Steve Rogers, Scott Lang, Hope van Dyne, Aayla Secura, and Commander Bly lay concealed in the tall grass, observing the Separatist installation from a safe distance. Through careful reconnaissance, they had now confirmed that the Separatists had established a significant military presence on the planet Maridun.
Hope whispered urgently, "This is the base where the battle droids are stationed. I discovered it several days before I encountered the Lurmen village."
Aayla asked quietly, "Has this installation been here long?"
"It appears to be well-established. Based on the construction and wear patterns, I'd estimate it was built at least a month ago, possibly longer."
Bly voiced his tactical concerns: "What are they doing besides maintaining a garrison here? I don't see any evidence of droid manufacturing facilities nearby. Could the production lines be housed inside the main structure?"
"I'm not certain about that," Hope replied, her enhanced vision studying the base's layout through her suit's sensors. "But they're definitely engaged in some kind of significant project. The activity levels are too high for a simple outpost."
Steve considered the strategic implications carefully before sharing his assessment: "In addition to serving as a CIS forward operating base, this could also be functioning as some kind of testing facility."
Scott nodded in agreement with his team leader's analysis: "That would make perfect sense tactically. Located far from Galactic Republic patrol routes, on a primitive planet with minimal galactic attention—no one would suspect the Separatists of maintaining a major operation here. With this level of operational security, they'd have ample time and resources to develop whatever they're working on."
Bly offered a practical suggestion based on their tactical situation: "If we're fortunate, we might be able to capture a Separatist vessel and use it to escape Maridun entirely."
"That's assuming there are actually ships stationed at this base," Aayla added with characteristic caution.
After a brief discussion of approach options, Scott and Hope activated their suits' shrinking capabilities, reducing themselves to microscopic size. Hope took Scott into the air, providing them with an elevated reconnaissance perspective of the entire installation.
Steve activated his comm unit and asked quietly, "Hope, what can you see from up there?"
"There are no starships visible within the base perimeter," Hope reported, her voice carrying disappointment. "However, there are large numbers of battle droids surrounding what appears to be some kind of massive cannon emplacement. They seem to be performing maintenance or assembly operations."
Suddenly, a brilliant spotlight swept across the area where Hope was flying, but fortunately her miniaturized state made detection virtually impossible.
"A cannon? What type of artillery are we looking at?" Bly asked with growing concern, his military training immediately recognizing the potential threat.
"I can't determine the specifications from this distance," Hope replied, preparing to move closer for detailed reconnaissance. "I'm going to need a better look."
"Hey, Steve, I've got an idea that might help us gather more intelligence," Scott said over the comm system.
"What are you thinking?"
"Give me a moment to position myself properly."
Scott quietly maneuvered himself onto the communications backpack of a nearby battle droid, using his size advantage to avoid detection.
Suddenly, the droid exclaimed in confusion: "Warning! System anomaly detected—" before its voice cut off abruptly and it leaned forward slightly, appearing to malfunction.
Several nearby battle droids immediately noticed their companion's erratic behavior.
"Unit X-29, report your status immediately."
X-29 remained silent for several seconds, then suddenly straightened up, raised its mechanical arm to touch its head in an oddly human gesture, looked around with apparent confusion, and asked: "Why did you strike this unit?"
"You appeared to experience a critical system failure and shut down unexpectedly."
X-29 gestured dismissively and replied, "Error! This unit has no memory of malfunction."
"You require immediate diagnostic evaluation and maintenance protocols."
"Affirmative... perhaps maintenance is advisable?"
"Proceed to maintenance bay immediately, X-29."
The hijacked battle droid nodded in acknowledgment and separated from the patrol group, walking toward the base interior.
Hope floated nearby in the air, watching this unusual exchange with growing curiosity before tentatively calling out over their private comm channel, "Scott?"
"I've got to tell you, this whole puppeteer thing feels really weird," Scott replied, his voice now coming from the battle droid's vocal systems. "Makes me wonder if that Ultron felt the same way when he was jumping between robot bodies."
"What exactly did you just accomplish?" Steve asked, impressed but confused by the tactical implications.
Scott explained his improvised technique: "I've taken direct control of this battle droid's systems. Actually, Anakin mentioned something about this possibility earlier. He explained that each droid operates through a central command network, so I figured I could sever their command transmission and input my own control protocols instead. Honestly, I wasn't sure it would actually work."
Using his commandeered droid as cover, Scott and Hope infiltrated the interior of the Separatist base, moving through the facility with the confidence of authorized personnel.
