*COUGH* *COUGH*
I tried opening my eyes only to immediately close them again. "SHIT!"
There was dust everywhere. Fortunately, I had closed my eyes fast enough and wasn't effectively blind.
A huge weight bore down upon me. I felt it hard to breathe, but the light in this darkness was that I could feel anything at all.
I wiggled my fingers and toes successfully, confirming that I was not paralyzed and also not severely injured. Moving my arms, I planted my hands on whatever was trying to crush me.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
With every bit of strength I could muster, I pushed.
*Chhhh*
The debris shifted as this chunk of concrete inched off of my body.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!"
*CCHHHHHT* *Crumble*
I somehow managed to shove the concrete to the side. The moment I did, a wave of extreme pain slammed through the adrenaline, nearly paralyzing me.
My hand flew to my stomach as I clutched my still fresh injury from the crash. I rubbed it gently and then raised my hand. It was dry. Thankfully the store-brand treatment I did was holding up. Who knew the medical equivalent of zip ties and duct tape would work?
As my mind cleared slightly, I realized that my cheek was wet. Through the pain, I gently touched my cheek, following a trail of blood up to my forehead. I touched the wound and found that it wasn't deep in the slightest.
Another piece of good news! Now, all that was left was to submit to my bacta addiction. I reached down to my belt, grabbed an injector, and jammed it into my stomach. The cooling sensation immediately washed away the pain and gave me a burst of energy.
I would have used an adrenaline syringe as well but I felt that I already had enough naturally.
*WHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRR*
What I could only describe as an air raid siren started to go off. The sound was obscenely loud and would no doubt attract the attention of anyone and anything in a large vicinity.
"HURRY UP MAGGOTS! START CLEARING THIS DEBRIS!"
"COMING SIR!"
I sighed, realizing that there was probably no chance for me to get out of here alive. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to just take as many with me as possible."
[Quest Completed]
[Lone Wolf III]
[Through great care, you have gathered intel, freed the captive wookiees, and effectively crippled the base. It no longer poses a threat to the Republic.]
[+15 Levels, 3 Epic Holocrons, Honored with Kashyyyk]
[Reward has been delayed automatically due to extenuating circumstances.]
[Quest Received]
[Lone Wolf IV]
[Legendary Chain Quest]
[Current Objective: Survive.]
[+25 Levels, Legendary Holocron, Honored with Republic, Title: Slayer]
I was stunned. LEGENDARY HOLOCRON? HOLY SH…
"AGHHHHHHHHHH!"
I couldn't even finish that thought as an enraged scream exploded through the air. I snapped my head towards the source just to see a large piece of concrete with mutilated rebar sticking out of it flying towards me.
I threw myself to the right, clumsily landing on the ground with a thud as the debris brushed past me.
My eyes could not be moved away from the source. He was still alive. He got lucky just like I did.
*BZhhhhhhh*
A streak of crimson ignited in the darkness. Distorted by the dust that hung in the air, there was just a patch of red.
Cytharat screamed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
It felt as if the world shook as he screamed. His rage snared the force, it would only heed his commands.
An invisible ball expanded from the patch of red, shoving the dust away and revealing the menacing apprentice. Much more of his red skin was now visible through countless new tears in his robes.
His face was twisting in anger and unkempt rage. "YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING! I swear, even if it's the last thing I do, I will take you down. I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU! I will kill your precious master. Your lightsabers, I'll crush them to smithereens before your eyes. Your arms and legs, I'll keep them as trophies upon my wall as your ashes forever burn in my furnace."
He stomped, the ground cracking beneath his dark side boosted body. "THERE WILL BE NO TRACE! I WILL ERASE YOU. This galaxy… you will never be remembered."
I struggled back to my feet, clutching my stomach as a wave of pain receded back under the influence of the bacta. It quickly disappeared so I released my grip, moving my hands towards the saber hilts clipped to either side of my belt.
*BZHHHhhhh* *BZHhhhhh*
Two violet lights sprung to life, pushing away the darkness and illuminating my worn figure. My clothes were torn, my cloak incinerated, my helmet missing half of its visor.
Cytharat began strutting towards me. I could see it in his eyes. He had zero doubt that these were to be my last drawn breaths.
I responded in kind, taking the first step towards him. We were separated by a few dozen yards, the explosion having moved us apart.
We both gradually sped up. Each step took years in my eyes as we inched closer and closer to our inevitable duel.
Cytharat broke out into a sprint and then bent his knees. He leapt into the air, raising his lightsaber above his head. "AHHHHHHHHH!"
The rage was tangible. I could feel it pelting against my chest and pulsing through the force. I had never seen my master's full strength in the force but could he surpass this?
I tightened my expression, pushing any unnecessary thoughts away. Our first clash was less than a second away.
I swung both of my lightsabers up, holding them crossed before me.
*PSSHT*
A tremendous force came crashing down. It nearly caused me to crumble and tumble across the ground.
"HUUUUH!*
I groaned in protest as I pushed back, struggling to resist the incredible strength that this Sith Apprentice held.
He smirked, staring through me with his nightmarish yellow eyes. "You are… nothing."
Suddenly, I felt a pull at my consciousness. The force was warning me.
I pulled away from the competition of strength and quickly lunged backwards. I then swung my right arm, sending my saber arcing through the air.
*BYUNG* *PSHT*
A blaster bolt bounced off my saber, scorching the ground next to me. Without waiting for anything else, I bent both of my knees before pushing off the ground. I propelled myself into the air, flipping backwards towards the edge of the crater.
