Chapter One is up.
In case anyone was wondering by this point, this story is about Hossk, who will later be known as the ever-so-evil General Grievous in the SEW, and how he came to be a four-armed, Jedi-killing cyborg.
Chapter 9 Cont'd: Hssisk nodded wordlessly at Hossk's remark about the "bada**" Skag, and followed him into the undergrowth. As they trekked on, it became apparent that they were in Spitter territory when their dens seemed to start popping up everywhere, and furious Spitters, Elders, and some of the large Corroders attacked them every few dozen meters. Fortunately, Hossk and Hssisk stayed on their toes, keeping the vicious predators at bay.
Just when the attackers' numbers seemed to thin, the two Trandoshans pushed through a narrow crevasse lined with brambles into a large nesting site. A pair of Corroders were feasting on the corpse of a Varren, and the walls were lined with Skag dens. Taking no chances, Hossk tossed a Thermal Detonator, which landed on the Varren corpse with a wet plop. The two Skags stared at it curiously, before their entire front halves were blown off by the explosion. Hssisk grinned and pumped his fist, shouting, "Yeah, take that you... oh, sh*t." A far larger Skag, which was identical to an Alpha, but with the green scales of Spitters, charged down the opposite slope into the nest, roaring angrily at the intruders. Before either Trandoshan could fire, greenish gas vented from the Alpha Corroder's armor plates, obscuring the beast from view and forcing the pair back from the noxious gas, coughing and wheezing. Hossk recovered quickly enough to spot the incoming stream of acid emerge from the gas, and managed to knock Hssisk to the ground, protecting them both from the corrosive projectile. The furious Alpha charged out of the gas cloud with a mighty roar, and the two Trandoshans pounded it open maw with blasterfire, staggering the beast. It spun to the side, temporarily disoriented, and the pair didn't let up, pounding the Skag's unarmored backside until it collapsed. Helping the panting Hssisk to his feet, Hossk waved what was left of the gas cloud away and continued, his friend following. "Come on, let's get out of this hellhole of a jungle..." he growled irritably. "I've seen enough acid to last a lifetime."
Chapter 10: The Vorcha The forests around Hsskhor...Soon after exiting the nest site, Hossk and Hssisk were forced into another narrow canyon, just in time for more thundering footsteps. Both Trandoshans wisely froze as the footsteps thumped repeatedly nearby, small bits of debris raining down on the pair. As the footsteps faded, Hossk breathed a sigh of relief and Hssisk rubbed his head and growled, "Why does that d*mn thing have to walk by when we're in these f**king valleys?"
As the two Trandoshans continued further, they heard distant gunfire, both blaster rifles and other, different energy weapons. As they neared it, a small troop of frightened Grassrunners scampered past them, away from the battle. Hossk looked at Hssisk, who merely shrugged. "Well, come on then," Hossk said. "Let's find out what's going on. Judging by my scanner, the beacon is very close by." "Then let's make sure whoever's fighting doesn't find it first." "Unless they're fellow Trandoshans." Hssisk shook his head. "The weapons they're using certainly don't sound like any Trandoshan weapon I've heard before." The two Trandoshans pushed forward, coming into a clearing where the battle was taking place.
Directly ahead of the two was a slope that led down to an intense firefight between Imperial soldiers and an unusual, reptilian looking species firing back with their own weapons, which seemed to be built from scrap or were cheap copies of more advanced weapons. Nevertheless, the creature were putting up quite the fight, using the chunk of metal plating, which had likely been sheared off of the freighter as it crashed, as cover. To the right was a small alcove halfway down the slope and a slope upward that overlooked the alcove. A fallen tree crossed the gap over the top of the alcove, giving access to a high ledge closer to the action. The alcove itself had a Varren nest, but the eggs had been crushed and the Varren were dead. Hssisk instinctively moved up the righthand slope and laid down on the fallen log, sniper rifle in hand, as Hossk glared down at the combatants. "Vorcha," he spat. "What are those scavengers doing here?" "Probably just that," Hssisk replied through a headset he had put on to communicate with Hossk (who had a headset of his own). "Scavenging for anything at this part of the crash site." Hossk watched the fight progress. "Well, we can't wait forever. Hssisk, give our Vorcha friends the advantage, will you? We can at least reason with them." "Roger, boss," Hssisk replied, leveling his rifle. Three muffled shots rang out, and three Stormtroopers fell. The Imperial task force began to falter, not knowing where the attack was coming from. The opportunistic Vorcha, however, took every advantage they could and showed no hesitation in shooting the bewildered Imperials in the back. A few more potshots from Hssisk, and the battle was soon over. The Vorcha scurried into the open, raising their weapons aggressively as Hossk and Hssisk slowly descended the slope, weapons holstered...
One of the Vorcha stepped forward, hissing angrily at the Trandoshans. "What you want from us?!" He screeched. Hossk calmly replied. "Nothing. We're here from a certain item, and then we will leave you in peace." The Vorcha leader let out a chittering hiss at Hossk and replied harshly, "We not believe you! Trandoshans lie! Blood Pack steal us, make us their soldiers! You here to take us!" Hossk shook his head. "Look, we just saved your lives when we helped snipe some of those Imperial soldiers." The Vorcha paused, glaring at the two Trandoshans with barely restrained menace, before finally spitting, "No! We leave! Go find salvage somewhere else! You not take us to Blood Pack!" The Vorcha chittered something to his brethren, and they slunk away. Hssisk arched a brow. "Well, that wasn't so bad." Hossk shrugged. "I never knew the Vorcha hated the Blood Pack mercs. Anyway, it's not our concern. That beacon is somewhere near here." Hssisk nodded with a glower. "I'm going to find that d*mn thing if it kills me!"
Chapter 11: The Return of the BonecrusherThe forests near Hsskhor...Hossk paced around the crash site nervously. He couldn't find the beacon anywhere nearby. Hssisk was searching the outskirts of the area, on the slightly higher ground around them. Suddenly, he stopped and, with a holler of victory, picked up a large, dome-shaped object from the ground. "Hey, look, I got it!" Suddenly the ground began to tremble. Hossk, in fear, shouted, "Hssisk, get down here now!" But it was too late. The trees behind the young Trandoshan exploded outward, and a Bonecrusher burst into view.
