Chapter 3 – The Jedi part two

Air rushed past as Tophur fell.

There was nothing beneath him except a skylane three hundred metres below, busy with rush hour traffic, and beyond that a near bottomless, dark expanse, the ground hidden below a low-level layer of cloud and mist. The only surety he had was that it was over a kilometre below. More than enough distance to shatter every bone in his body on impact, jedi or not.

He started to tumble as he fell. He caught rapid flashes of light-dark-light-dark, unable to differentiate between up or down.

Tophur spread his arms wide and angled his legs to stop his mad tumble. When he got it under control, he was falling face down. By the time he got himself orientated, he was only a hundred metres above the skylane. He studied the flow of traffic. If he used the Force, he might be able to soften his impact enough to survive without any major injury. Get it wrong, and he would end up splattered across some poor sapient's windscreen.

It took a few more moments to pick the best candidate. A delivery vehicle, with a boxy rear frame. He angled for it, slowing his speed as best he could.

The transporter was closing fast. He could see the flat top surface clearly now, painted with the logo of the delivery company that owned the vehicle. He picked the centre of it as his target. The windows on the building closest to him were flashing past in a blur. Too fast. Tophur gathered the Force, forming a kinectic push to reduce his descent. It wasn't enough.

He struck the top of the transport, denting its roof and bounced off, feeling something crack in his torso. His hands scrabbled for purchase. There wasn't any. The surface was smooth plasteel. With a cry of frustration, Tophur slid off the side.

He had barely finished the cry when he landed on a wide awning. It gave way with a terrible ripping noise. He fell through to land on a table with a crash as it collapsed beneath him.

Tophur opened his eyes warily. Whether through luck or the will of the Force, he was still alive. Above, he could see the hole in the awning he'd made.

'I'm alive,' he muttered.

'You owe me a drink,' someone said. The voice was feminine and annoyed.

Two people were standing over him, a pretty Zeltron woman and a Devaronian, the latter staring down at him nervously, whilst the former arched one eyebrow, an empty fluted glass held between two fingers. Others were starting to gather now, ogling the Jedi who'd so unceremoniously appeared.

He'd landed on a restaurant balcony, one of many that protruded out into the artificial canyon.

Tophur realised it was their table which had broken his fall. Gingerly, he picked himself up, suppressing a wince as pain shot up his side. He turned to face the woman.

She was actually very beautiful, flawless bright pink skin, her purple hair left to cascade around a heart-shaped face. Despite the annoyance clear in her expression, her violet eyes gave him a blunt appraisal.

A speeder dropped down from the skylane to pull up beside the balcony.

'Jedi business. Some other time, perhaps.'

'I'll hold you to that,' she said, smiling demurely.

'Tophur Rand!'

The Jedi Investigator turned away from the woman to the speeder.

As slowed to hover at the edge of the balcony, the occupant waved at Tophur. It was Dien Dok'fur. Tophur moved over to speeder and climbed in. He could feel eyes on his back as he walked. The patrons were watching him go, but he knew one particular pair were gazing at him intently, and when he looked back, the Zeltron woman was still staring at him. After a few more moments, she turned back to her Devaronian companion. Restaurant staff were already clearing away the shattered remains of the table and bringing out another for them.

'That was a dangerous stunt you pulled, Tophur Rand,' Dien Dok'fur said. 'I am both amazed and impressed that you still live.'

'I felt it was worth the risk. And besides, I managed to plant a tracking beacon on the transport.' He took out a small pad and tuned it into the beacon's frequency.

'I am continually impressed by you. I had no idea Investigators were so devious.'

Tophur gave the Caamasi a sideways glance, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not. But the Jedi's surface thoughts were calm and collected. 'Vocational habit.'

'I think perhaps I would be better off serving the order as a archivist.'

Tophur shrugged. 'As you wish. If you have no wish of becoming an Investigator, why did the Council assign you to this mission with me?'

Dien Dok'fur wrinkled his snout wryly. 'I requested it. I wished to further my understanding of other branches before making my choice.'

'A commendable decision, I suppose.'

Tophur's pad beeped. 'Looks like our would-be assassin is going to ground. Let's see what else he can help us dig up.'

The transport dropped down into the undercity, flying down narrow passages between crumbling edifices. It slowed as the gaps between the buildings shrank, reducing its speed until it was flying at a ten metres per second. Powerful searchlights stabbed out. Not even a trace of sunlight reached this part of the undercity, nor were there any lightglobes, leaving it in perpetual twilight. Most of the structures were millennia old. Once, they may have been impressive, towering structures, perhaps from the early days of the ecumenopolis. But now they were disused and abandoned except for the duracrete slugs, criminals and mutants.

