Episode III:
Chapter 3: Missing
Two weeks later…
Aside from a tighter working relationship between the Galactic Alliance and Seferite Order, there had been no major developments in the current galactic conflict since the attack on Barsemic, not even reports of other resurrected Archfiends. The Alliance had a few minor victories in defending their territory and even reclaiming worlds, but several more had been lost to the Forceless Collective. The Collective had seized much of the Outer Rim Territories by this point, and they were creeping ever closer to the Core Worlds with several conquests from the Mid to Inner Rim.
That said, even with a threat as anxiety-inducing as the Collective, the Alliance's most valuable players needed to take breaks from the fighting too. Otherwise, they may become too mentally strained to be of use when needed, or in the case of the Jedi, further run the risk of falling to the Dark Side than they were already. These breaks not only provided them a chance to recover their strength, but some time for self-reflection and finding inner peace.
At the Jedi Academy on Ossus, Zolph and Hiriss were taking a break from the fighting while they awaited any intel that the Seferites would have on Cina Onae and kept alert for potential Archfiend sightings. While the Alliance's military was becoming better adjusted to fighting the larger Forceless war beasts, the Archfiends were powerful and unpredictable enough to warrant Jedi intervention.
In the Academy's dormitory rec room, Zolph was playing Dejarik holochess with R9-C4. While Seefor was not specifically programmed to be a Dejarik-playing droid, being a Class 2 droid that was not subject to memory wipes made her a moderately challenging opponent for Zolph.
That said, Dejarik was not exactly one of Zolph's expertise. He would have preferred to be playing ExtraGalaxia, but not only were Zolph's living campaign friends unavailable, the war with the Collective made the game feel closer to reality than intended, souring some of the escapism. He always had some single-player holo-games to go to, but Zolph was currently stuck with repeat playthroughs of those games, and word of a Forceless cyber-virus temporarily discouraged the Academy from connecting to the HoloNet for recreational use.
In just a few well-calculated moves and lucky digital dice rolls on Seefor's part, Zolph's four-monster team was eliminated.
Zolph slammed his left hand on the display table in frustration, being careful not to break it with his right hand even if the strength-enhancer was deactivated. "Fifth game in a row!" Zolph moped as Seefor made a series of chirps that clearly translated as gloating.
One of the doors to rec room opened, and Hiriss came in and approached the Dejarik table, wearing yet another new outfit she had made and some eyelash extensions, getting a brief reaction out of Zolph before pretending he didn't see anything eye-catching. As usual, her look was stylish yet practical for Jedi work. She wore a mixed red dress with a padded skirt that extended to her knees, black tights, and gloves that reached up to her shoulders. Of course, her hairstyle had not changed much from two weeks ago: same headband, same long, loose curly hair, except this time, she had some of it pulled back in a ponytail and the curls were a bit wavier.
"Did the AI rig the dice rolls again?" Hiriss asked Zolph.
Seefor replied. "R9-C4's Intelligence = Self-made. / Droids = Superior Dejarik players to meatbags."
Zolph answered Hiriss. "That or she assimilated a Dejarik droid's memory core."
Seefor then protested. "C4 =/= Cannibal. / Zolph Vaelor = Sore loser."
"I was just kidding, Seefor. And you're right, I'm not taking losing well. But you're also a sore winner." Zolph replied to Seefor.
Hiriss then started up another conversation, and one Zolph was expecting as soon as she came into the rec room. "So, how do I look?" She made a quick 360-degree twirl of her body.
"You look good." Zolph replied promptly.
"Anything more? Any constructive criticisms?"
"I'm not a fashionista, Hiri. I'm not the best critic for this thing. What more do you want me to say?"
"I'd like an opinion from someone who isn't really into that sort of thing… or are you?" Hiriss asked playfully.
"I… don't know what you're getting at?" Zolph nervously changed the subject as he stroked his left-hand through his long hair. "Would you like to play a game?"
"You know I'm only a slightly easier opponent than Seefor, Zolph. But if you want me to play against you, then sure."
Before they could even start their game of Dejarik, both of their comlinks rang and they quickly answered and heard the voice of Jedi Battlemaster Kyle Katarn, who had temporarily been put in charge of the Academy while Headmaster Luke Skywalker was away on Coruscant.
"Zolph, Hiriss. Please report to the operations room. We've got a visitor on our comm channel that wants to talk with you."
In the Academy's operations room, Zolph, Hiriss and Seefor met up with Battlemaster Kyle Katarn, a middle-aged pale-skinned human male with brown hair plus a beard that was slowly graying and instead of wearing Jedi robes or similar attire, he wore a cream-colored shirt with a brown pauldron on his right shoulder, a holdover from his mercenary days. He was about as much of a maverick as Zolph and Hiriss were when it came to the Jedi dress code, if there was such a thing now.
"What's up, Kyle? Any word on the hunt for Cina Onae?" Zolph asked Kyle casually. Despite his position, Kyle Katarn was not comfortable with being addressed by titles.
