Author's Note: Time for the sithspit to hit the fan!
-Chapter 89: The Break Out-
Location: Coruscant
"You have allies all around you, even some you do not know."
The Wraith had been in prison for almost a week and for the Republic, the war seemed to now be on even terms. The Separatists had yet to make a move, likely attempting to adjust their strategies to account for the lack of a super-soldier in their ranks.
Little did they realize that they were simply biding their time...
Oblivious to this, the Republic continued to go about their business, Palpatine overseeing the finished specialized cell being prepped for Wraith while an escort delivered the remains of his armament to the Republic Ministry of Sciences, where Doctor Sionver Boll was waiting...
In the office of the Supreme Chancellor, Chancellor Palpatine and his security council consisting of Armand Isard, Mas Amedda and Commander Thrawn met together for a brief meeting concerning the plan to have The Wraith transferred to Republic Military Headquarters. Given his notorious capabilities, the move had many risk factors attached to it and Palpatine wished to go over every aspect of it with those he trusted.
"The cell in headquarters has finally been completed. We've ensured that it has every possible precautionary measure in place. It is likely the most secure place on Coruscant." Palpatine boasted.
"Which is good. If someone ever comes for The Wraith, we don't want them to be able to crack the lockdown." Armand agreed.
"'If' someone comes for him," Amedda corrected, "the Separatists wouldn't dare try to free him, not when the heart of the Republic is on constant watch."
"Precisely, chairman." Palpatine concurred. "Now, I have been sent a copy of the travel route in advance-"
"Supreme Chancellor, if I may," Thrawn calmly interjected, drawing the attention of the rest of the council, "I would like to see the layout of the cellblock, as well as the cell in which Wraith is to be detained."
"Of course, Commander." Palpatine complied, adjusting the holoprojector on his desk until a render of headquarters appeared as well as a highlighted route from the cell to the nearest landing pad. "The route is quite simple; upon arrival we transfer Wraith from one security team to another and move him down into the cell. I intend to oversee the move myself." Palpatine described as he triggered an image of the newly-constructed cell. "Now, as you can see, it has a triple layer of electronic bypass measures in addition to a built-in ray shield and containment field. If ever we need to, The Wraith can be rendered inaccessible and immobile within a matter of seconds." He explained. "Our security teams will be able to intercept the intruders while they attempt to crack the five-tier carbonite-laced door system, as such we've placed the cell at a certain 'chokepoint' so that any-"
"It's not going to work." Thrawn simply stated. The other three stopped and turned to him with surprise, Thrawn's scarlet gaze transfixed on the cell and not meeting any of theirs.
"Wha... What do you mean?" Amedda wondered.
"There are too many variables. The Wraith won't even make it to the cell." The Chiss continued.
"Commander, there is no possible way he won't. There is nothing that could go awry." Palpatine objected.
"Not necessarily." Thrawn countered, shifting the image back to the transfer route. "The cell is approximately two-hundred and forty feet from the landing platform, meaning that's two-hundred and forty feet of potential ambush territory." Thrawn quietly responded in his usual collected tone.
"From within the cellblock? Don't be absurd!" Armand dismissed. "It is impossible to get in or out of headquarters without proper access."
"Someone with the means and willpower could, Director Isard." Thrawn calmly replied. "I have already voiced my concerns about the security of the Judicial Centre, but this transfer raises even more concerns." The Chiss quietly stated.
"Commander, I assure you, this plan was developed by top strategical minds to ensure there is no possible way for Wraith to escape or break free. It will all take less than ten minutes." Palpatine assured him.
"That is ten minutes too long." Thrawn gravely responded. "Unless you delay this transfer and develop a new, more secure and secretive plan, The Wraith will escape." He cautioned.
Four Clones troopers and one Ahsoka Tano brought the single crate containing each piece of equipment found on The Wraith to the Republic Sciences building as the sun started to set over the ecumenopolis. The last time the Padawan had been ehre was in the aftermath of the Zillo Beast attack on Galactic City. This was the home of all sorts of advancements and technological marvels in an attempt to upgrade the Republic army beyond anything the Separatists could throw at it. Many different machines and powerful weapons of war had been developed and produced in here, and the hope was that this process might be aided with insights gleaned from Wraith's armor and weapons.
