Turning in his chair to face the aide who had just disturbed his thoughts, Srak directed a cold stare at the man.
"What is it?"
Nervously the aide replied, "A message from Coruscant...The Emperor commands you to make contact with him"
Srak's eyes narrowed in anger, being 'commanded' was not something he was use to. "Very well....leave".
Srak pulled up to his desk and punched the appropriate code and an instant later Emperor Palpatine's holographic image appeared on his desktop.
"You wished to speak with me my lord." Srak said, forcing the subservience into his voice.
"Ah yes....Warlord Srak" the Emperor replied "I await your decision"
"My lord a decision of this magnatude requires much deliberation and..."
"I will have your decision now or I will make it for you" interrupted the Emperor, the venom in his voice and the piercing glare of those yellow eyes sent a shiver down Srak's spine.
"Y-yes my lord, I turn my world over to you and in turn I am made Regional Governor of the System and am allocated a Star Destroyer complete with staff and crew. The deal is acceptable. Sodenar is yours my Emperor" Srak said with a bow of his head.
"Excellent, any other decision would have been....unacceptable" The last word said as a taunt and a reminder just who was in power.
Srak's lips tightend as he watched the holographic image of the Emperor fade out.
Still he had his own contingency plans and one day he would take no orders from anyone.
Meanwhile aboard the Shooting Star, Matara sat slumped in the pilots chair asleep. Her eyes shot open and she was fully awake, wondering what it was that had woken her. As she got to her feet she caught the faint sound of voices coming from the living quarters. Puzzled she headed towards Kryys's bunk. As she reached the door hatch she stood silently outside straining to hear anything behind the door.
Muffled sounds could be heard coming from the other side. Knowing that she and Kryys were the only being aboard hearing the other voice brought her to full alert. Unholstering her blaster with her left hand Matara slapped at the door release with the other. The door slid open noiselessly. Inside she expected to find her friend and an intruder locked in combat, what she found surprised her more.
Kryystann was gone!
Ordering herself not to panic, Matara reholstered her blaster and went back to the cockpit. She moved quickly to the ships sensors and called up the life readings, what they read puzzled her more. All the readings were correct, correct that is for one person aboard the ship.
"You can't possibly vanish off a ship in hyperspace." Matara to the emptiness around her.
"I could tell you where she has gone." a voice said from behind her.
She turned on the heel of her knee high boots and faced the speaker with her blaster drawn.
There, in the doorway stood a boy around eight or nine standard years old. "What did you say?" she asked still aiming the blaster at him.
"I know where your friend has gone." He said again.
"But how? How could she have disappeared off the ship?"
"That I can not say." He said flatly.
"Alright then, where is she? Is she hurt in anyway?"
"Your friend is strong, she can handle herself. She is on Sodenar. I must warn you though, there is great danger in going there." The boy responded. "She may need your help."
Matara turned to look at the life readings. They read the same as before. When she turned back to question the boy, he was gone.
She raced out into the corridor to see if he had disappeared into another part of the ship. The search didn't last long. She came to the cargo hold of the Star and still found no trace of him.
Confused she turned around and headed back to the cockpit. Once there she sat at the navigation console and brought up all the data she could find on the planet Sodenar.
There wasn't much there. So far the planet was unaligned with either the Empire or the Rebels. It was also ruled by a warlord. "Well you know he's not going to join the Rebels anytime soon." She said just to hear something other than the continual hum of the ships drive.
After making a few course corrections the 'Shooting Star' dropped back into real space just outside the Sodenar system. Matara could have brought the ship in closer but knowing very little about why her friend was there she didn't want to take any chances. Checking her long range scanners she caught sight of the triangular shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer cresting the curve of the planet.
"That's just what I need right now. If ever there was a time I needed one of Kryss' crazy ideas, this would be it." Matara spoke aloud to the empty cockpit.
