Star Wars: Scars

Part 1 - 7

"You are all aware of your mission?"

Sergeant Dunn was pacing again, his hands clasped firmly behind his back as he stared all of them down. He paused at the end of his next pace and turned, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes sir," 90 joined the chorus, stiffening up under the Sergeant's gaze. His arm was still in a cast as it had been for the last day of training, and now today. The medics had told him it would be at least two months, if not three before his arm properly healed and that he should take it easy until then. Apparently, they didn't understand all that becoming an assassin entailed.

"I didn't hear you," the Sergeant demanded.

"Yes, sir!" 90 shouted along with the others this time, hardening his face this time as the Sergeant walked past him. He wouldn't let himself appear weak. This was a test, and he wasn't going to fail. He wasn't going to die.

"Alright then. You know your mission, you have your orders. Proceed to the deck and await my word," Dunn ordered, then he made an about face and walked off.

90 fell in line with the others and headed towards the loading deck, which would take them up to the training arena. He forced himself not to look nervous, but their mission wasn't exactly easy this time. There were five markers to be found and taken to the base point, and there were six cadets, meaning at least someone was going to die. Not only that, but the arena would provide the terrain, which meant it could change at any time and almost anything could happen. Thankfully, 90 knew he'd put in the extra hours with Haze and he fully intended to use that knowledge and to do his best. He was going to pass.

The loading deck raised slowly, taking them to the arena, then stopped with a jolt when they got there. No one moved, but 90 took the moment to scan the room. It was a traditional arena, with the same amounts of moving pillars, scales, etc. The markers appeared to be on the opposite side of the room and the loading deck was base point. 90 also glanced at the other cadets. They were his opponents. No droids, just his batchmates.

"All cadets, this is Sergeant Dunn," the Sergeant's voice came across inside 90's earcom. They all had one, along with training armor. They didn't have helmets yet, but if they passed this, they would.

"All cadets, mark."

90 heard that recognizing the go call and immediately he sprinted off the deck. The others could stay behind and fight, but he had a marker to retrieve.

Sprinting across the landscape, 90 managed to vault himself over a low barrier with his good arm, then hit the ground running. Behind him, he could hear the clashing of swords as the other cadets started fighting, but 90 focused on his mission and his mission alone.

Get the marker. Don't die.

A droid popped up to the left and began firing and 90 ducked down, rolling behind a barrier before darting out and slicing the droid with a simple cut to dismember it quickly before he headed onto the tower that had arisen in the time it had taken him to clear the room. The din of fighting behind him had quieted, and 90 could hear more footsteps but he didn't let it throw him off.

He tackled the tower, clambering onto the first platform before it could change but the second shifted before he could grab ahold and 90 stumbled, but he quickly regained his balance and adjusted, making it up the second level.

Glancing behind himself, 90 spotted two other cadets, 88 and 17, pursuing. They weren't going after him yet, but they were after the markers and 90 intended to make it first to ensure he didn't lose. Thankfully, the other two hadn't even reached the first level, so 90 had a chance.

Making it up the next two levels with relative ease, 90 spotted the markers lying a few feet from him. He knew better than to trust the test, though, and he grabbed a knife from his pocket, throwing it across the floor. It hit the ground and skidded, triggering the set of spikes and either a motion sensor or a pressure plate that immediately resulted in a fifth section appearing, rising above the others. It was too tall for a normal climb, and 90 knew he'd have to jump.