Author's Note: Guess 'coming soon' is coming sooner than even I expected! The things a quiet day at work can do for the mind, I tell you. Anyway, here's me happily providing a fresh chapter for you all! Enjoy!
-Chapter 123: In the Spotlight-
Location: Hosko and Ragna III
"You do not know if you do not ask, you do not learn if you do not try."
A distraught Pomel Scipio sat with a depressed Admiral Sereva in the Dominance's lower lounge. The news Reaper and Banshee had brought back from Raydonia was most disheartening to say the least, with Wraith deemed Missing In Action and unlikely to reappear again. The man who was like a son and a love interest had vanished... and the odds were he was more dead than alive.
"How could this have happened?" Scipio bemoaned, his head in his hands. "Where could I have gone wrong? Where did I fail as to result in this?"
"I'm sure you did everything you could, Doctor." Sereva reassured, doubting this situation was at all related to a scientific or equipment failure. "He probably just... bit off more than he could chew."
"I suppose there is that." The Pau'an relented with a sigh. "What with all of these... blasted mercenaries and accursed Republic technology running about." Rubbing his eyes, Scipio sighed and grumbled to himself for a moment, completely at a loss for what to do.
"You did everything you could to prepare him." Sereva said, speaking softly. She had her own troubles and vented them with a sigh. "Just when I thought I was getting through to him, he vanishes. Just my luck."
"This was a most unfortunate happening." Scipio agreed in a melancholic voice.
"First I turn him off completely, then just when I'm getting close he straight up disappears. Such is the story with most men I meet, either sent off into deep space or they wind up dead at some point." She complained, her head and lekku drooping with each disappointing fact. "Let's face it, Doctor, I'm cursed."
"You most certainly are not, Admiral." Scipio chided. Their conversation carried on much like that, woes exchanged and reassurances offered as the two people closest to Wraith suffered his loss.
Elsewhere on the ship, another conversation was unfolding, one that was far more heated and less sorrowful.
"If he could not survive something as a simple as that, hen he does not deserve his place at the top of our ranks!" Banshee exclaimed. "He was on his way out anyway, there was no point in us going after him." The fully-armored Umbaran super-soldier stood before a helmetless Reaper, who offered her a stern glare in response.
"We do not leave one of our own behind, dammit!" He responded sharply. "Even if there was just a one-percent chance he was alive, we were going to search for him. Why? Because we look out for each other."
"A foolish approach. We must advance, not look behind all the time!" Banshee shot back, her Umbaran heritage coming to the forefront once more. "If Wraith kept falling behind progress then that's his fault, not ours!"
"You would forsake the man who is a veteran of this war? We spent maybe a year being tested, refined and trained... he spent ten years training and testing himself." Reaper firmly stated. "He knows more and has more experience than we do, to lose him is to lose a valuable asset!" The end of his exclamation brought a period of silence to the conversation, shorter Umbaran and taller human staring each othe down for a moment before Banshee took a breath and continued.
"Seeing as we're both immovable in our opinions, sir, I will speak no more of this matter." She stated, trying to be amicable while also grounding out the words. "But seeing as Wraith is no longer with us-"
"Among us." Reaper suddenly corrected.
"...among us," Banshee relented after a pause, "there is a void to be filled and we must do something about it." Reaper slowly nodded.
"I agree. Especially concerning those who were hunting him. With him gone, their gaze will surely be on us now." He determined.
"We have to do something about the Titans." Banshee declared. "I say we launch a full assault, you and I. We'll thin their ranks and show them a kind of force they never had to deal with in Wraith." She suggested. "We strike first, fast, and hard."
"That could lead to trouble, especially since they're a rapidly adaptable enemy." Reaper cautioned. "But, it does get me thinking... Maybe the Titans killed him." He theorized aloud, pondering whether or not the mercenaries might've gotten the better of Wraith. Banshee stopped and analyzed his train of thought.
"Their mission was to capture him, was it not? Wouldn't that news be broadcast by the Republic?" She questioned.
"Unless the Titans went maverick..." Reaper mused, many more new thoughts coming to mind. He realized now that he needed more information before he could attack the Titans, a simple assault as Banshee was suggesting was impossible without further intel on the matter. And he knew just where he might find some. Collecting his helmet, Reaper made to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Banshee asked.
"To dig up some information." He answered over his shoulder, slipping his onyx helmet on.
It was time to go calling on the past.
Banshee decided that was fine. He could go do that, she would work on providing some results... and her worthiness to take Wraith's place as the premier super-soldier of the Confederacy.
A short while later...
