-Chapter 14: There Lurks a Predator-
Location: Barab 1, 4:16:3632 ATC
"Hope dies before the body, for fear is a constant killer."
It was early evening, the red sun setting slowly to mark the approach of darkness. People were stirring slowly, some children already up and about, full of energy and eager for he daily routine to begin. A particular pair, a boy and girl, ran giddily through the winding cave system. They chased one another well away from the normal civilized areas, blazing trails through passages untraveled as of yet.
Though it was dark and devoid of lighting, they did not need it as their eyes were well-adjusted for seeing in the dark. They were Barabels; a species of humanoid lizards with distinguished reptilian features despite their bipedal stature. Their eyes were tuned for night vision, making them nocturnal experts. They raced along without care, teasing and goading each other onwards until they abruptly halted as they heard a noise.
The playful atmosphere ceased, the two younglings craning their ears to hear more as their tails twitched in curiosity. It was a distant hum, low and consistent, from somewhere further ahead in the cave. Innocent curiosity drove them deeper, the pair scampering across rocks as the followed the ever-increasing noise. They soon paused as the hum reached the apex of its volume, seemingly above the pair. Boy and girl stopped, looking upwards, pondering naively what could be causing the ruckus.
Then the humming stopped entirely and silence filled the cave. Sharing befuddled looks, the pair were puzzled as to why the hum had stopped. They soon had their answer as the roof caved in, the children narrowly leaping out of the way with shrieks of surprise. They managed to steady themselves once clear of the pile of rubble, only to succumb to fear once more as a tall, lanky figure stood up from the debris.
Its shape decidedly not like a Barabel, the children turned tail and ran, screeching and hissing for their broods, as a B1 battle droid stood and dusted itself off. "Hey! The scans were right! There is a cave system down here!" He called up through the hole he'd fallen through.
Days later…
The Outer Rim world of Barab 1 orbited a red dwarf star of the same name. Bathed in radiation throughout its 30 hour day cycle, the surface was inhospitable save only for after nightfall. Even then opportunities to travel outside were slim, as water built up in the atmosphere (a product of all natural sources evaporating during the day) was unleashed upon the world in a torrential downpour that swept anything away that wasn't properly secured or underground.
Such was the harsh environment that the Barabel species lived in. As a Cerean and used to the grassy, mountains terrain of his home, Ki-Adi Mundi had great difficulty imagining what it was like to live here.
The Jedi Master stood aboard the bridge of a Consular-class cruiser, carrying himself and a small handpicked team from the Republic's Galactic Marines, of which he lead. They were on a secret mission to this sector of the Outer Rim to investigate on behalf of the Barabel's, since the species was on friendly terms with the Jedi Order and by extension the Republic.
"In league with the wicked Count Dooku, more and more planets slip. Against this threat, upon us falls the duty to defend and protect." The Tridactyl stated. "Ensure Barab is not resigned to such a fate, Master Mundi. Know you are there, none but myself do."
"My men are ready, Master. I will look into the matter as soon as we are planetside." The Cerean promised before the transmission ended. Too much comms chatter might alert the enemy, and with how low-profile this mission was to be, that wouldn't do at all for their cover.
If those details weren't enough, top it off with the near-inhospitable climate and vast complexities of Barab, and I can only hope my men are up for the task.
Departing the bridge, the Cerean moved aft to where his handpicked team was waiting to be debriefed. Pulled from the 41st Nova Corps, Jedi Knight Rivi-Anu was a pale-skinned human woman with blazing bright red hair and bright green eyes, her expression seemingly set in a constantly fierce posture with whom none should dare trifle with, a cloudy mood settling over her. With her was a man Mundi knew well; Marshal Commander CC-1138 "Bacara" the troop leader of the Galactic Marines. Under his command were five other Clone troopers also from the Galactic Marines: Commander CC-1125 "Keller", Lieutenant CC-1059 "Hoss", CC-1109 "Kev", CC-1123 "Tipper", and CC-1091 "Clutch". Each of these men were among the best the Republic Grand Army could muster, and with two Jedi fighting with them, Mundi was confident there was no mission they couldn't handle despite his personal doubts.
"…I'm just saying, if they know there's more to the galaxy, why don't they just leave this place?" Kev wondered, his helmet off his reveal his perfectly-shaven head.
"Because Barabel's have lived here all their history. They've already learned to live with the radiation, no reason for them to change their habits now." Keller responded
"I mean, still… you're seeing these readouts, right? You so much as go above ground during that thirty hour day-cycle and you'll look like overcooked Bantha steaks." Kev continued, holding out his datapad. He knew all of his brothers could access the same data files through their helmets and the rest knew it too.
"I hoped you seasoned yourself first, that way you'll be tasty going down." Clutch ribbed, earning a chuckle from the group. As the quieted down, Bacara stood, identifiable by his stubble-laden jaw, and turned to Mundi.
"Seeing as we're almost to this irradiated hunk of rock, any chance you could fill us in on the mission, General?" He inquired.
"I certainly can now, Bacara." Mundi agreed, holding out a holoprojector that promptly brought a render of the world flickering into clarity. "Three days ago, the Jedi Council was contacted by a Barabel chieftain of the Sebatyne Brood. Apparently there is some trouble with their Barabite Ore mining operation."
"Droid trouble, Master?" Bacara queried, crossing his arms.
