I encountered no resistance aboveground. Even as I entered one of the tunnels that lead underground, I was unimpeded. The air did become thicker as I stood before the door that leads into the temple I made.
The Dark Side was so strong at this door that I never could have expected this. I knew the darkness would favor the xenomorphs, but not to this extent. Perhaps my idea of using these creatures to test my future kin isn't a viable idea.
I checked my equipment real quick, before steeling myself.
I then opened the door and walked into the darkness beyond.
Within, I realized that my Force senses were rendered useless. As everywhere is darkness. Unless I come up with something, the Force will be less than useful for directly detecting the serpents. Instead, I focused on boosting the 6th sense of every sentient being. The sense that makes your hairs stand on end, that warns you that you are being watched, that sends you chills. With the intention to boost my instincts to the maximum. That way I can at least dodge.
Then I decided on a strategy. I controlled the dark side to hide myself within as well. That way, the xenos can't detect me with the Force easily. Even the field a bit.
The temple then started to randomly change its layout. As it was designed to do. Once it settle, I chose a direction and stuck to the walls. Originally, the temple had lights. Not bright lights, but still enough to see a little. However, the serpents have snuffed out all the lights.
As I stalked through the hallways and tunnels. I saw no trace of them. I was using every trick in the book and out of the box. It made me wonder what their plan was.
It wasn't until the temple had shifted the 9th time that I found a trace. Shifts were designed to happen every 10 minutes. So they've been avoiding me for 90 minutes.
The trace were footprints seen by my xeno-vision. I also found saliva, a few bones and corpses of flesh raiders. They've been busy. According to my holo-map, I am near the center of the cube temple.
"Why are they near the center of this rubix cube I made? It is where the Queen is. Haven't they realized they can't get to her by now? The doors are 20 feet thick and resistant to their blood. Their only way in is...
...me."
While thinking aloud, I finally realized their plan. They figured out that I am the key to their queen somehow.
I laugh for a small bit, "Cunning bastards..."
Now that I know their plan, I can counter it. The way is simple. These creatures do not understand words, they are above words. They do understand emotion though, and primal thoughts.
As I am now relaxed and hidden within the Force. I undo my hiding, and build up an emotion. Along with a thought.
I build up denial and scorn.
Then I flare it through the Dark Side within the temple. The serpents should be getting the message anytime now.
I soon hear baleful and hateful screeches being carried through the temple. "They got my message.", I think with glee.
I then go back to hiding myself and prepare an ambush. I did reveal my location after all. They will be here soon. Though cunning and matured, they lack experience. They will come to me in fervent fury.
Mines and wire traps were set up. Meant for maiming, burning, exploding, shocking, distracting, and even freezing.
Finally I hid in a dark crevice while cloaked and waited.
My setup took 3 minutes. I started to see them within 4 minutes. So I only waited 1 minute before they had arrived. Good timing on their part. I don't mind waiting, but I would rather not wait too long.
I continued to hide in the crevice until I identified exactly how many had arrived. Once I confirmed that all 5 were in this room now. I small smile broke out across my face. They even noticed my traps and stayed away from them. Not unexpected. Sometimes regular xenos would know to avoid them, and these xenos aren't regular. I took out one shuriken and threw it towards one xeno.
It was not a direct throw, as I had it curve in a complicated path. I even made it silent with the Force. However, the xeno I was targeting flicked its tail and hit it out of the air without even looking.
Then all the xenos went to sniff the shuriken. Their eyeless, nose lacking faces then all turned directly at me.
That is one scary sense of smell.
Seeing as there was no point in hiding, I stepped out and they all snarled at me. I let out a growl back at them.
I didn't put up a front and took out Destined Death. I ignited the blade. The illusionary smokey blade emitted an odd light. The far-sounding howling hum became the only sound as we stood silent in the confrontation.
I didn't let them make the first move though. I leapt at them and use done hand to throw two power discs at them. They screeched at they tried to avoid the blades. I landed and started a strong attack. Swinging my glaive around I struck at all of them. The ones that tried to get out of my attack range were tugged back by a Force Pull. The power discs flying around me.
Tail strikes would knock down the power discs, only for me to get them into the air again with the Force.