Hope, now perched on the shoulder of the X-29 unit, provided navigation instructions: "Scott, turn left at this junction. I can see what appears to be their primary armory straight ahead."
"Are you finding anything useful in there?" Aayla asked through their communication link.
Scott surveyed the weapons storage area carefully before reporting: "Besides standard blaster rifles and thermal detonators, there's also some kind of unusual dome-shaped device in the center of the room."
"Dome-shaped? Can you be more specific?"
After examining the equipment more closely, Scott's voice carried recognition: "I remember now what this is. It's a portable energy shield generator."
Bly's voice carried tactical disappointment: "If the droids launch an assault on the village, we could definitely use that for defensive purposes. Unfortunately, there's no way we can extract it from the base in our current situation."
"How could we possibly get something that large out of a heavily fortified installation?" Aayla asked, thinking through the logistical challenges.
Hope considered the problem for a moment, then returned to normal size within the armory, retrieved a specialized disc from her utility belt, made several technical adjustments to its settings, and threw it directly at the shield generator.
Aayla and the others, watching from their concealed position outside the base, couldn't see exactly what Hope was doing, nor could they witness the shield generator shrinking down to portable size after being struck by her disc.
Scott's voice carried obvious amusement as he said mysteriously: "Trust me, you're all going to be very surprised when we return to the village."
Everyone remained confused about what the reunited couple was accomplishing inside the base, prompting Steve to ask directly: "What exactly are you two doing in there?"
"You're going to love what we're bringing back," Scott replied with obvious excitement in his voice.
Back at the Lurmen village, Anakin examined the miniaturized energy shield generator in Scott's palm with complete disbelief. "So you actually shrunk it down and carried it out? What else can you miniaturize with this technology? And more importantly, will this shield still function at reduced size?"
Scott shrugged with characteristic casualness: "Everything I've encountered so far seems to respond to the Pym Particle effects. Honestly, I haven't found anything yet that can't be shrunk down. It appears that Pym Particles can be applied to virtually any matter or energy construct."
Steve interrupted their technical discussion at the appropriate moment: "Okay, let's table the physics lesson for now. Anakin, how are you feeling? Are you ready for potential combat operations?"
"Much better than yesterday," Anakin replied, testing his range of motion carefully. "Still experiencing some soreness, but nothing that would prevent me from fighting if necessary. Give me another day or two and I'll be completely recovered."
"Ahem."
Aayla turned to see the Lurmen village leader standing in the doorway of their temporary shelter, his expression serious and somewhat troubled.
"I need to speak with both of you," Tee Watt Kaa said gravely, addressing Aayla and Steve directly. "This conversation cannot wait any longer."
Aayla frowned, exchanged a meaningful glance with Steve, then nodded in acceptance. Both of them followed the village leader to the largest pod dwelling in the community, which served as his official residence and meeting place.
After entering the spacious interior, the Lurmen leader gestured for them to take seats on the comfortable floor cushions arranged in a circle.
"What did you want to discuss with us, sir?" Steve asked respectfully as he settled beside Aayla.
"For the past several weeks, the battle droids have been conducting regular patrols through our village," Tee Watt Kaa said with obvious weariness. "We have not been physically harmed or suffered any material losses, but their presence has significantly disrupted our traditional way of life and created constant anxiety among my people."
Both Aayla and Steve remained silent, sensing that the village leader had much more he needed to express.
"But now that you have arrived here, I can only conclude that open conflict is inevitable. When two opposing military forces occupy the same territory, violent confrontation becomes a mathematical certainty."
Aayla responded diplomatically, "Chief, please understand that we are not bringing warfare to your village. That was never our intention, and we deeply regret that our presence has created additional concerns for your people."
The Lurmen leader interrupted her firmly: "Regardless of your stated intentions, you have appeared here as armed representatives of the Galactic Republic, and what will inevitably follow is a military engagement between your forces and the Confederate battle droids. You must understand that my people and I came to this remote planet specifically to escape the galactic war that is consuming our home worlds."
Steve drew on his own experiences as he replied: "In my homeland, a global war erupted that eventually consumed every nation and continent. Innocent civilians who wanted nothing to do with the conflict were ultimately dragged into it anyway. Unfortunately, when dealing with aggressive organizations bent on conquest, neutrality is often not respected as an option."
