"No, it was my droids." Trinkatta sighed as he readjusted his cape. "They
were reprogrammed by Bartokks who were trying to steal the starfighters, but
you'd already beaten them to the job. You stole the Bartokks' freighter, you
imbecile!"
"Bartokks?" Bama exclaimed as his eyes rolled in their sockets. "Why are
those assassins on Esseles?"
"We don't know for certain," Qui-Gon admitted. "But it's an easy guess
the Bartokks are on an assignment to kill someone. We suspect they want the
Trade Federation's droid starfighters and prototype hyperdrive engine to carry
out their own plan. We're wasting time here. Where did you store the
freighter?"
"In Docking Bay 28," Bama answered. "That's where I keep my own ship, the
Metron Burner. Leeper and my son, Chup-Chup, are guarding the freighter now. I
only came to the lon Sandbox to find out if there were any reports of Republic
ships in the area. I never imagined the Jedi would get here so soon."
"With both the Bartokks and the Neimoidians on Esseles, I hope our
arrival isn't too late," Qui-Gon said. "Our landspeeder's right here. Will you
guide us to Docking Bay 28, Bama?"
"Gladly!" Bama answered with enthusiasm.
"I stifl can't believe you broke through my security system," Trinkatta
grumbled to Bama as they climbed into the speeder.
Back in the saloon, Rune Haako lowered his empty glass onto the bar.
"We're done here," Haako announced, "Come along, Dofine. Time to pay a
visit to Trinkatta Starships."
The two cloaked Neimoidians made their way out of the lon Sandbox and
onto the street.
"Now, find us a taxi," Haako ordered as he pulled his cloak lower over
his forehead. Dofine heard the roar of a landspeeder engine and turned just in
time to see the vehicle launch out of a nearby alley. Dofine raised his hand
and was about to call out to the speeder's driver a young male Human when he
recognized Trinkatta and Bama Vook as the passengers in the backseat. An older
male Human sat beside the driver. Dofine's arm dropped to his side as the
speeder zoomed down the street.
He turned to Haako and said, "Sir? I think we have trouble. I just saw
Trinkatta and Bama Vook in a landspeeder. They were with two humans."
"What'?" Haako snapped. "Which way did they go?"
Dofine pointed down the street, where the speeder was still barely
visible.
"Well, don't just stand there," Haako commanded. "Start running!"
Docking Bays 25 30 were not far from the lon Sandbox, and the Jedi's
landspeeder made the short journey in less than three minutes. Each docking
bay was a four-story structure that resembled a giant tire lying on its side;
the circular architecture wrapped around and protected the sunken bay from
view, but the open central area al - lowed immediate access for launches and
landings. The streets that bordered the docking bays resembled a series of
interlocking roundabouts.
"The docking bays are larger than I imagined," Qui-Gon commented. "But
then they'd have to be large to accommodate a Bartokk freighter." Turning his
head slightly, he addressed Bama Vook. "You mentioned your own ship, the
Metron Burner. What's its make and model?"
"The Metron Burner is a Corellian YT-1300 Transport," Bama replied via
his vocabulator.
"The latest model?" Obi-Wan asked with some disbelief. Obi-Wan knew the
sizable YT-1300 freighters were fairly expensive.
"Not the latest, but still in good shape," Bama answered. "It was a good
deal. Leeper,
Chup-Chup, and I have also been remodeling a Z-95 Headhunter, making it
suitable for space travel. We've expanded its cockpit to hold two pilots."
As Obi-Wan slowed the speeder near Docking Bay 28, Bama removed a comlink
from his weapons belt.
"Drive around to the north side," Bama instructed. "There's a lift tube
The lift tube was an industrial open-doored booth design built into the
side of the ring-shaped structure. Obi-Wan slowed the speeder to a stop next
to a stack of empty cargo containers. Across the street, in front of Docking
Bay 27, a large chemical waste storage tank rested on a rusted gravsled
outside.
"What a horrid stench," Bama said, pointing to the tank. "My neighbor
better call a droid sanitation crew to tow that gravsled or I'll report him to
the authorities."
The street was strangely silent and absent of any traffic. As Qui-Gon,
Obi-Wan, Bama, and Trinkatta climbed out of the speeder, both Jedi cast
cautious glances at the surrounding buildings.
"Something wrong?" Trinkatta asked.
Without any elaboration, Qui-Gon replied, "A disturbance in the Force."
On Docking Bay 27's roof, a quick movement and flash of insectoid armor
caught Obi-Wan's attention.
"Bartokks!" he said. He turned to Trinkatta and Bama. "They're above us.
Take cover."
Trinkatta followed the Jedi's gaze.
"I don't see anyone up " he began. Before the Kloodavian could complete
his sentence, Qui-Gon's arm lashed out and yanked him aside. A split-second
later, a long, sharp spear flew down from above and plunged deep into the
ground where Trinkatta had just been standing. Qui-Gon shoved Trinkatta under
the parked landspeeder and ordered, "Keep out of sight!"
