Author's Note: Phew, sorry this took a while, writer's block hit me like a truck. Glad to see you're all still hanging around and loving the story so much. I really appreciate each and every one of you. As thanks for you patience, I'll be double-posting today so keep en eye out for Chapter 103 later today!
-Chapter 102: An Engima No Longer-
Location: Parakus
"All puzzles can be solved with patience and dedication."
"...Barkhesh, Mimban, Dantooine and almost a dozen other Outer Rim worlds. Fourteen sightings in almost a month."
"Kriffah's busy." Corsair mused, observing the data Theris had available for him. The holomap before them both had red highlighting pinpoints showing Wraith's most recent activities.
"There's no pattern or trend. He just shows up and then leaves, likely acting on orders." Theris surmised, the Mandalorian a strategist and tactician in her own right.
"Tha Seppies likely got 'im scamp'rin' 'round tha Outah Rim ta shor' up their effahts." Corsair determined, puffing a cigarra while closely examining the map.
"Even if that is the case, boss, there's no way we could possibly predict his next move." Theris replied. "Maybe we should get Thrawn to look at this. He could probably figure something out." She suggested.
"No need, luv!" Corsair responded in a jovial voice. "We know 'e's been in tha Outah Rim latelay, jus' a question a' where 'e was spotted last."
"That would be Dantooine." Theris answered, enlarging the system.
"So, what othah world's 'round Dantooine would tha Seppies have their eyes on?" Corsair wondered, glancing at Theris.
"Hard to say. Their primary focus is Dantooine but I suppose any one of those planets could be used to store equipment, reinforcements, or vehicles." The battle for Dantooine was a large and fairly isolated conflict, waged largely over its resources. "Like I said, boss, it's too random to form a pattern."
"Then we'll make one." Corsair determined, a plan forming as he tapped ash off his cigarra. "Pick a world closest ta Dantooine, one in tha same system, that's a real Seppie hotspot these days, then have Linah set course." He instructed.
"Parakus then... You have a plan?" Theris wondered.
"Jammah got me that scan of 'is armah, finally." Corsair revealed. "Turns out, it ain't made a Beskar like we thought. Mor' like a... poor man's version."
"Synthetic Beskar?" Theris wondered in surprise. "I've heard of that stuff making it's way around the black market." Being a Mandalorian, she knew plenty about the material and even owned a few pieces armor that were made from the stuff.
"Ya got any insights inta real Beskar I oughtta know 'bout?"
"Only that it's one of the more indestructible metals in the galaxy, besides Cortosis and Songsteel." Theris replied. "It's an ore unique to Mandalore, and they're not known for trading it en masse."
"So it's invulnerable ta anythin'." Corsair surmised, thoughtfully blowing a smoke ring.
"Basically, yeah." Theris concurred.
"Right. Then a synthetic version would try ta replicate that." The Titan leader mused, the gears in his head turning as a plan started to form. "An' ya jus' know that they didn't get it right. We already know 'e can tank a hail a' slugs, guess we bettah put 'im through tha gauntlet and find out what it's lackin'." He decided, a sinister grin forming as he clamped down on his cigarra.
Later...
Parakus was one of the small moons of Purell, located in the Dantooine System of the Raioballo Sector. The Separatists maintained an active garrison there, from which their troops could be readily deployed to any number of worlds in the surrounding system. Right now, they were needed most on Dantooine.
The Wraith had returned to the rocky Parakus in order to oversee preparations for a fresh wave of battle droids soon to be sent to Dantooine's front lines. After Mace Windu's heavily publicized victory, in which he almost singlehandedly conquered Separatist forces and a seismic tank without his lightsaber, the Confederacy was bound and determined to take back the world. Windu wasn't here to win another round and so The Wraith was put in charge of ensuring that Republic forces were crushed beyond salvaging the situation. So far, the Clones and their Generals had been forced back, the droids gaining much ground as Wraith led the assault. He felt confident enough in their impending victory to return to oversee the preparation for the next wave, taking on the role of Field Commander and becoming the droid's superior officer.
