Ihe Dark Seeker.

  A strong pulsation of invisible energy burst out of the meditation chamber, its waves traveled far and wide pletely c the etlefield in seds, the poo was bed by the unfathomable strings eg each soul, everything now were tied to a siity through the invisible reach of the force.

  The entity was the one ihe meditation chamber, currently sitting on the floor, lost in deep tration.

  -From the perspective of Grievous.-

  The tall form of the mighty cyb was standing imposingly on the bridge of his huge battleship. He watched with unhidden glee as the republic’s military lines were getting closer to the brink of colpse. The red beams of death were just about to pick off another venator css cruiser, it was mere seds away from plete annihition.

  -Hahaha...

  This turns out to be easier than any of us could have anticipated. Another one of their ships is about to go down, while our losses on this side are minimal. They lose three ships while we lose one, pathetic.

  I narrowed my eyes, seeing that the finishing strike was still deyed. It seems I have to word out every insignifit detail for these useless droids.

  -What are you waiting for? Finish them before their shields stabilize.

  One of the B1-s spoke up in an annoyingly cheerful voibsp;

  -Aaa.... General, we ’t shht now. It turns out our main ons are about to overheat. We need some time to cool them down, otherwise they might lose some of their effectiveness, and we will have to do the routine maintenance checks more often. It is the standard protocol...

  I was carefully listening to the words of this brainless and utterly stupid existence of a droid. I felt my mental energy being drained with every word until I couldn’t listen to it anymore and snapped. In a single momentum, I grabbed the head of the cursed thing and crushed it in my hand. The metal body of the B1 fell lifelessly to the ground, only releasing a pathetic sizzling sound.

  I turowards the other droids, my eyes gring at them with barely tained madness as I worded the followience.

  -Any gestions?

  The only answer came from a nearby droid in a monotonous tone.

  -Postponing cooling procedure, reiterating fire to the target.

  I nodded with satisfa, seeing that the droid in rank seemed to value its life more than the earlier one. I put my arms behind my back as I stepped over the motionless body of the ex-captain. I was waiting to witness my well-deserved fireworks.

  -Firing main ons in three, tw-...

  A tremendous explosion shook the mainframe of my ship... I instinctively grabbed the metal floor with my magic cws, seg myself in a stable position.

  Before the shaking from the explosion could disappear, another one followed it, then one more. At this time, I was about to burst with anger. Harnessing the accumuted frustration, I shouted over the screams of bending steel and the following sounds of newer explosions.

  -REPORT, WHAT THE HELL IS CAUSING THESE EXPLOSIONS!

  There was no answer, and I shouted once again.

  -RIGHT NOW, OR I SWORE THAT HER OF YOU WILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SHIP GOING DOWN.

  One of the droids stepped in front of me while trying to stabilize itself as the ship never ceased to stop its violent shaking.

  Seeing the particur droids, which were a familiar one, yes, this had been the one who reported the gathering starfighters some times earlier.

  -Rer, based on the sers data General, I came to the clusion that the explosions could only be caused by the bombers and starfighters our radar systems picked up earlier.

  My eyes widened with shock, hearing the absurd answer... how could that be possible? There is no way a bunch of fighters could get that close on their own. At that moment I saublic starfighter fly over the bridge, its shadow passing right over me. There was no denying to this reality anymore.

  The uainty of the situation only caused me to bee even more angry, I turned back to the droid with untained anger shing out.

  -What is the meaning of this? How could a bunch of fighters get this close to my ship?!

  The droid seemed fused by my question, and seeing its ptive form, I forced myself to tain my boiling anger.

  The droid, sensing that I had calmed down, tis expnation.

  -Oh-oh... General, it’s because of your order.

  I narrowed my eyes even further and asked in an icy voice. There was a terrible suspi creeping up on my meical spine.

  -What order?

