(American Sized Author's Note: Hello my faithful readers. If you've made it to this point, I applaud and thank you for tolerating my inconsistency. I've come to realize that writing is an art. It necessitates the flowing of creative juices and is a raw reflection of the author's mindset. Because of this, I can't always release chapters. Another part is that upon starting this rewrite, I vowed to never release a chapter that I was not satisfied with. My strategy has been to plan out the plot far ahead of where the story currently is. This allows me to focus on quality when putting the chapters together rather than building a cohesive plot since that had already been done. I just wanted to explain to you guys why I don't release daily chapters but rather chunks of them at a time.
ANYWAYS, enough of that frivolous stuff. Let's get to the exciting part. If you've read this far into my note, then you're a true fan of my work. Thus, I want to reward you all. Aside from a few major plot points, Volume 5 will be open to suggestions from you, the reader. Is there a place or event in Star Wars that you want explored? Is there a character, either from Star Wars or one of my original characters, that you want developed further? If you can think of anything, pop into my new discord which can be found in my Twitter bio @arn3wman. It's not fully set up, but I plan to add some premium roles there and might do some events or writing workshops. Check it out! I want to hear from you guys.
Now… back to the regularly scheduled programming.)
Patiently, I waited in the shadows. Lone targets were the easiest for my battered body to handle. This was one of those targets.
Now! I lunged out from my hiding spot and grabbed the lone trooper with my right hand before throwing them into the closet I had just emerged from.
I leapt into the closet and used the force to slam the door shut. Without giving them the chance to scream, I pulled my lightsaber into my hand and ignited the violet blade.
When I deactivated it and put it back into my partly unzipped uniform, a glowing hole was left in their helmet. They slumped to the floor, their life extinguished.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and then knelt next to them. I removed their mask but clicked my tongue at what I saw. Those soft features complemented by supple lips. The fear that remained in her eyes even beyond death.
I shook my head and closed her eyes. Then, I stole her comm. "Damnit, why'd she have to be gorgeous?"
I pulled a tool from my belt and then pulled apart the comm. Sparks flew as I worked. I needed to tamper with the comm in order to mask my activity. I couldn't use my own comm due to the communications array being out of range. Thus, I needed to use the Hellfire's array.
Once done, I put the tool away and reassembled the comm. Then, I pressed the button and spoke softly. "This is Commander Soryn Brenko, Jedi Knight. Does anyone read me? I repeat, this is Commander Soryn Brenko, Jedi Knight. Does anyone read me?"
My nerves grew tight as I waited patiently. Would anyone receive my message? Did anyone even know I was missing?
Seconds rolled by. Then, an authoritative, mid-range voice came through the channel. "This is Overlord. Reading you loud and clear, Commander. What is your status and location?"
My shoulders sank as the tension left my body. Things were looking up. "I have moderate injuries but am still mobile. Current location is cruiser Sierra-Charlie-4-5-9-8."
He responded quickly. "Confirmation Sierra-Charlie-4-5-9-8."
I smiled. "Affirm, Overlord."
He responded once again. "10-4. Standby for instructions."
I sighed and sat down, leaning against a crate. The cool touch of the metal felt great. My eyes trailed to the now dead trooper beside me. I had assassinated a dozen enemies in the past hour. This was the first one with a comm that wasn't embedded in their helmet.
I pulled out a snack bar that I had taken from another trooper. "Chocolate and granola? Nice."
I used my teeth to open the wrapper and started eating. It felt good to put some solid food in my stomach. It was soothing.
A few minutes went by before I heard anything through the channel. "Commander, this is Overlord. I am patching you through to General Shan."
I sighed, speaking through the food in my mouth. "Alright. Put me through."
A concerned and comfortably familiar voice came through the channel. "Soryn, are you alright?"
I smiled and finished chewing. "Just a little banged up."
An audible sigh came through the comm. "Thank the force."
I nodded. "Indeed. So how am I getting out of here?"
Satele was silent for several seconds. I knew what that meant. "Extraction isn't possible. You're on your own."
I sighed. "I suspected that was the case. I'll be going dark again so don't bother reaching out. I'll contact you if there are any developments."
She replied. "Very well. Good luck."
I smiled. "Thanks. See you soon, Master Shan."
I let go of the comm. It fell to the floor with a clink. I then raised my boot and stomped on it. All that remained were jagged pieces.
Then, I tossed the empty wrapper on the floor and glanced at the empty backpack in the corner. All the detonators were set. I could bring this cruiser to the doors of hell on a whim. I had a feeling I'd be forced to do so sooner than I would like.
I pulled out the map I had taken earlier and turned it on. As I did so, the floor vibrated slightly. They must have made another hyperspace jump.
My eyes locked on a string of hangars on the opposite side of the cruiser from where I crash landed. My best bet is to steal and fighter or shuttle after crippling the Hellfire.
I put the map away. Then, I pressed the button to open the door, hooked a right, and made my way towards the hangars.