Author's Note: So I've started a new job, pardon my absence. The good news is that my new post offers plenty of spare time for me to do some writing! Woohoo! To celebrate, here's another chapter for y'all!
-Chapter 80: Got Your Back-
Location: Parnassos
"Poured out, used up, still willing to fight. This is what love feels like."
LOVE
noun | ləv
1a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties maternal "love for a child" (2): attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers "After all these years, they are still very much in love." (3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests "love for his old schoolmates"
b: an assurance of affection "give her my love"
2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion "love of the sea"
3a: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration "sports were his first love"
b(1): a beloved person: darling — often used as a term of endearment
4: unselfish loyal and benevolent (see benevolent) concern for the good of another: such as a brotherly concern for others
5: an amorous episode : love affair
6: the sexual embrace : copulation
See also: "in love": inspired by affection
In an isolated corner of the archives, Ahsoka gave a soft sigh as she read through the list again. How could one single word have so many differing meanings and definitions?
And where did she fit on the list?
Did she love Wraith as in 'a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties'? Maybe so. After everything he'd helped her with, especially during her one nightmare, maybe this was what she was feeling... but what if it wasn't?
Did she love him out of an 'affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interest'? That seemed to be more directed towards an object and not a person... but maybe it was applicable? Did she love him because of what he was trying to do for her?
Did she love him because of... her cheeks burned just considering it... 'attraction based on sexual desire'? Well, she certainly did like his muscles and thought he was preeeeetty hot. But as a Jedi she couldn't engage in anything like that... but... could she?
"Ugh, I don't know...!" Ahsoka sighed, rubbing her temples to try and ease the frustration she felt.
Why did love have to be so damn complicated?!
She wanted to be absolutely certain. Ahsoka knew what she felt, but she didn't want to make a mistake. At the moment, she was straddling a very razor-thin line, on the verge of totally betraying the Jedi Code for her emotions... if she hadn't already. But what she felt for Wraith was so powerful and undeniable, especially after that nightmare he suddenly appeared in. Things had suddenly solidified for her, but she wanted to be absolutely clear before she made a major mistake. Why did love and emotions have to be this complicated? "Okay... one more time." She mused, scrolling back through the list again. "Let's see... Force, so many definitions..." Did she love him because of a 'warm attachment or devotion'? "No, probably not." Was it... Was it 'inspired by affection'? "Maybe..."
Sensing Anakin approaching, the Togruta quickly closed her holo-window of definitions, revealing multiple windows about other subjects behind it. Executing a few more quick taps on her HoloNet console, Ahsoka made it look like she was busy by the time her master strode over.
"Working hard, Snips?" He asked with a chipper grin.
"Just trying to get caught up on some stuff, Master." Ahsoka replied, acting focused.
"Good to see your using your time well, Ahsoka." Anakin applauded. "But I need you to take a break. We've got to get going." He added. Perking up at the notion of a mission, Ahsoka closed down the console.
"Can do!" She readily answered. "Where are we headed?"
"Parnassos. Long-range scans have picked up some strange energy spikes and the Chancellor wants us to investigate." Anakin explained.
"Parnassos..." Ahsoka repeated. "Wasn't that place listed as uninhabited?"
"Yeah, ConStar Mining checked it out a few centuries ago and filed an official report." Anakin confirmed. "Hence the strangeness of the energy reading."
"Do you think it's the Separatists?" Ahsoka wondered.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was, but that's up to us to figure out." Her master responded.
"Then I'll be looking forward to scrapping a few tinnies." Ahsoka stated with a grin, her fists making the inside of her opposite hand.
"You sound awful excited, I see." Anakin noted with a smile.
"What can I say? I'm in a good mood." Ahsoka replied, also smiling.
Later, on Parnassos...
"Uh, Master? Why is the sand purple?"
"The reports didn't mention this..."
Every report and map related to Parnassos showed a blue-green world. But that was not what the venturing 501st discovered.
Parnassos was more of a dusty-brown world, with dark, frothing oceans and dry, plant-less continents. Scattered pinpricks of potential oasis's located across the planet could be seen from space... as well as the seemingly defunct orbital defences. Surely there was a lot more to Parnassos than meets the eye, and Anakin had quickly arrived at the conclusion that he and his men might be in over their heads.
And that conclusion came well before they learned about the radiation.
Planetwide scans revealed traces of radioactive material in the air, effectively polluting the entirety of the world. They were fortunate the cruiser had some hazmat suits available that would keep the radiation at bay, but questioned how long they could be here for under such conditions.
Emerging from the gunship, the first thing they noticed was the odd landscape. Everything seemed dry and... dead. There were no signs of fauna, only desolate and rocky desert.
"What happened to this place?" Ahsoka wondered as she stooped down to investigate the sand. She was wearing a chromium-painted version of a hazmat suit, chromium paint being able to reflect certain types of deadly radiation. Anakin wore one too, while the Clones wore a modified version of their typical armor, with helmets designed with air filters.
"I think that's what we should figure out. Maybe the radiation has something to do with the energy reading that was detected." Anakin suggested as he took a few steps into the desert, the toes of his boots sinking into the sand. "Kriff me, I hate sand." He muttered.
"General, scans show a focal point for the radiation, about five clicks to the north." Rex announced, a Clone technician by his side.
"We're not actually going towards the source of the deadly radiation, are we?" Ahsoka queried as she stood.
"No, but now we know where not to go." Anakin replied. "Rex, organize your men into three columns. Let's try to keep things uniform while we investigate the area." He instructed, turning to the Clone.
"Rigth away, General." Rex quickly saluted.
It wasn't long until the Republic force was on the move, trudging through desert and across the massive, tumbled rocks. They left deep trails in the sand, the purple substance soft and malleable like all sand despite the strange colouration. They further they trekked, the more they could see that this place was nothing too special. They had made landfall on one of the continents of Parnassos and were ready to conclude that this one was a bust.
After an hour's march, they made to break in a small sandy pit, surrounding by large rocks.
"General Skywalker. We've managed to acquire a significant amount of environmental data." Rex announced as they stopped. "According to our scans, the radiation around us is not lethal."
"So it's relatively weak..." Anakin mused. "Would it be safe to remove our helmets?"
"In certain areas, sir." Rex replied. "To that end, it's getting stronger towards the epicentre we detected earlier."
"So that's where it's coming from." Anakin determined with a nod. "What about the energy signature we're supposed to investigate?"
"That's the thing, sir. The radiation is conflicting with the signal." Rex revealed. "It could be some sort of frequency issue or something to do with the nature of the radiation."
"Wait," Ahsoka interjected, "where's it coming from?"
"We're... reading it to the north." Rex told her.
"What if it's in the same area as the epicentre?" Ahsoka suggested. "It could just be some overlap."
"Good thinking Ahsoka." Anakin praised. "To that end, it could very well be a man-made object." He theorized.
"Should we start looking for that, sir?" Rex inquired.
"Let's start looking for signs of construction. Don't want to run in circles." Anakin replied. Just as he finished speaking, two blaster bolts cut down a pair of Clones, fired seemingly from out of nowhere. Everyone leapt to their feet, the Jedi ignited their lightsabers. "Defensive positions!" Anakin ordered. The Clones formed a quick circle, heads on a swivel, as they pointed their weapons up at the tops of the rocks. Anakin and Ahsoka simultaneously tested their senses, reaching out with the Force. They could both sense a presence nearby, possibly cloaked... but it felt warm, like a campfire.
Both Master and Apprentice knew exactly who it was.
"Show yourself!" Anakin ordered. "We know you're out there... Wraith!" He challenged. As if on que, the air in a certain part began to shimmer and all the Clones trained their weapons on the spot. The shape of a being quickly appeared as the cloaking device powered down, taking form and crystallizing as an all too familiar body came into view. Silver chromium-plated armor shaped like organic musculature, a thick and broad body... and a telltale pair of crimson optics. With his auto gun resting across his shoulder and axe across his back, The Wraith was looking as intimidating as ever.
"Well now, what have we here?" His synthesized voice wondered with a chuckle as he eyed the Republic forces. "Nice to see you too Skywalker." He added. "My dear Ahsoka, always a pleasure." He continued with a tilt of his head and a slight bow. "How's the arm, Rex?" He asked, reconginzing the blue Jag-eye styling on the helmet.
"Why don't you come on down here and find out!" Rex challenged. Without another word, Wraith dropped down into the sand.
"Careful. I'm dangerous at close range." He growled.
"Open fire!" Anakin ordered, the Clones promptly obeying and assaulting Wraith with a barrage of blaster rounds. Each one simply ricocheted off his armor, not even chipping the chromium application. Wraith faked a yawn as he charged up his weapon.
"Is that all you've got?" He wondered aloud, menacingly advancing towards them. "This is gonna be too easy-" Wraith's threat was suddenly interrupted by a strange sound as the sands beneath them shifted. A loud grating sound, like grinding mechanical components filled the air as the sands continued to shift. "What the hell?" Wraith wondered as he started looking around. The Clones and Jedi did too, very confused. Then the ground began to shift as a hole opened up, two sides splitting open all of a sudden.
"It's a trap!" Ahsoka cried.
"Get to the top! Hurry!" Anakin ordered. He was quick to leap to one rock using the Force, his Togruta Padawan right behind him. Wraith hugged the wall as the Clones started to crawl out of the pit they were in.
All of a sudden, a group of strangely clothed humans appeared above them, wearing scarps of metal and leather with lines of paint across their faces. They started to attack without warning, firing blasters that were at the ready. Several of the surprised Clones were quickly cut down, even as the Jedi employed their lightsabers again to start deflecting incoming rounds.
"Where did these sleemos come from?!" Ahsoka cried, her saber and shoto going to work.
"I'm more concerned with why they're shooting at us!" Anakin responded as he deflected alongside her.
"And I thought the report said Parnassos was uninhabited?!"
"I'm throwing it in the nearest trash bin the second I get a chance!" The strange beings scattered as some of the Clones counterattacked, but then started lobbing small projectiles at them instead. They exploded within seconds, creating small blasts of fire in their wake. "Some kind of weak thermal detonators..." Anakin realized. The beings threw a few more towards the Clones, but were quickly shot out of the air by a few red bolts form behind. Anakin whirled around to see Wraith taking aim with his autogun, actually assisting the Clones.
