Star Wars: The Rise of Nexu

Chapter 3: Bloodline

Chapter 3

Nikkus's personal Jedi Starfighter sped through space quickly, the triangular ship darting in between asteroids and trying desperately to avoid the two larger ships which were following closely behind. Nikkus was at the controls. He had never been too big of a fan of flying, but when it counted he could out maneuver a good majority of Jedi in the order. The two ships behind him belonged to Bounty Hunters, who had been following him since he left Coruscant. At first he didn't think much of it, as Coruscant was the capital of the Republic, after all. But as Nikkus exited hyperspace above the planet Helkon, which was only inhabited by small tribes of aliens who had remained on the planet since their ancestors discovered it millions of years before, he knew something was wrong. And as he began to maneuver around the ring of asteroids that circled the planet, the two ships opened fire. Nikkus did a 360 degree spin around to avoid the lasers which zoomed past the ship and made contact with a large space rock. These Bounty Hunters weren't playing games, but neither was he.

"R9, go into autopilot and prepare to eject" Nikkus ordered. His astromech droid beeped in a concerned manner as he reached down into a compartment of the ship and pulled out a clear mask which would allow him to breathe in the cold vacuum of space. He had swapped out his normal Jedi robes for a Republic pilot's uniform back on Coruscant, as his mission was not official Jedi business, and if anyone spotted him it could be disastrous for Nikkus. As the mask automatically sealed, and a display came to life on the visor, Nikkus prepared himself for the risky move he was about to attempt.

"Now, R9!" he yelled as the top of the ship opened up and he was ejected from the starfighter and into space. Nikkus felt the speed of his acceleration suddenly stop, as he was suspended in nothingness. The ships following him were confused, but only for a moment. One of the ships broke off from the starfighter and turned around to attack Nikkus, who had used the force to summon a small asteroid towards him, for him to grab onto to keep steady. Nikkus ignited his green lightsaber as the ship came around, firing at him with powerful, red bolts which would have incinerated any normal man. But Nikkus was prepared, he blocked the blast with his lightsaber and leapt from the asteroid, pulling himself towards the ship using the force. Within a second, the game had changed. Nikkus was now on the visor of the enemy ship, and was clinging on as it flew. He could spot the Bounty Hunter inside, and he was surprised to see that he actually recognized him. The Hunter looked even more surprised as he saw Nikkus's face through the clear mask which covered it.

"Nikkus!" The hunter exclaimed as he saw the Jedi, who looked fully prepared to impale him through the glass visor of the ship. Quickly, the bounty hunter pressed a button on his console and a small hatch opened in the side of the ship. The Bounty Hunter waved for Nikkus to enter the ship through the hole, and Nikkus took the opportunity, not wanting to stay in space any longer than he had to. Despite being safe, something about being out there unnerved Nikkus, and he was happy to have his feet on solid ground as he slid his body around to the side of the ship and crawled through the hatch, which was meant for an escape pod to launch out of.

Once Nikkus was in the ship, he took his mask off and set it carefully on the chrome floors. The space inside the ship was decorated with all types of weapons hanging on the walls. Everything from blasters to thermal detonators, and even a lightsaber, which Nikkus refused to ask about for fear of not liking the answer.

After a moment, the Bounty Hunter entered the room. He was a young man, only slightly older than Nikkus. He had very short, brown hair and he was wearing armor which was clearly Mandalorian. It was tan in color, and had been created by the man himself. Instead of a traditional look, which was preferred by most Mandalorians, he went for a more militarized approach. The chest plate was bigger and would do more to protect him against enemy attacks. He also had various built in weapons systems to keep himself safe, and to surprise his enemy. He had a jetpack strapped to his back which was green, the only piece of his armor that stood out in color, and he had two visible holsters on his hips, each with a blaster pistol resting comfortably inside.