This deep into the undercity, microclimates were common as warm humid air met cooler air from above. Wispy clouds were quick to form and disperse, leaving fog in their wake. As the transport dove even lower, it passed through a thick fog bank. As soon as it was hidden from view, it stopped, and quickly ascended, entering a hidden tunnel above the fog. A suspicious sentient would have queried why the fog never lifted from that particular area. But there was never anyone around to see it.

The transport rose three hundred metres up the tunnel before it turned off down a conduit almost twice as wide as the vehicle. Once a sewage pipe, it had long since dried up, leaving the interior encrusted with effluvia that had hardened to a solid surface. Several minutes later, it came out in an old, disused hangar. There were several other craft occupying the hangar, two of them smaller repulsorcraft, whilst the third was a large shuttle, its wings folded up on either side of the body.

Landing struts slid out of the fuselage, and the transport settled down gently next to the shuttle. The assassin stepped out as the engine powered down, followed by a pair of armour-clad Grans carrying blaster rifles. Their eyestalks swivelled back and forth as they followed the assassin across the hangar to a turbolift at the far end.

Tophur and Dien Dok'fur waited until they were in the turbolift before silently descending to the hangar floor. They had followed the transport through the conduit, landing a hundred metres from the exit and walking the rest of the way to the hangar.

There was a palpable sense of confusion emanating from his fellow Jedi that Tophur found very difficult to ignore. He simply didn't understand why they needed to sneak in, nor why they shouldn't ambush the assassin in the hangar. But then the Caamasi didn't have a crafty bone in his body. He was simply too kind hearted for it.

Another potential wasted. One of these days, Tophur was sure he'd either find a suitable partner, or the Jedi Council would stop trying to foist another Jedi on his lap. So far, he'd avoided the hints that he should take on a padawan. He just didn't like the idea of a child tagging along behind him. Especially not on the missions he often went on. It was simply too dangerous. Perhaps he should consider a ranger. At the very least someone who was capable in a fight.

The pilot, a human woman, hopped down from the transport as a pair of utility droids rolled over, and she began directing them through the maintenance checklist. The engines were powered down and fuel umbilicals hooked up to sockets on the transport's belly. She was so busy that she didn't notice the Jedi. Tophur reached out with the Force.

She yawned and shook her head, suddenly feeling incredibly drowsy. Without knowing why, she crawled into the back of the transport and lay down. She was fast asleep in moments.

Leaving the sleeping pilot behind, the two Jedi entered the turbolift. There was only one button still functioning, taking the turbolift between the 89th floor and the hangar. It ascended rapidly.

'I imagine Dax knows we're coming,' Tophur said.

'Are you certain? It was well hidden, and we only infiltrated this place by following the transport.'

'Exactly. I wouldn't put it past him to have it alarmed, in case intruders made it inside. We should be prepared when the doors open.'

Dien Dok'fur nodded. The two Jedi unclipped their lightsabers and held them ready.

The lift came to a stop on the 89th floor. The doors slid open. Tophur leapt out first, quickly followed by Dien Dok'fur. The turbolift opened out onto a large, vaulted corridor, the only source of light a big circular window at the far end, and that barely enough to cast the room in vague shadows, but there was enough to see that the floor and walls were covered in white-flecked black marble. Fluted columns ran down the sides, between which were darkened alcoves.

There was no one there. He could just make out a tight ball of emotions beyond the corridor, but there were no guards waiting for them. Tophur was immediately suspicious. He was sure their entry had been detected, yet whatever security measures were in place had yet to be activated. Dax would have done it. The Duros was paranoid about his security.

In the gloom, Tophur could just make out transparisteel blocks inside the alcoves. Taking out a hand-light, he flicked it on and approached one of the blocks. A droid head was encased within, an old HK model. It's eye slits glowed dimly, as if power was still being fed into it. Another block held a blaster pistol, whilst two more contained lightsabers. One was an archaic design, a cable trailing from the butt to a small, external power pack. The second was of a more familiar, double-bladed design.

'These appear to be antiquities,' Dien Dok'fur murmured. 'That lightsaber design alone is over a thousand years old. Is this Dax a collector of artefacts?'

Tophur shook his head. 'Not that I know of. He's too grounded in the present to care about anything like that.

'A client's private collection then?'

'Maybe.'

Leaving the artefacts behind, the two Jedi moved to the doors at the end. There was a faint murmur beyond. The assassin was talking to his employer. Nodding to Dien Dok'fur, Tophur reached for the handle and pushed the door open.