"Why are you helping us?!" The Jedi demanded.
"Because I'm one of the idiots they're shooting at!" Wraith retorted. Anakin couldn't argue with that and returned to pushing these locals back. The sandy ground they had once stood on had now given way to a yawning pit that, at first glance, had no bottom. While most of the Clones were now clinging to the outer rocks, some were not so lucky and had fallen in, out of sight and likely to their death. Wraith was on the opposite side, hanging from a grapple as he continued to open fire on the natives.
And then disaster struck.
One of the firebombs exploded too close to Ahsoka, knocking her back and over the edge towards the pit. Her lightsabers falling down the hole, she was stuck gripping the edge and trying to keep from falling.
"Master! A little help!" She cried, unable to get a grip on the rock due to the nature of her suit.
"Ahsoka, hold on!" Anakin replied, deflecting many more blaster rounds as the natives trained their sights on him. He had to get to her and soon, but these damn beings refused to let up. They seemed hellbent on killing them all.
Fortunately, Wraith was more than ready to intervene.
Stowing his weapon behind him and beside his axe, the super-soldier retracted his grapple and timed his jump just as Ahsoka lost her grip. Propelling himself across the gap, he snatched her out of the air and fired another tether up and into the rocks.
"It's okay, I've got you!" He called, tightening his grip around her waist. Ahsoka quickly shifted so her arms were around him, better securing her hold on him. Bracing himself against the rocks, Wraith started looking for a way up, one that didn't involve emerging into a warzone.
But as he was doing so, another firebomb detonated in the rocks where his grapple sat. The stone around them was obliterated along with the very support his tether was hanging on. The duo started to fall, Wraith's tether flying back along with them.
"Wraith!" Ahsoka cried. The super-soldier thought quickly and wound up his grapple once more, only to fire it at the side of the pit. With a flash of sparks, the projectile bounced off, unable to catch on something.
"Hold on, we'll have to-" Wraith was interrupted when his body bounced off a rock jutting out from the wall, Ahsoka flying from his grip due to the hard impact. The two kept falling, now spiralling out of control.
The ground came fast, ready to meet them both.
Ahsoka got lucky and was able to brace herself with the Force. That didn't make the landing any less painful, though, and Ahsoka was knocked out mere seconds after the impact. Wraith fared worse as his head struck another rock on the way down with such force that both he and the voice cried out as a sharp pain rocked them both, his body cartwheeling out of control until he slammed into the ground and was knocked unconscious.
Some time later...
With a groan, the teenage Togruta came to, using the Force to quickly nullify a splitting headache. She awoke to a dimly lit area, the once bright light from above having vanished.. Her mind was foggy as she registered consciousness, her gaze blurry and it took a moment for her to gather her senses before she even thought about standing. Her limbs felt heavy, but she had to check her suit for any damage. While Rex had said that the radiation in the air wasn't leathal, Ahsoka didn't want to take any chances. Glancing up, she saw the hole had been sealed, leaving them in a much darker state, save for a little light coming from the cave to her left. Looking herself over, she found plenty of scratches, but not cuts or deep tears. Breathing a sigh of relief she slowly picked herself up, looking around for both her lightsabers and Wraith. The man in question was not far away, lying face down on the ground, optics flowing brightly in the dark. Approaching Wraith and kneeling beside him, she discovered he was still unconscious. Glancing up at the opening above, Ahsoka heard no other noises. She assumed that either Anakin and the Clones has been driven off by the natives or they had left to resupply. Anakin would never abandon her.
Hopefully she hadn't been left for dead...
Standing up and looking around, she saw the bodies of the other Clones that had fallen through, five in total. Testing her senses, she glumly realized they were dead. She could also sense Wraith, who wasn't dead, but was hurt. They were in a cave of some sort, large and hollow, with a trail that led out the back. Calling her lightsabers to her with the Force, Ahsoka clipped them to her belt and devised a plan of action.
"No point climbing up. Don't want to get ambushed again." She mused aloud. "Do need to figure out where we are." Reaching her conclusion, Ahsoka made to drag with down this trail and hoped it led them outside.
Wrapping her arms around the super-soldier's body, she half-lifted half-dragged him along with much effort. "Kriff me, you're heavy." She grunted. His muscle mass alone was impressive, but his additional armor and kit likely weighed him down even further. "Okay, girl, leg day can take a break, back to arms." She muttered, seeing a need to change her workout routine.
Fortunately for her, the tunnel was a short one and she only needed to drag Wraith so far before using the Force to lift him onto a rock. Adjusting his head so he was in a spinal-friendly position, Ahsoka whispered "Wraith? Can you hear me?" His groan one response brought a sigh of relief from her. "Wraith, are you okay?"
"I feel like a rancor tap-danced on my chest... and head." He rumbled, shifting with a growl.
"You've probably got some cracked ribs, maybe even a skull fracture." Ahsoka suggested, helping him to a seated position while worried about his condition.
"Not my worst injury." Wraith replied. "Honestly, I'm rather focused on this headache." He added.
"You too?" Ahsoka asked. "Guess that's what falling twenty stories will do to you."
"It was more like ten." Wraith responded as he pulled a pill from his belt, opened his mask and swallowed it. "That should kick in soon... now where are we?"
"I pulled us out of the cave. I'm not sure where we are now." Ahsoka informed him. Wraith took a moment to synchronize his sensors and pinged his scanning tech for some more information.
"My topography scans show we're in a kind of rock bed." He stated, a mini-map on his HUD revealing more jagged terrain. "Let me guess, the Republic is here to investigate a strange energy signature." He wondered, turning back to her.
"Yeah." Ahsoka affirmed with a nod, having realized since seeing him he was here for the same reason.
"Then perhaps we should investigate it together." Wraith suggested as he closed up his mouthguard. "I had isolated the signal frequency by the time I stumbled across you all. It's coming from the north." He told her. Ahsoka's gaze brightened as she realized she now had a means to complete the mission, but then softened as she realized her predicament.
"Two things: one, I want to know if Anakin and the others are okay. Two, we found out the source of the radiation is coming from the north. I'm not in the mood to get radiation poisoning." She told him. Wraith nodded in understanding.
"I think you've interpreted your data wrongly." He suddenly replied. As a Ahsoka raised an eye marking, he continued, "The radiation is planetwide but it's weak, even at the epicentre. My guess is that the material had a very low half-life count. If we go there we will need radiation suits, but it won't kill us anywhere else." Having done several thorough scans of the planet, Wraith had already accumulated an impressive knowledge database.
"So... I can take this off?" Ahsoka asked, pointing to her helmet.
"Yes." Wraith affirmed with a nod. "Now about Skywalker... You can go find them if you wish, but I can't go with you." Ahsoka looked disappointed by his words, gaze falling. Wraith reaches over and took her hand in his. "It has to be this way, to preserve the secrecy of our relationship." He told her. Ahsoka slowly nodded in understanding. "But... if you come with me, we can learn more about this place, about the natives who apparently live here and possibly better help him." Wraith then suggested. Ahsoka grew thoughtful, sitting back on the rock and pondering her options. While she was concerned with Anakin's wellbeing and didn't really want to get much closer to the source of the radiation, that was where this energy signature, her very mission, was coming from. That, and she wouldn't be going alone. But she also wouldn't be doing this with her allies, which might raise a few eyebrows. Not to mention the locals that seemed to want all of them dead...
In the end, getting stuck with Wraith was a very preferable situation.
"Well... better to go in a clear direction than run in circles." She finally decided, looking back to him. The helmeted soldier nodded.
"Wise words." He praised, standing up. "If you'll follow me, my dear." He said, offering his hand. Ahsoka took it and he helped her up before they started off.
Crawling through the rocks, Wraith seemed better suited for travelling through such conditions. His suit, while layered in chromium, was armoured and durable, giving him plenty of room and opportunity to tackle the terrain without worry. Ahsoka's suit was better designed to handle the extremes of radiation over the environment. It was not nearly as durable or as protected as Wraith's was, meaning she had to be careful about getting a rip or a tear on the rocks. Wraith understood this and was determined to protect her, acting as a pathfinder to lead her on the least-hazardous course through the terrain. He had no doubts about her fighting abilities and means of protecting herself, but he felt compelled to go the extra mile for her, ensuring she was in as prime a position as possible.
Their trek turned from minutes into an hour as they continued to climb the rocky terrain, stepping from boulder to boulder and from outcrop to outcrop as they crossed Parnassos' unforgiving landscape. Wraith dutifully led the way as he studied his scanners, watching for any new signatures that might pop up. His vigilance soon paid off when a cluster of targets suddenly appeared on his HUD. "Get down!" He cried, whirling about and pulling Ahsoka down just as a burst of blaster rounds streaked past them, a few pinging off Wraith's armor. Ahsoka's saber hilts flew into her hands as Wraith drew his pistols simultaneously. "Scans show five. Small, armed group. Maybe scouts." He said quickly, before a distant clamour drew their attention to the approaching natives.
"More! More outsiders!" One shouted.
"Kill the outsiders clawed brothers!" Another ordered.
"They speak basic?!" Ahsoka realized, shocked by the sudden revelation. "Maybe we can reason with them!" She quickly suggested. A hail of blaster bolts quickly forced her to cower and Wraith to shield himself.
"I don't think they're in the mood to!" He exclaimed. Straightening up, the super-soldier opened fire as Ahsoka ignited her blades, deflecting incoming rounds back at their attackers.
Then her lightsabers suddenly and unexpectedly shut off.
"What?!" Ahsoka cried. Wraith saw what happened out of the corner of his vision and, in a split second, was between her and the natives, quick pistol rounds gunning all five of them down in a sudden effort to keep her safe. He turned around as the last body fell,
"What happened?"
"My... My lightsabers just switched off!" She worriedly replied, pressing the red ignition switch several times and getting no response. Wraith scanned over her tools, sweeping through multiple spectrums as he realized he wasn't seeing a familiar energy radiation.