The maroon-skinned Bivall waited patiently with a datapad in hand as the crew of military affiliates brought her the prized cargo. Carried on a tiny repulsorlift, it was declared a maximum security object by the Chancellr himself and thus required a full guard.
"Everything's here, Doctor Boll. Including a couple of fragments leftover from the Stassia engagement." Ahsoka reported, though there was no chipper tone in her voice at the memory of that awful day.
"Excellent. Thank you, Commander Tano. We'll take it inside." Sionver graciously replied as she led them into the building. "Do you have an inventory list, by chance?"
"There should be his helmet, what's left of his armor and jacket, his gauntlets, his boots, weapons belt with two blaster pistols and two slug pistols, as well as this... rifle-looking thingy that I've never really seen before." Ahsoka listed off, having memorized Wraith's loadout well before today. After all, she was the only one to ever get up close to him multiple times (not that anyone else knew that).
"A prototype then. That I look forward to studying." Boll replied with a eager twinkle in her golden eyes.
"I would suggest you check out the slug pistols too, Doctor. They're... custom-made from what I understand." Ahsoka added, trying to play the roll of a good Padawan who was as happy as everyone else was that The Wraith was in prison.
"Really now? Then they should make quite the study." Sionver mused, curiosity thoroughly piqued. "It has always puzzled me as to why such an advanced soldier would turn to such an archaic weapon."
"You may want to compare notes with Commander Thrawn, before he leaves for his homeworld. I know he's made observations about them." Ahsoka suggested.
"I shall have to do just that." Doctor Boll agreed.
Elsewhere...
Corsair stood in his office aboard the Stolen Horizon, an earpiece wired up around his ear and an active holocom on his desk. With a datapad in hand, the mercenary was making some final checks before he and his crew of Titans embarked on another daring job that would push them to their limits... something several were worried about, while others were looking forward to.
He'd made this call only a few moments ago. It was a call he'd made several times before and, in addition, had heard others make. He was relying on the old network again. A network that, so far, had yet to fail him. The line clicked as his call went through.
"Operator. How may I direct your call?" A feminine voice sweetly inquired.
"Accounts payable." Corsair answered.
"One moment please." The line fell silent again as Corsair's attention returned to the datapad. Ticking off a few more items on his list, his progress was slowed when a new voice, this one also feminine, spoke through the line.
"Accounts payable, how may I help you?" She asked.
"I'd like ta open an account." Corsair responded.
"Name on the account?"
"Big brig." A code name, obviously, but one universally understood by those in the network.
"Identification?"
"Smog a' Thune." Corsair answered. It was an old code, one he'd invented himself, and it felt good just to use it again. He felt like he was truly back in business.
"Account verification?"
"Thirty-nine forty." Another code. Each number combination represented a different aspect of a job.
"Account status?"
"Pahty. Maximum thirty membahs." Corsair answered. That should be enough for a suitable diversion.
"Account balance?"
"Fourteen million." That would be modest enough. Not everyone who joined in would survive, but those who did would find their pockets nicely lined.
"Processing, please hold." The line went silent again and Corsair mentally ticked off a few more boxes. Only one remained. After a few minutes of being on hold, the voice returned, "Alright sir, your account has been created. Please wait approximately thirty minutes for authorization. Is there anything else I can help you with?" She said.
"No thank ya, luv. That'll be all." Corsair answered, ticking off the final box.
"My pleasure, have a wonderful day." She replied, bidding him farewell. Corsair cut the call and put his tech aside, tossing it all on his desk before activating his private comms.
"Theris, contact Seraj and have 'er do final checks. We'll be ready ta leave in a bit." He instructed.
"Right away, boss." Theris replied as Corsair started moving. He left the Titan's ship behind, giving direct orders to the crew within to keep a low profile, before leaving the landing pad to find a hover cab.
Everything was in place and the ball was rolling... it would not be long now.
As the Titan leader went about his business, his account request was completed... and word began to spread...
All across Coruscant, a variety of beings suddenly checked their personal datapads as the message came through: Big Brig - 3940. Party of 30 Contract. 14 Million. Dozens of species responded to the call, attempting to join the short list in hopes of being able to take part and earn a decent reward. There were Rodians, humans, Kage, Devaronians, Iakaru, Niktos, Drabatans, Zabraks, Ithorians, Weequay, even a Crolute. All of them were connected to the same network as Corsair, all of them seasoned hunters and killers, all of them more than ready to join a dangerous job with the hope of earning a few million credits in return.
