Rowan was in the middle of rigorous training inside the academy's training simulator. He was wearing a modified version of his combat attire, which included his Emerald Sash and kilt. In the simulator, he was battling a simulated Elder Death Stalker, similar to the one he and Jacen had fought during their initiation.
The training environment was designed to resemble the typical dwelling place of this type of Grimm. The vast expanse around him was hemmed in by towering mountains that seemed to touch the sky, their jagged peaks piercing the clouds.
The rugged terrain was marked by deep ravines and glistening waterfalls that cascaded down the rocky slopes, carving out winding paths through the hills. In the distance, he could see the unmistakable outline of caves etched into the mountainside by the relentless force of water over countless years, leaving behind a network of winding tunnels and caverns that stretched deep into the earth.
These caves were formed whenever the ice on the mountain tops melted, unleashing a torrent of water that carved its way through the rock, leaving behind a trail of breathtaking natural wonders that were a testament to the power of nature. Death Stalkers often reside in dark caverns, using their glowing stinger to lure unsuspecting huntsmen and huntresses to their deaths.
Rowan's solution to this problem was to force them to come out of their caves and into terrain where he had the advantage. Most of the ones Rowan faced were either adolescent or newly matured Death Stalkers. Whenever he couldn't end it with a single spear throw, he used the mountain's natural surroundings to gain the advantage.
While performing intense training, Rowan reflected on the fight against a real Elder Death Stalker with Pyrrha, the Mistralian boy, and the Fiskare girl. Adolescent Grimm and some alphas weren't nearly as challenging as the Elder Death Stalker. This realization made Rowan understand how much he needed to improve. Now that he'd seen the real thing, he committed to knowing the best way to take out such a Grimm.
As Rowan saw during their fight in the ruins, its eyes and stinger were the most ideal weak points. He was now facing a giant Elder Death Stalker, similar to the one in the Emerald Forest, generated by the simulator.
He used 15% of his power to dodge the beast's pincer and delivered a solid cut to the stinger, causing it to loosen and barely attach to the rest of the tail. The Death Stalker flailed wildly as it tried to strike Rowan, but he'd leaped onto a thick tree behind the Death Stalker with Gae Bulg in its spear configuration. Rowan stood still, watching as the Death Stalker's loose stinger hovered parallel to its head.
He knew this was his chance to strike. With his heart racing and his muscles tensed, Rowan gave a strong thrust, aiming for the Death Stalker's head. His precise aim hit its mark as the glowing stinger pierced straight into the Death Stalker's skull, shattering its tank-like armor upon impact with its stinger.
As the creature writhed in pain, Rowan knew he had defeated the threat. It thrashed one more time before it crashed to the ground and moved no more. Breathing heavily, with sweat covering him, Rowan said, "End Simulation."
At this spoken reply, the simulated landscape faded, and Rowan stood in a brightly lit room with a pedestal where he'd inserted his scroll. Rowan learned from Yang about the recent conflict between Jacen and Weiss.
Unsure whether to be impressed or disappointed, Rowan regretted missing the spectacle. Lately, it seemed like Jacen was at the center of many things Rowan wasn't part of.
Considering that the White Fang might know Jacen's presence and had access to weapons designed to kill Jedi, Rowan was determined not to miss the next opportunity. Then Jacen's duel with Weiss, in which he was nearly killed, prevented him from exerting Jacen while he recovered.
It was important for Jacen to get plenty of rest so Rowan would take advantage of it the next time something happened. The training he'd just undergone returned the memory of the battle in the ruins. He didn't know why, but something felt odd about what had occurred.
According to the old man, defensive measures were put in place to prevent the entry of Grimm creatures into the Emerald Forest. However, despite these precautions, a few Grimm creatures, including an Elder Nevermore and an Elder Death Stalker, were able to enter the forest. Gray also reported that a King Taijitu had entered the forest. Although Rowan could have been more tech-savvy, he was sure Ozpin would have checked the defenses.
Ozpin may have intentionally provided false information to the hunters and huntresses regarding the presence of defenses in the Emerald Forest. This could have been done to create a realistic environment for the trainees.
However, Gray revealed that the area was protected by field projectors that surrounded it and kept Grimm out. This was similar to how the Vytal Coliseum's roof was said to function.
"So what the hell made them fail like that?" Rowan asked himself.
He clenched his fists, feeling frustrated as he reflected on his limited technological expertise. Though he had managed to construct a homing device within his spear, allowing it always to hit its target and wrist vambraces that allowed him to call the spear back into his hand, he knew that his skills were not up to the standard of Atlas's high-tech creations.
He needed someone more familiar with such advanced technology to help him. Gray was busy with his studies, interviews, and photography with Velvet Scarlatina. Jacen's droid Skipper, who appeared as helpful as Jacen's lightsaber or scrolls, Rowan couldn't understand anything the droid was saying.
"Get a good workout in Wolf Boy?" A familiar voice shouted in Rowan's direction.
He could sense Yang's arrival from a distance through her distinct fragrance that lingered in the air. As she drew closer, he turned his head to observe her with a composed poise, taking in every detail of her appearance - how she carried herself, her facial expressions, and her clothes. Despite his curiosity and interest, he remained unfazed and collected, holding his emotions in check.
"Aye, our fight with that Death Stalker showed me I still have room for improvement," he said.
"I think I know a thing about improving," Yang said, placing her hands on her hips.
"So tell me, lass," Rowan said. "Ya ever wonder how so many Grimm got into what was supposed to be a protected area?" Rowan recalled Yang's attempted hack on the commando droid head's database that Jacen had brought back.
