After his clash with Ateyru, Xol has confined himself to his quarters aboard the Wayfarer transport while Dex and the rest of the crew continue to coordinate their efforts with their newfound guide, Han Solo.
After a smooth departure from Ord Mantell and Worlport, the pair of vessels led by the Millennium Falcon plunge headlong into hyperspace.
In transit, the crew of the Wayfarer is unsure of many things. Where are they going they wonder and what is going to happen to Xol?
The questions aren’t nearly as troubling as the answers they may find when they reach their destination…
Xol sits in his room, his armuor strewn about; still seething with the anger he was filled with when he ripped it off days ago. His mind struggles to make sense of life as he stares blankly as his assemblage of holocrons laid on the floor before him. Like a panel of judges silently questioning his fate they glimmer and gleam in the pale light of his room. Deactivated, their voices are still but Xol cannot escape one that seeps into his consciousness like a viscous liquid of cruelty and malice.
“Why do you struggle with your decision Xol?” the dark voice of Chaos says mockingly. “You know as well as I that that Jedi was going to impede your plans to overthrow the Empire. He had to die.”
“Not like that! No Jedi deserves to perish in such ways!” Xol screams aloud, his voice crashing against the wall as a wave of outrage.
“Need I remind you, who you really are and where you come from Yautja or do you not recall what you did to Dark Lady Aranna aboard Count Raxus’ ship?”
“She was my enemy, the Jedi are not my enemy!”
“Well if Ateyru was not your enemy or some prey for you, then why did you kill him?”
“He was in my way!” Xol screams. “Why didn’t he just stand aside?”
“Finally Master Xol, a moment of pure truth. You hide from it too often. You hid from it when you served Dark Lord Blades’ motives and you hid from it in the guise of a Jedi. Accept your true nature, become the very animal you know you are and unleash your true power!”
“Never!” the Yautja shouts.
“Why resist Xol, it is not as if I am forcing you to behave this way. You have always been this way, only now you no longer restrain yourself with some other lesser creature’s dogmatic code of conduct. Stop running and hiding lost one and forge your own path.”
“You are right spirit, I really should make my own destiny and on my terms.”
“Precisely Xol, this is what I have been saying all along.”
“Do you know what one does not require when embarking on a new journey of this kind?”
“What might that be, warrior?”
“A guide.”
With a look of delight washing over his face, Xol begins disassembling his custom lightsaber with the Force. Its scattered components hover around one another leaving the black crystal exposed, its heart still swirling with the red crystal core.
“What are you doing Xol?” the dark voice asks troubled.
“Just as you said spirit, I am being true to my nature.”
Just as he had before when he formed the crystal, Xol focuses his power and mind onto the crystal itself. Objects that are not fixed in place begin to levitate and spin around the room. A shriek streams from the crystal as the black elements are separated from the red.
As it parts, Xol can hear the cries of the entity that is contained within. “You have no idea what you are doing! I am the infinite power of the Dark Side! You are throwing away a tremendous gift! You cannot succeed in your mission without me!”
Ignoring the pleas from the dark force inside his mind, Xol separates the crystals, leaving a black shard floating in the air in front of him while the red one remains in the lightsaber’s housing.
“Now wretched creature,” Xol utters with a growl in his throat. “There are no more chances, no advice of long dead Jedi telling me to keep you in my company. There are no more lies, torture, and manipulation. There will be peace.”
As the dark spirit utters a final scream, Xol using all his might, cracks the onyx colored piece down its center and in one sure crushing motion with his hand, the crystal is shattered into pieces so small it becomes a near invisible powder in the air. A great feeling of mobility fills the Yautja as he feels as though he has removed a great weighted chain from his mind.
His newfound freedom renews him with zeal as he reassembles his lightsaber and dons his neglected armor. Once outfitted completely he exits his room door and makes his way to the cargo bay where the prisoners are being kept.
Each crewmember he passes is shocked to see him and takes a moment to watch him in silent curiosity as he makes his way passed. Upon entering the bay, he is met by more surprised glances from Qiin and Booma whom are guarding Darth Maul and Mok Sur Tinn. Maul sensing the approach of the powerful Yautja, has a malicious smile on his face as he stares down the fallen Jedi. The Sith Lord is restrained by powerful cargo cables and suspended from the ceiling by his arms.
“Qiin, Booma leave and take Mok with you.”
“Master?” Qiin asks confused.
“Do not question me girl,” Xol replies firmly. “This Sith scum and I have some business to discuss. The Neimodian was a hostage and he has served his purpose. So you can do one of two things, either take him to the galley and eat comfortably or throw him out the nearest airlock, it makes little difference to me.”
As the Nautolan begrudgingly drags Mok down the hall, he pleads with her and Booma, desperately trying to convince them not to discard him into space. As their voices disappear behind closing compartment doors, Xol begins to speak.
