When Garic is hired to deliver cargo to Mon Calamari,

he gets more than he bargained for. Somehow, love,

action and adventure seem to get in the way.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of original fan fiction

based on characters and situations created by George

Lucas and copyrighted to Lucasfilm, Ltd. The intent

of this work is for entertainment and is not

intended to garner payment in any form.

Copyright(c)1997.

Comments are welcomed at garic@electricrain.com.

Visit the Garic Starr Homepage at

http://www.electricrain.com/garic/

Mon Calamari

The stars streaked outside the viewport as I slowly

pulled the activator levers to exit hyperspace and

watched a blue planet pop out of nowhere. All the

stars seemed to snap into place. Orbiting the watery

planet was a large metal structure with platforms of

every size, sprawled out in every direction.

Blinking lights and the occasional shower of sparks

where workers welded girders together twinkled while

ships of every kind made their way across, through and

around the great structure.

"Sir. I would advise not orbiting any closer to the

shipyard. Since the assault by the Imperials, all

space orbiting the planet is under strict regulations.

I would suggest landing as soon as possible." S3R6

commented in her soft voice. I looked over at her as

she programmed the ship's landing coordinates.

I had been given this companion droid as a gift from a

town on Telka, a planet in the corporate sector. I had

delivered some medical supplies after an attack by

pirates, and after charging a whole bunch of credits

for the stuff, they still felt obligated to give me

the droid. Ezra, as I called her, was a

state-of-the-art mechanic/protocol droid. Perfect for

a smuggler on the move. She was similar to a 3PO unit

but her faceplate had a few more features and her

midsection wasn't exposed. Her ability to talk over

a million languages and repair most Corellian ships

proved to be a larger asset than I could imagine.

She's pulled my bacon out of the fire on several

occasions.

"Thanks, I figured as much," I returned sarcastically

as I watched the sensors light up.

An Imperial-Class Star Destroyer had made its way out

from behind the planet's only moon. Other ships were

escorting the hulk as I readied the SlingShot for a

landing. The group of ships was on regular duty and

had happened upon me. I had encountered Destroyers

before but their sheer size was still a sight as a

squadron of TIE fighters soared around it like

mosquitoes.

The Calamari system, which had suffered an attack less

than 2 weeks before, was now under Imperial control.

They enslaved most of the planet's inhabitants,

destroyed 3 of their floating cities and placed the

planet under martial law. Tolerance to illegal

activities was at an all time low.

"Attention Corellian Freighter LRD-1121. You've

entered restricted space. What is your cargo and

destination?" A watery voice asked over the comm

channel.

I scrambled to come up with an excuse. I had been

sworn to secrecy and told to do whatever it took to

get on the planet.

"Uh...Oxygen extractors for the base on Foamwander

City." Now I just hoped they had a base there. If they

knew I was smuggling guns, they'd blow me apart and

ask questions later. Normally I didn't get involved

with the war going on, but my clients offered too much

to resist.

"Depart from your current landing vector and prepare

to be boarded. Resistance will be meet with severe

consequences."

"Sir, I believe we've been caught. Shall I jettison

our cargo?" At times Ezra really irritated me. Not as

much as 3P0 protocol droids, but enough. I slapped her

silver metal hand away from the ejection controls.

"Hell no!" I yelled. "This job is paying too much for

me to just give up. Strap in. We're going down." I

powered up the deflector shields as I banked the ship

towards the planet.

As I veered toward the atmosphere, several small

fighters emerged from the Cruisers belly. Two waves of

the speedy fighters dove after me.

"Sir. Six TIE-Fighters are in pursuit. Shall I employ

defense measures 5 and 7?" I engaged the thrusters and

looked at the scanners.

"Go with 7 and we'll use 5 if we need it." I warmed up

the turbolasers and angled the shields to the rear.

Measure 7 was to aim the guns aft and fire at anything

behind us. I didn't plan on letting anyone pass by me.

Laser blast rained down on the ship, green flashes

illuminating the viewport. I rolled the ship to the

left, dodging another barrage of lasers. I could here

the SlingShot's own turbolasers return fire. Striking

a solar panel of one of the fighters, it rolled off

into space and exploded.

"Ezra. Lock on the tractor beam and grab what you can.

We need all the help we can get." When Ezra flipped a

switch a yellow light illuminated. The shipped rocked

with another blast. Two ships roared past us, spraying

fire. I jerked the SlingShot up and collided with one

of the passing fighters. The wings snapped off and the

cockpit flew, with it's pilot, into the unknown.

"Any hull damage?"

"No, sir. Everything is fine."

The tractor beam light turned from yellow to green.

"We've captured one sir." I looked on the scanner in

disbelief.

"Hey! It worked!" I laughed as I punched the remote

firing mechanism. The TIE stood steady behind the

ship, immobile from the beam. The turbolaser spat out

a few red bolts and the ship exploded, pieces still

trapped in the beam.

"Three left. Brace yourself, we're entering the

atmosphere." The viewport turned orange with fire as

the atmosphere burned from the ship's entry.

The violent shaking jostled Ezra in her chair and she

gave a startled yelp. The SlingShot's hull turned red

as the friction caused sonic booms in the Calamarian

atmosphere. I could feel the gravitometric pressure

press against my body. One of the fighters trying to

keep up with this wild ride into the ether exploded

from the friction. TIE Fighters weren't shielded very

well and to dive into an atmosphere at the speeds we

were going wasn't a wise choice.

"Sir. We must slow down or we'll breech the hull and

explode." Ezra warned.

I could see a thick layer of clouds beneath us as we

leveled parallel to the planet's surface, thirty

thousand some odd feet in the air. I hit the inertial

dampening system, slowing our speed. Scanners showed

the final two still behind us, their approach delayed

from the passage through the atmosphere.

Laser fire shot past the bow as the fighters closed

the gap now that they were accustomed to the new

environment.

I dove into the clouds for cover, using my scanners as

eyes. I knew the clouds would be useless against the

advanced sensors of the TIE's but I was ready for that

problem.

"I think it's time for measure 5." Ezra acknowledged

my orders by punching several buttons. The ion cannons

spat blue electric bolts at both trailing fighters.

Sparks flew from the lead fighter as the ion blast

rendered all electronics useless. The tiny ship slowed

almost to a stop while he evaluated his options. The

second fighter roared past his companion, firing

wildly.

I rolled out of the way and turned around to attack

the limping ship. Dodging fire, I lined up my ship

with the stationary target.

"All shields aft!"

"But sir, that would leave us defenseless in the..."

Ezra began her argument.

"Put all shields aft! Now!" I yelled. I watched my

scanners. I was barreling towards my target while my

pursuer was closing in, turbocannons blazing. The ship

rocked with every hit.

"Sir. We will collide in seven point four seconds. I

suggest evasive maneuvers.'

"Wait a second!" I screamed. I watched my scanners,

since the viewport was a foggy impenetrable white,

calculating the information. If everything worked out,

we just might get out of this alive. The ship

following us had closed the gap faster than I had

expected. He was sucking our exhaust and firing at

will. The crippled fighter in front of us blinked its

landing lights. Apparently the ion cannons effect was

wearing off. Nothing ever went right for me.

"Sir!" Ezra yelled. We were going to collide at any

second. I waited a split second more and pulled the

ship straight up. The G-forces almost made me throw

up while Ezra's optical sensors scrambled. The two TIE

Fighters collided in a fiery eruption. Pieces scattered

in every direction. I twisted the ship around and went

below the cloud cover.

- - -

The ocean beneath went forever. I could see a large

floating city in the distance, the familiar curves and

bubbles of Calamarian architecture. It rose from the

water like a volcano reaching kilometers into the sky,

lights twinkling from towers and buildings. A large

dome covering the metropolis reflected the sun like a

diamond. I knew this was only a third of the beauty.

Under the surface, inverted skyscrapers futilely

reached for the bottom, miles below. It was as if

someone had taken a huge city and flipped it on its

back in the water.

As I approached, I leaned back and switched to an

alternate transponder frequency. The SlingShot had

several aliases I could switch to depending on where

in the galaxy I was.

"Freighter THX1138. Please transmit landing permit

authorization code." A brisk voice ordered.

"Well, time to see if we've been screwed or not." I

nervously looked at Ezra. Of course she gave me the

only look she had. I punched in the code the Alliance

had given me. I could see patrol skimmers below,

leaving dissipating white trails in the rough water.

We waited a few more seconds. Just when I thought I'd

have to throw the ship into reverse and blast my way

out of there, the voice returned.

"Freighter THX1138. Permission granted. Land at West

End Platform 13. Transmitting an approach vector...

now." Ezra uploaded the instructions and programmed

the ship to follow the course. As we skimmed meters

off the surface of the water waves lapped at the ship,

foam spraying onto the viewport. "Opening wave doors"

the controller announced. A heavy blast door split and

a tunnel, lighted by bright green strips, welcomed us

into the floating city.

As Ezra and I walked down the landing ramp, several

Quarren guards greeted us. Quarren were native to Mon

Calamari, with a head shaped like the spade of a

shovel and mouth that had squid like tendrils hanging

from them. The leader, Pallaj, extended a webbed claw

hand.

"Garic Starr, I presume?" He gruff voice sounded like

he had a throat full of water making him sound like he

was drowning. He looked unimpressed. But then again so

was I.

"That would be me. I understand we have a little trip

ahead of us." I grabbed the webbed hand that was dry

but felt like thick rubber. They all smelled like dead

fish.

The city was gray and humid. The air was thick and I

felt like I was breathing water already.

"The rendezvous point is some kilometers away, that is

correct. We must hurry. The Imperial attack has

already destroyed 3 floating cities, and I don't want

to lose another," he gurgled. "You have the specified

equipment?" I pulled out an Ithorian cigar and lit it.

Their eyes widened in horror. I guess with all this

water around, breathing anything on fire was new to

them.

"My friend," I said calmly as I put an arm around him.

"You've hired the best." I puffed a ring of smoke and

they looked at it, mesmerized. "Everything's all set.

It's all in the cargo hold. Where do we unload it?"

Pallaj gestured to some of the others and they walked

to a skimmer bobbing near the edge of the platform.

The skimmer was built for bulk freight despite the

E-web cannon mounted on the rear.

"Well, let's get going. I'm afraid my arrival was not

as quiet as I'd like. I'm gonna need to get outta here

pretty quick," I warned as I opened the cargo bay

doors.

Hundreds of crates filled the hold. They contained

weapons of all types; heavy blasters, disrupters,

specially designed sound rifles and pistols. The sound

weapons would be really effective on Calamari since

sound travels faster in water than air. All these

weapons had been modified to accommodate the

salt-water environment.

"No offense but, how did you guys escape internment?

I thought they captured the entire planet..." The

Quarren looked quiet and sullen.

"I am a slave to an Imperial officer. We all work for

several high level officers. They allow us time by

ourselves." I could see the anger swell in his blue

watery eyes. "We must hurry."

I felt a little guilt and sympathy towards these poor

creatures. Too bad they really didn't have much of a

chance against the Empire. I shook my head and looked

at my ship.

"Glad no one controls my life," I muttered.

With the skimmer loaded and ready to roll, I secured

the SlingShot and Ezra.

"Sir. May I join you? I may be of some service."

"Ezra. Where I'm going, you'd shutdown out of sheer

fright."

"Where is that, sir?"

"Underwater." Ezra's photoreceptors blinked as she

stood there quietly.

"Salt-water?" she asked. Smiling, I nodded. "Well

than, I believe I shall stay here to watch over the

ship." I could hear the worry in her soft mechanical

voice.

"Yeah, you do that." I took the last drag of my cigar,

throwing the butt into the water. It made a hiss as

it lay on the surface, bobbing with the waves. Ezra

mumbled something about the humidity and her circuits

as I left the landing pad.

As I climbed into the skimmer the boat swayed in the

water. My stomach turned.

"I hate the water." I said feebly when the skimmer

pulled away.

- - -

Underwater

The skimmer was an aptly named vehicle. The craft was

just inches from the whitecaps of the waves, the ocean

spray covering us with each swell. The Quarren really

seemed to get a kick out of my seasickness. At one

point, I swear I threw up something I had never even

eaten. After several kilometers the skimmer came to a

stop, rocking gently with the sea.

"We're here." The drowning voice of Pallaj announced.

I looked groggily around. In the distance was the

great city of Foamwander. Other than that there was

nothing for hundreds of kilometers. The Quarren

opened a trunk and pulled out several suits that

seemed to be made of tiny scales. They were flat

black and form fitting. One of the Quarren tossed me

a suit.

"Here, put this on." He ordered as the others were

already undressing. The suit seemed to move and shift

like it was alive. The mesh of the suit looked like it

was breathing, constantly in motion.

"What is this?" I asked cautiously. I slowly disrobed

looking at the living suit.

"Chotkl, an algae based material. It will protect you

from the cold water." Pallaj explained. I looked

around laughing.

"What?" asked a Quarren curiously.

"Nothing. It's just...if someone ever told me I'd be

on a skimmer on Mon Calamari half-naked with a bunch

of squid heads and wearing algae, I'd thought they

were crazy." I got a few dirty looks from some of the

crew. I realized my mistake. They don't like to be

called squid heads, a derogatory remark, and I

apologized.

I put the bizarre Chotkl suit on. It instantly shifted

and moved, trying to find the perfect fit. It tickled

a little but finally the shifting stopped. It felt

like a million bucks. Snug yet mobile. It also made me

feel warmer but not uncomfortable.

"This stuff feels great! You guys really have

something here. Ever tried to sell this stuff to other

systems. You guys could make a fortune."

"Not enough nitrogen in the water on most planets. The

algae would dry and crumble. But the water here is

perfect." Pallaj opened another compartment and passed

out water jetpacks. I strapped in onto my back. It was

surprisingly light and didn't inhibit my movement.

"Now I'm not to familiar with using oxygen tanks so

you'll have to show me how to..."

"We're not using tanks," Pallaj stated. I knew Quarren

could breath underwater. My problem was I couldn't.

