-Chapter 8: Ghost of a Warrior-
Location: Honoghr
"There is no escape from the shadow that is death."
"Trihexalophine1138 or THX1138 is an experimental bioweapon, engineered to be a defoliant powerful enough to upset an ecosystem and permanently cripple the environment." Scipio stated. Before him on the holo-table was a representation of THX's chemical formula and a data readout about the bioweapon, next to the holographic form of Count Dooku. The soldier analyzed both while he listened, Count Dooku now picking up the explanation.
"We wanted it transferred to a station where it could be deployed on a Republic world. Due to the capture of Nuvo Vindi and the destruction of the Blue Shadow Virus, the original target was going to be Naboo." He explained. "But then the Republic attacked. According to our information, Jedi Knight Rii'ke En and his cruiser shot down the transport ship, Gahenna, and now it lies on the planet Honoghr."
"Home of the Noghri." The soldier mused.
"Quite right. The good news is that the Noghri are no friend of the Republic. But take every precaution, no Jedi or Clone is to stand in your way. Secure the Scientific Instrument Package at all costs." Scipio commanded.
"Understood. Who's there?" The soldier inquired about his opponents.
"Jedi Master Aayla Secura and her unit of 327th Star Corps Clones, led by Commander Bly of course." Scipio replied.
"Of course." The soldier nodded in understanding. The Star Corps was one of those units that was a bit of a big deal, much akin to the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion, and the Twi'leki Jedi General was no slouch either.
The soldier wanted a crack at all of them.
"I had planned on dispatching one of my acolytes to deal with this mission. But given your... talents, I believe this mission may be better suited for you." Dooku stated, indicating the soldier certainly held a position of importance in his mind.
"May still need him. Noghri might get in the way." The soldier replied.
"I'll keep that in mind." Dooku responded with a quick nod.
"We will continue to use the AV live feed. It worked out quite well during your mission to Onderon. And now that I've updated your communication systems so that I can speak to you, feel free to contact me if you need any outside assistance. I'm good with maps you know." Scipio added, informing the soldier of his latest updates.
"I'm on my way." The soldier stated, turning around and making for the exit. He sooner he was off to Honoghr, the sooner he could be alone with his thoughts... and away from Scipio's constant nattering. The doctor was good at what he did... but sometimes he talked too much.
"You'll do just fine, my boy!" Scipio called after him as he left.
"I know." The soldier muttered under his breath as he passed through the doorway.
The planet in question, Honoghr, was an Outer Rim world in the self-titled Honoghr System. A planet covered with rain forests, Honoghr was a rather historic planet boasting Rakata temples and signs of Rakatan society, given it had once been a part of the ancient Rakatan Empire some thirty-thousand years ago. What remained was now used by the warrior species who called this planet home: the Noghri. These humanoid creatures proved to be very violent and war-like, tribal in every sense of the word. So far, they wanted no part in the war, no part in the Republic and certainly didn't want any visitors. So a crashed Separatist core ship containing vital information the Republic needed was probably the most upsetting incident to occur.
The Noghri didn't want the war... but the war came to them anyway.
And as long as the Noghri weren't on friendly terms with the Republic, the soldier wouldn't have to worry about dealing with Clones. No doubt the Noghri were keeping them busy.
Having said that, he certainly didn't mind if he had to kill a few. And given that the Star Corps was here, he would certainly have his fair share of commanders to add to his list of kills.
Maybe even a Twi'lek Jedi General.
His shuttle touched down in a small clearing, far away from Republic operations. If he wanted to maintain the element of surprise he would have to venture forth on foot. Not the first time he'd done so, but he was glad his stamina was up for the task. He would have to move out quickly and almost immediately jump into a fight.
This might really put his limits to the test.
According to intercepted reports he had been reading on the way over, the Noghri had already recovered the SIP and had carted off to the depths of a Rakata temple. No doubt the Republic would be advancing on that position in their efforts to claim what was not theirs. The question was, which temple? There had to be hundreds. But the answer was a simple one: follow Republic troop activity. That wouldn't be too hard, given the entire 327th was here. Either that or he would follow the sounds of battle... or an army of Noghri warriors eager to repel the invaders or straight up kill them.
Scipio may have been good with maps, but he was no match for the soldier's abundance of common sense.
His shuttle landed on a hill, one that just barely cleared the tree tops, giving the soldier a bit more visibility to map out his plan of approach. But as he emerged from the craft, there was a distinct difference in the atmosphere noted by the scanners built into his helmet. He looked up as the rain was falling, noting the unique composition of the raindrops.
They weren't made of normal water.
"Scipio, seems like THX1138 has made its way into the atmosphere." He spoke into his comms.