"They seem to think so." Ki-Adi affirmed. "I've been given the exact location and coordinates, we'll pursue the matter immediately but in a discreet and quiet manner. The Chief Sebatyne does not wish for his people to be disturbed by any ill news, especially if the droids are truest there." He described.
"So we drop in, pop the clankers, then get out." Tipper surmised, running a hand through short-cropped hair dyed purple on the sides, the colours of the Marines. "Easiest mission ever."
"Don't jinx it, Tip." Hoss growled.
"We have to make sure this mining operation is brought to a definitive end. If the Separatists are indeed here to harvest Barabite Ore, they will keep trying. A strong and clear message must be sent the first time to drive them off." The Cerean explained, disabling the holoprojector. He swept over the Clones with his eyes and his senses. Their posture was simple, relaxed yet ready. They were soldiers, here to do a job. The Force revealed low tensions and simple emotions… from all but one.
Rivi-Anu was tense. Everything about her signature was a bundle of nerves, writhing and tensely wound as if she knew something he didn't. Mundi made a mental note to speak with her after.
"As I'm sure you all know, Barab has a sixty-hour rotation period, with only three of the thirty nighttime hours permitting arrival on the surface." He continued. "Torrential downpours and flash floods will clear out anything left in the aftermath, and anything above ground during the day will be cooked by radiation."
"Sounds like we're spending a lot of time underground." Hoss muttered. "Better make sure the lights are working."
"We will take one day to clear out the issue as best we can and I will report back with our findings once we've left the planet. This mission is strictly off the record. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" The Clones chorused as one.
"Right men, suit up and arm up! Be ready to move within the hour!" Bacara snapped, the troopers moving to their feet as they started prepping their toolkits and weaponry. Mundi turned to leave, Rivi-Anu quickly catching up with him.
"Master…"
"I could sense your unease, Rivi." The Cerean interrupted, stating the obvious only the two of them could share with the Force. "Something about this mission does not sit well with you." Rivi exhaled softly.
"Yes, Master." She confessed as the pair arrived on the bridge, the looming dark red shape of Barab looming outside the viewports. Through the Force, she could sense a tremble that shook her soul. Something dark and ominous blanketed Barab like a cloud, something Dark that clung to her soul like a wet cloth. "For all its simplicity, I can't help but shake the feeling that there's something down there waiting for us…" Rivi described, her gaze lingering on the world before them.
"And it isn't friendly."
Later…
Dropping the mission team on the surface, the Consular cruiser returned to position in orbit around Barab as the strike team moved on Ki-Adi's coordinates. The Cerean led the troop across rocky terrain, sand and dirt littered with boulders as the Clones used their helmet-mounted lights to sweep across the darkened landscape.
Barab was drab and seemingly lifeless. While ecological reports indicated an increase in activity in the local fauna after dark, the planet was so dark and foreboding at this hour it seemed virtually impossible for any of those reports to be true. The Clones were all of the same mindset and Ki-Adi could sense it; get this mission over as soon as possible and be done with this place.
"Up ahead," the Cerean stated, pointing to a distant rock clearing, "Bacara, lead the men in. We're right with you." Bacara took point with Keller and Hoss flanking him. The other Clones fanned out around them as Mundi and Rivi took their lightsaber hilts in hand. Moving quickly but quietly, the Clones took up safe positions before an open pit, a hole dug deep into Barab itself. As Mundi and Rivi crouched low beside them, the reason for their stillness became glaringly apparent.
"Droids, sir. Not many but we can handle them." Bacara stated. Around the pit, a total of six B1 model droids armed with common E-5 blasters stood vigilantly, as if guarding something.
"Pretty sufficient evidence, Master?" Rivi-Anu queried.
"Indeed. Droids above, perhaps so below." Mundi determined, running a wrinkled hand across his snow-white facial hair.
"On your word, General." Bacara said, priming his rifle as the other Clones waited for his word.
"Let's keep it clean and quick, Commander. Rivi, we're on defence." Mundi determined, rising slowly. He allowed the Force to flow through him and Rivi did likewise. The droids were blank points amid the field of starlight that were the Clones, simple points of non-existent oblivion that were easy to track and follow; they came as frequently as the dark masses between stars in space.
"Work far to narrow, boys." Bacara ordered through his internal comms. "Make it quick and turn those clankers into nuts and bolts." One by one, the Clones fired systematically and destroyed each of the battle droids with quick, pulsing rounds from their DC-15A rifles. White-blue discharges flared through the dark night air, illuminating the rocks around them cobalt blue before the droid's fell destroyed in a shower of yellow sparks.
As the last one fell, the Clones moved in, crouched and taut in preparation for further combat. "Clear!" Hoss called out. "Clear!" Keller echoed. They started encircling the pit to stand guard as Rivi and Ki-Adi approached.
"What do you sense, Rivi?" The Cerean inquired.
"The same as before, Master." Rivi responded, her choice of words very telling to Mundi with his knowledge of their prior conversation. "Possible activity down below." She suggested after, nodding to the pit. She looked around again, as if attempting to feel the very air around her. Several Clones took notice.
"What's with General Anu?" Keller wondered through the troopers' shared private comm channel.
"She looks spooked… has ever since we got here." Bacara responded, his voice equally muted to the Jedi. None of the Clones could place Rivi's sense of unease, nor could they understand why. Most chose to blot it from their minds, if a Jedi was spooked it was seldom good for any of them.
