Chapter Two: Behind the Mask
Deep in an asteroid field three
parsecs from Naboo, a predator loomed in the black of space. The craft hung over a shipyard that was built
directly into the side of a large asteroid.
The vessel was an assault frigate; one of the most formidable warships
in the galaxy, her name was the Frigid
Claw. Surrounding her was a
collection of stations ranging from industrial complexes, to mining facilities. Aboard the assault frigate, her captain observed the commotion
caused by their last mission. He went by
the title of fleet captain, a rank more common for the leader of pirates and
mercenaries. His name was Valrico. He was the leader of the Crynak Coalition, a
band of pirates and outlaws that specialized in the theft of space merchandise. A man of cunning abilities, he presented a
worthy opponent to all who stood in his path.
Valrico was a survivor, as all of the people in his fleet were. The captain was human, originating from a
mining colony in the desolate
Captain Ugora sat
quietly in his command chair, fiddling with his mouth tendrils. His radiant, hard blue eyes watched the
viewing screen intently. As the Quarren
awaited contact from the fleet captain, he began scrolling over his data screen. Looking up from a brief moment, Ugora ordered
the helmsman to steer towards the command ship, and position the End Horizon above the port bow of her. There the two warships would wait for the
rest of the fleet to return home. The
fleet had just finished attacking a civilian convoy that was headed for a
station near the planet Sullust. The
Coalition had captured several large containers of laser charges and warheads. More importantly, they had seized control of
a carrack cruiser and several freighters.
Although the carrack cruiser was a small starship, it was outfitted with
substantial firepower, and that made it ideal for fighter escort. To sweeten this victory, the Crynak fleet had
sustained no losses in capturing it. The
Coalition’s show of force in destroying the defenders’ main escort, a strike
cruiser, was more than enough to convince the convoy to surrender. Civilians usually gave up with little to no
resistance. Just to make sure they got
the point, Ugora had ordered the destruction of a suprosa transport making a
run for it. The first wave of fighters
the civilian fleet had sent against them was destroyed by one of his squadrons
of head hunters. As usual, his pilots
were more than a match for their adversary.
His thoughts were interrupted, and the Quarren turned his pale orange
head back to the main viewer. A blinding
flash of white and the fleet began to emerge into normal space.
Two
marauder-class corvettes, the Scimitar
and the Razor’s Edge dropped out of
hyper-space, just ahead of the rest of the team. They immediately set a course for the
shipyard. One took the lead, the Scimitar, which was commanded by Captain
Palziz, who was perhaps the most blood thirsty man in the Coalition. The young human captain was known throughout
the fleet as being a man who took no prisoners.
Originally Palziz had joined the Rebel Alliance as a pilot, but had been
driven out due to his violent tendencies.
During his stay in the
Palziz, an
outcast, and failure as an
The Scimitar’s sister ship glided up beside
her. The Razor’s Edge was captained by Captain Juvran, a middle-aged human
male from Dorrel. He had a rough, brown
beard beginning to show streaks of grey.
His skin was tough and leathery, highlighting the many years he had
spent under harsh conditions during his many space ventures. Because of the sympathy towards mercenaries
and bounty hunters in the Freeworlds System, Captain Juvran had grown up
learning the tricks of the trade as a bounty hunter. He had joined the Crynak Coalition over a
decade ago. Juvran was a patient
commander, unlike Palziz, preferring to bide his time before he acted. He was perhaps the most cautious captain in
the fleet, and was looked on as being too hesitant to be considered one of the
greatest the Crynak had to offer. Juvran
was greatly in the shadow of Palziz. He
often did not agree with the younger captain, and there were many times that
Captain Palziz cast his input aside. The
older man had no choice; going against Palziz could end his command, and his
life.
Almost
simultaneously, the rest of the fleet dropped out of hyper space behind the two
corvettes. Coming into view were the
Xiytiar transport Condor, two modular conveyers, the Y-wing squadron
Star Hunter, the new carrack cruiser
in tow, and the lancer frigate Ferocity. Two Corellian gun ships, the Lightning and the Thunder dropped out behind them, followed by the newly acquired
assortment of bulk freighters and suprosa transports. Aboard the Ferocity, Captain Galvour sat in his command chair. Galvour was a thirty-three year old human,
originating from Corellia. Most of his
life had been spent as a pirate and spice trader. As a boy, he often found himself looking up
at the stars, longing for the chance to travel them. His wish had come true when the war between
the Empire and the
One thing the
captain abhorred was overly bureaucratic governments or factions. He despised both the
Galvour hailed
Captain Ugora to report that the fleet had made it home safely. Once his message was completed, he
transmitted orders to the Condor for
the modular conveyers to begin their cargo drop. The freighters lined up near the storage
facility located near the industrial complex.
The Condor slowly soared
towards the complex. After it had
positioned itself above the main hanger, the freighter hovered a moment. Magnetic clamps latched on to the docking hatch
of the freighter. After making the
proper alignments for the cargo drop, the Condor
docked with the bay door, and sealed the air lock. Inside the ship, dozens of workers began
lifting the cargo onto hover pads and pushing them into the station. As for the modular conveyers’ cargo, they
simply released the diamond shaped bins they had collected from the raid just
outside the hanger. Three small
one-manned cargo lifters emerged from the complex and began retrieving the
bins, taking them back inside the hanger for stockpiling. The larger warships docked at the shipyards
for refueling and maintenance, while the carrack cruiser docked at a repair
yard, as it was to be prepped for use by the Coalition.
Inside the main
bridge of the Frigid Claw, crew members
from various races were bustling about, busying themselves with reports and
issuing orders to one another. It was a
regular light show on the bridge. Different
colors of lights flashed and shone everywhere, while the over head lighting
provided a white coloration to everything.
The bridge itself was shaped like a rectangular box, slightly rounded
off where the main viewer was. The fleet
captain was perched in a chair in the center of it all, while his helmsman and
communications officers sat in front of him.
The communications station was situated forward on the port (left) with
the steering forward and on the starboard (right). Directly to either side of Valrico were the
tactical and weapons stations. Each had
two crew members at the controls. Above
and behind him a pair of Aqualish security guards stood armed with heavy
blasters, guarding the entry way from the turbo lift. Their two large and shiny black eyes aimed
straight forward, unblinking. The
captain drummed his fingers absent mindedly on his arm rest, staring aimlessly
into his viewing screen. A familiar
voice broke his ennui.
