MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 13)

His head was hung in defeat when he departed from Toph's rooms, sneaking back through the shadows to get to his cell once more. The Jedi Master would be no help, he'd have to think of something else. 

"Does he know that you're here?"

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 12)

The device... worked.

Following Niyasa's instructions, Ziv had been able to get the device working.

"I have no idea how you just did that, but-"

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 11)

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"That's a little harsh toward an old friend."

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 10)

image credit to Andreas Flouris

"In this corner! She comes from the planet of Concord Dawn! A warrior who has won many, many matches in this very arena! Mona Awaud!!!" Pirc's voice chirped over the intercom system. The crowd was going nuts, clearly looking forward to the match to come.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 9)

"You are... out of your mind."

"Pretty sure I have to be at this point, yes."

"Nobody sees the Grand Champion unless they're fighting him." Ziv told him. "And you don't fight him."

"Why not?" Calen asked, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't sat down since being returned to the cell, although it had already been several hours. Soon enough, it would be lights out. Calen also pointedly tried to ignore the redhead in the cell across from them, who very clearly was now observing him and attempting not to be discovered as she did so.

"Because he doesn't lose." Ziv said. "Anyone who has gone up against him has died."

"Well, I'm not stupid enough to try and fight a Jedi Knight."

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 8)

The longer that Calen watched, and he did watch for quite a bit of time (and how couldn't he?), the more he was convinced that this man was indeed Jedi Master Karras Toph, the man who had been imprinted upon the holocron that he and Niyasa had discovered on Gesaril. He was certainly older, much older than the artificial intelligence that had been created from him, but it was definitely him. Even if Zobek hadn't made his grand announcement, Calen would have seen it.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek" (Chapter 7)

 

"Ugh...my head!"

A horrendous pain was what greeted Calen upon reawakening in... wherever it was that he'd ended up. This definitely wasn't the cave back on the moon, or at least he was fairly certain it wasn't. The last thing he remembered had been that firefight and...

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 6"

The next few hours were spent in traveling through the caves and away from the shuttle. With its power off, it likely wasn't going to come up on scans for active vessels and hopefully their attackers wouldn't be looking for it, or at the very least leave it be if they did.

"We still have the transponder." Briemi said. "We'll just find a good place to get a signal sent up."

"And make sure nobody who shouldn't get it gets it." Calen said.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 5"

After that particularly sickening display, Calen and Briemi were escorted back to the suite that Zobek had set aside for them. Finding it cleaned, Briemi and Calen once more checking for any bugs before opening their mouths to speak.

"That was-" Calen started.

"Terrible, yes." Briemi nodded in agreement, likewise rather disgusted by what she had seen. "We're going to have to bring down the facility. We'll have to send out some of our men to scout it."

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 4"

"<Please. Drink.>"

They were seated at a lengthy table, something that clearly was not pulled out very often from the state of cleanliness it had over virtually everything else in the room. It seemed that Zobek did not entertain guests nearly so often. The serving staff poured them drinks.

"His Excellence Zobek invites you to imbibe." Pirc said, standing to the left of his master rather than being seated as they were. Briemi raised her glass.

"To our gracious host. May this be the beginning of a wonderful relationship between he and the Empire." She toasted.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 3"

The flight to Rorak was by and large uneventful. Calen couldn't say he was complaining, it giving him more than a little time to relax and set his mind to the task ahead. Also, to try out those breathing techniques he and Niyasa had gleaned from the holocron. He wasn't some sort of stealth operative by any means and he was a bit afraid of blowing the entire thing, but he'd resolved to trust in his skills and the skills of his compatriots. 

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 2"

"Needless to say, the raid was indeed an astounding success." Glin had been debriefing Calen for the past half hour over the minute details of the operation. "The Imperial shuttle Siren was captured with only minimal casualties onboard and we captured priority target Inspe-"

"With respect, sir," Calen raised a hand to interrupt the older human, "as much as I am happy to have been a part of the mission, what does this have to do with me?"

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "The Champions of Zobek, Chapter 1"

 

STAR WARS:

THE CHAMPIONS OF ZOBEK

The GALACTIC CIVIL WAR is in full swing across the galaxy. While the heroic REBEL ALLIANCE scored a great victory after the destruction of the DEATH STAR, they have been in dire straits ever since. Constantly on the run, their bases being burned out one by one as they are pursued by the GALACTIC EMPIRE at the command of the terrifying EMPEROR PALPATINE.

