"Honestly, Nox," started (Y/N), "I think I need fresh samples. There's people who got infected, and I doubt frozen, 3000 year old samples will do much to help them."
The former Sith Lord sighed, clearly unhappy with his descendant's less than practical statement. Due to his status as a Sith Spirit, he wasn't able to do anything to stop him that wouldn't hurt him.
"Fine, but if you get infected don't come crying to me," Nox said. "There's blasters in the armory, your lightsaber and inconsistent lightning won't be enough."
(Y/N) followed Nox's instructions, grabbing a blaster pistol and a blaster rifle as well, just in case. He was about to exit the ship, when he saw Nox in a kneeling, meditative position.
"What're you doing, Nox?" (Y/N) asked, curious as to why an ancient Sith was meditating.
Nox sighed, not happy about being interrupted. "I am trying to draw some of the closest rakghouls to us. If you are so insistent about getting fresh samples, then it would be advantageous to draw them towards the Ruin, where I can use her weapons systems to assist you."
"And how are you drawing them to us?" (Y/N) asked, not sure how what Nox was doing would accomplish that.
"Rakghouls were created by an ancient Sith Lord, even by my age," Nox explained. :He sought to rule the galaxy by using the force to transform people into rakghouls. However, the ritual had a very specific weakness; it didn't work on force sensitives. So, as a fix, the Sith made those which he created pass a disease that would turn anyone, force sensitives included, into a rakghoul themselves. By channeling the same emotions that created the Rakghouls, they can be attracted, assuming the channeler is sensitive enough to dark side the force." A roar was heard outside the ship, indicating that there was something out there. "And it appears to have worked."
(Y/N) walked to the exit to the ship. He lowered the ramp with his lightsaber and blaster out. When the ramp was down enough for (Y/N) to see past it, he saw a small pack of rakghouls, just enough for him to get all the needed tissue, including if he himself wasn't infected. He leveled the blaster in his left hand, taking aim at the rakghouls in front of him.
He pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. Only one rakghoul fell dead. The rest saw what happened to their comrade and began to charge the boy. He fired a couple more shots, nearly all of them missing. What did hit was only in limbs, not killing them but making that limb unusable. One of the smaller ones lept at (Y/N), trying to get a quick hit on his face. (Y/N) quickly ignited his saber in his right, performing a flourish that cut the rakghoul's head clean off. He tried to sweep his lightsaber at another one, only for it to leap backward away from him. By now, all of the rakghouls were near him on the ship, so (Y/N) threw the blaster away to free his left hand. He tried to fire a quick burst of lightning from his hand, as he had done before, but nothing came out.
"Fine. Guess I need to do this the old fashioned way." (Y/N) said to himself, readying a Form III stance. From what he recalled of his time at the Temple, Form III was the most defensive of the forms, and since a single hit was enough to pass the plague onto him, he wanted to avoid that at all costs.
Another rakghoul flew at (Y/N), this one aiming for his leading right arm. He quickly raised the lightsaber, bringing the tip of the blade back towards himself to better block the lunge. The rakghoul's own momentum cut it in half across his lightsaber. Seeing that two had both made the exact same mistake, (Y/N) assumed the creatures had little if any real intelligence to them, and so prepared for them all to pounce at some point. This was a mistake.
Suddenly, one began to rush him head on. (Y/N) was so busy preparing for the pounce that he didn't have time to block the simple strike that was coming. A large cut appeared on his leg where the rakgoul got him. (Y/N) screamed in pain, and began to panic due to the stories he had heard. As he did, lightning began to arc off of him, the fear, anger, and will to live as himself allowing him to access his lineage once again. A massive bolt of lightning came from his hands, blasting one of the rakghouls. However, the blast then hopped to another one nearby. Then another, and another, until all of the rakghouls in front of him lay dead.
"Chain lightning already," Nox's voice came from behind him. "I'm impressed. Though much like normal lightning, you clearly need more training. After all, your lightsaber is fried."
(Y/N) didn't believe him. He looked at his lightsaber, and it was, in fact, turned off. He tried to reignite it, but it made a sound like it was turning off. When he tried again, there was a sparking sound and the emitter only expelled sparks.
"Well, kriff," the boy swore, clearly angry. He used the force to lift a couple of the rakghoul corpses, carrying the rest on his back. It took a couple trips, but he was able to get all the corpses into the medical bay and into temporary stasis.
"Ok, now that we have what we need, let's get back to the capitol so we can get these cures made, get ourselves paid, and hopefully get this ship in shape," (Y/N) said, getting behind the Recovery's controls. He had asked Nox to lift the Ruin into the sky so that he could attach the Recovery at the escape pod airlock. Once it was attached, he walked from the Recovery to the Ruin and sat behind her controls, flying towards
"Unidentified starship, this is Taris Traffic Control. For purposes of traffic control, you will be temporarily identified as Starship Besh-230. Please properly identify yourself or we will assume hostilities and open fire."
