EPISODE II
Chapter 2: Guilt
In the academy's hangar, Zolph Vaelor was preparing to take off, until he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"You're leaving already?"
Zolph reacted with panic. "Stay away!" He then calmed down when he got a look at the speaker: a red-haired woman that resembled someone else he knew, except she was a Mirialan and a few years older than him.
"Is something wrong, Zolph?" she asked him.
"Sorry. For a second, I thought you were someone else. And do I know you?"
"Probably not, but I've been training at the academy longer than you have. I'm Hiriss Moraana, and that's a nice ship you got there."
"Thanks. This is actually a consumer test-model for a new ship Incom's marketing to the Order, and to promote the R9-units. Of course, I made some modifications to it myself."
R9-C4 chimed in. "C4 = Bored. / Green-skinned lady = Go away. / C4 + Zolph = Go to Dagobah now?"
"Sorry, Hiriss. I gotta go."
Hiriss asked with some concern. "Like I tried to ask earlier: Already? You've been taking on missions like there's no tomorrow ever since the Battle of Krantisi. You're hardly ever here anymore."
"Except this time, I have another Archfiend on my hands."
"Zolph, I'm beginning to think you're deliberately accepting missions just to avoid questioning."
As Zolph climbed into his fighter's cockpit, he responded back. "Besides, I need to keep Seefor from getting bored. You wouldn't like it when he has to entertain himself."
Seefor then responded back. "Zolph = Incorrect. / C4 = Actually feminine programming."
Zolph responded to the black and blue droid with a mix of surprise, embarrassment and shame, especially given he had unknowingly mis-gendered her out of her presence a few times. "Wow... I'm surprised you are only telling me that after three months of us being together."
"This conversation = First time Zolph included C4 in a more-than-two-person conversation. / C4 = Also wanted to surprise Zolph."
"Well, thanks for letting me know so I don't make that mistake again."
The cockpit closed and the two took off.
Hiriss activated a comlink as she watched Zolph and Seefor fly away. "Master Skywalker. He's doing it again."
A few hours later, Zolph and Seefor arrived at the Alliance mountaintop base Mount Yoda on Dagobah. In one of the bases hangar bays, they were greeted by a Duros Alliance corporal.
"Commander Vaelor. We weren't expecting you to come here until Master Skywalker contacted us."
"Well, I'm here now." Zolph responded. "I got some intel indicating that there's an Archfiend on this planet."
"Anyway, General Choi is waiting for you in the war room. Just follow the signs and you'll get there."
Seefor popped out of the fighter's astromech slot and followed Zolph to Mt. Yoda's war room.
In the war room, Zolph and Seefor met up with his longtime ally, General Ven Choi.
"Koh-Toh-Yah, General Choi." Zolph greeted the general in his own Kel Dor tongue.
"Koh-Toh-Yah to you too, old friend," the general responded before holding out his right hand.
"Before losing my arm, I would've asked you to be careful with those fingernails, but you know…" Zolph then shook his hand with his prosthetic arm.
Seefor then introduced herself to the general. "R9-C4 = Zolph Vaelor's wingdroid, mechanic, bodyguard and enforcer. / Shriveled Masked General = Need any meatbags eliminated?"
The general somehow communicated a confused look on his face despite the mandible-bearing mask and goggles.
Zolph apologized in turn. "Pardon her derogatory naming. She tends to refer to people like that the first time she meets them. And yes, I know. I didn't properly figure out her gender-programming until recently."
The general then asked with some concern. "I sense some uneasiness from you, Vaelor."
"General, did you become a Jedi sometime between Manaan and now?"
"I was once part of the old Order, but I hadn't even built my lightsaber when the Purge started. So my usage of it is limited to the senses."
"Why didn't you join Skywalker's academy when it was established then?"
"I felt I was too old to continue my training, and I had a lot of catching up to do. So I improved on what I knew and applied it to military strategy. But getting back on topic, Skywalker also told me you just raided a data archive on Charros IV and assisted Admiral Cephal and Colonel G'jan on Taris. Don't you think you've already done enough for one day?"
"You know, General, that's funny, because someone else asked me that before I came here. Are Master Skywalker and Grein onto me too?"
"Possibly, but I still appreciate you coming here to help us out."
"Anyway, about that: what's going on down there in that mudhole?"
"My scouts report that the Valkoran are active down there, and they've been talking about someone or something called 'Mandoculus'."
"Mandoculus, huh? That sounds like our Archfiend. Permission to go down into the swamp?"
"Yes, but there's something else you should know: Juganak's leading the Valkoran forces here."
"I've heard of Juganak, but like every other Valkoran leader aside from Maesterus and Arcidus, I've never met him before. What's he like?"
"He's an inhumanly strong Miraluka. You know: they look like humans aside from not having eyes and can see through the Force instead?"
"Yeah, I know them. One of the Valks' supporters is an entire clan of non-Force sensitive Miraluka called the Kur'Ada Equalists. But enough chit-chat, I need to get going."
