Act 2, Chapter 17 - Raid on Skull Island (Part 2)
A small starship appears out of hyperspace, as it arrives at its destination. This is the Azure Angel, a modified Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor starfighter with a blue paint scheme and white stripes in addition. Four laser cannons have been armed, mounting two on each wingtip, as well installing a missile launcher in the center fuselage. The astromech droid socket had been relocated onto the ship's center instead of being left alone on its port side, and twin hyperdrive engine turbines were installed without utilizing a hyperspace ring at all. A red astromech droid with an R2-style dome designated as 'R4-P22', beeps at her master upon their arrival in the Sol System.
"We're in the Sol System." The starfighter's pilot comments. "Let's hope these past three months of universe-hopping inside the mouth of a Purrgil have paid off."
The Azure Angel flies under the Moon as Earth appears on its sensors.
(Ambush on Coruscant - Star Wars: Attack of the Clones OST plays)
[Starts at 2:10]
"There it is, R4." The pilot informs his astromech. "Right where it should be: Earth-86. Engaging stealth system... now."
His ship eventually reached the planet, as it then passed through Earth's atmosphere without issue. While the dark clouds obscure his vision from within the cockpit, he instead uses he Force to guide himself for a good but safe landing spot for his starfighter. Eventually, the Azure Angel emerges from the clouds as its pilot finds himself over an island in the middle of the Pacific. Curious. It would seem this Earth has an extra land mass in comparison to what he trailblaze back on Earth-0.
The starfighter then descends towards the island and its jungles. As he's moving closer, the pilot detects a jamming frequency on his ship's sensors.
"R4, you getting this?" He asks while double checking the sensors on his screen to be sure.
"Beep boop beep." R4 answers.
"We'll just have to search the immediate area on foot then." He frowns, pressing a few control buttons. "This disturbance in the Force feels off somehow, and I don't like it."
The Azure Angel soon engaged its landing gear, as the pilot then set down on the wet and muddy grass before its pilot shut down the engines to avoid attracting unwanted attention. He opens the cockpit top before climbing out and jumps down on the ground. The lone pilot wears a dark brown leather jacket and a pair of matching colored leather gloves and boots. He also wears a ragged and hooded cloak, as both the hood and a brown neck scarf - that he has put over his mouth as a mask - hides his face.
"Watch the ship, R4." He calmly commands. "I'll stay in contact."
The astromech whistles in understanding and closes the Azure Angel's cockpit top for her master as the figure walks deep into the jungle.
The mysterious figure continues venturing deep and deep into the jungle until he comes across a shallow river in a steep ravine. Pulling out his small binoculars, he looks up to see a communications outpost of some sort. He zooms in, only to find that it's being guarded by field operatives wearing multi-vision goggles over their heads and are armed with firearms that use kinetic ammunition - or in this case, bullets. He can't tell how many hostiles are up there, but he senses that they're not the friendly bunch.
'That vacant balcony above me.' The figure thought, looking to his left with his binoculars. 'Could be my only way in.'
(Track Ends)
Wasting no time, the shrouded figure puts away his binoculars before firing a grapple line from his left glove's underarm and is pulled onto the mountainside wall where the relay outpost resides above him.
(Dark Times - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor OST plays)
[Starts at 0:16]
Being careful, given how steep and unstable the wall is, he climbs his way up towards the balcony. As he grabs ahold of a rock to grab onto with his right hand, it breaks off, causing him to lose his balance briefly before regaining his grip onto another rock. He sighs in relief and continues to traverse up the mountainside, reaching the bottom of the balcony where he notices some metal bars conveniently there for him to simply climb underneath.
As he climbs over the railing, he senses someone coming. The figure quickly hides to one of the sides of the door leading to inside of the building, and a MECH field operative walks outside to check for any suspicious activity he might come across on his assigned patrol. Seeing the MECH operative looking over the railing, the figure takes advantage of the former's guard lowered and proceeds to casually yeet him off the balcony with a casual Force push, causing said operative to fall and scream to his death.
"Hmph." He smirked underneath his face mask scarf before sneaking inside the relay outpost.
It didn't take long, but the shrouded figure easily sneaked his way past several operatives patrolling the corridors, using the Force once more to lure them away from directions he was headed - starting with the outpost's surveillance room. Around the corner, he slowly pokes his head out to see two MECH operatives guarding the door inside the room he's trying to reach. He then hides back into the corner and crosses his arms in deep thought for a plan of attack.