Pinpoints of starlight turned to white streaks as the Revenant shot forward into hyperspace. Sitting alone at the controls, Reaper leaned back in his seat as the autopilot took over. He knew where he was going, knew who he wished to meet. It had been many years since the last time they'd seen each other and Reaper had to wonder if his dated information was still correct. There was one way of confirming it, though, and he made to do so. Reaching for the comms array mounted on the console, Reaper punched in a frequency and put out a call. For a moment, the blue holocom flickered, revealing nothing. Then the image of a man's upper body crystallized before him. Featuring brown hair and tanned skin, the grey eyes of his brother Kol were soon made visible to him. Kol shot his brother a smirk.
"Well now, long time no see, Cai." He greeted. Reaper nodded.
"Yeah, it's been a while." He agreed, slowly smiling himself. "You keeping well, lil' bro?"
"Ah, you know me. Always making it up as I go along." His younger brother replied with a shrug. "Why do I get the feeling you didn't just call to say 'hi'?" He wondered with a raised brow. Reaper nodded slowly.
"I admit, it's been a while since my last check-in." He replied. The last time he'd done so was just after burying his family.
"Yeah, the big bad super-soldier hasn't got time for his family." Kol teased. Reaper rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, you know that's not true." He retorted. Kol chuckled at his brother's insistence.
"I know. Just ribbing you."
"Is Dad still on Hosko?" Reaper wondered, getting down to business. His brother nodded.
"Never leaves. Never has, not after what Roen did." Kol answered. Cai nodded slowly, memories of a dark time coming to the surface.
"And how's your hunt going?" He queried. Kol shrugged and sighed.
"Roen's a slippery little sleemo. He leaves plenty of evidence and tracks to follow... problem is the trail keeps getting longer." He reported. "His foot soldiers are easy to take out, I've killed dozens, but Roen himself is nowhere where he should be when I show up, you know?"
"Typical." Reaper agreed. "I'm sorry I couldn't join you." Kol shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't be, Cai. Our lives took different paths. I know you have your convictions and your own concerns... I'm happy to let the big bad Reaper do his thing." He mused with a grin, Reaper unable to resist a chuckle.
"Then I'll let Master Hunter Kol do his thing." He replied. Checking his systems, he figured it was time to end the call. "Thanks for the tip, brother. We'll talk again soon." He promised.
"You better. You owe me at least three more calls." Kol affirmed with a two-fingered salute. The connection ended and Reaper powered down the comms array. His coordinates for Hosko were still confirmed and now his reason for going there was too. His father would have the information he needed, providing he was in the mood to discuss it.
Performing a quick diagnostic check, Reaper decided he still had some time on his hands and pulled out his datapad. He cycled through the stored information until he reached the archival drives containing Separatist readouts on the Jedi and other high-ranking Republic officials. He scrolled through the Jedi, passing the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the deceased Plo Koon, Mace Windu, and finally paused when he reached the file on Aayla Secura. Pulling it up, he leaned back in his seat and began to read, ensuring the render of the Twi'lek Jedi was always there for him to gaze upon...
Back aboard the Subjugator cruiser, Banshee knelt alone in her spartan quarters, her armor removed for the briefest of moments. She wore simple clothes, short-shorts and a light tank top, that which she always wore beneath her all-concealing armor. She enjoyed the touch of cool air, but savoured it with the knowledge she would have to return to her suit soon for fear of the gaseous compound within her breaking down and killing her in the process.
She was kneeling before a simple shrine, one dedicated to her deceased father. Killed during the Battle of Umbara, she offered a simple prayer to the Shadow Gods in her native tongue, asking for his safe passage to the mists so that her father's spirit might become one with Umbara itself. It was truly because of him that she was here. Part of her resented her father for failing to advance himself, caught in an attempt to assassinate his boss so that he might progress further in Umbaran society. His punishment was simple: his only daughter would become the latest test subject for the Separatist's Project Nightscream. She would prove successful though, and worked hard to restore honor to her family while trying to retain her ties to her conquered homeworld. Umbara was in the grip of the Republic and there were many days when she missed the glow and shadows of her home. She was well and truly homeless, at least for the time being.
But she had work to do. Progress was not made by stopping and mourning. Progress was made by never looking back, by never truly taking to heart what had been lost. Yet Banshee was not perfect, which was why another part of her missed her father terribly and mourned his passing.
Running a hand through her bob-cut white hair, Banshee murmured a simple prayer, "May your shadow lengthen, may your nights be long, may the moon shine favourably upon you." As she did, she sprinkled some ground-up root from a native plant into a candle that stood before the image of her father. A sickly sweet smell filled the room as the incense burned, Banshee folding her hands as she committed her father to memory. "May your legacy be true, may your progress be remembered, may I succeed where you did not." She paused, took a breath, stilling her roiling emotions. "Walk the moonbeam, join the nightfall, may Ornach guide you and Sedah welcome you... father." Her voice hitched and Banshee stopped entirely, breaking from her reverie to compose herself. Opening her eyes, she decided enough was enough and rose to her bare feet, making to don her armor.