“Rumor has it that you fight against this new emperor and his forces. Is this true Maul?”
“Yes it’s true,” the Dark Lord says with a scowl. “But why should this matter to you Jedi filth? My compatriots and I am no more an ally to you than your order is an ally of mine. Do not expect your interrogation to yield any results, I will not tell you anything!”
“I am dead to the Jedi and they are dead to me. I belong to no one but myself, and I personally want to see this Empire fall. Now, it seems that you and I have similar goals in mind and I propose we work together. I have bested you in combat twice now, but that does not make you an inferior warrior just one that has known loss. Loss is the only way to gain insight into what can be done differently.”
“You are lying, Jedi!” Darth Maul snaps. “You honestly want me to believe that you have betrayed your order and still want to fight the Empire as you did before? You are trying to manipulate me. You are trying to stop us and I won’t let you or the rest of you Jedi scum. I will escape before you release me.”
“Is that so Maul?” Xol says as he draws his two lightsabers.
“Just as I had suspected from the beginning,” the Sith laughs. “You’re going to kill me because I won’t tell you anything of value. Do your worst Jedi, I am prepared to die.”
“Such a shame really,” Xol says as he slashes at the cables holding Maul up.
A look of shock appears on the Sith Lord’s face as he falls into a pile on the floor.
“Master Xol I do not understand,” Darth Maul asks, as he scrambles out of the tangled cable. “Why have you freed me?”
“I told you, I wish for you to join me in my endeavor. Do you honestly think I would have let you live this long otherwise?”
“What do you ask of me?”
“Contact your associates and tell them to rendezvous with us when we arrive at our next checkpoint before our final destination. There, we will need their help in starting a different kind of rebellion against this new emperor. One where the rebels are not a group of undisciplined rabble but a strong military force capable of seizing power.”
“You think you are the one to take the emperor’s place?”
“Absolutely not, I am no politician, however every cause needs a leader and given my experience against the Empire, I will be the one to place the right replacement on the throne thus crushing this emperor once and for all.”
“What of the remaining members of the Alliance and your beloved Jedi Order?”
“I shall do to them what they have done to me. Their usefulness has elapsed and they too will be forgotten. Now Maul, do we have an agreement or do I have to jettison you with the rest of the trash?”
“I would be most honored to stand beside you, Master Xol.”
“Excellent, now do as I have asked so that we may begin preparations.”
Leaving Darth Maul alone in the cargo bay, Xol makes his way back down the halls to the common area where everyone is enjoying a bit of respite and a warm meal. As the Yautja steps into the room, they all stop what they are doing and look to him, waiting for some sort of command. Looking at the table, he sees Mok Sur Tinn shaking with fear as the cold, dark eyes of Xol’s helmet train on him.
“Tinn,” the Yautja barks. “You have much property yes?”
“I have some things,” the Neimodian stammers. “Oddities for the most part, nothing really of value to…”
“Enough Tinn!” Xol yells, interrupting. “Qiin and I both know you are lying. If you do not wish for me to overturn my apprentice’s decision to spare your life you will surrender all of your possessions and invest them in our cause. If you do not accept these terms, I will kill you and take it. However, if you are as smart a Neimodian as I think you are, you will know that once we succeed you stand to gain substantially more upon our victory over the Empire.”
“Agreed Master Jedi, I would be a fool not to accept.”
“Wompit,” Xol commands. “You and Booma go and watch Darth Maul in the loading area. He has also decided to join us.”
“Can he be trusted master?” Qiin inquires.
“My apprentice, no one can be trusted in this galaxy but we have made an arrangement that is mutually beneficial. Tell Dex to advise Captain Solo of a delay at our next waypoint, there we will take on more passengers.”
“Passengers, master?”
“New recruits in our effort, you need not concern yourself with the details my apprentice.”
Hesitating before nodding in acceptance, Qiin proceeds to the cockpit leaving Xol alone with Mok Sur Tinn in the common area.
“How long will it take Neimodian for your items to arrive?” The towering Yautja inquires.
“No more than a day,” Tinn utters nervously. “I have private couriers that I can entrust them to and have delivered.”
“When Qiin returns, send your message, and we will wait for one day. If it takes longer than that Mok, I will personally throw you into the nearest star and watch you burn.”
Xol leaves the common area on his way back toward the cargo hold. He wants to check up on Wompit, Booma and Darth Maul before turning his attention elsewhere. As he exits the hatch and enters the large loading area, he can hear Dex’s distinctive armor-clad footsteps behind him.
“Gr'rit'Xol!” Dex shouts. “Qiin just told me what’s going on. What are you doing?”
“If Qiin has told you DX-1165, then you should already know.”
“Listen ol’ buddy, I have known you a long time, and I have seen you transition from an angry beast to a disciplined teacher and now this? I don’t need to know exactly what is going on with you, but I do need to know the truth.”
“I have never lied to you Dex,” Xol explains. “Is there something on your mind my old friend?”
