Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars
11
Vader bowed.
"Very well my master."
"Very good Lord Vader. Now that they will be dealt with, where is Shaak Ti?"
"As I already told you my master, we are tracing her as we speak. I gave Commander Carhac a fleet to pursue her."
Palpatine looked thoughtful.
"I know him. Brutal guy. We charged him with Home Security before you nicked him."
"The very same."
"Ah a good choice that. However, the Navy will need to be clamed. They wont appreciate a clone in a top position."
"Yes my master."
Palpatine turned his yellow eyes to Vader.
"however, we should not have to be chasing after her. How did she survive?"
Vader bristled with fury. Was it his fault that she had escaped, the blasted woman?
"We duelled into the Council chamber, but like your fight with Yoda, she was weakened by the deaths of the Jedi. I think that was the only reason that I gained the upper hand so easily. She outsmarted me in the council chamber then leapt out of the window. I assumed she had killed herself."
"Apparently not. However, you can be forgiven for being out smarted by her. She's one of the most cunning in the Order. Or was. But how did she escape Coruscant?"
Vader shrugged.
"We weren't searching for her. We thought everyone she travelled with was dead, especially the two boys and Serra Keto. I thought I had killed Whie and Serra, and Commander Fox thought he had killed Zett. We didn't find out until one of Carhac's men mentioned seeing a rather odd looking group. He came to me, we put two and two together and found out she still lived. She then escaped Rogue Station by sheer luck. By that time I knew about her and was chasing her down. I just missed her at Kessel. Carhac and I missed her at Mon Calamari because of the incompetence of Governor Ceriss. And she escaped us at Rhen Var through sheer luck too."
Palpatine sat back on his throne. They were alone in the throne room, a massive, decorated affair, covered in red and black. A large window was behind the Emperor. Aside from the guards, they were alone.
"Hmm. Seems we have had the worst luck in the galaxy in chasing down this woman. Let Commander Carhac deal with the dear girl. If not, by the time you finish on Korriban, you may resume your chase after her."
"Thank you my master."
The door opened behind them, emitting Tarkin, the stern faced governor of the Seswanna Sector, Sly Moore, one of the Emperor's aides and Mas Amedda, the Speaker of the Senate.
"My master." Amedda said gracefully.
Moore and Tarkin both inclined their heads, but he could tell by the look on Tarkin's face that the dear governor was not in the best of humours today.
Palpatine saw this too.
"What is it?"
Tarkin looked sour.
"You recall that we spent quite a lot of time, effort and energy attacking Kashyyyk to secure slaves to help build the Death Star."
"Of course Tarkin, I was there." Vader snarled.
Reminders of his adventures on Zonama Sekot didn't endear the man to Vader.
"And it's been news for weeks. So what's happened?"
"One of the landing pads where the Wookiees where was raided yesterday. Thirty thousand Wookiees escaped the planet."
Deadly silence met these words. Vader was sure he had misheard.
"How many?"
"Thirty thousand."
Palpatine looked furious.
"How?"
Tarkin turned to Vader.
"From Shaak Ti and her Jedi allies."
The room was silent.
"You have two minutes. Explain." The Emperor snarled.
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"I think we underestimated the number of Wookiees we would rescue." Jeisel said delicately.
Shaak Ti rubbed her forehead.
"I thought a couple of hundred. Not thirty thousand."
Tsui was trying hard not to laugh.
"Look on the bright side." K'kruhk said.
"What bright side?" Bultar demanded.
"We only have seven thousand Wookiees to find jobs for."
Shaak Ti wailed in despair.
"Yes. When you thought up this plan, did you think of any possible consequences?" Tholme asked.
"No." Shaak Ti moaned.
"Bad planning." Tra said with a smile.
"We have a large problem. We have a dungeon ship full of Wookiees who are standing idle and going nuts. They cant be kept in so small a proximity for so long. We need to find jobs for them." Quin stated.
"Easy for you to say. You don't need to be responsible for their survival." Shaak Ti said sadly.
"It could have been worse. We might not have had two extra Carracks to put people onto." Whie smiled.
Meena Tills, Serra, Dyren, Scout, Zett and Senna were all stuffing their hands in their mouths. It was very amusing seeing how well the plan had come off, but how badly it had worked afterwards.
Shaak Ti took a deep shuddering breath.
"I haven't slept since we rescued them. I see Wookiees. They're in my dreams. I turn around and see Wookiees. I'm cracking up. I wake up and see Wookiees. I go to sleep and see Wookiees. They're everywhere! Wookiees!"
She burst into tears of rage and despair. It was too much. The entire room burst into laughter as poor Shaak Ti started banging her head against the table. Vella and Syron entered the room to see them all laughing and Shaak Ti crashing her head against the table.