"You'll have to ask our guest." Kyle answered Zolph before addressing Hiriss. "You're looking as beautiful as always, Hiriss. That style works for you very well."
"See, Zolph. Those types of compliments don't have to be commitments." Hiriss told Zolph. "And it's not like Kyle's cheating on Jan with that compliment."
Kyle was suddenly a little uncomfortable. "Please don't drag me or Jan into whatever's going on between you two."
"Sorry, Kyle." Hiriss apologized. "I sometimes forget that your career paths and the galactic crises over the last few years have made it hard for you two to get together again."
"No hard feelings. Anyway, don't keep the Seferites waiting. Whatever they've got must be pretty important." Kyle took the communications terminal off hold, and Arcidus's masked face was displayed on the monitor.
"Arcidus. It's good to see you again." Zolph addressed him.
"It is a pleasure to speak with you again, too, Zolph Vaelor." Even though Arcidus was wearing a mask, Zolph could tell that he was glancing at Hiriss and Kyle. "Has the Jedi Order's dress code changed that much over the past four-thousand years?"
"Not that much. While this generation is the most liberal the dress code has ever been, I heard that there have been a few examples pre-Empire." Hiriss answered him. "But that's obviously not why you contacted us. What's the scoop, Arci?"
"We don't have confirmation on Cina Onae's whereabouts, but I have a lead that may be related to our hunt: we lost contact with Juganak."
"Crap." Zolph muttered. "Where was Juga the last time you contacted him?"
"He was investigating on Felucia. The Collective has taken a peculiar interest in the planet, as some of Felucia's mega-flora are capable of spreading their pollen and spores to other planets."
"And if the Forceless control these plants, they could send out possessed spores and take over other worlds without needing a massive invasion force." Hiriss concluded.
Kyle butted into the discussion. "Also, while they don't share the same sector, Ossus and Felucia aren't very far apart. So, aside from the obvious threat to the whole galaxy, Felucia could serve as a potential staging ground to attack the Academy, and they already know a little about the Academy's layout thanks to Maesterus's attack." Kyle then quickly apologized to Arcidus. "Uh, no offense to your late master."
"None taken." Arcidus replied. "We know his faults, and so did he."
"Anyway, aside from us Jedi and the Ysanna, Ossus isn't rich with life and possession fodder, but there are other nearby planets that are. Now that I think about it, why would the Collective go through such a convoluted method for a surprise attack? They could just wormhole a fleet right next to the Academy at any time."
"As we were reminded two weeks ago, they could do anything to catch us unprepared. Their activity on Felucia plus the development of an AI-possession virus are just exercises in giving us multiple threats to worry about."
Zolph rejoined in on the conversation. "Regardless, even if one threat's a distraction from another, we can't leave any of them unchecked. They all have potential for quick galactic dominance. If Juga's gone missing, there's something powerful on Felucia, whether it's Cina or something else."
"I've already sent a rescue team, and Armogeist has decided to join them, but they could use your help too." Arcidus replied.
"Hiriss, Seefor and I will meet up with your forces as soon as we can."
"Thank you."
Arcidus's image disappeared from the display screen, and then Kyle spoke up.
"I'll go ahead and notify Skywalker of your trip to Felucia. Meanwhile, I'll keep holding the fort in case the Forceless show up. May the Force be with you."
As the Manthis passed through hyperspace on its journey to Felucia, Hiriss started up a conversation behind Zolph's seat.
"Our last conversation before Kyle called us ended abruptly. Let's continue where we left off."
"Felucia's pretty close. Can we not?" Zolph asked Hiriss.
"Yeah, but we're not that close. Besides, we need something to pass the time and none of us want to experience hyper-rapture."
"Okay, fine. You look pretty, and I really like your dress and hair. They fit you to a T. If there's anything wrong with it, I can't see it. You got a really high score from me."
"I still feel like I could do something more, but I commend you for trying. But be honest with me, Zolph. Why are you so hesitant to make compliments like that?"
Zolph took a deep breath. "I really do like you, but sometimes my feelings for you feel… wrong."
"Does it have something to do with me being Dynn's cousin?"
"That's part of it, but before you get the wrong idea, I haven't forgotten our discussion back at Kashyyyk. You are Hiriss Moraana and not 'Half-Mirialan Dynn Manthis'."
"You've done well on that part. Anyway, it's okay to have feelings for more than one person. Friends are supposed to care for each other, after all. But I take it that something else is worrying you?"
"I haven't forgotten that Dynn told me to move on, even if it meant finding another partner. But then Valkor threw another wrench into my grief by claiming she's back from the dead, and all these resurrected Archfiends only add weight to that claim's plausibility. If she is back from the dead, I'm afraid I'd be cheating on her by having these feelings for you. And your recent flirting with me hasn't helped. Plus, the part about you being her cousin makes it much more awkward."
