THE DRAGON'S CLAW, PART IV
Old, tired bones cracked as Dezal Lorn stretched from his office chair. Of all the shifts to work, the graveyard shift had to be the worst. Not only did it not do his sleep schedule any good, but it seemed like the biggest waste of time.
The droids at Altech Industries did not need supervision at night. In all his years of work -- all thirty-one of them -- he had never witnessed a single droid activate on its own. Sure, he had heard his fair share of stories, and his co-worker Lein had claimed to see one droid's optics flicker on, but he dismissed them all, chalking it up to the night getting to them. They said seeing was believing, and until he saw one of those droids strutting around casually in the middle of the night, he would not believe it.
Letting out a yawn, Dezal glanced over at the chrono on the wall. Three hours left to go. It might as well have been three years....
Scooting back his chair, Dezal rose from his seat and retrieved his caf mug. Technically, he wasn't supposed to take his eyes off the droids, but no one was around to enforce that rule. Besides, he would only be gone for three minutes. What harm could--
He froze, gray eyes staring out the window. The six rows of AX-series security droids stood erect outside, motionless as always.
He could have sworn he had... no. No, he couldn't have. It had to have been a trick on his tired eyes. He couldn't help but laugh. Now the night was starting to get to him. But he would not go crazy like the others. He knew that for sure.
Mug in hand, Dezal crossed the room to the caf machine, humming to himself. Setting the cup underneath the dispenser, he began to pour his drink. As he waited for it to fill, he started to get the feeling that something was off.
He looked at the chrono, which looked to be in working order. The lights were dimmed as per regulation. Computer was off. Door was... open.
The door was open.
Dezal stopped the caf machine, his mug half-full. He could have sworn he had closed it. It must had slipped his mind. Perhaps his fifty-nine years were finally catching up to him.
Leaving his cup on the counter, he moved to close the door before turning back around. Something else was off now, although this time he didn't need a moment to figure it out.
The computer was on. It definitely hadn't been before.
He stepped towards the screen. Something was being downloaded onto it and was already at the halfway mark. He squinted his eyes to make out the green text on the screen.
MB-OMNI Program 5X.
Dezal frowned. He tried to stop the program from downloading any further but the computer refused to respond. Getting down onto his knees, he reached underneath for the plug.
"Please don't do that."
Without warning, Dezal was pulled out from underneath by a strong metal hand. He let out a yell as he was thrown into his office chair, colliding into the desk.
"You've been at this for thirty-one years, Dezal Lorn."
Turning around, Dezal saw three AX security droids standing before him, decked out in royal blue and armed with batons. The lead droid, its photoreceptors glowing red rather than the standard yellow, marched up to him and grabbed him by the collar.
"You should know better than to look away."
Dezal's eyes widened as the droid raised its baton. Then, everything went black.
* * *
"Where have you been, Jedi?"
Climbing down from his fighter, Zarin Kal glanced at the Rodian Sith that awaited him, arms folded over his chest. It did not surprise him that there was someone to question his absence; he was simply glad it happened to be a fool like Jark Kenu.
"I am no longer a Jedi, Kenu," Zarin said as he touched ground. "I'm a Sith, like you."
The Rodian's snout wrinkled in a sneer. "Answer the question."
Zarin walked up to Kenu, glaring into the other Sith's wide black eyes. Kenu shifted slightly but, to his credit, did not cow. Then again, Zarin wasn't putting much effort into his "fearsome" display.
"Just searching for relics," he finally said. "Just like Voran and the others."
Kenu shook his head. "Lord Krayt didn't send you."
"He didn't. Lokai did. Does he not speak on behalf of the Dark Lord?"
Before Kenu could reply, the two of them were interrupted by a sleek black shuttle cutting through the clouds and descending to the ground.
"They're back," Kenu murmured. "Hopefully now that Givin will prove to be some use."
Zarin raised an eyebrow. "What Givin?"
"Just someone Lokai and Haarkon found. Says he'll help us get the Eye of Kaas back in exchange for a relic from Jaguada."
"How do we know we can trust him?"
"We don't," Kenu said. "But, see, this Givin just happens to be the only lead we have to any of Sedriss' Sith."
"How so?" Zarin asked.
The Rodian smirked. "He's one of them."
* * *
The man once known as Lord Kallus stood on the other side of the Givin's cell, staring at the solitary occupant. Nasoth Alarin sat calmly with his hands in his lap, staring back at him.
Breaking a long bout of silence, Nasoth said, "How are you doing, Viron?"
