A Living Nightmare

  Chapter 19: The Hunted

  "Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometres away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope.”

  Location: J23R - Experimental Weapons Bunker L45V

  The moment the ray shield collapsed, the two droidekas attacked, weapons blazing—and I had no lightsaber to speak of.

  Blaster bolts whipped past, forcing me to hurl myself behind a portion of the wall paneling that had buckled loose. “Goddamned droids!” I muttered, dragging up a sheet of twisted metal as makeshift cover. It barely absorbed a barrage of searing bolts, each impact rattling my teeth.

  HK-47’s metallic snicker slithered across the corridor’s loudspeakers.

  “Mocking Encouragement: Do stand still, meatbag. My dear droidekas detest chasing vermin about the floor.”

  I spared a glare at the overhead sensor node, certain the murderous droid was watching. “Don’t worry. We’ll have our chat soon enough.”

  “Smug Inquiry: A personal visit? How deliciously optimistic!”

  A flurry of red blasts chewed at my panel, leaving it half-melted. I shoved my anger down, letting the dark side fill the edges of my senses. The nearest droideka advanced, shield shimmering. With a snarl, I yanked a chunk of plating from behind me, pitching it forward—but the droideka’s shield flared, deflecting it aside. Stronger shields than I anticipated, I realized. No matter. I’d need another tactic.

  One droideka flanked to my left, weapons thundering. I dived, letting the Force guide me to a battered B1 chasis partially lodged against the wall. Its arm joint was free. Perfect. I stretched out a hand; the severed arm tore loose, streaking through the air as if flung by an invisible sling. It smashed against the droideka’s shield with a crackle. I could sense the energy wavering. Stronger shields but limited, I noted.

  “Agitated Query: Why would you fling an arm at my adopted children? You truly are unhinged, meatbag!”

  I grinned through clenched teeth, dashing from cover to cover as more bolts scorched the walls. “Just testing your defenses.” With a gesture, I ripped a second B1’s limb free and hurled it at the droideka’s generator node. The shield flickered but held—enough of a momentary flicker for me to slip behind the droid. A swift telekinetic shove cracked its repulsor alignment, flipping it sideways in a shower of sparks. Its partner tried to swivel, but I was already lunging across the corridor, launching a battered wall panel at it with my free hand.

  The second droideka’s shield buckled for only a microsecond—just enough time for me to fling myself in range. I pumped raw Force energy into a concussive blast against its metallic body, bashing it into the floor. Shields died, cannons fizzled, and the droid collapsed into a smoking wreck.

  Panting, I leaned against the corridor’s battered frame. Behind me, TK-421 was still out cold, stunned earlier. The overhead intercom crackled again.

  “Chiding Declaration: My glorious droidekas have failed to reduce you to red paste. You do surprise me.”

  “Get used to it,” I snarled, stepping over the broken chassis and pressing deeper into the bunker’s bowels. “Next time, send droids that can hit a blind man.”

  Barely two corridors later, I faced an automated blast door slamming open and shut in an erratic pattern. Sparks rained each time it groaned. I timed the shifting door wings, vaulting through in one breathless dash—and came face-to-face with a pair of B2 super battle droids. Each wore a retrofitted jetpack, and missile tubes bristled from their arm plating.

  “Exasperated Revelation: Ah, you’ve discovered my aerial prototypes. Please, do not spare your screams.”

  The B2 on the left kicked in its thrusters, hovering up to the ceiling, then launched a small rocket. I leapt aside, letting the projectile slam into a rusted console. Flame and debris exploded out, slicing a gash across my thigh. Hissing in pain, I forced my rage to guide me. A volley of blaster fire from the second B2 peppered my cover. I had to move.

  I lunged forward, flipping behind a half-collapsed machine, then tore another panel from the floor. With a fierce telekinetic shove, I rammed it into the right droid’s thruster. The jetpack sputtered, sending it spinning out of control. It slammed into the far wall with a crash, half its body crushed into the deprecated wall.

  “Contemptuous Encouragement: Faster, Inquisitor! I am sure you can amuse me more if you truly apply yourself.”