Suddenly, both Mundi and Rivi ignited their lightsabers and quick led deflected a series of red rounds that erupted from the pit. Throwing her sapphire blade forward and guiding it with the Force, Rivi successfully cut the three droids below to pieces before her lightsaber returned to her outstretched hand. "Looks like there's definitely more droids down there." Bacara observed.
"They must be removed to ensure the mining operation is ended." Rivi stated.
"Recommend we secure these tunnels, sir." Keller suggested.
"Agreed." With that, Mundi lept down into the cavernous space below and Rivi-Anu followed him. Together they used the Force to ease the Clones' descent to join them. As their lights illuminated the opening, the Clones couldn't help but be in awe of the sheer size and depth of the cave system.
"How much of this was the Barabels and how much was the droids?" Hoss wondered. "You think the droids did a lot of mining recently, General?"
"Given the reports from the chief, unlikely." Mundi determined. "Bacara, Keller, sweep the area and pinpoint any possible droid activity down here." The Clones quickly toggled multispectrum vision through their helmet visors, sweeping back and forth as they investigated their surroundings.
"Sir, I've got an infrared target less than a klick due south." Bacara announced.
"There could be more deeper in the caves we can't see." Keller added, quickly locking on to the same target.
"Right then. We'll split up and canvas the area. Rivi, take Keller, Hoss, Clutch, Kev and Tipper to track down that anomaly. Divide and conquer as you need to, Bacara and I will move back this way." Mundi tasked. Rivi-Anu did not respond immediately, her senses reaching out to intertwine with the dark nature of this world and the veiled threat plaguing her spirit.
"Right away, Master." She said quietly.
Rivi-Anu led the Clones onwards with the same stone-faced determination she'd shown the whole mission. Time lost all sense of meaning deep in the caves of Barab, everything looking the same as the caves wound onwards in an eternal expanse of rock and darkness. Everything looked the same. Everything was the same.
"Great, it's spooky dark down here." Tipper complained, missing the lack of additional light provided by the pit opening.
"You're afraid of the dark?" Hoss wondered incredulously.
"Well it does make it kinda hard to see." Tipper explained, sounding very unwilling to put up with any ribbing from his brothers. "Ugh, any chance your lightsaber could help us out, General?" He asked.
"I'm afraid your lights are doing a much better job, trooper." Rivi-Anu responded. They kept walking for a time, Keller actively checking the chronometer on his helmet HUD as they did.
Time is equal to distance, I should be able to keep track of how far we've gone based on how long its taken us to get to certain points. He determined for himself. It'd be real easy to get lost in these caves, since none of us are Barabels…
"Fork in the road, ma'am. There's two possible paths." He suddenly announced as his helmet lights illuminated a second cave system branching off from the path they were taking. The troop halted and Rivi stepped to the forefront to survey the geographical change.
"Any sign of the original contact?" She queried.
"Negative. Infrared signal died out a while back." Keller confirmed. Rivi stopped to ponder the problem, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two tunnels as the light from the Clones cast her own shadow broadly across the wall. She still felt unnerved, her stoicism hiding a deep-rooted unease that she simply couldn't shake.
"What do you propose, Commander?" She inquired. Keller turned to investigate the ground, revealing paler ground that that of the new cave.
"Given the wear on the ground, right seems to be the primary path." He stated after a moment.
"Then we'll divide up again. Select a team to investigate this tunnel, Commander, we'll remain here just in case." Rivi decided.
"Yes, ma'am. Kev, Hoss, Clutch, scout left and report back if its a dead end." Keller ordered with a jerk of his head. The Clones were prompt to obey, moving out without question and even without a word as Rivi and the other three remained behind.
"Thank you, sir. I don't envy them." Tipper said quietly after a moment.
"Reminds me of Geonosis." Keller stated simply. "All those holes in the rock filled with damn bugs. At least this time its… lizard people."
Tipper shuddered.
The trio of Clutch, Hoss and Kev moved deeper into the cave with rifles raised. Due to the length of the barrels, they Clones were forced to move and aim very purposefully due to the constrictive nature of the distance between walls. Tactically, it was risky and downright worrisome for the men, who were actively considering the possibility of an ambush from any angle. Leading the way, Clutch had full confidence in his brothers' abilities to cover him. It was up to him to ensure they were not attacked from the front. They were well out of visual and audio range of their fellow troopers, Clutch knew they only had each other to rely on…
Some sort of weight pressed against his shin, drawing Clutch's attention away from the yawning dark before him and down to the sliver of silver bending around his shinplate. A single, soft, mechanized click was all he heard before a portion of the ceiling dropped on him, revealed to be a suspended boulder cleverly disguised within the top of the cave.
Clutch had no time to move or react as the sizeable chunk of rock crushed his head, driving him into the floor with a wet skritch as blood pooled around the obliterated remains beneath the boulder. "Kriffin' hell!" Hoss cried out in shock and alarm. Startled by the suddenness of it all, it took Hoss and Kev a moment to react and they were soon kneeling around the splattered remains of Clutch. Staring in silence as they investigated Clutch's corpse, Hoss was the first to finally speak, "Contact the Lieutenant, now!"
"Keller, sir! It's Kev, Clutch is dead. He was killed by a booby trap." Keller received the call via the open comms line and he knew that both Tipper and Bacara had heard the report.