The Bonecrusher stood like a theropod dinosaur, its long tail balancing its body by sticking straight out. Most of its body was covered in overlapping, black armor plates, which were joined like scales to keep the beast flexible. The only area that was unprotected by this armor was its cold, yellow eyes. The Bonecrusher's snout was average in length, longer than that of a Roggwart, but shorter than a crocodilian's. Its clawed hands had two fingers and a grasping thumb, and two spiny fins emerged from slits in its back armor. The beast stood at least 20 feet tall, if not more. The Bonecrusher reared up and roared loudly enough to stagger Hssisk, who was unfortunate enough to be standing right in front of it. At the same time, the fins on its back extended, and the monster lunged, plucking Hssisk from the ground with its fang-lined jaws.
Hssisk screeched in pain and fear as the Bonecrusher grabbed his lower torso, lifting him off the ground. Hossk, who had been paralyzed with shock, suddenly sprang to life. Raising his rifle, he cursed and was forced to roll out of the way as the Bonecrusher's massive foot came crashing down where he was standing as it moved forward. Rolling into a half-crouch, Hossk watched as the creature walked by him, and saw the armored knob of spike-covered bone on the tip of its tail. With a casual swing of its tail, the Bonecrusher smashed a tall chunk of hull from the freighter out of the ground, knocking it flat. This didn't seem to bother the beast at all, which simply carried the howling Trandoshan into the trees. Hossk growled deep in his throat, and charged after the Bonecrusher, clambering up the short rock wall and into the forest. Overhead, a storm began to loom, and with a massive thunderclap, rain started to fall over the forest...
Heedless of the downpour, Hossk continued his pursuit of the Bonecrusher. He had long since lost sight of it, but it wasn't too hard to track such a massive creature, even in a storm. Its mighty roars periodically echoed over the landscape, drowning out even the thunder. He was getting close. However, he had been sprinting so fast, so focused on finding Hssisk and the beacon, he didn't see where he was going. The ground seemed to suddenly drop in front of him, and he fell face-first a few feet, landing on a slightly lower ledge. Shaking his head, he spat dirt out of his mouth and stood up, wiping some of the mud off his soaking wet clothes. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. Ahead of him was a large clearing, again slightly lower than his current position. The rest of the surrounding walls, however, were much higher, except for one section to his left that seemed about as low as the ledge he was on now. There was also a small canyon carved into one wall to his right. In the center of the mostly barren canyon was a large, dead tree. The tree had obviously been partially uprooted, as there was room between and below the roots for someone, like Hossk, to get underneath. Deciding to rest for a moment, he moved towards the tree...
Leaping off the ledge, Hossk landed right next to the beacon, much to his surprise. He checked the device to see if it was functional, then clipped it to his belt. It was relatively small, so it wouldn't get in the way. As he looked back at the tree, the ground began to tremble again, and too late Hossk realized just where he was when a flash of lightning illuminated the clearing for a split second, revealing dozens of bones and even a few intact skeletons of much larger creatures scattered around the area. From the canyon to Hossk's right, the Bonecrusher reentered its nesting area, spotting the lone Trandoshan, even in the overcast gloom. With a furious roar, the beast took a step towards him...
Hossk at first stared at the Bonecrusher, cold fear filling his veins. He never thought he would come face to face with the monster he feared most. The monster that had haunted his dreams since childhood. The monster that had destroyed everything that had ever mattered to him. The monster that had killed his parents. His yellow eyes changed then, from fear, to rage. Baring his teeth in a hiss, Hossk stared the Bonecrusher down, which didn't take its burning yellow gaze off of him. Suddenly, Hossk bolted, but not towards the Bonecrusher. Instead, he made a beeline for the dead tree, as fast as his legs could carry him. With a mighty bellow, the Bonecrusher charged after him, closing the distance with a speed that belied its bulk. Hossk dove forward, sliding on the muddy ground and under the tree. Two seconds later, the Bonecrusher's slim snout pushed roughly between the roots, snapping furiously at Hossk. The Trandoshan snarled and raised his pistol, aiming for the monster's left eye, which glowed in the darkness like a flare. He fired one shot, and the Bonecrusher howled in rage, washing its hot, stinking breath over Hossk, who reeled backwards as the Bonecrusher pulled its armored head out of the tree. Shaking its head and hissing furiously, the monster walked around the tree angrily. Lightning flashed, and Hossk saw that its left eye had been blinded. Its yellow, fearsome glow was now reduced to a blackened hole. It had done little to stop the Bonecrusher however. Like a monstrous cat, it stalked around Hossk, waiting for him to make a move that would expose him to the beast's wrath...
Hossk glared at the Bonecrusher, mind going into overdrive. He couldn't just sit here. The d*mn thing would find a way to get to him eventually. He'd have to kill it. By himself. On foot. With a blaster rifle and pistol. Yeah, right, he thought. Unless... He stared at the Bonecrusher's burnt and useless eye socket, and got an idea. If he could somehow get the head close to the ground, he could get something explosive into its eye socket, like a thermal detonator, and blow the thing's head apart from the inside. That is, if he could even get the Bonecrusher's head close to the ground in the first place. Unclipping a thermal detonator from his belt, Hossk snarled, "Eat this, you son of a b*tch..." He threw the grenade forward as the Bonecrusher stepped into its path, and the grenade exploded right next to the beast's foot. With a shocked howl, the Bonecrusher was thrown off-balance by the power of the explosion, and collapsed onto its side. Charging out of cover, Hossk leaped onto the Bonecrusher's head, grabbing onto its armor plates to stay on as the furious, bellowing carnivore rose up, staggering around in a blind fury and trying to shake off its assailant. Hossk desperately reached for another thermal detonator, but his rain-slicked hands could barely hold onto the Bonecrusher, let alone find a small, round object on his belt. Suddenly, the Bonecrusher swung its head sharply to the side, and Hossk finally lost his grip. He flew off the angry predator's skull and sailed through the air, towards the ledge he had spotted earlier. The last thing he saw was the ground flying towards him, before everything went black, the echo of the Bonecrusher's roar fading away into silence...