"I'm not getting any reading from the power cells. They must be drained." He stated.
"Oh no..." A devastated Ahsoka sighed in total loss. "I don't believe this."
"When did you last change them?"
"I don't know!" She exclaimed, clearly distraught. Her head hanging and shoulders slumping, Wraith could practically feel her despair himself. Then her head shot up. "Wait. Your blasters are charged with power cells. Would... yours work?" She wondered, looking to him with high hopes. But Wraith shook his head.
"My blaster is of a larger size so I have a larger size cell that wouldn't fit. That and mine are infused with plasma, which might have an adverse effect." He gently told her. Ahsoka sighed again as she hung her now useless weapons back on her belt.
"Kriff me..." She muttered.
"Do you want me to?" Wraith jokingly asked.
"Wha...?" A confused Ahsoka trailed off as his suggestion registered, eyes suddenly going wide as an embarrassed blush bloomed across her cheeks. "NO!"
"Just checking." Wraith nonchalantly replied with a shrug. Ahsoka shook her head in dismay and, as she did, saw one of the supposedly dead natives dragging himself towards them, a blaster pistol aimed at Wraith's back.
"Look out!" Ahsoka cried as she acted on the first course of action she could think of.
Grabbing the slug pistol in his belt, Ahsoka took aim and fired, the three shot-burst ripping through the native's head with a shower of blood and killing him instantly. Wraith whirled about to see what happened and registered the dead native and Ahsoka holding his pistol in perfect form.
Though his expression couldn't be seen, Wraith was slackjawed.
"Phew. That was close." Ahsoka breathed in relief, turning and putting his pistol back in his hands. Wraith's gaze shifted from her to the weapon then back to her.
"How did you-?"
"I got curious and put in a little target practice while we were on Scarif." Ahsoka told him, then walking towards the corpse. Wraith watched her go, holstering his weapon as he did.
"I'm both impressed, and aroused." He quietly mused. Following Ahsoka over to the corpse, he helped her turn it over so they could examine the fallen. Ahsoka wrinkled her nose at the sight of the messy hole bored through the being's head.
"Master Kenobi's right, firing weapons are uncivilized." She mused.
"Regardless, I'm seeing a streak of purple dye across his eyes, not unlike the others who attacked us earlier." Wraith observed.
"So they're all from the same place?" Ahsoka suggested. "Look at the way they're dressed." She added, pointing out his patchwork clothes of mixed materials. Wraith nodded in agreement.
"Not necessarily for the elements, but certainly in a matching manner. We must be in their territory." He said, checking over the dead man. "Leather, metal... come to think of it, I haven't seen any damn greenery this whole time." He observed, coming to an understanding of just how dead Parnassos really was.
"Why would they attack us?" Ahsoka wondered.
"My first thought is that they've been breathing in the irradiated air for so long it's altered their perception." Wraith said, proffering a suggestion. Ahsoka could believe that, but was also convinced that there had to be another reason. "But... maybe... too be honest, I don't know." Wraith finally concluded with a shrug. He continued checking the man over, rifling through his belt when he felt something rounded and cylindrical in one of the pockets. Pulling it out, Wraith discovered a single power cell. "Hey... show me your lightsaber power cell." He asked, a spark of hope igniting in his mind. Ahsoka did so, using the Force to unscrew the bottom where the cell was located, not unlike a battery. Wraith took it and held it side by side with this new one, studying the shape and sizes. Unfortunately, the one on the local was just a smidge too long and too wide. "Too big..." He sighed, tossing it aside. "Sorry."
"It's okay." Ahsoka assured him. Suddenly feeling something in the air, Ahsoka turned to see dark spots on the adjacent rock. "Is it... raining?" She wondered aloud. Looking up, the super-soldier saw no immediate sign of precipitation. But, raising his arm, Wraith watched a few drops land on his armor... and saw the metal sizzle as smoke wafted upwards.
"Acid rain." He realized. It wouldn't be good for his armor, but Ahsoka in her zero-protection hazmat suit would fare even worse. "We need to find shelter. Now." He urgently stated, quickly rising.
"Where?" Ahsoka asked, rising too. Wraith pinged his sensors, desperate for an answer.
"I'm reading what might be a cave to the west. Follow me, quickly!" They took off at a fast pace, rushed to find this possible cave before the rain picked up and ate through their clothes as well as their skin. His tracking systems plotted the shortest distance and the Superspeed-soldier led the way at top speed, seeing periodic dark drops land on the stones around them. The rain was picking up and they needed to hurry.
Finally, a dark opening appeared before them, made by a large stone slab laying atop others, creating what looked like an impromptu shelter.
"That's no cave!" Ahsoka observed.
"It'll have to do!" Wraith responded as he dropped down before it. "Get in, quick!" Ahsoka did as asked and crawled inside, Wraith right behind her. Fortunately for them both, the small entrance gave way to a much larger space within. The cave was easily tall enough for Wraith to move freely without having to crouch or walk in fear of banging his head.
"Huh... guess it is a cave." Ahsoka stated as she straightened up, looking around the space.
"More like a hole in the ground with a roof." Wraith countered as he stood alongside her. "But I'm not complaining."
"Same. Think we're safe and the acid won't eat through the roof?" Ahsoka wondered, glancing up at their shelter and suddenly worried about how long it would last.
"The weathering on the rocks suggested this has been a constant phenomenon that the environment is used to it. I'd say we're fine." Wraith responded, his mouthguard retracting. "But acid rain is not necessarily normal weather. Something must have caused this." He continued, pulling his helmet off and giving his hair a shake. "Kriff... hope my shuttle's okay." He muttered.
"But what?" Ahsoka wondered.
"The report was filed by ConStar Mining... I'm starting to wonder..." Wraith trailed off. He said nothing further and fell into a ponderous state, already questioning the validity of the report and the truth behind what ConStar had actually found a little over a hundred years ago. A silence ensued, filled only by the sound of the rain picking up outside, as well as the rather terrifying sound of hissing steam from the acid eroding the terrain just outside. As Wraith continued to think, Ahsoka was stuck trying to figure out what to do now that her lightsabers were defunct. How in the universe was she supposed to keep going in this state? Obviously Wraith would do his best to protect her, but she hated to have to rely on others. She wanted to fight for herself, a desire likely born out of how everyone treated her like a youngling early in her days as a Padawan. She knew Wraith was capable of fending off people with just his hands and feet alone, maybe he had some skill that could be passed on... to her.
Would he really be open to teaching her that kind of stuff? She didn't know and Ahsoka suddenly grew nervous at the prospect of broaching the topic with him. What if he said no? What if he poked fun at her because of it?
No. Others would act like that, but not him.
Pulling off her helmet Ahsoka set it down and breathed in Parnassos' fresh, albeit heavy and somewhat stale, air. It smelled rich, but rich with the wrong components. But it was enough to momentarily invigorate her and she turned to the super-soldier.
"Wraith? Will you teach me how to fight?" She asked. He made to look at her, amber eyes catching her blues.
"As in, hand to hand combat?" He clarified.
"Yeah, that." Ahsoka confirmed with a nod. "I know that some moves exist, Master Plo practices one called Teras Kasi. But everyone generally relies on lightsabers."
"So you want to know what to do should you not have your lightsabers." Wraith surmised, clasping his hands together as he weighed her request.
"Yeah. You know, in case something like this or Wasskah ever happens again." Ahsoka added, trying to provide an extra layer of validity to her request. Wraith considered it for a moment, looking around the cave. It fortunately was
"Alright." He agreed. Setting his helmet aside, Wraith stretched a little and limbered up, Ahsoka waiting patiently and expectantly for him to begin. "First of all, how you fight depends on your strengths." He began, Ahsoka paying rapt attention. "Your body build is a lot smaller than mine. You're faster and more agile, very athletic." He described. Ahsoka had never thought of herself in that way before, but supposed that an accomplished combatant like Wraith would see and understand such intricacies. "I can teach you the basics, but how you use them is entirely dependent on you. Okay?"
"Okay." She agreed with a nod. Wraith nodded in confirmation. It was time to go into teacher mode.
"Arms up. Hands into fists." He instructed. Ahsoka did so, fists in front of her face as the rest of her body was still like a board. Wraith realized he needed to start from the very beginning with her. Walking over to his crush, Wraith started to reposition her limbs. "You want to be loose and flexible, ready to move at a moment's notice." He told her.
"Loose. Ready to move. Got it." She repeated. At least she was an earnest student...
Wraith led Ahsoka through the motions of combat; basic stances, basic moves, and then into more advanced material as she progressed. Soon she could handle three-part blows with ease and was more than capable of mixing punches with kicks, her Force-enhanced abilities enabling her to quickly get a hang of the more involved attacks. Wraith was impressed with her progress and believed that Ahsoka had what it took to soon rival his own fighting prowess.
After a while they stopped to simply sit and rest, both of them taking a moment to talk as they waited out the rain. As they did, Ahsoka took a moment to reflect on things. She felt happy when she was with Wraith, comfortable and at ease. Not only that, but she also liked to be around him. His courteous and gentlemanly nature, something only she seemed privileged to experience, made her feel special and even better about herself. To know that he loved her, that he would do anything for her, it was such a unique feeling.
She was starting to notice the little things she did, little quirks that didn't normally happen outside of interacting with him. The small glances at him while he talked that lasted longer than with others. The odd slip-up when she was speaking that led to nervous blushing. And those were just the tame reactions. The way she desired a little peck of a kiss to escalate into a passionate, molten liplock. How she fantasized about him late at night, conjuring full-body shivers and a tingle between her legs. Only when she was around him, thinking about Wraith, did these come to pass. Nobody else, not her master, not even her friends, were privy to this side of her. And such a change could only indicate one thing, at least in her mind...
Ahsoka had told Wraith once before that she cared about him. Now she believed she did more than just care about him... infinitely more... and she also knew she needed to tell him.
"Hey... do hear that?" Ahsoka suddenly asked, her montrals picking up something.