“Long range
sscannerss are picking up an insstallation that appearsz to be military. It is being generated from Naboo, ssir,” the
communications officer reported.
The captain
snapped his eyes towards the officer. Valrico’s
eyes moved before his head did. As
always, he bored holes into whoever he looked at. Tightly, he gripped the sides of his command
chair, and leaned forward.
“What? A military installation nearby? Get me a long-range summary commander,”
Valrico ordered in his hard, icy voice. He
was somewhat alarmed that there was an authority in a nearby system.
“Aye ssir,
patching it through,” Commander Shiva responded. His clawed hands glided effortlessly over the
key pad, as he transferred the information to the captain. Commander Shiva was Barabel, a serpent race
covered in black hard scales like finger nail.
Their entire body was virtually a suit of armor. Jointed plates covered their bodies from
their forehead to back. They had large
black eyes situated as a human’s would be, and long, wide mouths filled with
razor sharp teeth. Barabels were known
as a very aggressive race that loved a good fight. They hunted their nearby neighbors the Verpine,
and then sold their body parts amongst themselves as a delicacy on the black
market. Anachronistically however,
Barabels were a very moral race by nature and so they had a deep respect and
admiration for the Jedi Knights. They
were also fiercely loyal to their mates and parents. Shiva was a male and former pack-leader from
his clan, but set out on his own in search of knowledge, wealth, and conquest. He met the Crynak Coalition on Borgo Prime
through a covert contact, and decided it would be profitable to his interests
to join them. Over time he advanced in
rank, owing to his tremendous flying skills and unfaltering bravery. He had become so loyal to the Crynak; Shiva
would give his life to save any of his comrades. For Valrico, this was like striking a gold
mine. It was difficult to find such an
officer, and expect him to be a murderous pirate. There were so many gambles to take in
choosing his fleet commanders…so many gambles…
Again the Barabel spoke.
“I detect a Golan
Three platform, one Calamari Cruiszer, as well as a winged Calamari Cruiszer,
and one Nebulan B frigate. We will have
to move in for a closserrr look to detect fightersz and ssmaller shipss ssir,”
Shiva hissed in his snake-like voice. Though
the Frigid Claw had state of the art
scanning equipment aboard, getting a solid read as far as a parsec away was
nearly impossible. “Those are only their
space-bassed objectss. There isss no
telling what liess on the surface of the planet, ssirrr.” His huge, black glassy eyes rotated towards
the captain.
Valrico stroked
the short beard on his chin, as in thinking.
He squinted his eyes, and stretched his neck. Shiva was growing impatient, and began to
open and close the inner eyelids he had rapidly. He never liked to take too long to make a
decision.
“Well…that sounds
like an
“I am not ssure. We would need to ascertain the destination of
the convoy. We could check the main
computer core aboard the carrack cruiser sir.
Perhpass this could clue us in.”
Valrico nodded his head, and pointed a finger
at the communications display.
“Yes, yes, go
ahead and do that. I’d like to know if
we’ve stumbled upon a nest of gundarks.”
Commander Shiva complied with the order.
Valrico continued, as soon as Shiva had sent the order to the
intelligence team aboard the Predator’s
Loft. “Meanwhile, what do you
propose we do about it?” The captain
eyed the commander with an intent gaze that spoke for itself.
“It is bad for
businesss, having political authorities near us whilssst we try to raid civilian
and military convoyss.” Shiva paused for
a moment. Then, as if he had thought up
an idea, he jerked his eyes back towards the captain. “We could invesstigate the area, and see what
they might have that would be of use to uss,” Shiva hissed in a voice that
sounded like a predator that had just spotted prey.
Captain Valrico grinned coldly. He was quite used to his first officer’s
habit of choosing an aggressive action. Still,
he liked having a variety of officers from which to consider advice. Such a diversity in his command staff allowed
for him to make more rounded decisions. Even
still, Valrico would not tolerate being disagreed with. Anyone that directly violated his authority
was as good as dead. His bridge crews
were those that had not crossed that line.
“Ha-ha. Very well, arrange a
meeting with Bajib. Have him prepare a
reconnaissance mission. I want to know
everything there is to know about them,” Fleet Captain Valrico ordered. “Understood commander?”
“Aye aye sssir,”
Shiva replied. He smiled, showing his
many razor sharp teeth. The Barabel
began typing commands into his key pad, and marking off his data sheet. Commander Shiva moved at blinding speed over
his keys, and had issued the order in a matter of seconds. Long range recon missions were dangerous,
especially when venturing deep into enemy territory. They would need an elite pilot for this sort
of job. He had chosen one of his best
for the mission. The pilot was a
Sellonian woman by the name of Lieutenant Commander Kriisha. Kriisha was perhaps the best transport pilot
in the fleet, besides himself. Sellonians
were a tall, sentient humanoid covered in a short fur coat, with a feline-like
appearance. They had large, sharp
retractable claws and long elegant tails could that be used as effective
bashing tools in fights. A blow from the
tail of a Sellonian could break the back of even a Wookie. The normal person was no match for the
stealth and efficiency of a mature Sellonian in close combat. Sellonians had eyes that could see well at
night, due to their habit of living in tunnels most of the time. Their senses of hearing and smelling were
just as acute. Sharp teeth also drew
attention to themselves. Lieutenant
Commander Kriisha was a fertile female. Being
fertile was a mark of importance in Sellonian society, because only a few
females in a clan were fertile. It also
meant her only task was to produce offspring and stay at home. Only sterile females were allowed out of
doors, as they were the ones that handled the affairs and businesses of the
clan. She had managed to break away from
this boring life, joining the Crynak Coalition as a means of escape. After she had arrived at the asteroid
station, Predator’s Loft, she was
incorporated into their fighter squadrons.
She was not content to stay at home and sit quietly. She was a woman of action and combat, not
housework and cooking. Kriisha had
already had fair training with flying transport ships, due to the fact she had
stolen a transport ship from a Bothan merchant on Correllia. She spent the next few years hypering here
and there to find where she really belonged.
