Play Testers Wanted Pt. 16

I gestured, and they froze. There was something near us, so I reached out again and snared its mind. It was not easy. The thing was slippery, both physically and mentally. It took a bit to get control of it. I drew it close, and it was hard to hear its approach over the biting rain and gusting wind. The thing was dark, and its outline shifted and changed from second to second. There were no apparent external organs such as eyes, mouth, or ears. Instead, it seemed to be a singular mass of undulating translucent flesh. We could see its internal organs, and they shifted as much as the thing's exterior. What the fuck was this thing? It reminded me loosely of the creature I had encountered on Tython, but it was feral and not precisely what I would call sentient. A young Rancor stumbled into the area, and a sudden surge of energy caused me to lose control of the creature. It pulled itself into a tight ball before launching itself at the Rancor. The blob struck the Rancor's head and latched on. Smoke rose as its digestive enzymes went to work. The Rancor bellowed in rage and agony as it died. It tried to rend its attacker with formidable claws but to no avail. The thing absorbed the apex predator's head, and the body dropped to the water-soaked ground with a soft mushy slap.

"Aw fuck," Kyanna cursed, and I quickly reestablished control. The formless thing sat contented as it slowly digested the brain of the Rancor. I caught flashes from the creature as it relived the short life of the young predator. The once semi-sentient status grew to a barely self-aware entity. With this new level came an aura of malignancy that radiated out and blanketed the area with dread and horror. I used Force drain and slowly stole every ounce of the thing's life force. It faded as it dried and broke down to a thin layer of slime floating atop a nearby pool.

"We need to be cautious when the rain ends," I suggested, and we returned to the ship. The energy I had absorbed was enough to sate me for a week. After that, I learned enough to know it was also an infant of its species. It was too young to pass on more than its hunger and hate for other life, no matter what form it took. The abhorrence hardwired into its nature, or perhaps it would better be described as its instincts to survive. Absorb, digest, and grow were its core instructions, and at that moment, I understood. A superior intelligence created the eldritch horror.

"Was this a Dark Side experiment gone wrong?" I muttered aloud, and I heard both my students gasp as the ramp rose and the ship sealed. "I need a hot shower after that."

"We need one." Kyanna corrected me.

"No shit," Aoki stammered, still upset at what she had seen. "I am glad you killed that thing."

"Did the Rakata make it?" Kyanna asked as she slowly stripped out of her robes.

"We can check afterward," I suggested as I followed suit.

"Hey, wait for me," Whisper called out, already half-naked. "Me too."

The bathroom was one of the largest of the compartments on the ship. It could and has entertained up to ten human-sized individuals, ah, good times. We formed up under the six ceiling-based showerheads and lathered up. I picked up the subtle metallic footfall and spied DP-69 observing us from the entrance of the bathroom. Her optical sensors glowed a faint pink illumination.

"Do not mind me. I am curious about biological's breeding practices. Is this typical?"

"For me, yes, for most sentients, um no," I replied. "Is there anything you want to say?"

"I have prepared food, so whenever you finish your watering ritual, a meal will be ready in the cafeteria," DP-69 announced.

"Watering ritual?" Aoki chuckled.

"I suppose that would be one way of categorizing a shower." Kyanna laughed.

We kept the frolicking to a minimum. I felt weirded out being observed by the droid. We all dressed comfortably and casually. After the meal, I began training my apprentices in form eight and dueling in general. They were both skilled fighters, and Aoki had discovered the hidden functions I placed on her shoto lightsaber. She quickly adapted to the switch that could suddenly lengthen or shorten the off-handed weapon's blade. She used it with great skill too. Between dueling and learning the eighth form, we found time to chat and improve their stealth skills. I tried and failed to emulate my Rakatan Master when it came to a stern training attitude.

I had Traci place a weather icon in my vision's bottom right corner to monitor the ever-present weather. All I had to do was look at it, which would cause it to glow, and then one blink later, and I had a virtual weather map. The cycle of shitty weather continued for another six weeks. By that time, the girls had mastered not just form eight but their stealth abilities. I was so damn proud and not just of them but a bit of self-love for managing to pass on those talents without failure.

