Imperial Trade Consortium

[Borg]

Chapter 2 The Hunt

Kyllian stopped at the bio-tech station where the hunter had been doing business and asked which units were the most recent arrivals. The bio-tech continued at his work and only stated that the current supplies were acceptable but he could not inform him of the contents or origins. Kyllian looked over to the containers and noticed 2 varieties of high quality meats. He reached into his belt and pulled a small scanner out and began to have it scan the exteriors from a distance. As he finished the bio-tech approached him to ask him to leave.

“I am going to have to ask you to leave now sir, there is no business here for you.”; ordered the bio-tech as he placed a hand on the shoulder of Kyllian.

“You know….while you are right at that note….I will give you some advice….never touch a bounty hunter from behind.”; Kyllian advised as he then spun quickly and reversed the bio-techs hand into a back locking position.

---singe---

Holding his pistol up next to the cheek of the bio-tech….the muzzle still warm from the last shot….Kyllian finished his advice;

“you will undoubtedly find yourself in need of some of your own grafting work.”

“I have what I need…best you get back to your work before I reconsider itching with this finger pointed in your direction.”; Kyllian said as he let go of the bio-tech and waved good-bye slowly with his pistol.

As Kyllian made his way southward on foot he read his scanner and found traces of dethorol based transdoshan scale resedue. Transdoshans were a species of varied colors but all were origionally from five main lineages….Dethoral, Angor, Shalad, Radulca and Pitheg. The Dethorals were green, Angor where brown, Shalad where yellow, Radulca where redish in scale color while the Pitheg were black scaled. The scan data showed that Kyllian sought to find a green Transdoshan and as he moved in the same direction indicated by Savrem he looked for any tracks common to those in the bio-tech area. Soon he came to the shoreline and there in soft soil were some tracks that carried the same signature scan with an insignificant percentage difference.

“Transdoshans….scales tough as steel but shed like a wookie sometimes….ahhh there you are.”; Kyllian said as he reached down and pulled a scale off a rock edge that had shaved off a small scale from the foot of his prey.

Snapping the scale fragment into a small container Kyllian stood and looked out across the lake and fields. The hunter was out there and now was the hunted. Kyllian headed back to Theed where he would pick up a few tracker droids and program them to aid his search.

****3000m away****

The calm cool air was broken abruptly as a piercing sound wave broke across a herd of Bolle Bol. A large male Bolle Bol then was hit in succession by a bone spur, phenacine dart, wire trap and then covered in an adhesive mesh. From the nearby brush ran a tall dark green transdoshan, who then spun and buried his gaderiffi baton into the ribs of the Bolle Bol. The Bolle Bol wheeled around the best it could but could not defend itself as the transdoshan began to penetrate other vital regions of his prey. The Bolle Bol bellowed and fell to the ground as dead weight. Cutting away the mesh and wire like a spider handles his web; the transdoshan began to harvest meat from the kill. As he finished he called toward the brush and out flew a tusk cat, which he then ordered to feast on the remains.

“Feel better Magic? A few more and we can call it a day aye my friend?”; the transdoshan said as he petted the domesticated tusk cat and it roared in reply.

The pair then began to track the herd that had fled the field as off in the distance it looked as if some rain would begin to damper their hunt.

****2000m South of Theed*****

Savrem watched over the installation of a third factory from the steps of a great hall. Worker droids flew and scurried as others spun and welded the pieces together in a symphony of action. So far he had constructed 4 major housing, 2 large factories and 3 small factories. Nearby a dozen harvesters worked at ore, organic, metal, chemical and gaseous resources. Everything was going well and he entered the great hall and into an office where in the center of the room stood a hologram interactive transmitter. Savrem activated the keypad and turned back toward the transmitter and knelt. In a whirl of energy appeared a small glowing figure of Lord Hethrir.

“Savrem….what do you have to report. I hope it is that you have begun to ship resources to Dathomir.”; Lord Hethrir commented.

From his kneeling position Savrem looked up toward the hologram.

“Not as of yet my lord. I have completed the arrangements for the transports of the supplies and I have nearl…”; Savrem spoke but was cut off.

