Post Archive: October 20 -- April 29, 2000
The Lev Forum: Storyboard: Star Wars: A New Republic:
Post Archive: October 20 -- April 29, 2000
Although Haran Xenosha appeared human-- or at least as close as made no difference-- she brought nothing so much to mind as a feral cat. She gave the impression of more height than she actually possessed, which was just about average, and she had a lean and angular build. Her face was a collection of planes and angles, nothing was soft or round about her. She had copper hair that she wore in a spacers crop, and her eyes matched her hair almost exactly. Her skin was the golden tan of someone who spent most of their time out in the sun, even though most of the suns she had seen in her lifetime had not been seen from planet side.
She’d been born aboard a spacecraft and at some deep level that actually acknowledged her inherent mortality, she assumed that she would die on a spacecraft. Her mother, Maeve Dniefer, had been a high end smuggler until she met Haran’s decidedly low rent pirate of a father. He had a lot of charm and swash, but no money and little luck. Although they never officially married, the couple had managed to stay together for almost six years. Then Cor Xenosha was executed for piracy on Octorvaa Prime. The arachnid inhabitants were rather unhappy with the pirate activity in their sector and their irritation translated into an altogether hideous mode of execution. Maeve cut and ran, but not before handing her daughter off to Cor’s former captain. She advised her child to forever avoid Octorvaa Prime, and then she disappeared from Haran’s life forever.
The six year old Haran found herself apprenticed to Captain M’Pao Fezznor, a man descended from a deeply twisted and unbelievably warped family tree. That he was a hybrid was obvious - the makeup his ancestry, however, was not. Haran, though, was of the never voiced opinion that there was a touch of Hutt in his background.
Fezznor ran a crew of thirty with three apprentices including Haran, abourd the pirate cruiser Fang. Haran served for eight years before Fezznor ran afoul of Corellian customes. Eleven crewmen were killed in that conflict, including Fezznor. The rest were sent to Kessel. Because of their age, Haran and another apprentice, Dhelia were sent instead to a reeducation facility instead of Kessel. Dhelia had stayed, but Haran skipped.
Eventually she'd worked her way around to the rim worlds where she signed on as third mate aboard the smuggler craft Crown of Fire, she decided that smuggling was less likely than piracy to get her killed. She did continue, however, to work both sides of that street, in hopes of making enough of a stake to buy her own ship. It took seven years of scrabbling, but her luck finally turned hot.
As she sat in on a card game on the dust ball that was called Tatooine, it looked like she finally had a hand that would take a pot big enough to set her up as an independent. A rich man with a bad hand and beads of sweat across his brow sat across from her. All she had to do was raise.
So far from home, would this be the place?
The gran walked across the sands, isolated, alone, but he was surprisingly comforatable even though the temperature was soaring at 140 degrees. He walked casually amidst the dunes, and oddly, the sand-people seemed not to see him even when he walked within a few yards of their dens. On the horizon: Mos Venda, the desert city. Perhaps he could secure transport there, or even some helpful information. After all, was this not the planet where the legendary Skywalker once lived?
Twenty minutes more and he had reached the city. It was all so drab and dirty, so unlike his beautiful homeworld. It had been a long time since he'd been there, it was only his intimate communion with the Force that kept his terrible homesickness at bay. He passed a line of banthas and entered the public tavern. The commoners chortled and sneered at one another - he marvelled at just how permeated the planet was with the scum of the universe - virtually every pocket of civilization on Tatooine was also a pocket of corruption. How very sad, and yet, he knew that the answers he needed were here.
As he sipped his drink, his eyes noticed a card game occurring. There was a human woman playing cards with a fat, sweaty man. The gran could sense that this man was immensely rich, but his clothing gave no hint of this. A sensible precaution on a trecharous gangster-planet like this. But there was something else... as the woman placed her winning hand on the table, the pudge reached for his gun and aimed it at her casually under the table. It was an ancient projectile weapon of some kind, but at such close range, the inaccuracy of the antequated weapon would not factor. As the man feigned surprise and reached for the trigger, Maee Vees reached out with his mind and turned the bullet sideways inside the barrel. A split-second later, the gun exploded in the man's lap, knocking him backward in his chair. He clutched his groin as he sprawled on the floor, the weapon in plain sight.
She knew Gorph was a twisted bastard, and had expected him to try and weasel out of the bet, but when his lap exploded in a shower of blood and soft tissue as she pulled in her winnings, she was really suprised. She usually read people better than that.
She stuffed all her winnings into the voluminous pockets of her mech pants and vest, only the slightly grubby white singlet she wore was without its load of coins, chips, and paper.
"You lousy bantha drek," she snarled, "I can understand a cheat, but you tried to kill me, you dewlap mucus," she leaned menacingly across the table for a moment, but all Gorph could do was groan as his unconscious form slipped from it's chair and thudded wetly to the floor.
She turned away contemptuously and strode to the bar. The Twi'lek bartender nodded at the heap of Gorph on the floor, "You were lucky that old sidearm blew when it did, or it'd be you down there," he said conversationally, "You going to leave him there?"
She shrugged, "I didn't put him there, and I generally don't feel too friendly towards people who try to kill me."
She ordered a drink and the bartender sighed, "You lot!" he yelled and a half a dozen Jawas scurried out of the cool shadows and hauled off Gorph, leaving a sticky blood trail behind them.
"What will they do with him?" asked a quiet voice from down the bar. A tall brown clad triclops with sand colored flesh was looking at them.
Haran had seen a Gran only once before. Their intensely social herd mentality made them limited travelers, and they preferred to stay in their homefields of Kinyen. There weren’t that many running solo in the space lanes. She studied the being as the Twi'lek responded with a shrug, "If they decide it's worth their while he'll get treatment."
As the stranger assimilated the unspoken half of the statement, he shuddered, and an expression oddly akin to guilt washed over his features.
Haran was intrigued despite herself, "Why do you care?"
The Gran opened its mouth to reply then shook his head as if deciding against speaking, "No matter. I am seeking something, perhaps passage from this planet. Do you know where I can get a charter in this village? There are no commercial carriers, I checked."
She laughed sharply, "No there wouldn't be in Mos Venda," she stopped and studied him some more, her penetrating gaze making him somewhat uncomfortable, as if she were reading the being beneath the skin. Finally she said, "If you can wait a few days, I'll fly you out of here. 3000 for anything from here to the core, after that we start some heavy negotiation."
He nodded, a pleased expression on his face, "Agreed. I am Maee Vees."
"Haran Xenosha. You can call me Hax."
*****
Gilly was still at the yard when she got there. The heavy set Askajian looked like she had been yanking body parts off starships with her bare hands all day. She was flushed, dirty, and foul tempered. Haran, however, knew that it was simply Gilly's natural state.
"Back again, Hax?
"Obviously. I want that Gatrok," she said pointing at the rather tired looking freighter, "Just as we agreed."
Gilly's eyes narrowed, "You have the credits?"
"Are you going to honor our deal?" Haran countered, "It's before suns down, I have the money, and I beat the bet deadline, so that gives me ten percent off our agreed price," she spoke quickly as if to forestall interruption, "paperwork included."
Gilly stared for a long moment then smiled exposing tiny, square, grey teeth. It was not the most pleasant of sights, "Never should have made a bet with you. A female with a goal is the most inexorable force in the universe. I should know."
"Yeah, Gilly, whatever, are we a go?"
The Askajian nodded, "We got a deal."
Haran handed over all of the game's profits and about half of her savings in exchange for a seven year old Gatrok freighter with one iffy sublight engine, owners papers, a captain's chit, two crates of spare parts and miscellaneous junk, and a surprisingly strong sense of pride of ownership.
As Haran looked over her new acquisition, a blaster bolt whizzed by her head. Instinctively, she dropped into a combat-crouch, drawing a blaster of her own. More blasts followed, but they were apparently not being aimed at her. She did, however, see a band of Stormtroopers chasing a youngish-looking man, wearing drab grey overalls, a flight vest, and mirrored sunglasses. He had short-cropped blonde hair, was about 6'2" and didn't look a day over 20. He randomly fired a heavy blaster back over his shoulder as he ran, hitting one of the Stormtroopers in the arm, completely by chance. The kid looked as if he were running straight for Haran...
Captain Sarah Lansky looked out over the bridge crew as they busily went about their tasks. Looking out of the front view port she marveled at the fleet that had gathered at this desilate waste of a planet. As she watched two new ships dropped out of hyperspace.
"Captain, Sensors show the new ships to be the 'Harasser' and the 'Eliminator'." Came the report from the sensor station.
"Good, send to their captains I want to speak to each of them on board the 'Executer'." Sarah ordered.
"Yes captain."
Sarah watched as the two new arrivals, two Lancer-class frigets slowed and joined the growing fleet. She let her gaze wash over each of the ships now in orbit around the planet Naboo, at one time this planet had been of some signifigance but not anymore.
There were now Ten ships, two Imperial-class II Star Destroyers, the two Lancers, four Dreadnaughts, an Escort Carrier, and her ship one of the last Super Star Destroyers since Vaders was destroyed over Endor. Three had been created under the name 'Executer' the first was Vaders' the second diapeared and the third was the one she commanded.
"Captain, the captains of the frigets are proparing their shuttles and will arive shortley."
"Very well have them meet me in my conference room." Nodding to herself she let her gaze once again fall over the fleet as she walked off the bridge. "Those damned rebels will pay for what they've done," she whispered to herself. "They'll pay and nothing will stop us this time."