A year after a great victory in the MINOS CLUSTER, a Rebel cell has picked up an Imperial communique concerning one ZOBEK THE HUTT, who has contacted the Empire with the bargain of a lifetime - a weapon that will help bring an end to the war quickly, something that could spell disaster for those fighting to bring peace and justice back to the galaxy.

Retrieving intelligence of an Imperial inspector journeying to Zobek's planet of RORAK 4 at the behest of the Emperor and the GRAND MOFFS to see this weapon that the Hutt wishes to sell, ALLIANCE HIGH COMMAND has approved of a mission to overtake and capture this inspector before they reach the planet. It is a risky and very dangerous mission, but the Rebel Alliance cell is more than up to the task before them, though a squad of X-Wings may just give them the boost they need...

Madcap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Epilogue"

The festivities on Bogden's third moon were far and away removed from those occurring on Shuttle Obsidian. Corrin Dax had managed to successfully pilot the shuttle away from the Vigilant Warden and make the jump to hyperspace as the battle was joined between the Rebels and those that Critus had brought under his control. If that had been all, that would have been suitable enough. Dax, however, was not the only passenger aboard Obsidian.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 19"

"He does not yet see. Why can he not yet see?"

"Defiance."

"How can I make him see? How can I open his Eye to Ascension?"

"Patience."

"The time is at hand. Please. Please tell me what I can do to bring him into your graces. Into the light of Ascension!"

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 18"

 

The ramp off of the shuttle opened up to a graveyard. The bodies of Stormtroopers and a few people that Calen recognized by their clothing as cultists from the Church of Infinite Perception lay strewn about Bay 327.

"Oh, by the space winds..." Bashin's snout wrinkled in distaste for the sight before them. Looking over the carnage, there were considerably more trooper bodies than those of cultists. A surprise attack, perhaps? The four organics and the one astromech droid moved through, weapons drawn and keeping their eyes open for any attack. None came as they passed into Bay 328, just more bodies and carbon scoring across surfaces where shots had not met their intended target.

"I think the Church finally decided to take over..." Niyasa intoned.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 17"

The bridge of the Vigilant Warden was absolutely tense. The orders had been carried out, Admiral Ayro's new weapon had had its first successful test...with terrible results. No lifesigns were being reported, all at once, they had all winked out...and were gone.

"...the...the test was successful." The ops officer reported. "Gehenna is...Gehenna is gone..."

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 16"

 

Ayro was less than pleased as he watched the Grand Preceptor's lander slide into the docking bay and extend its landing gear. It had been the first time he'd been so blatant in utilizing their connection, and at one of the worst possible times, too. What in the galaxy could that man possibly want? A ramp descended from the ship, several members of the Church - each one wielding a blaster - descended first, which put the Stormtroopers there on guard duty ill at ease. Ayro raised a hand to tell them to withdraw, and they did so. . .still looking on with worry from a distance.

Down the ramp came Ijo Critus, clad in robes of pure white. Atop his head was not his usual turban, but an elaborate headdress with a jewel set in the forehead. The "third eye" that was opened to Perception that his cult was always ranting about like mad dogs.

"High Admiral." Critus bowed at the waist. "I am humbled by your hospitality."

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 15"

The hologram projector had been activated by Glin, displaying the two pieces of the map that the Rebels had gotten a hold of.

"Here we are, the Minos Cluster in all its splendor." He said.

MadCap's Fiction Corner - "Minos Mayhem, Chapter 14"

The shuttle coasted low enough to avoid Imperial sensors, heading not toward Capital City (which Calen still thought was a highly unimaginative name), but to some coordinates far out and away on Karideph. Farmland stretched out in virtually every direction from another the city, but soon gave way to hills and mountains, one of which they grew closer to. At the direction of Alliance landing control, Calen brought the vessel up over a crevasse and began to descend into it. As the shuttle did so, a hatch beneath opened up to allow them entry into an otherwise hidden hangar bay. The shuttle landed upon the pad, and Calen cut off the engines entirely. They were, for the moment, surrounded by darkness with only the lights of the cockpit to provide any illumination.