It was designed to reflect The Wraith, her predecessor. A dark blue armorweave duster layered with armor plates forged from Umbaran metals. Unlike the broad and thick appearance of Wraith, Banshee's bore more curves to accent her feminine nature, the armor tapered along her sides and hips and swelling around the chest where her breasts would be. Even the helmet was slimmer and more feminine, a simple testament to how not all soldiers were men. She strapped it all on, piece by piece, ensuring the boots and combat trousers went on first before the armored duster held it all together. Her helmet went on last, sealing tight as a rush of fresh gases filled her lungs. It was invigorating, like a stimshot that lasted forever. It was, after all, what made her physically capable of being a super-soldier. She looked down at herself as the crimson optics powered up, reminded once more of Wraith as she examined her attire.
She was made in the image of him... and now, like a good Umbaran, she would surpass he who came before her.
Later...
Located in Hutt Space, Hosko was a forested world in the Outer Rim that was relatively calm and peaceful despite its location. The Hutt's crim syndicate seemingly did not reach this far out and while the few towns and cities that dotted the world contained the usual accommodations for low life scum and bounty hunters, the environment was generally left alone.
Which was likely why Jayce Kilvaari had made his home here.
The Revenant broke through the atmosphere and touched down on a grassy plain, not far from where a simple homestead had been built. Reaper departed, helmet in hand, and made for the door. It had been a long time since he last spoke with his father and he approached with some level of trepidation. He'd been away for years, his life taking him on a variety of paths well away from his family. Would his father even receive him, let alone help him? He could only sigh and hope his father was in a receptive mood.
Stopping right before the door, Reaper ran a hand through his buzz cut hair and exhaled in an effort to steady his nerves. Raising his hand, he knocked three times and then waited. It wasn't long until he heard footsteps on the other side of the door and then the entrance slid open to reveal a shorter man with a silver beard and hair. His piercing grey eyes looked Reaper up and down, beholding him with a gaze that mixed curiosity with acceptance. He bore an air of regality, like a venerable teacher or revered leader. His gaze softened a little while his expression remained passive.
"Hello father." Reaper greeted. Jayce Kilvaari nodded in acceptance.
"And so you've finally come to see me, Cai." He greeted his son. After a moment of silence, he moved on. "Well, no sense in standing here, do come in." He invited, stepping back into the home. Cai followed him, ducking through the doorway before raising himself to full height. His father's home was spartan, just like his old room back in what was once the Kilvaari estate. Revealed was an open-concept and spacious living space, a small kitchen and living area connected together to make the small homestead seem more spacious. While the furnishings were minimal, of particular note was the black and uniquely designed Kilvaari family armor, which sat in the open on an armor stand. Cai observed it had been heavily polished and neatly kept, obviously the one activity he consistently carried on with in his lonely existence.
He was very familiar with the attire as he'd once owned a set himself before it was destroyed. It was made of a layered, high-tech, onion-skin of laminate, impregnated with conductive wirepaths that, once powered, created an intense local magnetic field. Once this energy-intensive field was activated, the powered plates could deflect blaster fire and even lightsaber blows. Seeing his father's brought back many memories of him and Kol sparring and training together.
Jayce led him into the living area where he had Cai sit down. "You must be thirsty, yes? Tea?" He asked.
"Yes, thank you." Cai politely replied, feeling a tad on edge as he worked hard to mind his mannerisms around his father. Jayce shuffled into the kitchen where he set about preparing the drinks. He moved slowly, but his motions were strong and controlled, each one fluidly enacted with a purpose.
"Tell me, where has your life led since last we spoke?" Jayce inquired. Cai paused and cleared his throat, doing his best to speak with a clear and strong voice.
"Well, let's see... you knew about my marriage and the birth of our daughter... and how it all came to an end." He replied.
"Yes, my son. Not a day goes by where I haven't wondered about your wellbeing." His father told him. Cai paused and let that sink in. His father was never really any good at emoting, so such soft-spoken words were quite the surprise to Cai. He composed himself and made to continue.
"Yes, well... as you can see, I got a job with the Confederacy." The emblem on the front of his armor was painfully obvious, his father must've noticed it when he arrived.
"Have you now..." Jayce softly mused as he prepared two mugs filled with ground herbs. "The Confederacy? Not the Republic?" He pried.
"I wasn't about to join the Republic." Cai stated, a the barest of hard edges lining his voice.
