Disclaimer: Star Wars and all its characters are the property of
George Lucas, Bantam, and Boulevard books. I am in no way making any
sort of profit from this work and or the characters included within
its text. The only thing I have to gain is the satisfaction of
someone telling me they enjoyed the story.
Spoilers: This work contains spoilers for any of the Bantam or Young
Jedi Knights novels.
Dedication: This is dedicated to Darien, my first, and favorite,
editor. May happiness follow her wherever she walks. And to my
brother Steven. Without his enthusiasm for these characters I
probably would have never read the novels nor started this
particular story. Thanks for peaking my interest.
STAR WARS: Shattered Dreams
Chapter one: Respite
by Dave Ziegler
"What did Dad have to say about this," Jacen Solo challenged his
sister. His authoritative tone echoed round the polished silver walls
of the vast docking bay that had been allocated to them on GemDiver
station by a rather generous Lando Calrissian. He probably wouldn't
have been quite so cooperative, Jacen thought amusedly, if he had
known then what type of ship it was that Jaina and Lowie had purchased and
decided to overhaul. Still, Lando had taken the revelation
well, when the two young Jedi decided it was time to let him in on it, and
had promised not to disclose the information too early to Jacen and Jaina's
father. He imagined that Han would be quite angry that they dare keep
something as important as the type of Jaina's first ship from him.
"If I had wanted Dad's opinion, I would have invited him and not you,
Jacen. Don't worry, Lowie and I will deal with Dad later. So what do you
think?"
Jacen ran his hand along the rough underside of the newly restored
YT-1300 stock light freighter that his sister and their mutual friend,
Lowbacca, had invested in. In all appearances the ship seemed to be a
carbon copy of Han Solo's famous vessel, the Millennium Falcon. Jacen
knew better, though, than to trust those two to leave anything
mechanical the way they found it. There was no doubt in his mind that
the old freighter held more surprises for the unwary than an Imperial
Grand Admiral. He had to admit, though, that the familiar lines of a
ship that had saved the lives of him and his family so many times
before brought with it a certain degree of comfort that any other
ship would be hard pressed to mimic.
"Well," Jaina asked of him, her patience beginning to thin with his
lengthy inspection and concern over their father's probable objections.
After all, Jacen had never shown much interest in dad's admonitions before.
"It's a fine ship, Jaina. Congratulations." Jaina's face broke into
a broad grin, and she gave her brother a quick yet firm embrace. She
hadn't realized until now how much his approval of the ship meant to
her. And now that he had given it, well, now she could relax.
"This is a fact, Jaina, my friend." Descending from the boarding ramp
of the vessel, the young princess of Hapes gave voice to her opinion.
Jacen glanced from his sister to the new arrival and caught her gaze.
Once upon a time, he had thought those eyes to be cold and serious, made
of a hard grey, like granite, never letting anyone in or her emotions out.
Now, though, he found himself forever lost in pools of unending warmth
and feeling. He had been so wrong then. So very, very wrong.
"What will you call this vessel?" Tenel Ka asked. "Lowbacca would not
divulge that information the entire time he was guiding me through its interior."
Jaina rubbed her hands together enthusiastically, awaiting the response of
her friends to this well guarded secret.
"Lowie and I plan on calling her SUNRIDER'S SABER. Obviously after
the great Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider," Jaina added hastily, forgetting
that she was not the only one Tionne had related the legend to.
Tenel Ka solemnly nodded her approval. "A fitting name for the vessel
of two Jedi." Jaina turned eagerly toward Jacen, only then noticing
his expression. He was scowling. Deeply. Jaina's stomach rolled
into knots. "He hates it," she thought.
Jacen continued to glare at his sister, his disapproval practically
reaching out to slap her. Jaina took an involuntary step backward.
She had begun to relax too soon, she should've known he wouldn't like
the name, she must hav... Jacen was grinning. "I think its a great name
Jaina."
"You do?"
"Yeah, you couldn't have chosen better, Jaya. But you should have
seen yourself when I pulled that face. I'm telling you it was
priceless." Jacen slapped his sister on the back amiably. "What's
the matter? Can't take a joke today?"
Jaina allowed a mischievous smile to form on her lips. "Oh don't
worry, Jacen. I'm fine. Just don't be surprised if at sometime during
the trip you find that the refresher units have suddenly decided that
you don't have the proper authorization to enter." Lowbacca chuffed
with laughter at this, and the barest hint of a smile played at the
corners of Tenel Ka's mouth. "Let's get going then, shall we?" Jaina
said.
Both Lowie and Tenel Ka retraced their steps into the ship, and Jaina
was soon to follow. Only Jacen lagged behind, worried that maybe he
had pushed his twin too far. "You really wouldn't do that would you,
Jaina?" He quickened his pace and bounded up the ramp after his
retreating friends. "Jaina, would you? Jaina?" Jacen's voice sank
into nothingness as a soft whirring of motors sealed the boarding ramp into
place once again.
* * *
Jaina dropped herself into the pilot's seat and was relieved to find
that the upholstery she had installed was much more supportive than
that on the Falcon. She had often argued with her father about
getting it replaced, but he would never budge. Han claimed that the
worn and uncomfortable seats added character to the ship, and she'd
have to march him in front of a firing squad before he'd change it. Besides,
it was his ship.
Lowbacca seated himself in the chair opposite Jaina's own, one specially
constructed much larger to accommodate his furry bulk. "Ah, Mistress Jaina.
Master Lowbacca," a tinny voice piped up from the control console.
"I believe you'll find that all the preflight checks have already
been performed, and that we are ready to depart whenever you desire."
"Thank you, Em Teedee," Jaina acknowledged the small translator droid
who had been Lowie's constant companion for many years now. In fact,
Jaina had trouble remembering a time they were ever apart. Lowie
also gave an appreciative bark, and the little droid practically glowed.