Chapter 12: Rude AwakeningSomewhere in the forests near Hsskhor...Hossk slowly came too, a voice echoing in his head: "Hey, buddy, come on, get up!" The Trandoshan's vision was blurry at first, but it gradually cleared, showing a starry night sky above him, as well as the visor of a helmet. Hossk suddenly snapped fully awake, scrambling frantically backwards from what appeared to be a blue-and-black armored Stormtrooper. Reaching for his weapons, he found that both his rifle and pistol had been dislodged. The Stormtrooper stood up from a kneeling position and crossed his arms, and Hossk realized it wasn't what he thought. In fact, it wasn't even a human. The body structure was all wrong. "Someone doesn't seem excited to see me," the alien said, pulling off his helmet. Even in the darkness, Hossk recognized the bony-plated face, mandibles, slightly sunken eyes, and head-fringe on the alien. "You're... you're a Turian?" he said, confused. The Turian chuckled, and his voice, like all of his kind, had a slight "flanging" effect to it. "Figure that out by yourself? Name's Garrus. Garrus Vakarian." He stretched his three-fingered hand out to Hossk. "I'm here to help."
It hadn't taken very long for Hossk to find his scattered weapons, which had landed nearby. Fortunately they--and the beacon on his belt--hadn't been damaged during his fight with the Bonecrusher. As he followed Garrus through the forest he asked, "Not that I don't appreciate the help, but what's a Turian doing on Trandosha?" "I suppose I owe you an explanation. Well, the thing is, I used to work for Palaven security. You know, what every Turian aspires to be. Unfortunately, I don't think of myself as a very good Turian. When a good Turian is given a bad order, he follows it. He may complain, but he knows his place. I, for one, got pretty tired of all the red tape and the bullsh*t of the Turian Hierarchy. I was pretty rebellious, and my superiors didn't like it. So I decided to try and do some real good on my own, without anything to stop me. I heard about how Trandosha was being harshly oppressed by the Empire, and I thought I'd found the perfect place to set up shop and start my vigilante career." Hossk smirked. "It didn't turn as you planned it, did you?" Garrus nodded, hefting the sniper rifle in his claws. "No one had told me the Empire had been literally parked over the planet. I barely got a chance to realize what was going on before I was shot down. I've been hiking through this forest for days now. Fortunately, I found a good place to rest up every night." "I'm guessing that's where we're going now?" Garrus chuckled again. "Exactly... um, what was your name again?" "Hossk." "Ah, so you're Hossk, eh? No offense, but I was expecting a bit more from you..." Hossk shrugged. "I've... been having a bad day."
Aboard the Star Destroyer Harsh Negotiation...
Trachta stared inscrutably at the heavily armored figure in the hologram before him. Like the Arachnids, he barely trusted the Blood Pack mercenaries, especially considering they were mostly Trandoshan, but they got the job done, at least for the right price. "Alright, Kuresk, you know the plan?" The grim-looking Trandoshan nodded. "We kill this little friend of yours, you don't take over Tuchanka." Trachta nodded casually. He couldn't less about the war-torn continent of Tuchanka, on the other side of Trandosha itself. Kuresk grinned. "And, of course, my payment..." Trachta rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you will be well-compensated for your efforts. Just make sure Hossk and his friends are out of the picture." "You know where they are, I assume?" Kuresk asked. Trachta nodded again. "We've triangulated some of their sensor sweeps to the crash site of a freighter one of my patrols shot down a few days ago. I'll be sending Klick and some of my best men to assist you in the ambush." Kuresk smiled, baring his sharp fangs. "Pleasure doing business with you, my friend." With that the hologram clicked off, and Trachta sighed irritably. Moments later, the hologram came back on, revealing Klick. "My lord, we're ready to move." "Good. Get Longshot and some of your other best troops and meet up with Kuresk. Oh, and one more thing: make sure that upstart merc is... KIA, will you?" Klick smiled. "Of course, my lord."
Somewhere in the forests near Hsskhor...Hossk and Garrus had taken up refuge in the remnants of a prefabricated Imperial base, that was situated partially underground. Apparently, Vorcha scavengers had cleared the building out, only to leave after finding nothing of real value. Fortunately, they had left behind MREs, along with most other military essentials. The pair was sitting across from each other in a small storage room, sitting on folding stools on either side of a lantern, and Hossk had finished his story to the Turian, swallowing a bite from his MRE. "Wow, that beats the sh*t out of my story," Garrus replied with a laugh. "How'd you kill a Bonecrusher?" "I didn't," Hossk replied. "I took the b*****d's eye, though. It had knocked me out when you found me." "I'm impressed, Hossk. You really are everything you're cracked up to be." Hossk chuckled. "Well, we'll see when we get Hsskhor back." Finishing his MRE, he added, "We should probably get back to the crash site. I'm sure the rest of Slysska's men are waiting for me." Garrus nodded, getting to his feet. "Then let's get a move on, shall we?"
Chapter 13: AmbushThe borders of the freighter crash site...The nighttime walk back to the crash site was mostly uneventful. The few nocturnal predators, mostly Varren, that Hossk and Garrus ran afoul of were easily scared off. Hossk was soon greeted by a tackling hug from his mate, and she hissed angrily, "Where in the name of the Scorekeeper have you been!?" "I caught him napping out back," Garrus added jokingly. "Actually, I had a bit of a run-in with... well, I'll tell you in a bit," Hossk replied. Saitorr nodded and turned to Garrus. "Who are you? I haven't seen very many Turians around here." "Name's Garrus. I woke up your friend here when I found him unconscious near a Bonecrusher nest." "A... Bonecrusher?" "Like I said, Saitorr, I'll tell you in a bit. I need to report to Slysska first."
Slysska was sitting outside his tent, next to a fire, where he was spit-roasting a Grassrunner. Seeing Hossk, Saitorr, and Garrus approach, he stood up. "Hossk, my boy! How goes the mission? I see you've brought a new friend with you." As he eyed the Turian, Hossk raised the beacon, which was blinking, the Trandoshan having activated it a few minutes before arriving at the camp. "I found the objective, and managed to take out an Imperial squad that had been looking for it as well." "What about Chorrsk? And Hssisk?" Slysska asked. Hossk paused, then shook his head. "Chorssk got caught by an Imperial sniper, and we ran into a Bonecrusher later on that got Hssisk. I'm d*mned lucky to be alive myself." "A shame," Slysska replied. "Those two were fine soldiers--" He was cut off as Sassk approached, having overheard the conversation. "You son of a b*tch!" he snarled. "You just let Hssisk die?! What kind of leader are you? He was my friend you--" A couple of nearby Trandos grabbed Sassk as he lunged at Hossk, spitting curses and insults as he was dragged away. Hossk glared at the Trandoshan, but said nothing. Saitorr put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Hossk," she growled. "You know how he is." "No, he's right," Hossk said, pulling away. "I could've stopped that Bonecrusher. I should've been prepared. Brought a heavy weapon or..." Garrus interjected, saying, "You kidding me? Who would've seen a Bonecrusher come sauntering out of the forest right on top of them? They're rare around here. You should know that better than me. No one would've seen that coming." Slysska nodded. "He's right, you know. Let's not swell on it now. We've got bigger things to worry about." He took the beacon, placing it gingerly on the ground next to him. "Why don't you get some rest? All we have to do now is sit and wait anywa--" a sniper bolt suddenly slammed into Slysska's chest, knocking him flat. Hossk spun to see where the shot had come from, spotting a single Stormtrooper, red marking on his armor, duck behind a tree. Before he could react, several dropships sailed overhead, moving in to drop off troops in the middle of the camp. And not all the ships were Imperial ships either. Some were Mantis X-9 dropships, a model only used by Blood Pack mercenaries...