Haran cursed and scrabbled at the carry pouch on her hip. She snatched out a spheroid and flipped its seam switch with her thumb. She lobbed it over the heads of the approaching stormtroopers – a throw of about 22 or 23 meters – then flung herself behind her ship covering her ears.
The explosion rocked the yard and tossed the half a dozen troopers about like fallen timber. Their young quarry was also caught in the edge of the blast and was slammed into the dirt nose first. The area was then suddenly, shockingly quiet.
Haran lifted her head. The drifting cloud of sand and dirt the blast had lifted obscured everything around for 100 meters. Blaster out, she sprinted toward the still, white heaps that were the stormtroopers. A cursory inspection told her that there were no survivors. She holstered the blaster and trotted over to the young man. He was just sitting up, wobbling groggily and staring stupidly at the crushed remains of his sunglasses. His blaster had been knocked from his grasp and lay about a meter away. Haran scooped it up and hefted it for a moment as she studied the young man then handed it back butt first. She arbitrarily decided that any enemy of the stormtroopers must be a friend of hers.
“You all right?” she asked, “Any internal damage? Bleeding? Organ rupture? We should move to a less corpse strewn area right about now.”
The young man looked up at her dazedly and touched his ears tentatively, “What?”
It had been several hours since the Lancer frigates had arrived and Captian Lansky was begining to grow annoyed at the lateness of of the Interdicter-crusier she had ordered here.
"Sir? We just recieved word that the captain of the 'Immobilizor' just went over to Moff Rilligar's fleet." Her first officer reported from his post.
"Excellent." Sarah said with a smile. "Luetenant set course for the Immobilizors position. I have a surprise for the Moff."
Meanwhile in the pilots rest area tension is mounting.
"I don't get it. Why are we just sitting here at this worthless peice of rock? We should be out there hunting down the rebels." Pilot 4908567 said.
"I agree, we have a Super Star Destroyer we can take anything they throw at us." Pilot 5000980 replied.
Major Gren Trinj walked in and scowled at the gathered pilots. "Stow it all of you. I am sick of hearing your complaints. Look I just as sick of this inactivity as you are but we have to make the best of it until we can mount an 'EFFECTIVE' assualt force. Without an Interdictor we just end up chaseing the Rebels from planet to planet." Gren stood straight and tall dareing them to make a retort to his comments. "Now I have your duty roster for this week. Also I've just recieved word we're jumping out of this system shortly and it's rumored we'll see some action."
A collrctive cheer went up from the pilots. "Now I want those of you on patrol to keep it frosty, the rest of you get some rest if the rumors are true," Gren paused. "You're gonna need it."
Gren turned around and walked out of the room, after the doors had closed he let out a sigh. He didn't want to tell them that they were deffinetly going to see action, most of them were green pilots. The other part of his reasons really burned him the most though. They were going after there own.
The young man rubbed the back of his neck, taking Haran's outstretched hand as he slowly rose to his feet. His eyes were still glazed over, and he still clung to his crushed glasses. Noticing his blaster he put it into its holster. The ringing was slowly subsiding, and he noticed Haran's lips were moving.
"What was that?" he asked, concentrating on her mouth as she spoke.
"I asked what your name was," Haran said, nearly yelling.
"Rogan. Rogan D'Arnia," he answered, slowly extending his hand to shake Haran's. She figured he probably needed a good nap after what just happened.
"Well, Rogan--come with me. I'll get you outta here." Rogan just nodded numbly, following Haran through the dusty streets, still clutching his broken sunglasses...
The room Haran was using was strictly utilitarian - bunk, wash basin, clothes rack - 27 credits per day. Rogan sat on the bunk, carefully placing the shattered glasses beneath it, and rubbed his temples.
Haran stood at the door, arms crossed, wondering why she was helping him, "I've got some business tonight, you can crash here until things quiet down. Once the either the scavengers or the law - such as it is around here - take care of those bodies I'll be at Gilly's Yard working on the Terrapin...that's my ship."
Rogan nodded, the ringing in his ears down to a managable level, "Thanks."
"If you want to contribute towards the room," added Haran, her mercenary habits getting the better of her, "and you should, just leave the credits on the bunk."
She watched as Rogan slowly and gratefully lowered himself on to the bunk.
Sleep came fast. Rogan sank into the bunk, feeling as if the entire world were swirling around him. He began to dream...
The images were fresh--disturbing. Real. He sat in the cockpit of his X-Wing, flying in formation with the rest of his squadron, on a mission of top priority for the Republic. As the squadron dropped out of hyperspace, the enemy began to fire.
It had been a set-up.
Rogan flew evasively, as scores of TIE-Fighters swarmed into the squadron. He could see the 2 Star Destroyers flying towards the skirmish, and the interdictor cruiser coming around the dust-ball planet to his right. This fight wouldn't last long...
Rogan woke with a start, sitting bolt upright, covered in sweat. His entire squadron was dead--wiped out. He watched them die in space, before crashing onto this hell-hole planet himself. He rubbed his temples, squeezing his eyes shut, and tried to remember where exactly here was. He checked his watch. It had stopped at 14.02.24 Galactic Standard Time. He looked out the small window, and saw that it was very dark outside, only a few twinkling lights from the surrounding town disturbing the utter blackness that was night-time on Tatooine.
Rogan stretched his knotted, stiff limbs, stood up, and decided to re-take an inventory of what he still carried, laying each item on the bunk for inspection. He had his flight-vest, the myriad pockets containing 3-and-a-half 'nutrient' bars (out of 5), a signal mirror, 25 feet of coiled cord, a folded-up space blanket in its packet, a comb, a breath-mask, 5 emergency flares, a survival knife, compass, 10 water purification tablets, fishing line and 3 hooks, waterproof matches in a sealed container, a flashlight, flight gloves, a cigar in a sealed case, sunglasses case, and a holster attached to the left side, beneath where his arm should go. He checked the room, and found his blaster sitting on the night-stand. He put it in its holster, then pulled his wallet from his flight-suit pocket. 120 credits. The grey jumpsuit had cost him 5 credits, and the water had cost him 15.
Rogan had thought that astromech droids--even damaged ones--would be worth more than 140 credits. He placed all of his gear carefully back in their respective places, rolled up the grey jumpsuit neatly and stuffed it in the large pocket on the back of his vest, and took the velcro-lined patches designating his unit, name, and rank from his drab-green flight-suit, and stuffed them in another pocket. Finally, he donned his "lucky" leather bomber-jacket, with his squadron's insignia emblazoned on the back, and walked out of the room, munching on the half of a nutrient bar as he went. He needed to find new sunglasses...
“Sir the ‘Immobilizor’ has moved into position at the edge of the fleet and reports that it’s gravity well generators are ready.”
“Excellent. Tell her captain he is to activate them, I don’t want any surprises.” Moff Rilligar said. “I’ll be in my rea-.”
“Sir there is a large fleet of ships coming out of hyperspace.”
“Sir their within the gravity field.”
“How is that possible?” Moff Rilligar asked.
“The gravity field was raised only after the fleet appeared.” The sensor tech responded.
“Sir I’m getting a reading on the fleet, it appears to be made up of ten ships, two Lancer class frigates four Dreadnaughts, an Escort Carrier, two Imperial class II Star Destroyers, and a Super class Star Destroyer.”
“A what! Get me confirmation on that ships god damn registry.” The Moff ordered.
“Sir, the ships coming up as the ‘Executer’.” The Tech said.
“Blast! Shields up. Tell captain Garnev to drop the gravity field and prepare to jump to the nearest friendly world.” The Moff said walking toward the main view port. He stared in disbelief at the Size of the force in front of him. Captain Lansky had definitely been busy in the short time since she killed the ‘Executers’ rightful commander. It definitely out classed his five ship fleet.
“Sir, I have captain Garnev on the communications. He wants to talk to you.” The communications officer said.
“Captain we have no time for this. Drop the field and prepare to jump out of here.”
“I don’t think so my dear Moff. You see your not going anywhere.” Captain Garnev sneered.
“Why you little bast-“
“Uh-uh careful Rilligar captain Lansky may want you alive but I think I can withstand her wrath if I kill you. Cause right now your only leading two things, Jack and Bantha Poodoo and Jack just skipped town.”
“Sir, Captain Lansky is ordering our immediate surrender.”
“Put her on.” Moff Rilligar.
“Ah Moff Rilligar how nice to see you.”
“Lets get on with this Lansky.”
“Oh as forceful as ever. Very well, you are hereby ordered to relinquish control of you fleets and planets to the control of the new order. Failure to due so will result in you immediate termination.”
“Well since you put it that way. Launch all fighter squadrons, open fire with all batteries at the ‘Executer’. All hands to battle stations.”
“With all due respect sir, go to hell.”
“Wha-.“ Moff Rilligar turned and stared in disbelief as hid first officer pulled the trigger of the blaster he had pointed in the Moff’s direction.
“Captain Lansky, consider these ships under your control.” The officer said.
“Thank you commander?”
“Dernstin Ma’am.”
“Thank you Captain Dernstin. I trust I can rely on your services.”
“Of course, the ‘Avenger’ and her escorts are at your command.”
“Very good captain. Stand down from all alerts and prepare to jump to Tatooine. I have some business I’d like you to take care of. You are to take the ‘Avenger’ and your three cruisers as escorts, I’m downloading you orders. I expect them to be carried out to the letter.”