"Well, you are perfectly welcome. Both of you. I am glad I could be
of service." With that Em Teedee floated out of the cockpit on the
small repulsor jets Tyko Thul had upgraded him with on Mechis III.
"GemDiver Station, this is Sunrider's Saber requesting permission to
disembark." Jaina toggled the communications switch. A few moments
passed and nothing but silence answered them. Jaina threw a
concerned look over to Lowie who just shrugged, indicating that he
could not sense anything out of the ordinary onboard the station.
Jaina leant forward and reactivated the panel. "GemDiver Station this is..."
"Sunrider's Saber, this is GemDiver control." Lando Calrissian's
unmistakably suave voice filtered into the ship. "Sorry about that
kids, I wanted to personally see you off. You know how it is around
here, though. Anyway, you are clear to disembark. Have a good trip
and try not to break too many hearts. Okay, Jaina?" Jaina laughed
openly, for Lando often liked to tease her father about the
possibilities that might have existed between Lando and herself if
only he had been a younger man.
"You have my word."
"Good," Lando said. "Now go and enjoy yourselves."
"You can count on it, GemDiver. Sunrider's Saber, out."
Jaina eased the freighter out of the docking bay, enjoying the view
of Lando Calrissian's mining station at the same time. The vibrant
luminescence of the gas giant it circled glinted off the hull plating
creating a dazzling light show for any lucky enough to witness it.
Jaina deftly swung the ship about and made for open space. By now
Lowie would have already calculated the necessary coordinates for
their hyper space jump.
"We ready?" Jaina asked.
Lowie barked a quick affirmative, and so Jaina grabbed the two control
levers and eased them backward. Outside the ship, stars streaked into great
elongated lines as it shot itself into oblivion.
* * *
"Is everything all right back here?" Jaina asked. In the rear
compartment of the freighter, Jacen and Tenel Ka sat opposite one
another at the holotable. Both stared intensely down at the playing
board, trying to outmaneuver the other. Jacen, however, had a
considerably more difficult task than Tenel Ka.
"Everything is adequate," Tenel Ka stated. She then initiated a move that
resulted in one of her pieces striding over to one of Jacen's and
lopping off its head.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Jacen protested. Tenel Ka stared quizzically
at her opponent for a moment.
"I assure you, Jacen, that my move was well within the established
rules of the simulation." Jacen groaned and allowed his head to fall
to the table. Just behind him, Jaina smiled quietly to herself, remembering
a story her father had told her of the time when he and Uncle Luke had
first met.
"So, dear sister of mine, do you have any tactical advice for the
desperate?" Jacen moaned.
"Sorry, Jacen. You're on your own. I'm sort of enjoying your
despondence."
"Oh for an affectionate sibling!" Jacen wailed, overacting for his
sister's benefit.
"Ha! This'll learn you not to play with the emotions of your dear
and affectionate sister," Jaina teased in return. The game resumed,
albeit for only a short while. The next five moves brought Tenel Ka victory
and Jacen defeat. As was the standard way of things.
"Oh, congratulations, Mistress Tenel Ka. A well played game," Em Teedee
assailed the victor with his prissy voice. Tenel Ka nodded
acceptance of the droid's congratulations, then turned toward Jacen,
who stared dejectedly at the table.
"I never really liked that game," he muttered, kicking his feet up on
the holotable. "So, where are we going Jaina? Or are you and Lowie
going to keep up all this cloak and dagger stuff?"
Ever since receiving the initial invitation to join Jaina and Lowie
for a few days on vacation, Jacen and Tenel Ka had constantly been
denied any clues as to where they would end up spending these few,
supposedly, fun filled days. Tenel Ka, as always, looked absolutely
calm, but in secret Jacen knew that she had to be just as curious as
he was, if not even more so.
"Let's see if you can't figure it out," Jaina tantalized him. "Its
in the Candren system," she offered by way of a first hint. Jacen glared at
her in response, disgust plainly etched on his face.
"There are seven planets in the Candren system, and about seven are
inhabited to some extent. You have to give us more to go on than
that!" Jacen exclaimed. Jaina crossed her arms and looked thoughtful
for a moment, her brandy brown eyes narrowing in feigned concentration.
"All right, here's your next hint," Jaina smiled. "It's not a
colonial area."
"That would remove three of the choices," Tenel Ka stated matter-of-
factly. Jacen glanced over at his companion, inwardly grateful for
her astounding powers of recollection.
"It still leaves us with four others. Candren VII is an agrarian
society, and I would hope that's not where we're headed," Jacen said
shooting his sister a meaningful look. Jaina just smiled innocently
in response, enjoying the image of servos grinding inside Jacen's
head as he wrestled with the conundrum. "Candren IV is a
metropolitan center, a lot like Coruscant, really. So we should be
able to rule that out. What does that leave us with?"
"Candren I or V, Master Jacen," Em Teedee offered. "And if you do
not mind, I would suggest that you select Candren-"
"Em Teedee!" Jaina shouted. "Don't spoil the surprise! Jacen will
get it." Jaina began to make her way back toward the forward
compartments, navigating loose tools and crates. "Eventually," she
tossed over her shoulder.
* * *
Mek had just received some very important information. Information
that had the potential to make him a very, very rich man if he could
get it to the right person. The problem, in a crowded area such as
this, with new arrivals and the waylaid hanging about, would be
finding her. Mek narrowed his eyes, trying to spot an indication as
to which direction he should head to find the meal area. He had never
really bothered coming down to this section of the resort, as Mek was
not much of a people person. And besides, they couldn't make decent
food anyway.
Soon enough, he spotted a holosign directing him northward, and began
to shove himself in among the many pleasure seekers that frequented this
resort. His short stature and lean figure made it easy for Mek to
slip between the crowds and effectively cut down on his otherwise
voluminous travel time. He was, after all, the administrator, and if he
couldn't be efficient then surely no one else would.
