Bounty Hunter Anon III

by Sunny Solaire

Knock, Knock

With a roar, you impale a Sith Trooper with your orange lightsaber. He cries out one more time before he dies and you throw him off to the side in a lifeless heap. Immediately, you move to engage another Sith Warrior.

The hangar was a swirl of blasterfire and lightsaber clashes. There was yelling, violence, and fighting all over the place. Mandalorians and Jedi fought side-by-side against the Sith reinforcements. You were driving them back, but they were fighting hard. Sombra isn't playing games anymore.

From above, Thunderlane was shooting at a group of Sith alongside Lyra and Bon Bon. Rainbow flies next to him and they all begin sweeping across the hangar, moving too fast for the Troopers' blasters to hit them. On the ground, Master Luna was simultaneously engaging two Sith Warriors by herself. It was no wonder why she's the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. She was fighting with a level of focus, discipline and power that made the Sith look like children. Within moments, she cuts them both down.

One of the Sith Troopers begins to run away. "Fall back! Fall back!"

Two of his buddies join him and they all head back towards the door. The Sith Warriors that are still living retreat as well, deflecting a few blaster bolts back into your crowd of allies. One of them gets shot in the face and dies.

The few remaining Sith full-on retreat into the station and the blast doors shut behind them. Rainbow lands in front of the door. "That's right, you cowards! Run!"

You deactivate your lightsaber and walk towards her. "Everyone on me! Black group, account for the wounded!"

Your friends gather around you. They are all panting hard, but they seem to be okay. You can see one or two Mandalorian casualties on the floor around you, but no one you personally know is among them. They are all members of Black group.

"Limestone, where are we going?" You demand.

Limestone looks to the blast door. "Through there. Engineering is quite a trek. If we can find a transport, that would get us there faster."

Lyra looks at her. "A transport? Inside?"

Limestone nods. "This place is huge. The Sith had built massive corridors along the outer perimeter of the station big enough for transports to drive through so one could get to another section of the station quickly. From here, I'd say that engineering is about two kilometers away."

A few of you groan softly. "We need a transport then. We do not have that kind of time." You say.

Limestone continues. "This station is divided into sections, kind of like a pie. If I remember right, the Droid Storage section is next to the hangars. We'll likely face battle droids, so we'll need to be ready for that. Then, we reach Manufacturing. That's one of the sections where they have the slaves make the Virus. After that, it should be a straight shot to Engineering."

That's right, the Sith use Force-sensitive slaves to make the virus. You forgot about that.

It's unlikely you'll be able to save them.

"Anythin' else?" Applejack asks.

Limestone shakes her head. "There shouldn't be. Mandalore, Gilda, and my sisters should meet and be able to handle whatever else Sombra has in store for us."

"With our forces divided, we shouldn't have too much trouble." Luna says. "They might be hard pressed against whomever Lord Sombra has protecting him, but I would guess that we have to fight more, in terms of numbers."

Sombra's personal troops would have to be very skilled. Not like the grunts you've been fighting. Luckily, Anon has weapons made specifically to fight against them.

Which reminds you...

"Everyone without a lightsaber get back to the ships and arm yourselves with the scatter guns we brought, then come back here." You say. "They are loaded with cortosis slugs, so only use them in close quarters against lightsaber-wielding Sith. The few slugs you have are what you have. Do not waste them."

Applejack nods and runs to the ship with Big Mac. Lyra and Bon Bon join them.

Coco is still panting hard next to you. You can't see her face beneath her helmet, but you can tell she's nervous.

"Coco, are you okay?" You ask quietly.

She looks at you and nods once. "I'm a little worried, but yeah... I'm okay."

"Okay. You're doing great, don't worry." You reply, setting your hand on her shoulder. "Just focus and stay with me."

She takes a shaky breath once and nods. She then joins Rainbow and Thunderlane to head to the ship and arm herself as well.

The lead Mandalorian from Black group comes up to you alongside a Jedi Knight you don't know. "We're all accounted for, Sunset. We lost two Mandalorians and one Jedi."

Damn.

"Anyone else injured?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing major. We'll be fine."

You nod at him. "Good. Stay here and defend the ships. Wait for a transmission from either Mandalore, Rainbow or myself. We'll let you know when we're on our way back."

He nods. "As you say, Sunset."

He and the Jedi walk back to the rest of Black group while you turn to face your friends. They are all on their way back with their scatter shots. Rainbow has two of them. She tosses one to you and you catch it, pumping it once to ensure it's loaded.

"Are we ready?" You ask.

Rainbow and Thunderlane both nod, along with everyone else.

"Good." You turn to Limestone. "Lead the way."

Limestone nods and the ten of you move to the blast doors that the Sith retreated through. "They might be waiting for us on the other side."