It wouldn't be wise to question this unexpected gift. Yang pondered with her right hand under her chin, "It's been bothering me for a while now, now that you mention it," she said. "Though, with everything that's been happening, we haven't been able to determine the cause."
Rowan looked from left to right to make sure he wasn't overheard.
"I was talking' with Gray a while back, and he said that the perimeter of the Emerald Forest was lined with field generators that created a shield keeping the Grimm out," he explained.
"However, if one or more of them go offline, the entire field goes down, and the Grimm have a clear entry path."
Yang's eyes widened, "You think someone turned some of them off, or the generators were sabotaged?" She asked.
"That's the primary thought I'm followin'," Rowan said. Yang mimicked Rowan's earlier action of looking from left to right to ensure she wasn't overheard.
"Did Jacen say he sensed anything else aside from the Grimm?" Yang asked.
Given what Jacen had shared with Rowan about how the Jedi could use the Force to sense things from a long distance, he was surprised that he had no memory of Jacen having sensed anything else.
"I doubt he could sense anything aside from the Grimm," Rowan said. The sound of beeping drew Yang and Rowan's attention. Skipper was moving toward them, having followed Yang from wherever she came from. Rowan gazed at Skipper with a curious expression on his face. He was pondering on a strange thought that had suddenly crossed his mind.
Jacen had once described the Force as an energy field that was generated by all living beings. This made Rowan wonder what something like Skipper would feel like.
"Unless whatever it was wasn't alive," Rowan pondered. "During our conversation, Jacen brought up an interesting point about the origins of the Force. He suggested that it was created from all forms of life. However, this got me thinking - since robots and droids aren't technically alive, would they have any presence in the Force?"
Yang snapped her fingers and asked, "What if the Atlesian Knights got hacked or some other type of droid?"
Skipper made a noise that suggested curiosity, but Yang and Rowan couldn't understand him.
Skipper, an experienced and knowledgeable individual, had been working with team JGRR for so long that he was practically a team member. His familiarity with anything related to Jacen's Clone Wars made him an invaluable asset to the team's mission. However, the language barrier posed a significant challenge to effective communication, which must be addressed to ensure that Skipper's expertise could be fully utilized.
Fortunately, Yang came up with a solution.
"Doesn't Gray have a dictionary for how Skipper talks?" Yang asked.
Rowan nodded, "He was speaking with Jacen, who gave him a good starting point," he said.
Yang suggested, "Let's grab him and head over there to investigate. It'll be like a bonus assignment for us as huntresses and huntsmen in training."
Given that this was the weekend, students at Beacon had free time until classes resumed on Monday the following week.
Free time should be used wisely for the students to train, study new material, or do further research.
Rowan was unfazed by the possibility of getting in trouble and remained as curious as Yang about the cause of the breach and its connection to Jacen's activity at the Black Citadel.
Besides, their classes mentioned that huntresses and huntsmen also work with law enforcement for criminal investigations.
Rowan said, "I'll go get 'em, then we'll meet in the courtyard," before nodding at Yang and walking away to find Gray. Skipper stayed with Yang.
Yang watched as Rowan left, her face contorting into a frown. She had intended to investigate her lead regarding Tukson's Book Trade, but recent events had prevented her from doing so.
Jacen's fight with the Ice Queen and his near-death experience while protecting her had shown how honorable he and his fellow Jedi were.
However, Yang was concerned that Jacen might be too reckless and get killed.
Nevertheless, she wanted to find out if there was a possible link between what caused the energy field around a protected area and Jacen's journey to the Black Citadel.
She glanced at Skipper, who turned his head towards her. Despite being unable to understand Skipper's communication fully, she still asked, "Do you have any information about the droids that the Separatists used for sabotage?" she inquired.
As soon as the question was posed, Skipper sprang into action. He switched on his projector, and with a quick flick, a vivid and detailed image of a menacing-looking droid was displayed on the screen. The droid appeared to have been designed for sabotage and was identified as a Pistoeka sabotage droid, commonly known as a Buzz Droid.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the Buzz Droid should not be taken lightly. It was equipped with various tools, including drills, grappling arms, and a whirligig saw. These tools were designed to inflict severe damage on any technological equipment that came in its way. The drills could penetrate even the toughest of materials, while the grappling arms allowed the droid to latch onto any surface, providing it with a stable anchor to work from. The whirligig saw was particularly terrifying, with its razor-sharp edges capable of easily slicing through metal.
Overall, it was clear that the Pistoeka sabotage droid was more than capable of wreaking havoc on any technological infrastructure it encountered.
Yang contemplated how easily a droid like that could destroy the field generators. Her thoughts then drifted back to the night Jacen brought back the head of a commando droid, and Rouge revealed that the White Fang had been occupying the Black Citadel.
She still wanted to know the whole story, especially now with the possibility that the same droids Jacen fought were being supplied to the Fang by a surviving and presumably resentful Confederacy of Independent Systems member.
She still needed to follow up on her possible lead with Tukson's Book Trade, though she'd look into that when a better opportunity presented itself. Right now, she needed to focus on this situation.
"Would you be able to recognize the damage done by one of those buzz droids?" Yang asked.
Skipper's tone sounded almost like a "of course" to Yang.
She checked the time on her scroll and motioned for Skipper to follow her.
Gray was taken aback when Rowan invited him to join their investigation with Yang in the area he had marked on the map Gray had given him. Gray remembered his encounter with the King Taijitu and traced the following chain of events, leading up to their encounters with the Grimm.
Gray was excited to document his experiences as a potential huntsman. However, he faced a challenge in the form of Hyde, who was becoming increasingly aggressive by the day.
