Part 1 (1/2)
Star Wars.
Old Republic : Fatal Alliance.
by Sean Williams.
For Kevin and Rebecca: friends, teachers, fellow explorers.
With thanks to Sh.e.l.ly. Frank. Daniel, and both Robs for showing me the way.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
Dao Stryver; warrior (Mandalorian male) Darth Chratis; Sith Lord (human male) Eldon Ax; Sith apprentice (human female) Jet Nebula; captain, Auriga Fire (human male) Larin Moxla; former Republic trooper (Kiffar female) Satele Shan; Jedi Grand Master (human female) s.h.i.+gar Kons.h.i.+; Jedi Padawan (Kiffar male) Ula Vii; Imperial agent (Epicanthix male)
PROLOGUE: WILD s.p.a.cE.
The light star cruiser looked deceptively insignificant against the backdrop of the galaxy. To the keen eye of a pirate, however, it displayed several desirable qualities: no Imperial or Republic markings; only moderate weaponry and s.h.i.+elding; a crew compartment barely large enough to hold a dozen people; no escort or accompanying vessels.
”It's your choice, Captain, ” hissed a guttural voice into Jet Nebula's ear. ”But don't take too long about it. Our friend here isn't going to sit still forever. ”
The smuggler calling himself ”Jet Nebula” enjoyed keeping his first mate on tenterhooks. He harbored no ill feelings about the mutiny in and of itself. The moment the Auriga Fire stumbled across something really valuable, a takeover attempt had been inevitable. He had hired s.h.i.+nqo knowing exactly that and lost barely a minute's sleep since. Dealing with sc.u.m was part of the job.
He didn't like needless violence, though. The snub nose of a blaster digging into Jet's side was pure overkill.
”Well?” s.h.i.+nqo prompted him in Rodese as he pretended to dither.
”Keep your s.h.i.+rt on, ” Jet said in mock-protest. ”We only interdicted them a minute ago. It's way too soon to plot another jump. ”
”Just don't take any chances, ” s.h.i.+nqo said, emphasizing his point with another jab of the blaster. ”And be glad we don't want your s.h.i.+p, as well. ”
Something heavy creaked to Jet's right. The boxy shape of Clunker swayed into view, dented and dusty, photoreceptors glowing bright. Jet shook his head minutely, and the droid backed out of sight again.
”Don't make me ask twice, ” s.h.i.+nqo said.
”All right, then. ” Jet took the captain's seat and punched the comm active. ”Since you put it so nicely, Jet's see who these guys are before we steal the hide off their backs. ”
The star cruiser's running lights blinked and flickered against the black. Its systems were still settling after their sudden wrench from hypers.p.a.ce, but Jet felt sure the comm was working by now. All ears aboard would be straining to hear what the rugged s.h.i.+p hanging off their bows had to say.
He resorted to short, simple phrases that had served him well enough in the past: ”You're nicked, my beauty. Stand by for boarding. ”
”Negative” came the immediate reply. Male, brusque, and human, most likely. ”We do not recognize your authority. ”
That was a new one. ”Who in their right mind would invest any authority in the likes of us?”
”You're a privateer. You work for the Republic. ”
”Now, that simply isn't true. ” Not anymore, anyway, Jet thought. ”We're humble grifters of an independent set, and you happen to have stumbled across our patch. Submit easily, and I'll see that my bloodthirsty first mate doesn't blast you all on sight. ”
”That won't happen. We're on a diplomatic mission. ”
”To whom? From where? If I had a credit for every time someone tried that line, you wouldn't be talking to me now. ”
There was a long pause. ”All right, then. What will it cost for you to let us go?”
Jet looked at s.h.i.+nqo, who was calling the shots. s.h.i.+nqo's true employers were the Hutts, and sometimes a bribe was worth as much as booty, after the cartels took their cut.
The Rodian shook his head.
”You're clear out of luck, mate, ” Jet told the person on the other end of the comm. ”Best vent those air locks, smartish. We're coming in and don't want to scuff the merchandise any more than we have to. ”
The star cruiser had nothing to say to that.
s.h.i.+nqo barked into a communicator as Jet brought the sublights into play. ”Fekk, Gelss, get ready for action. ”
The two Sull.u.s.tans were part of s.h.i.+nqo's treacherous lot, and Jet wouldn't mind if they paid the price for the mutineers' haste. Jet had a strong feeling the cruiser wasn't going to give up lightly. Its lines were too lean, its hull too polished. The name on its starboard side-the only ID it was sporting-said CINZIA in bold black letters, recently affixed. That showed pride.
No, the owners of this s.h.i.+p might not be above offering a bribe to continue on their way, but they wouldn't roll over easily. Few did, these days. With the Empire and the Republic still at each other's throats, lacking but a declaration to call their squabbling an honest war, people were taking the law into their own hands. There was so much to lose and so little to gain on every front.
So much for the Treaty of Coruscant. And so much for avoiding unnecessary bloodshed, he thought, reminded of Fekk and Gelss. Be it red or green, blood was all the same. The less spilled around him, the smaller the chance it would be his, one day.
”What are we going to tell our former bosses when we haul in empty?”
”That's not my problem, ” gloated s.h.i.+nqo. ”On flimsi, you're still captain of the Auriga Fire. It's your job to come up with an excuse the Republic will believe. I'll be long gone before then, with the credits. ”
True to form, then, the Rodian was planning to stiff Jet at both ends of the deal. That changed everything. Jet glanced at Clunker, who was standing innocently in front of the entrance to the c.o.c.kpit. No one would get in past him, if push came to shove. More important, no one would get out...
Barely had the Auriga Fire closed half the distance between the two s.h.i.+ps when Jet's misgivings about the cruiser were violently justified. A scattering of red lights danced across the instrument panels; a buzzer harshly sounded. Jet studied the display for a split second, making absolutely certain of what he was seeing, before raising every s.h.i.+eld to full and punching the sublights to maximum.
The Auriga Fire rolled edge-on to the cruiser and s.h.i.+nqo staggered backward. Clunker caught him, deftly twisting the blaster out of the Rodians grasp as he did so. At that moment the star cruiser that should have been their prize exploded, sending a blast of pure white light through every viewport, screen, and s.h.i.+eld.
Jet had done more than just back the s.h.i.+p away. He had covered his eyes, and now he peered warily through his fingers at instruments gone completely haywire. There was barely anything left where the Cinzia had been. Thuds and clangs registered on the hull as bits of the star cruiser rocketed by.
s.h.i.+nqo was barking into his communicator again, quick on the uptake, but not quick enough by half. ”Who fired? Who ordered you to fire?”
”No one did, ” Jet said. ”The s.h.i.+p blew itself up-and if I hadn't caught the neutrino spike from the drives before they went, we'd have been toasted, too. ”
s.h.i.+nqo rounded on him as though he'd planned this all along. ”I should shoot you right here. ”
”With what, mate?” Jet nodded at Clunker, who pointed the Rodian's own blaster into his chest. Jet enjoyed the confusion nakedly displayed on his mate's green, leathery face. ”Let's start this again, shall we? We work for the Hutts now. I get that. One master's as good as any other, provided the cut's the same. But we all get equal shares in that cut, right? Or I tell the crew, who will be spoiling for the fight they just missed. They won't be happy that you were about to rob some of them. And I tell Clunker here, who badly needs another oil bath, to tighten his grip on that trigger and send you after the crew of that s.h.i.+p, whatever dim part of creation they inhabit now. Get it?”
Acceptance replaced anxiety on s.h.i.+nqo's face. His hands came up.