"What am I supposed to use then?" I said

sarcastically. Pallaj picked up a thin, clear,

mucus-like membrane from out of a watery tank. It

fizzed like acid as the water dripped off of it. He

reached for me. I knew I had been setup. I stumbled

backward away from the gooey substance, trying to

figure out how to save my hide this time. Another of

the squidheads grabbed me from behind and steadied me

firmly. Pallaj slapped the membrane over my mouth

before I could object. I figured my luck had run out.

I felt the cold wet jell stick to my face. I tried to

pull it off but the Quarren wouldn't allow my hands to

reach my face.

"Settle down," Pallaj ordered. "You can breathe. This

symbiote will allow you to extract oxygen from the

sea." I tried to convince myself to take a deep

breath. Sure enough, oxygen filtered its way through

the gelatinous skin and I could breath. When I talked

it was muffled and thick. He inserted a microphone

into the jell.

"Speak slow and clear and you'll be able to talk to

us. Underwater, our speech pattern will be more

understandable than here above the surface."

All the Quarren were starting to look alike and I was

getting confused.

"Whatever," I said, muffled behind the symbiote.

"Let's get going." They readied the large cache of

weapons and pushed the large pallet into the water. It

sank in a churning, bubbling swirl as several of the

Quarren jumped in and followed. I looked at my

chronometer. High noon.

"You'll need this as well," Pallaj handed me a blaster

rifle specially made for underwater use. He looked me

in the eye putting a webbed, clawed hand on my

shoulder. A thick sour smell emanated from him. "Thank

you, Garic. You may have saved this planet." He dove

off the skimmer with a small, contained splash.

"Doesn't anybody on this planet not smell like old

fish?" I shook my head and jumped in.

- - -

The water was cool and a dark blue. I could see the

bubbles of the Quarren below me as the cache slowly

went down. I turned on the jetpack and followed

behind. The water was deep; my ears kept popping from

the pressure. I could see a few lights twinkling in

the dark water below. We approached a small airlock at

the ocean floor. This was an old farium mine and it

looked like there hadn't been a being in it for

twenty years.

As we swam up through a doorway that led to a main

chamber, we entered a pocket of air. The room was a

bit unsettling. Everything looked dim and gray. I

ripped off the symbiote, breathing deeply.

"God, that thing tastes like shit," I said as I spit

the taste from my mouth. The Quarren laughed and

patted me on the back. I gave them a weak smile as

they opened the secondary door to the airlock.

A tramcar about the size of a small speeder was

waiting at the staging area. We loaded up the cache of

weapons and started the tram.

We glided effortlessly down the tunnel, a light or two

could be seen every fifty feet or so. They flickered

and pulsed as we sped by.

"When do I get paid? This little underwater safari's a

real treat, but I'm in kind of a hurry, so if we could

speed up the process..." I was getting agitated. There

really wasn't any need for me to tag along. They could

have easily brought the credits with them to the

landing area. The Quarren just didn't feel safe on the

surface.

I could barely see the tunnel walls that bled with

muddy drips. The tunnel looked like it might collapse

any minutes.

"Be patient, Captain Starr. We will get your payment

soon enough." Pallaj snapped. I thought his response

was rude, even for a Quarren. Several minutes later

the tram came to a lit loading area and we emptied

out of the car.

"This place is huge. How much do you pay for rent?" I

asked as looked at the cavernous walls. The constant

sound of dripping really made me more than just

concerned. I was outright scared.

We were met by three more Quarren and two Mon

Calamari. The Quarren stayed behind to unload the

cargo. The lights flickered again, this time for

several seconds. Apparently the lights had to whether

or not to come back on. When they did, Pallaj led us

down the hallway.

I looked at the two Mon Calamari. They were like big

walking fish. Their breathing sounded labored but I

realized that was probably normal for them since they

didn't look like they were too active. They blinked

their big glassy eyes at me, following Pallaj and

myself down the hall.

"To the command center. There's someone who has great

interest in meeting you." Pallaj explained.

"Probably wants an autograph," I joked as we

approached a doorway. As the door slid open I could

see a bank of computers and an entire crew of Mon

Calamari scurried about, checking sensors and

scanners. One of the Calamari stood as we entered. He

was obviously in charge as he was stopped several

times on his way to see us by advisors. He answered

every question they asked and finally reached where we

stood.

"This is Ackbar, our leader in the resistance against

the Empire" Pallaj announced.

"Captain Starr," Ackbar gasped. His breathing was

deeper but just as labored as the first two. "On

behalf of the Mon Calamari and Quarren, I extend our

sincere thanks." He extended a hand.

I walked calmly past him, examining the computer

consoles.

"I was hired to do a job. I did it. You can thank me

with my payment." I was really sick of all the water

and dimly lit tunnels. I wanted to get off planet and

spend some money.

With a disgusted huff, Ackbar handed me a credit chip.

I inserted the chip into my account card, transferring

the funds. I read the display and was satisfied with

the results.

"Always the professional, eh Capt. Starr?" Ackbar

offered.

"Hey, when you're in my line of work, getting paid is

the only thing. The richest men in the galaxy have

stiffed me, and yet I've been paid by starving scum

most people wouldn't look twice at. You gotta get

paid...it's a simple goal but effective. I learned

that lesson early on," I smiled broadly as an

explosion rocked the mine.

- - -

Sirens blared and people scattered. Pallaj and Ackbar

headed for the back of the room.

"Imperials have entered the base!" someone announced

over the intercom. I then realized I was the only

being in that mine that couldn't breath water. And me

without my symbiote.

"Pallaj!" He stopped at a doorway, turning to look at

me.

"I'm sorry my friend, you're on your own." He seemed

to be thankful not to be responsible for me anymore. I

ran at him. "Get to the tram and back to the staging

area. You should be able to find something to get you

to the surface. Good luck."

"YOU BASTARD!" I yelled as he shut the door behind

him. It was locked tight. I punched the door as the

mine shuddered with another explosion. By now the

command center was empty. Apparently nothing was worth

saving here. I ran to the loading area, lights

flickering as I went.

Several Mon Calamari were pinned down at the entrance

as the mine filled with Imperial Seatroopers. They had

blasted their way through the tunnel, positioning

themselves against the tunnel walls. The rebels were

doing they're best with their weak holdout blasters.

I crouched behind a Calamari who blasted away at

anything that moved.

"Over there!" I yelled, coaching him on where to shoot.

A seatrooper flopped our way and fell from the

Calamarian's blast. I patted his head as he chuckled.

"Good job, pal!"

The tram was still docked and the cache of weapons was

neatly stacked against the far wall near the

Seatroopers.

"Look. There are some heavy blasters and disrupters in

those cases over there. Cover me and we maybe able to

get out of here." I explained. His fish eyes blinked as

he calmly looked at me.

"We have your back," he gurgled at me. I shook my

head, patting him on the back.

"I feel so much better now." I muttered as I stood to

run. Blaster fire erupted near our heads and I hit the

floor. My fishheaded friend slumped over; blaster

burns on his large fleshy head.

"We're with you Captain," another yelled at me. I

looked at his friend who lay dead at my feet. I felt

my stomach sink. Another wasted life. I've seen so

many in my life. And I wasn't even in my thirties yet.

This job sucks sometimes. I nodded to his companion

and bolted for the blasters.

If that wasn't the stupidest thing I had ever done, I

have no clue what was. The dozens of Seatroopers fired

a barrage of lasers at me as I dove behind the crates.

The pain was excruciating. I thought I had landed on

my arm wrong but when I rolled to my side I could see

the burns of a laser blast on my bicep.

I sat there stunned for a second. The pain rippled

through my chest. The dripping of the ceiling seemed

to drive into my head despite the carnage going on

around me. I could feel the water splash against

cheeks. Cold and salty.

I looked at the Seatroopers hunker down. A few more

minutes and they'd be impossible to get by. I took a

deep breath and looked up. Saltwater stung my eyes, as

the ceiling seemed to rain.

The rebels were getting picked off one by one. Only

three remained. A thought crossed my mind.

I ripped open a crate, grabbing 2 heavy blaster

pistols. I put one in my belt and then opened the

other's casing holding the tibanna gas chamber. I

remembered a trick I learned on Corellia as a kid. I

set the blaster on charge and could feel the gas

container get warm. I quickly put the blaster back in

the crate and ran for the tram.

The tram was several meters between the Seatroopers

and myself. The rebel Calamari were about the same

distance away on my left.

"Get in the tram!" I yelled. The Seatroopers let loose

on another volley of laser blasts. This time their aim

wasn't nearly as accurate as I jumped into the back of

the tram.

I positioned myself in front of the controls and start

the repulsorlifts. A second later two Calamari fell

into the tram. Apparently the third never made it. I

hit the accelerator as the crates full of weapons

exploded.

A ball of fire rose into the ceiling as a chain

reaction of explosions went off. The dripping turned

into streams that turned into rivers of water. The

ceiling collapsed as the ocean rushed in. The

Seatroopers, realizing their predicament, ran down the

tunnel.

A river of water followed the tram as we barreled down

the tunnel. We reached the Seatroopers and out of

sheer anger I grabbed one by the head. I fought to

remove his helmet that his respirator was attached to.

"You don't need this, you son of a bitch!" Despite the

pain in my arm I managed to rip off the helmet with a

faint pop. I let him go as water surrounded the bottom

of the tram. The river of seawater consumed him and I

could see a potential problem.

"We're not going to make it." A gurgled voice said

behind me.

I turned, looking straight into his big fisheyes. "I

know that!" I barked, "But not everyone can breath

underwater!"

I pushed the tram to its maximum speed. We managed to

stay several meters in front of the rush of water. But

I knew we'd get slammed as we slowed down to stop.

Lights flashed by, strobing as we raced along. My two

companions looked a little pale, which is hard to look

when you're a Mon Calamari.

As we came around corner, I could see the lights of

the landing area ahead. We we're coming up fast. I

grabbed my two friends and stood them up, doing my best

to look them in their separated eyes. My arm throbbed

with pain and the roar of our pursuer was deafening.

"Dive into the water and the impact shouldn't be as

severe," I yelled above the din.

"You can't breathe underwater. You'll die," one said

nervously. He was right. The light at the end of the

tunnel was racing at me, figuratively and literally.

These things happened, I thought to myself.

"Save yourself. We don't all need to die." And with

that I threw the two Mon Calamari off the back of the

tram. They fell into the rushing water, instantly

disappearing. I looked at the oncoming wall and then

back at the flood chasing me down churning and spraying

violently. I took a running leap into the fury.

The water hit me like a Wookiee on fire, wild and

vengeful. I rolled in the water, bouncing a couple

times off the floor and walls. I couldn't see or hear

anything more than the river of seawater. When the

mountain of water reached its destination, I could

feel myself hit hard. The flash of pain shot into my

brain causing me to forget about any pain in my arm. I

slowly faded as I lost consciousness. The only thing I

could think about was how all this water was ruining

my cigars.

- - -

On the Surface

The deck of the skimmer was cold and wet. The waves

slapped against its sides, spraying foam on us all. I

looked up to see my two Calamari companions, bound and

guarded by three Seatroopers. I was bound as well, my

hands behind my back. Two other troopers were standing

guard over me, blasters trained, while one piloted the

skimmer and another manned a mounted cannon.

When I rolled to one side, the Seatroopers readied

themselves.

"You boys mind if I sit up?" I asked. A Seatrooper

standing nearby kicked an armored boot into my gut,

knocking the wind out of me.

"I'll take that as a no," I wheezed, trying to

breathe. I lay on my back as the two guards raised me

up to sit beside my fellow captives. I could see four

other skimmers gliding along either side. This was not

good. And it would only get worse if we got back to

the Imperial garrison.

My hands were raw from the binders. We headed west

into a setting sun that was still bright enough to

sting my eyes. Night would be a few hours away still.

My eyes widened as I looked around to see the Imperial

garrison in the distance. Time. It was all a matter of

time. I looked at my companions, smiling. They

returned with a quizzical look. Out captors stared

into the sun, protected by the reflector goggles they

wore. Four stood near the front in a neat little

cluster discussing things Seatroopers discussed. I

couldn't hear anything over the roar of the sea.

It was all a matter of time. I managed to reach my

chronometer and remove the faceplate. It fell on the

deck, rolling against the boot of a guard. I looked up

sheepishly, my fingers working the small lock-pick

hidden away in the watch. The guard looked down at the

odd piece of metal and then at me. I was always good

at surprise.

I leapt from my seat, tackling the Seatrooper. He

grunted heavily as our weight carried us into the four

others. The pilot was knocked for a loop as he hit the

thrusters. Their discussion ended abruptly as a wave

crashed against the bow, spraying foam over us all.

Two of the troopers lost their balance and went

flailing into the water, while the gunner was

swallowed by the wave itself.

I have to give my Calamarian friends credit. They

followed my lead perfectly, despite their bound hands.

They managed to knock the two guards behind me into

the drink by lowering their heads like battering rams.

I was still grappling with the Seatrooper when I

managed to snatch a blaster spear gun that had fallen

on the deck. Just as I raised the blaster, the

Seatrooper charged and I sent him to that big ocean in

the sky.

"Never run at a gun...always away," I said as I shook

my head at his stupidity, running to the pilot's chair.

I raised the spear gun to ram the butt into his head

but his fear kicked in before I did. He dove over the

side without a sound. I sat down and noticed we'd

drawn some attention to ourselves.

The four skimmers had noticed my little diversion and

now were trying to turn my skimmer into an anchor.

"Get the keys and brace yourselves," I yelled,

pointing to the binder keys on the fallen man. They

scurried for the keys, slipping and flailing as I put

the skimmer into a hard turn. The skimmer sprayed

water meters into the sky as blaster bolts flew past.

I throttled the skimmer, heading as fast as I could

away from the garrison.

Turning on the comlink, I contacted Ezra aboard the

SlingShot.

"Captain Starr is that you? Thank goodness, I've been

waiting for... "

"Code 1! Ezra, Code 1. Zero in on this frequency.

NOW!"

"Immediately captain."