“You can count on us sir.” Captain Dernstin said terminating the connection. “For now captain, for now.”
Maee Vees approached a small hut. He had the credits to pay Hax for passage, but there was a reason he'd come to Mos Venda...
The gran strolled quietly to the bombed-out residential section of the city. Although he wore his lavender-blue robes underneath, a pattern suitable for one of his standing among his kind, Maee Vees had covered that over with a dirty brown cloak. He allowed his 3 eyes to peer from beneath the hood across the sandy intersection to the common quarters on the other side. He slipped casually from one door to the next until he sensed the one he had sought. He reached his thick, small-fingered hand toward it, and knocked loudly three times.
The door separated, ajar only slightly. "Y-yes?" stuttered the man inside. This man was human with mottled hair and tan skin. He was dressed in the plain tan clothing that was so common on Tatooine... it was good camoflage against the sand. Although Tatooine had been free of slavers and the Empire for a long time, the Tusken Raiders and other scum made it as dangerous a place to live as it had ever been.
"Please allow me to enter," said Maee Vees in a kindly, gentle voice, "I merely wish to speak with you for a time."
"N-no! No strangers. You're trespassing! I-I'll get my blaster!" The nervous eyes peered out of the crack as if they belonged to an animal, agitated and nervous.
"I don't mean you any harm," said Maee Vees as he lowered his hood, "but I have come a long way to see you. I want to talk to you about the Jedi Knights."
"Jedi?" the man asked, "no, no I don't know anything about them!" Then, suddenly, with sweat pouring down his face, he suddenly changed his mind, and in a whisper said, "come around the back way."
The brilliance of the work lights destroyed any chance that Haran had of seeing past it’s harshly delineated territory and into the darkness beyond. Not that she gave a hot drachma for what ever was going on in the night darkened town. Her concentration was taken up completely by the Terrapin’s main sublight engine. There was still something wrong with it, something she could not put her finger on. She had tuned it, checked it, fine tuned it, checked it, fiddled, twiddled, and kicked it, but there was still a glitch…somewhere.
She was a good mechanic, but she was neither a gifted nor inspired mechanic. She did, however, approach her work – all work – with a bulldog tenacity that was on occasion far from sensible. She tended toward a do or die attitude; so far she had done.
“I came by to thank you,” said a voice from the darkness.
Haran’s hand dropped casually to the butt of the blaster holstered at her left hip. At the same time she rose from her crouch, swiveling toward the voice.
The boy – Rogan was it? – whom storm troopers didn’t like, stepped into the light, “Nice ship,” he said looking past her into the opened access panels.
“Thanks,” her attention drifted back toward the ship and she spoke without looking at him, “So what did you do to irritate so many storm troopers?”
He shifted uncomfortably, then tried to cover the involuntary movement by casually leaning against the ship, “Lets just say an old argument flared up.”
Haran examined him through narrowed eyes, “Uh-huh.”
“You were very…thorough,” said Rogan, “what was it you did?”
She shrugged, “Just a little detonator. I’m allergic to storm troopers among other things. Anyway, this place is pretty much a free-for-all since the crash of any kind of government – Imperial or Hutt - a couple of years ago. I’m not too worried about a posse.”
“Umm, listen, I need a little more help. Do you think you could give me a lift off this rock?”
Haran crossed her arms and regarded him intently, “Three thousand for anything from here to the core,” she said.
Rogan’s expression tightened, “I’m a damn good pilot…” he began.
“So am I,” she countered, “What else have you got?”
He clenched his jaw, then said, “Engine trouble? What if I get her running like new?”
Haran thought for a moment then nodded slowly, almost as if it were against her better judgement, “All right. You get the Terrapin humming like something out of the showroom by suns down tomorrow AND supply your own consumables, I’ll take you were you want to go.”
Rogan hesitated only for a second, “Deal.”
One corner of Haran’s mouth lifted in a tight smile, “Good. Then we’ll round up the other charter and get off this bloody dustball.”
Dernstin had read their orders a few times and was now considering a course of action.
"Commander how long till we revert back to real space?"
"Ten minuetes sir."
"Good, have the Tie patrols doubled and I want the troopers ready to go to the planet." Dernstin oredered. "Oh and Commander have the AT-AT crews stand by, I may want them to go down as well."
"Ay sir." The commander responded.
**********
The Imperial-class II Star Destroyer 'Avenger' and her three escorts all outdated Victory-class Star Destroyers came out of hyperspace above the planet and at once Tie fighters began to launch from their hangers.
"What have got Commander?" Derstin asked as walked onto the bridge.
"Well sir there are three settlements on the planet. Mos Espa, Mos Eisly, and Mos Venda."
"Hmm any suggestions on where to start?" Derstin asked.
"Sir if I may ask. Why are we here?"
"Apparently there was a report of a squadron of X-wings flying through here and they were taken out by an advanced element of Captain Lansky's fleet. However there was supposedly one pilot who made it to the surface, it's believed he crashed. If he is alive Captain Lansky wants him brought back for questioning. Now what's down there?"
"Well sir we are getting reports of a group of storm troopers that were all killed in a fire fight in Mos Venda. The others have had no recent Imperial activity at all."
"Alright send six squads to Mos Venda and three squads each to the other settlements. Without a description we'll have to resort to standard questioning proceedures. I want the troopers to look into any starship purchases in the past few days, have them track down the owners and if need be bring them back here for interigation. I want all departures canceled and the star ports locked down nothing is to leave the surface. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Fine I'll be in my ready room if anything happens that warrents my attention, notify me immediatly."
"Yes sir."
The asymetrical slab of rock that served as Tatooine's moon had finally risen, but there were oddly bright unnatural stars in the sky as well. Haran and Rogan were laboring over the Ghtroc oblivious to the changes when a young man walked into the yard.
He was about twenty, and stood just over six feet. He was lean and had very short dark hair and intelligent green eyes. He wore a plain ship suit and a leather jacket, he had a carry-all over his shoulder. He took a minute to look around before making any moves.
There were two ships parked in the yard, a Ghtroc and an old YT-1020. The two people he saw were working on the Ghtroc. One was a young man about his own age who stood atop the freighter staring into an access panel, a look of consternation on his face. The other, a young woman, was under the ship tinkering with the repulsors. Neither of them noticed him as he approached.
"Is this your ship?" asked the young man.
Haran looked up surprised, "Yeah," she said warily as she climbed out from under the ship to face the stranger.
"How long before it's ready to fly?"
Haran scowled, "Who's asking and why?"
"My name is Danse Starchaser and you are in a lot of trouble."
Haran's eyes narrowed and her hand hovered near her blaster, "What do you mean?"
Interested, Rogan climbed down off the ship and stood unobtrusively to one side.
"I mean that those storm troopers that got blown up today have some friends in town and they are looking for who did it."
"So?"
"So, we should be getting outta here, don't you think?"
Haran paused debating, "Well, if flyboy here," she said jerking her head toward Rogan, "can clear the engine glitch, we can take off by suns up."
Danse shook his head, "That's too long. What's wrong with the repulsors?"
"Nothing. I was just realigning them."
"Good. Get them back together, then we can use them to get out of town and finish engine repair someplace else."
Haran tried to slam on the breaks, feeling that she was no longer in control of the conversation - as if she ever had been, "Wait a minute, I don't know what you're playing at, but if you want off this rock it'll cost you."
"Look, I don't think you understand. Right now there are between three and six Star Destroyers blockading this planet, and there are two platoons of storm troopers looking for you. I am offering you my help in getting out of here," said Danse reasonably, "If you don't want it, that's fine with me. There's a half a hundred other ways I can go to get off this planet."
"And why do you want to help so bad?"
Danse sighed, "Because the storm troopers want me a lot more than they want you. So I will get you out of this safely if we get to tag along."
Haran's eyes were mere slits by now, "We?"
"Him," Danse pointed at Rogan, "and me."
Rogan looked as startled as Haran and they spoke together, "Me?" "What?"
Danse smiled, "He's with me. Right, Morning Star?" he said utilizing the recognition code for downed Rebel pilots.
"Aaa, yeah. I guess I am," Rogan shot a penetrating gaze at Danse, both curious and confused.
Haran crossed her arms and looked from one to the other, "What's going on here?"
"Don't worry about it now, just think about the deal," said Danse as he removed a small bundle from his carry-all. He tossed the bag to Rogan, "Watch this for me, will ya, kid, I'll be back in an hour or so."
The other two spoke in unison again, "Wher are you going?"
Danse paused, "To make sure the storm troopers don't find us before we can get out of here," he smiled and slipped into the darkness carrying the small bundle.
***********
"Captain Dernstin?"
"What is is?"
"We've lost contact with the storm troopers detailed to Mos Venda," said the young ensign trepiditiously, "We monitored some communication, much of it confused or garbled. They appeared to be under attack. Squads disappeared one after another, then...nothing. All in about twenty minutes."
Denstin was shocked, "That's not possible."
The ensign shook his head, "I know, sir."
Maee Vees sipped a hot mug of Kee Tan as he talked with the nervous man. Funny that this was the one he'd come all this way to see. The man was named Noro - just Noro - a recluse and a hermit. At least that was his cover story. Maee Vees found it curious that anyone would live in this kind of squalor. The apartment was stuffed high with garbage, some of it little more than junk, some pieces and parts of ships and weapons.
