The Selts system was located in the mid-Rim region of the galaxy, just outside the Chommell sector. It was as system of five Terrestrial-class planets of varying size with breathable atmospheres and Standard gravity, all orbiting one star—Selt.

The largest planet in the system was Hibern, followed by its twin Airlan, then came Ælba and Cymbri, and, smallest of all was Ellan.

According to legend, the planets in the Selts system had been the moons of a much larger planet in its own system, but some great destabilizing force had plucked the five planets from their orbits and placed them around the star Selt. The "destabilizing force" had different names, depending on who was being asked. Some said it was an electromagnetic shift in the mid-Rim, while others said it was magic that had liberated the five planets from their original system.

The inhabitants of the Selts system were for the most part humans, with Twi'leks, Bith, and Sullustans thrown in the mix, and not much else. As far as politics went, the allegiance of the Selts system was currently to the Rebel Alliance, though the Minister of Hibern had made it clear that the Alliance was only allowed to maintain bases in the system as long as they did not endanger the people of the Selts system.

There were other terms of course, but Seren had always found this one the most perplexing, and as she made her way to the command center, she wondered if her encounter with the TIE fighter would count as a violation of those terms.

No civilians were put in danger, she told herself as she navigated the dimly-lit corridors of the base. After dinner in the mess hall, the lights were cut by half to conserve energy, as well as to dampen the energy signal of the base—it didn't bother Seren anymore. You did not violate the terms of agreement.

If she didn't accidentally violate the terms of agreement that General Ruadh and the Rebel Alliance had agreed upon with the Ministers of the Selts system, then why was Seren being called to command at this hour? She tried to think of all the things she had (or rather, hadn't) done to get her in trouble or raise concern, but couldn't come up with anything.

She passed the hangar, where the entire fleet of the Rebel Alliance on Ælba was kept, X-wings and C-wings and the odd freighter arranged as if by a child in careful rows. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the plasti-glass window and hoped that General Ruadh wouldn't mind her disorderly appearance. He had, after all, sent for her in the middle of the night after she'd just gotten back from a mission—he should be glad she came, instead of staying in bed, which she was full prepared to do without any regard for the consequences.

Once she arrived at the command and communications center of the base, Seren had to find General Ruadh on her own, seeing as his aide—Aisli—was otherwise occupied with her datapad.

It wasn't hard to find the six-feet-tall general in a room where the command officers present were seated at monitors, and when she did find him, Seren went right up to him.

"You asked to see me, sir?" she said, though what she wanted to do was ask him why he'd wake her up at this hour.

"Yes, I did." He looked at her the way he always did, his dark grey eyes appraising her before meeting her own. "I know you just got back, but I need you to take another message for me."

Of course that's what he needed. Never mind her getting rest—the Rebellion was more important than a few extra hours of sleep, wasn't it?

"Where to?"

"Hibern."

"Can it wait until the morning?"

General Ruadh shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Turadh," he said. "You must go as soon as you're able."

"May I ask why, sir?"

There was a pause.

Among the Rebellion's couriers—among any group of couriers, really—was one unspoken rule: never ask why. Urgent messages were urgent and that was the end of it; it was rude to ask why, and dangerous besides.

Two rules of being a courier, her first boss, a gruff, male Selonian whose name Seren forgot, had told her when she started out as a courier back home on Corellia. The first—never look at the message. Privacy is the chief virtue of courier-work. Second—never ask why. Even if the message takes you to the next system over or is "urgent," you do not ask why.

"Minister Deval can tell you," came the general's reply. "I have neither the time nor enough information to answer that question."

"Of course sir."

"Good." General Ruadh produced a cylindrical data-piece and held it so Seren could see it. He then pocketed it once more. "How soon can you leave?"

Seren pressed her lips together. "Ten, fifteen minutes?" she said. "Sir, after what happened earlier today, may I take Green Two as backup?"

"If you must. Wake her and report to the hangar in fifteen minutes, am I understood?"

She nodded. "Yes sir."


"Base, this is Green Two. We are good to go."

The sound of Becca's voice over the comm system helped Seren quiet her nerves. She was always nervous before a mission, and this one was no exception. Being exhausted from her last trip did little to help this matter.

"Green Two, this is Base. You are cleared to go."

Brendan was still asleep—the lucky devil—and a different communications officer was calling for Base.

"Base, this is White Five, am I clear to go?"

"White Five this is Base, you are clear to go."

And like that, Becca and Seren flew out of the hangar, headed towards the largest planet in the Ælba system and its green hills that were populated by mountain nerfs and a species of nerf that Seren had no name for. Becca had voted to call them "cloud-nerfs" because they looked like they wore great wooly clouds on their hide, and neither Becca nor Seren thought to ask anyone, for fear of appearing unintelligent (which they most certainly were not).