One of the Calamari, they all looked alike, managed to

free himself and ran for the cannon. For a bugged-eyed

fish, the boy could shoot. He whipped the cannon

around and fired across the skimmer managing to take

the front skimmer out in a ball of fury.

I was pushing the engines to their max. We jumped

waves and bounced through whitecaps. I looked over my

shoulder at our pursuers. The fishhead managed to take

out another as laser bolts pelted our craft while the

other Calamrian looked at me with fear.

"I never," he said through heavy breath," thought I

would get...<gasp>...seasick." His skin a pale pink

with gray splotches. I laughed the hardest I think I

ever have as I cut across another wave, yelling with

adrenaline. I could here another blast behind me as a

skimmer exploded into the vast ocean.

A blast showered sparks on me. The cannon and my gunner

were gone. A smoldering post was all that was left. I

turned back in terror. Our only defense was nothing

but slag. The remaining Calamari laid face first on the

deck, praying for an end. I could see FloatWanderer

City ahead.

Behind us, the remaining skimmer had closed the gap,

firing wildly. I leaned back, yelling at the prone

Calamari.

"Get up and get next to me," he looked up briefly and

shook his head no. I could feel the blaster bolts hit

the hull. A couple more shots and we were done for. I

ran back to grab my bug-eyed friend. I hauled him to

the control panel, my arm still singing with pain. I

looked back and aligned our vehicle with the

Imperials.

"It's over," I explained, "one way or another." I

killed the accelerators and jumped overboard, fishhead

in tow. We hit the water as the two skimmers collided

in a ball of fire. Seatroopers went flying into the

water. Some were on fire; others hit by the shrapnel.

Thick black smoke rose into the sky.

I floated on the surface next to my companion. He

looked a little relieved but it quickly turned to

worry.

"How will we get back? They're bound to send

reinforcements," his labored breath sounded heavier

than normal. Just then a familiar shape in the sky

headed rapidly towards us.

"Well we've got reinforcements of our own," I pointed

upward as the Corellian freighter approached. I smiled

and slapped the Calamarian on the back.

The ship lowered itself over us, extending the

external ladder I had put in for just this type of

escape. The Calamarian went up first, his webbed hand

tightly grabbing each rung. I was much slower going

up, due to my arm. I had managed to get my body

completely out of the water and looked down at the

blue sea.

"I really hate water," I muttered.

The Seatrooper launched itself onto the ladder with

me. The sheer shock of his appearance almost made me

lose my grip and tumble back into the sea. I regained

my composure and locked my bad arm's elbow around the

ladder.

He slapped at me as the ship began to rise as the

ladder went up. I kicked and punched but his armor

deflected all the damage. He smacked me in the head

with an armored fist and my ears rang. My legs gave

out from under me and I dangled by my bad arm, pain

shooting through my body. The trooper took full

advantage of my weak spot as he punched the wound

repeatedly. I was loosing my grip and could feel

myself getting ready to fall.

I slipped a few rungs but grabbed a rung with my good

arm, legs flailing in the salty air. He reached for

his blaster. I was too worried about falling to defend

myself. I looked down. The ship had risen into the

clouds. A blaster went off. I looked up to face my end

only to see the Seatrooper fall off the ladder into

the sky below, my Calamarian friend standing over me

with a smoking blaster. He extended his arm and hauled

me into the ship.

Weakly I grinned. "It's about time. I was getting sick

of hanging around."

The Ithorian Herd Ship

I stood in the shower for what seemed a lifetime. The

recirculators kicked in as I finally felt I had washed

the saltwater off my body. I turned on the air dryer

as I grabbed a towel. As I walked back to the cabin I

wrapped the towel around my waist and sat in the

pilot's seat.

"Good job, Ezra. I knew I could count on you." My head

shaking the remaining water out of my ears.

"Why thank you, Captain. I am just doing what I was

programmed to do."

"And damn fine programming it is," I chuckled. I

looked over at the sullen Calamari. "Let's talk about

you my fishy friend."

"Where are you taking me?" He asked in his labored

way. His eyes looked erratically around the cabin,

trying to get his bearings.

"I'll ask the questions. Your name? Do you have one?"

"Carlosh. My name is Carlosh. I was an accountant for

the Rebellion," I couldn't help but burst out

laughing. He looked at me and said gruffly, "I hold a

very important position."

"An accountant. An accountant," I tried to control

myself. "I couldn't have saved someone useful. I have

to rescue an accountant." Carlosh looked as disgusted

as a Calamari could. "I'm sorry," I finally reeled in

my laughter, " Look I'm heading to the Marmoth system

to catch up with an Ithorian Herd ship. I'll drop you

off and find you a transport back to Calamari. You'll

be home in a few days."

"A few days! I can't be away that long!" he gurgled

with nervousness.

"Hey, relax. Yeah, a few days. We'll hook up with the

Herd ship in a day and then we'll find a transport.

Should be a few days flight back. Look, this is what's

going to happen. So get used to it. Relax, have fun."

I stood up, adjusting my towel.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll change into something

less comfortable, and slap a medpac on this blaster

welt" I bowed formally, "My ship is your ship." As I

walked out of the cabin I could hear Ezra attempt

conversation.

"I am well versed in financial procedures as well

Master Carlosh..."

- - -

As we orbited around the herd ship I could hear the

gasp from Carlosh.

"Beautiful, huh?" I asked as I arched my neck to

really get a good view. The smooth disk was speckled

with plastisteel windows as ships of all sizes and

shapes circled about. The ship was huge, filling the

viewport. A star destroyer was parked in an access

bay. It looked like a small wedge compared to the

massive herdship. "The Ithorian Herdship Agora."

"It is quite remarkable..." Carlosh said absently, in

awe.

"Ezra, get landing clearance and set a vector. I'll

get the cargo ready." I stood up to leave only to be

interrupted by Carlosh.

"Cargo? What cargo? I assumed you had emptied your

ship at Calamari."

"There ya go assuming again. Come on back, I'll show

you. Besides, I might need your help." I slapped him

on the back as we walked down the corridor to the

cargo hold. I stopped by the food processor and

punched in an order. A blackish viscous fluid oozed

out of the machine into a container. Carlosh looked

at the mush, puzzled.

"You'll see," I smiled. We entered the cargo bay. I

left the lights off for effect. This should be good

for a laugh.

I snapped a glowrod on, illuminating half the hold. I

walked several steps and put the cup on the ground. A

rustling and scrapping sound filled the hold.

Carlosh's head darted around trying to see in the inky

blackness. Soon a small green snake wrapped it's tail

around the container.

"A serpent?" Asked Carlosh worriedly. The container

was lifted out of the light and another round of

rustling began. A light slurping echoed through the

hold.

"Not quite." I slowly followed the snake's tail to the

main body. Carlosh finally realized the snake was

actually a tentacle. And the tentacle belonged to a

large meaty plant shaped like a claw of a crab. It's

maw flexed as its tentacles pushed the ooze into its

mouth.

I whistled loudly to get the plants attention. It's

head looked our way, it's tentacles reached forward

and dragged itself across the floor.

"C'mon baby, Marnet's going to love you."

"What kind of creature is this?" Carlosh asked

stunned.

"Maltorian Creeper. Semi-sentient flytrap. Likes

seafood so steer clear." I laughed as Carlosh's eyes

got impossibly large. He gave the plant a wide berth,

nervously looking at its grasping tentacles. I lured

the plant down the corridor as Ezra landed on a

docking bay. Lowering the ramp, I was greeted by an

Ithorian.

The Ithorians large bent head was always disserting,

but their two mouths talking simultaneously is what

would really shake the visitors. As I walked down the

ramp with Carlosh, the Ithorian, a tariff collector,

rattled off the questions.

"Who are you? What is your cargo? Why have you come

to the Herdship?" I walked past him, ignoring his

barrage. I turned back, his eyes zoned in on me. I lit

a cigar and gestured toward the ramp.

"Tell the merchant council that Garic Starr's aboard.

I'll need a room and I'm going to be here for a few

days." The Ithorian grumbled a complaint but stopped

short as the plant dragged itself down the ramp. He

looked in awe and quickly tried to regain his

composure.

"Yes sir, Captain Starr. I'll inform them right away.

It's an honor to have you aboard." His gaze never left

the Creeper as it moved across the landing platform.

The hanger floor was a thick smooth layer of short

grass. Other freighters were occupying spots on the

well-groomed lawn.

"Inform Merchantate Marnet that I have a gift for

him." Ezra finally emerged from the ship and followed

behind.

"The ship is secure captain. Defense measures

activated," her metallic voiced announced. I looked

back at the ship, smiling. Starr, you own a damn fine

freighter.

"Ezra, keep away from the Creeper. It's a pretty

strong plant...as far as plants go."

The bay door opened and the smell of the jungle hit

us. It wasn't that jungle rot smell, but the smell of

garden, groomed and looked after with love and care.

A few birds fluttered across the odd plains. The

entire level of this ship was nothing but a huge field

for landing areas. The turbolifts led to the upper

level. Large trees and ferns cluttered the view.

Like all herdships, the Ithorians always took a piece

of their home world with them. A perfect replication

filled the upper level of the ship. An artificial

river flowed gently through the trees across the ship.

As we left the turbolift, an Ithorian guard stopped us

to check our identification. This was not uncommon on

a herdship.

Ithorians believe that too many people in the herdship

will ruin the environment. People are allowed in by

priority. Those who will benefit the herdship are

always allowed free reign while unknown visitors

frequently never leave the hanger bay. All herdships

are run by the merchant's council. The council was a

collection of several elected merchants who decide who

can come aboard and for how long. The council is run

by the Merchantate, the leader. Thankfully the

Merchantate was a friend of mine. I have always been

allowed highest priority, mainly because I deliver

the most exotic plants. Some the Ithorians, who

worship them, have never seen. Cultivating is a

religion to them and I could supply them with new

gods.

After we cleared security, we headed to the West

Market. Herdships were the largest roving marketplaces

in the galaxy. Always welcomed to a system, the

appearance of a herdship customarily brought the

systems dignitaries. As we walked through the market,

everyone cleared our way as I waltzed past, Creeper in

tow. Carlosh seemed distracted by all the shops.

Everything you'd ever need could be found on an

Ithorian herdship.

An Imperial Governor was parading around with several

Stormtroopers looking at all the exotic wares. He was

irritated because he wasn't garnering the attention he

felt he deserved. I could hear the oohs and ahs as I

headed towards the Council Chambers, everyone looking

at the self-propelled plant. The Governor whispered to

his guards and one went off into the crowd.

I hated stuck up Imperial pricks.

- - -

With a large embrace and hearty pat on the back,

Marnet greeted us. His stereo language echoed like

music.

"Garic Starr. It is truly an honor to have you visit

us again." I shook his hand and presented him the

Maltorian Creeper. His eyes widened and he seemed

speechless. He blinked absently as he slowly

approached the plant. The tentacles seemed to reach

out to its new master. Marnet took it with his hand,

caressing it like a mother trying to settle a crying

child.

"What is this amazing, beautiful creature?" He quickly

turned his head, anxious to learn much about his

newest deity.

"A Maltorian Creeper. Feed it a mixture of insects and

the occasional small mammal and you shouldn't have any

complaints." The Ithorian called to assistants to take

the plant to it's new home in the jungles of the ship.

"As always, Garic, you are too kind to the people of

Agora. Please. If there is anything we can do to make

your stay more comfortable, it will be done."

"As long as I have cigars...I'm a happy man." Marnet

laughed heartily, gesturing to another of his

assistants.

"Captain Starr will need his room stocked with cigars.

Please treat him like a brother." The assistant bowed

and walked off to take care of his new orders. "Garic,

please. Rest and then join me for dinner. The council

looks forward to seeing you."

"Are you sure?" I chuckled. "Last time I was here I

wasn't the best behaved guest."

Marnet leaned in and whispered in my ear. "I dislike

the Imperial...how do you say...pricks myself."

I lost it and erupted in laughter. These Ithorians

were catching on. "Atta boy, Marnet. We'll get squared

away and join you for dinner. Thanks for the cigars."

"And thank you, for such a beautiful creature. A great

addition to the Mother Jungle." He bowed to me and I

returned the gesture.

Carlosh, who was completely silent for the entire

exchange, finally spoke up.

"You seem well liked, Captain Starr. I've never seen

any being get into so much trouble and yet still have

such influential friends."

"Hey..." I smiled at him," it's me."

- - -

The Great Mother River Hotel is one of the finest in

the galaxy. Elegant and expensive, you can eat some of

the galaxy's best dishes and see some of the best

entertainment, rivaling many Core World hotels. Marnet

had made sure our accommodations were first class and

all our rooms were on the council's tab.

"This place is magnificent," Carlosh gasped.

"Yeah, these digs are okay." I unloaded my clothes in

the closet as Ezra examined the room for any security

breeches. She scanned for listening devices and

photoreceptors.

"Area secure, sir." Ezra announced. I looked around, a

little more relaxed.

The suite was huge. A massive tree filled the living

room, covering the ceiling with a thick layer of

leaves. The walls hung with clinging vines that

bloomed with yellow buds. The furniture was made from

carved Blackwood, rounded and smoothed like ebony. Two

large bedrooms, each with their own massive bathroom

and spa. A wet bar was full of all kinds of liquors

and fruit juices. Everything a travelling man could

wish for.

"All right. Marnet has invited us to dinner, Carlosh.

There are a few things I need to go over with you."

Carlosh looked from the balcony. He had wandered out

to look over the river as an artificial rainstorm was

generated, as it is every afternoon.

"First, whatever the Ithorians serve you, you eat it.

I don't care how badly it tastes. It's not going to

kill you, but it will insult them. They understand

that not everyone likes the food, but the attempt to

eat it is the most important thing." I grabbed a

formal suit from the closet. A black, sleek tunic with

no visible buttons, only my handful of medals for

color. I laid it on the bed and went into the bathroom

still talking to Carlosh.

