Only Shadows in Coruscant

[Dark Link]

The Ghost had told the boy in no uncertain terms to stay where he was, but the commotion and sense of danger stirred him into action. Before the assassin could put down her now helpless prey, the swordsman jumped into the fray and finished the deed himself. As before, he did not stop to wonder about the source of his knowledge nor how he was so certain it was accurate. He simply let his muscle memory guide his movements, each of his swings connecting with its intended target and dispensing them with brutal efficiency.

Once they were vanquished, however, instinct gave way to reason. Looking upon his handiwork — the carcasses of the cut down lackeys and the red liquid dripping off his blade — the young man was once more in a discombobulated state. He had only witnessed something like this once before: in the image that Second Lieutenant Ellis had shown them during the briefing. Yet, seeing such a thing firsthand was an entirely different experience — the images of unfocused, soulless eyes and gaping mouths burning themselves into the fresh and inexperienced mind. Kiln found the now lifeless bodies awing...even somewhat unsettling.

But Sarah's words quickly brought him out of his stupor. Even if he didn't entirely understand them, he did at least comprehend that she wanted to move on....and the further perils that he could feel laying ahead made that desire mutual. Not giving his downed foes a second glance, the warrior steeled himself for whatever hazards awaited them before descending down the sloped tunnel that the secret entranceway was concealing. His companion wrapped herself in her cloak of invisibility before following suit.

Progressing with haste, the Primes found themselves in a underground parking lot. It was mostly devoid of vehicles, barring a trio of the kind they had seen earlier, suggesting that the convoy that arrived before had already finished whatever they had come to do and left. But what was truly surprising was what awaited them there....nothing. In spite of the fact that the entrance was opened and reinforcements called, not a single soul appeared to stop them or do anything at all. The only thing that greeted the loud echo of their footsteps was silence.

It didn't require much consideration to realise that this was a trap; after all, even the sloppiest security detail wouldn't have permitted them to just walk right in unopposed. It was an obvious ploy....too obvious, Kerrigan thought. It made her suspect that their arrival was not only anticipated, but that their opponents were even counting on them to either attempt to avoid the ambush or even retreat out of insecurity. As her unseen gaze shifted towards her companion's back, the secret operative decided upon a course of action. If the trap was only a decoy, then the best way to deal with it was to do the unexpected...

Still hidden from plain sight, the girl gave Kiln a gentle shove in order to get him to move. He turned his head to look behind him. Even at point blank range, the optical camouflage was well-nigh perfect. If it weren't for the subtle shimmering caused by movement, one would have been hard-pressed to tell that anything was there. To the swordsman, who was still unused to such tricks, it seemed as though she simply faded out of existence. But thanks to the earlier demonstration, he realised that she was still there, even if his eyes couldn't make out that fact. Facing the front once more, he readied his weapon and armour piece before he took point and carefully proceeded towards the tunnel that lead further into the interior.

Deeper into the complex, they entered what appeared to be an industrial hall. Though it was dimly lit, emergency lights being the only source of visibility, it was certainly not quiet — the chamber seemed to be located underneath the discotheque as the boomy and entrancing beat emanating from it was audible, albeit in a muffled state. On each side of the hall, a series of metallic platforms, staircases and ladders helped form two mezzanines, which were also connected via several bridges. The middle was occupied by a production line and workstations, many littered with chemical flasks and components. Various boxes and containers littered the room, seemingly shoved into whatever corner or part of space that was available.

While the shield bearer remained vigilant and examined the area for any threats, his partner took a look at the tables and carts at the end of the assembly line. There she recognised the remnants of the manufactured goods amidst a sea of plastic bags — a variety of pills and fine powder. So that was it — this was a narcotics factory, undoubtedly the origin of whatever substances the junkies outside were getting hooked on. Even if they lacked solid evidence against him, it seemed that the EPD's claims regarding Gawain weren't entirely fabricated either. Not that this was of any surprise to the Ghost, nor did it make much difference — whether a romantic rebel or a cutthroat crime lord, he was the target either way.

Abruptly, they were startled by a noisy screech that resonated throughout the chamber. Coming from the primitive intercom speakers, it was followed by a voice — one of a rough and firm tone: "Another visitor....and from far away indeed! Those Empire dogs must be either foolish or desperate to have sent a medieval man to this place.....or perhaps they find it amusing to have one of your kind visit the Merciful Knight. Whatever the case may be, I wonder...is it courage or folly that has brought you to this place?"