Before he could leave, an alarm sounded and the base's lookout officer contacted the war room.
"General! Valkoran forces are attempting to scale the mountain! I repeat, Valkoran forces are attempt-!" The lookout officer said before being cut off by a blaster shot.
"Well, there's another delay in my plans for the day. Let's defend Mount Yoda." Zolph declared before heading outside the war room.
Outside, Zolph saw Alliance troops fighting with Valkoran troopers that had used ascension guns to get to the base as well as grappling hook-equipped Gundark walkers. Of course, he also saw some plasma artillery fire coming from down below. He looked down to see some Starmantis-class Artillery Droids clinging onto the mountain walls and firing from there.
One of the artillery droids fired a shot past Zolph, but he caught it mid-flight with the Force and then let it fall back down onto the droid. He then proceeded to eliminate all the other droids firing at the complex through methods such as using the Force to loosen some rocks on the mountain to make the tripedal droids fall to their deaths.
However, he then noticed some Valkoran troops entering into the base itself. Zolph immediately contacted General Choi over comlink while he pursued the troops. "General Choi, get ready for some fighting in the base."
"Don't worry about me. I'm already doing a fine job of that." The General said as he was cutting down several Valkoran troopers with his vibrosword. Elsewhere through the comlink, Zolph heard a strong whooshing sound along with some agonized screaming.
"What the hell was that?" Zolph said with a disturbed look on his face.
"Apparently, your droid had a flamethrower hidden inside her. You didn't know that?"
"Apparently not."
He then heard a Valkoran trooper through the comlink. "You have a weapon, so what?! You're still just a measly little astro-!" And that was followed by a tearing and cracking sound along with some more agonized screaming. "MY SPINE! HE TORE OUT MY SPINE! HOW AM I STILL ALIIIIVE?! AND NOW HE'S BEATING ME WITH IT! WHYYYYY?!" The screaming then died down with him.
"I did not know she could do that, either."
General Choi then asked Zolph. "Zolph? Where did you get that droid?"
"Truth be told, she was originally manufactured and modified for a crime lord named Girdretto."
"What happened to him?"
"Sleheyron happened. So I thought it would be best not to let her go to waste and it would be safer to have her in my hands than other potential criminals since her original commissioner kicked the bucket. I already knew she was pretty bloodthirsty, but I didn't think she was as lethal outside the astro-socket."
"Well, I can defend the war room just fine. I'll have Seefor aid our troops in defending the hangars. The Valks won't know what to expect from her until it's too late."
Ten minutes later of cleaning the base of Valkoran troops, Zolph received a message from Seefor.
"R9-C4 + Soldiers = Need assistance. / Hulking, blind-folded, half-naked man = Threat."
"Can you be more specific?"
General Choi then joined the conversation. "Juganak is in that hangar bay."
"Oh. That's my cue to go kick his butt, then."
Zolph then rushed to the hangar.
In the hangar, Zolph saw the corpses of both Alliance and Valkoran troops before noticing Seefor backed up against the wall.
"R9-C4 = Cannot do much else. / Zolph = Take on huge man?"
Zolph then looked to see a muscular, bald, shirtless - minus two metal pauldrons on his shoulders connected to his belt by leather straps - dark-skinned Miraluka with blue tattoos on his scalp and armed with an elongated lightsaber hilt.
"I assume you're Juganak?" Zolph asked him.
"Yes, and you must be Zolph Vaelor. I came as soon as I heard you were here." The two of them then approached each other.
"What exactly do you want with me? Kill me? Capture me?"
"What I want with you is of no concern."
General Choi then contacted Zolph over comlink. "Be careful, Zolph. Reports say he tore off an active AT-AT's leg with his bare hands on Geonosis, and he lived on Hoth and Mustafar dressed exactly the way he is right now."
Juganak then commentated on the transmission. "That's no exaggeration. I actually did all three of those things."
Zolph ignited his lightsaber and pointed it towards Juganak. "Then let's see if those abs can handle my glowstick!"
Juganak then ignited his in response, which produced an emerald-green blade a little longer than he was tall - essentially a light-claymore. He casually swung his blade and batted Zolph's blade backward.
"Well, I'll be damned. More crazy lightsaber variants, but not the craziest I've seen. That would be the cross-saber." Zolph then proceeded to keep his distance from the blade when Juganak swung it again, this time with both hands.
Juganak leaped towards a landed X-Wing, grabbed it by its nose and lifted it off the floor. He then swung it around and threw it at Zolph, with him just barely dodging.
Zolph was both shocked and impressed at the same time. "Have you been taking stims or are you really that freakishly strong?" Zolph then looked outside the open hangar doors – which some of the Valkoran forces had entered through – to notice a few Scavenger-class Probe Droids.
Juganak then tried to throw the same burning X-Wing at him again. Zolph ducked, and the burning fighter went flying right into two of the droids. He then heard the Miraluka's voice in his head.