He finally arrived at the Pay and Drink around midday. The Pay and Drink had
a dubious reputation, as well as an unoriginal name, and was often
believed to be a front for several illegal activities that ranged from
price discrimination to gun running. Much to the consternation of local authorities,
though, none of the accusations had ever been proven.
Inside, all manner of creatures were seated around stark metal
tables which were spread haphazardly about the floor. Both, in Mek's
opinion, looked as if they had been gleaned from the ashes of a space wreck.
Moving further into the building, he noticed that at its opposite ends
there were bars set up for anyone who happened to be in the mood to drown their
sorrows in highly intoxicating and, for some species, deadly liquor. Amidst the sea
of questionable tables and patrons, sat a squat bin shaped astromech, who seemed
to have been reprogrammed to play the most atrocious music that Mek had ever heard.
As Mek made his way through said tables, attempting not to knock down
anyone's drinks for fear of what would happen to him in retribution,
he decided that the Pay and Drink had an ambiance he would do well to
avoid in the future. That is if he made it out of this place with a
future. He was becoming more and more nervous as the assorted
patrons glared at him, recognizing that he was not one of
their own.
Mek suddenly began to wonder why he had never pursued
getting this place's license revoked. He had to be staring at least a dozen
different health code violations. One of them had to be cause enough for a cessation of
business order to be issued. At least, if Mek had done something, he wouldn't
be here now, and all these aliens wouldn't be glaring at him menacingly. Of course,
he wouldn't get his money either. Life could be so complicated at times.
His breath caught in his chest as Mek recognized the person he had
come here to find. He scrambled across the rest of the floor, then sat
down at the bar. "Excuse me," Mek hissed at the young woman behind the
counter. He remembered her every feature from the last time they had
met. Her strawberry blonde hair hugged each side of her face,
framing her delicate elfin features. She had a long, elegant neck,
and the dress she wore clung to every curve of her body leaving
naught to the imagination. If he hadn't been so past his prime Mek
might have decided to try and pursue her. Great Maker, he'd wager a
tidy sum that she was skilled in.... well, as it was he could only
dream.
"Are you speaking to me?" the woman said, slightly puzzled at what
such an old and obviously proper man was doing in the Pay and Drink.
"I have some information for you." The music continued to blare in
Mek's ears threatening to burst through his sordid imaginations. "Look,
can we speak somewhere else please?" The young woman nodded, then indicated
a door just off to their left.
The door slid softly shut and Mek basked in the gloriousness of silence,
thankful that the pain in his temples was subsiding with the disappearance
of the music.
"What kind of information do you have for me?" the woman asked.
"Well-" Mek began to fumble around inside his pockets for something.
"About a year ago you came into my office and told me that if I were
to ever see a certain name come across my desk, and that if I should
inform you, I would be paid in the range of, approximately,
seventeen thousand credits."
"I remember you, now. Go on," the woman hissed impatiently.
Mek yanked a datacard loose from his pocket and handed it over to her.
"He's due to arrive any day now. The information is all there," Mek
indicated the datacard with the tip of his finger. "Where he'll
be staying, who he is residing with, everything!" Mek clapped his
hands together excitedly. Once he received this pay off he could retire
to the place, instead of trying to run it.
"This is excellent, Mr.-"
"Mek," he said.
"Excellent work, Mr. Mek. Excellent. I've been waiting for this for
a long time."
"That's wonderful news, and I'm glad for you. But what about my reward?"
Mek tried not to sound too desperate, but after fifty years of doing the
same thing day in and day out, with only marginal compensation, the
prospect of receiving seventeen thousand credits was highly appealing.
"Ah yes," the woman smiled. "Your reward." A holdout blaster fell
neatly from the sleeve of her dress and into her hand. She raised
the weapon and shot Mek cleanly between the eyes. His body crumpled,
then hit the floor with a muffled thud. She laughed lightly at Mek's
prone form. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."
* * *
"We're going where?" Jacen gasped.
"Shental Resorts. On Candren V? Come on, Jacen. I know you've heard
of them," Jaina said.
"Of course. But they're always booked solid."
"This is a fact," Tenel Ka emphasized.
"Don't worry. The director of the NRI is an old friend of the administrator
at Shental. He pulled some strings and got us in. He thought Lowie
and I deserved some rest and relaxation after our last mission,"
Jaina stated.
She remembered that time and couldn't help but feel a
shiver run down her spine. She and Lowie had been assigned to
discover if there was any truth to the rumor that the Carsden
Corporation, whose main product was medicines for those rare
diseases that could not be cured with bacta, used sentient test
subjects for their new drugs. The suffering they had seen in that
building had been unbearable. Through sheer strength of will and
determination alone were they able to push aside the horror and
gather enough evidence to bring down the entire corporation and free
all those who were still trapped inside Carsden labs.
Jacen keenly felt his sister's anguish and laid a sympathetic hand on
her shoulder. "Hey, you all right?" Jaina patted her brother's hand,
thankful for the support he lent her.
"I'll be fine. Just give me a few moments." Jaina ran herself
through several of the Jedi calming techniques she had learnt during
her time spent at the Jedi Academy. Soon enough she felt
quite her old self again. "Anyway," Jaina began again, "Lowie tells
me we will be arriving within the hour, so you'd better get all your
gear together."
* * *
"She had what!" Han Solo was not pleased. He paced his family's
quarters in the Imperial palace like a penned nerf awaiting the
slaughter. He suddenly swerved, then looked firmly into
the Holonet projection of his old friend Lando Calrissian. "You're
telling me that this ship she and Lowie have been working on in
secret for the past few months is a YT-1300?"
"As surely as if she were my very own," Lando responded. Han
simmered, barely able to contain himself.
"Why, of all the ships out there, would Jaina choose one just like
the Falcon? She knows I pride myself on it being the only one of
its kind," Han complained.
"Maybe the kid just has good taste. Remember, I discovered her
before either of you."
"Whose side are you on?" Han looked daggers at his friend.
