Chapter Eighteen

John walked out of the cloning facility and got a call in by one of the pilots. "General, this is Pilot Jericho. I'm coming in to land. Commander Indigo has said they found something and asks for you to go immediately."

John tapped the side of his helmet. "Alright, Jericho. Have they been ambushed? Any sightings of suspicious activity?"

"No, General."

As the LAAT landed, the other clones saw John walk up and onto the ship. Dex saw him climb in and saluted. "Dex, you're in charge until I get back. Make sure nothing happens."

Dex nodded as the ship took off.

John held on to the strap and began speaking to the system. 'How foolish would it be to ask if you have a shop?'

[Very...]

'Do you have a shop?'

[Shop Unlocks at Level 75.]

John sighed. "Jericho, how long until we get to the sight?"

"About an hour, General Phanatos. Why, sir?"

John smirked. "'Cuz your flying's a bit bumpy, trooper."

"I can show you bumpy, Gen-" A loud energy blast fired outside the gunship. "General, were under fire! Hold on tight!" Jericho and his co pilot descended lower to where they could open the side doors. "You're going to have to jump at their next shot, sir! We'll draw their fire!"

John shook his head. "I'll jump! The moment I'm off you get the hell outta here!"

"Will do, sir! Go!"

John looked down and they were still very high up. He's jumped from the top of the temple but... 'What the hell!' He decided to give his life to fate!

He jumped out and began gliding down. He was so high that he was getting somewhat covered in ice. 'How were they shooting so far up here?'

He looked at the descending gunship during at the small turret. The turret shot back right when the gunship turned around, blasting it out of the sky. It's right wing was taken off and it fell violently towards the surface of the planet.

"Jericho, did you and your co-pilot eject? Jericho, come in!"

"Sir, were not going to make it. The ejection mechanisms are jammed and-" John saw another blast hit the ship, completely destroying it.

John glided in silence, focusing on landing. Once he was at the temple's height, he began slowing himself down with force manipulation. He saw the turret and anger filled him. He activated his lightsaber and crashed into the turret, destroying it.

———

Elves cheered around the turret. "We got one! Good job soldiers!"

One of the younger female elves loaded another set of canisters and looked into the sky. "What's that spec of red light?"

BOOM!

The young elf was flung from the turret platform and knocked unconscious. When she awoke, the sky was black and it looked like hours had passed. She was wrong.

She sat up, and the forest around her was burning, causing the air to be filled with smoke.

She looked around and saw her elf brethren lying on the ground, dead. They were charred black, cut in half, or had a squashed neck. She heard footsteps running towards her, as well as gunshots.

A middle aged elf ran up to her and handed her the gun. "Kill him, Aerendyl! You must-" the man was lifted into the air and turned around. His throat began to crush under an invisible force as life left his body. A red blade then cut him in half as he was discarded.

The girl's hands shook as she held the gun. All she saw was a figure in black armor and a red blade. "Please! Don't kill me! I never wanted to join the military!"

John began to suffocate her. "Who ordered the firing of the turret?"

She looked to the man John cut in half. "H-he did."

John released his grip on her throat. "I didn't know my pilots long. I don't care, they were my men, and if I let anyone here survive-"

"Please, I'll do anything!" She begged as she covered her face.

John sighed. "I don't think you understand, girl. If I let you go, you'll show up with 30 more turrets, all aimed at me."

Her eyes widened. "So you're going to kill me?"

He deactivated his lightsaber and knocked her unconscious, bending metal from the turret around her wrists and legs. He picked her up.

"Not yet." He contacted Indigo and another LAAT came to pick him up. Indigo stepped of the LAAT and saluted.

"General, we found a large base of elves. We were unable to locate anything that could be of used to you."

John loaded the elf girl onto the LAAT and thought for a moment. "Did they have guns that tried to fire at you?"

Indigo nodded. "They had guns, but it seemed like they weren't being used at the moment.

John smiled under his helmet. "Let's take the girl back to base and gather as many men on the LAATs that you can. We're going to take that base."

"Very good, sir." Indigo and John climbed into the gunship and took off back for the base.