Project Kami
Darth Malgus walked out of his personal quarters and proceeded toward the civilian group in the cabin. Many of them had already taken seats when Malgus sat down on the far side of the room. The Sith Lord faced Souichiro Takagi who sat directly across from him under a ceiling light. Yuriko stood next to her husband while the others switched their attention to Malgus.
"When was the underground anomaly first discovered?" Malgus asked Mr. Takagi.
Souichiro couldn't come up with a solid answer. "I don't know for sure. I recall Senator Fubayashi saying something about a 'newfound wonder' roughly a year before the project started, though I'm uncertain whether he was referring to the anomaly or not. He had all sorts of 'breakthroughs' during his career."
Malgus then asked, "Do you know where the anomaly is located?"
Souichiro was lost for words. "That's probably the biggest thing Fubayashi and his management team kept secret from everyone. The survey location kept on changing every few months. I don't know if that was done to throw people off or that they didn't know its exact location. I wish I could tell you, but as a former member of the negotiation team, I was only given so much information."
"Were the survey sites clustered together or scattered across Japan?" Malgus questioned.
"From what I remember, they were grouped outside of Tokyo," said Souichiro. "They spanned from the outskirts of Tokyo and Saitama to Nagano and the base of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi. The artifact you are searching for better be large or easily detectable, because the survey sites span across an area six times the size of the local national park."
Malgus furrowed his brow in thought. He studied the map of Japan on his datapad back inside his personal quarters, and he knows the area Souichiro is talking about. Malgus understands the sheer size of Tokyo and the neighboring areas. He wished he had more information on the Rakatan artifact, for it could be as big as a building or as small as an amulet.
"I will return in a moment," said Malgus.
He got up and walked past the civilians toward the cockpit.
Tajima untucked his shirt collar and swallowed. "Man, why did it feel so muggy all of a sudden?"
Saeko looked over and responded, "That's from Malgus. The air feels that way when he gets close to you."
Tajima shivered. It was the first time Malgus walked by close to him.
Soon after, Malgus returned from the cockpit after consulting with his pilots about conducting ship scans in the Tokyo region when the time comes. Malgus then sat back down in his original seat.
"If everything goes according to plan, we will survey the entire Tokyo region from Nagano to Yamanashi once we are done in Kyoto," Malgus announced.
Everyone processed that statement in their heads, and they all wondered about the road ahead and what challenges they might encounter.
Souichiro leaned forward and asked, "Malgus, do-"
"Dad!" Saya shouted.
Souichiro looked back and saw his daughter say the word "Lord" silently with her lips.
"Lord Malgus," Mr. Takagi corrected himself, "are you open to questioning? Perhaps a discussion?"
"About what?" Malgus asked.
"Yourself," replied Souichiro.
Malgus sat straighter in his seat. "Speak freely."
"What happened to you?" asked Souichiro.
Malgus cocked an eyebrow. He had never been asked such a question before.
In the Sith Lord's silence, Tajima butted in and clarified, "Why is your face so jacked up? You look worse than those walking corpses!"
Malgus stared at Tajima with a focused gaze. He now recalled being asked a similar question a few days ago out on the streets of Tokonosu City, one that he had not yet answered. Malgus figured that he owes them an answer seeing that they are bold enough to ask.
The Sith Lord removed his respirator and shifted it off to the side along his neck armor. The survivors gazed intensely at his ruined lips and scarred jaw, both badly damaged from previous battles. They now saw the complete scope of his facial disfigurement, both dark side corruption and battle scars in their entirety.
"This is a product of the dark side," said Malgus, his voice hoarser and less powerful. "It is the purer form of the Force, too powerful for mere flesh to contain for long periods. The dark side affects everyone differently; some will see more degradation than others. Little to no disfigurement could be a sign of one refusing to accept the dark side entirely, therefore I embrace my defacement with passion and resolve."
Yuriko shook her head. "So…your disfigurement is a result of you accepting the 'dark side' entirely?"
"Correct," Malgus nodded. "When one draws on the dark side, they must also accept the consequences of its use."
"I don't understand why you would do that to yourself!" Rei shouted emotionally. "What's the purpose behind all this?"
"Power," Malgus replied. "Life is conflict. The universe itself is conflict. Power allows one to overcome the struggles of conflict and thrive while everyone else withers and dies. Life is a privilege, but it can be taken at any moment."