Hiriss's voice suddenly became a lot more somber. "I'm so sorry, Zolph. If I had realized I was making you uncomfortable, I would've toned it down… or just stopped altogether. I know I look like a hypocrite after our talk on Kashyyyk, but I feel enamored by you too, and I've felt that way since some time before Ockla. I want to believe Dynn's alive, but I'm worried that you might still be literally chasing ghosts, only to then be disappointed and haunted again. I thought by presenting you the option, it would help you move on, but now I can tell that's not the case, and I've only made things worse."
Zolph immediately tried to console her. "Don't beat yourself up like I did after Dynn died. I forgive you. I don't hate you for what you did. Hell, you forgave me pretty quickly for doing worse when we barely knew each other."
"Thanks, Zolph. However, presuming Dynn is alive and Valkor's not just kriffing with you, I'm sure she'll understand whatever happens, given these unusual circumstances."
"What if she doesn't?"
"She's my cousin, Zolph. I know her a lot better than you do. From what she told me before the Valkoran War and what I've observed, you've always been a little shy, especially when it comes to your crushes."
Zolph let out a brief chuckle. "You're one to talk, considering you didn't start making your move on me until after Ockla."
"Anyway, I doubt your love for one of us is any stronger or weaker than your love for the other. And if it makes you feel even a little better, you're not the first person I've had these kinds of feelings for, either. However, for all our sakes, I won't pressure you. I also understand that you're worried your feelings for me will make me a target for the Collective like Dynn was. Regardless of where this goes, we'll still be allies… and friends. Not all love needs to be romantic, after all."
"Thanks, Hiri. I'm sorry for not being transparent earlier, and I don't want to pressure you into giving up your hobbies."
Seefor interrupted. "Zolph + Hiriss = Done with mammal courting drama? / Grossness of Courting Drama = Grossness of Millennium Falcon navigation computer. / Manthis = Entering Felucia's orbit."
"Yes, Seefor. We're done." Zolph dryly responded.
Just as the Manthis dropped out of hyperspace, they were right in front of the face of a Forceless Levioth. Zolph immediately pulled up in a panic so they would not crash into the beast's face.
Hiriss, freaked out by the close call, promptly quipped as she activated the rear turret. "Well, the Collective definitely knows we're here now!"
Suddenly, in addition to several battleship-type Levioths, Zolph and Hiriss caught notice of a Forceless Bio-Nest, a space beast resembling a giant, living insect hive that served the same purpose as a fighter carrier. The Bio-Nest promptly released a swarm of Eyewings and FIE Interceptors to pursue the Manthis.
Zolph promptly complained. "The sad part is that after this, somehow, some of our senators are still going to find a way to deny that the Collective are a serious problem."
"Mission now, politics later." Hiriss bluntly reminded him as she gunned down some of the pursuing fighters.
As the Manthis fought back against the Forceless fighters, a squadron Seferite-aligned Firaxa fighters intercepted the enemy fighters. Zolph and Hiriss immediately received a transmission from the squadron leader.
"Manthis, this is Banshee Squadron. We'll take care of their fleet from here."
"I take it you are part of Armogeist's rescue team?" Zolph asked Banshee Leader.
"Affirmative. Aside from the fleet, the rest of the team is already down on the surface. We've set up camp near a farming settlement. There aren't any possessed plants there. Hurry!"
As Banshee Squadron fended off the fighters, Zolph, Hiriss and Seefor made their way down to the surface. From what they noticed in space, there were several unusual shades of dark gray among green and various other bright colors dotting the planet's surface, a sign that the Forceless Collective was already putting their foot down on Felucia.
As soon as the Manthis passed through Felucia's stratosphere, its crew was greeted by the sight of many large, exotic plants and fungi. While most of them retained their usual bright colors, some of them were a dark gray that made them look withered. Even worse, some of those tainted plants had grown bright red eyes, which could make them potential sentries for the Forceless. As per Zolph and Hiriss's previous experiences over the past year, the Forceless Collective had a tactical advantage on planets high in vegetation. Even if the plants weren't immediately dangerous and the mutations Forceless symbiosis provided them were limited compared to what could be done with animals, Zolph quickly shot down the possessed sentry plants so they wouldn't track his crew to the Seferite camp.
"Seefor. Get us ready for an airdrop." Zolph ordered the droid. "We need to make it harder for the Forceless to follow us and safer for you to land."
As Seefor took control, the Manthis hovered in place and opened the cockpit. Zolph and Hiriss leaped out and landed in a marsh, getting their legwear wet in the process.
"You didn't have wetlands in mind when you dressed this way, did you?" Zolph jokingly asked Hiriss.
"I had everywhere in mind when I came up with it." Hiriss answered.