It was becoming difficult to keep him under control, and there had been a few close calls where Hyde had tried to harm Velvet while they were working together on a project. Despite Gray's neck-tie acting as a psychological leash, Hyde always sought opportunities to break free.
Whenever he found himself in a situation that could potentially trigger his violent alter ego, he would take a moment to reflect upon the kind and nurturing words of the woman who had once taken him in.
Despite having endured unimaginable horrors while living in the slums of Mantle, it was her compassionate demeanor that had managed to keep his alter ego, Hyde, at bay. Her words had a calming effect on him, helping him to remain passive and in control of his emotions.
He owed it to her for all she'd done for him, and he'd do what was expected.
He needed to investigate whether the breach was intentional or if someone else, possibly the Separatist that Jacen had mentioned, was accountable for it. Although she did not have direct control, she had been subtly manipulating the White Fang to take action, and it was no mistake that the Fang had chosen to establish their operation at the Black Citadel.
Gray was faced with a complex situation, as he was unsure about the identities of the other individuals involved in the project. This lack of information was making things even more complicated, and Gray was eager to uncover any potential loose ends. He hoped to not only identify the other people working on the project, but also eliminate any risks that they might pose.
However, Gray was eager to gather more information about the Separatist ally providing the Fang with droids. He believed this intelligence would be valuable and assist her in devising a more effective strategy.
This investigation could be helpful while also providing him with insight into how Jacen might have conducted a mission during the Clone Wars. Even the prospect of encountering one of the droids Skipper had shown him was less a terrifying encounter and more like a historic moment.
"Oi, ya comin' or what?" Rowan's voice called out, snapping Gray out of his revelry.
"I'm coming," said Gray as he made his way to meet with Rowan, Yang, and Skipper, and then they headed to the designated area on the map in the Emerald Forest.
Following his sense of smell while Skipper was using a rotating dish from one of the panels on his head, Rowan reflected that it should have been impossible for anyone to have managed to sabotage the field generators, given that this area was supposedly under surveillance.
Gray pointed to an area further away from the ruins where Ruby and her team defeated the giant nevermore. It was located halfway between the cliff they had been launched from and the ruins themselves. Rowan directed his gaze towards the ruins.
Some people might find it odd that the forest had been the site of unexpected events, starting with the breach, followed by the nevermore battle, and most recently, Jacen's fight with Weiss, which turned into a rescue mission. Suddenly, a light breeze blew, and Rowan caught a faint whiff of Jacen and Weiss, wondering what kind of battle the two were engaged in.
He was snapped out of his musings when he heard Yang's voice.
"There should be security cameras or other devices to catch whoever did it," Yang said as she scanned her section for additional clues. She and Rowan shared the same idea.
Gray responded to the inquiry by explaining that Beacon had entered into a binding agreement with Atlas about implementing robust security measures. He further elaborated that if an individual could circumvent these measures, it would suggest an intimate familiarity with the system's blind spots, even beyond Atlesian experts' knowledge.
Rowan came to a dead stop when he discovered a trail which, despite being days old, was unmistakably those of the Beowolf pack he and Jacen fought during initiation. He wished Jacen had been well enough to use his skill to see the more esoteric side.
Rowan's tail twitched when he heard Skipper issuing tones indicating that he'd found something.
"Skipper said he just came across one of the generators," Gray said.
Rowan reflected that he'd always need to pull up his scroll to figure out what Skipper was saying, while Gray seemed to have the entire dictionary memorized.
Rowan and Yang followed the trail left by Skipper's treads and Gray's footprints, then arrived at a clearing where they saw a tall structure. Gray recognized it as a generator similar to the ones used by Atlesian troops stationed at the Boot in Argus. These generators were designed to keep aquatic Grimm away, but this one was built to function above ground.
The nearby identical generators were turned off, potentially to run a systems check to see how much damage was done.
A skilled tracker, Rowan used his keen sense of smell to pick up multiple scents in the area. However, the scents he was detecting were several days old, making it difficult for him to pinpoint their exact location. Among the various fragrances, he picked up the still-potent scent of the Grimm that had taken advantage of the breach.
The scent gave off a pungent stench of decay, mixed with an underlying hint of blood, which made Rowan's stomach churn. He knew from his training that the scent of the Grimm could linger longer than traditional smells, making it challenging for him to detect any additional scents in the area. Despite the challenge, Rowan remained focused on his mission and continued to scan the surroundings for any clues.
"What did Skipper find?" Yang asked when she got closer to where Gray was standing.
"There are still traces of what happened to the generator, and whatever damage the exterior took was minor compared to what Skipper found," Gray explained.
Rowan gave a slight growl, knowing he'd have to get on his hands and knees with his nose practically to the ground to pick up any additional scents separate from the Grimm stench.
"An operational generator looks like this on the inside," Gray said, likely showing Yang a schematic of the interior of the generator.
"However, here's what the inside of this generator looks like now."
Rowan raised his head and looked over to where Skipper was standing. Skipper had activated a holographic projection of the generator's interior. Although Rowan wasn't a tech expert, he could tell the generator needed to be in better shape.
Rowan saw that the wiring inside was utterly torn apart. The power core, which had a quantity of lightning dust, looked as if it had been crushed like an empty soda can. The damage was severe, and it was evident that the generator was beyond repair.
"I'm no expert, but it looks like something crawled its way into the generator and then proceeded to trash the entire module," Rowan said as he studied the scan, then returned to sniffing.
Rowan also detected a faint human scent as he followed a metallic smell. However, to his surprise, the human scent came from the other side of the generator, indicating that the person could not have gotten through the shield to cause the sabotage.