"Might've even set a hasty trap for us too." Applejack adds. "The doors ain't locked."

You look at the door controls. The light is green. They probably just didn't have time to lock it when they retreated. If anything, they are waiting for you to come through the door so they can start shooting you again right away.

"I have an idea." Limestone growls.

You feel your belt being tugged on for a second and your lightsaber goes flying through the air into Limestone's hand. Uncalled for.

"What are you doing?" You demand.

"Opening the door." She replies.

Limestone closes her eyes as she holds hers and your lightsabers in her hands in front of her. She activates them and they both go floating quickly through the air and plunging into the blast doors. They move in opposite directions as they cut through the durasteel and begin making an opening for you all.

Luna walks directly in front of the door and takes a deep breath before putting her hands together and pulling them back. She's going to push the door forward with the Force.

"Get ready, everyone." She advises.

You take out your blaster and point it at the doors along with everyone else. Limestone's eyes are shut tightly while she focuses on moving the lightsabers. As soon as they reach the end of their cut, she pulls them out of the durasteel and Luna thrusts her arms forward. The thunderclap sound roars through the hangar bay as the massive door flies into the corridor beyond. Sith voices are heard screaming and panicking as a handful of them are hit in the heads.

The door continues flying back a few feet, and Limestone recalls both sabers to her hands. You'll grab yours from her later, but for now, you advance into the next corridor and open fire at the few Sith Troopers you can see. Everyone else joins you.

This corridor is large and stretches on for about a hundred meters. You can see another blast door at the other end of the room. In front of the door, you notice a couple small transports. You're in luck.

The few Sith Troopers in here are no match for your group. You mow through them all with ease. After about a minute, you and your group run to the transports. Limestone hands your lightsaber back to you and you hook it onto your belt.

Rainbow reaches the transport first with Thunderlane. "It's a railspeeder. It should take us right to the next section of the station."

"Everyone get aboard." You command.

Lyra, Bon Bon, and Coco move first, then Limestone, the Apples, Luna, and then you. Rainbow presses a button on the control console, and the transport thrums to life. It's a rectangular platform connected onto a metal rail that leads out of this room. On each corner, there was a pillar that rose up to about your chest. All four of them hum for a second before an energy barrier activates between them to keep you all from falling off.

Rainbow moves the railspeeder forward and it slowly leaves the platform you were just on. It turns on the rails and heads to the blast doors, which open automatically as you approach. Once you pass through the doors, the transport accelerates forward and moves quickly along the rail.

This next corridor is enormous. It stretches forward a few hundred meters and slowly curves to the left. You're moving along the perimeter of the station now. On the right are a row of windows, giving you a nice view of the massive black hole you're orbiting. The accretion disk glows red as it warps around the void of utter blackness that tears the fabric of time and space apart.

"Oh, I hate this." Bon Bon comments. "It's terrifying."

She speaks for you right now as well, even if she doesn't know it. It is absolutely unnerving being this close to this thing. It defies imagination and reality in every possible way. Yet, here it is.

"That's the point." Limestone replies. "Sombra loves fear. He forces the slaves to watch the black hole in order to terrify them. That's why his virus is so potent."

"We'll drop this station and the rest of the virus into that thing by the end of today." Thunderlane says.

Damn right you will.

No one else says anything as Rainbow continues driving the railspeeder towards the next section of the station.

---

You spray a plume of fire at the trio of Sith Troopers directly ahead. They all scream and panic as the fire cooks them alive. You use that to your advantage as you easily blast each of them in the head, and they fall to the ground, their flaming bodies still roasting under their armor.

With them out of the way, you turn your attention to the others. Maud is fighting a Sith Warrior. She has him on the ropes.

Pinkie is jumping around a group of Sith Troopers and one Warrior while poking cheap shots at a few of them. Whenever one tries to fight back, she dances out of the way. It reminds you of when you fought her on Nar Shaddaa. She almost looks like she's having fun playing with them.

Gilda is fighting a large Sith Warrior. His lightsaber has been thrown off to the side, and they are engaging in hand-to-hand combat. She's showing absolutely no mercy against him. She punches, counters, and blocks any of his attacks. Eventually, she dazes him and grabs his face before throwing him onto the ground.

She's like a barbarian. He screams as his face hits the floor and she immediately slams her boot onto the back of his head. She stomps him again and again before pulling him up and using a retractable blade in her gauntlet to stab him in the neck. He gurgles a scream before she tosses him off to the side.

She is still the brute she was when you grew up with her. She's letting it out on a Sith though, so given the circumstances, you won't scold her for it.