Suddenly, a pack of ten Nidracha crawled out from behind and up some plants that looked like giant stacks of bubbles to surround the Jedi. The Nidracha were also accompanied by humanoid amphibians with webbed hands, a smaller pair of arms with more dexterous fingers below their elbows, and a mass of face tendrils that resembled a mask. They were also coated in blue, bioluminescent body paint and carrying swords made from the skulls of some animals. This species was known as the Dendroba. Along with the Dendroba, they were accompanied by short, reptilian humanoids armed with blasters and dressed like farmers, known as the Kameksu. Both species were interchangeably called "Felucian" sometimes, but the name was usually associated with the Kameksu due to what some derisively called "first contact syndrome".
"It looks like they've already started possessing this planet's sentient population." Hiriss lamented.
With their backs against each other's, Zolph and Hiriss both activated their lightsabers with the uncomfortable thought that they were about to yet again, kill some innocent people, even if it was partially justified as defense of themselves and others. Using possessed sentient populations as cannon fodder was another recurring tactic of the Collective for two purposes: to demoralize the Jedi, and to tarnish their reputation with the people they protect regardless of how they deal with the possessed.
The Dendroba charged at the Jedi while the Nidracha and Kameksu provided cover fire with acid and blaster fire respectively. Zolph and Hiriss called upon the Force to throw their attackers off their feet. The Kameksu were easily put out of commission, but the Dendroba quickly got back up on their feet and the Nidracha held tightly onto their posts. The Dendroba charged at them once more but some of them were easily cut down by the Jedi.
Zolph and Hiriss could sense that the Dendroba were Force-sensitive. For how easily they were killed, this meant that they weren't brainwashed yet and were trying to resist their symbiotes' influence. Even the shamans – distinguished by their red body paint and stronger Force-affinity – were holding back their potential.
Suddenly, the remaining Nidracha and Felucians were gunned down by blaster fire from a previously unnoticed source. Zolph and Hiriss turned around to see a Seferite trooper squadron.
"Masters Vaelor and Moraana." The squad captain, who the Jedi recognized by voice as Saul Varson, addressed them. "Commander Armogeist sent us out to find you and escort you to the camp."
"Thank you, Captain Varson." Zolph responded. However, he and Hiriss also noticed a familiar Cathar man and Kyuzo woman among the crowd who wore Galactic Alliance colors and equipment.
"Bad Kitty? Spectre? What are you doing here? And where's the rest of Besh Squad?" Zolph asked them.
"Let's just say not everyone in the Senate has their head up their ass. We finally got some approval to cooperate with the Seferites again thanks to our regiment's connections with former Chief of State Organa." Bad Kitty answered. "That plus Felucia's an Alliance affiliate and an Ithorian refugee colony."
"Ouch." Hiriss responded. "Just when they lost one home to extragalactic conquerors, another one is put in danger."
"The rest of the squad is providing extra protection for the village." Spectre answered the other question. "You may want to go ahead and call your ship over there."
Zolph asked Spectre with a concerned tone. "But won't that lead the Forceless to the camp?"
"The Collective already knows where it is, so don't waste your torpedoes and fuel."
"I guess when the whole planet is littered with potential sentry organisms, not being spotted is too much to ask for. Lead the way." Zolph ordered Varson.
Moments later after trekking through Felucia's jungles, the squad had gotten closer to the village, only to hear blaster fire, explosions, and inhuman shrieks.
"Shavit! They're attacking already?!" Bad Kitty cursed.
"We can't relax yet. Everyone, battle positions!" Varson commanded his squad. "Vaelor. Moraana. The villagers who cannot fight are holed up in the barn. Do not let any Forceless get in!"
"Roger that." Zolph replied.
The squad rushed into the village with their blasters and lightsabers ready, bearing witness to a battle between Seferites and Forceless, with Xadisall Varessi and Boltz guarding the barn alongside other Seferite troopers and Felucian defenders from both species. The latter was especially surprising, as the village was settled by the Kameksu, who were usually at odds with the Dendroba. Meanwhile, Armogeist was dueling with a four-armed Py'ko'ra one meter taller than him, presumably the attack force's commander.
Zolph and Hiriss rushed over to Xadisall, cutting down the Forceless warriors and cultists attacking his position along the way.
"Zolph. Hiriss. Glad to see you two here." Xadisall greeted the Jedi as he continued firing on the Forceless.
"I can say the same for you, Xad." Hiriss replied.
"Unfortunately, we were only sent here to assess Felucia's situation. And our assessment is that sending a liberation force here is a terrible idea. Trying to liberate a planet that's possessable material all around would likely result in a pyrrhic victory at best. All we can do now is evacuate the people who haven't been possessed, and even that's easier said than done because not everyone is willing to abandon their homes. Especially not the Dendroba, as they are spiritually attached to this world."
"That's nothing new." Zolph disappointedly replied. "Speaking of whom, it's nice to see them working with the Kameksu for once. I guess if the enemy threatens the living in general, they'll put their resentments and cultural differences aside for now to defend their home."
"That's part of the reason." Boltz replied as he continued firing on the Forceless. "Armogeist was able to form a common ground with this tribe since they are both Force-sensitive. And they claim to know something of Juganak's whereabouts."
