Blinking eyes snapped open in the night, blinded by the expanse of darkness they could not yet pierce. Dilated pupils searched desperately for light, leeching it in. Some sense of awareness pricked at the back of the awoken Zabrak’s neck, the intensity building: the instinctive klaxon within the mind that forces the body to respond to its surroundings. Something had triggered these defensive actions, and his time spent within the Anchorage had taught him nothing if not let his guard down. He was unable to sense anything strange through the Force, but that had never been a forte of his anyway. He did not need expertise to realize the truth of the matter, however. He was not alone.
In lieu of having a complete cone of vision, he remained still in an effort to fool whomever, or whatever, had managed to sneak into his quarters. Straining with his ears he thought he caught the sound of a faint whisper, the sort of greeting fabric gives to an object when they meet. He began preparing himself for a leap of surprise; his saber rested neatly in his hand, taken from its spot beside him. Just as he decided to make his move, he froze as a distorted voice echoed throughout his durasteel room.
“I know you have been awake for the past six minutes, Hunter.” Whoever it was already knew Kultak’s identity, putting the Zabrak at a disadvantage. “Oh, and there’s no need for the saber. I’m here on business.” That’s hardly reassuring if I am your business.
He did not like the idea of putting himself in an even more one-sided meeting, but he supposed if the intruder had wanted him dead, he’d never have woken in the first place. He turned over to face where he thought the voice originated from, poking a hole in the pillow with one of his horns in the process. Another trip to Supply his Master would goad him for.
The being who stepped out of the shadowed corner was exactly what Kultak would have thought an assassin to appear like: covered from head to toe in dark, concealing clothing, a hood and mask covering any resemblance of a face. He could not discern if they were even male or female, though the distorted voice had something of a bass touch to it. The intruder swept aside their cloak and rested their side against Kultak’s supply dresser.
“I’ve been sent here by a group of like-minded individuals, a group who delves in secrecy and shadow. You might ask why then did I come in person? Some initiators feel differently, but I like giving new initiates a body to place with the organization. Helps them meld smoothly into the work flow.”
Kultak raised an eyebrow at the words “new initiate.” Was this person here to try and recruit him then? And to what purpose?
“I sense your curiosity, Hunter. Yes I am indeed here to offer you a place in our fold. Your loyalty to the Brotherhoods’ cause has been noted. I can officially grant you a position right now; however, protocol demands you be tested. Let’s play a game shall we? You run, and I try to kill you. Go.”
Kultak barely had time to process the meaning of such a challenge before a mass of black and silver cloth lunged at him, a saber extended in full lethality. Trying to think quickly, the thumping of a shocked heart drowned out any chance of a speedy retaliation. He did manage to roll off the left side of his bunk, landing in a crumbled mess of blanket. A glance above him saw the saber burning a hole in the wall where his chest had been seconds before.
“Good, you can react. Stage one cleared. Now, stage two.”
Kultak did not know what stage two was but he wasn’t going to wait around to find out. Scrambling, he practically rolled out of his chambers just managing to remember to call his saber to himself with the Force. Unfortunately, in his rushed state, the saber clanged against the wall and fell to the floor. He had forgotten to consider his momentum and timed the pull wrong. He would have to make it through weaponless then. He sprinted down the hall, thoughts now clear enough to attempt a coherent plan.
How to escape a dark jedi of higher caliber with just the Force? Kultak’s specialties lay in illusory effects, so he would just have to trust in the dark side and his own ability to wield it. Perhaps that was what the initiator wanted in the first place? It would possibly keep him alive, anyhow.
The Zabrak sprinted into a large room blacked out for the night cycle. He listened for any sound of the approaching initiator but heard nothing. Not that he expected to. He only had one choice then: hide. Hoping he had enough time, Kultak concentrated on the area around him. The air began to ripple and flow around him so that his body seemed to be one with the room. The struggle began then. He must not move or the ploy would be useless. Had someone passed by the room and just casually peered in, it would seem as if it were empty, but would it fool the initiator? Highly doubtful.
His body began to complain at the stress the concentration required, but he tried to ignore it. A few minutes more and shivers began to rack his body, contorting the cloak. Where was the dark jedi? It wasn’t until a few more minutes went by that Kultak thought he might actually have to let go of the cloak. His body was tensing horribly and aching muscles screamed from him drawing too much oxygen to support his endeavor. Just as he thought he was going to pass out, a voice behind him spoke up.
“Well done, you’ve made it through stage two. Being able to escape is just as important as being able to get into a place or finding your target. Remember that, you can’t reveal secrets if the enemy don’t catch you.” A hand reached down to where Kultak was bent over trying to suck up as much air as possible. In it was an envelope. “Your first assignment, as well as your congratulatory letter from the Grand Inquisitor. Welcome to the Inquisitors, initiate. Good luck.”
###
Kultak grasped the document within and read over the details. “Details,” if that was what they were. A single line gave a name and location with a single blood drop on the page for emphasis. The Zabrak raised his head questioningly.
“How am I suppose to know who this person is? Or how to even get inside?” He realized the initiator was gone. Sighing, he folded the envelope in half, to find there was something written on the back. Turning it over he saw only three words: Figure it out. He sighed even harder.