Outpost Odin

--- Part 5 ---

by

FM/COL TK-7764/Chaos 3-2/Wing XIX/SSD Avenger

TYR/KAP TK-7764/Prophecy/Qel-Droma/Arcona

 

            Sirrus Sigma put his robe back on and left the room.  He had taken a quick medical scan of TK to make sure he was dead.  He also needed the copy of it to prove to the Khargans that the mission had been completed.  Many bounty hunters liked taking the whole body along with them.  Sirrus found that that took up to much cargo space.  He could complete twenty bounties in a row and pick up the rewards at his leisure by keeping biological data storied on datapads.  It was a pity that this was so easy he thought.  He had not even gotten a chance to use his cortois weave vibrosword.  He had been practicing a lot with it recently and had really been looking forward to a challenge with it.  Still, the sure thing was a lot easier and safer.  As he headed to the hanger where the I-ock was docked, Sirrus overheard a few smugglers complaining about the numerous Emperor’s Hammer patrols in recent days.  Sirrus shook his head slightly.  The Avenger had far bigger concerns then looking for smugglers at the moment.  If they were really concentrating on shutting them down, this whole station would be scrap by now.  In retrospect, this station was scrap metal now too.  It was just organized and welded scrap.

 

TK’s mind drifted along in the Abyss.  He had done this only once before and last time it was a difficult task getting back.  This time though, his body was still in good shape.  TK had brought his mind and spirit into the Abyss, in the meanwhile letting his body recover.  He was using the Force in this dimension trying to push the poison back and out of his body.  Eventually, he would be able to reinhabit his own body again.  It was slow going, and time passed by in strange intervals in the Abyss.  Plus, he was sort of distracted.  A strange voice he had never heard before kept talking to him. 

 

“You think you can escape death by coming here.  This is what I really wanted.  I wanted to find you to study you more, to learn about your powers.  You will make me stronger.  You hold part of the key.  It seems so obvious now.  You will play your role in good time.”

 

Another voice came to his aid though.  This was a voice he recognized.  Slowly, the image of Darkfinn began to appear besides TK.  He helped repress the other voice and helped TK try to heal his body.  Darkfinn did not say much, and TK was glad for it.  TK did not need to be reminded that he owed him twice now.  Being in debt to him once was embarrassing enough.  TK smiled as his heart began to beat once more.  Oxygen began to flow through his muscles, revitalizing his organs.  Slowly his mind returned to its source.  And like from a bad dream, TK awoke once more. 

 

Checking his watch, TK realized he now had only two hours before the meeting between the Khargans and the Lupo Marauders was scheduled to take place.  The Khargan representative would not arrive until right before the meeting.  The Lupo Marauders’ emissary, mister Kavlin Dursan, has been on Outpost Odin for at least three hours now.  TK had read all about him on the file.  He should be easy enough to recognize.  He was a large man with red hair.  He would probably have a few bodyguards with him, but they should not be anything TK could not handle.  TK muttered as he realized that if he wanted to fit Kane’s stupid schedule, he would have to move now.  Wrapping up the cut on his leg with a washcloth from the room, TK regretted that immediately as he realized how filthy that and this room must be, TK slowly got up.  Shaking off the strange feeling and sensations his body was going through, TK reached into his bag and pulled out his sword and his lightsaber.  He could hide his lightsaber in a pocket.  He realized now that the broadsword would not be that unusual considering the company he was in so he strapped it to his belt.

 

Walking out of his room, TK headed to the registry where it listed people’s room assignments.  Everybody used aliases, even TK, who had used the name of a friend of his from back home, Carl Ajaman.  TK had memorized this the day before.  He noticed only four new rooms.  Only two of them were luxury rooms.  Only one of them had such a dumb alias as Davlin Kursan.  TK proceeded to room 32 with a slight limp.  Luckily this room did not seem to be too far away from hanger three.  He should be able to make a speedy escape.  Was it hanger three or four thought TK suddenly.  Lets see, it was red deck wasn’t it?  Or was it green?  Bah, where was that stupid docking ticket, he thought as he started rummaging through his pockets.

 

Oh well, on to business he thought as he reached the door.  Looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear, TK knocked gently on the door.  “Room service.”  The door slide open and a dumb founded looking kid about eighteen years old looked back at TK.  TK kneed him once in the gut and pushed him inside.  TK noticed only one large room and a bathroom made up room 32.  To his right was a bodyguard pulling out a blaster.  Straight ahead, sitting at a table, was Kavlin Dursan.  Lying on the ground was the punk kid TK had leveled.  As the door slid shut behind him, TK raised his hand towards the man drawing a blaster.  The kid on the ground was on his knees and about to get up.  Lifting the man holding the blaster into the air with the Force, TK made a beckoning motion with his hand.  The man flew straight into the teenage punk and the two promptly smacked into the metal wall.  TK leisurely walked up to them, pulled out his lightsaber, and sliced them both in half in one swing before they could even get up.

 

The yellow blade of the lightsaber gave off enough light for TK to see the beads of sweet rolling down Kavlin’s face.  “Please don’t kill me,” he sobered pathetically.  “I have a family.”  TK looked to his right and noticed for the first time a Twi’lek female hiding under the covers of a bed in the room.

 

“I’m sure you care for them deeply,” responded TK.  “You want to leave,” said TK waving his hand in her general direction.  TK was not sure if she fled the room so quickly because of his mind trick or because of her own free will.  It made little difference of course.  “Now don’t panic mister Dursan, I’m not going to kill you with this thing,” said TK shutting his lightsaber off.  “I was thinking we could talk for a moment.”

 

“Ah, yes talk.  Of course we have much to discuss I’m sure,” he hurriedly replied.  TK slowly approached the small table and sat across from Kavlin.

 

“You are doing a lot of things now that the Emperor’s Hammer does not approve of.  I was hoping you wouldn’t be so foolish as to join with the Khargans on their ridiculous campaign.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean.  We have always supported the true Imperial government in this region.”

 

“Oh now you are lying.  I don’t like lying Kavlin.  I can call you Kavlin right?”  The man nodded quickly, his jawless head bobbing emphatically.   “So I was thinking of the best way to convince your association that they should follow us.  I mean your leaders must have some buttons I could press.  And then it hit me,” said TK rising from the table.  “You see, your death must be dramatic,” he said as he walked towards Kavlin.  “You see that is why I said I wouldn’t kill you with this thing,” said TK waving around the deactivated lightsaber.  “You see a lightsaber cauterizes wounds instantly.  It just doesn’t have the same affect really.”  Kavlin’s eyes were full of fear and tears.  With one smooth motion, the large black broadsword at TK’s side went up towards his fat neck.

 

 

 

 

Onboard the Star Galleon Kalian, Captain Tellic stood in the hanger waiting for the arrival of the Emperor’s Hammer shuttle.  Their representative said they had important news to discuss.  Tellic was not sure what it was about, but he found the timing unusual.  His junior aide, Hal Pontal, had informed him just moments ago that Kavlin Dursan, a diplomat they had just sent to formalize discussions with the Khargans had been found dead.  He had been decapitated.  There had been blood everywhere.

 

Flanked by stormtroopers, the EH’s representative approached Tellic slowly and purposefully.  He was carrying a white box with him.  It looked about the size of a small cake.  The man, identifying himself as Lieutenant Oghar handed it to Tellic immediately, saying it was a gift from the Empire to the Lupo Marauders for their loyal service to them.  It was fairly heavy thought Tellic.  It seemed like it weighed about eight pounds.  He had a sinking and revolting suspicion in his gut.  Captain Tellic decided he would rather let his aid Pontal open the package.