"Our forces will be ready to move out at fourteen-hundred hours, sir." A battle droid in the command center reported.
"Good. We're ahead of schedule." Wraith affirmed. The super-soldier was feeling good. Very good, in fact. Not only were his most recent battles providing splendid results, but he was still riding the high from the past few nights he'd spent with Ahsoka. His life was in a good place right now, and he was really enjoying it. "Maintain constant perimeter patrols, we can't afford any attacks on this location." He instructed, not willing to lapse in any capacity.
"Roger roger." Another battle droid replied, quickly keying up a list of reports from the past hour. "Sir, sector nine reports no activity. Same for sector six, sector twelve and sector two. Still waiting for the others to report in." It told him.
"Good news all around then." Wraith happily mused. So far, so goo-
"Uh, sir? I'm reading a spike of ion energy in sector five, no word from the designated patrol of that area yet." Another battle droid suddenly informed him. Wraith walked over and checked his console. The reading was comprised of small, scattered ion signatures that clumped together to cover a large part of the sector.
"Ion is usually bad news for us. I'm going to check it out. If the sector patrol reports back, have them rendezvous with me." Wraith stated, heading for the exit.
Roger roger." The droid responded, going about his task as efficiently as a machine could.
It didn't take long for Wraith to pilot a STAP out to the site of inquiry and quickly investigate the ionic signature with his sensors maxed out. He'd shifted his tactical HUD to sweep the area in a full-spectrum search. His thermal wasn't picking up anything and infrared had only identified a trio of small objects from which the ionic energy was coming from. It didn't seem like any sort of weaponry, just some micro-generators.
That didn't abate his concerns, though, as ion energy was the Republic's go-to when it came to anti-droid weaponry.
Suspecting an attack, Wraith made a quick adjustment to his proximity sensors before slowly approaching the nearest generator. It seemed straightforward, no signs of a trap. His HUD flickered as the built-in dampeners compensated for the heavy interference in the air. Perhaps these were designed to expand in size? But they were so small, their capacitors could only produce so much... right?
He had to make sure they posed no threat and could be easily disabled.
His armored knee pressed into the soft ground as Wraith examined the generator by hand. It had all the parts and components of your standard device, even more on the inside when he crushed the top and ripped the generator open. "No... that's definitely not a bomb..." he concluded. A soft metal tink drew his attention to a small spherical device that rolled across the ground, "that is, though." He realized, the blinking red light going solid with a shrill beep. Wraith quickly rolled back and out of the blast radius mere moments before the device detonated. Purple arcs of ionic energy crackled in the air, an effect Wraith had been in the midst of several times prior. He breathed a quick sigh of relief, only to find his entire body floored as another ion bomb detonated behind him. His muscles spasming as his nervous system was momentarily overwhelmed, his HUD filled with static as his tech shorted out, Wraith knew exactly what kind of trap this was... and who had set it.
The ionic field dissipated slowly, Wraith dropping to one knee as he took a moment to acquire his faculties again. As he did, a familiar chuckle broke the silence.
"Are you evah not gonna fall fo' that?" His optics recalibrated and synched up, Wraith raised his head to gaze upon the smug look of a confident man.
"Corsair..." He growled.
"That's my name!" The Titan replied, removing his cigarra and flicking the butt towards Wraith. "An' I suggest ya don't wear it out." It bounced off his helm, the super-soldier undisturbed.
"The Republic sent you..."
"Guess yor brain ain't fried yet." Corsair mused, crossing his arms. "We ain't 'ere fo' yor clankahs, though. Jus' you."
"Then... the generators..."
"Not much happenin' there, boyo. Just a nice lil' lure that ya bought hook, line, an' sinkah." The mercenary revealed. "So, since yor 'ere, how's 'bout we play a game?" He wondered, drawing his scatterblaster from behind him, "If ya survive, ya go free!" Corsair announced, firing without hesitation. Wraith flinched as the burst of pellets ricocheted off his armor, leaving only scuffs and scratches behind. Sufficiently recovered, Wraith picked himself up and stared down the Titan as Corsair fired twice more, both shots doing nothing to his armor... as anticipated.