At last she met Commander Shiva on Borgo Prime where she followed him
back to his fleet to begin more advanced flight training, and be a part of
something. Kriisha believed this was her
calling in life.
The Sellonian
showed exemplary flight skills during flight and combat training. This was a strange trait for a Sellonian, as
few of the earth-dwelling Sellonians have ever flown. Shiva had taken it upon himself to train her,
and she had proven to be one of the best pilots they had. Kriisha had risen quickly in rank due to her
dogged persistence and combat capabilities.
Kriisha was the squadron leader of the Delta-class escort shuttle
squadron, Sevron, and third in
command of the Frigid Claw. Shiva needed to contact her immediately.
Kriisha sat
meditating in her private quarters aboard the Frigid Claw. She spent most
of her time inside her quarters, because it reminded her of home. The lights in her room were always dim,
making it difficult for anyone entering to see well. This was fine with her. Her eyes could see more than well enough in
the low light, and it discouraged visitors.
It also simulated the dark of the underground tunnels she used to dwell
in. Around her were many keepsakes she
had brought with her from her home planet of Sellonia. Among the items were her medals of combat, a
necklace she had made in her childhood, and a hologram of her two cubs, which
were now grown.
Her favorite
belonging was her sword Verith, which
had been given to her by her mother when she was young. It had been given to her as a symbol of her
womanhood and independence. The interior
of the room was a dusky brown color, resembling the tunnels she once walked as
a child. A brass dish that burned with
incense lay in front of her as she sat with her eyes close. It was a place for her to meditate, and sleep. Here there were no interruptions to her
solitary ways…save one. The intercom
rang, and her eyes snapped open. It was
a menacing sight; her eyes shone like two yellow flames in the twilight of her
room. Kriisha rose to her full height of
nearly two and a half meters. She walked
over to the intercom, and answered her call.
“What is it?”
Kriisha responded in an irritated tone. She
did not like being bothered during her meditation hours.
“Kriisha, thiss
iss Shiva, I have an assignment for you,” he said in a raspy voice. “I want you to meet with the captain and I in
the briefing room. Thiss will be a
mission of great importance I feel.”
“I will be there
in moments, what is nature of meeting?” she responded in her broken Basic.
“You are going to
get to fly. No more talk over the
intercom. Please come to the briefing
room for further instructionss.” Shiva replied abruptly. Holding the intercom button down still, the
Sellonian sighed in frustration. She
looked at the ground, and back up.
“Very well,”
Kriisha responded. As Kriisha turned the
intercom off, she rubbed her paws against her forehead. She yawned widely, revealing her sharp fangs,
and then began to groom herself. Sellonians
exhibited the feline trait of obsessive cleanliness and were constantly
concerned about their appearance. She
walked over to her dresser, and selected a folded grey jumpsuit, bearing the
rank of a lieutenant commander of the Crynak Coalition. It had light yellow piping running the length
of the arms from the shoulders to the wrists and from the waste line to the
bottom of the leggings. Kriisha pulled
the jumpsuit over her body, and pulled the chrome zipper up, leaving it
slightly open at the breast. Next she
slipped on her custom-made brown leather boots.
The lieutenant commander brushed her fur back one last time, opened the
door, and sprinted off at great speed through the passage ways of the ship. When Kriisha arrived at the briefing room,
she was greeted by Captain Valrico, Commander Shiva, and Lieutenant Bajib. Bajib was a Bothan male, and the science
officer onboard the Frigid Claw. Lieutenant Bajib coordinated deep space
exploration, reconnaissance flights, and planet entry missions. Valrico motioned for Kriisha to have a seat. She folded her tail beside her, and took her
seat next to Bajib. Commander Shiva sat
in his chair beside Captain Valrico, motionless.
“Good evening
Commander Kriisha,” the Bothan man said in a courteous manner. He had the typical, heavy-accented tongue
that a Bothan used to communicate in Basic, accenting a’s and r’s with a
rolling voice. Kriisha acknowledged him
with a smile and a nod. It was often
times difficult for one to determine whether a Sellonian was smiling or baring
its fangs, but given the circumstances, Bajib took it as a smile. He continued on. “Our long range scanners have received
information that shows three Mon Calamari Cruisers, a Golan platform, and
several other military targets in high orbit around the planet of Naboo. Your job will be to find out who they are,
and if they have a planetary base. We
want to know if they are an immediate threat to us, and if we can gain anything
from them. I have assembled a mission
plan for your trip to Naboo. In talking
with the captain here, we have decided that you shall fly on your own, with no
escort. We do not want to alert these
perpetrators of chaos of our presence. You
must blend in.” He finished his speech with a vibrating noise in his throat,
somewhat like a cross between a purr and a low growl.
Kriisha shifted
nervously in her chair. She did not like
being sent onto a foreign and enemy planet alone. Further more, she did not understand why they
would go looking for trouble such as this.
Attacking a military faction was usually suicide. There had to be a reason other than what
Bajib had stated for this…illogical movement.
Lieutenant Bajib brought up a blue-tinted holographic display, and
pointed towards it.
“After you emerge
from hyper space, you will most likely have to pass inspection from the local
spaceports. To cope with this, we have
modified your ship’s log to appear as though you are a charter pilot. Land at the capitol of the planet, and gather
whatever information you need to obtain the location of the planet base. Then pay a short visit to the base, and take
images of it. After that, return home as
quickly as you can. Do not engage the
enemy on your own. This is a covert
gathering mission only, not an assault mission.
Are there any questions?” Lieutenant Bajib asked.
Kriisha thought a
moment. This seemed to her as an
unnecessary risk to take. It was also
uncharacteristic of the captain to fix his eyes upon military targets. Something seemed wrong to her. What was it?
“One not simply
walks into territories of enemy. Dangerous
is this task you present to me. Those
warships could make short work of us larger vessels, and what if we discover
that is merely portion of their fleet? What if they discover us? It takes time,
and persistence to accomplish this,” Kriisha said in a wary voice.
“That is why I
chose you Kriisha. You Sellonians are
stubborn as they come, and more stealthy than most any other race. Just apply these traits here. It is my judgment that we must gather
information on this group, in the interests of the Coalition. We could profit greatly from this, Kriisha. There can be no mistakes made,” Captain
Valrico said in his hard, icy voice. He
was leaving no room for argument. Commander
Shiva turned to look at Kriisha. Both of
them could sense something out of place here.
