When the ships of Rek Lavaran emerged from hyperspace they were at the outer edge of the system that they were just in. They made another short hop to the planet designated XP31009.
"C'Dar?" Lavaran inquired.
"Yes sir?"
"I want a complete assessment of that battle in my quarters by 0800 hours." He said sternly as he walked out of the room.
In his quarters he flopped down on his bed and sighed. "Well now is as good a time as any" he said referring to the call he had been meaning to make.
Speaking into his comlink he contacted the ship's senior com officer and had him
establish a channel. Several minutes later he was informed of the open
channel and he straightened his uniform and sat at his desk to use the
communication system.
"This in Captain Rek Lavaran. I have information for his Lordship Domino de
Devastator."
Tashannoc set the Rolling Thunder down on a platform just outside the Palace. He had come here to Carar because he had read that the king was rumored to have one of the most extensive libraries of pre Clone War
literature in existence. There was also evidence that previous monarchs had been friends with some Jedi.
The current status of the planet was now very different. It was an isolationist world,
and the only contacts with the outside universe were a few wealthy tourists who came for the hunting safaris into the indigenous jungles, and an occasional diplomat. Tashannoc came with the credentials of the latter.
At
some point in the course of the past few decades, the planet had been overlooked in its position near the rim of the galaxy; first in the expansion of the Emperor's territory, then in the Civil War which had ravaged the Galaxy for a quarter of a century. The planet was self sufficient, and produced little that was of value to the rest of the galaxy, so everyone was content to let it be.
Tasha and Neb walked directly to the First Minister's office. Neb led the way and Tashannoc stayed a few steps back. Neb was dressed in extravagant clothing, while Tashannoc wore an expensive sleeveless robe made of the finest fabric. Both had their lightsabers well hidden, but easily accessible. They only had to wait a moment before they were led into the office. The First Minister was seated, and didn't get up when his guests arrived. He signaled that the two should seat themselves, but since neither chair would support the Wookiee, both chose to stand.
Tashannoc started to speak, and Neb played the role of the interpreter. "Sir, I am Iua Callno, and my Master is Wrookwroo. He has come seeking an audience with His Majesty. My Master is a scholar of some repute in some circles, and has heard of the King's extensive library. He would like very much to be allowed access. And while my Master is a scholar, he has also spent time as an adventurer, and is quite wealthy. Perhaps he has an item which might be of interest to His Majesty in exchange for this favor."
Neb paused and waited for the response. The man seemed about ready to answer with a barrage of questions, when his face went blank for a moment. When he looked at the two again, his eyes were vacant, and he said, "I'm sorry, but the King is busy today. Let one of my men escort you to a suite here in the Palace, and I will see what I can do about arranging an audience."
Neb and Tasha followed the uniformed guard out of the office and into the suite. Once there, they began to discuss their options telepathically.
~So, Tasha, were you able to get into his mind?~
~No, he was shielded. I didn't push too hard as I felt something was watching us.~
The two went about cleaning up in their perspective rooms, giving no evidence to the conversation going on in their heads.
~I did pick up an odd smell coming off the man as he went quiet. It was as if he was suddenly a different man. His original smell returned as we were leaving.~
Tasha flopped down on a huge bed to get a little rest.
~There is definitely something more going on than I had anticipated. We had better watch our backs.~
"Bear with me, Tyne, I feel the need to pose a grandiloquent question." Staven lay in the lounge as the two men sailed their way through hyperspace.
"And that question would be...?"
"You're chasing a girl."
"Yeah..."
"Who already has someone chasing her."
"Yeah."
"So why not just let the other guy hunt her down."
Tyne sat straighter, pulling his legs under him. "See, Ibran - stop calling him the other guy, it's rude - doesn't know as much about the girl as he thinks he does."
"So? Not like you know so much more."
"No, but I know more than he does. You know where she's supposed to be? What if her ship got detained? Where do you think she'd go?"
Staven sighed, exasperated. "Prison, maybe? Home?"
"You like to think you're so smart, don't you?" Staven grinned. "Well, she would go home, and I think I have an idea of where home is and I intend to get Ibran there when all else fails."