  Ignoring HK’s snide commentary, I turned my attention to the second B2 still airborne, leveling a wrist rocket at me. I used the Force to yank a dangling light fixture overhead, ripping it free so that it crashed onto the B2’s chest. Its rocket misfired, streaking upward to detonate in the ceiling. Shards of metal rained down, taking the B2 with them. I lunged in, channeling the dark side into a single palm strike that broke through its torso plating, crumpling its core.

  “Disappointed Sigh: They barely lasted half a minute. I will make note of that.”

  The next hallway was narrower, lights flickering ominously. A faint chorus of mechanical squeals drifted from below. Suddenly, a swarm of mouse droids scurried around the corner, each bristling with razor-sharp buzzsaws attached to their top hulls.

  “Curious Addendum: Meet my squeaking minions. Mind the new modifications—excessive, but delightful.”

  The mice whirred, zipping in figure-eights around me. I tried kicking one aside, only for another to nip at my shin, slicing a shallow gash. Letting out a string of curses, I hopped back and seized the Force. I yanked one unlucky droid up by its spinning saw, sending it hurling into two more. Sparks erupted as they collided, a swirl of shrieks cutting off mid-grind.

  But more of them raced in. One managed to slash across my calf, drawing blood. Anger pulsed in my veins; I slammed out a Force wave, scattering half the swarm like leaves in the wind. Metal bits clanged off the walls as they slammed into each other, shorting out in the process.

  “Approving Statement: Your use of telekinesis is marginally impressive, blind one.”

  “You’re gonna regret this,” I rasped, stepping over a partially dissected mouse droid. “I promise you.”

  “Smug Rejoinder: A meatbag’s promise is worth less than rusted durasteel, but do try your best.”

  Ahead, the corridor stretched into darkness. I felt the scuttling of metal limbs on the ceiling. The unusual whirring brought to mind old memories, that being the death of R4. I remembered with clarity, the droid getting cut apart by these particular breed of droid. Buzzdroids. The moment I stepped forward, a cluster of them dropped like lethal spiders, aiming to latch onto my arms and legs.

  My instincts flared. I twisted sideways, letting two of them land just to my left. Another latched onto my shoulder, drilling its main pincer dangerously close to my neck. Gritting my teeth, I seized it with the Force, prying it off before it could carve flesh. I slammed it into the floor, crushing its carapace.

  Two more latched onto my back, their whirling saws chewing through the section of armor and reinforced fabric. I gasped at the sudden sting, then flung myself against the corridor wall, scraping them off in a violent collision. Sparks leaped as I stomped on one. The other skittered free, but I whipped out a telekinetic lash that flung it into a new set of lasers protruding from the wall.

  “Expletive-Filled Declaration: Force lasers, how I adore them,” HK cooed through the speakers.

  Sure enough, thin red beams crisscrossed from recesses in the metal panels, forcing me to crouch low or leap high to avoid them. With a feral grin, I realized I could use them. When the final buzzdroid lunged at me, I sidestepped and gave a small Force push. It shot forward, directly into the beam. The laser cut it clean in half, limbs clattering away.

  I exhaled, exhaustion tugging at my limbs. How many more insane contraptions did HK have waiting?

  I pushed into a wide open lab that smelled of scorched metal and old chemicals. The walls bore deep slash marks, possibly from prior tests. Out of a side corridor emerged two commando droids, each brandishing slender vibro-swords. They moved with eerie grace, scanning me with glowing photoreceptors.

  “Observant Statement: These commando units are a personal favorite of mine. Their swords are so elegantly crafted.”

  If only I had one of those. I had no real weapon except the Force, but it’s all I’d need for now. The first droid lunged, blade whistling toward my ribs. I sidestepped, but its partner’s slash caught my forearm. Pain seared through me, warm blood trickling down. Clenching my jaw, I seized a leftover chunk of scattered tools from the floor, flinging them at the second commando. It blocked with its sword, sparks dancing off the metal.

  While it was distracted, I spun in close to the first one, hooking a foot around its ankle to topple it. My armored elbow slammed into its head module, but not enough to disable it. It rolled away, blade flashing in a counter. A stinging line cut my shoulder. Too fast, I realized, feeling blood soak my tattered sleeve.