Kriisha jerked her head towards the shadows in the room and perked her
ears. She thought she had heard the
breathing of someone. Just as quickly,
Valrico continued to speak.
“That is all
Lieutenant Commander Kriisha. You have
your orders, dismissed. Commander Shiva,
Lieutenant Bajib, you are free to go,” Captain Valrico said. Each officer responded dutifully, and walked
single file out of the room. The fleet
captain watched them go with intent eyes.
When the doors had locked behind them, a man appeared slowly out of the
shadows. He was a young, handsome man,
but something in his eyes made him look wicked.
The triangular plates on his shoulders indicated he was a captain. His name was Captain Palziz. Valrico leaned back into his chair and
rotated it to face him.
“So it’s under
way, Cale.” Valrico said. The young man
squinted his eyes and smiled.
“Very good. If Kriisha collects information that says
this is my old division, then we could attack,” Cale Palziz said harshly. Captain Valrico shook his head.
“You always have
a way of simplifying things. Kriisha was
right you know. This is going to be
dangerous. We can’t afford to lose her,
and we certainly cannot afford to have our home here discovered. Police authorities all over the quadrant
would like to know where we are. If they
find out our location, we would have to pack up and leave. Do you know what the gravity of that is?
Losing our asteroid base would cripple our fleet. We would have no place to repair and refuel
after battle, so place to store our spoils.” Valrico stroked his mustache, and
stared at Cale.
“Nevertheless, we
could greatly profit from this, if it’s them,’’ Cale said.
“Only for you. What about my fleet? What about our business
we have going for us here? I am still
in command here.”
“Oh come on,
Valrico. Someone’s bound to find us
sooner or later. I would hate to have it
be them. You know damn well we can’t
afford them being near us.” Palziz sounded desperate for a moment. Valrico raised his eyebrow, and sighed. Only Cale was allowed to talk in such manner
towards Valrico.
“Well, I suppose
you’re right. You know, you’re tone
grows stronger with me every day, boy. Lose
the act. Nevertheless, this could
be…fun.” Valrico was not sure he had quite convinced himself yet. Captain Palziz was not exactly a stable
vizier to have.
“Indeed it will
be, my good captain. It is them, I can
feel it. I feel his foul presence from
here. When we find out it’s them, we’ll
destroy ‘em,” the young man said in a voice that sounded all too eager to kill. Valrico smiled and chuckled quietly. He watched as Palziz walked over to the
portal. The young captain stared out of
the window and into space. His ship, the
Scimitar, hovered over the mining
facility on one of the larger asteroids.
Palziz breathed deeply and smiled.
One could sense his pride glowing about him.
“You understand
this complicates things,” Valrico said. “If
it is them, we are facing a little more than the typical civilian convoy. Are you so sure our fleet can overcome
theirs?”
“It won’t be
easy; I never said it would be.” Cale said, spreading his hands as he walked
back over to the table. “However, I know
how they think, how they act. I was one
of them, remember? They’re all too predictable.
Our fighter pilots are superior to theirs. We have more and swifter capitol ships. Just employ the hit and run tactics. They don’t stand a chance,” he said
confidently. The smirk on his face was
one of arrogance.
Valrico sighed
and said, “Well let’s hope you’re right.
I don’t want this all to be for nothing.
There’s more at stake here than your pride. I would hate to risk the fleet in one futile
attempt to demolish a military fleet. It’s
not as simple as just attacking and looting.”
Cale turned and
walked away slowly from the captain. As
he walked out of the room, he smiled to the captain. “We’ll get them.” The door shut behind him,
leaving Fleet Captain Valrico alone in his chair.
* * *
Commander Shiva
walked down a corridor on his way to the main hanger. He wanted to bid his final farewells to
Lieutenant Commander Kriisha before she set off on the mission. Although he was supremely confident in his
choice for this mission, it was Kriisha’s first time to be entrusted with this
kind of operation. Another officer went
by him and they saluted one another. Shiva
checked his chronometer, making sure he would get there in time. There were two more minutes until launch time. Nervousness was tickling the scales on his
back. After another minute’s walk, he
reached a steel bulkhead being guarded by an Aqualish man armed with a blaster
rifle. Shiva handed the guard a security
access card. The guard slid the card
through a laser scanner, checking the photo identification and clearance of
Shiva. The commander was growing anxious
from having to stand still. After
completing his routine, the guard handed the card back to Shiva, and opened the
bulk head doors. Shiva walked into the
hanger, where he could see the Sellonian loading canisters and boxes into cargo
hold of her assault shuttle. Kriisha’s
tail was twitching back and forth, showing her agitation. Her ears swiveled towards the commander, as
she heard his footsteps. It was clear
Kriisha knew it was him the moment his boots clacked on the hard metal floors. That was just another trait the Sellonians
possessed. They could recognize the
pace, beat, and sound of anyone’s footsteps, which helped them to identify
enemies that much faster. She turned to
face him, blinking her eyes slowly. He
nodded and walked towards her. Shiva was
about the only person in the fleet that could read the Sellonian facial
expressions, so he knew very well that the casual blinking she displayed was a
good thing. Shiva came to a standstill
in front of Kriisha, and extended his clawed hand. She shook it in return, before going back to
her loading.
“Packing your
final thingss aboard your sship?” Commander Shiva said in his serpent like
voice. He looked down at her bags and
canisters piled around the boarding ramp.
“Yes, I am. The comms scrambler is packed aboard. I also have food, money, my rifle, and my
claw sharpener. What more I need?” she
asked humorously. Shiva hissed a laugh.
“Planning on
tearing someone to piecess?” he asked with a grin. His closed and opened the inner eyelids he
had slowly. The two understood each
other very well. Both were of a species
bred for the hunt, so shared similar traits in regards to their predatory
aspects.
“I do not plan on
making kill, but I plan to be ready. Is
good health to keep claws clean. Besides,
not wanting to be unprepared,” Kriisha replied.
