Chapter 64: Calm Before The Storm
*Crick* *Crick* *Whissshhhhh*
A gentle breeze rustled the towering trees that laid exposed under the moonlight. There were no clouds above on this night, the light of the sun reflecting off the moon and keeping the jungle alight.
I took a deep breath of that fresh jungle air. This place was filled with life. Rich vitality in this unkempt natural environment.
The force flows through all things, living or not. However, life is what was birthed from the force and it flows much more strongly within. I felt like I could feel what the trees were feeling. I felt them complain that their neighbors had been uprooted.
At that moment, with the warm and soothing sensation of the force keeping my mind clear, I had my eyes glued on the culprits of such an act. Unsurprisingly, those culprits were my enemy.
Sprawled out before me was a sizable facility with Imperials swarming everywhere. I reached up to my right temple and turned a dial. This zoomed in the picture my new helmet was displaying.
I got several useful items from the supply crate so I decided to leave my comrades in the trustworthy hands of that sadistic hunk of beskar. The droid seemed contempt to be left with the wreckage. Regardless, I felt that I had all of the gear I would need for any mission.
[Tactical Helmet]
[Uncommon]
[Standard helmet outfitted with the typical technologies used by operatives. It's nothing special but it will get the job done consistently.]
[Light Armor Suit]
[Uncommon]
[Standard issue light body armor set that has been painted black. Will guarantee the user's survival from light blaster fire. That is all.]
[Cloak - Jungle Camouflage]
[Uncommon]
[Barely passable as camo. It appears as if someone had a mother with very poor taste and ripped up her drapes. Despite the poor quality, it will do a great job helping its user blend into the jungle.]
[Backpack - Form Factor]
[Uncommon]
[A well made backpack that can carry a surprising amount of weight. It is made of a composite fabric and is water resistant. Best used to carry electronics or explosives.]
[Thermal Detonators - x25]
[Uncommon]
[Ball go boom. 'Nough said.]
[WESTAR-35 Blaster Pistol + Grapple Hook Accessory]
[Rare]
[Standard issue Mandalorian blaster pistol. Powerful, compact, and durable. This one has a grappling hook attached to it.]
I felt a slight bit of comfort as I patted the pistol. I had lightsabers, but those won't always get the job done.
I flipped a switch and my vision turned into various colors ranging from black to bright red. This was thermal sight. It allowed me to see more than the naked eye. I quickly took note of the fact that there were hundreds of Imperials and droids roaming the facility.
As I swept the several square kilometer facility with my eyes, I also noticed a few hot spots. One particular building stood out. With such a high heat signature, it either held a generator or a big computer.
There were also several landing pads. Some of them were occupied with freighters, one of which was the one that had gotten me into this mess. Surrounding the landing pads was a surprising amount of shipping containers with varying sizes. Some were even the size of a bus.
Lastly, my eyes settled on the huge communications dish that sat atop the largest building in the center of the facility. If I could tap into that, I could call for help.
Something that felt a bit off, however, was that the lights were off in the facility. I could clearly tell that there were lighting fixtures, but they weren't powered on. Why were they working in the dark?
I shrugged as I started to prepare myself to move. I checked my gear and belt, ensuring everything was clipped in properly. Being several hundred meters off the ground, I had to be sure I wouldn't drop anything important. Well, it was all important.
Despite this attempt to settle my nerves, I felt them only become more and more tense. Something was off and that feeling was becoming ever more apparent. Was there actually a less predictable reason that the lights were off?
*URRRRGGGGHHHHH* *OUUU*
My head snapped to my right but the darkness concealed the source of the sound. It was a guttural roar that shook me down to my core. Accompanied by the howling wolves, I knew that something was coming. Yet, I did not know what.
The force grew increasingly restless as I heard the leaves of the tree I was standing in rustle along with those nearby. Thousands of birds took off from the branches, clearly scared by the roars and howls.
Their tiny bodies congregated into a swarm as they effectively blocked out the moon, casting a shadow for but a few seconds as they fled the scene. This shadow seemed to flip a switch in my brain as a bead of sweat rolled down my head.
This sound only dominated my ears for a few seconds before I heard a soft rumbling in the distance. It was coming from the same direction as the roar. Was something or someone attacking the facility?
It was at this moment that the lights across the facility flickered on, drowning the darkness in waves of light. I watched hundreds of Imperials and droids scrambling throughout the grounds. They were all making their way towards the source of the sound.
*UOOOOOOOOGHHH*
This time, the roar was significantly louder as the rumbling grew in strength. I felt the branch beneath me start to shake along with the tree. Whatever it was, it was huge. However, it was not only big, but also a chance.
I held my hands out to the side as I let my body fall backwards. As I plummeted towards the ground, I guided my body, approaching the trunk of the tree I was just on.
