Chapter 1 Calling
Jalien ripped the comlink from her ear and hurled it at the closed blast doors separating the cockpit from the common room. Jimmy Starr's hoots, punctuated by Sturrick's boisterous "Shit yeahs!" were almost enough to blow her already aching head right off her shoulders.
Geez. You'd think those two had personally saved Princess Leia instead of merely retrieving almost all the research info from the Tyrgate II satellite. So they also shot down a few pursuing Imperials. It wasn't like they need me to fly us out of that exploding death trap or anything, she snorted and rubbed her temples.
"Yee-haa!" The comlink squawked behind her.
Growling, she turned, pulled her blaster and fired. The link gave a very nice sparkly fizz, then died a scorched, blackened death. Satisfaction glowed briefly in her heart and she turned back to the ship's console.
Then she sighed and returned to rubbing her temples.
Great. Now she'd have to dig out her spare link. To do that, she had to return to the common room and her pack. And if she had to listen to any more of Jimmy Starr, Rebel officer extraordinaire's, highly excited, highly nasal, and highly annoying rendition of how he took out those three storm troopers with one shot, she was going to shoot him herself. The kid was dedicated, young and hyped up on some secret source of perpetual caffeine. It was enough to make any self-respecting pirate gag.
Besides, despite what the boys may think, this mission was not a success. Yes, they'd retrieved valuable information. But, with their luck, the part she hadn't been able to dig out of that monstrosity of a computer is the most important.
Plus, the scientist they were suppose to escort back had executed a perfect swan dive into the chain reaction he'd begun instead.
"The High Command will love that," she muttered.
And, to top it off, she was sweaty, covered in ashes and dirt from that inferno Chedakki called an escape route, and her favorite crimson jacket was seared beyond recognition.
Somebody needed to pay.
"I could make him go shopping with me to replace it," she mused. The image of Chedakki, surrounded by racks of the gaudiest, most revealing clothing imaginable, and the "sales associates" to model them, brought a smile to her lips, and even drove back the headache briefly.
Then the pain returned, two-, three-, ten-fold. A knife cut through the top of her head, and colors exploded behind her eyes. Dimly, she felt her hand reach out, and the ship shuddered around her. Then the darkness reached up, said hello and overwhelmed her.
"Dude, I was in this bar on Selik Prime and there was the Twilek dancer…"
Chedakki rolled his eyes and turned back to his report. He'd learned that somebody needed to record their missions, or be left to the tender mercies of the Alliance intelligence officers for far too long upon their return. Since neither Jalien nor Sturrick did "official" very well, that job fell to him. When you added their extremely – fluid – memories to the package, it was probably just as well. He'd heard the number of tales either could tell, and didn't recognize half of the ones he was in.
He glanced again at Sturrick and Jimmy Starr. The young Rebel officer was riveted to every word coming out of the bounty hunter's mouth, but Chedakki didn't image he'd be running off to hunt down men anytime soon. Jimmy had all the makings of a good officer – even if he was a bit too energetic about it.
But, he focused on the mission well, had dealt with Sturrick and Jalien's "improvisions" and hadn't let them distract him too badly. Not everyone could say that. His partners just loved to annoy clean-cut types. Chedakki had a feeling this mission had been a test of sorts.
He signed as he began the section detailing Doctor Rican's obvious instability and how the scientist had triggered both his and the research station's destruction.
Suddenly, his hand spasmed, and the data pad clattered to the floor. A wave of Force rolled through and round him. Jedi – young, a voice whispered. Desperately he reached out to touch that wave, to communicate. But, it had dismissed him and moved on. He had a better chance talking with the wind.
His eyes snapped back into focus to find Sturrick staring at him. "Chek, what – "
Without warning, the ship lurched violently, engines whining in extreme protest. Chedakki's Jedi balance kept him in his seat, while 'rick clung to the arms of his chair. Jimmy reeled across the room, only to smack full length into the opposite wall. He landed in a heap of arms, legs and muffled curses.
"What the hell?" Sturrick shook his head as Chedakki started to stand. Only to be thrown back into his seat as the ship lurched again, engines straining in the familiar pitch of light speed. With a quieter bump, everything settled around them.
Chedakki lunged out of his seat, straight to the cockpit doors.
Only they didn't open.
"Jale?" He toggled the intercom. "Jalien."
No response.
He tried to blast door controls. Locked. From the inside.
"Jale!"
"Let me." Sturrick appeared at his side and fumbled with the door controls. Just as he started muttering in frustration, the door opened. Jalien stood there, eyes wide and glassy, swaying slightly.
"Jale?" Chedakki stared at her in fascination. Residue of that Force wave hovered around her, slowly dispersing.
"Change in plans boys. We're making a new stop. And don't try to change the controls. It could be … messy."
"What the hell does that mean C'tra?" Sturrick growled.
The pirate smiled thinly. Then fainted dead away.
Chedakki closed the door to the Jalien's on-ship quarters softly. She slept near as he could tell. None of the medical scans showed anything abnormal. Neither did his Lifesense detect anything out of the ordinary. Those wisps of residual Force had faded completely.
He frowned and shook his head. Jale was no Jedi; neither had she ever dealt with the Force. She was usually the first to laugh at it (although he was pretty certain she had called upon in some extreme circumstances).
Entering the cockpit, he found Jimmy muttering under his breath. "Find anything yet?"
"Well," he leaned back from the
controls, "we're aheaded towards Tallgent III.
And, whatever she did I can't change.
Not without fryin' both the navi-computer and the hyperdrive. I've never seen anything rigged this way
before."
Chedakki nodded, unsurprised. While Jimmy was a decent pilot, Jale could fly rings around him blindfolded and handcuffed.
"So, where exactly has the damn-crazed pirate sent us?" Sturrick lounged in the doorway.
Jimmy turned to the database. "Tallgent III. Outer Rim planet. Primarily human population. Standard atmosphere. Five continents. Standard temperature zones. Pretty standard all the way around. However, there is a major trading city on the second, northern continent." He whistled softly. "Appears anythin' can be bought or sold out there. Anythin'."
Sturrick shrugged. "Pretty much anything can be bought anywhere kid. There's nothing you can do to change this?"
"Nope."
"Wonderful."
"Plus, we're aheading away from the base."
Chedakki groaned. "How long will it take to get to this Tallgent?"
"The better part of a day, at least. Maybe two."
"You don't know for certain?" Sturrick scoffed.
"Hey, after she ripped us out of hyperspace like that, I'm surprised w'all still in one piece. By every rule I know she never should have been able to drop us out in mid-jump, without a set coordinate, turn us around to a completely different set, and then locked me out of the system without blowing us up. And in under 45 seconds." Jimmy glared back at the bounty hunter. "I'm lucky I coaxed that much out of the computer."
"Enough." Chedakki stepped between the two. "Jimmy, can you send a coded message to the base, alerting them to the … delay?"
The officer frowned. "Once we drop out of hyperspace, sure. But, why send the message? We'll head on back as soon as this rig of hers runs its course. We'd probably beat the message."
Chedakki glanced at Sturrick, and saw the same resignation in the other man's eyes. "Of course. But, prep the message anyhow. Just to be on the safe side."
Jimmy shrugged and turned back to the communications panel. Sturrick followed Chedakki back into the common room.
"You think she's flung us into some damn-fool mission of her own, don't you?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
"No." They stared at each other, then at the closed door to Jalien's quarters. "So, you wanna play some sabbac?"
Chedakki groaned and rubbed at his temples.
The continuing adventures of my little misfit trio. Please let me know how you like it!
