//------------------------------//
// Well Enough Alone 
// Story: Bounty Hunter Anon 
// by Sunny Solaire 
//------------------------------//

You step inside your ship and enter the main hold. For the most part, everything is right where you left it. Yours and Sunset’s helmets are on the table in the center of the room, next to all your formerly confiscated weapons, except your lightsaber, you notice. Maud must have kept that. The Sith artifacts are gone as well, but you knew that they would be.

You grab your helmet and weapons and bring them all into the armory. Sunset follows behind you. ”Do have a plan?”

“I’ve got the gist of one." You reply. "I need Fluttershy for the small details."

You set your gear down on your workbench and go to the back wall to your weapons locker. "Mind running it by me real quick?" She asks.

You open the locker and browse through it. "We're going to go board this ship, find whoever is still alive, get them back here, then destroy the ship before it crashes into Mandalore."

"Sounds simple." She says.

You grab a blaster rifle from the locker and inspect it. "We'll also have to kill any Rakghouls we find along the way before they kill or infect us."

Sunset nods slowly as she thinks to herself. "Vibroswords are a last resort then... We should distance ourselves as best we can."

"Good idea." You nod.

You take out an assault blaster rifle and toss it to her. She holsters it onto her back and looks back at you, concerned. "Anon, do you really think it's true what they say about the Rakghoul disease?"

You pause and stay silent as you ponder to yourself. You don't want to believe that a simple disease can turn you into one of those monsters. Taris has been gone for a long time, so some of those stories may just be wild rumors and fantasy.

But if they are true...

"I don't know for sure... I just don't know..." You shake your head. "Either way, these monsters are dangerous, and we need to know all about them if we're going to kill them." You grab another assault blaster rifle and holster it onto your back before heading back toward your workbench. "If there's even a chance that Mandalore could be plagued by a monstrous infection like this, then I'm going to do everything I can to prevent it from happening. Even if it ends up just being a rumor."

Sunset nods. "Shoot first, ask questions later in these situations."

"Exactly."  You grab your helmet and follow Sunset into the main hold where you see Applejack and Fluttershy enter your ship.

Applejack looks around and gives a little whistle while Fluttershy huddles close behind her. "Nice ship ya got here, Anon."

"Thanks." You set your helmet back on the table and look at Fluttershy. "Alright, you. Talk. Tell me everything about the Rakghouls and this ship. I need to know as much as you can tell me."

She gulps and Applejack steps aside, ushering her forward, but staying with her.

"Um... Right... The Rakghouls... Well, they're monsters that have been living on Taris for thousands of years. We don't really know how they got there."

"What can they do? How tough are they?" You ask.

"Are the rumors about their disease true?" Sunset adds.

She nervously looks back and forth between you two and nods slowly. "They are very true..."

You and Sunset both exchange a concerned look. It seems your worst fears have been confirmed.

You sigh and look back at her. "How long before the infection turns the victim into a Rakghoul?"

She takes a shaky breath. "W-We read old reports from people who lived on Taris that the transformation happens between six and forty-eight hours after infection, but these Rakghouls have evolved over time... They're stronger and faster than they used to be. I've seen transformations happen anywhere from between three hours to just minutes after being infected."

You stare at her in disbelief. "Minutes?"

She nods again.

"Oh my goodness..." Applejack looks visibly worried. More worried that you and Sunset look, incredibly.

"How did that happen?" You ask.

Fluttershy gulps. "Well, um, After years of being able to roam around Taris, they've evolved to become bigger and smarter than before the planet was bombarded by Darth Malak. They can think and even solve simple problems. They're not mindless, but they are still bloodthirsty monsters... I don't use that term loosely."

"Why in the world did you capture them in the first place?" Sunset asks.

"Well, uh, Twilight wanted to study them." She twiddles her fingers in front of her. "She was interested in their biology."

You groan and shut your eyes. Damn science types. Some things just need to be left alone.

You look at her again. "Where do you think Twilight would've gone on the ship?"

Sunset speaks up as well. "Better yet, how do you know she's still alive?"

Fluttershy gulps and whimpers some. "W-we had a safe room on board in case of a break out. Twilight helped design it, so she should be safe, along with any others who got there... Oh, I hope Angel got there too..."

"Who's Angel?" You ask.

"Oh... Uh, he's my Wookie friend." Fluttershy says. "He's big and has a rare condition that gives him white fur. He's, uh, a bit aggressive... even for a Wookie... But he's good! He said he would protect Twilight from the Rakghouls, but the food in that room won't last forever... He needs his six square meals a day too, or else he gets really, really cranky..."

You hold up a hand and stop her, groaning a little. "Alright, I get it. He's a Wookie and he's hungry. We'll rescue all of them before he runs out of food."

She takes another small breath of relief. "Thank you so much, Mr. Anon."

