The Bounty Huntress
Escape
" What do you mean he has escaped? " screamed Commodore Romeroon. Sweat immediately began forming across his brow. Lieutenant Akir stood frozen in place at attention. " Sir, I assure you. I don't know how it happened. "
" You fool! I don't care how it's happened. Close all possible escape routes and make sure those Troopers don't annihilate him. " Commodore Romeroon felt the sweat roll down his face, he knew he was making a spectacle of himself but he couldn't hold his cool. He wiped his sweating palms against his pants. " Where's the nearest planet we can land on? " he screamed near hysterics. He knew it possibly wasn't the smartest idea, but already the co-pilot said one of the main engines had been damaged in the blast. They had been preparing for a second hyperdrive jump, but now this, when they were so close. 'No,' The Commodore thought disgusted, 'When I was so close, so close to regaining my reputatioin, so close to being made an Admiral.'
"Bring in more protection for the bridge!" he ordered, forcing himself to put on a better face. Someone else was on board helping the Jedi, and when he found them, he was certain he would show them no mercy.
After so many battles Obi-Wan knew the Imperial Storm Troopers well. They all fought the same; a glitch, he supposed, in cloning. The last fell with a move of his lightsaber that cut high into the Trooper's chest. Not all the way through, but a killing move just the same. Obi-Wan was breathing heavy, leaning against a wall, trying to orientate himself. As the Storm Troopers had backed away from him, they had left open one doorway after another until suddenly they couldn't pass any longer which seemed strange. So in this long hallway they had made their last stand. Obi-Wan looked at the locking mechanism. With the Force, he slowly made it open, no codes needed here, just determination. The door slid open, two fighting droids hung in the air before him.
"Drop you weapon." Ordered the first droid.
"Is that all you want?" asked Obi-Wan.
"Drop your weapon, now." Repeated the droid.
"Sure, I can do that," he eased toward the floor lowering his hand with the lightsaber in it knowing that his words would confuse the programming of the droid. "I can finish off 20 or 30 Storm Troopers, but two of you guys. Well, I just don't know." And with that said he swung upwards arcing left to right. Both droids fell with a crash of electrical sparks flitting here and there. He moved on through the door glancing right, left, then right again. Nothing, he moved into the hallway, the hair of his neck stood on end. Obi-Wan swung straight over his head with his blade coming down quickly behind him and twisted himself around in one fluid motion. Nothing, he stood there confused. Sensing, reaching out with the Force. Alarms still blared, irritating him immensely in his weakened state, yet he had made it this far. He backed away slowly and made a half-turn. A thump to his right brought him on around.
"Is that the way to treat your savior?" questioned a very strange figure before him. One quick glance up and down told Obi-Wan---bounty hunter.
"You're so sure you're here to save me." He growled. He had barely missed the bounty hunter with his second swing as it had dropped down from it's hiding place in the ceiling. The bounty hunter answered by leveling it's blaster and firing away. Pain seared across Obi-Wan's left shoulder, he could smell his own burned skin almost immediately. He looked over the same shoulder and saw more fighting droids fried on the floor.
"Yes, actually I am." The bounty hunter passed him, "I've deactivated all onboard cameras. Maybe they don't know yet how close we are." Spoke the bounty hunter.
"Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded. There was no response as the bounty hunter made it's way toward the next doorway. Obi-Wan was sick and disgusted, too sick and too disgusted. He threw the bounty hunter against a wall. "Tell me now, who you are?!" he snarled.
One quick move of the bounty hunter's foot and Obi-Wan found himself on the floor. "Is this how you treat all your friends? No wonder I'm the only one here trying to save you." The bounty hunter was laughing as Obi- Wan got back to his feet. Finally, "I'm called Lesrhett Galway. That's all you need to know for now." It was said as an order and for some reason, Obi- Wan found himself to obey. A finger was at the bounty hunter's mouth piece. Obi-Wan hated that he couldn't see it's face either. With bounty hunters you never knew what you were dealing with---human, humoid, or alien. The way this one was dressed it could be any of the above. Cloth suit hanging loose, no armor, hooded mask over it's face, where there should have been eyes- only eye pieces in the mask. Blasters and utility pouches hung around it's waist; over it's shoulder hung more weapons head together by a belt. Boots tight and well made with a bulge here and there that told of more necessary weapons. This bounty hunter was well armed and up to something. It leaned in close now. "Four on your side, five on mine." It moved across the hallway with a single twist. "Come on Jedi, you take the five, we'll make the fight more fair." Before Obi-Wan could answer, one amazing kick at the control panel and the door slid wide.
*****
The fightout only lasted minutes. The fight anything but fair. The bounty hunter had tossed in a strange smoking bomb before they entered the bridge. Though it didn't stop the 15 or so Storm Troopers, it froze the Imperial Officers and soldiers in place. Obi-Wan fought hard through his continuing sickness and tried to concentrate on the fighting at hand. But the bounty hunter had surprisingly put away it's blaster and had produced an object that looked little more than a mirror. Obi-Wan didn't have time to discern what the thing was, he only sensed that it deflected the fire of the Troopers as accurately as his lightsaber and between himself and the bounty hunter they quickly dispatched all of the white armored soldiers with minimum effort.