After three days of leaving them to their own devices, I finished the last few weapons and armor modifications. I will not lie. After seeing the Star Forge's versions of my droid and speeder designs, my confidence plummeted when it came to crafting. It felt like a gut punch and made me question myself. So, what might have taken a week or so now took nearly a month. What had once been a joyful smooth process was now a grind, and I loathed it. Finally, I finished all my outstanding projects and shelved everything else. I needed a break or hell to get the fuck out of this damn ship.

"Boss? I have found the edge of the weather pattern. It won't reach us for another week, but the wet season is ending." Traci declared.

"Fucking show me!" I snapped. The virtual map hovered before me. There it was. I pointed to the very top left of the display. "I am the fuck out of here, now. Ladies! Pack for a long weekend outdoors. I will grab food and water, and don't forget your weapons." I whistled, and the Exomorph raced in, and her anxiousness mirrored my own. "Want to go for a run? Huh, do you, good girl. Let us go."

I attacked the cafeteria and packed food, snacks, and canteens. I picked out loose-fitting armor, boots, two new lightsabers I wanted to field test, and a few of my dirty tricks just in case. I pulled up the hood, slipped on my tactical battle mask, and tapped my foot impatiently until the girls appeared. Whisper begged to go with us after being locked up for so long.

"HK-47, you lovely bastard you, I leave protecting the ship to you. If someone or something is stupid enough to attack, blast the shit out of them."

"Emotional Statement. Oh yes, Master, I will terminate with joyous prejudice." He replied.

"Master? May I accompany you?" DP-69 requested. "I would like to push my physical parameters."

"Fine, but we are going to be running and attacking the terrain," I announced. "Alright, huddle close, and let us get going." I slipped free of my body with ease and teleported to the edge of the storm. Like everything near the ship, the ground was utterly flooded. I found a rocky outcropping that would provide a dry landing spot. I stood atop it and brought not just my body but those of the others, including the eager Exomorph.

Pop! The air exploded outwards as so large a group suddenly appeared. The others let their inner ear and mind adjust to their new surroundings. I was an accomplished teleporter and had long ago gotten used to the jarring effect of instantaneous travel. I tapped into one of the Rakatan satellites and compared our current location to Star Forge's GPS coordinates. We were pretty far off, but we could reach it in four days after using the satellite's mapping program if we pushed our pace. We would be out of food, but worst case, we hunted along the way to expand our supplies.

"Everyone ready? Good. I am sending our route and destination to your HUDs. Shoulder those packs, and we are going to haul ass for the first couple of days. Follow me, ladies." I roared as I launched myself forward. The surrounding landscape was rocky, slick as shit from the extended torrential downpour, and required careful passage. Finally, I let go and let the Force guide my movements. It is hard to describe the sheer joy of surrendering and being out of the confines of my ship. I took long deep breaths, and I raced forward. Traci played a handpicked soundtrack for the first day, and after only two breaks, we covered more ground than I anticipated. DP-69 kept up effortlessly, and after tapping into her memory core of today's events, I was thrilled for a moment at how well she performed. A moment later, I remembered she was not my creation.

"Master, why are you frowning?" DP-69 asked. I relented and told the truth.

"I feel disappointed that I was unable to finish designing your systems," I said, my voice low and bitter.

"Is that all?" She said, sounding relieved. "You lovingly crafted and sculpted 95 percent of my functionality, and you feel a failure. Why?"

"Ninety-five," I repeated. "I thought..."

"No, what you see before you are mostly your handiwork. The rest was simple tweaking that I am confident you would have discovered and applied in due time. I am the child of your ingenuity." DP-69 stated, and I felt my confidence somewhat restored.

"Um... for the technologically challenged, who did build you?" Aoki asked her defenses on high alert.

"Why the Star Forge, of course." The droid replied with a smile, and her optics glowing a pleasant blue hue.

"The Star Forge!" Kyanna exclaimed. "Oh shit, Rakata Prime, I thought, what is the current galactic date in Republic Standard?" DP-69 shared that information, and I saw the Mirialan's face contort. "That means we arrived here months before the concert on Malastare."

"How the hell is that even possible?" Aoki asked, and I shrugged.

"Something must have happened when I plugged the sphere into the navicomputer." Kyanna tried to reconcile the time jump. "We were already in hyperspace. The sudden course correction must have messed with hyperspace. Great." I fought the urge to shout 'welcome to my world' but instead took out a guitar from my inventory and began playing. I sang until the ladies got tired. Then, I would watch over them as they slept.