She sat there pondering what to do next when a smile slowly spread across her face as an idea came to mind. Grabbing her tools from the corner she headed off towards the hyperdrive compartment to do some 'adjusting'.
Reaching the compartment Matara took several slow deep breaths and hating what it was she was about to do. "I hope you appreciate what it is I am about to do to my ship to save your adventurous ass Kryss." She said as she slapped the door release and stepped into the compartment.
With fusion cutter and hydrospanner in hand Matara got to work on 'adjusting' the hyperdrive. not long after entering the compartment she emerged once more, this time covered up to her elbows in grease and other dark fluids from the engine and hyperdrive units.
"That should work for now. At least it will give me an excuse to jump into the system. I just hope it works." She said as she headed towards the cockpit to finish off her plan.
Reaching the cockpit Matara sat at the navigation console and punched in the coordinates for a short jump insystem.
Sitting once more in the pilots chair Matara engaged the hyperdrive. Praying quietly to herself she watched the chrono tick down the seconds it would take for her entry into real space. Once the starlines shrank back into stars and the now familiar view of Sodenar was centered in the viewport, Matara let out the breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding.
It didn't take long after her entrance from hyperspace for the Imperials to hail her. "Unidentified ship, this is the Imperial Star Destroyer 'Decevier'. Please transmit your identification codes and your purpose for being in this system."
"Deciever.' This is Matara Healbo, captain of the 'Shooting Star'. I'm afraid to say that my ship has taken on some damage and I was hoping for some assistance on repairs."
"What seems to be the problem 'Star'? The crisp voice asked.
"It seems as though my hyperdrive has been damaged. If I can get to ground I'm sure I can patch it up until I can get to a shipyard for some repairs." She answered back innocently.
"One moment please." Was all that came back over the comm.
The minutes seemed to stand still as she sat there waiting for their response. When the comm unit finally came back to life Matara nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of the anticipated beep.
"You have been given permission to land and to dock at the spaceport. Technicians will be around to assist you if it is needed." Then the comm clicked off.
"Now comes the hard part." She said as she gripped the control levers and headed towards the planet below.
"What is it?"
Nervously the aide replied, "A message from Coruscant...The Emperor commands you to make contact with him"
Srak's eyes narrowed in anger, being 'commanded' was not something he was use to. "Very well....leave".
Srak pulled up to his desk and punched the appropriate code and an instant later Emperor Palpatine's holographic image appeared on his desktop.
"You wished to speak with me my lord." Srak said, forcing the subservience into his voice.
"Ah yes....Warlord Srak" the Emperor replied "I await your decision"
"My lord a decision of this magnatude requires much deliberation and..."
"I will have your decision now or I will make it for you" interrupted the Emperor, the venom in his voice and the piercing glare of those yellow eyes sent a shiver down Srak's spine.
"Y-yes my lord, I turn my world over to you and in turn I am made Regional Governor of the System and am allocated a Star Destroyer complete with staff and crew. The deal is acceptable. Sodenar is yours my Emperor" Srak said with a bow of his head.
"Excellent, any other decision would have been....unacceptable" The last word said as a taunt and a reminder just who was in power.
Srak's lips tightend as he watched the holographic image of the Emperor fade out.
Still he had his own contingency plans and one day he would take no orders from anyone.
Meanwhile aboard the Shooting Star, Matara sat slumped in the pilots chair asleep. Her eyes shot open and she was fully awake, wondering what it was that had woken her. As she got to her feet she caught the faint sound of voices coming from the living quarters. Puzzled she headed towards Kryys's bunk. As she reached the door hatch she stood silently outside straining to hear anything behind the door.
Muffled sounds could be heard coming from the other side. Knowing that she and Kryys were the only being aboard hearing the other voice brought her to full alert. Unholstering her blaster with her left hand Matara slapped at the door release with the other. The door slid open noiselessly. Inside she expected to find her friend and an intruder locked in combat, what she found surprised her more.
Kryystann was gone!