The camp devolved into chaos as the dropships sailed in, dropping off Imperial Stormtroopers in addition to Vorcha soldiers and the heavily armored Trandoshan mercs that led them. Varren also charged forward, flushing out Trandoshans even as they took cover. Slissk, the Trandoshan sniper from before, and evidently Slysska's second-in-command, immediately took charge, ordering everyone into battle positions. Hossk, happy to let someone else give orders for once, took cover behind a wall of rubble next to Raikhssa and Chardossk, the three popping up to periodically cut down incoming Varren and mercs who were too overzealous and charged right into the line of fire. The Stormtroopers and Vorcha were a bit more cautious, staying behind cover as well. It didn't take very long for Hossk to spot a familiar foe: the Dark Trooper exosuit operator, who was hanging back, ordering his troops forward. "There's their leader," Hossk shouted to Raikhssa. "Cover me while I take him out!" Raikhssa simply nodded, standing up and sprinting to the side, firing as he did so. Hossk ran in the opposite direction, exiting cover in a gap in the rubble and charging into the open. Blasting past a pair of Vorcha, he opened fire on the Dark Trooper, who was focused on Raikhssa, aiming his plasma cannon. The exosuit staggered under the withering barrage, but spun around and fired on Hossk nonetheless. Hossk dove, dodging the blast, but the resulting explosion sent him flying, landing in a heap near the Dark Trooper. Raising his plasma cannon again, the man chuckled. "You know, I thought it would be harder to kill you. Disappointing..."
Moments before he fired, a sniper round pinged off the Dark Trooper's helmet, nearly penetrating the armor. Disoriented from the impact, the Dark Trooper staggered backwards, giving Hossk time to scramble away, behind a dropship that had had the misfortune to take an RPG hit and crash. He spotted Garrus in the distance, who hefted his sniper rifle and gave a short salute, before firing again, knocking the Dark Trooper back further. Angrily, the operator activated the exosuit's jetpack and sailed away, into the night sky. Hossk cursed, angry that he couldn't get his revenge, and was soon interrupted by the arrival of a Blood Pack merc, who raised his rifle butt and, with a mighty roar, swung it at Hossk, who barely managed to dodge it by mere inches. As Hossk rolled to his feet, he saw the rifle's barrel pointed at him, only to see the Blood Pack merc stagger and fall forward as a number of blaster rounds hit him in the back. As the Trando slumped to the ground, Hossk spotted Raikhssa, holding a blaster pistol in one hand. The Trandoshan chuckled and hissed, "Need some help boss?" Before Hossk could respond, a black form seemed to materialize out of nowhere from behind Raikhssa. "Look out!" Hossk shouted. Before Raikhssa could even turn around, a red glowing Lightsaber blade stabbed him through the back, protruding from his chest. Raikhssa stiffened, staring at the blood-red blade in confusion, before he toppled forward, facedown in the dirt. Hossk's rifle dropped from his hands as he watched his friend collapse, then looked back up, into the face of the Sith who had just stabbed him. Trachta stood there, eyes meeting Hossk's gaze evenly. The Trandoshan's stare suddenly twisted into an angry glare of vengeance, yellow eyes burning into Trachta's. The Sith smirked. Turning, Trachta slipped back into the darkness, Hossk only glaring at where he had disappeared. Before he made a move to run after the Sith, something heavy slammed into his back.
Hossk toppled forward as Kuresk smashed into him from behind. With a guttural snarl, Hossk leaped to his feet. Kuresk laughed, snarling, "So, the great leader Hossk has finally met his match! Come and face me, if you--" He was cut off as Hossk's fist collided with his face. Kuresk staggered backwards, falling as Hossk kicked him brutally in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as he hit the ground. Keeping a foot on the fallen merc's chest, Hossk glared fiercely at him, blaster pistol aimed at Kuresk's face. "You son of a b*tch," Hossk snarled. "You're on that b**tard's side, aren't you?! The one who killed my friends and took over my planet! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Kuresk, clutching his bloody chin, spat at Hossk. "You and your shiny little cities deserve it! But what of the Blood Pack? What of Tuchanka? We're nothing to you. The Empire promised to leave Tuchanka alone. They promised to make us rich!" Hossk laughed coldly. "And you really believe that? You really think the Empire is going to just ignore an entire continent they could mine for minerals and use the inhabitants as slave labor? They're full of sh*t, and so are you if you joined them for the pay!" Hossk was on the verge of squeezing the trigger, but was cut off as something massive crawled over the edge of the battlefield.
An Imperial MT-AT, shaped like some sort of monstrous mechanical spider, scuttled over the edge of the rubble, firing down into the Trandoshan forces, even as the remaining Imperials retreated. The Blood Pack wasn't so fortunate. The walker did not discriminate between friend or foe, cutting down Trandoshan and merc alike. "What a surprise, they've betrayed you," Hossk hissed angrily, stepping off the stunned Kuresk and sprinting into cover, taking the time to drag Raikhssa with him. Sitting down behind cover, he held Raikhssa up as the Trandoshan slowly opened his eyes. "That... didn't go... as planned... boss..." Hossk smiled sadly. "It never does, old friend..." Raikhssa tried to laugh, but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. "Just... leave me here... Take that thing down... for me..." Hossk nodded and got up, spotting Slissk and Garrus, who were both hiding behind cover as well. Hossk crawled over to them, hissing, "Do we have anything that can take that thing out?" Slissk nodded. "We had someone with an rocket launcher, but they were taken out somewhere back there." Slissk nodded her head back towards the main campsite. Hossk nodded. "I'll find it. Keep that thing distracted." Hossk slunk away as Blood Pack troops and allied Trandoshans took cover from the behemoth spraying the area with laserfire...