I reached it quickly and pushed off of it with my feet, sending myself shooting towards another tree. I repeated this several times.
Back and forth, back and forth. I was like an acrobat as I flipped and glided through the air. No ropes, no cables, no net to catch me. This was purely a controlled freefall.
The ground quickly approached and I reached it just a few seconds later with great speed. Lean, tuck, roll. With the help of the force and some good old physics, I broke the fall and shifted that momentum into running towards the facility.
"AGH!"
I winced as I started running. The amount of force I had just subjected my body to brought me a significant amount of pain. I couldn't help but clutch my stomach as I continued running. I had no time to cower in the corner and lick my wounds.
It had only been a few hours since we disposed of the Imperial scouts. It wouldn't have been long before they sent a follow-up that wouldn't be in the form of a slightly irritating email.
I slowed my breathing while quickening my pace. I could only trust in myself and the force.
The sounds of panic soon became apparent. Screams sounded through the shifting air of the night. Officers barking orders, panicked yelling, and yelps of agony were blended into a symphony of the dark side.
*UUUGHUUHGUHGUHU* *OUUUUUUUUUU*
The roar was nearly deafening as I scrunched my face in displeasure. Quickly following it was the sound of the facility's fence being ripped out of the ground by whatever invader had appeared.
*Cling* *Cling*
The ground was now shaking so much that I would even consider it violent. With the ground shaking, the fence surrounding the facility was rattling along with it. The metal links clanking against each other brought an unsettling sound to my ears.
A few hundred meters ahead of me, I was able to see the fence. Across the fence were dim red lights long with metal boxes that were separated uniformly.
This was a sure tell that the fence was rigged in some way. Whether it be voltage, some type of trap, or alarms, I didn't care to find out.
Fortunately, the treeline was not pushed back from the fence. This left some trees that hung over the fence and would provide a safe and easy entry point. They sure are arrogant leaving something like this. Did they really think no one would care to infiltrate?
I found two trees just a dozen meters from the fence that were quite close to each other. After approaching them, I planted my right foot on one. Then, I pushed off and did the same with my left foot on the other tree. Once more, I pushed off with my right foot and landed on a thick branch that extended towards the fence.
I sprinted across it and then leapt into the air as I watched the fence pass beneath my feet. It was no more than a second before I hit the ground and rolled again.
"Ugh."
Oh, pain was an understatement. It felt as if every time I put too much force on my mid section, that my stomach was being ripped in two by someone's bare hands.
I quickly lunged towards a storage container and planted my back onto it so I was facing towards the jungle. I slid down and came to a stop once my bottom hit the floor gently.
Deep breaths were all I could take at this time. Well, if I don't count the painkiller I was about to swallow, then there truly was nothing.
I yearned for simpler times. Compared to something like this, that first quest with Galen was pure child's play. It was straight forward and countless lives weren't at stake.
That's right, an unquantifiable number of lives were currently at stake. Compared to back then when only my meaningless life in this game was at stake, this was a mountain pressing down on my shoulders.
Was this how Atlas feels when he holds up the Earth? With so much at stake, I can understand that feeling even if just a bit.
This was not just lives. This was the galaxy. This complex was a strategic resource that could change the course of the entire war. I couldn't even imagine the tyranny that the innocent people of this galaxy would be subjected to if the Sith were to reign supreme.
Shaking my head, I sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I had no time to cower in fear. Now was the time to take action. I had two mission objectives.
My primary mission objective was to sabotage this base. Its purpose wasn't clear but I had to eliminate it regardless. I strongly doubted that they were here to solve galactic hunger.
The secondary mission objective was to collect intelligence. Anything I could get my hands on. The Republic needs this information to figure out what the Empire's angle is. Why hide a facility in the jungles of Kashyyyk?
As these thoughts went through my head, a smile broke out on my face. It wasn't some wave of happiness but it was the quest notifications I had just received.
[Quest Completed]
[Lone Wolf II]
[+5 Levels, Epic Holocron]
I'm not sure why I did it, but I thought to myself that I didn't want the reward now. If I died here, I would lose it. That would be a horrible loss. What happened next shocked me.
[Quest reward has been delayed. Will for it and it will appear.]
Smiling, I got onto the next notification which shocked me even more.
[Quest Received]
[Lone Wolf III]
[Legendary Chain Quest]
[After following the leads gained from the interrogation, an Imperial facility has been discovered. It is heavily fortified with an unknown quantity of personnel numbering in the hundreds. With the amount of resources planted here and Kashyyyk's location, the consequences are unfathomable. Your performance will influence the rewards received.]
[+5-15 Levels, 1-3x Epic Holocrons, ???]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone