[SW The Dark Mercenary] Chapter 2 - Tower of Shadows

EDITED ON FEBRUARY 6, 2021

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(Geonosis, two hours after departure from the Neross)

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Geonosis. Rocky, lots of mountains, desert terrains, and the bloody heat wave that washes over the entire planet everyday. That's what Kydan could only describe this barbaric planet. It was not the place to get yourself a sun tan. More like getting a sun burn, or dying from the heat or become dehydrated all at once. To anyone that would ask, the planet was a horrible place for a vacation spot.

 

Although the planet was so miserable and so hot, it wasn't gonna stop Kydan and Black Moon Squad from completing their mission. Recently, Kydan and Black Moon had been pin down, trying to hold position their position 'til Rilicia and her squad, White Claw, to arrive with the reinforcements that they had asked for. For a bit, they struggled to survive against the overwhelming odds, but they were able to push back the droid forces to the Geonosian Research Tower, possibly knowing that the Mandalorian, Alurak Eclipse, could have possibly laid out a trap for them ahead of time. But even though it was already risky as it was, it wasn't gonna stop them from doing so. They were far too close to bringing down Eclipse permanently.

 

On the north side of the tower, upon a small but heavily defended platform full of B1 Battle Droids and B2 Super Battle Droids, the droid forces were keeping up the pressure on Kydan and his men, pinning them all down as they hid and took cover behind the rock formations. Every time Kydan and his clones would get their timings just right, it would always backfire when the Turret Droid would keep them from taking their pod shots when they need them.

 

Kydan had just deflected a few laser shots with his single bladed purple saber when the turret targeted him, spraying a stream of laser fire upon him. He had just missed its shots at the nick of time, taking cover right behind a rock formation.

 

He was having enough of the turret, a loud annoyance leaving his mouth, "Hopper, Bulk! Concentrate your fire on that Turret Droid! We ain't gonna get any closer if that thing keeps pinning us down!"

 

"Sir yes sir!" They both shouted, beginning to focus their attack on the turret in the middle of the platform. As they began to shoot at it, Kydan sprang back out in the open, deflecting whatever shots he could back at that thing.

 

With the combine fire of both Hopper, Bulk and Kydan's deflection shots, the Turret Droid couldn't handle the firepower as it overloaded and exploded, causing a small explosion within the middle of the platform, engulfing some of the droids that were near it too.

 

Rilos, who had been taking cover and pod shots behind a sandy and rocky hill along with Scanner, sees the turret explodes on his left. He sighs in relief underneath his helmet before turning his attention to Scanner, who had just brought down one the Super Battle Droids in the back.

 

"Well, that takes care of that Turret Droid! Scanner, any news on Commander Rilicia reinforcements?"

 

"N-No sir! We've lost c-contact with White Claw Squadron t-twenty minutes ago! Last w-we heard was that they were already ad-advancing into the research t-t-tower!"

 

'So much for those reinforcements, Rilos sighed internally within his head. He looked over his shoulder before a basic battle droid tried to take a shot on his, ducking back under cover. "Alright, we need to wrap this up fast! Once we're through, we can lend them a hand inside!"

 

"U-U-Understood, sir!" Scanner stammered out loud, taking a few more on the droid forces while Rilos looks for their commander.

 

He spots Kydan in the front, continuing to deflect the blaster fire back at the enemy, taking a couple down every now and then. He calls out to him, "Commander Witress! Rilicia and her reinforcements aren't coming any time soon! They're already entered the tower from the south section, but we don't know if they've made contact with the enemy forces inside!"

 

'So much for those reinforcements', Kydan silently thought, although a smirk formed between his lips. 'Then again...it is Rilicia, after all' He looked towards the tall, large cylinder rock tower before them all, forming a plan inside his head. "Sergeant Rilos, get a Thermal Detonator ready! I want you to throw it right at the fuel cells that was powering that Turret Droid! The rest of you, focus all your fire on the remaining Super Battle Droids! We're gonna go right through them!"

 

"Sir yes sir!" All of the clones shouted, each and every one of them taking aim at the last eight Super Battle Droids as they tried to gun them down fast as they could. In the process, R.S. and Bulk both took down three of them with their sniper and repeater gun, in which they both cheered out loud on the small victory they achieved.

 

Kydan just smirked even more, before turning to Rilos as he deflected another shot from his saber. "Rilos, you ready?!"

 

"Yes sir! But are you sure it'll work?!"

 

"We're about to find out! Now, throw it!"

 

When Kydan's last words escaped his mouth, Rilos threw the detonator in the air, bouncing off the wall behind the droid forces as it rolled and stopped next to the fuel tanks that were connected to the destroyed Turret Droid.

 

Deactivating his purple blade, Kydan rushes for cover, shouting out to his men, "Squad! Take cover!"

 

When the Droid Commander heard the padawan's words out loud, it looked towards the fuel tanks, quickly realizing what was about to happen. "Uh-oh..."

 

Just as the droid commander finishes its words, the detonator explodes within the area, creating a chain reaction in the fuel cells of the destroyed turret, causing a large radius explosion between the remaining droids, wiping out not just the commander, but all the droids left on the platform.

 

Black Moon Squad looks over their covering spots, gazing at the explosion that was surrounding the platform before them. When the smoke cleared and no other droids were left standing, each and every one of them cheered out loud, raising their guns in the air for their first victory against the enemy.

 

Kydan chuckled at the clones, shaking his head at the same time. "Alright team, I know this was a great victory, but we need to continue on. We have to meet up with Commander Rilicia and White Claw Squad."

 

He turned to Scanner, who was fidgeting with his comm link. "Scanner, can you find where White Claw Squad is in the tower with your equipment?"