"Dammit!" He hissed under his breath. He did not notice, but Rivi bristled. The Jedi felt stark terror creep up her sign, the ominous undertones this planet was giving were suddenly becoming very real in the Force.
I was warned… and I did not heed it. She thought to herself.
"Copy that, Kev, do you have any sign of the target?" Keller inquired.
"Negative, sir! But odds are its around here somewhere, has to be close enough to rig up a trap like this." Came the reply.
"They need help. Two of them are alone against such coordination." Rivi-Anu stated. Keller nodded in agreement, his lights shining around her sternly-set face.
"If you don't mind, General, I think you should go get Commander Bacara and General Mundi. If we've got them cornered, two Jedi will be better than one in a fight to the death… no offence." Keller crisply and respectfully responded. But Rivi nodded in understanding.
"There is wisdom to your words. I will go, reinforce the others." She promised, turning on heel and breaking into a run as Keller beckoned Tipper into the cave.
"Kev, we're on our way. Stay put with Hoss." He ordered.
Meanwhile, Kev was getting antsy. He didn't like being here with a body, he felt like it would attract the attention of predators. Especially since they'd just set off a trap.
"Tripwire." Hoss stated, holding up the limp piece of durasteel fibre in his hand. "This was planned. They put effort into this." He realized. Kev started fidgeting, glancing back and forth nervously as he kept changing his posture out of anxiety.
"I don't like it. We shouldn't have come down this way." He muttered. Hoss opened his mouth to say something, abruptly stopping when a soft clatter of rocks echoed from somewhere down the cave.
In a flash of movement, the two troopers aiming their rifles downrange. Lights illuminated the rest of the cavern, highlighting a bend in a the tunnel and a couple of pebbles they were not sure who had been there before. "I really don't like this."
"Easy trooper…" Hoss cautioned, his aim steady and his grip on his rifle firm as he slowly rose and kept his aim down on the turn. He could hear armor plating shifting as Kev moved uneasily.
"Kriff it, I'm not waiting to get ambushed!" Kev exclaimed, breaking into a run as he darted off down the cave. Hoss paused in disbelief.
"Kev! Trooper, get back here!" He cried out, watching as Kev did not respond and kept running until he disappeared around the bend. Loosing a huff of annoyance, Hoss gave chase and started running after him. The bend quickly approached, Kev had a head start, but he likely could catch up with him…
All of a sudden, the floor gave way under his weight, his left foot dropping through a cleverly disguised hole into a small pit that had been filled with sharpened rocks turned upwards. The impromptu spikes impaled his foot, bursting clean through bodyglove and plastoid plating, prompting Hoss to cry out in agonizing pain. Blood spilled freely, staining the white of his boot as the trooper struggled to pull out of the trap while groaning in wretched pain.
He never got a chance to do so, his trapped form a perfect target as footsteps approached behind him, the soft clink of alloy on alloy as a barrel was pressed to the back of his head. Hoss heard the deafening CRACK of a slugthrower that echoed through the cave and swore he saw the insides of his skull be spilt across the ground before him before darkness consumed his vision.
Kev heard the the echoing gunshot echo through the cave, bringing him to a sudden stop as he whirled around, awkwardly bringing his rifle to bear on the path he'd just come down. "Hoss!" He called out, hoping for a response. Nothing came, only an unnerving silence. "Lieutenant!" Still nothing. Kev came to a complete standstill, waiting with baited breath as his mind began to churn out possibilities. Maybe he'd imagined the rocks clattering. But that shot was real, very real. Whoever was in here with them knew what they were doing.
He's spooked us, split us up, picking us off one by one. Well, not me. Come on, kriffer, come get some. He thought valiantly, though it did little to boost his spirits.
Nothing approached him, no sudden shape crossing before his light, no movement drew his attention. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, Kev turned around and aimed down the hall. "You're not gettin' the better of me." He said aloud, under his breath. "I'm lookin'… I'm warning you, I'll-" Another loud CRACK filled the cave and Kev felt a sharp pain blossom in his right shoulder as blood showered the ground. The slug round passed clean through him, crippling the arm holding his rifle as he was shot from behind. Kev stumbled forward with a cry of pain, dropping his rifle as his opposite hand clutched his bleeding shoulder.
He turned around as he backed up against the cave wall, his helmet lights reflecting off a wall of metal plating. It was close enough he could see every scuff and scratch despite its polished appearance. Blaster bolts suddenly riddled his torso and Kev felt the heat of his flesh being cooked, liquified and fused together with molten plastoid. Then an intense, burning pain followed as a blade sank deep into his guts, the Clone screaming in agony as he was lifted off his feet up against the cave wall, a second blade sinking into his chest as he stared vividly into a face that was both soulless and inhuman…
Kev's scream filled the open comm channel, going silent by the time Keller and Tipper arrived in the area. They found Clutch first, then Hoss, the lieutenant was slumped over on the ground in a crumpled heap, a gaping hole where his face had once been as the bloodied fragments of his brain was spilt across the floor. His head looked like it had been put through a meat grinder, an eyeball dangled loosely from the shattered plastoid of his helmet while his jaw hung loosely. "Force above… what the hell did this?" Tipper gasped. Keller didn't have the words, he couldn't speak, too busy fighting back the rising bile in his throat. "Sir…?" Tipper pried, inching closer, savouring the safety that came with such close proximity. "No commando droid could do this, and I've seen the blades they carry." He whispered.