“I trust you Xol, but you are throwing yourself in with the likes of Darth Maul and this Neimodian. I just need to know that you have a plan on this one, because I have a bad feeling about this whole thing.”
“Rest assured DX,” Xol pauses. “Dex, it may not seem like it now, but I am doing what is best for the galaxy. I apologize that my unconventional methods concern you to the point of worry. When this is all over, you will understand better I think.”
“I hope you are right big guy,” Dex says as he pats the Yautja’s shoulder.
Seeming relieved, the armoured clone walks back down the hall, making his way back to the pilot’s compartment.
Xol proceeds into the loading dock and walks over to the group of three crew members standing in the center of it. There Darth Maul and Booma the Gungan carry on a quiet conversation while Wompit looks on, puzzled.
“Maul,” the Yautja begins. “Have you contacted your people as I have asked and relayed the necessary information to them?”
“Yes Master Xol,” the Zabrak Sith says in confirmation. “I expect them within the next day, possibly two if the Empire becomes a problem.”
“Good. Now due to our limited facilities here aboard this transport, you, Qiin, and I will now take up sleeping quarters in this cargo bay. This is also where any new passengers will be housed until we reach our end destination. Booma and Wompit, starting now you will be in general quarters safeguarding the cockpit and securing Mok Sur Tinn. Send Qiin back here to me when you arrive and tell her to bring mine and her personal effects.”
“Yousa gottin’ it Boss’n Xol,” the sturdy Gungan replies as he and Wompit make their way to the hatch.
Soon after, Xol’s Nautolan apprentice arrives with all their gear and the three begin setting up their makeshift accommodations in the docking bay. Once assembled, Xol begins training Qiin in the Jedi arts. He includes Darth Maul as well, who is more than delighted to engage in sparring with the powerful Yautja. The trio practice for hours, taking in meals and resting as necessary. Qiin exceeds Xol’s expectations, the young Nautolan female’s keen sense of the immediate future even enable her to keep up with the fast and deadly actions of the physically gifted Sith Lord.
During a period of rest and meditation, Dex summons Xol via comlink announcing that they along with the Millennium Falcon have dropped out of lightspeed at the next checkpoint. Pleased with the news, the Yautja quickly makes his way to the cockpit. Upon entering through its sliding doorway, through the transparisteel front window he can see Han Solo’s ship and two others floating in space alongside them.
“DX-1165, are those the transports we are waiting for?”
“Not sure,” Dex says and he reaches for his console. “Only one way to find out though, I will send a hail.”
With a flip of a toggle, a pinging sound comes for the forward console. Moments later, it is answered by a similar sound indicating that the ship wishes to open a communication channel. Flipping the toggle again, Dex enables a comlink between all four ships. Through the console’s speakers voices can be heard, one being Han Solo’s however the other two are mysterious and unfamiliar.
“Unmarked Wayfarer transport,” one of the foreign voices booms over the link. “We represent Mok Sur Tinn, as a safety precaution we require his security code before we will relinquish it into your custody. This code has a voice indent, so he will need to be present. Do you receive? Is Mok Sur Tinn available?”
“Tinn!” Xol shouts into the comlink in his helmet. “Report immediately to the nearest intercom and I will patch you through to your transport.”
With a pat on Dex’s helmet, the clone pilot presses several switches tying the ship’s intercom system in the open external channel. With a confirming beep, Mok relays his code and the first transport pulls along the Wayfarer and begins offloading its cargo.
With that underway, the second transport’s communication feed streams in. The male voice on the other end is angered and shouting the second the connection is made.
“Where is Dark Lord Maul, pirate?!” the angry voice yells. “If he has come to harm we will hunt you down and kill you ourselves.”
“Forgive me if I am not terrified in the slightest,” Xol mocks. “Your Dark Lord is a guest aboard my vessel and so shall you be but only once you cool that fiery tongue of yours and actually step foot on my ship. If these conditions are not to your liking, my pilot and crew will disintegrate your vessel right here and now, leaving you as nothing more than charred remains floating through space.”
Xol reaches over the shoulder of Dex and disengages the open channel, cancelling the transmission. He waits patiently for a reply or some movement from the second ship. With its thrusters engaged, the secondary vessel also begins docking procedures, just as the Yautja had anticipated.
“Come along DX,” Xol says impatiently. “We must greet our newest recruits and see what we are dealing with before we proceed onward into the Unknown Regions.”
Dex instinctively grabs his blaster rifle and follows behind Xol.
The Yautja’s mind is flooded with the sense of great ability in the Force nearing his location. Whomever Darth Maul associates with, they could be a blessing or a curse. Which one they are is yet to be decided.
TO BE CONTINUED…
it is good to read that J.R. BENNETT has a excelent imagination to bring his own, plus game, plus movie characters and mix them all together to come up with this story. from mto007.
ReplyDelete