“Ah,” he paused a
moment. Shiva reached up and ran his
claws gently down the tough scales on his cheek. He was still uncomfortable with the lack of
certainty in the mission. “Just remember
to be exsstra careful, remain on coursse, and be sssure not to allow your
intentionss to go noticed.” He reached
into the shirt pocket of his uniform. “Here,
take this.” Shiva hand her a data disk. “It
contains jump coordinatess, instructionss, and a brief summary to life on Naboo. Stay away from the capitol’s palace, and
don’t go near any police stationss,” the commander rasped. “There can be no mistakesss.”
Kriisha flipped
her flight helmet up into her hands. It
was specially designed for her. There
were two hollow crests on the helmet so her ears would not get crunched, and it
had guards that extended beside her jaws.
The visor came down over her nose, and had a projection that formed over
her muzzle. The helmet had a painted
silhouette of a Sellonian male baring his fangs over the ear guards, and a red
sevron spider logo on the forehead of the helmet. Kriisha strapped her helmet on, and checked
to be sure the microphone worked.
“I not plan to
make mistakes. Failure is not my style. I must be going now. Farewells commander.” With that she nodded at
him, and turned to board her ship, Sevron
One. Shiva backed away from the
launch area, retreating behind the nearest blast guard. Kriisha hissed an order at a mechanic to
clear the deck. The man scrambled to
remove any components lying about, and then ran into the nearest safety room
before the Sellonian pilot blasted off into space. Kriisha was known by every mechanic in the
fleet for powering her ship up to unsafe velocities inside the hanger. They did not want to get in her way when she
flew out.
Kriisha climbed
up the ramp of her shuttle, and sealed the gang plank. She clattered down the main shaft the led to
the helm area. As Kriisha sat down in
her pilot’s chair, she began the pre-flight checks. With that quick routine over, Kriisha began initiating
startup of all the ship systems. A
yellow light blinking overhead indicated the safety clamps were still attached
to her landing gears. Kriisha flipped a
switch beside the light, and the clamps released with a metallic clunk.
One last final request
for takeoff; she fired up her engines, and roared into space. Her ship broke the force field around the
hanger opening as if water, and then soared away from the frigate. Around her the jagged asteroids, white stars,
and blackness of space flowed into view.
Kriisha transmitted her security clearance to the master control aboard
the main station. She changed her
course, coming to a bearing of thirty-degree horizontal away from her mother
ship. Two large Supa class fighters from
Blade Squadron departed from dreadnaught End
Horizon, and flew towards the escort shuttle. Supa fighters were most
commonly used by Black Sun, the most feared underground criminals in the galaxy. They had only been around a couple decades or
so, having replaced the Z-95 Headhunter as the chief fighter for the Black Sun. However, some could be seen in certain outlaw
bands. Either the Crynak had scored
these off Black Sun, which would be asking for a beating, or they had had some
dealings in the recent past with them. The
cockpit of this craft was mounted on the starboard side of the craft, with two
long triangular spikes coming back from the main disc like hull. Supa fighters, despite their peculiar design,
were worthy craft in a dogfight. Armed
with dual laser cannons, a lone ion cannon, and a payload of torpedoes or
missiles, they offered a big punch against the opposing craft. Though not being as maneuverable as the Rebel
A-wing or the Imperial TIE Interceptor, it was heavily armored. The two fighters flew up beside her and
matched her speed. Lieutenant Ledrev, a
Quarren man from Mon Calamari, flew Blade One.
He was the squadron leader of Blade Squadron, and one of the best pilots
in the Coalition. A human man named
Syras flew Blade Two. Lieutenant Syras
was the second in command of Blade Squadron, originating on the planet of
Sorrel. Because of the crime on that
planet, it was not at all uncommon for his kind to end up in fleets such as the
Crynak. Their quiet flight was
interrupted by the irritated voice of Lieutenant Commander Kriisha.
“Why do you fly
with me?” Kriisha hissed over the radio.
“I was under impression I was to fly alone.”
“We are merely to
escort you to the hyper point, m’am,” Lieutenant Ledrev responded in a watery
voice. “After that, you are on your
own.”
“Very much
appreciated. I am sure to encounter much
difficulty in time that it takes for me to get from here to hyper point,” the
Sellonian woman said sarcastically. Syras
cocked his eyebrow and looked at Ledrev through his wind shield. He shook his head, and blinked his eyes. Women,
he thought to himself. Syras released
the strap on his helmet and took it off for a moment. The human ran his hand through his wavy brown
hair. He and Ledrev had spent almost
four years now flying together, achieving numerous kills against both military
and civilian targets. The two were known
for being a deadly duo. There was never
a time when one of the two of them was not watching the other’s back. If you fell asleep while locked on to one of
these two, you could be sure his wing mate would be there to make you pay. In his five years of flying as a Crynak
pilot, he could not recall a time when Kriisha had not been short with him. The two fighter pilots chattered over the
radio to each other. Ledrev was making
jokes about their last mission.
“Those puny
civilian pilots started fleeing the scene.
Obviously they’d heard of the Blade Duo.
They had reason to, as I proved by emptying a round of missiles on
them.” Syras responded with a laugh, trying to best the Quarren man’s gloating.
“May I kindly
remind you, it was I who bombed the hell outa the bridge on that carrack
cruiser. A pretty little light show it
made when I set her off. Blowing away a
few IRDs isn’t my idea of fun.” He beamed a sarcastic smile to the Quarren. Ledrev returned the joust.
“Indeed, it is a good show of talent, or lack thereof, to hit
something the size of an asteroid.” Syras laughingly responded.
“Coming from the
guy who damn near rammed into one of those bulk freighters in the middle of a
lock-on...I suppose it’s good to check out the hull cleanliness of a ship
during a combat engagement though, if you can call it that. You still have the paint on your nose?” The
Quarren let out a long, deep watery laugh.
The three continued to fly in formation to the hyper point. Kriisha checked her readings one last time,
and then signaled to them that they could return back to their mother ship. There radio chatter had not stopped.
“Being sorry,
boys to interrupt your chatter…but I’m believing real work must be done now,”
the lieutenant commander said sardonically.
“See you next week.”
“Smooth sailings
Sevron One, you’re on your own,” Lieutenant Syras said, not at all in a serious
tone. He changed his targeting screen to
target their home ship. Ledrev did
likewise as he plotted a course back. The
two fighters peeled off in opposite directions, and raced each other back home. Sevron
One blasted into hyperspace.