Ordering herself not to panic, Matara reholstered her blaster and went back to the cockpit. She moved quickly to the ships sensors and called up the life readings, what they read puzzled her more. All the readings were correct, correct that is for one person aboard the ship.
"You can't possibly vanish off a ship in hyperspace." Matara to the emptiness around her.
"I could tell you where she has gone." a voice said from behind her.
She turned on the heel of her knee high boots and faced the speaker with her blaster drawn.
There, in the doorway stood a boy around eight or nine standard years old. "What did you say?" she asked still aiming the blaster at him.
"I know where your friend has gone." He said again.
"But how? How could she have disappeared off the ship?"
"That I can not say." He said flatly.
"Alright then, where is she? Is she hurt in anyway?"
"Your friend is strong, she can handle herself. She is on Sodenar. I must warn you though, there is great danger in going there." The boy responded. "She may need your help."
Matara turned to look at the life readings. They read the same as before. When she turned back to question the boy, he was gone.
She raced out into the corridor to see if he had disappeared into another part of the ship. The search didn't last long. She came to the cargo hold of the Star and still found no trace of him.
Confused she turned around and headed back to the cockpit. Once there she sat at the navigation console and brought up all the data she could find on the planet Sodenar.
There wasn't much there. So far the planet was unaligned with either the Empire or the Rebels. It was also ruled by a warlord. "Well you know he's not going to join the Rebels anytime soon." She said just to hear something other than the continual hum of the ships drive.
After making a few course corrections the 'Shooting Star' dropped back into real space just outside the Sodenar system. Matara could have brought the ship in closer but knowing very little about why her friend was there she didn't want to take any chances. Checking her long range scanners she caught sight of the triangular shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer cresting the curve of the planet.
"That's just what I need right now. If ever there was a time I needed one of Kryss' crazy ideas, this would be it." Matara spoke aloud to the empty cockpit.
She sat there pondering what to do next when a smile slowly spread across her face as an idea came to mind. Grabbing her tools from the corner she headed off towards the hyperdrive compartment to do some 'adjusting'.
Reaching the compartment Matara took several slow deep breaths and hating what it was she was about to do. "I hope you appreciate what it is I am about to do to my ship to save your adventurous ass Kryss." She said as she slapped the door release and stepped into the compartment.
With fusion cutter and hydrospanner in hand Matara got to work on 'adjusting' the hyperdrive. not long after entering the compartment she emerged once more, this time covered up to her elbows in grease and other dark fluids from the engine and hyperdrive units.
"That should work for now. At least it will give me an excuse to jump into the system. I just hope it works." She said as she headed towards the cockpit to finish off her plan.
Reaching the cockpit Matara sat at the navigation console and punched in the coordinates for a short jump insystem.
Sitting once more in the pilots chair Matara engaged the hyperdrive. Praying quietly to herself she watched the chrono tick down the seconds it would take for her entry into real space. Once the starlines shrank back into stars and the now familiar view of Sodenar was centered in the viewport, Matara let out the breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding.
It didn't take long after her entrance from hyperspace for the Imperials to hail her. "Unidentified ship, this is the Imperial Star Destroyer 'Decevier'. Please transmit your identification codes and your purpose for being in this system."
"Deciever.' This is Matara Healbo, captain of the 'Shooting Star'. I'm afraid to say that my ship has taken on some damage and I was hoping for some assistance on repairs."
"What seems to be the problem 'Star'? The crisp voice asked.
"It seems as though my hyperdrive has been damaged. If I can get to ground I'm sure I can patch it up until I can get to a shipyard for some repairs." She answered back innocently.
"One moment please." Was all that came back over the comm.
The minutes seemed to stand still as she sat there waiting for their response. When the comm unit finally came back to life Matara nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of the anticipated beep.
"You have been given permission to land and to dock at the spaceport. Technicians will be around to assist you if it is needed." Then the comm clicked off.
"Now comes the hard part." She said as she gripped the control levers and headed towards the planet below.