"Gonna have to try harder than that." Wraith growled as he began advancing. Corsair simply smirked.
"I intend ta." He retorted, dropping a small device that swiftly created a billowing cloud of smoke.
But Wraith would not be deterred.
Charging clear through the cloud, Wraith tackled Corsair and threw him to the ground, swiftly grabbing the mercenary by his neck and hoisting him up. His grip was tight and he ensured Corsair had no leverage to try and free himself. With his scattergun on the ground, Corsair gripped Wraith's arm hard as the super-soldier choked him.
"Anything else you wanna add?" Wraith growled, confident in victory this time.
"Well... ya know... new lease on life an' all that..." Corsair choked out.
"What are you on about?"
"Sorry mate... ran outta... distractin' things ta say..." The Titan replied, "Maro!" He then shouted, the Ardennian suddenly appearing in time with his summon. Wraith quickly threw Corsair aside as Maro brandished all four of his knives.
"Get serious. Simple vibroblades against a composite armor?" Wraith rumbled. Maro, however, had a trained eye, honed over years of close-quarters combat, and knew a weak point when he saw one.
"Then why's it got a raised edge?!" The Ardennian retorted, his blade quickly finding the seam in his armor and plunging through it. Wraith growled in pain as he felt blood flow from the wound as the Ardennian suddenly carved up towards his shoulder, the vertical thrust enough to pop the plate off entirely. Wraith staggered as blood soaked through the shirt underneath, a deep cut running at a lengthwise angle along his right pectoral, while Maro scooped up the plate and took off running. "Come on boss! Let's haul it before he gets mad!" He called over his shoulder to the rising Corsair.
"Ten creds says 'e's already mad." Corsair replied, grabbing his scattergun and beating it alongside the Ardennian. Wraith was in pain primarily, but he'd been designed to handle such things. The wound was not mortal nor vital, so he shrugged it off and gave chase, quickly triggering his comms as he did.
"Command! I need backup on my position ASAP!" He radioed. The Titans were up to something, and he had a feeling he'd need more manpower than just himself if he wanted to overcome it... or even just survive it.
Unfortunately for the super-soldier, the Titans had been banking on his pursuit and had a series of obstacles already lined up and ready for him to encounter. The first of which were some thermite explosives planted by Boomstick; the Titan's Sullustian demolitions expert. Mere moments after Maro and Corsair passed between the rocks, the twin bombs detonated with a flash of fire just as Wraith entered their vicinity. The super-soldier quickly guarded himself, ensuring his wound was properly covered by his armored arm. The synthetic Beskar could handle the high heat, as proven when he survived an explosion and a flamethrower aboard the Sluis Van station. The flames slowed him only a little and he pressed on shortly.
The Titans kept moving, Corsair and Maro bounding over the rocky surface of Parakus with Wraith close behind. Their next trap consisted of a modified warhead pulled off a concussion missile and mounted between some rocks. The instant the two passed, an infrared tripwire was rigged, counting down only a handful of seconds until Wraith arrived. It detonated with a burst of concussive energy that knocked Wraith into the piles of rocks beside him with the Force of a point-blank turbolaser blast. Stunned and rattled, the super-soldier slowly picked himself up. His armor was scratched but seemed no worse for wear against the concussive force, as proven by his battle with the Houks also on Sluis Van. While the trap hadn't provided the desired effect, it had given Maro and Corsair enough time and distance to slip out of view. That was of little consequence to Wraith as he adjusted his proximity sensors to pinpoint the twin thermal readings just a hard sprint away.
"Can't hide forever." He mused in a low voice as he resumed his pursuit.
Corsair and Maro had used their momentary break from Wraith to rejoin the rest of the Titans, who were waiting by a small outcrop down the side of a slope in the terrain. Once in their presence, Corsair turned to the Ardennian.