“It would be best if the first shipments arrived by the end of this week. The Emperor is looking forward to our results and I for one will not fail him.”; Lord Hethrir stated.

“Neither will I my lord. Your shipment will arrive on time. Shall I cover the construction status?”; Savrem added and asked.

“No. I am sure you are on schedule for the arrival of the garrison. There can be no mistakes or delays in this project.”; answered Lord Hethrir.

“Understood…as you wish.”; Savrem replied

The hologram began to shudder and whirl…then it was gone and the room, which was bathed in a blue glow, returned to its stark stone grey tone. Savrem took a deep breath and stood. Adjusting his jacket he realized he was not wearing his uniform and chuckled a bit. His humor with himself forgetting he was not in uniform was enough entertainment for one day and he grabbed his data-pad and left the great hall for Theed. Snapping on his chinstrap, Savrem saddled up on his speeder-bike and kicked it into gear. Like a shot out of a blaster cannon he was in route and scoring over the open grasslands that lead to Theed.

---Shrrrack---

Savrem found himself in an instant flying through the air and skipping across the water like a rock, then everything went black.

Savrem’s speeder-bike had been hit by a sharpshooter blast and the front steering was destroyed, causing the unit to bury into the marshy soil. A pack of Maulers bolted down from the hill as the speeder-bike exploded. The explosion rolled over the hill and was caught by a transdoshan heading home. He then took a position on the ridge and scanned the area. The wind carried the smell of burning fuel cells and a familiar odor…..Maulers. They were local brigands who preyed on townsfolk and scholars who would gather at various ancient shrines in the area. As he moved to another ridge he could see below a pair of Maulers pulling a body from the pond and beginning to search it for valuables. There were only 3 that he could see or smell. Maulers always were in even numbers so somewhere there was another. He was downwind and that meant the other was behind him somewhere.

“Magic go get Spike”; ordered the transdoshan.

Off ran Magic back toward the original direction the pair had been going in.

The transdoshan was not disappointed, for soon a small nearly indistinguishable snap of a twig could be heard a few meters behind him. He then closed his eyes and gripped at his gaderiffi baton. Opening is mouth slightly the transdoshan slowly pulled in air, breathing slow and calmly….then the taste danced on his tongue. His eyes opened and in a blink a protective sheath covered the iris as he spun and rolled to lunge his staff deep into the abdomen of a Mauler standing behind him with an axe held up in the air. The transdoshan stood and covered the Maulers mouth with his large tri clawed hand.

“Shhhhhhh….there there that wasn’t so bad was it.”; gleamed the transdoshan as he titled his head to match the tilted head of the Mauler.

---SNAP---

The transdoshan snapped the neck of the Mauler and as it fell to the ground he turned to look back at the 3 below. He then moved along a dry creek bed toward the other Maulers below. Positioning himself behind a boulder, he threw a small rock against another boulder a short distance away. The noise drew the attention of the closest Mauler, who after looking back at his brethren moved to check out the small ripples forming as a result of the rock landing at the waters edge. The Mauler passed the boulder with the transdoshan behind it and the only thing the Mauler saw was a brilliant flash of light that accompanied a blow to the back of his head. The transdoshan quickly snatched the Mauler by the head and drove it into the marshy muck. Hardly a struggle or shake and the odds were reduced to 2 to 1. Pulling a large cleaver from his backpack the transdoshan prepared his last distraction. Applying some camouflage from the local marsh and supplies he carried, he packed his shirt into his backpack so that he could expand the deceptive pattern across his body. He took a few deep breaths and the scent of his prey was now locked within his focus.

Picking up his gaderiffi baton, he pulled away some of the marsh muck stuck to its points. He began to walk toward the maulers as the overcast sky lent some aid in improving his camouflage pattern in the daylight.

“Hey…..You…..you missing something?”; asked the transdoshan as he tossed an object to one of the Maulers and burst run straight for the other.

Instinctually the mauler caught the object…..turning it over he found himself looking into the ghastly face of his beheaded brethren.

