For Your Photoreceptors Only/Chapter 8

For Your Photoreceptors Only

Chapter 8

Way out in the Unknown Regions sat the frozen arctic planet called Ilum. It was known for having caves full of kyber crystals but that was about it. Now, the Nosaurian agent Pandolfo Taproot was trudging through the snow toward the location of Noah's lab.

He soon reached a bunker that was built into the side of a mountain. Icicles covered the entrance to the bunker.

"Hello, my friend," a robotic voice said.

Pandolfo turned to see QUAD approach him. "Good to see you, QUAD." Pandolfo noticed the droids chest plate was a reddish color. "Why do you have a red chest plate?"

QUAD said, "I was damaged on Kashyyyk and repaired on Jakku. Long story."

"Okay, well," Pandolfo said, shivering in the cold wind, "can you break this door in?" He nodded toward the bunker.

"Of course." QUAD opened both arm cannons and fired at the door. The icicles were blown to pieces and the metal door blew inward from the blast.

The agents entered the bunker. It was still freezing in there, but at least they were protected from the wind. They were now standing in a room full of inactive computer consoles. The opposite end of the room opened up into a cave. QUAD's shoulder lights revealed that the cave went pretty deep into the mountain. The light glinted in different spots throughout the cave.

"Kyber crystals," QUAD observed.

"Yeah," Pandolfo said. "Those crystals are used to build lightsabers." He noticed some heavy machinery and digging supplies laying nearby. "Noah was harvesting them. But why?"

QUAD kneeled down and examined the ground of the cave. "There are fresh footprints here. Someone visited this cave recently." Standing back up, he said, "A mutant creature and kyber crystals..."

"Mutant creature?" Pandolfo asked, spinning around to look at him.

"We found a recently used incubator on Ord Mantell."

"Interesting..." Pandolfo muttered, wondering what the connection was, if any, between the two. "I'm surprised the Jedi would allow Noah to do this with the crystals."

QUAD said, "The caves the Jedi use to harvest their crystals are on the other side of the planet. They may not even know about this facility."

Examining the caves further, they realized there wasn't much more there to aid in their investigation. So while Pandolfo reported back to HQ on Coruscant, QUAD time traveled to his next destination.

- - - - - - - - - -

Out on the remote swamp planet of Dagobah, QUAD appeared to see Jace Bont standing knee deep in swampy water. "Do you need help, Agent Bont?"

Bont turned to see the droid agent. "Hey, tin man. No, I'm okay." He trudged his way to the solid ground. "I'm just a little messy, is all." He tried to wipe away the swampy goo on his pants. Looking back up at QUAD, Bont asked, "Why is your chest plate red?"

QUAD responded with, "It's a time travel story. I'll tell you later."

Bont saw a bogwing fly overhead. There were all kinds of creature noises and swampy areas here. "What could Noah possibly do with a lab way out here? There is absolutely nothing of value on this planet."

"That might be the idea," QUAD suggested. "There is nothing here and no reason for anyone to come looking for him."

"Which makes it the perfect hideout." Bont laughed. "Alright. I got turned around when I walked into that swampy stuff. Which direction is the lab?"

Pointing, QUAD said, "Just north of here."

"Let's go check it out."

- - - - - - - - - -

Within minutes, Bont and QUAD came upon a small bunker tucked away in a marsh. Next to the bunker was some sort of modified freighter. Bont said, "There's a ship. Could they possible be here?"

QUAD said, "My scanners aren't picking up any lifeforms on the ship. They may be in the bunker."

No sooner had he said that, the door to the bunker slid open. It was Clowe and Perkins. They were aiming their blasters out into the swamplands.

Bont and QUAD hid themselves deeper into the foliage, out of sight.

While the two Humans provided cover, Noah and Urma Boont, along with Klay, hurried past them and entered the freighter.

Bont figured they must have had some sort of perimeter alarm that alerted them to their presence. And now they were making their escape. Bont drew his blaster and was about ready to fire on them when QUAD put up his hand to stop him.

"I have a better idea," the droid said, just before shimmering away.

Bont watched as Clowe and Perkins followed the other three into the ship. As the ship lifted from the wetlands, Bont stood up and watched it fly up into the atmosphere.

Bont shook his head. Where had QUAD gone and why did he stop him from shooting?

Suddenly, QUAD reappeared almost exactly where he was moments earlier. Bont spun around to look at him. "Where were you? What was your plan?"