* * *
The swirling blue and white of hyper space flowed by Kriisha’s
escort shuttle. She sat in the pilot’s
chair, observing the beautiful blend of colors.
A light flared on the navigational computer. She looked down to see what it was. It was an indication letting her know she would
be arriving inside the Naboo sector in one hour. It would not be long until she would begin
her operation. Kriisha got up from her
chair, and walked towards her quarters. The
Sellonian began to assemble things so as she would be ready for action the
moment she set foot on Naboo. To start
things, she made sure her rifle was loaded, and fully charged. She pulled the bolt back, and lined up the
sites with a coffee mug nearby. The
laser crosshairs were calibrated to her liking, so she released the bolt,
powered the rifle down and put the trigger on safety lock. After that, she armed herself with a pair of
throwing knifes, sliding them into the inside pocket like sheaths over her
breasts. The pair of knifes would be a
quick way to defend herself without the noise of a rifle or pistol. Kriisha put her utility belt on next. Looking down at her waist, she fastened her
golden buckle bearing a feline skull. On
the belt, she had a medipack, energy bars, and credits, spare cartridges for
her rifle, a brace of thermal detonators, a customized “Death Hammer” blaster
pistol, an image recorder, and a pouch containing electronic lock picks to open
secure doors. After zipping her vest up,
Kriisha moved on to pack a small case with a data pad and macro binoculars. She would travel lightly otherwise. For the next half hour Kriisha made sure
everything was in order, being certain that all the necessary items for her
mission were ready. When that was done,
she walked back to the helm to check the time.
Twenty-five minutes until the final run to Naboo. There was still a little time for leisure. Kriisha walked to the galley to grab a bite
to eat. She thought a moment as to what
she would eat, and decided it would be best to have something light. Bread and vitamin enriched water would
suffice. Arriving at the small room
designated as a mess hall, she opened the food locker and removed a loaf of
hard crusted bread. Kriisha tore the
bread in half with her sharp claws, and poured some water into a dish. Due to the shape of a Sellonian’s mouth, it
was easier to lap water from a dish rather than try to drink from a glass. Kriisha took her meal to a table and ate
quietly. When she was all done she
washed the dishes quickly and bounded back to the cockpit, realizing the entry
must be near. Her wrist alarm beeped,
indicating that in 3 minutes Sevron One
would be dropping out of hyper space. She
quickly looked around to insure that the galley was shipshape, proceeded to the
cockpit, strapped herself in and began to flip switches and pull levers,
preparing for the drop. When that was
completed, she eased back into her chair.
It was now twenty-four seconds until the drop. Flexing her fingers, she gripped the
joystick, allowing the feel of power to flow through her paws. The fur bristled slightly on the back of her
neck. Now, she thought to herself.
Kriisha was ready to push a button if the navcom did not bring the
shuttle out of hyper space at the programmed time. Looking ahead, Kriisha could see the planet
of Naboo. It hung in space like a
glowing ball. As her eyes scanned around
the planet, her attention was caught by the sight of the Mon Calamari warships
she had been told about. Behind them the
Golan defense platform sat in high orbit around the planet, right where her
computer said it would be. Resting in
its dry dock clamps were a Nebulan B-class frigate, and a Correllian Corvette,
better known as the “blockade runner”. She
would have to get in close to ‘id’ them.
Kriisha set a course for the warships.
She would make a quick flyby to ID their manifest with her
computer-slicer and land on the planet’s surface. The radio’s notification lamp lit up. She was being hailed.
“Attention
onboard the escort shuttle unknown 22-7, this is the Naboo system patrol craft
Vega. You are headed towards a
restricted area. Change your course
twenty-one degrees port horizontal. Please
state you ship’s manifest, and your business on Naboo,” said a man in a deep
harsh voice.
“This is Kriisha
of the Yahan, captain of the shuttle Sevron.
I am here on matter personal business.
I am to meet some colleagues here,” replied Kriisha as she strained to
speak perfect Basic. The Sellonian
waited anxiously for the man’s response.
There was no response for nearly a minute. It was obvious she was being scanned. Her computer alarm went off as they did so.
“Very well Sevron,
you are clear to land in the capitol. We
are transmitting the location of your landing pad. Welcome to Naboo,” said the man.
“Thank you Vega,” Kriisha said. She brought up the beacon on her navigational
computer and followed it towards her landing pad. Kriisha pulled her throttle back to
seventy-five percent power, and began the atmospheric descent. The first layer she went through whipped at Sevron One’s hull. Flames began to
form at the wingtips of her shuttle, and the hull began to warm as she plunged
deeper. The ship jolted slightly as it
slammed into the cloud barrier. White
gusts of clouds screamed by the windshield, howling. In less than a few seconds the planet surface
could be seen. Kriisha could see
waterfalls and rivers, green grassy hills, and the peaceful city that sat
amidst it all. So quiet, so tranquil. The radio beeped again, and she acknowledged
the message.
“This is Naboo
port control. Maintain your elevation of
seven thousand meters and transmit your clearance,” a human-like voice said. Kriisha slowed to atmospheric cruising speed
and acknowledged. The voice came up
again.
“Sevron you are
clear to land at pad T-13. Welcome to
Naboo’s capitol.” Kriisha began the final descent towards the landing pad. Her ship roared into port. Kriisha maneuvered her shuttle directly over
the pad and hovered a moment, before she descended slowly. She flipped a switch as her ship’s side wings
folded up. The landing gear came out of
the hull’s belly, and touched down gently.
Kriisha let out a sigh, and powered down the ship’s engines. Kriisha then placed the holovid that gave
readouts of the city in her pocket. After
logging the details of her successful landing, she lowered the ramp and walked
down from Sevron One. Kriisha yawned and flexed her stringy arms. The sudden burst of light from the opening
hatch hurt her light sensitive eyes. The
Sellonian recovered quickly enough, and when her eyes refocused, she did not
like what she saw. A young cheerful man
was waiting outside the landing pad dressed in what appeared to be an
official’s uniform. He waived at her in
friendly fashion. Kriisha kept a wary
eye on him, as he approached her. The
man smiled and began to speak.
