Episode 15 – The Labyrinth
Hisari Bow: A Jedi Lost! Following her desertion of the Jedi Order, she now travels with her older sister, the mercenary and bounty huntress, Sanzia Bow, working to survive within the galaxy's underworld! With her sister now at her side, Sanzia now seeks out work and now heads to the planet Jedah to meet with one of her underworld contacts…
Jedah orbit…
Sanzia sat at the helm controls as the Halo dropped out of hyperspace, looking at a display monitor, waiting patiently as the monitor repeatedly pinged with an attempt to open a comm channel. After a moment, the monitor lit up with a brown waveform displayed.
"Ah, Sanzia. I see you are ahead of schedule, and judging by the recent credit transfer to your accounts, I gather you were successful in delivering those supplies to our contacts on Mirgoshir." A male but synthesized voice said in basic over the monitor.
"It was a blue milk run. I hope the next job offers more of a challenge." Sanzia said with a smirk.
"Our benefactor does indeed have another assignment for you. However, I must insist on discussing it in person. Your docking fees have been prepaid as always. I look forward to discussing your next assignment." The man replied.
"As do I. Oh, one other thing. We've not spoken since you got me onto the Saleucami job, but I've taken on a partner." Sanzia said.
"This is unexpected. Who is this partner of yours?" the man asked.
"My younger sister, Hisari. I'll vouch for her if need be." Sanzia said.
"Your voucher is worthless, Ms. Bow. I shall have to clear her participation with our benefactor first. Bring her to me, so that I may conduct a full interview." The man said as Sanzia smirked.
"Of course. We'll be touching down shortly." Sanzia said before closing the transmission, the Halo flying towards an old space station in Jedah's orbit. The station was a heavily modified Carida-V station with numerous docking bays and hangar ports added onto it. There were several ships and freighters swarming around the station. As Sanzia brought the Halo in for a landing, Hisari stepped into the cockpit. Hisari still wore her Jedi garb but had added a dark green vest and a bandoleer of small metal cases. A blaster pistol rested in a thigh holster at her left side. She looked at the station suspiciously.
"What is this place?" she asked as Sanzia smiled towards her.
"Welcome to Gererra Station, our home away from home." Sanzia explained. Hisari looked at the approaching station for a moment before glancing at Sanzia.
"When can we move?" she asked, earning a snort of amusement from Sanzia.
"Ah don't worry; it'll grow on you." Sanzia said as the Halo touched down within one of the hangars.
…
Minutes later, the sisters were walking through the crowded and barely lit promenade, Sanzia with her electrostaff resting behind her neck and both arms draped over it while Hisari followed close behind, her lightsaber concealed in a special sheath on her back.
"So where are we going?" Hisari asked as she cautiously sidestepped a large alien man.
"Grendel's. It's a great little cantina and lekku bar. Probably not your cup a jawa juice but it's where the action is and it's also where we'll find work." Sanzia replied as they approached a small flight of steps leading up to the neon lit entrance to the cantina in question. Outside of the cantina was a large stuffed hornagaunt, its face contorted in a permanent snarl. Hisari looked at the creature with consternation.
"Let me guess…Grendel?" she asked.
"Uh-huh. He used to belong to the club owner, the one we're meeting." Sanzia said, retracting her electrostaff and clipping it to her belt as they approached the door, but as they did they tripped a laser sensor, causing a panel to open in the door and the metallic stalk and eye of a security droid to pop out. The security droid got very close into Sanzia's face
"State your business." The droid commanded as Sanzia crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk.
"Two to meet with your boss. He's expecting us." Sanzia said as the droid looked her over before lurching over and looking Hisari over for a moment. It then lurched back to look at Sanzia.
"One moment please." The droid replied before disappearing back into the door.
"Tight security." Hisari mumbled before the door opened, the sisters stepping into the cantina. Hisari looked around and saw the cantina was indeed a lekku bar, with several scantily clad Twi'lek women dancing atop small stages for the patrons. Hisari let out an inaudible huff of disgust.
"Another wretched hive of scum and villainy." She mumbled, earning a laugh from Sanzia as they made their way towards the bar.
"You're a part of that scum and villainy now, sis!" Sanzia said as they approached the bar where a droid bartender on a metal track slid towards where she was approaching.
"The manager is waiting for you in his offices." The droid said as Sanzia gave a slight nod and motioned Hisari towards a nearby door marked "management." The door opened for them as they approached, only to slam and lock shut behind, the music and noise of the bar practically muted by the door. The two walked through a short hallway, past two stock rooms blocked by forcefield doors, to a door at the end of the hall, the door opening as they approached. They walked inside to find a large office with a large curved viewport looking out into space. Along the edge of the viewport, following the curve, was a series of communications panels with holographic displays linked to a variety of information feeds. A desk in the center of the room faced towards the door. There were elegant green curtains and drapes hanging from the ceiling, giving the room an almost regal feeling. Standing at one of the holographic displays was an old Model 88-series Tiss'shar Administrator Droid with a green sash worn on its right shoulder and around its waist. The droid was communicating via hologram with a Zygerrian man on his knees, flanked by a pair of armed guards, the guards with their weapons pointed at the man.
"-But I am not without a heart. I have evidence to indicate that you recently came into the possession of a shipment of Twi'lek female septuplets. Arrange their transfer to Bolan Nass on Nar Shaddah and these gentlemen beside you won't have to indulge in their darker side." The droid said as the Zygerrian man growled in annoyance before giving his answer defiantly in his native tongue.
"Well, I suppose that concludes our business." The droid said before making a slitting motion with one of its hands and cut the transmission just seconds before one of the guards fired into the back of the Zygerrian's skull. The droid then turned towards the two Zabrak sisters, approaching them, his locomotors making a loud metallic whirring sound with every step.
"So Fenick finally double-crossed you huh?" Sanzia asked.
"Correction: It was not I he double-crossed, but our mutual employer. And I suppose that this is your younger sibling." The droid said, looking at Hisari, his left optic moving and rotating as it focused on her.
"Hisari Bow, this is 8T88, information broker and representative for…what did you say his name was again?" Sanzia asked coyly, earning a glare from the droid.
"Anonymous to you, Ms. Bow. Now as for you, Hisari Bow…" 88 said as he looked back at Hisari for a moment before turning towards his desk, raising one of his arms towards it, his hand suddenly tilting upward as a data-interface arm extended into place, 88 plugging into a data terminal on the desk. A hologram of quickly cycling mugshots started flashing over the desk for a moment before stopping on the mugshot taken of Hisari when she was captured by the Sith.
"Interesting, a Jedi. It is not very often that we receive Jedi interested in joining our organization. The first time I dealt with a Jedi was…less than rewarding." 88 commented before disconnecting from the desk and turning towards Hisari.
"Is…that a problem?" Hisari asked, nervous as to what the old droid would do.
