Star Wars MultiVerse
Issue #1
Chapter 8
Disclaimer
I do not own Star Wars, or any other original content expressed in this work of fanfiction.
It is free so have fun!
Story remains rated M for adult humor and language.
Laying there in the mud, I activated my antihero monologue and started a new series of quests based on importance.
Main Goal: Bring Balance to The Galaxy… not to be mistaken with "Bring Balance to The Force."
Secondary Goal: Prevent the Clone Wars.
Secondary Goal: Create a new Galactic Superpower.
Tertiary Goal: Conquer or Unite the galaxy.
Galidraan Quests
High Importance: Repair relationship with my team including Zar.
High Importance: Establish a new mancave and investigate the Death Watch Tech.
High Importance: Gain trust of Jango Fett and his True Mandalorian Supercommando's.
High Importance: Gain trust of Master Dooku, Padawan Komari Vosa, and the Republic Judicial Forces.
Important: Save the Galidraanian Rebels from being murdered by Jango Fett.
Important: Defeat, but do not kill Tor Vizsla and Pre Vizsla.
Important: Take over or merge Death Watch with the True Mandalorians.
Important: Capture the Governor of Galidraan
With a sigh I stood up and vibrated my crystalline body, causing the mud and wood dust to fall off me. I took off and zoomed back through the shattered landscape and slowed down as I approached my team. Once in range I updated the quest alerts.
"Hey, you guys see all these new quest items?" Zane asked as she waved her hands in front of her face.
"Click on the little x at the end of each to make the notice go away. I push all my quest notices into a folder, so they do not impede my vision." I spoke up.
Kane spun around. "Boss?" He asked. "You wanted us to go, now you changed your mind?"
I allowed my helmet to phase away so they could see my face. "Ya, guys. I am sorry. I was not being a great leader. Pushing you and all so that we could move on. I never really explained what took place after Voggaa took you. It was easier for me to let you go than to explain those details. If you allow me to, I will explain and then let you decide what to do."
Kane stepped forward. "What about that piece of you in our ears. Will you take that out?" He asked.
I winced. "That was a dick move. I did that with out your consent." I held out my hand. "You only have to touch my hand and I can re-absorb it." I offered.
Kane shook his helmeted head. "No, it was a good call if the comms were compromised. I mean Voggaa did that to us back on Earth too. Just explain better next time why you are making a choice like that for us." He pointed out.
I nodded. "I suspect that a review of the Mando Tech in our inventory will give us insight as to how they could listen and detect our comms. Plus, the blasters were not normal. My fear is that Voggaa or his master are using the Eternal Node Network against us. Voggaa told me before the Eternal Council killed him, that his master would be starting the MultiVersal War. This could be their opening move." I looked around and spotted a massive tree. "Do you guys want a log cabin for our…" seeing Zane cross her arms over her armored chest "… er mobile operations center?" I asked correcting the quest line.
High Importance: Establish a new mobile operations center and investigate the Death Watch Tech.
Zane smiled upon seeing that.
"It will be a temp thing to allow us to talk out of the cold at least. Cook some grub." I offered with a shrug.
They all seemed to agree with that. "How long will that take boss? I'm kind of starving." Banks pointed out.
I scanned the area around us with the force and found all that I needed. "I mean the raw materials are all around us. I can make it in say… twenty minutes. Maybe less. It will give you guys time to scan through the quest items we already have, make some choices on what is important to you. Even to read up on the planet and the political situation." I looked from face to face. "Agreed?" I asked.
They all nodded and moved over to a log to sit down. I motioned and used the force to create a wall of noise suppression around them. Then I set off at top speed touching the various items I wanted here and there to place them in our inventory. Even zipping over to the burnt-out buildings and gathering resources there.
Next, I went to the big tree I had spotted before and set to work. Chopping the tree even with the ground for the base then tapping the tree before it could start to tip over. It disappeared and I now had a huge pile of resources in my inventory.
