Chương 163: Disarmament
I don't own star wars
THOK!
The thick wooden log split easily in two and sunk into the dead tree stump I was using as a base. I tossed the logs onto the ever-increasing pile of split wood before reaching down and lifting the next heavy piece one handed onto the stump.
THOK!
The wooden log was easily as big as the stump, but I split it effortlessly with my strength and my father's vibroaxe, severing it in two as I lifted one half to split again.
THOK!
To be fair we didn't exactly need wood, the only thing we used it for was the fireplace. But that didn't see use until at least cold winter nights. I was only doing this because I had fixed the fence, hunted our food, and lifted several boxes in the garage and now I needed something to occupy my mind until Roland returned from his most recent kidnapping.
THOK!
I tossed the logs into the split pile before taking another log to set on the stump. "Barry!" I looked up to see Nike walking out from the house. She was dressed more presentably in a tight shirt and pants, very plain from how she normally tries to look around Roland. She's usually in something more eye-catching, tight being the main description to show off her curves. "Killa and I are going into the city to try and get Jon-Nee not to press charges on Seis. Need anything?"
"No. Thank you." I replied abruptly.
THOK!
Nike watched me for a moment then asked with a half-smile on her face, "Should you really be using that axe to split logs?"
THOK!
"Mmmn…To be fair it's much easier than necks." I replied with a disarming smile and a good old fashioned wookiee laugh before raising the axe and bringing it down one last time for the day.
THOK!
I left the axe buried slightly in the stump, tossing the split logs into the pile as I watched her. "So will it be just me in the house?"
"No, Traps is in the basement and X-E is making him lunch."
"…We have a basement?" I asked, leveraging my axe out of the stump with one hand and letting it rest on my shoulder. "…How long did we have a basement?"
"Traps made the basement." Nike said a little disturbed, "No idea when he found the time for that. But its under the garage and stuffed with 'loot' as he puts it."
"…That boy disturbs me sometimes." I noted softly as Killa came outside dressed in full gear and her mask. "Will you be long?" I asked as Nike shrugged.
"No idea. Might take some time. Killa thinks the 'sheriff' might try to use Seis stealing a ship as an excuse to evict us. Who knows."
I sniffed in disgust. Tohmas Lacine the 'sheriff' was apparently a sore spot for Roland. Who saw the position of Sheriff as a badge of honor for his father, I imagine seeing anyone else in the position would fill him with a certain amount of distress. But seeing such a 'slime ball' in the role, and a distant relative no less, filled him with absolute disgust. I can't really imagine what that felt like for him, but if anyone other than my father was chief of the village I might not take it well either.
I rested my axe inside the door of the garage as I followed Killa and Nike toward the speeder we rented when we were on Luna IV. I then happened to notice a comically designed wooden hatch off to the side between a pair of steel crates. It must lead to the basement. I tilted my head slightly as I thought about it, how did I ever miss that?
"Okay. We'll be back. Watch the house and the skies in case Roland comes back." Nike said, getting in the passenger's side speeder as Killa turned the ignition and they sped off. I waved them off before turning to head into the kitchen, finding X-E rigorously butchering the wild venison I had caught earlier that day.
"Greetings 'The Caradoc' Barradowwa." She said casually, covered in animal blood.
I sighed through my nose, X-E INSISTED on calling me 'The Caradoc' of the ship. I wasn't sure if that was racist or a compliment, but she often means well. She's had little or no hostility at all, maintaining an almost childlike innocence when in the company of the rest of us. Just don't threaten her master.
"X-E you don't have to call me that. Just Barradowwa is fine" I noted, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a bottle of beer, easily removing the bottle-cap with my hand before drinking. Not that beer really affected me but I enjoyed the taste. "So what is Rattletrap doing?"
"Master Rattletrap is tinkering." X-E replied lifting a plate of cooked meat. I assumed it was for him. "Would you like some 'The Caradoc' Barradowwa?
"No. Thank you X-E." I replied giving her a light chuckle. Just accepting what she called me at this point, it was better than Barry.
"Master Rattletrap will be very loud in the basement 'The Caradoc' Barradowwa. If you need anything I'm afraid you'll have to join us in his lab. There would be no use shouting." She said factually as I followed her into the garage as she lifted the door heading down, loud party music and flashing lights echoing up from the floor as I watched her walk down some steps.
"Alright. Thank you X-E." I replied as she gave me a soft smile and shut the door. The sounds and lights ceased abruptly. "…Is he having a damn party down there?" I mumbled, "Maybe he managed to sneak a few holo-girls onto the ship. It wouldn't surprise me." shrugging dismissively I headed back into the kitchen to prep my own food. She might have offered but I've always preferred to cook my own meat. Mother's cooking non-withstanding, she is the best after all. I walked around the kitchen, absently looking through the cabinets for the butcher's knife. Killa had gone through a sharpening spree and pretty much put a deadly edge on every bladed device she could find: A few of the butter knives could slice through anything now just like butter.