“Greetings, and
welcome to the planet of Naboo. If you
don’t mind, I’d like to see you registration papers.” The official was still
smiling. Kriisha did not like him. Somehow she wished they were in a dark alley,
as she pulled her papers out of her vest and handed them to the human. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw. The immigrations official stamped them and
handed them back to her. “Business or
pleasure?”
“Yes,” Kriisha
replied bluntly. The man just stared at
Kriisha’s face with a look of confusion.
Kriisha noticed he was staring at her, and unknowingly widened her eyes
and cocked her neck into a hunting posture.
The fur bristled on her neck, and her fangs suddenly started to bear. The man turned and walked away as fast as he
could. Kriisha calmed once again, and
resumed her previous state or sullenness.
She needed to keep her feline traits better masked if she was going to
accomplish this mission unnoticed. Kriisha
exited the hanger and walked out onto the street. As her eyes adjusted to the even brighter
light, the beauty of the palace unfolded before her. It was breathtaking. Waterfalls flowed between great marble
buildings of peach and green and cream. Exotic
peko-peko birds were flying over the rooftops, with their long purple tails
dangling behind them. Great columns rose
to the ceilings. Atop them were placed
flowers sculpted out of marble. Below,
the people of Naboo’s capitol went about their daily business. There were many shops, stands, and streets
lined with goods of all kinds. She took
another step forward to look around. Something
crashed into her from behind, nearly toppling her. Her tail saved her balance, and she looked
around to see what it was. A Gungan man
that was carrying a crate had tripped over himself and fallen into her. The fur bristled on her neck. Seeing it was merely an accident, she looked
at the man with a sardonic expression. He
quickly gathered his things, and stood up.
“Me’sa very sorry,
m’am. I was not meaning to run into
you’sa with this box. Are you ok?” he
asked with a deeper Gungan accent than many of his kind.
“I could have done
without your accident,” Kriisha replied grimly.
Her eyes studied him intently. To
her, he looked almost edible, but she was not sure of the cleanliness of this
strange creature.
“Uhh, yes, very
sorry.” He hesitated a moment in his own embarrassment. “My name is Derg Wendar, what’s yours?”
“Kriisha, I have
no last name,” she replied.
“I not seeing
you’sa kind around here before, where are you’sa from?” Derg queried warily. He was not accustomed to meeting a mammal
taller than he was. Being a Gungan, he
towered over any human on Naboo. He had
never been off his home world before, so Kriisha was an exotic being to him.
“I am from
Sellonia, in the Correllian system. I am
a Sellonian, of the Yahan clan. You have
no hear of us before?” Kriisha asked. His Basic is worse than mine, she mused.
The man blushed,
and said, “No, I am not knowing much about space and planets. Me’sa never had been away from home. Apologies for my ignorance.”
“So you know much
of this planet? I mean people, culture, and cities?”
“Oh yes, I knowing
all kinds of things bout’n Naboo. Me’sa
been all over the planet,’’ he said with a hint of pride. “This is being your first trip to Naboo?”
Derg inquired. The Sellonian saw this as
her chance. Maybe he know where Sarpedon is, she thought to herself.
“Yes it is. I am here looking for friends-‘’
“I can be you’sa
friend,” Derg interjected with glee. Kriisha
chuckled once before continuing. She
could not help but find him amusing. Between
his dark, spotted skin and peculiar head tails, he made for quite a jest.
“No, you do not
understand. I am here looking for some
people. The location of them unknown to
me. I would like very much if you could
help me,” Kriisha said cautiously. Derg
smiled widely, and motioned with his arms.
“I would be happy
to be helping you’sa. Who you’sa looking
for?”
“I am looking for
number of friends. They are on military
base, called ‘Sarpedon’. Have you heard
of them?” Kriisha asked. Derg paused a
moment, and rubbed his rubbery brow.
“Hmm, Sarpedon... Ah!” he exclaimed. “I am thinking me knowing of them. They’sa being bombad pilots?”
“Yes, and they own
ships in space.” Kriisha responded, intrigued with her immediate success.
“I not knowing of space boats, but me’sa seen
with my own eyes, this place you seek. Heh,
they no match for Gungan army, we’sa warriors.
Why you’sa looking for them?” Derg asked. His stalked eyes swiveled this way and that,
sizing up this strange creature that called herself Kriisha.
“I just want to
see them…again,” she replied. Kriisha
hoped that would not sound awkward. The
Gungan did not seem to suspect anything, as was emphasized by his broad smile. Derg explained that he would be back in half
an hour, after he delivered his crate, and that she could wait for him in the
bar down the street. After giving
directions to the bar, the Gungan ran off to his errand. The Sellonian gave a sigh of relief. Talking with such a ‘primitive’ life form was
exhausting for her.
Moreover this Derg
did not seem to be able to take anything seriously. She wondered if he would ever make it back. Kriisha walked further down the street,
passing by many kiosks, where she came to the bar Derg had described. It appeared to be an upper-class bar for rich
business men and their martinis. Not all
the sort of place Kriisha would have chosen to visit. Watching overbearing little cubs drink
watered-down soda was not her idea of a good time. She walked in and took a seat on a padded bar
stool. The bartender walked over to her
and slapped his hands down on the bar. Kriisha
jumped at the sound and snapped her head up to him, ears perked. He looked at her strangely, wondering that
the problem was.
“So eh, what’ll it be? Some Devaronian tea to
relax you a bit?” the man asked. He was
human, although his eyes were of deep purple.
Usually that indicated someone was a mix of human and something else. The man was middle-aged, and he had a
mustache on his upper lip. Grey hair
that hung down over his ears. Other than
his unique eyes, he looked like a typical human to Kriisha’s predatory eyes.
“No thank you. I have Grendan’s ale,” she replied with an
embarrassed look on her face. The man
was right, she needed to relax. She had
to be calm around these people, if she wanted to blend in. This was somewhat difficult, being she was
half a meter taller than most these people, covered with fur, and had fangs as
long as the knives they used for eating.
“Well you don’t
have one yet, aheheh-‘’ he stopped short as Kriisha glared at him. It was a glare that said she was not in the
mood for jokes. “Oh,” he said as he
turned away to get Kriisha her drink. The
man looked over his shoulder once to study this strange customer. He had a mind to throw her out, but he was
not sure if that would be wise to do. The
bartender had long since noted her claws.