"I'm sure there will be some dignitaries at this

shindig, there always are. So try not to talk

politics, it'll only get you in trouble." Ezra had set

the water at the right temperature and I gave her my

clothes as I stood in the shower, letting the hot

water wash over me.

"I understand Captain Starr. I will not embarrass

you." Carlosh said as he walked into his own bathroom.

I quickly washed and turned on the dryer. The warm

winds blew around me as the water evaporated and

disappeared. I put on my tunic, straightened my medals

and headed into the lounge.

A knock on the door interrupted the quite of the room.

"Ezra, get that would ya?" I said from behind the bar.

I continued making my Nebula Burst as Ezra returned

with a clean pressed outfit.

"Master Carlosh's dinner attire, sir." I figured the

little guy was so frazzled and so out of his element

he might need a little cheering up. And since I knew

he didn't have a change of clothes...

Carlosh came out of the bath in his hand-cleaned

clothes. A stain was still visible on his shoulder

while the tear on his sleeve stuck out like a sore

thumb.

"Here, Carl. Try these on instead. You look like hell

in that ratty getup." Ezra presented the yellow tunic,

formal Calamari attire, to a smiling Carlosh. He

seemed so happy to receive the clothes he looked like

he might cry.

"Oh, thank you Captain Starr. Thank you very much. I

was so embarrassed to go to such a dinner dressed in

rags. Where did you find this? It looks like it cost

a fortune." He looked at me smiling.

"Look, let's not get all mushy on me." I found a box

of cigars near the ice bucket. I took one and lit it.

"We're having dinner with important people. I can't

have you looking like you just escaped from a rebel

camp can I?" I winked at him through the smoke of my

cigar. He smiled and hurried toward the bathroom to

change.

"And Carl. If you're going to be working with me, call

me Garic. Captain is what I use with business." He

smiled and continued into the bathroom.

Ezra looked at me, crossing her metallic arms.

"You, sir, are a complex being to understand."

- - -

The transport to the Council Building was uneventful.

Carlosh was happy with his new duds. Apparently he

never owned a suit that expensive. This was like a

weird dream to him. He was just a fish-eyed accountant

who rarely left his middle income status.

The Council Building's steps were covered with people

of all races. To be invited to a Council dinner was an

honor few had been offered. I immediately recognized

the Imperial Governor from earlier in the day. His

Stormtroopers were spread out among the crowd

performing security duty. Marnet was the first to

greet us.

"Captain, it is a pleasure to have you here." His

stereo voice echoed in my ears. I shook his hand as

another Ithorian approached.

"Ah, Captain. It has been too long since you have

visited the herdship. I trust your visit will be less

eventful than your last." This Ithorian was much older

than Marnet. His name was Terkelt and he was the

former Merchantate. I had met him several times

before, even before Marnet became the newest

Merchentate. He seemed a little resentful of his loss

to Marnet and lack of power in the community. I do

know he wasn't fond of me.

"So do I. But it's not everyday you can swim down the

Mother River is it?" I smiled as I walked past him

into the Council Building and he sighed at my antics.

Marnet walked along side us as the Imperial Governor

made his way to our group. Carlosh shifted

uncomfortably in his clothes. He did not want to be

this close to an Imperial...ever.

"Captain Starr, how unusual to meet you here of all

places." He looked at me with disgust, while I tried

not to deck him.

"Do I know you?"

"No, but you should. I could have you arrested right

now. You're aware of the bounties on your head?" He

paused hoping I would start sweating. When it was

obvious I was unruffled he continued. "I am Governor

Gadrell. I rule over this sector."

"Okay. If you could arrest me, why don't you?"

"Oh, that will happen. But why ruin a meal? That can

wait. I'm more interested in why you're here in my

sector. Trouble seems to follow you Captain." I looked

him in the eye and straightened my tunic.

"I could tell you, but why ruin your meal." I turned,

walking into the grand dining room.

- - -

Dinner at the Council

There were easily one hundred or more people sitting

at in the banquet hall. Tables of ten spiraled around

the main chamber as beings from all walks of life

milled around. A Wookiee family, all jet black and

elegantly groomed, sat at the table to our right. Our

table was a mishmash of beings. The extras so to

speak. A small family of three Squibs, all trying to

sell something to someone, sat to my right. A group of

four Durons chatted lowly on Carlosh's left. The main

table, which was several meters away, held the

Council, their families and a few guests. One of those

guests was Governor Gadrell.

He sat at attention, looking down at the other aliens

and around the room. Several Gotals, their horns

bobbing as they spoke, were clustered to one side

discussing politics. Crewmembers from the Bloody

Bulge, a local transport company with a lot of

credits, drank merrily as Marnet signaled the start of

the meal.

"Gentlebeings. It is truly an honor for the Council to

have you here to enjoy the grand meal we are about to

enjoy. Each of you has blessed the Mother Jungle with

your presence and good fortune. And may the Mother

Jungle smile with your light." Marnet raised his

glass and we toasted the event.

"Brace yourself," I warned with a smile as a parade of

servers came out with soup bowls. The servers placed

the steaming bowls in front of each guest. Some of the

beings looked horrified, while others dug in.

"Garic," Carlosh whispered as he reached for a spoon.

Tentacles swayed violently from the broth, grabbing at

the salt shaker. "What is this?" His voice trembled a

little.

"Who knows." I said as I stabbed at the limb with my

fork. "Shut up and eat it." I took a bite of the still

quivering segment. It was sour and crunchy. I managed

to swallow most of it as the salads were placed in

front of us. Carlosh's soup was escaping across the

table when a server whacked it with a spoon and it

went still.

"Would you care for more?" The waiter asked, looking

at the fugitive soup. Carlosh waved him off as he

looked at the salad placed in front of him. Even

though this was only the second course, an Ithorian

salad was the centerpiece of any meal.

With flowers and colorful fruits garnishing the massive

leafy salad, it looked more like artwork than a meal.

No one ever said an Ithorian salad was bad. Carlosh

smiled widely, grateful that something was edible.

Edible and exquisite.

Course after course followed, all vegetables cooked

and stuffed with other vegetables from across the

galaxy. During the main entrée a waiter silently

slipped a datapad on my place setting. I looked

around slowly, handing the datapad to Ezra so she

could download the information.

When dessert was passed out, Ezra whispered in my ear.

"Sir. It seems our Wookiee friends over to your right

would like to inquire about retaining your services."

"Hmm...a job already huh? Did they say what it is?"

"No sir, but they will contact you again if you wish."

I leaned forward and looked towards the Wookiee's

table. The leader, a large black female, met my gaze.

I saluted gingerly and she nodded.

"My friends," Marnet stood and announced," It was

truly an honor for the Council to share the bounty of

Mother Jungle with you. Please feel free to move into

the Ballroom and enjoy the fine entertainment we've

provided." A round of applause rose from the group.

The meal, with the exception of the soup, was

magnificent. Many of the beings started to mingle and

leave their tables; the sound of a band filled the

background. I looked around to see the Governor

whisper to a guard and point my way. I wiped my mouth

with the napkin and stood up.

"Carl. Get to the hotel and stay there with Ezra."

"What is it?" he asked nervously, his head darting

around to see where the problem was. The Governor's

guard walked to another and together they walked

toward me.

"Get up and leave!" I said through gritted teeth. I

grabbed him by the collar, moving him to the door.

Ezra took my lead and took Carlosh by the arm.

"Master Carlosh. I will gladly explain when we get

back to the hotel. Please." By now everyone was

standing and milling about. Courtesy handshakes and

blatant sucking up soon followed. It was as if the

entire room was patting itself on the back. This

happens when rich people mingle. Ezra and Carlosh

disappeared into the crowd and I felt a little more at

ease.

"Captain Starr, Governor Gadrell would like to talk to

you. Please come with us." I was about to decline when

they drew their blasters.

"The Governor...well, how can I say no?" I said

sarcastically. I looked at Marnet who just shook his

massive bent head in disappointment. I shrugged my

shoulders smiling. I didn't want to make a scene at

the Council dinner. Again. So I walked with the two

Stormtroopers, one in front, the other following

closely behind.

Quietly, we walked down the steps of the building to

an awaiting transport. The herdship had lowered the

lights, signifying night and you could see the entire

galaxy through the transparisteel sky. The small tramp

shuttle airspeeder was decked out for the governor's

personal use. It had tinted windows and a sleek black

gloss paint job. One of the troopers opened the door.

"Oh, I thought we were going to talk to the Governor.

See he's back in the ballroom." I joked. I knew what

was happening. I was being detained.

A rowdy growl filled the air as a huge black arm

smacked a guard and he went flying out of the way. I

had no idea what was happening as the family of

Wookiees dispensed with the troopers. Ten Wookiees

against two guards was pretty quick work as the driver

quickly escaped in the airspeeder. It was over before

it began.

I looked around stunned. The Wookiees looked at me,

some seemed confused.

"Thanks. I was okay really. But we can't stay here.

We need to get off the street." The Wookiee female

barked and growled. The other Wookiees laughed.

"Hey, you big furball! I didn't need your help. You're

the one looking for me!" I yelled. I don't care how

big a creature is, no one tells me I'm over-rated or

short. I pointed my finger at her as I craned up to

look into her face. She growled in anger.

"And don't get snippy with me either! I don't need any

business that much." I could smell the Wookiee and

I'll be honest, I may have gone too far. The other

nine Wookiees circled me. Sometimes I wasn't the

smartest guy in the galaxy. Ten Wookiees versus an

angry Corellian. Not a wise move. But I did my best

not to show any fear.

The Wookiee suddenly laughed, grabbing me in an

embrace. I could hear the bones in my back scream as

the Wookiee laughed and squeezed. The breath left my

body and just as I was about to black out, she let go.

With a series of barks and growls she announced that I

really was the man they were looking for. Either that

I was the stupidest human they've ever encountered.

- - -

I readied my things and gave Carlosh an option.

"Look. You know the situation. This doesn't concern

you. You can find a transport back to Mon Calamari

without a problem." I explained. The little fish-eyed

fool insisted on coming. "But if you come with me you

have to do exactly as I tell you, understand?"

"Haven't I been doing that already?" I looked flatly

at him. He had a point. I grabbed my satchel and gave

it to Ezra. She quickly walked out of the room, on her

way to the ship. Skipping town had become second

nature to her now.

"Here's some credits. Get to the ship in less than

fifteen minutes. I'll be there waiting. The best

advice I can give you is get there before me." I

tossed some credits his way and put on my holster. It

would take awhile to get used to these new ones. The

heavy blasters I lost on Mon Calamari were old

friends. But friends come and go.

"May the force be with you, Garic." Carlosh bowed as

he closed the door. The force never helped me before.

Why now? Not that I didn't believe in the force, I've

seen it's power time and again, both the light and

dark sides. But it never helped me one bit.

The comlink fluttered it's warning. I accepted the

transmission. The female Wookiee, Daraga, barked the

signal. They were coming for me.

I looked out the balcony to see the last of the

Stormtroopers enter the building. A knock on the door

was soon followed by a laser blast and shrapnel as it

blew inward. I ducked behind the sofa, the rain of

plastisteel and wood pelting the walls.

They came in guns blazing. I could smell the burning

wood and leaves. The tree in the living room burst

into flames engulfing the entire hotel room. Smoke

filled the air, thick and acrid. Time for me to fly.

Running onto the balcony I saw a tree a few meters

way. It was pretty good jump but I thought it was

worth the risk. Especially since the blaster bolts

kept coming. One almost hit me and I could see

troopers through the smoke approaching.

With all I could muster I ran for the tree. At the

last possible second I...I realized how stupid I was.

That tree was too far away. I tried to stop myself but

couldn't. I managed to grab the railing as I fell over

the side. I hung by an arm, dangling like an apple on

a tree.

I kicked my feet, gaining momentum with each flail.

Thank god no one was around to see this. Garic Starr,

falling over a rail like an idiot, only to be lucky

enough to hang around to see himself get killed. I

shook my stupidity out of my head. Save my ass now and

regret my decisions later.

I swung onto the balcony below. I looked up to see it

too engulfed in flames. By now the hotel was emptying,

everyone running for their lives. The door to the room

was locked. The plastisteel wouldn't give. I blasted

the lock and pushed my way inside. The ceiling dripped

fire from above, it had managed to burn through the

floor.

Hurdling the furniture, I raced across the room to the

door. I stumbled into chaos, the hallway full of

patrons running to safety. I joined the stream of

bodies heading down the stairwell. As I entered the

lobby, troopers were pushing their way through the

crowd. They couldn't have recognized me among the

confusion so I pushed through the turmoil, knocking a

stormtrooper to the ground.

Outside, the Ithorian security was scrambling as

climate control generated an artificial storm. The

rain fell in droves as I snuck off into the jungle

toward the turbolift. The trees and shrubs was perfect

cover as I headed toward the landing area.

I managed to work my way to the docking bay, but took

a second to stop at a public comlink. I pressed in the

numbers and waited for a response.

Marnet's face popped up and he looked startled.

"Marnet. I can't be long. I swear this was not my

fault." I looked at his shaking head.

"It never is Garic, it never is. Please. The next

time you decided to come aboard the Agora...don't. I

won't stop you my friend, but the council will never

allow it." I looked at him, expecting and

understanding what he said.

I switched off the comlink and ran to the Slingshot.

"You're right. Too many undesirables hang out here."

Shar IV

As we exited hyperspace I could sense the tension,

both on Carlosh's salmon-colored face and inside

myself. The Wookiees hired us for serious reasons.

Sure the money was good; the risk was greater. In the

distance, the planet of Shar glowed like the sun.

Shar was a gas giant, clouds swirling as storms raged

on the yellowish planet. Six moons surrounded Shar.

Each creatively named after its mother. Only two of

the moons were habitable, the marshy Shar III and the

urban Shar IV. Shar IV was completely covered by

cities and skyscrapers. A tourist trap with every type

of entertainment a being could ask for; casinos,

theaters, stadiums and strip clubs of every kind. You

could spend the rest of your life there and everyday

there would be something different to do.

As we approached the small moon, it twinkled like a

jewel. The city lights blinking like the stars above.