His sword and shield at the ready, the warrior bewilderingly gazed around in a vain attempt to locate the person addressing him. Not that he himself even realised he was the one being addressed, the meaning of the stranger's words flying over his head.

In his confusion, he also failed to notice that his companion was no longer right behind him. Using the distraction, she quietly slipped away from the scene in search of further routes, leaving the warrior to fend for himself. Now that the enemy had taken the bait, she had little desire to stick around and get caught in the crossfire. Besides which, she had decided that this was it....this would be the boy's trial. If he somehow managed to survive the ambush, he will have proven himself valuable enough for Kerrigan to continue molding his immature mind. If not....then he would at least serve as a distraction while she focused on finding and eliminating Gawain.

A few tense moments of silence passed before the man behind the microphone resumed: "Not one for words, are you? Very well, then...let us see if your resolve is as strong as that blade you carry." When the transmission was cut off, the swordsman became alarmed, though not because the person had ceased to speak. He felt something incoming....something dangerous! Instinctively, he raised his shield to defend himself.

No sooner had he done this did the entire hall become lit and a burst of bullets ricochetted off his arm-strapped cover. Metal clanged under the weight of countless footsteps — a few guards emerged from the shadows of the upper floors and rained down fire upon the intruder with their submachine guns while a dozen more moved into position. Nearly overwhelmed by the attack, the warrior threw himself behind one of the workstations.

As projectiles continued to bombard the improvised shelter, tearing through any objects in their way, Kiln covered his head in a vain attempt to protect himself from the noise and flying debris. He frantically looked around, concerned for his companion. Where was "her"...where was Sarah?! But no matter where he turned, she was nowhere in sight. Was it like before? Was she still there and he simply could not see her?

Another volley of covering fire and the rattling of staircases reminded him to worry about his own well-being. His position becoming increasingly jeopardised, the boy sought to escape. He didn't fail to notice that the attacks came in intervals, so he waited for the right opportunity. When the gunfire subsided somewhat, he bolted onto his feet and made a dash for the right side of the chamber.

The hired guns followed him in hot pursuit, bullets whistling past him and poking holes in whatever object was unfortunate enough to be in its trajectory. Some of the projectiles managed to graze the warrior, rupturing his clothing and scratching his skin. But he was too focused on running for his dear life to pay much attention to such superficial damage and proceeded unhindered.

His flight lead him into a minor labyrinth of makeshift rooms and wooden walls where he attempted to evade his pursuers. But the incomprehensible commands and shouts he could hear not far behind him revealed that his chasers were relentlessly looking for their prey. Some were so eager to riddle the "medieval man" with bullets that they fired a few shots through the thin walls, hoping to get lucky and hit their target.

After nearly running straight into a dead end, Kiln swiftly changed directions. Through the openings among a stack of containers, he noticed one of the guards coming from the left to cut him off. As it was too late to turn back, he instead sprinted to catch his opponent off-guard, sword at the ready. But as the man in the brown jacket turned a corner, he heard the nearby footfalls and turned to see the rapidly approaching black figure. In a fit of panic, the lackey raised his firearm while the grey-haired boy made a great leap, his blade raised high.

The submachine gun blasted a salvo of small projectiles, two of them managing to find their mark. The swordsman clenched his teeth, acute pain coursing through his arm as the ammunition penetrated it. However, his forward momentum was too strong to be halted by this hit and he struck with his brand in a downward motion.

His opponent yelled out in terror — the slash was so powerful that it cut through fabric and flesh with ease, severing his arm in the process. The still clenched trigger caused the weapon to fire incessantly into empty space as the appendage plummeted onto the floor.

While his initial adversary fled, uselessly holding onto his bleeding stump, Kiln heard others approaching. Looking at his immediate surroundings, he noticed an empty doorframe. Having few options, he ran inside. Seeing yet another opening in the room he appeared in, he rushed towards it. But in his eagerness to escape, the young man didn't pay enough attention to his surroundings and bumped into a chair, resulting in an awkward trip and fall. Though the motion caused him immense pain in his arm, he rapidly pushed himself in order to get back onto his feet.