"What's wrong with her?" Vella asked.
"She appears to be suffering a mental breakdown." Teecee muttered.
Softy came in and she looked up.
"Wookiees!"
Softy howled in amusement. Shaak Ti gave up, fell from her chair and started bawling.
Vella tapped Tra on the shoulder.
"Are you a healer?"
"Yes why?"
"Well, in case of emergencies, I need to be brought up to speed."
"Oh certainly dear! We'll start right away. Get away from here."
Shaak Ti was howling in sorrow at the amount of Wookiees.
"Will we start with psychiatry?" Vela asked.
Tra looked pityingly at Shaak Ti.
"Definitely."
They hastily made their escape while Whie and Scout took it on themselves to help poor Shaak Ti to her feet. Then Gumbaeki entered.
"More Wookiees!"
"Sad soul." K'kruhk muttered.
"It affects us all." Quasal said in mock sorrow.
"How the mighty have fallen." Jeisel stated with a smile.
"Another poor gormless idiot." Tholme said.
"We'll take her to her room." Scout said.
"You always called me a poor gormless idiot! But I never got sent home!"
"Ah, but you made one mistake. You never said one word over and over. For instance, when Master Windu tried to convince everyone he was made, he stuck his underpants on his head, two pencils up his nose and said 'wibble.'"
It was too much. Vilmarh and Khaleen cackled with laughter. Chak and Gumbaeki joined in. In spite of himself, Quin started too. Syron shook his head.
"The ship's full of madmen." He moaned.
"You let them on." Teecee said accusingly.
"They're like a rash. They just keep spreading."
Rox whistled in amusement, and Softy huffed with laughter.
"Wookiees!" Shaak Ti cried from her room.
"Oh dear."
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The Emperor exploded in fury.
"Fools! Imbeciles! Idiots!"
The people present cowered in fear.
"How can you be so stupid!?"
He was apocalyptic with rage.
"She is one woman!"
He turned to Vader, spittle flying from his mouth.
"This is all your fault for letting her escape in the first place! Fool! Find her and kill her!"
He rounded on Tarkin.
"And you! You were charged with the transport of the Wookiees! It's no one's fault but yours that so many escaped because you cant adequately carry out your orders!"
He turned to Amedda.
"And you! You are meant to coordinate all these things! So coordinate! She is allowed to move freely because you can't do what you are meant to do! Tell governments! Do anything! Just stop her!"
And then he rounded on Sly Moore.
"And as for you, you are meant to prevent these idiots from coming to see me! And you failed!"
The four were cowering in fear.
"Vader! Go on your mission, then find her and kill her!"
Vader bowed in haste.
"Tarkin! Get more Wookiees to build my space station and don't let nay more escape!"
Tarkin bowed in fear.
"Amedda! Put out a general alert for that blasted woman! I want her found and our property returned!"
Amedda headed for the door as quick as he could managed.
"And Moore, stop all my appointments for the rest of the day! I'm away to meditate!"
He then stormed out of the room like a massive black bat, his two Red Guards following.
Moore leaned into Vader, Tarkin and Amedda as they left the room.
"He has anger issues."
They then started laughing.
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Shaak Ti jerked awake.
"Wookiees!"
She sighed.
"I'm cracking up. Going mad. Insane."
She sat down at her dresser and looked into the mirror. She saw more wrinkles than she had before everything happened. She had accumulated more since she had rescued the Wookiees. She had never expected to get so many. Now she needed to find jobs for seven thousand very short tempered Wookiees. If they had fighters, that would reduce the amount they needed but not by a lot.
"Bloody Wookiees." She cried.
She was the leader. She had made this rebellion, small though it was. She was in charge. Everyone's welfare was her responsibility. The Jedi, the Wookiees, the Mon Cals and all the people rescued from Kashyyyk. It was all her duty.
"Wookiees are the main problem though. Wookiees!"
What they really needed was another cruiser. A large cruiser that could be run by seven thousand Wookiees. She banged her head against the desk. She was in charge of them? How was she meant to find something to keep them all occupied until she had a solution?
"Bloody Wookiees."
There was a quiet knock at the door.
"Enter."
Tsui came in, looking bemused.
"It's the back of two in the morning. Here I am, having a lovely dream about a nice villa on Naboo, when I'm woken up by you yelling Wookiees."
She smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. Nobody else wakes up. Syron, Vella and Softy sleep like logs, and so do the children. K'kruhk snores so loudly that Jeisel, Bultar, Serra and Dyren cant hear over it anyway."
Tsui shook his head pityingly.