"Yes. You've vehemently cursed them many times." His father responded. Cai wasn't sure if his father was dismissing his statement or simply acknowledging it in his own way. "You are one of their 'super-soldiers' yes? Kol often tells me of your exploits as 'The Reaper'." Jayce continued.
"It's just 'Reaper'." Cai quietly corrected. The only super-soldier with such a prefix was 'The' Wraith. Seeing the connection to his current line of work, Cai got down to business. "Actually, that's... largely the reason why I've come to you. I wanted to ask you about something." The barest shift of his father's head suggested to him that Jayce was somewhat interested.
"What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of the Titan Conglomerate? Or someone calling himself 'Corsair'?" Cai asked. Jayce fell quiet, his work with the tea continuing without hinderance. But what Cai couldn't tell was that his mind was running rampant at the mention of Corsair's name. He remained silent for so long Cai wondered about asking him again, but he knew better than to disrupt his father when he was in this state. He learned his lesson long ago.
"Who hasn't?" Jayce finally said as he entered the living area, carrying a tray bearing two cups of tea. He sat down across from Cai on another chair, the tray between them.
"Then you know him." Cai extrapolated. Jayce nodded slowly.
"Since our family opened the Elysium chain so many decades ago, countless different characters have come and gone through those doors." He described. "But I've never seen a man like Corsair before." He paused and sipped his steaming drink. "Why do you ask?" He pried as Cai sipped his own tea.
"Because he and his band have been contracted by the Republic to terminate super-soldiers like myself." His son responded as he eased his cup down. "So I want to know more about him should I inevitably face him." Jayce huffed and smirked a little.
"And so you've come back to me in order to learn." He surmised.
"You always were my favourite teacher." Cai remarked.
"Do not butter me up, boy." Jayce responded stiffly, taking another drink. When he finished, he continued. "I have seen men who treat their occupation as nothing more than a job. But Corsair treated it as though it was life itself. When within our walls, he was a favourable guest. Beyond them, he was loose and erratic, very unpredictable. This, combined with his skill, made him very dangerous." Jayce described. Cai nodded again.
"How dangerous?" He questioned.
"An ordinary man would know his limits, know what he can and cannot do." Jayce quietly explained. "But Corsair is no ordinary man, no no, he is something else altogether."
"How do you mean?" Cai wondered.
"They had a name for him in the Hutt tongue: Mukishari." Knowing Huttese, Cai quickly translated.
"Night Terror?" He repeated in Basic.
"It is based on an old legend told to Huttlings, a sort of 'demon' who comes to eat you in your sleep. It is said to be the toughest of supernatural beings in Hutt lore." Jayce explained.
"So that's what they thought of Corsair? He's a Mukishari?" Cai queried. His father gazed upon him steadily.
"No." He flatly stated, taking another sip of his tea. "He's the one they would call to kill a Mukishari." He revealed. Cai nodded slowly, understanding a little more now. Jayce leaned forward in his seat. "Listen to me boy and listen well; Corsair is a driven man, a potent hunter-killer. I will not speak any further about his reputation, only of the skills I know he has." His father elaborated, deadly seriousness in his voice. "He does not hesitate in any regard. If he wants you dead, you will die. If he wants you captured, you will be caught." The gravity in his voice gripped Cai and he paid attention to each word. The very adjustments in his father's voice, anything from a slight inflection to a raised pitch told even more about Corsair the more his father described.
"So what can I do against him?" The super-soldier asked.
"You must either outsmart him or overpower him. That is the simple game he plays. To beat him at it, you must be better at it than he is." Jayce stated, sipping his tea.
Elsewhere in the galaxy...
Being the third moon of the planet Ragna, Ragna III was aptly named. A forested moon located in the Ragna System of the Daimar Sector in the Mid Rim, it was home to the native Yuzzem and had once been a peaceful world. That is, until the Clone Wars arrived on its doorstep.
Pounding through the darkened woods, Banshee moved at a sprint as she bounded across the terrain, her agility on full display as she crossed fallen logs and heavy boulders with ease. While the droid army clashed with the Republic's Clones, she'd gotten word of a Titan presence a few sectors over, near the edge of the fighting and in a perfect position to make their way behind Separatist lines to do some damage.
Not on her watch.
Determined to enshrine her place as a powerful warrior not even the Titans could topple, Banshee had made to intervene in order to put the mercenaries in their place. Her blood ran hot at the notion of battle, eager anticipation flooding her mind as she raced towards their location. Her scanners were running at maximum, her lightsaber gauntlet primed and at the ready, her Shriekburst emitter armed, her battle pistols fully charged. She was ready for anything they would throw at her.