Hossk charged through the rubble, debris, and bodies as he headed deeper into the camp, a laser bolt exploding as it hit a chunk of hull next to him. Apparently, the MT-AT had spotted him. He dove behind a line of tents as more laserfire rained down near his position, soon followed by a missile the walker fired, which incinerated one of the tents. Looking around frantically, Hossk spotted the corpse of a Trandoshan, a missile launcher laying next to him where it had fallen. Swiftly picking up the launcher as another missile exploded, taking out another tent, Hossk dove out from cover, spotting the walker perched on a high wall of rubble in the distance. Its "head," which was actually the cockpit turned to face Hossk's position as it prepared to fire. "Burn in hell," Hossk snarled, pressing the firing stud. A single missile streaked towards the MT-AT, hitting it right in the cockpit and exploding. The projectile completely gutted the head of the walker, and it collapsed in a heap, black smoke billowing from the wreckage. Trandoshans and Vorcha cheered as the walker was gutted completely by an internal, secondary explosion...
Hossk staggered back to where the Trandoshans were tending to their wounded, spotting Raikhssa where he had left him. Crouching, Hossk was about to explain what happened when he noticed that Raikhssa's eyes were glazed over, staring sightlessly at Hossk. Gently shutting his friend's eyes, Hossk stood up looking around at the devastation. Slissk walked up to him, hissing, "Slysska's dead, so are a dozen other troops." "Raikhssa's... well, you know," Hossk replied sullenly, nodding at Raikhssa's body. "So, you think this was a victory?" Slissk shook her head grimly. "No, but we did get the Blood Pack on our side. I don't know what you said to that Kuresk fella, but he certainly hates the Empire as much as we do now." "There was a Sith." "What?" "A Sith," Hossk repeated. "He killed Raikhssa. He stabbed him in the back!" Suddenly rounding on Slissk, Hossk growled angrily, "My friend is dead because of that b**tard! I'm going to find him, his Dark Trooper friend, and that sniper who killed Slysska, and I'm going to tear them all to..." Hossk couldn't go on any more. He simply fell to his knees, and Slissk grabbed by the arm as he slumped forward. The last thing he heard before blacking out was Slissk's voice: "What the hell is wrong?! Medic! We need a medic over here!"
Chapter 14: A New MysteryHe saw nothing but the bright sunshine glinting off the mighty city of Hsskhor. His family crowded around him, his mate holding him lovingly. Suddenly, the sunshine dissipated, clouds obscuring its brightness, and he was suddenly in the debris-strewn, war-torn version of his old home. No longer was his family around him. Only the corpses of his friends and loved ones lay near him, and the rough, armored arms of a Stormtrooper dragged him away. The last thing he heard was an inhuman screech from a nightmarish creature that skittered towards him, and then he was consumed in blackness... The freighter crash site in the forests around Hsskhor...Hossk came to in a stretcher, seeing nothing but the ceiling of a tent. He heard muffled voices outside, angry ones, but he couldn't make out what they said. Sitting up slowly, he groggily remembered the previous events before blacking out, and another pang of grief struck him as he realized what had happened to Slysska and Raikhssa. With a groan, he got to his feet and headed outside, spotting the group of Trandoshans nearby, arguing furiously. It was Slissk, Saitorr, Sassk, Chardossk, Kuresk, as well as another Trandoshan Blood Pack merc, apparently Kuresk's second-in-command. As Hossk approached, he heard Saitorr. "Don't be an idiot, Slissk! Who else is better to lead us now other than Hossk?" "Me, for one," Slissk replied. "Hossk is barely in any shape to lead as it is." "I think I can speak for myself, thanks," Hossk added grimly, walking up to the group. They all turned, surprised, and Saitorr jumped into Hossk's arms. "I was so worried, love! Are you alright?" Hossk smiled sadly. "As good as I can be, I suppose." Slissk crossed her arms, not convinced. "Do you really think you're fit to lead this group now?" Hossk was about to reply, but then stopped. In all honesty, he wasn't really sure. If two deaths could do this to him...
Slissk frowned. "That's what I thought. I guess you don't mind if I take charge then, hm?" Turning back to everyone else, she barked, "Alright, we're all going to stay here for the night. The Empire won't send another force after getting their a**es handed to them, but they'll certainly be ready to attack again by morning. Everyone get some rest, and keep an eye on the beacon. Any remaining refugees in the forest should be able to find us." Saitorr glowered. "Now hang on a second! I refuse to believe Hossk can't handle this sit--" "Saitorr, it's alright," Hossk interrupted. "I'm in no shape to lead right now." Sassk glared at him. "I don't think you're fit to lead at all! You've done nothing but get your men killed It seems every time you--" The rant was cut off by a eerie screech that echoed across the forest, a screech Hossk recognized, but he couldn't tell from where. They all looked out over the treeline and spotted a pair of strange lights that suddenly flickered to life, angled to the sky...
"Alright, Hossk, Sassk," Slissk began with a smirk. "I believe you two need to settle some differences. Both of you will go and investigate that light." "What?!" the Blood Pack merc next to Kuresk exclaimed. "Are you insane? Did you not just hear that noise, because I sure did!" "Congratulations, Grassk, you've just agreed to join them," Slissk replied flatly. "Any more volunteers?" Silence. Slissk nodded. "Good. Be back before morning. If you aren't, we'll be leaving without you." Hossk simply nodded, Sassk grunted angrily, and Grassk groaned in annoyance, but nonetheless all three went back out into the forest only a few minutes later, weapons at the ready...
The trio only made it a short distance into the forest, before entering a clearing with a pair of Adult Skags on the other side. The Trandos raised their weapons as the Skags charged, but one suddenly stopped as its foot seemed to sink into the earth. With a yelp, the creature was suddenly wrenched underground as a large hole emerged beneath it. There was only the flash of insectoid mandibles and the Skag's body before it disappeared. The other Skag spun, confused, and died as a hail of blaster rounds and slugs (from Grassk's weapon) pounded its backside. The three moved towards the hole left by the mysterious creature that had taken the other Skag, and Sassk growled, "What the hell was that? There aren't any underground predators on Trandosha!" "Cut the chatter, Sassk," Hossk snarled back, annoyed with the defiant Trandoshan. "Whatever it is, I don't think it'll leave behind a perfectly god meal to go after us." Sassk glared at Hossk, but said nothing. Hossk moved ahead, followed by the other two group members. Grassk couldn't help but hiss under his breath, "I got a bad feeling about this..."
