Star Wars: Safeguard/1-3

1

 * Bilbousa, Nal Hutta

Nal Hutta. Like it’s more infamous and well-known neighbor, Nar Shaddaa, the world was a seeming hive of scum and villainy. The Hutts ruled the planet with an iron fist, having enslaved the native Evocii several millennia earlier. Bounty hunters, criminals, and slavers, all came here to escape the persecution of the newly formed New Republic. These criminal elements had not yet given up hope; however, and in the murky, smog-filled streets of Bilbousa, the capital of the swamp covered world, certain elements were planning a strike that would shatter the New Republic’s new found equilibrium.

In the shadow of the grand spires of the Hutt palaces that dotted the capital city of Bilbousa, the native Evocii wandered the streets, searching for work and hawking their wares in the crowded marketplaces of the planet. The Evocii filled the streets, but were not the only ones who wandered along the grand avenues of Bilbousa. Humans, Weequay, Nikto, Rodians, t’landa Til, and members of many other races flooded through the streets of the murky, crime-infested city. It is here that our story begins. A story of a hero, his family, and his allies. A story that will be told by many generations in the years to come.

The crowded, smoggy marketplaces of Bilbousa were easily to get lost in. Many people wandered aimlessly, lost and afraid, but a lone human, dressed in simple robes hurried through the crowds of native Evocii, intent on reaching his destination. A small, metallic cylinder hung from his belt, and it marked him as a member of the New Jedi Order that had been founded by the force-sensitive hero of the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker. The Jedi continued his way through the crowded avenues of Bilbousa, pushing through the crowds of Evocii that swarmed around him. Several hawkish looking Evocii along the avenue attempted to persuade him to browse their wares, but he quickly shrugged off their attempts and continued on his way. A sense of urgency pervaded him as he turned down an alleyway, looking over his shoulder to make sure that he had not been followed.

A long braid descended from the Jedi’s head, marking him as a padawan learner. He had not yet reached the fabled position of Jedi Knight, and had been sent to Nal Hutta along with his master, Vima-Da-Boda, one of the few Jedi Masters who had survived the purging of the Jedi Order by Darth Sidious’ Galactic Empire at the end of the Clone Wars. The Jedi Council had dispatched them here from the Praxeum on Yavin IV to bargain with the Hutts for the release of New Republic soldiers who had been captured while scouting the system. However, no sooner had they disembarked their ship then they had been attacked by a gang of Nikto.

A sudden signal through the Force announced to the Padawan the death of his master who had stayed behind to attempt to fight off the Nikto. The reverberation of her death through the Force forced the young padawan to his knees, clenching his head in agony. Forcing himself up, the young padawan hurriedly began walking down the alleyway, heading towards a New Republic safe house in the Merchant Quarter.

The young padawan had been born as the son of the king and queen of the planet Artorias, but after the destruction of his homeworld by the Galactic Empire he had joined the New Jedi Order. After a brief period of tutelage under the founder of the New Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker, he had been chosen by Vima-Da-Boda to be her padawan learner. They had been on several successful missions together, and had gained a reputation among the Jedi as skilled warriors, but this had not been enough to save them from the Nikto who had attacked them in the spaceport. The padawan’s name was Finn Tapani.

The young padawan sprinted down the alleyway, his breath coming in ragged bursts. His feet skidded in slimy pools of toxic sludge and sentient waste that had been leaked into the alley from a nearby pipe. His nose was clogged with the scent of chemicals and sentient waste. He slipped, but using the power of the Force he caught his balance and ran on. To his left between the buildings, he caught a glimpse of the tall spires of one of the Hutt palaces that dotted the city. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, the minarets of the Hutt palace reflecting the faint gleam of dawn, but in the labyrinth of alleyways that crisscrossed between the spaceport and the Merchant Quarter it was still midnight.

His padawan learner’s braid plastered to his head with sweat, Finn headed away from the spaceport and north toward the Merchant Quarter. Every so often, he risked a glance over his shoulder. But he saw no one and the only footsteps he heard were his own.