  -Errh... General, you stated that we shall ighe ining starfighters and bombers. So naturally, I transmitted your orders to the fleet. Now that I think of it, it must be the reason why they were able to get this far. Just as you intended, sir. Oh?

  I ignited all four of the sabers I kept on my body, and before the two-legged trash pile could realize it, I had already cut up its body into about twenty different portions. Then, with the same momentum, I stepped in front of the primary trols, and shouted into the voice transmitter with an infuriated voibsp;

  -All units, destroy the bombers that mao assault the fgship, IMMEDIATELY! ARGH!!!

  There was another even rger explosion, shaking the entire ship, just when I was about to stand up from the trols... I barely mao stand by the violent quakes. I turo the other droid who seemed to be more reasohan the rest, and asked.

  -Give me a damage report, now!

  The droid calmly pushed a few buttons on the sole in front of it, and stated.

  -Damage report, three of our main turbo ser ons and many smaller guns were destroyed or incapacitated, a unication tower damaged, two pulse-jets have suffered moderate damage, and stly the main shield geor received a critical amount of damage, overheating and exploding just now. Based on the sensors data. The explosion of the main shield geor ripped out a sizable k of the ship’s body. I am afraid that the shield geor is in an unrepairable state right now.

  I was about to ftten the facepte of this cursed droid as well, but realizing how much funal this particur one was thehers I ied today, I searched for a different way to release my anger. Luckily, the solution just walked up to me on its own.

  -General, we have created a new damage report based ohered data...

  I turned around and looked at the foolish thing.

  -I have already received an analysis.

  With that, I crushed in its facepte with one of my right fists and walked back to the main trols. Waiting to see the cheeky republic fighters being picked up one by one...

  In the meantime, I also shouted at a nearby B1 to clear out the garbage. It was getting hard to walk between so much accumuted trash.

  In the midst of his rage, Grievous has pletely fotten about the venator ship that he inally inteo destroy, just like the rest of his fleet, which was pletely focused on mobilization against the handful of republic fighters.

  Thanks to this distra the venator that was about to be overwhelmed mao cool its shield geors bader critical temperature, sihe enemy fleet were currently otherwise occupied, they also stopped shooting at the republic fleet, which seeing the opportunity started tas falling apart defensive line.

  Soon three more Venator css republic battleships arrived with a small distance hyperspace jump, reinf the defensive line and bolstering their morale.

  In a few minutes of time, the republic forces started to pick off a few of the fused enemy ships, then they received an ued report from the fighters. The fgship’s shield geor was down. It was time for revenge.

  -From the perspective of Myrebsp;

  A gigantic explosion expanded behind the Y-wing bomber. 's face was covered with sweat as her hands held onto the trol stick, with so much strength that she was starting to believe that she wouldn’t be able to let go of it even if she wao... It seemed to melt into her salms.

  Loud sounds of cheers were ing through the radio as the others shouted with piement.

  -Nie y, you mao blow up their main shield geor!

  Appeared the voice belonging to one of the pilots they flew with.

  -Yes, good job !

  Shouted another one. She didn’t reize his voice either... it was not surprising since most of the time they were flying with randomly selected pilots. The reason for that was simple, if a bit gross. Well yeah, most died in a and needed a rept. I wasn’t willing to be repced like that, not yet or ever!

  -Indeed!

  Sounded like the first familiar voice. It was Jack’s... He tinued his speech after a few breaths of pause.

  -Now I believe guys, that this explosion was our call to back off, I have been informed that the reinfort arrived.

  Hearing that statement immediately filled me with a wave of relief. I could feel the tears appear on the edges of my eyes once again.

  The others’ versation was not over yet though, as other cheerful voices joined in.

  -Ahaha! I hought that we would actually pull this off!

  -Yes, her did I. I ’t uand why they didn’t attack us at all!

  -Exactly, it seems the pn worked perfectly; they were too focused oroying rge ships, and didn’t notice two squads of small fighters sneaking up on them!

