Dicing with Darkness

Chapter 16 - Final Exam

The heavy footsteps of Darth Vader shaking floor of Senate Office scare Senators who have the unruly pleasure of crossing paths with the Emperor's mechanical, lapdog behemoth. He enters Darth Sidious' office and kneels to his deceptive Master.

"You requested me, Master." Vader inquires.

"Yes, Lord Vader." Sidious replies, turning in his chair to face him. "I feel the boy is ready to join our ranks. His training is almost complete, requiring him to complete one last test."

"What is that test, my Master?" Vader lifts his head and shifts his gaze from the floor to Sidious.

"He has left for Nal Hutta, too free the slaves that reside in the ownership of the Hutt's. How fortunate." Sidious smirks as a slight laugh vacates his mouth. "You will intercept him, take out the Hutt's, but leave the slaves for him to rescue. Take Seventh Sister and the Grand Inquisitor with you I sense he will be less merciful than last time."

"Yes, Master." Vader acknowledges, "Should I leave him in one piece or do I have permission to inflict damage, Master?"

"Minimal damage." Sidious hesitantly allows knowing there is no other way for him to have Vader's replacement. "However, if inflict more than I instruct consider yourself replaced upon returning." He warns sternly, pointing to the ashes of the trooper who suffered Sidious' wrath.

Vader studied the glass vile which resides on the wall to left of him, it sits upon many other vials of ashes from every person who foolishly let their guard down around Sidious.

"Yes, My Master." Vader stands and walks out. He sees The Grand Inquisitor and Seventh Sister already waiting for him.

"Lord Vader." The Grand Inquisitor greets; him and Seventh Sister bow their heads to Vader. They look up back to Vader, "The Executor is ready for launch."

"Good," Vader walks down the hallway. Both Inquisitors follow.

Nal Hutta

Leo jumps out of Hyperspace and focuses his attention on the planet's surface. It's nothing special is what he first thought initially. The surface looked like it had been filled to the brim with pollution, lacking any vibrant colours, mainly consisting of disgusting shades of greens and yellows.

Xavier's garage is more welcoming than this, Leo thinks cringing from stomach churning thoughts entering his mind as to what's exactly down there. "I don't really want to find out," he looks down to the monitor and scans for the Grand Hutt Council building, he finds it close to his position and tilts the joystick reluctantly forward to start his descent.

He lands the Shuttle in a clearing with flat enough grounding on the outskirts of the council building giving him the element of surprise. He exits the shuttle analysing the terrain. Pollution has consumed the environment, nothing could ever live here, the Hutt's have made this planet their own infected playground.

He cringes from the horrific smell coming from a dead corpse hanging from a tree, tied by the legs hanging upside down with intestines dangling from an exposed stomach wound. He holds back the vomit and returns his attention back to the mission, sneaking most of the way to the Council Building. He comes across a log which he kneels behind and extends his Force awareness into the building.

Leo senses a large group of beings in far end of building mostly likely the holding cells. In the council room, he can sense a lot of movement in the centre of the room, probably from Twi'lek dancers entertaining their masters. The Hutt's must be having another feast for no other reason other than to stuff their faces with rich, exotic food.

He looks to the entrance of the building, two Gamorrean guards block the entrance and decide who goes through. This must be the back entrance considering the lack of guards posted at this point of entry. He should be able to gain entrance wearing Mandalorian armour as it is common sight for these pigs, but the lightsabres were another story it's not every day a person comes through with a sabre let alone two.

"Ah screw it." He mumbles under his breathe maintaining his cover for only a few seconds. He activates his jetpack thrusters, the hiss sound made by the jetpack's thrusters gains the attention of the pig guards. He flies several metres in the air to confuse the guards and with a few shots from his blasters they hit the ground hard.

He enters, finding himself cover his eyes from all the bright lights dazzling in every which way as three Twi'lek's dance in tandem in the centre circle of the room. The bellowed laughing of Hutt's burrowed in his ears as the sound echoes all around the room with all manner of low life bounty hunters cheering for the dancers to keep going till they drop.

Leo sneaks past 3 more pig guards embalmed in the dancers as they tease them - flinging their bodies onto theirs making them beg for more. He takes this opportunity to make his down the hallway that leads to the cells, he shoots the Gamorrean guards without hesitation.

The thud noise alerts the guards he snuck past forcing them to fling into action, Leo shoots the pig guard closest to him, dodging blaster bolts from the other two he activates his lightsabre and charges at them deflecting blaster bolts in random directions. When he is close enough to them, he manages to slice one in half and goes for the heart on the last pig guard.

However... a sudden explosion sends Leo into the wall behind him. He drops his lightsabre and black outs out from the shockwave of ballistics.