-Chapter 48: Clash With the Titans Part 1-
Location: Takodana
"Opportunities multiply as they are siezed."
Taking a couple steps forward, Wraith carefully examined his surroundings for any sign of another trap.
Little did he realize that he had just walked into one.
All of a sudden, multiple explosions went off all around him, forcing Wraith to shield himself as columns of flame shot up around his body. These were no ordinary concussive explosives though, but specially designed thermite explosives, designed to induce heat instead of force. The sudden heat was searing, Wraith gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes as he bore the brunt of this fiery assault. After a few seconds, which felt like an absolute eternity, the flames finally died down. Once he was certain that it was over, Wraith lowered his arms and looked himself over. His armor was glowing red-hot, the explosion having superheated the Phrik through sheer temperature-manipulation alone. Wraith himself could feel a few beads of sweat on his brow and questioned why someone would try to force him out of his armor through a roasting...
And then the shooting started.
"Cranking steel!" He heard a distant voice shout. Then he heard the staccato of, not blasters, but slugthrowers firing as multiple bogeys attacked him. The first few shots were wide, grazing his helmet and his armor.
But then, they found their mark.
Being as warm as it was, the Phrik his armor was composed of was now soft and malleable, offering no resistance to the slugs coming his way. They pierced clean through him, striking Wraith hard and burrowing deep into his body. Growling as a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt before flared up, Wraith raised his arms to defend himself, only to watch in shock as a melt slug ripped through his armored arm, a trail of his blood following it. He was being struck all over, his blood absolutely flying from an innumerable amount of holes that were being punched in his armor. Wraith felt every hit and impact, felt every slug pass through his armor and into his skin, felt every ounce of burning pain that came with each shot that struck him. His arms, shoulders, torso, chest, legs, he felt each blow all over his body as a slug struck him and passed clean through his armor.
This wasn't supposed to happen. His armor was designed to ward off attacks like these. How did they managed to get past it? Why had his armor failed him? What kind of slugs were they using that not even Phrik could stop? He had plenty of questions, not a single answer for any of them, and a boatload of pain instead.
In that moment, Wraith started to panic. His HUD was on the fritz, he was having trouble seeing, he couldn't properly spot his attackers and therefore had no way to know who or where these shots were coming from.
He needed to get out of here, collect himself, and then think of a solution... and fast.
Breaking into a run, Wraith charged off as a few more shots pierced his shoulder, his blood now streaming freely down his body from the dozens of holes that had been shot into him. Drawing his pistols, Wraith blindly fired into the woods, aiming in the general direction of the shooting. He could hear more slugs whiz past him, striking the trees as they attempted to hit him. Bits of shredded leaves rained down around him, cut to pieces by passing slugs. Adrenaline was now fueling Wraith's escape, brought on by fear and panic as he took flight to evade his attackers. Knowing he was faster than them, than any kind of soldier, Wraith powered past the pain and continued on.
Behind him, a group of mercenaries clad in black armor and wielding strange, rectangular slugthrower rifles, tromped through the woods, their green-lit visors scanning the woods for their quarry. At the front of the group, a pale, brown-haired woman with dark brown eyes swept the forest this way and that, looking for Wraith. To her disappointment, the super-soldier was nowhere to be seen... only a few drops of blood splashed here and there along the ground.
"Command, target is on the run and we've lost visual contact." She reported into her wrist comm.
"Undahstood. We're tracking 'im. Eyes up, Theris, he could still come back." Came the reply.
"Roger that, command." She answered with clipped authoritativeness.
Back at the hub, Thrawn and the man carefully studied the holomap before them, now joined by two more individuals: Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Jedi Knight looked on in disdain as things progressed, displeased with the recent turn of events.
"We should be leading this." He muttered, loud enough for the others to hear. Obi-Wan made to say something, but Thrawn beat him to the punch.
