The massive insect outside screeched again as the sound of a rock falling from the peak caught its attention. Its long, serrated leg stabbed downward into the hole, the sharp appendage smashing through layers of stone with ease.
The impact sent cracks splintering along the rocky surface as the leg plunged deeper into the hole, narrowly missing Ali's side. The jagged edges on the side of the insect's leg glinted in the dim light, like blades designed to tear apart flesh and bone.
Ali's sharp eyes fixated not on the tip of the leg, but on the serrated edges as they passed dangerously close to him. He knew the true threat wasn't when the leg stabbed forward but when the creature retracted it. On the way out, those razor-sharp edges would undoubtedly shred anything in their path.
'Break more of the wall and risk exposing myself… or stand my ground and endure the pain without making any noise,' Ali thought grimly, weighing his options in the confined space.
The insect began to pull its leg back, the serrated edges catching and tearing into the walls of the hole with a sickening grind. Ali clenched his fists, bracing himself as the jagged blades scraped against his thigh.
The edges cut into his skin like a saw, slicing through layers of muscle and leaving deep, raw wounds that exposed the bone beneath.
His left leg trembled as the pain seared through him, his body instinctively trying to flinch away even as he forced himself to remain still. Blood poured freely down his leg, soaking the rocks beneath him. Ali lowered his head, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his neck stood out in sharp relief.
'What is this? Does it fucking secrete poison from those blades? This hurts more than losing the leg'
The sheer agony made his control slip momentarily. The Force surged through him, feeding off his pain, and the entire peak began to quake. Rocks trembled and cracked as the Dark Side's chaotic energy radiated outward, amplifying the vibrations in the mountain.
Ali's senses burned as the Force swirled violently around him, feeding on the anguish coursing through his body.
But Ali was no stranger to pain. Gritting his teeth, he drew on years of experience enduring physical torment. He forced his emotions back into a cold, controlled state, reigning in the Force before it could betray his position to the insects. Compared to what he had endured before in his life, this pain was insignificant—just another trial to overcome.
The massive insect screeched in alarm as the mountain's tremors intensified, mistaking the vibrations for an incoming thunder strike. It leapt away from the peak, landing on another nearby spire that supported the wreckage of the research ship.
Ali released a shaky breath, sweat dripping down his face as he stood on his mangled legs. Already, he could feel his healing cells regenerating his damadged body. The shredded muscle fibres began knitting themselves back together, the jagged edges of his wounds sealing as if they had never been there. In less than a minute, his leg was as good as new.
Without wasting time, Ali turned and began digging further into the wall behind him, carving out a deeper space to hide in. He worked methodically, ensuring his movements were quiet and controlled. After a few minutes, he had created a small, enclosed chamber far enough from the cave's entrance to avoid detection.
He sank down onto the stone floor, his back against the rough wall as he let himself breath.
Closing his eyes, Ali focused on his hearing, filtering out the background noise of rain and wind to zero in on the sounds of the insects outside. He could still hear their sharp, rhythmic movements as their legs stabbed into the peak.
'I can't move yet,' he thought, his mind calculating his next steps. 'They're too close, and even if I made it to the ship, they'd see me and tear it apart before I could get inside.'
Ali shifted into a meditative stance, crossing his healing legs and steadying his breathing. Despite the chaotic environment outside, he couldn't help but notice the overwhelming presence of the Force on this planet.
The air itself felt dense with its energy—wild, untamed, and raw. It wasn't the controlled, structured Force he had felt at the Sith Academy. This was something far more primal, a chaotic storm that resisted his attempts to bend it to his will.
'This place is incredible for training,' Ali thought as he sank deeper into his meditation. 'The Force here is dense and chaotic, making control difficult. But that resistance… that challenge is exactly what I need.'
The hours passed in silence, interrupted only by the occasional crack of thunder echoing across the peaks. The insects eventually moved on, their screeches fading into the distance. Ali waited patiently, not daring to move until he was certain they were gone.
'Finally,' he thought after detecting nothing for over thirty minutes. 'They're gone.'
Rising to his feet, Ali stretched his limbs, rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension that had built up during his meditation. 'An hour here feels like five back at the academy. The Force's resistance pushed my control to the next level. This place was worth the pain.'
