Vice Admiral Kebin Zheffern of the Imperial class stardestroyer Gongteff decided he would not take it any more.
The rendezvous has taken too long already. The Kellian Crystalwolf, almost ancient by assault cruiser standards, dropped out of hyperspace only five minutes ago. Four days behind schedule. It now hang like a forlorn nail in the center of the viewscreen.
"I suppose we should feel grateful they showed up at all." Someone muttered behind Kebin.
"Open ship to ship holonet lieutenant Gen. I would speak with Captain Shroven in my quarters."
A cracking sound reverberated in the bridge of the Gongteff.
The hologram took shape, revealing someone in the neat pressed uniform of a Imperial captain. Before the projector could generate a semblance of a face, Kebin started. "How nice of you to finally join us, captain. The Emperor wil hear of this. When they hear you have - oh my."
The atmosphere on the bridge suddenly became tense. Kebin remembered to breathe some time later. He saluted quickly, yet wasn't sure if he did it correctly. "Princess. How may the Gongteff serve?"
The face, now fully clear, smiled. Kebin shuddered inside of himself.
Half an hour later, in the captain's entertainment suite, Princess Lavcine Fel laid languidly on Kebin's favourite air sofa and sipped aged Corellian ale, from Kebin's private stash.
Kebin and the Princess's body guard eyed eachother. The Imperial Knight's features well hidden behind the mask. Kebin's sabaac face betrayed nothing, or so Kebin hoped.
"Oh relax, the both of you." The princess's order was given like that of a melodic vorsek, that is so low that you can only hear it if you paid attention. Very different in person than when projected by hologram. Kebin heard rumors, he wasn't sure if the vorsek show was for real, and he didn't particularly dare to ask. It was said the Princess's friends have a high mortality rate.
"Have a drink of your own ale, Zheffern. Pour one for poor Kennor while you are at it." The Princess gestured to the body guard. Kebin poured two credit worth of ale for himself and the same for the Imperial Knight, who took it and put it on the stand by the holoprojector.
"To Kebin Zheffern, my third cousin Toreen's first boyfriend..." Kebin's eyes bulged. "And Kennor Gliz, Toreen's bastard son... No no, no relations. And to me, the first and only Fel Princess who successfully-"
"The Princess is tired, she needs to rest." The Imperial Knight, Gliz, announced.
"Of course. On behalf of the officers and crew of the Gongteff, I bid you good sleeping cycle.
"Oh by Caedus's arm, I'm so kriffed." Kebin thought as he run toward the hangars.
Chief Kort was polishing one of the two twin pilot TIE fighters when she felt some hands put themelves in front of her face. "Hey, Chetty. It's me. Listen, I don't have time to explain, Get in there! Later, please."
"What?! Keb? What in the Zhor's name is, Hey!" Her boyfriend, secret fiance, whatever their label was, just shoved her inside the TIE fighter. "Please give deactivate the energy field. I'll explain everything once we launch okay? Put this on. TIE fighter helmet was shoved down Kort's head.
The was some commotion at the other end of Hangar Bay 1D4. "Someone changed the code!" Kort said, "The thing won't deactivate."
Keb took the controls and put the thrusters to maximum toward space. Kort closed her eyes, ready for crash. But suddenly someone's voice drowned out the whines of the TIE, "override accepted, magnetic and energy shield coming down in five, four, three, two, one."
Cine watched the fool Zheffern running as if a rancor was behind him. "Well? What do you think?"
"Well played, Princess. I'm sure he was convinced. He will run."
"And when he does, Cine smiled, "we will finally find where she is hiding."
"He took Chetty Kort, one of the mechanics," Kennor continued, "his on again off again girlfriend. It was a scenario not unforeseen. She have extended family on Bastion, Corellia, and Tatooine. They are all under surveillance."
"We put trackers on all TIE fighters in all hangars. They took one from Bay 1D4. That particular TIE has been modified to have hyperspace capability. No doubt by Zheffern himself. I don't think he knows that we know. He took a branch of the Bastion-Ludong hyperspace lane. That means he have to drop out of hyperspace at or near Ludong V. We will know his final destination when he jumps to hyperpace again."
"Excellent." Cine stretched her arms. When Kennor didn't move, she raised her right eyebrow, "What is it?"
"I understand why you revealed Zheffern's heritage, but why mine? I wondered if you were really drunk."
Cine giggled. "As if this weak liquid can take me. It's like juice." Her tones took a serious tone. "this operation isn't exactly sanctioned by my parents. So I need to know you are with me."
"Of course, Princess." Kennor bowed.
Cine muttered. "I'm so sick of the court and I don't remember the point of the vorsek show. I can't wait to crush the Veila cult." She sighed and bade Kennor to leave her. Turn on the holonet. I think the switch is near the door. Thanks.
The hologram came into being. It looked like Zheffern was watching one of the news shows last. The anchor seemed to be crying. No doubt another strike by the Veila cult somewhere.
"Assassinated. No survivors. And we finally getting audio near what is left of the palace."
"Oh, it was so terrible! I was just leaving after delivering the daily kibbles to the royal museum of near extinct fauna five blocks away when the bomb went off. I just can't believe it."
"It was like some sort of quake, the only kind you saw in holos, you know? and the baby was crying..."