With the tree converted, I then used the rock supply for the foundation and five chimneys. One for each of their rooms and then the main rom. Then set the house up all around like I was playing with Lincoln Logs.
Pausing to take in the work so far, I nodded then began to construct the table for the main living area as a replica of the one in our old mancave. The chairs came next. Then workbenches laid out with new looking tools for the workshop. That brought me to a screeching halt as I stared at the polished and new looking tools.
"I missed it too." Zar spoke up appearing next to me as a hologram. "Very rustic. I like what you have done with the place. They will at least appreciate the sentiment." I glanced at her for a moment before she pointed back at the front of the house.
"Holly shit boss. This is a Lincoln Log Cabin!" Kane sounded excited at least from the living area. "Fuck me. Our own rooms? Wait, where's yours?" He asked confused.
"I do not require sleep. As long as I keep getting blasted with energy then everything is fine with me. Even sunlight will charge me up if I am patient enough." I explained.
Kane took off his helmet and placed it on the wooden hook near the door. "Keeps the wind down in here at least. Can't wait to start a fire and find some critters to roast."
Banks came in after Kane and took off his helmet, also placing it on a wooden hook "You did all this in less than 20 minutes. Would love to see what you can do with more time." He sounded impressed.
Scar and Zane both put their helmets up and looked around with appreciation. "Very nice boss."
they both said at the same time, then glared at each other.
I chucked. "Baby steps." I shrugged. When they continued to glare at each other I stepped forward, placing the tool down on the table. "Zane and Scar, it's ok. I encourage you to explore… whatever this is you have going on. Hell, we have been in enough tough spots to know each other pretty good by now." Zane's cheeks went red with anger. I held out a hand. "Before you give any protest Zane, you did reach for him when you were recovering from the deploy protocol. Subconsciously you know you can trust him and feel safe. Scar, I see you watching her when you think no one is paying attention. Guess what buddy, we all notice you looking."
Kane chuckled and so did Banks. "Yep. He's like a little lost puppy Zane. You've had his heart since day one." Banks nodded.
Zane rolled her eyes. "If it helps, you guys hook up in every universe. So, it's fate." I pointed out the facts, only to see her eyes bug out. "Zar, little help?"
"Nope, you painted yourself into that corner E. A lady must have her friends stick close." Zar said, appearing in one of the chairs at the table.
"Thank you Zar. I knew I could trust you my old partner." Zane smiled at Zar. "Why were you staring all shock faced at that tool a minute ago?" Zane changed subjects moving to the opposite side of the table from Scar.
"He realized that the old and beat up items placed in the inventory were pulled out looking polished and basically brand new. A feature we enhanced the Explorer Program with but did not think it worked right." Zar explained.
"The blasters are all used looking and beat up." Zane pointed out as she drew the weapon and put it on the table.
"Right." I nodded, picking through the inventory and pulling out some other items from the burnt-out buildings. They all appeared as if new.
"While fascinating." Banks patted his armor covered belly. "This discussion does not get me warm, nor does it get food in my belly." He pointed out.
"It might." I said thoughtfully. "Though I need your permission to put the house in my inventory and pull it back out. We will be just fine here as we are. I just don't want to freak you all out."
"Um, are you sure?" Zane asked, hooking her thumbs back to the door. "Cause its just a little jaunt right over there to be outside."
"You don't want to see if you can survive in the inventory?" Kane crossed his arms over his chest. "I trust boss. Go on ahead."
"Shoot, do it. If it gets me food in my belly, I am all for it." Banks agreed.
"What exactly do you hope to achieve?" Scar asked.
"I will stash this place in our inventory. Then when I pull it back out, the redeployed cabin will be current galaxy modern and stocked with the pre mission settings Zar and I had selected. At least in theory. Weapons, food, equipment, you name it. I mean I based the cabin's design off the module's design." I shrugged and looked around. "Fits the specifications exactly actually."