You cross your arms and feel the ship rumble a little beneath your feet. Applejack speaks up. "We're in hyperspace."

"Find out where your brother and everyone else is and get them back here. I'll explain the plan when they arrive." You say to her.

Applejack nods. "Alright." She goes to her comink and you head back into the armory.

Sunset follows behind you. "You should probably get your lightsaber back from Maud."

"Good idea." You say. "I'll ask her about it when she gets here."

Along with your assault blaster rifle, you go to another weapons locker and grab two heavy blaster pistols, a few thermal detonators, your jetpack, some extra flamethrower fuel, a few rockets, and a backup vibrosword that you hope you won't have to use. Sunset grabs her dual vibroswords first, then a heavy blaster, some wrist-mounted rockets, and her jetpack. Better to be overprepared than underprepared.

Once you've grabbed everything, you lay it all out on the workbench so it's ready for you to grab and go once you land on that ship.

Applejack calls to you from outside. "Anon, they're all here."

You and Sunset exchange another glance before you both head into the main hold of the ship. Maud and Nurse Redheart stand beside Fluttershy while Big Mac takes up room in front of the doorway to the exit ramp. 

He's carrying two extra rifles in one arm that, you assume he brought for Applejack. It also looks like he's carrying a portable turret on his shoulder, along with his minigun still strapped to his back. This man is a walking tank. Maud has removed her Jedi robe and is dressed only in a simple, dark-brown tunic with her lightsaber on her belt. 

Nurse Redheart clears her throat. "Well Anonymous, we'll do anything we can to help you."

She gives you a nervous smile and Maud steps forward. "Tell us the plan."

You look at everyone and sigh as you gather your thoughts together. "Alright, here goes..."

---

You, Sunset, and Applejack are sitting in the cockpit of your ship, while Shining Armor is speaking to you from your screen. "Okay, we're coming out of lightspeed in three...two...one."

From inside the cockpit, you see the bluish hue of hyperspace fade as the cruiser enters realspace once again. Right then, Sunset turns on the engines and your ship whirs to life. You teeter slightly as you lift off the hangar floor and gently float outside into the vacuum of space.

You turn on the navicomputer and mark the derelict ship's coordinates. Fluttershy wasn't kidding. It's dangerously close to the planet. It's a relatively small ship compared to the Republic cruiser you're currently on, so Mandalore shouldn't pay it much attention unless it gets much, much closer to the planet. Looks like you've got a bit of time before that happens though.

Once you set the coordinates, you turn back to Shining Armor. "Alright Captain, we're on our way. We should be there in about five minutes."

Shining Armor gives you a small nod. "Please, Anon. Please find Twilight."

You nod at him. "I'll do all I can, Captain. You have my word."

He gives you one last look of desperation before the feed cuts. Sunset flies you away from the cruiser's hangar and adjusts the ship to face the direction of the Mandalore system. She hits the throttle and once again, you're thrown into hyperspace. You all then get up and head into the main hold where Big Mac, Maud, Fluttershy, and Nurse Redheart are waiting.

"We'll be there in about five minutes, so let's review the plan one more time." You announce. "Once we land, Big Mac will set up the automatic turret just outside the ship. Redheart will wait here for any injured survivors we find. Maud will wait here as well and defend the ship from any Rakghouls that may get too close. Fluttershy will remain here as well, keeping contact with me, Sunset, Applejack, and Big Mac as we move through the ship to find survivors, killing any Rakghouls that get in our way. Once we've found everyone we can, we'll head to the bridge and activate the ship's self-destruct. Then, we'll get the hell out of here and head back to the cruiser."

Everyone nods in agreement, except Fluttershy. She just looks down to the ground with worry ever-present on her face. You ignore it though. She'll be fine.

Sunset steps forward to address everyone as well. "Now that we're all clear, let's all gear up as fast as we can. We'll be there soon."

Applejack and Big Mac start to grab their respective weapons while you and Sunset head into the armory. You arm yourself with your weapons and jetpack. If everything goes according to plan, you won't even need to fly, but it's still nice to have.

Once you're armed and geared up, you grab your helmet. You look at your reflection in the visor and give a small sigh as you bring it around and place it over your head, seeing the familiar HUD come to life. It feels good to be in one piece again.

Once Sunset is geared up, she heads back to the cockpit to bring the ship out of lightspeed. You step out into the main hold and look at everyone. Applejack has a rifle on her back and a pair of twin blasters strapped to her sides. She also brought some extra pieces of armor for her shoulders, knees and shins. She's still wearing that hat of hers though. Big Mac has the turret ready to deploy on his shoulder and he stands near the exit ramp, waiting for it to lower.

You head into the cockpit after Sunset and get there just as you come out of hyperspace. Directly in front of you, you see the small Republic cruiser drifting toward the familiar yellow-tan planet you call home: Mandalore.