Staven applauded. "Noble cause. Hope it doesn't get you into any trouble."
Alia ground her teeth nervously as she trailed behind Rayla and her two grotesque companions.
'I know I know her from somewhere, but gods help me if I can but remember!'
She stared blaster bolts into the woman's back, thinking of her holding the assassin's tools she carried half concealed in her clothing.
'There's something... something... well...' She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to
remember.
'Neb! That was where I met Neb. Yavin IV, going after another pilot and she was--'
Alia opened her eyes and stifled a gasp. 'I tried to shoot her. Well, this is just getting better and better.'
Benoah stepped beside her. "Is something troubling you?"
Alia snorted. "No, nothing at all. I'm just admiring the scenery, that's it."
'This cannot get any worse.'
The controller responded with, ~State what type of information and how old it is.~
"It is about those cursed Rebels that torment the galaxy and it is one standard hour old." He said.
~That new? Well let's hear it.~
"I have just engaged a Rebel convoy carrying weapons for them and was beaten back. I tracked the freighter on its hyperspace jump and it appears that it is jumping to some base on the Outer Rim. Possibly the Farlenx Sector."
~Thank you for the information Captain Lavaran. Is there anything else?~
"Yes, I would like to make a contract with his Lordship. I will work as an extension of his fleet for support and maybe some credits. If that would be acceptable of course."
~I will tell my commanding officer about it.~
The Imperial on the other end terminated the connection. 'Well that's that,' Rek thought. 'Hope he accepts the offer.'
~Neb, get up. They'll be here soon.~
Neb casually put on his clothing and joined Tasha in the common room that adjoined their bedrooms. After Tashannoc had laid down to rest, Neb had grabbed a bite to eat. Neb's dishes were now gone, but Tasha had a plate with the leftovers of some local delicacy sitting in front of him. Neb glanced around the room and noticed that some of the decorations had been moved, probably to obscure or destroy any spying devices. "Were you able to make out what the food was?"
"No, but it seems to be settling well. That's all that matters."* Tashannoc got up and grabbed a datapad, then pretended to be looking over the information contained therein. It was moments later when there was a knock at the door, and it opened of its own accord.
"His Majesty, Moyou the Fourth, Ruler of all Carar will see you now."
Neb and Tashannoc got up and followed the pair of guards through a maze of corridors. The hallways were lined with glorious pieces of art spanning the cultural history of the planet. Neither Neb nor Tasha could recognize the pieces, but enjoyed most of them nonetheless. The marble floors were covered with ornate rugs, and the lighting was provided by large chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling.
They came to a large uncarpeted hallway and the footsteps of Neb and the soldiers started to echo, while the pads of Tashannoc's feet kept his steps silent. The guards stepped ahead of the two visitors from their flanking positions, and moved to open a large set of heavy double doors. Neb and
Tashannoc stood side by side and stepped forward as the doors were opened-
-to reveal a shallow alcove.
What is this? Neb was about to ask the question, but his thought was cut off by the flash of an explosion.
Tashannoc had noticed the concussion bomb on the floor, but only a split instant before it had gone off, and not soon enough to prepare himself. He and Neb both slumped, unconscious, to the floor.
*Translated from the Wookiee language
"Aw, you boys are just yankin' on my leg, ain't ya sugarpies?"
"No, ma'am." The man lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We ain't gonna take any more of the atro, astro, what was that word, Jae?"
"Atrocities."
"Yeah, the atrocities of the Empire. We're gonna take this world for ourselves. And then we'll all get to go join the Rebellion and be heroes like Luke Starkiller."
"Yeah," the third and final man at the table broke in. "You know, Luke Starkiller was a farmer just like us when he blowed up the Death Star."
"Really? Wow." For two days Karin had been milking these three boys for information on the insurrection's organization and its leadership. It appeared that a couple of
'out of towners' had started the whole thing. She suspected it was actually Rebel
Intelligence - 'is there such a thing' she wondered - agents, and had a good idea as to the identity of one of them.