"Where's Patcher?" Hiriss asked.
"He's inside the barn taking care of the wounded and providing internal security in case it gets breached." Xadisall answered as he shot down a possessed Dendroba warrior charging at him.
Suddenly, Hiriss sensed something invisible creeping up behind the Mirialan captain ready to strike. "Xad! Behind you!"
Xadisall immediately turned around to strike the entity's torso with his blaster rifle's stock, causing its camouflage to disappear, revealing a Crustythe - a quadrupedal, crab-like humanoid wearing a black cloak that enshrouded its entire face in darkness except for a single, glowing red eye and had two sickle-like arms. While the Crustythe was staggered, Xadisall finished it off with two rounds from his rifle. At the same time, another Crustythe attempted to do the same to Boltz, but the Gand turned around and electrocuted the assassin to death by prodding his shockstaff in its face before it could even raise its sickles.
The nastiest part about Crustythes was not only that they could turn invisible, they were able to mask their body heat and somehow, their Force presence. However, the camouflage wasn't foolproof, as Jedi could still detect them by sensing their Forceless symbiote or through precognition. Undoubtedly, the Crustythe would have killed Xadisall had Hiriss not warned him in time, but as a former Findsman, Boltz had a mild degree of Force-sensitivity to help him see such attacks coming, even if he didn't think it was the Force.
Zolph and Hiriss were easily able to ward off other Crustythes, but some of the Seferites and Felucian militia as well as some of Boltz's sentry turrets were cut down by the crab-like assassins, sometimes setting them up for possession by symbiotes. Meanwhile, Spectre was providing sniper fire from atop the barn, taking cover when necessary.
At the same time, Armogeist was apparently weakening in his fight against the Py'ko'ra, getting armor pieces chipped off short of losing any limbs. Other Crustythes tried to impale him from behind, which would have been fatal had he still been flesh and blood, but such attempts only ended up being fatal for them. Zolph immediately rushed over to aide Armogeist and chopped off the Py'ko'ra's back-left tentacle claw before it could strike.
"You can fall back now, Armogeist. I'll deal with this ugly bastard while you put yourself back together."
As Armogeist retreated to the barn, the Py'ko'ra addressed Zolph in a condescending tone. "So, the Silver Seraph has come to Felucia? That is truly a surprise. But are you really a hero if you are picking and choosing who gets to live or die, or who gets to be unpossessed or not?"
"Kriff off, Nosemouth! The people of this galaxy may have gotten repeatedly frustrated with the imperfections of Jedi, but given that the Collective has been forcing even ordinary people into the same moral dilemmas as us, I don't think that kind of rhetoric is going to get them on your side."
"But you are killing people just for joining us, as well as us being anomalies in what you call the Force. Isn't killing against the Jedi way?"
Zolph was starting to get irritated. On one hand, the Py'ko'ra was right to an extent. The fight against the Forceless Collective was testing the Jedi Order's convictions to its guiding principles. Historically, Jedi have been known to kill in defense of themselves and others, even if they were not actively seeking to kill. However, it wasn't typically becoming of Jedi to get involved in wars lest they become a government's political pawns or get painted as religious zealots, unless one of the sides in the war was directly threatening the people of the galaxy. On the other hand, this was obviously an attempt to demoralize him and potentially turn anyone with the slightest bit of resentment towards the Jedi within earshot against him.
"You're right. It is not the Jedi way to seek to kill, and I am guilty of that on a few occasions. And I have avoided falling to the Dark Side by realizing that. But you forgot a crucial tidbit. The Jedi Code is not as shallow as no attachments, no killing, no giving into the Dark Side, etcetera. Our first and foremost principle is to be the guardians of peace and justice, not meet some damn quotas and guidelines. Those possessed people I killed, I killed because I believed I was saving them from a fate worse than death, and I did not know how else to save them at the time. But once I discovered the limits of my abilities, I killed in defense of myself and others. Because if I let them kill me, there will be fewer people like me to protect the galaxy, even if I hate what I do to make it happen. I might not be the best guy, but I'm definitely not the bad guy."
"So, you're making it all about you now? Very humble." The Py'ko'ra followed up by striking his back-right tentacle at Zolph, only for Zolph to leap over him and cut it off.
"Try to spin it all you want, but I doubt any rational-minded being would see us as the villains in this situation. Calling out our hypocrisy does not give you the moral high ground when you have done way worse than us. We're not fighting you because of some mandate on the balance of the Force; we're fighting you because your Emperor is a tyrant that's murdered and enslaved trillions."
The Py'ko'ra tried to strike with its primary arms, only for Zolph to roll under him and fatally slash the large creature's chest. Zolph then quickly moved out of the way as the Py'ko'ra's corpse collapsed and fell forward.