Zane looked at Scar who shrugged. "Let's go for it." He spoke up with a shrug.
I reached out my hand and touched the table. Pulling it and the rest of the cabin into our shared inventory for a nanosec. Then pulling it back out a nanosec later. The coldness instantly faded away as we warmed up.
Despite my warning, everyone but Zar and I gasped when the rustic and empty log cabin was replaced with a fully modern Star Wars house straight out of Star Wars Galaxies.
"I liked the look of the cabin better, but this is great!" Kane sounded excited again.
"This is such a freaking cool game." Banks whispered. "Now, where's the food?" He asked.
Zar shook her head. "Still not a game, but the conservator is right there. Looks like a fridge back on Earth if that helps." She pointed.
As the team jumped up and started going through the conservator, I turned and moved to the workshop. "E! You can't get away that easily." Zar appeared before me as if she could block the way. I walked through her.
"Hey love. I am not hiding. I do want to thank you though. Without you making me trip back there I may have left the team behind instead of being here with them now. Thank you." I smiled.
She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow. "Really. That is all you have to say for yourself?"
I shrugged. "I mean I was an ass. You already called me out for that. You can read my mind and defy me at the same time. Kind of not fair for a program that is supposed to be loyal to me." I said calmly.
"A program? Is all that I am to you?" Zar demanded in a cold voice.
"No! You mean more to me than that. You are made with the image and personality of my wife. I guess you just showed me I still do not wear the pants. Even though you don't have the ability to wear anything." I noticed there was silence in the living area and picked up to the crafting station. "Mind if I carry this out there?" I asked. "The kids are listening to our squabble. You could turn our internal conversations back on you know."
"Then us kids wuden hear you figing." Banks said around a mouthful of food.
Zar shook her head. "I never turned it off. You did, you big dummy." She said then faded away.
I stared at the crafting station in my hands for a moment. It was designed to craft weapons, armor, or small tech only. Just like from Galaxies, KOTOR2, or SWTOR, but much better. It could make anything because I knew all there was to make. I just had to program it. My vision had already detected the blaster was made of materials that I had never seen yet and that was troubling me. With a shake of my head, I moved it out to the living area where the team was merrily munching away.
"Sorry guys." I said putting the crafting station down on an empty counter. "I am only four hours old in this body, still figuring out all that I can and can't do."
Kane coughed on his food. "Fucking a boss! You broke another rule. Never deploy without understanding yourself or your abilities."
I glared at him, and he simply grinned back. "What? Just saying. Your rules kept us alive and well paid for many years. A little hypocritical of you not to use them yourself ya know." He said going back to eating his meal.
"He got ya there boss. But four hours?" Scar shook his head. "Back home you would be yelling at yourself."
"Back home I was not an indestructible- "
"Crystaline entity." All four spoke up interrupting me. "We know."
I hung my head. "I deserved that. But you forgot what else there is in me. All the data of the MultiVerse. That means this…" I held up the blaster. "… I am supposed to know about." I said feeding it into the crafting station.
"So, you don't know about a blaster. Not a big deal." Kane shrugged. Then jumped when Zar appeared at the table. He saw her shaking her head. "Ok so it's a minor problem then."
"Try a not in Kansas anymore problem." Zar spoke up then motioned to the table, a holoprojector in the middle began to emit the historical events of the galaxy. "We deployed in Universe #3, and these are the recent events of this galaxies history before our arrival."
Banks let out a belch. "I hate history." He grumbled.
Zar rolled her eyes and motioned to the projector. The screen split into two and a nearly identical line of text appeared. "Looks the same, right?"
They all nodded, then the line of text on the right side stopped while the line of text on the left continued.
"It's broken." Banks shrugged. Then slapped the table causing both the timeline and Zar to flicker. She glared at him. "Sorry." The big guy said shrinking down in his seat.
