Ashton's laughter echoed throughout as he faced the formidable group of Xyran Infiltrators. They were strong, there was no doubt about it, but their strength meant nothing to Ashton. "Infiltrators, huh?" he chuckled. "I remember you lot. Back then, dealing with you was a pain in the ass."
Memories of simulated battles under the watchful eyes of Flintmace and Vulcan flooded Ashton's mind. Back then, if someone caused him the most trouble to defeat, it would have to be the Infiltrators.
They were masters of stealth and disguise, making it difficult for Ashton to track and defeat them as they kept disappearing before his eyes. But they were mainly troublesome because they mostly struck in groups, which was odd considering most assassins preferred to work solo.
But things had changed. During those training sessions, Ashton wasn't allowed to use most of his skills, and he had yet to discover his Precursor lineage. Now, facing the Infiltrators without those constraints was an easy job.
However, there was a twist. Since Ibis had orchestrated such an elaborate plan to most probably 'assassinate' him, Ashton didn't want to end it in one go. He needed to teach the bitch a lesson, and he decided to play along and humour her by engaging with the Infiltrators without depending on his Precursor genes. Besides, giving them hope before shoving them into the pit of endless despair would be the most appropriate lesson for the galaxy's overlords. "Here, catch," Ashton nonchalantly tossed the Xyran ship's main key to the nearest Infiltrator. "Take care of it for me. I'll take it later from your corpse."
The Infiltrators, initially stunned by Ashton's audacity, broke into laughter. This one guy, even if he was a Precursor, dared to mock the unstoppable force that the Orion Empire itself feared? The Infiltrators couldn't believe their ears, but if the prey was willing to play with them, so be it.
"You're a funny one," one of the infiltrators laughed. "I never expected to meet a brain-dead precursor out here."
"Oi, no need to make fun of a dying man," another one chimed in. "Always send off your prey with respect and humility."
"You're no fun, Jacko."
In their eyes, Ashton was a half-baked Precursor. Their squad was considered the best among Infiltrators, and hence, they were confident in taking down a 'human'.
Besides, they had a leader who had not only fought but survived against Precursors during the war. A feat that only a few had achieved, let alone continued to work in the same field centuries after the war. Ashton, however, remained confident in his abilities. He might not be strong enough to defeat Kro'Han single-handedly, but facing a group of Xyrans posed no significant threat in his eyes.
"Fine, let's do this your way," the squad leader, Linas, laughed.
The area buzzed with anticipation as the Infiltrators shifted into combat stances; even then, their laughter didn't stop. Before them, Ashton stood, a lone figure against a formidable group, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew exactly how things were about to go down. The Infiltrator who caught the tossed key examined it, a grin forming on his face. "You're quite the cocky one, aren't you, Precursor?" he taunted, his comrades nodding in agreement.
Ashton shrugged, his smirk widening as he pointed above them. "Just trying to make this interesting. I wouldn't want the audience to get bored."
In a ship above them, Ibis and the rest of the crew intently watched the sight below, and Ashton seemed aware of it. Besides, Ibis hadn't expected Ashton to be this confident before the Infiltrators. But they sketched it up as a torch flickering before dying. "You're a strange one," Linas shrugged.
The Infiltrators exchanged glances. Their amused smiles were suddenly replaced by seriousness. Half-baked or not, they knew they were up against a Precursor and shouldn't take him lightly, yet their confidence remained unshaken.
The skirmish commenced with blinding speed. The Infiltrators, masters of covert operations, moved with synchronised precision. Their attempts to overwhelm Ashton with a flurry of coordinated strikes showcased the years of training and experience that defined their reputation.
However, Ashton moved with ease around them, with his hands tucked into his pockets, making their fight look like a casual sparring session. Ashton's movements were barely noticeable, each step calculated to evade the strikes of the Infiltrators. He managed to outmanoeuvre their attempts at stealth and surprise with a series of swift manoeuvres.
"Is this the best you've got?" Ashton taunted, effortlessly deflecting a barrage of attacks. "I expected more from the elite Infiltrators."
The Infiltrators, growing frustrated by Ashton's seemingly effortless defence, intensified their assault. Yet, Ashton continued to dance through their strikes, his movements becoming more unpredictable and laughable.
Amid the chaos, Ashton seized an opportunity. With a quick and precise strike, he disarmed one of the Infiltrators and swiftly incapacitated another with a well-timed kick. The tides of the battle began to turn, and the Infiltrators, once confident, found themselves struggling to keep up. But no one was more anxious than Ibis. She knew if the Infiltrators failed, no one in the entire galaxy could save them from Ashton's revenge. "You guys really need to step up your game," he remarked while smiling, seizing the momentary lull in the skirmish. "I thought you were the best among the Infiltrators. Maybe I overestimated your reputation."
The Infiltrators, a mix of frustration and determination etched on their faces, regrouped. They knew they had to adapt to Ashton's unpredictable style if they stood a chance.
Suddenly, Linas leapt at Ashton from the side, but instead of attacking him, he reached into his cloaked armour and threw something at him. Ashton instinctively dodged the attack and heard a hissing sound. Linas had used a grenade on him, but not just any grenade. It was filled with shrapnel coated with an acid that Ashton had never seen before. "Aiming for the eyes to blind me, huh?" Ashton smirked before kicking Linas away. "It was a good strategy, but not good enough."