He stepped cautiously out of the chamber he had dug and into the small cave. Rain poured down in heavy sheets, the cold droplets splashing against his face as he scanned his surroundings. The storm continued to rage, with gusts of wind whipping past and bolts of lightning streaking across the sky. All he could see was rock, wind, and water. The monstrous insects were nowhere in sight.
Ali's eyes locked onto the research ship, now tantalisingly close. The wreckage balanced precariously on the edge of a nearby peak. All that remained was for him to scale the side of his current spire and leap across the gap.
Drawing the handle of his quinque, he activated the weapon, and the monstrous red longsword emerged, pulsating like a living muscle. The blade's eerie glow reflected off the wet rocks as Ali gripped it tightly.
With a powerful leap, he launched himself to the side of the peak and drove the blade into the stone to anchor himself. The sword bit deep into the rock, holding firm as Ali dangled for a moment before pulling himself up. He repeated the process, climbing higher with each movement until he reached a position close enough to the ship.
Standing precariously on his embedded sword, Ali gauged the distance. He bent his knees, channeling the full strength of his enhanced muscles, and leapt into the air. The force of his jump sent him soaring toward the ship, his body cutting through the rain and wind like a missile.
CRASH.
Ali slammed into the half-broken door of the ship, the impact tearing it open as he rolled inside.
Ali immediately sprang to his feet inside the wrecked ship, his eyes darting back toward the longsword still embedded in the rocky peak outside. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, channeling the Force.
The weapon trembled in its place, then shot free from the stone with a burst of energy. The sword flew through the storm, slicing through the air before landing perfectly in Ali's outstretched hand. He deactivated it with a press of the handle's button, the pulsating red blade vanishing as the weapon shrank back into its compact form.
Crouching low, Ali pressed himself against the broken interior of the ship, blending into the shadows as best he could. He strained his senses, listening intently as an ear-splitting screech echoed from the abyss outside. The insect-like alien that had been lurking below surged upward, its sharp legs stabbing into the peaks as it searched for the source of the disturbance.
Ali stayed perfectly still, controlling his breathing and suppressing his Force presence as much as possible. He couldn't risk being detected, not with the monstrous creature so close.
'I might have been wrong,' Ali admitted to himself silently, his sharp gaze flicking toward his hand. He flexed his fingers slightly, turning his palm upward as if studying it. 'It's not just about control. It's the flow of the Force itself and what that means to the user.'
The thought lingered as he recalled the techniques he had seen Force users perform. His initial assumption had been that their reliance on hand gestures was a weakness and purely habitual, something ingrained through years of practice. But now, after his own experiences, a different conclusion was forming in his mind.
'The gestures,' Ali thought, his brows furrowing. 'They don't just channel the Force. They enhance its flow and movement. For the dark side, it's about dominance—using powerful, commanding gestures to force the energy to bend to your will. It's raw and violent, a weapon made stronger through sheer control.'
Ali's black eyes narrowed as he mulled over the idea, turning it over in his mind. 'It's just a theory for now, but it makes sense,' he thought, suppressing the urge to test the concept immediately. He dismissed the thought for the moment, knowing his mission demanded his full attention.
His gaze shifted back to his surroundings. The wreckage groaned faintly under the pressure of the storm outside, and rainwater dripped steadily through cracks in the ship's walls. Ali took a deep breath, clearing his mind and refocusing on the task at hand.
'I've got an hour before the rescue ship arrives,' he reminded himself, his grip tightening on the handle of his weapon.
Finally, he reached the main deck. The scene was grim. Piles of rotting corpses lay scattered across the floor, their bodies mangled and torn apart by the force of the crash. Blood and decay stained every surface, the stench thick and suffocating.
Ali's black eyes scanned the room, ignoring the carnage as he focused on his objective. Moving a large slab of metal aside, he uncovered the body of a dead soldier, their broken form shielding something beneath them.
Kneeling, Ali gently moved the corpse, revealing a black metal case half the size of the soldier's body. The case was battered but intact. He pressed the buttons on either side, and with a hiss, the locks disengaged, and the lid slowly opened.
Inside was his prize—a white device with a vial of glowing blue liquid visible through a reinforced glass panel. Ali's eyes narrowed as he examined it. He didn't know how to activate it, but he didn't need to. Grabbing a belt from one of the chairs, he secured the device to his back, the strap snug against his acolyte uniform.
'Now to get out of here before the rescue ship arrives, Ali thought.
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