That night...
Galactic City was once again shrouded in the dark of night, only the bustling lights from buildings, streets and speeders able to break up the midnight gloom. In her lab, Doctor Boll made note after note on the composition of Wraith's armor and the capabilities of his tools and equipment. His weapons and helmet she found extremely fascinating, making note after note about every little discovery she made, from functionality to even the ammunition used. Everything was going so well and there was so much to be learned that Sionver opted to stay late and continue her research. She was all alone, hard at work trying to better understand the Republic's former adversary and how to improve the troops of the future.
That is, until, she wasn't alone.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a dark shape dart past her area, causing her to pause her transcription of the enscribed serial numbers along the barrel of a slugthrower pistol and look up. She saw nothing, but was convinced she had.
"Hello?" She wondered aloud, slowly getting up from her chair. "Is someone there?" She called to the seemingly empty lab. No one responded, nothing moved, but Doctor Boll was positive she'd seen something. She started walking, moving towards the far end of the lab to investigate. There could be nothing left to chance, she had to ensure she wasn't seeing things.
Sionver rounded a counter and gazed back and forth, seeing no one around. But then, she heard the sound of breaking glass and quickly dashed into an adjoining room. There she found a cabinet smashed to pieces, glass littering the floor. The Bivall quickly took stock of the contents, mostly chemicals and a few beakers of mixed compounds. Nothing truly worth taking, unless there was something about-
A sudden burst of ionic energy enveloped the Doctor and Sionver cried in pain as her nervous system was overloaded. Sparks of purple electrical energy jumped across her body until the Bivall collapsed, unconscious. The unseen figure behind her left Doctor Boll where she lay, advancing towards her area in the lab. Producing a backpack, the figure began to sweep Wraith's equipment into it with an armored hand...
A Coruscant Police Gunship, carrying a small company of guards in addition to a heavily bound and shackled Wraith, streaked past the skyline of Galactic City, making for the local Military Headquarters. The day for the super-soldier's transfer had come, soon he would be locked away in a specialized cell designed, never to be freed until the Chancellor ordered his execution at the end of the war. The gunship alighted on the roof of the massive compound, where a special detachment of Commander Fox's Coruscant Guard were waiting alongside Chancellor Palaptine, who wished to see to The Wraith's incarceration personally. Side door pulling back, the troopers within escorted the captured super-soldier right to Palpatine's feet, where he knelt bound to a small hoverpalette. Even though it was dark out, the glow of his amber eyes was unmistakable, and the periodic flashes from lights all around revealed the stubble growing heavily around his face.
"Feeling comfortable?" Palpatine asked, rather smugly.
"What do you think?" Wraith growled.
"I think you'll be much better off in your new cell." The Chancellor replied with an almost villainous smile. "It's been specially designed for dangerous monsters like yourself."
"Too bad I won't be able to enjoy it." Wraith remarked. Palpatine marveled at his persistent spirit and stooped down a little to get closer.
"The Separatists are not coming for you. You have no allies here." He stated in a low voice.
"Perhaps not for the moment. But I will be free, given time." Wraith valiantly promised.
"I would not be so confident if I were you." Palpatine cautioned before straightening up. "Troopers, take him inside." He instructed.
"Yes sir." A Clone readily replied, turning around to take the lead.
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and the Clone fell dead with a scorch mark burned into his chest.
Before the rest of them could act, a storm of blaster fire cut down each one as a band of Ubese hunters suddenly sprang from the shadows.
"Incou ni zubete kawan g'noh zuh Jedi!" One shouted, rushing in as the Clones collapsed around Palpatine. Leaping forward, they delivered a hard punch and decked the Chancellor right on the jaw, dropping him instantly. The Ubese cleared out the Clones in a methodical and calculated manner, clearly experts in the art of killing. By the end of it, a dozen Clones lay dead on the ground next to an unconscious Palpatine, leaving just the Ubese and Wraith.
"Ask and you shall receive." The super-soldier mused, surprised by the rather sudden turn of events. One of the Ubese approached him as two more went to work on his binds.
