Chapter 8: The Duel with Shathur
Keth had grabbed his jetpack and took the lift up to Brak's floor. He found Brak hiding in a cabinet in an abandoned apartment, or a room that had been made into an apartment.
"Wow, Dad, you're not fried!" Brak exclaimed, astonished.
"It wasn't easy, Brak," gasped Keth. "Trust me on that."
Soon they were on the move again. The troopships had lost track of Keth and Brak, and had gone off to join the rest of the ships. They walked a little ways and then rested (for Keth's sake), and then took off by jetpack. The jetpack hummed and spouted flames through the nozzles, lifting Keth and Brak to the top of a tall building. They landed through an open skylight, and walked along a rickety metal catwalk. Below them the buildings stood as black monoliths, featureless in this dark hour. The long catwalk crossed over two other buildings before leading to the large landing platform atop an old skyscraper, once used as a bacta storage warehouse.
Sitting in the far corner, in the shadows, was the Wraith Hunter. It had been moved from its original landing place in Ne'dan's outpost to ensure it was not destroyed. But there was no sign of an Anyota anywhere...
"I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Keth. He could sense something out of place here, and an urge of nearby danger. "Brak, get in the ship. And prepare to use your pistols," ordered Keth, pointing in the direction of the ship. Brak quickly obeyed, but did not get in the ship. Instead, he crouched by it, pistols pointing to the sky.
Then a shadowy figure walked out towards Keth. It was robed, with a hood on.
"You are in trouble, bounty hunter," said the figure passively, in a low voice. "Killing a senator is a serious crime, and injuring a Jedi is another."
"What is your proof that I did it? There are plenty of bounty hunters on Coruscant that could have done it," countered Keth. "Who are you anyway?"
"I am Shathur of Onveska, and a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic," said the robed figure. He put back his hood, revealing golden blonde hair, a goatee, and a cybernetic eye replacement. The cybernetic eye glowed with an eerie green light. "You were spotted by Senate guards, and, obviously, your special armor gave you away, as did your ship."
"Another Onveskan then? I suppose you want to take me in for killing your planet's leader then," Keth chuckled.
"No. I want to take you in for killing the senator of Onveska. She was my sister," Shathur said, leaning closer. Keth could now see battle scars covering the Jedi's face. A large scar ran from his forehead, over the socket of his cybernetic eye, and ending at his chin. "If you come quietly, I'll leave your boy alone, and you won't have to face my burning blade."
"Fat chance, Shathur. I surrender to no one," Keth snarled.
"Then I guess you'll be fighting to the death..." Shathur muttered. He detached something from his belt. It was made of silver and gold, with blue and green buttons on one side. Shathur pressed a green one, and a forest green lightsaber blade ignited. It illuminated Shathur's grim face.
"I suppose so." Keth ignited his yellow lightsaber. He held it high above his head, the blade and body at a 90 degree angle. Shathur copied. Then they both swung in an arc, their blades locking down by their feet. Then they separated and backed away from each other. Shathur then lunged, swinging at Keth's midsection. Keth swung down and to the right, deflecting the blade away. Then Shathur rolled to the right, hacking at Keth's legs. Keth leaped over the lasersword and activated his jetpack. He landed on the hull of the Wraith Hunter, setting down his jetpack for more agility. He then unholstered his blaster pistol and unleashed a short volley. Shathur deflected them away, some towards Keth. Keth rolled off the side of the ship and onto the ground, landing on one knee. He brought out his other pistol and let off more shot bursts.
Shathur expertly dodged and blocked them all, then leaped towards Keth. With a twirling slash, he destroyed one of Keth's pistols. Keth rolled backwards, and lit his saber again. He slashed downward, and Shathur upwards. The blades locked, with Keth standing and Shathur crouched. Then Shathur stuck out his hand, calling his Padawan's lightsaber to him from Keth's belt. The Jedi struck out at Keth's knee, but he leaped again, ran up a wall, and landed behind Shathur. Keth slashed down again, but Shathur had already moved off to his right. He was now holding his green blade to Keth's chest, and the blue blade was locked with Keth's.
"Are you sure you aren't going to surrender?" Shathur asked. "All I have to do is twirl my saber in some direction, and you'd be cut in half or your arms severed."
