Star Forge - Chapter 6

NOTE:
This should be the last chapter of Star Forge for a bit. I wanted some extra time to plot out The Beast Within.
~~~

6.

Mette and Adyan stood off to the side as Anakin and Shmi returned. The two Twi'lek studied my crew with a confused interest.

"This is Anakin and Shmi Skywalker," I introduced. "This is Mette and Adyan. Adyan is a pilot and a mechanic. Mette is willing to learn."

"Hi!" Anakin waved happily. "You're joining the crew?"

"Hi," Mette replied with a shy wave.

"Yes," Adyan answered with a nod.

"It's nice to meet you," Shmi gave the two a warm smile.

Sure, they get warm smiles while I get stoic stares.

"I thought you were going to be gone longer," Shmi asked turning her attention to me.

"I thought I was too," I replied. "It wasn't as complicated as I had expected." I paused. "Do you have another name? We need to move fast before word gets out."

"Another name?" Mette spoke up.

"Abusive slave owners," Shmi answered motioning to the familiar scar where her chip had been.

The two Twi'lek snapped their gaze onto me. I didn't know what to tell them. There was a chance I could get another raid in before we left the planet. The audience seemed to enjoy the violence, so some more should give me points. I used the cover my helmet provided to actually look at the two Twi'lek. There was another possible way to earn points. I hadn't tried sex yet. Shmi was attractive, but definitely not interested in me yet. She might never be, and I wasn't going to force the issue.

Assuming one of the two Twi'lek might sleep with me was playing into the reputation that the species had. Again, I wasn't going to abuse my position. A quick roll in the sheets wasn't worth losing a crew member. I hadn't even considered settling down. Not to mention I needed to figure out how the armor impacted the process.

"There's one more you can target nearby," Shmi said bringing me out of my thought process. "They aren't near any settlement though."

"Meaning it would take some planning to approach without setting off alarms," I muttered. "What do you mean by 'they'?"

"It's a group," she answered. "They have a mining operation. Their slaves don't last long."

Going in on my own wouldn't be a good idea. It was a good thing I had a droid factory.

"I'll need time to prepare," I said after a moment. "Get to know each other and settle in."

I strolled over to the door to my quarters, pulled out the Warehouse Key, and activated it. The others watched with interest as I appeared to unlock my own door. Luckily, they couldn't see inside from where they stood.

The interior of the Warehouse had changed drastically. Instead of a vast, open space there was a hangar with the Droid Ship hovering in it. It made sense that something with the word 'Hulk' in the name was huge. The entire Warehouse felt both cramped and vast at the same time. An interface window popped up on my HUD as I studied the ship.

• [Activating Link . . .]
  [Reticulating Splines]

• [MENU:]
  [Create Droids]
  [Create Ship]
  [Research Advancement]

I scrolled through the options for the droids and ships at my disposal. Everything currently available was the first generation. The droids I wanted needed to be researched. I queued up the advancement as well as some of the other better-quality selections.

• [Research: Battle Droids – Second Generation]
  [Time: 1 Day, 23 Hours]

"This will slow things down," I muttered.

• [Complete One Research]
  [Cost: 100 Forge Points]

• [Balance: 200 Forge Points]

I dismissed the notification. It wasn't worth the rush. A knock on my door interrupted further debate on the issue. Probably for the best. I would have spent the points if I thought too much longer. My helmet connected to an intercom.

"I'm here," I said.

"There is an incoming transmission for you," Shmi replied.

"I'll be right out," I replied, then clicked off the connection.

I left the Warehouse through the door and dismissed the link. Shmi narrowed her eyes as I stepped out. The interior was obscured to people until I invited them inside and there wasn't a reason to do it yet. Hell, I still needed to figure out how to place the ship in space.

She stepped to the side to let me pass, then followed me to the Holo-Communication Projector. My pace slowed as I saw who it was.

"Kiskin," Queen Padme Amidala spoke in her 'royal' voice.

"Your majesty," I replied with a slight bow. "What can I do for you?"

"Why is the Queen of Naboo talking to him?" Mette whispered to Anakin.

"They know each other," Anakin replied.

He tried to push closer to get a better look. I scooted over to give him a chance. Padme gave him a gentle smile. He waved shyly at her.