"You see those probes? Take them out. But before you do, I need you to keep playing along."
Zolph responded back telepathically "Why are you telling me this?"
"Just do as I say, dammit!"
Juganak then charged at Zolph, ready to swing his saber again. Zolph dodged the swing and then lightly slashed at the hulking Miraluka's chest, causing him to grunt in pain. He swung at him again, this time knocking Zolph's lightsaber out of his hands.
Zolph used the Force to throw a piece of a broken repair crane at him and then hurled him out the hangar doors. He then heard Juganak's voice in his head again.
"Now!"
Zolph drew out his blaster pistol and shot down all but two of the probes that were monitoring the fight. The remaining two then attempted to flee, which resulted in Zolph giving chase, jumping out the hangar door and grabbing onto one of the tiny droids, but not before reclaiming his lightsaber.
As Zolph rode the droid, it tried to shake him off. While he struggled to keep his grip on its single arm, he drew out his blaster and shot the other droid. He then punched into the tiny, one-armed droid's repulsorlift system so it would drop altitude into Dagobah's swamp.
As he descended, he let go of the droid and somersaulted in the marsh. After he got up on his feet, he noticed the droid still trying to flee, but unable to hover in a way that counts as flight. His comlink then rang. Zolph answered it and heard General Choi.
"Zolph. Seefor told me she saw you riding away from the base on a probe droid. Are you alright?"
Zolph responded as he continued chasing the droid. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm in the swamp right now. However, I have a bad feeling about those droids, so I'm trying to get rid of this last one before it can get home." As he continued chasing, he passed by what appeared to be a long-abandoned hut, made for a creature much smaller than a human. "If you want specifics, I just passed a tiny abandoned home. There's just something depressing about an abandoned home in an unpopulated area."
"I think I know where you are. Well, I'm relieved to know you're still alive."
"While I'm at it, I'll try to see if I can find this Mandoculus creature."
"Very well. May the Force be with you." The transmission then ended.
As the droid continued its escape, it flew between the roots of a gnarltree that made the entrance of a peculiar cave. Zolph then followed.
Zolph moved deeper into the cave and noticed that the probe droid had stopped attempting to flee and was resting on its claw. He then ignited his lightsaber and threw it at the droid, slicing it in half. He then wondered why it had stopped trying to get away from him, until Juganak's voice popped up in his head again.
"Get out of that cave! It's a trap!"
"What's wrong? Did someone put a bomb in here?"
"No. Something much worse. Something that's been there for generations."
Before Zolph could react to his warning, he heard a familiar voice he was never expecting to hear again.
"Zolph?"
He then turned around and noticed a red-haired, green-eyed human female roughly his age.
"Dynn Manthis?! Where did you come from?!" Zolph reacted with a slight tint of fear in his voice.
"I've been here since before you got here, silly. Why do you look so nervous? Is there a ghost in here?" Dynn asked innocently.
"You're dead. You shouldn't even be here."
"What are you talking about, Zolphy? I'm alive and standing right here?"
"You died six months ago! You're not even real!" Zolph defiantly turned around and closed his eyes. "If I just ignore you, you'll go away!"
Dynn's voice then switched to a slightly more sarcastic tone. "Really?" Her voice then gradually turned into a more sinister familiar voice. "If I weren't real, COULD I DO THISSSS?!"
Zolph felt something wrap around his prosthetic arm and then tear it off, also tearing the nerves connecting it to his stump. This elicited an agonized scream of pain.
He knew the voice too well and refused to open his eyes. He then felt that same tongue-like whip wrap around his waist and then pull him back to where Dynn was. Afterwards, he felt a creature biting into his neck and then lifting him off the ground. He then heard her again.
"STOP IGNORING ME!" she yelled furiously at him as she slammed him into the ground.
Zolph then opened his eyes to see something he was really hoping to never see again: Dynn, when she had been taken over and mutated by the Forceless symbiote arm and with the same unnerving features as she had then.
She crouched down over his legs and then pinned his left arm into the ground with the teeth on her right arm. She then leaned her almost-featureless face towards Zolph's.
"What's the matter, Zolph?"
Zolph turned his head away and closed his eyes again. The horrific creature then positioned her tail-like left arm towards his face and cut open his eyelids, ensuring he doesn't try to ignore her again.
"Much better now." She then positioned Zolph's face towards hers. "Why did you kill me? I thought you loved me!"
Zolph's eyes started to tear up. "I didn't even want to do it! I'm sorry! I just want to forget that ever happened!"
She then spoke to him in a soothing yet insincere voice. "Now, now, Zolph. I'm not mad at you for killing me. I'm just a little upset that you're rejecting me." He then noticed her positioning her abdominal teeth to tear out his digestive tract again. "Eyes on me. We can start over and never be separated again."
Zolph felt her teeth puncturing into his stomach before suddenly blacking out.