Night was falling, her surroundings reminding her of her native Umbara somewhat. The notion evoked such a strong response from Banshee that she chanted a mantra of her people, "The night is my ally, the shadows are my strength, the moon is my light." Each word was punctuated by another sprinting step and Banshee felt more in the zone than ever. Surely the Titans would not stand a chance against her now!
Her sensors suddenly registered a trio of targets and Banshee adjusted to intercept. These had to be Titans, she'd encountered no Republic forces all the way out here, who else could it be? She slowed her advance and adjusted her audio receptors, isolating their bandwidth to pick up any vocal frequencies. It took a moment but she soon picked up some distant chatter.
"Wasn't the Republic supposed to launch that air strike an hour ago?"
"Your wires are crossed! They wouldn't do that unless they were 'this' close to winning."
"Nah, everyone knows General Seir likes to conserve resources. I doubt he'd even order one." The use of their words alone proved to Banshee they were not directly allied with the Republic and as their conversation continued, the super-soldier concluded they had to be Titans. She'd crept close enough to their position in order to identify them, picking out two humans, a Rodian and a black-painted B1 battle droid. Given they were wearing the same dark armor all Titans wore, Banshee knew she had her victims.
Without further waiting, she struck.
Bursting from the underbrush, her sonic emitter unleashed a steady blast of piercing ultrasonics, her organic targets covering their ears and crumpling to the forest floor. Her mechanized target went unaffected, however, and attacked Banshee with its blaster rifle. Simple rounds ricocheted off her armor as the Umbaran drew close, sprinting forward as her twin lightsaber blades erupted from her gauntlet with a snap-hiss. The twin cyan sabers cut cleanly through the droid's arms and torso with a simple slash, putting him offline permanently. The Rodian and humans wee starting to recover and Banshee knew she needed to strike them down while she still had the advantage. A few simple thoughts flashed through her mind; Wraith was renown for being deadly, I must be even deadlier. Her course of action decided, the Umbaran attacked the Rodian next.
He had a pistol at the ready, so she grabbed the arm and twisted it violently, breaking the joint and causing him to scream. With his arm fully under her control, Banshee forced him to fire his weapon three times at the two humans, missing the first time but striking one of them twice. He stumbled back, scorch marks lining his chest as Banshee thrust her twin blades through the Rodian, killing him instantly. She attacked the other human, letting out a frightening screech as she did. Her adrenaline was pumping now and thoughts of battle totally consumed her. She pounced on the Titan and drove him to the ground. Her lightsabers deactivated as her fists pounded his face over and over again with hard-hitting, metal-encased blows. Banshee was stopped only by the other human attempting to subdue by blasting her in the helmet at point-blank range. This only served to irritate her and Banshee grabbed his hand and promptly slammed his arm into her armored shoulder, shattering his wrist. The Titan screamed in agony as Banshee promptly ripped his weapon from his hand and took a few fingers off in the process, the mercenary clutching his bleeding hand as Banshee's attention returned to the human trapped beneath her. Priming her Shriekburst emitter, she triggered it point blank and hit the Titan square in the face with an relentless sonic barrage. Thanks to the adjusted frequency, it was less than a minute before blood exploded out his ears as he lay still, eyes rolling into the back of his head.
Satisfied, Banshee powered down her ultrasonics and stood, turning and stalking towards the remaining human. The fear plainly evident in his wide eyes was delicious and Banshee savoured his gasping stammers as he tried to back away from her. She swiftly caught his neck in her hand and started to squeeze, his breathing labored and erratic as his windpipe was slowly crushed.
"Team three, report in."
The sudden crackle of a commlink gave Banshee paused and she turned to where the voice emanated from: the human's left wrist. She spied a communicator and promptly ripped it off. The mercenary watched as she held it in her hand and gazed almost curiously at it. In reality, Banshee was letting her HUD track the incoming signal, tracing it back to its point of origin.
"Team three, do you copy?"
She knew that voice. It was Theris, Corsair's right-hand woman and second in command of the Titans. Knowing this built a desire within Banshee to cut off the head of the snake and she smiled devilishly once her interface acquired a lock and routed a path for her. Flexing her hand, her fingers sliced through the human's throat and she tore it out, letting him collapse and choke on his own blood as he died a slow and painful death. Casting the fleshy bundle aside, Banshee crushed the commlink in her hand and made to hunt down its point of origin...
Theris, meanwhile, did not like the comm silence coming from her third recon team and expected the worse. She called up her two snipers, Araa and Binary, "Team two, we've lost contact with team three. Keep an eye out for bogeys and possible enhanced." She commanded.
"Copy that, boss." Binary responded.
"What now?" Cager wondered as Theris clicked off her comms.
