Alone
Chapter III
Jorus K'dar leaned back casually in his chair, discreetly keeping an eye on the merchandise seated at the bar. This is a far sight easier than the last assignment I had, he mused. K'dar breathed in the heady scents permeating the smoky air. I could get used to this.
He tore a piece off his nerf steak with relish. Wiping a dribble of juice off his chin, he waved the bartender over. The burly man shuffled over. "Yeah?" He spat in a gruff voice. "You got any absinthe?" The bartender wrinkled his heavy brow. K'dar growled in exasperation. "Just bring me ale, and make it fast." The bartender nodded and wandered off.
A few minutes later, a man slammed down a mug in front of K'dar, soaking his shirt. "Watch it," K'dar snarled. The man grunted an apology and disappeared around the counter.
K'dar sipped at his mug of ale, then spat it out in revulsion when he felt something squirm between his teeth. The local brew left something to be desired, he thought, disgusted.
As the Devaronian contemplated the merits of bringing his own drink, he almost failed to notice the sudden exit of his target, Luke Skywalker. He cursed under his breath as he nearly tripped over his chair in his haste to follow.
Once outside, K'dar cast his eyes around the street, frowning. Catching sight of the tail end of a cloak, he sped up in pursuit. Rounding the alleyway, he smiled as he saw a cloaked figure hunched against a wall. Got you, he thought.
K'dar felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Rodian in cheesy spandex. "Wanna buy a deathstick?" The Rodian asked hopefully. Rolling his eyes, K'dar silently switched on his vibroblade. The Rodian threw up his hands. "Hey," he said, a nervous smile playing across his lips. "Some other time, eh? I'll give you a special deal." The Rodian rapidly vanished into the gloom of a nearby ally.
Idiot. I never liked Rodians. Stupid entrepreneurs. Turning around, K'dar silently cursed the Rodian and every one of his infuriating species. He'd lost the Jedi. Damn it. Muttering obscenities, K'dar sped off in pursuit.
Panting, K'dar slowed to a stop. The Jedi was nowhere to be seen.
The comlink at K'dar's hip began to chirp incessantly. Bracing himself, K'dar raised the comlink to his mouth.
"Have you found him?" Darth Cassius' cold monotone rang in the still night air. K'dar licked his lips. "Lord Cassius, what an unexpected pleasure," he said in what he hoped was a cool tone of voice. He obstinately ignored the trickle of cold sweat running down his back.
"Dispense with the pleasantries bounty hunter. I expect you on my ship with a full report in twenty-four hours." K'dar swallowed. "But my lord-" Cassius broke him off. "Twenty-four hours." The comlink went dead.
K'dar felt a chill feeling wash over him as he made his way to his ship.
later
Darth Cassius, heir to the Sith, gazed down at the scene below him with the calculating coolness of an eagle watching its prey. Bounty hunters, mercenaries, and ex-stormtroopers milled about; safely unaware of their master's eyes on them.
Pathetic. Like ants swarming around their ruined nest, Darth Cassius thought disgustedly.
Though he sensed a presence behind him, Cassius didn't turn. Let him sweat for a bit. Besides, he hadn't finished his meditation yet. The man behind him shifted uncomfortably. "My Lord?" The man asked nervously. Cassius felt his jaw tighten. He absently fingered his lightsaber, considering the loss the captain's death would bring.
"What is it, Captain?" Cassius slowly revolved his chair around to face the trembling man kneeling at the foot of the platform. The man raised his head. "The bounty hunter has arrived, Lord Cassius."
Beneath the shroud-like hood of his robe, Cassius smiled. At last, some good news. "Show him in."
Jorus K'dar tried not to wince at the loud groaning coming from his ship, the Nexu, as he attempted to coax her intolanding. With a sharp jerk, the ship touched the ground. K'dar cursed, sure the snapping sound he'd just heard was the loose piece in the engine.
Piece of junk, he thought. Never should've trusted an YT-2400. Maybe Cassius would give him a bonus to continue the mission. He let out the strange yelp that was his species' laugh. I'll be lucky to get out of this alive.
K'dar waited as the docking ramp lowered. Steeling himself, he walked down. Here goes nothing, he thought miserably. Straitening his shoulders, he strode towards an officer.
"I'm here to see Lord Cassius. I have some information for him." K'dar said in what he hoped was a confident tone of voice. The officer, a lieutenant from the tags, merely leered at the lightly smoking ship that was the Nexu.
"I'm afraid Lord Cassius is much too busy for the likes of you, bounty hunter," the lieutenant sneered. K'dar shook his head as he pulled out his blaster. "I really didn't want this to get messy," he sighed.
The lieutenant's eyes widened. "I-I'll call the captain immediately, sir." The lieutenant stammered. K'dar nodded at the comlink on the lieutenant's belt. "Tell him it's Jorus K'dar." The lieutenant dipped his head in acknowledgement as he drew out his comlink. "If you'll just wait here sir," The lieutenant walked towards an intercom mounted on a wall nearby.
A few minutes later, the lieutenant returned. He had a new look of respect in his eyes as he approached. "If you come this way, Lord Cassius will see you now," the lieutenant gestured to an elevator. "Yippee," K'dar muttered as he followed the lieutenant into the elevator.
The elevator let out into a dimly lit hallway. "Through that door sir," The lieutenant told him. K'dar said nothing. After a moment, his ears heard the elevator shut with a very final sound. I should've out of this when I had the chance. K'dar worked his tongue around his suddenly dry mouth before moving. The click from the heels of K'dar's boots echoed loudly in the hall as he slowly walked forward. Reaching the door, K'dar hesitated. "Enter." The unmistakable voice of the Darth Cassius gave K'dar a start of surprise. Squaring his shoulders, K'dar opened the door into the Sith lord's domain.
K'dar's first impression was of the simplicity. The room consisted of dark floors made of some kind of stone, completely bare. The lighting was sparse, leaving much of the room in shadow. Deep red lights only added to the overall eeriness of the place. A steel staircase wound up towards an observation deck. The only furniture in the room was a throne-like chair set on a platform in the back of the room.
K'dar moved towards the throne, his throat suddenly dry. He could see a figure seated on the throne, but couldn't see more than the bottom half of his face. Darth Cassius, for it could only be Darth Cassius, didn't move. K'dar waited, uncertain.
The Sith lord's deep voice broke the silence. "I trust you have secured the location of our young Jedi friend by now." It wasn't a question. K'dar tried to ignore the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "He-he escaped my lord," K'dar tasted the metallic tang of blood as he chewed on the inside of his cheek.
The silence was deafening. K'dar's increasingly heavy breathing seemed to boom in the dim shadows of the chamber. After what seemed an eternity, Darth Cassius stood up. "I thought I'd given you a fairly easy task. Especially for a bounty hunter of your…. prestige." The Sith lord's voice was dangerously friendly. K'dar took step back.
The snap-hiss of a lightsaber slicing through the air sent K'dar a further pace back. Darth Cassius studied the handle of the scarlet lightsaber in his gloved hands. "I have always detested dealing with your kind. So predictable. Weak. But then, good help is so hard to find these days." Before K'dar had even taken his next breath the lightsaber was up against his throat.
The last thing Jorus K'dar ever saw were the burning yellow eyes of the Sith; gleaming with dark pleasure.