I pilot the speeder higher into the night sky, releasing Talia's hand to adjust the controls. The speeder stops, hovering silently above the world below. The view is breathtaking—an endless canvas of purples and blues, the sun dipping below the horizon, its final rays barely clinging to the edge of the sky. Stars begin to twinkle into existence, and for a brief moment, everything seems peaceful. But the weight of our mission quickly pulls me back to the task at hand.
"Here's the plan," I say, breaking the tranquil silence. Talia, who has been staring at the view, turns her attention back to me as I mess with my gauntlet. A hologram map of the Eldorian encampment flickers to life, casting a blue light across our faces. The map displays a vast pasture, dotted with thousands of identical tents, neatly arranged in tight rows like a well-organized swarm. Each tent is small and unassuming, but the sheer number of them is overwhelming.
In the center of the encampment stands a much larger tent, its size and placement marking it as something important. The hologram zooms in, giving us a detailed view of its structure. "Apollo, you will infiltrate the camp, kidnap the king, and bring him to the cave. Do not kill. Only stun or render the soldiers there unconscious," I instruct, my voice steady despite the magnitude of the task.
Apollo tilts his head slightly. "And if I get attacked by those cloaked individuals?" he asks, his voice resonating with mechanical precision.
"Those you may kill," I reply, my tone firm. There's no room for mercy with them. I manipulate my gauntlet again, shifting the hologram to display the massive tree palace in the center of the elven capital. The palace rises like a living tower, its roots embedded deep in the earth, its branches stretching high into the heavens. The structure is both awe-inspiring and intimidating.
"Talia and I will infiltrate the palace," I continue as I make the hologram semi-transparent, revealing the interior of the palace. Yellow dots, representing the elves inside, scatter throughout the building, with several concentrated in key areas. The map zooms in on a secret passage running underneath the palace, extending out of the city for several kilometers—a hidden artery into the heart of the elven stronghold.
"We'll use this secret passage to gain access to the palace and then get to the King," I explain, zooming back out to show the whole structure again. "DP-8, you will then drop Apollo off at the encampment and pick him up after he's secured the king of Eldora. We'll contact you once we need a pickup. Any questions?"
Talia takes a deep breath, her face now concealed as she pulls up her face cover. Her platinum locks dangle out of her hood, catching the last remnants of daylight. There's a fierce determination in her eyes, but I can sense the nervous energy just beneath the surface. She shakes her head in response, her hand brushing against the hilt of her sword.
Apollo, as usual, shows no signs of hesitation. He remains still, like the calm before a storm, his sensors focused on the hologram. "No questions," he says, his voice flat and unwavering.
With a flick of my wrist, the hologram disappears, leaving us in the darkened sky. I maneuver the speeder with precision, guiding it downwards until we approach a small ruined keep nestled within the forest. The structure is ancient, its stone walls crumbling and overgrown with moss. Most of the keep has been reduced to rubble, only a few walls still stand, jagged and worn by centuries of neglect. The roof is long gone, and the windows are empty, gaping holes that once might have held stained glass or thick wooden shutters.
The speeder touches down gently beside the keep, the sound of the engine fading into the soft rustle of the trees. Talia and I step out, the cool earth beneath our feet grounding us in the moment. The speeder hums to life again and lifts off, taking Apollo to his part of the mission.
I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the crisp night air as we approach the keep's entrance. Talia does the same beside me, her eyes scanning the area with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. I can sense her fear, though she tries to mask it with a calm exterior. We step into the keep, the shadows wrapping around us like a shroud.
Inside, the keep is even more dilapidated. Broken stone and rotting wood litter the floor, and the ceiling is open to the sky, allowing faint moonlight to spill in. Talia points to a wooden shelf leaning precariously against one of the remaining walls. With a simple motion of my hand, I use the Force to slide the shelf aside, revealing a hidden tunnel behind it.
We step inside, the air immediately becoming cooler and damp as we descend into the earth. I summon a small flame from my finger, its soft light flickering against the rough stone walls of the tunnel. The passage is narrow, just wide enough for us to walk single file, and the ceiling is low, forcing us to duck slightly as we move forward. The walls are rough-hewn, the stonework ancient and uneven, with roots and vines creeping through the cracks.
The tunnel is eerily silent, the only sounds being the soft shuffle of our footsteps and the distant drip of water. The air smells of earth and decay, with a faint metallic tang that clings to the back of my throat. Talia walks close behind me, her breathing shallow, the fear in her mind like a low hum that I can feel through the Force. But she presses on, her resolve strong despite her anxiety.
I'm nervous too, but there's no point in dwelling on what could go wrong. We have a mission, and hesitation could be deadly. We continue through the tunnel, the narrow passage stretching on longer than I anticipated. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, we reach the end. I extinguish the flame with a thought, plunging us into darkness.
?????
I pull out my blaster, setting it to stun, and Talia follows suit, her own blaster ready in her hands. "Ready?" I ask her quietly.
She nods, her eyes sharp and focused. With a wave of my hand, the stone wall before us begins to shift, grinding open to reveal the interior of the palace. The wall opens into a grand hall, its floors polished to a gleaming finish and its walls adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of elven history. The ceilings are high, supported by ornate pillars that rise up like the trunks of ancient trees, and the air smells of incense and something faintly floral.
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The hall is filled with elven soldiers, each one dressed in armor that reflects the status of the royal guard. They stand in small groups, some engaged in quiet conversation, others sharpening swords or adjusting their armor. The moment we step through the opening, however, the hall falls silent as every head turns toward us, eyes wide with shock.
"Intruders!" one soldier cries out, drawing his sword and pointing it at us.
