Days have passed since the defeat of the Rodian scavengers aboard the Gladiator-class Star Destroyer,
Wompit and the others hurt in the fighting are immersed in Bacta tanks in the ship's medical bay.
Xol stands and watches over the Mantellian Savrip's container with unrelenting dedication. The Yautja's guilt over leaving Wompit alone to face a horde of enemies, gnaws at his bones. He wonders how many more of his compatriots will suffer and perhaps die because of his zealous quest for vengeance.
Meanwhile, the loading bay is abuzz with activity as Dex and Mok Sur Tinn begin processing and receiving the first new droid crew members. The task is exhausting as each one must be individually activated and coordinated for use aboard the still unfamiliar vessel.
Han Solo and his Wookiee partner Chewbacca have stayed on board to complete repairs to their ship even though they have received their payment in full from Xol.
Much is left to be done, and even in the Unknown Regions, no one knows how much time they will have before they are discovered...
The whine of the medical bay door opens and Xol snaps his head to see who enters. Draped in a fine black cloak is Darth Maul; the tattooed Zabrak seats himself next to the larger Yautja and begins to speak.
“You have been down here a long time Master Xol. Mok's droid crew is nearing full activation and we will require some further orders from you before we can proceed. Your captain Dex Kamino is a fine officer but he cannot sense the thoughts of others.”
“You are right Maul,” Xol responds, his voice weary from sleeplessness. “I can do nothing more here, I must continue working on the ship. Are you familiar with Mechu-Deru?”
“Sith Alchemy?” Darth Maul questions surprised. “I am familiar with some of the techniques, yes. Why do you ask?”
“A Sith Lord by the name of Kla once owned a holocron I now possess. Inside its databank were the detailed teachings of another Sith calling herself Bo Vanda. She practiced unorthodox techniques in fusing the dark side of the Force with technology. I had originally only used these studies to amplify my patrol fighter, however now I believe it best to use what I have learned to modify this vessel. I will teach you some of these practices if you wish as there is a lot of modification required.”
“As you wish Master Xol.”
The pair walk from the medical bay together and continue to converse as they walk along the halls towards the loading area.
“Maul, should anything happen to me, I request that you continue to teach Qiin in my absence. She is gifted but far too naive to see that Sith and Jedi teachings are so limiting compared to what we are doing here.”
“I should hope that nothing terrible shall befall you but in that event I will do as you ask.”
The two share a silence before they emerge into the deafeningly loud cargo bay. Droids of various make and model are being assembled and initialized all around them. Standing atop a supervisory platform, Dex and Mok survey and discuss amidst a sea of metallic forms. Spotting the two Force users enter, the armoured clone descends from the platform and briskly moves over to where Maul and Xol are standing.
“Hey big guy,” Dex says plainly. “Mok's droids are in pretty good condition for being antiques. Nearly half are already working on assembling the other half. Also, Captain Solo wanted to speak with you briefly before he departed.”
“Good work 1165,” Xol replies formally. “Keep the droids housed here for the time being, they will need to be modified further by Lord Maul and myself. First we much complete our work on the bridge before that can happen. If you can gather Qiin and Booma, you can meet Lord Maul up in the bridge. I will be along shortly after my conversation with Captain Solo.”
Issued their orders, Dex and Darth Maul go their separate ways to complete the tasks given to them. Xol displeased by any interruption, storms his way towards the Millennium Falcon. A shower of welding sparks streams from it's fuselage as he can clearly see Chewbacca perched atop it, a welder's mask down over his face.
“Wookiee, where is Solo?” Xol shouts up at the mechanic.
Annoyed, and insulted for being called simply Wookiee, Chewbacca angrily grunts, and points to the cockpit of the freighter. He then cusses in his native tongue of Shyriwook before returning to his task.
Not wanting to irritate the Wookiee unnecessarily, Xol walks up the entry gangway and into the vessel. As he walks in, he cannot readily see Captain Solo. Assuming he may be in a maintenance hatch, he changes his helmet's HUD to heat vision and gazes in all directions. He can make out a human form in a hatch beneath the floor. The Yautja walks over to the hidden floor compartment and stomps heavily on top of it. From inside, he can hear the startled shrieks of Han Solo. A moment later, the smuggler climbs up out of the hatch.
“Easy next time your largeness,” Han Solo exclaims. “Do you have any idea how loud those steps can be in an empty hatch?”
“Well Captain,” Xol replies. “What were you doing in there in the first place if you knew I was coming to see you?”
“I had heard you could see through things and I wanted to see if it was true.”
“This had better not be why you called me here Solo.”
“You would accuse me of playing games when there is work to be done?”
“Well, then why have you asked for me here?”
“Seeing as how you have been so good to me, I figured I would share some private intel with you. I just got a message from a friend of mine over in Cloud City. He says that Lord Starkiller is supposed to oversee the launch of a new Death Star in orbit on the planet Hoth. Rumour has it, the battle station will be relatively lightly guarded due to some uprising in a nearby system. The Emperor feels that Starkiller and his command fleet can oversee its completion while the revolution is put down.”
“Solo, how much do you trust this intelligence?”
“I would trust this man's word with my life and I have.”