"Here we go." I grinned, finding the heavy wide bladed butcher knife and feeling the weight in my hand as I turned… And froze.
A shistavanen, to be more specific, THE shistavanen was sitting opposite me, hungrily chewing raw meat. His mangled face was covered in fresh blood as he ate. He looked at me briefly, before going back to chewing, wiping his face with his metal arm. "…You should've let this age a little more." Vargoss said coolly, belching loudly as he bit down on a strip of bone. Snapping it and two and sucking out the marrow.
I stared at him, and my mind quickly asked a number of unsaid questions. Why was he here? What the hell was he doing? Did he really think he could get away? Was he this stupid?
"MMmn." I hummed, as his eyes flicked to me… "You hurt my friend." I said coldly, my hand tightening around the butcher knife handle. "And his sister." I added, sniffing loudly as he just smiled. Continuing to eat our food. "And I hate to break it to you. But my father considers them his children, so they're family. You hurt MY family."
"…Awful pelts for wookiees." He noted dismissively, mocking my 'family' "…although that Cathar does have a nice ass."
"…Roland would like to have faced you himself." I said, loosening my grip slightly on the knife. "But like my meal; First come. FIRST SERVED!" I hurled the knife at him, it spun end over end as he dodged to the side, the blade sunk deep into the wall behind him as I rushed him. Catching him in my paws as I tackled him with a roar.
"FOR MY FAMILY!" I rammed him against the wall, pulled back, and charged again, ramming him all the way through into the living room. Straddling him as I punched his face once, twice… "Gah!" I roared out at the sudden pain as his metal hand pierced into my side, pulling three deep bloody gashes open as it stained my fur. His other hand, taking advantage of my hesitation punched me hard once and raked across my face with his claws, sending me rolling off him as he got up, lifting a nearby chair and slamming it against me. It cracked under the first blow and broke upon the second as I reached up gripping his shirt and hurling him with anger-filled strength across the dining room.
"You are not the first wookiee-" he growled, grinning manically at me I hurled the table out of the way wiping his bleeding nose as I approached him, "-that I have skinned!"
"BASTARD!" I roared at him reaching for him again as he flung my own blood into my eyes from his metal hand. Briefly distracted I wiped my eyes only to feel him leap onto me, his metal limb crashing against my face as I stumbled backward, loosing balance, and tripping over the broken chair. I crashed to the floor as his fist came again and again. my brain rattling in my skull as the world seemed to murk and echo around me.
I gripped his waist, hurling him away again as he landed on the table. I sped towards him, forcing down the pain as my rage overwhelmed my reason. I grabbed him, lifted him up, and slammed him down upon the metal crafted table again and again, before hurling him at the door that led out front. He laughed, getting to his feet again as I charged.
"That all you got WOOKIEE? The human boy hit harder!"
My unintelligible roar echoed around the household as I stomped the floor, I felt his claw pierce my chest. My warm, sticky blood caked down my fur as I caught him and tackled him through the door outside. Gripping his throat and punching him once, twice. He slashed my face, and it hurt. My right eye was suddenly red, as I tried to blink out the blood.
…But I had lost a lot of it… he caught my fist, it had slowed and I lost strength. His fist came up and crashed against my face as he quickly got to his feet. Kicking me in my wounded chest as I roared in pain. "Waste! Of! TIME!" he roared, kicking me again and again, grabbing my fur and lifting me from the ground by my head with his metal hand, his fist slamming against my face as he held me in place. My world in a daze. "I'm going to enjoy killing your 'family' he growled. Grabbing me with his other hand, and reeling back his clawed metal hand, fingers straight like a multi-tipped dagger…
I blinked blearily at him… and sniffed. Blood and snot shooting up my nose..
His hand came forward and mine went up, I felt his claws pierce through my hand, but I quickly closed my fist, holding him in place as I stomped one foot, then the other. Standing up as my other paw grabbed his other hand. I glared coldly at him. Squeezing my fists as I felt his bones and metal limb crack under my strength. He just kept smiling, kicking my leg as he laughed.
"…You won't hurt my family. Ever. Again." I said, coolly. Raising my leg, and putting the last of all my strength into one, straight, solid kick to his chest…
He stopped smiling, he looked confused as he was sent flying away. I raised my arms… and his arms in triumph as he hit the ground and skidded in the dirt… before I let his severed arms crash to the ground in a heap. I walked the nine yards towards his motionless corpse, he stared blankly to the sky as he bled out, oil and blood pooling around his corpse as he coughed slightly, blood splattering from his mouth as I viewed the footprint on his chest. Crushed underneath my kick.
"…Ah… fuck…" he said through the blood… and stilled.
I stared at his dead body, turned and stared at his torn off arms. Before finally, my mind registered the pain and exactly how much blood I had lost. I stumbled towards the garage, my breath becoming ragged as my hands slid up and down the garage door, trying to find the grip to open it when I fell against the door. My legs had given out…
…So this is how I die… bleeding to death after killing an asshole… Dad would be proud. The pain was gone now, I was on my back, my eyes staring up to the sky… but my vision was strangely becoming clearer. I blinked. The pain was gone, but I was sore.