"We continue as planned... but carefully." She tasked. "We haven't had any news regarding The Wraith for a few days, this could be him." She continued, cocking her custom slugthrower battle rifle. The group crept through the forest, moving slowly and watching for signs of an incoming opponent. Several of them flipped down night vision visors, their neon green gazes sweeping the surrounding woods left and right. The repurposed battle droids were also on high alert, photoreceptors studying every pixel of the terrain for telltale signs of an assailant. Everyone was actively searching, every one of the mercenaries expecting an attack.
So when Banshee struck, it was so sudden that no one had the time to properly react.
Her sonic blasts came first, raking across the entire group before the super-soldier herself emerged from the woods with her arm extended. Her lightsabers switched on shortly afterwards and she made a display of walking slowly through the ranks of the Titans, casually cutting down the stunned mercenaries left and right. Recognizing which super-soldier as on the scene and also recognizing the danger she and her men were in, Theris cued her comms once more. "Team four! On me! NOW!" She screamed over the deafening ultrasonics. Suddenly, the barrage ended as swiftly as it started and Theris was left doubled over with a ringing in her ears. She fought to rise to her feet, to gather her senses and prepare for battle. Dull and distant, the sound of combat barely registered with her. Theris looked up to see Banshee attacking the recovering Titans, hewing them down with her lightsabers or gunning down with a battle pistol, bursts of vibrant green energy blasting mercenaries with deadly precision.
Theris picked herself up and pressed her boxy rifle into her shoulder, pulling the trigger and emptying the clip into Banshee. The stubby barrel spat round after round towards the super-soldier, custom acid-tipped slugs striking her one after another. Banshee merely paused as she felt the impacts strike her back armor and turned as Theris continued, a steady stream of slug rounds ricocheting off her chest and doing no damage whatsoever. Theris finally stopped when she realized she was getting nowhere, Banshee offering a sinister chuckle.
"That tickled." She mocked, taking aim with her blaster and shooting the rifle out of Theris' grip. "I know who you are, Titan wench. You and your colleagues aided the accursed Republic in their invasion of my home." She seethed, advancing towards the Mando. Her crimson optics, unable to emote, still seemed to shimmer with a vengeful hatred. "It would please me greatly to rend you limb from limb and free Umbara from one more shackle!" Banshee vowed, her lightsabers humming dangerously. Theris drew her personal short sword from behind, knowing she had to buy herself some time until back-up arrived.
"Come on, then! Try it you schutta!" She challenged. Banshee obliged her with an ear-splitting shriek and rushed like a possessed woman, her blades crashing hard into the Mando's phrik weapon. Her attacks were wild yet directed and focused, Theris able to see the method in Banshee's apparent madness. Wide sweeps kept her on guard, heavy strikes focused on a single point to wear down her defence, there was a way to beat this... she just had to keep on top of the mental game.
Banshee gave her all, putting each one of her combat skills to use as she attacked Theris hard and fast. She'd told Reaper this would be her strategy and she had every intention of acting upon it. She alone would drive back these Titans with the force of a hurricane, proving to them that she was no Wraith... and was, in fact, more lethal than he was. Her twin lightsabers struck Theris' guard over and over in a whirling slash before a roundhouse kick struck her blade and physically shoved Theris back, the Titan sliding across the ground. "If you're what Umbara had to offer, it's no wonder they fell so easily!" Theris taunted. But her breathing was heavy, her defence needing much effort and costing her stamina.
"The strong advance, mercenary, the weak fall behind and decay! Today you will see why I advanced when others did not!" Banshee screeched as she attacked her again.
Before she could, a missile struck her side in mid-lunge, the explosion pitching Banshee away as Theris shielded herself from the fiery plume. As the super-soldier bounced, rolled and eventually skidded to a halt as Hater and the Houk brothers arrived on the scene, the HK droid bearing a smoking missile launcher over his shoulders.
"You called boss?" Block asked.
"We came as soon as we could." Stock echoed.
"Want us to handle that tin-trooper?" Block wondered.
"Yes, but be careful you two! She's got a chip on her shoulder that's got her wilder than a worked-up reek." Theris cautioned. The Houks chuckled and started advancing.
"Heh, no worries boss," Block promised over his shoulder.
"We'll give her an attitude adjustment." Stock said, pounding his knuckledusters together. The two Houks lumbered off towards the super-soldier as Theris gave new orders to the HK droid.
"Hater, cover Block and Stock. Suppressive fire!"
"Affirmative. Engaging shadowbuster protocol." Hater responded, a second pop-up missile launcher sliding over his opposite shoulder and unleashing a triple shot towards Banshee. The super-soldier crouched on the ground, watching the incoming salvo and timing her maneuver just right so she flipped out of the way and dodged the explosion. She still had the Houks to worry about, the twins barreling towards her as their silver power armor gleamed in the evening light. With gung-ho grins they pulled back their fists, Banshee sizing them up and narrowing her eyes beneath her mask. They could hit hard so she'd have to move quickly and retaliate in turn.
