|
| |
|
| |
|
On another planet, Rodian leader of the Nockudumey Terrorists, Bodotor Thuvat, met with two of his main assistants: Dem Nozah, an Arcona with a triangular-shaped head and bandolier; and Konot’tak Malus, a pink-skinned Twi’lek who wore a dirty white shirt.
| |
|
He himself had huge, dull-faceted eyes, bulbous eyes on a pea-green face. A ridge of short spines crested the high skull; nostrils and mouth were contained in a tapir-like snout.
“Chancellor Palpatine has made a statement on the HoloNet concerning us,” explained Bodotor.
| |
|
“Play it!” Nozah commanded sharply.
| |
|
A blue scanning laser built a ghostly image of an old-looking human male in black robes. “It has come to my attention,” said the human who was Chancellor Palpatine, “that a group of Terrorists have threatened to assasinate me. I have made attempts to talk to them, but they only met with refusal. We cannot let this crisis left untouched! The terrorists have threatened to destroy the very Republic itself. We do not know any way to contact them personally of the matter, as we do not know their location, but I do believe they will be listening to this very speech, which will work as a form of conversation for now. This is a last warning for them: they must surrender themselves to us here on Coruscant. If they refuse, they must be hunted down.”
A large applause came from several other beings on the HoloNet.
| |
|
“Surrender? Preposterous!” Konot’tak snapped when the tranmission went dead. “There is no need for us to surrender to his pitiful existence, or to that of their police force, or to their government.” He smiled evilly. “What evidence do they actually have that we are going to assassinate anyone…” He added with a devilish grin: “…yet?”
| |
|
“They are fools!” exclaimed Dem. “Our base is well hidden. The Republic will never find us.”
| |
|
Bodotor almost laughed. “They don’t have to. Malus, are the transports ready? We’re leaving the base for Mithus.”
| |
|
Later, on the peaceful planet of Naboo…
| |
|
…Tarisian and Raymus Drewton, both now much older, enjoyed a drink before they were sent off for their first mission of their new military career.
| |
|
“So, the Chancellor thought the terrorists would see his message on the HoloNet?” Raymus asked his brother.
| |
|
“Yeah,” replied Tarisian. “Since we don’t know their coordinates it’s the only way to give them the message. In case they refuse our requests again, the Republic’s working on locating them. Krenis says the job’s inching toward completion. Once we’ve found them, I think that the plan supposed to be if we meet some resistance, we’re forced to defend ourselves… …knock ‘em out if we have to.”
| |
|
“So this mission will be more violent than we thought,” Raymus pondered.
“Exactly what I meant.”
Something beeped that Tarisian had.
“Hang on,” he said, removing the comlink from his belt.
| |
|
A voice from the small communicator spoke. “Sir, we discovered the Nockudumey’s location: on Mithus. It has been requested that you come to a briefing on the mission.”
“I’m on my way,” answered Tarisian.
| |
|
“I guess that ends our vacation,” Raymus said in a teasing voice.
“And hopefully it’s not our last vacation for a long time, Raymus.”
| |
|
Then the two brothers departed for Coruscant…
| |
|
It was generally agreed that Coruscant was the most important world in the Galaxy. This was the location of the Republic, and also a place for military gatherings as it was today.
“I think that you are all aware of the disaster caused by the Nockudumey,” a man named Tarkin said, who was a lieutenant Governor at the time. “So, on with the plans.”
| |
|
“The terrorists have made no answer to the Chancellor’s speach on the HoloNet,” he continued, “and the deadline has met its end. We are forced to make our move. Kyle Krenis, who has unfortunately missed this meeting, has located their hideout. We managed to get an image of the hideout when we sent our probe droids down to the planet. Also, the climate of the planet, Mithus, is very cold, and always snowing.”
| |
|
A Wookiee barked a comment in his own language, but it was clear to all in the room that he was expressing a negative point.
| |
|
Tarkin’s face went stern. “No, we believe the force we are sending is enough. The Nockudumey appear to have a rather insignificant number of soldiers. Remember, we aren’t going there to make war. We’re going there to make peace.”
| |
|
The briefing finished a short time after. “I have a bad feeling about this,” Raymus told Tarisian.
“You always have a bad feeling, Raymus. Don’t worry. I’m sure it will be alright,” said Tarisian.