Remembering his earlier suspicion about a droid being involved, Rowan searched the ground and found a hole. Although it might have been mistaken for a dwelling of some ground creature, it did not resemble anything made by such creatures.
Rowan followed metallic pincers to a torn area where the ground meets the generator.
"Cu's fang," Rowan exclaimed.
Yang looked at the spot, too, and she seemed to know already what caused it.
"Whatcha think Skipper? look like something a Buzz Droid would do?" Yang asked, waiting for Gray to listen to Skipper's tones.
Gray's voice was slightly shaky when he spoke, "It is, according to Skipper, Buzz Droids specialized in sabotaging ships, and something like this generator would be relatively easy to dismantle, especially if..." his voice trailed off. Still, the line didn't need to be finished.
It meant that someone familiar with the generator had to have been in possession of the aforementioned droid.
The sound of something snapping caused Rowan, Yang, and Gray to get into a ready stance. It was getting stronger, but Rowan was picking up the same faint scent he'd picked up on the other side of the generator.
As Rowan inhaled deeply, the pungent aroma that filled his nostrils was one he had recognized all too well. It was a heady scent of acrid sweat, underscored by the unmistakable scent of anxiety and fear. The air felt thick with tension as Rowan tried to pinpoint the source of the smell, his senses on high alert as he scanned the area for any signs of danger.
"Have to make sure nothing is out of place," A voice filled with anxiety said.
Rowan motioned for Yang, Gray, and Skipper to find cover while waiting for the voice's owner to appear.
A man with light brown hair done in a braid wearing what might have been a kind of working uniform for those who did maintenance on the generators, though what should have been white was a dirty gray and looked as though the man had been in a rush to get back here. The man's appearance matched his clothing, with his hair in disarray, jumping at every slight noise, and heavy bags under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't slept for a long time.
"I thought I was a mess after a bender," Yang whispered.
Rowan had to agree; the man looked as though he was on edge, likely from the weight of what might happen if he were discovered to have had a hand in the sabotage.
This man didn't strike Rowan as someone who'd risk being fired or arrested of his own free will, and considering that he had been given a type of droid that Jacen had undoubtedly encountered during the Clone Wars, Rowan had to conclude that the White Fang was directing his actions.
Rowan harbored a deep-seated hatred towards what the Fang had transformed into, particularly if it was anything like the Hounds of Cu who, according to Rowena's tales, had regressed into a gang of uncivilized ruffians who were deemed unworthy of donning the prestigious Emerald Sash.
"What's that?" Yang asked.
Rowan directed his attention to what Yang had spotted and saw the strangest robot Rowan had ever seen.
At first he thought it was one of the old models of the Atlesian Knights, but looking at it, it didn't resemble anything that might be made by Atlas.
This droid had an insectoid appearance and stood at about 1.93 meters. Its construction gave it an almost skeletal quality, with thin legs and arms that ended in three-fingered hands. The droid held a rifle at the ready position, which Rowan had never seen before.
It didn't look particularly tough, but Rowan had a feeling that the droid's weapon wasn't to be taken lightly.
"That's a B-1 series battle droid," Gray's voice said from behind Rowan.
Rowan and Yang turned to Gray for further explanation.
"Skipper showed me the different droid models that the Confederacy used during the war, and these particular droids were the most common foot soldiers."
Rowan saw Yang look from Gray to the droid in question and she actually grinned.
"So that's one of those skinny little clankers Jacen fought," she said.
"I definitely see how that name caught on."
It was true, the battle droid made a notable clanking noise every time it moved.
"I could demolish that thing with one good punch," Yang said, cracking her knuckles.
Rowan had a similar thought and he wouldn't even need to use more than five percent of his semblance to do so, but something felt off about the situation.
This sensation he felt was familiar, it indicated that there was a potential danger that hadn't yet made itself known.
During his training under Rowena, he'd been encouraged to trust his instincts whenever he had a similar feeling such as he felt now.
Rowan grabbed Yang's arm stopping her from rushing at the droid.
She looked at him with surprise, "Come on Wolf boy, surely you're not scared of one little droid," Yang said.
"It's never the one you see that's the problem, it's what you don't see that's the real threat," Rowan said.
An expression of understanding crossed Yang's face and she looked around, but didn't see what Rowan knew was lying in wait.
"You've experienced something like this before?" Yang asked in a low whisper.
Rowan began to recount a moment during the early days of his training when Rowena taught him the value of being patient and the consequences of being impulsive.
"One night, my master Rowena took me towards the edge of Mountain Glenn where we saw a lone fledgling beowolf in a clearing," Rowan began.
"It looked like such an easy kill, but Rowena stopped me and lead me to a secluded area where we saw another, more impulsive huntress, thinking she'd found easy prey."
Yang and Gray were listening intently as Rowan recounted the importance of the lesson Rowena taught him through this experience.
"As the huntress was closing in, the beowolf howled and suddenly a pack of much bigger and more mature Beowolves came out in force then tore the huntress apart."
Yang's eyes widened and she looked at the battle droid with a different perspective.
"In other words, you think that droid isn't here by itself," Yang surmised.
Rowan nodded, "You and I both know we could take the thing out easily, but that just makes it a more tantalizing bait," he said.
"So what's the plan?" Yang asked.
"We wait for an opportunity and maybe we can gather information at the same time," Rowan said.
Yang got back into her spot as she observed the skinny tin clanker marching with the unfortunate maintenance man, both of whom stopped once they got to the generator.
"Hey, I thought you said you were going to fix this," the droid said in a high-pitched monotone kind of voice.