The problem was, while these boys would have told her anything to impress her, she had already pieced together as much as she was going to get out of
them. She felt sorry for them, because they reminded her a little of her own brothers, and hoped that if worse came to worst, she wouldn't have to kill them.
She excused herself to go to the refresher, slipped out of one disguise and into another, and walked out of the bar. The time had come to implement a new strategy.
The shuttle carrying Ibran and Thix left hyperspace and shot towards the planet of Myrkr as if it had the entire Imperial Navy on it's tail. "We're passing through the inner system on our way to the planet now," Thix said, manipulating the control panel deftly.
Ibran frowned. Something didn't feel quite right. "Don't go to the planet," he said.
"Then where to?" Thix asked. "We can't sit about in the open. We have to find this person who's supposed to help us, remember?"
"Of course I remember," Ibran said absently, still trying to nail down his premonition. "I was the one who told you."
A sheepish grin crossed Thix's face. "Whoops," he said. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"Hold on a moment." Ibran concentrated. He snapped his fingers. "Go behind that asteroid over there and power down. That ought to give us some cover for the moment while we figure out what to do."
Thix pulled the craft in behind the asteroid and began powering down the ship. Not five seconds later, a Victory-class Star Destroyer pulled in behind where they had been. "Whew! Just in time!" Thix said.
"Yeah," Ibran agreed. "We'd better be ready to make a hasty retreat, though. Just in case they find us."
"Right," Thix said. He began keeping a watch on the instruments.
Meanwhile, Ibran watched the Star Destroyer. What would happen if they were found? They were acting suspiciously, so they would probably be interrogated. If they were interrogated enough, the Imperials might learn things like the
new location of the Academy. That thought made Ibran shiver. His brother and sister were there. Above all else, he couldn't betray them.
He began staring at the Imperial ship, almost as if he could make it go away by sheer force of will. But the Star Destroyer continued it's slow, methodical search pattern, deploying TIE Fighters to assist it. The TIE Fighters spread out, and one group of three headed towards him almost as if they were tracing Ibran's gaze back to its' source. He watched as they closed in. "Thix," he said. "You may want to get ready to go."
Thix stared out at the approaching TIEs while fiddling with the controls. They were in trouble short of a miracle. "I don't suppose miracles can happen randomly to two guys in a shuttle, can they?" he asked.
Ibran nodded, hope springing to his face. "Perhaps they can. See that?" he stabbed a finger at the viewport.
Thix followed the point. "It looks a lot like our shuttle," he said.
"It's at a big distance, though." Ibran pointed out. "We probably don't have a good view. And who could be in it? It's not us, that's for sure."
But the TIEs didn't care that they weren't in the shuttle. They broke off after it in hot pursuit. After a quick dash, the shuttle disappeared into hyperspace.
With the loss of their possible quarry, the TIEs returned to the Star Destroyer. In a few moments, it leapt into hyperspace after the departing ship.
"That was too close!" Thix said, exhaling the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
But Ibran didn't notice. A flashing yellow light on the control panel had caught his attention. "What's that light mean?" he asked.
Thix looked at it. "We're being hailed!" he said. He flipped the com switch. "This is the shuttle Barkon's Bandana, Thix Barkon speaking. Who has the honor of speaking to me?"
"Barkon's Bandana?" Ibran rolled his eyes and groaned.
Thix waved him to silence. Someone's voice was coming across the speaker. ~Greetings, shuttle Barkon's Bandana. This is Talon Karrde of the Wild Karrde calling. Perhaps you'd like to dock with my ship where you can tell me what two people from Skywalker's Jedi Academy are doing at Myrkr and why I just sent a Star Destroyer off chasing shoal darters for them?~
Thix and Ibran looked at each other, then at the freighter that was pulling out of concealment nearby. "We'd love to," Thix said. "We'll be over in a few."
The Banshee arrived at Seleneron III in the manner of a shopper attempting to buy the latest in-style hat at a local clothing store. Captain Tharsis received his docking order and carried it out with all possible speed. He was here, he was ready, and he'd plunge headfirst into whatever assignment Grand Admiral Thrawn had given him.