"You previously offered your services," she fell back into her role. "Is that still open?"

"I can't fight a war for you," I replied.

"And I am not asking for you to do so," the Queen said. "I have a bounty I would like to offer you."

"People usually go through the Guild," I countered.

"This is personal," she said with a bit of steel in her voice.

"Who is it and do you want them dead or alive?" I said with a smile, even if she couldn't see it.

"Nute Gunray," her voice dripped with venom when she answered. "I want him alive."

"This should be interesting," I replied. "I accept. Suppose he's still holed-up in your castle on Naboo?"

"You are correct," the queen replied. "Please, time is of the essence."

"Of course," I said, inclining my head. "It was nice to speak to you again. Next time, it will be on Naboo."

"Thank you, Honored Mandalorian," the queen faded away once she said her piece.

"Change of plans," I said turning to my crew. "We're heading to Naboo."

"Is that a good idea?" Shmi asked as she took a step closer to Anakin.

"Probably not," I replied. "Adyan, set the course. Let me know how long it will take. Shmi, Anakin, I said I'd show you how to use a blaster. This is a good time to start."

~

Shmi wasn't bad with a blaster. It clearly wasn't her first time using one. Still, she didn't look happy seeing Anakin learning. I kept the blasters set to stun focused on getting the basics settled. How to hold it correctly, adjust for recoil, change a power-pack, and trigger safety.

"You won't be able to carry a blaster until I say," I said to Anakin. "You're doing good. Keep it up and it shouldn't take you too long."

"But I want to fight now!" Anakin whined.

"Ani," Shmi soothed.

"No, mom!" Anakin yelled. "I can do it."

"Anakin," I snapped.

Mette, Anakin, and Shmi snapped to attention. I hated to do it, but he needed to understand this was a serious issue.

"Your mother is looking out for your safety. I am looking out for your safety," I kept my voice firm and even. "Do you think I would waste my time teaching you if I thought you couldn't do it?"

He shook his head.

"This isn't about you fighting," I knelt down to get on his level. "I have no doubt whatsoever that you will be a great warrior AFTER you have learned. You will not throw away your future due to impatience." I paused. "Like I said, emotion is fuel, but you can't let it control you."

Anakin pouted but still nodded.

"This isn't how I'd like to start your teaching," I confessed. "The first step is long range with rifles, then mid-range with a carbine, close with a pistol, and then melee with either a knife, sword, or lightsaber. Do you know why?"

Anakin shook his head.

"That way, you survive long enough to learn everything," I told him. "Once we're done here, I'll add combat training in with the rest." I dropped my voice a little so only he could hear. "Work hard with a rifle and you could be my overwatch on missions."

He scrunched his brow at the word.

"Long range cover," I clarified. "You scan the area, identify threats, and take them down."

His eyes lit up.

"For now," I shifted my voice back to normal. "I need you to trust me and be patient."

His shoulders slumped. After a moment he nodded.

"Thank you," I said as I stood.

"We're about to drop out of hyperspace," Adyan called from the cockpit.

The hum of the engines eased as the ship arrived near Naboo.

"Uh," Adyan yelled. "We might have a problem."

I strolled into the cockpit with Anakin, Shmi, and Mette a step behind. The entire viewport was filled with Trade Federation ships.

"Here," I flipped a couple of switches on the control panel. "We're broadcasting a FOF signal. They should ignore us as long as we don't draw attention to ourselves."

"How do we do that?" Adyan practically snapped at me.

"Fly casual," I replied with a smile in my voice. "I've always wanted to say that."

The Twi'lek shook her head in exasperation as she followed my order. We slipped passed the first line of ships without an issue.

"They're scanning us," Adyan said. "Now, they're hailing us."

"We got closer than I thought we would," I said with a shrug.

The entire crew stared at me for a moment.

"We won't pass any sort of inspection," I said. "Punch it, we need to get on the planet now."

Adyan opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She clicked the straps on her seat into place.

"Everybody, strap in," Adyan said tightened her grip on the yoke. "This is going to get rough."