They somewhat understood his reasoning, but they couldn't grasp why he would want to let himself be corrupted to such an extent. Rei stood there frustrated and baffled.
"Those people you fought earlier, the ones with the blue and green blades, why weren't they scarred like you?" Takashi asked.
Malgus answered, "Those Jedi draw on the light side of the Force. The light side is flawed…filtered. No transformation occurs because they refuse to accept the consequences of power. They limit themselves in their capabilities, knowledge and purpose. Moderation prevents their minds and bodies from evolving."
"So the dark side is more powerful than the light side?" asked Saeko.
"In every way, shape and form," Malgus nodded. "Some Jedi are strong, I will admit. But their perceptions on the Force are wrong."
Saya's mind was thinking so hard that she became impulsive. "I don't get it! I really don't! The Force can't be completely paranormal. There's got to be some technology involved."
Malgus removed his armored gauntlets to reveal his gray hands. He turned his palms upward and spawned lightning that sparked in his hands. Electric forks arched up to create dancing blue lights in the air immediately in front of him.
"Look here, child. See this?" Malgus demonstrated. "There is no technology involved with my power. The Force is beyond scientific understanding. Its influence is absolute; nothing in the galaxy can exist without it. Those who can draw on its power are the ones who should rule over the rest."
Everyone gazed at his dark power in perplexity. They couldn't fathom how he can call upon such mystical power without the help of some sort of apparatus. But it was evident by his disfigurement that it was him alone calling upon such malevolent power; nothing in this physical world but him.
He might as well be God in their eyes.
Malgus put his gloves back on after dissipating the lightning. He then replaced his respirator and left the cabin, no longer interested in the discussion. The door to his personal quarters closed shut behind him after entering.
"I don't like where this is going," Kohta shook his head. "I think we should get out of here."
"And go where exactly?" asked Takashi. "We're flying through the air right now, mind you."
"I think we should stay where we are," said Saeko. "Malgus is an incredible asset to the team. I doubt we would have survived very long without him."
"Don't tell me you trust that guy," Tajima strongly disagreed. "The last thing we need to be around is a man that looks worse than Hades and can spawn lightning that makes Zeus's own look pathetic."
"He helped you get out of the airport though," Saeko mentioned.
"Helped?" Tajima disagreed again. "Rika and I were doing just fine until you guys showed up. We had our designated perimeter secure; nothing was getting past our line of fire."
"We were running low on food, however," Rika brought up.
Tajima said, "We had a backup stash that would have lasted for nearly three weeks."
Rika clarified, "Over half of that food went bad due to the lack of power. And we ran out of ice within the first day. There was nothing left to keep the food cold."
Tajima struggled to think of a response.
"I agree that we should stay with Malgus," said Rika. "He's the best chance we've got at survival."
"You've got to be kidding me," Tajima was disappointed. "What if Malgus decides to kill us or something?"
"We'll deal with it when that time comes," Souichiro replied. "Despite his questionable motives, he's someone who can be reasoned with. And better, he's on our side, for now at least. Would you rather be with a demon who is negotiable, or with a pack of mindless zombies?"
"By the looks of him, Malgus should be the walking corpse," said Tajima. "Though you do have a point."
"It is settled then," Souichiro stated. "Let's do our best to keep this group running smoothly."
Earth orbit, Sol system
All Commander Jackson heard was silence on the ground team's comm. The last thing that went through was screaming and thunderous claps of destruction. He knew that the task force was lost, though he doesn't know what happened to Master Fysqiis. Her last comm connection was when she declared the loss of the other Jedi including Master Burk. Jackson figured that she too is dead.
Jackson spoke with Commander Ferld on his ship's holotable. Each commander's executive officer stood by their side while the discussion went on.
"I knew this operation was too risky!" Ferld grimaced, his image flickering on Courage's holotable. "We lost not only our last dropships and several hardened soldiers, but a Jedi team as well!"
"The task force reported the presence of only one Sith Lord throughout the whole ordeal," said Jackson.
"Who the hell was this Sith?" Ferld asked furiously. "Masters Burk and Fysqiis were veterans of the Great War, and they had knights there with them!"
Ferld's executive officer looked across Twilight's bridge at an officer calling out to him. Just as that man spoke, one of Jackson's bridge officers called out to him. Commander Jackson and Lieutenant Commander Laniyi looked over at the officer manning the navigation sensors.