But since he'd arrived three days ahead of schedule, the station's commander was in a meeting.
Tharsis grumped at being delayed, but took the opportunity to eat and further reflect on what special purpose he might be serving. Could he be needed to bring a special piece of equipment, or a certain personage with him? Or were his expert command skills needed to keep some unruly troops in line?
He was so enmeshed in his thoughts that he almost missed General Torq's approach.
"Captain Tharsis," Torq nodded and sat his wiry frame in the next seat. "You're earlier than expected."
Tharsis inclined his head in return. "My hyperdrive coordinator knew a shortcut that shaved our travel time in half," he said by way of explanation.
"Well, you're ahead of several of the other convoy members."
Tharsis grunted noncommittally and folded his arms in front of him. "Well, who is here?" he asked. "I ought to get to know who I'm protecting."
"Ahh, Captain Tharsis," a voice came from behind him. Tharsis turned his head and spotted a brown-haired man with a slightly prominent nose walking over. "I see you're early. I'm Captain Leichen Bestatter of the heavy troop transport Harlequin's Mask. One of the ships in the convoy." He proffered a hand.
Tharsis rose and gripped it briefly. Bestatter also shook General Torq's hand, then seated himself on a sofa across the table from them. "We were one of the ships here when the convoy idea was drawn up, so we were selected for the convoy. We were notified about a week ago of the impending assignment and my ship has been here since then."
"Ahh, that would explain the four carriers I saw when I arrived." Tharsis consulted his memory for a moment. "Was it my imagination or were there a pair of Star Cruisers in the repair dock when I arrived?"
"No, you're correct," Torq nodded. "One MC90-class Star Cruiser and one MC80-class. They're here for some sort of modifications. I tried to find out what kind, but apparently it was classified."
Tharsis frowned. "They're keeping secrets from the station commander? Those must be some pretty important modifications."
"Oh, they are," Bestatter spread-eagled his arms on the sofa. With his dark black eyes, the nose, and the position, Tharsis almost thought the man looked like a bird of prey. "There was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer moving around to the other side of the planet when I arrived. It disappeared immediately after we left hyperspace, almost like it didn't want to be seen. It reappeared once my ship was out of view."
"Cloaking shields?" Tharsis beat General Torq to the question by seconds. "Why would Star Cruisers be equipped with cloaking shields?
Bestatter permitted himself an indulgent smile. "If I knew that, I would know the reason you were recommended for this job by your commander."
Neb woke up to find himself laying on a cot on one side of a cage in the middle of an otherwise empty and barren room. Across the cage from him was Tashannoc, who sat waiting for Neb to awaken. Neb's next hurried thought was for his lightsaber, and his hand leapt to the place where he had hid it. The ridges above his eyes rose in surprise as he found that it was still there, and Tashannoc nodded and covertly patted his robe.
"Are you okay?"*
"Yeah, just a little headache. They must want us alive, huh?" Neb gestured with a nod to the two very large men that lurked near the only exit to the room.
Tashannoc just nodded in reply. He was waiting for something, and Neb decided it would be best to be patient and wait with him. With a few moments of concentration, Neb's headache was gone, and the few minor bruises he had sustained were healing rapidly.
Someone must have been alerted that they had awakened, because soon a tall slender man in his late fifties passed by the guards and approached the cage. He was dressed in a dirty white smock, which had what were certain to be bloodstains on it. He also carried a small pouch slung over one shoulder that appeared to be rather heavy.
"Ah, gentlemen, I'm glad you are awake." The man's tone was somewhere between friendly and sneering. "The King has been anxious to find out who has sent two spies of such ineptitude to his planet. I am known as The Inquisitor, and I shall be asking you the questions." He patted his pouch and grinned sadistically. "I hope that you do not answer easily. The King suggested that the little one would be less susceptible to my techniques, but I have always wanted to work with a Wookiee, and this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so His Majesty has given me some leeway."