"Odd place for a slave ring, wouldn't you say?"

wheezed Carlosh. I looked at him blankly.

"Slaves can be useful anywhere...even on an ocean

covered planet." I didn't want to say that but I knew

the point would sink in.

"True," he said absently. He looked away to study some

navigational charts. I could tell he was lost in

thought. And I'd bet a million credits he had the

Empire on his mind. I hope I never know what it's like

to have my whole race enslaved.

"I'm sorry...I'm not the most subtle of people," I

mumbled. He turned my way, nodding softly. Thankfully

Ezra broke the awkwardness.

"Captain, we've been granted permission to land at

Selten. Selten is the second largest city of Shar IV.

Population nineteen million seven hundred thirty four

thousand..."

"Enough with the vitals, Ezra. How far is it from the

camp?" I watched skyscrapers rise along the horizon.

Cities forming and lights flashing. Neon signs and e

lectric holo-ads lit up the backdrop. Streets came

into sights, the glow of the vehicles looking like

rivers of light.

"Seventy-three point four kilometers to the Galarian

base camp."

We docked at a starport that was immaculate. The walls

were white and sterile. The Port Authority employees

were dressed sharply. Upon landing, we were met by a

Customs Inspector who was dressed like a million

credits.

"This could cost us some..." I whispered to Carlosh.

He squirmed in his tunic as we stepped off the ramp.

"Hello Captain..." the official looked at his data

pad, "Denkin. A pleasure to have you on Shar IV. As is

standard procedure we'll need you to fill out a few

forms and pay the appropriate tariffs. Are you

carrying any cargo?" The Security Chief asked.

"Well sir. As of right now, we're empty. But since

we're enjoying a little vacation, I plan on being

empty for awhile." I approached the bureaucrat as I

lit a cigar.

"We'll need to inspect you ship, of course." He said

stiffly.

"Of course...but I doubt you'd find anything of

interest." I put my arm around his shoulders and

looked at my ship. "See I'm just a two-bit independent

operator on leave with my two crewmembers. I doubt we

need to take up so much of your time." I reached over

to slip a credit chip into his shirt pocket. He looked

at it briefly.

"Sir, are you trying to bribe me?" He asked flatly. I

looked at him in shock.

"I'm insulted. See that's illegal. I'm simply paying

specialized taxes that are advantageous to the both of

us." I offered.

He stood there for a moment and ran a check on my fake

ID. Seeing that my cover came back clean, and the

amount I gave him was pretty substantial, he decided

to let me ride.

"Well, I can see a business man like yourself, on

vacation and all, wouldn't be worth the effort of

inspecting. I'm sure you'll enjoy your time here on

Shar IV." He jotted some notes into the datapad and it

spit out a receipt. He handed it to me and walked

away.

"How much did you give him?" Carlosh looked at me, his

big eyes blinking.

"Oh nothing. I had some counterfeit credits from a

deal that went bad. I'm just trying to get rid of

them." I laughed as I walked across the main platform

to the commutrans station. People walked along

submersed in their own lives.

"We'll need to get a place to stay. Here's some

credits," Carlosh rolled his eyes. "They're real." I

looked at him coldly.

He took the credit chip, placing it in his small

travel bag. He shifted nervously.

"Take Ezra and find a spot, then contact me through

the comlink. I need to find our friends and get things

in motion."

I slapped him on the shoulder as a commtram slid into

the station. The sleek vehicle hovered in place as

hordes of beings filled the transport. Ezra and

Carlosh managed to squeeze in and Carlosh waved

slightly as the commtram pulled away. Quietly the

commtram went down the smooth plastisteel tunnel.

As quickly as one had left, another tram replaced it.

I stepped in and headed into the heart of the city.

- - -

The landscape was nothing but steel and plasicrete.

Towers of mankind and technology rose hundreds of

stories high. Just the way I liked it.

Daraga had given me twenty-five thousand up front with

the payment of another forty after all was said and

done. She also gave me a name. Penton Favlen.

Penton was my contact here. He was supposed to tell me

where to hook up with the slavers. I usually don't do

these mercy missions but the money was just to good to

say no. Plus anything to screw up a slaver's day was a

bonus.

See, in my opinion, slavers are the lowest scum in the

history of the universe. Life is cheap, I'll agree

with that. It comes and it goes in the blink in the

eye. But it shouldn't be for sale, unless you sell

your own. And slaves never ask to be slaves. If they

do, they're called politicians.

So Penton held the key to where these slavers were. He

was the owner of the Casino Grandeur, the largest

casino in the sector. The thing I liked about Penton

was he wasn't in cahoots with any of the underworld

criminals. This man owned himself. I was here to make

sure others had the same option.

The commtram pulled into the terminal, emptying its

passengers into the scurrying life of the city. The

night had settled on the metropolis. I walked along

the street, people streaming by. I could see the

casino in the distance. A majestic building with neon

holovids flickering on the facade. It glittered,

beckoning tourists to come and spend money.

"Garic Starr! Put you hands up. Do not attempt to go

for your blaster. I will kill you if necessary." I

stopped in my tracks. I slowly turned around. Standing

behind me was a being with a fairly large blaster

rifle. Some people gasped and ran for cover. Others

ignored the whole scene and went about their business.

The man in front of me was a bounty hunter. He wore

armor that was matte gray and bore no markings. His

helmet was an odd shape so I assumed he was non-human.

Didn't look like there was enough room to put a head

into it. He was also much shorter than I was. But he

was strong enough to wield the blaster rifle that was

twice his size and he had the guts to pull this stunt

in the middle of the street. Apparently he felt this

was the time to collect on me. He was wrong.

"And you are?" I said sarcastically.

"Remain silent and put your hands in the air.'

"Listen tiny, you should put that toy away. You may

hurt yourself." I smiled and took a step forward. He

thrusted the muzzle into my face.

"Do not move, Captain Starr. I will get paid whether

you are alive or a corpse. It's up to you." He also

was prepared to kill me. He wasn't an amateur. I

slowly put my hands up. I took another step forward.

"Go ahead. Kill me. If I'm going to die, I'd like it

to hurt you where it counts. The wallet." I smiled

again.

He looked at me and pulled out a pair of binders.

They rattled stiffly as he threw them at my feet. I

looked at him, shaking my head.

"You're kidding, right? I'm not putting those on. Go

ahead and shoot." I taunted him again. He fired a

blast into the sky, then aimed at me again. People

nervously scurried past the scene.

"Put them on." I shrugged and knelt over to pick up

the binders. I held my position for a moment, then

leapt at the rifle's barrel. I managed to move the

rifle away from my body as he fired shot after shot. A

man walking by dropped like a rock, dead from a stray

blast. People screamed, diving for cover.

I managed to grab his helmet, twisting it violently

back and forth. I could hear the hiss as a seal had

broken from his suit. Apparently oxygen went against

his physiology. He screamed, choking and gasping. He

flailed and fell to the ground, squirming in agony. I

looked up to see the crowd gather for a better look.

The familiar white of a stormtrooper's helmets could

be seen weaving their way towards me. A blast rang

out. Another bystander, running to avoid the melee,

fell.

The bounty hunter started blindly firing into the

crowd. Another shot. This one barely missed a small

girl hiding behind a trash can. The crowd thinned as

the hunter raised the gun to fire another round.

"I really hate having a conscience." I dove at the

gun, managing to grab the barrel as another shot went

off. I struggled with his powerful grip. For a little

guy he had a lot of gumption.

Four troopers appeared with their weapons drawn.

Before they could even say 'freeze', I aimed the

rifle at them as my petite foe fired again. Two

troopers fell like grain sacks as the other two stood

in disbelief. I elbowed the hunter in the chest and

two more shots followed.

I managed to wrestle the gun out of his hands and

tossed it aside. With the troopers incapacitated, I

dove into the crowd towards the casino. A swarm of

people seemed to converge on the scene as I blended

into the background.

- - -

The Casino

The casino was a typical, high-end, state-of-the-art,

gaudy, and extravagant casino. Crystal chandeliers

hung from the high ceilings while the galaxy's elite

won and lost millions of credits at the various games

of chance. The people were rich and beautiful. And

they were trying their hardest to prove it to each

other. Teems of people scurried around, placing bets

and losing fortunes. A large Devonian sat with his

face in his hand crying and blubbering.

"It's all gone," he repeated, heartbroken and

destroyed. I went to the cashier, bought a few hundred

credits worth of chips and walked around the tables.

I found an empty spot at a Sabacc table and nodded to

the dealer. The table had an eclectic bunch

surrounding it. A large furry Bothan sat to my right.

He gleefully laughed every time he won and cursed like

a spoiled child when he lost. To my left was a

Twi'lek. His tails flicked whenever he had a good

hand. I could tell he was new to high-stakes gambling.

If he kept his twitching up he was going to lose his

shirt. To his left was a husband and wife. Both were

Rodians. Their little snouts gibbering back and forth.

Each helping the other try and win. My eyes stopped in

disbelief. At the end of the table sat the most

beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her skin was smooth and olive and her hair was as

black as space. Her eyes were dark pools of ink. I

couldn't take my eyes off of her. She wore a black

dress that clung to her body accentuating every curve.

She smiled a half smile of embarrassment at me, aware

that I was taken with her.

"And you sir? Sir?" I looked at the dealer slightly

frazzled. I looked around and focused on the game.

I played back a little only winning the larger pots.

I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I never had

the gambling blood most Corellians had. Oh sure, I can

play as well as the best in the galaxy. But I only

played to prove I was good, never for the money.

Smuggling is full of stories about idiots who gamble.

I've heard stories about men who've gambled ships away

to each other. Stupid people do stupid things.

I had let the beautiful woman win a few hands and

before long she was up a couple thousand credits.

"The lovely lady's on a roll." I commented. She smiled

at me. I grinned back.

"Must be my lucky day..." her voice was like a choir.

Beautiful and with power.

Soon the Bothan couldn't stand the losing. He cursed

the dealer, myself and everyone else out and then

stormed away. I shrugged at the beautiful woman. She

shyly smiled back. Her perfect face lighted up the

room. The grumpy Bothan's seat was quickly taken by a

small Zarian. He ordered a lumin-ale and smiled his

crooked smile.

Zarians were a race of short, thick skinned, green

skinned creatures. Kind of like a frog on steroids.

"It's good to see you again, Starr," croaked the

frogman. He wore a fancy tunic with gold trim. He had

plenty of cash to spread around, that was obvious.

"You too, Penton." I shook his webbed hand and ordered

a drink. I turned to look back at the table. The

beautiful woman had left. My heart sank. Another one

gets away, I thought.

The dealer was nervously dealing the deck as he

watched his boss talk to me.

"What made you decide on this job, Garic? This cargo

isn't your usual fare."

"Well the money's right." I said disgusted with

myself. "And you usually don't align yourself with

such scum either, Penton"

"True, but as you say...the money's right." Again I

had won and I collected my winnings.

"Let's cut to the meat of the deal. Neither one of us

wants this job to last any longer than necessary. Meet

at the East Wing landing platform, number one

sixty-five. A transport will be arriving to take you

to the camp. Be there at 800 hours local time." His

thick voice was like a drowning man. He blinked and I

nodded.

"Sure thing, Penton. Have the cargo ready to go. I

don't want any problem when I leave." I collected my

chips and stood to leave. As I turned Penton grabbed

my sleeve.

"Let's not have this kind of meeting again my friend,

shall we?" I knew what he meant by that. Neither of

us was comfortable dealing with slavers. I had my own

mission but I could tell that for the first time in a

long time, Penton was in over his head. He didn't want

to be in this deal, but something was forcing him into

this evil contract.

"You got it," I nodded, letting him know I understood

his part in this arrangement. He seemed to sigh a

little and I could feel the pressure he was under. I

just wondered who he owed to do something like this.

As I headed for the entrance a young attendant walked

up, handing me a datapad. I gave him a tip and looked

around the room. I just met with the contact, what

could be going on now?

Room 121. Tonight at 10. I like a man who smokes.

Shows he can take the heat. Must be my lucky day.

Ahh...The woman in black. I smiled as I tucked the

datapad into my jacket pocket.

"The luck's all mine..."

- - -

Carlosh had found us a seedy little hotel just a few

blocks from the casino. It smelled of old mildew and

looked worse. I threw my jacket on my bed and sat in

a chair next to Carlosh.

"Well my friend. We have a time and a place. We'll

just pick up our cargo and move along. Should be a

piece of cake. Miter Winslow is the man behind all

this, so we'll need to watch our backs. I'll want you

and Ezra in the ship at all times ready to take off at

a moment's notice. I don't trust Winslow as far as I

can throw'em. And if you've ever met the fat bastard

you know that ain't too far."

Carlosh laughed. He seemed to be warming up to the

idea of working for me. In fact, he'd been going over

my finances while I was in the casino. He managed to

find an extra five thousand credits and had most of my

business into an organized system. At this rate, I

might have to start paying him.

"Carlosh, you're doing a fine job. Here..." I opened

my travel bag and tossed a hold-out blaster onto his

bed," I can trust you with this." He slowly picked up

the weapon, holding it awkwardly.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this, Garic." I

looked at him and laughed.

"It's a blaster. You just point and pull the trigger.

It's not brain surgery. You've shot one before."

"I know, and I never want that feeling to return," he

said solemnly. I understood the burden of taking a

life. But if it wasn't them, I'd be the one dead.

"Well, if you're going to work for me, you'll need

it." He quickly looked up at me, his big eyes just

blinking as usual. "I'll pay ya a good salary and you

get the added bonus of hanging out with me."

Carlosh stood a little stunned. He looked at the gun,

then at me.

"I'm sorry Captain Starr, but I'm needed on Mon

Calamari. It's a generous offer but I must decline,"

he wheezed. He handed the weapon to me.

"Well, in that case, keep it. You won't make it too

far without it. Don't worry Carl, we'll get you home

as soon as we're done." I smiled at him. He looked at

me and returned his own ugly smile. Man, Calamarian's

were not attractive.