"I know." Keller finally said after a swallow. "We… We can't linger. Let's find Kev." He urged and the two willingly pushed on past the gruesome sight… only to come face to face with another.
The body of Kev sat slumped on the ground. Well, half of it was. The lower half had been torn in two and had been sent flying, scattered across the floor of the cave leading onwards. His upper half lay slumped on the ground, a trail of innards streaming out from his severed torso. Another gaping wound had cut open his chest, and as Keller's lights passed over it, he swore he could see his heart and ribs through the opening.
"Oh stars," Tipper gasped, turning around. Keller remained rooted to the floor, looking on in stunned horror as he heard Tipper retch behind him. He noted Kev's right shoulder had been completely mangled, the plastoid shell cover his limb a mess of torn bodyglove and smeared blood. "They're dead. Kriffing hell, they're dead!" Tipper cried out. Keller could understand. They had bunked with these men, served together since Geonosis. The Galactic Marines and their partners in the 41st Nova Corps had lived and died together, did everything together. They were brothers in every sense of the word.
To see one of their own here, mutilated and disfigured beyond belief… beyond the count of grief… it stirred up emotions the Clones swore had been beaten out of them long ago by the Kaminoans.
"Something did this. Not a droid." Keller said at length. "We need to figure out what. It can't kill any more of our brothers." He determined.
"I-It could be anywhere," Tipper whispered, running a hand along a steep crack in the cave wall. "Droids would be thin enough to fit…"
"It wasn't a droid." Keller stated firmly. He could see other cracks in the cave, some behind and some up ahead, bigger than the one beside them. He was convinced because he knew droids weren't programmed to mutilate bodies like this. "If we can get a glimpse, it may help the General's understanding of the situation." He continued. "We should push on, just a couple more meters. See if there's any evidence we can use to identify who's down here." He looked back, Tipper still looking haggard and n the verge of a breakdown. "Tipper?"
"I… I don't like it, sir. But I-I guess we should try. For the sake of reports." He said at length. Patting him on the shoulder. Keller started walking with rifle raised, Tipper following suit while keeping a watchful and wise eye on their rear flank. They walked past the remains of Kev, trying not to look upon it any longer. They stepped over one of his legs and skirted around the other.
Keller kept quiet, battling with himself to fight back rising emotions. He knew he was doing a better job than Tipper, his brother's breathing still shakes and irregular through the open comms. His steps lagged, less crisp and determined than Keller's, and every look over his shoulder was measured in intervals of dwindling seconds. I'll be his anchor. Keep us both together. He determined for himself. The path ahead was open, their lights reflecting off the cave walls and illuminating a yawning darkness that seemed calm and almost tranquil. A welcome reprieve from the gore and horror behind them. Feeling some additional confidence in his steps, Keller felt a bit better as he soldiered on like he'd been raised to do. Everything seemed to be clear…
Neither of them saw the thermal detonators concealed in the wall. Neither of them heard the transmitter signal reach the integrated remote detonation sequencers.
Both of them felt the thermal shockwave as all three detonated.
The explosion threw Keller to the ground, his ears ringing despite the buffers in his helmet. He fell still for a moment, arms over his head as bits of rock clattered around him and a cloud of dust rolled over him. He could feel ambient trembles in the rocks, the whole cave shuddering from the explosions as the heat of the blast died down. Breathing heavily, his heart pounding Keller glanced up, hazarding a look around him.
Th-They knew. They knew we were coming this way… Tipper… Kriff, Tipper.
His brother had been behind him, closest to the blast. Rolling over, Keller looked down. The sight awaiting him enough to make his stomach roll. The remains of Tipper were gruesomely splattered across the total circumference of the cave, a far more sizeable chunk of bloodied meat and plastoid all that remained of his brother. Fear gripped him, Keller trembling as his breath came in shaking pants. He turned back to his blaster, laying on the ground before him. A weapon he cared for, a weapon he deemed an extension of himself and he valued like an arm, suddenly seemed useless and ineffective. A stick trying to beat the air.
Keller picked himself up and started running, grabbing his weapon as he broke into a sprint, trying to return the way he'd come. Clearly the enemy had an advantage over them all and the General's needed to know about it. "Commander! It's Keller!" He shouted into the comms. "They're dead! They're all dead! Someone killed them! Someone knew we were coming-!" He failed to notice the arm snapping out from a crevice until it was too late, a sharp blade sliding over the hand that met the trooper with equal speed and force, taking his head off with a single swing.
"Commander! It's Keller! They're dead! They're all dead! Someone killed them! Someone knew we were coming-!" The line fell silent too abruptly for Bacara's liking. He had stopped to listen in as Rivi-Anu and Ki-Adi Mundi kept moving, but the sudden quiet was far too grim to have been Keller's doing.
"Generals, I've… lost contact with the men." He announced as Rivi and Mundi stopped to hear what he had to say. "I'm… I'm afraid the team has been destroyed." Rivi's emerald gaze turned towards the cave before them. They weren't even halfway to the fork yet. But the look in her eyes was distant and Ki-Adi could tell she was searching with the Force.
"Rivi?"
"Death. There is death in these caves. And… darkness." She said quietly. Bacara would've scoffed if he hadn't already known she was referring to something more ethereal. "We cannot stay here. We should leave." She urged after a moment.