"Tei, tuh chi'yuta kemabli toh ni Dooku." The Ubese told him. Wraith did not speak their language, but recognized the word 'Dooku'.
This group was here to set him free.
Wraith watched as the Ubese killed the power to the containment field around him, and then splinter his cuffs and crack open his shackles. Shaking his limbs as he stood up, the super-soldier could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins at the notion of being rescued. He did a quick headcount and totaled up twelve Ubese, each one armed with varying types of weaponry. They led him to the edge of the landing pad, overlooking the courtyard below, and attached grapples to the base, evidently planning on repelling down.
"Horu'do ni." One Ubese instructed him as he passed Wraith a tether. Two of their number reminded behind as Wraith descended with the other ten. It didn't take long, however, for the spotlights around the compound to highlight them, blinding them all with intense, focused white light. One of them triggered their comms.
"Korosh zuh lompu, itu ni shiga'isen." They instructed. A few short seconds later, the power cut out and every light source in the immediate area went dark.
"Nice work," Wraith complimented as they started rappelling again, "you've clearly thought this out." He got no response, not even as they landed in the compound. The Ubese then moved him up against a nearby wall as they all drew their weapons and started communicating amongst themselves. Wraith noted most of them carried two-handed blasters or scatterguns, but one of them had a pair of pistols on their hips. It seemed likely they were the team leader, or a leading figure to some degree.
Even though their operation had been underway for only a few minutes, the Clones were already on the move, every available trooper on the premises storming out into the courtyard right where the Ubese were waiting. They opened fire with their weapons, shelling the Clones with a storm of blaster rounds and felling many where they stood.
"Korosh mer'ek! korosh zuh Jedi-kawan!" An enthusiastic Ubese cried. From above, the two that had stayed behind opened fire with their LJ-50 rifles, attacking the Republic from on high with explosive rounds that sent Clones flying in many directions.
"Impressive!" Wraith called from behind a heavily sheltered position. "But I hope you've got a plan to leave soon! The Republic's not known for running!" As if in response to his statement, the Clones quickly fortified their position with a crew of Z-6 rotary cannons opening fire on the Ubese. IT also didn't help that there was a collection of starfighters nearby, namely Z-95 Headhunters, LAAT gunships and even a few Y-Wings. Some had quickly gotten a pair of the LAAT in the air and were encroaching on the party of would-be-rescuers from behind. "See what I mean?"
"Ochou nai shin'pa. Tuh tidak nai tei hitori'de." An Ubese assured him. In the dark without a proper translation, Wraith had no idea what he was saying.
He had a pretty good idea, though, when a rocket suddenly slammed into one of the LAATs.
It struck an engine, fire and smoke erupting from the shattered chassis, the ship developing an uncontrollable downward spiral before crashing into a fiery heap on the ground. From one of the walls of the compound, there stood a Crolute armed with a manpack launcher.
He was the first of many.
All of a sudden, it seemed like dozens of new hands had arrived. Varying species with varying caliber of weapons suddenly joined in the firefight, helping the Ubese fend of the Republic.
"Huh, not bad!" Wraith observed with a grin as a trio of Rodians, a human and two Devaronians joined the Ubese in fending off the Republic.
Outside the military headquarters, three Police Gunships dropped off a squad of Jedi just beyond the courtyard. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Plo, Ahsoka, Mace and even Master Yoda were on the scene, quickly pulled from their duties (and punishments) once news of the attempted break out had reached them.
"First of all, how the hell did a few dozen mercenaries breach the outer defences?" Anakin wondered.
"Looks like the power's out, not even the emergency lights are running." Mace observed.
"Then this attack is coordinated. This has been planned." Obi-Wan realized.
"Hurry we must. Prevent The Wraith's escape and stop this attack, is our priority." Yoda determined. The Jedi unanimously agreed and split up to spearhead the defence.
Anakin made a beeline for where the 501st Clones had been summoned, Rex and Tempest Company suited up, kitted out and ready to go.
"What's the plan, General?" The Captain asked.
"Take out anyone who's helping Wraith and keep him from escaping." Anakin replied. "If push comes to shove, we permenantly keep him from escaping." He added.
"Understood sir." Rex affirmed with a nod. The rest of Tempest Company added a chorus of acknowledgment.
"Lieutenant Jolt, did you or someone from the research division bring back the EM rifle?" The Knight inquired.