"Not at the present time. My information indicates that you have recently cut ties with the Jedi. There is an opportunity for great profit. Although we are not affiliates of theirs, the Sith Empire is offering a generous reward for anyone who can provide them with the coordinates of the Jedi Temple. Being a Jedi, you would likely know the coordinates. You will receive a fifty percent cut of the reward while forty percent goes to my employer and the remaining ten percent is kept by me as a finder's fee. Your cut would amount to five-million credits." 8T88 offered as Sanzia's eyes widened.
"Whoa for real?! Sis, where are the Jedi located?!" Sanzia asked but Hisari scowled at her.
"That information is not for sale! I might not be with the Jedi anymore but I will never sell them out!" Hisari argued, 88 simply staring at her.
"Loyalty. An acceptable trait." 88 commented before turning away, heading for one of the back-control panels.
"Wait, does this mean we're done?" Sanzia asked, worried that they were about to get jettisoned.
"On the contrary. That was merely the interview. Our mutual employer has been watching and has approved of adding her to the payroll. This next assignment might actually be more suitable for your skills." 8T88 said before returning to his desk with a datapad.
"Oh, well what is the assignment then?" Sanzia asked.
"Patience. Our mutual employer is looking to build a team of some kind and is vetting applicants through what he is calling, the Labyrinth. He has not been forthcoming with details as to what the Labyrinth is, what it entails, or what the team is for but I can imagine that it is for a special mission in the future. I am obliged to inform you that this is a high stakes mission, and that your odds of survival are low whereas the reward is one million credits per successful applicant. That's two million should you both succeed." 8T88 explained, earning an interested look from Sanzia.
"One million, plus a place on that team, I'm assuming, with a chance at even greater reward?" Sanzia asked.
"Correct. If that is too high a stakes for you however, well then that would conclude our business. Our mutual employer does not have use for those unwilling or incapable of doing what is expected of those in his employ." 8T88 explained as Sanzia sighed.
"I guess we have no choice then. We'll take the job. Forward the coordinates to the Halo." Sanzia said as 8T88 gave a nod.
"Already done. Regardless of if you succeed or not, I have received word that this will conclude our business relationship together, Ms. Bow. You will be answering to another…should you survive." 8T88 said as Sanzia gave a nod and a bow.
"A pleasure as always, Eighty-eight." Sanzia said as she motioned for Hisari to follow her, both of them heading for the door. They were nearly at the door out of the office when Hisari paused and looked back at the old droid in thought.
"Hey, don't you know a guy by the name of Katarn?" Hisari asked, causing 88's head to snap back towards her, his photoreceptors turning red for a moment.
"I suggest you run along, Jedi. Our business is concluded." 8T88 warned, Hisari following after her sister as the door slammed shut behind her. When it did, she was suddenly grabbed by the collar and slammed against the wall by Sanzia.
"What's the big idea not coughing up that information?! That was the easiest five million we could've made!" Sanzia hissed before Hisari pushed her back.
"I already told you, I'm not selling out the Jedi! They've done more for me than you ever have and I'm not going to betray their trust like that!" Hisari argued as Sanzia sighed in frustration.
"Fine! But we better succeed at this mission, and I'm taking your cut of the reward too!" she said as she stormed out towards the door, Hisari following after her with a scowl.
Later…
The Halo dropped out of hyperspace in the Teth system, headed towards the planet. In orbit over the planet was an old Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier in yellow mercenary markings. In the Halo's cockpit, a hologram appeared of a figure clad in bulky red armor.
"Starship Halo, you've been tagged on our guest list. Forwarding docking instructions. You will not be allowed to bring your vessel with you. Gear up before leaving your ship. Further instructions will be given in hangar bay two. That is all." The figure instructed before the hologram disappeared. Hisari arched a concerned eyebrow.
"That's kinda strange." Hisari said, Sanzia giving a nod.
"Yeah, this is new. I've got a bad feeling about this." Sanzia said as Hisari looked at her.
"We could always turn back. Find a different job." Hisari said as Sanzia sighed in frustration.
"It's not that easy. Because of the bounty on my head, I'm blacklisted. I can't go apply to any legitimate bounty hunter guilds. They'd have me in a cell bound for Taris in a heartbeat. Finding work when you're a fugitive is difficult. 88 and whoever he works for doesn't seem to care though so any job they offer is worth its weight in aurodium…and pays about as well too." Sanzia said as Hisari sighed.
"Then I guess we better see what we can do to survive this." Hisari said as the Halo started to touch down within one of the hangars on the carrier. They could tell from their approach that the ship was practically full of other ships. Personalized shuttles, freighters, starfighters, and bombers of varying makes and models were in the ship's four hangar bays. They couldn't see any personnel save for a few droids moving about the hangar. Those that they did see were of the mercenary variety that were moving towards one of the adjoining hangar. Sanzia and Hisari emerged from the Halo, heading towards the adjoining hangar. As they did, they passed an old vessel that Sanzia ignored but Hisari didn't. She felt a chill in the air as she passed it, sensing a lingering evil about it.
"Hey, sis, what do you suppose that ship is?" she asked, Sanzia pausing and looking at it.
"Dunno. Looks kinda like a mix between a freighter and a TIE Fighter. Stop gawking at it, the thing gives me the chills." Sanzia said as she pressed on. Hisari looked at her curiously for a moment, taking one last glance at the ship before hurrying after her sister.
"Chills?" Hisari mumbled, realizing that she felt chills near the vessel as well. They entered Hangar 2 where the other "applicants" were waiting. Hisari looked them all over, the applicants all seeming to be your standard mercenary and thug variety of varying races but a few stood out. One was a Mandalorian man in black armor with gold trim, another was a tall Kyuzo man with a large-rimmed circular hat, carrying an old bowcaster. There were also a couple of figures that Hisari identified.
"Is that Aurra Si-mph!?" Hisari asked, Sanzia quickly clamping her hand over her sister's mouth but the near-human Bounty Huntress heard them and allowed a small smirk to appear on her face, ultimately ignoring them.
"Yeah, that's her. Damn I didn't know she'd be here." Sanzia mumbled as she moved her hand away from Hisari's mouth.
"That Duros, is that Herian Bane?" Hisari whispered, motioning to the Duros in question. Herian was quietly checking her blasters.
"Yeah, that's her alright. And the Kyuzo over there. That's Embo, one of the greats. The guy in the Mando armor, that's gotta be Kazor Montross. Man, I wouldn't be surprised if Boba borking Fett were to show up to this by now." Sanzia mumbled as she started to look the crowd over. Hisari did too but as she did she felt a clear disturbance in the Force. A dark presence was amongst them, the same presence that permeated from the ship they passed earlier. Hisari looked back towards the hangar they'd come from and saw a figure in a black cloak and hood, approaching the crowd while walking with a cane, a cane that was wooden on the bottom and metal at the top. She could sense a strong aura of the Dark Side coming from this individual but opted to keep out of his way. She looked around and noticed that Aurra was giving the stranger a suspicious look, her own latent Force Sensitivity setting off alarms in her head and it showed as she rested her hand near her blaster in its holster.
"Greetings!" a voice said from overhead. Everyone looked up to one of the catwalks near the back of the hangar and saw a human man in elegant, albeit near-Imperial looking clothes. He had a head of long blond hair and looked to be in his late forties or early fifties.