"The Jedi were given numerous chances to defeat The Wraith, General Skywalker. You alone have quite possibly received more chances out of all of them. But every time they have failed to do so and the Chancellor has decided to turn to outside assistance at my request." He calmly explained. "We can no longer allow Wraith to go about as freely as he does."
"Which is why we're gettin' paid to rid ya of this kriffer." The man remarked not even turning around. "Trust me, yor Chancellor was smart to come to the Titan Conglomerate. We get the job done right... the first time."
"Right. Like I'm supposed to trust a bunch of credit-hungry mercs with no scruples." Anakin remarked, crossing his arms.
"Ya don't have ta like it for it ta work." The human retorted, taking a long drag from his cigarra and blowing a cloud of smoke large enough to force Anakin to wave his hand before his nose. "Here's the deal, Jedi, yor Chancellor is payin' us top credit to bag this bloodthirsty kriffer. An' since he put me in charge a' this, that makes me the one givin' the orders 'round here. So you can either get in line or get outta my way." He stated, jabbing his finger in Anakin's direction. The Knight huffed and rolled his eyes as the human clamping his cigarra between his teeth.
"Corsair, aren't you worried that Wraith will eventually adapt to your methods?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to shift topics to something more amicable. Corsair snorted.
"Hardly." He replied. Reaching for his belt, which had a pair of magazines clipped to it, Corsair popped out one of the slugs and tossed it to Obi-Wan. "Depleted uranium slugs. Bought 'em off some smuggler who claimed he got it off Ruusan 'imself." He explained. "Got my whole team outfitted with 'em. These suckah's 'll pass clean through a planet, north ta south. They'll have no trouble piercin' Wraith's armah, trust me, that kriffer's gonna get perforated real good." He paused to take another drag from his cigarra. "By the time we're done, he'll have more holes in 'im than a piece a Rugosan coral." Corsair remarked as he blew another cloud.
"Must you do that?" Anakin wondered in irritation. Corsair glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"What? This?" He wondered, holding out his cigarra in one hand. "This 'ere's savorium herb, mate. Straight from Ithor." He stated, taking another quick drag. "Good stuff too. Calms the mind, keeps ya thinking. Maybe you oughtta try some to soothe that tempah yor nursin'." He added with a grin.
Anakin's frown deepened.
Wraith had managed to outrun his pursuers and slowed down to catch his breath, having run for a long time.
Looking down, the super-soldier quickly realized he was a mess.
His entire duster was full of holes, ranging from as far down as his coattails to as high up as his shoulders, his own blood splashed across the tarnished armor and dripping from holes punched clean through every protective layer he had on. As he stood there, shocked by the damage done to him, only now did the pain set in.
Feeling like dozens of burning embers had been imbedded in his skin, every move Wraith made brought with it a new agony. He realized he couldn't function like this. He needed to figure this out... and fast.
"Unless they've switched up their arsenal," he mumbled to himself, pulling a pneumatic dispenser out of his duster, "I don't think those were Clones." Injecting himself with bacta, Wraith breathed deeply as as the healing salve coursed through his body. In spite of this, Wraith knew he couldn't survive a prolonged engagement with all of these holes in him. He needed to do some reconnaissance, find out who was aiding the Republic and then high-tail it out of there. Leaning up against a tree, Wraith paused and tried to recall the encounter he'd escaped. It seemed to be well-orchestrated, well-planned. They knew to disorient him, disrupt him, make sure he didn't have access to all the tools he used to know his surroundings. Had his proximity sensors been working, he would've seen them coming. "My tech is down, my armor's been shredded, I'm bleeding all over," he recounted, "could this get any-" before he could even pose his jinxing question, a blaster round slammed into his exposed shoulder, forcibly staggering the super-soldier. Wraith cried out in pain as he turned to see the smoking scorch mark left behind and looked around for any sign of his attacker. He could see none, but the force of impact indicated to him that it must've come from a high-powered weapon. From where, though...?
What he didn't realize was that he was being watched from afar...