"The latest model sir," Jolt announced, EM rifle in hand, "and with your permission General, I'd like to help the Wraith Killer earn its moniker." He darkly added.
"If that's what it takes, do it." Anakin agreed with a nod.
In the thick of the battle, Republic forces were now divided between fending off the sudden invasion of the other mercs and the Ubese covering Wraith. The good news was that these mercs were less protected, albeit very skilled, and were felled with relative ease. The problem was, whoever these people were, they were near-perfect crackshots with their weapons, able to drop Clones almost as easily as the Ubese.
The original team of ten gave orders to several of the joining mercs and moved to handle the Republic on different terms, especially as Obi-Wan and Mace joined the fray.
"Korosh zuh Jedi!" They roared, attacking the advancing forces with great fury, derived from the culture's shared hatred of the Jedi for their failure to intervene in the destruction of their homeworld millennia ago. This left a human and a Devaronian to aid Wraith.
"Can you move?" The human asked.
"Little bit, just not fast." Wraith answered. Painkillers and bacta treatment had helped, but his supplies were limited and therefore so was the healing extent of his treatments. He still had a pain in his limbs.
"We'll cover you. Make for the far south corner of the courtyard." The Devaronian directed. Wraith nodded and moved to obey as both mercenaries unleashed a steady stream of fire from their blaster rifles, keeping the Clones pinned while Wraith made a break for it.
"Get to the south corner... and then what?" Wraith asked himself as he ran, pushing past the ache in his legs. The other LAAT exploded in a fireball not far off, crashing into the ground as more Jedi swarmed the scene. The fight was growing intense... and Wraith was in the middle of it, unarmed and unprotected.
The ground suddenly splintered around him as hard impacts kicked up debris. Wraith recognized the sound of hypersonic slugs and realized that another EM rifle was on the scene... and targeting him. "This is bad... really bad..." He muttered as he ducked behind a decorative spire. "Who's bright idea was it to trust a bunch of mercs?" The Ubese were fighting hard, both those in the courtyard and those up on the landing pad. But the Clones were highly coordinated and were able to form a solid defence, especially with Jedi aiding them. Anakin was cutting through mercs with ease, deflecting bolts back at the swarms of hired hands trying to buy Wraith time. The ground around the super-soldier was being shelled constantly by the Clone with the EM rifle. Things seemed bad... very bad.
But then everything changed.
A lone SS-54 assault ship suddenly screamed over the roof of the headquarters, whipping about on its twin propulsion thrusters and strafing the Republic line with twin forward cannons. Its presence surprised everyone, even Wraith, an unexpected source of aid that one one saw coming. It was painted black and bore no immediate identifiers or markings, leaving its identity a complete mystery. Once the grounds were ablaze with the leftovers of cannon salvos, the SS-54 touched down just across from Wraith near the edge of the courtyard. The side door slid open...
And out stepped what could only be described as a female Wraith.
Clad in a silvery dark blue armor that ran from head to toe, bearing duster tails like what Wraith used to wear, and a helmet that was virtually identical to his own (twin red optics included), the only difference was that her body was much slimmer and lithe and very much resembled a woman. Her armor also had glowing veins of bright blue energy running through it, seemingly resulting in either a powered suit or a suit with powered abilities.
Wraith could only stare slack-jawed as the anonymous soldier approached him, and had to wonder if this is what others felt like when they saw his masked face and crimson optics approaching them. "What the...?" He trailed off, lost for words as the female soldier approached him. "Who are you?"
"No time to explain, soldier." She responded in a synthesized voice not unlike his own. "Here, throw these on." Removing her backpack and droping it into his hands, Wraith opened it to find all of his gear wedged inside. He didn't have time to ask any more questions as the lady super-soldier was already on the move. She-Wraith charged forward, drawing a pistol from her hip and attacking the Republic with bolts of green energy, which Wraith recognized to be akin to Umbaran technology. Her presence took everyone by surprise, but the big and bold Separatist emblems decorating each shoulder explained who she was well enough for everyone to understand. The mercenaries parted as she charged headlong into the fight, gunning down Clones left and right. The Jedi were as surprised as Wraith was.
"What the... There's TWO of them now?!" Anakin cried.