The both of you turn your attention to the remaining Sith in the room. Maud has killed the Sith she was fighting and had turned her attention to the group of Troopers that Pinkie was working on. They were the only ones left. You and Gilda shoot the Troopers while Maud engages the Warrior. Pinkie moves out of the way, and you all eliminate them after a few seconds. Finally, a moment of sweet reprieve.

You exhale and look at your friends. "Everyone alright?"

Maud and Pinkie both nod. "We're okay!"

You turn to Gilda. "What about you? You good?"

Gilda chuckles. "Never better. Except for you, I hate the Sith more than anyone else in the galaxy. Feels great chopping them down."

You growl a little. "Just focus on them for this trip."

"Aww, is big, bad Mandalore scared? Worried I might stab you in the back?" She taunts.

You stomp towards her. "Try it and I'll show you how not scared I am!"

Maud steps between you two. "Enough! Both of you!" She snaps. "Neither of you are children, so neither of you should act this way! We have more pressing matters to attend to, so let's focus."

You growl a little as you look at the Jedi. She's right, and you know she's right. You won't deny it. With the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders, it's difficult to keep your cool. Gilda is just stroking the flames because she can.

You take a deep breath and exhale, trying to calm down. "Where do we go next?"

Gilda looks at you for a moment before turning to face a door at the end of the room. "The command deck is just down this hallway. It's where I first met Limestone. I doubt Sombra will be there, he's probably somewhere else."

"We might be able to find a map of this place or something." Pinkie says.

You nod. "Maybe. We'll figure it out when we get there. If Sombra isn't there, then a few of his guys definitely will be. Let's focus on them for right now."

"I agree." Maud says.

"Alright. Come on." Gilda says.

The four of you run to the door. Gilda leads the way, with Maud right behind her. You and Pinkie tail behind them a few paces.

"Anon, you shouldn't let Gilda get to you like that." Pinkie whispers.

You sigh. "I know, it's just... We have so much at stake right now, and Gilda infuriates me like no other. She knows what she's doing. It's a sick game to her."

She pats your back twice as you run. You look at her and she smiles. "You've got this, Anon. I'm with you!"

You smile under your helmet. You're glad she's your friend.

"Thanks, Pinkie."

She smiles again and you all continue through the hallway. Gilda makes a turn, and you encounter a pair of Sith Troopers on your way. They don't stand a chance against you all, and you keep going.

After about two minutes of running, you enter the command center. Numbers of Sith Troopers flank either side of you, Sith Officers are spread around the room, and a Sith Apprentice stands in front of the observation deck. He's with a pair of black-armored Sith with special weapons. This will be tough.

You step to the front beside Gilda while Pinkie takes cover behind you. Maud activates her lightsaber and leaps through the air over your head at the Sith Apprentice to start fighting him. The remaining Troopers and Officers open fire at you. Their blasters pepper your armor and, while it isn't doing any serious harm, it still hurts like hell. Nevertheless, you endure the barrage of blasterfire and begin shooting back at the Sith.

You keep an eye on Maud and the Sith as they duel, their blue and red sabers clashing against each other expertly. The black-armored Sith stay beside the Apprentice, but they focus solely on you. They are precise, and their weapons pack a punch. It would behoove you to take them out first. With Pinkie using you and Gilda as cover, you're kind of pinned though. You need to be able to move.

"Pinkie, get to cover!" You yell. "Gilda, let's draw their attention!"

Pinkie stops firing and nods before sprinting back to the doorway and hiding. You and Gilda press forward into the room. The Sith focus their fire on you so much that it's difficult to make progress forward. With every Trooper you kill, two more take his place from one of the adjoining rooms.

You hear a cry of pain from the side as Maud strikes the Apprentice down. As soon as he dies, the two Sith in black armor focus their fire on her. She deflects and avoids their blasters as much as she can, but is unable to deflect them with much degree of accuracy. She's simply staying alive at this point.

The sheer volume of firepower forces the three of you slowly congregate together in the center of the room. You grunt and growl as more heavy blaster bolts slam against different parts of your armor from the crowds of Sith around you. They are all shouting and yelling as they slowly tighten their formation to surround you.

Gilda is panting hard. She looks around and stops firing her heavy blaster. What's she doing?

She presses a few buttons on her gauntlet. Despite the sound of blasterfire raining all over you, you hear something on her armor whir up. Two heavy cannons pop up on her gauntlets and she lifts them up in front of her.

"Both of you get down!" She commands.

You and Maud don't hesitate as you both crouch down and take cover. Gilda presses her arms forward at both Sith in black and, a second later, two massive, focused beams of red energy erupt from her gauntlet cannons. They emit a blaring buzzing sound. The Sith scream in horror as the beams split them in half. She moves her arms around her in a circle and every Sith in the room meets the same fate. All of them yell and scream as the beams of energy slice through them like warm butter.