"An Imperial warship just dropped out of hyperspace," shouted the lieutenant. "Sensors identify it as a Harrower class."
Jackson looked at Laniyi and said, "Keep the holo connection open."
Jackson walked closer to the helm where a large radar screen displayed overhead.
Another officer looked at Jackson and said, "Sir, we will be within the dreadnought's firing range in thirty seconds. Your orders?"
Jackson took a moment to think. His orders were to secure the planet with whatever they had, but this Imperial dreadnought changes everything. He would try to defend the planet's gravity well if there were Republic forces on the ground, but with the entire task force destroyed, he saw no benefit in slugging it out with a Harrower. Not when Courage and Twilight lack the tonnage and firepower in the first place.
"Sound a withdrawal," Jackson ordered. "I want to see if the dreadnought will follow us."
At the sound of an alarm, the ship was brought to yellow alert status, bringing all crew on standby ready for possible combat. The Hammerhead cruiser Courage turned around and fled in the opposite direction of the Harrower. Twilight then turned around and trailed close behind.
Kyoto, Japan
Darth Malgus was about to exit his personal quarters knowing that his shuttle is just minutes away from the destination, but a call on his comlink distracted his train of thought. He answered the call coming from his Imperial capital ship Retribution.
"My lord," said Captain Jard, "there are two Republic light cruisers in Earth's gravity well. They appear to be fleeing."
"Pursue them," Malgus ordered. "Disengage at any sign of a trap."
"Understood," replied Jard. "Also, would you like our infantry platoons to deploy to the surface?"
"Not yet," said Malgus. "Wait until I find a general site of the artifact. I do not wish to spread our ground forces too thin."
"As you say, Lord Malgus," Jard complied.
After Malgus ended the call, he got up and walked out of his quarters. The survivors had their gear and weapons prepared; Yuriko had a blaster pistol to replace her old handguns and Souichiro had a vibroblade in place of his Japanese sword. Malgus had given them those weapons himself, deeming their previous weapons as too "ineffective". Having received brief weapons training, the Takagis are up to par with the other survivors.
Malgus left Rika and Tajima's weapons as is for two reasons: one, there are few blaster pistols left and he doesn't trust them using blaster rifles; and two, they have an ample supply of large caliber ballistic rounds that Malgus sees as combat-effective.
The Sith Lord walked over to the airlock door and opened it. On the other side, he hit a button on the wall that lowered the ventral ramp. Air rushed in as the shuttle flew over the outskirts of Kyoto at an altitude of three thousand feet. The pilots slowly descended the shuttle as the vessel got closer to the downtown area. Malgus stood at the ramp's edge, feet planted firmly with the Force, observing the columns of smoke rising high above the city.
Compared to Tokonosu City, Kyoto looked to be in worse shape. Fires here are more frequent, far less law enforcement had neighborhoods secure and free from zombies, and there's more destruction in the streets. Some of the taller buildings in the downtown core have even collapsed and fell into each other. The only thing that Kyoto has going for it is the availability of electrical power due to the absence of nuclear detonations in the region.
Souichiro carefully crept down the ramp holding on to the wall for support. He went down far enough to see the city in most directions. Mr. Takagi peeked his head around the corner while holding on to a hydraulic arm.
"The city is in ruins!" Souichiro shouted. "I can't even see the senatorial building."
"You have not seen true destruction," Malgus scoffed. "Where is the senatorial building located?"
"Right in the heart of the city," Souichiro replied loudly. "Next to the city hall."
Malgus gazed out at the center part of downtown Kyoto. A few skyscrapers laid broken on top of each other like dominos, and in the middle of that wreckage seemed to be a circular building bordering a more classical looking complex. Malgus contacted the pilots over the comm to tell them to land in a safe zone as close as possible to the building wreck. The shuttle turned and increased its descent.
Souichiro quickly made his way back into the cabin, finding it too rough and dangerous on the ramp. Malgus remained at the ramp's edge feeling the hot air of chaos and destruction down below. He can see many zombies look up at the shuttle, some groups numbering in the tens of thousands, hearing its engines roaring overhead. Already, Malgus thinks there are far more zombies here than in Tokonosu City, though that is only speculation on his part. In reality, Kyoto is in fact far more overrun than Tokonosu City; over 75% of the Kyoto inhabitants are infected.