"Look. I've got a ...uh...a meeting tonight, so I'll

be out until late. Go to the ship and hang tight...

relax. Try and think happy thoughts. We'll be off

planet by mid-day and you'll be home in a few days."

I said with a smile, patting him on his shoulder.

"Thank you Garic, you're a noble being."

"Well, let's not go overboard."

- - -

Room 121

I knocked softly on the door to room 121. The door

slid open and the beautiful woman stood, a vision I've

never seen in any reaches of the universe. I smiled.

"Hello."

"Come in." She beckoned like a Siren. She wore a

gossamer negligee; a tiara of rubies set in her raven

hair. A princess, perhaps? I walked into the room, a

magnificent suite with all the amenities.

"You look magnificent. You look like a princess, like

true royalty. " She put her arms around my neck,

drawing me close. She smelled of sweet nectar, an

exotic mix.

"I've been looking for a man like you. Adventurous, a

risk-taker, you know...fun. I'm tired of powerful men.

They bore me." She kissed me deeply. She felt perfect

pressed against me. I slowly eased her back and

reached into my jacket. I pulled out my cigar case and

placed it on the nightstand. Wouldn't want to hurt my

babies.

"Well, let's introduce ourselves, shall we?" I laid my

jacket on the bed as she started unbuttoning my shirt.

"I'm Lorell. And you are the famous Garic Starr.

You're name is known even on Shar. I've been hoping to

meet you for so long." I was taken aback when she said

my name. I was well known, but only to undesirables,

not the public at large. She kissed me again and I let

it go.

She tossed my shirt on the floor as she moved closer

to me. We slowly sat on the bed as she reached for

my belt. I leaned back to turn off the light...

- - -

We laid there, her head on my chest as I smoked a

cigar. I rubbed her arm lightly as she spoke.

"You know we can never see each other again." I nearly

dropped my cigar.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I sat up quickly,

confused. She looked at me with her dark eyes, her

black hair covering one side of her soft face. She

looked sad as she held my hand to her face.

"Tonight was one of the greatest nights I've ever had.

But we're doomed never to see each other again. I

think you need to go." Tears slowly fell down her

cheeks. I was completely lost. Sure I've had my share

of One-Nighters but this was as unusual as I have ever

experienced.

"You need to leave," she said choking on her words.

"What?! What's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

She clutched me close, kissing me.

"You've been perfect. It's not you. It's..." she

looked away crying. "You need to go."

"But I don't under..."

"You need to go!" she cried.

I stood up to put on my shirt. I was mystified. What

the hell was going on? I had just had the best sex in

my life with the most beautiful woman I'd ever met and

now she was kicking me out. And she was the one upset

about it. Women.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked. I had pulled my

pants up to me knees and was trying to put on my

boots.

"I want to be with you, but I can't. This was wrong.

I...I'm...I'm married." She blurted out through the

tears. I nearly lost my balance in shock. I managed to

put both my boots on and I sat on the bed, dazed.

"You're married?" I said with disappointment.

"I'm sorry. You need to leave before he finds out.

You're in danger..."

What are you talking about? How am I in..." the blast

from the window was deafening. Lorell's screaming

didn't help. I ran for my gun, tripping from my pants

being around my ankles. I pulled them as I grabbed my

holster. Two goons in black were coming through the

patio firing blasters. Smoke filled the room as I drew

the blaster and squeezed off a round. The bed burst

into flames while furniture started splintering.

One of the men yelled out Lorell's name and she ran

behind him. I managed to get off a shot, hitting one

man in the arm. I ducked into the bathroom as lasers

filled the bedroom. The flashing of lasers blinded me

briefly. Bodyguards of some sort were all I could

think of.

Why do I let myself get into these kinds of things? I

wondered. But then I realized this time, if I lived to

see another day, it could have been worth it.

"Don't hurt him!" I could here Lorell plea. She called

the men by name so I knew they were there for her.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" I was

trapped in a bathroom of a hotel with a married woman

who has bodyguards that were trying to kill me. Some

things never change.

I quickly looked around. A large sink with a beautiful

hand carved mirror, a huge bathtub and a toilet were

all that was in the room. A row of lights was above

the mirror and through the din of blaster fire I could

hear the hum of the vent fan.

Hmmm. Could that work? It looked big enough. Another

barrage of lasers pummeled the door. I switched off

the fan and scrambled onto the sink. The grate over

the fan looked big enough for me to squeeze through. I

blasted the bolts holding it to the ceiling. The fan

crashed into the toilet with a splash. I managed to

grab inside the vent and pull myself up, my arm still

aching from my earlier melee. The blasters stopped as

I lifted my feet into the vent and crawled through the

darkness.

"This will get'em." I could hear the voice echo

through the shaft. I scurried as fast as I could. The

vent was so dark I could barely see in front of me. I

came to a corner and could see another opening a few

meters away.

Then I heard what sounded like a ball, bounce down the

shaft. PING, PING. The sound of rolling filled the

air.

My eyes widened as I realized the shit was piling up

around me. A grenade had been thrown into the shaft.

In a panic I crawled to the opening, pounding at the

vent to open. I protected my face and blasted the

grate.

"What the hell is going on?" A voice yelled in terror

as I dove through the hole. The grenade went off as

fire filled the shaft. I fell out of the ceiling into

another bathroom, flames licking out of the vent.

Hotels and me were not turning out to be a good mix.

I landed in the lap of a Sullustan, his mousy face

filled with surprise.

"You scared the shit out of me!" yelled the Sullustan.

I looked around dazed.

"Well, this is the place to do it."

Docking Bay 165

I didn't take long to check out of my hotel. No need

to let Lorell's goons find me. Wouldn't be good for my

health. I slipped two cigars in my jacket pocket,

gathered my things and what was left of my pride and

headed to the spaceport. As always, the streets

overflowed with people. The drones went their own

little way to their own little lives, ignorant of each

other. I was glad I didn't have a boring desk job. I'd

have to kill myself.

The East wing of the spaceport was old and in sad

shape. A large barrier covered the entrance: CLOSED

FOR REPAIRS. Perfect. A docking bay out of the sight

of the public, without security wandering by. Perfect.

Perfect for an ambush. I didn't like it.

Construction workers welded support beams and replaced

plastacrete walls as I crossed the barrier. Through

the dust and the occasional sparks of an arch welder,

I spotted an Abyssian standing guard with a heavy

blaster rifle. I chuckled as I walked toward the hulk

of a being. Leave it to a slaver to have a one-eyed

beast stand guard. Kinda ironic.

I approached the Abyssian, his swarthy, weather beaten

face staring at me with that one eye blinking with the

gaze of a mindless beast. He stood a full foot taller

than me and was twice as thick. Muscles rippled across

his muddy gray body, his spherical mouth moved

absently. He lowered his blaster as I approached.

"Hey, gorgeous. Settle down." I raised my hands to

show I was friendly. The behemoth moaned a greeting

and pressed the access terminal. The door to one

sixty-five rose slowly and I knew there was no turning

back. With a grunt and a wave of his blaster, the

Abyssian signaled me to enter.

The docking bay was empty except for the five or six

men that stood chatting over near the refueling

station. They looked my way when I came in and went

back to talking. They were a mish-mash of beings, a

couple of rodians, a trio of humans, and a fat

Galarian. That would be Miter. He shook like a Hutt

but wasn't as big. Galarians were humanoids and looked

like humans except for the thick tubing-like hair. His

head look he had hundreds of hoses sticking into the

air. His skin was a pale green, like moldy bread and

he wasn't terribly happy looking.

Before I stepped any further into the bay, two large

Gammorean's blocked my path. With a pig-like snort,

one grabbed me by neck and threw me up against them

wall. Pain shot through my back as I slammed into the

plastacrete, my ears ringing like a church on a day of

worship.

The other Gammorean pulled out a six-inch vibroblade,

pressing it against my neck. His vile breath stinging

my eyes as snot from his large nose dripped on my

jacket.

"They...have this...thing...It's called...mouthwash,"

I gasped as his meaty hand held me up," You should...

try it...sometime."

They patted me down, checking for any weapons. And they

weren't gentle.

"I...hardly...know you!" After removing my two

blasters, the guard released his grip. I rubbed my

raw throat and straightened my jacket. "You should

teach these meatheads some customer service. This how

you treat all your clients, Winslow?"

Miter smiled as he waddled toward me, arms out, ready

to embrace me. Something I was going to make sure

didn't happen.

"Well, ya didn't think ya could walk in here unchecked

did ya? Just a minor security measure. You know how it

is," his henchmen followed like lost children, behind

him. The smell of fuel and oil filled the air. The

rodians slowly put their hands on the butt of their

holstered blasters, a sign not to try anything.

"Where's the cargo, Miter? I'm kind of in a hurry." I

wasn't in the mood for Lorell's husband to send more

goons for me. I looked around and couldn't see where

they could keep any cargo never mind my special load.

"Well, that my friend, is at my little hide-away, just

outside the city. I got a speeder waiting to take us

there." He put his arm around my shoulders and walked

me to a door in the back of the hanger. I was getting

a little uptight.

"Look, I'd feel a whole lot better if I had my

business partners with me..." When I looked into his

dark green eyes he shifted slightly. A worried frown

slowly formed on his fat lips.

"I was told there would be just you, Captain. What's

the story?" I lifted Miter's arm off my shoulder,

relieved since he smelled of old ale and bad meat.

Slowly I walked over to the Gammorean who man handled

me and grabbed my two blasters he had tucked into his

thick belt. Within a blink, all the blasters in the

room were trained on me. I turned slowly and put my

weapons in their holsters.

"Nervous little group, ain'tcha? Don't worry. There

is just me. I have my accountant and a droid waiting

for me at the hotel. But don't you worry about them.

Like I said...he's an accountant." I looked blankly at

Miter who slowly smiled, then laughed loudly.

"I like you boy! You're even better than I expected.

Cool as ice and with a personality. Don't see that

too often." He laughed again as they lowered they're

guns. One of the humans looked at me with a curious

glance, a bandage around his left arm. He was a tall

thick man, with shaggy hair and a scraggly beard. When

I gave him a stare back he shifted his eyes away.

The door slid open and a large skiff was waiting in

the alley. The group piled into the vehicle and I had

the unfortunate pleasure of being wedged between the

two Gammoreans. As we sped through the city, I noticed

the human with that bandage examine me, trying to get

a grasp on my face. He leaned forward for a better

look. I turned to face him slowly as I smiled.

"Can I help you?" I sat there, arms crossed, waiting

for a reply. He leaned back, deciding to let whatever

thoughts he had go and I watched the buildings

towering over us zip by. This whole deal was starting

to feel bad.

- - -

The Galarian Camp

***Imperial Law 5324.L23.13-A1 All slave compounds,

internment camps or criminal enslavement areas must

be located not closer than five kilometers from any

major city's city limits.***

When we had reached the camp, the skyscrapers were far

in the distance like tall trees in a field. The

terrain was still very urban and I had yet to see the

planet's surface. But the buildings were no longer

reaching to the stars. Most were no higher than a few

stories and badly maintained. The encampment was a

two-story warehouse with guard towers at every corner

enclosed by a large wall with laserwire surrounding

the top.

We stopped at the security checkpoint and were hurried

inside the compound. We pulled into the motor pool

where several skiffs and a pair of swoops were parked.

Miter was talking some unrelated business with his

rodian friends as we walked into the main office.

Miter sat behind a large dark wood desk as he looked

at a datapad. An assortment of weapons and equipment

hung on the wall behind him.

"Okay...says here you ordered ten good-sized Wookiees.

And a special order for a black one. Well we've got

the black one but I can't part with all ten. I'm going

to give ya eight and that'll be it." He threw the

datapad on the desk, looking at me with a fat little

grin. I started to get angry and tried to keep it in

check.

"My boss ordered ten. He paid for ten. I'm not leaving

here without ten." I could feel the anger swell.

"That's the deal."

"Well I'm altering the deal...and you and your boss

are going to have to live with it," a grin spread on

his fat face and I controlled the urge to knock his

yellow teeth out. I stood up and again, the guns came

out. I raised my hands slowly and sat back down.

"Well, if that's the deal, how can I argue," I smiled,

"I didn't pay for'em anyway." I had little choice but

to follow along...but I did have options.

"I knew you were a smart boy the moment I laid eyes on

ya," he stood up, grabbing a stun pistol from the

wall. "Well, let's get you your shipment and send you

on your way." He put the pistol into his belt as he

walked to the door. We all stood at once and followed

him out into the holding area.

The warehouse was large and spacious. A small shed was

at the far end of the building.

"This is the workout area. We have the Wookiees come

out in the main yard here to exercise. We currently

have twenty-five beings for sale. Their living

quarters are in that smaller building." Miter pointed

to the shed. I couldn't believe ten Wookiees could fit

in there, never mind twenty-five.

"Not much room to breathe is there?" I commented.

Miter looked coldly at me. He didn't want me to tell

him how to run his business.

"That's no concern to you boy. They're just fine like

they are. Besides...you're taking seven with you." He

smiled widely, his yellow teeth glared at me. A few of

his henchmen laughed quietly. I stopped dead in my

tracks.

"What the hell's the deal here? I got a business to

run just like you do. I can't go back to my clients

with only seven. I don't know how you run your

business but if I start showing up short, I'm not

going to be in business very long." I tried to hide my

anger but I wasn't very successful. Miter put his

hands on his waist as a scornful look came across his

face.

"Son. I could give two turds what happens to your

business. I run mine the way I like. If you don't like

it, you can leave empty handed. How would that look to

your clients, huh?" I sneered, adjusting my jacket. I

wasn't going to be able to do plan A, picking the

Wookiees up and leaving. So I'd just have to shift to

plan B, a bit riskier scheme.

"Let's get this show on the road." I grunted and

walked toward the holding pen.

---

The ground was covered with a layer of dirt that

seemed barren and lifeless. I could see sensors all

around. Apparently they were too scared of the

Wookiees to have guards inside the complex. Miter

approached the small shed, took out a datacard and

inserted it into the lock. Slowly he opened the pen's

door. He waved the Gammoreans inside and the rest

followed.