  -Hahaha! Of course it worked. They were just droi-ZZZzsZZZ.

  A series of red beams flew by my ship and bsted into the other Y-wing, flyio me. The ship immediately turned into a ball of psma, which expanded and ripped it into thousands of pieces.

  I instinctively grabbed onto the trol stick even strohan before thanks to the waves of psma explosion which reached my ship. I actally pulled it towards me. Thanks to that, the ship sharply turned upwards in a wild spinning motion that was making me sick, but I didn’t pin, just shivered when I saw another series of red beams cross the exact pce where I was just a sed ago...

  In the abrupt ge of dire I had momentarily lost trol over the ship, I anig and trying to stabilize it while redireg some energies to the shields from the propulsion system, letting the ship stabilize by itself somewhat.

  Why doing so, I was forced to listen to the plete chaos that was happening through the radio.

  -Shoot them, shoot them!

  -Two is on my left. I need cover immediately!

  -I am on it, keep it up!

  -It’s too -! AARGH! ZZZZzzzz….

  -It’s on me!? Guys-… Argh!!! ZZZZzzzZZZZ!

  -I got one of them!

  -Disengage, disehere is a swarm of vulture droids heading our way, do not engage! Repeat!

  -He is right, we must evacuate right now, prepare for short distance emergency hyperspace jump!

  -There is no time, they are all over us!?

  -Stay in formation and follow my lead!

  -No, I ca-... zzzZZZZZZZ...

  -Fighter four is down!

  -Stay in formation, and jump, we have no other ce!

  At that time, I miraculously mao gain back trol, and immediately turned my ship towards the allied forces, direg the energy back towards the propulsion system and waiting for the board puter to calcute the necessary data for the jump.

  Meanwhile, I saw a bunch of vulture droids, heading towards my new position both in the rearview and on the radar. I quickly uood that there is no ce that the puter will finish analyzing the information. The rest of our squad members accelerated away in front of my eyes. They had more time to find a safe route while I was trying to gain back trol of the damn ship!

  I noticed the red killing beams heading towards me from the edge of my eyes. I felt my awareness skyrocket to pletely new heights as the world seemed to slow down around me. Suddenly, everything became alive around me, every sensation, sounds... I felt the drops of sweat dribbling down my face; I heard my heart beating in my chest, felt every pulse of blood pushed in my veins, the screaming sound of the preparing hyper-drive, the blood red psma crawling closer and closer. The puter s showing the process of calcution. It was y pert done, but I had no more time.

  I reached out my right hand. It felt heavy, heavier than it ever felt before. I lifted it through my sheer will, and it seemed that my muscles were screaming with pain from the otherwise simple a.

  I could feel as a series of small blood veins burst in my eyes, from the inhuman effort of which I finally grabbed the hyperspace accelerator and pushed it to maximum.

  It either worked out, or I will crash into something faster than light itself!

  The ship accelerated forward, following the rest of my squad. The deadly psma left behind missed the tail of my ship. It took less than a sed before I exited hyperspace. Finding myself in front of a quickly closing bridge of a venator battleship!

  -FUCK!

  I screamed, as I once again pulled back the trol stick, this time iionally. Barely avoiding collision... I could see the deathly pale expressions of the people ihe bridge, all screaming with terror, trying to cover their faces.

  I entered into aruggle with gaining back my trol over the ship, and when I finally succeeded, I was left both mentally and physically drained.

  I slumped against my backseat, letting the ship fly on its own at a slow speed. I was so exhausted I had tle to stay scious. Then I saw a shadow pass over my ship, f me to open my eyes and look at the familiar ship’s form.

  Then I heard the voice of Jad also saw his face waving at me from his cockpit.

  -Now, that is what I call a close call girl! Are you all right? We thought that we lost you over there, at least for a sec, but damn girl, you had some spider like reflexes for sure. Anyway, grats on your first mission, oh… and I believe, a promotion is in order.