The shuttle descended toward a quieter part of the city with little to no zombies in the immediate area. Malgus used his senses to scan for any undead, and he found nothing. Although that was a difficult task and he might have missed a few of these non-Force, half-dead monstrosities. The ship descended further until it was only meters above the ground. Malgus stepped off the ramp before the shuttle settled on the ground, eager to proceed with his mission.
Malgus was twenty meters away from the ramp by the time the survivors emerged from the shuttle. He scanned the area with dark, glaring eyes looking for zombies that escaped his Force senses. Malgus was almost alerted by the young girl's puppy that began to bark a lot.
"Quiet, Zeke!" Alice urged.
Malgus looked back in the direction the dog was barking, and he saw in the shadow of sunset a few dead zombies that sustained various injuries from blunt force to bullet holes. He examined the bodies from afar for a moment, then proceeded to check the street just past the brick fence of the park that the shuttle landed in. As soon as he looked right, Malgus saw more dead zombies scattered across the street with the same type of physical trauma as the first pile. He noticed that the bodies formed a trail down the road and up the nearest intersection. The Sith Lord narrowed his senses and felt the presence of people up the intersection a few kilometers away, their life signatures distorted from a field of anti-life that could only be interpreted as a mass of zombies.
The survivors noticed Malgus's keen interest in the direction he was looking. They immediately followed his footsteps past the brick fence gate and onto the road ahead. They then caught sight of the trail of bodies, now understanding Malgus's path choice. The survivors briefly studied the corpses while following their dark ally, contemplating whether Malgus's disfigurement is worse than the gruesome injuries inflicted upon the bodies.
They followed Malgus for several hundred meters while passing more piles of dead zombies. Shortly after turning that first intersection, they finally heard gunshots far off in the direction they were heading. As they got closer, it became assumable that the gun users created the long trail of bodies up the road. Soon after, Malgus came to a halt at the side railing of a three-way intersection that overlooked a highway. The Sith Lord looked down in the trench-like highway that ran adjacently with roads on both sides, and he saw a massive horde of zombies walking toward a group of survivors.
Malgus hid his dark side power to mask himself from the undead. Multiple gunshots went off from four men wielding firearms: two with shotguns, one with an assault rifle and one with a submachine gun. There were four other men using axes and sledgehammers for close range combat against the infected. Malgus's allies halted just behind him to witness the fight on the highway. When they saw the men in front of four pickup trucks, they knew right away that these weren't ordinary people trying to survive. The way they fought and acted seemed as though they had gone mad during the zombie pandemic.
Their sly faces and sadistic grins made it clear that they had a touch of insanity. One man laughed almost hysterically as he gunned down three zombies with a shotgun, and another man looked like he was having too much fun smashing the heads of zombie crawlers near his feet with a sledgehammer. Hiding behind the trucks were several young women, some of them wearing more provocative clothing than others.
"Those look like traffickers to me," Rika said while looking through her rifle scope.
Souichiro looked around the area across the highway. "I remember that road. It leads directly to the senatorial building a few miles ahead."
Malgus peered across the highway and studied the cityscape. "Then that is where we will go."
"How will we make it across?" asked Takashi. "The walls are too high to jump down or climb."
"Unless we find the highway ramps and just walk," Saya suggested.
Malgus wasn't going to waste his time walking. He burst the metal fence and its stone base with a blast of power, then he dropped off the ledge. His boots cracked the pavement after falling several feet. Malgus then used the Force to break off a large chunk of highway and levitate it up to his allies. The survivors stared at the large mass of ground that was the size of a bus. Realizing its purpose as a platform, they carefully got on one by one. Once everyone was on, Malgus moved them across the highway twelve meters in the air. The humans made every effort to maintain their balance, and they were surprised by how smoothly the ground mass moved.
The zombies were too attracted to the gunfire to pay any attention to the sounds Malgus made with his power. However, the traffickers noticed the dark figure moving the large chunk of highway from one side to the other using some sort of impossible ability. Frightened beyond belief, one man shot a few rounds of his assault rifle down at Malgus once the survivors got off on the other side. The Sith Lord heard bullets whiz by near him and impact the wall and ground. With a gesture, he launched the ground mass at the gunmen.
Men and women retreated from the trucks in a panic trying to evade the several-ton mass. Two men wielding axes were struck head-on and were thrown aside like broken ragdolls. The ground mass then struck two trucks and smashed them out of place, the sound of which also attracting the zombies. Two women hurt themselves after diving to the ground, but their pain was nothing compared to the frightful sight of the angry Sith Lord. Lightsaber ignited, Malgus drew a red smear across the highway while speeding in toward the closest goon. Zombies that were in Malgus's path were contemptuously slain, then the man with the submachine gun met the same fate.