Driving the end of his gaderiffi baton deep into the chest cavity of the Mauler, he raised him into the air like a flag and flung him into the nearby lake.

“Raaaaaahhhhhggggghhhh”; the transdoshan hollered as he finished the throw and spun to parry off the pike from the remaining Mauler beginning his attack.

In a quick thrust and twist, the Mauler was disarmed and reached for his pistol. Letting loose a quick burst of shot, the transdoshan dove and blocked at the volley. Jumping toward the Mauler like a tusk cat on a kadu, he grabbed the pistol hand as he sunk his gaderiffi baton into the abdomen of the Mauler. As the transdoshan rose to his feet, the Mauler found himself being held in the air. The transdoshan eyelids blinked and the Mauler could see deep into their darkness. The skilled hunter began to move the staff around the abdominal cavity of the Mauler….portions of entrails began to drop to the ground.

“Game over.”; the transdoshan said softly as he dropped the mauler atop his own bowels.

The transdoshan looked around and began to move toward the unconscious Savrem, who lay motionless near the lake. Kneeling down, the transdoshan found Savrem still breathing but with a broken arm and collarbone. Until Magic returned with Spike the only option was to make camp and tend the breaks and wounds.

Tending the best he could the breaks, the transdoshan moved to deal with the carcasses of the Maulers. Retrieving a few credits and what looked like Savrem’s satchel, he piled the 4 bodies near the boulders and lit them ablaze. A familiar roar rolled over the hill as Magic and Spike bounded down the slope.

“There you two are……took you long enough”; he muttered as he welcomed his pets with a warm pet and hug around their thick necks.

Magic noticed a blaster scar still bleeding on the arm of the transdoshan and began to clean it like only a cat would. The transdoshan had already begun to regenerate and repair the wound, but their long term bond kept each others concern for the other at the front of their minds eye. Spike, a plains hunter, was more of an aggressor and his ear caught a slight hum on the wind. He growled for attention as he searched the horizon for the source.

“What is wrong boy?”; asked the transdoshan as he put on his shirt and cleared off the camouflage from his scales.

Magic moved to the side of Spike and the pair caught a glimpse of the source. A tracking droid sat on the edge of the forest. The transdoshan patted the two on their hind quarters and moved back toward the debris of the speeder-bike. As he rolled it over he could see it was an older version of the Imperial Scout bikes. Perhaps this man was retired from service like Colin Mor, the merchant chef he worked as a supplier for. He moved back to the campsite and opened the satchel. City plans and various ingredient lists for medical supplies as well as a droid memory chip.

“Medic aye…..well guess you’ll be in good hands when you wake up….your own”; chuckled the transdoshan to himself.

Spike took an aggressive defensive posture and his roar alerted the transdoshan. Looking back up the hill he could see a figure walking down the slope with the tracker droid alongside him….a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter raised a hand in a calming gesture toward the camp and the transdoshan returned the gesture. The bounty hunter was Kyllian and he recognized the wounded human on the cot as Savrem.

“I see you have my friend here, what is his condition?”; asked Kyllian

“Fair…he has a couple bones broken but he is alive.”; replied the transdoshan.

“I am Kyllian Wolf, assigned to find Savrem when his bike alarm went off”; Kyllian added as he noticed the destroyed speeder-bike in the distance.

“Good….then you can stay with him till he wakes. I have business to finish this day. Here is his satchel and credits that the Maulers lifted from him earlier.”; responded the transdoshan as he began to prepare to leave.

“Hunter…..whom shall I tell Savrem came to his aid when he awakes….he may wish to reward you for your assistance.”; asked Kyllian.

Pondering a moment, the transdoshan turned his head slightly looking over his shoulder and replied;

“Borg…….Borg Stonewall”

Borg left the campsite with his two pets…..Spike snarling back at Kyllian and the trio disappeared over the hill.

Kyllian looked over at the burning remains of the Maulers, then looked back toward the hill Borg went over. Tapping a few commands onto a keypad the tracking droid took flight in pursuit. Savrem had found his gatherer, though he didn’t even know it…..and now he just needed to recruit him onto the team.