We had barely got into seats before the ship kicked up in speed. Thanks to my helmet I could see the everyone's reactions. Anakin had a wide smile on his face and had his hands in the air like it was a rollercoaster. Shmi was her usual calm self, if you ignored the white-knuckle grip she had on her straps. Mette, well, the poor girl had her eyes clenched shut and was muttering something in a language that I couldn't understand.

Lasers exploded around us as the Trade Federation ships opened fire. They hadn’t had enough time to release their fighters just yet. I hoped that it would give us enough time. Adyan cursed every time she had to pull a tricky turn or dodge more lasers.

"Doesn't this ship have guns?" Mette screamed.

"Yes, we do," I replied. "They can't take down one of those."

I pointed to the large ships that were now trying to shoot us down. We lurched to the side. Adyan let out another loud string of curses.

"I can't get close enough," she growled. "It's too much."

She pulled the ship into a sharp dive to avoid a barrage of lasers. I activated my Omni-Tool and linked it to the console. A quick scan of Theed, the capital city, revealed the palace. More importantly, it identified the hangar we needed.

"Great, thanks," Adyan rolled her eyes. "That makes it so much easier."

"Anakin," I ignored her comments. "Take the controls. I marked the landing site."

"Roger, roger," Anakin launched himself from his seat and was in the co-pilot chair in an instant.

"Are you sure about this?" Adyan asked incredulously.

"He's the best pod-racer in the galaxy," I replied with a small shrug.

"This isn't a pod-racer," Adyan snapped back.

"It's so much better," Anakin whooped.

We were pushed back into our seats as he turned the ship into a spiral dive. He gracefully danced the ship through the various bursts of lasers. A moment later we broke through the atmosphere. The anti-air turrets opened fire now that the ships in orbit couldn't target us without damaging their own.

Anakin pulled up, leveling us out to run parallel to the ground. We were approaching the palace hangar way too fast. Mette's screams of terror drowned out the jubilant yells from Anakin. My helmet adjusted the noise so that everything was at a comfortable level.

He cut the thrusters at the last moment and engaged the rear deflector shields at full power. The ship jerked at the rough shift in momentum. He slid the ship into the hangar without engaging the landing gear. There was an unholy screeching noise as the bottom of the ship scrapped along the floor. We came to a stop against the far wall of the hangar and probably would have crashed through if it hadn't been built into the side of a mountain. A large cluster of droids were ground to scrap under us. The nearby Naboo pilots watched the scene in shock.

"Get on the turrets," I ordered. "Blast any droids you see. I'll be right back."

I rushed out of the cockpit and swung by my quarters. For the first time since I arrived in this reality, I clasped my lightsaber to my belt. I did a quick check to make sure my blasters were ready to go, then snagged the newly acquired rifle as I passed.

• [Making an Entrance]
  [+100 FP]

• [Balance: 300 Forge Points]
  [Roll – Bank – Shop]

Roll.

• [Cost: 100 FP]

• [Abilities: Blaster Manipulation
  [Who brings a sword to a gunfight? Someone who can ignore bullets. You may now use the Force to deflect or even halt blaster bolts in midair, nullifying the ranged weapons of your enemies. Once a bolt is frozen, it requires minimal concentration to keep suspended, though if you walk away it will continue on its path. This power is less effective on kinetic projectiles and non-energy-based weaponry, but dedicated practice may change that.]

• [Bookmark – Purchase – Dismiss]

That sounded like a good deal.

Purchase.

• [Balance: 200 Forge Points]

It was time to see how much the audience liked violence.

~

The droids in the hangar hadn't had time to call for reinforcements. It would have been a bonus if we hadn't made such an entrance. I doubted they would overlook a random ship all but crashing into the royal hangar that just so happened to be where the leaders of the Trade Federation invasion were.

I had the rifle up and ready as I exited the ship. The few droids that were still functional were put down with a couple of precise shots. I had no idea when the Queen and her entourage. The roller-droids and wider shoulder ones were either protecting Nute or weren't here.

A string of blaster fire raced through the air toward me. I held up my hand and flicked them away. They splashed against the wall. A squad of basic battle droids fanned out as they entered the hangar. I kept my shots in controlled, precise bursts. My talents, previous experience, and steady fire cut through them with brutal efficiency. The helmet highlighted the spots that would do the most damage. A mini-map of the palace appeared in the lower right corner of my vision. It didn't mark the locations of enemies, but at least I knew where I was going. I adjusted my path, heading for the throne room now that I knew where it was.