Malgus's appearance alarmed the men tenfold more than the distracted zombies. The next closest man with a shotgun opened fire, pumping round after round. Malgus spun his lightsaber to form a shield against the shotgun pellets, which were too small and slow to emerge through as molten debris. The man ran out of ammo after 5 shots, whereby Malgus launched him into the side wall of the highway with a thrust of power. Seeing their peer crushed against the wall jolted the two remaining gunmen out of inaction. Malgus threw his lightsaber at the second shotgunner, then as the assault rifleman opened fire, he directed his blade to kill him too. Malgus let the few rifle rounds deflect off his armor, inflicting no damage.
The gunshots attracted the zombies once more. Malgus continued to suppress his presence to avoid extra work. The infected moved toward the final men carrying sledgehammers. The women cried and panicked in fear between Malgus and the zombies, and the two men stood frozen, unsure what to do. Malgus held out a hand and formed a shield large enough to block the horde's path, doing so to question the two men.
"Tell me what happened to the downtown area," Malgus demanded.
The two men stood still, horrified and baffled.
"If you refuse to answer me, I will let the undead consume you," Malgus warned.
The closer man wearing a hoodie almost couldn't get his words out. "L-Look man, there were cops everywhere…and then like tanks showed up a few days later…and…"
The second man spoke clearer. "The cops couldn't keep the people under control, so the military showed up. There were rebels fighting the troops while these dead freaks roamed everywhere. It was chaos, man! Tanks started shooting and missiles were being fired!"
Malgus then asked, "Is the senatorial building still intact?"
"I-I think so," said the second man. "It was still standing two days ago w-when I last saw it."
Malgus got a sufficient enough answer from them. He spared their lives by shooting Force lightning from both hands after dropping the shield. The large surge of lightning branched out to kill all the zombies in the horde, knocking down the ones up front and seizing the others in a huge spasm. Malgus used his power until every undead was cooked badly, ending the zombie threat on the highway. The two men had quickly ran away from the lightning and hid behind an intact truck near the frightened women.
Malgus walked away to meet up with his allies. The men peeked over the nose of the truck wide-eyed and paralyzed.
One woman asked herself, "W-W-Was that the Devil?"
[…]
Malgus and the others finally reached the downtown core just over three hundred meters from the senatorial building. The top part of the building took serious damage from debris of another building, but it still stood on a solid foundation. It was highly evident that military action took place; large holes were blasted into buildings, some structures partially or completely collapsed, and disabled tanks and vehicles laid around everywhere. Some police vehicles and equipment were also left here abandoned. This part of the area was now a ghost town.
Not only did many civilians rebel against the law, but many policemen as well. The Kyoto law enforcement was fractured with many of its members strongly disagreeing with evacuation protocols and thus taking forceful matters into their own hands. The resulting conflict consisted of groups of civilian and police rebels clashing with police loyalists and military troops that were called in to resolve the violence. The skirmishes destroyed much of the downtown area including many of the city's zombies that were attracted to the endless sound of warfare.
The survivors saw no signs of life nearby, but Malgus sensed otherwise. A few hundred meters ahead around the corner of a complex, a group of military squads remained on site. Although the conflict came to an end just a matter of days ago, some military presence remained to guard government property while chaos continued elsewhere.
"There are soldiers guarding the upcoming complex," Malgus warned his allies.
Asami seemed glad. "Maybe they can help us out!"
Saya brushed her off. "They're not here to help anyone, not after what happened here. They're here to protect private property."
The group followed Malgus further down the ruined walkway of the downtown plaza.
"That's the senatorial building," said Souichiro. "I almost didn't recognize it."
Saya's father stared at the damaged building that maintained enough structural integrity to remain standing. Many windows were shattered and some explosions had pierced through some of the floors, but the 40-storey building had many things inside left untouched. Malgus proceeded further down the path until chatter can be heard. The survivors readied their gear in case of open conflict.
"This doesn't feel right," Kohta complained. "We shouldn't be getting ready to fight our own military."
"These are rough times, kid," said Tajima. "Things will be playing out differently until order is restored. Besides, soldiers never really liked us cops in the first place."