"Yours of course, old buddy," Lando said, his hands held high in a
gesture of pacification. Han spontaneously clapped his hands together in
excitement, suddenly looking for all the world as if he had just
discovered a second Katana Fleet.
"It may look like the Falcon, but it can't beat her," he smugly
assured himself. Lando looked at his friend, who seemed much more
calm now than when he had first contacted him with the information,
and so decided to stay quiet. He knew, as well as Han did, that
Jaina and Lowie both had a special knack with computers and machines,
and that their ship, while not necessarily running rings around the
Millennium Falcon, would almost certainly give it one hell of a
contest.
"I think you may be right," Lando lied. "I think you may be
right."
* * *
Jacen lay upon the beach, allowing the water to slide over his body each
time a wave came crashing down. The soothing warmth of the waters
helped him to relax more completely than he had for quite some time.
Being an instructor at the Jedi Academy was less glamorous than it
looked to outsiders. It was imperative that you keep a constant vigil
on your wards, and shepherd them from the siren like call of the dark side.
A moment of blindness could result in tremendous loss for both
student and teacher alike.
All that was far away now, though. And for that distinct pleasure, Jacen
heaved a great sigh of relief.
On the horizon, if one looked hard enough, the shapes of wavespeeders
could be seen flying across the water's surface, corkscrewing one
way then sailing in another not a second later, while occasionally
expunging streams of pinkish water. Nearer to shore, a small group of
ruddy Calamarians waded among the crowds of humanoids and aliens who
came to enjoy the renowned sun and surf.
"Now this is how every one of our days should be," Jacen enthused.
"Don't you think so, Tenel Ka?" The warrior girl turned her eyes on him
just as another spurt of water washed over them.
"While I admit that this is enjoyable, there are other activities
which I would rather be participating in," she stated. Jacen propped
himself up on his elbows and looked at her seriously. He didn't
want to force his friend to do anything that bored her silly. Of
course, how she could find this kind of environment less than
stimulating was beyond him.
"Really? Like what?"
Tenel Ka slowly stood, then purposefully stretched her sore muscles. Laying
motionless in one place for such a long time had left her particularly
restless, and so she decided to opt for some of the more active
things she and Jacen could do here at Shental. "I believe an
exercise of the physical side of our Jedi training in the forest
habitat would be most invigorating."
"We're on vacation and you want to do calisthenics?" Tenel Ka
decided it was time to play her trump card.
"We could also visit their zoo, Jacen my friend." Jacen, however, quickly
dismissed this idea with a wave of his hand.
"We've probably seen all the animals in the zoo on Coruscant."
Tenel Ka inclined her head toward Jacen. "Ah. Aha. This is
probably true. However, the animals here are live, not holographic."
Jacen leapt out of the water and grabbed her hand, the pinkish fluid
running from his skin onto her own.
"Live! Let's get moving!" he whooped. Tenel Ka smiled inwardly.
She knew that in the end Jacen's unquenchable curiosity for all
things living would motivate him to move. It may have been
slightly manipulative, but Tenel Ka was sure that he would enjoy
the experience, and she would most definitely welcome the opportunity
to get off of the sand and work her muscles.
* * *
Candren V was renowned throughout the galaxy for its massive outdoor
markets, in which some say you could lose yourself for many a day
among the brick' a' brack and knick knacks from over a thousand
different worlds. There was food to be had, games to be enjoyed
(most of which were highly illegal), and there were items, a great
many items to be purchased. Heaven to some, hell to others, but most
anyone who took the time to visit Shental found themselves on the
promenade whether they planned to or not.
Jaina and Lowie shuffled their way through the thick crowds that
congested the stifling marketplace. They had been searching for
hours now and still had no luck finding a spare negative power
coupling for the SABER. Unlike her father and his copilot
Chewbacca, she and Lowie preferred not to have to jury rig something
every time the ship was in need of repair. Especially if the
specified repair was needed in an emergency situation. Which,
considering the life they led, happened quite often.
Having a few spare parts around was always good policy, as far as Jaina was
concerned. Unfortunately finding equipment for a ship as old as
theirs is particularly difficult on a good day. Try on any other
and it becomes down right impossible.
Still, though, between Lowie and herself they should have little
difficulty modifying the vessel to allow for the incorporation of
more modern equipment. Such an upgrade, and Jaina knew this without
question, having learned from her father's mistakes, would make her life a
whole lot easier. That horizon had yet to be crossed, though Jaina
yearned for the day it would be. A Jedi, however, must keep her
mind from straying to speculation of the future and remain focused on
what was at hand. So until that time arrived, Jaina needed to
suffice with spares....if only she could find one!
Billowing tent after billowing tent they passed, the colors of the
fabrics losing their vibrancy due to years of having protected their
occupants from the harsh sun and torrid rain. As they progressed
down the que of haphazard merchants, discarding many useless pieces
of machinery and electronics, lines of frustration began to show on
Jaina's face. Lowie also seemed sufficiently discouraged, and gave
a defeated roar. "Master Lowbacca has stated that he believes any
further continuation of this endeavor is futile," Em Teedee
translated.
Jaina was about to tell the droid she understood
perfectly well what he had said, and it certainly wasn't that verbose,
but decided against it. Em Teedee liked to be helpful whenever
possible and she shouldn't rebuke him for his efforts.
"I think you might be right, Lowie." Submission to the fate of their
doomed expedition echoed in her voice. "I guess we should get in
contact with Raynar and see if he can scrounge anything up for us."
* * *
In the distance, atop a high precipice overlooking the promenade, a
figure watched. Pressed to his face were a pair
of battered macrobinoculars with which he panned the entire area,
seeing things that most would not believe went on in such a
prestigious planet. He lifted a comlink to his mouth and began to
speak, his voice gruff and low. "This is Mercer. Subject has not
been sighted on the promenade, although two of his known associates
have been marked."
A short, clipped, and decidedly feminine reply issued from his comlink.
"Discontinue surveillance, Mercer. The subject has been located.