The man gestured and the humming of the energy field surrounding the cage was turned off. The two brutes brandished their rifles and approached the cage door, and the Inquisitor, certain of his superior position, walked right up to the bars.
Neb was about to grab his lightsaber when Tasha spoke into his mind. ~Not yet. I'd rather our true nature remain a trump until I know more.~ Tasha finished with a mental picture of what he planned to do. Neb acknowledged it with a mental nod.
The brutes were five meters from the cage when they both tripped simultaneously. Their blasters went flying from their hands. The Inquisitor heard the clatter and turned around, only to find the front of his tunic grabbed by a hairy paw, and his face smashing into the bars, rendering him
unconscious. Wookiee strength coupled with a telekinetic bolt broke the door's locking
mechanism and Tashannoc threw open the door and charged the unarmed men. They both regained their feet, and to their credit neither retreated. Tashannoc grabbed the closest one, who tried to block the Wookiee's blow, and
received a broken arm for his efforts. A second blow sent the man sprawling across the floor, knocked out.
The second man pulled a vibroshiv and struck a defensive pose. It was one that Tashannoc had seen many times, however, and the man was quickly disarmed and knocked out as well.
Neb and Tasha quickly stripped the men and used strips of clothing to bind and gag them, and removed their communications gear and weapons. Using a blaster rifle on low setting, Tasha melted the door to the cage, locking the three in. He tossed a rifle to Neb, and the two quietly walked through the exit, reactivating the energy field as they did so.
"Now we'll see what's really going on here." Tasha growled, and led the way down the corridor.
*Translated from the Wookiee language
An expression of puzzlement crossed Tharsis' face. "Admiral Firuana recommended me for this job?" He turned to General Torq. "Do you know anything about this?"
Torq shook his head. "I knew you were recommended, but not the reasons behind it."
The puzzled expression on Tharsis' face turned to one of utter bafflement. "I don't understand this! I thought Admiral Firuana held my abilities in high regard. To be recommended for convoy duty is almost a slap in the face."
Bestatter shrugged. "Well, with Grand Admirals Thrawn, Renkallis, and Orstav all in on this, it's got to be something important."
"Three Grand Admirals," Tharsis murmured as the full import of this sank in. He cudgeled his brain for a bit. "I can't think of any reason three Grand Admirals would be in on the same project. Can either of you?"
Bestatter stood, shaking his head. He took off his Captain's hat and ran a hand through his brown hair. "I'm currently clueless. I'll give it some thought, though."
"That looks a little small on you, Captain." Tharsis smiled. His own suit fit quite nicely, although he'd had it fixed recently.
"It is," Bestatter grimaced and straightened one of his sleeves. "I need to get it retailored. It's been a pleasure, gentlemen."
The trio of men shook hands again. Torq excused himself and departed, other things having been scheduled for his day. Tharsis watched him go, then turned to depart himself.
But Bestatter had surprisingly remained behind. "A moment, Captain," he said, placing a hand on Tharsis' shoulder. "You can't think of any reasons for your recommendation?" he asked, a note of insistence entering his voice.
"None at all," Tharsis said, a frown replacing the smile. It was as if the other was trying to coax something out of him. "Are you carrying something special?"
Bestatter shrugged, the momentary expression of interest hiding itself behind a more casual expression. "Just troopers. A high percentage of them are skilled in boarding procedures, but that's it."
Tharsis sighed. "Well, hopefully we'll find out when this is all over."
"Agreed. It makes a man wonder what could be so important about such a convoy." Bestatter sighed. "Sometimes I get the feeling we're all just pawns in some game."
Tharsis had a similar opinion, but he refrained from sharing it. "We're military men. We do what we're told to do."
Bestatter nodded and half-turned, putting his face in shadow for a moment. Tharsis could've sworn that the interested look had returned momentarily, a look that also hinted at satisfaction. On the other hand, the man would be in his element for the upcoming assignment. Perhaps that accounted for the gleam in his eye.
Tharsis nodded and left the other man's presence. On the turbolift ride to the hangar bay, he tried to puzzle out what three Grand Admirals could be working together for.
