The Finale: Part I of III
Vette was hesitant to work with a Joiner. And hesitant was an understatement.
When she and Sahesri and Quinn had visited Alderaan in search of Jaesa they had all thoroughly enjoyed the planet. After Tatooine it was a welcome climate change and they had all appreciated the natural beauty of the place.
But, when they had agreed to help House Thul recover an Imperial survey team from the killiks, Vette had decided she didn't have to like everything about Alderaan. She hated bugs and being attacked by bugs the size of a full grown man would not make that fear go away.
As they descended into the caverns, they were swarmed. Quinn and Vette shot wildly as Sahesri tried to clear the path, his lightsabers spinning wildly. But there were so many of them. They were losing ground.
Sahesri yowled in pain and Vette glanced over at him and her eyes widened in horror. The killiks had set Sahesri on fire.
But he continued fighting, destroying every killik in his path.
She and Quinn continued shooting, covering each other's blind spots. Suddenly Quinn fell to the ground.
"Yeaarghh" he yelled. Vette looked down to see that one of the Killiks had ensnared Quinn's ankle with their sticky web. Vette tried to shoot it with her blaster but it wouldn't break.
"Help!" Quinn yelled.
All she saw was the crimson flash of his blade as Sahesri backflipped over her head and cut the web from Quinn's ankle.
She looked up at him as he offered them both a hand, there were burns on his face. But she knew he would be able to heal them later.
"Let's get out of here."
So when Vector was presented to her as her partner for a new mission she was about to undertake she was suitably cautious. Most therapists would say she had a little bit of Post-Traumatic stress regarding Killiks and the sentients they enslaved with their Joining drug.
She gestured to the Colonel to come closer. "Keep your trigger finger itchy. I don't trust Bug-Man over there."
The Colonel nodded in agreement. "I will be most vigilant My Lady."
"Good man" she said dismissing the Colonel as Vector bowed to her.
"Your Grace, we are absolutely honored to accompany you on this mission. We have extensive experience in dealing with such sensitive diplomatic issues and hope that we will be of the upmost use to you in your mission."
Vette cringed a little, damn those black eyes were creepy.
"Cipher Nine speaks highly of you Vector. After your work negotiating the Killik-Empire Treaty he recommended you personally for my task. Come sit down."
"We appreciate Cipher Nine's praises." He said as he pulled out a chair at the large table dominating the Briefing Room.
Vette activated her datapad. "This is Enjo The Hutt, a powerful member of The Cartel who the Emperor had developed a business relationship with. But we have intel that shows he has his ships escorting Republic convoys behind our back. This cannot be allowed to continue."
"What will be done about these convoys?" Vector asked.
"An apprentice of Darth Nox's is on course to intercept a convoy with a small battalion of troops. We don't know what they're carrying but it's better to be safe than sorry. But what you will not be needed for that. You will be needed on Hutta with me."
"We are all ears Your Grace."
"You will be part of an Imperial delegation that will come with me to Hutta to negotiate with Enjo."
"Yes" Vector said, seeming to think for a moment. "Empress, may we ask a question?"
"Sure."
"What if the negotiations don't go well? We have heard that the Hutts can often be very stubborn in diplomatic negotiations."
Vette smiled and turned to her companion behind her. "Vector, meet Lord Arrryyn. Lord Arrryyn will also be accompanying us to Hutta. He is a master of 'aggressive negotiations' as my husband calls it."
The Wookiee stepped forward out of the shadows. "Pleased to make your acquaintance Lord Arrryyn." Vector said with a bow of his head.
"Likewise." Arrryyn replied.
"Is there anything else Your Grace?"
"No" Vette said "You are dismissed Vector."
He got up and bowed "Then we will go and prepare our belongings and we will be ready to leave as soon as you need to."
"There is something wrong with that man." Arrryyn said when the Joiner diplomat left. "His scent is strange."
"He's a Joiner." Vette explained. "Part of a central hive mind. His thoughts are shared with an entire hive of an insect species called Killiks."
"How peculiar" Arrryyn muttered as he sat down next to Vette. "I have many thoughts that I would never want to share."
Vette rubbed her temples to soothe the incoming headache and nodded in agreement.
"Agreed my friend."
Xalek stood at the helm of the Imperial Warship Victory as they laid in wait to spring their trap.
"Are you sure this will work Captain?"
"Yes my lord. At our current position we should be able to get the ship in our tractor beam when they come out of hyperspace. I am sure of this."
"My Master always taught me to trust my instincts. I admire those who do the same. Now I must go prepare the Boarding party, if you'll excuse me."
"Of course my lord."
Xalek strode towards the hangar deep in thought as he usually tended to be. He was always quiet and in his head but Nox had desperately tried to teach him to speak up more.
To be a leader your troops must know you Xalek. Not all of you, but just enough for them to care about what happens to you.
Yes, his Master's wisdom truly inspired him, she was like a Mother to Xalek.
He made his way down to the boarding area to wait for The Victory to intercept the Republic ship.
"My Lord" the Imperial lieutenant greeted when he arrived.
"Lieutenant. Are your squads ready to board?"
"Yes my lord. We are ready when you are."
"Good."
They stood in the boarding tube when the ship began to shake a little. Xalek held on to the wall to steady himself and activated his comlink.
"Captain?"
"We've made contact with the Republic Ship my lord. We've got it in our tractor beam...steady boys...bring it in slow..."
The ship rattled some more.
"It is done my lord. The ship is connected."