But I act quickly, raising my blaster and firing. A blue ring of energy shoots from the barrel, striking the soldier square in the chest. He lets out a gasp as the stun blast engulfs him, his body seizing up before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
The other soldiers hesitate, a mix of fear and confusion on their faces. They weren't expecting an attack from within their own walls. But their hesitation only lasts a moment before they draw their weapons and charge at us, their swords gleaming in the dim light.
Talia and I move as one, our training and instincts guiding us through the chaos. I fire my blaster with precision, each shot sending out a blue ring that drops another soldier to the ground. Talia is a whirlwind of motion beside me, her body twisting and turning as she dodges the soldiers' attacks, her blaster firing in quick succession.
A soldier lunges at me with a sword, his face twisted in rage, but I sidestep his strike and bring the butt of my blaster down on his head. He crumples to the ground, stunned and unconscious before he even hits the floor. Another soldier swings at me from behind, but I sense the movement and duck just in time, feeling the air rush above me as the blade narrowly misses my head. I sweep his legs out from under him with a swift kick, sending him sprawling, and fire another stun blast at his prone form.
Talia is equally relentless, her movements graceful yet deadly. She ducks under a sword swing, spinning on her heel to deliver a powerful kick to the soldier's midsection, sending him stumbling back. Before he can recover, she fires her blaster, the blue energy ring knocking him out cold. She turns to face another attacker, dodging his wild swings with ease. With a quick jab to his throat, she knocks him off balance, then sweeps his legs out from under him. He hits the ground hard, and a moment later, he's out cold from another stun blast.
The hall erupts into chaos as more soldiers pour in from adjoining corridors, their armor clattering as they rush to join the fray. We're outnumbered, but we move with a dynamic flow, each of us anticipating the other's movements. I focus on the soldiers directly in front of us, firing stun blasts in rapid succession, while Talia takes care of those who try to flank us, her blaster shots precise and deadly.
A group of soldiers charges at me, their swords raised high. I reach out with the Force, sending a powerful wave of energy toward them. They're thrown back like ragdolls, crashing into the walls with bone-jarring force. Before they can recover, I'm on them, firing my blaster and knocking them out one by one.
Talia is a force of nature beside me, her movements fluid and efficient. She ducks under a soldier's swing, spinning around to deliver a sharp kick to his knee, causing him to buckle. As he falls, she stuns him with a blast from her blaster, then turns to face the next attacker. Another soldier rushes at her, but she sidesteps his charge and delivers a powerful punch to his jaw, sending him sprawling. Before he can rise, she's already firing her blaster, dropping him to the floor.
The sounds of clashing swords, blaster fire, and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground fill the hall. Every now and then, a soldier shouts for reinforcements, only for their cries to be silenced by a stun blast. We're relentless, but we're also methodical, taking down our enemies with precision and efficiency.
I knock another soldier aside with a Force push, sending him crashing into a nearby pillar. Talia, in perfect sync, dodges an overhead strike from another guard, delivering a swift knee to his gut before stunning him with her blaster. We keep moving forward, our path littered with unconscious soldiers.
As we push further into the palace, the resistance grows stronger. The soldiers become more organized, their attacks more coordinated. But it's not enough. We're faster, stronger, and more determined. They may have numbers on their side, but we have the element of surprise and the skills to back it up.
We reach a narrow corridor, where a dozen soldiers stand in our way, their swords drawn and ready. They shout commands at each other, trying to form a defensive line. But we're already moving, closing the distance before they have a chance to react.
I leap forward, my blaster firing rapidly. Blue rings of energy fly through the air, striking down the soldiers one by one. Talia is right beside me, her blaster a blur as she fires at the soldiers on the far side of the corridor. A soldier lunges at her with a sword, but she ducks and rolls to the side, coming up on one knee to fire a stun blast into his back. He collapses, unconscious before he hits the ground.
Another soldier charges at me, his sword aimed at my chest. I parry his strike with my blaster, then twist around to deliver a roundhouse kick to his side. He stumbles, and I finish him off with a stun blast to the back. Talia, meanwhile, is taking on two soldiers at once, dodging their strikes with ease. She lands a sharp kick to one soldier's knee, causing him to drop to the ground, then spins around to punch the other in the face. Both fall to the ground, stunned and unconscious.
We continue our advance, moving through the palace like a storm. The soldiers keep coming, but they're no match for our combined strength. We fight as one, our movements perfectly synchronized. Every time a soldier tries to flank us, we're ready, taking them down before they can even raise their weapons.
As we climb higher into the palace, the resistance begins to thin out. The soldiers are fewer in number now, their morale clearly shaken by our relentless assault. But we don't let up. We can't afford to. We need to reach the king before he can escape or call for reinforcements.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity of fighting, we reach a grand staircase that spirals upward, leading to the upper levels of the palace. The stairs are wide, lined with ornate carvings and tapestries that depict scenes of elven history. But the elegance of the surroundings is lost on me as I focus on the task at hand.
We ascend the staircase, our weapons at the ready. The sound of our footsteps echoes in the silence, the only sign of life in the otherwise empty hall. I can sense Talia's determination, her resolve strengthening with every step. We're close now, so close to our goal.
We reach the top of the stairs and find ourselves in a grand hall, its ceiling high and arched, supported by pillars that seem to stretch into the heavens. The floor is polished marble, and the walls are adorned with intricate tapestries and gold accents. At the far end of the hall stands a large, elegant set of doors, their surface carved with intricate patterns and symbols.
I can feel the presence of the king just beyond those doors, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. This is it. The final obstacle between us and our goal. I turn to Talia, her eyes locked on the doors ahead, her face set in determination.
"Ready?" I ask, my voice low and steady.
She nods, her hand tightening around the grip of her blaster. We take a deep breath together, steeling ourselves for what lies ahead. With a final glance at each other, we step forward, ready to face whatever awaits us on the other side.