"So it seems. According to the readouts I'm getting from your visor, a rather substantial amount has been lost." Scipio mused. "I guess En was a little careless with his shots and possibly ruptured one of the containment units. That means Honoghr will be nothing more than a wasteland in a few months."
"As long as it's not a few minutes." Satisfied with not suffering at all from prolonged exposure, the soldier powered down his comms and took off into the jungle at a jog. He entered the thick foliage and began to cut a path through towards the commotion caused by Republic forces. The scene reminded him much of Malastare and how he had scored a series of kills which earned him some prestige in the eyes of the Separatist Council.
Perhaps history would repeat itself.
The toxic rain lasted for a short while before it as reduced to random droplets, hardly enough to even soak his jacket. Not that he cared. His attire had been specifically designed to keep him separate from the environment. He wouldn't even notice it was raining until he looked up. His jacket was thick and insulated, able to keep out the harshest cold and keep him completely dry. He had been engineered to be the best, unstoppable no matter the terrain and his attire reflected it, constructed to enhance his unstoppable nature.
Clones couldn't stop him and neither could the environment. Although he had considered using more 'environment appropriate' attire. Scipio had spoken about designing a desert themed jacket, but the soldier was beginning to consider a few other environments where he may need something other than dark blue: snowy mountains, marshy wetlands, thick forests, with the proper attire he could blend in easily.
And deliver death that much more efficiently.
Time ticked by as the soldier jogged through the forest, his optical HUD displaying his route and the general location of Republic forces. They appeared to be advancing towards a nearby Rakatan temple, most likely the location where the Noghri had hidden the SIP. Picking up movement nearby, the soldier stopped and crouched low, hoping to blend in with the foliage around him. Adjusting his scanners to infra-red, he quickly located a pair of Noghri warriors off to his right. They were advancing towards his location, no doubt en route towards all the Republic activity. Hopefully they wouldn't notice him and continue.
If they did, they would die.
Scipio had instructed him to not take any chances when it came to the Noghri. If they were to challenge him, he should eliminate them as soon as possible. The Noghri were notoriously formidable hand-to-hand combatants. Some might even say they were masters of this art of warfare.
Maybe he should kill these two now and spare himself some potential future headaches.
As he began to plan the demise of these two locals, the soldier quickly considered the kind of warriors the Noghri were: they preferred primitive weaponry like knives and were often thought of as master assassins.
Thinking about his own knives, the soldier knew exactly how to counter their fighting style.
Forming an attack plan, he knew he was incapable of sneaking up on the Noghri. Their senses were far too evolved for him to successfully assassinate them.
It was time for him to exercise some brute force.
Drawing both knives, he waited until the Noghri were only a few feet in front of him before lunging forward, bursting from the trees to attack the surprised but ready Noghri. The warriors had their own knives ready and Wraith was sure to make certain where they were at all times. He dove in to attack, slicing at the arms of both Noghri as he flew past them. Blood sprayed from the quick wounds and landed on the ground as the soldier turned about and readied for the Noghri to attack. They did so with guttural war cries, lunging forward with knives at the ready. The soldier was quick with his movements as he countered each swipe and slash, always moving to ensure he maintained an advantage over his opponents. The fighting was fast a furious, the Noghri were certainly impressive warriors, but the soldier had been engineered to be better than all.
And he was proving that fact right now.
The Noghri to his right thrust forward with his blade, the soldier quickly sidestepping as he caught the outstretched arm and drove his own knife into the Noghri's flesh, tearing three wounds along the arm in quick succession. Shoving the wounded Noghri aside, the soldier leapt forward and drop-kicked the second Noghri as he rushed him. Turning around, the soldier leapt upon the rising Noghri he had wounded and drove his blade into the alien's chest. The Noghri roared in pain as the soldier dragged his knife across, cutting a deep wound across the Noghri's chest. Pulling his blood-soaked blade free, the soldier quickly readjusted his grip and slammed it back down, spearing the Noghri's heart with the tip of his blade. Gurgling as blood filled his mouth, the soldier held the blade in place as the Noghri died beneath him. An angry cry erupting from his left, the soldier turned to see the other Noghri charging him, a powerful desire for vengeance in his black eyes. The soldier waited until the Noghri was almost on top of him before lashing out with his free blade, cutting deeply across the Noghri's face. Blood spurted from the wounded creature as it cried out in pain and surprise. Wrenching his blade free from the dead Noghri, the soldier spun his blade around and impaled the other Noghri in the back of the head. His blade pierced through flesh and muscle until it was driven through the skull, killing the alien instantly. The soldier stood still, firmly holding his blade, watching as the Noghri twitched, dropping his knife as he died. Blood dripped down the soldier's knife as he yanked it loose, the Noghri dropping next to his dead companion. Sheathing both blades, the soldier paused to try and wipe some blood from his hands. The slick residue would not clean easy and he gave up moments later.