The man turned around nervously, "I was busy," he said, his tone filled with anxiety.
Yang ached to help the poor man, but she wanted to know if this was a possible link to the droids Jacen had found at the Black Citadel.
"Don't give me that," the droid said in a passable note of admonishment.
"You've had plenty of time to come out here and even get a team to repair this module."
The droid kicked the base of the generator and shook its head as if disappointed.
"I've seen sturdier models of shield generators," the droid said.
"Atlas is the top of the line with technology," the man said with a mixture of disbelief and shock.
"Just get it fixed," the droid said with what passed for exasperation.
Yang may have found it amusing if the droid wasn't designed solely for warfare. She had never encountered a robot with a distinguishable personality.
"Why wasn't this done sooner?" The droid asked.
"There were Grimm all over the place!" The man shouted, then gestured to himself.
"I'm not a huntsman."
The man staggered back, holding his hands up when the droid brought its rifle to bear, aiming the barrel at the man's chest.
"Don't talk back to me," the droid said with a note of threat in its voice.
"Unless you wanna see what my blaster will do to you when fired from this range."
The man backed away further, removing the pack he wore from which he brought out tools and equipment to repair the generator.
Every fiber in Yang screamed to leap out and turn the skinny droid into scrap metal, but she somehow managed to avoid being too impulsive.
Then, a sound emanated from the droid tapping the side of one of the panels on the side of its head.
"Yes, sir?" the droid asked.
Yang wasn't sure, but the droid actually sounded concerned. It was probably communicating with one of its higher-ups. She lamented that she couldn't hear the voice of whoever the droid was talking to.
Turning toward Skipper, she asked, "Can you eavesdrop on that conversation?"
Skipper issued a quiet series of tones that she waited for Gray to translate.
"Skipper said he's picking up an encrypted transmission frequency, but he should be able to tap into it," Gray said.
"How long will it take?" Yang asked.
Gray looked at Skipper, who issued more tones before he said, "Skipper said he should have it about now."
At that moment, Skipper's audio pickups played the voice of who the droid was talking to.
"Status report," the voice said.
Yang was taken aback by the voice. It was unlike any sound she had ever heard before - a strange combination of electronic and emotive, yet with an ominous undertone that sent shivers down her spine.
"We're at the generator trying to repair it before someone discovers it," the droid reported.
Yang picked up on something that might have suggested anger.
"Our associates in the White Fang are getting impatient," the voice said.
"Tell him that unless he gets the generator prepared, his daughter might not live to see another day."
Yang felt her stomach drop, and while this undoubtedly had to be the one who supplied the White Fang stationed at the Black Citadel, what shocked Yang was centered around what she'd just heard.
She knew the Fang wasn't exactly standing on the moral high ground lately, but this, kidnapping someone's daughter and then forcing that individual to do something that might have resulted in death on a large scale.
Rowan growled deeply, looking like a true wolf. She recalled his reaction when Rouge mentioned that she and Jacen encountered the Fang at the Citadel. They were giving ordinary faunus a bad representation that only increased any negative feelings humans might have for the faunus.
In desperation, Yang shook Skipper, "Can you find out where that signal is coming from?" She asked, barely restraining the note of urgency in her voice.
Before Skipper could respond, the voice on the other end made a sound, as though the speaker was clicking their tongue.
"Is there a problem with your photoreceptors?" The voice asked.
Yang and Rowan turned toward where the droid was.
"Um, no sir," the droid said with confusion.
"Look at the kriffing ground," the voice said contemptuously.
Yang didn't want to wait any longer, before the droid looked down, she lept out of the bush then landed a devastating punch that sent the droid flying into a nearby tree where an audible crash rang out and the droid fell to the ground motionless.
Remembering the droid head that self destructed, Yang shoved the shocked mechanic out of the way before she got clear just as it exploded.
For a moment, it seemed like nothing else was going to happen, then a bolt caught her in the chest.
She was used to taking damage in combat which charged up her semblance, and while this particular damage she took would do the same for her semblance, she was still surprised by how much her aura was reduced with the impact.
She looked at where a smoldering hole would have been if her aura wasn't protecting her and she felt a sense of shock.
Had that shot gone through, it would have gone through her heart.
Another shot rang out, but it was caught in the split second by Rowan's spear which sparked with an electric discharge.
"Oi, get your cowardly arse out here!" Rowan roared.
Somehow, Yang managed to recover from her initial shock. Had Rowan not caught that second shot, she'd be lying dead right now, all because she was impulsive.
Rowan held Gae Bulg at the ready as if anticipating another shot to ring out.
He risked a glance at Yang, who was still recovering after she'd been struck by a well aimed shot that would have gone through her heart if her aura wasn't active.
Then Rowan caught a strange scent from the edge of the forestAs Rowan observed his surroundings, he noticed a hooded figure slowly approaching him. The figure was accompanied by what appeared to be a fully functional model of a Commando Droid, which carried an unfamiliar sniper rifle in its hands. Upon reaching a certain distance, the hooded figure gestured with its lifted hand, causing the droid to halt in its tracks.
As the hooded figure lowered its hood, Rowan could see a pale face with black hair that was cut short at the neck. However, the figure's mouth and nose were concealed by a mask that covered everything below its eyes. Despite its humanoid appearance, Rowan sensed an eerie inhuman quality about the figure that sent chills down his spine.
"Who the hell are you?" Rowan asked, aiming Gae Bulg at the monstrosity.
The figure's cold, gray eyes narrowed slightly, then fell upon Yang before returning to Rowan.