"I disappeared and reappeared on their ship," QUAD said. "I stowed away and traveled to their next location with them, then came back to this place in this point in time."

Bont ignored all the space/time continuum stuff and waited for QUAD to explain further.

QUAD added, "I know where their main base is. I know where to find them."

- - - - - - - - - -

At the same moment Bont was leaving Dagobah, Europa was executing the Shatterstar sisters' plan on Jakku.

"Alright," Melina said. "Everything's set."

Europa ran her hand over the new red metal plate on QUAD's chest. "Nice repair job."

"Indeed," QUAD agreed. "I do appreciate the repairs. The red adds a nice accent, too. I like it."

"If we're gonna do this, we've gotta do it now," Danica said. There were at least 20 Orca people armed and ready to fight. They were behind a large sand dune just outside the rival Chevron settlement.

The young Isabella pointed at QUAD. "You start us off."

QUAD activated the repulsors in his feet and took off into the air. He was high above the Chevron settlement, which was ten times larger than the Orca settlement, and found his designated landing zone directly in the center. It was a tall, cylindrical metal structure, looking way too industrial for this planet.

Navigating toward the front of the tall structure, QUAD descended and landed feet-first on the dirt. The villagers stopped and looked, stunned at what was happening. QUAD said, "I'm looking for the one called Kristatos."

A few of the male villagers rushed over pointing weapons at QUAD. They were most likely the "goons" to which the Shatterstar sisters referred.

"I do not wish to hurt any of you," QUAD explained. "I just want to see Kristatos."

On the edge of the settlement, Melina, Danica, Isabella, Europa, and the other 20 Orca people entered Chevron. With QUAD's distraction in the center of the settlement, they were able to sneak in quite easily.

A door opened behind QUAD. It was the entrance to the tall structure. The droid agent turned to see the white-haired Human.

"I am Kristatos. Who might you be? And why have you entered out settlement?"

"I am known as QUAD. I am an MI5 operative and am here on behalf of Orca."

"Orca?!" Kristatos exclaimed, sounding surprised. Orca was so small and it's people weak, there was no way they would attempt an attack on Chevron.

"Yes, Orca," Melina said as she appeared from behind a hut. The others came into view as well.

Kristatos laughed. "Do you really think you can win this battle?" he asked Melina as he drew a blaster and fired.

Blaster bolts suddenly flew back and forth. QUAD, surprisingly, was not one of the targets. He saw blaster bolts flying past him, but none of them hit. "Weird," he commented aloud.

The Orca fighters battled the Chevron fighters. The civilians ran for cover as a few fighters on both sides fell. The door slammed behind QUAD and he realized that Kristatos sealed himself inside the structure. While the Humans fought amongst themselves, QUAD blew open the door with his arm cannon and entered.

The blaster fire continued out in front of the structure. Melina noticed someone sneaking up behind Isabella near the next hut. "Izzy, duck!" Melina yelled as she fired a blaster bolt just over Isabella's shoulder, hitting the man in the face.

Isabella waved a thank you. "Thanks, sis."

"I've got your back."

Europa took cover behind some large crates next to the structure. She didn't realize there were this many "goons" that worked for Kristatos. What has she gotten herself into?

"Europa!"

She heard her name and turned. It was Danica.

"Your droid entered the lab."

Europa wondered what QUAD would find in there.

Inside, QUAD looked up into the silo-like structure. Kristatos was on one of the upper platforms four stories up. Kristatos fired down toward QUAD but every shot missed.

QUAD said, "You do realize I'm MI5 and have a licence to kill..." He fired his arm cannons upward, destroying the platform. Kristatos fell those four stories and slammed hard on the metal floor of the ground level. Kristatos didn't survive.

Outside, Europa had regrouped with the Shatterstar sisters. The shooting was over. It appeared all the goons had been killed. But Orca had a number of casualties as well.

The door to the structure opened and QUAD walked out. "Melina was correct," he said. "The lab has been gutted. It appears Kristatos was only using it as his private living quarters."

Europa hung her head in disappointment. All this death was for nothing. They may have helped the people of Orca in stopping Kristatos, but this situation did nothing for their Dr. Noah investigation.

The Shatterstar sisters and the people of Orca couldn't thank the MI5 operatives enough when they returned to their settlement. Melina told them to come and visit if they were ever near Jakku again. There were plenty of thank yous and good-byes before Europa headed back for Coruscant and QUAD time traveled back to assist Pandolfo on Ilum.

Chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Epilogue