He had bigger things to worry about.
Casting one final look at the dead Noghri, the soldier moved on and resumed his journey through the forest.
For being older than the Republic, the Rakata sure knew how to build elaborate structures.
The temple was tall and wide, circular in design and impressive in height. Ornate designs covered the exterior walls and parapets, small statues lined the exterior gates and entrances. The architecture of it all was very impressive, considering it had been some thirty-thousand years since the Rakatan 'Infinite Empire' had risen and fallen.
Such was life. All things came to an end.
The complete 327th had encamped around the Rakata temple where the Noghri had hidden the SIP. From his vantage point several feet away, high in a tree, the soldier could distinctly make out the markings of several different units within the 327th, namely Hawkbat Battalion, Talon Squad and the 7th Legion. Obviously, the Republic wanted whatever information they could get on THX1138 and were willing to send whomever they could to deny the Separatists access to their own chemical weaponry.
But no number of Clones would ever be enough to stop him.
However, there was a problem he had realized upon scoping out Republic forces: there were simply too many.
It may have seemed absurd for him to think that, but his tactical mindset was hard at work. And for any one tactic to be effective, he needed to slim down these numbers.
Now would be an appropriate time for the Noghri to attack. Suddenly pausing after his seemingly random musing, he suddenly realized how useful these violent natives could be. He could take advantage of the chaos caused by a Noghri assault and fulfill his mission with relentless vigilance. The SIP would be his and the Clones would be dead.
Perfect.
So far, he had yet to spot Aayla Secura, the Twi'lek Jedi General in charge of the Star Corps or her chief Clone servant, Commander Bly. They would be his ultimate targets. For now, he needed to scout the area, identify his attackers and come up with a backup plan just in case the Noghri didn't play into his original plan. Adjusting his audio receptors to receive incoming vocalizations, he began to listen in on the conversations of the Clones, hoping luck was with him and he could learn some useful information from these useless duplicates.
"You hear General En was killed by Noghri?" Well. How about that.
"Yeah, him and his guard. These ugly brutes know nothing apart from killing."
"Haven't you heard? They don't like us very much. They're pretty firm in their neutrality."
"Yeah, they'd rather kill us as soon we show up than gently shoo us away!"
So Rii'ke En, the one who started this whole mess, was dead.
That was good news. One less Jedi to worry about. But it also showcased their mortality. If Jedi could be slain by a horde of Noghri, then they weren't nearly as invincible as people made them out to be.
Because they could certainly be slain by him.
The soldier quickly powered down his receptors and re-activated his comms and informed Scipio of the new development,
"Rii'ke En has been killed by the Noghri." There was a brief pause before the Pau'un's voice came over his receptors.
"Well, I suppose a dead Jedi is better than a living one." The doctor replied.
"Words to live by." The soldier growled. He paused to survey the massive structure before him. "Going to climb up this temple, wait for the Republic to emerge with the SIP then ambush them."
"Any thoughts on how to bypass all these Clones?" Scipio asked. The soldier had yet to determine his course of action. He had a plan, but required the timely intervention of...
Suddenly his built-in scanners alerted him to the presence of multiple approaching targets.
What timing.
"Sensors indicate Noghri approaching. I'll let them do the dirty work." He explained before powering down his comms. Switching his optics back to thermal vision, he scanned over the approaching Noghri warriors. A very large horde was en route to the Republic camp. No doubt their presence would result in the entire Clone force going into battle against them. The soldier would then wait until the fighting was in full swing before making his presence known. His targets would be the leaders of the individual squads within the 327th. Clones were just like everyone else: with no leaders, there would be no organization.
And it was time for the leaders of the Star Corps to meet a gruesome fate.
Movement from the Republic camp sparked the beginning of the conflict. The soldier watched in eager anticipation as Clones suited up, hurriedly grabbing their battle gear and preparing for conflict. The war cries of the Noghri could be heard in the distance and the soldier watched through his thermal vision as the two groups began to clash, Noghri charging forward into Republic blaster fire. As long as the Clones were so focused on the Noghri, the soldier may very well be able to attack from behind. But knowing the overwhelmingly violent nature of the Noghri, the soldier assumed he needed to only wait until chaos broke out in the camp.
And break out it did.
He didn't have to wait long for the Clones to fall into a state of disarray with the Noghri running rampant all around them. The only direction they were receiving was from their individual squad leaders.
Leaders who would soon die.