Brak answered for his father. Brak raised his pistol at fired, hitting Shathur in the arm. Shathur dropped his green saber, and Keth was able to move again. He slashed at Shathur's neck, but the Jedi blocked. He called his green saber to him and, locking it, threw the lightsaber at Brak. Keth tried to call it to him, but had to block another incoming blow from Shathur. Brak didn't have time to move, but somehow he knew when to fire, as if though some unknown being was talking to him. He pulled the trigger and the gold and silver handle of the lightsaber exploded in an array of sparks and metal shards and tangled wires. A small crystal landed close to Brak's arm, and he grabbed it and stuck it in the secret pocket in his boot.
While that was happening, Shathur had pushed Keth back against a wall. He locked blades with Keth, and then forced it into a wall. The blades went through the wall, the energy blade crackling on each other and the metal surface of the wall. Shathur then quickly tore a stun baton from his belt and pulled the trigger. A small burst of electricity jumped from the tips of it and into Keth's body, rendering him unconscious. Shathur smiled as he prepared to slap a pare of stun cuffs on the Kidarian.
Another shot rang out, and hit Shathur in the shoulder blade. With a shout of anguish, the Jedi dropped his stun cuffs and spun around to see Brak near the edge of the platform. Brak had quickly dashed behind Shathur while he stood over his fallen adversary. Brak fired again, and Shathur deflected. The Onveskan Jedi began advancing towards the boy, blocking shots and sending them bouncing towards Brak. Brak began backing up, and was on the edge of the building. Shathur slashed at Brak, who fell backwards to avoid being cut up. As he was plummeting down, he was caught by a web-like rope. An Arachanian Jedi pulled him up to a troopship, and bound him. Then it soared off towards the rising sun.
Shathur watched the troopship zoom away.
"Mission complete," he said into a comlink, talking to his Padawan. "Be ready to..."
But he didn't finish. Keth had recovered from the stun baton, and raised his lightsaber over his head. Shathur turned to see it coming down...
"I told you I never surrender, Jedi," Keth muttered, grabbing the lightsaber from the dead Jedi.
Keth had grabbed his jetpack and took the lift up to Brak's floor. He found Brak hiding in a cabinet in an abandoned apartment, or a room that had been made into an apartment.
"Wow, Dad, you're not fried!" Brak exclaimed, astonished.
"It wasn't easy, Brak," gasped Keth. "Trust me on that."
Soon they were on the move again. The troopships had lost track of Keth and Brak, and had gone off to join the rest of the ships. They walked a little ways and then rested (for Keth's sake), and then took off by jetpack. The jetpack hummed and spouted flames through the nozzles, lifting Keth and Brak to the top of a tall building. They landed through an open skylight, and walked along a rickety metal catwalk. Below them the buildings stood as black monoliths, featureless in this dark hour. The long catwalk crossed over two other buildings before leading to the large landing platform atop an old skyscraper, once used as a bacta storage warehouse.
Sitting in the far corner, in the shadows, was the Wraith Hunter. It had been moved from its original landing place in Ne'dan's outpost to ensure it was not destroyed. But there was no sign of an Anyota anywhere...
"I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Keth. He could sense something out of place here, and an urge of nearby danger. "Brak, get in the ship. And prepare to use your pistols," ordered Keth, pointing in the direction of the ship. Brak quickly obeyed, but did not get in the ship. Instead, he crouched by it, pistols pointing to the sky.
Then a shadowy figure walked out towards Keth. It was robed, with a hood on.
"You are in trouble, bounty hunter," said the figure passively, in a low voice. "Killing a senator is a serious crime, and injuring a Jedi is another."
"What is your proof that I did it? There are plenty of bounty hunters on Coruscant that could have done it," countered Keth. "Who are you anyway?"
"I am Shathur of Onveska, and a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic," said the robed figure. He put back his hood, revealing golden blonde hair, a goatee, and a cybernetic eye replacement. The cybernetic eye glowed with an eerie green light. "You were spotted by Senate guards, and, obviously, your special armor gave you away, as did your ship."
"Another Onveskan then? I suppose you want to take me in for killing your planet's leader then," Keth chuckled.