"You have each come here in answer to this rare opportunity. An opportunity to earn a place on an elite team for a special mission that will be well worth each of your wiles…that's assuming you survive the night." The man explained, speaking with a High Coruscanti accent, before an old RA-7 droid stepped up next to him, its insectoid photoreceptors starting to glow with a blue light before projecting a holoimage of an old painting of a Hutt.
"Millennia ago an ancient Hutt Crime lord, Diraga the Hutt, ordered the construction of an intricate maze beneath his palace here on Teth. Diraga called this maze; the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was used as both a form of execution and entertainment for Diraga himself and his guests. Those that survived the Labyrinth were free to leave. Ironically Diraga was overthrown and sentenced to his own Labyrinth…needless to say, he did not survive and the Labyrinth has remained unattended for nearly a thousand years. We have recently acquired the Labyrinth and have renovated it to suit our needs and today, each of you will be sent into the Labyrinth as a test of your skills." The man explained as an old Sentinel class lander in pirate markings lowered its boarding ramps.
"This shuttle will transport you to the surface, where you will all enter the Labyrinth together. Those that survive will receive one million credits each as well as their place on the team. There is but one rule within the Labyrinth and it is very simple. Killing each other is strictly forbidden. You will either live or die of your own merits, and not by the weapons of each other. That is all." The man said as the bounty hunters and mercenaries started to board the lander. The man and the droid then turned and headed into the ship. Hisari glanced up at the man from over her shoulder.
"Any idea who that was?" Hisari asked.
"No idea. Looked rich and important though." Sanzia said.
"Any chance he's the 'mutual employer' that the old droid was talking about?" Hisari asked but Sanzia shrugged, clueless as they boarded the lander, making their way to a pair of seats in one of the passenger compartments. They happened to enter the compartment with Aurra, Herian, Kazor, and Embo, the sisters sitting next to each other near the back, across from Embo who regarded the younger Zabraks with a polite nod. They then noticed a shadow move in the doorway, the compartment seeming to darken as the hooded figure with the cane entered, sitting down in a vacant seat by the door, resting his hands on his cane as the door closed, the lander starting to vibrate beneath them as it started to launch.
Embo then looked to Aurra and started to speak in his native tongue.
"It has been a while, Embo. Last we met was when we were finishing off the Codori family on Commenor." Aurra commented.
"Codori family? Ni~ce." Herian commented with a smirk. Sanzia noticed that Kazor was staring at her, his helmet's ID scanner swiveling down over his eye. He said nothing as his scanner swiveled back up into place. Sanzia scowled as he raised a hand towards her and made a finger pistol towards her, mimicking the act of firing a round at her.
"One hundred thou', easy." Kazor commented as Sanzia snarled. Kazor spoke with a gruff masculine voice.
"I'm not afraid of some two-cred Mandalor thug like you, Kazor. Didn't your family get kicked off Mandalore for something?" Sanzia asked as Kazor snorted in what Hisari could sense was smug contempt.
"Says the fugiee adi'ke be Taris on the run from a murder charge. I hear the Republic's recently upped your bounty actually…so that's two hundred grand. Easy credits." Kazor commented smugly.
"Back off, sleemo." Sanzia warned. Hisari looked at her feet but could sense that the hooded figure at the end of the room was looking at her occasionally. She glanced over and saw him looking her way, a pair of yellow eyes studying her curiously. She couldn't make out his face though due to the darkness of the hood. The sleeves on his robes, however, had slid back as he rested his hands on the top of his cane. She could make out a pair of red and black tattoos all down his arms, tattoos that Hisari recognized as being Sith in origin. The sight of the tattoos made Hisari gulp nervously.
"Do you…fear me, young one?" the man finally spoke in a soft, calm, and soothing voice but in spite of his voice, it evoked a feeling of fear in Hisari.
"I'm not sure yet." She replied, making out a smile on his face.
"Oh, but you are. You fear me. Why?" he asked almost coyly as Hisari put on a brave face.
"Those tats. They're…familiar, that's all." Hisari said as the man chucked in amusement.
"What fun…what fun this will be!" he chuckled to himself, earning an annoyed glare from Aurra.
"Who are you exactly?" Aurra asked impatiently.
"A Shadow…a Shadow of what I once was, what I could've been, and what I will be again." The man replied in soft spoken anger.
"That's no answer." Sanzia commented.
"You wanna piss him off, do it when we have a chance to step out of the crossfire." Herian commented, pulling her hat down over her eyes.
"Do you even have a name?" Hisari asked but the man merely chuckled again.
"Simply call me…Old Master." The man said but Hisari couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around him. Soon the lander was touching down on Teth's surface, setting down within the walls of a ruined old Hutt Palace. All that remained of the palace were a few ruined walls, the building itself having been largely cleared away. In its place was a tower-like structure near a large area that had been cordoned off by simple safety stanchions and guarded by yellow armored soldiers. A familiar Trandoshan Bounty Hunter then started to approach them, flanked by a pair of the soldiers.
"Glad you could all make it, essssssspecially you, Aurra." Bossk said with a coy tone. His arm had long since regenerated from his encounter with Anakin Solo.
"Bossk? How long have you been here?" Aurra asked as she and Herian approached the slaver.
"Sssssssince the beginning. I wassssss hired to bring sssssssomething here by the Ssssssssith. They paid me well." Bossk said as the Bow Sisters passed by, Hisari trying to listen into their conversation.
"The Sith. Are they the ones who hired us for this? They're one of the few who'd have the credits for this kind of operation." Aurra asked.
"Don't know. Don't really care. Whoever they are, I know I already got a ssssssspot on that team they're putting together." Bossk stated, smugly.
"Who'd you have to kill to pull that off?" Herian asked, suspicious.
"Not entirely ssssssssure mysssssssself." Bossk said before sniffing the air suspiciously.
"What is it? Smell something?" Aurra asked.
"There'ssssssss a familiar ssssssssssmell on the air. I can't place where I ssssssssmelled it before, but it was new. Reccccccccent." Bossk said as Hisari quietly realized that he'd picked up her scent from Kashyyyk and remembered it. She quietly moved to conceal herself. A voice on the loudspeaker from the tower then clicked on.
"All applicants please step onto the lift platform at this time! Repeat, all applicants please step onto the lift platform at this time." An automated voice commanded, the gaggle of mercs and bounty hunters obediently stepping into the stanchioned area, passing through simple holographic beams onto the platform. Once all were aboard, the platform shook slightly before lowering itself down into a darkened chamber, the aged platform groaning and creaking as it moved. Finally, the platform stopped. The mercs and bounty hunters looked around at the chamber they were in. It was a round chamber with four doors. The mercs and bounty hunters started heading off in separate directions.
"Alright sis, you choose." Sanzia said as she drew her blaster rifle. Hisari looked around, taking a cleansing breath, closing her eyes. She then turned towards one of the doors and started heading towards it.
"This way." She said, Sanzia following after her.
