CHAPTER TWELVE
Anakin, Remker, Trek, and Trek's Gotal companion followed the A-A5 heavy speeder truck as it made its way through the Eastern Dune Sea. Along the way, Anakin saw several wild banthas, dewbacks and even the spare scurrier. But otherwise, it was nothing but a sea of sand, befitting its name.
True to his word, Trek did a good job of making sure the landspeeder was in a position so that, even when they came to a stop before a foreboding-looking cave, the Snatchers did not notice them.
"So what do we do when the Snatchers get out of the speeder?" Anakin asked.
"We watch and we wait," Remker said. "I'll give the signal to act."
The four of them then watched as a door slide open on the side of the A-A5, allowing the group of five Snatchers- which was comprised of a female Ubese, a male Devaronian, a male Rodian, a female Zabrak, and the Bosph whom they had been chasing- to climb out.
"Moru, keep an eye on the truck," the raspy-voiced Ubese said to the Bosph. "And don't even think about driving off without us."
"Yes, ma'am," the Bosph whimpered.
The other four Snatchers walked then went off into the cave and Anakin soon lost sight of them.
Trek glanced at Remker. "How long of a wait do you think this will be?"
"However long necessary," the Zabrak Jedi replied.
The Jawa scoffed. "You Jedi are so boring. Have you no drive for excitement?"
Remker eyed him carefully. "What do you have in mind?"
"Watch and learn." Before either of the Jedi could stop him, Trek climbed out of the landspeeder and began to approach the Bosph.
Upon noticing him, Moru eyed the Jawa warily with his large, multi-lensed eyes. "What do you want, creep?"
Trek gestured at the A-A5 and began speaking in Jawaese. "Go mob un loo speeda?"
Moru blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Trek patted the truck's hull. "Mob un loo?"
The Bosph waved a hand to shoo the Jawa away. "Go away, you creep."
Suddenly, Trek brought out what appeared to be a modified ion blaster. When he pulled the trigger, it let out a shock of electricity, which was enough to knock Moru out cold.
The Jawa then waved to the others. "Utinni!"
As Anakin, Remker, and the Gotal emerged from their hiding spot, Trek began to climb into the A-A5.
"What the heck are you doing?" Remker demanded. "Get out of there!"
"Mombay m'bwa," Trek snapped. "Togo togu!"
With that, the Jawa then activated the speeder truck and accelerated it to full speed, practically flying into the cave. The two Jedi and the Gotal ran after it, the former using the Force to amplify their speed. When they heard a crash, they began running even faster.
They soon came to a stop when they found the A-A5 heavy speeder, half-buried by sand, on its side, clearly damaged beyond repair. Nearby were the four Snatchers, dazed by what had just happened, and a large, vaguely claw-shaped object. It seemed to have been damaged by the speeder and was now sparking with energy.
The door on the A-A5's side opened and Trek casually climbed out. He then walked over to the Star Map and pressed a panel hidden on its hull. The three prongs of the 'claw' slowly parted and a large portal opened up between them. The ground began to shake as something seemed to emerge from it.
"Trek, what's going on?" Remker asked.
The sense of a smile gleamed in the Jawa's yellow eyes. "Watch and learn."
Just as he had said that, Anakin made out five humanoid shapes on the other side of the portal. He shielded his eyes when the portal brightened as those five being stepped through it.
The spectacle soon ended and the portal vanished. When Anakin's vision cleared, he saw who now stood before him and the others... and could not believe it.
"Master Katarn...?"
"In the flesh."
* * *
Jaden sat in contemplation within the cockpit of the Far Wanderer as it left the planet of Deralia. The story of Toah Jarsan's true origins did not answer his questions as much as raise new ones. In the end, however, he simply hoped that Toah would one day change his mind and help the Galactic Alliance in the Glorian War.
There was yet one thing that bugged his mind: the familiarity and the strange vision he had received upon first seeing Atha Prime's name. He had not asked Atha about this because he doubt that the scientist would know... and because he himself was not sure he wanted to know.
R6-O3 chirped, telling him that the coordinates for their next destination were ready. The droid also made a comment about Jaden's "vacation choices".
"Trust me," Jaden replied. "I know what I'm doing."
With that, he pulled the hyperdrive switch and jumped into lightspeed.
* * *
Dria Shiko sighed as she prepared drinks for her master and his guest. Ever since she had been hired by the Dark Jedi Order to work at their temple, she had hoped that she would be given a chance to learn the ways of the Force. But instead, she had become nothing but an old maid.
Once she had finished filling the second glass with beverage, Dria lifted up the tray of drinks and headed for her master's chambers. Upon reaching it, she pressed a button on the side of the door, indicating her arrival. When the door slid open, she nearly dropped her tray of drinks.
Inside the chamber, the Revanchist and the Jedi Grand Master laid unconscious on the floor. Standing over them was a humanoid being in a black cloak. Upon noticing the old Woostoid, the stranger's emerald eyes glowed as he slowly walked up to her. Dria did not back away, too frightened to even blink.
He looked down at the two drinks she carried and picked one up. He then took a swift drink from it before setting it back down.
"Thank you."
With that, the stranger returned to the two unconscious Jedi, lifted them up over his shoulders, and vanished in a blink of light.
Dria stared at the empty space in which the stranger had once been before dropping the tray, clutching her chest, and collapsing onto the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Author's note: Translations for the Jawaese Trek says.
"Go mob un loo speeda?"- "How much for this speeder?"
"Mombay m'bwa. Togo togu!"- "This is mine. Hands off!"
"Utinni!"- Some sort of battle cry or something.
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