Commodore Romeroon begged for his life as the last of his soldiers and officers fell. "This ship will automatically explode on my order." he stated. The bounty hunter coolly, nonchantly aimed it blaster at the pilots.
"Really, you don't say." Two quick pulls and the pilots were dead. "Well, now, Commodore, you have no Storm Troopers, your men are gone, the other fighting droids are deactivated," the bounty hunter spoke clear, pronouncing each word as if the Commodore were a little slow and otherwise wouldn't understand, "and now, no pilots. What've you got to lose? Give the order!" The bounty hunter shrugged it's shoulders. It was face to face with the Commodore now. Obi-Wan didn't like this, but he didn't say anything, just watched. "You're not scared are you?" The mouth piece made the voice of its owner sound croaking-like and the sarcasm even more thick. "You know, you have good ventilation in here though. Smoke's all but gone, huh?" The hunter looked to Obi-Wan as if it wanted an answer from him, and shot the Commodore dead. "Guess he just didn't have the word in him after all." The bounty hunter sat in the pilots seat, well, first it kicked the dead pilot out, then took the seat.
"NOW tell me who you are?!" demanded Obi-Wan again, his lightsaber slightly raised.
"And I thought his first words were going to be 'Five on my side?' Yeah!" Obi-Wan knew the hunter found it's remark funny and he made a face. "These Imperial codes they just never change." The hunter said shaking it's head. It's hands flew across the control panel as if it knew all the controls well. "One engine out and they wanted to land?" The masked head bobbed with laughter. "Well, ya' know, I told you my name!" It finally responded.
"I mean, why are you here, who sent you after me?" Obi-Wan was dizzy again, the smoke hadn't helped any. He closed his eyes for only a second, but it was a second too long. The bounty hunter had it's blaster raised, and Obi- Wan felt himself flung against a wall, dazed. He tried to speak.
"Oh, sorry," the hunter was looking at it's blaster, "really, I set it to stun. With these things, these days," it shook it's head, "you just can't always tell what you're getting."
Obi-Wan struggled to breathe, the stun had hit him square in the chest. He wanted to yell, scream at this maniac that was claiming to help him. With one last disgusted shake at it's blaster, the hunter pitched it right at Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan never heard it say, "Oh, I set a new course, deactivated all tracking devices, and after a look at that engine. Well, we'll be on our way."
" What do you mean he has escaped? " screamed Commodore Romeroon. Sweat immediately began forming across his brow. Lieutenant Akir stood frozen in place at attention. " Sir, I assure you. I don't know how it happened. "
" You fool! I don't care how it's happened. Close all possible escape routes and make sure those Troopers don't annihilate him. " Commodore Romeroon felt the sweat roll down his face, he knew he was making a spectacle of himself but he couldn't hold his cool. He wiped his sweating palms against his pants. " Where's the nearest planet we can land on? " he screamed near hysterics. He knew it possibly wasn't the smartest idea, but already the co-pilot said one of the main engines had been damaged in the blast. They had been preparing for a second hyperdrive jump, but now this, when they were so close. 'No,' The Commodore thought disgusted, 'When I was so close, so close to regaining my reputatioin, so close to being made an Admiral.'
"Bring in more protection for the bridge!" he ordered, forcing himself to put on a better face. Someone else was on board helping the Jedi, and when he found them, he was certain he would show them no mercy.
After so many battles Obi-Wan knew the Imperial Storm Troopers well. They all fought the same; a glitch, he supposed, in cloning. The last fell with a move of his lightsaber that cut high into the Trooper's chest. Not all the way through, but a killing move just the same. Obi-Wan was breathing heavy, leaning against a wall, trying to orientate himself. As the Storm Troopers had backed away from him, they had left open one doorway after another until suddenly they couldn't pass any longer which seemed strange. So in this long hallway they had made their last stand. Obi-Wan looked at the locking mechanism. With the Force, he slowly made it open, no codes needed here, just determination. The door slid open, two fighting droids hung in the air before him.
"Drop you weapon." Ordered the first droid.
"Is that all you want?" asked Obi-Wan.
"Drop your weapon, now." Repeated the droid.
"Sure, I can do that," he eased toward the floor lowering his hand with the lightsaber in it knowing that his words would confuse the programming of the droid. "I can finish off 20 or 30 Storm Troopers, but two of you guys. Well, I just don't know." And with that said he swung upwards arcing left to right. Both droids fell with a crash of electrical sparks flitting here and there. He moved on through the door glancing right, left, then right again. Nothing, he moved into the hallway, the hair of his neck stood on end. Obi-Wan swung straight over his head with his blade coming down quickly behind him and twisted himself around in one fluid motion. Nothing, he stood there confused. Sensing, reaching out with the Force. Alarms still blared, irritating him immensely in his weakened state, yet he had made it this far. He backed away slowly and made a half-turn. A thump to his right brought him on around.