Once he made the transmission he would be rescued. By the time the Nikto caught up with him he would be on a New Republic military dropship and on his way to the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. He paused in the mouth of the alley and bent forward straining for breath, one hand on his thigh, the other holding up the hems of his robes and preventing them from being soiled by the pools of toxic sludge that littered the street.

Finn expanded his Force senses, searching for anyone following him. A sudden spike of adrenaline in another being at the other end of the alley radiated through the Force. Finn turned around, and glimpsed a tall Nikto in full battle-armor appear at the other end of the alley and begin running torwards him. The young padawan turned and ran.

He zigzagged between buildings, intent on losing those footsteps now echoing his own. But his pursuer was dogged and the distance between them was closing. The entrance to the Merchant Quarter was rising ahead. His hand tightened around his lightsaber. It meant safety, whether he would live or die in the upcoming conflict between him and his pursuer that he was certain was approaching. Finn darted down a narrow passage between two rows of warehouses.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally reached the New Republic safe house. Throwing open the door, Finn darted inside, and activated the safe house’s security system. That would by him the time to send the transmission, but his dogged pursuers would no doubt eventually find a way past the security locks on the door.

The padawan hurried over to a terminal in the corner of the room. Finn hurriedly typed in several commands and composed a brief message explaining what he and his master had discovered on one of the dead bodies of their attackers, detailed plans for the assassination of the first non-human to actually have a chance at becoming the leader of the New Republic, the Supreme Chancellor.

Finn entered a few more commands, encrypting the message. Hopefully the Nikto would have no knowledge of New Republic encryption codes, but if they did they could track the message to the New Republic Guard Headquarters on Coruscant. That would be bad, but it was risk that Finn was willing to take to make sure that this information was at least received.


 * <> the Nikto yelled, banging on the door.

Finn turned around as he heard the whirr of an electronic lock slicer begin to cut through the locks on the door. Igniting his lightsaber in a brilliant beam of blue, Finn turned to face the door ready to assault his attackers when they entered the door. A beep came from the console, confirming that the message had been sent and received.

Finn knew that help would not arrive soon enough, and prepared to die with honor. The whirring of the lock slicer ended, and the door suddenly burst open, fogging the room with smoke. The Nikto entered the room cautiously, scanning the area for signs of the Jedi. Finn suddenly sprung into action, leaping from beside the console into the midst of his pursuers. Hacking and slicing, Finn managed to kill two of the Nikto, but was caught off guard when the butt of a blaster rifle slammed into his neck.

Klaatu Barada strode through the wreckage that had once been the door to the warehouse. Stepping over the dead bodies of his soldiers that had been felled by the Jedi’s deadly lightsaber, Klaatu approached the unconscious form of the Jedi that he had been ordered to apprehend by his master. The Jedi had put up quite a fight. Seven of his men were either dead or dying, and several more had been injured. If it hadn’t been for his lieutenant, Niktus Mon’s, quick thinking the situation might have gotten out of hand very quickly.

The Nikto captain gazed at the unconscious Jedi. This boy, probably in his late twenties, had just killed several of his finest men. Though they were enemies, Klaatu respected the Jedi for both the fight and chase he had given them. His master’s orders had been to retrieve the information and bring the Jedi back alive, but he knew of the horrors that awaited the Jedi in his master’s palace. Out of respect for the Jedi’s skill and bravery, he was willing to ignore his master’s orders.

Klaatu slowly drew his blaster pistol out of his holster, and taking careful aim, shot the Jedi repeatedly in the back of his head, ending his life and any threat he might have posed if he had regained consciousness. Putting his gun back in his holster, Klaatu briskly strode over the terminal in the corner of the room where his analysts and slicers were busy trying to retrieve the information that the Jedi had stolen.

Klaatu gazed over the shoulders of his slicer, and saw that the Jedi had managed to send an encrypted transmission to Coruscant, but what it contained and who he had sent it to were still unknown. In his gut, the Nikto captain knew that the transmission contained the plans for the upcoming assassination. Swearing to himself, Klaatu walked back outside and pulled out his comlink.

A small, shimmering hologram of his master appeared on the rounded surface of the communications device.
 * <> his master answered
 * <> Klaatu replied, careful not to reveal the truth about the Jedi’s death.
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