We have him."
To be continued...
George Lucas, Bantam, and Boulevard books. I am in no way making any
sort of profit from this work and or the characters included within
its text. The only thing I have to gain is the satisfaction of
someone telling me they enjoyed the story.
Spoilers: This work contains spoilers for any of the Bantam or Young
Jedi Knights novels.
Dedication: This is dedicated to Darien, my first, and favorite,
editor. May happiness follow her wherever she walks. And to my
brother Steven. Without his enthusiasm for these characters I
probably would have never read the novels nor started this
particular story. Thanks for peaking my interest.
STAR WARS: Shattered Dreams
Chapter one: Respite
by Dave Ziegler
"What did Dad have to say about this," Jacen Solo challenged his
sister. His authoritative tone echoed round the polished silver walls
of the vast docking bay that had been allocated to them on GemDiver
station by a rather generous Lando Calrissian. He probably wouldn't
have been quite so cooperative, Jacen thought amusedly, if he had
known then what type of ship it was that Jaina and Lowie had purchased and
decided to overhaul. Still, Lando had taken the revelation
well, when the two young Jedi decided it was time to let him in on it, and
had promised not to disclose the information too early to Jacen and Jaina's
father. He imagined that Han would be quite angry that they dare keep
something as important as the type of Jaina's first ship from him.
"If I had wanted Dad's opinion, I would have invited him and not you,
Jacen. Don't worry, Lowie and I will deal with Dad later. So what do you
think?"
Jacen ran his hand along the rough underside of the newly restored
YT-1300 stock light freighter that his sister and their mutual friend,
Lowbacca, had invested in. In all appearances the ship seemed to be a
carbon copy of Han Solo's famous vessel, the Millennium Falcon. Jacen
knew better, though, than to trust those two to leave anything
mechanical the way they found it. There was no doubt in his mind that
the old freighter held more surprises for the unwary than an Imperial
Grand Admiral. He had to admit, though, that the familiar lines of a
ship that had saved the lives of him and his family so many times
before brought with it a certain degree of comfort that any other
ship would be hard pressed to mimic.
"Well," Jaina asked of him, her patience beginning to thin with his
lengthy inspection and concern over their father's probable objections.
After all, Jacen had never shown much interest in dad's admonitions before.
"It's a fine ship, Jaina. Congratulations." Jaina's face broke into
a broad grin, and she gave her brother a quick yet firm embrace. She
hadn't realized until now how much his approval of the ship meant to
her. And now that he had given it, well, now she could relax.
"This is a fact, Jaina, my friend." Descending from the boarding ramp
of the vessel, the young princess of Hapes gave voice to her opinion.
Jacen glanced from his sister to the new arrival and caught her gaze.
Once upon a time, he had thought those eyes to be cold and serious, made
of a hard grey, like granite, never letting anyone in or her emotions out.
Now, though, he found himself forever lost in pools of unending warmth
and feeling. He had been so wrong then. So very, very wrong.
"What will you call this vessel?" Tenel Ka asked. "Lowbacca would not
divulge that information the entire time he was guiding me through its interior."
Jaina rubbed her hands together enthusiastically, awaiting the response of
her friends to this well guarded secret.
"Lowie and I plan on calling her SUNRIDER'S SABER. Obviously after
the great Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider," Jaina added hastily, forgetting
that she was not the only one Tionne had related the legend to.
Tenel Ka solemnly nodded her approval. "A fitting name for the vessel
of two Jedi." Jaina turned eagerly toward Jacen, only then noticing
his expression. He was scowling. Deeply. Jaina's stomach rolled
into knots. "He hates it," she thought.
Jacen continued to glare at his sister, his disapproval practically
reaching out to slap her. Jaina took an involuntary step backward.
She had begun to relax too soon, she should've known he wouldn't like
the name, she must hav... Jacen was grinning. "I think its a great name
Jaina."
"You do?"
"Yeah, you couldn't have chosen better, Jaya. But you should have
seen yourself when I pulled that face. I'm telling you it was
priceless." Jacen slapped his sister on the back amiably. "What's
the matter? Can't take a joke today?"
Jaina allowed a mischievous smile to form on her lips. "Oh don't
worry, Jacen. I'm fine. Just don't be surprised if at sometime during
the trip you find that the refresher units have suddenly decided that
you don't have the proper authorization to enter." Lowbacca chuffed
with laughter at this, and the barest hint of a smile played at the
corners of Tenel Ka's mouth. "Let's get going then, shall we?" Jaina
said.
Both Lowie and Tenel Ka retraced their steps into the ship, and Jaina
was soon to follow. Only Jacen lagged behind, worried that maybe he
had pushed his twin too far. "You really wouldn't do that would you,
Jaina?" He quickened his pace and bounded up the ramp after his
retreating friends. "Jaina, would you? Jaina?" Jacen's voice sank
into nothingness as a soft whirring of motors sealed the boarding ramp into
place once again.
* * *
Jaina dropped herself into the pilot's seat and was relieved to find
that the upholstery she had installed was much more supportive than
that on the Falcon. She had often argued with her father about
getting it replaced, but he would never budge. Han claimed that the
worn and uncomfortable seats added character to the ship, and she'd
have to march him in front of a firing squad before he'd change it. Besides,
it was his ship.
Lowbacca seated himself in the chair opposite Jaina's own, one specially
constructed much larger to accommodate his furry bulk. "Ah, Mistress Jaina.
Master Lowbacca," a tinny voice piped up from the control console.
"I believe you'll find that all the preflight checks have already
been performed, and that we are ready to depart whenever you desire."
"Thank you, Em Teedee," Jaina acknowledged the small translator droid
who had been Lowie's constant companion for many years now. In fact,
Jaina had trouble remembering a time they were ever apart. Lowie
also gave an appreciative bark, and the little droid practically glowed.
"Well, you are perfectly welcome. Both of you. I am glad I could be
of service." With that Em Teedee floated out of the cockpit on the
small repulsor jets Tyko Thul had upgraded him with on Mechis III.