The shots that the droids did land weren't deadly. That didn't mean they were gentle touches. My armor was doing work keeping me alive and earning 'character' with every shot. There were more droids in the palace than I had initially thought. A sense of dread settled in at the sound of a roller-droids approaching. I dove behind a pillar as three of them unfolded and opened fire. Chunks of stone rained down around me.

"Kiskin," Adyan chimed in on my comm.

"A little busy," I replied scanning the area for a path of escape.

"We just got word from the Queen," Adyan continued without comment. "They're hitting the Control Ship with the shut-down code. The droids will be down for a couple of minutes at most."

A wicked smile crossed my face at the sound of the nearby shield generators powering down. I unhooked a thermal detonator from my belt and rolled it between the trio of roller-droids, then tucked back behind the pillar. The subsequent explosion sent a shockwave down the hall that shattered the windows.

I paused to shoot each one as I passed. With the droids out of commission I didn't have to stay inside the palace. I stepped out through one of the broken windows, activated my jetpack, and zipped over to the throne-room. Nute Gunray and his other dehydrated space frogs were scrambling.

They stared in wonder as I stepped through the broken glass. I trained my rifle on the Viceroy.

"Nute Gunray," I said as I approached. "I was told to take you alive, but I can still make it hurt."

They all raised their hands in unison.

• [Tech Support]
  [+100 FP]

• [Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?]
  [+100 FP]

• [Space Frog Retrieval]
  [+100 FP]

• [Roll – Bank – Shop]

BANK. I'd look into it later.

• [Balance: 500 Forge Points]

I pinged my ship, connecting to the comms.

"Tell the Queen I have Gunray," I said.

"Roger, roger," Adyan replied.

"Let's go Viceroy," I motioned with my rifle to the door. "I've got a nice spot in my ship for you."

~

I had the group of Neimoidians in front of me as I directed them down the hall. Technically, I could have grabbed Gunray and hopped out the window. That would have left the others unattended, and I didn't want anyone left behind to get ideas. I directed them to the elevator, still keeping them in front in case there were droids waiting for us.

A sense of dread filled the air as the elevator came to a stop. I had just enough time to wonder what the hell it was before the doors opened. A flash of red decapitated the three Neimoidians in front of me. They didn't have time to scream. Darth Maul stood before me, practically snarling as he glared at me.

I shifted my grip on the rifle and held it out as a shield. Another flash of red slices the blaster into two pieces. I threw one half at him and grabbed the barrel, wielding it like a club. Maul swatted away the chunk of partially melted metal. His backswing chopped my impromptu club so only a nub poked out from my grip. I tossed that part at him too.

He caught the nub and growled in annoyance. I shrugged. Maul sprang forward; the red blade swung toward my head. I raised my arm, catching the lightsaber on my bracer. The Beskar stopped the strike. I didn't lose my arm, but the impact sent streaks of pain up to my shoulder. If I survived this I was going to invest in some cortosis weave in my armor.

A brief moment of confusion flashed across his face. I used the opening to kick him in the chest. Maul stumbled back a couple of steps. I stepped out of the elevator, over the trio of headless bodies. Maul cocked his head to the side as my lightsaber jumped into my hand. The blue blade added highlights along my armor.

Years of instruction, practice, and form activated the moment the blade was in my hand. Balance, speed, distance, and accuracy were the pillars of this knowledge. The scorching full-body needle treatment when I purchased the skill provided some muscle memory too.

Maul grinned like a shark. He held hilt parallel to the floor and activated the second blade of his lightsaber.

"I can wait if you want to get a real weapon," I adjusted my grip to allow two hands on the hilt.

He snarled as he spun his blades.

"Oh," I shook my head. "You're serious. Here in the elevator, or do you want to do this right?"

Maul stepped back and deactivated one of the blades. He waved for me to follow. We kept each other in view, him walking backwards while I casually strolled after. It was impressive how he could navigate through the palace without taking his eyes off of me. He led me to an expansive room with a long table in the center that stretched almost the entire length of the space. It looked like the space could still easily fit a few dozen assistants, droids, and whatever else royalty needed. Just for the hell of it, I hopped onto the table to see if he would follow. It was a lot wider than I had expected, I could probably land a fighter on it. He flashed a feral smile as he landed across from me.