The survivors slowed down as they got closer to the side of the building. Tajima and Rika took tactical positions with their sniper rifles while the other gravitated towards cover while following Malgus. Although he's usually a spotter, Tajima set up his rifle professionally like a high-tier sniper, though his sniping skills are merely average compared to Rika. He sighted the area through his scope and stopped when he saw something that alarmed him. He looked over to Rika who was in a different position forty feet away. With their radio gear fried from the nuke above Tokonosu City, he decided to wave to her instead. He formed with his lips the word "tank".
Just emerging into view toward the far side of the complex was a Type 90 main battle tank. Along with thirty ground troops, the tank guarded the senatorial building with another Type 90 tank that rested closer to the front doors. The first tank now became visible to all the survivors.
"Why is Malgus still walking?" Rei asked Takashi. "There's a tank right there!"
Takashi replied, "I doubt a tank will stop him. He can do what he wants."
Malgus stepped out into the open without the slightest halt in his stride. He perceived the area with perfect clarity; the locations of every troop and vehicle, their alertness and their intentions were all sensed in his mind. As he figured, the first man to spot him shouted to his comrades and adopted a fighting stance with his automatic weapon at the ready. There was no "stop" warning for Malgus since his appearance spooked the soldiers into thinking he was some sort of undead person. But judging by his attire, gait and disfigurement, they quickly realized that he is something else entirely.
Malgus was greeted by bullets that whizzed toward him. The projectiles slowed down in his heightened perception, and he knew right away by their size and speed that they would pose a problem for his lightsaber. He activated his blade and sliced at the first bullets which created sparks and molten particles that flew in various directions, some splashing against his armor. He let other bullets deflect off the armor plates while he threw his lightsaber in a wide arc, killing several soldiers before returning to his hand.
The closest tank opened fire on Malgus's position. The hatch gunner shot his machine gun continuously while the main turret rotated toward the Sith Lord. A moment later, the thunderous bang of a 120 mm round superseded the sound of battle as the projectile hurtled toward Malgus. The Sith held out a hand that rapidly slowed the tank round until it froze in place a meter from his palm. With a thrust of both hands, Malgus launched the shell back at the tank as fast as it came. The round struck the underside of the barrel, tearing a large hole through the gun before exploding on the front armor of the turret. The explosion did further damage to the gun barrel, rendering it inoperable.
Malgus then held his hands out and gripped the whole tank in a telekinetic field. Anger increasing within him, Malgus lifted the battle tank off the ground then chucked it across the courtyard toward his enemies. The tank rolled upside down through the air and crushed a squad of soldiers against the side of the building. More bullets passed by and impacted Malgus as he focused his attention on the next tank.
Malgus turned his lightsaber off feeling no need for it. He clutched two soldiers by the neck with a gesture that lifted them off their feet, making them choke for air before ending their lives. The second tank adjusted its main gun to fire at Malgus, but before it could fire, the barrel started to deform. Holding his hands forward, Malgus bent the gun barrel up and back like a pool noodle. He then gripped the tank in a firm hold and brought its hull off the ground. The vehicle began to implode under the crushing weight of Malgus's power, then with a burst of effort, Malgus compressed the tank into a ball of metal with its crew left inside.
The remaining soldiers near the building entrance continued shooting at Malgus despite their losses. A rifle bullet grazed Malgus's cheek just as he let go of the wreck. The scar ran three inches across the side of his cheekbone, and despite the bullet destroying the skin and some of the flesh underneath, Malgus did not even so much as flinch from the impact nor the pain. The wound blended well with his scarred face.
Tajima and Rika took the initiative to move up and give Malgus direct support. Rika snuck up along the front of the senatorial building while Tajima took position right next to the Sith Lord. Tajima took cover behind a large chunk of concrete that rested two meters from Malgus's feet and peeked his rifle over the top. Before he could pull the trigger, Tajima felt his body tense up like stone and an overwhelming, burning pain that entered his left shoulder and flowed to his feet. Malgus had unleashed Force lightning at the last squad of Japanese soldiers, and the chaotic field of energy had a stray lightning bolt that unintentionally struck Tajima just six feet to Malgus's right.
Tajima's eyes rolled back as the spasming pain radiated up his neck and restricted his ability to breathe. The storm of lightning only lasted for a few moments, but for Tajima it felt like an eternity. When it ended, Tajima's body relaxed but he continued to feel painful contractions in several muscles. Luckily, the bolt that struck Tajima was small and of low intensity compared to the larger bolts that killed on impact, thus he was able to survive the electric charge. It was only when the lightning ended when Rika saw her partner hurt on the ground since he was unable to scream for help.