Meanwhile, the operatives stood in front of the door with their assault rifles in hand and loaded. Neither of them both said a word, until they suddenly heard a noise coming from around the corner of the hallway they're in.
"What was that?" One of them questions suspiciously.
"I'll go check it out." The other volunteers before raising his firearm and slowly walking towards the source of the sound, only to find that it's vacant.
Unbeknownst to him, the shrouded figure was hiding up in the ceiling as he looked down towards the hostile. He silently drops down from behind and instantly grabs the lone operative's head with both hands before instantly twisting it, killing him as a result. He then searches through the dead man's pouches for any communication device the latter might've been using. Luckily, it was a smartphone as he removed its SIM card and inserted it in his comlink, allowing him access to the security codes for both the relay outpost and a research facility not too far from where he's currently at.
Back at the entrance to the surveillance room, the remaining operative guarding the door started to get impatient that his comrade hasn't come back yet. It shouldn't be taking THIS long for him to check a disturbance and report back. Suddenly, he started to choke as something was beginning to tighten around his neck. He tried to call out for help, but couldn't breathe and was then lifted off the ground before he was killed with a simple Force crush, causing his corpse to limp midair and was then dropped to the floor.
The shrouded figure walks over the dead body and opens the door to find another MECH inside the surveillance room. This caught the hostile by surprise and was about to open fire upon the intruder, but the figure knocked the gun out of his hand - thanks to his quick reflexes - and pins his face on the control panel.
"How'd you get in here?!" The operative questions as he struggles to break free from his tight grip.
"What do you want with this place?" He questions him. "Who are you?"
"Like hell I'll tell you!"
"I don't need you to." He says, raising his hand over the operative's head in an attempt to probe his mind with the Force.
"What are you doing?!"
"Do not try to resist." He warns. "You're only delaying the inevitable."
"AHHHHHHH!!!" The MECH operative screams in agony.
The probing was successful, but had resulted in the operative's death due to how much stress the shrouded figure had put on his weak mind.
'So, the Neo-Sith Empire has returned.' He clenches his fist. 'As if things just couldn't get any better than this.'
[Track Stops at 3:48]
He moves the corpse aside and uses the security cameras to find a way to reach this island's research facility that's on the other side of a wide ravine. If these terrorists are in the middle of a raid, then he needs to save the hostages first before going after the one leading MECH.
But then, he heard footsteps outside of the room. Warning him that someone's coming, he hides himself inside of a ventilation duct behind a grate in a crouched position. As the footsteps got louder, however, the shrouded figure became confused. Those were not the sound of boots that he first reacted to on instinct, but rather the sound of heels clicking with each step on the floor.
'Wait... heels?' He raised his eyebrow.
Keqing enters the surveillance room with her sword drawn out and surveys her surroundings for any sign of attack. All she saw were a couple of dead bodies of Monarch staff and a dead body of a MECH operative. Just like the ones that Articho had one-shotted earlier. Though, thinking about the Pathfinder made the girl blush and her heart racing, secretly yearning for both his heart and body. It's the sole reason why she stepped down from her position as the Yuheng in the first place to find and confess her feelings for him. More importantly, to be with him. Together and forever.
"Keqing, you there?" Kazari interrupts her thoughts through her earpiece she was given to stay in contact.
"Whaaaa?!" This causes the platinum purple haired girl exclaimed.
"Keqing, talk to me." She spoke again. "I can't see anything on my end. Are you there?"
"I'm here, Kazari." Keqing responds in a somewhat annoyed tone. "You just startled me, is all."
"Sorry about that. I got overly excited." The hacker apologizes. "What's your status?"
"I infiltrated the terrorist-occupied communications outpost." Keqing reports. "So far, MECH doesn't know I'm here."
"Right, well, you should start finding the source of that jamming signal." Kazari says. "If you've found your way inside the outpost's surveillance room, I need you to patch me into its cameras."
Putting her sword away, Keqing complies with Kazari who then walks her through the process of linking a connection to the surveillance cameras on the latter's end. Step-by-step.
"It's done." Keqing informs. "Now what?"
"Now I should be able to see what you see." The Saiyan hacker pointed out. "See anything on the monitors that looks out of place?"
"Let me see." She said, looking at the screens closely before shaking her head. "On second thought, I don't. Perhaps you have better luck than I do. By the way, I found a dead body of one of those MECH guys in this room. No signs of physical injury, though. I don't think I'm the only one infiltrating enemy lines."