“Very well then, Captain Solo. I appreciate your intelligence report and as soon as repairs to your ship are complete, you may depart. I would be sad to see someone as resourceful as you leave so hastily.”
“Listen big stuff, I understand you find me charming and handsome and all, but I must be going. A very large Hutt wants me dead unless I pay him a sizable amount of cred. After that, I will come find you and only because I'll miss that beautiful face and your winning personality.”
“I'd like that Captain, and one other thing.”
“What's that your largeness?”
“Tell your friend I have Shyriwook programmed into my translation matrix. Whatever he wants to say about me is fine but he shouldn't insult my mother like that.”
With a swift turn on his heels, the Yautja exits the Millennium Falcon and walks across the crowded cargo bay to a lift that will bring him to the bridge. As the floors whip by, Xol collects his thoughts. He fidgets with his gauntlets control panel, stroking the flashing letters of his native language that scroll across the screen. His mind wanders to that first moment when he put on this armour, his father's armour. The thoughts of his past are scattered by the shunting stop of the lift arriving at the bridge. The door rolls open and he can see the faces of his allies staring back at him as he step forward out of the elevator.
“Now listen all of you,” he begins before the lift behind him can even close it's door. “We are no armada, and we will not need to be. The best hunter is the one who works alone, darting from tree to tree, stalking his prey. This is what we shall become. Through my own experience and powers in the Force we shall upgrade this humble attack craft and transform it into a lethal killing machine, capable of overcoming any obstacle the Empire may throw our way. Her first task will be to take Lord Starkiller before the Emperor and the full power of the Imperial fleet. With him disposed of, we will be able to make a move against our enemy that they will have no defense for.”
“But how?” Qiin questions. “How is it that we alone can do this?”
“I admire your bravery apprentice, you question your master so as to not fall victim to his folly. In the ancient Sith practice known as Mechu-Deru, the Force is fused with mechanical devices allowing the creator to manifest any number of abilities through that machine. This ship will become an extension of myself and my abilities. Qiin, you and Darth Maul will act as partial controllers so that the system does not stop working should I not be present.”
Reaching into a satchel on his waist, the Yautja's clawed hand pulls forth the holocron of Kla and the accompanying amulet. Placing the amulet around his neck, glyphs written in ancient Sith illuminate and the holocron activates.
“These are the teachings of Sith Lord Kla and Bo Vanda. Darth Maul and Qiin; you must study this holocron extensively before beginning work. Start first with the droids, then proceed with the integration of the bridge and the rest of the ship's key systems. Every inch of this vessel must be connected to me, our plan will not work otherwise. Booma, you will assist Mok with the delegation of the droid's tasks and ensuring that the Neimodian falls in line as he is not yet to be fully trusted. Dex, you and the crew will assist in the construction effort but also you must take the Wayfarer out to conduct patrols of the surrounding space. We cannot afford any interception while we are so vulnerable, anything that appears remotely Imperial must be destroyed.”
“Master Xol,” Maul asks. “What of my followers? They too are capable in the ways of the Force and now are a part of this crew.”
“Lord Maul, your comrades will be able to assist in the construction just like everyone else however, when it is complete, their new task will be act as shock troops for ship to ship or ground combat. The Empire employs nearly all of the galaxy's Force practitioners and in order to win out against their armed forces, blasters will not be enough.”
“As you wish Master.”
“Now you have your tasks, go forward and complete them. If I am needed you may find me here communing with the Force and once a new system is adapted I will make the final connection through my communion. We have no time to waste, so to your stations!”
Hastily, the crew splits into their individual groups, while Xol senses a normal level of doubt and unease in them, the trust he senses from them is much stronger.
Weeks pass as the newly modified droid crew set to work on the Star Destroyer's main systems. Xol in a trance-like state seldom breaks his focus as he binds his abilities in the Force to the ship. He hasn't meditated this long since his study under Master Yoda. His mind drifts to thoughts of the venerable Jedi and unexpectedly he can hear his wise old voice slip into his consciousness.
“Dark your thoughts are Master Xol,” Yoda says with a sigh. “Knew this day would come I did. Aboard Vader's Death Star I knew.”
“Yet you trained me anyway?” Xol interrupts.
“In pain you were, of the body and the mind, damaged you were. Guide me the Force did, to teach you our ways. Trust in the ways of Force, you must.”
“If it was so important that the Force guided you to me, then why Master Yoda did you and the rest of the Jedi Order forsake me?”
“Leave you, I did not. Gone was I, to the Force by the time you came back. Clear and inviting, the path to the Dark Side is, but stray away from such a clear path already travelled, you do. A trail of your own design, the Force leads you on, yes. Shrouded, the path ahead for you is Xol. Advice, I have for you lost one. Allow you must not, your own heart to drown out the sound of your enemies cries.”
With Yoda's words trailing off into the recesses of his mind, Xol can hear another voice, Dex.
He snaps awake as the calls from his clone comrade come screaming through his helmet's earpiece.
“Xol, come in!” he shouts, static disrupting the transmission. “Incoming Imperial cruiser, it's an Interdictor Xol, I don't know how it found us but it's heading straight for us.”
“Dex, report back to the ship and gather an assault team. We are going to take it...”
TO BE CONTINUED...