"Your flagship is nearly finished. By the time you are ready to leave, the strongest ships of your fleet will be ready to crush your enemies." DP-69 said only once she was sure the others were sleeping.

"Of course, it is," I stated. "I don't know what felt worse, the loss of confidence when I saw you aboard the Star Forge or the loss of choice when I realized where we had landed."

"I imagine the loss of confidence. You cannot fight fate." DP-69 stated as she got to her feet and began walking away. She moved like a woman, and in the dim lighting, she might even be confused for one.

"I do good work." I chuckled. "Where are you going?"

"Someone needs to patrol the area while the biologicals sleep," DP-69 replied coolly. Something was wrong, and it did not take the Force to warn me that bitch of a droid was up to something. "Traci, what kind of satellite were you tapping into for the weather reports?"

"One of a series of near orbit and deep space sentinels that monitor the planet and the entire star system for activity. In the case of an attack, they trigger an early warning system. Why?"

"Tell me about the near orbit one," I asked as I changed from light armor to heavy-duty Cortosis weave and my full loadout.

"Since the fall of the Infinite Empire, it serves as a weather and survey platform. Not that there is anyone to warn of bad weather or deep earth situations." She replied. "Do you want me to have it scan the area around us?"

"Yes. Do so quietly while I wake the others." I directed as I rose and found Whisper nearby, watching me intently. "Whisper?"

"Booker," Kat said through the lethan Twi'lek. "Are you okay?"

"That depends," I said as I moved to wake Aoki and Kyanna. "My weird-shit-o-meter just went off... why?"

"Just checking," she lied and poorly. I could hear the concern screaming off her. The subtle twinge and not-so-subtle quake in those two words, just checking. She was scared, and it had nothing to do with the damn game. Was something happening I needed to be alarmed about in the real world? Did she find out about Wraith and my connection to the power company we were about to open?

"Can you tell me what is going on?" I asked, and she flinched.

"I forgot how empathetic you are." She said, trying to laugh and failing miserably. "No. I cannot. No one is in danger." I believed that part. "Just some weird shit happening out in the real world. I hate to break immersion, but I need your advice. Do not pause the game. Just listen. We picked up a signal beyond Jupiter. The winery I set up on one of its moons detected a weak yet complex pulse transmission. We think it might be an old Soviet scramjet vehicle they launched in the seventies. They loaded it for bear with two small nuclear power plants and aimed it at the Jovian system. They lost contact with it a week after launch. A common theory was that when the engines kicked in, something got knocked loose. It roared off the screens like a bat out of hell and vanished."

"Until now," I said, and she nodded. "Do the transmissions match Soviet-era profiles?"

"No. The pulses are mathematical and increasing in complexity. The problem is that the genius behind the communications portion of the project died last year. The professor was found dead in his apartment. Though he was in his seventies, we could use him right now."

"Is this thing going to hit the winery?" I asked, and she shook her head. "The Earth?"

"The Earth Master?" Whisper replied, and I knew Kat had disconnected without warning me. The echo in the Force was subtle and beneath us. A second pulse, but this one was a bit further away.

"Something is moving under you. I suggest you take a more tactical position and soon." Traci warned us. I shook the others awake as I reached out to locate the source of danger. Three fast pulses sounded as they triangulated our positions. It was directly below us.

"MOVE!" I shouted as I activated both lightsabers.

"Huh?" Kyanna replied sleepily. "Shit." She cursed as she grabbed her pack and backflipped away. The ground where she had been sleeping broke open, and a slime-covered tube erupted and rose into the air. The tentacle was big enough to swallow a full-sized human with ease. The earth shook as more of those appendages ruptured the ground and swayed above us. Aoki's blasters spoke, and purple blaster fire struck the nearest of the tubes. My boss-fight music filled my ears as we engaged whatever the hell these things were. The devs had come up with something brand new for the backwater planet. I held onto one lightsaber and threw the other using the ghosting technique. It began its path vertically before the English I had put on it brought it horizontally to slash at the base of the same tube Aoki had targeted. Kyanna lashed out with Force lightning and destroyed the cylinder that had tried to swallow her.