"Unless it was lost on you, that was a warning, next time you or anyone else tries interfering, you'll get more than a blaster bolt through your chest schutta," the figure said in that same electronic yet expressive voice.
"Excuse you!?" Yang said angrily.
Rowan was on high alert, ready to protect Yang at any cost. However, what happened next caught him off guard.
Suddenly, the figure seemed to materialize out of thin air and appeared right in front of him. It all happened so quickly that Rowan barely had enough time to react. He knew he had to act fast and shield Yang from the imminent danger.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Rowan positioned himself between the myIn a swift and sudden move, the mysterious figure retrieved something from his belt. The object emitted a sharp hissing sound, indicating its readiness for use.
With lightning-fast reflexes, the figure lunged forward and clashed his weapon against Rowan's. The impact caused Rowan to leap backward, shocked and bewildered by the sudden attack. Yang, who was standing nearby, shared the same expression of surprise as he observed the weapon that the figure had produced.
The weapon had an intriguing cylindrical shape, and a bright yellow-green blade of energy, measuring one meter in length, burst forth from it with a dazzling glow. The sight of the weapon left both Rowan and Yang astounded and perplexed.
"A lightsaber!?" Rowan asked with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"You believe your Jedi friend was the only one to carry these?" The figure asked.
"I've been hoping to add to my collection, though lightsabers are becoming a rarity nowadays."
Rowan watched the figure withdraw a second lightsaber which emitted an electric blue blade.
Now wasn't the time for Rowan to hold back, not with the lives of Yang, Gray, and even the unfortunate mechanic in his hands.
"You soil those weapons with your filthy hands," Rowan said, his voice becoming more feral as he drew up to about twenty percent of his semblance.
"Yang, think you can take that droid down?" He asked.
It took Yang a moment to regain her confidence, but once she did, she slammed her fists together.
"I'll teach this clanking piece of junk not to mess with a girl's heart," Yang said, sounding angry, but focused.
"I'm going to enjoy this," the figure said, then charged toward Rowan, both weapons moving too fast for him to see, yet Rowan readied himself to fight.
A member of the Hounds of Cú never fled a battle.
Gray had been watching in disbelief at the events that unfolded.
From how much damage Yang took from the commando droid's sniper rifle, it was clear that those kinds of weapons were able to eat away at a person's aura quickly.
The appearance of the monster that Rowan was fighting was unexpected as was the use of the lightsabers it wielded.
Gray couldn't help but notice that there was something peculiar about the way the monster moved. Its motions were far beyond what a typical human body could achieve.
It was almost as if the creature possessed physio abilities that surpassed human limitations. Gray also couldn't help but notice that the monster's movements were eerily similar to the way Jacen moved.
The way the creature wielded the lightsabers also indicated that it had received extensive training in the same forms of lightsaber combat that Jacen was known to excel at.
Rowan was managing to hold out well as he blocked some of the oncoming blows while barely dodging those that went through his defense.
Rowan would counter with quick thrusts, slashes and jabs while his weapon was in its spear configuration with the combination of his own aura and lightning dust being channeled through the weapon allowing it to counter the lightsabers.
Occasionally, Rowan would manage to catch the lightsaber wielding monster in a dead lock then attempt to push it back, but the monster seemed to be rooted to the spot as though he were an immovable object.
What was more telling was the fact that despite the monster's supposed human features, it didn't seem to be breathing.
A stunning conjecture suddenly came to Gray's mind as he recalled how Jacen described the cyborg Supreme Commander of the Droid Army General Grievous.
According to Jacen, the cyborg general was a fusion of droid and flesh with the only indication that Grievous had once been a living creature being the eyes visible through his mask of bone white armor and a synth-skin sack behind the general's duranium ribs which contained the organs of the creature Grievous had been in life.
The monster Rowan was facing met similar conditions to Grievous in how it wielded the pair of lightsabers and its unnatural movement like ducking an oncoming strike to its chest, only for the monster to arch his body so low that its back was practically touching the ground.
Then, it snapped back upward and brought its forehead in contact with Rowan's, the force of the blow causing him to double back.
Meanwhile, Gray was trying to find an opening where he could join the fight, even as Hyde was yelling in his head to let the monster and his droid pet kill Rowan, Yang, and the cowardly engineer.
How this monster came to be a secret sponsor for the Fang in supplying it with battle droids was still a mystery, but one piece had been solved.
While he didn't know about the droids until Jacen described them and brought that head with him, the presence of this monster was something that shouldn't be ignored.
As Rowan was engaged with the monster, Yang was hitting the commando droid with brutal precision, though it too proved it was more than a punching bag.
Given Jacen's description of those high end droids, Gray could now see why even Jedi would have difficulty with them.
It was coming at her with a drawn blade which it used to strike at her which was simply charging up her semblance with each strike she blocked.
As the fight raged on, her eyes began to glow red. She then threw out both fists, unleashing a barrage of blasts from her gauntlets that struck the area where the droid was standing. The second volley hit the droid in the chest, causing it to be thrown backward and land hard on the ground.
Yet, it got back up and didn't seem to have a scratch on it, Yang fired another blast at it, but instead of blowing it apart, the energy that struck it seemed to dissipate on contact.
"Who do you think you are, you piece of junk? Think you feel tough?" Yang yelled with anger.
Gray recognized from her stance she was getting ready to use her semblance and that was the moment he'd been waiting for.
Withdrawing Enigma and Duality in their scythe configurations, he leapt forward to strike the droid in the areas which indicated its photoreceptors.
One slash managed to damage one of them, but the droid's agility enabled it to avoid losing the second one.