He activated both sides of the staff and spun it casually. I feinted forward, he recognized the move and adjusted with a side-step. One end of the staff sliced out, aiming for my neck. I ducked, aiming a swipe at his legs as I did only for him to hop back out of range.

If this was a proper duel I would have waited for him to reset. Instead, I rushed him. My blade hummed that awesome sound as it cut through the air. I cycled through a series of rolling chops, switching sides with each one. Maul blocked them as he strategically gave ground.

He caught my off-guard with a sudden lunge. I twisted to the side to let it pass seemingly playing into his plans as he spun the staff with the other end angled to slip into my side where the armor didn't protect. I blocked it with my bracer and felt a much harder jolt race up to my shoulder.

Pushing through the pain, I shifted my arm and latched onto the saber-hilt just above where the blade emerged. A quick burst of Force Push twisted that side into a crumpled mess of metal, extinguishing the compressed plasma and turning this into an actual swordfight.

Maul roared at the disrespect. He spun, using the momentum to power a kick that hit me in the gut. I didn't feel any pain thanks to the armor, but the intensity behind it knocked me back. He pressed on, slashing at me in a wild abandon.

I was purely on the defensive now. Dodging the strikes I could and blocking those I couldn't. I didn't realize how much ground I had given until I ran out of table to walk on. Maybe this hadn't been my smartest idea. That being fighting Maul in the first place and choosing to do so on a table to look cool.

A burst from my jetpack lifted me into the air over him. I quickly landed, now with plenty of space to work with, and hopped back another boost-assisted distance. Maul held up his lightsaber, the broken end sparked and sputtered. His hate filled eyes locked on my visor.

"At least you have a decent weapon now," I said smirking under my helmet.

Taunting a Sith? Eh, if I was going to die I'd rather go out with my head held high. Not literally, that's how you get decapitated.

Maul didn't bother to reply. Even pissed off the guy was good. He didn't lose himself to rage like others would. It fueled him, making him faster and hit harder. Even blocking with my lightsaber made my hands tingle. I pushed forward, closing the distance between us. We crossed blades, letting me get a good look at his face. He was younger than I had expected.

I let go of my lightsaber, deactivating it in the process, and dropped to a knee. The hilt half-spun as it fell. I caught it in my left hand, activated it, and found that it was blade-down in reverse grip. Before he could adjust I slashed at his mid-section.

Maul jumped back but I still caught him on the side. It wasn't the hit I was aiming for. I spun the blade to a proper grip as he shed his singed shirt. The wound was a contrasting bright red against his skin. He glared and launched himself at me. Fighting with my left hand wasn't optimal. I needed to swap to my right if I wanted to go on the offensive.

He swiped at me from the left side. I raised my arm to block the strike with my bracer, using the motion to toss the blade to my other hand. Maul adjusted his aim as I caught my lightsaber. I had just enough time to register my mistake before his blade cut through my forearm just below my bracer. Adrenaline was the only thing that kept me alive and not paralyzed in pain.

The blade streaked across my chest sparking as it went. He was within my reach. I dropped my lightsaber, grabbed him by the neck, and activated the flamethrower on my gauntlet. Pressurized space-napalm covered hit him square in the face. I kept it going until his head was a smoldering stump.

Maul's body collapsed onto the table allowing the fire spread to engulf the corpse.

I moved on autopilot, picking up my detached forearm and tucked it under my arm. Then, I grabbed his lightsaber and clipped it to my belt. I hopped off the table, then made my way back to where Nute Gunray and his minions had been killed. The pieces of my rifle were scattered among the bodies. It wasn't a big loss.

The sound of footsteps brought me out of my detached observation. I drew my blaster and turned to face whoever was approaching. Padme and her royal entourage came to a stop when they saw me. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan continued on to inspect the scene.

"You're hurt," Qui-Gon stated.

"You should see the other guy," I replied.

That moment was when the adrenaline wore off. Losing a limb, or part of one, to a lightsaber was an interesting experience. The blood was minimal. Instead, every nerve along the cut was overcome with a mixture of heat and pain. A notification popped up on my helmet, but my vision was too blurry to read. It wasn't from the Forge, just a standard one.