  I reeled, letting the dark side burst forth in an instinctive wave that shoved both droids back, clattering into a collapsed console. They rebounded with fluid efficiency. One slid behind me, slashing in a lethal arc. I kicked aside a half-lifted panel, tangling up its legs for half a heartbeat. The second droid came at me from the front, sword raised high. Desperation flared—I ducked at the last second, forcing the droids to nearly collide with each other.

  Seeing an opening, I jammed a telekinetic downward spike between them, sending them smashing together in a violent tangle of limbs. Before they could regroup, I grabbed one of their swords mid-fall, spun, and drove it through the second droid’s chest. The first tried to twist free, so I yanked the sword back out and impaled it as well. Both collapsed, spitting sparks.

  “Aggravated Observation: You do delight in destroying my favorites, Inquisitor.”

  I just coughed, pressing a hand against the fresh wound in my arm. “You should see how many favorite droids I can kill in one day. Perhaps we’ll find out soon.”

  I staggered out of that lab and into a narrower catwalk bridging two sections of the bunker. No sooner had I stepped onto the walkway than a chunk of the floor caved in, revealing an energy trap beneath. Twisting in mid-air, I grabbed the edge, my feet skimming the lethal glow. A flick of the Force propelled me up and over the collapsing section, barely safe. Another wave of mouse droids skittered out from a hatch, but I hurled them off the catwalk with a gesture, hearing them clank and sputter into the trap below.

  I navigated another corridor, dispatching a small group of B2 droids lurking in an old cargo bay. Their rocket arms mostly misfired, leaving me room to bring down the overhead structure in a controlled collapse. My muscles screamed with each telekinetic push, fatigue gnawing at the corners of my mind. HK cackled overhead, enthralled by my struggle.

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  Finally, I reached a maintenance sector. The floor was littered with dismembered B1 torsos and random welding rigs. In the center stood a single GNK droid rigged with a massive rocket launcher strapped to its top. Its monotone gonk seemed to greet me with comedic menace.

  “Smug Declaration: Excellent! My warhead-charged GONK is a personal favorite. Do enjoy.”

  The GNK droid let out a rather aggressive gonk, pivoting awkwardly to aim the launcher. I dove behind a stack of crates just as a rocket whooshed over my head. The explosion rocked the chamber, sending shards of metal into my back. Wheezing, I fought to remain upright. Another rocket fired, but I managed to deflect it mid-air with a hasty Force push, slamming it into the far wall. Debris rained in every direction.

  Gritting my teeth, I mustered one last dash. I tackled the GNK from behind, knocking it off-balance. It beeped frantically, swinging the launcher around. I grabbed the rocket tube in a fierce telekinetic grip, yanking it free of the droid’s mount. With a furious growl, I smashed the launcher down, caving in the GONK’s top casing. Sparks flew, and the droid sputtered, letting out a final beep before collapsing with a sad hiss.

  “Aggravated Annoyance: You reduce all my lovely contraptions to scrap! How inconsiderate.”

  A blast door on the far side groaned open, revealing a large storeroom lined with battered crates and empty racks. My gut twisted—something felt off. Then from behind the crates, they emerged: a small army of B1 droids, easily thirty or more, blasters primed. Half the group was perched on catwalks, the rest spread across the floor.

  “Smug Explanation: I find quantity can be a quality all its own, meatbag. Enjoy being outnumbered.”

  Fatigue weighed on every cell of my body. My wounds bled, each breath coming ragged. I can’t fight them all one by one. But the dark side pounded in my skull, fueled by my fury and desperation. If I wanted to survive, I’d have to unleash it.

  Blaster fire erupted, crisscrossing the storeroom. I flung myself behind a crate, but it was too flimsy to last. Enough. Something snapped in my mind. I burst from cover, thrusting both arms forward.

  “Enough!”