"Hmm. Great minds think alike." Sanzia said with a smile, glancing over her shoulder to see Embo, Herian, and Kazor heading off with separate groups, but Aurra was already ahead of them, walking towards the door they'd picked as well. Old Master however was walking slowly their way with his cane. Sanzia started nudging Hisari forward.
"Pick up the pace. The old coot is following us." Sanzia mumbled.
"Right." Hisari replied, the two moving faster towards the door. Beyond the door were two flights of stairs, both leading down and both leading in opposite directions.
"Split up or stay together?" Hisari asked but Sanzia saw Aurra disappearing down the stairs to their right.
"Left." Sanzia said but Hisari was apprehensive about their chosen direction.
"I dunno. I've got a bad feeling about this." She said as she followed after her sister.
"Well I really don't want to follow Aurra. The woman's insane." Sanzia said as the stairs started to curve inward, leading into another set of hallways. The walls around them were made of blackened stone. Hisari could make out some faint markings in the walls that were millennia old, decorations that had eroded away. Sanzia activated an illuminator mounted to her rifle to light their path, Hisari pulling an illuminator of her own from inside her vest.
"Well, so far so good." Sanzia mumbled as they walked but Hisari's instincts suddenly alerted her to an imminent danger and she quickly grabbed Sanzia by the collar.
"Wait!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Sanzia asked, confused as Sanzia shown her illuminator around the hall in front of them for a moment before finally spotting it.
"There." She said, motioning to a faint outline in the floor. Sanzia cautiously pulled and extended her electrostaff but didn't activate it, using it to gently press against the center of the outline. As anticipated the outline was in fact a pressure plate, the plate sinking into the floor, causing a pair of hidden panels to open in the walls, revealing a pair of humanoid droids with riot shields and vibroblades, the droids both had death mask like faceplates. Their eyes lit up with a sinister red glow, stepping out of their alcoves with sword and shield raised. Sanzia and Hisari both recognized them. It was a pair of Phase I Dark Troopers.
"Oh, blast it! Butcher Droids!" Sanzia exclaimed, firing at the droids with her blaster but the droids blocked with their shields as they charged towards the sisters at high speeds. Hisari instinctively reached for her lightsaber but paused, quickly switching to draw her blaster, easily vaulting over the droid attacking her as it brought its blade around towards her. She landed and spun back around to fire at the droid, scoring a couple of hits in its back, causing it to spin back around towards them. Sanzia had switched to using her electrostaff to block the droid's attacks. She dodged one strike but the blade managed to graze her left arm, causing her to hiss in pain before striking it in the side of the head with the staff, dazing the droid for a moment, giving her the opportunity to lunge at the droid approaching Sanzia, stabbing it in the back of the neck, the electrostaff frying its circuits. The second droid started to come around now and raised its blade to attack, Sanzia unable to pull her staff free from the other droid in time when Hisari scored a headshot on the droid, causing it to clatter to the ground. Sanzia breathed a sigh of relief, pulling her staff free and retracting it into its inactive state.
"Okay, so this place is booby trapped. Let's hope there aren't many more surprises like this." Sanzia said as Hisari holstered her blaster.
"Yeah. Those things aren't exactly fun." Hisari said as they headed further along.
"You were a Jedi. See many of them did you?" Sanzia asked but Hisari shook her head.
"Actually, I never saw the front lines. I'd read the reports sometimes but I never really saw any action." Hisari replied.
"Really? Huh, that's a bummer." Sanzia said as they approached another flight of stairs, leading down again.
…
Up in the tower, the elegantly dressed man from the carrier stepped inside from the turbolift, approaching to find Bossk standing near a holotable that was projecting a full holographic map of the entire Labyrinth with red dots indicating where the each of the applicants were within the maze. Holograms of 8T88, General Kalani, Darth Fenrir, and the hooded individual were also being projected around the table.
"Status report." The man stated as he approached the holotable.
"Seven of the thirty-six applicants have died within the first half-hour. Three more than my original projections. I calculate the odds that even one of the applicants will survive as two-thousand-twenty-one to one." Kalani reported.
"My calculations are slightly better than the General's. Of course he has not had the opportunity of working with the applicants before. I give them closer to two-thousand-one to one, rounded down." 8T88 added.
"I sense something…one of the applicants are…strong with the Force." Fenrir said as 8T88 called up a hologram of the applicants, cycling through them for a moment before stopping at Hisari.
"I believe I can explain that. A recent hire. Hisari Bow, ex-Jedi. She rode in with her sister, Sanzia Bow. The older sister is most reliable. The younger has shown…loyalty to her former employers with the Jedi Order. I cannot provide an accurate threat assessment for her at this time." 8T88 reported, Bossk hissing in annoyance.
"Now I recognize the ssssssscent. Sssssssshe was on the Wookiee homeworld when my camp got bussssssted." Bossk commented.
"Not to worry. I approved of her application to participate in the Labyrinth. Having a former Jedi on the team might prove an asset…if she survives, of course. Plus, she is not the only Force user within the Labyrinth." The hooded figure commented.
"You have the advantage of me. My records don't make any mention of any additional Force Users." 8T88 said as Kalani called up the applicant records himself, cycling through them until closing the records.
"I concur with 8T88. The number of applicant files is inconsistent with the number of applicants sent into the Labyrinth. There is one additional applicant. Should I alert security?" Kalani asked but the hooded figure motioned to stop.
"That will be unnecessary. I was the one who allowed the extra man in. We both have something to gain from his presence within our organization. As do you, I believe, Fenrir." The figure said, turning to the Talortai Sith Lord.
"Indeed. A little something that I've been working on for the Empire. I wanted to test it first before presenting it to the Empress." Fenrir explained as Bossk hissed with a scaly grin.
"Thissssss should be good." He said.
…
Back down in the Labyrinth, the Bow Sisters were running through the maze-like corridors, evading a trio of flying spherical droids that were flying after them. The droids had fan blades spinning beneath them, each of the blades being sharpened knives. The sisters were firing their blasters at the droids as they ran.
"This place is a deathtrap!" Hisari yelped as they jumped a gap in the floor ahead of them, one of their shots hitting one of the droids, destroying it in midair. Suddenly one of the droids lurched hard to one side, smashing itself into the wall.
"What the-?!" Sanzia asked before quickly shaking off her confusion and pulling her electrostaff, batting the approaching Saw Droid back and away from them before Hisari shot the droid out of the air, scoring a direct hit through its photoreceptor, the droid crashing into the ground.
"How'd that other droid crash?" Sanzia asked as she looked the damaged droid over.
"How indeed, young huntress?" they heard a familiar voice ask. They looked to see a side passage nearby that they had missed, the passage linking to an upward flight of stairs, but descending from the stairs was Old Master.
"You? But that droid just crashed. What, have you got some kind of droid control device?" Sanzia asked, Old Master sighing and shaking his head in disappointment.
"Oh so naïve, the answer is so impossibly simple and yet it seems to be beyond you…but I think perhaps, not to you." Old Master said to Hisari who looked at him with apprehension in her eyes, quickly pulling her lightsaber from its sheath and igniting one of the orange blades.
