"Shuttle AA-16, what is your destination and cargo?" came the voice of an Imperial officer that was in charge of all landings in Dolka's Hed. The pilot of the shuttle leaned over the controls, flipped the radio switch, and responded, "Destination: Dolka's Hed cargo hold. Cargo: Raw materials and weapons."

Kyle bit his lip, and waited for the silence to end. The three of them were in the middle of a traffic lane that was slowly proceeding to the city, Dolka's Hed. The pilots bobbed their heads, also waiting for a response. The Imperial's voice came in again, "The shipment for the Rail Detonator Project from fuel station Tango Zeta?"

"Yes, sir," the Beduch said, "We are a little late, for the fuel station was experiencing, err, a power fluctuation."

"You have clearance to land in Sector 04. Unload your cargo, and leave immediately."

"All right, sir," Beduch mumbled under his breath. They departed the traffic lane, and slowly descended into a deep, dark complex that was full of graffiti covered crates, moving along conveyor belts, and three-eyed Grans looking from side to side guarding the cargo. As soon as Kyle heard the wings close and the landing gear protrude from the belly of their shuttle, he grabbed onto the chair in front of him to brace himself for the bumpy landing.

The shuttle landed finally, and the hiss of excess exhaust sounded as the loading ramp lowered. Kyle felt the now thick beard on his jaw and nodded to the pilots, "This could work. Once the cargo's gone, I want you both to get out of here and get back to the Independence. Jan should already be on her way, but if she's not, tell her to get me out of here. Got it?"

"Yes, Commander. Good luck; may the force be with you," the pilots responded. Kyle smiled and put a hand up at them and waved, "Thanks, I think I'm going to need it."



"Halt," a Gran assassin said in its native tongue to Kyle as he entered the large, dark room that had a large conveyor belt with a line of crates on it. The drone of the motors that made the belt run drowned out Kyle's response, "I'm Rafael Khan, here on business with Governor Telco Thatch. Let me pass."

The Gran raised his fists, and said, "Show me your identification, or Dolka's Hed will be your grave, fool!"

Kyle nodded, reached into his pouch, and supplied a card with a picture of him on it. The Gran squinted his three eyes, and moaned, "Proceed, Khan. Stay on the course laid out, or you'll have to deal with us."

As the words rolled off the Gran's lips, several other Grans showed themselves from their concealment in the shadows, and pulled out their weapons. Kyle nodded, "Of coarse."

Kyle walked past the Gran, and looked around him at the towering piles of the crates. It reminded him of when he was on Cal-Seti while trying to plant a traking device on kingpin Jabba the Hutt's cargo ship while working on the Darktrooper Project. The thought of it made him shudder and he felt his stomach twist. He finally reached an elevator, which led to the catwalks that were suspended high above the floor. He hit the call button, and the lift came down, and two green pig-like Gamorreans stood there, vibro-axes raised to their plump chests. Kyle nodded, "I'm Rafael Khan. I'm to have a meeting on the surface. If you would be so kind to escort me."

The pigs nodded their head, and let Kyle onto the lift. The door shut behind him after he stepped on, and one of the guards punched the up button with its stubby fingers. The elevator let out a hum as it made its rapid ascent, and made a sudden halt once it reached the top. One of the Gamorreans stepped off and snorted to Kyle, pointing over to another lift on the other side of the catwalk. Kyle put up a hand in acknowledgement, "Thanks."



Kyle stepped out of the lift into the bright sunlight. He was in a garden filled with patrolling stormtroopers. One of them walked up to Kyle and put up a hand, "Halt. What is your business in Dolka's Hed?"

Kyle rolled his eyes, and then responded in an irritated voice, "I'm Rafael Khan, here on business with Governor Telco Thatch."

"Alright," the trooper nodded, and waved Kyle along. As Kyle moved through the heavily flora filled garden, he heard the hammers of weapons being pulled back. He licked his lips, and glanced over to see two humans turn away, and look down at the ground. Kyle concluded them to be bounty hunters, and that the price on his head from Jabba the Hutt was still up for grabs. Two blaster bolts from the stormtroopers hit both in the back, and they cried in pain. The stormtrooper nodded to Kyle, "Sorry about that, sir. Watch your step, would you? I would hate you to not arrive at the governor's place."

Kyle nodded, "Thanks. I'll be sure to watch my back."

It was no sooner when Kyle had exited the gardens, when he noticed that a group of bounty hunters trailing him. He let his hand fall down to his Bryar pistol, and turned into a dark alley to meet a whole mob of aliens. He dove to the ground and let out a single burst of slow, but steady fire. A blaster bolt caught him in his brown shoulder pad, and he slammed into the ground. Two Rodians climbed down a fire escape that was on one of the buildings, and fired their melee blasters at him.

After rolling away from each red laser that pounded into the dirt next to his head, Kyle got to his feet and fired a bolt into each green-skinned, scrawny bounty hunters. He just started to leave the alley, but collided into a man wearing brown armor and had a scarred up, bandaged head. Kyle recognized him to be Dengar, one of the most infamous bounty hunters in the know galaxy. The Imperial assassin smiled at him, and aimed his rifle down at his head. Kyle swallowed hard, and saw two of his henchmen walk up to him, blasters trained on his head.