Starlin blinked. The impact had stunned him, in addition to leaving junk pile-shaped bruises along his backside. Getting to his feet, he shook himself, then thrust back into the fray.
The creature’s mouth was shut, which made Starlin bolder. He bypassed the tentacles entirely, aiming a slash at the thing’s body. His lightsaber cut through its hide like butter—and out of its slit belly tumbled a familiar figure.
“
Starlin!”
Val Drutin cried cheerfully. “
How perfectly awful to see you!”
His tone was too genuine to be sarcastic. “
What the hell is this thing?” Starlin asked, gesturing to the now dead beast. “
How did it get aboard your ship?”
“
Oh, I shuttled some passengers from Corellia to Coruscant recently. Turns out they were smugglers. This was their cargo.” Val gracefully rose to his feet, covered from head to toe in mucus and bile. “
The smugglers left and said they would be back for their goods. When they never returned, I decided to investigate and wound up accidentally releasing the creature from the storage crate it had been stuffed into. Poor thing was starving. I didn’t count on getting eaten, but after it happened, I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be digested…”
“
Okay, uh, well…” Starlin deactivated his blade, deciding not to ask the madman any more questions. “
My apprentice needs parts for a new lightsaber.”
“
Again?” Val asked, trying to clean his entire body with a single handkerchief.
“
Er, no—this is Makko Vyres, my second apprentice. Makko, this is Val Drutin.”
“
Howdy,” Val greeted with a smile, waving his slimy handkerchief at Makko.