The group moved through another one of the tall, narrow canyons that seemed to plague the forest, but this time, there was no steady thud of a Bonecrusher's footsteps. Instead, there was a skittering noise up above, out of sight, and tiny bits of rubble feel onto the Trandoshans. Sassk looked up and growled at where the sound was coming from, but it didn't seem to let up. Finally, Sassk shouted, "Hey, stop dropping rocks on us, you--sh*t!" The eviscerated corpse of the Skag from before tumbled over the side, nearly falling onto Sassk. Grassk actually jumped back in shock, then growled, "Alright, I think that's good enough for the night! let's turn in, shall we?" Hossk grabbed the merc by the shoulder as he turned to leave, and spun him to face him. "Calm down. If whatever that thing is tries to attack us, we'll just blast it into oblivion, alright?" Grassk nodded nervously, but he didn't seem convinced. Hossk rolled his eyes and growled, "Let's keep going. We're almost there." The lights in the sky now burned brightly like spotlights in the night sky...
The forest soon opened up, and the ground changed from soil to concrete as the Trandoshans were suddenly faced with a moderately sized prefabricated Imperial structure. In front of them was the source of the lights: the spotlights of an AT-ST scout walker. At least, the head of an AT-ST scout walker. The legs had disappeared underground, and the head was angled upward, shining its lights into the sky. Scattered concrete rubble surrounded the hole the walker was stuck in. Grassk's eyes widened. "How the hell did that whatever-it-is pull a d*mned walker under the ground?!" "Would you shut up already?" Sassk growled irritably. Hossk looked around, spotting a partially opened door in the side of the structure. Moving towards it, Hossk said, "Come on, you two. Help me get this door open." The door itself attempted to open as Hossk approached, but it seemed to be jammed or broken. Sassk and Grassk each grabbed one of the two sliding doors and pulled, trying to wrench the door open. With a twisted creak of metal, the door slowly opened, until it was wide enough for the three Trandoshans to fit through, one at a time...
While Sassk and Grassk caught their breath, Hossk looked around the massive room they were in. There was another, locked door on the other side of the room, next to a large series of consoles below a large monitor. In the lefthand corner of the room was a ladder leading up to the roof, but the bottom of the ladder was blocked off by a chain fence. Hossk moved up to the console, and Sassk hissed, "What are you doing?" "Finding out what information this thing has inside." "Do you know how to do that?" Grassk asked. "No," Hossk replied without missing a beat. Grassk groaned as Hossk tapped a couple keys experimentally. Suddenly, the monitor above flickered to life, and an image of an unhelmeted clone trooper, his name identified as "Klick" near the bottom of the screen next to a long service number, appeared and began to speak.
"It would seem that the Dark Lord Trachta wants to rush the experiments. I disagree, but I certainly won't argue with him."
Trachta, Hossk thought.
That must be the name of that Sith... Sassk frowned. "It's just a message." "Let it keep going," Hossk replied, as Klick continued to speak. "I must admit, the Arachnids' telepathic communication abilities are a valuable resource. I don't know how long that Brain Bug will cooperate, however. And the Queen... She won't find out what we're doing. If she did, I don't know how well our quarantine procedures could stop her."
The message clicked off, and Hossk furrowed his scaly brows. "They were experimenting on... Arachnids? What are those?" "Must've been those things stalking us all the way here," Grassk hissed. Before they could speak further, a loud banging on the locked door startled them all. Coupled with an angry screeching noise, the banging continued, and Hossk snarled, "Weapons up! When that thing gets through the door, blast it!" The three aimed their guns at the door, waiting. Suddenly, the banging died away, and the Trandos lowered their weapons cautiously. Grassk moved forward, towards the door, and hissed, "Where'd it g--" His voice was cut off as the ground exploded underneath him...
Chapter 15: ArachnidsUnknown Imperial installation, Trandosha...Grassk was knocked on his stomach as a massive insectlike beast, with huge, curved mandibles that were vertically arranged, burst from the ground behind him. Flipping on his back, Grassk fired his blaster rifle wildly. The blaster bolts did little to stop the monstrosity, which screeched in anger and impaled the merc's leg with its hooked mandibles. Grassk was hauled, screaming, underground, leaving a streak of light-green blood where his body had once been. Before Hossk or Sassk could speak, more of the insects burst from the ground, blocking their only exit, one tearing apart the chain fence as it emerged on the wrong side. Getting an idea, Hossk barked, "This way! To the roof!" Sassk, too frightened to argue, followed Hossk, the pair firing at the incoming creature that tried to stop them. The front of its body seemed to melt and fly apart as it ran into a wall of focused blasterfire. Going around the corpse, the Trandoshans struggled up the ladder, more of the furious insects waiting below, screeching and hissing, reaching with sword-like forelegs. Hossk and Sassk dragged themselves up onto the roof, trying to get their bearings...
The ground around the building was in chaos. The strange, monstrous insects skittered this way and that, filling the courtyard below. Hossk looked around desperately for an escape route, but it was Sassk who found it. "Look, over there! A dropship!" Following Sassk's outstretched finger, Hossk spotted the Imperial ship, sitting, undamaged, on a nearby landing pad. Unfortunately, there was no way to get there from the roof. "How do we get past those..." Sassk struggled for something to name the new threat. "You mean the Arachnids?" Hossk said. "Wait, how do you know?" "Well, what else could they be?" Hossk growled angrily. "We don't have time for this. Follow me. We have no choice but to blast our way through." Sassk glowered, but followed Hossk anyway as he moved to an external ladder and climbed down...
Arachnids immediately charged towards the Trandos, but they were scattered as a thermal detonator exploded in their midst, thrown by Hossk. Those not killed or injured in the blast were stunned, and Hossk and Sassk took the opening, sprinting as fast as they could towards the dropship. More Arachnids burst from the ground, and several scuttled down a nearby slope into the courtyard to try and cut them off, but the Trandoshans were faster. Racing ahead, they tore past the Arachnids, even as the ground, weakened by so many holes, began to crumble. Too late did Hossk realize the ground below was really the ceiling of a tunnel, before the concrete seemed to simply crack and split apart, dumping the two Trandoshans down into the darkness, only a few feet away from the dropship...