She could think on the fly. She'd done so before.
"I'll line 'er up!" Block hollared.
"An' I'll knock 'er down!" Stock boomed. The first of the brothers powered forward and brought his fist crashing into the ground where Banshee had been. She'd avoided the incoming blow by somersaulting over it, promptly using Block's arm as a ramp to boost herself off where she frontflipped through the air and executed a heel kick that caught Stock right on his armored head. The resounding clang staggered the Houk but he shook off the blow moment's later. "Boss's right, she is a lively one!" He remarked.
"I'll fix that!" Block thundered as he whirled about to take on the significantly shorter Banshee. But as he swung again, the Umbaran was ready. Vaulting up, she trapped his head in a sideways leglock and came crashing down, her knee driving deep into his chin and causing him to literally bounce off the ground. Rolling around, Banshee sprung back up in an arc kick that caught Stock on the jaw with her heels, snapping his head sideways as she blew past him. Gracefully landing on her feet, Banshee watched with pride as the two brothers worked back to their feet.
"Loudmouthed, brain-dead oafs." She scoffed, popping the tendons in her neck as she primed her Shriekburst emitter again and shifted the frequency. Block was first on his feet,
"Why you little..." He grumbled, charging the Umbaran again. Banshee was ready for him, though, and snapped up her arm to fire her emitter. She hit him with a powerful, singular blast of ultrasonic power, the concussive force of her sonic blast enough to slide the Houk back a few feet. It was then that Hater took a chance to open fire with his blaster carbine, repeating rounds slamming into Banshee. Quickly bracing herself with a raised gauntlet, she took each hit in stride, quickly planning on retaliating when a fist crashed into her side and sent her flying through the air. She eventually smashed through a tree and came to an abrupt halt by slamming into the hard ground.
Banshee shook her head as her senses return, the Houk's hard blow likely leaving a bruise behind and she couldn't help but wince a little as she picked herself up. As she questioned the possibility of a broken rib, the surviving Titans quickly converged on her, Weapons at the ready as they trained their sights on her.
"Ready to surrender?" Theris asked in a mocking tone.
"Don't think so, boss." Stock mumbled. "She ain't like Wraith was." That comment sounded legitimately funny to thr Umbaran.
"You're right, I'm not The Wraith." She said with a laugh, raising herself to full height. "I'm better than him, twice the super-soldier he was! He was yesterday's model, I am the future of the Confederacy!" Banshee boldly proclaimed. "He is gone! Lost to us! So forget about him, I am your concern now!" She told the Titans, charging her emitter as her twin lightsabers blazed to life. It was time for another round, and she couldn't have been more ready. "FOR UMBARA!" She screamed, surging ahead into a hail of blaster fire...
The Revenant broke atmosphere as it descended towards Ragna III. Having gleaned what information he could from his father, Reaper followed communications indicating Banshee's presence on Ragna III and made to assist her. He knew Separatist forces were being mustered there, save for the other super-soldiers who had been dispatched to a variety of worlds, and had learned Banshee was being sent to aid in this endeavor.
But, recalling her recent comments about the Titans, he had a feeling he wouldn't find her on the frontlines or anywhere near them. With his helmet on, he pinged his scanners.
"Now then... where are you..." He wondered to himself checking the pings that returned to him. Suddenly his sensors detected a series of thermal ripples, likely caused by explosions. "Found you." His craft veered right as Reaper guided it, quickly homing in on his newfound target. "Visual." He commanded, a view screen appearing before him within moments.
In it he saw Banshee battling the Titans with all she had. Numerous dead bodies lined the forest floor and she was about to add another to the count. Her lightsabers impaled a mercenary before she lunged after another, pursuing a female with a series of roundhouse kicks before she turned her sonic emitter on an HK droid and blew them back. She was holding her own, but she didn't have the numbers the Titans had. Seeing this, Reaper knew exactly what his course of action was to be.
Down on the ground, Banshee was bearing the marks of a hard-fought battle. Her armor was chipped and dented, scratched and grooves marring each piece of plating, scorch marks dotted every inch of her. She had been through a lot and it showed, and she still wasn't about to slow down. She was giving this fight her all and it was working. The Houk brothers lay in a stunned heap off to the side, dozens of mercenaries lay dead around her and that HK droid was destined for the repair bay. Now she wanted a chance to tear into Theris and the others behind her. With a hungry gaze in her optics, she was just about to do so when a barrage struck the Titan group from above. A few mercenaries at the back were flung into the air by the ensuing explosion and the thrum of large engines filled the air. The nose guns of the Revenant had opened fire and were busy shelling the mercenaries, as Theris found out once she looked up. Hater attempted to return fire with his missiles, only for them to detonate harmlessly against the ship's shields.