"Hooooooo shshshsh. Hooooo shhhhh."
"So far no one has claimed responsibility for the total annihilation of the Imperial family. This day will go down into the history of the Empire as one of its most tragic. It seems the entire Fel family has been uprooted."
Wait, what? Cine did feel some disturbance in the Force earlier, but she put it on the Corellian ale. She didn't tell Kennor, but she was drunk earlier.
It must be one of those holodramas. Cine heard there was one of those fifteen years ago where it caused mass hysteria for half an hour on Rodia.
Cine fiddled with the switch to choose another holo channel.
"...so fast. I had a sister working as a chef inside." The Ithorian was probably sobbing. Why is the holofilm running on two channels simultaneously?
Another channel. An image of the Imperial family. Cine covered her mouth. Oh kriff it's real.
An unknown time later, when Cine woke up groggy, the holo channel was no longer blasting news. This time it was broacasting some holodrama set in the palace.
"the palace, where the Empress would like to say a few words."
Someone who looked like Cine, maybe could pass for one of her doubles, but not quite, started speaking about how she was fortunate enough to be on a fundraiser for homeless children on Kuz. That was the only reason why she survived.
Fundraiser for children on Kuz. Her cover story she told Father.
"The Emperor is dead. Long live the Empress. Long live Empress Fel, Lavcine I!"
What the kriff?
What the flying kriff?
Kennor! She needs Kennor. She signalled him.
The Imperial Knight didn't come.
Cine waited.
Time passed.
Kennor still didn't come to see Cine.
Cine charged her blaster and pulled out her lightsaber from the case and clipped it on her belt. She walked out of the room.
Only a dozen or so bridge crew of the Gongteff might know that Lavcine was who she is. The few who noticed Zheffern saluting her. But maybe all of them heard him. Kennor. She needed to find him first. He could vouch for her identity.
When she arrived at the cafeteria in search of Kennor, the off duty officers and crew were already around the holoprojector.
"Those responsible will be brought to justice, I promise you with everything I hold dear, loyal subjects of the Empire." The fake Lavcine announced.
"It has been brought to our august attention that there are imposters claiming to be us and some member of our dear family. Let this be a warning and an example. Begin commander." The scene switched to the Imperial execution ground. An entire row of females. young girls and teenagers of various ages that looked like Lavcine to various degrees were lined up. Lavcine closed her eyes as she knew what was coming. Sounds of blasters assaulted her ears.
Cine wasn't a sentimental sort, but she knew how serious this was. Whoever is behind this conspiracy had planned everything and worse, if she tried to uncover it, all she'll end up doing is end up being labelled as one of many imposters and get executed.
She needed to find someone who can vouch for her identity by someone absolutely trusted by the public.
Blast it! Kennor, where are you?
She found Kennor Gliz face down in the thirty first deck indoor pool. The entire room was full of dioxis gas, which gave Cine her first clue. When she pumped it all out, she also found running electricity wires in contact with the pool water.
In a bit of overkill, someone also cut Kennor's throat. He won't be vouching anyone's identity, ever.
Cien sighed. When she grew up Kennor Gliz, Imperial Knight was always by her side. Some mist came into her eyes. It's the pool.
"Now can you tell me what's going on?" Kort asked Kebin.
Kebin looked around the tight cockpit of the TIE, taking in the whirlpool effect of hyperspace and sighed. He kissed his Chetty. "Okay, promise me you won't freak out."
"About twelve years ago, five years ago before I met you. I dated the crown Princess Toreen."
"So?"
"Wait, you knew? and you didn't say anything?"
"Hey, like you are telling me now, it was way before you and I met. I'm not jealous. I'm sensing there's more to the story though."
"Tor told me some stories and myths she grew up with. One of them had to do with the origin of the Imprial Knights and the Imperial family."
"You see, the myth goes that Jagged Fel, that's the first reigning Emperor of the Fel Empire married Jaina Solo."
"Of course, that's grade two history in every corner of the Empire."
"Right. Well, there was a Jedi Knight called Tahiri Veila."
"Emperor Jagged's first Hand. I know."
"Stop interrupting me." Kebin said. "We are dropping out of hyperspace ahead of schedule."
"Wait. What is that?"
The TIE fighter rocked again. Someone was firing on them.
"Pilots of TIE fighter X401DF8. Great news! Your space craft is going to join the Independent Navy of Asteroid KD9. Please shut down all power and prepare to be tractor beamed.
"It looks like we will continue the story later."
"Hey, look on the bright side."
"What's that?"
"Weren't we forming a taskfore with the Kellian Crystalwolf to hunt the pirates of KD9 cartel? We seemed to have found them."
"You will go the KD9 Cartel. Ask for Kebin Zheffern. Bring him to me."
"Yes, high Priestess."
"Dell."
"Yes, high Priestess?"
"I want you to take Gate with you." The high Priestess gestured, the voxyn purred as she walked toward Dell. the acolyte scratched the voxyn behind the ears with both hands.
"The bond between you and Gate is strong." The high Priestess smiled. Before you go, receive from me your amphistaff."
"Really?"
"Yes. Take the weapon of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior and become an adult. You are on the path, Dell. Yuuzhan Vong or Jedi. One day you will choose. KD9, Zheffern. And may the Force and Yun Yuuzhan be with you."