Ashton and the crew stood there in disbelief as the Deacon's body slumped to the ground. They were all confused and unsure of what had just happened. They had been so close to capturing him alive and getting some answers about the cult and their activities on the planet.
'No, there's still a shot I can resurrect him using [Association]-'
As they stood there in silence, trying to process what had just occurred, Ashton noticed something strange happening to the Deacon's body. It was as if something inside him was struggling to break free.
"Everyone back up!" Ahton yelled and jumped as far away from the Deacon's corpse as possible.
Suddenly, a bright light erupted from the Deacon's body, blinding Ashton and the Ghosts. When their vision cleared, they saw that the Deacon's body had disintegrated into ash.
"FUCK!" He exclaimed.
Ashton could have done something about it as long as a part of Deacon's corpse was left intact. But with everything turned into dust, there wasn't anything he could do to resurrect the Deacon and get some information out of him.
'It seems they knew what I was about to do and thus used something to stop me from resurrecting him.'
[They know a lot more about you than you know about them. Capturing this guy was an opportunity for you to change that, but now... you're back to square one.]
'I was hoping we could have done this without breaking into the prison, but I guess not. What is that?'
Ashton walked over to the spot where the Deacon had been kneeling and found a small metal device lying on the ground. He picked it up and examined it closely. It was some advanced technology unlike anything he had ever seen before.
The small metal device was about the size of a thumbnail. It was made of a shiny, silvery metal that almost seemed to shimmer in the light.
The device was rectangular, with smooth, rounded edges and a small button in the centre. On one side of the device was a series of tiny, intricate symbols etched into the metal. The signs seemed almost alien in nature, with no apparent meaning to the untrained eye.
Despite having been buried in the ashes of the Deacon, the device was cold to the touch and seemed to hum with a low, almost imperceptible energy. Overall, the device gave off an aura of mystery and danger, leaving Ashton unsure of what it might be used for or its true purpose.
[That... is bad news. It's Xyran tech... There's a lot more we need to figure out now.]
Ashton turned to the rest of the crew and said, "We need to get out of here. Something's not right."
They all nodded in agreement and quickly made their way out of the abandoned facility.
As they were leaving, Ashton couldn't shake the feeling that they had just stumbled upon something much larger and more dangerous than they had initially thought. The Deacon's last words and the strange device he had left behind were proof of that.
Ashton knew they would need to investigate further and get to the bottom of what was happening on this planet. He was determined to get to the truth, no matter what it took.
***
The crew emerged from the lab, guns ready, expecting to be met with a horde of creatures. Instead, they found the forest eerily quiet. As they walked cautiously through the trees, they soon discovered that the animals had returned to normal behaviour.
The previously aggressive predators were now avoiding the crew altogether, and the once-scavenging animals were now foraging as they should have been. The Zoraxes and Ratacules were both enjoying each other's company.
But weirdly enough, the rocky forest was covered in luscious vegetation. It would seem the Deacon wasn't only experimenting on the creatures but also on the flora itself, and his death had some kind of ripple effect on the forest.
"This is incredible," Laihud breathed, looking around at the peaceful forest. "Whatever the Deacon was doing in there, it seems to have had a profound effect on the wildlife."
Ashton nodded thoughtfully.
"It's clear that whatever the Deacon was experimenting with had a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem. It's almost as if his actions were causing some kind of feedback loop, amplifying the aggression in the animals and causing them to act out of character."
He continued, looking at the Xylopian leader, "Now, with him gone, nature got freed from the shackles he used to bind them. I hope this is the result you were hoping for?"
"I must admit, I was sceptical of you and your crew at first," the Xylopian leader said. "But you have proven yourselves to be true allies of our planet."
"We couldn't have done it without your help," Ashton replied. "Your knowledge of the planet and your willingness to fight alongside us made all the difference."
The Xylopian leader nodded. "We may have had our differences in the past, but it is clear that we share a common goal now - to protect this planet and its inhabitants."
Ashton smiled. "I couldn't agree more. And I hope this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership between the Xylopians and the Ghosts."
The Deacon was the primary reason why Ashton was there. However, he hadn't forgotten about Mazton's request to secure excavation rights from the Xylopians.
"I won't beat around the bush and pretend you don't know what I'm about to ask for," Ashton asked the leader, back into his business mode.
"Ah yes, the Neoradium. That's what you're looking for, right?"
Ashton nodded.
"Fine. While we will not allow you to dig it yourself, we can share some of it with your people exclusively in exchange for security so that no other Deacon ever steps foot on Verdantia."
"You have my word. As long as I'm alive, protecting Verdantia is my responsibility."
The Xylopian leader held out a hand, and Ashton shook it. "We will always be grateful for what you have done for us. You have earned our respect and our trust."
Ashton nodded. "And we will always be here to help whenever you need us."
With that, the two leaders parted ways, each heading back to their own people, but with a newfound respect and appreciation for each other.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