"I don't see anyone besides you and MECH here." Kazari says. "Have you tried using your lightning magic to track anyone's bioelectricity or any electronics they use? Maybe not that last one since most of your world isn't as modern as this world, but still. A close friend of mine is capable of doing that, except she doesn't use magic."
"Sorry... bioelectricity?" She raises an eyebrow out of curiosity and confusion.
"I'll take that as a 'no'." The hacker sighs. "Well, there's always a first time for everything."
The mysterious figure inside the vents was becoming quite curious about the conversation. Unfortunately, the platinum purple-haired girl was talking in circles and it didn't get him anywhere. That is, until she brought up the name of an old friend he was on his way to meet again in this universe: Articho. And much to his surprise, the Saiyan's on Skull Island.
Guess the reunion's coming sooner rather than later.
"So now what do we do?" Keqing questions, sitting on a chair with her legs crossed before sighing to herself. "Some Yuheng I turned out to be."
Keqing looked up on the monitors again, and noticed something. Or rather, someone.
"Wait a second."
"What's wrong?"
Keqing didn't answer as she saw a ventilation grate from the ceiling hit the floor through one of the surveillance cameras.
"Someone's here." She notifies the hacker as a mysterious figure in a brown ragged cloak and attire drops down from the ceiling vent, and starts to make a run for it.
But to where, she wonders.
"Kazari, are you seeing this?" She asks.
"Already tracking him throughout the building now." Kazari responds. "Looks like he's entered the generator room. No hostiles in there, of course."
The generator room's surveillance feed shows both girls - from separate locations - the figure pulling out a device and planting it in the most inconspicuous place where no one would even bother to check: the generator's power supply. He then jumps several feet off the ground and lands on a catwalk near a window where he sees a long wire connected to the research facility across the ravine. The figure then breaks the glass and grabs onto the wire with both hands, in which he begins ziplining away from the outpost.
Suddenly, the device detonated an EMP that blanketed both the outpost and research facility's security measures within a seven-mile radius. It also disrupted Kazari's watchful eyes throughout the building Keqing infiltrated.
"What the hell just happened?!" Keqing exclaimed. "Kazari?"
Her earpiece, sadly, had been fried by the EMP as well.
"Damn it." She curses, taking it out of her ear and tossing it away. "I need to get back to Kazari, and quickly. She needs to know that I'm okay."
However, she stops in her tracks and thinks it over.
"OR." She smirks. "I can follow him. Find out who he is and what his intentions are. Kazari has control of the hidden cameras at that facility, right? So she'll know that I'm unfazed from whatever that thing just did a few seconds ago."
Finally making a decision, the platinum purple haired girl proceeded to follow the hooded figure.
The figure continues ziplining across the ravine until he spots a glass dome right down below as his way inside the research facility before the emergency power kicks in.
He lets go of the wire and crashes through the glass dome - ten stories high - in a superhero landing-esque way, catching two MECH operatives by surprise when they turn to face him.
(Dark Times resumes)
[Resumes at 3:49]
The metal doors leading outside the room slides open and several more MECH operatives rushed in with their assault rifles trained on him.
"Target spotted!" The squad leader exclaims. "Weapons free!"
They immediately opened fire and the figure - while walking towards them - blocked and deflected the incoming bullets, redirecting a few shots back at them. One by one, the redirected shots to the heads of a few MECH operatives instantly killed them. He then switches from defense to offense, as he performs a behind-the-back spin of his cobalt blue blade while simultaneously moving his own body in a 360-degree turn and cuts down several more hostiles that resulted in either limb loss or decapitation.
"He's too fast!" One of the remaining men cries out before falling to the mysterious figure's blade.
Because it's a literal laser sword, the strikes he leaves behind cauterizes wounds that are sometimes deemed fatal.
"Take 'im down! Take 'im down!" Their squad leader barks, continuing to open fire.
He uses the Force to lift another squad member off the ground and throws him into the others, knocking them down like bowling pins and losing their grip on their assault rifles. Getting frustrated, one of the operatives proceeded to pull out a grenade.
"Frag out!" He yells, throwing it at their attacker.
Without bothering to turn his head on his left, the shrouded figure casually Force pushed the frag grenade back at him - which then explodes midair in front of the operative's face and ended up getting blown to pieces, resulting in a bloody mess. Only three enemies remain, in which he then runs towards one of them and vaults over his back before killing him with a one-handed slash from across his chest to his up throat. His second to last enemy fell quickly as he threw his lightsaber at him, resulting in the operative getting bisected through the torso and the figure's cobalt blue blade called back into his right hand with the Force as if it were a boomerang. As for the last man standing, he desperately attempted to shoot the Force user with his pistol, but the incoming rounds were easily parried and redirected away. The Force user slices his sidearm in half and spun a 180 degree turn, facing in the opposite direction with his lightsaber blade thrust through the last hostile's chest in a two-handed reverse grip that ended up melting the latter's vital organs and fatally killing him.