The shed was dark and dreary. The walls were dull gray

metal and there were six cells, each jammed with four

Wookiees. They were obviously uncomfortable and

malnourished. A few looked healthy and young. I knew

I had to help these poor creatures, they deserved far

better. One growled viciously at Miter, as barrage of

barks and howls. Miter pulled his stun gun, shooting

the Wookiee with out a glance. With a yelp the Wookiee

fell back in pain.

I looked at the Wookiee sadly. Don't worry pal, he'll

pay for that.

"I want the healthiest. If you're not going to give me

the ten my client wanted, I should at least be able to

pick the ones I want." I looked at Miter. He mulled it

over and shook his head.

"You get, what you get." He looked at me like he had

me in a corner. I snapped.

"Forget it! I'm outta here. I'm going back and telling

my clients that you refused to give me any Wookiees.

And if you know my client, he'll be pissed. Then

he'll send some large, violent people to visit you and

they'll probably remove parts of you. Very slowly. And

you'll only have yourself to blame, you bloated, green

piece of crap!" Miter was stunned by my outburst. His

eyes widened, his brow furrowed. I turned and walked

out into the exercise yard, heading for the exit.

"All right, Capt. Starr. You can take your pick.

They're all the same anyway." I stopped in the middle

of the wide exercise area. He waved to the Gammoreans

to open the cells, weapons at the ready. They paraded

the Wookiees out into the yard.

The large, hairy creatures shuffled, single-file, out

of the pen. They're large legs shackled together in a

chain gang. Most were a dirty brown color with a few

darker in color. One was jet black. He was the one I

came for. They came to a stop and stood there for my

inspection.

I walked back and forth looking at the pathetic

creatures. Most had their hair matted or knotted. Some

smelled of feces while others had patches of hair

missing, the first sign of malnutrition. Most were

adults but three were cubs. Of the twenty-five, four

looked healthy and strong. I picked the healthy four

and the black Wookiee. I stood there wondering which

of these poor creatures deserved to stay and who

deserved to go. I felt a lump grow in my throat, the

rage of having these beings enslaved.

"Which two will it be?" Miter asked impatiently. I

pulled a cigar out of my pocket and put in my mouth

slowly, not looking anywhere in particular. I pulled

out some matches and lit my cigar. I puffed absently

as I shook out the match, throwing it on the dirt

floor.

"They're all coming," I said. Miter's henchmen

laughed. All but one. The human with the bandaged arm

looked stunned as he stared at my cigar.

"Ithorian cigars..." he muttered as he went for his

gun. "He was the one with Lorell last night!" Miter

nearly choked on himself, anger crossing his face. I

blinked innocently. I could see this was a bad

situation.

"Kill him!" Miter could hardly spit out the words.

Everything became slow motion.

I saw the bandaged man reach for his gun. He yelled to

Miter that I was the guy. I grabbed for my pair of

blasters, as I realized the man's arm was shot by me

last night. Miter Winslow was Lorell's husband!

I beat him to the draw as I shot him in the face with

my right gun while my left gun shot a Gammorean in the

chest. With a squeal, they both fell in a lump. Miter

looked in horror as he and another human ran for the

office. I managed two more shots, dropping both

Rodians.

With a howl, one of the Wookiees grabbed the

Gammorean, punching wildly. Soon the other Wookiees

converged and joined in on the beating. The remaining

man had pulled his blaster and was shooting wildly. I

dropped and rolled, my cigar falling from my mouth. I

shot the man in the arm and he dropped his weapon. The

Wookiees, done beating the Gammorean, were now heading

my way. A klaxon went off, as the camp became aware of

the situation.

Grabbing his smoldering arm, the man ran for the exit,

screaming like a hurt little girl. I managed to stand

up, picking up my crushed cigar. I gave it a brief

glance before tossing it aside. I hated wasting those.

Soon the Wookiees were on me, barking and howling. I

handed a blaster to a fairly large Wookiee with thick

reddish hair, he looked confused and he hesitated.

"Shoot off the binders and follow me." He gave me

another befuddled look. "Well don't stand there like a

bad toupee...Hurry up." I smiled and ran to the fallen

beings. I passed out the dead men's blasters to any

Wookiee that came near. Several guards came into the

warehouse, guns blazing. With my team of weakened

Wookiees, we charged. We ran full force at the

startled guards. Their numbers dropped severely in

seconds. These Wookiees were good shots.

A few straggling guards held their ground, shooting a

Wookiee to my right. Another stopped to get his fallen

comrade as I shot back. The entire showdown took less

than two minutes. I stood at the door, looking at my

crew.

Several of the stronger Wookiees helped the weak walk.

The black Wookiee stood silently as the larger one

carrying his dead cellmate came to join us.

"Look. If we can get back to my ship," I said in

hitched breath, I was winded from running, "you are

free. You can go and do whatever you want. But we need

to work together and move quickly. Do you understand?"

A bark of comprehension came from the black Wookiee.

He was definitely Daraga's son. A tribe leader.

"Good. Now help the weaker guys out and everyone else

shoot to kill. We're going home." The group howled a

victory cry and I shook my head.

"They're not paying me enough for this hero stuff."

- - -

The Tram

I opened the door to the garage. Most of the vehicles

were gone. A skiff and a swoop were all that were

left.

"What a bunch of cowards." I yelled. "I don't care if

they were slavers or not, this is no way to run a

business!" I looked at the skiff. It could hold

seventeen including a driver. Looks like we were going

to need to stack the Wookiees like wood.

"I'll take the swoop. Everyone else get in the skiff."

I pointed to the vehicle as several Wookiees barked

nervously. "What do you want me to do? Hail a cab? Get

in!" Slowly the unsure Wookiees climbed aboard. The

skiff visibly sank from the overload while the

repulsorlifts whined and strained. I hit the remote to

open the garage door and climbed on the sleek designed

swoop.

The skiff slowly moved forward as the black Wookiee

barked loudly. That skiff wouldn't go any faster.

It creeped out into the street, other speeders dodging

the sluggish obstacle. Honks and yells flashed by from

angry commuters. I knew this was not going to work.

I pulled the skiff over. I rested my head on the

handlebars, sighing.

"Why can't it ever be easy?" I looked up and asked. I

slid off the swoop and ran over to the skiff.

"Leave the sick and the weak on the skiff," I leaned

in to punch in the coordinates for the ship," the rest

of will follow me. We only have one option left!" Ten

strong and younger Wookiees climbed out of the skiff.

The vehicle rose a foot higher, relieved of the

weight. The remaining passengers looked like hell and

could hardly sit up. I pointed to the black Wookiee.

"Maalagna! Look, you take the wounded to my ship. Get

them ready for take off. We'll be there shortly. Time

to put the tribal leader deal into work." He barked at

me and grabbed me tightly. I was getting tired of

these smelly hugs. He patted me on the head with a

furry hand and jumped into the skiff.

I looked at my team, smiling. They were definitely

strong and you couldn't go wrong with ten mad

Wookiees on your side. The skiff pulled away and into

the traffic. Within seconds it was gone.

"Well, looks like we got a hike, Red." I had to crane

my neck to look at the larger Wookiee. I patted him on

the back and started walking down an alley to get to

the main walkway. I turned back to see them all

standing there, looking blankly at me. I crossed my

arms, waiting as they barked at each other. They were

debating over if they could trust me. Red barked long

and loudly. He was right. Why would I go to all this

trouble to save them if I wanted slaves? It didn't

make sense.

I stuck my fingers in my mouth and whistled.

"We going to stand here all day and let them catch you

guys or we gonna get the hell outta here?" I turned

and went back to walking. Within moments the Wookiees

had caught up and were by my side. As we turned onto

the main walkway, I could see the odd looks of the

people as we walked by. Ten Wookiees, walking down the

street in any city was an intimidating site.

Sirens blared and a troop ship roared around the

corner.

"Stop where you are. Those Wookiees are stolen

property. Put your hands on your head and lie on the

ground." The cops, I can't believe slavers called the

cops! What kinda second rate slaver calls the cops? I

was stunned. Owning slaves wasn't illegal, but you

never called the cops to retrieve runaways. This

Winslow guy was starting to get on my nerves. I was

actually starting to feel good about sleeping with his

wife. One more thing that proved life is not fair. Guy

like him didn't deserve a woman like Lorell.

The Wookiees looked at me nervously. I scanned the area

and ran.

"Follow me, boys. We're going undercover." I jumped

over a rail, heading for a small shed near the corner.

The pounding of twenty Wookiee feet was like thunder

as we ran. The shed was the entrance to the subway. I

herded the Wookiees through the door as the officers

started firing and ran down the escalator to the

commtram terminal. They stopped at the bottom and I

worked my way through the hair and fur to the head of

the class. They stood at the turnstile, looking at me.

A droid stationed held out a robotic arm.

"Two credits please. Two credits." It asked in a

metallic voice.

"Anyone have any tokens?" I asked. They all barked

loudly.

" You guys don't even have pockets." I muttered. "Red,

after you."

With a roar, Red smashed the large turnstile over,

clearing the way for the rest. The droid, sparking and

on fire, spit out receipt chips like a slot machine.

The sterile station was crowded with beings of all

types. The tram was pulling into the terminal and I

pointed to a vacant car. We weaved our way through

people and squeezed into the car. The Wookiees sat

quietly, people fearful to sit near the motley crew.

Several troopers ran into the crowd. I could see them

push and shove their way toward the commtram. One

spotted us and pointed just as the doors closed. With

a smooth push, the tram pulled away. The troopers

waving furiously for the engineer to stop. Soon the

station terminal gave way to the dark tunnel and I

sat down, exhausted. The Wookiees gave out another

victory cry, startling the other passengers. I looked

at them with a haggard expression.

"It ain't over...yet."

---

The lights of the tunnel strobed as we skimmed by at

over two hundred kilometers an hour. I radioed Ezra at

the SlingShot to tell her to get ready for all our

hairy friends. Soon the bright sun filled the train as

we exited the tunnel. The sprawling city sped by in a

blur. The towering buildings of the inner city quickly

advanced.

The group sat there resting in the quiet tramcar. Red

barked questions occasionally. Who I was, where I was

taking them. I answered them quickly and looked around

nervously. I could see the spaceport coming into view.

Clink, Clink.

The Wookiees stirred from the noise on the ceiling.

Clink. Clink. Sparks showered from the roof. Smoke

started to fill the car. They were coming through the

ceiling with a fusion cutter. They were going to open

this tram like a tin can.

I stood, firing at the windows. The plastisteel

shattered and a howling wind sucked the smoke out as

whipped debris all around us. I stuck my head out the

window to see a Patrol Groundcruiser hover a few feet

above the tram. A stormtrooper appeared over me,

blaster ready.

I could feel the blaster bolt just miss me as Red

hauled me back in. Soon the sparks stopped as they had

managed to cut a square into the ceiling. We'd be

sitting targets if we didn't move. The scream of metal

mixed with the howling wind. The stormtroopers, I

could clearly see five of them, had pulled back the

ceiling. The Wookiees had managed to open the door to

the adjoining car. Several spilled through the door as

I fired at the troopers above.

I managed to hit one, who fell through the hole

landing awkwardly on his head. I could hear his neck

snap when he crashed. I backpedaled into Red as he

opened the other access door.

Like rain the troopers fell into the car. Red and

myself, along with three other Wookiees raced through

the tram, past screaming commuters. The troopers fired

into the crowd not caring who they hit. A man that

looked like he might have been a banker of some sort

collapsed as a trooper missed his mark. My group

returned fire the best we could but missed all the

troopers.

I ran full speed watching behind me for any blasters

aimed my way. As I went in-between another set of

tramcars, I felt a large hand grab my jacket and lift

me off my feet. I looked into Red's deep blue eyes,

wind whipping his thick hair. He was crouching on one

knee. He barked at me and pointed. Behind us the

groundcrusier was advancing. He then pointed to the

front of the tram. A mile away another tunnel

approached. A mile would be a couple seconds on this

high-speed joyride.

The other Wookiees were pressed flat against the top

of the tram. I looked ahead to see a stormtrooper poke

his head up from the access way. The troopers climbed

onto the roof and aimed his blaster. Red and I hit the

floor. Confused the trooper froze for a second then

turned. The entrance support beam ripped the trooper's

head off of his body. The limp white armor fell off to

the side into the darkness. The Groundcruiser fell

into position behind the tram.

The ceiling rose as we entered the tunnel, the lights

flashing their familiar glow. I stood up slowly,

desperately fighting the winds. I lost.

With an unearthly tug I flew back, bouncing off the

tops of the tramcars as I sped toward the end of the

line. I managed to grab an exterior light, my legs

flailing off the end of the tram. I gasped heavily as

the patrol ship fired a barrage of fire. I pulled

myself slowly onto the roof and rolled on my back.

Blaster bolts sprayed all around me like rain. I fired

feebly at the cruiser, my bolts bouncing off the

armored sides. I rolled over and grabbed a handhold as

my body slid off the side. I kicked at the plastisteel

but it wouldn't break. I pushed off the window with my

legs to build momentum. A few more kicks and I felt

I'd be able to get back on the roof.

My last push was followed by shattering plastisteel

and lasers. I managed to pull my legs onto the roof.

Several troopers had fired at me and now bolts punched

their way through the roof. Beams of light flowed out

of the blaster holes. I wiggled like a spaceslug,

dodging random blasts. My knees jerked, pushing me

along on my butt as I fell between two cars into the

access way. A blaster fell out of my holster, lost to

the track below.

"Shit! Those are expensive!" I yelled as I grabbed my

other blaster and adjusted my position. I kicked the

control panel and the door slid open. I pulled the

trigger as fast as I could, mowing down the three

troopers, like dominoes. I could feel the train slow

as it approached our stop. I could see my Wookiee

friends ahead. They had converged on the other

troopers and done a number on them. Red held the

fallen Wookiee in his arms as the tramcars behind us

blew up in a fiery ball.