"GemDiver Station, this is Sunrider's Saber requesting permission to
disembark." Jaina toggled the communications switch. A few moments
passed and nothing but silence answered them. Jaina threw a
concerned look over to Lowie who just shrugged, indicating that he
could not sense anything out of the ordinary onboard the station.
Jaina leant forward and reactivated the panel. "GemDiver Station this is..."
"Sunrider's Saber, this is GemDiver control." Lando Calrissian's
unmistakably suave voice filtered into the ship. "Sorry about that
kids, I wanted to personally see you off. You know how it is around
here, though. Anyway, you are clear to disembark. Have a good trip
and try not to break too many hearts. Okay, Jaina?" Jaina laughed
openly, for Lando often liked to tease her father about the
possibilities that might have existed between Lando and herself if
only he had been a younger man.
"You have my word."
"Good," Lando said. "Now go and enjoy yourselves."
"You can count on it, GemDiver. Sunrider's Saber, out."
Jaina eased the freighter out of the docking bay, enjoying the view
of Lando Calrissian's mining station at the same time. The vibrant
luminescence of the gas giant it circled glinted off the hull plating
creating a dazzling light show for any lucky enough to witness it.
Jaina deftly swung the ship about and made for open space. By now
Lowie would have already calculated the necessary coordinates for
their hyper space jump.
"We ready?" Jaina asked.
Lowie barked a quick affirmative, and so Jaina grabbed the two control
levers and eased them backward. Outside the ship, stars streaked into great
elongated lines as it shot itself into oblivion.
* * *
"Is everything all right back here?" Jaina asked. In the rear
compartment of the freighter, Jacen and Tenel Ka sat opposite one
another at the holotable. Both stared intensely down at the playing
board, trying to outmaneuver the other. Jacen, however, had a
considerably more difficult task than Tenel Ka.
"Everything is adequate," Tenel Ka stated. She then initiated a move that
resulted in one of her pieces striding over to one of Jacen's and
lopping off its head.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Jacen protested. Tenel Ka stared quizzically
at her opponent for a moment.
"I assure you, Jacen, that my move was well within the established
rules of the simulation." Jacen groaned and allowed his head to fall
to the table. Just behind him, Jaina smiled quietly to herself, remembering
a story her father had told her of the time when he and Uncle Luke had
first met.
"So, dear sister of mine, do you have any tactical advice for the
desperate?" Jacen moaned.
"Sorry, Jacen. You're on your own. I'm sort of enjoying your
despondence."
"Oh for an affectionate sibling!" Jacen wailed, overacting for his
sister's benefit.
"Ha! This'll learn you not to play with the emotions of your dear
and affectionate sister," Jaina teased in return. The game resumed,
albeit for only a short while. The next five moves brought Tenel Ka victory
and Jacen defeat. As was the standard way of things.
"Oh, congratulations, Mistress Tenel Ka. A well played game," Em Teedee
assailed the victor with his prissy voice. Tenel Ka nodded
acceptance of the droid's congratulations, then turned toward Jacen,
who stared dejectedly at the table.
"I never really liked that game," he muttered, kicking his feet up on
the holotable. "So, where are we going Jaina? Or are you and Lowie
going to keep up all this cloak and dagger stuff?"
Ever since receiving the initial invitation to join Jaina and Lowie
for a few days on vacation, Jacen and Tenel Ka had constantly been
denied any clues as to where they would end up spending these few,
supposedly, fun filled days. Tenel Ka, as always, looked absolutely
calm, but in secret Jacen knew that she had to be just as curious as
he was, if not even more so.
"Let's see if you can't figure it out," Jaina tantalized him. "Its
in the Candren system," she offered by way of a first hint. Jacen glared at
her in response, disgust plainly etched on his face.
"There are seven planets in the Candren system, and about seven are
inhabited to some extent. You have to give us more to go on than
that!" Jacen exclaimed. Jaina crossed her arms and looked thoughtful
for a moment, her brandy brown eyes narrowing in feigned concentration.
"All right, here's your next hint," Jaina smiled. "It's not a
colonial area."
"That would remove three of the choices," Tenel Ka stated matter-of-
factly. Jacen glanced over at his companion, inwardly grateful for
her astounding powers of recollection.
"It still leaves us with four others. Candren VII is an agrarian
society, and I would hope that's not where we're headed," Jacen said
shooting his sister a meaningful look. Jaina just smiled innocently
in response, enjoying the image of servos grinding inside Jacen's
head as he wrestled with the conundrum. "Candren IV is a
metropolitan center, a lot like Coruscant, really. So we should be
able to rule that out. What does that leave us with?"
"Candren I or V, Master Jacen," Em Teedee offered. "And if you do
not mind, I would suggest that you select Candren-"
"Em Teedee!" Jaina shouted. "Don't spoil the surprise! Jacen will
get it." Jaina began to make her way back toward the forward
compartments, navigating loose tools and crates. "Eventually," she
tossed over her shoulder.
* * *
Mek had just received some very important information. Information
that had the potential to make him a very, very rich man if he could
get it to the right person. The problem, in a crowded area such as
this, with new arrivals and the waylaid hanging about, would be
finding her. Mek narrowed his eyes, trying to spot an indication as
to which direction he should head to find the meal area. He had never
really bothered coming down to this section of the resort, as Mek was
not much of a people person. And besides, they couldn't make decent
food anyway.
Soon enough, he spotted a holosign directing him northward, and began
to shove himself in among the many pleasure seekers that frequented this
resort. His short stature and lean figure made it easy for Mek to
slip between the crowds and effectively cut down on his otherwise
voluminous travel time. He was, after all, the administrator, and if he
couldn't be efficient then surely no one else would.
He finally arrived at the Pay and Drink around midday. The Pay and Drink had
a dubious reputation, as well as an unoriginal name, and was often
believed to be a front for several illegal activities that ranged from
price discrimination to gun running. Much to the consternation of local authorities,
though, none of the accusations had ever been proven.