"The jedi have been extinct for a long time," muttered Noro, "What business is it of yours?"
Maee Vees shrugged and allowed two of his eyes to stare into space. "Let's just say I have a personal interest." As he looks straight at Noro - even this recluse senses the sincerity in him. "They were an honorable caste, loyal and proud. The jedi, although now extinct, preserved those things we were most proud to call our own. And," Maee Vees lowered his voice, "I wish to join them."
Noro laughed quietly, his bright teeth a contrast against his stubbled face. "I don't know what makes you think I know anything."
"Well," says Maee Vees, "maybe it was... this." A pile of junk vibrates, and a device shakes loose from the mass and shoots out, rolling across the table to where Maee Vees pins it with his hand. It is a lightsaber.
Noro is shocked, and in his nervousness, spills his drink all over the table. Maee Vees gingerly lifts the lightsaber up to avoid the liquid, and the little man stumbles away from the table, great fear in his eyes. "You... you... you're... a... a..."
"Jedi?" finished Maee Vees, "No." He studied the device in his hand. The mere act of touching it allowed him to know about its owner, however. This was a new lightsaber, made with parts far more advanced than any known in the older times.
"You've come for me, the jedi have come for me!" says the man, going into a panic. Noro starts backing into stacks of junk, causing towers of refuse to spill onto the floor. "I didn't kill him, I didn't do it! I admire the jedi, I would never betray you! N-never!"
Maee Vees let his mind open, and listened with his soul to the imprint on the light-sword. It had belonged just a month ago to a young man, a jedi apprentice. Maee Vees could see him, laughing, enjoying a mug of Kee Tan at a spaceport far from here. But there was more... the Kee Tan was poison. The boy died just an hour later, and this man, this thief, Noro, snatched the lightsaber away, suspecting the high price it would fetch.
"You killed a boy. For money." Maee Vees' forehead furrowed and his lips protruded in contemplation.
"Gods, no! No, no, no, no! How was I supposed to know that he was a jedi? Or that there even where jedi?"
"Does it really matter?" asked Maee Vees, "Aren't we all victims when one of us is murdered so coldly?"
"Please, please, please," whimpers Noro, falling to his knees, "anything, I will give you anything. Spare me, spare me!" Noro, the disgusting second-rate cutthroat blubbered on the floor.
"First," said Maee Vees, "I'll be taking this." He tucked the hilt of the Lightsaber into his belt. "You also won't mind if I help myself to a few parts?"
"No, no, go ahead," said Noro, now watching Maee Vees expectantly.
"Oh, and by the way," said the gran as he gathered various spare parts from the rubbish, "I know that you tried to murder me as well with that poisoned cup. My species is immune to that herb. If you knew more about our race, you'd know that we use kessel raan to flavour our food."
"Wha-at?" stammered Noro.
"Still, on my planet, even attempted murder is punishable by permanant excommunication, which causes a man to go mad and then die of insanity. I think I will spare you, but I believe you owe me an apology."
"I-I'm sorry?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of a little... loan."
Noro fumbled across the floor, searching, rooting, at last coming upon a large sack. He threw it into the air where Maee Vees caught it, and it jingled, the sound of money inside.
"Apology accepted," smiled the gran, "and do me a favour. Stay clear of jedi in the future."
Haran crossed her arms, then turned and stared at Rogan with an accusing look.
"What?" he said, shrugging his hands out at his sides.
"You know what. What the hades was that all about," Haran pressed. Rogan just shook his head.
"I'm as clueless as you are. I don't know who that was," Rogan stammered. Haran just tilted her head down and peered at him from under her brow, as if to say 'yeah, sure'.
"No problem, Morning Star. I'll just forget I ever ran into the two of you," Haran said, turning her back on Rogan.
"Wait," Rogan said, dropping his gaze. He sighed heavily, then continued. "Morning Star is a New Republic downed pilot recognition code-word. Only intelligence operatives and rebel--I mean, Republic--pilots know it. He's on our side. We can trust him." Rogan glanced up at Haran like a small child expecting to be spanked. Instead, he saw Haran almost burst out in laughter.
"You're a rebel pilot? It's a wonder the Empire was beaten at all!" she laughed aloud. Rogan just stood, nodding through it all, as Haran had a good laugh at his expense.
"Are you done yet? You think we could maybe move this along a bit?" Rogan asked, clambering back on top of the ship to close up his access panel. Haran was still chuckling...
Maee Vees slipped out into the night. He stayed hidden from view. At this late hour, in this district, the city was empty... except for a few isolated rogues and, to Maee Vees' surprise, stormtroopers. What are they doing on this world? Of course, Tattooine was a major push-off point for Deep Space trading vessels. Even though it was on the outer rim, there was still a certain... political significance to the planet. Still... something was afoot.
* * *
"Ahhh, here it is," said Haran, "The initializer is blown. Without it, the ship's useless. Hard to install, too."
"I can put it in," said Rogan.
"We still need the part."
Rogan and Haran exchanged glances. Parts were hard to come by out here. Maybe some Jawas would have what they needed, but to go on what could be a wild goosechase after a sandcrawler... there just wasn't time.
Haran looked up and caught the initializer. She looked up. It was the gran from the bar.
"I thought this would come in handy," he smiled, "and here..." he tossed her a big bag of cash. "I trust this will cover my passage."
"Passage?" asked the rebel pilot, "who are you?"
"I am Maee Vees. Pleased to meet you."
"We never did discuss the particulars of your destination," said Haran.
"Mon Gaza," said Maee Vees simply, "the industrial planet of Mon Gaza."
Haran eyed the Gran as she weighed the sack. She knew from experience there was well over 3000 in it but if he'd given it to her then she wasn't going to say anything about it.
"Something's come up, Vees. We're in a bit of trouble," she pocketed the money and crossed her arms, "you can still ride along but my first priority is getting me and my ship out of harm's way. We'll get to your industrial planet eventually but it sure isn't likely to be a straight shot. There's other passengers," she shot a dark glance at Rogan, her earlier humor completely vanished, "and other considerations."
The Gran looked her over, and sighed, "Is that the best that you can do?"
Although Haran was loathe to give up the cash he had fronted, she had no other answer, "Yup."
"As you say, Captain."
She released a breath, "Better get together what ever you are bringing," she said addressing both of them, "We're gonna lift outta town on repulsors as soon as that Starskipper guy comes back, and finish repairs somewhere less public."
She told Rogan to lock down all the access panels and make sure everything was as in a flight worthy condition as possible. Then she went stalking through Gilly's yard. She bagged a few parts that looked useful, a few tools she was shy and the 22 containers of consumables that she had seen earlier. She left Gilly 750 credits for them, probably not as much as Gilly would have wanted, but enough so Haran might come back some day if she needed too.
She wondered why she was waiting for the dark haired kid, but the notion of 5 or 6 star destroyers gave her pause. If he could get the Terrapin safely past them she'd wait as long as need be. She'd waited half her life for her own ship and she didn't want it blown out from under her in the first 12 hours.
It was just about an hour later when Danse returned to the yard. The Ghtroc looked ready to move, the boarding ramp was down, he didn’t see either Haran or Rogan, but he could sense the pair on board – and some one else as well. He paused, it was some one with Force abilities, underdeveloped, unfocused, but Force abilities none the less. He took a moment to prepare himself then started for the ship.
When Danse came aboard, Haran, Rogan, and a Gran were sorting themselves out in the widening in the corridor that served as a kind of lounge, none of them noticed his approach “Haran, are you ready to take off?”
The two pilots looked up but the Gran was visibly startled, “Where…? I did not sense….” he cut himself off and stared at Danse in confusion.
“What’s going on?” asked Haran.
“This town is gonna get real hot, real quick, I suggest we get going right about now.”
Haran glared for a moment then moved toward the cockpit, muttering to herself.
“Head out east toward the Dune Sea,” Danse called after her, then turned his attention back to the Gran.
“Rogan, don’t you have something you could do?” he said as he studied the Gran.
“Not really,” said Rogan looking after Haran, his hands itching to be on the controls.
“Well, could you find something. I need a minute with our new friend, here.”
Looking almost pleased to have an excuse to head toward the cockpit, Rogan rose quickly and followed Haran.
The Gran looked unhappy, he sat stiffly, staring at Danse, both confused and curious.
Danse extended a hand, “I’m Danse Starchaser, and you are?”
“Maee Vees,” said the Gran as he accepted the proffered hand.
“Pleased to meet you,” said Danse as he sat down. He made himself comfortable then asked suddenly, “Who trained you?”
Maee Vees pulled back a little, surprised, “ I was… I had a teacher.”
Danse nodded, “Okay, none of my business,” he paused studying the being, “Why are you here?”
Maee Vees frowned and countered, “You are closed to me. Why?”
“Because I want to be. I don’t poke around in other people’s minds without asking and neither should you. You didn’t answer my question.”
“I search for the Jedi,” he said almost reverently.
Danse answered abruptly, “Why?”
The Gran’s three eyes peered at Danse closely, “Are you Jedi?”
Danse nodded, “Yes. I am Jedi.”
The Gran’s face showed both disappointment and satisfaction, “Then my search is over.”
“No it’s not. You are searching for the Jedi, but you are not searching for me.”
“I do not understand.”
Danse propped his feet on the chair opposite his seat, “Then you’ll have to find someone who’ll explain it to you.”
Maee Vees showed a brief flash of temper, “But you are Jedi.”