Meanwhile, Spectre spotted a Demolusk flying towards the village, apparently getting ready to bomb it. Spectre's rifle was not designed for penetrating vehicle armor, but thankfully, Demolusks were still living creatures. She aimed at the creature's single eye and fired. This blinded the creature, but it then decided to steer itself toward the ground to make a suicide strike on the village. As the Demolusk got closer to the village, Hiriss used the Force to throw it off course. The Demolusk tried to turn around after missing its mark, only for the Manthis to fly by and obliterate it with well-placed laser blasts to its mouth.
Not long after, the rest of the attack force was eliminated. Zolph and Hiriss noticed Armogeist reattaching his armor pieces. Even if he could rebuild himself and clean off the carbon-scoring, the armor – essentially his whole body - was showing several cuts and dents.
"Is something wrong, Balos?" Zolph asked him. "You don't seem to be holding your ground as well as you did a year ago."
"If I told you I was fine, it wouldn't be a convincing lie." Balos answered. "Seferin and Grein were the ones who bonded my spirit to this suit of armor, but since Seferin died, that bond has weakened, and the call of the Force's netherworld has gotten stronger."
"And now Grein is the only one allowing you to stay among the living." Hiriss assessed.
"Ironically, I've been longing for death for millennia, but now that I have something to live for, death is suddenly beckoning me."
"Sometimes, the Force has a sick sense of humor." Zolph replied.
Suddenly, Balos's comlink rang, prompting him to answer it.
"Commander Armogeist!" The trooper addressed him in a panicked tone. "We've found Juganak, but he's been possessed!" Before the trooper could say anymore, she screamed in agonizing pain in tandem with the sound of bones and armor breaking.
"No!" Balos exclaimed. He tried to get up, but Zolph stopped him.
"We'll handle it. You are in no condition to fight him. Besides, I'm the only one of us who can potentially save him." Zolph then looked to Hiriss. "Hiri. Let's go."
Zolph and Hiriss rushed over to the gates from where the transmission came from, coming across several dead Seferite troopers and more attempting to incapacitate Juganak with stun blasts, but in vain, as they too were killed by slashes of his oversized, green-bladed lightsaber.
The shirtless, muscle-bound Miraluka's skin was turned from his naturally dark brown into an unnatural dark gray and his blindfold was missing, revealing two forcefully grown, glowing red eyes without lids sitting in what should otherwise be vestigial eye sockets. His muscles were even bulgier and loose flesh tendrils were hanging from them. However, the Jedi could sense Juganak was trying to resist the symbiote's influence. Between his resistance and the presence of eyes he did not need, this meant the symbiote did not have access to his Force abilities.
"Keep fighting it, Argem! We'll get you out of this!" Zolph tried to reassure him.
"Did you already forget what happened last time you tried that?" The symbiote mocked Zolph using Argem's vocal cords. "Even if you can remove me without directly harming him, I could have moved an artery here or there, and be the only thing keeping him alive after the fact. So, if you get rid of me, you might kill him. And you probably don't want to do that if he's that important to you."
"It's a chance we have to take." Zolph answered as he and Hiriss activated their lightsabers. "And even if we don't like it, I know he'd rather die than fight for you."
"Again, you're choosing who gets to be unpossessed. It's amazing that any of these people still have faith in you."
Juganak swung his lightsaber to his left like a club, prompting Zolph and Hiriss to leap backward, as a blade with his strength applied was too strong to block. As they dodged the Forceless's wild, uncoordinated swings, they noticed that it used none of Argem's finesse. Argem Nylek was mostly strategic with his superhuman strength, but the symbiote was telegraphing its strikes enough that they didn't even need to use the Force to predict his moves.
After half a minute, Zolph tried to attack Juganak from the side, only to be swatted a few feet away and knocked on his back. Juganak leaped over to Zolph and raised his blade. Before he could strike Zolph down, Hiriss cut off his right arm. Juganak attempted to backhand Hiriss with his left arm, only for Hiriss to cut it off as well.
"Zolph! Now!" Hiriss yelled.
Zolph quickly punched his prosthetic hand into Juga's thick abdomen, only digging deep enough to make him bleed out Black Matter and not damage some important vital organs. Zolph immediately started absorbing the symbiote inside of him. Once the symbiote was completely absorbed, Argem's skin changed back to its natural pigmentation and the forcefully grown eyes stopped glowing, turning into simple glass-like balls. Argem then collapsed onto the ground.
As Zolph got back up on his feet and was prepared to transform into either the Berserker or Seraph, he could sense another Forceless attack group made up of larger ground creatures approaching.
"Hang in there, Argem. We'll get you fixed up." Zolph tried to reassure Argem as he was lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Hiriss tried to tend to his wounds as best she could until proper medical treatment could be applied, including basic-level Force healing.
"It's no use, Zolph." Argem explained before coughing. "I don't think even your power will be able to restore me, and even if it could, wasting it on me would endanger all of us."
Zolph defiantly protested Argem's resignation. "To hell with that! I can save you and this village!"