Hossk's eyes snapped open with a gasp. He saw that
thing again. Scuttling towards him, screeching. Only this time, he could see it clearly. One of those d*mn bugs. Hossk stumbled to his feet, taking in his surroundings. He quickly realized that he was in some sort of hastily-dug tunnel system. It wasn't Imperial, that was for sure.
The Arachnids must have dug it, he thought. The Arachnids. The insectoid b**tards who had dragged away Grassk. Suddenly, he remembered something. Hossk looked around quickly, but saw nothing. No Sassk. The only sign of his previous presence was his blaster rifle, lying where it had fallen. Had he been killed? Run? He didn't know. The important thing was finding a way back to the surface, Sassk be d*mned. So Hossk moved down the tunnel in the only direction he could go, the chittering echoes of Arachnids all around...
Hossk's claustrophobic, very dark journey was nothing short of tense. He was almost relieved when Arachnids started popping out of the walls and ground to attack him. Fortunately, the giant insects only attacked by themselves or in pairs, not in large swarms like they had on the surface. Something about the cramped tunnel made the creatures somewhat reluctant to fight in groups apparently, and Hossk wasn't about to complain. He was further relieved that he had Sassk's rifle with him; he doubted his blaster gas supply would last against the never-ending onslaught of Arachnid soldiers. Soon, he passed what looked to be another tunnel perpendicular to his own, but the entrance was blocked by a number of connecting stalactites and stalagmites that formed an effective barrier. Hossk chanced a peek between the rocky pillars, and was glad he couldn't get into the tunnel when a gigantic, beetle-like beast lumbered through another tunnel parallel to his, connecting to the perpendicular tunnel. Not bothering to see whether the thing had seen him, Hossk continued deeper into the cavern, hoping he wouldn't run into the massive Arachnid...
As Hossk continued through winding, tight passages, periodically ambushed by the Arachnid Warriors, he soon ran into even nastier critters: tiger-striped versions of the Warrior that were almost impossible to take down. The first one he spotted nearly bit his head off, so he learned to keep his distance, focusing his fire on the Tiger Bug before any other targets. Strangely, they never attacked in groups, only singly, but sometimes had a few Warriors with them. Another blessing, it seemed. Hossk soon turned another corner, spotting a collection of what looked like light-green Warriors, but smaller in size. Upon spotting the Trandoshan, the creatures simply skittered away, and Hossk quickly followed, trying to find out if they led him to the surface or not...
As Hossk continued, the air started getting more and more humid, until water was literally dripping from the ceiling.
"Must be near an underground spring," Hossk thought, noticing the temperature rise as well.
"A hot spring, to be precise." His suspicions were soon confirmed when he ran right into a massive cavern. The Workers were nowhere to be seen, but it hardly mattered now. To Hossk's left was a very large lake, with a natural stone bridge across it at the far end of the cavern, near a large cluster of stalagmites. A strange mass that looked like an unusually smooth peninsula of rock protruded from the far side of the lake, connected to the wall. Hossk, seeing as the only way out seemed to be the wide tunnel on the other side of the bridge, moved towards it, noticing several weapons lying scattered about, apparently Imperial. They had likely been dropped when the Imperial troops had run from their former lab rats. Hossk snorted, barely containing his satisfaction that the Empire had gotten what was coming to them...
As Hossk neared the bridge, he heard a light scuffling noise from the stalagmite formation. Turning, he was surprised to see Sassk hiding amongst the rocks. "Sassk?!" Hossk growled in shock. Sassk mutely put a finger over his mouth, cutting across his throat with another. However, it was too late. The cavern began to rumble, and what Hossk had thought was a peninsula started to move and quiver, the section connected to the wall detaching with a wet splotch, revealing the wide network of tunnels filled with eggs behind it, before the lake water exploded in a massive shower...
What Hossk saw emerge from the lake was nothing like any Arachnid he had seen so far. All he knew was, judging by the fact that it had a bulbous egg-sack (for that's the only thing it could be), which had disappeared underwater, the Arachnid had to have been the Queen. Its towering body, serpentine and covered in chitinous scales, arched all the way to the ceiling. Its mouth was made of a reptilian, toothy jaw flanked by hooked mandibles, and it had six legs, all long and multi-jointed, ending in hooked, pincer-like claws. Its large, black, dead eyes fixed on Hossk, and it screeched, an inhuman screech not unlike the one from his nightmare, before striking, scorpionlike, at the comparatively diminutive Trandoshan...
Hossk barely managed to dive to the side in time, the Arachnid Queen's jaws snapping shut where he had been standing moments before. Hossk managed to scramble behind one of a few scattered stalagmites on the lakes shore, taking cover while he desperately thought of a way to kill the beast. The Queen reared back up and howled in frustration, looking for her target. Looking around, Hossk spotted an Imperial missile launcher lying on the ground... at the far end of the shoreline. Groaning inwardly, Hossk nevertheless steeled himself for the sprint to the weapon, only to spot, out of the corner of his eye, one of the Queen's clawed limbs reach up to the cave ceiling and wrench a stalactite from its base, before throwing it at Hossk's protection. Breaking cover, Hossk sprinted as fast as he could, the sound of the rock smashing into the stalagmite only pumping his adrenaline faster. With another dive, Hossk rolled across the ground as the Queen slammed a clawed hand down behind him, coming up right next to the launcher. He quickly picked the weapon up, hefted it to his shoulder, aimed at the furious Queen, and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
Clicking the trigger several more times as the Queen's head weaved back and forth, watching Hossk warily, the Trandoshan cursed. Of course it wasn't loaded. Looking around again, Hossk spotted a pair of rockets at his feet. Cursing himself again for such stupidity, Hossk plucked one of the rockets from the ground and loaded it, just as the Queen reared back with a hiss, ready to strike. Hossk, however, reacted first, firing the rocket and watching as it streaked towards the stationary Queen's head and exploded in a good-sized fireball, sending light amounts of debris tumbling from the cave ceiling. As the smoke cleared, however, Hossk's jaw dropped. The Queen was still alive. Its chitinous plating was scorched, and the Arachnid was flailing madly, obviously pissed off, but it otherwise seemed unharmed. Hossk needed a new strategy, and fast. Loading the second rocket, he aimed his launcher, and fired, just as she recovered...
