The Bartokk Assassins Read online

  "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

  just around this curve."

  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