Deciding to capitalize on the moment, the soldier sprinted forward and leapt out from the forest, lunging onto the battlefield and triggering both arm blades. He rolled across the ground and took a swipe at a nearby Clone, severing his right leg with a spray of blood. The Clone cried out as he fell, only to be silenced as the soldier swiftly impaled his falling body, pinning him to the ground. Another nearby Clone was promptly killed as the soldier impaled him twice in the stomach, blood spilling across his arms and blades. A third Clone met his death just as swiftly when the soldier tackled him to the ground, retracted both arm blades in favor of his wrist blades and shoved both weapons through his neck, a quick shower of blood soaking his hands. His attack was soon spotted by another trio of Clone troopers who quickly advanced upon him, weapons raised. The soldier sheathed both blades and drew just one of his slugthrowers, his mind rapidly calculating angles of attack based upon the speed and direction of the incoming Clones. The first one rushed in, firing his rifle at point blank range. But he was taken aback when every round pinged off his heavily armored body. The soldier responded by knocking his rifle away, striking him squarely in the face with his palm before firing a single shot aimed right between his eyes. These new Clone helmets, Mark Two he believed they were called, had forsaken the old wide-visored approach for a pair of singular eye visors linked together by one ultra-thin visor. This gave the soldier an even better target as his shot bored a perfect hole between the eyes, blood splattering from behind his head. As he finished this Clone, a second opened fire, only to find his rounds also rebuffed by the heavy armor on the soldier's arm. His fate was far more precise as the soldier shot his right knee, chest and forehead in quick succession, downing the Clone in only a second. The third took longer to dispatch as a pair of blaster rounds to the head momentarily stunned the soldier. But he quickly shook off the effect and shot out both knees of the Clone trooper. The Republic soldier cried in agony as he fell to his knees, blood pooling around him.
The soldier abruptly ended his suffering with two shots, one in each eye.
His assault was enough to gain the attention of one of the nearby Clone commanders. The soldier could tell based on the yellow armor markings that it was A'den, none other than the Senior Commander of the 7th Legion himself. Flanked by a pair of Clones, the commander charged ahead, blaster rifle trained on the Separatist. The soldier acted quickly, snapping up his pistol and firing two rounds at the trooper on A'den's left, piercing his heart and killing him before he hit the ground. Realizing he had used up his clip, the soldier unloaded his slugthrower and speedily drew his second sidearm, gunning down A'den's other bodyguard. The Clone to his right took a shot to the ankle before the soldier finished him off with two shots to the head. Angered by the deaths of his brothers, A'den surged forward, snapping up his own blaster and firing a trio of shots as he drew closer. Each round ricocheted off the unfazed Separatist as he reloaded his empty slugthrower without looking. A'den reared his weapon back with a cry and prepared to bash the soldier as hard as he could. The soldier let him hit, and the weapon predictably managed to only scratch the armor plating of his jacket. Grabbing the Clone with one arm, the soldier emptied four slugs into A'den's abdomen in quick succession. Slumping forward with a grunt, A'den dropped his weapon and fell to his knees as the soldier took a step back. Blood seeped from a gaping hole in his torso as A'den looked up into the crimson stare of his victorious opponent. The soldier promptly pistol-whipped A'den across the face, shattering his helmet as the Clone dried out in pain. Spinning his pistol around in his grip, the soldier stretched his right arm over his folded left and took aim at the cracked hole in A'den's helmet. His aim was true and the slug ripped through A'den's face. Though he could not see the carnage, the splatter of blood on the inside of his helmet told the soldier that this Clone was certainly dead.
Time to move on.
His actions were quickly becoming noticed by other Clones and a few who weren't fending off the Noghri advanced upon him. One of which was Clone Major Twelve, the leader of Hawkbat Battalion. They were a notorious group of Clones, having been first deployed at Geonosis when these Clone Wars first started.
Their long history was about to meet an abrupt end.
Knowing how tough these Clones would be, the soldier sheathed his slugthrowers and charged the advancing group of five head-on. Twelve knelt as did two other Clones while the remaining two took aim over top of them. With five blasters trained on him, the soldier was thankful for his speed, agility and pain tolerance.
This would be a fun one.
He raised his indestructible gauntlets, blocking most of the incoming fire save for a few shots to his abdomen. But he shrugged off the pain and charged ahead, plowing through their barrage. Leaping up off the ground, the soldier twisted in mid-air and drew both blaster pistols. Arcing high over his attackers, the soldier rained down fire from above, pulling the triggers as quick as he could. His primary intention was to simply pepper them with fire until he could strike, but a series of lucky shots pierced the armor of two Clone's, killing them with scattered shots to the chest. Landing opposite his attackers, the soldier sheathed his pistols as he squared off against the remaining three Clones. Twelve was the first to attack, pulling one of his own sidearms free from his hip and taking aim. But the soldier was already moving, snapping up his right arm and firing a grapple. The tether embedded itself in Twelve's blaster, disabling the weapon. Wrenching the weapon free from his grip, the soldier turned his grapple into a whip, spinning around and using his newfound tool to bash a Clone hard in the head. His helmet shattered as the gun fractured his skull, tearing a deep laceration in the Clone's head. With only two remaining, the soldier reeled in his tether and pulled off the broken weapon.