Perched high atop the ruins of what might've once been a wall or a turret, two individuals laid on their stomachs, a sniper rifle in each of their grips and their scopes trained on Wraith. One of which was a member of the Gand species, the other was a human sporting a black mohawk and had the numbers '10101' tattooed above his left eyebrow. As the Gand fired a second shot that struck Wraith in the opposite shoulder, his partner put out a quick call.
"Command, this is overwatch unit. We've got eyes on target." He reported.
"Copy Binary. Force him inta sectah three." Corsair replied.
"Understood." Binary closed the comm and adjusted his aim. "You heard that, Araa?" He asked. While the Gand only spoke in his native tongue, Binary's PUT helped him understand.
"I did. Let's keep him moving then." He said, taking aim at Wraith once more.
"Remember to chase him and cut him off good and hard should he deviate." Binary added, releasing his breath while simultaneously squeezing the trigger.
"Binary puts 'im headin' northeast. Good." Corsiar observed with crossed arms before he keyed his wrist comms yet again. "All teams, subject has been relocated and is headin' ta sectah three." He told his crew. "Maintain positions an' keep alert."
"Aw, come on! How come three gets all the fun? Doesn't two come after one?!" A second male voice wondered, sounding quite disappointed.
"Can it, Cager!" Theris promptly ordered. Corsair smirked as he switched channels, knowing who was would be going up against The Wraith next.
"Block, Stock, he'll be comin' ta you next... Let's see if 'e can survive all three rounds." Corsair instructed them with a chuckle.
"You got it boss." A deep voice replied.
"Heh. Yeah, we'll show him a good time." A second, equally deep voice chimed in. With the next part of his plan ready to go, Corsair switched channels one more time.
"Boomstick, 'e's almost in position. When I give tha word, take out 'is escape route." He ordered.
Having quickly understood that his opponents were attacking from afar, Wraith quickly determined that he needed to escape their visual range. They could obviously spot him through the forest foliage, despite the density of the trees, leading him to conclude that they might be using thermal scanners of some kind.
So with little else to use in the way of tech, Wraith simply started running. He sprinted past the trees as fast as he could run, shots tearing through brush and greenery behind him and overhead. They would have a hard time leading him, blaster rounds weren't instantaneous shots and they'd have to line up their shots almost precisely if they wanted to nail him while he was moving.
But a sudden shot struck his head and Wraith tumbled, quickly picking himself back up and thanking Scipio for adding a few extra layers of head protection. The shots were coming hard and fast now, forcing Wraith to switch directions in order to throw them off. In the distance he could see the outline of some symmetrical structure, likely one of Takodana's notable ruins. Deeming it better than running around in the open, Wraith made a beeline for it. Racing past tree after tree, more shots striking the woods around him, Wraith finally made it into the safety of the ruins and paused to catch his breath. But before he could rest for too long, a sudden explosion threw him off his feet and deeper inside the structure as his point of entry suddenly collapsed and was closed off. "So, you want me in here, huh?" He wondered, crawling back to his feet. "I'm fine with that." At least he was away from those snipers and out of sight. Standing up in total darkness, Wraith proceeded to smack the side of his helmet a few times, hoping he could get some of his tech to still work. Attempting to cycle through his settings, Wraith suddenly triggered his night vision, allowing him to see every detail of the darkened building he was in. "Of all the things that still work." He muttered, grateful that he could at least see where he was going even if he didn't know where he was. Wraith quickly sized up his surroundings; a large and open room, sporting a few support pillars and a couple of old, collapsed walls, leading him to theorized that there might've been multiple rooms at one point. Taking a couple more steps into the place, Wraith's gaze swept this way and that as he did his best to make sure he was alone and had time to figure out and escape plan.
That's when the thudding started.