"I know you're responsible for them my dear, but you cant do everything. Until we find something to do with them, they're just going to have to grin and bear it. True, the vast majority of our little rebellion is now made up of Wookiees, but so what? You're losing it for something you don't need to lose it over. So, we have an abundance of Wookiees. We have seven thousand idle ones. So what?"
Shaak Ti smiled.
"You're right my friend. As usual. I just seem them everywhere. Its my fault they're all stuck doing the same thing. I see them at all times. It's driving me mad."
Tsui smiled.
"You need to get away from here for a while. Tell you what. We'll go to Tatooine and look for ships there. It will let us stretch our legs and get you away from all the Wookiees."
She smiled.
"Very well. We'll go to Tatooine. Syron can show us the highlights of the lovely place."
Tsui headed towards the door.
"See you in the morning. Now, go to sleep! And if I hear one more cry of 'Wookiees' I will not be best pleased!"
Shaak Ti smiled and went to bed. She got an hours sleep before it happened again.
"Wookiees!" she screamed.
"SHAAK TI!" Tsui yelled from his room next door.
"Whoops."
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"Tatooine?" Syron asked sceptically.
"I need to get out of here. I see Wookiees everywhere and I'm going mad." Shaak Ti said.
"You already where mad." Teecee said as he walked past.
She used the Force to trip him up and knock him into a crew pit. He swore loudly.
"We all need a break. The fleet will be fine here." Jeisel soothed.
"And I need a decent night's sleep!" Tsui shouted.
Vella snorted.
"Tatooine it is then." Syron said.
"We need to go there anyway. We're owed money."
"We'll need a stop off at a route station. The nav computer doesn't like going to Tatooine for some reason." Syron complained.
"I told you about that years ago." Vella moaned.
"You said no such thing."
"Did to."
"No you didn't."
Sensing an argument Shaak Ti hastily made her escape.
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Vader was sitting in his meditation chamber when an image of Carhac sprang to life.
"Lord Vader." He said with a bow.
"Commander. Good to see you. Governor Tarkin isn't very pleased with you."
"I couldn't change my angle in time. I couldn't do anything about it." Carhac said defensively.
"I know. What is it?"
Carhac scuffed his feet.
"We've lost track of Shaak Ti."
Vader sighed.
"You aren't the only ones. The Emperor threw a massive tantrum yesterday because we haven't killed her yet."
"Surprised you're still alive."
Vader smiled. Carhac certainly didn't mince words or feelings.
"So am I to tell the truth. We've all lost her. Force knows where she is. She's as difficult to find as a straw of hay in a massive stack full of needles."
Carhac nodded. Vader was interrupted from his musings when his secretary entered. The secretary was very pale, obviously knowing she was skirting on the edge of death.
"I warned you that I don't like any interruptions when I'm meditating or on the phone. Its very annoying and its rude."
"But sir, someone says he has to see you. Regarding Tatooine."
Vader prayed for patience, but nodded.
"Send him in."
Carhac watched in interest as a man entered the room, looking nervous.
"Well?" Vader demanded.
"I have news regarding Shaak Ti my lord. She's going to Tatooine."
Vader sighed in exasperation.
"Typical bloody woman. Makes us work for our fun. Cow."
Vader turned to Carhac.
"How quickly can you get there?"
Carhac shook his head.
"Not quickly enough. She'll be there and gone by the time I get there. It's a long way to Tatooine from Kashyyyk."
Vader turned to the officer.
"Your name?"
"Teech sir."
"Well Lieutenant Teech, you are now promoted to captain. Congratulations."
The officer saluted.
"Thank you sir!"
"How did you come by this information Captain?"
"They stopped off at Stellar Point Five to do a reading. I have a friend who works there and he told me."
"How kind. Thank you captain. That will be all."
Teech bowed enthusiastically and left.
"Who will you send seeing as I cant get there in time?"
Vader smiled.
"A man every bit as brutal as you, but more subtle."
Vader activated another link.
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Deep, black, sparkling space. In the midst of this dark space, there was a large, bone white metal object: the hull of a Star Destroyer. There were five other Star Destroyers surrounding this one, all of the brand new Imperial class. Two Interdictor Cruisers were part of the fleet. Three Dreadnaughts flew in close formation, backed up by two Carrack Cruisers, and the two tear drop like Imperial Escort Carriers. This was the fleet of a cunning, subtle, evil man, who had gotten through the Republic by hiding his atrocities.
The bridge of the Star Destroyer Serpent was silent as the Admiral walked onto the bridge. He was an evil man, who carefully covered his tracks in the Republic, where they would have likely been his downfall. But now, in the Empire, they were the reason for his ascension.