"Yeah... next to nothing..." Wraith agreed. Slipping his helmet back on, Wraith's scanners updated as they pinged the environment. "Looks like the weather front has moved on. I think the rain is over." He reported.
"Then we should get back out there." Ahsoka determined, throwing her helmet back on.
"Careful now. Don't step in any puddles." Wraith cautioned. Puddles full of acid wouldn't be good for either of them.
"Right, got it." Ahsoka crawled out ahead of him, heeding his warning and scanning the way ahead of her before emerging from under the rocks. "You're right, the rain has let up." She reported, standing up. Wraith was right behind her.
"Good. Still, be wary of residual acid. It wouldn't be good for either of-" He was cut short when his scanners alerted him to the presence of an incoming energy signature. It did not identify it as either Republic or Separatist, but Wraith wasn't taking any chances. "Down. Behind the rocks." He ordered, ducking into a crouch as Ahsoka joined him. The distant sound of a low, thrumming engine caused them to peek over the tops of the rocks. A total of three individuals, wearing brown and sliver patchwork clothing and sporting a strip of black paint across their eyes met them, as well as the clunky, heavy-looking airspeeder they were driving.
"Those look like locals." Ahsoka observed, seeing the same outfit designs and matching appearances as the previous locals they encountered. "They have a speeder?"
"Small, heavily modified. Might be a scrap or salvage job." Wraith observed. This sensors detected a weak power source, one just powerful enough to drive it.
"So that's how they get around..." Ahsoka noted, thinking it might be a good idea for her and Wraith to get a speeder of their own. Watching their visible movements, Wraith gradually put things together as he pondered their motives.
"I bet they were trying to track whoever killed their friends back there." He mused, thinking back to the earlier fighter. The duo continued to observe until the soon appeared ready to move on.
"Come on, we should go after them." Ahsoka encouraged, rising a little. Wraith felt differently, believing they needed more information before pursuing such volatile foes. Clearly they had been living on Parnassos long enough to Seeing Ahsoka so willing and ready to go, he realized he needed to reel her back in. Wraith knew she was desperate to learn something about where Anakin and the other Clones were, but they had to think their way through this. They couldn't just barrel into a situation.
Maybe it was time for him to test his linguistic skills...
He spoke her name, grabbing her attention.
"We nah ge leh'na. Ne first." He said. Ahsoka was taken aback, eyes widening as Wraith finished. Although it was far from perfect, she recognized every word, including the heavy basic influence.
"You... You speak Togruti?" She wondered, astounded.
"A tazi. It nohah, but mi sah speak some." He replied. "Not having montrals or lekku makes things difficult." He added, switching back to Basic. Ahsoka started to giggle before bursting into surprised laughter.
"All this time, I had no idea!" She exclaimed with a broad smile that warmed Wraith's heart.
"Togruti is markedly similar to basic in some regards. I took the time to study it and learn what I could." He explained, glad to see her so happy. "If you ever want to have a more private conversation... now we can." He suggested.
"Mi ne mi might Kuhk yeh uba so that." She replied, still smiling. Wraith interpreted her words and smiled himself.
So far, so good.
"Now that I've learned something new about you, how about these locals?" The Togruta then inquired.
"We should continue on foot." Wraith responded, watching a dust cloud rise in the wake of the moving airspeeder. "We need to understand their ways and movements better before even thinking about engaging them." It was the logical approach that would better benefit them as it lessened their chances of getting ambushed or caught off guard. Ahsoka took his words to heart and contemplated another plan of action. Wraith paused and actually didn't do any thinking at all, allowing Ahsoka an opportunity to shine. Knowing she had a penchant for details, which largely contributed to her mechanical gifting, Wraith could see her potential as a strategist and a coordinator. The best way for her to practice that would be opportunities to do so.
"Okay... so how about this: we tail them and then when they stop, we steal their speeder." she suggested after a moment. "That'll help us get the drop on them. Right?"
"Mi d'bhem yeh-" Wraith stopped himself, realizing he was off. "No, wait, I said that wrong." Ahsoka giggled, her montrals turning a shade darker as she registered his attempted sentence.
The phrase 'mi d'bhem yeh' meant something completely different than what he was trying to say.
"I think you meant Mi teh this. Not 'yeh', or 'you'." She clarified, stating I like this, he likely intended.
"Right, right. I tend to get the 'teh' and the 'yeh' wrong." Wraith agreed, knowing his vocal limitations when it came to something like Togruti. Without having a hollow set of montrals to help alter his pitch and tone, he had a tendency to pronounce words incorrectly or just completely mix them up. "What'd I say?" He wondered, hoping it hadn't been offensive.
"'I love you'." Ahsoka said, blushing a little.
"Well, I do. So I'm not wrong." Wraith reasoned, earning another giggle from her.
"Maybe not." She agreed. "But sa togruti e' not yehsa yet." She added.
"I'll be sure to keep working on it." Wraith responded, knowing he would likely never fully master Togruti.
But he knew enough to make Ahsoka happy. And that's what mattered most.
"Before we go..." He continued, reaching for his belt and withdrawing a slugthrower pistol. Popping a fresh clip in, since Ahsoka had already used three rounds, he ensured it was properly armed before offering it to her, "You've proven skillful with it, so you might as well use it. At least until we find some power cells for your sabers." He explained.
"Thank you," she replied, taking the familiar piece, "I've never really used a blaster before. Apart form just messing around with yours."
"You've shown me you've got what it takes." Wraith responded, passing her an extra ammo clip as well, "I believe it'll be better off in your capable hands."
They moved out in the direction of the airspeeder, following the distant dust clouds left in its wake. Crossing the rocky landscape with relative ease, they did their best to avoid the sand that had gotten wet with the rain, fearing potential acidic residue. Puddles of steaming acidic fluid lay between the rocks and the duo carefully endeavoured to avoid stepping or falling into them, a few close calls causing both Wraith and Ahsoka to cling to the other at points. They continued on, unwavering and steadfast in their quest to learn the secrets of Parnassos. They were a duo to be reckoned with, unlikely allies with a powerful bond. They were Ahsoka and The Wraith.
Kinda has a nice ring to it. Ahsoka thought with a smile. Maybe now, while they were alone together, would be a good time to talk and open up to him...
But a distant racket brought them both to a halt, the sounds of blasterfire and shouting reaching their hearing.
"What's going on?" Ahsoka cautiously wondered. Wraith didn't know.
"Stay close and keep low." He responded, drawing a blaster pistol. Ahsoka followed right behind him, both hands on her weapon. Picking up the pace, they saw the speeder sitting still next to a cluster of rocks, dark red staining the ground. Falling to a crouch, the duo advanced, wary of a potential ambush. Next to the speeder, they found the corpse of one of the riders, his eyes wide and mouth open in a look of frozen horror as blood poured from his torn throat and gutted torso.
"Ew..." Ahsoka grimaced. "That's... nasty..."
"And we've seen nasty." Wraith agreed, recalling the Bravado and the zombified Clones aboard it. He was thankful his helmet filtered out smells, not in the mood to breathe in the stench of death. "We need to check him out for clues, find out who or what did this." He determined, moving towards the body with Ahsoka reluctantly right behind him. Wraith was soon crouched above it where he could plainly see jagged tears in the skin next to the death blows. "Teeth marks." He murmured, studying them. Ahsoka heard and turned to him with a curious gaze. Teeth did this? Wraith next spied the discarded blaster rifle by his side and then the two other bodies closer to the rocks that had also been torn apart. Both of them also had blaster rifles in their hands, having been killed where they fell. Piecing the scene together in his mind, triangulating the positioning of the bodies in conjunction with the speeder, Wraith reached a conclusion. "They tried fighting, only to meet their end." He said aloud. "Either something attacked them, or something drew them away from their ride."
"But... what killed them?" Ahsoka asked, questioning whether this was a tribal thing or if there was another, unknown danger.
She soon had an answer when a pack of skinwolves emerged from behind the rocks.
The native species, mutated due to the radiation, were a rather lopsided beast. The front legs were thick, especially the paws where curved claws dug into the ground, and sported small patches of dark fur to cover them. The back legs were long and bent backwards, covered with warts and bumps. Their gray skin looked wet but also thick and rough, possibly an evolved trait due to the harsh environmental change. Long snouts sporting mouths full of jagged teeth snarled and growled at them, some dripping saliva while others were stained red with residual blood.
"Native fauna." Wraith rumbled as he closed his mouthguard. "Get behind me, cover my six!" The Togruta did so as Wraith drew his second pistol, the skinwolves advancing towards them. Wraith didn't hesitate and opened fire, two shots killing two wolves. The pack didn't retreat like he assumed, choosing to surge ahead and surround them instead. Having studied the habitual practices of such pack animals, specifically Loth Wolves, Wraith understood that they were attempting to close in for a kill. From behind him, the triple staccato of his slugthrower being fired was quickly followed by a yelp and then more growling and snarling.
"Uh, Wraith? I just shot one of these wolves and it didn't budge!" Ahsoka worriedly cried. Startled by the new information, Wraith promptly blasted another wolf with his pistols. Twin rounds smoked the creature and it collapsed with a yelp.
"Blasters seem to work!" He called over his shoulder, spinning his pistol around nad passing it behind him. "Trade!" He felt Ahsoka take the weapon and return his slugthrower to him.
"And how do I use this?" She wondered.
"Same as the other; point and pull the trigger! But it's got some kickback!" Wraith explained with a cautionary warning. Another skinwolf made a tight turn, snapping its jaws at Wraith. The super-soldier quickly fired his slugthrower at the ground near the creature as a warning shot, forcing it to back off before he put a blaster round in its side. Behind him, he heard multiple shots go off followed by the yelping of wolves.
"Yep, blasters work! And you weren't kidding about the kickback!" Ahsoka cried.
"You okay?" Wraith worriedly asked.
"I'm fine! But these wolves aren't letting up!" Ahsoka responded, firing off another shot. Wraith thought quickly and, spying the speeder, developed a plan.