Viron exhaled through his nose. "What are you playing at, Nasoth?"
"What do you mean."
"You know full well what I mean. What kind of game are you trying to play with Krayt?"
Nasoth shook his head. "No game. Simply an exchange of services. Nothing more than that."
"There's always something more," Viron retorted, gritting his teeth. "You claim to not be Sith, yet what were you these past two years?"
"As Lord Reaper, I was Sith," Nasoth calmly answered. "But as Nasoth, I am nothing more than myself. Not Jedi, not Sith. Not Baran Do, not Fallanasi. I am Nasoth, and that is all."
Viron scowled but did not press the matter further. All of his burning questions would have to wait as he sensed the approach of Lord Krayt. He stepped to the side just as the Dark Lord himself entered, followed by Lokai, Xiana, Mar Voran, and Naaro Viin.
Carrying an air of contempt, Darth Krayt stormed up to Nasoth's cell, glowering at the Givin within. Raising a hand, Krayt opened it and allowed a chained amulet to dangle from his fingers. A large crack pierced the gem in the center.
"Is this your precious amulet?" Krayt asked, sneering.
Nasoth raised a hand to his chin. "Yes, but I do not recall it being so... worse for wear."
"That's because we were forced to destroy it," Naaro said darkly. "Voran's wife attempted to use it to drain us of Force power."
"Ah, yes. That was Jarak Null's specialty: Force Drain. Shame it didn't do him any good when--"
"Spare us the history lesson, worm," Lokai snarled. "We did our part. Now for you to do yours."
"I already have." Nasoth leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. "Eight bounty hunters have been sent to track down the woman who has the Eye of Kaas."
All of the Sith stared at him with baffled looks. Even Krayt looked mildly bemused.
"How?" Naaro asked. "How could you have done that from your cell?"
"I have my ways," Nasoth replied. "Besides, does it matter? At least I am able to perform my part from these confines. You didn't even need to release me."
Darth Krayt's eyes blazed as he tossed the amulet through the bars of the cell. "You had better not disappoint me, Givin, or we never will release you."
Nasoth chuckled. "Now what would I possibly gain from that?"
* * *
"Please! I don't know anything!"
"I think you're lying, Delnar."
Trask Moran paced behind the dangling Morseerian as the latter dangled precariously over the railing that oversaw the treacherous seas of Amethia Prime. All four of his arms were tied behind his head, leaving him helpless to the Snatchers' interrogation.
"You're the Bounty Hunters' Guild's information well," Trask went on. "You have tabs on every single bounty hunter in the galaxy."
"I do not!" Delnar protested. "Where did you even get that idea? Such a task is beyond my capabilities."
"Don't play coy with us," Trask growled, tapping his blaster against his leg. "Your surveillance has been the boon of many a Snatcher for years. We've all ran into unwanted company thanks to your tattling."
"Maybe so! But I swear to you I don't know anything about this Valrisa woman!"
"I find that very hard to believe." Trask gave a small nod. "Thovak?"
Crouched in front of Delnar, a hairy gray Hassk unsheathed a small blade and held it up to the tube connecting the Morseerian's methane mask to his environment suit. Delnar's black eyes widened behind his mask's goggles while Thovak's red orbs gleamed with sadism.
"If Thovak cuts that tube, you will die," Trask said. "So let me ask again, Del: Where can we find Valrisa?"
Delnar let out a shuddering breath. "I... I know that she works for the Malvis Cabal."
"That doesn't do us any good. I want to know where we can find her. What planets does she visit regularly?"
"I can't... I'm not at liability to say--"
Thovak applied pressure with his blade. Methane began to hiss from the tube.
"Ord Talavos!" Delnar exclaimed. "She's on Ord Talavos! She's holding an auction for some artifact! All of Malvis' crime lords will be attending!"
Trask flashed a wicked grin. "And how does one get to Ord Talavos?"
"It's just off the Great Gran Run, near Manakron."
"Good. I knew we could count on you, Del. Thovak, if you would be so kind?"
Cackling madly, Thovak raised his knife and plunged it into Delnar's chest. The Morseerian cried out in agony as methane and blood leaked from his suit. Trask quickly moved over and cut Delnar down from where hung before throwing him over the railing and into the Amethian sea.
Thovak sniffed with disdain. "Water gonna pollute."
"That's not exactly my problem, is it?" Trask retorted. "Tell Dorga to prep the ship. We're headed for Ord Talavos."
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