"No. I want to take you in for killing the senator of Onveska. She was my sister," Shathur said, leaning closer. Keth could now see battle scars covering the Jedi's face. A large scar ran from his forehead, over the socket of his cybernetic eye, and ending at his chin. "If you come quietly, I'll leave your boy alone, and you won't have to face my burning blade."
"Fat chance, Shathur. I surrender to no one," Keth snarled.
"Then I guess you'll be fighting to the death..." Shathur muttered. He detached something from his belt. It was made of silver and gold, with blue and green buttons on one side. Shathur pressed a green one, and a forest green lightsaber blade ignited. It illuminated Shathur's grim face.
"I suppose so." Keth ignited his yellow lightsaber. He held it high above his head, the blade and body at a 90 degree angle. Shathur copied. Then they both swung in an arc, their blades locking down by their feet. Then they separated and backed away from each other. Shathur then lunged, swinging at Keth's midsection. Keth swung down and to the right, deflecting the blade away. Then Shathur rolled to the right, hacking at Keth's legs. Keth leaped over the lasersword and activated his jetpack. He landed on the hull of the Wraith Hunter, setting down his jetpack for more agility. He then unholstered his blaster pistol and unleashed a short volley. Shathur deflected them away, some towards Keth. Keth rolled off the side of the ship and onto the ground, landing on one knee. He brought out his other pistol and let off more shot bursts.
Shathur expertly dodged and blocked them all, then leaped towards Keth. With a twirling slash, he destroyed one of Keth's pistols. Keth rolled backwards, and lit his saber again. He slashed downward, and Shathur upwards. The blades locked, with Keth standing and Shathur crouched. Then Shathur stuck out his hand, calling his Padawan's lightsaber to him from Keth's belt. The Jedi struck out at Keth's knee, but he leaped again, ran up a wall, and landed behind Shathur. Keth slashed down again, but Shathur had already moved off to his right. He was now holding his green blade to Keth's chest, and the blue blade was locked with Keth's.
"Are you sure you aren't going to surrender?" Shathur asked. "All I have to do is twirl my saber in some direction, and you'd be cut in half or your arms severed."
Brak answered for his father. Brak raised his pistol at fired, hitting Shathur in the arm. Shathur dropped his green saber, and Keth was able to move again. He slashed at Shathur's neck, but the Jedi blocked. He called his green saber to him and, locking it, threw the lightsaber at Brak. Keth tried to call it to him, but had to block another incoming blow from Shathur. Brak didn't have time to move, but somehow he knew when to fire, as if though some unknown being was talking to him. He pulled the trigger and the gold and silver handle of the lightsaber exploded in an array of sparks and metal shards and tangled wires. A small crystal landed close to Brak's arm, and he grabbed it and stuck it in the secret pocket in his boot.
While that was happening, Shathur had pushed Keth back against a wall. He locked blades with Keth, and then forced it into a wall. The blades went through the wall, the energy blade crackling on each other and the metal surface of the wall. Shathur then quickly tore a stun baton from his belt and pulled the trigger. A small burst of electricity jumped from the tips of it and into Keth's body, rendering him unconscious. Shathur smiled as he prepared to slap a pare of stun cuffs on the Kidarian.
Another shot rang out, and hit Shathur in the shoulder blade. With a shout of anguish, the Jedi dropped his stun cuffs and spun around to see Brak near the edge of the platform. Brak had quickly dashed behind Shathur while he stood over his fallen adversary. Brak fired again, and Shathur deflected. The Onveskan Jedi began advancing towards the boy, blocking shots and sending them bouncing towards Brak. Brak began backing up, and was on the edge of the building. Shathur slashed at Brak, who fell backwards to avoid being cut up. As he was plummeting down, he was caught by a web-like rope. An Arachanian Jedi pulled him up to a troopship, and bound him. Then it soared off towards the rising sun.
Shathur watched the troopship zoom away.
"Mission complete," he said into a comlink, talking to his Padawan. "Be ready to..."
But he didn't finish. Keth had recovered from the stun baton, and raised his lightsaber over his head. Shathur turned to see it coming down...
"I told you I never surrender, Jedi," Keth muttered, grabbing the lightsaber from the dead Jedi.