  Like a tidal wave, the Force wrapped every B1 in the room in a choking telekinetic grip. I lifted them all, a few dozen squeals and metallic screeches filling the air. They flailed helplessly, metal limbs rattling. Then, with a guttural roar, I slammed them down, cracking the durasteel floor in a thunderous impact. A massive cloud of dust and shrapnel soared up, and when it cleared, nothing but twisted rubble and sparking droid parts remained.

  I stood there, panting, hands trembling. The entire storeroom was silent. Even HK’s voice didn’t chime in for a moment, as if stunned by the display. He wasn’t the only one as I took note of the destruction.

  Then he let out a low, sardonic hum.

  “Reluctant Admiration: That was… almost impressive, Inquisitor.”

  Another corridor stretched beyond, flanked by flickering overhead lamps. At the end, a massive repurposed loader droid loomed—two meters tall, thickly armored. On either side stood two MagnaGuards, their electrostaffs crackling with purple arcs.

  “Mocking Commentary: Oh dear, you look so tired. Why not surrender? You’ve nowhere left to run.”

  The MagnaGuards stepped forward, electrostaffs humming. The loader droid remained stationary, but a bubble shield flickered around it, glimmering with an iridescent glow. Then the droid’s arms split apart, revealing mini rocket pods.

  I swallowed, battered and bleeding. The first rocket salvo launched—four small warheads streaked toward me. Instinct flared; I flung a wave of the Force to try and redirect them. They detonated uselessly against the loader droid’s shield, which merely rippled, showing not a single scratch.

  The MagnaGuards wasted no time, lunging. One rushed me from the left; the other skirted my right flank. I twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding a crackling staff that might have taken my head off. The loader droid opened up with a pair of scattergun blasts, pellets peppering the corridor. Shrapnel bit into my side, and pain shot up my legs.

  “How aggravating,” I hissed, ignoring the fresh sting. My breath ragged, I latched onto the nearest MagnaGuard’s arm in a Force grip, swinging it into the path of the next scattergun volley. It twitched as the blast shredded its torso, limbs flailing.

  “Anguished Exclamation: My dear bodyguards, do not fail me now!” HK called, voice dripping with scorn.

  Blood dripped down my brow. I forced the pain into anger, using it to lunge at the second MagnaGuard. It spun its staff in a flourish, carving sizzling arcs that nearly tore open my chest. I ducked, rolling behind it. Grabbing the first MagnaGuard’s electrostaff from the floor, I ignited it and parried a vicious thrust. Our staffs crackled on contact, sparks erupting.

  The loader droid paused, seemingly reloading rockets or pivoting to aim. I had seconds. Gritting my teeth, I hammered the MagnaGuard’s staff aside and drove my electrostaff into its chest plating. Purple lightning cascaded over its metal body. It seized for a moment, then collapsed.

  “Unfortunate Disappointment: I expected more from them.” HK’s tone was chilly but tinged with mild surprise.

  That left only the towering loader droid, shield shimmering. It stomped forward, retracting the shield with a flicker, arms shifting into shotgun mode. Then, with a metallic clang, it produced a short-bladed lightsaber, igniting a searing red blade.

  “Fuck you, droid! Giving this one a saber—bullshit,” I roared at the overhead speakers.

  A smug hiss crackled in reply.

  “Mocking Retort: Do not credit me for every invention of these pitiful meatbags. I merely put them to proper use.”

  The loader droid charged, saber in one hand, scattergun arm readied in the other, peppering me with short-range blasts. I dove aside, but the corridor was tight. Pellets tore across my arm, gouging flesh. Too close. The droid swung the lightsaber, and I had to parry with my stolen electrostaff. Sparks spat in brilliant arcs as it hammered me back, blow after blow.

  I recognized the forms—it used Soresu sweeps, then a Shii-Cho overhead slash. “Where’d they get the programming for these moves?” I gasped, voice raw.

  “Bemused Clarification: The droid’s memory banks contain certain combat algorithms from Jedi… acquisitions.” HK paused, voice rattling with glee. “I see you are enjoying them.” Or data given by Dooku, I suspected. But now wasn’t the time for speculation. Focus. I steeled myself as the onslaught continued.