"Excellent" Xalek said and ignited his lightsaber. When he saw the hull of the Republic ship he plunged his weapon through the metal and cut a hole just big enough for himself and the soldiers behind him to walk through.
As the metal fell away they walked through into the ship and were greeted by a welcoming party of Republic troopers who immediately started shooting.
One of the Imperial soldiers tossed a flash grenade as they fired back and Xalek, his vision protected by the Force, sprang forward and dispatched the remaining soldiers.
But behind him he heard the sound of lightsabers activating and turned around to see a group of Jedi running towards him.
"Go" he told his soldiers. "Take care of the rest of the guards. I will handle the Jedi."
"Yes my lord. Let's go boys! Time to raise some hell!"
Xalek turned back towards the Jedi who were attempting to pin him down in the boarding area.
"This will be fun."
"So" Kaliyo began as she seemingly examined Kira up and down. "How long have you and Kex been fucking?"
"Kaliyo don't start" Kex commanded.
"What? I'm just trying to be friendly."
Kex raised an eyebrow "Kaliyo" he warned.
"Does Temple know yet? She'll be crushed. You know she always wanted to see what was underneath your armor."
Kex was unamused.
That didn't stop Kaliyo who closed her eyes and screwed her face up in exagerrated passion. "Kex oooohhh Kex...yes you're so sexy. Yes! Yes! Right there! Do you know how hard it was to sleep listening to her go on like that all night?"
Kira giggled as Kex glowered at his partner.
"Oww Agent that hurt" Kaliyo yelped, holding her foot under the table.
"I don't know what you are talking about Kaliyo. You really should try to be less clumsy." His tone was perfectly even but he winked at Kira.
She glared at him "I did not come here to be abused Agent. Remember? We have a meeting with Keeper."
"Of course I remember. Will you give me a minute?"
"Sure Agent sure" she said with a smirk as she trotted out the door.
"Kaliyo's like a sister to me" he explained to Kira when the Rattataki woman was gone. "A crazy sarcastic, psycho. But a sister all the same."
"I like her." Kira said, wrapping her arms around him.
He kissed her forehead "Good. I'm sorry I have to go."
"That's okay. I really should get back to the Citadel and see the Emperor."
He nodded "Last night was fun though. Shall we do it again sometime?"
Kira grinned and gave him a quick peck. "Oh you can count on it."
As Kex and Kaliyo took a speeder to the newly restored Intelligence building Kaliyo turned to her favorite partner in crime. "I like her Agent. She seems fun for a Sith turned Jedi turned Sith again. Plus she allows me to fun of you."
Kex smiled "Plus, she can burn you with lightning when you get on my nerves."
"Agent you would never! You'd miss me too much."
"Would I?" he asked with a grin, innocently.
"Agent I thought we were friends!" Kaliyo said, pouting.
"We are Kaliyo. We're best friends."
There were four Jedi circling around Xalek. An adult Twi'lek male, a young Miralan girl with the typical Padawan braid of a Jedi apprentice, an adult Kel-Dor and his apprentice, a human boy.
Sensing their veiled repulsion through the Force, Xalek could tell the apprentices had never encountered a member of his species before. He personally didn't see why but he knew that many other species found Kaleesh to be physically frightening. His Master had taught him to use that to his advantage against his enemies.
"Stand down Sith." The Twi'lek warned him.
Xalek pretended to ponder the option for a moment.
"No."
Lord Xalek was never one to mince words.
He sprung at them, first racing for the Miralan apprentice. He sensed her to be the weakest of the four in lightsaber combat so he decided to take her on first. His lightsaber in his right hand, she admirably blocked a few of his strikes before he shot lightning out of his free hand and used her confusion to bisect her.
"Cera!" the boy yelled charging him.
While Xalek's anger was channeled and controlled, the boy's rage was wild and sloppy leaving many blind spots that Xalek took ample advantage of. He easily blocked the wild blows without breaking a sweat and cut off the boy's sword arm at the wrist. Xalek spun and kicked him in the head so hard that it came off his neck.
As the second apprentice fell dead to the ground, Xalek mockingly wiped sweat off his brow.
"Do you wish to join your apprentices?"
The Masters circled around Xalek and both ran to him at once. He was ready and the Jedis' blades crashed to his.
The Kel-Dor tried to push him into the wall with the Force but the Kaleesh Sith erected a barrier of Force energy around himself in protection. Lightning shot from his hands but the two Jedi caught it on their lightsaber blades.
Xalek dropped to the ground as his lightning was repelled back towards him. He charged forward again and pressed a vicious assault against the Twi'lek Jedi. He screamed and amplified it with the Dark Side causing the Jedi to fall to the ground twitching in pain. Xalek skewered him through the heart with his lightsaber and raised his weapon just in time to block an attack by his comrade.
He twirled his weapon in his hand but timed it just off and the Jedi was able to knock it from his hands. Xalek fell backward to the ground and the Kel Dor raised his weapon for the killing blow.
"You've been a worthy opponent Jedi."
The Kel Dor's look of confusion alloted Xalek just the right amount of time to reach out with his powers and call his weapon to his hand. It sailed across the room and he activated right the blade just as it reached the Jedi's chest.
The Kel Dor looked down at his own mortal wound as he toppled over, alongside his dead fellows.
Xalek stood up and called his blade to his hand and deactivated it, placing it back on his belt.
"My Lord."
He turned around to see the lieutenant behind him.
"Have you been successful Lieutenant?"
"Yes my lord. We have destroyed the ship's crew and guards. But...you won't believe what they were carrying."
"What?" Xalek asked
"Follow me my lord. This is something you have to see for yourself."