“I am. And as long as we are travelling together there are a few things you need to know. The Force gives us great power. You must not use that power to enforce your will on those around you. You must never use that power to take advantage of those around you. You must never use that power to invade the minds or assault the bodies of those around you with out due cause. You must never oppose me,” he paused, “Do we have an understanding?”
Maee Vees rubbed his chin and smiled. "I am not your enemy, so you need fear naught from me." He slouched back in his chair, casually, quite in contrast to Starchaser's militant stance. "I am curious - I sense that you are, indeed, Jedi, and yet all I have heard suggests that all Jedi are extinct... save one. Tell me, who is your master?" Maee Vees looks at him with quiet seriousness, and then, as if to break the tension, smiles and takes a drink of water.
"Sir sensors are detecting a frieghter lifting off from one of the space ports."
"Damn it. Where are ou Stormtroopers? Launch a flight of tie fighters. Bring down that freighter, I want to to 'talk' to its occupants."
"As ordered sir."
"And find out what happened to our troopers. If their gone I want to know how, who, where, when, why. Have the New group arrest all the men and send the the children somewhere, I don't care where. That should loosen some tounges."
"Immediatly sir."
"Damn and this was supposed to be easy. Send down the Walkers as well have a group go after the wreckage of the freighter when it goes down." Dernstin said and to himself he added. "If we fail here my plans will be in jeoperdy."
"Sir we've recieved word from the fleet. Captain Lansky is ordering us back completed mission or not."
"What's happened?"
"The message didn't say, just that we are to make best possible speed to Ryloth." The communications officer stated.
"Blast. Cancel the orders to launch fighters and recall all remaining forces on the planet. As soon as they're aboard make the jump into hyperspace. I'll be in my quarters if anything happens."
"But sir what about the freighter it may have the one we're looking for on it."
"Well then it's his luky day now isn't it. Just do as I order commander."
"Yes sir."
Thirty minutes later the four cruisers made the jump and were gone. Haran looked down at her instruments and sighed.
"Well thats one problem I don't have to deal with anymore."
Danse looked at Maee Vees for a moment then burst out laughing. He rose to his feet, shaking his head, and continued to chuckle as he walked away from the confused Gran.
At the cockpit hatch he stopped and watched silently as Haran pulled the bulky freighter off the ground and buzzed out towad the Dune Sea on nothing but repulsors. She was good, but Rogan looked as if he'd be willing to chew through ferrocrete to have the controls to himself.
She hit the top speed possible in a Ghtroc on only repulsors and skimmed along at dune top level, "We're going to a place called Tashi Station to finish repairs, " she said without looking at either of the two men, "Then we are going to have us a little talk," she finished darkly.
Rogan shot her an uncomfortable look, but Danse just smiled and watched the dark sand zip by.
Haran eased the Ghtroc to the ground just outside of the Toche Station. The repulsors groaned slightly from being put through such a flight after a long time of inactivity. Hara pressed the button that opened the hatch and walked towards the boarding ramp.
"Well here we are. Let's get to work." She said as she passed the others. Haran got a strange feeling as she wallked down the ramp. Haran suddenly turned and whipped out her blaster. "Who the blazes are you and what are you doing to my ship?"
A dark figure walked out from behind the rear landing gear and smiled at her. He was dressed in a black spacers flight suit with a black Bantha skin flight jacket. Of his face all she could make out was the goatee that covered his chin.
"Step into the light or I'll shoot you where you stand." Haran didn't like surprises especialy after she just set down to find someone behind her. She could feel the others at the top of the ramp. She may not be a Jedi but after years of working with a Pirate crew she learned how to watch her back quiet well. The man stepped out of the shadows and walked toward her the smile still on his face. His deep blue eyes boar into hers. "Stay right where you are." She growled as she noticed the heavey blaster at his hip.
"Easy, I've just come looking for someone." He said. "My name is Hol Forp."
"I don't care if your Mon Mothma. What are you doing to my ship?"
"Nothing, actually I came to talk to you." Hol said the smile still on his face.
"Yeah well talk. And this better be good." Haran never took her blaster off of Hol. The others were now at the bottom of the ramp and eyed the new comer suspiciosly.
Hol cleared his throat. "Yes well I'm looking for a Morning Star."
"All right thats it." Haran said getting tired of not being in control. She turned and stared at Danse and Rogan. "Just how many people know you're here."
"I-I..." Rogan began.
"Take it easy I was sent by the Republic to see how many of the squadron survived the attack and then bring them back to high command." Hol interjected. "However the Stormtroopers were a bit of a problem and then when your friend here went off on them my ship was destroyed."
"So, you found him now what?" Haran demanded.
"Well I had planed to take him and get tranport off this rock but since he's found a way off I'll tag along." Hol then walked past Haran who was now smoldering and walked up the boarding ramp.
"This is just getting better and better. I hope you have no more surprises for me." Haran said glareing at Rogan before she stormed up the ramp herself.
Rogan looked back at her bewildered. "What'd I do?"
Haran stormed after the Forp character, her temper stretched to the breaking point, "Off. I'm not a flipping rebel taxi. Get off, unless you come up with substantial credits and ASK for passage you're tresspassing, and I'd be within my rights to shoot you -- which I'm damn tempted to do any way."
She stood, blaster still in hand. Forp looked her over and saw no room for negotiation in her eyes and realized he'd better come up with something to tempt her mercenary tendencies. He held out his hands indicating his peaceful cooperation and walked back down the ramp.
"Captain," said Maee Vees quietly from behind her, "I realize that these repairs are urgent, but it is not right for us to stay here for long. The Empire has sent reinforcements."
"What?" she said, distracted by the figure at the bottom of the ramp, "How do you know that?"
The Gran pointed his hand out across the dunes. In the distance, something was coming...
"So? Sand Crawlers, that could be anything." As the others look on quietly, Haran takes out a viewer. She presses the ailing device to her eyes and scans the dunes.
"Walkers," she says, "Imperial Walkers."
"How'd they get here so fast?!" Rogan asked, surprise tinging his voice. What he wouldn't give for a good fighter right about now... And all of this pointless bickering was starting to drive him insane. "Look, Haran--you need to fix the ship, right? Get yourself into Tochi Station and start working. Danse, you feel like 'delaying' some walkers?"
Everybody just stared at Rogan--this was the first time anyone had seen him take charge of a situation. Danse's eyes sparkled, and Rogan could tell he was in.
"Alright... Let's borrow a speeder or something from that landing field over there," Rogan started, and trotted off in that direction, Danse on his heels...
"Hey guys don't bother I've got this one I, ah, 'Barrowed." Hol said before Danse and Rogan got too far.
"Let me get these out of the way first." Hol pulled out a black spacers duffel and what looked like a cloth satchel. "Never know when you'll need some firepower. Now did someone say something about Taking out Walkers." Hol pulled out a Thermal Detonator and tossed it to Rogan. Hol jumped into the operaters seat and fired up the engine. "Well come on before they get close enough to open fire."
*****
Captain Dernstin walked onto the bridge as the Star Destroyer reverted to normal space above the planet Ryloth. Dernstin gasped as he found that his small fleet was inbetween Captain Lansky's fleet and a Torpedo Sphere.
"Ah captain Dernstin. Good, I trust the mission successful?" Lansky said as her image appeared on the moniters.
"Not exactly. We were unable to locate the pilot you were searching for-uh admiral?" Captain Dernstin asked as he noticed the rank bars on Lansky's uniform.
"Yes well to tell the truth that was never your mission to begin with. Thanks to you I now have a spy on his way to the Rebel High Command. Oh and yes it is admiral now. The other captains were nice enough to get together and agree on the rank." Admiral Lansky said.
"Spy? We had no spy on board." Dernstin said more than a little confused.
"Oh I never told you, I planted one of our agents onboard your ship. If all goes as planned he has joined up with the pilot and they are on their way to High Command." Admiral Lansky said with a smile on her face. "Now captain you are ordered to join the fleet. We are making our way to the planet Obliric. The Moff there is getting a little troublesome."
"Admiral I lost six squads of Stormtroopers in one city. I had planed to go back and get the information pertaining to the disappearence." Dernstin said.
"While the loss is significant, I will not stop my plans. Let us get underway, we'll see about replaceing your losses at a later date right now we have enough troopers for an assault." Admiral Lansky said.
"As ordered admiral." Dernstin said as the image faded from the viewers. "I just hope theres a fleet left for me to take."
Rogan just looked incredulously at this new guy, then looked back at Danse. "Ummmm, if you don't mind, I'd rather fly in my own ship. Thanks anyway, though," Rogan said, after putting the detonator in his pocket and continuing to trot towards the landing field.
'Who the hell was this guy? And how did he know who we were, where we were going--everything about us?' Rogan thought as he ran. 'Certainly isn't very convincing on the trustworthiness scale.' He ran the next 100 or so meters to the landing field, and began looking around for a suitably maneuverable speeder. He doubted any of the ships here had any weapons strong enough to take out a walker, but he hoped at least a few were agile enough to distract them while Haran got the ship ready. Around the next lot, he stopped dead in his tracks, a look of awe on his face.
A T-16 Skyhopper sat at a refueling station, an engineer starting to fire her up for what looked like a test spin. Rogan headed straight for it...
Hol watched as Rogan headed for the T-16, shrugging he turned to the Gran. "Well are you comeing or not?"