"Don't try to be a hero, Zolph!" Argem protested. "You may have extraordinary power, but you're not that powerful! I may die, but I can at least hold on long enough to relay my intel."
"Nerfshavit! Even if you can last long enough to tell us everything, I'm not letting you die needlessly!"
"Zolph, you're one of the only people in this galaxy who can stand up to Yalbdalaoth. If you fall, all hope may be lost."
Zolph and Hiriss were suddenly puzzled by the unfamiliar name mentioned. Zolph then asked. "Who?"
"I don't have time to explain now! Deal with that attack force! I'll explain everything to Balos and the others!"
Zolph sighed. "Very well, Argem Nylek."
Zolph was suddenly enveloped in a bright light and transformed into the Silver Seraph. As an army of possessed Rancors, Silicths and Juggernaut Beetles got closer and their stomping got louder, Zolph put his hands next to Argem's torso. Zolph immediately bathed Argem in a bright light. Argem felt his arteries and organs being re-shifted into their proper places. His arms were reformed as well, but his muscles were not restored to their usual size. However, it did not undo some of the minor outward mutations or injuries inflicted by the symbiote or received in the recent fight.
"You fool! You've put us all at risk!" Argem snapped.
"I'm not finished yet." Zolph then looked to Hiriss. "Hiriss. Get Argem back to the barn. I'll deal with these sleemos."
Hiriss immediately called for Captain Varson to help her lift Argem, - who wasn't completely healed and still weakened from the disrupted blood circulation and the shock of having his anatomy tampered with - off the ground and started carrying him to the barn.
Zolph flew up into the air, held out both of his arms and bombarded the entire army of beasts in a devastating rain of light beams. In less than a minute, most of the Collective attack force was vaporized, but when there were only two Silicths left, Zolph felt his power starting to dissipate.
"Oh, come on!" Zolph complained just before reverting to his human form, causing him to fall towards the ground and instinctively prompting him to use a small Force burst to cushion his landing.
The Silicths marched closer towards Zolph, charging up the bright, glowing laser gems above their single eyes. Just as Zolph was breathing heavily and activated his lightsaber for a last stand, he caught wind of the Manthis coming in from right in the sky. The Manthis launched a proton torpedo at each of the towering, tripedal beasts, shattering their crystal-like craniums and causing their corpses to topple over. The Manthis then flew towards a nearby clearing to land while Seefor whistled the Battle Anthem of the Rebellion.
With the battle won, the Seferite troopers, Besh Squad and Felucians cheered as Zolph slowly trekked back to the barn.
Inside the barn, aside from some wounded soldiers and non-combatant Felucians and Ithorians, Zolph found Juganak lying on a makeshift cot hooked up to medical equipment and wearing two large bacta patches over his eye-sockets, indicating that Patcher had to surgically remove the out-of-place eyes, especially since they didn't have lids to keep them from drying out or preventing infection. Aside from the Nautolan medic, attending his bedside was Hiriss, Armogeist and Xadisall.
"So, what was it like for you to have eyes?" Zolph asked.
"I hated every single second of it. But that's nothing compared to the lives that the Forceless took while using my body." Argem dryly answered.
"For us, that's always the worst part about being possessed. Not just what they do to our bodies, but what they use them for."
"Anyway, you took a great risk by choosing to heal me, and we almost paid a horrible price for it."
"Hey, it all worked out. All I did was make things a little more difficult for myself and save your life. Besides, Cina Onae convinced me I haven't been doing enough with this ability until now."
"Well, it looks like you passed her test."
"Wait, hold on. She was here? And she infected you?"
"Yes. She is clearly not willing to cooperate with us. I have some other suspicions, but that's too much detail to go over for the time we have right now."
Both Zolph and Hiriss nodded in agreement, sensing some deception in his assessment, but not towards them specifically. Anyone in the barn could potentially be a spy for the Collective, whether they had a Sleeper Symbiote inside them or they were a willing collaborator. In fact, it was very possible that the Collective was suspicious of Cina, whether it was through her own symbiote, the Collective getting past comm channel security encryptions, or a mole among the Alliance personnel on Blenjeel. If Cina was secretly working against the Collective, she may have infected Argem to convince them she was still loyal and at the same time, test Zolph's resolve. That would also mean they would need to be more discreet when discussing the topic in the future, because if there was a mole on Blenjeel, both Zolph and Hiriss may have unwittingly broken her cover.
"Nevertheless, I am grateful for what you have done."
Balos chimed in. "You have my gratitude as well, Masters Hiriss and Zolph. I owe Master Argem so much for what he's done for me."
Zolph then looked to Patcher. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc? I didn't do much for him except restore his arms and correct his insides to the best of my knowledge, which may have a tinge of human bias in it."
