Chapter 1

Cheap Gas

"Bespin is a lousy colony anyway..." Dakota mumbled. It had been the third time the local freight officials had turned down his fuel shipment due to "impurities". This time a fee was incurred, and a tag placed on his ships identification number that would hover over him for the next 3 months. Credits were scarce as it is, and Dakota started to think more and more about returning to the Rebellion. "You know, they could really use me!" Dakota lied to himself. The Rebellion had no need for yet another cargo pilot. As Dakota's weathered glove reached for the ships transmitter panel, a hose in the back room erupted with an explosive boom followed by a high-pitched hiss that made Dakota wince in pain. "Damn it!" he shouted, as he reached for his repair kit. This hadn't been the first malfunction of this particular trip.

Dakota's ship, the Raven, was a modified UT-60D U-Wing Troop Transport. Dakota had purchased it from the Rebellion for an "auction block" price after the S-foil articulation servomotor assembly had become inoperable. Luckily, Dakota knew a guy and had the Raven back to normal in no time. The ship was later modified with an upgraded hyper-drive, improved weapons suite, lower cabin and living space, and a large external cargo bay. Before leaving the rebellion, the Raven had seen extensive action in the outer rim providing much-needed equipment to Rebel troops on the front lines. That service in harsh conditions during wartime really took its toll on the Raven, but the ship was still largely dependable.

The Raven was now on course for Arkanis in the outer rim territories. While previously under Imperial control, the planet was now undergoing liberation. Dakota has gotten a tip on the situation from a reputable source he'd met a few days back at a Rebel spaceport. Cheap gas would be welcome there, no problem. The patched gas line was holding, and Dakota stepped back into the cockpit with a sigh of relief. The Rebellion was off of his mind, for now, as the Raven came out of hyperspace above Arkanis with a bright blue flash. Dakota punched in the landing coordinates into the nav computer and the ship began its descent.

Once inside the atmosphere, and having received clearance to land, Dakota took the controls and landed the Raven manually behind Rebel lines. As the landing gear extended, a large dust cloud was kicked out from under the ship and settled on the edges of the landing pad. A number of Rebel troops tasked with guarding the pad were absorbed by the cloud, and Dakota chuckled as they waved their hands in front of them in an attempt to shield themselves. The cabin door opened slowly, allowing the pressure differential to equalize. Dakota stepped out and stretched as the dim sunlight warmed his face. Arkanis was typically rainy, with an average of 2 or 3 days of heavy downpour a week. Dakota thought this anomaly in the weather pattern was a bad omen… just as anything out of the ordinary was. Dakota looked across the pad to the entrance of Rebel Base Kilo, where a Rebellion diplomat was headed his way.

"My name is Salaman Tweed" the diplomat said as he outstretched a weary hand. "What brings you to Arkanis?"

Dakota shook Tweed's hand firmly. "The name's Dakota. I heard your troops could use some gas. Those speeders don't run on their own, now do they, sir?"

Tweed wore a tired expression on his face, but his eyes seem to light up after hearing the good news. "Oh, why yes! Yes! We are low on our reserves after doubling the scout patrols in the area." He signaled to a nearby soldier and the young man began offloading the fuel shipment. "Whatever you charge, the Rebellion will gladly pay".

Dakota did not question the gesture but charged a fair price. The purchase of his entire shipment would be more than enough credits to get him back on his feet. There was no sense in robbing the good guys.

The two shared some small talk before Tweed paid the amount in full. "We appre-" Tweed was about to send Dakota on his way when a deep thud sounded from across the compound. Rebel soldiers were charging to their battle stations as alarms blared from every corner of the base. "I think it's time you leave" Tweed muttered under his breath. Dakota nodded and made a run for the landing pad.

As the large metallic doors of Rebel Base Kilo swung open to reveal the landing pad, Dakota caught the attention of two Imperial stormtroopers. The two opened fire on Dakota, unleashing a stream of hot laser fire that would have killed him if he hadn't taken cover behind a nearby rations crate. Dakota removed his DH-17 blaster from its chest harness and picked off the two stormtroopers after a few missed shots. Dakota entered the Raven and shut the cabin door behind him. Laser fire from nearby Imperial troops struck the ship's hull as Dakota brought the systems online. The four Incom 4J.7 fusial thrust engines roared to life as laser fire continued to strike the Raven's hull over the blare of alarms in the background.

"Come on… come on…" Dakota muttered as the Raven's thrust meter slowly built up the necessary power for an atmospheric takeoff. The laser fire was methodical at this point, sure to break through the Raven's armor any second. After what seemed like a lifetime, the thrust meter finally reached its peak. Without hesitation, Dakota shoved the four throttles forward and the Raven leaped off the landing pad with incredible force, throwing the nearby Imperials on their backs. It shook violently as Dakota tried to hold it steady. He peeled away from the ground and the vibrant blue of Arkanis' atmosphere slowly dimmed to the familiar black of space. With a hefty amount of credits onboard, Dakota smiled knowing that the Raven had yet again delivered him to safety. "That was a close one. I hate surprises..." he muttered softly while wiping the sweat from his brow. As he coasted through empty space, Dakota stepped into the cabin to gather his thoughts where a small flashing light alerted him of an incoming transmission – Origin: Yavin IV.

To Be Continued