Light globes lined the walls, emitting a weak yellow glow to illuminate the room. A narrow crimson rug ran along the floor to a big black desk, before which stood the assassin. Someone was sat at the desk on the other side, but he was shrouded in darkness.

'I done task, Master.'

'Indeed you have. More than you realise. The funds will be transferred to your account post haste. However, I have one more request for you. If you succeed, I will triple your fee.'

'Good pay. What the catch?'

'Kill our two Jedi guests.'

The assassin whirled round, his vibrosword appearing in one hand.

'Stoopah Jeedai sleemo. Gladly kill you for bonus.'

The assassin leapt at them.

Tophur's lightsaber came on with a snap-hiss to block the phrik-alloy blade. He jumped back as the clawdite stabbed out with a small vibroblade in his other clawed hand. There was the sound of tearing cloth as the blade sliced through his robes. Tophur spared a glance to see the shoulder of his robe had been sliced open, though the blade had stopped short of his arm.

'Let's try that again, shall we,' Tophur said, dropping into a Niman ready stance.

The assassin charged in with a high sweep. Tophur blocked the swing and used the momentum to carry his saber through, only to find it parried on the small blade. A few times he aimed for the torso, only for the clawdite to deftly dodge the attack. One blow was too light, and only scored his armour down his side.

Tophur could sense Dien Dok'fur off to one side, his green lightsaber lit and ready to assist, but for now keeping away. He was glad of that. He didn't know the Caamasi well enough to attempt any joint attack without risk of injury.

Blaster bolts shot out from hidden passages on either side of the hallway. Tophur spun blocked one, sending it back into the darkness. He didn't know if it had hit the shooter, nor did he have time to check as the assassin came at him again. The second bolt was aimed at Dien Dok'fur. He deflected the bolt, and a second and a third. The shooter stepped out of the hidden passage, blaster blazing. It was one of the two grans. Dien Dok'fur's lightsaber was a blur as he blocked the bolts. He stepped in closer to the gran. His lightsaber sliced through the blaster rifle neatly. A Force push sent the gran crashing against the wall. He slithered down, unconscious.

The assassin was getting bolder as the fight drew on. None of his blows were having an affect on the Jedi Investigator. The few strikes he'd managed to make had only struck cloth, though his robes were now heavily tattered. He snarled ferociously and pressed the attack.

As the fight continued, Tophur switched to Soresu. He wanted to take the assassin alive, rather than dead. At most he only wanted to disarm his opponent. But with the ferocity of the assassin's attack, it was proving difficult to even disengage long enough to use the Force to incapacitate him.

Then the assassin made an error. He dropped his short blade fractionally. Tophur took advantage. His lightsaber came up. The blade sliced through his wrist. Hand and vibrosword dropped with a clatter to the floor.

The clawdite yelped in surprise and pain and froze, Tophur's lightsaber now pointed directly at his face.

'Surrender. Resist, and I'll take your other hand.'

The clawdite snarled, but made no move to attack. 'Sleemo Jeedai.'

'Dien Dok'fur, restrain him, if you would.'

The assassin's feet came off the floor as Dien Dok'fur strode toward him, one hand raised, his other still holding his active lightsaber.

Tophur strode toward the desk. Oddly, there was no sense of the being sat behind it. It was almost as if he didn't exist, though there was definitely a humanoid shape sat there. It was almost as if he had an excellent ability to hide himself from the Force. There was something there, a vague impression of a shape that backed up what he saw with his eyes. Despite his closeness, the shadows still hid his features.

'I thought it might have been Dax who sent the assassin. Obviously you're too tall for a Toydarian.'

The being laughed. 'How very observant. I see your famed investigatory powers have not been exaggerated, Tophur Rand.'

'You know me? I'm flattered.'

'One should always know one's enemies.'

'And you are?'

'Oh, I shan't tell you yet, Jedi. The game has only just begun. But we shall meet again, somewhere down the line.'

'I look forward to it.'

'No, you wont Jedi. Our meeting will be the end of you.'

Tophur opened his mouth to retort, but before he could speak, the shadows disappeared, revealing a protocol droid sat in the chair. Sparks shot out of the joints and the photoreceptors. He threw up an arm to protect himself, but as suddenly as the sparks appeared, they were gone. When he looked at the droid again, it looked as though it had been melted from within, plastic dribbling down the chestplate to coalesce in long rivulets. Both photoreceptors were cracked and dim.

Whoever had been using the droid to speak was gone, and whatever means he'd used to converse was now so much slag.

Tophur frowned at the droid. It was an elaborate setup. And for once, he didn't have a clue who it might be. Not even a glimmer in the force.

That alone was troubling.

A/N: Review please!