"Who are you, what's your name?!" Hisari asked as Old Master smiled at her, reaching up and pulling back his hood, revealing a face tattooed in black and red and a head of horns like Sanzia's own. Hisari recognized him almost instantly.
"I know you, you're Darth Maul!" Hisari said as Maul stood upright, no longer slouching forward in a hunched posture.
"Formerly Darth, now just Maul." Maul replied, but now Sanzia was confused.
"Do you two know each other?" she asked, keeping her blaster trained on the Sith Assassin.
"We've never met but I know all about him. He's a Sith Lord!" Hisari stated but Maul chuckled in amusement.
"Oh yes, a Sith Lord. Mortal enemies of the Jedi. But I believe that we are more alike than you think, little horn. You are not of the Jedi, and I am not of the Sith. We have both been rejected by our kind." Maul said, Hisari looking confused and contemplative, lowering her lightsaber slightly.
"Wait, you're ex-Sith? How'd that happen? What did they do to you?" Sanzia asked as Maul let out a huff of derision.
"The Sith, the Sith took everything from me. They ripped me from my mother's arms, murdered my brother, used me as a weapon and then cast me aside. Once I had power...Now I have nothing." Maul explained, resting his left hand behind his back.
"Well, look, standing around isn't getting us out of here. Now come on. Killing is forbidden here anyway." Sanzia said as Hisari begrudgingly deactivated her lightsaber but didn't sheath it.
"I agree. The path I have traveled has been fraught with danger. We should stick together." Maul said as he picked up his cane, carrying it as he followed after her, passing Hisari who kept a wary eye on the Sith Assassin. Hisari caught up to him, staring at him suspiciously.
"Why are you even bothering with this, this…test? What do you stand to gain from it?" Hisari asked as Maul sneered but not at her.
"My motives are complicated. I seek revenge against the Empress, but I cannot defeat her alone." Maul replied.
"I saw your wanted posters by the way. They said you were likely traveling with two other Sith. Darth Lumiya and a Nightsister named Silri." Hisari explained.
"Yes-yes my Apprentices. They are elsewhere at present, performing their own tasks for the benefit of our…'benefactor.'" Maul groaned, openly despising the mysterious employer.
"Great." Hisari mumbled, relieved they weren't present but worried that they were in the employ of the same person. They soon reached a turn in the hallway. As they rounded a corner, Maul quickly reached out and grabbed Sanzia by the shoulder, pulling her back.
"Wait! Mind your step!" Maul warned, Sanzia quickly shining her illuminator down in time to see that the floor just inches from her foot was missing, a large spike pit covering the bottom of the drop between them and the other end of the hall, a flight of stairs leading down on the other side. There were a couple of bodies already in the pit from failed mercenaries that had tried to jump the gap.
"Dead end. We'll have to find another way around." Sanzia said with a huff.
"I think I can make it. My Master said I'd gotten pretty good at this kind of thing." Hisari said, stepping back towards the wall before rushing forward, taking a powerful leap into the air, her arms stretched out. She fell just short but managed to grab onto the ledge with both hands.
"Hisari!" Sanzia shouted but Hisari managed to climb up onto the ledge.
"I'm fine! I made it! Now, you jump too sis, I'll catch you!" Hisari said as Sanzia looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you kidding?! I couldn't make that jump if I tried!" Sanzia yelled over to her.
"Then don't try. Do." Maul said, confusing Sanzia.
"Huh?" she asked, looking at him.
"The Jedi are my enemy, but even on something so basic, Jedi and Sith Teachings align. I know what your sister intends and you need to trust her. Do. Never try. Do." Maul said as Sanzia swallowed her fear, taking a nervous few steps back, crouching down slightly, Maul stepping out of the way, Hisari getting a strong footing with her arms ready to react. Sanzia then came running forward, making a running jump but only made it halfway across, Hisari quickly throwing her hands forward with a look of concentration, Sanzia suddenly beginning to float mere inches over the sharpened spikes.
"Yes! Good! That's it! Now, pull her towards you!" Maul called as Hisari clinched her eyes shut, struggling to concentrate and keep her sister aloft while pulling her closer. Sanzia was remaining deathly still, one of the spikes perilously close to her throat.
"She's...getting heavier!" Sanzia strained as Maul scowled.
"Don't you fear letting her fall?! Don't you fear it?! Pull her across!" Maul yelled, Hisari's eyebrows furrowing in anger from Maul's calling.
"Stop…yelling!" she yelled back, Hisari now only a few feet from the edge.
"I can sense your fear, little one! You fear me! You fear losing your sister!" Maul taunted, Hisari letting out a scream of panic.
"NOOOO!" she yelled, Sanzia suddenly getting yanked up and towards Hisari, tumbling to the ground just over her sister's shoulder. Maul smirked at the sight, pleased from what he had witnessed. Hisari looked and saw Sanzia quickly feeling herself over in shock as Hisari quickly ran over and embraced her.
"Are you alright?!" Hisari asked, Sanzia quickly pulling her sister away slightly, her hands on her shoulders.
"Forget about me, what was that you just did?!" Sanzia asked as Hisari took a breath.
"I used the Force." She replied.
"The Force?" Sanzia asked as Maul easily leapt the gap, landing perfectly on the other side.
"It is that which gives us power. I have it, your sister has it…and I sense that you have it as well, Sanzia Bow." Maul said as Sanzia rose to her feet, looking at the Sith Assassin curiously.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Sanzia, you've told me before. You can sometimes see things before they happen, right? A sort of premonitory ability. That is the Force working in and through us. It is an energy field created by all living things." Hisari explained.
"It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the Galaxy together. Those that wield it, can gain access to great and limitless power." Maul added, earning a scowl from Hisari.
"It's not about that. It's about understanding, wisdom, seeking and maintaining balance both within and without." Hisari argued, earning a roll of the eyes from the Sith Assassin.
"The idiotic preaching of the Jedi. Spare me their prattle. Let us move on." Maul remarked as they started to follow him down the flight of steps.
"Wait, so I've got this Force like you two do. Then why can't I do anything like what Hisari did just now?" Sanzia asked.
"Because I've spent years learning how. It takes a lot of concentration and my training wasn't complete when I left the Order." Hisari replied as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the passage curving sharply to the right.
"But it is never too late, to learn." Maul said, turning towards them with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Sanzia asked.
"I can teach you how to use the Force, to become stronger, more powerful. Imagine how easy it would be to use the Force to subdue even some of the most dangerous of criminals." Maul offered but Sanzia crossed her arms over her chest.
"Thanks but no thanks. If anyone's going to show me anything to do with the Force, it'll be my little sister. Not some washed up old Sith Lord." Sanzia said, earning an annoyed scowl from Maul, the Sith Assassin holding his cane with two hands in front of him.
"Washed up, you say?" Maul asked, sneering slightly, Hisari reaching for her lightsaber, worried Maul would do something. They were interrupted by the sound of blaster fire echoing down the hall ahead of them. They looked and saw Embo and Herian rushing towards them from around a corner, sliding to a stop.