  Each clash jarred my bones. The droid pressed an advantage, forcing me back until my staff angled wrong. In a swift cut, the lightsaber sliced my electrostaff in half. I cursed, reeling away to avoid a follow-up slash. Desperate, I reached out with the Force, trying to yank the saber from the droid’s grip. Instead, the droid crushed the hilt in its durasteel fingers with a loud crunch, then bull-rushed forward.

  The momentum from my Force pull only propelled it faster. I hardly had time to brace before the metal titan slammed me in the chest, knocking me down the corridor. My body struck the floor in a burst of agony, breath knocked clean out.

  “Exasperated Delight: Oh, how I love the sound of your pained grunts, Inquisitor.”

  I struggled to stand, but an energy spike overhead told me another ray shield was about to snap into place. I scrambled on hands and knees, rolling sideways just as the cylindrical barrier fizzled to life an inch from my leg. Still in motion, the loader droid stomped closer, shotgun arms cycling shells.

  Multiple blasts peppered the corridor, each pellet whistling by. I hissed as a couple seared across my shoulder, fresh blood oozing. That was it—pain, anger, frustration boiled over.

  Raising my one good arm, I hissed, “No more.”

  Dark side power burst from my core, seizing the droid’s arm cannons in a telekinetic vise. With a savage twist of my clenched fist, I crushed them. Metal shrieked in protest as the cannons split and warped, disabling its scattergun.

  “Fu—” I breathed, voice shaking with wrath. “No more games!”

  I summoned a burst of speed, slamming my fist into the loader droid’s central chassis. My bones screamed as I felt something crack in my hand, but I poured all I had into the strike. Electricity danced over the droid’s frame, shorting out circuits in a sizzling explosion. The center of its torso caved in, a smoking hole bursting outward. Staggering, the loader droid collapsed to its knees, then pitched forward, dead.

  Stunned, I took a step back, cradling my injured hand. “Fuck… I did it.” A thin, disbelieving smile tugged at my lips. Force lightning. I’d managed to use it for the first time. If I wasn’t in agony, I might’ve felt pride—or terror.

  “Reluctant Praise: Congratulations, blind one. You have exceeded my more pessimistic estimates.”

  I turned to the sealed door beyond, hearing the hiss of magnetic locks disengaging. A trinity of thick metal slab slid aside, revealing a final corridor leading to the command center.

  A prickle of dark energy rippled through the floor, pulsing up my ankles like a vicious heartbeat. The meltdown, I realized. Whatever HK-47 had done, the entire bunker was collapsing into final catastrophe. I paused outside the command center’s threshold, clenching my jaw.

  No... There are families up there.

  “HK,” I muttered under my breath, stepping through the doorway. “Don’t tell me you actually—”

  A bolt of blaster fire whizzed past my ear, slamming into the wall. I jerked aside with a hiss, guided by the Force as I flicked a hand, ripping the small blaster from an astromech droid’s claw. The weapon clattered across the floor, out of reach. I forced my breath steady, letting my senses paint a picture of my surroundings: flickering readouts, half-broken consoles, a tide of lethal energy slowly building beneath the floor—a reactor meltdown just starting.

  A rasping voice emanated from the astromech’s vocoder. “Irritated Declaration: You have a frustrating habit of surviving, meatbag.”

  “So we go down together,” I snapped. “Since you can’t kill me?”

  “Contemptuous Observation: One well-aimed bolt nearly did suffice. A pity you are so… agile.”

  I snorted, turning my attention to the battered droid body. “You’d doom this entire bunker—kill children, families—just for some informant? I promised them no bloodshed. Even if that Nemoidian scum Bitoor stabbed me in the back, I don’t like breaking my word.”

  “Proud Negation: Promises mean nothing, especially from Imperial filth.” The astromech’s dome clicked, and a series of overhead monitors whirred to life, projecting images I couldn’t truly see—yet I could sense the horrors in the Force: Zalrio Plaza, cratered blocks, scorched bodies, newscasters reciting death tolls.

  "Fifteen thousand confirmed dead in a terror attack on Zalrio Plaza..."

  "Authorities have yet to clear the wreckage."

  "An Imperial-owned traffic controller was dropped from low orbit that night..."