I managed to land on the remains of a wall that used to belong to the command center. It took the shortest of moments for me to absorb the destruction I had wrought.
The entire facility was in flames. Smoke billowed from the spots where freighters, pipelines, and fueling stations used to be. It formed a curtain in the night, hiding the stars beyond.
"SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS! WE NEED TO LEAVE!"
"FOUND ONE HERE!"
"AHHHHHHHH! MY LEGS!"
The screams sent chills through the force. The panic, the urgency, the worry, the pain, the agony, the despair.
The moon dimly illuminated these scrambling men, each and every one suffering under the consequences of my actions. These men were my enemy. There was truly no other way. In my shoes, they'd have done the same thing.
I glanced back down at Cytharat, smirking as I sucked in some fresh air after so long. "Well, I'll take my leave now. Till next time!"
I waved before turning and jumping off the wall, heading towards the jungle beyond.
"SOOOOOORRRRYYYYYNNNNN! FUCKING KILL HIM! HANG HIS CORPSE IN THE JUNGLE AND LET THE WOLVES FEAST ON HIS REMAINS!"
As I ran, I heard countless footsteps converging on my position. "Fuck, well, guess this is where I take down as many as I can!"
A trooper rounded the corner of a container, his blaster already raised and aiming at me. Another trooper began to emerge from the container next to that one.
I flung my right hand forwards, sending my lightsaber spinning through the air.
*BYUM*
He managed to fire off a shot. The red bolt flew through the air, colliding with my spinning lightsaber.
*BYUNG* *PSSHT* *PST*
The deflected bolt burnt through the head of the second trooper as my lightsaber beheaded the first. I quickly reached out, grabbing my flying lightsaber with the force
Without waiting for it to return to my hand, I once again leapt into the air, landing on top of a shipping container with a thud. With my left fist clutching a lightsaber and my left knee both on the ground, I held my right hand in the air.
Like a loyal hound, my second saber flew right into my palm, smacking me with a kiss as it had missed me so. My head spun to the left and right as I sucked in my surroundings.
Imperials were swarming everywhere. Whether they be troopers or droids, they dotted the ground like a colony of ants.
"THERE HE IS!"
"SHOOT THE BASTARD!"
I quickly stood up, swinging my lightsaber in a figure-eight like pattern.
*BYUNG* *BYUNG* *Thud* *PSHT*
One of the blaster bolts deflected and scorched someone's face right between the eyes while the other harmlessly hit the ground. I leaned forwards into the abyss, falling into a sprint.
*BYUM* *BYUNG*
Countless red blaster bolts descended upon me in a storm of hellfire. Each one could take my life without question but none of them seemed capable of hitting the mark.
I hopped down from the storage container, opting for the cover I would be granted by running between the array of containers. One. Two. I couldn't even make it past three containers in peace.
"HE'S RIGHT OVER HERE! FALL IN!"
I rounded a corner and froze. There were 10 troopers in an arc aiming their blasters at me.
"FIRE!"
On instinct, I swung my lightsaber.
*BBBBYUUUMMMM* *BBBBYUUNNNGG*
In one swing, I deflected six blaster bolts, three of them being returned to their senders. Six of the remaining seven blaster bolts either missed me or were deflected into the ground. The last one hit me on the upper arm. Fortunately, it was just a flesh wound so the adrenaline pushed me through.
"AH FUCK!"
I dashed forwards, thrusting my right lightsaber forwards and swinging my left lightsaber in an arc on my side. My arm throbbed in pain as I suppressed the urge to clutch my arm.
*BYUM* *BYUNG*
Another trooper died by a deflected blaster bolt as I skewered one more with my lightsaber. I then pulled my lightsaber out of his corpse and then swung my hands out to the side.
"HAAAH!"
A pulse of pure energy raged through the force, knocking the remaining five troopers backwards and onto the ground. I then quickly started sprinting towards the fence that was now in sight.
"Come on. Almost there!"
Another few troopers emerged from behind a shipping container up ahead on my right. I somehow began to sprint even faster, moving straight towards them.
In stride, I planted my right foot onto the ground and pressed off with all of my might. I flew through the air, rocketing towards the three troopers in my path.
"HE'S RIGHT THERE! BLAST HIM!"
As they raised their blasters, I had finally reached them at a blazing speed. I buried my sabers in two of their chests, ending their fleeting lives in an instant. Using them as support, I arched my back and planted my foot on the third trooper's stomach, sending him flying into the storage container just a few feet behind him.
I then pulled my two sabers out of the trooper's chests and then turned to the downed trooper. I held out my hand, lifting it and in turn lifting him into the air. Once he was a few feet off the ground, he finally realized what was happening.
"No… NO NO PLEASE!"
Without remorse, I swung my hand, launching him into the distance. There was only one thing in his path.
"AGHHHHHHHH!"
*CLANG* *BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT*
I watched in real time as the man was cooked from the inside out by the electric fence. His skin charred and his hair falling out, the former soldier, now reduced to a corpse, fell to the ground.
Sighing, I took a step forwards. Before I could even finish taking that step, I rolled to the right, wincing as I landed on the arm and shoulder that had been shot.
As I rolled I saw a blur of black and red fly past me. He caught up. I was so close.
I finished the roll, landing on my feet and staring him down. His crimson saber dyed his figure red under the dark and smoke covered night. Mine did the same with the purple forming an ominous ring of light around me.
This was it. This duel had to finish. Only one of us would live to tell the tale. Or maybe neither of us would make it out. Only the force can know.