"Reinforcements." Theris grimly realized, a statement made manifest as Reaper dropped to the ground behind Banshee, adding another super-soldier for the battered group to fight against.
"Scatter!" She ordered. "Fall back to the ship!" The mercenaries quickly did as tasked and started disappearing into the woods with no need for further motivation. The Houks somehow dragged themselves away from the fight and Hater was helped up and moved off under his own power. Banshee was more than ready to give chase.
"Yes! Run cowards!" She jeered, ready to sprint afterwards and cut down a few more. But Reaper's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"There's no need. They're beaten." He said.
"But now is our chance to finish them!" Banshee retorted. She could not see Reaper's logic in wanting to hang back.
"Was Corsair among them?" He asked, moving around to her front.
"No." She answered.
"Did you hear anyone contact him over comms?"
"No."
"Then word will eventually reach him that you've eliminated a party of his men." Reaper determined, having learned enough from his father to know how Corsair likely worked. "That will make you a target and we'll cut off the head of this grand snake when he appears again." His plan now made known to her, Banshee huffed in disgust.
"I could take them out right now and you'd rather wait?!" She exclaimed. "We have a chance to take down our biggest threat, and you-"
"What you would do is wound them, giving them damage they would eventually recover from." Reaper stated, cutting her off. "If we really want to stop the Titans, we have to take out their leader." Her shoulders slumping, an indignant Banshee reluctantly powered down her weapons. "You did good. But the time for fighting is over, now is the time to pull back and reassess." Reaper told her, laying a hand on her shoulder again. Banshee looked up and Reaper could just sense the resentment rolling off of her.
"I pushed them back. I did. Me. All by myself!" She emphatically told him. "I should just go after them and wipe them out now!"
"You held them off, yes, but you drove them back with MY help." Reaper responded. "We need to work together on this Banshee, like we did with Wraith on-"
"To hell with him!" Banshee cried, shoving his hand off. "I held off an entire Titan unit alone, something he could never fully accomplish! I'm better than him, he is weaker than I am!" She exclaimed. "I do not need help, Reaper. I think I've proven that today." With that she turned on heel and stalked off into the forest, her mind filled with angry thoughts. Reaper was wrong. Who cared about what he had to say! She had proven herself today, proven herself a capable and independent unit with the necessary skills and abilities to overcome threats that The Wraith had faltered against. She did not need help like Reaper said she did. If anything, she needed people to follow her lead so that the Confederacy might finally triumph over the Republic and its allies. A new phase of the war was dawning, one that would put her front and center. The Wraith was the past, she was the future, made to exceed his feats in every conceivable way. The Clones, the Jedi and the Titans would have contend with her now.
From now on, they would fear... The Banshee.
The workers of the Maw Installation had proven barely sufficient, lacking the true power she craved. Their life essence had sated her hunger for the time being, allowing her to replenish her strength after so many years of weakness. The drained husks lay behind her now, a cornucopia of forms for her to take on so she might venture into the galaxy and not be noticed.
As Abeloth let her power pulse she felt out the Force and let it fill her mind. The galaxy was different now, the flames of chaos and turmoil had been fanned to an all-time high, moreso than she'd ever felt before when emerging from her prison. She relished in it, the sensation of galactic-wide conflict and universal strife flowed through her and she felt electrified by its power. No wonder she'd been freed, the Force was out of balance. How terrified her children must be, to feel so weak and frail during these times. She could sense their power, weaker than before, and she longed to comfort them and in return craved their adoration for her presence. She would find them, console them, nourish them back to full power. They would be a family again.
Her thoughts of sating her hunger faded, replaced by her crippling need for companionship and love. That was paramount now, she would save seeking out the Force sensitives for another, more suitable, time. In the blink of an eye her appearance shifted, the mists parting to reveal a young brunette woman in the clothes of a junior engineer. Her eyes were the last to change, abyssal black becoming white with chocolate brown irises. This disguise would do for now. If not, she had many more to choose from. She looked to the stars, uttering her promise.
"I am coming, my children..."
Author's Note: Fun times are on the horizon! When, you ask? Tough to say. Life isn't exactly getting any easier just yet and I don't have an upload schedule. So I guess y'all just have to exercise some patience. Special thanks to everyone who's favourited and followed over the past month! You all rock!
RANDOM FOLLOWER SHOUTOUT: This one goes to Kai Aldred, who has a wicked name! Stay frosty friend and welcome aboard!
Until next time, stay safe and stay sane.