The other tubes struck out, and we went onto the defensive. I caught my returning weapon and crossed them in front of me to singe the attacking tentacle. Aoki tossed a thermal detonator down the 'throat' of that tube. We moved back as the explosive went off, killing the second tube.

"Aw, this is not so bad," Aoki giggled. The ground shook, nearly throwing us off our feet. "No fucking way." A twenty-foot diameter portion of the land bulged upward, revealing the terrible truth. The tubes were attached to the back of a much larger creature. I sheathed my lightsabers and went for an area of effect attack, namely Force lightning. I reached for the weather pattern and went to build a storm strong enough to kill this thing. I felt Kyanna uniting in my attempt, and the change happened that much quicker. Whisper and Aoki covered us as we worked the weather.

"Where the fuck is DP?" I shouted. "Some bodyguard she is." Even as the main body pushed itself to the surface, the tubes continued to attack. Three of them targeted Aoki, and as good as she was, one of them swallowed her whole. "No!" Whisper tried to free her, but she was equally overwhelmed. "Just a few more seconds."

BRIPPPPP!!! Automatic blaster fire lit up the night. The tube holding Aoki dropped, and she used her shoto saber to free herself. Her rage was evident as she attacked the boss monster with Force drain. She restored her life points and kept latched on.

"Die motherfucker!" She screamed as the dark energy of the monster lighted her face.

"Query. Am I late?" HK-47 called out as he continued to lay down suppressive fire.

The horror finally breached the earth and roared in pain. The first rumble of thunder heralded the death from above that we were about to unleash. The boss yelled a second time as the tubes rose straight and changed color.

"Get out of there," I shouted. Whisper and Aoki were already racing in our direction. The beast sent foul-smelling fluid shooting out those tubes, and digestive acid rained down all around us. HK began smoking where the acid struck him. I raised a telekinetic shield above us. "You can do it, Kyanna."

"So much power," she screamed as she brought down the rain and lightning. The storm broke above us. The rain and digestive acids interacted, and the boss bellowed as its attack turned upon it. The lightning strikes ripped open its flesh, and the tubes leaked acid on the back of the thing. More lightning struck, but this time they were all over the place. A bolt struck my shield and dropped me to my knees. "Power." Kyanna roared, and my world went white. I woke in the White Room. Did she kill me? I waited for the counter to respawn. I returned and got my reduced portion of experience points while Kyanna and the others got a ton for defeating the Barantu Elder. Kyanna looked guilty as hell, but I waved it off. "I don't know what happened. I lost control, sorry."

"New game mechanic?" I offered, and she shrugged. I telekinetically lifted the monster's body and revealed a hidden cache of rare Kaiburr crystals and the remains of ancient Rakata armor and weapons that survived the digestive tract of the Barantu Elder. We split the hoard evenly though Aoki secretly offered up her portion of the crystals in place of a nifty weapon or armor later. I accepted. DP-69 arrived a few moments later. She offered no excuse but did look surprised to see HK with us. "Speaking of, what brought you here, HK?"

"Astute Observation. I do not trust this bitch." He said, indicating the other droid. "Statement. I was proved correct."

"Master?!" DP-69 exclaimed as I gripped her entire body with the Force.

"Give me one good reason I don't teleport you into low orbit and watch you burn up on reentry?" I snarled, feeling the Dark Side take over.

"You... you haven't passed all of the tests to earn your fleet." She struggled to speak as her vocabulator began malfunctioning. I let go reluctantly.

"How many more tests?" I yelled, and a blast of thunder rumbled above us. DP glanced up, and as her self-repair functions kicked in, her optics turned a happy green color.

"I have been informed that you and your companions are worthy of laying claim to the Star Forge. The builders were masters of the Dark Side. I saw a little manifestation of it until now. You have earned my respect." She said and walked off. The blindingly white-hot sky bolt struck the retreating droid welding her into one solid piece of metal.

"Fuck you bitch!" I snarled before regaining my sense of balance within the Force.

"Joyous Observation. My Master is a beast." HK-47 stated.

"No more subterranean anomalies, boss," Traci confirmed.

"We eat, we meditate, and then we finish this little outing." I directed as HK revealed how he had arrived in the nick of time. HK had parked all three speeder bikes at a safe distance. He had used one and slaved the other two to his. "I concur with HK, fuck walking. We ride in style. Traci scan the destination coordinates, no more surprises."