The leader responded with passionate conviction: "That may have been true in your experience, but we are a people who have dedicated our entire culture to the principles of peace and non-violence. We do not participate in warfare because violence only generates more violence in an endless, destructive cycle. The Jedi and the Galactic Republic claim to be bringing peace to this conflict, but I observe that more and more worlds are being consumed by the flames of war under their guidance."
Aayla found herself momentarily at a loss for words, while Steve responded with firm conviction: "Sometimes war becomes unavoidable when facing those who would use violence to achieve their goals. There are forces in this galaxy that hope to use conquest and oppression to satisfy their ambitions. This is a reality that cannot be prevented simply through belief in peace, no matter how sincere that belief may be."
"Chief, I do understand and respect your commitment to peace," Aayla interjected carefully. "The Jedi Order shares that same fundamental belief in peace, but sometimes our methods for achieving it must be more direct and decisive. I believe that history will ultimately validate our approach."
The leader's voice carried bitter sarcasm as he replied: "You claim to represent peace? How can you make such a statement when you are actively leading clone armies into battle and sending countless beings to their deaths?"
"We do so because the Separatists pose an existential threat to the safety and freedom of billions of innocent beings throughout the galaxy," Aayla countered with growing frustration.
The Lurmen leader's tone became increasingly mocking: "So you made no attempt to negotiate with your former Jedi colleague, Count Dooku? Instead, you immediately decided to resolve this dispute through military action? It seems that your thinking is remarkably simplistic for someone claiming wisdom, Miss Jedi."
Steve expressed his support for Aayla's position: "If diplomatic negotiation could resolve this conflict, there would never have been a war in the first place. What I have observed is that the Galactic Republic made extensive efforts to resolve this crisis and avoid military action. When you refuse to act decisively before a war begins, your idealistic thinking will ultimately cost many more innocent lives."
Aayla also pressed their argument: "I can understand and respect that you and all the Lurmen people are pursuing peace as your highest value, but what about the Separatist forces stationed just outside your village? They are currently threatening your very existence. If they decide to enter the village to seize your resources or conscript your people, what exactly will you do?"
"We will offer no resistance whatsoever."
Steve pointed out the fatal flaw in this reasoning: "They will interpret your passivity as weakness and become increasingly aggressive in their demands."
"We have done nothing to provoke their hostility."
"I know this sounds harsh, but if you do absolutely nothing to protect yourselves, I'm afraid they will eventually massacre your entire community. The droid army is literally at your doorstep right now. You should at least consider evacuating to a safer location until this conflict is resolved, or seek some form of protection for your people, instead of simply accepting the role of helpless victims."
The Lurmen leader remained stubbornly committed to his position: "Our beliefs and principles have allowed us to live in peace for many generations. We will continue to hold fast to these beliefs and remain steadfast in our commitment to non-violence, regardless of the consequences."
Aayla was genuinely shocked by the leader's inflexible stance and asked with sharp concern: "Even if it costs the lives of everyone in your village?"
"We would rather die than take the life of another sentient being."
Before they could continue this increasingly heated philosophical debate, the chief's son, Wag Too, burst into the room with urgent news: "Father, the Separatists are approaching the village!"
Aayla and Steve immediately looked at each other with alarm, and Steve asked urgently: "Where are they? How much time do we have?"
"They're positioned just outside the village perimeter. Based on their rate of approach, they may be here within minutes."
Steve and Aayla quickly exited the leader's residence together, with Steve immediately assessing their tactical situation: "We're not prepared for a direct confrontation yet. Right now we need to evacuate everyone else and find concealment elsewhere until we can develop a proper strategy."
Aayla also considered the broader implications of their presence: "If the Separatists discover any evidence that we've been here, they will completely destroy this village in retaliation."
The Lurmen leader, who had been following closely behind them, said angrily: "It is precisely because of your presence that my village is now in mortal danger!"
"We understand that, Chief, and we genuinely regret it," Steve replied with sincere concern. "But none of us want to see your people caught in the crossfire of this war."
The leader quickly moved past Steve and Aayla, speaking without looking back: "That is exactly why you must leave immediately. Right now, I must go and greet our new visitors who will be arriving shortly."
Aayla and Steve exchanged a look of frustrated disbelief at the Lurmen leader's stubborn refusal to acknowledge reality, shook their heads in resignation, and ran toward the others, hoping to evacuate the injured Anakin before the Separatists arrived. They both understood that they could not force the Lurmen to accept protection or join their cause—the village would have to learn the harsh realities of this war through their own experience.
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