"I thought the Seppies couldn't make another super-soldier!" Ahsoka responded, as wide-eyed as her master was.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Obi-Wan bemoaned as he gripped his lightsaber tightly. The mercs fell back as the lady soldier held her own, attacking one Clone with a flying arm bar that snapped his limb before she used her feet to break his neck. Rolling to her feet and seeing the Republic charge her, She-Wraith stowed her pistol and charged up what looked like an orb of translucent blue energy mounted on her right gauntlet. Raising her right arm, she suddenly projected a steady stream of ear-piercing sonic energy, forcing Clones and Jedi and anyone else caught in its path to their knees. With her enemies sufficiently beaten, she turned around and gestured for the Ubese to start moving back, which they did without hesitation. The Ubese on the landing pad started to lower themselves down, making to join their fellows as She-Wraith strode over to the fully-clothed super-soldier, who now wore the remains of his armor and weapons.
"I take it you're my ride out of here?" Wraith asked her.
"At Count Dooku's request. I'm also to take them as well." She replied, gesturing to the Ubese. "Call me Banshee."
"Because of the sonic device, right?" Wraith wondered.
"M-three-forty-five Shriekburst emitter. Umbaran tech with a little bit of Techno Union extras." Banshee replied, holding up her arm. "Don't worry Wraith, you'll be back in Separatist space before long." She promised.
"You know me, but I'm not familiar with you." Wraith regarded with some concern. Another soldier like himself was something he had no idea was underway.
"I'm the new girl on the field. Inspired by you." Banshee told him. "I've been designed to be your equal."
"Is that right? Hope you're up to the task then." Wraith wondered, brandishing Tyth. "Feels good to wield this again." He mused, eyeing his firesaber which the Jedi, surprisingly, had not taken. Maybe that was because it blended in with his belt and was concealed.
"I know what you mean." Banshee replied. Snapping her left arm out to the side, a pair of blue lightsaber blades ignited from out of her gauntlet. Wraith audibly gasped as he recognized the design.
"A lightsaber gauntlet..." It was an almost legendary piece of equipment, typically carried by certain Jedi and resembled the kind of gauntlets worn by bounty hunters. He wondered for a fleeting moment if General Grevious had made a donation to make this happen. Without another word, Banshee took to the battlefield, hacking and slashing her way through the line of Clones until she encountered Obi-Wan. His lightsaber crashed into hers, sparks flying from the clash.
"You're certainly a new one, my dear." He cordially remarked.
"Save it, Jedi!" Banshee growled, showing a fervor equal to Wraith's. Overcoming the clash, Banshee went on the attack as Wraith stayed behind her and gunned down Clones with his autogun, a fresh cell within. He'd forgotten how much joy it brought him to squeeze the trigger and send a barrage of bolts flying at the enemy.
Oh how he'd missed this!
His back turned as he and the Ubese battled more incoming Clones in an effort to buy themselves some space to escape, Banshee was taking the fight to another Jedi... Ahsoka Tano.
Unlike her fellow super-soldier, she didn't share the same amount of reservation when it came to fighting the Togruta as Wraith did.
Ahsoka was skilled in lightsaber combat, an expert in some regards as she'd pioneered the Reverse Shien style with two blades. But Banshee's athleticism, strength and sheer power was enough to crack even her block.
"Tell me child, has your master taught you the value of pain yet?" The super-soldier thundered as she drove both blue blades into hers repeatedly.
"He's taught me how to grin and bear it!" Ahsoka retorted, backflipping away before rushing forward again. But that gave Banshee an opening and primed her right-handed weapon before unleashing another burst of sonic energy that drove the Togruta to the ground. Ahsoka hit her knees and dropped her lightsabers, clutching her headtails as a sharp pain pierced her mind. It was unbearable! Almost as bad as the sonic emitters on the Citadel. It dropped her hard and gave Banshee plenty of time to attack, reaching down and grabbing Ahsoka by the neck and chokeslamming her hard into the ground before throwing her across the courtyard and into a wall, in a show of impressively mighty strength. Ahsoka tumbled across the ground and fell still, knocked out by the sudden, jarring impact.
"Grin and bear that." Banshee remarked. Arming her emitter once more, she fired a focused stream of sound towards the wall near Ahsoka, disturbing the structural integrity and causing it to crack.
