“A well designed base,” Ultron praised the Deathwatch below their vantage point. “They’ve transformed this massive bore hole into a well fortified position.”
“Have you hacked their network yet?” Dan squinted into the apparently abandoned mine. Beyond the displayed lifesigns, the smell of gun oils and polished metal pressed to the back of his nose. “I want a full map before we move in…”
“I have breached their security,” The A.I. rolled his luminous eyes. “If you can call it that, the one we seek is in a central chamber, far below.”
Dan nodded as a three dimensional projection appeared in his vision. The base was layered like a capital ship, airlocked doors set between fortified sections. It even had its own life support, a system that would let the inhabitants survive years below ground.
“Let’s go, I want to finish this fast, with as few casualties as possible.”
These Mandalorians would be his to command, once he held the Darksaber. Pre Vizsla might be a match for a Jedi, even a weaker master, but he was still a human. Skill could only take you so far, but Dan would still act with caution.
“Venom, what’s the status on the plasma weapons?”
“Soooon…” the symbiote grumbled. “You will know when it’s ready.”
Dan shrugged. Even without them, the boost from Venom was more than enough to rush through this base. He slid down the side of the vast, vertical pit, Ultron beside him. The sensors deactivated as they approached, manipulated by the A.I.
“How many men are between us and him,” Dan stopped in front of a tall air vent. “The ones we can’t avoid?”
“Fifteen soldiers, all armoured, reside in two chambers adjacent to the target,” Ultron carved through the vent and led the way inside. “Another five are in the room, also armoured.”
“Twenty-one men total,” Dan stretched out his back and set his breath in a comfortable rhythm. “Want to divide them into ten each, or have a contest?”
“Let’s play a game,” Ultron laughed and jetted silently down the shaft ahead. “The one with the most captured or killed get’s to set the production priorities for the next month.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“Deal, but we get two points for a capture, one for a kill,” Dan smirked. “With a minus two for every kill above your capture number.”
“Deal!”
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“Seven!” Ultron ripped the helmet from a dazed mandalorian and bashed the man’s head against the wall.
Dan snorted as he ducked a hail of blaster fire. Two lines of webbing lanced through the air and wrapped the arms of his opponents. A swift pull dragged them forward, straight into his fists. He mimicked Ultron’s tactic and de-helmed the pair, one punch to their exposed faces enough to render them out of the fight.
“Eight!” Dan laughed as he sprinted for the door. “Four left, plus the target!”
The blast door opened before them, a que for a wave of cannon fire that lanced into the hall. Dan twisted aside, well ahead of the attack, while Ultron walked through the deluge, unharmed. They dove into Pre Vizsla’s throne room, split apart as they pursued two mounted blaster cannons.
Controlled by two men each, the canons tracked with mechanical precision. Dan led the soldiers on a dance, the hall behind him aflame as he webbed into a position above the mandalorian’s heads. They abandoned the canon and directed their rifles upward, too late. Dan wrapped them in a thick layer of web, with a dose for the canon itself.
“Nine…”
“Ten!” Dan smirked as he turned to face the last two men in the room. “You’re durable, but you’re too slow!”
Utron’s eyes glowed a deep crimson as he rocketed across the room, toward Pre Vizsla and his second in command. The second ducked to the side, but Vizsla drew a black blade of energy and slashed at the A.I.’s approach. A twist directed Ultron around the sabre, straight into the other man’s path. A heavy punch caved in the man’s chest and a wash of blood poured from beneath his helm.
“Ten.” Ulton tossed the man aside. “A draw!”
“Fine-fine, we’ll talk about it later,” Dan rolled his eyes as he walked to face Vizsla. “Right now we have a show to put on.”
“Understood,” Ultron leered as he snapped his fingers. “We are transmitting to all deathwatch members and associates listed in their database, even those out of system.”
“Great,” Dan nodded as he twisted his wrists with a crack. “Pre Vizsla, I challenge you for ownership of the Darksaber, and the title of secret Mandalore!”
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“Your ship is so slow…” Merlyn frowned at the glare of hyperspace through the viewport. “We’ll miss the main event at this rate.”
“She’s one of the fastest in the galaxy,” Fett growled. “I’m not travelling without her,”
“Well, I’m going to speed things up,” Merlyn thumped his staff on the deck. A wash of blue flowed from his body and wrapped Jango’s ship. “We have a schedule to keep!”
“What the hell are you doing!” Jango reached for the Wizard, only to find himself blocked by an invisible barrier. Alarms and warning lights filled the bridge as the ship lurched from hyperspace, directly above Mandalore.
“Impossible…” Jango stopped his assault and tended to his ship. “You fried half the systems, but we’ve skipped a dozen jumps…”
“The wonders of magic!” Merlyn smirked. “Now, head for that ungainly moon,” he pointed to Concordia. “My master awaits!”
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“Thank you for your support!” May bowed to a family group of intelligent bears. “I hope the domestic assistance droid can make your lives easier.”
May launched into the sky, pointed to the next registered voting group. She had taken it on herself to hand deliver their message, alongside the gift. Ultron’s drones had a habit of insulting the locals.
“It’s a long list, but I can get through most of it in the next three months,” May boosted her speed. “Once we’ve got a political leader, Dan and I will have more time to train!”
Magic class had lit a fire in her heart. Her dream had always been to live in a magical world, the star wars galaxy had initially been a bit outside her interest. With the help of Merlyn, she’d found a talent she didn’t know she had.
“Let’s get this done!”