It was a low and distant sound, quite audible despite the lack of intensity. Wraith slowly turned as he registered the noise, his mind rapidly attempting to deduce what it was. "Is that... artillery?" He wondered aloud, turning to face the noise. "It could be... From the battle." He stated, justifying his logic. The sound grew louder, giving Wraith an opportunity to analyze the pitch and tone. "No. No, it's too rhythmic. Too constant." He realized. The sound drew closer and Wraith was able to deduce what it was... much to his terror. "Footsteps...?" Peering into the darkness, Wraith watched as a pair of shapes emerged from the gloom, his night vision highlighting what he was up against.
A pair of Houk, clad in heavy power armor.
The eight-foot tall burly humanoid twosome were among some of the most powerful species in the galaxy, rivaled only by Wookiees in terms of brute strength. They towered over Wraith, their power armor fitting them like regular clothes and not like mechanized exo-suits as with other beings. The entirety of their faces, save their mouths, were hidden behind a silver visor, leaving their identities a mystery. Instead of hands, they had armored knuckledusters. Big, solid pieces of forged steel that no doubt packed a serious punch.
"Well well, look what we have here..." The one on the left rumbled in a deep voice.
"It's The Wraith." The one on the right chuckled. Wraith steeled himself as they drew closer, easily taller than him and many pounds heavier. "He doesn't look so tough."
"Whaddya say, bro? Shall we see if he lives up to his reputation?" The other Houk asked his apparent brother.
"I say we shall!" The right one suddenly drove his fist into the ground, aiming for Wraith. The super-soldier had anticipated the move and lept back, narrowly avoiding the blow. The second Houk quickly swooped in with a right and left cross, both of which he narrowly dodged by ducking and sidestepping. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Wraith felt little pain from his slug wounds as he vaulted and flipped over the Houk's gigantic arm. Left to face off with the other one, Wraith was goaded on by the smirking humanoid. "Come on! Show me whatcha got!" Needing no further encouragement, Wraith rushed him with blinding speed and delivered a massive flying cross that snapped the Houk's head sideways. Thinking he had landed a decent blow, Wraith looked on abysmally as the Houk casually turned back to face him, grinning from ear to ear.
"Aw Si-" Wraith didn't even get to finish before a mighty punch sent him flying through the air, head snapped back as his optics were cracked by the immense blow. Skipping across the ground like a stone across water, Wraith eventually halted when he slammed up against a wall and limply landed on the ground like a wet piece of cloth. "Ow..." He murmured, amazed that his jaw and face were still intact. The pain returned anew and Wraith was content with lying on the ground for a while longer.
But the Houk's weren't willing to give him that curtesy.
"Nice hit, Block." One complimented the other.
"Thanks Stock." His brother replied, rolling his shoulders. "What's say we show him what we 'smash brothers' are all about!" The two brothers started lumbering forward, speed clearly not their forte. Wraith crawled to his hands and knees, forcing himself to get back up so he could face these things. In a half-seated position, Stock attacked him all too quickly, his knuckleduster sinking into Wraith's torso and propelling the super-soldiered the ground and into Block, who bashed him with a heavy backhand and sent him tumbling once more. Rolling to a halt, Wraith barely managed to return to his hands and knees before Stock literally pounced on him, delivering a heavy double-axehandle to his back and putting him flat on the ground.
"First we crack the shell-" He said, slamming a knuckleduster into the back of Wraith's head. Feeling the metal crack, Wraith slowly picked himself up only to see Block come charging at him.
"-then we smash the nut inside!" The other Houk finished as he delivered a massive rising uppercut that knocked Wraith into the air and then flat on his back. Landing hard, Wraith coughed for air as a fresh pain surged through his jaw and torso, likely indicating more than a few bone fractures. In the distance, despite the ringing in his ears, Wraith could hear Block and Stock laughing, the two Houks pounding their knuckledusters together as Wraith slowly, and painfully, sat up. "Come on, get up! We'll give ya a fighting chance!" Block jeered, encouraging Wraith to get back on his feet. In no mood to please these things but also not willing to go down without a fight, Wraith crawled to his feet, pushing past the ridiculous pain as he did.
