Chapter 17

by Carycomic

PLANET CHURBA

(10 B. B. Y.)

The first two arrows flew in the direction of the two cat-women. The third flew in the direction of Diana Themiscyra. The fourth flew straight at the costumed crusader called the Hawk-Batman. And the fifth. . .

. . .straight at Darth Vader.

Not unexpectedly, Selinka and Ch'tah were able to leap out of harm's way. While, at the same time, Harlek Wynn- -even under hypnosis- -was able to use her Force-enhanced battle prowess to intercept the third arrow with the head of her bloodwood mallet. Likewise, the Hawk-Batman wasted no time in swerving, aiming, and firing his confiscated blaster at the arrow intended for him. Thereby shrinking it into virtual non-existence.

Unfortunately, that diverted his attention from the Sith Lord, who used his skills in the Force to divert the arrow intended for him straight at the Hawk-Batman! The latter simply shrank that one, too. But, in the process, Vader used the Force (in conjunction with the strength-boosting nature of his prosthetic battle armor) to leap on to the roof the Tisshar Consulate. There, he withdrew his beckon-call device to signal for the TIE fighter escort that had been flying through the skies over the consulate, in a sub-orbital holding pattern, ever since his shuttle had touched down at the local spaceport.

Consequently, that pair of fighters came power-diving down, almost immediately! Their slave-circuited turbolasers strafing the ground, below and ahead of them, in lethal synchronicity. Prompting Diana Themiscyra to fly away on her confiscated swoop bike. Manipulating the handlebars with her left hand, while using her right arm to keep the hypnotized Nightsister seated behind her.

The Hawk-Batman similarly retreated. His boot-jets launching him skyward even as he turned holographically invisible. Meanwhile the two feline females simply split up. Running off in polar-opposite directions! But, judging from the way they had looked at each other, and nodded in unison, first? The half-Lorrdian knew they would rendezvous somewhere else, previously agreed upon, later.

Ten minutes later (once again holographically disguised as Bane Malar), Bruce Wayne contacted Alfred via scrambled subspace comm-link. The call, relayed by R5-D4 aboard the Tappratine, was answered almost immediately.

"Sir! Are you all right? HNN just issued a breaking story about a terrorist attack by the Rebel Alliance on Churba!"

"I'm fine, Alfred. That's just the usual Imperial propaganda. What's really important is that you contact Uncle Bail and inform him of the following. Black Sun (or some over-ambitious faction of same) has been smuggling glitterstim into the Hapes Cluster as payment for stolen weapons of Hapan manufacture. I just finished disassembling one such blaster that I confiscated back on Nar Shadda. And, based on what I just found, I deduce that these weapons are being modified using Columi psionic interfacers. . .inset with Imskian dragon-pearls."

"I'm afraid you have lost me, sir," confessed the protocol droid.

"The planet Imsk is home to a krayt dragon subspecies that has evolved a Force-like ability to shrink itself to the size of inconspicuous sand lizards in order to avoid off-world big game hunters. This has made their gizzard-pearls more sought after than any other variety. There are a lot of power-hungry plutocrats, in this galaxy, who think such gems will make them instant Force-sensitives!"

"But, what of the psionic interfacers, sir? I thought those devices merely facilitated telepathic communication between the Columi and their servant droids."

"That's where the modifications come in. Whatever effect these stolen blasters normally have has been altered. So that anyone beam-struck by one will shrink, or grow larger, literally at the shooter's will! "

"Great Maker have mercy!"

"It's therefore imperative that the Rebel Alliance find out who's in charge of this smuggling ring and put them out of business. Before the Empire gets hold of these weapons! Wayne, over and out."

Mirl Yinn had not even waited to see if any of his arrows struck their targets. Instead, he hurriedly left his sniping post to return to the staircase from which he had first gained access to the roof of the office building overlooking the Tisshar Consulate. Upon descending the stairs, he returned to the nearby turbolift and rode that all the way to the basement. And, upon disembarking, he returned to the sewer access hatch through which he had first gained entrance to the basement!

Five minutes later, he was ascending inside a smaller, much more secret turbolift to the private office of the consulate's chief commercial agent. Hel'ix Senob: a skeletal-looking Givin from the planet Yag'dhul.

The Myke bounty hunter wasted no time bluntly voicing his opinion, once again, on the whole plan.

"You really should've let me use a yaka arrow. I could have killed all five of them for real!"

The Givin shook his head. "Our orders were explicit. Merely keep all of them from comparing notes by having the Imps force them to split up!"

"That makes no sense," the Dark Archer bluntly replied.

Senob fixed his literally unblinking stare on the Myke.

"Don't presume you know better than the Supreme One! Giganta and Sinestro felt that way. And look what happened to them! Muster your patience and wait for the Supreme One to tell us his ultimate motivations. But only when he deems us good and ready to learn them!"

Meanwhile, Diana Themiscyra brought the swoop bike to a stop within the cargo hold of The Nightshrike. Ordering the hypnotized Harlek to dismount first, which the expatriate Nightsister did, as instructed. It was only after Diana, herself, had dismounted (following deactivation of the bike's repulsorlift engines) that the Hapan special agent saw they were not alone.

To her left stood a bare-chested male humanoid who appeared to be a mixed-blood Devaronian: Next to him stood a male Elomin who had apparently been a Sector Ranger for the Sertar Sector, at one time, based on just how faded the blue standard-issue uniform of that law enforcement body had become!

"I am Shatterstar of House Paramexor," announced the former. "I was hired by Prince Xizor, himself, to bring in the killer of one of his most valued employees. But, you and that other Huntress of House Renliss interfered with that. . .by abducting my female apprentice. A blatant double-violation of BHG rules!"

"That's why he subcontracted with me," the Elomin now explained. "I am Kao Na Shi. And, in the name of House Benelex, you are under arrest for kidnapping.*"

Whereupon, he hit the switch on what she had initially thought was just a simple club in a modified blaster holster. Only to see it telescope into a meter-long electrostaff!

tbc

*House Benelex: the branch of the Bounty Hunters' Guild that specializes in hostage rescue and retrieval of fugitive kidnappers.

Author's note: My apologies to all my loyal lurkers for the more-or-less two year-delay in posting updates. But, obviously, some forms of writer's block are harder to erode than others.-Carycomic