 

"Y-Yes sir, I can," Scanner nodded to his commander, placing his backpack on the ground and searching through his stuff."

 

"Good. Try to make it quick, we need to find them fast. Who knows what trouble they got themselves into."

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The Geonosian Lab Tower was massive and tall in size. It was built up to fifteen levels; each of them being divided into three sections. On the top floors were the locations of the command center and experimental labs. The middle floors were the areas of the main labs and droid manufacturing. Lastly, the bottom floors were the cargo holds, main entrance and hangar bays. Considering that it was all but one of many others across the planet, it was impressive nonetheless.

 

Within the main laboratories of the tower, a man with dark black hair, wearing crimson red, gray colored Mandalorian armor, rushes about in the lab as he hurries to pack away all the research that he had been working on for months, storing the information and data onto hard drives. Ever since he heard the Republic forces from outside the tower, he knew that he had little time before the tower was either overrun, or destroyed, before he could escape. His clients had assured him that their droids would hold off against the invaders 'til he and his crew could escape the facility before they reach him.

 

The Mandalorian rubbed his hair roughly, getting annoyed with the computers that he was messing with. "Karabast! This is taking too long! If I don't get these files uploaded soon, it'll be too late! K-12! Are you done with those files yet?!"

 

A dark red colored B1 Battle Droid turned its head to the bounty hunter, shaking its head, "Not yet, Lord Alurak. It'll finished in a few minutes."

 

"Well hurry it up! I don't want the Republic or Jedi to get here while I'm around. If they catch me, they'll throw me in the prisons on Coruscant."

 

"As you say, my lord."

 

As Alurak scurries about packing up his research, a single metal door slides open as a figure walks into the room, no doubt approaching Alurak. He wore a long, black robe that covered half his body. His chest plate was a metal black and gray armor piece, with a strange, red symbol in the middle. He had black hair and yellow eyes, with a scar that was cut from his left eye down to the corner of his right lip.

 

Alurak heared his approach, not even looking back to him as he heard him stop from behind. "Your droids are as pathetic as they are stupid, Dark Acolyte."

 

"Indeed, but they come at a very reasonable and profitable price. Much easier to mass produce than creating an entire cloned army that takes more time and effort into making."

 

Alurak turns around and looked at the middle aged acolyte, his expression turning to a look of seriousness, his eyes narrowed. "In any case, your new droids are ready to go, and are being transferred to your secret facility as requested by you and Lord Tyranus. Now...about my payment..."

 

"No worries, Eclipse. First things first; have you received the data, Lord Tyranus?

 

Turning their gazes towards the projector table next to the computer that Alurak was typing on, a small hologram appears from the projector, revealing a blue, figure sized image of Tyranus, or Count Dooku, staring at them both.

 

'Indeed, Nedoura. Lord Sidious is now eagerly awaiting for results', Dooku replied back to the older cloaked man. 'And, of course, your payment Mandalorian. Because of the work that you have produced for us, we are being a bit generous to give you double your pay. This should possibly cover any expense that you need.'

 

With a huff and smirk plastered on his lips, he does a quick bow and nod to Dooku. "Then I think I'll take me leave. If you ever need some testing or...to say...'fixing', you know where to find me."

 

'We will keep that in mind in the future, Eclipse. As for you, Lord Nedoura, Lord Sidious has issued you a new assignment. He wants the intruders within the tower permanently out of the picture. Deal with them and then get off the planet.'

 

"Of course, but I will deal with them my way, Tyranus," Nedoura countered to the Dark Lord. "I have a personal vendetta to settle with one of the Jedi. It shouldn't take long."

 

'Good. But if you do fail your assignment, you will be explaining it all to Sidious himself,' Dooku threatened the older acolyte.

 

"You take me too lightly, Count," Nedoura said, a smug grin plastered upon his lips. "No need for worry though. I will handle it."

 

Staring at Nedoura for a brief moment, Dooku slightly nods at the acolyte before the hologram image of him fades away, leaving only but the noises that were coming from outside the tower.

 

Seeing that it was his que to leave, Nedoura turns to Alurak before making his way to the door. "If you excuse me Eclipse, I must prepare my droids and men for the coming battle."

 

"And I'll be getting off this planet, then. I've wasted enough of my precious time here anyways."

 

Nedoura smirks at the Mandalorian's comment before walking towards the door, leaving only Alurak, K-12 and a few Mandalorian guards in the room. Just passing through the hall, another Mandalorian rushed past the Dark Acolyte, entering the room with.

 

"Sir, your ship is ready for take off."

 

"Good. Have all the men aboard and ready for departure. We're getting off this dust ball."

 

"As you command, my liege!"

 

Alurak then turns back to the computer that he was using, ejecting all the files and drives out of the system before walking up to his desk of random, unimportant files and grabs his gray helmet. He approaches his soldier and hands him the drives while he puts his helmet on top of his head.

 

He turns to K-12 and orders him, "K-12! Your in charge now! Stay here and wait for the enemy to get here. Delete all the files in the main computer frames just like we planned. We don't want to tip off the Republic more than we have already."

 

"Yes, my lord, but what do we do when they get here?"

 

Alurak chuckles with a sinister tone, walking towards the door with his Mandalorian soldier as they make their way down to the hangars. He looks over his shoulder at K-12, a grin formed underneath his helmet.

 

"That's not my problem now, is it?"

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Sorry about this one having a bad quality creation. These chapters were actually taken in April of 2014 and I didn't have the courage nor the time to redo it all again just yet. There are gonna be others like this for the next few chapters, but we do promise that it will get better and better. There are plenty more to come, so stay tuned for that if you are interested. For now, we take or leave from here. As always, have a fan-building-tastic day/night! See ya' in the next one.

 

- Director K.W.

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