"Alright, Maro, gimme tha news." The four-armed sapien quickly examine the plating he'd managed to remove from Wraith and held it up in affirmation.
"Just like you thought, boss. The armor only has a simple mesh bodysuit behind it." He announced. "We puncture these plates, he'll be in a world of hurt."
"An' can we?" Corsair asked, already certain of the answer. In response, Maro drove his knife down hard on the armor, the tip piercing the plate but not penetrating entirely.
"You bet my next paycheck we can!" He affirmed with a grin. "Some sufficient velocity and he'll be squealin' like a stuck pig-stinker."
"Speciesist. They're called 'Ugnaughts' you know." Cager derided. Maro rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, snowflake." He retorted derisively.
"Enough you two." Theris cut in, getting down to business. "Obviously Jammer's data is correct; the molecular makeup of this synthetic Beskar is weak against precise blunt-force objects."
"Spaced out jus' enuff ta block a slug, but not a knife." Corsair agreed.
"So what do we do? Pin him down and stab him to death?" Cager wondered.
"Republic wants 'im alive, ya bloody moron! Remembah?" Corsair shot back, cuffing him upside the head. "Nah, I got us somethin' that'll take 'im down quick. Ya bettah hope yor aim is on point." Their leader continued as he moved to a hovercrate that had been brought along at his behest.
"Some kinda gun?" Arro asked as Corsair popped open the lid.
"Necessity is tha mothah of invention." He replied, revealing several racks of pistols... enough for all of them.
It didn't take long for Wraith to track the signal he'd acquired, which led him straight to an outcrop... with no sign of the Titans.
Sensing a trap, Wraith drew and armed his autogun before cautiously advancing forwards, his weapon primed and pressed into his shoulder. He kept his head on a swivel, anticipating heads to pop out from behind rocks at any second. His heavy boots crunched against loose rock, the only sound around him... and it unnerved him. It wasn't like the Titans to cut and run, something had to be up... they must have a plan in mind.
And he couldn't help but think he was doing exactly what they wanted.
The logical course of action would for him to do the exact opposite. He could report his findings and let a different fighting force handle them. He couldn't afford a setback, not now, not on the eve of a CIS victory over Dantooine. That and he didn't want to spend another month in a bacta tank.
With his weapon still in hand, Wraith chose to disable his proximity sensors and leave, marking this location on his HUD before turning around and walking away. He hated to leave a fight behind, it went against everything that had been drilled into him since his inception. But the war had evolved since then, Jedi and Clones weren't his only enemies anymore. He could handle them, the odds were in his favor.
But there were some battles and some foes that were simply superior to even a super-soldier.
He vowed that one day he would never have to leave a potential battle like this ever again. He vowed to work hard and to truly become the most superior fighting force the galaxy had ever seen. He would live up to the title of 'one-man army', he would fulfill his mission of being a super-soldier. Even if he had to outsmart his foes rather than overpower them. His thoughts drifted to how to outsmart the likes of Thrawn and the Titans, a few ideas for unorthodox and bait-and-switch maneuvers coming to mind. But as he grew consumed in his thoughts, Wraith did not see Corsair rise from behind a rock and draw a bead on his retreating form.
Wraith felt the hair on the back of neck stand on end and he stopped. It was the Force warning him of danger, he knew it. He whipped around to face the threat just in time to catch Corsair pulling the trigger of a pistol.
But he carried no ordinary blaster or slug pistol. These were needle pistols.
Instead of firing a single slug, its ammunition consisted of a block of carbonite which was gradually grated down by the pistol's mechanical inner-workings. The result was a stream of needles instead of a solid projectile, which behaved like a shower of knives.
Given the proven flaw in Wraith's armor, Corsair's first shot felt like one too.