"Sir, what is that thing?" The remaining trooper asked Twelve.
"I don't, trooper. All I know is it's a Seppie, so we're taking him down." Twelve replied, reassuring the Clone.
"Good luck. You're really gonna need it." The Separatist growled. Taking that as a challenge, Twelve moved in to attack. The soldier rushed ahead, crouching low as he prepared to execute his own maneuver. As soon as he drew close enough, the soldier lept up and drove his knees into Twelve's chin. The Clone was propelled up with the soldier, who sent his opponent sprawling by lashing out with a hard kick. As he landed, the soldier turned on the final Clone, who decided to rush him. But as soon as he was close enough, the soldier struck with a pair of hard blows to the face. The force of impact shattered the Clone's helmet and spun him around, dazed. Seeing an opportunity, the soldier quickly fired the grapple mounted on his left arm, aiming for the neck. The Clone was snagged and reefed back into the soldier's outstretched leg. The hard impact cracked the Clone's spine as the soldier's boot connected with his back. The trooper fell to the ground, paralyzed and more than likely dead, leaving only Twelve alive.
Not for long.
The Clone was on his feet and seeing his dead brothers lying around him was more than ready to take another crack at this Separatist. The soldier was not the least bit concerned with Twelve's demeanor. But he was concerned with the dwindling number of Noghri. The Clones wouldn't be so busy for very long and he still needed to acquire the SIP... wherever it was inside that temple. He'd have to do some more planning once he had disposed of Twelve. As the Clone rushed to attack him, the soldier calmly drew his rifle from behind and gunned down the commander with a volley of six shots. Each round struck home and Twelve fell forward, dead. As he returned his rifle to his back, the soldier noticed a series of cylindrical devices on the back of Twelve's belt. He immediately recognized the strobe grenades and decided to take them, assuming they may yet come in handy.
And they were about to.
He soon found himself surrounded by a squad of Clones, evidently having finished with the Noghri. Among them were Sergeant Green, the leader of Talon Squad and Lieutenant Galle, both of which were high-ranking leaders of the Star Corps.
"Hands where we can see 'em, Seppie." Galle ordered. The soldier remained unfazed as he examined the Clones around him.
"Should've brought more men." He growled. "You can't handle me and the Noghri."
"What're you talking about?" Green demanded. "They've taken off!"
"And they'll be back. With a lot more than last time." The soldier replied. He knew how the Noghri operated, once they were devoted to an objective they would never stop until it was completed.
"We'll worry about them later. For now, you're coming with us." Galle replied.
"Keep dreaming." The soldier growled, dropping one of the strobe grenades he had quietly armed. His visor quickly adjusted to the blinding light, preventing him from suffering and adverse effects. But the Clones weren't so lucky. By the time they could see again, three of their brothers were dead, including Sergeant Green. All with slit throats.
But their Separatist quarry was nowhere to be found.
"Sir... what was that thing?" One of the troopers asked Galle.
"To be honest, I don't know. But I'd say he's worse than the Noghri. We have to find him." Galle determined.
"Sir, if I may, we're short on men. Between him and the Noghri... well, there's not much of the 327th left." A Clone reported. Galle looked around at the bodies surrounding the area. Twelve, A'den and so many others had been killed. They needed reinforcements if this mission was to be a success. That's when he remembered a small squad that was on area patrol.
"Get in contact with Tyto and Bacta Company. Tell them to meet us half-way between their position and the temple. They're the only option we have left and we need to protect the SIP once the General gets it. But we can't afford getting ambushed by the Noghri when there's so few of us left." He explained. The Clone saluted and went to relay the orders. Galle took another look around and sighed.
This day had gone from bad to worse all too quickly for his liking.
In truth, the soldier had used the diversion to hide out behind the walls around the Rakatan temple. He was completely invisible to the Clones and was able to watch as they disappeared into the forest. He had been listening to their communications the whole time and knew they were going for help.
Good. He now had a window of opportunity to claim the SIP.
But why do it himself when the Jedi General was doing it for him? All he needed to do was wait for her to exit. Given he had not spotted Bly during his earlier recon, he could only assume the Clone Commander was with her. Once the Clones had left, the soldier quickly scaled up the side of the temple and waited over the entrance. From this position, he could easily drop down and surprise both Jedi and Clone Commander.