Patching into files stored on the Rolling Thunder, Tashannoc was able to get the layout of the fortress as it had been about three decades ago.
He approximated their position and found the quickest route to the king's audience chamber, which was adjacent to his library and personal quarters.
He
and Neb constantly kept their perceptions about half a kilometer around them so that
they could avoid any trouble: A Wookiee and Twi'lek wandering the halls with blasters drawn
would surely draw attention here. Tasha would have preferred to get rid of the
blasters, but they were necessary for keeping up the charade a little longer.
About forty five minutes after
they escaped from their holding cell, they found themselves just outside the doors to the
king's quarters. The guards were far from alert, and were closer to bored.
Tashannoc paused a moment to look out onto the veranda. The glass doors were open and a sweet smelling night breeze blew in. The lights from the city obscured most of the stars, but after spending any amount of time in space, no
planet-bound night can be very impressive.
Using the force to muffle their movements, Neb and Tasha quickly subdued the guards and hid them in an alcove.
Tashannoc expected the king to be asleep, so he was surprised to find him sitting on his throne.
He was talking to himself when they entered, but addressed them as they came in. "Who dares disturb me?!" he asked imperiously. "Oh, so it seems that my spies have become my assassins. Well, you will not find me so easy to kill!"
A gust of Force propelled wind blew the doors closed behind
them, and their eyes opened in shock as a blast of force lightning flew from the
king's hands toward them.
Tashannoc's instincts and training took over and a Force Shield erected itself in front of
them, deflecting the brunt of the blast. As he felt the lightning coalesce and dissipate over the Shield,
the Wookiee Jedi Master realized that the king might know some intricate skills, but didn't have the power to back them up well. Neb had already dropped the blaster rifle and pulled out his lightsaber, realizing that
their cover was blown, not that the masquerade would do them much good now.
Tasha raised a hand to signal him to hold back, and grabbed the king in a telekinetic grip. He started to whimper.
~Where did you learn these skills?~
the Wookiee asked directly into his mind. The king didn't reply, but continued to let his fear rule him.
Loathing what he had to do, Tashannoc pushed aside the king's weak will and drove into his mind, finding the information that
he needed. He learned how the king had begun to delve into the older books in the library, which had been locked up for ages. There he began to teach himself to do little tricks, which amused those who attended him at court. Then
Tasha came into an area that was clouded, and he could not pierce through. Someone or something had taught the
king more of the Force, and set him up as a puppet for its own amusement.
Tashannoc pulled out of the king's mind in disgust.
Tashannoc hate violating a mind in that way, and
had only ever done it under the most extraneous of circumstances. There are tales of Dark Jedi using such techniques for torture.
Tasha had never and would never go that far, and knew that there would be no actual damage done
by the intrusion. 'But it is the act that I despise. I only wish that it were not sometimes necessary.'
As he pulled out of the king's mind, the Wookiee caught a final piece of useful information, then turned to Neb. The Twi'lek had known his Master long enough to knew what he had in mind. They linked hands and once again Tashannoc pried into the king's mind, this time to shield his mind from the Force. It wasn't permanent, but it would take a great deal of work and effort on someone's part to undo it. It would have been simpler, and perhaps for the king's subjects better if they would have just killed him, but Tashannoc couldn't bring himself to destroy the helpless simpering shell of a man at his feet when he could be rendered harmless just the same.
They went into the Library and found the king's workstation. In a drawer of the desk were a stack of datadisks. Over the past few years the king had labored to put all of the dusty old tomes into an electronic format, which meant Tasha could take the Library with him to study in the Thunder. Dawn broke, and the First Minister, freed from the king's influence, rushed into the chamber. Neb collected the books that Tasha had instructed him to, the ones that he knew were potentially dangerous, while Tashannoc explained what had transpired. The First Minister apologized profusely. Tashannoc reassured him and requested only that the king be dealt with in a kind and fair manner. The Minister agreed, and soon Neb and Tashannoc were lifting off planet in the ship.
"So, Tasha, do you want me to park us in orbit behind the second moon while you go through that data?" Neb gestured to the stack of 'cards sitting next to the Wookiee on the panel.
