Star Wars: Offspring

Chapter 8

The scream was primal, guttural, and it made Gizzk’s aggression subside momentarily. The human had been overcome by some unseen force. For several seconds, he was standing with his hands out, looking past them to some unseen enemy. Syysskryl rotated his head back and forth trying to see what he was looking at.But then something gripped him, shook him, and sprawled him out on the floor. His eyes were wide and filled with an unnatural fear.

But now Jace Diran was back in the present, panting and confused. He was soaked in sweat and his hands were shaking. A couple of blinks later he realized what had just happened, another of his debilitating force visions. He was still shaken by the imagery and the sounds and drained of energy. He blinked several times more until his vision sharpened.

He gained his sight just in time to see a fat scaly fist rushing at his face, he turned at the last second and took the blow on his cheek. He fell to the ground and realized he didn’t have his lightsaber in his hand anymore. He heard the metallic clattering of the riffle tumbling away. He instinctively raised both arms in a defensive posture in front of his face and chest.

“Revenge!” Gizzk hissed. He crossed and uncrossed both arms around his waist and came up with twin vibroblades with organic looking curves and hooks carved into them. With his tongue spasming and tasting the air, he jumped forward onto the downed human to plunge the downward facing daggers into his body.

In mid-flight, an orange beam of disruptor energy reached out and burned a hole in Gizzk’s right flank. It was just a grazing wound but it took enough edge off of the attack to help Diran block the strikes. Each forearm was blocking the downward pound of a knifed fist.

Gizzk sprawled on top of his prey. He tried to crawl up on his knees for leverage, but pain kept him from using his legs. He screamed in pain and directed all his rage downward at Jace. He put all of his brute force in rhythmic downward thrusts of his upper body, his body weight and powerful arms to press down on Diran’s arms. He opened his mouth and hissed and sprayed saliva and hot rancid breath all over him.

Syysskryl saw the energy beam take a piece out of Gizzk’s side and he whipped his head around to find the source. He reached around with his right hand and flung his son off the mount. “Find cover!” He yelled as he heard another pulse from the disruptor rifle ring out. There was a searing pain and then his arm stopped working. What was supposed to be Kyssylyk’s back was now Syysskryl’s left shoulder.

The patriarch wailed in pain. His son reached up and pulled him down behind the cover of the large beast. The dewback reared up on its hinds.

“Hold still ya little lizzies.” Brine said out of frustration. The dewback was now providing cover for the target sprawled on top of Jace and the two mounted ones that he just missed. He’d gotten another non-lethal strike on the older one. He just had to be patient. He would finish the job.

Under cover, Syysskryl handed Kyssylyk his blaster rifle. “The wookiesss.” He gestured to the rear and his son saw the other two rear guard Trandoshans leaping off of the road into the forest in pursuit of the escaped captives. “Bring back headsss.” He ordered with anger in his eyes. With newfound rage, Kyssylyk grinned.

Syysskryl reached into the saddle of the dewback and pulled down his heavy repeater. He held it in his right arm, hoisting the bulk of it up on the saddle. Another disruptor beam appeared where his head was about to go. He pulled the trigger and shot blindly over the dewback into the forest, pouring hundreds of projectile flechettes into the forrest. When there was no immediate return of disruptor fire, he yelled to his son. “Go.”

Kyssylyk took off with all of his youthful speed and agility. His father stood up and raked the forest again, trying to keep the sniper’s head down. Kyssylyk disappeared into the forest where the other two guards were waiting for him. They began the hunt early.

The scream was primal, guttural, and it made Gizzk’s aggression subside momentarily. The human had been overcome by some unseen force. For several seconds, he was standing with his hands out, looking past them to some unseen enemy. Syysskryl rotated his head back and forth trying to see what he was looking at.But then something gripped him, shook him, and sprawled him out on the floor. His eyes were wide and filled with an unnatural fear.

But now Jace Diran was back in the present, panting and confused. He was soaked in sweat and his hands were shaking. A couple of blinks later he realized what had just happened, another of his debilitating force visions. He was still shaken by the imagery and the sounds and drained of energy. He blinked several times more until his vision sharpened.

He gained his sight just in time to see a fat scaly fist rushing at his face, he turned at the last second and took the blow on his cheek. He fell to the ground and realized he didn’t have his lightsaber in his hand anymore. He heard the metallic clattering of the riffle tumbling away. He instinctively raised both arms in a defensive posture in front of his face and chest.

“Revenge!” Gizzk hissed. He crossed and uncrossed both arms around his waist and came up with twin vibroblades with organic looking curves and hooks carved into them. With his tongue spasming and tasting the air, he jumped forward onto the downed human to plunge the downward facing daggers into his body.

In mid-flight, an orange beam of disruptor energy reached out and burned a hole in Gizzk’s right flank. It was just a grazing wound but it took enough edge off of the attack to help Diran block the strikes. Each forearm was blocking the downward pound of a knifed fist.

Gizzk sprawled on top of his prey. He tried to crawl up on his knees for leverage, but pain kept him from using his legs. He screamed in pain and directed all his rage downward at Jace. He put all of his brute force in rhythmic downward thrusts of his upper body, his body weight and powerful arms to press down on Diran’s arms. He opened his mouth and hissed and sprayed saliva and hot rancid breath all over him.

Syysskryl saw the energy beam take a piece out of Gizzk’s side and he whipped his head around to find the source. He reached around with his right hand and flung his son off the mount. “Find cover!” He yelled as he heard another pulse from the disruptor rifle ring out. There was a searing pain and then his arm stopped working. What was supposed to be Kyssylyk’s back was now Syysskryl’s left shoulder.

The patriarch wailed in pain. His son reached up and pulled him down behind the cover of the large beast. The dewback reared up on its hinds.

“Hold still ya little lizzies.” Brine said out of frustration. The dewback was now providing cover for the target sprawled on top of Jace and the two mounted ones that he just missed. He’d gotten another non-lethal strike on the older one. He just had to be patient. He would finish the job.

Under cover, Syysskryl handed Kyssylyk his blaster rifle. “The wookiesss.” He gestured to the rear and his son saw the other two rear guard Trandoshans leaping off of the road into the forest in pursuit of the escaped captives. “Bring back headsss.” He ordered with anger in his eyes. With newfound rage, Kyssylyk grinned.

Syysskryl reached into the saddle of the dewback and pulled down his heavy repeater. He held it in his right arm, hoisting the bulk of it up on the saddle. Another disruptor beam appeared where his head was about to go. He pulled the trigger and shot blindly over the dewback into the forest, pouring hundreds of projectile flechettes into the forrest. When there was no immediate return of disruptor fire, he yelled to his son. “Go.”

Kyssylyk took off with all of his youthful speed and agility. His father stood up and raked the forest again, trying to keep the sniper’s head down. Kyssylyk disappeared into the forest where the other two guards were waiting for him. They began the hunt early.