The first cluster of needles pierced clean through his armor chest, just barely piercing the skin beneath. Yet the few dozen razor-sharp projectiles certainly burned like all hell and Wraith cried out as the pain immediately registered. Then the rest of the Titans revealed themselves alongside their leader and took aim with identical weapons. Wraith barely had enough time to curse under his breath when he was hit from all sides by a cloud of needles. He was pierced from all sides, his armor useless as jagged shards dug into his body at every angle. His chest, abdomen, ribs, all of it felt the stinging, burning pain of dozens of raw carbonite shards penetrate his skin. Wraith bit back a scream of pain, growling as a method of coping, and began firing blindly with his autogun. Crimson streaks peppered the Titans' position, forcing many to duck while some weren't quick enough. Summoning enough coherence and fighting past his wounds, Wraith gripped his autogun and began to fire more methodically as he took control of his situation.
This is what he was made to do; overcome impossible odds.
A few more Titans feel as the observant noted the changing situation.
"He's not goin' down, boss!" Arro cried, shielding himself from a shower of sparks created by a dangerously close laser.
"Then don't jus' stand there! Empty tha clip, boys! Empty tha clip!" Corsair called out. The Titan renewed their attack, forcing Wraith to guard himself. Surprisingly, he could feel projectiles skittering and clattering off his helmet and gauntlets, but not totally piercing them. He realized he could use this to his advantage in order to escape. Surely he could handle some pinpricks. He only had a few of them. A few dozen of them... a few dozen dozen.
Shrugging past that, Wraith turned and made to run, autogun swiftly stowed behind him. He'd forgotten about his back-plating and was swiftly reminded of its fallibility when a more needles stabbed him in the back most painfully, causing him to lurch and cry out. The pain was unbearable, especially with these new wounds against his untouched skin. But he had to keep moving, he couldn't be stopped.
He was stopped, however, when a big slug burst through his shoulder. It entered his back and passed clear through the unarmored portion created by Maro. Wraith crumpled as blood flowed free from his wound, staining the ground as it dripped in large, viscous puddles. The damage was great, far greater than the average slug, indicating a high caliber of weapon. The super-soldier turned to see Corsair approaching him alongside the Titans, the group leader having switched his weapons for his gold-plated slug pistols... the exact same ones he'd taken from Wraith.
How ironic, the super-soldier marvelled, to be felled by his own weaponry.
"Blasters didn't work, slugs didn't work, ion didn't work, thermal didn't work... gotta give ya credit, boyo, that's a helluva suit yor wearin'." Corsair commented as he approached the struggling Wraith, his efforts slowed by all the needles in him. "Too bad its weakness is stuff ya can find in a kitchen." The Titan added with a chuckle, his comrades snickering at the statement. Rounding his downed quarry, Corsair fixed The Wraith with a victorious gaze. "I'll tell it to ya straight, mate; ya look like what we in tha biz might call 'a bloody pincushion'." He was right. Possibly hundreds of carbonite needles were jutting out of his body, hampering any attempt to move and effectively trapping him.
"Not... down... yet..." The soldier determined.
"Lookin' pretty down from where I am... above ya." Corsair retorted, confident. "Theris, make shor 'e's subdued then 'ave Linah bring tha ship around." He ordered, adjusting his focus and content that Wraith wasn't going anywhere.
"Yes sir." Theris replied. An ear-piercing screech suddenly assaulted all their senses as the Titans were simultaneously dropped by a wave of ultrasonic energy. It missed Wraith, even though he could hear it as well, who knew what the Shriekburst emitter looked like in action. He turned to see Banshee, the Separatist's female super-soldier, bounding across the rocks with her emitter charged and ready.
His backup had arrived.
"Banshee...?" He wondered, coughing a little as she arrived by his side. "Thought you... were scouting... D'Qar." He asked.
"I was recalled to aid the final push for Dantooine and was ordered to link up with you. Good thing I got here when I did." His Umbaran partner replied, working to help him to his feet. Wraith tried to keep his upper body immobile, but pain from every direction assaulted his body forcing him to wince and growl. As she did, some of the crippled Titans picked themselves up. Corsair, the Sunfire serum enabling him to achieve things others couldn't, was first up and rubbing his ears.