The former pulls his blade out and turns his head behind to see the last MECH operative dropping to the floor, cold and lifeless, as the heavy humming sound from his blade echoes the room.
(Track Ends)
'I know Articho.' The mysterious Force user thought. 'His security measures are strong enough to hold off a small raiding party, and MECH doesn't have the numbers for a full-scale siege. So, how the hell were they able to bypass them? Help on the inside is unlikely, and the Sith don't exactly offer assistance unless Plan A goes sideways as they always do ninety-nine percent of the time. Doesn't make sense.'
While the Force user's in deep thought, the MECH operative that was Force pushed into a wall - and knocked unconscious from earlier - awoke to see that more of his comrades had been slain. Noticing that the attacker wasn't paying attention, the operative slowly pulls out his sidearm and aims it directly at him. But before he can fire, purple electricity wrapped around him, binding his body in place.
The Force user quickly turned around and got into a defensive stance, gripping his hilt tightly with both of his hands. But then, he lowered the blade when he saw that it was Keqing who prevented the MECH operative from getting a shot-off while his guard was down for a brief moment.
"Thanks." The mysterious figure told the young lady. "Thought I'd sensed your presence."
"Hmm." She nods, before facing the MECH agent she restrained.
However, the figure uses the Force to carry him towards a broken window where he holds the operative over the edge of the facility.
"What do you want with the research facility?" He questions him.
"What?!" The surviving operative stammered in confusion while struggling to move. "W-We're just following orders!"
"Hmm, just a pawn?" He blankly glares before asking him another question. "Do you carry a communication device?"
"Y-Yes."
"Activate it, now." He calmly demands.
His captive didn't say a word and brought out his walkie-talkie, turning it on for him.
"Your attack here has FAILED and your soldiers' lives are forfeit." The Force user announced as he shut off his lightsaber. "This is your first and last warning: Release the hostages and leave Skull Island."
"I did what you asked." The MECH operative nervously says. "Let me go."
Very poor choice of words.
"Alright." He tilts his head with a smirk beneath his face scarf mask.
He releases his Force grip on him, and the operative screams as he falls to his death below.
"Was that really necessary?" Keqing questions.
"Call it a small favor." He answered, holstering his hilt and turning around to face her. "Now then, who are you?"
"Keqing." She answers back. "Who're you?"
"Ask me a different question." He requests. "My name's not important. For now."
"Okay?" She raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing here on this island?"
"Looking for someone." He briefly explains, walking past her.
"What kind of someone?"
Before he could explain further, the emergency power finally kicks in, signaling a full lockdown of the research facility. From windows to doors.
"We should probably get moving before they send more backup." He suggests, standing in front of the sealed door where the operatives he killed came in a few minutes ago.
Reaching out with the Force again, he telekinetically pulls open the doors - resulting in the metal hull being bent apart.
"Whoa." The platinum purple haired girl jaw dropped.
"This shouldn't surprise you, considering you're an electromaster." The hooded figure commented without facing the former Yuheng.
"Electromaster?"
"You control electricity, do you not?"He points out, stopping in his tracks. "Unless that was magic, not psychic, correct?"
"It IS magic." She confirms as a tick mark appeared on her forehead.
"Just being clear." He shrugs, walking down an advanced-looking hallway.
Realizing that it was safer being with the stranger with the same type of mysterious weapon that Articho has, the young woman began following him.
"Hey! You didn't answer my question." She pointed out, finally catching up with him. "Who're you looking for?"
"An old friend." He cryptically answered. "It's been... a long time since I've last seen him."
"Really? Same here in a way." Keqing explains, walking alongside the person.
"Would it happen to be under the alias of Articho?" He guesses, despite hearing her saying the Pathfinder's name from earlier at the relay outpost.
"Yep, that's him all right." She confirms before her eyes widened in shock. "Wait... you know Articho?"
"I do." He nods, smiling inside his mask.
Suddenly, he hears footsteps nearby.
"Huh?" Keqing blinked as she and the stranger stopped walking. "Hey, do you hear that?"