He handed her the drink slowly and went about his business at the other
end of the bar. The Sellonian drank
deeply and sighed, allowing the tension to slip away. She looked around the old fashioned bar. There were many old signs and photos hanging
about, and a game fish of some sort mounted over the entry. Despite her initial reaction, the bar was a
pleasant place after all. It was not
quite the type of establishment Kriisha was used to, but it was peaceful enough. Just about the time she had finished her
beer, Derg stumbled through the door, waving at her. Kriisha tossed the bartender a few credits
and walked out. The man nodded at her,
and raised his hand in salute.
“Always happy to
see a smiling face,” he said. He sighed
and shrugged his shoulders as Kriisha and Derg walked out the door. Kriisha reached to her vest pocket, to break
off a piece of her food bar. A haughty
businessman sipping his ale outside started to laugh at the two, and he set his
mug down as he did so.
“Now there’s an
odd couple! A cat and a frog,” he exclaimed loudly. He was obviously drunk. The man next to him started to laugh as well. Derg blushed and started to walk away. Kriisha put her paw on Derg’s shoulder to
stop him, and turned to the two men. She
was sure to rise to her full height, and puff her chest out. Looking down on the two men, she said, “Your
joke is over. I believe you owe us
apology.” Derg stood with widened eyes.
“Well, you go on
believing that little girl,” the first man said, as he took another sip of ale. He let another loud laugh go, as his face
flushed with self satisfaction. His
partner made a derogatory comment in regards to Kriisha’s physique. Kriisha paused a moment. She grabbed the drink from the man and
dropped it on the ground. The glass
shattered. Both men stood up quickly,
and one of them tried to grab Kriisha by her collar. She lifted the man off the ground and threw
him into the other one. They toppled a
chair and knocked over a table. The one,
still conscious man, got up and ran away, leaving his counterpart senseless and
covered in beer. Derg stood wide eyed in
amazement, realizing the impressive strength of this newcomer. The bartender had come out to see what was
the matter. He looked at the remaining
man, and then at the Sellonian. Kriisha
stood calmly over the toppled chairs. After
adjusting the collar of her vest, she tossed the bartender a dozen more credits. She walked away slowly, and confidently. Derg looked around, and laughed nervously. He ran after his Sellonian friend.
The bartender ran
his fingers through his hair, and sighed.
“I need a vacation. These damn
kids make all kinds of hell these days,” he said as he shook his head. The man walked back into his bar.
Derg led Kriisha a
few blocks down the street, to a small shop.
The sign over the entrance read: “Deep Sea Treasures”. He led her in, parting the beaded curtain for
her courteously. There were seashells,
crystals, teeth from aquatic predators, and many other strange fruits from the
depths of Naboo’s swamps. Derg picked up
a data pad from a table. He turned it
on, and brought up the menu on it.
“Here we’sa go,
this be a map of Naboo.” He scrolled
down the page until he came to a spot which read Sarpedon. “This is the place. Last time me’sa checked, there was a base.”
Derg proudly handed the pad to Kriisha. She
stroked her chin and nodded her approval.
This was definitely her city.
“Very well, where
is the nearest place I can get transport to this city?” Kriisha asked.
“You’sa can find a
speed barge that leaves from the city station,” Derg replied, continuing to
smile.
“Thank you for
help Derg, this is where I leave you, bye,” Kriisha said. Before leaving, she bought a necklace that
had teeth strung on it. That was the
least she could do. Derg had been a
great help. He wrapped the necklace in a
hand crafted cloth for Kriisha, and placed it in a wooden box. Kriisha placed the box in a pouch on her vest. She walked out of the shop.
“Wait! When I’sa
be seeing you’sa again?” Derg hollered after her. But it was too late; Kriisha had bounded down
the street and out of sight. She found
her way to the transport station after consulting her provided map several
times. Kriisha found a transport leaving
for Sarpedon. She paid for her ticket at
a large booth and climbed on board. Kriisha
had little time to lose. She had to
identify this base quickly. The
Sellonian took a seat near the exit door of the transport. Some of the people stared at her continually. The locals seldom saw a person as tall as
she, and one carrying a blaster to boot.
Kriisha found if she stared at them, they would stop staring at her. Despite the fun of it, she decided that
taking a nap was top priority at the moment.
It would be an hour before she got to Sarpedon, and she could use the
rest. When the final call to board rang
through the station, the transport lifted off the ground and zoomed into the
air. The Sellonian slept well throughout
the short trip. The pilot informed his
passengers that they would be arriving soon.
As the transport neared Sarpedon, Kriisha peered out of her window and
looked for any signs of military presence.
She spotted a gun tower perched atop a hanger, and a landing pad outside
of that. The flight landed at Sarpedon
on schedule. The transport set down just
outside the city’s perimeter. When the
ramp was lowered, Lieutenant Commander Kriisha pushed ahead of the people
trying to exit and jumped out. Looking
around, she could see that it was a small town.
It looked peaceful, sitting on the river that flowed beside it. Sarpedon was a rustic little town. Merchant shops, marine equipment vendors,
kiosks filled with fruit, vegetables or the little everyday niceties the locals
needed. Every so often, along the
cobblestone main street, she spied smooth columns replacing the normal supports
for the entrances for some of the buildings.
She spotted a small wharf to the left of the landing pad. Guarding the waterway entrance were two great
statues of ancient warriors. Kriisha
entered into the city from the northern entrance. People bustled about the town, doing this and
that, carrying on as usual. There were
mostly mechanic shops and parts dealers lining this street. The architecture of the town was simple,
nothing large or exquisite, nothing of any great note, but everywhere were the
keynote columns. Yet there was still
taste to be found in the simple architecture of Sarpedon. Kriisha walked towards the area where she saw
the hanger she had spotted earlier. After
passing by a storage facility lined with fencing, Kriisha spied the very thing
she was looking for. There, atop a
bronze archway, flew a red and gold flag.
Embroidered into it were the letters ‘
“Excuse me, I
wonder if I could ask you some questions,” Kriisha said. The guard looked at her and paused a moment. Kriisha couldn’t determine if he was
suspicious, or if he was taken by her height.
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