Especially if his entrance was accented with a strobe grenade.
Time ticked on as the soldier sat in waiting. Minutes turned to hours as the clouds he had left behind began to form over the area, preparing to empty more of their toxic rain onto the planet's surface. All the while, the soldier stayed in place. He scanned the area, planning his battles before time, considering every option available to him. He checked over his jacket and armor. A few scrapes a scorch marks here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. He pinged his scanners periodically, his optics detecting no movement beneath him or before him.
For the moment, he was alone.
The respite would only last for so long, however, as his thermal scans soon detected a pair of individuals making their way out of the temple.
His victims had arrived. Right on schedule.
The blue female Twi'lek and her armored companion exited the temple right below him, totally oblivious to their stalker. They paused in shock as they surveyed the bloody battlefield before them.
"What the hell happened here?" Bly wondered aloud. "Looks like a massacre!"
"Something troublesome is going on here Bly." Aayla stated cautiously. "Radio your men, perhaps someone out there is still alive." Bly did so, adjusting to a much broader frequency. "If anyone can hear me, this is Commander Bly of the 327th Star Corps. Are there any Republic units out there, over?" His response came moments later.
"Commander, this is Lieutenant Galle." Hearing his voice made Bly breathe a sigh of relief.
"Galle, thank the Force you're still alive. What happened outside the temple?"
"Noghri for one thing. But there's something else out there, some kind of Separatist." Galle warned. Bly and Aayla exchanged curious looks.
"Weren't all the droids destroyed?" Bly radioed back.
"I think so... whatever this thing is, it doesn't play nice. I've gone to rendezvous with Tyto and Bacta Company, to avoid another Noghri attack. We'll be back shortly."
"Understood." Bly replied before powering down his comms. Before he or Aayla could say another word or discuss this mysterious Separatist Galle had reported, a pair of strobe grenades bounced to their feet.
They had already been armed for some time.
The sudden blast caught both off-guard. Aayla would've normally recovered quite quickly, but a pair going off simultaneously doubled the effect of the explosion, literally knocking her senses. Suddenly, the soldier descended from above, spinning around as he executed a tornado kick. His heavy metal boot connected squarely with Aayla's temple, knocking her out cold on the ground.
The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a single pair of blood-red eyes.
Bly managed to pick himself up a little quicker before being kicked back by the soldier. As his vision returned, the Clone could start to make out the appearance of the attacker stalking towards him. The first clear indication he had was the Separatist emblem emblazoned to the left of his dark blue jacket. Bly pushed himself to his feet only to receive a pair jabs straight to the helmet. He groaned as he stumbled back, shaking his head as he shrugged off the hard blows.
"Who are you?" He asked his assailant.
"Death." He growled. "Your death." The soldier triggered his arm blades, ready to spill some more Clone blood. The shrill metallic ringing alerted Bly to the danger he was in and he put up his fists, ready to fight.
But he was still dazed from the strobes and was in no position to partake in hand-to-hand combat. The soldier knew this and attacked swiftly without hesitation. Bly stood little chance as he was impaled not once, but twice through the gut before having a blade jabbed through his legs. Falling to his knees, the stunned and injured Clone was incapable of fighting back as his powerful attacker retracted his weapons and ripped off Bly's helmet before shoving him to the ground. "You have something that belongs to us." The soldier stated as he removed the SIP from the back of Bly's belt. Standing up, satisfied with his prize, the soldier turned and began walking away from Bly, crushing the Clone's discarded helmet underfoot in the process. The soldier examined the small, square box he held. His optics briefly scanned over the package and determined it had been unharmed. Now it was time to leave his mark, as if the battlefield around him wasn't testament enough to his power. Bly was bleeding out, if he wasn't already dead. Perhaps he could use the temple in some manner to display the dead body of Aayla Secura. But as he pondered the possible methods for execution, he failed to realize his latest victim was not dead.
All of a sudden, the SIP exploded in his hand, ripped apart by a sudden blaster bolt. The soldier recoiled as shards of metal flew in all directions, leaving only the sparking and charred remains of his valuable intel in his hand. The soldier turned towards the direction of the shot and saw Bly, pushing himself up with a smoking blaster in one hand.
"Not... today, Seppie." He grunted with a satisfied smirk, pain still coursing through his abdomen.
The soldier was royally miffed.
Dropping the shattered instrument package and stalking over to the wounded Clone, the soldier delivered a sharp kick straight to his face, knocking Bly senseless and sending his blaster skittering away. Walking over to the discarded weapon, the soldier picked up the standard issue Clone blaster and promptly snapped it in half. Tossing away the pieces, the soldier returned to Bly's prone form and placed a heavy boot on the back of his neck.