"Not until we confirm the deaths of the men. Perhaps a jamming signal is what has befallen Commander Keller." Mundi suggested. Rivi said nothing, but her gaze narrowed in response. Bacara didn't like that idea either, he believed Keller's word. The man was not one for hijinks, especially not on a mission.
"All due respect, sir. But I think General Rivi is right." He stated for the record. Hours had passed, too many hours. The torrential rainfall would begin soon, their safe-time on the surface was almost over. If they were going to leave, they needed to do so now. Bacara looked past them as the Cerean mentally debated the logistics of such a move. Switching his visor to infrared on a hunch, Bacara looked beyond the darkness, waiting… watching… when suddenly- "Sir! Infrared contact! Bearing mark six-point-" He never finished his warning as a hail of blaster fire erupted from the darkness, crimson rounds streaking through the air as Mundi and Rivi reacted with supernatural swiftness.
Lightsabers igniting, their blades flashed back and forth as they deflected incoming rounds, Bacara dropping to one knee as he put some of his own heat downrange, hoping to score a hit. If he had, he wouldn't know, as the blaster fire kept coming. It was constant and repetitive, coming in frequent waves like a barrage from an entire army of droids. Mundi and Rivi had no choice but to move faster and faster to keep up while Bacara was running out of opportunities to shoot, especially if he wanted to avoid getting hit.
"It's coming to kill us all! It doesn't want their secrets exposed!" Rivi cried out as rounds struck the walls and ceiling of the cave, showering them all with sparks as the air grew acrid with the scent of spent tibanna discharges.
"We must leave, Bacara is correct; we don't have what it takes to linger here any longer!" Mundi finally concurred. Knowing their directive, the Jedi began to back away while deflecting incoming rounds as Bacara backtracked far quicker and got a headstart moving back towards the entrance. The attack seemed to lessen the further they moved, granting the three survivors a moment's reprieve as they sought to escape the situation. Bacara arrived at the opening first, using a grapple tether on his belt to quickly winch himself out and back onto the surface. Right away, his HUD noted distinct atmospheric changes. Winds were beginning to blow, the temperature dropping quickly. Rain was approaching.
Rivi-Anu and Ki-Adi were next to leave, using the Force to leap out of the caves and onto the surface. The Cerean made to speak, "We haven't much time before the rain comes. I'll contact the cruiser, hopefully it can get here before we get soaked."
"Master…" the human cut in, stepping closer to him. Mundi turned, noting the serious look in her eyes, "there's a chance our assailant could pursue us. I will buy you some time to make contact with the cruiser. Please, comm me when you have an ETA." She stated.
"Rivi-" But she held up a hand, silencing him.
"You're not forcing me to do this, Master. I am choosing to do so of my own free will." Silence followed, Mundi debating arguing with her. Her mind was evidently made up and while he had every inkling to deny her and refute such a notion, he could by her Force aura that Rivi was determined to prove something to herself.
"Very well. May the Force be with you, Rivi-Anu." He stated simply, appealing to the sageness of her offer. With a nod to Bacara, Mundi and the Clone left the scene as Rivi turned back to the open pit, ready and waiting for the appearance of their attacker.
She gripped her lightsaber tightly. Determined to face down the darkness that seemed to cloak this being, the same darkness that had been plaguing her soul. She would take a stand against it, proving to herself that she could prevail and that she would not succumb to the temptation to give in to emotions like fear and subjugation.
I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. There is only the Force. She recited from memory.
Her senses prickled, the light pulsed within her, eagerly anticipating a confrontation in order to test its mettle. Rivi reached out, straining her eyes to see and her ears to hear…
Danger flared throughout her senses, her body moving automatically as guided by the Force. Explosions suddenly went off around the perimeter ring of the entrance, fiery plumes erupting from hidden thermal detonators concealed within the rocks. Her lightsaber flashed to life, Rivi whirling around in anticipation of an assault. The danger crept closer, more explosions circling around the pit and closing in on her. She drew back her lightsaber, stretching out her other hand and summoning the Force to erect a barrier between her and the flaming debris. Bits of rock and flame were repulsed, halted by an invisible wall. Her focus was as intense as the heat of the flames, her stalwart physical prowess giving Rivi-Anu a chance to reflect on the situation. Thermal detonators, concealed in the rocks in a ring around the pit. Another example of a well-laid trap. It occurred to her that this trap had been under their noses the whole time, chances are the Clones had trod upon the same rocks on their arrival. They could've been blown to pieces at any given point in time.
Or perhaps their enemy had been waiting until now to spring it…
Suddenly, a single blaster shot rang out.
Rivi jerked, feeling a sudden burning sensation in her right arm as a plasma-infused bolt struck midway up her biscep. The explosive properties tore through flesh and bone, splitting tendons and fibres as her arm was blown clean off by the shot. She loosed a shriek that echoed across the terrain as her arm fell to the ground, her still-lit lightsaber slicing through rocks and debris as it did.
Jerking around in a pained panic, sheer terror gripped Rivi's heart as a sudden wall of metal launched itself off the ledge of the pit, a blade sliding over its right hand that was promptly buried in Rivi's abdomen. A death scream erupted from her lips, the sound carrying across Barab and through the Force as her blood soaked the ground and the Jedi Knight was butchered without mercy.