"No, that's alright Neb." Tasha replied as he punched coordinates into the navicomputer. "I know exactly where we're going. Whatever did that to the King is currently in a star system only a few light years from here, and its expecting us. I wouldn't want to disappoint it."
Alex Cross was not happy.
He had gone through his official training with flying colors and had graduated at the top of his class but here he was on baby sitting patrol.
For the past two weeks he and other members of Blue Squadron had been escorting cargo ships to some unknown destination in space, watching as it unloaded onto another cargo ship then they all went back to base. 'Exciting!'
Alex had been hoping to be assigned to a squadron that was in the midst of things. He wanted to see some battles but the only thing he had fought so far was boredom. His R2 unit communicated to him that they were about to come out of hyperspace. Alex watched the numbers count down. Great, he thought. I'll soon be in the midst of watching another exciting adventure of cargo ship transfers. He watched the numbers count down to zero and flipped the switch that reverted him to realspace...
Right into the middle of chaos! Laser fire erupted from everywhere, Blue Six was gone. Alex instantly dove into a corkscrew spin trying to buy himself a few precious seconds so he could get his bearings. Alex turned his shields on full and looked around. The cargo ship they were to meet was exploding under the onslaught of an Imperial Star Destroyer and there were TIEs everywhere. His screen told him there were thirty six enemy blips.
~Blue Three, get out of he...~ Alex looked up and saw that Blue Leader had been vaped. He was now alone, headquarters had only been sending three X-wings at a time on escort duty. The Star Destroyer was now looming over his escort and the TIEs were now focusing on him.
Alex flew up and over into a loop so he was facing the Imps. He figured his best bet would be to fly right into the middle of them hoping they would be hesitant to fire lest they hit each other. He just had to find a way to make it that far without being destroyed first.
He flipped his shields to double front. "R2, give me random locks for torpedoes one through six as fast as you
can! With any kind of luck we can buy ourselves the time we need to jump
out of here!"
The land was a broken black vista of desolation. Volcanic rock, once smooth,
had broken with time, and the spires jutted high into the heavens above the chasms below. To the north
rested the dormant mount which spawned these lands. Somewhere to the south and west
were black beaches and cliffs bordering an ocean. East and north, beyond the mountain, swamps and
jungles claimed the landscape.
Through this hard land walked two beings. One
was a Wookiee, tall and proud. Through ancient disciplines, he kept his body from overheating under the harsh sun that
tortured the landscape. His companion, a Twi'lek, had shed his jacket and wore a thin undershirt. Born and raised on
a desert planet, his body was used to the heat, and he did not need to use the techniques used by his Master. Rather, he
enjoyed the heat and the light sheen of sweat that covered his body. What he did not enjoy
was his Master's silence.
~Something's bothering you, isn't it?~ He asked the Wookiee.
~Yes.~ A short reply.
~That volcano isn't active, is it? Or are you worried about whatever it was that corrupted the King?~
~I do not know about the volcano. Whatever we face ahead however . . . . It is familiar. I will say no more until I am sure, but I dread if I am correct.~
Knowing the conversation was over, the Twi'lek returned to silence.
#####
The volcano loomed above the two travelers. Insects, the most adaptable of the macroscopic creatures in the universe, buzzed about their heads, but
did not bite. The Wookiee gestured the hike to a halt, and pointed to the top of the steep slope the two
were ascending.
Standing there was a monstrosity of what was once a man. Half of his face
remained, lined with age and woe. The other half was mechanical, as was much of his upper torso, and his right arm. His lower half
was a grotesque mutation, as what were once the man's legs had now formed into a snakelike tail.
~So, Tashannoc, I thought that perhaps one day we would once again see each other.~
The man attempted a smile on the fleshly half of his face.
The Wookiee did not return the smile.
~Yes, Master Kolon Ri, I am here.~
Alex cursed as laser bolts whisked by his ship, one scoring a grazing hit
on his nosecone. "R2! Give me random missile locks as fast as you can!" Alex didn't wait for a reply as he started shooting torpedoes toward the swarm of
TIE Fighters.
