Star Wars: Omnium: Clan Of One, A Splinter Universe Story

Episode 13 - The Maw

4 ABY

The Wayfarer drops out of hyperspace. Floating in the darkness, a cluster of asteroids. The asteroids are all interconnected, with each asteroid forming a separate lab module. Apart from the five lab modules, the installation houses a power plant and a military garrison. As the Wayfarer ventures closer, the base hails them, "Maw Installation command. Unknown vessel, state your business or be destroyed."

"This is Vidas Kor," Vidas states. "I wish to inspect the progress on the shield generator."

"Confirm identity," the base responds.

"Confirmation code V-19-77," Vidas recites.

"Confirmed," the base replies. "Adjust your heading to land at lab module B."

Khandee guides the ship to one of the larger asteroids and flies slowly into a large hanger. They land and descend the ramp. An Imperial officer flanked by two stormtroopers stands ready to greet them. Shaking hands with Vidas he says, "I see you've replaced your normal security with bounty hunters."

"Well, after the kidnapping, I decided that my old security was not sufficient," Vidas explains. "I thought that some highly experienced gunslingers would serve me better."

"Perhaps you're right," the officer replies. "Follow me and I'll show you to the generator."

The group walks through well lit halls, past white coated scientists hard at work, and stormtroopers at nearly every door. At the end of yet another hall, a door opens into a large room where the shield generator is under construction. The machine towers above everyone in the room. Should've brought my jetpack. Var thinks as he stares up at the relay, roughly 40 feet above them.

"As you can see," the Imperial officer says, "everything is on schedule."

"It's magnificent," Vidas replies.

Var turns to Khandee and gives a nearly imperceptible nod. Khandee rests his hand casually on his belt, and presses a button concealed within. The explosion sends a tremor through the base. Alarms sound, and stormtroopers rush through the halls toward the hangar. Var and Khandee draw their weapons and gun down the officer and the stormtrooper escort. Var turns to Vidas, "Thank you for your help."

Vidas only has time to scream, "WAIT!" before Var shoots him in the chest. Khandee runs to a small maintenance ladder on the side of the shield generator and begins the climb to the power relay. Var pulls the cylindrical thermal detonators from the belts of the dead stormtroopers. He places them at the entrance of the room, then takes cover behind a row of computers. He does not have to wait long before ten stormtroopers appear in the doorway. Var waits for them to enter before shooting the detonators. The explosion knocks all ten troopers to the ground, killing the five nearest the blast. Var finishes the rest with his pistol.

Up on the ladder, Khandee is feet away from the relay. Down below, Var hears a noise that makes his heart sink. From out in the hallway, the scrambled voices of Death Troopers. The black clad troopers jog into the room and immediately open fire on Khandee. Var kills one with a shot to the head, while Khandee dodges blaster bolts up on the ladder. He reaches the relay as a bolt deflects off his armor. The next bolt hits him in the side. Var hears Khandee cry out. As more troopers enter the room, Var deploys all twelve of his whistling birds. Each of the tiny projectiles find their mark, leaving two Death Troopers and one stormtrooper. As Khandee finishes securing the device, another bolt hits him in the stomach. He loses his grip and falls several rungs on the ladder. Var kills the stormtroopers but the Death Troopers turn their blasters on him. The bolts are stopped by his armor but knock him to the floor.

From midway down the ladder, Khandee opens fire, killing one of the death troopers. The last trooper shoots the Iktotchi in the chest, and Khandee falls to the floor with a resounding crash. Var tackles the trooper to the ground and before he can react, Var stabs his vibroknife through one of the green tinted eyepieces. Var rushes to Khandee's side, but he is already dead. Var runs out the door and sprints down the hallway, feeling blaster bolts hitting his armor as goes. He rounds a corner and detonates the device. At the entrance to the hangar, a team of four death troopers await. Var fires his wrist rocket and it connects with the middle trooper's chest. All four are sent flying from the explosion. Var dashes to the white Lambda shuttle, shooting the Imperial officer attempting to board it. Inside, he frantically brings the ship online and guns the engine out of the hangar. The shuttle's wings unfurl and Var jumps to Lightspeed.

EPILOGUE:

"You were to oversee construction of the new shield generator and prevent it from being harmed," Darth Vader states as he strangles an Imperial officer. "This is an unacceptable failure."

"Ack! Grk!" is the only response he receives before the officer crumples to the ground. Turning on the head engineer of the installation Vader asks, "How soon will you be able to make repairs?"

"Repairs will be impossible, Lord Vader," the engineer explains. "We simply don't have the resources now that we've lost Vidas Kor."

"I suggest you come up with an alternative unless you wish to meet the same fate as Director Lemelisk," Vader threatens.

The engineer pales. "We can build a generator on the forest moon of Endor. It could shield the base from the planet's surface. The project would not take long."

"I suggest you begin construction immediately," Vader turns away.

"Yes, my lord."