"The only physiological differences between Miraluka and humans are eyes and average midi-chlorian counts, so you were almost perfect, and I was able to handle the rest. Still, that was amazing, Zolph. Otherwise, that would have required extensive surgery at a top-of-the-line medical facility. Even without the Collective fleet, we wouldn't be able to get him there in time." Patcher then prepared to deliver the bad news. "Unfortunately, the body alterations disrupted his blood flow, organ function and oxygen supply. As he is now, Juganak is in no condition to be on the front lines, and while his arms are still usable, it may take several months at the least before he's strong enough to lift battle tanks again."
"That's a shame, but at least I'll still have the Force on my side." Argem lamented.
"Get some rest, Juga." Hiriss spoke. "Zolph and I will pick up where you left off."
"Thank you, but before you do so, I have some intel to relay. First, the Collective's primary target on Felucia was the Ancient Abyss, which has been taken over by a parasitic Archfiend named Cordycia. By using the Abyss's roots and reproductive spores, the Collective has been able to corrupt many of Felucia's plants, and it will continue to expand even across the galaxy if Cordycia is not stopped."
"Not a big deal. Archfiends are our specialty." Zolph confidently boasted. Of course, among the names of Archfiends Zolph remembered, the name "Cordycia" was unfamiliar. This was either one Zolph did not get the chance to fight during the Valkoran War, a newly promoted Archfiend, or a pseudonym Argem created to cover up another resurrection from the public.
"You can ask the locals about the other details, but the next thing I'm about to tell you is very important in the grander scheme of this war. It's about that name I mentioned earlier."
"You mean Yaba…loth?" Hiriss asked before struggling with the weird name she heard. "Yadaboth?... I give up."
"Yalbdalaoth. A rather loose-lipped disciple mentioned it in passing. Seeing as he was devoured from inside for mentioning it, it's clearly not a name the Collective wants public. I don't understand the entire context of the name, but it sounds like the true name of the Collective's leader, whether Valkor is just an alias or Valkor has a master himself." Argem started coughing a bit. "I'm getting tired, but I have one more thing to mention. In being possessed, I understand the nature of Forceless a bit more. They may be born of death, but that does not make them inherently evil. This Collective's villainy was apparently taught to them, but at the most primal level, I felt a craving for the Force, like they were incomplete. Some of us Jedi may have judged them for their status as living Force wounds as well as the Collective's actions, but I believe Forceless… as a species… deserve a chance." Argem then passed out.
"He's okay. He just needs some rest." Patcher assessed.
Zolph addressed Xadisall and Armogeist. "Xad. Armogeist. Get Juganak, the villagers and the colonists off this planet. You have already done what you came to do. Hiriss and I have one more objective. We're going to the Ancient Abyss."
"I understand, but there are some things you need to know before you go." Xadisall answered. "First, the Ancient Abyss is a Mega Sarlacc, and a Dendroba tribe living around it treat it like a god. They believe it is literally this planet's mouth and stomach."
"Great. Now, we're going inside a giant creature's stomach." Zolph said sarcastically. "And if we really screw up, we won't just die. It'll take a thousand agonizing years for us to die."
"And second, a warning." Armogeist added. "The tribe in question is one of the more dogmatic and xenophobic tribes on Felucia, and their region is strong in the Dark Side of the Force. They have been known to feed people to the Sarlacc under the pretense of them being tainted and trying to cleanse them. The reality is that most of them have fallen to the Dark Side without even knowing it - thus they are willing to sacrifice people for a variety of flimsy reasons. I've also noticed that they are much more willing to cooperate with the Collective."
"Sounds the like the Collective has pandered to that tribe's xenophobia and other prejudices. Nothing we haven't seen from the Collective before." Hiriss responded.
"We'll be careful, Armogeist. May the Force be with all of us." Zolph concluded.
But before Zolph and Hiriss could head out the door, one of the Kameksu villagers interrupted. "But what about us?! Our homes?! Our friends and families?! Whatever you did to that army of monsters out there?!"
"You saw that I can't stay as the Seraph forever, and aside from the risk of that power getting to my head, my body's still human and can only handle so much Black Matter and being the Seraph even for a short period of time. I might have looked like one out there, but I'm not even close to a god."
The chattering among the villagers started to heat up, it apparent that there was frustration over the Jedi not providing the most ideal support, until Hiriss shouted out. "Enough!"
The room fell silent.
"I know you don't want to hear this, and I hate to disappoint you further than we already have, but at this rate, we can't realistically liberate Felucia right now. Not until the Collective is defeated for good."
Another of the villagers tried to rebuke the bad news before Hiriss cut him off. "But the Jedi are supposed to-!"
"Our biggest priority is to save lives. If we try to send a full liberation force now, we not only risk more people being possessed, we risk destroying all life on this planet, including those you care about, and the Collective will still be around. All we can do now is get you to a safer place, and what we're going to do inside the Sarlacc is essentially damage control. I know it's frustrating for you to wait, but it's no less frustrating for us because we feel responsible for your well-being. So please, bear with us."
There were no further protests, and Zolph and Hiriss went on their way.