The Gran seemed to study him for a second as if trying to figure out Hol's angle in all of this. It was longer than Hol would wait however, "Fine stay here. But I'll need this." Hol said as he grabbed the lightsaber from the Grans belt.
Before Mee Vees could react Hol hit the accelerator sending the speeder hurdeling towards the first of the two walkers. "I hope this works." Hol said to himself.
Hol knew of a way that could take out a walker easily. There was a solid bar that ran from the walkers leg to its foot, acting much like the Achilles tendon in a humonoids foot. If this bar were severed then the walker would theoreticaly fall over unable to keep its feet from collapseing.
Laser fire began to strike the ground around the speeder as Hol drew closer to the walker. Dodging left and right Hol found his intended target. Activating the lightsaber Hol set the controls to head right between the walkers legs. Hol braced himself as best he could in the little cockpit and swung at the front and then the rear leg bars.
Looking behind him Hol's heart began to sink as the walker kept going. The walker faltered and began to fall on its side when Hol was nearly thrown from the speeder.
Hol cursed, he had forgotten about the second walker. Looking at the speeder he saw that a glacing blow had sheered off one of the engines. The vehicle was now bucking and slowing down. Hol fought with the controls to keep the speeder steady as he reached into his bag. Pulling out a seqencer mine Hol slid it under the seat and primed it. Holding the course for a few seconds Hol aimed for one of the legs and hoped it was enough.
Hol jumped out of the speeder and rolled on impact letting his momentum eliminate some of the impact, even so the fall knocked the wind out of him. Hol watched as the speeder missed the left front leg and slammed into teh right rear one. The speeder erupted in a fireball as Hol hit the detonater he held in his hand. Hols hope crashed as he saw the walker keep moving unphased.
Haran had belted herself to the underside of the ship. "Hey, Gran, make yourself useful and gimme that Hydrospanner."
Maee Vees smiled, and the tool flew from Haran's toolbag on the ground, through the air and into her waiting hand.
"Please, call me Maee Vees," he says, kindly.
Haran becomes very quiet and begins to repair the damaged section of the ship.
"With powers like that, I'm surprised you let the others treat you as they do," she says carefully, "I've been noticing how they push you around."
The Gran seems to smile. "The greatest strength is in gentleness," he says as his deep purple robes blow in the wind, "and even as we speak, our ambitious friends are buying us the time we need."
"You let that fodo take your lightsabre, though."
"It was the right thing to do at the time," says Maee Vees. A large group of stormtroopers patrols right past the ship, but seem to see it not at all...
Hol makes a break for the fallen Walker hoping to use the wreckage as a shield from the other walker. As he neared it he saw the hatch was open. Hol drew both his blaster and a glowrod as he peered into the fallen battle wagons interior. There were bodies all over the place some clad in black but mostly in the white plastoid armor of Stormtroopers.
Hol eased himself into the walker to look around some more. He popped open a weapons locker and immediately wished he had a bigger bag. Undounted Hol began to fill the bag with Thermal detonators and other small explosives when a voice came from behind him.
"Move and your dead."
Hol put his hands above his head and slowly turned to face the direction the voice had come from.
"Throw your blaster away and drop your bag." The voice had come from one of the supposedly dead troopers. Apparently he'd only been knocked out and had come to just now.
The figure was about three feet away from Hol and pointing his Imperial issue blaster carbine at him. "Easy I'm on your side. I was sent down here to join up with a rebel cell. I was then to send the coordinates of the alliance base so it could be destryed." The trooper seemed to ease a little at this news.
Hol didn't wait for the trooper to make decision. Hol swung the bag upwards knocking the blaster from the troopers hands and then shot him. "It's no wonder the rebels won with gulibal fools such as these working for the Empire." Hol always liked to think himself better then those he beat so as not to allow a simple fact like his opponet was groggy to interfere with his victory.
Hol not wanting to be surprise took up the troopers blaster and shot each body to be sure they were dead. That done he got back to salvageing what he could from the wreck, including numerouse blaster carbines, powercells, survival gear, and a light repeating blaster which he slung over his sholder for himself.
Moving to the back of the walker he found five speeder bikes all topled like a deck of cards after a man was caught cheating at sabac. "Well let's see if one of these still works."
Rogan reached the T-16 as the Tech was about to ease it out. Rogan began to wave his arms trying to signal the Tech to stop the T-16 stopped short of hitting Rogan.
"What in the blazes do you think you're doing?" The Tech demanded sticking his head out of the access hatch.
"I need this Skyhopper."
"Like hell, you ain't getting in this thing." The Tech responded.
Rogan sighed and jumped up to the hatch and grabbed the Tech. "Look I need this vehicle now." Rogan pushed the Tech back into the Hopper and entered after him. Throwing himself into the pilots seat Rogan did a quick check of the instruments. "In or out you better strap yourself in." Rogan said to the dazed flustered Tech who stood for a second and jumped out of the hatch not wanting to be killed.
Rogan hit the accelerator as the hatch shut behind him. A voice crackled over the intercomm, "Hey Rogan you're not actually going to try and stop a Walker with that thing are you?"
Rogan ignored the comment and headed toward the direction the Walkers were coming from. As here neared the area he saw one of the Walkers fall over and an explosion occur at the feet of the second. He saw a figure he guessed was Thorp running for the wreck of the first Walker.
Rogan was jarred about in his seat as the Walker started to fire in his direction. Rogan looked to see what he might be able to do against it a realized that there wasn't much. All he had was a pair of pnematic cannons with laser targerters.
Rogan pulled up sharply into a near vertical climb, pushing forward on the control yoke he sent the T-16 into a drop straight at the Walker and opened up with the cannons. "They not do any damage but maybe I can annoy the hell out of them." Rogan said as he pulled up to avoid hitting the Walkers main body.
Rogan pulled around and saw laser fire coming from the wreck of the first Walker. It looked as if there was someone on the the Walkers side with a E-web cannon set up. The Walker continued toward the Gtroc drawing near the point where it could begin to fire on the freighter. "Haran are you almost finished?" Rogan called into the commlink.
"Almost I just need a few more seconds." Haran answered.
"Well I don't know how much of a nuiscence I'm being but the Walkers almost near enough to open fire." Rogan said as he made another strafing run against the Walker. The E-web was still fireing but Rogan figured it was either about to overheat or run out of power.
"Rogan Get back here now. We're taking off and if you're not back within the next few minutes we're leaving with out you." Haran's voice anounced.
"I copy." Rogan said pulling the T-16 around to head back for the Gtroc. As he flew he saw what looked like a speeder bike leave the Walker and head for the freighter. Rogan brought the T-16 down so he was flying map of the earth and kicked in all the power it had.
Rogan set the T-16 down and dove out the hatch. He hit the ground running and headed up the boarding ramp as the speeder bike came careening into sight.
----
Hol was standing on the seat of the speeder bike as he neared the freighter. He saw the T-16 land and Rogan run up the boarding ramp. The freighter began to rise off the ground, Hol set himself and jumped. He grabbed the boarding ramps edge and brought himself onto it and headed inside.
The Walker had reached the point where it could fire and had begun to do so. The Gtroc's sheilds flashed with each hit. Within seconds the Gtroc was out of the atmosphere and safely away from the planet.
Hol walked up to the cockpit as Haran asked the question of the day, "Okay where do we go from here?"
The peaceful calm that was the norm on the Obliric nights was shattered as claxons began to wail. Tie fighters soon came into view of the advance watch towers.
"Inform the moff we are under attack and have the anti-fighter batteries open fire." The officer of the watch ordered.
"You'll do no such thing." The officer found himself staring at the face of a strikingly beautiful woman.
"Who are you?" the officer asked.
"I am Admiral Lansky and you are hereby ordered to stand down."
The transmission crackled and Moff Frin's face came on. "What the blazes are you waiting for? Open fire and don't stop until I tell you to."
"Y-Yes sir."
--
The battle began and all Major Trinj could do was shake his head and order his squadron in. "Alpha group target the cannons. Beta group target any ships attempting to flee. Delta and Gamma take out the fighters."
Trinj's squadron had become known as the Black Angels in the fleet. They always completed their goals and usually with little or no losses. As of late Trinj had become somewhat disillusioned with what the Empire had become. Lansky was a fine officer but she had her own agenda.
Trinj sat at his desk on the flight deck and watched his squadron carry out their orders. They were a well oiled group that looked out for each other. Some of them shared Trinj's views and one had even gone so far as to suggest that they defect. Trinj had been ready to kill the man but now he wasn't so sure.
He had made up his mind last night and had sliced into the data core of the 'Executer'. He had downloaded all files pertaining to Lansky's plans. He was prepared in the event she crossed the line to get away and join the Alliance.
Trinj stood up and headed for his Tie-Defender.
"Going to join the fun Major?" The tech asked.
"Yes, I want to get a closer look at how my Squadron is preforming." Trinj responded.
"Well she's all ready for you."
Trinj nodded and got into the cockpit. He powered up the engines and flew the fighter out into open space. Trinj brought the fighter into the atmosphere and headed for the main city.
"All fighter groups this is admiral Lansky. I want you to level the city."
Trinj couldn't believe his ears. The battle was over and the Moff had given up. They had troops on the ground containg the situation. "Admiral with all due respect..."
"You have your orders Major."
He did indeed, Trinj made up his mind. "Black Angels I am following through with our joke. All who wish to follow me may do so all others are ordered to carry out the admirals orders." Trinj brought his fighter around and broke out of the atmosphere, most of his squadron followed suit.
