Chapter 3: Tooth and Claw (The Tale of TK-6221 & TK-6222 aka "Adder" and "Krait")
Writer / Co-Creator: Elly Hazel
Art / Co-Creator: Marietta Ivanova
The story of Adder and Krait is part of the stormtrooper stories "The Shadow that hides us from Death" and a prequel to the illustrated story "Bishop’s Hand".
This was supposed to be a drill.
Just a jog around the mountain trail in armor. No blasters, no security, just the youngest squad in the garrison enjoying the quiet of the Cholgana’s Imperial mountain preserve.
There certainly wasn’t supposed to be a nexu waiting for them on the mountain’s peak.
“Tell me you got a plan, Addy,” Krait said, waving his hands at the ferocious beast.
“Of course, I do,” Adder assured his twin. “I always have a plan!”
The nexu hissed and lunged forward, its tail snapping back and forth like a bullwhip. Both twins jumped back.
“Want to clue me in, then?” Krait asked.
“Our plan is to save our squad!” Adder replied, pointing to the unarmed troopers trapped between the nexu’s flank and the cliff’s edge. The nexu rolled its large head back towards the group, but Adder clapped his hands and drew its attention back to he and his brother.
“That’s a goal , not a plan.”
“Oh...” Adder shrugged. “Then, no. I guess I don’t have a plan, but you know what granddaddy always said: ‘Jump first, then figure out if you can swim’.”
“He said a lot of things, Add,” Krait grumbled. “Plus he never learned how to swi-hey! Stop!”
But it was too late. One of the trapped troopers broke into a panicked run, attempting to squeeze past the nexu and down the trail path.
He didn’t get far. In a flash, the beast was on him, jaws wrapped around the trooper’s waist ready to bite down.
Krait didn’t think.
Adder didn’t hesitate.
Together, they charged.
Krait lunged on top of the nexu’s back, grabbing its upper lip and pulled as hard as he could.
Adder ran to the trooper and dragged him out of the nexu’s gaping maw, throwing him towards the path. “Go!” He shouted, but the trooper was already bolting down the path.
“Well, that’s one!” Adder declared. “Now what?”
The nexu let out a strangled roar, its frothing tongue lolling wildly as Krait held on to its upper jaw.
“I’m open to ideas!” Krait shouted.
“Wait!” Adder rummaged through the many pockets of his belt before producing a small knife with a two-prong tip.
“Is that a kriffing cheese knife ?” Krait balked, digging his knees hard into the nexu’s back. “Why do you have that?!”
Adder scoffed. "For emergency cheese situations! You never know when a good sharp cheddar may-”
"Just give it to me!"
Adder tossed the knife to Krait, who drove it immediately into the largest of the nexu’s eyes. With an ear-piercing screech, the beast flung Krait off his back, and sent him crashing into his brother.
The massive beast fell on its side, gave a final violent thrash, then fell still.
For a moment Krait and Adder sat, looking at each other. Though their faces were obscured behind their helmets, they knew they were sharing a cocky grin.
“Well,” Krait laughed, clapping his brother’s shoulder with a shaky hand. “That wasn’t so bad.”
As if on cue, a chorus of roars echoed through the mountain side.
And the twins’ victorious smiles melted from their faces, as four nexu slinked up the side of the mountain.
Adder and Krait rose to their feet.
“Alright everyone,” Adder whispered. “Don’t run until we give the signal.”
“What’s the signal?” Krait asked.
“Us getting eaten I guess,” Adder said, and grimaced when the troopers all bobbed their heads in agreement.
“‘Jump first’, right?” Krait sighed. “Ya know, maybe granddaddy wasn’t the best source for our pearls of wisdom.”
Adder gave a weak laugh, feeling sweat trickle down the sides of his face within his helmet.
“I’ll say this much, brother,” Krait said. “The plan’s working…”
It was.
The nexu had completely surrounded the twins and the rest of the squad were slowly making their escape down the trail.
“Hey, you’re right,” Adder said. “Looks like we’re a couple of- KRAIT !”
Two of the nexu leapt towards Adder’s brother, crashing their salivating jaws together as if competing for that first fatal bite.
Only the bite never came.
At first, Adder thought the world had slowed to a stop. The nexu floating suspended in the air...until he realized the beasts were struggling against an unseen force.
“Is it over?” Krait asked, his hands covering his lenses. “Am I dead?”
“Krait…” Adder breathed, looking at the shadowy figure above them. “Krait, look... look up! ”
Krait looked up...then took a step back.
Darth Vader stood on a cliff looming over the twins, his very presence blotting out the sun itself. With a flick of his outstretched, gloved fist, all four nexu were wrenched away from the twins. The beasts howled in fear, falling over themselves screeching and whimpering, then scampered away down the side of the mountain.
Leaping with deadly grace, Vader descended from the rock, landing on his feet in front of the twins, cape fluttering behind him.
Both twins stood, frozen in place.
“Where is the rest of your squad?” Vader asked, his voice deep like the rolling thunder of a distant storm.
“D-down the path, sir,” Adder answered.
“Return to your posts.” Vader ordered. “Next time, do not sacrifice yourselves for the lives of cowards.”
Krait and Adder exchanged a nervous look, then nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Vader shot a hand out, and a sickening crunch sounded behind the twins.
They huddled together as a long, nexu fang and a curved claw floated in front of them, still dripping blood.
“A reminder and a warning for you both.”
Shakily, the twins took their bloody trophies.
“Go.”
Adder ran.
Krait remained frozen.
Muttering a curse Adder grabbed his brother, ripped the blood-soaked cheese knife from the nexu’s eye and ran down the trail without looking back.