I was deflecting and dodging spearing tails as I spun my glaive in omni-directional paths. Normally, the glaive would cut their tails. This did not happen, at most, it burned them a bit. An adaptation I was not expecting. They were covering their tails in the Force, shielding them from being cut.
What's more, they started to learn as we exchanged. They were getting harder to defend against. However, I have been directing the fight the whole time since the start for a reason. A small command later, and a repulsing mine tripped. Sending two xenos towards two more mines. A shock and an explosive mine.
When the xeno got shocked, I quickly used my free hand to throw a combi-stick at it. As it was immobilized, it couldn't move. It was struck squarely in the chest. The xeno that got caught in the explosion, came out alive. Although it was bleeding all over and had some flesh blown off. Back to the impaled xeno, it pulled out the combi-stick and roared in rage.
It ran in a bull rush at me. I swung my glaive to intercept it, but it was deflected by a tail hit from another xeno. I didn't panic though, I used Force Stasis on the Xeno to stop it for two seconds. Which gave me a chance to bring around the glaive again. This time it was not stopped. I split the xeno down the middle into two halves.
The I immediately used Force Push all around me while sending out shurikens. The xenos got hurt, but not enough to matter. Down to four now though.
Then all get enraged and come at me with renewed ferocity. Not only that, but I had to avoid their acid blood. As my armor isn't resistant to it. I had to focus on using the Force to protect against it.
I tried activating the other mines and tripwire traps. While there was some effect. They were no fazed or wounded badly enough. They only attacked faster and better.
Too the point I couldn't keep up with everything anymore. First my armor began to get chipped and compromised by tail and claw. Eventually, I got flesh wounds.
I started to use lightning on them and with my attacks. They used it back, after a few exchanges. Their learning speed was beginning to get tiresome. Whatever Dark Side ability I used against them, would be learned soon after. It was now obvious to me that using the Dark Side against them was not the way.
I decided to switch it up. I turned to the Light Side. First thing I did, was heal myself. Second, was start using Force Judgement on them. Which became effective. They couldn't tank it. They had to defend with Force Lightning to get hurt internally.
Seeing that I was starting to have an effect, I began an act of suppression.
I murmured, "Force Light..."
Light then exploded in a brilliance with me at its center. The hold of the Dark Side within this room was completely extinguished. The serpents visibly became weaker as they no longer had the help of their environment.
I take my chance. I Force Pull one to smash into the ground in front of me. Then I stick my glaive into its head. Second one, attacks me with a its tail. I cut through it this time and then cut the body in two before stabbing into the head. Third one, is the most injured and bloody. Not wanting to chance the acid bloody, I throw a net at it. I Force Push the fourth one away. Which gives me time to strengthen the net with the Force as it constricts. Making it last long enough to kill the xeno after cutting into it enough.
Then a phenomenon happens. The fourth one gains a boost in power as the three dead xenos lose any vestiges of life from their bodies.
It attacks me with an unexpected ferocity and skill. Then to my surprise, its tail manages to pierce my abdomen a few inches before I could grab it and cut it. Finally finishing it off with a strong dose of Judgment Lightning and a beheading followed after.
I growl as I take a knee as I use Force Healing to take care of my wound. Now that all the serpents are dead, the temple should detect their demise and put the Queen into a stasis sleep. Then the layout randomizing will cease and return to a preset.
Right on time, such a thing happens as the temple layout returns to the original preset. Then the Dark Side's influence finally retreats from the temple. Meaning that the Queen was successfully put to sleep. However, The Dark Side still lingers here dormant in waiting.
I let out a victorious roar. As I am truly happy at the result of the hunt. As while I remained in control for the most part.
Then I started to recover my trophies. The situation could have gotten away form me real quick. The serpents were more dangerous than I anticipated. They even got one good hit on me along with a lot of flesh wounds..
"There power with the Dark Side..."
It was outlandish. They learned what took me days or months in seconds. as long as they were exposed to it or saw it, they could learn it. This was only restricted to Dark Side abilities, but still.
It was so much that I was sure that I could not win if I continued to use the Dark Side and used the Light Side. Even then, they still got that tail tip in me.
I am unsure if it will be fair to use them as tests for my future kin. That will be a question I will ask myself again in the future.
For now, I want to go home. Never thought I would want to go home this much. Guess fighting the perfect monsters will do that to you.
I am glad I only gave them 6 hours....