LOTF: Dark Matter/Chapter 3

Cade Slarwalker

Even though he was on a long-term mission to find out what Dylan had done to him as a child, take down his crime syndicate, and ultimately kill him, Cade had to admit he rather liked the Runner's Fortune. He'd never been in a ship so smooth, and as they jumped into hyperspace, Cade barely felt a difference. Cade sat in the co-pilot's seat of the ship, staring out the window as the starts blurred past him.

"Fortunately for you, this next deal should be pretty easy," Dylan informed Cade. "I've known this guy for ages, and we've made some pretty good arrangements over the years. I wouldn't even bring you, but it's a personal philosophy of mine to always keep my guard up. That's how I got this far."

"Who's the guy?" Cade inquired.

"Goes by the name of Lospeg. He was one of my main men in the CIS during the war. Guns, ships, computers, intel, you name it. Now that the war's over, he's selling off what he has left to the highest bidder. Today, however, he's got something special for me. You aren't gonna believe it."

"C'mon, don't leave me hanging."

"Get some rest, Cade. You'll need it for when we get there." Cade wanted to argue further, but he figured there was no good to come from pushing it. Besides, he really did need the rest.

...

The screen flashed to life in front of Asura once more.

Now she had to know. She typed in the phrase " ", and hit.

The first file that came up was some sort of dossier. First on the list was Praxon, a tough-looking purple Rodian. The file indicated his age, 33, and his "talent": Black ops, especially demolitions.

Second on the list was Kev Marnath, human, 26. Asura couldn't help but be charmed by some combination of his dark brown eyes, his tan skin, and his scruffy-but-in-just-the-right-way hair, even in the midst of her investigation. His "talent": Espionage.

The next item on the list was especially interesting, because it was a droid. "DX-245." A heavily modified B2 super battle droid, outfitted with a processor that had previously belonged to a droid commando that allowed it to operate autonomously. It also had a jetpack installed on its back, and customized weaponry on both arms. The right arm had a sniper mode, and the left could transform into a rotary blaster cannon or a small rocket launcher. Asura had never seen anything like it. The "talent" it had been chosen for was assassination, but Asura reckoned it could take down an entire army if need be. Properly awed, Asura finally shifted her attention to the last item on the list.

The name read. 21 years old, female Zabrak. Talent: Master slicer.

"What?" She thought to herself. She hadn't done anything to tip anyone off about her activities. Regardless, there she was, in a rather unflattering photo of her fixing a Sullustan's ship's engine, with smoke all over her face. Asura remembered that job--it had taken place when she was just starting out on Hutta as a mechanic for the Brotherhood. How long had they been watching her?

Asura figured it was time to learn all there was to know about Operation Supernova.

... Cade trudged through an icy cave beside Dylan. As their breath puffed in front of them, they finally reached an opening leading to a much wider space. What little light there was shined off the ice, giving illumination to the two figures in the room.

The first, Lospeg, was an elderly Geonosian. He was facing the droid, which Cade found far more interesting. It resembled an old super battle droid, but painted black and with some obvious weaponry modifications.

"Lospeg, my old friend!" Dylan warmly greeted the alien like everyone else Cade had seen him talk to. Lospeg turned to face Dylan, and they walked towards each other to shake hands. "Dylan!" Lospeg replied in a similar manner, surprising Cade. Geonosians weren't known to speak basic, and people weren't known to like Dylan.

"Got the money you wanted right here." Dylan pulled out a datapad finalizing the exchange of funds.

"Excellent." He replied. "I have the droid."

"I gotta say, I love your efficiency. However, today I brought along someone to impress. Mind giving up the specs?"

"Very well. This is DX-245, my greatest creation. Top-of-the-line processor allows for extended autonomous operation. He has a jetpack based off of the same design used by Republic troopers, but optimized for his weight."

"C'mon, get to the good part."

"Ah, yes. The weaponry. A sniper rifle, a rotary blaster cannon, and a small rocket launcher. All within the two arms. This droid alone could slay an army."

"So who are we throwing it at?" Cade asked.

"Oh, yeah... About that. 'Ya see, Cade, your brother dearest isn't as dead as I had figured. So now, I have to compensate. DX, terminate him."

The droid raised its left arm.

"Oh, and don't use any guns."

The arm was lowered.

Cade aimed his blaster at Dylan. "Not so-" DX charged him, using its jetpack to significantly boost its speed as it grabbed him and then threw him to the ground.

"Meet me at my ship when he's dead." Dylan ordered. He left, and Lospeg exited in the other direction.

Cade grabbed his blaster and fired off rapid shots that bounced off uselessly against DX's armor.

"Your weapons have no effect. You prolong your death." The droid's voice droned in a mechanical baritone.

Cade kept firing until at last all he heard was the click of the trigger. DX stood just inches in front of him, raising its fist for the killing blow. Cornered, Cade readied himself, but the blow never came.

"I don't have time," a worried female voice projected from DX, "Ragnan, Dylan, they have a plan. You need to find Dani Morrow and-"

The feed was cut short. DX stopped for a moment, then turned and walked away. Stunned, Cade stood and caught his breath. He needed a plan, and quick. Lospeg couldn't have gone far, maybe-

"HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" Hans yelled. He and Ranulph approached from the same direction Lospeg had exited from; Cade doubted there was any chance of catching him now. Hans quickly approached him with a blaster leveled just between the eyes. "Any last words?" He asked sinisterly. Before Cade could reply, Ranulph stepped between the two to intervene.

"Hans, why don't you think before you shoot for once? We need his info."

Hans looked at Cade and back to Ranulph a few times, weighing his options, before he finally sighed and lowered his weapon. Ranulph turned, raising his own.

"Now, you'd better start talking."