"Hop on the speeder, try to lead them away and divert their attention!" He suggested. Ahsoka moved to follow-through, using the Force to leap through the air and onto the vehicle. It was crudely repaired, but the controls were still in the right places and she managed to get it moving in short order. Firing off a few shots to draw the wolves attention, Ahsoka kicked the speeder into gear and started riding in circles. The wolves soon lost interested in Wraith, ready to go after what they believed to be bigger prey. "Lead 'em on a merry chase!" Wraith called as he opened fire some more. "Just don't leave me!" He added.
"I won't!" Ahsoka called back. The majority of the pack was now trailing behind her and she started to lead them away from Wraith. The super-soldier quickly put down the wolves around him before killing a few stragglers pursuing Ahsoka. "That's got 'em!" Wraith mused with a grin, pleased to see the plan was paying off.
But his victory was a tad premature.
A skinwolf he hadn't shot suddenly pounced him from the side, sending both weapons skittering from his hands across the ground. Pinned to the ground, Wraith quickly held up an arm to defend himself as the best pounced, trying to maul him. His arm braced against its chest, there were only a few inches between Wraith's head and the wolf's snapping jaws. The skinwolf was strong, almost abnormally so, and took nearly all of Wraith's concentration to ward off. He was strong, yes, but this irradiated beast was something else; determined and vicious. With one arm trapped at it's throat, holding the beast in place while wild, flailing claws and snapping jaws tried to take a chunk out of him, Wraith reached for his distant pistol with the other. Pinned beneath the sheer weight of the creature, his only hope lay in reaching his weapon and getting a shot off.
But no matter how much he strained his arm, it was simply out of reach.
He kept trying, though, desperate for a weapon. As the skinwolf's jaws got closer and closer Wraith kept reaching, his hand scrabbling across the ground in an effort to grab something or even get a fingerhold of his weapon. It seemed like a losing fight...
Suddenly, he felt the handle of his weapon within his grasp, lying on the ground. Quickly feeling it out and grabbing it firmly, Wraith raised his blaster and fired a single shot through the skinwolf's head, killing it instantly. The beast went limp with a whimper and collapsed atop him. "Get offa me!" Wraith growled, shoving the corpse to the side. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sat up, dusting a few of the scratches now etched into his chest. But then he looked to the weapon in his hand, mildly confused. "Weren't you out of reach a few seconds ago?" He wondered aloud. For the majority of the struggle, it had been beyond his grasp, simply not close enough for him to even touch.
So how had it gotten into his hand?
Maybe it was his perception, his point of view might've been off... maybe it had been closer than he first thought...
With a shrug he collected his slug pistol and thought no more of it. Wraith straightened up just as Ahsoka came back around with a line of wolves behind her.
"Heads up!" She called, rushing past. Wraith blitzed her pursuers with his pistol, felling them all with precise shots. With all of the skinwolves now dead, Wraith holstered his weapons with a sense of satisfaction. Ahsoka turned around and pulled up beside him. "Nice shooting." She complimented.
"I've had some practice." Wraith replied, retracting his mouthguard, smirking at her. Ahsoka returned it along with his blaster pistol.
"Trade?" She wondered. He obliged her, swapping out blaster for slugthrower. "Hop on. I'm pretty sure they won't be needing this anymore." Wraith did so, climbing onto the seat behind her. It occurred to him that she had not commented on his struggle and had likely not witnessed it.
"We should keep moving to the north, now that we can cover more ground." Wraith suggested.
"Is it really a good idea to get closer to the source of the radiation?" Ahsoka wondered.
"Would you rather wait around here for more locals and more mutated wolves?" Wraith countered. "Besides, going north might have more information for us. We might find something that could be of use." He added. Mulling the situation over, Ahsoka relented and agreed to his plan.
"Yeah... okay." Adjusting their throttle on the speeder, she wheeled around and took off in their original direction, Wraith slowly encircling her waist with his arms as he settled in for the ride.
Going north did reveal more to the duo, as Parnassos had many secrets for them to uncover.
Less than an hour into their drive, Wraith's scanners had picked up something new. It was a cluster of structures, with geometric designs that could not possibly be organic in anyway. It was awfully close to the source of the radiation so he and Ahsoka decided to investigate further.
Coming to a halt on a ridgeline, they discovered the terrain dipped down onto a smooth plateau, leading to a land bridge across a chasm which gave access to a series of buildings.
"Look at all this..." An awed Ahsoka commented. "It's like a small city over there." There were dozens of buildings, both small and tall, spread out across a few acres of land, according to Wraith's scanners.
"They look old and rundown. Like nobody's been here in a long time." The super-soldier observed.
"Do you think the locals built this?" Ahsoka queried.
"Only one way to find out." Wraith responded with a grin. Ahsoka grinned back before gunning the speeder and maneuvering down to the plateau, aiming for the land bridge. Crossing the dusty ground, a cloud following in their wake, both super-soldier and Padawan concluded that the whole area was eerily quiet. There were no animal noises at all, making this place seem very dead. As they crossed the bridge, Wraith glanced over the side. The chasm, while deep, had a bottom... but it was still a long way down.
Ahsoka pulled up before a dusty, dirty sign still in place on its concrete foundation. They both dismounted and drew closer.
"Welcome to... Nobelchyr." Ahsoka read, wiping off the smudge marring the lettering. "Calliope Station... this way." Wraith crouched down and wiped off a little more, revealing more letters in small print that spelt out a shocking word...
"ConStar." He growled.
"ConStar built this?!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "But they said they only investigated the planet, not built on it!"
"Clearly their report is not to be trusted." Wraith surmised, standing up. "I get the feeling there's more to this place than meets the eye." He quietly mused. The scraping sound of metal on synthleather followed as he unholstered a pistol. "We should move further in, but carefully. There's no telling what ConStar might've left behind." Ahsoka pulled her pistol from her belt and jogged over to Wraith's side as he stepped inside the abandoned town of Nobelchyr.
The desolation was grave and the town utterly lifeless. Rubble and debris from over the years had been strewn about the streets and squares. Bits and pieces of building lay here and there, having fallen off after decades of disrepair. What made the scene even more ghostly were the discarded personal items scattered about. It were as though people had simply dropped everything right where they were standing.
But why?
The duo continued to explore the town, neither of them making a sound as they took in the grim scenery. There was something unsettling about the place, something downright ghastly and chilling about the rate of decay and abandonment.
Little did Wraith and Ahsoka realize that they were the first beings to set foot in Nobelchyr in decades.
Approaching a tall building made of glass, Wraith spied the ruined remains of a broken ConStar logo on the ground near the entrance. Given the rusted, dangling support frames above, it seemed like that the sign had fallen off some time ago. "Let's duck in here." He suggested. "Maybe ConStar left some clues behind." Ahsoka agreed and followed. The doors had been left open and the two entered without issue. They immediately discovered dull gray and tarnished white panelling on the interior, most of it remarkably clean if not rather sunbleached. It reminded Wraith on the interior of a Republic cruiser, especially the white reception desk with it's perfect angles and shapely design.
"Something about this place seems cleaner than the rest of the town." Ahsoka observed.
"I'm guessing this was either picked clean by looters or even in the face of disaster the company had high standards for appearance." Wraith remarked.
"Should we check out some of the upper floors?" Ahsoka wondered.
"Sure... but I'm ninety percent certain the local turbolift is not in working order." Wraith replied. "Help me find some stairs." Opting to split up, the two travelled down opposite directions as they explored the halls. Most of the doors were open but a few were sealed shut, leaving them curious as to what might lie behind them. Eventually, Wraith found the stairwell access at his end and Ahsoka hurried to join him. The stairs were made out of permacrete but cast in a shiny substance that resembled durasteel. Much of the shine had faded over the years and bits of permacrete were chipped and worn. They started to ascend cautiously, Wraith taking the lead as Ahsoka covered him. The stairs creaked and groaned under his weight, making Wraith uneasy about using them. He started developed backup measures, looking for suitable points on the wall to aim his grapple and the possibility of leaping to another stair, just in case the one beneath him gave out.
By the time they'd reached the fifth floor, however, the stairs had not crumbled into dust. The ones above had, though, forcing them to stop and investigate the fifth floor. Stepping over large pieces of debris that lay in the doorway, Wraith and Ahsoka entered warily, Wraith swinging his pistol left and right as he checked for potential threats. "Clear." He reported, that taking the lead. Ahsoka backed him up, mimicking his motions as she held her pistol in both hands. It was kind of fun to work like this, using a weapon that was still fairly new to her. She was still hoping to find some usable power cells, as she felt far more comfortable using her lightsabers.
Wandering down the hall, Wraith continued to check the doors, his scanners highlighting a faint energy signature coming from down the hall. It was weak, but it might be of importance. The duo eventually found themselves at an office door with the name Lexius Dane printed on it.
"This is the first door I've seen that's named." Wraith commented.
"Me too." Ahsoka agreed as Wraith went to work trying to pry the door open. HE struggled and reefed, but without proper leverage the door simply wouldn't move. "If my lightsabers were working, this wouldn't be a problem." Ahsoka glumly mused.
"Guess it's a good thing I'm just really strong." Wraith responded as he backed up and then kicked the door, creating a sizeable dent with enough room for his hand to fit through. Using this new position, Wraith grunted and growled as he applied his strength and forced the door open as it ground and groaned against the restraining mechanics still in place. Wedging it open with just enough room, Wraith shimmied past and did a quick scan. There wasn't much, just a chair, a desk, some cabinets and a storage closet. The cabinets appeared to have been rifled through and the whole room was filled with dirt and dust and debris.
Ahsoka slipped in alongside Wraith as he finished his scan. "Let's check around, see if we can find something in here." He suggested, making for the cabinets. Ahsoka pulled off her headpiece, freeing her headtails and giving them a shake as she breathed in some fresh, albeit stale, air. Spying a pile of datapads on the desk, the Togruta walked over to investigate. The first one she tested didn't switch on at all, comepltely drained of power. The second and third were much the same, but the fourth one, sporting a large spider-webbing crack across the screen as well as some caked-on dirt, flickered before booting up.
"Hey... this one still works! There's a bunch of call logs on here!" She excitedly exclaimed, causing Wraith to come over. "It says, YEAR: THIRTY-FOUR NINETY-THREE ATC." Ahsoka read.