"Get ready for trouble!" Herian warned, drawing her blasters and spinning away from them, Embo raising his bowcaster. Sanzia and Hisari raised their blasters, a loud metallic ringing echoing through the halls ahead of them, getting closer before a pair of Mk. II Destroyer Droids rounded the corner. Maul recognized the machines and quickly pulled the bottom of his cane off, revealing his lightsaber, activating both blades before rushing in between the droids and the Bounty Hunters. The droids unfurled and started firing at them.
"I'll hold them off! Move!" Maul yelled as he deflected their shots, Embo, Sanzia, and Herian firing back at the droids.
"We're trapped here! There's nowhere else to go!" Sanzia argued as Hisari grimaced, pulling her lightsaber and rushing forward, igniting both of the orange blades, beginning to deflect along with Maul.
"No! There is a way out! Forward!" Hisari argued.
"You nuts?! Those things have shields!" Herian yelled over the sounds of the blaster fire.
"Not for long! ARRRGH!" Hisari yelled, using the Force to shove one of the Destroyers back, the droid forcibly returning to its rolling form, rolling backwards until it hit the back wall, the shields deactivating in the process.
"Shoot it! Shoot it now!" Maul yelled, the Bounty Hunters firing at the furled droid, destroying it but the other remained. Maul quickly used the Force to shove the other one back, the Bounty Hunters destroying this one as well. With the droids destroyed, Maul and Hisari deactivated their lightsabers, Maul giving Hisari a respectful nod.
"Very good, young one. I shall watch you with great interest." Maul said, turning to come face to bowcaster with Embo. Embo made an angered statement towards Maul in his native tongue.
"Oh yes, I remember you as well. It was during the Clone Wars, on Nal Hutta, wasn't it?" Maul asked, the Kyuzo Bounty Hunter speaking back to him harshly. Herian then lowered Embo's bowcaster for him.
"Knock it off. There's no killing, remember?" Herian asked, holstering her blasters.
"Come on, we've got a maze to get out of." Sanzia said as they started to follow Herian back down the corridor she and Embo had emerged from.
…
Back up in the tower, the observers were watching a live feed of the recent fight in addition to the holo-map of the Labyrinth.
"The applicants are beginning to group up. Only Sing and Montross are not in a group." The elegantly dressed man said.
"I find it interesting that the Force users are working together. According to my information, they are both from opposing factions." 8T88 commented.
"Confirmed. The applicant identified as Maul is of the Sith, while the applicant identified as Hisari Bow is of the Jedi. Their cooperation is unexpected." Kalani added.
"Their presence was needed for a part of the Labyrinth that is most important. The part that I seek to witness." Fenrir said as Bossk hissed with approval.
"Ssssssshould we release the beasssssssst?" Bossk asked, anxiously.
"I believe a sufficient enough amount of time has passed. Release the beast." The hooded figure ordered, the elegantly dressed man entering a few commands into the console in front of him. Instantly a large yellow dot appeared on the holographic display on one of the levels of the Labyrinth near the bottom.
…
Inside the Labyrinth the Bounty Hunters reached the bottom of another pair of steps when they heard a monstrous roar echo through the halls.
"That doesn't sound good." Sanzia said, checking her rifle. Embo said something that sounded grim in response.
"No, I know this feeling. It is of the Dark Side." Maul said softly, his face contorted in thought and suspicion.
"I'm getting that feeling too, and it's a bad one." Hisari added as they pressed on. They then heard a monstrous howling coming from up ahead but this was different from the roar a moment ago.
"Now that sound I know! Vornskrs!" Hisari exclaimed, pulling her blaster as they charged down the hall. They heard cries of pain along with the sound of Vornskrs barking and howling. They rounded a corner and saw one of the other bounty hunters backing away from one of the hallway entrances, firing his blaster down the hall but was suddenly pounced and mauled by one of the Vornskrs, the beast ripping the bounty hunters throat out before turning its attention to the others.
"Kill it!" Herian yelled, the Bounty Hunters firing at the beast which nimbly started charging towards them, evading their shots. Maul and Hisari ignited their lightsabers while Sanzia pulled her electrostaff, the Vornskr pouncing at Maul but getting launched back in midair by a Force Push from the Sith Assassin. The Vornskr landed on its paws, snarling at the others, three more Vornskrs rounding the corner to attack. One of them pounced on Hisari, forcing her to the floor and was about to maul her face when it was shot through the head by Herian. Another attempted to pounce Embo but he quickly bowed forward, using his helmet to deflect the beast's strike before quickly popping up and firing a couple rounds from his bowcaster into the creature. The other two started to charge but one was knocked to the side with the business end of Sanzia's electrostaff, the staff striking it in the head, dazing it long enough for Maul to decapitate it with his lightsaber. The fourth crouched down in an attempt to charge when it was suddenly shot clear through the head from down the adjoining hallway. They were surprised by the sudden attack and soon saw the originator, looking to see Kazor emerge alone from down the hallway, resting his blaster rifle on his shoulder.
"Oh…goodie." He mumbled sarcastically when he saw the others.
"Is it just you, Montross?" Herian asked as they approached him.
"Yeah. Found a lot of bodies. You lot are the first ones I've found that are still kicking." Kazor said before turning back towards the hall he'd just emerged from.
"Guess the Labyrinth is proving more fatal than I expected. We must be getting close." Maul said as they started down the hall.
"Well don't everybody thank me at once for saving your sorry shebs." Kazor grumbled as he fell in with the others, finding another downward staircase.
"I wonder how many have made it out." Hisari commented.
"I would be surprised if anyone has made it out." Sanzia added, Embo voicing his agreement as they stepped out of the stairway into a hallway that was larger and more spacious than the rest.
"Is this the bottom floor?" Herian asked, studying their surroundings.
"I would imagine so. But I sense something else. Something rank with the Dark Side, something…hungry." Maul said, visibly ill at ease.
"A rancor? Krayt Dragon? Rakghoul? Rathtar?" Sanzia asked worriedly.
"Worse." Maul replied, igniting one of his lightsaber blades for illumination, bathing the hall in a red glow. A large door suddenly slammed down over the passage back to the staircase, trapping them in the hall.
"Anything useful in that bucket on your head?" Herian asked Kazor who shook his head.
"My helmet scanners can't pick up anything. The walls in this place are scrambling the scanner waves." Kazor said as they headed down one of the halls. They then rounded a corner where Hisari spotted something.
"Over here!" she called, hurrying to shine her illuminator onto the object but quickly recoiled when she found it was the half eaten lower torso of a humanoid.
"Definitely not a rathtar. Rathtars don't to leave scraps behind, especially not ones this big." Sanzia commented before another roar echoed through the halls.
"It's coming." Maul commented. They then heard a series of rapid blaster shots up ahead. They then saw Aurra emerge from around one of the corners, firing both her blaster pistols rapidly at something around the corner before turning and running away from it just seconds before a large hand smashed into the ground where she'd been standing.