"Heard ya had a schutta taggin' along." He commented aloud, fixing Banshee with a devilish look, "guess we're gettin' two fer one taday, lads!" He called out, drawing his needle pistol again.
"Careful... their needles can... pierce armor." Wraith cautioned as Banshee stepped between them.
"Don't worry sir. They won't get past my Umbaran alloys." She confidently replied, drawing her Umbaran battle pistols and quickly gunning down some of the rising Titans. Her words were proven true shortly afterwards when a burst of needles simply ricocheted off her armored body. "Can you walk?" She asked Wraith as he hobbled about.
"Maybe..." He replied with a grimaced, pulling a fist of needles out of his body. Banshee traded fire with Corsair, sidestepping to ensure Wraith was not his target.
"Go. I'll cover you." She stated.
"But-"
"You need medical attention. Go!" Banshee interrupted, urging him to flee.
"I'm not leaving you alone." Wraith responded with a growl. He would fight with whatever strength he still had, refusing to let someone else fall to those specifically hunting him. Banshee shot him a look over her shoulder.
"I'm not alone." She told him. Wraith sensors suddenly picked up a multitude of new signals from behind him and he looked to see a squad of battle droids accompanying Banshee. They quickly assaulted the Titans alongside her, forcing them back. "Get back to your ship, sir. I'll rendezvous with you on the Dominance." She gently commanded. Wraith chuckled.
"You're good, Banshee. Remind me to remember that." He replied, hobbling away from the fight.
Things were in good, capable hands now.
Later that day...
Wraith hissed as Scipio plucked the umpteenth needle from his body. Still in full armor, the super-soldier was forced to wait until his Pau'an handler had successfully removed every needle with a tweezer before he could get out of it.
"Such barbarism. The Titans clearly don't share the Republic's sense of decency and morality." Scipio muttered as he dropped the carbonite sliver into a pan filled with others.
"If the Republic has any sense of decency and morality." Wraith quipped. Predominantly free of slivers, his body was now pockmarked by a plethora of puncture wounds smeared with blood. This new armor had proven utterly useless in the face of the Titans new weapons, a fact that didn't bode well for any future combat encounters.
After what felt like an eternity, Scipio removed the final sliver, allowing Wraith to slowly and rather painfully remove his armor. What awaited underneath was his crimson-stained skin, along with a few dark wounds where blood had clotted and the healing process had begun.
"Well, the good news is you're already starting to heal. So these weren't terribly potent." Scipio mused as he analyzed the damage.
"Tell that to the fifty-caliber slug wound in my shoulder." Wraith remarked, feeling the burn from the hole Corsair had punched through him. "Those needles could immobilize me with sheer pain, though." He added, visualizing possibly scenarios and tactics.
"Yes, definitely a problem we'll have to remedy." Scipio agreed as he fetched some bacta and dressings. "Unfortunately my boy, you're going to have to resort to one of your spare armors for the time being." That was a reality Wraith was afraid of.
"An older model... one they know how to beat." He muttered, none too happy about the forced change.
"If it's any consolation, I'm not too thrilled about this either." Scipio sympathized, rubbing bacta into his shoulder. "I'll be sure to start working on something else. Maybe the Yaka have something for sale that could be of use." He mused, prepping a spray to cover the wounds on his torso.
"Could you could set me up with something similar to Banshee's suit? The needles just bounced off her." Wraith asked.
"In theory, I could. But you've forgotten, my boy, Umbara is currently under Republic control. As are all of its resources." Scipio reminded him, much to Wraith's disgruntlement.
"Well... we've exhausted most metals, save real Beskar." The Titans had gradually discovered workarounds for most of his armors, forcing him to continually upgrade if he wanted to survive another encounter with them.
"We could forge something out of the same alloy as your gauntlets." Scipio suggested, opting for a process he'd avoided for a little while. He did so while wrapping a gauzy dressing around Wraith's shoulder, ensuring the slug wound was totally covered.