"One hundred and forty years ago." Wraith mused, the date a close match to ConStar's official report on Parnassos. "Does it say anything more?" He wondered, peering over her shoulder.
"They do seem to be catalogued. This one is labeled CALL ONE, one week before... I can't read the rest of it, there's too much damage to the screen." Ahsoka responded, squinting as she tried to make out the garbled lettering amid the cracks. Reaching past her, Wraith pressed the play button, sounds quickly coming from the still-functioning speakers.
"Lexius, I was just calling to see how business is over on your end."
"It's going GREAT Mr. Da'f'rd; the workers are pulling five times as much ore out of the ground than their quotas require every day!"
"That's exactly what I like to hear. I knew you were the right man for this job. Keep this up and you'll find yourself on the top floor of this great company of ours."
"I'm looking forward to that day sir."
"Huh. Sounds like ConStar actually made some progress." Ahsoka mused.
"They are a mining corporation. It sounds like they set up shop here and went to work... something that's not in the official report." Wraith noted. Scrolling down, he highlighted the next recording. "This next one is marked as CALL TWO, three days before incident."
"Incident?" Ahsoka repeated curiously. "What incident?"
"I'm not sure..." Wraith replied, trailing off. But he was starting to have his suspicions as his mind started to draw a few different connections between the existing evidence, the clues in the logs and the damage outside. He hit the play button.
"What is it, Lexius?"
"Sorry to bother you sir, but one of our chief engineers have raised concerns over a certain reactor at one of our power plants. I thought that you should know."
"I see, and what can you tell me about these concerns?"
"According to her, it seems that the reactor in question has some major design flaws that could lead to some serious issues. Perhaps we should temporarily shut the plant down for modifications to be made, though out production rate will likely take a hit as a result."
"There is no need for such rash action. This station, which one is it?"
"Calliope I believe, Mister Da'f'rd. Reactor number four."
"If reactor number four really is faulty, wouldn't have there been an accident by now?"
"I... suppose there would've been, sir."
"If it's such a major concern, then have the staff at Calliope perform a safety test. The results should have their worries go up in flames."
"I'll tell them right away, sir."
"And Lexius?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Fire the engineer."
"That sounds like an unscrupulous businessman if ever I've heard one." Wraith rumbled as the log came to an end.
"What did he mean about a reactor?" Ahsoka asked.
"Part of ConStar's plans sometimes involves nuclear power plants to supply the necessary power for their operations." Wraith responded. "There must be a station nearby."
"That Lexius guy said it was Calliope Station. It's close by!" Ahsoka realized.
"Excellent deductive reasoning, my dear." Wraith praised as he moved to the final recording. The notes next to the title gave him pause, though, "Hang on,"
"What?"
"This last one is logged CALL THREE, twenty-five minutes after... can't read this rest of this one either." He replied. The use of 'after' in the title seemed awfully telling.
"Twenty-five minutes after what, though?" Ahsoka wondered. Wraith did not immediately respond, his gaze looking up and out the nearby window to the dusty, desolate world outside.
"I think I have an idea..." He muttered, pressing play.
"Lexius! What the hell is going on over there?!"
"Th-Th-The reactor. The one in Calliope. It- it- it- it... Sir, th-there's been a meltdown!"
"WHAT?!"
"I-I-I had them do the safety test like you suggested. Everything was going well, but something went wrong. They tried to stop it, tried to restore power to the reactor as fast as they could, but... they're all d-dead, sir. Radiation readings are spiking everywhere, the reactor has gone up in flames... Mr. Da'f'rd, what are we going to do?"
"...Lexius, listen to me very carefully. The rest of the galaxy CANNOT find out what's happened here. It'll destroy the company's reputation. So here's what I want you to do; first, get on your terminal and send out an alert to all high-ranking personnel. Rapture Protocol is now in effect."
"The Ra-... Rapture Protocol? Sir, w-what about the rest of the people here?"
"Lexius, the Republic WILL throw us in prison for the rest of our lives if they find out about this. Next, have the security force destroy all communications and scuttle every other ship on the planet. We need to act quickly. Who else knows about the meltdown?"
"I think everyone else is just now starting to hear about what happened. Some of them are already starting to riot, but I don't think anyone's left yet."
"Good, that means we still have time then. After you get done putting Rapture into effect, I suggest you get aboard the company-reserved ship as soon as possible. They will not wait for you if you're late."
"I'll get right on it. And thank you for the warning sir."
"You do this right and make it out of there, there's a promotion waiting for you. Meet me back on Coruscant when you do."
Ahsoka and Wraith stood in relative silence for a moment, processing everything they just heard. The secret history of Parnassos had been revealed to them, as well as ConStar's shady involvement in it all.
One corporation had destroyed an entire planet... and the executives had left the workers behind to fend for themselves in an irradiated wasteland.
"That's the end of the calls." Wraith mused as Ahsoka lowered the data pad. He wandered over to the window, looking out and the grayed environment around them as well as the destitute regions beyond. "I think all the radiation and devastation done to Parnassos is because of this site." He finally said.
"How terrible... and nobody ever knew about it because it was covered up." Ahsoka continued, sounding rather broken over the horrific truth. "How... How could they just leave innocent people behind?!" She exclaimed, in a state of disbelief over ConStar's callous treatment of their employees.
"The almighty credit is a god to many." Wraith sagely responded. "My guess is Da'f'rd figured he could save some credits, as well as his reputation, for not reporting a nuclear accident that was totally avoidable. He did so at the cost of everyone living on Parnassos." He theorized.
"So... that would mean the natives we encountered... are the descendents of the survivors?" Ahsoka slowly stated, coming to the realization about who the only people on the planet were.
"That seems likely." Wraith agreed. Then another thought struck him. "You know something? While the Commerce Guild and its mining contracts joined the Confederacy, ConStar is still a Republic affiliated corporation." Ahsoka's gaze fell even further at this. The people responsible for dooming who knows how many to a destitute life were likely living high and well, safely tucked away behind glass and permacrete on Coruscant.
"Why wouldn't the Republic have investigated further?" She wondered aloud. "Surely someone would've noticed that the reports about Parnassos seemed off!"
"Talented liars ensured little was done." Wraith surmised. "But it shows how deep the corruption runs. Nobody cared, nobody responded, nobody did anything. While others ensured there was nothing to do because it seemed like nothing had been done." He turned back to see a gloomy Ahsoka looking at him.
"Are... Are you trying to teach me something?" She hesitantly wondered.
"No." Wraith softly replied. "I'm just saying." With a sigh he shut down his optics and pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his exposed hair. "Maybe there's something we can do about it. Maybe we can bring ConStar to justice." He suggested, hoping Ahsoka would feel better.
"Maybe... but if they made sure nodboy listened then... what's to say they wouldn't stop people now?" A disheartened Ahsoka replied.
"You. And your Master, and the Clones. They've seen the truth... they might not know it like we do, but-"
"But it'd be my word against a company. Since Anakin hasn't seen this, there's no one else who could back me-" Ahsoka suddenly paused, her expression changing as she focused on the Force. Her senses had alerted her to something new, something close by.
"What is it?" Wraith asked, noting the change.
"I'm sensing a lot of people down below." She revealed, closing her eyes and focusing further. "Eight... nine... ten... there's a bunch." Wraith quickly threw his helmet back on and powered up his optical systems.
"Dozens of thermal signatures. Possibly hostiles." He reported.
"Those wolf-things or locals?"
"I don't know. But I'd rather not get into a fight right now." He continued, searching around for a way they could exit.
"Wait..." Ahsoka suddenly stopped him. She tested her senses again and her eyes widened at the results. "There's some coming up the stairs!" She told him in a hushed tone. Wraith realized they needed to act quickly. The possibly they could be overpowered by this group existed and he did not want either of them to get caught.
"The storage closet! Hurry!" He instructed, dashing to the unit and pulling the door open. Ahsoka stepped in first, her helmet in hand, and Wraith followed right behind, closing the door behind them. It was a snug fit, especially for his bulk. But what made matters worse were the multiple slits right near his head. Anyone casually looking in would spot him for sure!
Pulling off his helmet again, Wraith sank down to a seated position and urged Ahsoka to do the same. She did so, but with Wraith taking up most of the floor, all that was left for her to sit in was his lap. It wasn't exactly something she was opposed to but, given the circumstances, it was a little awkward for her to straddle him like this.
Loud footsteps in the hall stilled them both, Ahsoka holding her breath as Wraith's steady gaze bored into the door, his pistol sliding up into a ready position between them as someone entered the room.
"The outsiders have been here." A voice stated. More footsteps. The being was right outside the locker now. Ahsoka raised her pistol alongside Wraith. "They were here, but have moved on."
"Come. We'll keep looking." Another voice stated from the doorway. The footsteps began again, growing more distant this time. Wraith and Ahsoka waited until the footsteps were echoing down the hall before relaxing.
"That was close." She whispered, breathing a sigh of relief.
"We should stay put for a moment and make sure no one's left to spot us." Wraith suggested in an equally quiet tone. Ahsoka nodded in agreement. An awkward silence set in as they remained where they were, Ahsoka still in Wraith's lap. Due to the constructed nature of the storage locker, they were pressed right close together with not an inch of space to share. "...this is a tight squeeze." Wraith quietly mused. "More than I thought it would be."
"It is kinda cramped in here." Ahsoka agreed, wiggling a little.
"My apologies. But it was a necessary maneuver."
"Don't be sorry. It's not that bad." Ahsoka waved it off. Shimmying a little bit, she settled further into his lap. Turning to him and realizing they barely had any space between them, Ahsoka grew a mischievous smirk. "Been a while since you and I have been this close." She slyly told him. Wraith noticed the intent in her gaze and cocked an eyebrow.
"Are you coming on to me, Ahsoka?" He wondered.
"Maybe." She purred. "If I am... what would you do about it?" She asked, leaning closer.
"I am powerless against you." Wraith answered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm okay with that." Was all she said before pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss. Wraith closed his eyes and kiss back, the two of them coming together in yet another intimate embrace. Wraith observed Ahsoka's newfound willingness to engage in such things, something likely wrought from her desire to explore her emotions and maybe even her sexuality. He was perfectly okay with such a thing, but had to wonder, given the frequency of them, if there was something more under the surface...