Three more spears raced down through the air, all aimed at the Jedi
Master. Qui-Gon moved so fast he became a barely visible blur. As the spears
drove into the ground, Qui-Gon rematerialized against the wall to the right of
the lift tube booth. From this position, he was just out of the Bartokks'
range of fire. On the other side of the booth, Obi-Wan and Bama ducked behind
the stack of empty cargo crates.
"Judging from those spears, there are at least three Bartokks up there,"
Obi-Wan observed.
"How did they find us!?" Trinkatta yelped.
"Bartokks communicate telepathically," Qui-Gon replied as he scanned the
rooflines for any sign of movement. "Before the two Bartokks were killed at
your factory, they might have mentally transmitted a warning to the other
thirteen members of their hive, alerting them to our presence on Esseles."
"Then it's possible we led them right here to Docking Bay 28, " Obi-Wan
realized with some frustration.
A pneumatic hiss indicated the lift was rising within the tube. As the
lift reached the street level, the hiss ceased and a LE-PR navigator droid
stumbled out through the booth's open doors. A nasty-looking dent was visible
on the droid's metal forehead.
"Leeper!" Bama exclaimed. In a swift movement, Bama reached out and
pulled the droid away from the booth and behind the empty cargo crates. Bama
was barely behind the crate when a dozen poisoned-tipped arrows whizzed down
from the roof. The arrows produced a rippling, staccato noise as they slammed
into the wall near the booth, mere centimeters from Bama's head.
"What happened?" Bama asked the droid. "Where's Chup-Chup?"
"Sorry, Bama," Leeper answered in a deep synthetic voice. "Chup-Chup and
I were watching the freighter when aliens jumped us. Insectoids with
four
arms. The freighter's owners, I suspect." The droid pointed to his dented
forehead. "They took me by complete surprise. They pinned my arms and threw me
into the lift tube before I could activate my blaster."
Although it was an unauthorized modification, a retractable blaster was
concealed within Leeper's right arm. "Just before the lift ascended, I saw
them take Chup-Chup onto the freighter."
"What?" Bama gasped in disbelief. "Oh, I didn't mean to steal a Bartokk
freighter!" Twelve more arrows zinged down and struck deep into the protective
cargo crate. Obi-Wan quickly studied the arrows' angle of impact.
"Don't let the number of arrows fool you," he warned the Talz and the
droid. "Each Bartokk is firing four arrows at a time."
Leeper glanced at Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, then nudged Bama and asked,
"Who are these guys?"
"We're Jedi," Qui-Gon informed the droid. "Tell us is the Bartokks'
freighter equipped with a hyperdrive engine?"
"No," Leeper replied. "I inspected the ship. Despite its cargo, the
freighter itself only has a sublight engine. The Bartokks won't be making a
fast getaway. Just wait until I get my manipulators on them!"
Another volley of arrows showered down around the heroes. Qui-Gon looked
to Obi-Wan and said,
"We must get past these snipers and board that freighter."
"Why not just destroy the freighter and all its contents?" Obi-Wan asked.
Seeing Qui-Gon's reprimanding gaze and sensing Bama's outrage, Obi-Wan quickly
added, "I mean, why not destroy it after we rescue Bama Vook's son?"
"Bartokks aiways have a backup plan in case something goes wrong," Qui-
Gon informed his apprentice. "Destroying the freighter won't necessarily
prevent another team of assassins from completing the Bartokks' assignment."
Obi-Wan considered Qui-Gon's assessment, then added, "If we can access
the freighter's nav computer and learn the Bartokks' destination, we could
figure out the identity of the Bartokks' target. Then we could warn the
intended victim."
Qui-Gon nodded.
"Now you're thinking, Padawan. We should also retrieve the Neimoidian
prototype engine. The Council will want to have a look at..."
Before Qui-Gon could finish, three Bartokks sprang down from the roof of
Docking Bay 27. Despite the weight of their gleaming black body armor, the
assassins barely made a sound as they landed on the street. Qui-Gon and Obi-
Wan stood ready but did not draw their lightsabers. The Bartokks waited,
slightly hunched, braced on their segmented legs in an assault position. Each
assassin wielded two twin-shaft crossbows, and they all aimed for Bama Vook's
heart. Under the parked landspeeder, the cringing Kloodavian let out a gasp.
"Smart, you are, Jedi," the nearest Bartokk muttered in a digitized
voice. Like Bama, the Bartokk wore a vocabulator that translated his native
language into Basic. "Despite your speed, you know it is unlikely you could
prevent all twelve arrows from reaching their mark. You will allow the
freighter to leave Esseles, or the Talz and his hostage son will die."
"What assurance do we have that Bama's son is still alive?" Qui-Gon
asked. With one of his free arms, the Bartokk extended a comlink. He pressed a
switch, and the frightened cry of the captured Chup-Chup was broadcast from
the comlink's speaker. With a flick of his claw, the Bartokk switched off the
comm.
"As you could hear, our hostage is still breathing." Bama snarled as he
reached for his holstered blaster, but Obi-Wan grabbed the Talz's wrist.
