted his pack higher on his shoulders, wincing. "But I can do without repeating that anytime soon. . ."
Sev came over and held out Boss' rifle, which he accepted with a nod. "Nice work, Oh-Seven. Anyone see where the second creature went?"
"It's on the second level," General Fisto said from the doorway. "And Grievous, apparently, is on the first."
"We can still use the shaft and bypass the second level," Fixer suggested.
Thirty-Eight considered as he switched his sniper attachment out for the blaster. He clipped his rifle to his belt and moved his right arm, testing the range of motion. Nothing seemed broken, so he pulled up the schematics on his HUD and studied them for a long moment.
"General," he said. "We might need you to engage Grievous after all."
"I look forward to it," the Jedi replied, his tone dark despite the smile on his face.
"All right, squad, let's get to it," Boss said, gesturing to the others. "We've got to get Advisor – and the data – back to the shuttle before anything else happens."
"I couldn't agree more," Scorch said.
Does anyone know what the second creature is? Or what's going on with Advisor? :) I'll give you a hint - the second creature is canon, but it's only been in one 'thing'. Let me know what you thought of this! :)