"Yeah." He nods. "Follow my lead. Quietly."
She nods, before taking off her heels to make less noise.
"Ya know, wearing heels can be difficult for you to run in." He points out. "How'd you do it?"
"A good question." She smiles.
Now she is barefooted. In her brown see-through stockings, of course.
"Let me guess... Articho."
"How'd you know?"
The hooded figure laughed a little.
"He and I share a lot in common." He admits. "One of them being teaching someone we care about how to walk in heels."
Now both of them had found a perfect hiding place.
"Sounds like she was grateful for the lessons." She smiles.
"She was." He said as his tone became... sad?
"Oh." Keqing realizes, expressing a sympathetic face. "I'm sorry. I never meant to-"
However, she was silenced when the Force user poked his head out of the corner.
"Let me go!" A young woman with shoulder-length red hair angrily yells, as she was restrained by MECH operatives.
The lab coat she was wearing proves that she's one of the scientists being held hostage.
She yelped in pain as one of the agents slapped her across the face, knocking her down on the floor.
"It wasn't wise for you to run off like that." The female MECH operative told her. "So the next time you try escaping again, I'll blow your brains out."
"Why do you want the Energon here?" The redheaded scientist questions. "This is a research facility, not a weapons depot. Monarch doesn't make weapons."
"And yet, this place is categorized as 'top secret'." The agent pointed out. "Pretty suspicious if you ask me."
"There are other Energon reserves on this planet you could've raided." She rolls her eyes. "Go to those locations if you want it so badly then."
"And draw the eyes of both Autobots and Decepticons alike?" She remarked with a scoff. "They may be at each other's throats for centuries long before mankind walked the Earth, but when a third wheel decides to upstage them, they'll unite against a common enemy: us. We're not ready to take that kind of risk. Not yet, anyways."
This causes the young scientist to gasped upon realization.
"You want them to exhaust each other out." The redheaded young woman deduced.
"Bravo." The male operative sarcastically remarks. "This one's got a brain. For once."
"Hey!" She yells in anger.
"On your feet." He orders the scientist, as he was about to grab her by the arm. "We're taking you back to the other eggheads."
Suddenly, he and his comrade were lifted and pinned to the ceiling by the Force - out of nowhere - before dropping hard to the floor.
"Ow." The female operative utters with her back lying down.
The male operative tried to get back up, but was stopped by a blade close to his throat.
"Don't." Keqing warns them both as her ally checks on the scientist.
"Are you okay?" The Force user asks, offering his gloved hand to her.
"I-I'm… I'm all right." The redhead nodded, accepting his hand and is back on her feet. "Thank you, whoever you guys are."
"Never thought I'd get pinned to a ceiling by you of all people." The female operative chuckles, shaking her head. "Feels like forever since we last saw you."
"Quiet." Keqing warns.
The Force user raises his hand, signalling her to stay her blade before looking at the two terrorists.
"Identify yourselves." He calmly demands.
"Huh? Oh right, the goggles." The woman realized, grabbing the goggles covering her face.
After removing them, she pulls off her balaclava to reveal her identity to him and the former Yuheng.
"Surprise~." She awkwardly grins.
"Hayley Travis." The Force user says before looking at the other operative - or rather, Hayley's husband who also removed his disguise. "And Ame Hironaka. Quite the act you were pulling."
"Well, we had to be convincing." The wolf man pointed out. "Maintaining these disguises after they started to raid the hell out of the place wasn't easy."
"Hold on, these two were pretending?" The redheaded young woman questions in disbelief and anger before pointing at the Ame. "HE slapped me."
"I know." Ame deadpans.
"You slapped me!" She yells at him.
"I heard you the first time." He rolls his eyes. "You don't have to... pile it on. Good grief."
"Miss, I think you should stay calm." Keqing advises.
"Plus, we have bigger fish to fry." The blonde young woman added, picking up her weapon.
"That's no excuse for slapping me!" She argues.
"ENOUGH!" The Force user exclaims, emitting a brief discharge of lightning around his body that caused everyone to flinch when he did that.
More particularly, the red-haired scientist.
"That was no special effect." The redhead says with a nervous expression.
"Indeed, Miss...?" He glares at her childish behavior.
"Doctor." She corrects. "Doctor Maki Nishikino. And you are?"
The Force user pulls off his cloak's hood and then his face mask, revealing to have golden blond hair - tied into a ponytail - and sports blue eyes, along with a beard.
"My name is Kai." He introduces himself. "Kai Rees. And I'm the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order."