The rest were a little confused as to what to do. Trinj set his computer to take him to coruscant and sent the cordinates to his men.
Lansky was not going to let them get away that easy however. The 'Executor' opened fire and launched more fighters. "Trinj you ordered to head back immediatly."
"Sorry admiral." Trinj felt his ship shake as the shields took a hit from turbo laser fire. Holding his breath Trinj pulled back on the hyperspace levers and the he and the squadron were gone.
Haran was glaring out the view port as if the planet itself had become an irritant to her. They cleared the atmosphere and she became aware that someone was behind her. She whipped around, pulling her blaster. When she saw it was Forp she leveled it, her expression full of supressed fury.
"You have exactly 12 seconds to get yourself into the pod and off my ship. If you're here after that you don't get the pod before you depart," she hissed through clenched teeth.
Hol held up his hands indicating they were empty.
"Please, such hostilities are quiet unneccesary. I just came up to give you the payment you require. As well as to apologize for any problems I may have caused you." Hol pulled out a small bag and gave it to Haran and walked away.
Haran looked in the bag and saw about 6000 credits in it.
Rogan sat back in the lounge, his feet up on the table, as Hol walked by. Rogan pointedly ignored him, and paced quietly into the cockpit, locking the door behind him. Inside the cockpit, away from anyone who may have been trying to listen, Rogan had a discussion with Haran, while Danse, the Gran, and Hol were left to their own desires in the back.
Early on in his command of the Black Angels squadron Trinj had secretly installed slave circuits in all the fighters. He had thought he got away clean but later all fighters in the fleet were fitted with slave circuits controlled by the squadrons c.o. Lansky had apparently liked the idea and had also made it so she controlled them as well, but Trinj had caught on and disabled the circuits that allowed her to stop him.
Trinj now activated the slave circuits and dropped the squadron out of hyperspace over the planet Tatooine.
“Hey Major what gives this ain’t Coroscant?” Black Three stated.
“We’re not going to Coroscant. I knew that the Admiral would try to stop us so I set false coordinates. I plan to reset here and head for a known Rebel Outpost…” A blip on his sensors interrupted him. Looking around he saw a Gtrok freighter leaving the atmosphere. The signal was coming from it and it was an Imperial code.
Trinj pulled his fighter around and headed for the Freighter at full speed.
“Captain of the freighter cut power to your engines and prepare to be boarded.” Trinj hoped that the fact that he was still in an Imperial fighter they would do as he said. He flipped his comm. over to squadron only, “If they run Ion cannons only.”
Haran's attention snapped to the controls as the squadron dropped out of hyperspace and practically into her lap. She started calculations for a jump and tried to make the Terrapin look as meek as a spacecraft could.
"Take copilot," she snapped at Rogan, who jumped eagerly into the seat.
The order to cut engines came a few seconds before she was ready for it, but she juggled the controls with the skill of long practice, "Hold on to your teeth," she said and the Terrapin rocketed back into the atmosphere.
The squadron seemed to be taken by surprise giving Haran an extra few seconds, she slipped the Ghtroc into a vertical serpentine through the ionoshphere, using the atmospheric turbulance to her advantage, "Nice," commented Rogan approvingly, "Now they can't draw a bead on you."
Haran flashed him a feral grin and bounced the freighter of the mesospheric interface. The Ghtroc burst into open space a quarter of a planet away from where the squadron had dropped in on them. Haran adjusted the jump calculations and within seconds the freighter was flung into the eerie between of hyperspace.
Rogan and Haran let out huge sighs and shared a look. Rogan grinned finally, "So where does Mr. Forp's journey come to an end?"
"We'll be there in less than two standard hours," she said pointing.
Rogan looked at the planetary readout she indicated and laughed, "Looks awful."
Neither Haran or Rogan emerged from the cockpit for the duration of the jump. When they finally dropped out of hyperspace, they made a quick landing on the small planet sixth from it's sun and came out of the cockpit armed. In unison the pair walked over to the dozing Forp and relieved him of his weapons before the man even had time to wake fully.
"Time to leave, Forp," said Haran smiling malevolantly, "This is as far as your ticket will take you."
Forp started to protest, but Rogan lifted his blaster to eye level and gave Forp a good view down the barrel. He subsided, anger etched in his features and allowed himself to be frogmarched down the ramp and on to the planetary surface. Haran threw an emergency survival pack at his feet - a concession to Rogan - and turned back to the ship. Rogan waited until she was covering him from the ramp then turned and joined her.
"This place has no indiginous wild life, but a wealth of plant life, as you see, and a rich breathable atmosphere," said Rogan, "four fifths of the surface is covered by various types of moss and fungi because this cloud cover never lifts. There was a scientific enclave near what counts for the north pole here. Unless you want to become a permanant resident, I'd start hiking if I were you, pal," Rogan pointed north and ducked back into the craft.
Haran stared at the Forp for a moment, then backed into the Terrepin. Moments later the engines fired up and the craft left the ground. Forp swore profusely.
Once the Terrapin was still in sight Hol reached into his pocket a pressed the button on the detonator remote he had hidden there. Smiling he made his way towards the indicated settlement and made his plans to get off the planet.
---
Haran was thrown out of her seat as a small explosion rocked the freighter. To make matters worse the squadron of fighters had somehow followed them through Hyperspace.
Without saying a word Haran tried to make the Terrapin dive but nothing happened. Rogan for his part had gotten to the single defensive turret and drew a bead on the lead fighter. Smiling he hit the trigger sending a single blast into the lead fighter. He saw the laser hit it a defuse across it's shields.
"Captain of the freighter this is flight leader of the Black Angels stop your engines or we will open fire." Came a voice crackling over the comm.
Danse ran into the cockpit. "What's goin' on?"
"That damn Forp must have been a spy.”
“Do not try to run, stop now or we will open fire. Do so NOW!” Came the voice again. Three blue bolts flew in front of the cockpit as the lead fighter fired its Ion cannons as a warning.
---
“What do you think Major?”
“I don’t know. Black Angels power up tractor beams and prepare to hold the freighter. If she moves lock it down and use your Ion cannons to disable it. If this ship is Imperial I don’t want word of our last seen locations getting back to Lansky.” Trinj ordered.
---
Hol had seen the fireworks from the planet and frowned. Something had gone wrong and the ship was not destroyed. Blast that damn pilot had found him before he could finish planting his insurance. But he knew that the ageing freighter was not good in a firefight and would be dealt with if those were Imperial forces up there. And even if they weren’t that little group had little hope.
Hol smiled once again and headed toward the settlement as he set about assembling the blaster he always carried in pieces that were hidden on his body. That stupid pilot should have killed him, oh well she would regret it one way or another.
"Well at least Forp's as good as dead." muttered Haran. Too bad all the plant life on that planet is toxic, too bad he's on the wrong continent to make it too the now defuct scientific enclave across the acidic sea, too bad no signal would transmit through the cloud cover, too bad he tried to pork her.
"Fly, flyboy, I've got some work to do," she scrabbled back to the engine and started jury rigging.
~~~~~
"Sir," Trinj's radio crackled, "There is no longer an Imperial signature transmitting from the Ghtroc, it now comes across as just a standard independant freighter."
Before Trinj could decide if that were bad or good, a transmission from the frieghter came through, "Hold your fire, we've taken damage and are trying to comply."
"State the nature of the damage."
"Unknown. No system response at this time, in otherwords we're stuck in gear."
Trinj smiled, whoever it was he wasn't Imperial, "Understood. If you bolt, however, you will be fired upon. Can you navigate?"
"Negative. Stand by."
~~~~~
On board the Terrapin, Haran was working feverishly. The explosion was mostly a dud, but it did enough to trash navigation interface, but both the sublight engines and hyperdrive were fine otherwise.
"Haran," came Rogan's voice.
"What."
"They're not exhibiting standard Imperial behavior."
"So? Set up for a jump to the Corbus system. It's a short jump, and we can't land back there."
"Agreed."
~~~~~
Trinj watched as the Ghtroc sailed along at an unwavering speed and direction. Considering what he'd seen them do before, he was willing to believe that the damage was real. They were now passing the seventh and last planet of the system and heading out into open space.
If he tried to grab them with tractors and the damage they claimed was real the frieghter would be torn apart by opposite forces. But if they continued and were allowed to repair the damage, the hot pilot or pilots inside might try and ditch them again. Plus he was now extremely curious about the Ghtroc's crew. The squadron continued to trail the frieghter through space.
Rogan held the control stick steady, waiting for Haran to finish jury-rigging whatever she was jury-rigging in the back, when an idea hit him.
"Haran, has this bucket still got all it's escape pods?" he asked over the comm. He needed something to occupy these fighters if he was going to evade them in the Gh'troc's current condition.
"I think so. Why?" Haran responded, only half-guessing at Rogan's idea.
"How much longer you got back there?" was Rogan's reply.
"That bastard Hol knew where to put the charge--I'm gonna need to replace the main lateral thrust stabilizer. This one's snapped in half. I did manage to hammer the main control rods back into a sorta workable shape--now I just need to re-route the nav-comp wires a little. It'll be up in a few minutes."
Rogan nodded. They didn't have a few minutes. "Haran, I'm switching off all lateral thrust dampers and stabilizers--that should save you some time. The ride will be bumpy, but we'll be flyable. Lemme handle these TIEs," he said.