"Eh, close enough." Stock rumbled as he charged Wraith again. A quick right cross slammed into the super-soldier's side, bringing with it the resounding crack of broken ribs. Wraith cried out in pain, but was silenced as Stock struck him square in the chest. "All yours, bro!" Stock called out, Block winding up right behind him.
"Batter up!" The Houk called as he charged forward, right fist cocked back. Too stunned to move and too winded to think, Wraith stood weakly as Block delivered an almighty right cross that snapped Wraith's head to the side, striking him with enough force to tear off both halves of his mouthguard. Careening through the air, Wraith crashed clean through a nearby wall and tumbled to a halt, feeling beaten and broken beyond repair. Blood dripping from his exposed mouth, the super-soldier coughed up a few drops of his crimson fluids, the fight taken out of him and too pained to rise.
Wraith? Wraith, come on! You gotta get up. The voice in his head encouraged him.
"Hurray... more... pain..." He gasped in response.
Save the quips for later. Voice replied. Come on, get up, this is my body that's getting beat up too. Reluctant to do so, Wraith begrudgingly moved to a partially raised position, pain hounding his every move. You can't take much more of this. You have to get out of here.
"Brilliant observation." Wraith sarcastically remarked. "Problem is... I can't get a moment... to think."
Then let me do the thinking. You just keep from getting hit. Voice instructed. Although hesitant to oblige this voice, Wraith knew he didn't have much of a choice.
"Agreed." He rumbled, forcing himself to his feet. As he did, Block and Stock stepped over the wall and approached him.
"Found your second wind, eh?" Block wondered with a toothy grin.
"We can work with that." Stock rumbled with his own grin. The two Houks charged him, Wraith summoning enough strength to backflip away as Block smashed his fist into the ground where he'd been standing. The move worked, but not without consequences. Wraith grit his teeth as pain flared up everywhere and he quickly fished out his other shot of Bacta. He didn't inject it just yet as he had to roll out of the way of Stock's incoming punch. Barely having enough time to inject it into his thigh, Wraith threw his dispenser away and promptly raised his arms to grab Block's incoming overhead smash. Grabbing his knuckleduster with both hands, Wraith pushed back with all his might, ignoring the burning pain in his arms as he struggled to avoid getting crushed. It was hard going, but it proved to be enough to surprise the Houk.
"Hey! He's fightin' back!" Block remarked.
"I'll fix that!" Stock cried as he charged in and promptly rounded a hard punch to Wraith's side, sending him flying into another wall.
What happened to not getting hit? Voice demanded.
"It's a work in progress." Wraith growled back. Shrugging off the blow as fresh adrenaline surged through him, Wraith started to run, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as he felt Stock's knuckleduster barely miss him and smash into the wall.
"You can't run forever!" The Houk bellowed as he gave chase.
"You'll bleed out before we're done with ya!" Block added as he joined in. Wraith kept moving but could only move so fast with his injuries. Fortunately. The Houk's did not have speed on their side, allowing Wraith to outrun them and leap through a hole in a nearby wall. Pausing to stop and catch his breath, Wraith watched in mild amazement as one Houk merely shattered the wall with his fists, powering through it with his brother right behind him. With a sigh, Wraith turned and started running again.
Wait... That's it! Voice suddenly declared.
"What's 'it'?"
The walls are old and fragile. I bet if one of these guys so much as touches one, it'll collapse! Voice explained. Find one of the exterior walls! Seeing the logic in his plan, Wraith turned right and kept moving. But the Houk's had overheard him.
"Is he talkin' to himself?" Stock wondered.
"I think we knocked somethin' loose in his head." Block replied. Stock turned to his brother with a broad grin.
"How about we knock it clear out of 'im?" He suggested. Block grinned in response and the two Houks took off after Wraith. The super-soldier led them right into the corner of the ruins, feigning having taken a wrong turn and was now trapped. The Houks charged him with big grins and fists drawn back.
"Lights out!" They both simultaneously cried as they launched forward, thinking they were about to smash Wraith for good.