You stand behind Sunset and place a hand on her shoulder. "Home sweet home..."

Sunset guides the ship into the starboard hangar bay and you get your first look inside.

https://youtu.be/GQOUeZcurHo

There are a couple of small ships on the right side of the hangar, one of which is on fire in a spot near the rear. Most of the lights inside the hangar are darkened. Only a few of them are on. The cruiser must be on emergency backup power. On the ground, you see a few scattered bodies. Some of them are human, some of them aren't, some aren't even recognizable, but all of them are lifeless.

You've seen your fair share of death before, but this time, for some reason, it puts you on-edge.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Sunset breathes.

You nod slowly. "Yeah, I do too..."'

Sunset turns the ship around and slowly lands in the darkened hangar bay. The ship begins to whir down as she stands up. "Alright, let's do this."

She lowers the exit ramp and you both head out to the main hold. Big Mac heads down the ramp and Applejack follows right behind him, holding Fluttershy's hand behind her for comfort as she does.

Sunset goes after them while you go to Maud. "Master Jedi, do you still have that Sith's lightsaber you took from me?"

She nods once. "Yes I do, Anonymous."

"Oh good." You reply. "I'd like to have that back, please."

She lets out a breath through her nose and reaches behind her to reveal the familiar cylindrical weapon you looted from the dead Sith you killed on Tatooine. "Due to the evil intentions behind this lightsaber's creation, I cannot allow you to keep it after this mission, Anonymous. Under the current circumstances however, I will allow you to use it, but I must have it back when we have finished here."'

You say nothing, but you do nod at her as you take it and hook it to your belt. You grab your rifle and make your way to the ramp.

Maud calls after you. "May the Force be with you, Anonymous."

You stop and turn back to her. "May the Force be with you, Maud."

There's something you never thought you'd say. It was surprisingly comforting coming from her just now though.

You head down the ramp and pass Big Mac as he sets up the turret just outside. Fluttershy is waiting right beside him, looking paranoid. To your right, you see Sunset and Applejack huddled around something. You jog over to them and see a Republic soldier laying on the ground. He's moaning in pain and holding his stomach as he lays on his side. Applejack pats his shoulder encouragingly. 

"Hey now, you listen to me, soldier. You're gonna be alright, ya hear?" She says with a nervous smile. "Stay awake, we'll get you on our ship."

He cries out and looks up at her. "No!... N-No... D-Don't.... Y-you need t-to get out of here... Right n-now..."

"We ain't leavin' you here! You're gettin' help!" She replies.

You crouch down beside Applejack and look at the soldier. "What happened?"

He gasps and breathes erratically as he grips his chest and looks up at you. "Th-They came... out of n-nowhere... started... started biting, and... and scr... scratching... I... I was..."

You lean down and lift up his arm to get a look at his chest. You, Applejack, and Sunset all freeze as you see a pair of deep scratch marks leading from one side of his body to the other. How long did Fluttershy say it took? Minutes?

"Uh oh..." You say blankly.

All three of you stand up and slowly back away as the soldier begins to begins to trail off in his speech. You clutch your rifle tightly in your hands.

Suddenly, he grabs his stomach and lets out a scream. "N-No... No! I... I can't be- NooaaaAAAAAHHH!!!"

He shrieks and begins to squirm uncontrollably on the ground. You all gasp and take a few more steps away from him.

Shocked, you all watch in horror as his flesh seems to churn beneath his skin. His arms and legs twist and bend all the wrong ways, making his bones crack and pop disgustingly loud. His screams echo through the hangar as he spasms on the ground. You see his face morph and his mouth open wider than humanly possible. 

His skin becomes extremely pale and deformed and he grabs his face, his screams becoming very coarse. Blood begins to seep out of his fingertips as his digits morph together and three claws poke their way out of each of them. His clothes tear and pieces of his armor pop off as his body changes from its original shape.

He moves to his hands and knees and you can see three more claws poke out of the tips of each of his boots, accompanied by small streams of blood. He coughs and spews blood from his mouth and gives one last hopeless cry for help before it fades into a monstrous roar. It will be the last human thing he ever does.

Now, it stands upright with its back to you, panting hard and resting on its knuckles. It slowly turns around and you stare into its dark, piercing gaze as it gives a low growl. You're in shock at what you just witnessed. You've never seen anything like it before. You can't move.

Sunset stammers beside you. "A-Anon?"

It's a mere fifteen paces away from you. It turns to face you and takes a single step forward, growling.

"Kill it..." You breathe.

That step turns into a full-on charge as it heads straight for you. Its roar reverberates off of the walls of the hangar as it closes in. You still haven't moved! What the hell are you waiting for?!

"KILL IT!" You raise your rifle at the Rakghoul and open fire.