"MOVE!" Aurra yelled as a massive beast, similar to a rancor but with large sheets of plate armor, a large armored fringe on its head, tusks on either side of its mouth, its eyes glowing red, and maw dripping with venom. Maul recognized the beast immediately.
"A Terentatek!" he gasped, the Bounty Hunters firing at the towering beast but their blaster shots didn't do a thing against its armored hide.
"You cannot win against this thing! Run!" Maul yelled, he and the Bounty Hunters running away from the creature which roared as it came after them.
"It's gaining!" Kazor yelled, the Terentatek beginning to close the distance. They saw the tunnel ahead of them branch off in two directions.
"Split up!" Aurra yelled as she, Maul, and the Bow sisters broke off to the right while Embo, Herian, and Kazor went left, the Terentatek crashing into the wall, confused for a moment before looking around, sniffing the air in confusion. Hisari looked over her shoulder as she ran, looking to see the Terentatek eventually turn towards her and the other four, letting out a roar as it started chasing them.
"It's after us!" Hisari exclaimed.
"Fantastic!" Sanzia yelled sarcastically.
"Any idea how to kill that thing old man?!" Aurra asked as Maul grimaced, the four rounding a corner which led into a narrow passage way where they had to move in single file.
"It is a beast made from Sith Alchemy, I know not how to destroy it, only that it is likely chasing us because of the one thing we all have in common." Maul said as they emerged out into another larger tunnel but they could see further down the hall that it was a dead end. The four came to a stop to catch their breath.
"And that would be because of what exactly?" Aurra asked as Maul took a breath.
"The Force. Each of us is strong with the Force. We presented a more appealing meal than the other three." Maul said as Aurra scoffed.
"I'm no Jedi. I turned on them decades ago." Aurra said with a scowl.
"But that does not erase your connection to the Force. I wouldn't be surprised if you've used it to your advantage throughout your career. The Terentatek does not care whether we are Jedi, Sith, or unaffiliated with either one. It only hungers for Force Sensitive beings." Maul said as they heard the Terentatek roaring on the other side of the narrow passage, hearing it starting to pound on the walls.
"And I'm guessing the four of us are a veritable bounty." Sanzia commented as Hisari nodded.
"We need a plan to get past that thing." Hisari said as they saw large cracks appearing in the wall from where the Terentatek was pounding on it from the other side.
"And soon!" Sanzia said as Aurra scoffed.
"I've got a plan. It's abandon the three of you and make a break for it on my own." Aurra said, preparing her blaster pistols.
"Your honesty is less than refreshing." Sanzia mumbled, raising her blaster rifle at the wall, trickles of dust falling from the ceiling. Hisari however had a better idea.
"Wait, that's it! What if we all made a break for it! Fire at it to keep the beast's attention while we all go different directions." Hisari said as she drew her blaster pistol from its holster.
"It is a risk but it might work." Maul said as he ignited his lightsaber blades, the four lining up with weapons raised towards the wall.
"We move once that wall comes down!" Sanzia said as Aurra scoffed.
"Speak for yourselves! I'm going with or without you!" Aurra replied just as the Terentatek smashed through the wall, Hisari, Sanzia, and Aurra opening fire while rushing towards it with Maul close behind. The Terentatek reached for Sanzia who tried to evade but was grabbed in its claw.
"Sanzia!" Hisari exclaimed, Sanzia struggling to get free as the Terentatek started to raise her towards its mouth. Sanzia couldn't move, her electrostaff falling from her hand towards the floor. The Terentatek was about to bite down on her but suddenly recoiled with a pained roar, dropping her, Sanzia landing at its feet near her staff. She looked up to see Hisari had stabbed her lightsaber in between some of the plates on the beast's leg. Sanzia quickly grabbed her staff and ran forward beneath the beast with Hisari close behind where Maul was waiting for them, Aurra having run on ahead.
"Hurry!" he yelled as the Terentatek started to turn towards them but Maul pushed against the beast with the Force, causing it to stagger backwards with a startled roar, allowing Maul to join the others in fleeing from the beast. They soon reached the intersection where they'd initially split up, hurrying around the corner to find the other three Bounty Hunters waiting at a large metal door.
"Open the door!" Aurra yelled.
"It needs a jump charge! The circuits are older than Jabba's Mother!" Herian argued, Sanzia quickly pulling her electrostaff, activating it as they heard the roar of the Terentatek approaching.
"Here, let's see if this helps!" she said as she held the end of her staff near the exposed circuitry, the charge in her staff providing enough of a jump charge to the controls, allowing the panel to light up. Kazor quickly threw the switch to the door controls, the door starting to slowly raise itself upward, revealing the Teth wilderness on the other side. At the same time, the Terentatek appeared in the hallway, roaring at its prey.
"MOVE!" Maul yelled, the Bounty Hunters running towards the opening door as fast as they could. Kazor took off on his jetpack, flying first through the door before landing in a slide, turning towards the Terentatek and firing off the rocket from his jetpack, the rocket smashing into the beast's armored head, causing it to stagger back as the rocket exploded on impact. Soon all of the bounty hunters had escaped, but the Terentatek was still approaching.
"How do we stop that thing?!" Sanzia asked before noticing the door controls.
"I've got an idea!" running back towards the Labyrinth and the Terentatek.
"Hisari get back here!" Sanzia exclaimed.
"If she wants to get herself eaten, let her!" Kazor mumbled, Embo voicing his agreement. Hisari slid to a stop about half way between them and the door, raising a hand towards the controls as the Terentatek began to reach the doors. She was trying to pull the lever with the Force to close the door but the lever was rusted in place.
"Hisari! Get out of there!" Sanzia yelled but Hisari didn't move, straining to try and move the lever. She was surprised when the lever suddenly gave way and pulled, the door suddenly falling freely back towards the ground, the door slamming down onto the Terentatek, the door smashing it and causing it to turn back inside, the door slamming to the ground with a loud thud, trapping the beast inside. Hisari then looked to her side and saw Maul standing next to her, his hand raised towards the door. At that point, she realized that Maul had helped to throw the switch. He looked down at her with a slight smile but said nothing.
"I suppose I should thank you." She mumbled but Maul's smile widened.
"Yes, you suppose correctly. You are indebted to me now, young one, and I have a very specific means of asking for repayment." Maul said before turning to join the others as a skiff carrying the elegantly dressed man and Bossk hovered down from the top and set down near them.
"Congratulations are in order to each of you for surviving the Labyrinth. As promised, each of you will have received credit transfers totaling in one million per head." The man said as the bounty hunters looked towards him. The man then stepped down the boarding ramp that extended from the skiff, approaching them.
"Also as promised, each of you have earned your place on the special team that is being put together for a very important mission. This mission will test your skills and your ability to deal with various threats and the reward for this mission's completion will be in the area of two million per head, assuming the mission is successful. You will all be briefed on the details aboard the carrier. Come, our shuttle awaits." The man said, motioning for the Bounty Hunters to follow. They started to silently file onto the skiff but as they did, Hisari couldn't help but keep her eyes fixed on Maul who seemed to be ignoring her now, standing near the front of the skiff as it took off, heading back towards the top of the mesa.