Inside, all manner of creatures were seated around stark metal
tables which were spread haphazardly about the floor. Both, in Mek's
opinion, looked as if they had been gleaned from the ashes of a space wreck.
Moving further into the building, he noticed that at its opposite ends
there were bars set up for anyone who happened to be in the mood to drown their
sorrows in highly intoxicating and, for some species, deadly liquor. Amidst the sea
of questionable tables and patrons, sat a squat bin shaped astromech, who seemed
to have been reprogrammed to play the most atrocious music that Mek had ever heard.
As Mek made his way through said tables, attempting not to knock down
anyone's drinks for fear of what would happen to him in retribution,
he decided that the Pay and Drink had an ambiance he would do well to
avoid in the future. That is if he made it out of this place with a
future. He was becoming more and more nervous as the assorted
patrons glared at him, recognizing that he was not one of
their own.
Mek suddenly began to wonder why he had never pursued
getting this place's license revoked. He had to be staring at least a dozen
different health code violations. One of them had to be cause enough for a cessation of
business order to be issued. At least, if Mek had done something, he wouldn't
be here now, and all these aliens wouldn't be glaring at him menacingly. Of course,
he wouldn't get his money either. Life could be so complicated at times.
His breath caught in his chest as Mek recognized the person he had
come here to find. He scrambled across the rest of the floor, then sat
down at the bar. "Excuse me," Mek hissed at the young woman behind the
counter. He remembered her every feature from the last time they had
met. Her strawberry blonde hair hugged each side of her face,
framing her delicate elfin features. She had a long, elegant neck,
and the dress she wore clung to every curve of her body leaving
naught to the imagination. If he hadn't been so past his prime Mek
might have decided to try and pursue her. Great Maker, he'd wager a
tidy sum that she was skilled in.... well, as it was he could only
dream.
"Are you speaking to me?" the woman said, slightly puzzled at what
such an old and obviously proper man was doing in the Pay and Drink.
"I have some information for you." The music continued to blare in
Mek's ears threatening to burst through his sordid imaginations. "Look,
can we speak somewhere else please?" The young woman nodded, then indicated
a door just off to their left.
The door slid softly shut and Mek basked in the gloriousness of silence,
thankful that the pain in his temples was subsiding with the disappearance
of the music.
"What kind of information do you have for me?" the woman asked.
"Well-" Mek began to fumble around inside his pockets for something.
"About a year ago you came into my office and told me that if I were
to ever see a certain name come across my desk, and that if I should
inform you, I would be paid in the range of, approximately,
seventeen thousand credits."
"I remember you, now. Go on," the woman hissed impatiently.
Mek yanked a datacard loose from his pocket and handed it over to her.
"He's due to arrive any day now. The information is all there," Mek
indicated the datacard with the tip of his finger. "Where he'll
be staying, who he is residing with, everything!" Mek clapped his
hands together excitedly. Once he received this pay off he could retire
to the place, instead of trying to run it.
"This is excellent, Mr.-"
"Mek," he said.
"Excellent work, Mr. Mek. Excellent. I've been waiting for this for
a long time."
"That's wonderful news, and I'm glad for you. But what about my reward?"
Mek tried not to sound too desperate, but after fifty years of doing the
same thing day in and day out, with only marginal compensation, the
prospect of receiving seventeen thousand credits was highly appealing.
"Ah yes," the woman smiled. "Your reward." A holdout blaster fell
neatly from the sleeve of her dress and into her hand. She raised
the weapon and shot Mek cleanly between the eyes. His body crumpled,
then hit the floor with a muffled thud. She laughed lightly at Mek's
prone form. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."
* * *
"We're going where?" Jacen gasped.
"Shental Resorts. On Candren V? Come on, Jacen. I know you've heard
of them," Jaina said.
"Of course. But they're always booked solid."
"This is a fact," Tenel Ka emphasized.
"Don't worry. The director of the NRI is an old friend of the administrator
at Shental. He pulled some strings and got us in. He thought Lowie
and I deserved some rest and relaxation after our last mission,"
Jaina stated.
She remembered that time and couldn't help but feel a
shiver run down her spine. She and Lowie had been assigned to
discover if there was any truth to the rumor that the Carsden
Corporation, whose main product was medicines for those rare
diseases that could not be cured with bacta, used sentient test
subjects for their new drugs. The suffering they had seen in that
building had been unbearable. Through sheer strength of will and
determination alone were they able to push aside the horror and
gather enough evidence to bring down the entire corporation and free
all those who were still trapped inside Carsden labs.
Jacen keenly felt his sister's anguish and laid a sympathetic hand on
her shoulder. "Hey, you all right?" Jaina patted her brother's hand,
thankful for the support he lent her.
"I'll be fine. Just give me a few moments." Jaina ran herself
through several of the Jedi calming techniques she had learnt during
her time spent at the Jedi Academy. Soon enough she felt
quite her old self again. "Anyway," Jaina began again, "Lowie tells
me we will be arriving within the hour, so you'd better get all your
gear together."
* * *
"She had what!" Han Solo was not pleased. He paced his family's
quarters in the Imperial palace like a penned nerf awaiting the
slaughter. He suddenly swerved, then looked firmly into
the Holonet projection of his old friend Lando Calrissian. "You're
telling me that this ship she and Lowie have been working on in
secret for the past few months is a YT-1300?"
"As surely as if she were my very own," Lando responded. Han
simmered, barely able to contain himself.
"Why, of all the ships out there, would Jaina choose one just like
the Falcon? She knows I pride myself on it being the only one of
its kind," Han complained.
"Maybe the kid just has good taste. Remember, I discovered her
before either of you."
"Whose side are you on?" Han looked daggers at his friend.