Banshee had moved back to rejoin the mercenaries and Wraith by the time the super-soldier had noticed the crumbling wall and Ahsoka beneath it. Without another thought for his own safety and freedom, he threw down his autogun and charged towards her at a dead sprint, not caring for the pain or the consequences, only for her safety. The wall overhead split apart, a massive piece of permacrete coming down atop her. But with a lunge, Wraith arrived just in time, and caught the piece with his bare hands before it could crush her. The sudden movement seemed to awaken her and Ahsoka looked up just in time to see Wraith on bent knees, struggling to hold the rubble at bay.
"Wr-Wraith?" She wondered, quite startled.
"Ngh... Hi." He managed to reply, the ache in his limbs almost too much for him. But he had to hold out, for her sake. Finding the strength within himself, Wraith pushed with all his might, raising the piece of permacrete up and over his head with his hands. Even now, despite being not quite fully healed and put in a vulnerable position, his strength triumphed as he alone hefted a piece of wall no ordinary man could even budge.
He cast it aside and then fell to his knees, exhausted. The pain was too much, he didn't have anything left. Ahsoka crouched by his side.
"You... You just gave up escaping... for me." She said slowly.
"A life without you is not a life worth living." He replied. That was a truth he had discovered and clung to all the way back after the Battle of Celanon. Ahsoka was everything to him and he offered a slight smile despite the pain. She returned it, feeling completely smitten with his sense of care towards her.
The moment did not last long as a sudden Force push sent Wraith flying into a nearby wall. Drained and not at full strength, the super-soldier could barely move as Anakin arrived on the scene. Blue lightsaber blazing, he offered Ahsoka only a stern command,
"Go help the others." He picked Wraith up with the Force. "I've got him. He's not escaping any time soon." Ahsoka believed him for a moment and made to obey. She hadn't sensed Anakin's true intentions as the Knight gripped Wraith hard and proceeded to choke him. "You've corrupted her," he growled, "turned her against me! Turned all of them against me!" Wraith did not respond, stuck rasping and desperate for oxygen as his airway steadily closed. "I'm done letting you rule us through fear and notoriety. I'm done with you." Anakin stated, rearing back his hand as he readied thrust his blade through him, "I'll do what none of them are capable of. I can see through you even if they can't, so I have to be the one to end it." He determined. "You were never meant to be locked up. You were meant to be killed!" And he would've too, if not for a loud shot that suddenly rang out and Anakin's lightsaber went flying from his grip as a hole and a few fingers were torn fomr his mechanical hand. Dropping Wraith, Anakin clutched his arm as eye spied the Ubese with twin pistols approaching him, one of them in his hand and smoking.
"Incou ni zubete Jedi." It solemnly growled, firing again and hitting Anakin in the shoulder, blood spraying in its wake. Two more slugs struck his thighs, crippling him, and two more hit his knees, forcing him to the ground. Wraith sat catching his breath, stunned as the Ubese forced Anakin to the ground, blood beginning to stain the Jedi's robes. One more slug to the gut had Anakin doubled over, coughing as blood from multiple slug wounds continued to drain from his body. The Ubese turned to the startled Wraith. "Selu'sok dia!" It exclaimed. Wraith didn't understand and had no idea what it wanted. After a few moments, the Ubese gaze a frustrated sigh and, as a struggling Anakin tried to straighten up, the Ubese dumped the remaining nine slugs into the Jedi's torso. Anakin promptly collapsed as a pool of blood started to form around his body. Wraith just stared, completely shocked by what had just happened. In the span of a few seconds, Anakin had been shot to bits...
And possibly... to death?
He didn't know. He would not know, not unless he had some sort of equipment on hand to check his vitals. Wraith simply lay there, stunned by the fact that Anakin might've been killed before his very eyes.
"MASTER!" Ahsoka shrieked in the distance. To Wraith it sounded muffled, like something was in his ears. Was this what shock felt like? The move by the Ubese was just so unexpected, maybe it had shocked him. Wraith was shaken back to reality when the Ubese grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Tei ni! Tei ni toh!" He urged, forcibly hauling Wraith to his feet alongside a just-arrived Banshee. "Tuh need ni itu!" Together they half-pushed, half-dragged Wraith over to the SS-54 as some of the Republic tried to kill off the remaining mercenaries while others sprinted to Anakin's side. Wraith looked over his shoulder as Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Rex gathered around Anakin's prone form and saw no more as all twelve Ubese loaded into the craft alongside him and Banshee and the door closed.