  I couldn’t help but smile, hearing the voice of this stupid bastard. Eventually, I mao push out a few words...

  -Oh, just… shut… the fuck… up...

  -From the perspective of Adi Gallia-

  A group of republic soldiers led by the jedi master, Adi Gallia, were still holding their ground against the seemingly endless droid assault in front of the bridge. Iretched out battle of enduraheir choices have been limited in driving off the invading separatist forces.

  Now things seemed to take a dire turn. They had been trapped against the orao the bridge, while the droids have never ceased to tiheir relentless assault.

  One of the soldiers shouted in pain as a ser beam barely missed him and, in passing, still mao scratch his arm. He was currently trying to put out the fire on his right sleeve that arose in the wake of the super-heated psma beam. Small billows of smoke were stantly rising from his sleeve, the ignited material taining the sparks was stubbornly opposing his efforts to be put out.

  -Damn it! How many of these fuckers are still there? Did they sneak a plete droid factory on this shitty ship or what!?

  -Shut up and just shoot, they will eventually run out of units!

  The earlier soldier grunted with annoyance.

  -Hah, based on what I see here, I will sooner run out of energy cells!

  Another older soldier shouted back at him.

  -That wouldn’t be the case if you actually have learo aim with that on of yours, instead of just shooting blindly! You bastard almost hit the jedi just now!

  The younger soldier became visibly distressed by the mention of the unfortunate act.

  -Oh, just shut up, it was just an act! Sting it up all the fug time!

  Some of the soldiers ughed, hearing the groaning young d, as another soldier joihe discussion with a witty remark.

  -Wouldn’t y it up too if I were the one who almost blew off your damn cucumber like head?

  The young rodian boy with a distinct green skin seemed fused, as he asked.

  -Cucumber? What the fuck are you talking about?

  In the meantime, Adi was focused on eling the force with a deep tration, as she danced between the ining sers, dodging, defleg, or refleg them ba the ining droids in a seemingly endless cycle of fluid movements.

  She had long since exhausted her personal reserves. Her movements were being slower as fatigue started to set in. Making her limbs bee even heavier. She did not know how long she o keep this intense defeance up, but ohing she knew, she could not keep up with this space much longer.

  Her mind seemed to bee a line of single, monotonous thoughts that represented an a as well.

  Deflect, dodge, dodge, move, deflect, twirl, deflect, reflect, dodge, move, cucumber, deflect, dodge... wait? Cucumber? What cucum-?

  The internal surprise had created a small pse of attention in the fluid cycle of tinuous motion, and in that moment, a red ser beam mao strike her on the left shoulder.

  She screamed from the intense pain that assaulted her entire body. She felt as if all of her remaining strength had left her body immediately. She dropped onto her back, falling to the ground, still groaning and squirming in pain.

  As, even in this situation, she couldn’t help but think about it, about the reason she ended up like this, that damned word... cucumber, was it? How did this eveer her mind at this absurd moment?

  In this state of blurry sciousness and pulsing pain, she heard the soldiers behind her curse violently.

  -Damn it, the jedi is down, cucumber boy go and pull her behind cover now! Cover the kid!

  With that, an intense burst of blue ser beams started to fly over my body while I y on the floor with the cold realization. Ah... of course, I should have known that it was all because of them... these idiots they couldn’t stop spouting nonsense.

  At least that was what I thought, until I saw a younger boy’s face appear, h over me. He asked me if I was still alive, and when I nodded with a fbbergasted expressioarted to pull me behind the barely usable cover we had…

  I hissed with pain as the fool started to pull me by my shoulder… Couldn’t he see that I was ihere? OUCH?! Why?!

  I was ashamed as tears started to flood my eyes. With all my willpower I couldn’t hold them back… This kid was an idiot!

  In the meantime, aside from grinding my teeth in pain, I also decided to let the earlier matter drop... Seeing the actual face of this bastard… This guy really looked like a cucumber... How did I not notice it before?