At the last possible second... he ducked.
Block and Stock sailed over him and crashed into the wall, bursting through it as debris rained down around them. The twin gigantic foes tumbled to a halt, thoroughly dazed. Nimbly stepping over them and out into the open, Wraith eyed the two fallen Houk's with a rather smug look.
"Big? Yes. Strong? Yes. Smart? Not so much." He commented before turning and running back into the woods. As he did, Block picked himself up with a groan, managing to catch the tail end of Wraith's dusters before they vanished into the foliage.
"Corsair, boss... he got away." The Houk said into his comms.
"Status report!" Corsair demanded.
"He took out a wall. Stock's out cold." Block explained, looking at his fallen brother.
"Huh. Smart little kriffer." Corsair muttered. "Undahstood. Maintain position." He ordered.
"Kinda figured Block and Stock would be the end a' him." Corsair mused as he examined the holomap through narrowed eyes. "Still, they likely softened 'im up." While he could still track Wraith, he needed to know what was up. "Overwatch, this is command. Target has escaped sectah three, keep a look out." He ordered Binary.
"On it, boss." The sniper replied. Shutting down his comms, Corsair took a long drag from his cigarra as he studied the map, watching the moving blip with keen interest.
"Where are ya goin' now...?" He wondered aloud, letting out a puff of smoke. The Jedi and Thrawn watched him as he waited for the blip in the map to make a move.
When it did, Corsair knew what to do.
"Looks like sectah four." He noted, watching the signal move and extrapolating his next move. He had a team there, one for every sector of the map and knew right away who to call. "SpeedFreak, pick up Hater and head to these coordinates on an intahcept course. Ya know what ta do." He instructed into his comms. A Sullustian answered him, speaking in his native tongue.
"On it boss! Have no fear, I am a champion podracer in five different systems after all!" He proudly announced. Corsair sighed and rolled his eyes.
"So ya tell us all the damn time."
"Uh... 'Hater'?" Anakin wondered.
"H-Eight-R, Jedi." Corsair replied with a grin. "You'll see what we packed him full a' soon enough."
"Ow, ow..." Wraith hissed as he leaned up against a tree and sank to the ground, clutching his side. "Ow...!" He groaned. Now that his adrenaline rush had died down, the pain from over-exerted, slug-riddled limbs and broken bones had caught up to him. Resting against this tree, breathing heavily and blood still dripping from his wounds, Wraith was feeling exhausted. Whatever this group was that had it out for him, they sure knew what they were doing. "First armour-piercing slugs... then a couple of muscle heads..." he recounted, "who... the hell're these guys?" He asked aloud. "Doc... the one time I need you... and my comms don't work." He sighed, taking yet another shot of Bacta. The salve should stem the bleeding and numb the stinging pain from his broken bones, but he couldn't do anything more about his injuries until he was out of here. Knowing he needed to take advantage of this lull, Wraith chose to make a break for his own lines.
Question was... where had he come from? Without his navigational sensors, he would have a hard time telling what was up and what was down... although an absurd notion, it was quickly becoming a very real possibility with the number of hits he'd taken.
Rising from the tree, Wraith staggered off into the woods once more, determined to get out of here. But as he did, he heard a distant thrum of an engine... growing louder every second. Turning around, Wraith witnessed a very strange arrival as a Sullustian, driving what looked like a heavily armoured and modified airspeeder, and a human, sporting a plethora of cybernetic prosthetics and replacements, burst out from between the trees at breakneck speeds. The human stood on the back of the speeder, manning what resembled a mounted turret with multiple barrels and a missile pod. As they barrelled towards Wraith, an HK model assassin droid, carrying an A280 assault blaster rifle, jumped off the side of the speeder and moved to engage him on foot. Taking one look at the sight before him, Wraith had only one thing to say, "You've gotta be kidding me..." The speeder took off to Wraith's left as the droid trained his sights on him.