  "Rogue Jedi Rahm Kota boarded and commandeered the station with the help of his own militia—"

  HK said nothing further, just letting the feeds echo. The cold wave of guilt twisted my insides. I was the one who dropped that station. I had told myself it was necessary in a way, that I had no choice. The voices of the newscasters rattled me far more than I cared to admit.

  Finally, HK cut the feed. “Derisive Command: Do not lecture me about innocents. Your own ledger is soaked with blood. How many fatherless brats on Nar Shaddaa?”

  “I…”, I started. I had no good answer. I clenched my fists, trembling with rage and remorse. “Enough. I’m not here to debate my sins versus yours. Let’s get out of here,” I barked, keeping my voice low. “You’re coming with me.”

  A staticky chuckle escaped the droid. “Indignant Rebuttal: I will be turned to slag before allowing Imperial meatbags to dissect my memory core.”

  “Who said anything about turning you in?” I retorted, stepping closer. “You hold more value than just some ‘transmission codes’ or whatever Nemoidian secrets Bitoor had here.” That wasn’t exactly true, but who knew what secrets the droid held.

  “Surprised Query: You would risk harboring me from your Emperor’s clutches?”

  I grimaced, ignoring how every fiber in my body ached. “I have my own priorities. This meltdown’s unable to be stopped, right?”

  A huff of mechanical frustration. “Regretful Confirmation: Indeed. The meltdown ensures none of Fulcrum’s data remain for Imperial rummaging. I merely miscalculated your resilience, Inquisitor.”

  “So join me.” My breath hitched as the pain in my chest lashed out. “Before this place buries us both.”

  HK’s dome swiveled, the single manipulator arm twitching in indecision. Then a resigned beep. “Sullen Compliance: Very well. Better to persist in existence than be entombed here. Lead on, meatbag…”

  With a nod, I turned, half-limping out of the command center. The astromech’s jump jets flared to life as it propelled from the raised dais to then start to roll behind me.

  The dark side flared through my battered muscles just enough to keep me upright. Behind me, HK’s astromech body whirred in short squeaks, one claw occasionally twitching as though it still wanted to blast me. Alarms pulsed in the Force—this bunker was on the brink of total meltdown, just a few more minutes now.

  We reached the corridor where TK-421 lay slumped against the wall, still out cold. I nudged him with the toe of my boot, confirming he was breathing. Pain rippled through my side with each movement, but I forced myself to remain focused. I’d come this far. Couldn’t leave him here.

  HK’s artificial voice crackled, tinged with sarcasm. “Exasperated question: Must we really collect this worthless stormtrooper, Master? Surely his contribution is negligible at best.”

  I scowled at the droid’s audacity. “You calling me ‘Master’ now?”

  He let out a derisive metallic chuckle. “Sullen remark: You insisted I accompany you, thus sparing me from molten oblivion. I have no alternative. Hence, ‘Master.’ Though the title leaves a bitter note in my processors.”

  Despite everything—despite the guilt of leaving the entire settlement to face the meltdown—I allowed a short, humorless laugh to escape my lips. “Great. I’ll take what I can get. Now, help me with him.”

  With a low mechanical grumble, HK extended his small manipulator arm in a gesture of reluctance. I hefted TK-421 onto my shoulder, gritting my teeth at the lance of pain in my ribs. “Let’s go, HK. You can move faster than me on those treads. We need to clear the atmosphere before it all comes down.”

  “Mocking encouragement: By all means, Master—do try not to topple. I’ve no desire to scrape your remains off this floor.”

  Together, we fled down the corridor, the meltdown sirens pounding in my skull. Each step a fresh stab of agony, each echoing alarm a grim reminder of the thousands left behind. But there was no time for conscience or remorse. We had a single objective: survive.

  HK led the way, occasionally uttering a shrill beep, and I couldn’t help but feel the twisted absurdity of the moment—an assassin droid calling me Master, a unconscious trooper draped over my shoulder, and a forgotten bunker about to swallow every soul above with the building explosion awaiting to burst from within its depths.

  What a wonderful start to try and find you, Snips.