63 Passing Storm

The droid quickly repeated the process on each of my downed comrades. Through its scan, it was determined that none of their lives were at risk. The title of worst injury was held by both my master and one trooper.

My master had a severe concussion. Blood was in his brain but fortunately, the bleeding had stopped. For now, he was comatose. The trooper had a broken neck and severe head trauma. He was also comatose for now.

The least injured trooper was merely unconscious with small lacerations. They would be fine within a few hours. The remaining two, including the pilot, suffered light head trauma and had broken ribs.

Honestly speaking, this wasn't that bad. It could have and should have been much worse. This just meant that the sliver of hope I had been grasping had not faded but rather grew.

I was about to discuss further treatment with the droid but its head suddenly snapped to the right. "We aren't alone."

It walked over to the crate, keeping its head facing the direction it had focused on. It held out its left arm towards the crate. A compartment opened and a robotic arm emerged holding a long blaster rifle. It had no scope but it appeared to be a sniper rifle.

Once the sniper rifle was in its hands, it glanced towards me. "Squad of five, military."

I nodded as my expression sank, knowing that they were probably Imperial troopers. "I'll move into a flanking position."

The droid nodded as it raised the rifle and aimed towards the targets. "Keep one al-"

I waved my hand as I walked off. "Yeah, yeah. Keep one to interrogate. Choose one and shoot him in the leg."

The droid nodded as I disappeared into the brush. "Very well, master."

I carefully weaved between the trees and bushes, taking care to avoid stepping on any fallen branches and dead leaves. The soft ground allowed me to minimize the noise of my footsteps but that could easily change.

After a quick thirty seconds, my droid spoke through comms. "10 meters. Through the bush at your 2."

I nodded. "Alright, count us off."

It quickly replied. "No."

*BYUM* *Thud*

"Huh?"

I shook my head as I lunged into the bush. "Well, shit."

Igniting my lightsabers before I even got out of the bush, I quickly noticed four troopers remaining. The fifth had a hole burnt through his head and was lying on the floor.

I swung the lightsaber in my left hand at the trooper just that was less than a meter in front of me, relieving him of his head. With one more stride, I spun, removing two more heads as I came to a halt.

*BYUM*

"AGHH!"

A pained cry came from in front of me as the last enemy crumpled to the floor holding his leg. It would seem that this is the one that we would interrogate.

I stepped forwards, deactivated my lightsabers and raising my right fist. The trooper quickly noticed me and started waving his hands. "NONONO! DON'T KILL M-"

I didn't let him finish his sentence as I planted my fist in the center of his forehead. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the floor. He was out cold.

After clipping my lightsabers to my belt, I bent down and grabbed his collar with my right hand. I then turned around and started dragging him back to the wreckage.

The light of the raging inferno flickered in my eyes as a slight chill spread through my body. I glanced down at the unconscious man and considered snapping his neck with my bare hands.

I quickly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clearing my head. That isn't me. I don't kill in cold blood. I can't allow myself to become drunk on the power that flows through me. The force is intoxicating and I must ensure that I remain true to myself.

By the time I was done resolving myself, I was standing next to my droid, looking down on the unconscious Imperial. "I'm giving you a name. How does Ezio sound?"

The droid scoffed. "Where the fuck did that come from?"

I shrugged. "Famous assassin from back home."

It shook its head and sighed. "Very well, I shall now be known as Ezio."

I nodded and gestured towards the man on the ground. "Well, do the thing."

Ezio reached out and gently punched my arm. "You Jedi are too soft. Grow a fucking pair. Now run along. The adult has work to do."

I rolled my eyes but still turned away. "Good boy."

*BYUM*

My head slowly moved down as I looked at the scorch mark on the ground between my legs. "Point taken. I'll go secure the perimeter."

Ezio scoffed from behind me. "You do that, child."

-GE-

Nearly 20 minutes passed before I returned to the wreckage. The immediate surroundings appeared to be clear of any danger. I had even set up some local scanning nodes that would alert me if anything entered the area regardless of whether it was dead or alive.

Arriving back at the wreckage, I found the Imperial balled up on the floor and covered in blood. I presumed that it was his own.

I walked up and stood next to Ezio. "You done?"

Ezio nodded and pumped his fist. A massive 10 inch blade sprang out of his knuckles. He then swung his hand towards the trooper, removing his head from his body. "Let's dump his body in the fire. I enjoy the smell of burning corpses."

I glanced at the droid and shook my head. "Do you even have scent receptors?"

It nodded. "I do actually, thank you very much." It picked up the head and the body before dragging them over to the burning wreckage. "How'd the sweep go?"

I smiled. "It was quiet, just how I like it."

[Quest Completed]

[Lone Wolf I]

[+5 Levels, Emergency Supply Cache, Epic Holocron]

[Quest Received]

[Lone Wolf II]

[Legendary Chain Quest]

[You have secured the perimeter of the wreckage, ensuring the temporary safety of you and your comrades. Upon further investigation of the shuttle, you have found a crate filled with supplies. Much of it is not helpful at this time but may prove useful in the future. Make use of the newfound equipment to investigate the leads gained from the interrogation. However, ensure that your comrades are stabilized before making any moves. Each and every one of them will play a crucial role down the line.]

[+5 Levels, Epic Holocron]

I smiled as another purple holocron materialized in my right hand. I decided to open it immediately.

Following the typical blinding light, I opened my eyes to find a rolled up animal skin in my hand. "Huh?"

Upon inspecting it, my eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. The shock was immeasurable.

[Mysterious Map]

[Unique Item]

[Physical maps are ancient artifacts nowadays. They are antiquated objects that most people in the galaxy have never laid their eyes on. This particular map has been preserved wonderfully despite appearing to be over twenty thousand years old. It is uncertain where it leads, but the fact that it reeks of the dark side shows that it is not to be underestimated. From the writing used and the fashion in which it was created, it appears to be a Rakatan artifact.]

[Quest Received]

[X Marks The Spot I]

[Unique Chain Quest]

[The Rakatans, otherwise known as the Builders, were an ancient species that once ruled the entire galaxy. Their technological marvels are unparalleled during this time. Without a doubt, the map you have received will lead to someplace extraordinary. The presence of the dark side within the map shows that the destination is home to something nefarious. There is only one known artifact from the Rakatans that could be so strong in the dark side that it would still persevere after nearly 30 thousand years. The name of this artifact has been lost over time but perhaps you can rediscover it.]

[???]