Star Wars_ X-Wing 03_ The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole [93]
The warrior stepped through a quickly widening gap in the circle, then stopped five meters from Wedge. “I am Tal’dira, first among Twi’lek warriors. You, the lekku-less who wears the clothes of a warrior, you are Wedge Antilles?”
Wedge did his best to ignore the faint retching sound Tal’dira made in the back of his throat as he pronounced Wedge’s name. “I am Wedgan’tilles.”
The Twi’lek warrior raised an eyebrow at Wedge’s reply. “And you have come here for ryll?”
“I have come for ryll kor.” Wedge’s reply won a gasp from Koh’shak and a lekku-twitching from Tal’dira. “Is there a problem?”
“None, Wedge Antilles, if—” Tal’dira drew a pair of slender vibroblades from sheaths hidden in his bandoleer, “—you are willing to fight to prove you are a warrior. A warrior should deal with warriors. Win the fight and the kor shall be yours.”
Wedge’s stomach tightened and his heart began to pound. As a pilot, in his X-wing, he had no doubt at all that he’d be able to vape Tal’dira and his X-ball. In a vibrobkde fight, though … As much as he would have preferred to avoid fighting, he knew he really didn’t have any choice in the matter. The kor was vital to stopping the Krytos virus. If I have to carve this Twi’lek behemoth up to get it, I will.
He held out his right hand. “I will fight.”
Tal’dira tossed him one of the vibroblades. “A warrior should deal with a warrior.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
The warrior’s lekku writhed up and down once affirmatively. “Good.”
Wedge flicked the blade on with his thumb. “Come on. Pm ready.”
“You are, but your opponent isn’t.” Tal’dira looked around, studying each of the Rogues. They all wore Twi’lek warrior garb, and the disdainful expression on Tal’dira’s face suggested he found something wrong with that. He openly appraised them, looking each of them up and down before passing from one to the next.
Will he pick one of them as my foe? Wedge felt his stomach begin to implode. I know Twi’leks can be cruel. Is he going to force me to slay one of my oum people because of some affront we’ve given him?
Tal’dira looked back at Wedge. “I have made my choice. Prepare yourself.”
Wedge nodded. “I’m still ready.”
“Good.” The warrior casually tossed the vibroblade to Koh’shak. “I choose you.”
The starport master’s eyes ballooned as he bounced the inert vibroblade from hand to hand. It slipped from his grasp and ricocheted off his stomach before tumbling toward the ground. The obese Twi’lek began to bend over, thick fingers wriggling slothfully in a vain attempt to catch the blade before it could hit the ground.
In one flowing motion that nearly shamed Sienn’rha’s performance, Tal’dira swooped forward and plucked the blade out of the air. It hummed to life and with one deft cut, split the brooch holding Koh’shak’s cloak closed. The garment puddled around Koh’shak’s feet and a stiff-arm blow to the chest dropped the starport master on top of it.
Tal’dira grabbed one of Koh’shak’s braintails and yanked none too gently on it, then pressed the vibroblade to the Twi’lek’s throat. “Warriors should deal with warriors, Kohsh’ak! Wedgan’tilles came to us as a warrior, leading a band of warriors, including our own Nawar’aven. You knew of this mission to Ryloth but hid that knowledge from me so you could profit from the gifts our visitors would bring. That is fitting conduct for a merchant, but not a warrior, Kohsh’ak!”
Tal’dira’s delivered the altered pronunciation of the starport master’s name harshly, filling it with scorn. Wedge had no idea of what it meant, but he was glad Tal’dira’s anger wasn’t directed at him.
Tal’dira released Koh’shak and turned the vibroblade off. He resheathed it, then turned toward Wedge. “The blade you possess is my gift to you, Wedgan’tilles. This kor you