Star Wars Legabeck Episode I: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 14

Deng inspected all of the training rooms, starting with the individual rooms where the cadets did their shooting range targets. However, all of the other individual shooting rooms were empty. As Deng entered the last training room, he saw Kowathvo, that Chiss instructor. Deng, clenching in anger, readily confronted the instructor, holding his neck and pointing his blaster at it.

"Are you Kowathvo, that Chiss instructor who tried to hurt my friend, Donotyr!?! If you mock him once again, you will have to deal with me! Did you understand!? Now tell me, where is Azotha!?!"

"J-j-just don't hurt me," Kowathvo pleaded with Deng. "Let go of me. I promise I won't hurt Donotyr, or the other cadets, again... I was a terrible instructor... It was my fault that I was harsh on the cadets and criticized their skills hard, instead of encouraging them to do better, I pushed them away from their training sessions. I-I hope they would forgive me."

Although Deng didn't seem to believe Kowathvo's apology, he calmed down as released his grip on the instructor's neck and put his blaster aside.

"I'm sorry if I was too harsh on you," Deng said to Kowathvo.

"Recently, our organization is under the attack of our enemies, the Ignominies. It started when an Ignominy infiltrated our headquarters and assassinated our previous leader, Fugmius, during his speech of what could have been the knighting ceremony a few days ago, and recently, a ranger was found dead along with two Ignominies. We need to immediately find Azotha so we can report this and deal with those Ignominies as soon as possible," Deng continued.

"I will try to help you find Azotha, so we can end this problem as early as possible."

Deng left the training room as Kowathvo followed him. They went outside to check on the place where the cadets did running activities, but there were no people there.

They returned to the headquarters, and Deng was disappointed and worried about what happened to the cadets and Azotha as there were no signs of their appearances in the training areas.

"Thank you very much and goodbye. Young man, what is your name by the way?" Kowathvo said.

"Deng Corrik."

"I'm Rlasko'wath'voacae. You can just call me Kowathvo. I'll be staying here to watch over the cadets and rangers so I can defend them from the Ignominies."

"It's ironic that when I first met you, I was ready to attack you for what you did to my friend yesterday, but I noticed that you can do more in the battle against the Ignominies as a mere instructor, than Azotha who is the leader of this organization," Deng remarked with a smile.

The instructor just smiled a little as Deng left to find Vinith.

Meanwhile, Donotyr was struggling with his makeshift ranger training with Zena as his new instructor. His first day was full of worries and doubts that he would be able to protect Yirrim as a mere cadet as someone who was struggling with the cutthroat environment of Yirrim, constantly surrounded by the murderous, savage Ignominies.

He was also worried that the Ignominies would be able to hunt him down, recapture him, and be returned to a life of humiliation and torture.

"What am I going to do here, in the forests of Yirrim? I-isn't it easier for the Ignominies to see, notice and capture me here?" Donotyr wondered as he and Zena were walking in the forests near the headquarters, patrolling it from potential Ignominies who would enter it.

"Don't be afraid. Do not let those Ignominies get to you. Remember that we are doing this for Yirrim. For Fugmius. If you have encountered an Ignominy, tell me. I'll deal with it," Zena instructed her friend.

Donotyr eagerly followed his friend Zena's lead as they were patrolling the woods for Ignominies.

While the two were walking, something startled Donotyr. It soon turned out to be an Ignominy with a rifle aimed at them. Donotyr immediately hid behind his friend, afraid to be caught or harmed by the Ignominy.

"Don't be afraid of that Ignominy. This is your chance to apply what you learned at Fugmius. A true ranger doesn't hide and gives up in midst of trouble. You can do it, you just need a little courage," Zena told her friend.

When the Ignominy was about to open fire on Zena, Donotyr, although afraid, tried his best to defend his friend by shooting the Ignominy until she was killed. Upon seeing that the Ignominy was killed, Donotyr put back his blaster on his belt.

"Donny, I told you that you could do it," Zena said as they were walking away from the Ignominy Donotyr just killed.

"Who knows what that Ignominy would have done to you, or the other rangers," Donotyr replied. "But I'm still worried, as a former captive of the Ignominies. More of them are still lurking around the rangers' headquarters, though."