Ahsoka couldn't help but want to kiss Wraith. Being this close to him, feeling the heat coming off his body, seeing his handsome features, it just made the ache in the pit of her stomach feel even heavier. She had recorded in her private journal just that morning about how she believed she was in love. She simply couldn't stop thinking about Wraith. Given the kindness and gentleness shown her, she knew that his feelings for her were totally genuine and that he truly loved her. For so long she'd questioned if she should reciprocate his feelings, but she wanted to be absolutely certain of them first. Love was against the Jedi Code, as it was considered part of an attachment, and she was going to break it she wanted to know her feelings first. But now she had an idea of what she was feeling... and she knew there would be no going back if she embraced it.
A brief yet sudden thought flashed through her mind. Recalling the list of definitions she'd been looking at earlier in the day, Ahsoka realized that her issue with pinning down her feelings might've been because her focus was too narrow.
Instead of her feelings being just one facet of love, maybe they were all of them.
The realization caused her to pull back from Wraith and she realized now with full certainty what she felt for him, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Even as Wraith's gloved hand reaching up to touch her face, his fingers traced the curving markings on her cheeks and showing such tender respect, Ahsoka knew she needed to tell him.
"Ahsoka..."
"Wraith." He paused and focus at the way she said his name, as though she wanted to tell him something. He stopped, waiting. Maybe now was as good a time as any to tell him. They weighed on her mind something heavily. Three words, short, little, seemingly innocuous... but carrying the weight of the universe along with them.
She knew that, when uttered, there would be no going back. She had to commit to them entirely. But after hearing Wraith's heartfelt profession and seeing for herself the enormous depth of his affection for her, she was more than willing to back up her words with actions.
With her heart absolutely racing, Ahsoka looked him in the eyes, gently cupped his face and whispered,
"I love you."
Wraith was stunned, his eyes widening as she made her profession.
"Y-You... You d-do?" He stammered in reply, hoping she wasn't messing with him.
"I've been thinking about you non-stop since we met during my... well, nightmare," she started to explain, "and I know I told you on Scarif that I care about you. But after everything you told me, helping me fight back against my depression... I realized I've fallen in love with you." She revealed. "Maybe I already had and I'm just seeing it now. But, I know now that I care about you because I love you." She admitted again. "I know that we've been friends up to this point... but I... I can't help but feel like we should be more. I'm... I-I feel ready to take the next step, even though it's prohibited." Wraith was speechless. To hear these words coming from Ahsoka, words he'd only ever imagined her saying, completely and utterly rocked his world. This wasn't a dream, this wasn't some conjuring of his mind. This was real. This was actually happening. "You are so many things to me; my courage when I'm afraid, my strength when I'm weak, my foundation when I can't stand, my comfort when I feel cold and alone. Above all..." Ahsoka stopped and swallowed nervously, knowing what was on her mind and trying to summon the courage to say it, "Above all I think of you as my man. And I want to be your girl." She told him. At first, Wraith didn't say anything. Overwhelmed by her words, he was simply too stunned to speak. But as his mind found his tongue, he fumbled for a response.
"You... Y-Y-You love me..." He repeated, still comprehending it all. Looking to her with eyes full of emotion. Those were words he had hoped to hear for so long. "Ahsoka..." He whispered, voice breaking. He couldn't contain himself any longer and sniffed, tears escaping his eyes. "Oh, look what you've done." He muttered, wiping one away with the back of his hand.
"Oh Wraith..." Ahsoka breathily laughed, helping to wipe them away. By the time he was calmed, she guided his gaze back to her. "Mi d'bhem yeh, Wraith." She whispered, using the phrase in the correct sense. To hear her say it, in her native tongue, was one of the most amazing things Wraith had ever heard in his life.
"I love you too Ahsoka." He responded. "I've only ever dreamed of this moment. I mean, I had my suspicions when you'd willingly kiss me." He admitted with a shrug. "But to finally know... it's amazing to know you're loved."
"Yeah. It is." Ahsoka agreed. Tightening her arms around him, they hugged for a moment and simply basked in their newfound relationship. Wraith whispered a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening, so very grateful that he and Ahsoka were now together. "I want to kiss you some more."
"I do too." Wraith agreed. So they did. No tongue or anything passionate... yet. Just a simple, loving liplock that celebrated the love they now shared. As Ahsoka's hand weaved through his hair, Wraith held her back headtail, both of them keeping each other as close as possible. Breaking apart for a moment, Ahsoka rested her forehead against Wraith's as the super-soldier rubbed noses with her, both of them giggling in response. "Du d'bhem..." Wraith whispered in Togruti.
"Du d'bhem." Ahsoka replied before kissing him again.
Despite everything the Jedi Code said about this being wrong, to Ahsoka, it defintiely felt right.
The roving patrols of Parnassian survivors continued to roam the building, roving men looking for some sign of the outsiders who had taken the speeder they found outside.
For all the ones who passed through the building, they all missed Wraith and Ahsoka making out in a storage closet.
Tongues buried in each other's mouths, the duo engaged in searing kisses that drove them wild internally. Lips mashed tightly together, bodies grinding against each other, the couple was lost in their own little world of love and passion.
When they did pull apart, Ahsoka looked hazy and distant. Her eyes were half-lidded, her cheeks flushed and montrals dark, mouth slightly hung open as she panted for air. She was getting 'drunk on pleasure' as some put it, but couldn't care less. It felt so nice. Wraith himself was breathing a bit heavier, but could muster enough composure to speak.
"Yehsa?" He softly wondered in Togruti. Ahsoka nodded lightly.
"Ku..." She breathily replied. Wraith smirked and gently held her chin in one hand.
"Yehsa." He whispered, pressing his lips back to hers once more.
Some time later...
The doors to the storage closet flew open as Wraith and Ahsoka tumbled out. There was no decent way of doing it other than falling out, which is exactly what they wound up doing. Both of them couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it.
"That was fun." Wraith mused as he picked himself up, offering Ahsoka a hand
"Yeah, it was." She agreed, accepting it. The blood was flowing back to her brain but the blush hadn't gone away yet, her cheeks and montrals still darkened. "We'll have to do that again some time."
"I'm free when you are." Wraith said with a grin as he donned his helmet. Powering up his optics, his HUD was revealed to him... as well as a new energy ripple. "Hey... that big energy signature that brought us all here," He stated, drawing Ahsoka's attention, "I've got a new reading. It's close, real close."
"Where?" Ahsoka asked, quickly donning her helmet and sealing her suit.
"Follow me."
Leading them back down, the first thing they saw as they neared the entrance were a pair of locals who appeared to have stayed behind. Crouching behind the abandoned reception desk, Wraith swiftly concocted a plan.
"I'll take the one on the left, you go right." He instructed. "Time to put those new combat skills to work." Ahsoka turned to him with a startled look.
"Now?" She wondered, suddenly feeling nervous.
"No time like the present." Wraith responded. "Just remember everything I taught you. You'll do just fine." He assured her, putting his hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka breathed deeply, steadying herself and mentally preparing herself for what was to come. She would need all her wits to pull this off.
"Okay." She finally agreed. Wraith nodded.
"I'll take point." He told her, rising from their hiding place. Leaping over the desk, he rushed the man to the left and tackled him from behind. His stunned partner quickly drew his rifle, shouting "Outsider!" as he did. But Ahsoka was quick to follow Wraith and shot his weapon from his hand with her slug pistols. She then lept forward and executed a hard right cross, spittle flying from his mouth as he was staggered.
Wraith had picked up his target and thrown him into the ground, landing a hard punch to the back of his head, a nasty crack echoing as his head was caught between Wraith's fist and the ground. Wraith turned to see Ahsoka kick her target in the back of the knee and then the hip, driving him to the ground before launching a roundhouse kick that caught him across the face, snapping his head back before he collapsed, knocked out by the blow. Ahsoka turned to Wraith, looking for some pointers. He simply grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "You're as leathal as I am!" He praised. Ahsoka smiled back, happy she was doing this right.
They couldn't celebrate long as the sound of a speeder brought their attention to a third and final Parnassian who was just arriving. Seeing the two of them over his downed comrades, her furrowed his brow and gunned his engine with a cry,
"Down with outsiders! Up with the Claw!" Wraith ignored his bizarre cry and charged him, executing a leaping lunge kick that caught the Parnassian square in the chest and knocked him clean off the speeder. Ahsoka sprinted to Wraith's side as the super-soldier attacked the recovering driver with a swift downward punch the knocked his head down, right into the perfect position for Ahsoka to land a tornado kick, snapping his head back. Just as the staggered Parnassian fell still, Ahsoka landed an elbow strike that crushed his nose before harnessing her momentum to whip around and launch one final punch. Wraith launched one of his own and the Parnassian's head was caught between their fists as the twin blows landed, instantly knocking him out. His body hit the ground like a wet sack of vegetables as Wraith and Ahsoka dusted their hands off, Ahsoka more gingerly than him.
"You alright?" Wraith asked.
"My knuckles hurt." Ahsoka replied, shaking her hand to try and help the stinking sensation wear off.
"Until your hand toughens up, you may split your knuckles open the first few times." Wraith informed her. "I recommend you get an extra layer of padding or even an armored strip across your gloves."
"Good idea." Ahsoka agreed, flexing her fingers a few times. Looking down at their final foe, she then said, "How did we do that? We meshed so well, it was so cool!" in an excited tone and a growing grin.
"The beauty of hand to hand combat lies in how you can read your partner's moves and act accordingly, one can flow into another without hesitation." Wraith replied, something of a veteran of the art. "You keep working on this and you and I will be a force to be reckoned with."
"We make a pretty good team." Ahsoka stated, giving him a smile
"Yes we do." Wraith agreed with a smile of his own. "Hey! Let's check these ones over for power cells." He suggested.
They did, only to discover that the cells for their blaster rifles wouldn't even fit inside Ahsoka's lightsaber hilts. Another dead end, but Ahsoka didn't mind as much this time, as she was gaining confidence in her new martial arts abilities.
