STAR WARS/PREDATOR: MASTER XOL'S SAGA (PART THIRTEEN)

  

 

As an Interdictor cruiser comes to bear against Xol and his comrades, Dex gathers an assault team of various droids and begins to load up a troop transport for a boarding party.

Xol, still reflecting on Master Yoda's words is on the bridge connecting himself into the altered captains chair. Though not all the mechu-deru modifications have been made, he feels confident that such a small cruiser will not be able to stand against them.

This is the first test for the Yautja and his crew against the Empire,

He cannot fail...

Xol slips his clawed hands into the control gloves at his heavily modified command console. The battle droids around him clank back and forth as they rush to bring the Gladiator-class Star Destroyer online.

Qiin and Darth Maul are seated at secondary consoles on a lower platform to either side of Xol's. They too have apparatus attached to them that taps into the Force modified ship systems.

“Apprentice!” Xol shouts in command. “What is the location of the Interdictor?”

The young Nautolan focuses her mind and replies, “the enemy ship is ten parsecs off our starboard bow my master, her deflector shields are up and so are her gravity well generators. In addition, I sense her crew is confident because they are being led by...”

“Qiin!” Xol presses. “Who is aboard that ship?”

“It's him sir,” she responds after being jolted from her fearful pause. “It's Lord Starkiller, I can sense his presence quite distinctly and if I sense him, he must know of me as well. I apologize for my lack of caution master.”

“You have not failed me this time apprentice, but you must be more careful or one day your failure will get you killed.” The Yautja gruffly says to the young woman before turning to Darth Maul. “Lord Maul, get us within our modified weapons range, I will deal with him myself.”

As the Zabrak smiles with delight, he orders the droids to engage the engines and close the gap between the two ships. With a shunt, the engines full burn projects Xol's ship headlong towards the unmoving Imperial vessel. As the shadow of the much smaller Gladiator stretches across the hull of the Interdictor, Xol can sense that something is wrong, a disturbance in the Force cascades through his consciousness like a wave of razors.

Suddenly, the ship begins to turn abruptly, far off the near collision course that was already set.

“Master Xol, I do not understand, our guidance is being thrown off!” Darth Maul exclaims.

“Lord Maul, you have not miscalculated and I assure you the droids have not fumbled in their assigned task. I know what affects us.”

“With all due respect Master,” the Zabrak Sith responds. “What is it?”

“It's Starkiller my tattooed friend, he reaches out with the Force to make us vulnerable. Now we shall see whose reach is greater. Your talents Maul will be best used with Dex and the boarding party, report to them at once.”

“As you wish Lord Xol,” Maul replies with a nod and briskly walks from the bridge.

“Qiin!” Xol shouts. “Attempt to disrupt Starkiller's concentration.”

With a nod in agreement, the young Force user enters a meditative trance. Her console begins to glow with light as she focuses her mind on her master's order.

Xol, stand from his chair, flipping a few toggles and pressing buttons as he does so. From a holo-emitter in the ceiling, an image cascades down of the cruiser in front of them. Gazing at the three dimensional projection, Xol reaches out with both his hands and channels all his power outwards from the Gladiator's bow. He can feel the enemy ship in his grasp like a childhood plaything, as real and tangible as the gauntlets on his hands. With ferocity he pulls in two directions on the ship.

Tremors rocks the Imperial vessel as it heaves and gives under the strain. Cracks in the hull begin to form along its center. As the damage continues to wreak havoc on the Interdictor, Xol can feel the grip of Lord Starkiller dissipate and in the same instant a communique is being sent to his console from the ship. Morbidly curious, the Yautja opens the channel.

“Rebel scum, this is Starkiller, cease your actions immediately, I would not have come in such a pathetic vessel to kill you,” the Dark Lord demands. “Our spies told me that we could find your vessel here and you might know how to get in contact with a Jedi Master by the name of Xol. I come to deliver a message from the Emperor.”

Xol releases his grip on the Interdictor at the mention of the enemy leader. With his curiosity thoroughly piqued he replies in kind to the Sith Lord, “Lord Starkiller, you speak with Xol and as you can see I am no Jedi. What does your soft meat Emperor have to say to me?”

“His Imperial highness has tasked me to tell you that your motives are not merely your own, the Emperor believes also is a much more balanced galaxy without the influences of the Jedi or their rebel counterparts. He feels that his Empire must change in order to serve this new galaxy, he wishes to meet you aboard his command battle station at Coruscant.”

“Starkiller,” Xol begins. “You honour me with your determination to serve your master and bring this message to me. That being said, your leader's message has fallen on deaf ears just like the threats and proclamations of his predecessor, Lord Vader. I will go to Coruscant, I will bring change to the galaxy and it will start with the fire of his smouldering corpse on my victory pyre. Do not feel your obligation will be to relay this message back to him. You won't have the opportunity.”

With flip of a switch, Xol cuts off the link and resumes rending the enemy cruiser apart with the Force. His face clenched in anger, his eyes crackling with dark side energy. Arcs of red electricity dance from his skin, scoring his console with singe marks burning out lights and panels on its surface showering the bridge with sparks. At it's peak culmination, glowing greenish blood rolls from Xol's eyes and burns to an ashen crust on the surface of his skin. With one final exasperated heave from the already heavily strained Yautja, his focus breaks and the Interdictor is torn asunder, sending metal and crew spewing from the open scar along it's length. The two halves drifting silently in space.

“Master, the enemy craft's gravity well is gone, we are free to enter hyperspace.” Qiin says elated.

Xol slumped in his chair, weakened can only respond in a low whisper, “You have done well apprentice.”

“Thank you sir, I....AIEEE!” the young Nautolan lets out a horrible scream mid-sentence, clutching her head.

“Young one! No!” Xol shouts as he stumbles to her side, still fatigued from his exertion.

“Starki...” Qiin says as she slumps over with her master knelt by her side.

The Nautolan is breathing but unconscious. Xol lifts her tiny frame in his massive arms and walks out into the hall accompanied by the droids from the bridge.

“Droid!” Xol shouts angrily. “Take her to the medical bay, and should she die before she reaches a medical droid, do yourself a kindness and disassemble yourself to save me the trouble.”

“At once sir,” the frantic battle droid replies before addressing the other droids. “You heard the general, on the double roger, roger.”

Without a moments hesitation, Xol raises Dex on his comlink, “1165, your mission has changed. There will be no assault, but you must detain Mok Sur Tinn and Darth Maul in the galley. Preferably someplace they cannot access communications or weapons. Bring the assault squad with you, and I shall meet you soon.”

“Roger that big guy, but what in the name of Mandalore the First happened?”

Without a reply, Xol closes the channel and walks behind the droids that are bringing Qiin to the medical bay. Like a nail driving into his skull, the Yautja can only hear one word over and over again resonating in his mind.

Starkiller, Starkiller, Starkiller...


TO BE CONTINUED...