"Careful," Obi-Wan whispered. "It's not just their arrows you should be
worried about. The Bartokks' intelligence is distributed through nerve centers
throughout their bodies. Even if you shoot off a head, the other parts of the
body would continue to attack."
Suddenly, the nearly deafening roar of large repulsorlift engines filled
the air.
"That's the freighter!" Bama realized. "They're preparing for liftoff!"
Qui-Gon's voice was calm as he addressed the Bartokks. "You won't get
away with this."
"What are you hotshots waiting for?" Trinkatta whimpered to the Jedi from
beneath the landspeeder. "Do something!"
It's not the Talz's fault, Obi-Wan thought to himself. If only Qui-Gon
hadn't allied himself with such vulnerable riffraff.
Cornered near the lift tube at Docking Bay 28, Obi-Wan was confounded by
the present situation. Although he was confident that he and Qui-Gon could
survive an encounter with the Bartokks, Obi-Wan wasn't so certain they'd be
able to prevent he assassins from firing their arrows at Bama Vook. From his
position next to the cargo crates, Obi - Wan heard the rumble of the Bartokk
freighter's engine within the docking bay. He didn't know much about Bartokk
assassins, but he knew they did not have a reputation for letting hostages sur
- He doubted the assassins had any intention releasing Bama's son, Chup-Chup.
As Obi-Wan's eyes remained on the three assassins, his peripheral vision
picked up a flickering movement: a shadow gliding across the outer wall of the
docking bay across the street. The shadow was cast by something directly above
him, and he looked up in time to see a wide stun net dropping from the roof.
In that instant, Obi-Wan realized the three Bartokks on the ground were a mere
distraction for a fourth assassin to spring a trap. In the same instant, the
young Padawan knew there wasn't any time to warn his Master, the Talz, or the
droid. Obi-Wan's reflexes kicked in almost before he
realized what he was doing. Faster than the eye could follow, he dove
through the air and rolled under the landspeeder. His hand flew over
Trinkatta's beak, preventing the Kloodavian from shouting in fright. As soon
as the stun net landed on Qui-Gon, Bama, and Leeper, it released a massive
electric charge. The net's duracord strands glowed bright white-blue as the
shock was unleashed. The Jedi Master and Talz were immediately knocked
unconscious
and the droid's circuits were shorted. The shock ended with a sick,
fizzling sound. Trapped within the net, the three figures collapsed in a heap
on the ground. From under the landspeeder, Obi-Wan watched the three assassins
on the street. He couldn't see the one on the roof, but it seemed the Bartokks
had not witnessed his escape from the trap. Obi-Wan waited to strike. He
didn't enjoy the idea of harming any living creature, but he was more than
prepared to give the ruthless Bartokks a fight they wouldn't soon forget.
Trinkatta released a muffled groan, and Obi-Wan eased his hand from the
Kloodavian's dry beak. At the same time, the three Bartokks relaxed their
grips on their crossbows and stepped closer to the stun net. Their movements
were identical. With their hive mind, the insectoid creatures moved in the
same fashion, like puppets controlled
by a single brain. Obi-Wan's mind raced.
He wondered if the Bartokks realized yet that one of their targets had escaped
the stun net.
Would they leave for the freighter or search for him? Would he be able te
board their freighter without anyone ge
tting gjlled? Before Obi-Wan could
wonder anymore, each of the three Bartokks reached to his backpack and
retrieved a spear. Then they raised the spears and prepared to bring the sharp
points down on the de - fenseless bodies within the stun net. Obi-Wan knew it
was time to make his move. The Padawan rolled fast out from under the
landspeeder and came up with his lightsaber. His body ed into invisibility as
he surged toward the three Bartokks like a hostile wind. He activated the
lightsaber. The Bartokks never saw him com - ing. Obi-Wan materialized near
the docking bay lift tube booth. His illuminated lightsaber was still clasped
in his hands as he heard the sound of body parts hitting the ground. He had
cut off the Bar - tokks' arms. All twelve of them. If the Bartokks were in any
way startled, they did not reveal it. While the emotionless assassins turned
their bulbous-eyed heads to face Obi-Wan, their severed arms skittered on the
ground, trying to pick up the fallen weapons. Hoping to draw the Bartokks away
from Qui-Gon and the others, Obi-Wan ran across the street and stood near a
chemical waste storage container. Two of the armless Bartokks jumped at Obi-
Wan. He dodged them, vanishing as they landed next to the storage container.
As the Bartokks' arms skit - tered toward their respective bodies, Obi-Wan
reappeared and drove his glowing blade through the container, then leaped
aside to safety. The rup - tured tank sprayed chemical waste onto the two
Bartokks and their twitching iimbs, effectively liquefying them in a toxic
shower. As the two Bartokks melted Obi-Wan caught sight of their accomplice
near the stun net. The surviving armless Bartokk raised a powerful leg,
preparing to stomp the unconscious figures within the stun net. Obi-Wan again
moved with incredible speed, and the Bartokk was suddenly minus both of its