The man was tall, with dark, brooding eyes, a straight nose and a sour look. He was clean shaved, but had a scar over his left eye. He had thin black hair that crowned his head. This was the man who had killed a planet. This was the man who had commanded the assault on Caamas. This was Admiral Commodore Snake.
A hologram flickered to life. Snake turned.
"Lord Vader." He said in a deep modulated voice.
"Admiral Snake."
The two men certainly respected each other. Snake, who had seen Vader fight, thought he was one of the best in the business. Vader, who had seen the results Snake always brought about, thought he was one of the best in the business.
"No luck tracking Master Ti then?"
Snake was one of the few in the upper echelons of the Empire who knew of the predicament.
"Yes actually. I have just been informed that she is on her way to Tatooine. I am unable to get there in time, as is Commander Carhac. I want you to go to Tatooine and stop her. Permanently."
Snake inclined his head.
"It will be a pleasure Lord Vader."
"Good luck Admiral."
Vader flickered off. Snake turned to his captain.
"Alert all commands. Prepare the fleet for hyperspace and set your course for the Tatooine system."
The captain bowed eagerly and went about his business. Soon, he would have Shaak Ti in her grasp. And he would tighten that grip until she died.
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Tatooine was a ball of dust and wind. Nothing on it but a few sparse settlements and moisture farms. Syron took them down in Mos Osnoe, a small town that had been of use to Echuu Shen Jon at the beginning of the Clone Wars. The plan was simple: while Syron, Vella, Softy and Teecee collected their dues, the others would get a few supplies, some weapons, stretch their legs and relax a bit. Shaak Ti stretched. The heat hit her instantly, but she didn't mind. Anything was better than a ship for the better part of six months. She rushed out of the spaceport, enjoying the feeling of fresh air for once.
"Child." Tsui said, but happily followed her.
Quin and Khaleen came out, holding a sun parasol of Vella's over their heads to keep the baby in the shade. They had came over from the Skorp-Ion to try and relieve some of the pressure of the Wookiees. Vilmarh saw a Twi'lek woman and started to follow her. K'kruhk and Jeisel went off to the market place. Tholme and Tra went to a bar. Whie and the rest of the children went for a look around, while Serra and Dyren dealt with customs. Syron and Vella entered a small cantina covered by an awning to protect it from the sun. The saw their contact. He was an old Rodian.
"Ah, my friends! How nice to see you!"
"Hello Prado. Do you have our money?"
He handed over the cheque.
"Thank you." Syron said.
"So what's been going on?"
Prado scratched his snout.
"The Empire."
"We've noticed." Teecee said sourly.
"It's been coming down hard on everything illegal. The Hutts are not happy."
They had a deal. They would bring in rare supplies from Rodia and he would sell them on and pay them, they would tell him what was going on in the galaxy and he would tell them how it was affecting Tatooine.
"What are they doing?" Syron asked.
"Pulling over Jabba's ships for one. The other Hutts are smelling blood. He's lost three in one month. It's the one in charge of this sector. He's an evil bugger. But the Empire's forces here are totally loyal to him."
"So how badly is Tatooine suffering?"
"Very. Without Jabba peddling spice and losing out, he cant keep funding everything on Tatooine. People are going poor and getting cranky."
Then Vella noticed how quiet it was.
"Where is everyone?"
Prado looked tired.
"Ever since the war finished, the Tusken Raiders have been attacking small towns. People are worried it will happen here."
Shaak Ti came in. Syron looked at her as she answered her comlink.
"What?"
"We have a problem. A large problem."
There was a warbling war cry that cut short the reply. Prado paled.
"Shit."
Outside there was a massive clan of Tusken Raiders, looking murderous. There were hundreds of them. They were all dressed in their sand coloured robes and riding massive hairy banthas. Gadafferi sticks were in their hands. They were gesturing towards Mos Osnoe in anger and excitement.
"What did Serra want?" Teecee asked Shaak Ti asked discreetly.
"Remember at Rogue Station how it all went tits up when two Star Destroyers arrived?"
"Yes."
Shaak Ti sighed.
"Now its even worse. There's an entire Imperial fleet in orbit. So the day's just went incredibly downhill. And even worse, they're deploying a landing force."
It was by far the worst situation they had ever been in.
"Great. A Tusken Raider army is attacking on one side, and an Imperial Fleet attacking from above. What fun. How many ships are there anyway?"
Shaak Ti smiled grimly.
"Six Star Destroyers. And a load of other ships, including Interdictors."
Teecee sighed.
"Pish."
I know I promised Jedi, but I decided to change the layout a little bit. They appear next chapter. Shaak Ti's really in a sticky situation this time. Admiral Snake's fleet has just arrived and a Tusken Raider army is attacking. Stay tuned for the next chapter!