Khai: A Star Wars Story

The Hunt

The Chelandion, Nal Hutta,

It was a dreary and foggy day on the Nal Hutta. A large Hutt warship and a C-ROC Gozanti-class light cruiser was patrolling the outer rim territories along with two Minstrel-class star yachts with several Z-95 headhunters and HH-87 Starhoppers escorting them. Osaka The Hutt, descendant of the late Toborro the Hutt, was on the bridge of his command ship trying to get a reading on the T-6 shuttle that was shot down.

"My lord, We have located the T-6 shuttle," A Weequay said. "It appears to have landed on the Kesh System."

"Have the ship on standby," Osaka said in Huttese. "The second the Jedi attempts to contact support, we will be ready to strike."

The Great Cliffs,

Vestara, Lucian, Gavar, Rhea, and Taalon were surveying on top of the cliffs to see if Marn Sheern was nearby. Gavar then picked up his comlink and contacted Tola Annax of the Lost Tribe Defense Fleet.

"Saber Annax," Gavar said. "Have there been any Hutt ships on radar?"

"Negative," Annax said. "We're all clear as of now."

"Keep monitoring incoming ships," Gavar said. "If the cartel shot him down, they could arrive in full force to search for a single Jedi."

"I will," Annax said as she deactivated the ship's comlink.

Gavar then exhaled and turned to Vestara, "Daughter, I will accompany you on the desert and we will take Sheern together at nightfall."

"Yes father," Vestara replied. "Sheern will be overwhelmed with the two of us engaging him."

"Precisely," Gavar said with a small smile. "Have Lucian remain with the rest of the team scouting overhead. The second Sheern starts to gain the upper hand, Lucian, Rhea, and Taalon will serve as reinforcements and we will end him here and now thus preventing an invasion from either the Hutts or more Jedi."

"Lets get ready," Vestara said. "For I sense that he is nearby. If we're going to stop him, we better do it now."

"I agree," Gavar said. "Let's go."

As Vestara and Gavar approached the desert, Vestara became very paranoid and continued to wonder what Sheern told her during her first encounter with him. She then exhaled and cleared her mind following Gavar further into the desert. Gavar then froze as he heard a sound that did not come from afar.

"Stop here," Gavar said. "I found a robe by the looks of it."

"The robes of a Jedi," Vestara replied. "That means that Sheern is not far by."

"Yes," Gavar said. "We must be careful."

As they pressed onward, a blue blade from Sheern's lightsaber tried to hit Gavar but the latter dodged the attack and he and Vestara ignited their sabers with Sheern standing above them on a large hill.

"You are not escaping this time," Vestara said. "It is here we end you like we will all Jedi!"

"You are so blind to think you have me," Sheern said with a small smile. "Once I'm finished with you and your father, Kesh will be liberated from the Sith!"

Vestara and Gavar then began to strike at Sheern only for the latter to block their strikes and jump over them. Gavar then distracted him while Vestara used her Shikkar to signal Lucian and the rest of the team to move in. Lucian began to fire a few shots at Sheern using his Sniper rifle but Sheern blocked the bolts with his lightsaber. Lucian then flew from the cliff and ignited his lightsaber to reinforce Vestara and Gavar. Overwhelmed by the Sith, Sheern jumped on top of the hill and Vestara and Lucian followed him. Lucian and Vestara then launched several heavy strikes on Sheern thus disarming him in the process and pointed their sabers at him.

"Tell me what happened since you claimed that the Sith became extinct," Vestara growled as her lightsaber blade was pointed to his neck.

"The Sith used to control the galaxy a few decades ago by creating the Galactic Empire," Sheern said with a chuckle. "But the Jedi prevailed and the Sith became extinct and the Empire fell until I landed here. If we prevailed in the past, we can prevail again."

"Like your New Jedi Order fell?" Vestara said taunting him. "Lucian told me about the attack on the Temple. Your master Luke Skywalker can no longer assist you. Now this is where you die."

"You won't get a second chance," Sheern said. "But I won't stop until peace is restored!"

Sheern then grabbed a blaster pistol from his holster near his lower back and shot Vestara in the abdomen causing her to collapse.

"Vestara!" Lucian said. "Rhea, Taalon, attend to Vestara she has been shot. Gavar, Xal and I will go after Sheern."

"We'll take her back to the Khai Estate," Taalon said. "She'll be placed in a Bacta tank, go!"

Lucian, Xal, and Gavar then scurried towards Sheern as he began to flee from the Sith. Sheern then fired several shots at them to which Gavar angrily deflected and was ahead of the rest of the team willing to kill the hated Jedi for attempting to murder his beloved daughter.

"Fight me you coward!" Gavar shouted as Sheern continued to run. "You deserve nothing less than death for what you did to my daughter!"

"You fool!" Sheern said. "The remaining Jedi or the Hutt Cartel will arrive here. Either way I die, The Lost Tribe will fall and Kesh will become a world free from you!"

Gavar tried to swing his lightsaber to kill him, but Sheern jumped on a speeder bike and rode off away from the desert leaving Gavar enraged and the latter deactivated his lightsaber. As he rushed back to the Khai Estate to check on Vestara, she was currently being healed in a Bacta tank. Gavar hoped that Vestara will heal quickly and take down Sheern before either Jedi reinforcements or the Hutt Cartel invade Kesh.

Photo credit: Carly King (ig: @officialcarlyking)