"Deal with 'im, Hater! We'll make sure he don't go nowhere!" The human shouted as his weapon powered up.
"Analaysis: subject located. Response: target with extreme prejudice." The droid stated in a monotone voice as it opened fire with a barrage of red bolts. Wraith quickly held up his punctured arms to block the incoming strike, the nearly-shattered armor of his gauntlets faring a bit better against this kind of attack. Absorbing every round that came his way, Wraith quickly drew his slugthrowers and opened fire with two shots aimed right at the droid's torso. Unfortunately, both slugs harmlessly ricocheted off its frame, the droid unfazed as it continued to pursue Wraith.
"Of course this damn thing's armored." He growled as he turned to flee, booking it into the woods. The HK droid gave chase, but not even his advanced servos could match Wraith's adrenaline-fueled sprint into the woods. More red bolts zipped past him, some narrowly grazing his armor as they struck the trees and rocks around him. But the droid was failing to keep up, leading Wraith to believe he'd be out of this shortly.
That's when the speeder pulled up before him.
"Where'd ya think you're goin'?" The cybernetic man wondered as he trained the turret on Wraith and opened fire, a dozen rounds being spit out in less than a second. Wraith slid to a halt and scrambled to run in the opposite direction, several blaster rounds slamming into his cracked armor as the multi-barreled turret unleashed a volley of rounds that followed hot on his heels. The speeder gave chase, the human grinning gleefully as he continued to fire on Wraith, the Sullustian driver easily keeping pace with the super-soldier. Soon enough, Wraith was directly in his line of fire and he pounded him with an unrelenting barrage of blasterfire that knocked Wraith off his feet and sent him tumbling through the woods. Growling in pain, Wraith rolled over and felt the searing scorch marks that now dotted his front and sides, renewing his agony as his body burned beneath his shattered armor. Forcing himself to his feet, Wraith stumbled behind a tree for cover, the cackling duo turning about in a wide arc. Taking a moment to analyze the airspeeder, Wraith realized that, while the body might be heavily modified, the inner-workings likely weren't.
With that in mind, Wraith believed he finally had a means to fight back.
The HK droid suddenly burst from the woods, peppering Wraith with a barrage of fire. Blocking with his now-fractured gauntlet, wraith quickly returned fire with his blaster pistols, the rounds enough to force the droid to start moving as it recognized his target was still able to fight back. Holding off the droid, Wraith quickly summoned a trio of explosives to his hand and armed them all. Quickly throwing them down in a line across the ground, Wraith waited for the speeder to come back around. It did soon enough, the Sullustian sporting a cunning grin as he bared down on Wraith, the human looking equally magical as his cybernetic eye flashed brightly behind his turret. Another barrage of shots started ripping up the ground before him, drawing closer and closer with every second. Then, Wraith rolled out of the way and triggered his explosives, the speeder sailing past him and through the concussive column of fire as a result of the detonation. It proved to be enough to shut down the repulsorlift engines and sent the speeder crashing into the ground, digging a deep trench as it plowed to a halt. The Sullustian jabbered on in the cockpit, banging the controls and looking rather distraught by the loss of his speeder as his partner jumped off his mount and pulled out a manpack-rocket launcher, a lid falling open to reveal four individual projectiles.
"Don't worry Speed, I got 'im!" He shouted, hoisting the weapon over his shoulder. "I'm too fast for this kriffer! He ain't goin' nowhere..." True to his word, he wasted no time taking aim and pulling the trigger, firing a single rocket. He had been fast alright...
But Wraith was faster.
A single blaster round ripped through the manpack, causing the missiles inside to explode and sent the cybernetic human sprawling, his clothes smouldering as the shattered remains of the launcher lay next to him. The Sullustian became much more animated, wildly waving his arms and continuing on in his native tongue as Wraith dusted off his blackened shoulder and turned back to the HK droid, who now stood alone against him. "Okay, droid. I think I have enough left in me to slice you to ribbons..." He growled, stowing his pistols and popping an arm blade with a shrill ring. The droid paused, standing straight up as it's crimson photoreceptors scanned Wraith up and down.