Danse stood in the door to the cockpit, a knowing smile on his face. "Rogan?" Danse asked. "Have you ever seen fighters follow anything through hyperspace before?"
"Nope."
"I didn't think so. I'm going to check for homing beacons. That Hol guy must've been sneakier than we thought. There may be other detonators--this one may have been the one we were supposed to find," Danse said, leaving Rogan in the cockpit, alone.
Rogan checked the flight systems again, then twice more, before switching on the intercomm. "Haran, are we ready yet?"
"Hang on, Fly-boy... This takes time."
"Which we don't have alot of right now," Rogan barked. Just as the words left his mouth, the nav-comp chirped and sputtered to life. "Thanks Haran," Rogan said, turning to set in the coordinates for the hyperspace jump. Two minutes had gone by, and the Terrapin was in open space now.
Rogan opened a channel to the fighter squadron, crossing his fingers as he made his gambit. "Commander of the squadron, we've effected some minor repairs, and are slowing down to be boarded, as requested," Rogan said.
Trinj watched as the freighter slowed, its engines blue glow growing dimmer. He ordered several of his fighters forward to surround the ship, while he flew next to the main docking clamp.
Rogan watched as the fighters initiated a standard Imperial boarding procedure. Good. They were right where he wanted them. Just as the lead fighter was approaching the main docking clamp, Rogan opened it. Then he jettisonned 3 escape pods and slammed his hand down on the Hyperdrive. The result on the squadron was devastating, he was sure. The pure physics of the maneuver would cause several fighters to get sucked into the hyperspace opening, along with the escape pods.
"What just happened?" Haran asked, returning to the cockpit.
"I just put some tennis balls in the dryer with those fighters. They'll be busy with their own problems. I doubt they'll follow us again," Rogan said, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head, smiling...
Rogan smile faded as he saw the indicator for the boarding hatch blink and then become steady.
"Blast." Rogan swore.
"What?" Haran questioned.
"I think one of the pilots got aboard."
"What? How?"
"I don't know come on." Both Rogan and Haran raced from the cockpit to the boarding area. When they reached it they saw Danse and the Gran were faceing off with an Imperial pilot.
The pilot started to raise his hands towards his helmet.
"Slowly!" Rogan Barked. "Any sudden moves and I'll burn you were you stand.
The pilot slowly removed his helmet to reveal brown hair that was cut close to the head. He had the face of a nobleman and piercing green eyes that ran over the group in front of him.
"Which of you is the captain of this ship?" The pilot asked. His voice was soft but his words were measured and sure.
"I am." Haran said. She stepped forward and brought herself close to the Imperial never taking her eyes off of him. "Who are you? And how did you get aboard"
"I am Gren Trinj. Formerly a Major in the Imperial Navy and commander of the Black Angels. I was able to lock my magnetic grips into place before the ship went into hyperspace and I climbed in through the open hatch.
"For what you did to my men I should kill you, but considering it would not be wise I will with hold such action. If I may, I would request that we go back to retrieve what is left of my squadron."
---
The squadron unsure of what to do and having just seen their commander and half of their friends sucked helplessly into hyperspace they set down on the planet to conserve fuel as they decided what to do next.
Haran examined the 'former Imperial pilot' as she would a bug, "Well, I'd say space him but I'm guessing that would run against the sensibilities around here. And I will grant he could be useful to your sort," she glanced at Rogan and Danse, "so do me the kindness of locking him in the hold until we get where we're going."
Rogan moved to take Trinj's side arm, "What about my squadron?" the major called to Haran.
Haran's expression was stone, "What about them?" she turned and headed back to the cockpit for the trip to the back water planet of Corbusii.
Rogan escorted Trinj to the rather nasty hold. The major's expression wavered between shock and anger but he was smart enough not to try to buck the odds. He had no chance of taking the Ghtroc alone and he knew it. Rogan felt a vague sympathy with the man over the loss of his squadron, but at least Trinj's men were still alive. The hold doors slid closed and Rogan locked them and keyed in a code before returning to the others.
He came upon Danse and Vees going through the bag that Forp had been forced to leave behind. Danse was humming idly as he casually stacked the numerous blaster carbines, power cells, survival gear, thermal detonators, and a light repeating blaster that he discovered.
Danse smiled at Rogan, "Pity he forgot his luggage."
Forp looked at his chronomoter as he brought the Tie fighter out of the atmosphere of the planet he'd been stranded on. He had suffered minor acid burns but the pilot of this fighter and his friends would never leave the surface again. It had been several hours since he had been forced out of the ship onto that planet. Forp smiled, in a short amount of time his contingency plan would activate and his activities would remain secret for a little longer.
----
Trinj stood staring at the door in front of him. He looked down at the object in his hand and pondered his next move. He knew the pilots would be no problem and the gran would be just a little more annoying. But the other one, he was a tested Jedi he would be more of a problem. Looking back at the door Trinj took a deep breath, activated his lightsaber and cut the door down.
Trinj was in the lounge before the Jedi could fully react. Trinj attacked, the Gran went down in a heap with little more than a groan. The other Jedi was fully ready with not one but two lightsabers activated.
Trinj was barely able to hold up against the onslaught that came at him. Ducking low he dodged one of the blades and blocked the second. Focusing his power he wrentched the first saber free of the Jedi's hand and sent it flying across the room. On slightly more even ground Trinj pressed the attack driving the Jedi back.
The Jedi smiled and began to overpower Trinj. Knowing that the pilots must be coming Trinj focused again and slammed the Jedi into a bulkhead. Turning he brought his saber around in time to block the blaster bolt heading for his head. The male pilot groaned and fell to the ground the blaster bolt haveing airated his torso.
Trinj Immediatly jumped forward and bringing his saber down cut the females arm off at the wrist. She screamed and dropped to her knees. Trinj felt a tremer from behind a spun to block the Jedi's saber. At that moment the pilot shot him in the back before slumping down next to the other pilot.
Trinj looked at the Jedi bring his saber backwards and watched as the blade arced and came around to his neck.
Trinj shook his head no matter how many times he ran through it, the Jedi always got him. Shaking his head again he looked around again. The lights had been damaged and were not working leaving Trinj in complete darkness.
A red light began flashing above him. Trinj was sure he had not seen that before and decided to risk useing the Force. He stretched out to see what it was with the Force since he couldn't see himself. The Force ran over the object and Trinj's blood froze. He turned to looking for the intercomm, finding it he turned it on.
"Uh, does anyone know how to disarm demolition charges?"
Trinj really didn't expect the crew to react that greatly, in fact he wouldn't have been surprised if they just ignored his comment all together. What did bother him was how they were going to react to his having force powers.
Trinj hated using the force, it wasn't so much a feeling of ickyness as much as feeling like he had to use a crutch to get by.
Trinj had first been instructed by an old begger on his home planet. The man had really known little but enough to survive. The first thing Trinj learned was how to hide his force ability from other force adepts. From there he really only learned a few things, like how to sense objects, his oponents intentions in combat, and how to make things float.
He really to this day only used his masking ability so that he was never found out.
One day his father had come home on leave from the Imperial fleet and found out about Trinj's training. His father was outraged and sought out the old man. When he found him Trinj's father accused him of being a traitor to the Empire and began to beat him.
Trinj was mortified he had no idea what to do, he wanted to believe his father was right but not see his mentor being beaten to death.
In a flash the fight was over and Trinj's father lay dead with the old man standing over him. Trinj was severly angry and lept at the old man using the forse to push him into a wall. The angry swelled in him and he eventually killed the old man.
Trinj saw what he had done and ran. He didn't know why he had felt so good killing the old man or what the voices in his mind were saying to him. He did know that what they were saying was bad. When he got home he learned that his brother had been killed in an attack by the Rebels. In particular a young Jedi named Skywalker. On that day Trinj began to loath the Jedi and his powers and swore never to use them unless absolutly nececery.
Trinj shook his head and looked at the blinking light. It had become faster since he had last looked at it.
"Uh, now would be a good time."
Haran glared at the comm. "Go see what's up. I don't like any of this, but that damned forp was slippery." She said to Rogan.
Rogan stood from the co-pilots seat and headed to the back grumbling about the pilot in the hold. Walking to the back neither of the others were in the lounge. Shaking his head Rogan headed for the hold.
The Gran was by the door waiting for him.
"What's up?" Rogan asked.
"I don't know but the pilot is more than he says. He is Jedi."
"Great another one." Rogan muttered as he opened the door. The room was pitch black as he walked in. Rogan instinctivly pulled his blaster.
"It's about time." A voice said from the darkness. Trinj seamed to melt from the darkness and pointed up. "You may want to get that out of here."
"Blast, that Forp is still pissing me off. Rogan reached up and pulled the device from the cieling. It appeared to be a group of demolition charges wired together to a timer. Rogan saw Trinj putting his helmet on. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"You need to get that off as soon as possible. I can get it off right now." Trinj said as he sealed his suit. He strode toward Rogan and took the bomb from him. "Tell your pilot to drop out of hyperspace in ten seconds."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Trow this thing out of the boarding hatch." Trinj said as he climbed into the boarding hatch access way.
Rogan ran to the cockpit, ten seconds later the Terapin dropped out of hyperspace. Trinj opened the hatch and threw the bomb as hard as he could. Five seconds later the bomb exploded, Trinj ducked back in and climbed back down the access way.