Later, aboard the Dominace...
Count Dooku, Admiral Sereva and Doctor Scipio awaited anxiously as the SS-54 entered and landed in the hangar aboard the Subjugator cruiser. The side door slid open moments later as Scipio and Sereva dashed forward to reveal the Ubese, Banshee and Wraith.
"My boy!" Scipio exclaimed as Banshee helped him down.
"Hey Doc. Been a while." Wraith replied, one arm around Banshee's shoulder. "Force, it's good to be back." He added, glancing around the familiar durasteel trappings of the hangar.
"You gave us a good scare, my boy. To think of you imprisoned...!"
"What matters it that I'm alive." Wraith told him as Count Dooku approached. "Sir," Wraith greeted with a nod, "I'd bow but I'm a little worse for wear."
"Completely understandable, soldier." The Count replied in an understanding tone. "I trust your escape went well?"
"You could say it was a surprise... in more ways than one." Wraith mused, casting a glance at Banshee.
"Ah, I see you've met your new partner." Dooku noted.
"Partner?!" Wraith exclaimed, surprised once more.
"Banshee is the result of Project Nightscream, a joint Techno Union and Umbaran Rootai special project. She is another super-soldier, just like you." Dooku informed him.
"But equipped with experimental Umbaran tech." Wraith surmised. "They have good stuff. That's... not a bad idea."
"You'll see I'm perfectly capable of working alongside you, Wraith. I assure you, I am as committed to the Separatists as you are." Banshee promised. Wraith could only nod, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the revelation.
"Come, my boy, let's get you looked at and I'll be sure to fill you in about everything." Scipio urged as Sereva joined them. Banshee walked with them as Dooku stayed behind to speak with the Ubese. Once they were almost into the turbolift, Wraith spoke again.
"Doc, I just so happened to hit that Corsair guy hard enough to spill blood." He stated.
"I'm guessing your armor needs cleaning?" Scipio responded. "As well as a major retrofit." He mused, surveying the damage.
"Yeah, but not before you take a sample of his blood and run some tests." Wraith stated. "If he was in fact the result of Project Sunfire, now's our chance to find out!" He excitedly suggested as the lift doors sealed.
Dooku stood and watched as the Ubese slowly removed their helmets one by one, revealing them to be nothing more than clever disguises for those who merely impersonated he deadly, Jedi-hating species.
Among them were Theris, Cager, Arro... and Corsair.
"Nuthin' like a decent intahception ta get yor blood pumpin'." The Titan leader remarked as he passed his Ubese helmet over to Theris. "Plan worked like a charm, Count."
"As I anticipated it would." Dooku responded. "I trust you had no issues with targeting Republic troops?"
"'Course not! I care 'bout 'o's payin' me, not 'o gets in my way." Corsair remarked, pulling a flask from within his outfit and taking a swig. "I may be goin' back to 'em soon, though, which'll make things fun. But I'm shor they won't care ta check on my whereabouts, 'specially known ya got yourself anothah supah-soldiah." He continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ya do realize I'll hafta hunt 'er too." He continued in a low voice, referring to Banshee. Dooku simply nodded.
"I would expect nothing less." The Sith replied, well aware of the ever-changing nature of paid hands. "However, it would seem I made the correct choice in calling upon the Titan Conglomerate to retrieve my asset. Your payment, triple the final sum the Republic is paying you as agreed upon." He stated as a battle droid stepped forth, pushing a hover crate full of credits. Corsair took one look at the full case and cackled victoriously.
"Bloody hell...!" He laughed as his fellow Titans shared satisfied looks, each of them planning what they would spend their massive payday on. "You Seppies are bettah businessmen than tha Republic!" Corsair remarked. Dooku offered a simple tilt of his head as well as a cunning smile of his own.
"What can I say? We were founded by businessmen."
Author's Note: Boy oh boy, where do we go from here? A new super-soldier, Wraith back with the Separatists, Corsair pulling a job for Dooku... are you feeling crushed from the G-forces of every twist and turn yet? I know I'm not! There's plenty more coming, don't you worry!
