Fugitive.

[MysticTrunks]

It had taken some doing to follow the fugitive this far into the core systems. Being a pureblood Sith had far more drawbacks outside Imperial space than it did benefits to be sure. Luckily, it was not all that much better for his quarry being a blue skinned Chiss, even as a defector and traitor, Chiss made waves wherever they went in the Republic Finally the trail was closing above the planet of Kuat, one of the Republics largest shipping yards, and harder to get on than most of Coruscant itself. Harder, but not impossible.

 

The docking bay was large and open with half a dozen craft from medium sized light freighters to the much larger heavy freighters. The smells of engine lubricant and hydraulic fluids filled the bay area with the occasional sparking flash of a hydrospanner. Xani’tos made his way across the bay, his spec ops long coat opening behind him, heading right for his target, the Chiss smuggler B’oyd.

 

“You’re a hard man to find, B’oyd,” he said with his Imperial accented basic as he closed within ten feet of the now smuggler. B’oyd tilted his head slightly at the sound of his name being spoken. Sighing slightly as he put down the diagnostic tool on the landing strut he had been working on and meaningfully placing his hands on the handles of each blaster at his hip.

 

Red glowing eyes took the stranger in, “Well, truly I am sorry to have inconvenienced a stranger I am sure. But it seems to me you are long way from home, which of course is why I am so hard to find. Is there something I can do for you?” His words were steady and thought out as he spoke. Not slow, but not rushed.

 

“Apology accepted. Now, if you’ll come with me or resist, we can be on our way. Which one is it you prefer?” Came the response.

 

B’oyd smiled, showing all white teeth, it nearly looked genuine, “Come now friend. You seem to know me and I am at a disadvantage. I do not even know your name or title. Tell me, whose company do I have the pleasure of? “ His hand closed around the grips of each blaster pistol, “And why is it I would want to go anywhere with you?”

 

“Krif, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself,” Xani’tos replied, sarcasm etching his tone, and pulling a badge with the Imperial symbol in the center of a silver star “I’m Marshal Xani’tos. You’re wanted for crimes against the Empire and desertion. Any other questions before we get this underway?”

 

The Chiss’ face only flashed with understanding for a moment before it was masked behind the to calm exterior he kept in place, “Just one more,” he said drawing his blasters but not raising them, “What’s to keep me from shooting you first and going on about my day as I had already planned?”

 

The Marshal nodded, giving a wry smile of his own, “Well, ****.” Pulling back his long coat revealing the hilt of his lightsaber and resting his fingers around the butt of it, “You got both those blasters and all I have here is this one lightsaber.” The Chiss’ red glowing eyes went to slights, as Xani’tos snapped the fingers of his other hand, “I had forgotten my full title, Sith Marshal Xani’tos. Happens when I’ve been chasing some numbnuts across five systems and I don’t get my full eight hours of rest.”

 

B’oyd held up one finger from the grip of his gun, “Now hold on, just one moment. If you would indulge my just one more question that just came to mind with your sudden recollection of your full self?” The Marshal gave only a slight not, curious to see what ace he could possibly have to try and talk his way out of this situation.

 

“Thank you. In your chase, you did not happen to find out why it was I had come to this particular station in the Kuat sector did you?” A moment passed without an answer and B’oyd nodded and re-holstered his blasters, “I had thought not. Well, it has been a pleasure speaking with you Marshal, but I believe I will be making my way to my ship now and heading out.”

 

The Chiss took two steps before the snap-hiss of a lightsaber from the Siths direction halted his feet. The violet blade of the lightsaber before him under light Xani’tos face as he asked, “What makes you think I’m going to just let you walk away, B’oyd?”

 

B’oyd turned his head toward him, “Oh, you are not going to let my walk away Marshal, I just plan to escape.” That was when a second snap-hiss and the paler glow of another violet lightsaber sounded behind the Marshal and the light side of the Force flooded his senses. Xani’tos turned sharply, so focused on the fugitive he had completely failed to sense the Jedi sneak up behind him. “See, I was supposed to do a job for this Jedi here. I guess it is canceled though. Master Jedi, you know where to find me later. This here is Sith Marshal Xani’tos, consider him a gift from me to the Republic, no charge.”

 

As B’oyd turned and dashed off to the loading ramp, the Jedi looked over the Sith, “Marshal Xani’tos, I believe I’ve made your acquaintance before. Jedi Master Xallis, at your service. Let’s you and I have a little palaver.”