Labyrinth of Death | Chapter 8

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8


“Cold, cold, cold,” Barras groused, pulling a snow coat over his Sith trooper armour. “Why’d they have to do this to me?”
Raenen laughed from beside him. “It isn’t that cold.”
“Look, Raenen, I lived for seventeen years on Tatooine. If anyone knows cold, it’s me.”
Raenen laughed again. “Oh? I grew up on Ansion an orphaned vagrant. Often, I would go to sleep in nothing more than my ragged clothes. I know cold, too, and this isn’t cold.”
Barras glanced at her. “You’re standing by the heater. Cheat.”
The girl slipped on a snow coat and pushed the hood back. “Point conceded.” She picked up her helmet and pulled it over her head. “I wasn’t talking about where you were standing, anyway.”
Barras huffed as he donned his own helmet. “Then there’s no point in arguing.” He pushed down the heat visor and glared at her through it. “This is picking up two things, you and the heater.”
Raenen pulled the hood up over her helmet and lowered her own visor. Her voice came out muffled by the helmet. “This isn’t picking up anything.”
“I’m not frozen,” growled Barras, taking off his helmet and setting it down. He stepped into knee-high snow boots and laced them up. “I’m just cold.”
Raenen pulled her own helmet off. “I’m not.”
“You’re cold?” asked Falex from the door. He cast a grin at Raenen, then looked back at Barras with innocence in his eyes. “I’ll give you a bantha if you’re cold. The fur should warm—”
Barras pointed his blaster at Falex. “Shut up. I have no desire to smell like a bantha.”
Falex shrugged and ventured into the supplies room. “Rae, will you walk with me?”
Barras looked up to catch Raenen’s slap to Falex’s cheek.
“Ow!”
Raenen stepped towards Falex. “Don’t call me Rae.” Her voice broke at the end, and she turned away. “Go away.”
Falex rubbed his sore cheek. “I—what?”
Raenen grabbed her blaster and pointed it at Falex’s forehead. “Go away. What part of go away do you not understand, numbskull? Get out!”
“I’m going!” Falex retreated and glanced at Barras. “Looks like you’ve found the perfect partner, my friend the grump. She’s as grumpy as you are.”
Raenen huffed as Falex disappeared. “I’m not grumpy.”
Barras raised his eyebrows at Raenen. “You seemed like it for a while.”
Raenen dropped her head. “I know. But that’s not what I’m usually like.”
“One must wonder why you don’t like the na—”
Raenen turned on him. “I just don’t, okay? I’d prefer that you forget this incident.”
Barras shrugged. “Sure. I won’t bring it up again.”
The intercom squawked. “All troopers, report to the loading dock immediately.”
“That’s our call.” Barras nodded to Raenen. “Grab your helmet. Let’s go.”

–––––

“Men, I suppose you’re wondering why we’re here on Glewthon.” Captain Moran paced on top of a box. “I’m not going to tell you.”
Falex muttered a curse under his breath. Barras jabbed him in the side. “Straighten up.”
Captain Moran harrumphed. “No, I’m not going to tell you.” He gestured to a dark figure who suddenly appeared in the doorway. “He is.”
Lord Radoth nodded and took a position in front of the captain’s box. “This is a mission,” he said, his voice low and soft, “of the utmost importance. This moon of ice and snow orbits Tallusi, an undercover planet, where we are carrying out the Code X mission. I don’t have permission to tell you what that is.” He paused for effect. “But there are those who would seek to hinder Code X’s success.”
A murmur of disapproval ran through the twenty Sith troopers. Barras raised his eyebrows, keeping his silence.
“The Jedi?” ventured Falex.
Radoth cast a look at Falex. “Tallusi is an undercover planet. That means we have successfully removed all record of it from the Jedi Archives and every other place. No, not the Jedi.” He paused again. “Our own are against us.”
“What?” voiced Dalfis to a chorus of groans and curses.
Radoth glanced at Dalfis. “A rogue Sith named Borj Throdin has taken over an Inmar Corporation labyrinth here on Glewthon. His mission, we learned recently, is to wipe out the Code X bases and destroy our efforts.”
“So what are we going to do about it?” asked Falex.
Radoth’s lips curved up in an eerie smile. “We’re going to enter the labyrinth, kill Throdin, and report back to Korriban with the success of our mission.”
Several of the Sith troopers cheered. Others voiced half-hearted hurrahs.
“There is…one issue, by the way,” said Radoth over the din.
The troopers went silent.
“Inmar Corporation built this labyrinth in order to test the intelligence of wampas. It goes deep into the ground, and within its maze of tunnels, several of the wampas still live. The traps that Inmar built should still be set. Before we enter the labyrinth, one trooper must sabotage the wampa release controls in Borj’s headquarters.” Radoth paused. “With the aid of Captain Moran, I have chosen which trooper that will be.”
Barras closed his eyes.
“Barras Kampion.”

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