The dull thump thump thump of explosions echoed in the distance, forcing Mundi and Bacara to turn and watch the small plumes of flame illuminate the night with a ferocity equal to Barab's own sun. Then came the shrike through the Force, felt more acutely by Ki-Adi. Bacara felt his hairs stand on end as a chill from unknown means ripped through him. He knew his suit was sealed properly, and given Mundi's reaction it had to be something terrible.
Fighting back welling emotion from hearing Rivi-Anu's scream, Mundi lifted his wrist and primed the comm strapped to it. "This is General Mundi to cruiser, requesting immediate extraction."
"Copy that, General. Please return to original landing site coordinates for extraction." A pilot replied from the other end. Mundi looked up, feeling rain against his skin.
"Understood, please hurry cruiser." He replied, closing the channel. "For more than one reason." He muttered under his breath.
"If… that thing could get through General Anu, sir, it's probably coming after us next." Bacara realized, shifting his rifle back and forth uncomfortably. Mundi nodded, his gaze drawn back towards cave entrance, now illuminated by sporadic fires. He didn't have to say a word, Bacara could tell he was thinking about the death of Rivi-Anu.
"Agreed. We need to hurry." He said at length. Making up his mind about the situation, the Marshall Commander took a step closer to his General.
"General… I should buy you some time." He offered.
"No, Bacara-"
"Get back to Coruscant, inform everyone what happened here. Someone needs to know." Bacara instructed, sounding absolutely certain and sure of his duty even though Mundi was not.
"I do not wish for another death on my hands." The Cerean stated firmly.
"This is my choice, sir." Bacara stated defiantly.
"Like it was Rivi's choice? Bacara-"
"General Mundi, all due respect, but its either both of us or one of us." The Clone interrupted. A moment of silence fell as the grim truth settled upon them. "We're already losing time, that thing is on his way here." He urged. The rain was falling, just like Mundi's spirit was. "You go. I'll buy you some time, get to that rendezvous point." Bacara ordered, his armor slowly becoming streaked with more and more raindrops. Seeing as it was pointless to argue any further, and understanding the harsh but true wisdom behind his sacrifice, Mundi left without another word. He did so for his own sake, unable to wrap his mind around the circumstances and unwilling to open himself up any further as emotion rushed him.
As he left, Bacara turned and raised his rifle. He shut off all comm channels, the only sounds available to him the hurried footsteps of Ki-Adi Mundi, growing quieter and quieter the further he moved. Satisfied, at least for a moment, Bacara steeled himself for the inevitable. "Come on, you. Come on! You think you can take on the Galactic Marines? The buck stops here!" He growled.
Mundi kept moving, running as the Force sustained his stamina to last three times that of the average fit man. The rain fell frequently, a full-on storm brewing as thunder rumbled overhead. Alone with his thoughts, the Cerean was rueful.
Bacara was right. It is now or never. Curse this whole situation. He glanced over his shoulder ever so briefly before he returned his focus to sprinting across rocks. When the shuttle lands, I'll come back for you. I promise, Bacara, we'll both get out of-
Somewhere behind him, a pained yell was loosed that seemed to echo Rivi-Anu's, the telltale pitch of a Clone voice rising in determination, fear, and pain that suddenly fell silent as a sickly deed was done. Mundi stopped suddenly, turning back with widened eyes as the noise was seared into his mind. It was Bacara's voice. He'd worked so closely with him for so long he could pick it out amongst the legions of other Clones he fought beside. Little details, things he could remember with such acute clarity, thanks to his binary brains. Now he cursed those memories, those details. For they brought the knowledge that Bacara was dead.
He was alone now, the Cerean the sole surviving member of this little team sent to quell the Barabels' problem. He would surely be hunted next. The rain came harder, the winds rising in speed and forcefulness. It howled across the barren lands and Ki-Adi could feel his boots sink a little as the ground grew wet and viscous.
The Force was raw, the deaths of so many in such a short span was rough on him. And yet he still sought it out for strength and renewal, embracing the simple fact that to die was to become a part of the Living Force. Ki-Adi Mundi did not fear death, but this particular means of dying was by no means ideal. The last time he had felt like this half a dozen of his fellow Jedi lay dead, cut down by a different Separatist animal, for he was certain their predator was indeed a Separatist. This current predicament bore too many similarities and Mundi felt a chill shoot through his limbs, one not wrought by the cooling environment.
Not since that encounter with General Grievous on Hypori have I felt this way. He realized grimly. Igniting his lightsaber, Mundi raised his blade close to his face and started looking around. Surely he was close to the extraction point. He just needed to wait… survive…
The crunch of rock under foot had the Cerean whirling to his right, lightsaber raised defensively. Between flashes of lightning overhead, and the rainfall becoming torrential, Mundi could make out a black shape hunched over one of the larger boulders. It suddenly reared to full height, revealing an armored body that covered the hulking form of a humanoid head to toe. Then, like flicking a switch, blackened optical pieces blazed to life as they glowed a brilliant red.
It was then that Mundi finally recognized their assailant: Eeth Koth's killer, The Wraith.
The super-soldier tossed something forward, an object rolling through the rain that came to a rest by his feet. Another spark of lightning revealed Bacara's unique helmet, shattered and full of blood. Blood mixed with water, slowly pooling around and dripping down the cracked visage. Several emotions coursed through the Cerean; fear, anger, despair, determination. It was in this muddled state that he was forced to move as Wraith lunged with an audible growl, blades sliding over his hands before his weighty form crashed into the drenched ground where Mundi once stood.