After about five seconds, the beams of energy shut off and the cannons whir down. You look around. Every Sith in the room is dead, and none of them are in one piece. There is a thick, charred line of black along the walls and control panels around you from where Gilda hit.

You and Maud stand up straight again. You all pant hard as you take another look around. Gilda's cannons on her gauntlets are smoking and totally fried. They beep once more, hiss, then the cannons pop off and fall onto the ground.

You look at them for a moment before turning to her. "Impressive. You should lead with that next time."

Gilda chuckles. "I would, but I can only use them once. So I hope you enjoyed them."

You smirk a little and Maud deactivates her lightsaber. "Is everyone alright?"

You take another breath. "A little beat up, but I'm fine."

"I'm okay too!" Pinkie says as she joins you all.

You nod at her and stand up straight. "Okay. Most of the terminals look fried, so let's look around for one that works and see if there's any indication on where to go next. We might be able to-"

The lights in the room suddenly flicker off. Everything around you powers down. The terminals, the sparks from the destruction, everything goes dark. The door you came in through shuts as well, and you are all plunged into darkness. The only light in the room comes from the red accretion disk swirling around the black hole outside.

"Huddle up." Gilda growls.

Maud activates her lightsaber again, and you all look around, ready for anything. All four of your backs are together as you keep your eyes peeled. What's happening?

Suddenly, one of the doors on the right side of the room hisses and slides open, illuminating that section in light. All four of you turn your weapons to it and wait.

After a few seconds, nothing happens. Other than the faint sound of humming that echoes through the station, it's completely silent. You don't hear any footsteps, no talking, no clattering of weapons or gear, nothing.

"Through there." Maud breathes. "The Dark Lord is waiting for us..."

Pinkie gulps softly and looks over at her. You tighten your grip on your blaster and take a deep breath. This is it.

"Let's go then." You say. "In and out. Ten minutes, tops."

You begin walking to the illuminated doorway. Maud walks beside you, deactivating her saber again, but keeping it in her hand. Gilda and Pinkie both walk right behind you. You all move at a steady, yet cautious pace.

If you're being honest, you aren't sure if you're going to survive this. You've got friends, weapons, tactics, beskar, you've even got a Jedi. Despite all of that, Sombra has all of the Dark Side of the Force at his disposal. What his virus did to Cerea cannot be allowed to spread.

This fight will determine the fate of the rest of the galaxy. It is as significant as the fight between Mandalore the Ultimate and the Jedi Revan over Malachor V. The only thing you are curious about now is whose path yours is most similar to; Revan or Mandalore the Ultimate?

History says that the Mandalorians were the 'bad guys' of the Mandalorian Wars, and the Republic were the 'good guys'. Reluctantly, you believe those assigned roles. The Mandalorians of those days, while you understood what they wanted and agree with them to an extent, were the aggressors and needed to be stopped for the good of the rest of the galaxy. Revan did just that. Before he tried to conquer the galaxy as the self-appointed Dark Lord of the Sith at the time, he saved it from the Mandalorians, from your people, as a Jedi Knight. Now, the Mandalorians and the Jedi fight side-by-side against a common enemy. You are stopping their plans for galactic conquest just as it begins. If you succeed, you and your friends will be seen as heroes in the eyes of the Republic.

If...

As you all move through the doorway into the illuminated hall, you take another look at your friends and allies. Pinkie, Maud, even Gilda. You hate to admit it, but her being here is an incredible asset, and you don't think you could have made it this far. You don't trust her at all by any means, but for now, you are glad that she's here.

"Before anything else, I just want to say thank you." You say aloud. "Thank you all for coming with me. I couldn't have made it if I didn't have any of you."

Maud looks at you with sympathy in her eyes and Pinkie smiles warmly. "That's what friends are for, Anon. If you've got that, you can do anything."

You smile back at her, even though she can't see your face.

Gilda groans. "You're talking like we've already lost. Knock it off. We've got this."

You chuckle once and look forward again. There's a lift just ahead. The only way to go is up.

"I know. Our plan is solid, and I have faith." You reply. "Just in case we don't make it though, I want you all to know how grateful I am that you're with me."

Maud places her hand on your shoulder. "Your heart is in the right place, Anonymous. Do not fear. The Force is with us."

You nod at her and continue forward. The doors to the lift open, and you all step inside. Without touching anything, the doors shut behind you and the lift begins to rise.

Here we go.

Author's Note:

(Gilda's laser cannons concept.)

Happy belated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, everyone!
I apologize for my absence, but I got a girlfriend a few months ago. She's occupied literally all of my time, and I love her like crazy. As such, I have had very little time to write because of her. Not complaining about her at all, just saying. It is what it is. The story is about done though, so I will try to prioritize writing a bit more.