"Is that the way to treat your savior?" questioned a very strange figure before him. One quick glance up and down told Obi-Wan---bounty hunter.
"You're so sure you're here to save me." He growled. He had barely missed the bounty hunter with his second swing as it had dropped down from it's hiding place in the ceiling. The bounty hunter answered by leveling it's blaster and firing away. Pain seared across Obi-Wan's left shoulder, he could smell his own burned skin almost immediately. He looked over the same shoulder and saw more fighting droids fried on the floor.
"Yes, actually I am." The bounty hunter passed him, "I've deactivated all onboard cameras. Maybe they don't know yet how close we are." Spoke the bounty hunter.
"Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded. There was no response as the bounty hunter made it's way toward the next doorway. Obi-Wan was sick and disgusted, too sick and too disgusted. He threw the bounty hunter against a wall. "Tell me now, who you are?!" he snarled.
One quick move of the bounty hunter's foot and Obi-Wan found himself on the floor. "Is this how you treat all your friends? No wonder I'm the only one here trying to save you." The bounty hunter was laughing as Obi- Wan got back to his feet. Finally, "I'm called Lesrhett Galway. That's all you need to know for now." It was said as an order and for some reason, Obi- Wan found himself to obey. A finger was at the bounty hunter's mouth piece. Obi-Wan hated that he couldn't see it's face either. With bounty hunters you never knew what you were dealing with---human, humoid, or alien. The way this one was dressed it could be any of the above. Cloth suit hanging loose, no armor, hooded mask over it's face, where there should have been eyes- only eye pieces in the mask. Blasters and utility pouches hung around it's waist; over it's shoulder hung more weapons head together by a belt. Boots tight and well made with a bulge here and there that told of more necessary weapons. This bounty hunter was well armed and up to something. It leaned in close now. "Four on your side, five on mine." It moved across the hallway with a single twist. "Come on Jedi, you take the five, we'll make the fight more fair." Before Obi-Wan could answer, one amazing kick at the control panel and the door slid wide.
*****
The fightout only lasted minutes. The fight anything but fair. The bounty hunter had tossed in a strange smoking bomb before they entered the bridge. Though it didn't stop the 15 or so Storm Troopers, it froze the Imperial Officers and soldiers in place. Obi-Wan fought hard through his continuing sickness and tried to concentrate on the fighting at hand. But the bounty hunter had surprisingly put away it's blaster and had produced an object that looked little more than a mirror. Obi-Wan didn't have time to discern what the thing was, he only sensed that it deflected the fire of the Troopers as accurately as his lightsaber and between himself and the bounty hunter they quickly dispatched all of the white armored soldiers with minimum effort.
Commodore Romeroon begged for his life as the last of his soldiers and officers fell. "This ship will automatically explode on my order." he stated. The bounty hunter coolly, nonchantly aimed it blaster at the pilots.
"Really, you don't say." Two quick pulls and the pilots were dead. "Well, now, Commodore, you have no Storm Troopers, your men are gone, the other fighting droids are deactivated," the bounty hunter spoke clear, pronouncing each word as if the Commodore were a little slow and otherwise wouldn't understand, "and now, no pilots. What've you got to lose? Give the order!" The bounty hunter shrugged it's shoulders. It was face to face with the Commodore now. Obi-Wan didn't like this, but he didn't say anything, just watched. "You're not scared are you?" The mouth piece made the voice of its owner sound croaking-like and the sarcasm even more thick. "You know, you have good ventilation in here though. Smoke's all but gone, huh?" The hunter looked to Obi-Wan as if it wanted an answer from him, and shot the Commodore dead. "Guess he just didn't have the word in him after all." The bounty hunter sat in the pilots seat, well, first it kicked the dead pilot out, then took the seat.
"NOW tell me who you are?!" demanded Obi-Wan again, his lightsaber slightly raised.
"And I thought his first words were going to be 'Five on my side?' Yeah!" Obi-Wan knew the hunter found it's remark funny and he made a face. "These Imperial codes they just never change." The hunter said shaking it's head. It's hands flew across the control panel as if it knew all the controls well. "One engine out and they wanted to land?" The masked head bobbed with laughter. "Well, ya' know, I told you my name!" It finally responded.
"I mean, why are you here, who sent you after me?" Obi-Wan was dizzy again, the smoke hadn't helped any. He closed his eyes for only a second, but it was a second too long. The bounty hunter had it's blaster raised, and Obi- Wan felt himself flung against a wall, dazed. He tried to speak.
"Oh, sorry," the hunter was looking at it's blaster, "really, I set it to stun. With these things, these days," it shook it's head, "you just can't always tell what you're getting."
Obi-Wan struggled to breathe, the stun had hit him square in the chest. He wanted to yell, scream at this maniac that was claiming to help him. With one last disgusted shake at it's blaster, the hunter pitched it right at Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan never heard it say, "Oh, I set a new course, deactivated all tracking devices, and after a look at that engine. Well, we'll be on our way."