The couple then collected the discarded airspeeder of the Parnassian, Wraith opting to drive this time while Ahsoka sat behind and wrapped her arms around him. He drove them through the remains of Nobelchyr, following the signal his HUD was tracking. For a fleeting moment, Wraith wondered if the Republic had managed to make it there as well and questioned exactly what might be generating such an energy signature.
High command had told him that it only ever appeared as a single, abnormal blip that they traced back to Parnassos. What it was, none could say, hence the reason why he was sent to investigate. He was fortunate Scipio had decided to stow a new radiation-proof suit in the shuttle, that wasn't nearly as perfect as his traditional armor, but was perfectly suited for this environment. No one knew the true state of Parnassos and the ConStar report was clearly wrong.
He always appreciate it when fortune smiled upon him.
The remains of the town gave way to the looming shape of a distant power plant, part of it visibly destroyed and likely the source of the cataclysmic meltdown that irradiated the planet. Wraith closed up his mask as they drew ever closer, his radiation readings rising steadily. Ahsoka didn't mind the trip as much, content with being close to Wraith. In her mind, she was still coming to grips with her new reality. She loved Wraith, he knew about it, and he loved her too. Knowing this made her want to just be close to him, and this was perfectly fine with her.
But her thoughts were interrupted when her senses flared, jerking her from the lull of the smooth ride. It rippled through her mind, faint but clear, as she attuned her senses to this new signature. Whatever it was cast a powerful presence through the Force one that was very obvious to her now which left her to wonder why she hadn't sensed it until now.
"Wraith," she tapped him on the shoulder, "I can sense something."
"A Force signature?" He wondered.
"Yes. It's faint but it's close." She told him. "Do you... think it's related to the energy signal?"
"It seems awfully coincidental if it's not." He rumbled in reply, now thinking about what kind of Force-sensitive object could radiate such noticeable power.
Perhaps the desolation of Parnassos had awakened something...
Entering the ruined power plant with a sense of wariness, questioning the potential threat level of the source of the signal.
"Well... guess this is the epicentre of the radiation." Ahsoka mused as she looked up at the grayed, destroyed remains of Calliope's reactor number four. "And here I was hoping we wouldn't come here." She murmured.
"Your mission would've led here eventually." Wraith added as he slowed them to a stop. "We should proceed on foot. My scans show the signal coming from the reactor."
"Oh boy..." Ahsoka sighed, worried about the potential effects of beings this close to radioactive materials.
"If you want, I can drive you back to the perimeter. It'd be safer over there." Wraith offered. Pondering the idea for a moment, Ahsoka shook her head.
"I'd rather not be alone out here," she told him, stepping over to Wraith's side, "besides, I'd rather be close to my man." She added with a smile, intertwining her fingers with his as they held hands for the first time. Though she could not see his expression, Ahsoka could sense Wraith was smiling.
"If it weren't for the radiation, I'd kiss you right now." Ahsoka smiled and blew him a kiss.
"For luck." She stated.
The two entered reactor four, climbing through irradiated debris as they ventured towards the source of the signal. The place was in a similar state of abandonment to Nobelchyr, only there was an added level of eerieness knowing that this was where the trouble began. Wraith took point, a pair of lights on his helmet helping them traverse the darkened areas of the halls. No more power ran through this place, which sometimes left them in pitch dark areas impossible to pass without a light source. Ahsoka deeply wished she had a glow rod, but trusted Wraith as he blazed a trail, sometimes holding his hand as the ventured onwards.
The couple soon found themselves at a clearing, the remains of a room where the distant wall was torn open and partially melted. Before them lay the wrecked remains of reactor core, listing to the right and sitting vertically. Portions of the control rods could be seen protruding through the shattered casing.
"What's that?" Ahsoka queried, having never studied nuclear power before.
"That would be the heart of reactor four... the reason for the meltdown." Wraith answered.
"Oh..." Ahsoka trailed off, staring at the ruins before her and realizing they were at ground zero. Looking up, the Togruta could see the cloudy skies above, a massive hole in the roof thanks to the explosion following the meltdown. Then Wraith took a step out into the open, towards the core. "We have to go in there?" Ahsoka hesitantly wondered.
"This is what we wore radiation suits for." Wraith replied, taking another step down. The collapsed interior provided them with something of a ledge to climb down into the open area, allowing for easier access. Checking his HUD readings, the radiation levels had not spiked. "It's okay, it's manageable." He told Ahsoka. "Guess I was right; the material did have a lower half-life." Ahsoka dropped down next to him, accepting his offered hand as he helped her down. As she did, she looked to the distant ground before them.
"Why does the floor look... damp?" She asked.
"The coolant must've leaked after the water had evaporated." Wraith responded. "This core is supposed to be sitting in a tank of water, but I'm guessing it all got turned to steam before exploding." Ahsoka nodded and followed him. Wraith noted a worrying spike in his radiation readings as they got closer to the core. Obviously, some radioactive materials were still present.
They needed to move and quickly.
"My sensors show the energy signal coming from this area... but I don't see anything of particular note." He stated.
"You sure you're not mixing that up with the radiation readings?"
"That signal is so unique it'd be impossible." Wraith told her. "Something tells me it's underneath all of this."
"Underneath?!" Ahsoka repeated in exclamation. "How the heck are we supposed to get under the building?" She asked. Wraith turned to her and reached for his belt, withdrawing a trio of explosive disks.
"Ask and you shall receive." He cheekily responded. Arming them to their maximum setting, Wraith scanned for a weak point before tossing them on the floor. He sprinted to Ahsoka's side and shielded her as they detonated, blowing a hole in the floor. When the flames and dust settled, the duo checked out the hole and discovered a large empty chamber below. "Look at that..." Wraith whistled.
"You mean ConStar built this over something?" Ahsoka wondered aloud, shocked by the find. "Were... Were they trying to hide something?"
"We're about to find out." Wraith mused as he rolled his shoulders and then jumped down. Ahsoka made to say something but was stopped by his sudden move, shocked by his brazen act.
Entering the blackened chamber, Wraith hit the ground only a few seconds into his fall, the impact dampeners in his boots taking the weight of impact fluidly. He straightened up and performed a quick geoscan of his surroundings, his HUD mapping the terrain. The room was big, open and rounded, with smooth walls and floors. He detected an anomaly, though, located in one of the walls.
"Wraith?! Are you okay?!" Ahsoka shouted down.
"I'm fine! This room is safe!" He replied, calling back up. "Jump down! I'll catch you!" He offered. But, using the Force, Ahsoka dropped down into the room with the grace of a seasoned acrobat.
"I appreciate the thought, but no need." She replied.
"Very well. I'm picking up something over here." He informed her, switching his lights back on and turning to a small, circular door that appeared to have been cut into the wall.
"This is strange..." Ahsoka muttered as she drew closer. "I can feel that Force signature again. It's getting stronger." She reported.
"Then we're on the right path." Wraith determined. Struck by a sudden thought, he then asked, "Can you open that door with the Force?" Stretching out her arm, Ahsoka waved her hand and found herself able to do so, the circular panel sliding up to reveal a passageway.
"The mystery deepens." Ahsoka mused with a smirk as they moved inside.
"So it would seem." Wraith agreed. The door suddenly closed behind them, and after a brief moment of panic, Wraith calmed Ahsoka with good news. "The radiation levels have dropped. I think whatever this place is made of is blocking it out."
"So... we're safe in here?" Ahsoka clarified.
"Safer." Wraith responded as he retracted his mask. Seeing him break the seal, Ahsoka removed her helmet as well.
"If I get radiation poisoning from this, I'll blame you." She stated.
"I would never endanger you, my love." Wraith responded. "Now, about that Force signature." Closing her eyes, Ahsoka focused, her senses reaching out and picking up the significantly stronger signature.
"It's this way, come on!" She urgently told him, jogging down the tunnel. Wraith joined her as they continued their trek, the passage stretching on and becoming longer than either anticipated.
But when it did come to an end, depositing them into another wide open room, Ahsoka was left in awe while Wraith was bewildered.
The room was open with a high ceiling and smooth, flat, curved walls. But in the very centre was a pedestal... and something on it was glowing.
"What is that...?" Ahsoka breathed, captivated by the sight. Wraith felt a familiar sense of curiosity wash over him as the entire scene reminded him of a moment on Aliston Nor.
"Stay here..." He softly instructed, stepping into the room and towards the pedestal. The glow persisted even as he drew closer. Wraith could see no visible markings or any kind of carved shapes either on the pedestal or around it. The super-soldier walked right up to the piece... and what he found glowing on its flat surface startled him.
It was a small, thin, diamond-shaped sliver of stone... identical to the one he had found on Aliston Nor.
It glowed red, as though it were imbued with a power of somekind just like the other one. Its edges were just as smooth and cleanly carven, but a part of it was rougher and less pristine, exactly like the other one. Picking it up with two fingers, Wraith felt a gentle, pulsating heat within his hand and heard another soft hum, like part of a distant song. "Deja vu, much." He muttered as he lifted up the piece, it's glow fading significantly and revealing its translucent, crystalline nature. His scanners highlighted every mathematical aspect of the geometric design, this sliver being a perfect match to the blue one he'd found. It did nothing, just like the last one and Wraith was left with more questions than answers. "Well... that was simple." He mused with a shrug. Turning back to Ahsoka, he clenched the fragment tightly in his hand. "And here I was expecting-" Suddenly, a bright red flash enveloped him, so bright Ahsoka was forced to shield her eyes. By the time the light dissipated and Ahsoka lowered her hands, Wraith was nowhere to be seen.
"What the-?!" She cried, startled. Looking around with wide eyes, Ahsoka could see no sign of him. "Wraith?" She called, hoping he'd respond. when none could be heard, she started to get worried. "Wraith!" She called again, more urgently this time. Still nothing, her voice echoing around the empty room. The Togruta ran around the room, looking high and low for some sign, some trace, anything to indicate where he might've gone. But there was nothing.
The Wraith had vanished!
"WRAITH!"