The approaching steps went silent right before the room where the commotion came from. "Stand clear!" an unknown voice spoke up. A moment later, an object was thrown into the room — a black, cylinder-shaped item with a steel top. The boy had no clue what it was, but suspected that it was dangerous. He warily took a few steps back towards the second doorframe he was headed before.

With a loud "BANG", the object detonated, an intense white light burning itself into the warrior's retina. Blinded, he raised his shield to defend himself, more of an act of desperation than a deliberate action on his part. A strong salvo of bullets pelted the armour piece, pushing the swordsman further back. His forced retreat caused him to lose his footing and tumble onto his back. His response was rapid — using the backwards motion to his advantage, he managed to roll back into a squatting position and stand back up.

Another guard emerged from the room he came from. Holding up his weapon to take another shot, he pulled the trigger...and was greeted by a harmless click — the magazine was empty. Grunting in frustration, he pulled out his dagger instead. His two comrades that followed him shortly after did the same, not wanting to risk harming each other with gunfire in such an enclosed space. However, they weren't foolish enough to ignore the reach the boy had with his long blade and kept their distance as they moved to flank him.

Having recovered from the temporary blindness, Kiln scanned the surrounding enemies with his red eyes, a scowl on his face. However, there was also something other than displeasure that he felt as he faced this situation....a sensation that had become quite common. It was a sense of familiarity — he had faced such a quandary before.

The boy was encircled. Everywhere he turned, monsters — beings of rotten flesh and bone — shambled towards him. Their empty eye sockets were fixed upon him incessantly as they raised their arms and parted their exposed teeth, ready to feast. But their prey had a trick up his sleeve. Firmly grasping the hilt of his sword, he sensed the energy flowing through his body and redirected it towards his hand.

Gradually, a blue light covered the length of the blade. Just as the creatures were about to grab hold of him, he unleashed the gathered power, slashing everything around him in one circular motion. Some of the creatures were defeated, while others were merely wounded — regardless, it gave the boy the opportunity he needed to escape his predicament.

Consciously, the black-clad warrior wasn't aware of the mystical energies that has enveloped his weapon. But even he could see their magnificent blue light glistening off of the alerted eyes of his foes.

In one rapid and uninterrupted spin, his sword hit everything within its reach. The man in front, who had been anticipating an attack in his direction, leaped back just in time to avoid it. His brothers-in-arms, however, were not so fortunate. The one on the left took the brunt of the slash, the blade tearing through his abdomen to such an extent that he desperately attempted to keep his intestines from flowing out before collapsing. His counterpart opposite him nearly avoided the sweeping assault, but hit a nearby crate with spare chemical equipment while attempting to do so. As a result, he could not prevent the tip of the brand from producing a nasty cut on his stomach as well as severing his SMG from its sling, the item dropping onto the floor.

The lackey on the right, covering his bleeding wound with his spare hand, attempted to retaliate with a cheap shot. But his knife only ended up harmlessly bouncing off of the boy's armour piece. In return, he received a shield bash to the face. The impact caused him to smash against the wall with a broken nose, his blade slipping out of his grasp and flying off to the other side of the room.

The wannabe leader of the group yelled out as he charged forward, trying to stab the shield-bearer. The intended victim managed to nimbly sidestep the rush, leaving the guard exposed to a counterattack. Wishing to put a stop to further assaults, the young man was reminded of one of the first things he learned and decided to put the lesson to good use. Tightly clenching his sword hand, he sent the fist flying into the thug's gut. This turned out to be a poor idea as the punch further exacerbated the searing anguish he felt in his arm, but it left its target out of breath. Instinctively, he followed it up with a swift kick to the chest, the man falling on the floor as a result.

Turning to his right in a quick fashion, Kiln raised his sword to finish off his helpless opponent. However, he had pushed his luck too far — having undergone a lot of unnatural strain, the muscles in his wounded arm cramped. Wincing in pain, he was unable to complete his movement. His bloody-nosed foe did not fail to respond to this. Grabbing one of the spare flasks that were on the crate, he smashed it into the left side of the boy's head, the object splintering into dozens of pieces.

