Chapter 10

No infections. The stitches were holding nicely too. After a week, Yawn took the captain's seat before pulling the computer in front of him. "Who is on the market today?"

"Onaga the Hutt has opened a contract, and is specifically asking for your services.

Yawn laughed dryly. "Onaga? My, the Jedi really are getting desperate, and sloppy. What is the nature of the contract?"
"Onaga the Hutt claims that something very serious has come up, and requires immediate attention. As you are one of his consistent employees, he trusts you with the operation. It must be executed covertly, so rather than meeting at his fortress, you will rendezvous at a designated place on the planet Vodran, where all the information on the target will be given to you."

"It is such a blatant trap, I wonder if it is a trap at all. Computer, send him a message saying I accept, and to send the rendezvous location.

"Blixem," he ordered. "Set a course for Vodran."

"Are you sure about this?" the Gand asked.

"A trap must be set, and I'd rather it be mine than the Jedi's. This will test their dedication. A knight shows they want me. Two knights shows they take me seriously."

"Three, or four knights? An army?"

"It is nice to be wanted."

---

Hess could count on one hand the number of times she had been truly scared. There was the time when the great wave rose from the depths, crashing down and swallowing up her home. She was young at the time; her father carried her to the safety of higher ground. And there was the time the Whipid had grabbed her and held her in his vice of a grip, slowly choking the life out of her. And there was now.

"Just stay calm and act natural. I promise no harm will come to you."

The accented voice came out of a small transmitter in Hess's left ear. She turned towards the surrounding trees and foliage and tried hard to spot Yawn, but it was impossible. Every shadow taunted her mockingly. Ahead, the trees opened into a vast clearing. She continued forward, a little slower though, scared of what would happen next. In the center of the field were several sentients, the largest amongst them a Hutt that Hess assumed to be Onaga.

He was a frightening creature: a huge and swollen thing, easily five times Hess's size. It smelled repulsive of slime and fat.

"Be careful," came the voice again. "If Onaga is here, they really want to make this look authentic. That Twi'lek next to him is a Jedi."

Hess was not sure how Yawn could tell the female was a Jedi, she looked like a slave girl. All she wore was a single strap of leather around her chest to conceal the nipple of her breasts and another around her lower extremities. Hess did not even think she was armed. Aside from the Jedi, at least five Vodran bodyguards flanked Onaga. They were the ones Hess was scared of, each armed with a rifle, not that they needed them. They could rip the tiny Chadra-fan apart with there bare hands.

The Hutt spoke in his lumpy tongue. Hess could not understand him, but from his body language, he seemed annoyed.

"He asked where I am," Yawn said. "Just ask him for the information on the contract."

She did as she was told, and the Hutt responded with a clumsy bellow.

"He demands that he see me, or he will devour you whole."

Hess whimpered a little as she looked helplessly at the slimy tongue that emerged from Onaga's mouth to lick cracked lips.

"Listen to me careful. Pick up a stick from the ground, very slowly so that they don't think you're drawing a blaster. Draw a horizontal line in the grass, and then take three steps back. Tell them that anyone who crosses that line will die."

It was a strange request, but she followed it. The Hutt bellowed again, and two of the Vodran stepped forward towards Hess, who recoiled in fear.

The two guards stepped over the line. They fell, holes visible between their eyes, just as she heard the gunshot echo through the trees.

The Hutt was furious now, and shouted so loudly Hess was knocked down. She continued her feeble retreat. The remaining Vodran charged forwards, their boots passing over the line. Each fell, hollow holes appearing in their head just before she noticed the crackle of a rifle shot.

Within four heartbeats, all that remained where the Hutt, the Chadra-fan, and the Twi'lek. The Jedi ducked as a bullet skimmed over her head, before taking off, her speed and her magic allowing her to run over the plains with ease.

Onaga's laughter rolled out of his throat like thunder as he slithered along, approaching Hess, who could only crawl backwards. Strong, thick fingers wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. In another instant, the Hutt had popped her into his wide mouth and swallowed.

---

Yawn had learned the strengths and weaknesses of being a sniper early in his life, back on the barren plains of his home world. His best weapons were range and concealment. He wore a ghillie suit, custom made specifically for forested areas. His camouflage, combined with the distance his rifle allowed, rendered him nearly invisible. However, the more shots a sniper fired, the more chances for location. By the angle the bullets entered the Vodran, as well as from where the crackle of the shot originated, the Jedi was able to calculate where Yawn hid.

He watched through his scope as she came charging forth. He squeezed the trigger, but again she was able to slip beneath the skimming projectile without losing her speed.

She was upon Yawn before he could eject the spent casing of his rifle. A powerful kick knocked him backwards along the ground before finally coming to rest a few feet away. She approached her seemingly unconscious foe, not noticing as his claw slowly moved along the ground, wrapping around the handle of a shovel. He spun and swung the shovel, the flat of the blade colliding with the Twi'lek's cheek and knocking her off balance. He tried to press the attack, to drop the sharp shovel blade into her throat, but she lifted her hand. The familiar sensation of solidifying air overtook Yawn, and he was thrown back into his speeder bike.

"In the name of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, you are here by under arrest for multiple counts of murder," the Twi'lek said. "You are to be detained and brought to justice on Coruscant. Any further resistance will result in your injury."

"You make deals with the Hutts, just to get to me? What did I do to piss you off so bad?"

"Come quietly," she said. "Or you will be further harmed."

"You take one more step, Jedi, and you're dead."

"I will not fall for your bluffs and lies," she sneered as she put her foot forward and rested her full weight. The ground beneath her yielded, and she suddenly realized she was falling. The Jedi was met by the jagged wooden spikes that protruded from the hole's base. She hardly had time to scream. Yawn had dug the hole nearly two hours earlier.

Without a second thought, Yawn mounted his speeder bike, his foot falling heavy onto the ignition. He nearly fell off as the bike lurched forward, speeding through the trees and into the clearing. Yawn leapt, leaving it to spin to an eventual halt. His claw found the lightsaber he'd stolen from the Jedi days ago.

Onaga was casually slithering towards his repulsorlift. The lightsaber easily cut through the slim and fat his body was composed of. His head slid neatly off.

Yawn carefully carved the bloated corpse open. He dropped the lightsaber and dug deep into the layers of fat, ripping the skin until he found the stomach.

His claws yanked and ripped, at last unearthing Hess into the fresh air. She gasped a heavy breath before vomiting putrid muck onto the ground.

"You okay?" Yawn breathed, sitting down next to her.

Hess wrapped both arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, tears wetting her eyes.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, stroking the back of her head. "I've heard stories of Hutts eating their victims whole. Never actually seen it happen. I thought he'd keep you as a hostage."

"Thank you so much," she cried. "I was afraid you'd just leave me. Thank you so much."

"I said no harm would come to you. All you really need is a bath and you'll be fine," he chuckled.

Yawn gathered up her small form and carried her to the bike.