The super-soldier fought with the same ironclad determination Mundi experienced in General Grievous, but with an added primality, a sort of brutal animalistic fervor powering each swing and slice. He lacked the same mechanically-enhanced speed as Grievous, however, allowing Mundi a greater opportunity to duel his foe properly. But for what he lacked, The Wraith could seemingly compensate for with ease in other areas.
Bounding from boulder to boulder as the Force propelled his leaps and rendered him as light and maneuverable as a feather, Mundi managed to avoid every crushing strike as The Wraith turned rocks to shattered debris. Even then, the soldier kept moving, and there wasn't a single bladed strike that Mundi didn't have to parry or deflect.
So much speed and continuous momentum. Separatist monstrosities really are a common kind.
Finally accruing enough distance, Mundi lashed out with the Force and a telekinetic push drove the super-soldier back into a boulder, resetting the pace of the fight. Lingering in place, the super-soldier started to circle, unnerving the Cerean as he assumed a defensive stance. Mundi was a formidable practitioner of Forms IV, III and II, second only to Grandmaster Yoda in his execution of the Ataru Form.
Wraith's blades disappeared into his gauntlets as the pair continued to circle, Mundi always tracking the super-soldier's glowing optic sensors. The Force aided him where eyesight failed him, revealing slow and subtle movements and telltale signs of the Separatist reaching for the blaster pistol strapped to his hip. Tense and ready, the Cerean's brow furrowed in concentration. He reacted the second the super-soldier drew and fired, a single red blaster bolt deflected cleanly back, knocking the pistol clear out of Wraith's hand. Feeling a measure of restored hope, Mundi prepared for a follow-up assault as The Wraith repositioned. His other hand reached for his second blaster pistol, while the other moved behind him out of Mundi's line of sight. What lay there, the Cerean did not know.
He flinched reflexively as he anticipated another blaster round, danger filling his senses as Wraith pulled his hand from behind him with a weapon in his grip. It did not look like any pistol Mundi knew, but the blinding muzzle flare and ear-piercing CRACK gave way its identity. A twitch of his sapphire blade made to reflect the incoming round, but instead of doing so as it would any blaster bolt, Mundi's aim was off and the slug merely passed through the outer aura of his lightsaber.
It shattered in the process, the intense heat exploiting natural stress points in the slug, and was transformed into a dozen tiny pieces of superheated shrapnel. Instead of scorching him right away like the liquid metal that struck Eeth Koth, the shrapnel buried itself in Ki-Adi's flesh, burning away and causing the Cerean inexplicable pain.
Recoiling in pain, Mundi clutched his wounded shoulder as blood stained his already soaked robes. The super-soldier advanced quickly and determinedly, firing a second slug that shot Mundi's lightsaber out of his grip and obliterated a finger in the process. Mercilessly, Wraith emptied four slugs in quick succession into the Cerean's left thigh and Ki-Adi cried out in agony as he fell to the wet ground and clutched his bleeding leg. An arm blade deployed as Wraith closed in for the kill, his weapon of choice piercing through the Jedi's thigh, running lengthwise to his leg. Mundi cried out as tendons and arteries were severed, blood spilling freely as he was effectively immobilized.
A crushing grip encircled his throat, cutting off his airway as Mundi was hauled off the ground and slammed into a boulder. Determined to resist, the Cerean raised his arms to summon the Force… only for Wraith's arm blade to leave his eye and pierce clean through both his forearms. A gurgling shout of pain erupted from Mundi's lips, the Cerean staring wide-eyed at the inhuman visage looming over him. Wraith's grip tightened, it was becoming harder to suck in any amount of oxygen.
This is it. This is how I die…
Suddenly, a blinding burst of white light flooded the area, a spotlight illuminating the pair as Wraith's gaze was torn upwards. His grip relaxed, he backed off, and Mundi fell to the ground in a heap. Pain wracked his every move even as he sucked in generous lungful of air, sputtering as he finally heard the low thrum of an engine. The cruiser hovered above, keeping Wraith fixed in visible light.
All of a sudden, a blast struck the super-soldier with such force he was blown through a nearby boulder and his armored body was sent skittering off into the darkness. It took Mundi a moment to realize the cruiser had opened fire with its ventral cannon and he praised the effort of the gunnery crew.
The Cerean struggled to crawl, his legs wracked by pain as each movement sent more blood spurting from his open wounds. Rain slicked his skin, his robes clung to him, the torrential downpour had come at last. He needed to escape the coming tempest. Attempting to cling to reality, he eventually registered a pair of Clone troopers rushing towards him, their bright white armor visible even at night. Together they hauled the Cerean aboard the waiting cruiser, Mundi's hearing reduced to white noise as he felt lightheaded. Clinging to the Force, he found one moment of clarity just as a trooper spoke to him.
"General Mundi! What about the others? Where's the rest of the unit?"
"Gone…" Mundi coughed, his voice like liquid as excess rainwater formed around his mouth. "All… gone…" The answer seemed sufficient, and Mundi gratefully lay still aginst the durasteel deck. His vision blurred, faintly picking out medics above him as they were scrambling to get him stabilized. He felt his body be lifted on a stretcher, tended to by Clones, before he lost consciousness from blood loss…