I barely felt the slight pinch along my left shoulder. However, I did feel the effects as the nerve-block activated. Damn, I loved this armor. My vision began to clear as the pain faded. I holstered my blaster and held out the detached piece of my arm.

"Any chance this can be reattached?" I asked holding it up for the two Jedi to see.

"No," Obi-Wan answered. "I'm sorry."

"You haven't met," Qui-Gon spoke up. "This is my Apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

I held out my detached hand for him to shake. The entire group stared at me in shock.

"My armor has an emergency medical protocol," I explained. "I'd rather not be conscious when it wears off." I turned to the Queen. "Is it over?"

"Yes," she nodded. "The signal you provided worked wonders. We were able to disable the control ship long enough to destroy it. The droid army shutdown without it."

"Apologies about Gunray," I motioned to the corpses with the stump of my arm.

"It is regrettable, but understandable," Qui-Gon spoke before the Queen could.

"Great," I sighed. "My ship doesn't have a bacta-tank."

"The people of Naboo will be honored to provide further medical care," Padme said quickly. "Sabe."

"Yes, your majesty," one of the handmaidens that was almost identical to Padme stepped up. "Come with me, Mando."

My helmet scanned her and compared it to the one of Padme. Sabe was a little taller by a couple of inches. The headdresses would easily mask it. That, and who would think a Queen would pretend to be a handmaiden?

I followed her through the palace. My helmet automatically marked the path we took.

"Privacy please," I said as I followed her. "Removing my armor is…"

"Understood," Sabe replied with a small bow. "The royal healing droids are sworn to secrecy."

"Thank you," I said as we arrived at our destination.

The room was mixture of beds, bacta-tanks, and machines that looked like a mixture of an MRI machine and a tanning booth. It was fully staffed by droids. Sabe led me to one of the horizontal booths.

"I will give you some privacy," Sabe bowed.

I nodded in reply. She paused at the door to speak.

"Words cannot express the appreciation we have for what you have done," Sabe left before I could say anything in response.

"Greetings," a medical droid floated over to me. "Please remove your armor and enter the pod."

"Wait," I commanded.

The droid floated back to give me space.

"Anakin, Adyan," I connected my comms to the ship. "Are you all alive?"

"Yes," Anakin's voice came in loud and clear. "I got to blast droids!"

"Good work, kid," I chuckled. "Is everyone ok?"

I could hear some shuffling. It made me picture the woman trying to wrangle Anakin out of the way.

"Yeah," Adyan chimed in. "The droids were focused on you. Two Jedi and some guards showed up a few minutes ago and released the pilots. Are you alright?"

"No," I replied. "I'm getting in a bacta-pod right now. They'll let you know when I'm out."

I motioned for the droid to approach. It did so.

"I'm not human," I said as I began the process of taking off my armor.

"We have an expansive catalogue for medical treatment," the droid replied.

I took off my helmet and gave the droid a flat stare.

"Oh, my," the droid whispered.

"Pureblood Sith," I provided. "Do you have information for that?"

"Searching," the droid hovered in the air.

It stayed quiet long enough to strip out of my armor completely. Each piece removed exposed bruises, cuts, and burns that I hadn't realized I had acquired. Some of the damage ended abruptly marking where my armor protected.

"Good news," the droid said. "Our medical records include a selection on a Sith-Human hybrid. We will be able to extrapolate treatment based on that."

I removed the rest of my clothes, then got in the pod.

• [Anyone for Space Frog Legs?]
  [+100 FP]

• [A Brush With Greatness]
  [+100 FP]

• [Gotta Hand It to You]
  [+100 FP]

• [You Survived!]
  [+100 FP]

• [Sith, Extra Crispy]
  [+500 FP]

• [Qui-Gon Lives!]
  [+500 FP]

• [Roll – Bank – Shop]
  [Balance: 1900 Forge Points]

"Bank," I said.

"Pardon?" The medical droid asked.

"Nothing," I replied. "Start the treatment."

"You will need to use this to be able to breath," the droid used one of its claw-arms to place a small mask over my mouth and nose. "It will start with a sedative before the pod is filled with bacta."

I nodded, then closed my eyes and breathed deep.