The Assassination of Xander Trepkos
By Cody Barnett and The Second Revan

Krall Niander weaved through the throng of officials gathered outside the courtroom, carefully meandering past the holojournalists scrambling to get the latest news item. Niander's client, Xander Trepkos, trailed behind, warding off the incessant questions from the eager reporters. Krall has represented thousands of clients in his career as a lawyer; never had one received such a media blitz as Xander Trepkos.

As the Quarren attorney approached the lobby of the building, he glanced over his shoulder. His client - a graying human male, professional in appearance - had managed to break free of the horde of reporters and was hastily advancing away from the mob. The Quarren shook his head in amazement. When Krall had accepted the offer to represent Trepkos, he never imagined the frenzy that had pursued.

Xander Trepkos was a former employee of Sienar Design Systems, a subsidiary of Republic Sienar Systems. The human had rapidly risen the ranks of the corporation, developing a reputation as an ambitious, ruthless executive. Raith Sienar commended Trepkos for his outstanding performance and placed him in charge of an experimental department of Sienar Design Systems. As part of his employment, Xander Trepkos enjoyed many luxuries that others dreamed of - including exclusive penthouses on six worlds, o No one could have imagined the twist of fate that brought Xander Trepkos to Niander's law office.

Krall remembered the event vividly. Dusk had settled over Coruscant, and Krall Niander - working late hours in order to finish a monstrous mountain of paperwork - was seated behind his modest roo-wood desk when a harried man burst through the door. Flustered - as Niander had left specific instruczetions not to be disturbed - the Quarren looked up, but was too stunned by the sight to respond. The muzzle of a hold-out blaster pistol was leveled directly at the attorney's face.

"Listen closely," the man stated. "I need your help. I am sorry for the circumstances, but this is an urgent matter."

For once, the attorney was at a loss for words. "I—I don't understand. We're only a small firm; if you're looking for credits, you would be best suited—"

"I said to listen!" The cloaked visitor advanced into the room, the blaster coming within inches of Niander's face. "I'm not here for credits. Before I reveal my intent, however, I need to know that this room is safe. Are there any recording devices?"

Krall Niander tried to respond, but his focus was entirely on the muzzle situated between his beady eyes. Finally, Niander heard the words spill from his mouth. "N—no. There aren't any recording devices here. You can—you can speak freely."

At this, the cloaked visitor nodded. Lowering the pistol, the man proceeded to remove the cowl masking his face. The Quarren recognized Xander Trepkos immediately; the executive had received enormous coverage on the HoloNet in connection with his mysterious disappearance from the Sienar Design System laboratory on Coruscant. Before the attorney could speak, however, Trepkos continued.

"I'm sure you're aware of my recent disappearance. This was no accident, as the HoloNet tries to claim." Trepkos strode over to the lone transparisteel window on the office's far wall, gazing out at the innumerable lights of the capital. "For the last four days, I've been fighting for my life.

"Approximately one month ago, Raith Sienar approached me with designs for a new starship. These designs were unlike anything that I've witnessed in my tenure at Sienar Design Systems. Sienar specifically stated that the design was for an advanced prototype of our new Star Courier line, but the modifications we installed..." Trepkos stopped, shaking his head in wonderment. "Whoever bought that prototype bought a killing machine."

Krall Niander felt a cold chill run over him. Whatever situation brought Xander Trepkos to his doorstep was not the typical dispute that Niander dealt with on a daily basis. This...this was in an entirely different league.

Before the Quarren could voice his doubts, however, Trepkos continued. "After we finished the prototype, the engineers involved...began disappearing. No one seemed willing to confront Raith about the issue, but after the head engineer was discovered dead on Ralltiir, I knew something had to be done. I went to Raith and expressed my worries, and my old friend attempted to bribe me into submission. Naturally, I was shocked. Raith Sienar had always been a paragon of integrity, the man I aspired to emulate. I refused the deal, expressing my grief at the turn of events.

"That afternoon, my starship exploded.

"I was dining at my favorite restaurant on Coruscant. I had already made plans to flee the capital and expose the corruption of Raith Sienar. When I sent my bodyguard to check my starship, however...let's just say that he didn't return. As a matter of fact, the Coruscant Security Force spent days picking up his remains." The Quarren swallowed hard. The air in his humid office had suddenly became frigid, thick with the tension Xander Trepkos exuded. "The media attempted to play off the incident as an accident, but I was not so naive. For the last four days, I've eluded bounty hunter after bounty hunter, fighting my way through Coruscant's seedy underbelly. An old friend recommened that I contact you.

"Krall Niander, I need your help. I want you to help me bring down Raith Sienar."

The Quarren attorney had accepted the desperate executive's offer, and now, standing in the lobby of the Galactic Courts of Justice Building, Niander didn't regret the decision. Although the constant coverage was a hassle, Krall Niander had to admit that seeing his face plastered on the HoloNet's newsreel was definitely good for business.

Xander Trepkos finally caught up with his attorney, giving the Quarren a curt nod as they exited the building together. "You did well, Niander. I think that Judge Kingsley will review our case favorably."

"With any luck, we'll be bumped up to the Supreme Court. The severity of our case almost demands that we see someone higher than a regional judge." A speeder was waiting on the avenue beyond the building, encircled by Trepkos's private guard. The door was open, and the former executive slipped in, followed shortly by his attorney.

"Rach, take us to the Manarai. I think our friend deserves no less for his effort in our fight." The driver nodded, his hands maneuvering over the speeder's controls.

"Tell me, Krall, do you think that—"

Xander Trepkos never finished the thought. There was a blinding flash of light, followed by a horrible screeching noise as the speeder was ripped apart by the explosion. Krall Niander didn't feel anything as the flames engulfed his body, the bomb vaporizing the very atoms that composed the Quarren, sentencing him to the eternal darkness beyond.

Across the chasm of spacescrapers, a lone figure smiled in satisfaction as he watched the fruits of his handiwork unfold. The bomb had performed splendidly; there would be nothing left of the whistleblower, Xander Trepkos, or his troublesome attorney. His job complete, the assassin now had only to collect his pay. Straddling the speeder bike parked beside him, the assassin roared off into the unknown.

To be continued...

Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.

About the Author
Cody Barnett has been a collector of the game since its beginning in 2002. Due to lack of interest in his community, however, he did not begin playing until he joined the Rebelbasers online community in 2003. He is an avid Star Wars fan and thoroughly enjoys playing the Trading Card Game; likewise, Barnett takes pleasure in helping the continuation of the game he loves. Currently, Cody is the Card Development Chairman and a moderator on the Rebelbase community (under the alias of Grand Moff Nicodemus Fett).

Matthew started playing when he purchased two 'A New Hope' starter sets, and started collecting and playing. He stopped, due to the difficulties in getting cards, especially from the later sets. In 2008, he started playing again, joining Rebelbasers and spends time creating dream cards on Rebelbasers.