It brought its sword crashing into his own blades where he rode with the momentum and landed on his feet beside Yang.
"Try fighting with just one eye, you bucket of bolts," Yang said indignantly.
Gray chuckled dryly as he observed that despite losing one of its eyes due to his attack, the droid remained capable of fighting.
"Let's fight that thing together," Gray suggested.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yang turn her head towards him. She then gave a nod and returned to her reading stance.
As soon as the droid caught sight of Gray, it swiftly turned to face him. The droid was now facing two opponents - Gray and Yang respectively. The droid's weapon of choice was a sword, which it held firmly in one hand.
However, Gray noticed that the droid had now brandished another weapon - an E-5 Blaster Rifle. Gray recognized this particular firearm as one of the most commonly used firearms among the battle droids of the Confederacy. The droid now had both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon at its disposal.
After a few beats from his own heart, Gray and Yang engaged the droid in an effort to negate its long ranged weapon.
Having observed Yang's fighting style, Gray struck in places where her guard was down while Yang for her part was aiming to obliterate the blaster in the droid's hand.
It flipped backward and fired two shots from its blaster which both of them narrowly avoided.
Both Yang and Gray quickly closed the distance, Yang's gauntlets roaring with a sound of a cannon as she sent multiple blasts at the droid's legs.
Switching Enigma to its gun configuration, he fired a round with ice dust which made contact with the droid's foot, rooting it in place long enough for Yang, now thoroughly angry and ready to go full throttle with her Semblance, to unleash it in a brilliant burst of energy which she channeled into a powerful punch to the droid's chest.
Much to Gray's relief, whatever material enabled it to withstand Yang's gauntlet blasts, wasn't enough to stop Yang's powerful punch which all but obliterated it in a magnificent burst of metal parts and wiring.
For a moment, Yang stood there with her fist outward, breathing heavily and sweating from the exertion of unleashing that stored power.
Gray noticed she was about to collapse and he managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Guess I owe you one, too," Yang said weakly.
Gray was breathing just as heavily as he gently laid Yang onto the ground.
Though a sudden trimmer was occurring in his right hand.
Hyde was yelling at him to let him out, but Gray simply recalled what the woman who'd taken care of him after getting him out of Mantle. This eventually quieted Hyde and the trembling in his hand stopped.
A loud clanking noise drew his attention and he saw what was happening with Rowan's battle with the lightsaber wielding monster.
Rowan had managed to push the monster back, but Gray was stunned by what he saw.
Rowan was much more feral, more muscular and had a mad look in his equally feral yellow eyes.
Rowan continued to ramp up the percentage of his semblance as he continued to fight the lightsaber wielding monster.
From his fight with Jacen, he had a baseline for how most Jedi like him fought, yet, Rowan's success thus far was mostly due to his senses becoming more heightened.
Yet, Rowan was also aware that he was becoming much more savage in his attack.
His blood was boiling, the thrill of battle was intoxicating.
He'd never been pushed toward such lengths during a battle before.
Normally about 25 percent was sufficient for a single opponent, but the lightsaber wielding monster was far more resilient, not to mention that it seemed to have unlimited stamina while Rowan had to keep applying pressure.
Now he was at 40 percent and a small part of him knew he was headed into a dangerous situation.
While he typically never went above 45 percent, the rare times he did resulted in him becoming more aggressive not just to his opponents but to his allies also.
"That spear might actually be worth claiming after I cut you down, beast," the monster replied as it locked one of its blades against Gae Bulg.
"I'd never let a filthy feckin thing like you lay yer hands on it!" Rowan said, his voice filled with a resonant animalistic tone, deeper and with a throaty growl.
"Funny, that's close to what the Jedi who I killed to obtain this lightsaber said," the monster said, showing the electric blue blade off with a flourish then moving forward, allowing the tips of the lightsabers to score gouges into the ground, before it gestured toward the yellow green one.
"I wish I could have seen the face of the Jedi whom this lightsaber belonged to."
As Rowan gazed at the monstrosity, he felt a sense of revulsion building up inside him. The sight of it carrying the weapons that Jacen and other Jedi held in high esteem, as though they were mere mementos, was deeply unsettling. The monster seemed to lack the reverence and respect that these sacred items deserved, and this realization left Rowan feeling utterly disgusted.
"I believe it came from a Jedi who fell on Taris," the monster said.
Rowan's eyes widened when he heard the word. Jacen still considered it the most horrible event of the war, until his clone troopers betrayed him.
That did it!
Rowan slammed his foot into the ground so hard the area around him looked as if a meteorite had struck with enough force to make a small crater.
He finally boosted his semblance to 50 percent and it was at this moment that he truly felt the beast he kept locked up was beginning to break free.
He felt an intense rush as his adrenaline surged through his veins, causing his heart to pound within his chest. Rowan had a sense of excitement, relishing the opportunity to let go of any inhibitions.
With a ferocious grin, he charged towards the monster, forcing it to defend itself with its weapons. This time, Rowan was on the offensive, and the monster was forced to be on the defensive.
Refusing to give the monster any time to mount a counterattack, Rowan rained down several savage blows with Gae Bulg, hoping to knock one of its weapons from its hands.
One thing was on Rowan's mind right now, he wanted to crush his opponent like a bug, to utterly destroy it, make it beg for mercy.
Rowan eventually gained distance enough to thrust Gae Bulg in the direction of the monster which managed to strike it on the side, then Rowan proceeded to head butt it which sent the monster staggering back.
"Kriffing brute!" The monster roared, then it pressed a button on its arm, deactivated the weapon's then with lightning reflexes, raced into the forest.