Amazingly, as he had dared to hope, they all veered out of the path of the missiles allowing him to fly into the midst of them. Hs R2 unit had apparently been able to lock on with two missiles as they veered up and down each destroying their target at the same time. The rest of his missiles went straight harmlessly passing by the enemy.
Alex flew around and within the TIEs "Go ahead and shoot boys" he said as he evened out his shields. "Miss me and hit your own". Alex knew this wouldn't work for
long. His was a plan born of desperation.
Green laser fire brushed his X-Wing. His shields lost power but held. It was so chaotic Alex couldn't even concentrate on firing, it took all of his concentration on not colliding with anyone.
"R2! Get us a jump out of here, NOW!"
The message scrolled up on his screen. He barely had time to take his eyes off his surroundings to look at it. "WHERE?"
"ANYWHERE!" Alex shouted. He rolled just narrowly missing a collision with a
TIE only to watch it run into another. Both exploded. Alex dove and rolled,
twisting and turning and just barely staying ahead of the laser shots. His warning system
warbled incessantly, indicating that he was not losing his pursuers. He was using every bit of piloting skill to shake them off.
'There is no way I should still be alive,' he thought. 'These guys don't seem to know what they're doing.'
Finally after what seemed an eternity his screen scrolled, "68 SECONDS UNTIL JUMP."
Alex glanced at the message with despair. He was dead. There was no way he could last that long. Just then a blast rocked his ship, his forward shields were down. He
diverted power from his lasers back into his shields and watched the power meter climb back up.
"I wasn't using those anyways." Well, he had been wishing he was in the thick of things earlier and now he got his wish.
Unfortunately it would be his last.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tashannoc saw Neb back away. 'Good, he knows this
is not his fight.'
"I thought Vader had killed you, Kolon. How did you survive?"
"Oh, I was close to death, my pupil. But my anger, my rage helped me cling to life. All that time I fought against it, and truly, the power was on the Dark Side. I repaired my legs, and found replacements for other damaged body parts. But enough of the past. Now you have sought me out and together we shall exact revenge upon the Emperor, and set the Galaxy to rights. I see you have brought your friend as another pupil, that is good. Perhaps with the Dark Side, you can break through your barrier. I have always wondered if your Wookiee instincts were what kept you from your full potential."
"I did not seek you out, Kolon." Tashannoc replied proudly.
Kolon Ri was taken aback. "What?!"
"I broke past the fear that kept me from accessing the Force. It was not the Light that hindered me, but the Dark. I am now a Master in my own right, and my friend is also my student."
Kolon Ri slumped forward, crestfallen. He held himself there for a few moments, then snapped back up to meet Tashannoc's eyes. Ri's were filled with rage and betrayal. "You did not expect to find me here? Then you must be after the Dagger! You will not have it, traitor! I will unlock it's secrets and the Power will be MINE!"
With
incredible speed, Kolon drew his lightsaber, and was instantly upon Tashannoc.
The purple glow of Tashannoc's lightstaff met the yellow blur. The attack was so fast and furious that Tasha didn't have time to
think; his training took over. As Neb watched, it was instantly obvious that Tashannoc was the more skilled of the two. Ri would overextend himself, leaving a perfect opening, but Tashannoc would not take it.
'Does Tashannoc have what it takes,' Neb wondered, 'to finish his former Master?'
Their lips moved, but Neb could not make out what they said over the clash of the sabers. Neb itched to reach for his own
blade and join the fray, but knew better.
Finally Neb saw Tashannoc steel himself, and his saber passed through Kolon's neck. The monstrous body fell heavily to the gravel, and the handle of the saber dropped from the inert hand. Flipping off his own blade, Tashannoc knelt down and picked it up, then pocketed it in his
trench coat.
Returning to his feet, Tasha strode over to Neb. "Let's see what he was so intent on possessing," he said as he walked past.
Neb nodded in reply, and the two of them made their way to a cave in a nearby cliff face.
MOVE ON TO PART IV
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