One by one the cars were destroyed as the train came

to a close. The train stopped and the doors opened as

we all jumped onto the terminal platform. Our car

burst into flames and shrapnel flew. Metal pieces

pelted everyone. A large chuck hit me in the left

shoulder. I screamed in pain as a brownish Wookiee

grabbed me, tossing me over his shoulder. We headed

into the crowd that was waiting for their morning

train. Screams and explosions rocked the station;

the complete lack of respect for human life was the

calling card of the Empire. The fact they were helping

some two-bit hack of a slaver really pissed me off.

My comlink beeped and I pulled it off my belt.

"Sir, our Wookiee companions have arrived. We're ready

for take-off." The Wookiee held onto me running at

full speed. Each stride pierced my shoulder. I could

barely respond.

"We'll be there in a second. Just taking in the

view..." I panted. Soon enough we were in the

SlingShot's hanger. Carlosh was standing at the base

of the ramp. He leapt into action at the sight of nine

running Wookiees.

"Garic, are you okay?" Carlosh said concerned. The

Wookiee sped past him, up the ramp.

"Never felt better."

- - -

Take-off

The Wookiee put me down as Ezra directed everyone into

the cargo hold. A few barked at the accommodations.

"Would you like it back with your buddies," I grimaced

as I jerked my thumb toward the door. That shut up the

complainers. With a scream I pulled the small

inch-sized shred of metal out of my shoulder. I ripped

off my shirt to apply a medpack to the bleeding wound.

Red complained of a smell. Said something wasn't

right.

"Ah shut up Red, I just had her cleaned." I closed the

door and walked to the cockpit. Ezra soon arrived and

sat in her seat.

"All set, Captain." I flicked the repulsorlifts and

cleared with the tower. I sat down and buckled up.

Within seconds we were cleared to leave. Ezra had

already filed a false flight plan. I looked at her to

smile as I pressed on the bandage and winced instead.

"Good job Ezra." Soon the city was below us and the

stars could be seen. I relaxed a little as I entered

the coordinates into the navicomputer. I looked at my

gash. It was already healing due to the medpack. Might

have to get it checked out for nerve damage but all in

all, I'd survive.

"It's gonna take a few minutes to get the flight paths

Ezra, why don't you get the medical droid ready. I

might need some work on the shoulder." Ezra nodded and

walked out of the cockpit. I could see the barren

moons of Shar V and IV. Chucks of cold rock just

floating around.

When the computer came back with the proper readings,

I announced that everyone hold tight and strap in. I

waited a moment, then pulled on the hyperdrive

activators. A small familiar whir started as the

hyperdrive initiated. Then with a loud CHUNK it

stopped. We weren't going anywhere.

"Shit," I pressed the intercom, "Ezra come up to the

cockpit. I need ya." I waited. And waited. And waited.

Where the hell is she? I repeated my instructions into

the intercom. Again I waited. And waited. Damn it! I

unbuckled myself and stood up, my shoulder throbbing.

Then I noticed Carlosh wasn't around. Things weren't

adding up.

I drew my blaster and walked toward the bulkhead door.

An access panel was open near the door controls. I

absently shut it, starting to worry. I walked down the

hallway and rounded the corner into the lounge. I

could hear the whir of droid servers. As I entered the

lounge, Ezra lay on the floor, her head blown off and

her spinal servers working over time.

I rushed over to find the cause when a blur of black

moved across my field of vision. I raised my blaster

but nothing was there. I stood and ran to the cargo

hold. The control panel was slag. Apparently whoever

was doing this disarmed my internal alarms. The cargo

hold was sealed. My Wookiee payload locked inside.

Red had said he smelled something not right.

"Always listen to the Wookiee," I reminded myself.

The lights blinked, then dimmed.

"Stop fucking with my ship!" I yelled. I ran around to

the medical bay. Carlosh was slumped in a chair. A

knot stood out on his bulbous head. He was

unconscious. The medic droid was alert and ready.

"Who was in here, Doc?" I looked around for any clues.

"Sir, a large dark figure deposited Master Carlosh

here moments ago. I have yet to examine him."

"So he's close. Well he's fucked with the wrong..." A

thick hand hit me in the back. I stumbled forward and

landed onto Doc's medical instruments, my blaster

falling to the ground. Tools clattered everywhere.

I grabbed a laser scalpel and turned on my attacker.

He was a tall human in black. His body armor was

form-fitting and looked like his skin. A long flowing

cape, black as night, surrounded him. I stood there

stunned for a moment; the cloak seemed to have no

dimension to it. I looked like just a black stain on

the room. It moved but didn't ripple like a cape. He

lunged, grabbing my throat. I looked at his helmet's

faceplate. The shine was so intense I could see

myself. I winked at him.

I kicked him in the sternum, sending him across the

room. I threw the scalpel at him and it pierced his

armor and stuck into him. He gave out a small grunt

and pulled a blaster out of his cloak. My eyes widened

as I ran straight at the gun. I leapt off my feet and

managed to grab the barrel. I struggled to point it to

the ceiling as he squeezed off two rounds. He ruptured

a coolant valve; the thick cold fluid sprayed us. I

rolled, pulling him on top of me as a shield. The

fluid covered us, chilling me to the bone. I managed

to shake him off me as I slipped and floundered into

the hallway. It took my attacker a little longer to

give chase.

I ran to my storage lockers. Quickly punching the

code, I opened a locker and pulled out a blaster. I

turned just in time to draw a bead on him. He skidded

to a halt; his gun aimed at me.

"Okay, see. This is my ship. And unless you're the

shortest, baldest Wookiee I've ever met, you weren't

invited onboard." I stood my ground. Coolant dripped

of my bare back, irritating my skin. I took a step

toward the cockpit.

"I have thirteen individual bounties on you. I'd say

that's an engraved

invitation." He matched me for every step, our guns

trained on each other. "And Mr. Winslow just added

number fourteen." The familiar snap-hiss of a

lightsaber ignited from his hand hidden in the cloak.

Now I was nervous.

"You work for that fat moldy looking prick?" I laughed.

"You're pretty pathetic working for a slaver."

He lunged at me striking my blaster. It fell in two

pieces as I use a leg sweep to knock him to the floor.

He waved his saber effortlessly coming close to my head.

I rolled to one side and dove through a door. The

lights flickered, then went out. Back-up lights glowed

with an eerie redness.

"Mr. Winslow has me on retainer. He's not a slaver,"

The bounty hunter's deep voice rumbled through the

ship. I ran down the hallway, my shoulder screaming

in pain. "He's into worker relocation. These are

beings that owe Mr. Winslow money."

I looked back to see the tip of the lightsaber appear

from a doorway.

"Indentured servants," I could hear his steps click on

the grated floor, "They've given their lives to

Winslow in exchange for their debts."

"Bullshit! You think a Wookiee would give his life for

a few credits?" I spit back out of breath. "You think

I was hired to rescue them because they willingly gave

themselves to Winslow? Are you stupid?"

"No. I'm the Prophet." I stood up straight. The name

numbed me. Prophet was as widely known as Boba Fett

and more mysterious. No one, who encountered the

Prophet, had ever lived to tell the story. He was a

myth, a tall tale. He didn't exist. Yet now he was

aboard my ship. Trying to take me in.

"Well," I gulped," Looks like I've made the big time!"

I laughed nervously, yet with a little pride. I had

pissed off enough of the scum of the universe to have

the great Prophet hunt me. It was kind of an honor

actually.

"You're not what I imagined. I was told you were one

of the few hunters with honor. Guess that's all

bullshit." I crawled into a closet, reaching for the

ceiling. I yanked a hidden panel from the ceiling. Now

I needed to figure out how to boost myself up with a

bum shoulder.

"You're chastising me about honor? Sleeping with

another man's wife. You call that honor?" He was

moving closer.

"I didn't know she was married," I reasoned. I managed

to pull myself halfway up. I tried to swing my leg up,

since my left arm was useless. It had started bleeding

again, from the strain I had been putting on it.

"Would it have made a difference if you knew?" He

asked. I laughed and shook my head.

"With her...no." My leg finally found a hold on the

panel. With a kick I had both legs in the access

tunnel and I was pulling myself up.

A lightsaber went between my legs and I jumped back,

hitting my head on the ceiling. I scurried backwards

and managed to get out of harms way.

I knew he'd be able to hear me so I crawled as fast

as I could. I rounded a corner and could feel my brain

being attacked. It was like a hand rubbing my brain,

then slapping it hard. Great...he knew the force. I

tried my best to block it.

"I'm impressed, Garic. Someone has shown you how to

use the force. Most smugglers don't believe in it." I

continued through the access tunnel. I had built this

little crawlway in case I was ever locked in my cargo

hold. Now I was using it to break into it.

He was wrong about the force stuff. All I knew was a

technique a friend had shown me to shut out the force

users in the universe. That's as much as I knew. Took

me months to learn how to do that. No way did I want

to waste my time learning more. I'd be an old man

before it became useful.

The saber pierce through the tunnel again, just

missing my thigh. I finally made it over the cargo

hold. I knew I was safe from the lightsaber. I kicked

at the panel and the Wookiees stirred in confusion.

The panel landed with a crash, and I followed.

Also with a crash.

Red picked me up, setting me on my feet. The cargo

door showered sparks, then silently slid open.

Prophet slowly strode in, his lightsaber humming. I

stood to confront him. Several Wookiees barked and

growled. I held my hand up and they slowly came to

silence.

"You're adept with the force?" I asked Prophet. "You

can read minds?" Anger swelled in me. I took a step

closer.

"Can you read my mind? Huh, Can you?!" I stepped

closer. He nodded silently. "Can you read their minds?

Can you see the pain they've suffered." Another step.

"Can you see the lives they've lead? What Winslow was

really doing? If you are the same Prophet I've heard

about. The Prophet that is fair, honest and moral. If

you are that same man, than you will see that these

Wookiees should be free and that Winslow is the bad

guy. Not me. Not them. Not you." I was standing inches

from his faceplate. My breath fogging the front,

blurring my reflection.

"If you are that man, you will let me deliver them to

their families so they can live like you and me," I t

urned my back and slowly joined the twenty Wookiees.

"Because no one is more free than I am...and you are."

Prophet's thumb twitched and his saber disappeared.

He fastened it to his belt underneath his cloak.

"You're right Garic. Winslow is the scumbag I tried

not to see. You're free to go. Our paths will not

cross again."

I laughed. Prophet's head snapped to look straight at

me.

"I'm free to go. I'm free? This is my ship buddy, and

you can leave anytime you want.... as soon as you fix

my hyperdrive." I walked toward him and placed my arm

around his shoulders.

"Ah, don't worry. You'll get used to me."

- - -

Epilogue

The SlingShot came to a rest on the small Mantooine

airfield. I walked confidently down the ramp onto the

thick short grass. Daraga stood there like a jet-black

monolith, surrounded by several menacing Wookiees. She

growled uneasily. Word of our not so quiet escape had

circulated.

Prophet and Carlosh flanked me on either side.

"You can't accept payment Garic. It's not right."

Carlosh pleaded.

"Shut up and let me run my business." An angry barrage

of growls and barks came from Daraga's group.

"Welcome home boys!" I yelled as the herd of Wookiees

made there way down the ramp. Some ran, some limped,

some were helped by their comrades and two were

carried. I knelt in front of Daraga.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get them all." I bowed my head.

Daraga picked me up, tears flowing down her dark fur.

She hugged me gently, one of the few times a Wookiee

has ever done that, as she barked and chirped.

She patted my head and then Maalagna, her son, the

True reason for this trip, came down the ramp. They

ran to each other and hugged and barked cheerfully.

"Garic, what did Daraga tell you?" Carlosh asked. I

looked at him smiling.

"She said thanks." Prophet crossed his arms and I

could tell he was leering at me without seeing his

face. I winked and headed back on board. The group of

thirty some-odd Wookiees stood at the ramp. Each one,

starting with Daraga, knelt before me. I walked back

down the ramp and touched each on the head in turn.

Red stood, barking a long soliloquy.

"You know it, Red. You can bet on it."

I walked into the ship and raised the ramp. The

Wookiees gave out another victory cry as the ramp

sealed off the sound.

"How does it feel?" Prophet asked.

"What do you mean?" I looked innocent. Carlosh and

Ezra, fixed as good as new and as shiny as ever,

buckled into their seats.

"It's not everyday you're made an "honor-family"

member. And I'm not talking one Wookiee, but thirty."

Carlosh's eyes fluttered in surprise.

"But doesn't a Wookiee life-debt include them

following you around until they've repaid you?"

Carlosh looked at me silently.

"Well, I couldn't have thirty Wookiees following me

around now could I? Daraga and I agreed that the debt

could never be fulfilled, in their eyes, so I would

only come under their protection when I needed them.

No dishonor." Prophet chuckled and sat down. He shook

his head as he looked out the window.

"What are you laughing at, mystery man?" I glared at

him as we left the planet's atmosphere.

"Nothing worth talking about." I locked in the

coordinates and pulled the activators.

"That's what I figured..." the stars pulled into

streaks as we shot into hyperspace.

- - -

The salty sea spit mist on the platform. Carlosh

looked at me and grabbed my hand.

"You are definitely an interesting man, Captain Garic

Starr." He looked at me like a kid being sent to

summer camp for the first time.

"Well, your pretty exciting for an accountant." I

patted him on his fishy head and he slowly walked off

the platform. Wave sprayed water into the air. I

watched him go inside the main building. I liked the

little guy. He wasn't a bad kid. Prophet looked over

my shoulder then cleared his throat.

"Why didn't you tell him you didn't take the Wookiee's

money?" I turned and walked up the ramp.

"Aw shut up." I closed the ramp when Prophet stepped

onto it.

"You're a big softie...aren't you? You big

marshmallow..."

"And you? I don't see you raking in the bounties..."

"Maybe I'm just waiting..."

"Well let's see who's the softy...Mr. Scary

Faceless-Boy"

"Garic, Don't start..."

"Who me? I'm perfect. "

"Gimme a break!"

"You're just jealous..."

The End