Back on the carrier…
The Bounty Hunters and Bossk had gathered on the bridge of the carrier, the elegantly dressed man standing on a slightly elevated platform as holograms of General Kalani and 8T88 were projected via separate astromechs.
"You are to be commended for your efforts. As you are the only survivors of the Labyrinth, you have earned your rewards as well as this unique opportunity." The man said as he stepped aside, allowing a Neimodian Mechno-chair to move forward, projecting a hologram of a young human woman with long hair in a ponytail.
"Familiarize yourselves with this woman. She is Doctor Jerine Roa. At present, she is in the custody of the Jedi Order. As such, no actions are to be taken against her at this time. Eventually, she will have to leave the Jedi's protection, and when she does, that is when all of you, along with the support of our benefactor's ships, will move in and apprehend her." The man explained.
"A doctor? You assembled us, put us through that gauntlet just to kidnap some doctor?!" Aurra asked, outraged.
"One that's protected by Jedi. There's something more to this." Kazor said as the man gave a nod.
"That is correct but irrelevant. What is relevant is that our benefactor is willing to pay you each handsomely for her retrieval. There are a number of variables involved with this, but rest assured, there is a possibility of great danger. That is why Lord Maul was sent in to join you in the Labyrinth, to prove he was capable of what we need of him." The man explained as Maul sneered slightly.
"So you bring in a Sith Lord to fight Jedi. Smart move, but there's more than one way to skin Jedi." Herian commented.
"That'sssssssss true." Bossk added as one of the bridge officers approached the man.
"Sir, we're prepared to make the jump to lightspeed." The officer reported as the man gave a nod.
"Where are we going?" Sanzia asked, suspicious.
"At present, I am not at liberty to say the name of the system, but I can inform you that we are taking you to the Circle of Influence, our benefactor's flagship and staging area for your eventual mission to apprehend Dr. Roa. I recommend you make whatever preparations you need to for transfer to the vessel. You will be operating out of there until your mission. You will be compensated accordingly for any lost opportunities of course." The man explained as the Bounty Hunters looked at each other in satisfaction.
"We're in." Herian said as the man smiled approvingly.
"Very good. Captain, engage hyperdrive." The man said, Hisari looking worried as the ship jumped to lightspeed, leaving Teth behind.
Meanwhile…
On the Sith Capital World, Darth Akul was seated upon her throne as Darth Fenrir entered, approaching the foot of the stairs leading up to her throne, before dropping to one knee.
"You summoned me, my Master." He said as Akul rose to her feet.
"I received a very interesting report from the Assemblage recently. They said you had requisitioned some of their cloning equipment taken to the Dreshdae facility on Korriban. Explanation, please." Akul demanded, clearly displeased with the secrecy that Fenrir had kept.
"An experiment, my Master. An experiment to bring a celebrated symbol of the Sith back to life." Fenrir replied, pulling an imagecaster from his back pocket, projecting a hologram of a Terentatek.
"Behold, my Master, the Terentatek, the great Jedi Killer of the ancient Sith. Once thought extinct, but now, very much alive." Fenrir explained as Akul looked at him suspiciously.
"You mean to say…you cloned them." Akul said as Fenrir gave a nod.
"Yes, my Master. At this very moment, we have roughly a dozen of them, freshly cloned and in hibernation, ready to be unleashed upon our enemies at a moment's notice. The Jedi will be helpless against them." Fenrir explained as Akul stroked one of her lekku in contemplation for a moment.
"And how did you come by one to clone?" she asked.
"Through the use of one of the Galaxy's greatest huntsmen. Bossk the Trandoshan Bounty Hunter and Slaver, did not come cheaply, but he was definitely worth the price." Fenrir said as Akul shifted her jaw in annoyance.
"You have taken great liberties, Lord Fenrir, so for your sake, these beasts have better be worth the cost." Akul said as she sat back down in her throne.
"I assure you, my Master, they will be." Fenrir said, bowing before his Master.
Back on the carrier…
Hisari was sitting in the main hold of the Halo, trying to meditate, but her thoughts continued to drift back to Maul's last words to her on Teth…
"You are indebted to me now, young one, and I have a very specific means of asking for repayment." Maul had said. This unnerved Hisari greatly so when she heard the rapping on the metal paneling outside the ship she raised her blaster with a start, looking up to see the RA-7 droid from earlier standing outside the ship. The droid didn't even flinch as Hisari held the blaster on it for a second before sighing and lowering her weapon.
"Oh, sorry. What do you want?" she asked.
"Lord Maul wishes to speak with you on his vessel. He says to come at your earliest convenience." The droid said before turning and walking away. Hisari felt her heart jump up into her throat from fear. She took a breath as she rose to her feet, walking out of the Halo and towards the Scimitar. She looked up at the ship, looking up its boarding ramp into its darkened hold, the only light coming from inside being a sinister red light. She took another breath and started cautiously up the ramp, feeling the Dark Side beginning to cling to her clothes, a shiver running down her spine. As she reached the top of the ramp, she could see Maul seated in the pilot's seat in a meditative pose. She stepped inside, swallowing some air in fear, as Maul opened his eyes towards her with a dark smile, raising his hand slightly, causing the doors to slam shut behind her, causing her to jump in response.
"Now-now, you have no reason to fear me, young one. I told you that we were more alike than you thought. I am not Sith, you are not Jedi. We are the same. We are both outcasts, runaways, ostracized from our kind." Maul said as Hisari stood nervously before him.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, trying to be brave before the Sith Assassin. Maul sat back in his seat.
"I need your help, young one. What I wish to do, I cannot do alone. I need someone I can trust, someone I can count on to assist me, someone like…you." Maul said as Hisari looked at him curiously.
"What makes you think you can trust me?" Hisari asked, coyly. Maul merely smiled and chuckled.
"Oh I have every confidence that you will do as instructed. I would hate to see your sister fall to harm after all…or, do you fear more for the lives of your Jedi friends on Ossus than for that of your sister?" Maul said threateningly, causing Hisari's eyes to widen in alarm at the mention of Ossus.
"How did you-." She stammered.
"That is not important right now, my young friend. What is important, is that you tell me everything you know, about something that is of very grave importance to me." Maul said as Hisari looked at him curiously.
"Like what?" she asked, Maul allowing a dark smile to appear on his face.
"Kenobi." Maul replied.
"Kenobi?" Hisari asked, confused.
"That's right. Tell me all that you know about the Jedi Master known as Obi Wan Kenobi."
End Episode 15.
This episode ties into Season 1, Episode 2 where Bossk captured a large beast on Kashyyyk. It can be confirmed now that this beast was none other than a Terentatek.
8T88 is from the game Star Wars: Jedi Knight – Dark Forces II.
I had to bring back Embo from the Clone Wars though. The guy is just too much of a B.A. to be left out. I own Kazor Montross. And yes, Maul's "Old Master" persona was a reference to his appearance in Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels. Some of his lines are direct quotes even.