"Be a good Clone, and stay dead this time!" He growled before stomping down hard, breaking Bly's neck under his heel with an audible crack. Stepping away from the dead Clone, the soldier began to ponder the situation he found himself in. With no data to return and no means of making a copy, the soldier was stuck in a troubling predicament. This was all his fault, he failed to ensure Bly's death. How could he have been so stupid! This mistake could result in his first failure...
No! He had maintained a perfect record thus far and it would not come to an end today! Or any day for that matter!
He needed a 'Plan B', something he could rely on to achieve the objective he was given. He needed data on the virus and he needed it now! The question was: where was he supposed to get it? The scientific instrument package contained every piece of data on THX1138, its composition, molecular structure, everything! Where would he get something li-
Suddenly remembering the wreck of the Gahenna, the soldier tracked down the crashed ship through his visor and sprinted off into the forest, leaving the blood-soaked battlefield behind him.
Lieutenant Galle and his men had managed to link up with Bacta Company and were steadily making their way back to the temple. Galle was recounting their run in with the Separatist to Tyto.
"So, you mean to tell me he killed eleven Clones, without hesitation, and then vanished into thin air?" Tyto couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's impossible! Only someone like Grievous has the kind of skill to take out more than one Clone at once."
"Exactly what I thought, until I saw it happen." Galle responded. Tyto could only shake his head in dismay. "Seriously Tyto, remember the reports from Muunilinst and Geonosis?"
"Just rumors! Probably advanced droids or something." Tyto replied, dismissing the matter. But his second in command, a Clone by the name of Vudu, wasn't so certain.
"Sir, did you get a good look at him?"
"I did, we all did. But after that strobe, everything's fuzzy. All I remember are these piercing red eyes and a dark form."
"A wraith?" Vudu whispered as soon as he heard Galle's description. His commander overheard it.
"What're you talking about Vudu?" Galle asked, curious.
"Don't you remember the natives on Anzat, sir? Whenever something bad happened that couldn't be explained, they blamed it on a spirit. They called it a 'wraith': a willowy, wispy spirit of vengeance or something like that. It's supposed to be forgotten soul who roams around endlessly, looking for something to kill to avenge the misdeeds done to him." After a moment of silence, where Galle digested what he heard, Tyto gave a quick laugh.
"You seriously think the Republic is being stalked by one of these 'wraiths'?" He asked, not superstitious in the least.
"No. But that name sure does fit the situation, now doesn't it?" Vudu replied.
"You may very well be my 2IC, Vudu, but I find that really hard to bel-" at that moment, the patrol cleared the forest and entered the staging area by the Rakatan temple.
And Tyto got a good first look at the carnage before him.
Bloodied bodies, rent and torn, blood soaking the ground beneath, armor ripped to shreds, the whole scene seemed unbelievable.
And yet here he was, staring right at it.
"You see what I mean?" Galle said to him. Tyto didn't immediately reply.
"And... we have no idea what did this?"
"Mostly Noghri, but something else too." Galle replied. Tyto paused and turned to his second in command.
"Uh, Vudu?" He asked. "What, ah, what were you saying about a 'wraith', again?"
Days later, Jedi Council Meeting Room...
Sixteen of the most powerful Jedi met together in the top tower of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They comprised the Jedi Council, the wisest and most powerful of all the Jedi. Most could be present in person, but some were away on distant worlds leading Clone armies into battle. Of these few, Master Aayla Secura was present via a holographic communication and was about to report on her work on Honoghr.
"Master Secura, how goes Honoghr?" Mace Windu asked her holographic form.
"Not well I'm afraid, Master Windu. We were plagued by the Noghri the entire time and lost Master En." She relayed.
"We heard. A sad loss to be assured." Windu replied.
"That's not the worst of it Master. Something vicious attacked my men and slaughtered them in droves." The Jedi exchanged looks of worry. They had heard this before, in the reports from Muunilinst, Malastare and Geonosis. This trend was becoming very problematic.
"How do you mean Aayla?" Nautolan Master Kit Fisto asked her.
"When Bly and I left the temple, instrument package in hand, we returned to find most of our Clones had been killed, ripped apart and gutted by what could only be blades. Then there was a tremendous flash of light and smoke, it disoriented me quite badly. A shadowy figure suddenly dropped down between the two of us and knocked me out cold with a hard kick. The last thing I saw were a pair of blood-red eyes."
"Blood-red?" Obi-Wan repeated, pondering the new information.