Shaken by the blow, the swordsman became dazed and struggled to remain on his feet. Seizing the opportunity, the man in the jacket scrambled to pick up the nearest weapon he could find — his fallen machine gun. Hastily, he raised it and fired off a burst at point-blank range. But once more, the warrior was aware enough to raise his shield in defence. At such a close range, it ended up deflecting the projectiles into other directions — some even striking the group leader's legs, who was trying to get back onto his feet. The inevitable outcome was another plummet to the ground, the man twisting and screaming in agony.

Feeling the spasm subside, Kiln firmly swung his blade and knocked the firearm out of his opponent's hands. Following it up with another two slashes in an X pattern, the guard hit the wall and collapsed once more, this time conclusively. The one remaining man continued to shout, desperately trying to reach for the dagger that had fallen out of his immediate reach as well as attempting to drag his now inoperable appendages. The swordsman was swift and merciless, however. Favouring his right arm, he grasped the hilt of his weapon with both his hands and impaled the guard through his chest, ending his struggle with a coup de grâce.

As the last of the three foes drew his final breath, the boy took a moment of respite. He was panting himself, stress and fatigue having taken their toll. Sweat and blood trickled along his left cheek, the wound on his head stinging from the salty fluid. The pain in his sword arm continued unabated, further aggravated by the extent he had been using it. But there was no time for rest, no time for recovery. Even if he hadn't already felt it, the countless shouts coming from elsewhere warned of the still imminent threat. And he had to find Sarah...she might have been in danger...

Retrieving his arming sword, Kiln attempted to find his way out of the proverbial maze. But no sooner had he emerged in yet another makeshift hallway did two hired guns managed to locate him. "HE'S HERE!" one of them yelled out before they raised their weapons to open fire. His arms once more at the ready, the warrior braced himself for the incoming onslaught.

**********

The party in the disco continued unabated. The visitors danced furiously, entirely oblivious to the chaos and carnage that was occurring right underneath their feet. But while his guests remained unaware of the happenings in the bowels of the complex, the proprietor of the establishment was more than aware of the situation.

Standing inside the control room, located near the ceiling of the production hall, was Sir Gawain himself. Quietly and calmly, he observed the activity going on down below, his underlings running around in search of the "medieval man". As tempting as it was to simply let his men handle the situation and return to business as usual, he stuck around out of a desire to personally make certain that the intruders were dealt with.

Yes, intruders — the crime boss was aware that there were two of them. Even if it hadn't been for later sightings, even if they hadn't stood out as much as they did, even if it hadn't been for that incident not far away from the Community Center...Gawain would have known of their presence. Tier 6 was his city — he had eyes and ears everywhere. It didn't matter who they were or why they were there — anyone who deigned to show their face in that part of Coruscant was familiar to him.

So he knew of the black-clad swordsman...and his female friend in the grey suit. The fact that one of them appeared inside the facility could have only meant that the other wasn't far away. And if they were really who he suspected they were, then the young woman was most likely going after him.

But in spite of this potential threat, the brown-skinned man remained where he was, continuing to observe the ongoing operation. With the corner of his eye, he looked at one of the many cameras the facility was equipped with. He smirked — even if he wasn't armed at the time, he was not concerned. He was not alone either. He had a guardian angel that was watching over him...

**********

That guardian turned out to be a young woman, who sat in front of dozens of screens displaying the latest security footage. Noticing Gawain staring directly at one of the cameras, her face beamed with delight as she resumed her task. She was quite eager to try and catch a glimpse of the violent spectacle that was going on on the ground floor of the industrial hall. Nevertheless, dedicated to the duty that was bestowed upon her, her priority remained the other sections of the complex.

For a while, it seemed that she was just going to keep staring at a whole lot of nothing. Then, almost by chance, her keen eyes caught sight of something peculiar. It only appeared for a split second, but in one of the better illuminated hallways, something disturbed the air. It was almost as if, for the briefest of moments, reality itself was being twisted and contorted. A less attentive and observant person would have dismissed this as nothing, but the young woman looking at the footage was not deceived — she recognised an optical illusion when she saw one. A wide grin formed on her visage: "Naughty, naughty....Papi doesn't like it when little children are playing hide-and-seek in his home."

Swiftly getting onto her feet, she proceeded to another location. She had a strong hunch where their second uninvited guest was headed.