"Get up. I don't have time." Came a gravelly voice I didn't recognize. "Get up warrior." I looked, and a wizened old man sat beside me, his long beard and hair grey and white, his skin wrinkling and covered in liver spots. "Get up." He repeated while tightly gripping a tree limb, obviously hastily carved as a staff, "I need to talk to the boy, where is he?"
"Who are you?" I asked but he growled.
"I don't have the time for this. Where is the boy? If I don't see him soon nobody will win."
"CHANT!" the old man sighed quietly, and my attention was drawn to the owner of the voice, a zabrak heavily cyberized walked towards us, an un-activated lightsaber in his grip as he slowly approached us. "Come quietly Chant!"
The old man frowned, "…Damn… it was all pointless." He said sadly, pushing himself to his feet and hobbling towards the zabrak. I frowned and quickly ran into the house. limping as my limbs and body screamed at me. I grabbed my axe, dad's axe, it could handle a few blows from a lightsaber. And a few blows are all I needed as I turned to rush outside, but I paused running towards the garage to open Rattletrap's basement door. "Rattletrap!" I shouted with a mighty roar as the lights and music stopped.
"…Yes?" came a cheery reply.
"Outside! Now!" I shouted, "Bring X-E!" I added, if the Jawa was to be believed then she would be a help. I opened the garage finding the old man talking to the zabrak. A strange triangular device held in his hand, it was glowing with an obviously evil red light as he handed it to the Zabrak. The sith warrior, because that's who he obviously was, held the triangular device reverently in one hand as the old man suddenly collapsed to the ground in a dusty heap.
The zabrak glared disgustedly at the old man, looking disappointed. He pocketed the device, and watching the old man for a moment, raised his lightsaber, it roared to life…
…Then he froze. Staring at me.
"The Caradoc Barradowwa? You are injured." X-E said concerned as Rattletrap whistled in surprise.
"Holy crap what happened-eek!!" he suddenly shrieked in terror, hiding behind X-E as he pointed at the sith. "Sith! Sith! LIGHTSABER BAD!" he was clearly nervous. I don't really blame him.
But amazingly the sith seemed just as nervous. He took a hesitant step back, suddenly looking furious at his actions. In fact, he looked angry in general… but he trembled, his mind resisting his body's desire to run. He wanted to fight but for some reason, he wasn't moving… suddenly he took a deep breath.
AND SCREAMED.
I saw the vibrations from his force-voice as it rippled across the field and crashed into me. I was knocked back off my feet, Rattletrap flapped in the blast, hanging onto X-E's leg like a flag flapping in the wind. She was the only one unaffected. The zabrak suddenly turned and fled, leaving the old man on the ground and vanishing out of sight.
I scrambled to my feet as Rattletrap took several shuddering breaths. "…You alright?" I asked.
"NO! Are you?!" he shouted terrified, before turning to look around. "What… what the heck happen?! What even was that!?"
"…Master Rattletrap are you alright?" X-E asked casually, strangely more calm than usual. "I will check on the elderly man. He seems injured." I followed her as Rattletrap hesitantly lifted Vargoss' severved mechanical arm by a clawed finger as X-E knelt beside the old man and rolled him over.
…He looked even older, like he had aged a few years in mere minutes. His eyes, hazy and covered in cataracts flicked up. And widened in surprise as he saw us…
He took a deep shuddering breath, whispering in shock as he stared at X-E's face. "…Silent?"
End of chapter.
Bonus.
He returned without the old man, I sighed and approach him as he suddenly grabbed me and dragged me along. Walking hastily away, "Y-you what are you doing!? Where's the old man?"
"He's as good as dead he wouldn't have made the return." He lifted the holocron to my eyes "We got what she wanted. The Transference technique, courtesy of his memories."
"But why are we leaving?!" I asked as he shoved me away, "Why didn't you just kill them all?"
He glared at me and I frowned. "…There are a handful of people who can possibly defeat me in battle." He held up his real hand, digits extended. "I could count them on one hand. Due to time, most are dead or dying." He snorted angrily, "But there is ONE." He held up one finger "One left who I could not defeat with confidence. That is Silent, the assassin of our order." He pointed back towards the estate. "That woman."
"…The droid?"
"The highly advanced killing machine. Yes. We will cut our losses for now and return… and by we, I mean I." he said shoving me away. "You. Alecinder Moray. Will remain here and keep me informed of their movements, Spy."
"What of 'my old master is on this planet' did you all not understand?" I said frowning, "…Fine. But Malisis better keep her word."
He snorted, turned and walked away in silence, heading back to his ship in the southern jungles. I frowned and looked through my binoculars to watch the wookiee take Chant into the house. Things still better be going to plan…
End of Bonus.
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