Chapter 6: in the Warehouse
Explosions were erupting around Brak. Chaos is a big factor in this battle, thought Brak as soldiers tripped over each other. Even the Anyota troops were confused, blinded by intense explosions and knocked over by the torrent of laser fire. It was the same for the pirates, though to a much higher degree. The plasma guns were ripping through them like paper drenched with gasoline and lit with a match.
Brak was keeping low to the ground, shooting at the pirates with his pistol and a plasma blaster he had picked up. An Anyota threw a grenade into the pirate crowd, sending the thugs thudding against walls and through windows and onto the ground. An Aqualish pirate reared up over Brak, wielding a heavy vibro-ax. Brak lifted his guns, a Buch-9 pistol and a Buch-7, and fried the pirate, who dropped the ax on a Aleena pirate behind him.
Suddenly, Brak was grabbed by the throat and lifted up, up, and away from the battle. Below him he saw the mess that had once been an organized battle. Lifting off the ground by his neck was Baret Nuor, a feared bounty hunter, and the last person on Val'Tala's bounty list.
"Let's see your father save you now!" yelled the infuriated hunter. Brak examined Baret's armor and spotted several blast marks. Dad, where are you? I'd like you to make more of these blast marks in him! Brak shouted in his head. Then Baret, using his amazing brute strength, hurled Brak through a window and into the damaged warehouse that Keth's strike team had blown up shortly before the battle.
Brak hit a crate on his way in. The crate shattered, and Brak was being buried in glitterstim spice from Kessel. Baret dashed in and quickly lifted Brak from the mounds of spice. He pulled off Brak's Kidarian helmet and sent it smashing through a window. Surprisingly, it was thrown back, and hit Baret in the back. The spikes on the helmet pierced the armor, as did a few laser bolts. Then Keth, his jetpack roaring, kicked Baret in the back of the head, throwing him off balance. Baret stumbled into the growing mounds of glitterstim spice. He came to his senses as Keth hit him on the side of the head with a mace he had picked up from a pirate he had knocked out on the way in. It cracked the hunter's helmet, and shattered the visor.
Keth began to swing again, but Baret lifted his pistol from beneath the mounds of spice as his head was covered. He opened fire repeatedly at Keth's chest. The bolts exploded on Keth's armor, but even that was not enough to stop the Kidarian bounty hunter. Even while being blasted, he lit his lightsaber and slashed down on Baret's blaster, chopping it in half. Then, using his developed Force skills, he lifted Baret from the spice. Baret's hand went to his throat as his neck began to feel constricted. He clawed at his armor, and gagging, and trying to breath...
When Keth released him.
Baret landed in the spice again. He struggled to get out of the torrent, but Keth had other plans. Keth aimed quickly and shot his grappling rope into a hook on the top of the crate. With all of his might, he pulled the crate's wall down, sending the rest of the spice pounding down on Baret. Baret reached out with one last effort to grab a pole on a nearby, inactive loader droid, but the spice buried him, crushing him. As the spice finished pouring, all that could be seen of Baret was his fingers, wrapped around the pole. Then he released his grip, and the fingers relaxed. The last person on Val'Tala's bounty list had been eliminated.
Explosions were erupting around Brak. Chaos is a big factor in this battle, thought Brak as soldiers tripped over each other. Even the Anyota troops were confused, blinded by intense explosions and knocked over by the torrent of laser fire. It was the same for the pirates, though to a much higher degree. The plasma guns were ripping through them like paper drenched with gasoline and lit with a match.
Brak was keeping low to the ground, shooting at the pirates with his pistol and a plasma blaster he had picked up. An Anyota threw a grenade into the pirate crowd, sending the thugs thudding against walls and through windows and onto the ground. An Aqualish pirate reared up over Brak, wielding a heavy vibro-ax. Brak lifted his guns, a Buch-9 pistol and a Buch-7, and fried the pirate, who dropped the ax on a Aleena pirate behind him.
Suddenly, Brak was grabbed by the throat and lifted up, up, and away from the battle. Below him he saw the mess that had once been an organized battle. Lifting off the ground by his neck was Baret Nuor, a feared bounty hunter, and the last person on Val'Tala's bounty list.
"Let's see your father save you now!" yelled the infuriated hunter. Brak examined Baret's armor and spotted several blast marks. Dad, where are you? I'd like you to make more of these blast marks in him! Brak shouted in his head. Then Baret, using his amazing brute strength, hurled Brak through a window and into the damaged warehouse that Keth's strike team had blown up shortly before the battle.
Brak hit a crate on his way in. The crate shattered, and Brak was being buried in glitterstim spice from Kessel. Baret dashed in and quickly lifted Brak from the mounds of spice. He pulled off Brak's Kidarian helmet and sent it smashing through a window. Surprisingly, it was thrown back, and hit Baret in the back. The spikes on the helmet pierced the armor, as did a few laser bolts. Then Keth, his jetpack roaring, kicked Baret in the back of the head, throwing him off balance. Baret stumbled into the growing mounds of glitterstim spice. He came to his senses as Keth hit him on the side of the head with a mace he had picked up from a pirate he had knocked out on the way in. It cracked the hunter's helmet, and shattered the visor.
Keth began to swing again, but Baret lifted his pistol from beneath the mounds of spice as his head was covered. He opened fire repeatedly at Keth's chest. The bolts exploded on Keth's armor, but even that was not enough to stop the Kidarian bounty hunter. Even while being blasted, he lit his lightsaber and slashed down on Baret's blaster, chopping it in half. Then, using his developed Force skills, he lifted Baret from the spice. Baret's hand went to his throat as his neck began to feel constricted. He clawed at his armor, and gagging, and trying to breath...
When Keth released him.
Baret landed in the spice again. He struggled to get out of the torrent, but Keth had other plans. Keth aimed quickly and shot his grappling rope into a hook on the top of the crate. With all of his might, he pulled the crate's wall down, sending the rest of the spice pounding down on Baret. Baret reached out with one last effort to grab a pole on a nearby, inactive loader droid, but the spice buried him, crushing him. As the spice finished pouring, all that could be seen of Baret was his fingers, wrapped around the pole. Then he released his grip, and the fingers relaxed. The last person on Val'Tala's bounty list had been eliminated.