"Analysis: high probability of solo combat. Response: engaging Rancor protocol." It stated. Wraith stopped and before he could even ask what the hell that was, the hum of more engines drew his attention skywards. Large metallic containers dropped down from the sky, splitting open and forming pieces of armored equipment that gravitated towards the HK droid. Stowing its rifle on its back, the droid spread its arms to the side as they began to change. The hands transformed into ports as the armor along the forearms split open while smaller containers wrapped around its limbs and extended up to the shoulders, forming enormous hands and equally enormous arms. The same went for the droid's feet as canisters wrapped around its transformed lower limbs, making the droid several feet taller as its legs bulked out. Finally, the biggest container opened up and wrapped around the droid's body like a glove, creating a massive chest and torso component that interlocked with the droid's now exposed inner systems. The transformation complete, the now-hulking HK droid loomed over Wraith as weapons systems sprouted all across its massive body. "Rancor protocol online. Engaging Wraithbuster mode."
"Nevermind..." Wraith sighed, his shoulders slumping as he took in the sight of the new foe he had to evade. Stowing his blade, Wraith took off as a shoulder-mounted rotary cannon blitzed him with a quick barrage that shredded the trees and foliage, indicating just how powerful it was. Then a single, boxy looking tool morphed out of the droid's right arm, taking on an elongated shape. "Shockwave program initiated." The droid stated before it slammed the piledriver into the ground, generating a small tremor that tripped Wraith up for a moment. It was enough for the droid to open up a small missile pack on its left arm, firing a barrage of micro-cluster missiles that rained down around Wraith, exploding all about him. The super-soldier struggled to escape, the droid hot on his heels thanks to its enhanced powered-up form. A twin-barreled blaster, looking like a cruiser turret that had been ripped off and fitted on the droid's arm, powered up and opened fire on Wraith, heavy blaster rounds kicking up dirt and debris and obliterating trees with every shot. Dodging this way and that, Wraith could feel his body starting to reach its limits. His wounds and the related pain were taking their toll on him and Wraith knew he needed to catch his breath.
He couldn't do this forever.
Taking shelter behind a rock, Wraith paused to gather himself, the heavy thud of the droid's every stomp growing louder and louder as it approached him.
Hey, that droid's all tech, right? Armor can't protect circuitry. Voice observed, trying to be helpful. Wraith understood what he was saying and quickly launched a shock chip into his grip and dialed it up to the maximum. The HK droid peered around the woods, charging his blaster for another powerful shot. But before it could, Wraith lept out from behind his cover and tossed a single shock chip through the air, the small, square piece of tech landed right on the droid's chest, delivering a powerful burst of electricity moments later. It was enough to subdue the droid, forcing it to its knees and giving Wraith the opportunity to vault over it and vanish into the forest behind. By the time the droid had recovered, all systems recalibrated, it turned around to see no sign of The Wraith.
"Target lost. Activating search mode." A power spotlight morphed out of the droid's left shoulder, switching it on to shine a blinding light on the dark forest. Photoreceptors sweeping the woods, the droid moved in a lumbering pursuit of its lost quarry.
Meanwhile, Wraith had taken shelter behind some fallen logs and was completely hidden from view. He could hear the droid's loud, thumping footsteps off in the distance, obviously searching for him. For the moment, it couldn't find him. But how long would that last? Surely there were more members of this group around and, if not them, the droid would surely find him sooner or later. He couldn't keep running from fight to fight, he needed out of here.
But how would he manage that? His blood-soaked shirt clung to his bruised and wounded body, his cracked and shattered armor barely hung on to his duster, he had no tech whatsoever to use... how could he possibly escape this?
Resting his head against the log behind him, Wraith looked up at the starry sky with only one question on his mind,
"What am I gonna do?"
Author's Note: Wraith's question shall be answered next chapter!