She rushed over and knelt next to him. Rika saw his legs shaking and his neck twitching hard in short spurts. He held his left shoulder tightly and looked stressed to the max. Malgus walked toward the front doors without concern of the friendly-fire incident.
"Shizuka, get over here now!" Rika yelled.
Shizuka ran over with her backpack supplied with medical gear.
The nurse knelt down and asked, "What happened?"
"I think he got hit by Malgus's lightning," Rika replied.
Shizuka looked over and saw Malgus enter the building. Feeling in control of himself and his body, Tajima slowly raised his torso and got up on his feet still clutching at his shoulder. Although the spasms had subsided, the distressed look on his face remained. It was the worst pain he ever experienced, and beyond what he thought was possible.
Tajima was horrified at the thought of being hit by all the lightning arcs.
[…]
Malgus searched the upper floors of the senatorial building looking for Senator Fubayashi's office. The rest of the group followed up the several flights of stairs searching the floors with the Sith Lord. The building's interior took some damage from the battle that occurred days ago, and things were tossed around haphazardly during the chaotic evacuation of the building. Ceiling, wall and door signs were lost and/or damaged, making it harder to navigate in the debris-filled building. Souichiro had only been in this building once years ago, so he had difficulty recalling the layout of the complex.
Souichiro split from the group to assist Malgus directly. He examined the walls and doors which were all covered in dust, coughing occasionally as he breathed in dirty air. The upcoming intersection had caved in but not enough to completely obstruct Souichiro's path. After squeezing himself through the debris, Souichiro found the hallway that he was looking for.
"Lord Malgus," Souichiro shouted, "I found the way!"
Mr. Takagi continued down the hall recalling the offices he walked by years ago. Behind him, he heard the grinding of metal and stone as Malgus pushed the debris out of the way. Souichiro turned the corner to find a secretary desk and a small but fancy waiting lounge. Directly across was an office space noticeably larger than the others. Souichiro approached the half-open door with a sign that read "Senator Oushu Fubayashi".
Malgus watched the man enter the office. He immediately followed and saw Souichiro observing the well-intact office space.
"I worked with Fubayashi for several years, yet I've only been in his office once," said Mr. Takagi.
Both Malgus and Souichiro spotted a large pool of blood dried in the wood of the senator's desk. Souichiro walked along the left side and saw more blood dried to the floor.
"What happened here?" Souichiro asked.
Malgus felt an echo in the Force in the same spot as the desk. He placed a hand on the wood and sensed the event that had occurred. Through psychometry, Malgus envisioned Senator Fubayashi sitting in his chair holding a pistol to his own head. Malgus felt the fear and despair that Fubayashi had as he pulled the trigger. His suicide was traumatic enough to leave behind a Force echo.
"He killed himself," Malgus answered. "With a firearm."
Souichiro stood silently for a moment.
"He was my greatest mentor," Souichiro was saddened. "He was the only man that seemed like a father to me. I guess he had a gun he kept hidden here in his office."
Malgus wasted no time and began searching the file cabinets. Souichiro caught on and began searching as well. They looked through multiple file drawers until Souichiro found one that had a name tag called "Project Kami". He pulled out the long basket that held all the folders and placed it on the desk. Malgus checked the remaining drawers and found nothing.
The Sith Lord walked over to the desk eyeing the file tray. Souichiro studied the folders feeling uncertain.
"This can't be all the files there is," expressed Souichiro. "We put billions of yen and countless hours of work into this project, and all the red tape we had to go through to keep it secret. There has to be more than this."
Malgus narrowed his senses and felt something odd about the office space to his right. It had a different layout than all the other ones, like it contained two rooms in one. He scanned the nearest half and found a hidden door behind the wall. He didn't know what was inside, so he refrained his urge to blast the wall apart. Malgus walked over and felt the wood planks running from the floor to the ceiling. He then found a small crevice in the wood that seemed suspicious. Placing a hand at the top of ridge of the wood, Malgus pulled out a hidden lever that opened a secret door built into the wall disguised as wood paneling.
Malgus and Souichiro walked in and saw entire file cabinets labeled in capital letters "PROJECT KAMI" along with other secret projects.
"We're going to need some help with all of this," said Souichiro.