The missile streaked past the Arachnid Queen's head, exploding violently above her. The Arachnid let out a rattling hiss and prepared to strike the exhausted Hossk, who had slumped to one knee, the constant fighting beginning to take its toll. Fortunately for the Trandoshan, a loud crack gave the Queen pause. Looking up, the Arachnid watched as a huge stalactite hanging just above her position, began to come free and fell straight at the Arachnid. Despite her attempt to move out of the way, the Queen was simply too sluggish to dodge the projectile as it speared her abdomen, piercing the armor plating with ease. With a bone-chilling shriek of pain, the Queen collapsed to the side, her large head crashing into the stone bridge, before sliding into the lake, disappearing beneath the churning waters, which frothed with a mix of the Queen's greenish blood and the dark blue water...
Sassk emerged quietly from the cover of the stalagmites, having witnessed the whole battle from relative safety. He silently approached a grim-faced, panting Hossk, and tried to say something along the lines of "I'm sorry." His stammering was cut off as Hossk shakily handed him his blaster rifle. "Find the coward who dropped this," Hossk growled, walking past the stunned Sassk and crossing the damaged bridge. Sassk, after a moment, followed. Hossk, despite his exhaustion, knew he had to keep moving. Who knew what else lay hiding in these d*mned caves...
Chapter 16: EscapeSomewhere underneath Trandosha' crust...Hossk stormed across the bridge, pausing on the next shore, which led into a wide open cavern before him, with a slight upward slope and a few rocky columns providing support. Sassk moved up next to him silently, awkwardly looking away. "Uh... Hossk, sir?" "What?" Hossk growled curtly, not looking at Sassk. "I, um, I'm... well, I'm sorry." Hossk paused. "About what?" "Well, er, back there, I..." Sassk sighed. "You know what? I'm sorry about, well... everything. I've been disloyal and, well, just a real a**hole, and I apologize." Hossk sighed as well. "That's... much appreciated. Thanks, Sassk. I'm glad we can put this behind us. Believe me, it's a REAL relief." Sassk chuckled slightly. "Yeah, well-- oh, sh*t..." The pair of Trandoshans froze as an unbelievably large swarm of Arachnid Warriors poured towards them from the other side of the cave, their chitters echoing deafeningly throughout. More appeared on the other side of the bridge, blocking Hossk's and Sassk's escape. The Trandos raised their blasters, but didn't fire. The Warriors had stopped, their whole swarm rippling like an ocean of carapace. Then, as if on cue, they separated down the middle of their group, and something new appeared. A cluster of large, green, cockroach-like beetles scurried forward, and soon, more appeared, carrying a massive, bloated monstrosity of an Arachnid on their collective backs. It looked like a long slug-like creature with numerous vestigial limbs along its side. Its head was like that of some sort of disgusting mutant fly, with a puckered mouth and numerous black, beady eyes. Alongside this new creature was a single Tiger Bug, dragging the beaten, broken body of a familiar merc to the pair: Grassk.
"Grassk!" Hossk cried. "He's alive!" The Arachnids bristled in response, but made no move to attack as the Tiger Bug and Brain Bug marched forward. The Tiger Bug dropped Grassk's body as the creatures paused in front of Hossk and Sassk, and the Blood Pack merc groaned in response. Hossk could see that his leg was horribly mangled, and the chances of him ever walking again were rather slim. His voice was hoarse and shaky, looking up at the two desperately. "Help... me..." he groaned, before the Brain Bug moved forward. From out of the creature's slimy mouth came a long, hooked limb that raised itself over Grassk. "Please... don't let them hurt me anymore..." Grassk moaned pitifully. Hossk couldn't look away as the Brain Bug suddenly brought the spiked limb downwards into Grassk's skull.
The spike penetrated Grassk's skull with ease, and he stiffened, blood leaking from his head. The merc's orange eyes rolled back into his head, and a horrid sucking sound was heard as the Brain Bug sucked out every last bit of gray matter in the unfortunate Trandoshan's head. Hossk and Sassk staggered back as Grassk's body toppled forward, the spike disappearing back inside the Brain Bug's mouth. Its flat head, mostly sunken into its body, turned to Sassk and gurgled something. The Tiger Bug scuttled forward, raising its front legs threateningly...
Hossk's expression suddenly changed from horror to anger. Anger at himself, for everything that had gone wrong ever since he had come with his escape plan from Hsskhor, for every single death he had witnessed, for Raikhssa, for Grassk, for his family. He had had enough. Suddenly, he screeched with incredible fury, "Oh no you don't, you ugly piece of sh*t!" Taking a step forward, he unloaded an entire clip from his blaster into the Brain Bug's face, which screeched unbelievably loud into the cavern. Sassk suddenly joined in, combining Hossk' blasterfire with his own, and soon enough the Brain Bug disgusting face was nothing but burnt paste. As the creature fell limp, the Arachnids screeched in unison, and the two Trandos had to cover their ears as they did so. Hossk reloaded his blaster weakly and raised it, ready to fight, but was surprised when the Arachnids charged, not at him or Sassk, but at each other. The creature tore at each other with animalistic viciousness, too confused by the loss of their entire hive mind to tell between friend and foe. Nevertheless, the nearest Warriors, as well as the furious Tiger Bug, charged at Hossk and Sassk, but they were prepared by then. Blasting their way through the horde of battling bugs, the two managed to, quite literally, blast their way through the fighters and any Arachnid that tried to attack them, and sprinted through the cavern and into the only tunnel they saw...
After what seemed like hours of running through the dark caves, leaving the incessant screeching of the Arachnids behind, Hossk and Sassk finally stopped, panting. "By the Scorekeeper, that was... I don't think I could do something... like that again!" Sassk growled in exhaustion. "Don't slow down just yet... Sassk... We're not out of here yet..." Sassk looked up at the distant tunnel, and smiled weakly. "Hey Hossk, I think it's safe to say you're wrong at that one, for once..." "What are you... talking about?" Hossk asked. "Just look up, boss." Hossk did so, and paused for a moment, staring at the distant light that dimly shown in the distance. Finally Hossk broke down into laughter, tears actually streaming from his eyes. Sassk leaned against a wall, laughing as well. After awhile, the two finally stood, and Hossk slapped Sassk on the shoulder, a relieved smile on his face. "How about we get the hell out of here?" Sassk grinned. "Couldn't have said it better myself!"
"Heroes have morals. Villains have work ethic."
-Megatron