"I thought that mix was too expensive?" Wraith wondered, highlighting the exact reason the mix had been avoided.
"This little mishap might be just the evidence we need to convince Count Dooku to increase our budget, possibly even temporarily if it means we can get you some new armor, or even update an old uniform." Scipio replied, theorizing aloud.
"Whatever works, Doc." Wraith responded with a half-shrug to avoid using his wounded limb. After Scipio finished wrapping the rest of his body, Wraith eased himself off the table. "I'm gonna go lie down for a bit." He stated, slowly working his way towards the exit. After everything he'd been through today, a catnap sounded supreme.
"The bacta should be kicking in soon. I'll check on you in an hour or so." Scipio added as he left. His quarters, mercifully, were just down the hall from Scipio's lab so he didn't have far to travel. The Titans had been aiming primarily at his upper body, leaving his legs relatively unscathed. But each step brought with it a wave of discomfort, so being able to finally sit on his bed was a great relief.
Or so he thought.
As he laid on his back, determined not to aggravate his chest wounds, the wounds across his back started to act up, causing him to wince. "Ow." He quickly changed his position, rolling over onto his side. But then the slug wound in his shoulder informed him of its existence. "Ow." Deciding this was very uncomfortable, Wraith forced himself to a seated position and sighed. "This might've been a mistake." He grumbled. In the moment, he deeply wished he could see Ahsoka again. She always made him feel better.
Deciding to act on his wishes, he stood and grabbed the private holocom they shared...
Elsewhere...
Banshee stood with her holocom activated, the image of Count Dooku before her. With Wraith gone, she had taken his place in leading the charge against the Republic forces on Dantooine and Dooku was ensuring the matter was straightened out. She alone remained on Parakus, the only organic leader on site.
"You can confirm our droid legions are in place?" The Count inquired.
"Yes, my lord. The full fighting force is ready to move ahead of schedule." Banshee quickly responded in her precise, soldierly tone.
"Good. It is a pity Wraith is not their to join your efforts." Dooku mused.
"His armor was compromised, sir. Even he agreed he was not in fighting shape." Banshee replied, knowing she'd been the one to encourage him to retreat. It was not an easy thing for her to decide, especially since she felt so strongly about his superiority over her.
"Wraith's judgement is often sound and trustworthy. Therefore, I also trust his recommendation that you take his place on Dantooine." Dooku responded, momentarily relieving her of her worries. The Umbaran quickly crossed an arm over her chest.
"I will not fail you nor the cause, sir." Banshee vowed, determined to do right by them both. Dooku nodded, but then asked her a question.
"What do you make of this situation, soldier? Of Wraith and the Titans." Given this was her first encounter with the mercenary band and her limited understanding of their history with Wraith, all Banshee had to go on were first impressions.
"They are... interesting, these Titans. They may just be lowlife criminals, but their ability to adapt is impressive as is their determination to put an end to Wraith." She told him. Dooku thoughtfully nodded as Banshee continued. "They name themselves after an extinct species thought to be as great as Jedi, yet work solely for their own benefit even if some of their number die in the process."
"And what of Wraith?" Dooku asked.
"He has had dealings with them before, yes?" Banshee wondered. The Sith nodded.
"And in each encounter they have bested him to some degree." He explained. Banshee dwelt on that for a moment before posing a suggestion.
"My lord, might I suggest a switch in the future? I seem to be better suited to handle these Titans, as today would prove. Maybe Wraith and I should switch places whenever they are involved. I'm certain they are not accustomed to handling me and cannot best me just yet." She explained. Taking a moment to stroke his beard in thought, Dooku reached a conclusion shortly.
"If it will improve your combined efficiency, then we may have to do just that." He agreed. More thoughts passed through the Sith's mind as he considered the possibilities that might arise from her notion. "Yes... perhaps in this situation, you are better suited for the task than Wraith is, Banshee."