"When I came too, Commander Galle and a small patrol were there to help me." She continued. "They had left to regroup with another squad in order to bolster our position. We found Bly not far away with a crushed spine, his body horribly mutilated, and the SIP containing THX1138 had been destroyed beyond repair."
"That is most troubling. This is the fourth incident involving this killer." Windu stated, knowing his fellow Councilors were aware of the previous reports from other worlds where similar situations had arisen.
"More like the sixth." Obi-Wan grimly mused.
"How so, Master Kenobi?" Master Ki-Adi Mundi asked his friend.
"Duchess Satine's nephew, Korkie, and the three cadets who helped Ahsoka expose Prime Minister Almec on Mandalore were also murdered in a brutal fashion. That and we've heard reports about the murder of the Bonteri family, done in a point-blank execution style."
"Something feels very wrong here and I don't mean in the missing information manner. I have a feeling these incidents were performed and executed by the same entity." Plo Koon stated, earning nods of agreement from the rest of the Council.
"They do seem to share a similar trademark brutality. The question now is 'who'?" Windu rhetorically asked aloud.
"My men have taken to calling sickening discoveries as 'signs of a wraith'. I believe the saying originated during our time on Anzat, we spent several weeks assisting a group of local natives. A rather spiritual lot." Aayla added.
"A wraith, eh?" Mundi mused. "Well, if anything, we now have a title for these disturbing events."
"Indeed. However, it is the continual reoccurrence of these discoveries that has me worried most." Obi-Wan agreed, stating his own opinion. The Council fell silent as they individually considered the problem at hand.
"Afoot, something foul is. Ahead, dark times are." Yoda mused. The wise old Jedi Grand Master's words drew the attention of the rest of the Jedi Council. "This wraith, a source of much sorrow, will he be. What he will do, know I do not. But a dark spirit, I sense."
Elsewhere...
The soldier stood behind Scipio as he ran a tactical analysis through the footage from Honoghr. One of the helpful components he had installed in his primary computing system was the addition of a program that calculated the soldier's efficiency rate based upon footage available and noted possible improvements that could be made the next time a mission of the same caliber was undertaken.
To date, no improvements were needed.
"Your skills continue to impress, my boy." Scipio mused. He chuckled as he watched the soldier dispatch the pair of Noghri. "That one looked like it hurt."
"It was supposed to." The soldier replied.
"You appear to be quite a master at- oh! Oh, that one really looked like it hurt!" Scipio interrupted himself as he watched the way the soldier executed Commander A'den, chuckling as he did.
"At delivering pain?" The soldier finished for him.
"Yes, indeed. I believe it was an innovative idea to have you study those death arts." Scipio mused. They continued to watch for a moment longer before the holo-table behind them was lit up by the appearance of Count Dooku. Both soldier and scientist immediately moved to greet their leader.
"I wanted to personally congratulate you on a job well done, soldier." The old man began. "Though, if I may, why did you send us a vial of 1138 instead of the instrument package?"
"That cursed Bly found his second wind after I beat him. He destroyed the package with a blaster shot." The soldier explained.
"I see. I take it you finished him off then?"
"Correct. I remembered the Gahenna's crash site and located a raw sample of the toxin in liquid form." The soldier explained.
"Well, at least you've proven capable of thinking outside the box. It will take time, but I believe our scientists can break down the sample and relearn what we have lost." Dooku responded. "You're doing well soldier. You continue to exceed our expectations and are helping to tip the war in our favor. Well done."
"I live to serve, my liege." The soldier bowed from the waist. Dooku turned his attention to Scipio.
"I have been giving the matter some thought and I believe it is high time we give you're soldier a name. What do you think of 'Sunstorm', Doctor? Shall we name him after this secret project of ours?" Dooku suggested. Scipio just so happened to have some input on that subject.
"My lord, if I may," the doctor politely interjected, "recently intercepted transmissions have revealed some... interesting theories about our soldier by the Republic." His words intrigued the Count. He wanted to know what their enemies thought of this soldier.
"Go on."
"They are beginning to refer to their findings as 'signs of a wraith'. A report made by Commander Galle mentions this moniker more than a few times." His report made the Count stop and pause, considering the idea of calling this soldier 'wraith'. Admittedly, it was a good name...
"What do you think, soldier?" He asked. "Should we let the enemy name you?"
"Not bad. Could be worse." The soldier mused as he stood up. Scipio grinned.
"In that case, Count Dooku it is my personal honor to introduce to you to the first successful soldier of Project Sunstorm: The Wraith!" The very utterance of the name sounded foreboding, like something sinister was coming soon... and very soon.
"Wraith it shall be." Dooku nodded in agreement, a small smile appearing on his face. The soldier mulled over his new designation. No longer was he a nameless soldier, now he truly was somebody.
He was the Wraith.