Rowan readied his spear for a second throw, even though he continued to hear those indistinct voices from somewhere nearby.
He thrust Gae Bulg in the direction of the retreating monster which gave a loud cracking sound as it flew through the air.
It struck something solid and a loud boom as if thunder were rumbling from a storm within the canopy of the forest resounded along with the sound of something screaming.
From the scents he was picking up, Rowan figured he must have hit either an Ursa or there was a pack of juvenile Beowolves in the undergrowth that were being drawn towards the sounds of battle.
He held out his hand and caught Gae Bulg as it returned, and the sight of the black ooze on it confirmed what he'd already guessed. His feral grin widened and he was about to rush into the forest when he felt something grab him by the waist.
"That's enough," a female voice said, but he couldn't discern whose voice it was.
Hit rage was beginning to build as he began directing his gaze upon this interloper who intended to get in his way.
It was that blonde girl that was fighting that robotic piece of trash while he'd been fighting the monster.
How dare she stop him from completing the task of crushing his enemy!
He raised his spear with the intention of jabbing it into her, but he stopped when a face he remembered all too well appeared.
It was Rowena, holding out her hand to him, a trickle of blood coming from the corners of her mouth.
This more than anything managed to break through his battle rage and he eventually regained his senses, though he felt drained, both physically and emotionally.
"You alright, Wolf Boy?" Yang's voice cut into his thoughts.
Using Gae Bulg as a staff to keep himself from falling on the ground, he managed to say, in a tired almost sorrowful voice, "I'm…sorry."
Yang eventually let Rowan go, allowing him to make his way toward the poor mechanic who'd hidden himself behind a thick tree with bushes surrounding it.
She thought she was terrifying whenever she got angry, but Rowan could become an absolute monster if he pushed his semblance too far.
Yang placed a hand on her chest where the bolt had struck her, feeling frustration threatening to overtake her.
Rowan said that it was a trap to send out one easily defeated enemy, but after hearing that the monster, who was in league with the White Fang, mentioned that they were holding the man's daughter hostage, she couldn't stand it any longer.
Yet, what stuck with her was how that lightsaber wielding monster brought up Taris when he indicated the yellow green lightsaber.
Jacen told her that it was where his friend Maru Thorne and Kaiya Fenni were killed.
Jacen never specified which of the two wielded that particular lightsaber, but the revelation made her wonder how Jacen would have viewed the encounter.
The memory of seeing Jacen's blue-gray eyes turning yellow during the duel with Rowan sent a shiver down her spine.
If nothing else, this gave Yang an idea of what Jacen underwent during the Clone Wars and what he had to deal with during his encounter with the droids at the Black Citadel. One thing she would bring up was if there was some kind of metal that could disburse energy as she'd seen when her gauntlet blasts struck the droid in the chest.
Obviously it had its limitations, otherwise it would still be in one piece and take advantage of how drained she became after using her semblance.
"Are you alright?" She heard Gray asking from behind her.
Somehow managing to regain her old confident grin when she looked at Gray.
"Guess we really blew them away," she said, trying to add humor to the situation.
Gray looked at her as if she had lost her mind after hearing her joke, while Rowan managed to give her a sideways glance.
"Tough crowd tonight," she said with a sigh.
The rest of the events passed in a blur, they'd managed to help get the man back to Beacon to see if Professor Ozpin might be able to help.
The next thing she knew, she was being led to the medical ward along with Rowan.
Jacen could sense the weariness and lingering fatigue long before he actually saw who was being led into his ward.
Yang was a disheveled mess with her hair in disorder and her clothes were a bit more messy, like she'd rolled through dirt. A light marking on her chest about the equivalent to a sunburn indicated she'd been shot with something even her aura couldn't completely nullify.
As bad as Yang looked, it was nothing compared to how Rowan looked. He was using his weapon to keep himself steady.
It was clear through the Force that Rowan had expended much more energy than he typically did, more so than what he used while fighting the Elder Deathstalker or even Jacen himself.
Yang sat on the bed beside Jacen's while Rowan went down face first onto the bed on the opposite side and immediately fell asleep.
A feeling of frustration had been building up when he felt the distant conflict even from his ward room, which wasn't improved by the fact that he had to stay in the ward for one more day.
Between his aura and calling upon the Force to heal himself, he was more than ready to get back into action.
"Hardly seems like you have any scratches on you now," Yang said, perhaps trying to cheer him up.
Jacen gave her a sidelong glance, "Meanwhile you and Rowan look like you did twenty rounds with a category five hurricane," he said.
"How much longer did they say you'd be here?" Yang asked.
Rather than answering, he lifted his index finger rather lazily.
"No way, you look as good as new," she said with surprise.
"That's what I've been telling the nurse here," Jacen said, not even hiding his frustration in his voice.
"Guess Ruby must have been here," Yang said, noticing the plate of cookies on the bedside table.
"Weiss came too, though Blake has been rather frequent lately," Jacen explained.
The subject of Blake reminded him that he was still no closer to finding out who gave the White Fang the droids and all he had to go on was the nagging suspicion that a surviving member of the Confederacy was operating in Atlas.
Mobilizing the White Fang against a nation whose outlook on the faunus wasn't positive with new weapons? Jacen couldn't imagine a worse scenario.
Though, given what he sensed just recently, he felt like he was about to have one more piece of the puzzle.
"What exactly were you and Rowan fighting out there?" Jacen said, sitting up on the bed so he could look Yang in the eye.
Yang took a moment to answer and as she did so, Jacen could sense a swirling of emotions going through her mind.
"Might want to brace yourself for what I have to say," she said after a moment had passed.
END