"Ar-six, initialize and prepare for descent."
Thea Firrin smiled as the robot beeped with banal reverence. A post-Empire astromech she bought on Bothawui, the droid was all business and lacked the attentiveness of most beings. But as she shifted restlessly in her seat and looked at the marble gleaming beneath her, she knew even her own company would prove fruitless if paired with a perceptive co-pilot.
Below her was Hapes, a world with which she sustained a rough relationship. She gazed at it thoughtfully, for she had not seen it in several years' time and never planned on returning for her personal benefit. Beads of sweat swarmed on her skin, the apprehension induced by memory and laced with regret.
As the Valkyrie lurched forward, her fingers gripped the controls. On the other side she spotted Megos, a moon veiled by nebulae that hovered above the planet's achingly blue waters . Her knuckles grew white with tension as the craft swooped through the blanket of stars, narrowly avoiding sparse pieces of debris that looked as if they'd been dissected from a decades-old satellite.
Thea's panic briefly cracked when noises of concern registered from the back of the cockpit.
"We're not requesting permission to land per the usual routine. Another emissary is supposed to be monitoring our landing."
Another series of boops soared through the ship's middle.
"I don't know," she noted with a loose shrug. "It may be a Jedi, may be a diplomat… could even be a medical droid. Master Skywalker wasn't at all specific."
Master. The title struck her with contrition. Though she had learned to respect her newfound Republic niche, her adverse attitude toward authority remained. She jerked as her right hand slid toward a keypad, the device a yellowed relic from a bygone era. The code, comprising scrambled Galactic Basic, served as a subversive way of contact for those probing her presence. Though necessary, the measure made her grin, as Hapes was unthreatening at heart despite its notoriously tough political ties.
As she guided the Valkyrie through its initial plunge, a blue light flickered with the hum of the engines. Bingo. Thea scanned the horizon once more and flipped a large switch.
"This is the freighter Valkyrie requesting communication. Do you read?"
She found herself unprepared for the abrupt hiss of static blaring through the cockpit. The noise hurtled toward Ar-six, who conveyed a forced sense of worry as Thea grazed her knuckles against the controls. Brow furrowed, her fingers found the switch again as her request become clearer.
"This is the Valkyrie of the New Republic. I'm on assignment from Leia Organa Solo hers-"
She was interrupted by a slightly nervous voice that was initially obscured by her own worry. Jaw clenched, she listened intently and recognized the sounds as that of a Chadra-Fan, a small rodent-like race hailing from the Outer Rim. The mechanically minded species had taken flight to aid in the Republic's recent engineering endeavors, but Thea never expected to find one on Hapes. Its presence led her to believe that one of the higher-ups was pushing something innovative.
"We've been expecting you," the creature wailed. "The...the l-location will be provided accordingly. Please be patient."
Thea's anxiety returned, propelling her into a cripplingly cautious state. There was something about the creature's inherent nervousness that made her even more uneasy. Her irises glimmered as a set of coordinates appeared, her hand thrusting the ship at a downward angle.
The field below her looked as if it had been recently cleared, the landing pad acting as the only plateau in the sea of trees. Thrusters enabled, the freighter settled awkwardly onto the surface. Loose interior bolts rattled with the turbulence.
A pang of wistfulness struck her as she gazed at the scenery. No matter how much personal unrest this world had given her, it had all the beauty and wisdom of an Old Core Corellian painting. Like Naboo, it had retained its purity despite the galaxy's war-torn history.
She bid farewell to Ar-six, giving the droid a halfhearted military salute before ejecting herself from the Valkyrie. Immediately she noticed the Chadra-Fan, who idly shuffled in his red and gold robes and timidly fiddled with his claws.. But what truly arrested her attention was the figure beside him. Well-manicured and garb impeccable, the man would have looked at home on Hapes if not for the culture's matriarchal leanings. A sharp sense of aggravation followed, with Thea feeling as if her intuition was obscured by something untouchable.
The cloak pooled behind her as she forced a smile, her composure strengthening with every step as she approached the pair.
"My name is Thea Firrin," she began. "As I'm sure you know, Leia Organa Solo has been vying for Hapes as an ally for the New Republic. I hope we can come to some sort of-"
The man cut her off with a wave of his hand — an action Thea felt hard to ignore, she discovered.
"I have heard of your discussions in front of the Consortium, particularly with regard to the Queen Mother," he interrupted, his voice dripping with both charm and condescension. "If Senator Solo and the rest of the diplomats have proven unconvincing, what makes you think you'll fare much better?"
While fury circled her like a mandala, his alleged devotion to Hapes' independence left her even more perplexed. There was no way the Djos would associate with this character, especially one who lacked the brand of decorum so highly revered in the Royal Court. Her fists tightened as the Chadra-Fan—who had been surveying her with his fretful eyes—made note of the tension.
"This is Case Eros," the rodent droned, his ears twitching when he motioned toward his partner. "My name is Voran. Please do forgive him, miss. Our alliance is to the greater good, and our interests are similar to yours despite the opposing sides."
The alien's last syllable lingered in the air as Case casually threw back his robe. In addition to the DL-44 blaster now rendered standard for everyday defense, a lightsaber hung loosely from his utility belt. Thea couldn't make out any intricacies, but the sheer shape of it seemed different from models handled by Luke and Jaina. Feigning a state of calm, she appeared unphased.
"A Jedi," she murmured, her teeth almost gritted. "I would have thought someone as disciplined as yourself would have a bit more… tact about them."
As his emerald eyes grew dark, it was apparent her embellishment stung.
"I have plenty," he retorted. But while his expression remained stiff, he knew she had a point. His appearance did not fit that of a petulant teenager; however, he knew the same could not be said for his performance. He avoided his capacity for additional insults as he cleared his throat, mustering a polite smile to quash the contention.
Before he could speak, Voran interjected for a second time.
"We must get you to Ta'a Chume'Dan," the Chadra-Fan squeaked, glaringly happy about breaking the dissent. "While your ship doesn't bear the New Republic insignia or any associated markings, it still has no place here. We do not want a cause for concern."
Thea nodded in agreement. This was something she knew full well, as an aged VCX-350 would look out of place on a planet inhabited solely by sleek ambassadorial shuttles and Battle Dragons. She smirked at the thought; the Valkyrie may have seen better years, but it could easily trump Hapan starships in times of duress.
Case, who suddenly seemed less sinister, concurred as he improved his posture.
"That would be wise," he noted, looking back at Thea with determination. "You will not be seeing the Queen Mother as you might've thought at first. In fact, getting you to the Consortium at all has yet to be determined. But we cannot discuss it further until we lead you to the appropriate destination."
An argumentative plea swelled in her throat as her mind flashed to the lightsaber again, aware of the conflict that awaited her if she displayed a shred of defiance. Voran sent her a slow but reassuring nod, which provided with an inner calm she couldn't possibly understand. Shifting her belt to confirm the presence of her own weapon, Thea let out a sigh of resignation and handled her hood like a veil.
"Let's move."
And so they did.
/ Author's note: This story is multi-chapter. Will add more shortly!