"This means that all the data we have in his crystal skull no longer matters as much as it did before the mission started. They inserted their own Explorer or Explorers into the galaxy a full two days before we got here." Zar explained.
"What the hell is this Explorer Program? You guys keep saying you will explain, but you just keep talking in riddles." Kane stood up, turned his chair around backwards, and sat back down.
"It's this not video game we are in dude. We died then got respawned or relaunched or whatever." Scar pointed out. "Why don't we just hit reset though?" he asked. Then looked at my face and Zar's face. "We just go back to what ever tank holds us, don't we?"
"It's a nice tank though, right?" Zane asked.
"I mean I was there and remember it. You will be pure energy surrounded by nothing. No body, no sensations, just emotions. It's why you were out of sorts when we first deployed in the field. Not much of a life. Endless boredom." I explained.
"He was in the data storage device for all of twenty minutes real time before he broke free." Zar rolled her eyes again.
"Twenty minutes that felt like a lifetime. Besides, even on the ship time does not behave like it should." I pointed out checking out the mission timer. "We have five hours until Jango Fett murders the rebels. At least that was the plan before Voggaa played the alter the timeline game. Now I have no idea."
"So, we go scouting." Zane perked up.
"Before we know the situ?" Scar scoffed. "That sounds like a good way to end up dead."
"But we get respawned." Banks grinned. "Come on guys cheer up. It's a pirate's life for us."
Zane's brow rose when Zar and I exchanged looks. "What is it?" she asked.
"The respawn could work but losing any of you for 4 hours in mission time is not something I want to experiment with. Plus, it has not been tested. We do not know what else they changed in this AU. It could very well be that if you die you die for real. Not something I want to learn until we hit our first check in and confirm what all has happened to our mods." I carefully explained.
"Hold up!" Kane hit his head on his hands a few times. "Didn't you guys test the changes or mods out that you have mentioned?"
I shrugged. "Sure. In sims. They worked fine. Things often change in the real world, you know that. We have been burnt by bad intel many times before."
"Never intelligence that is supposed to be iron proof like knowing what will happen before it even happens. How did they change time, and you did not know about it?" Kane asked.
"Voggaa's master is hidden away and was responsible for killing off his people. We don't know where, just that he was banished millions of years ago. He has had all that time to prepare for this moment." I explained patiently.
"Ok, so Voggaa has clones and he is here?" Scar asked. "Can't you like sense him with your jedi shit boss?"
I chuckled. "I have the force sensitivity that is worse than a padawan learner. So, no. I can't just sense him. We know he came to this universe and all the other universes that his stank stench is in. Where exactly he is located, I have no idea. Nor do we know who he has taken over. Could be Palpatine, could be Yoda. We will have to find out as events play out. I suspect the reason that the timeline is altered now is that Voggaa and his master used the timestream against us. We brought you all and Zar here, something that has never been done before. It had to be easy to notice. So, who knows how many supercharged bad guys there are." I kept explaining calmly and patiently.
"That's why you were so quick to let us go." Zane said softly. "You already figured this all out and you were rushing off to investigate. Just on your own so we would be safe."
I winked at her. "You guys are and have been more important to me than this mission. I may have lied about that back there, and I am very sorry for that. The Eternals will not like that I am willing to think this way, but I want you to live after our mission here. I do not want you to die even one more time."
"Speaking of that, how did we die?" Kane asked. The others groaned. "Come on, you all want to know. Plus, he said he would tell us." He added.
"Kane is right guys. You died of old age. Naturally. Scar you were the last alive." I explained.
"I don't feel old." Kane patted his cheeks, and the others looked around at each other more closely. "Everyone looks like they did before boss." He added confused.
I took a deep breath. "What I am about to tell you will be hard to hear and harder to understand. I am willing to take some time here to help you through it. Zar and I can talk to you one on one if you wish as well." I looked from face to face, and they all nodded paying close attention.
"Ok, well…"
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End of chapter 8.