"Yours of course, old buddy," Lando said, his hands held high in a
gesture of pacification. Han spontaneously clapped his hands together in
excitement, suddenly looking for all the world as if he had just
discovered a second Katana Fleet.
"It may look like the Falcon, but it can't beat her," he smugly
assured himself. Lando looked at his friend, who seemed much more
calm now than when he had first contacted him with the information,
and so decided to stay quiet. He knew, as well as Han did, that
Jaina and Lowie both had a special knack with computers and machines,
and that their ship, while not necessarily running rings around the
Millennium Falcon, would almost certainly give it one hell of a
contest.
"I think you may be right," Lando lied. "I think you may be
right."
* * *
Jacen lay upon the beach, allowing the water to slide over his body each
time a wave came crashing down. The soothing warmth of the waters
helped him to relax more completely than he had for quite some time.
Being an instructor at the Jedi Academy was less glamorous than it
looked to outsiders. It was imperative that you keep a constant vigil
on your wards, and shepherd them from the siren like call of the dark side.
A moment of blindness could result in tremendous loss for both
student and teacher alike.
All that was far away now, though. And for that distinct pleasure, Jacen
heaved a great sigh of relief.
On the horizon, if one looked hard enough, the shapes of wavespeeders
could be seen flying across the water's surface, corkscrewing one
way then sailing in another not a second later, while occasionally
expunging streams of pinkish water. Nearer to shore, a small group of
ruddy Calamarians waded among the crowds of humanoids and aliens who
came to enjoy the renowned sun and surf.
"Now this is how every one of our days should be," Jacen enthused.
"Don't you think so, Tenel Ka?" The warrior girl turned her eyes on him
just as another spurt of water washed over them.
"While I admit that this is enjoyable, there are other activities
which I would rather be participating in," she stated. Jacen propped
himself up on his elbows and looked at her seriously. He didn't
want to force his friend to do anything that bored her silly. Of
course, how she could find this kind of environment less than
stimulating was beyond him.
"Really? Like what?"
Tenel Ka slowly stood, then purposefully stretched her sore muscles. Laying
motionless in one place for such a long time had left her particularly
restless, and so she decided to opt for some of the more active
things she and Jacen could do here at Shental. "I believe an
exercise of the physical side of our Jedi training in the forest
habitat would be most invigorating."
"We're on vacation and you want to do calisthenics?" Tenel Ka
decided it was time to play her trump card.
"We could also visit their zoo, Jacen my friend." Jacen, however, quickly
dismissed this idea with a wave of his hand.
"We've probably seen all the animals in the zoo on Coruscant."
Tenel Ka inclined her head toward Jacen. "Ah. Aha. This is
probably true. However, the animals here are live, not holographic."
Jacen leapt out of the water and grabbed her hand, the pinkish fluid
running from his skin onto her own.
"Live! Let's get moving!" he whooped. Tenel Ka smiled inwardly.
She knew that in the end Jacen's unquenchable curiosity for all
things living would motivate him to move. It may have been
slightly manipulative, but Tenel Ka was sure that he would enjoy
the experience, and she would most definitely welcome the opportunity
to get off of the sand and work her muscles.
* * *
Candren V was renowned throughout the galaxy for its massive outdoor
markets, in which some say you could lose yourself for many a day
among the brick' a' brack and knick knacks from over a thousand
different worlds. There was food to be had, games to be enjoyed
(most of which were highly illegal), and there were items, a great
many items to be purchased. Heaven to some, hell to others, but most
anyone who took the time to visit Shental found themselves on the
promenade whether they planned to or not.
Jaina and Lowie shuffled their way through the thick crowds that
congested the stifling marketplace. They had been searching for
hours now and still had no luck finding a spare negative power
coupling for the SABER. Unlike her father and his copilot
Chewbacca, she and Lowie preferred not to have to jury rig something
every time the ship was in need of repair. Especially if the
specified repair was needed in an emergency situation. Which,
considering the life they led, happened quite often.
Having a few spare parts around was always good policy, as far as Jaina was
concerned. Unfortunately finding equipment for a ship as old as
theirs is particularly difficult on a good day. Try on any other
and it becomes down right impossible.
Still, though, between Lowie and herself they should have little
difficulty modifying the vessel to allow for the incorporation of
more modern equipment. Such an upgrade, and Jaina knew this without
question, having learned from her father's mistakes, would make her life a
whole lot easier. That horizon had yet to be crossed, though Jaina
yearned for the day it would be. A Jedi, however, must keep her
mind from straying to speculation of the future and remain focused on
what was at hand. So until that time arrived, Jaina needed to
suffice with spares....if only she could find one!
Billowing tent after billowing tent they passed, the colors of the
fabrics losing their vibrancy due to years of having protected their
occupants from the harsh sun and torrid rain. As they progressed
down the que of haphazard merchants, discarding many useless pieces
of machinery and electronics, lines of frustration began to show on
Jaina's face. Lowie also seemed sufficiently discouraged, and gave
a defeated roar. "Master Lowbacca has stated that he believes any
further continuation of this endeavor is futile," Em Teedee
translated.
Jaina was about to tell the droid she understood
perfectly well what he had said, and it certainly wasn't that verbose,
but decided against it. Em Teedee liked to be helpful whenever
possible and she shouldn't rebuke him for his efforts.
"I think you might be right, Lowie." Submission to the fate of their
doomed expedition echoed in her voice. "I guess we should get in
contact with Raynar and see if he can scrounge anything up for us."
* * *
In the distance, atop a high precipice overlooking the promenade, a
figure watched. Pressed to his face were a pair
of battered macrobinoculars with which he panned the entire area,
seeing things that most would not believe went on in such a
prestigious planet. He lifted a comlink to his mouth and began to
speak, his voice gruff and low. "This is Mercer. Subject has not
been sighted on the promenade, although two of his known associates
have been marked."
A short, clipped, and decidedly feminine reply issued from his comlink.
"Discontinue surveillance, Mercer. The subject has been located.
We have him."
To be continued...