“I’m not so sure…”
Nevertheless, Raymus did not speak of it again.
| |
|
The following day, Raymus piloted the group of Peace Keepers to Mithus, a snow-covered world with harsh cold weather.
| |
|
“There!” he yelled over the wind, pointing to the Nockudumey’s base.
| |
|
Soon, they landed on the cold snowy plains of Mithus.
| |
|
“This place almost makes me nostalgic for Dantooine,” Raymus joked, referring to the planet they had been castaway on for two years.
“Nothing could make me nostalgic for that blasted planet!” said Tarisian, not thinking Raymus’s remark was very funny. “Anyways, Tarisian, stay here with the ship. If I call you, follow my coordinates so that we can leave here.”
| |
|
Leaving Raymus onboard the ship, Tarisian Drewton led the way to the terrorists’ base.
| |
|
“Sir,” a fellow Peace Keeper said to Tarisian, “my data-readers report that there are several life forms near.”
“Good. We must be close to their base.”
The other Peace Keeper shook his head. “That’s not what I meant, sir. The life forms are approaching… …from everywhere. They’re coming in fast! I think it’s an ambush.”
| |
|
At that instant he was shot by an incoming blaster bolt.
| |
|
“Open fire!” Tarisian commanded loudly as terrorist forces surrounded them.
| |
|
“There’s too many of them,” said one human in Tarisian’s group, right before he died.
A Wookiee Peace Keeper roared in rage as he hacked through Nockudumey terrorists.
| |
|
Meanwhile, Dem Nozah and Konot’tak Malus contacted their leader with news of the battle.
“Yes, Bodotor,” Nozah said. “The ambush is going as planned. You may land when ready.”
| |
|
When the transmission died, Tarisian Drewton appeared before the two.
“Surrender,” he said.
| |
|
“Preposterous!” was Dem Nozah’s answer.
| |
|
He threw a grenade at the Peace Keeper, who just managed to get out of the way before it exploded.
| |
|
The next thing Tarisian saw was a mace being held over his head by the terrorist leader himself.
| |
|
Bodotor Thuvat laughed. “There is no escape. The Republic shall be consumed by terror. In a miunte you shall be relieved of your existance!”
| |
|
But then, in a stunning blast of light, Twi’lek Terrorist Konot’tak Malus of the Nockudumey was destroyed.
| |
|
Above, a Republic Gunship piloted by Tarisian’s brother, Raymus Drewton, hovered in the air.
| |
|
Konot’tak Malus would be avenged…
| |
|
A darkness that was the gunship’s shadow covered the ground.
Tarisian grabbed a vibro-ax from a fallen terrorist warrior and prepared to battle with the Nockudumey leaders.
| |
|
Weapons clashed together!
Thuvat knew that if he was close to Tarisian, the pilot in the gunship above would dare not fire at him, for he would be risking firing on Tarisian Drewton.
| |
|
…and Dem Nozah did not plan on leaving Bodotor Thuvat…
| |
|
…and neither did Peace Keeper Kyle Krenis plan on leaving Tarisian Drewton.
| |
|
Bodotor Thuvat turned just slightly to discover what the hubbub was, but his slightest move was one of his worst mistakes.
| |
|
Kyle, who had tackled Dem Nozah to the ground, had been thrown off his back. Now the two were firing at each other…
| |
|
…but both dodged each other’s blows.
| |
|
And Thuvat, who for a second, had been Tarisian’s captive, executed a backwards-maneuver with his mace to hit Drewton on the head.
| |
|
But this was another mistake by Bodotor: he had pushed Tarisian away, giving Raymus Drewton, the pilot above, a better chance to fire upon him without harming Tarisian. In one strike gunship fire fell upon the two terrorists, Bodotor Thuvat and Dem Nozah.
| |
|
However, their bodies could not be found after the explosion.
After recieving a report from another Peace Keeper, Tarisian told Kyle Krenis that the terrorists had been ordered to retreat after being heavily defeated.
“I’d almost forgotten about the other battle,” Tarisian added.
“The terrorists were taking orders from Bodotor Thuvat and Dem Nozah,” said Kyle. “This means that the terrorists must have dodged the gunship fire just in time…”
| |
|
Later, on a planet far away, the Rodian terrorist leader had a rather interesting conversation with Count Dooku, former Jedi Master…
| |