"Taris Traffic Control, this is Starship Besh-230, this old girl was found out in those swamps you didn't want me exploring. We have Starship Recovery in tow." (Y/N) replied. "I'm here to drop off the Rakghoul tissue the welcoming party requested, as well as get this ship fully registered. I'm also likely to need some new parts."
"Starship Besh-203, you are cleared for landing in Hanger Aurek two. If the hangar is too small, please let us know and we will redirect."
"Understood. Going to Aurek two now."
"I see the bureaucracy of the Republic hasn't changed." Nox said. "Funny, the one part of the Republic I truly hated is the one that remains, all these years later."
"Of course it hasn't." (Y/N) said. "Obviously a bureaucracy that covers the whole galaxy is going to be larger than one that doesn't."
(Y/N) set the ship down in the requested hanger. The hole at the top was just wide enough for (Y/N) to land the two ships through. He got up from his captain's chair, ready to greet the incoming welcoming party.
"Welcome back, Master Jedi. I trust you got what we needed?" Asked the diplomat.
"I certainly did. There's seven samples in this." (Y/N) explained, handing over the briefcase. "I need a cure myself now, actually."
"Well, glad you were able to get this all done then, and in a quick manner," the minister said. "Please, follow me to the infirmary."
Going with the minister, (Y/N) eventually found himself lying on a bed next to six others, though the other five were clearly in immense pain.
"All of you, just give us a couple more hours to get the cures made. Please," the minister said, clearly trying to ease the worries of the teenagers. None of them responded.
About an hour later, (Y/N) was lying in the bed he was assigned, trying to sleep, when he suddenly heard a clicking noise. His eyes shot open, only to see that one of the others had fully transformed, becoming identical to the rakghouls he had taken the cure samples from. The beast roared at him, lunging in for the attack. (Y/N) dodged out of the way, attempting to grab his lightsaber from his hip. However, as he did, the creature swatted it out of his hand, knocking it to the floor where it rolled away.
"Oh, kriffin' hell," (Y/N) muttered. He used his instincts, reaching out with the force. He pushed the creature back, and used his other hand to pull down a set of beakers off the table, hoping that would be enough to get some attention. Almost as soon as he did, someone opened the door behind him. It was someone with a blaster at the ready, who immediately fired two shots into the rakghoul. The creature was dead.
"Damn, guess that's one less cure we need," the man said, revealed to be the minister who brought him here earlier. "We'd better make this quick," he said, carrying the adrenals in a briefcase. He placed it on the table, opened it, and pulled one out. He injected it into another person's arm, which promptly knocked them out. He went to the rest of them and performed the same procedure.
Finally, he came to (Y/N). "This shouldn't knock you out like it did the others since you aren't that far along. Unless you have some unfortunate reaction to this cure, you should be out of here as soon as this is in," the minister explained. "Additionally, we're willing to save the Jedi Temple the time and effort to make this cure, since one is no longer required." he said, looking at the corpse of the teen-turned-rakghoul.
"Thank you, I'm sure Master Che will appreciate it," (Y/N) said, giving a small forced smile. "Now, if you could tell me where to go to get my 'new' ship registered, that would be greatly appreciated. I'm also likely to need new parts considering how old it is."
"Of course, Master Jedi. Simply go to the counter near the front of the spaceport. Mention the hangar you're in, and they'll give you a holoform to fill out. Once it's filled out, and the fees are paid, you can travel wherever you want in the Republic. For the parts, there's a little shop to the counter's right."
"Thank you very much," (Y/N) said, stretching his shoulder. He then walked out the door, going to the counter that the minister mentioned. There was practically no line, since it wasn't every day that someone finds an ancient ship in the swamps they want to register. When he reached the counter, a small holoplayer activated, displaying a small form.
"Let's see... ship name, ship class, ship specs, current hangar, and weapon specs. I only know the first one, but I'd love to change it..."
"Well to start, it's a Fury-class Interceptor," (Y/N) heard Nox's voice call from inside his head.
"OK, how are you here still? I'm off the ship." (Y/N) questioned.
"You are too far from the helmet for me to manifest," Nox explained. "However since we are of the same blood, you can hear me from this distance. Much further, however, and I would be alone once again."
"Right, so what are the rest of these?" (Y/N) asked. Nox walked him through what the various requirements are, before returning to the name section.
"I know you want me to call it the Eternal Ruin, Nox," (Y/N) began, "but I don't want to call it something that... ominous."
"Fine, then what will you name her?" Nox asked, unsure.
"Well, I think I'll call it..."
This is where I leave it in your hands, readers, as an apology for not uploading in two weeks. Finals kept me too busy. Go ahead and drop your ship name ideas, and I'll pick whatever gets the most votes or I like best.