Sorry its been so long! Thank you so much for your patience and reviews, i really appreciate it:

Ord Mantell

Rune rode the shuttle up to Vader's flag ship visibly fuming at her new assignment. She had no desire to go back to Ord Mantell, especially now when she felt like she was getting somewhere. The Emperor had given her the book and now he was trying to keep her away from it – why? Did she learn more than he expected? Was he afraid of what else she might discover? Afraid of her?

A tiny voice inside laughed scornfully and told her that was the dark side talking. That arrogance that seemed to come naturally to the Sith… and was no doubt what had propelled a young Palpatine to the position he was in now. Absolute self-belief combined with survival of the - if not fittest - then certainly the most devious.

A lowly mouse droid was waiting to show her to her suite. Rune smiled with genuine amusement – Vader was reminding her of her place in the grand scheme of things in his usual subtle way. She trod the sterile walkways without acknowledging the other occupants of the huge ship, and yet she saw her surroundings in a detail she had not noticed before. A smear on a breastplate, a service droid disappearing around a corner, a misaligned blaster in its holster. Tiny snippets of information she would not normally see. It was disconcerting, she felt her senses were on high alert, and she couldn't switch off from what was happening all around her.

She closeted herself in her quarters and didn't come out for the journey. Vader would summon her when he was ready and in the meantime she needed to get used to her altered perceptions. She pondered how a single chapter of the book had affected her so deeply, how her view of the galaxy had changed, broadened so radically. The detail that she could see around her was the external awareness. But what of the internal awareness - that feeling of power and control over another being. What did it mean and what would the next lesson bring?

So lost in reflection was she, that the journey to Ord Mantell seemed to pass by in a flash, and before she knew it she was being summoned to a docking bay by the little mouse droid.

Vader bade her strap into the co-pilots chair of his shuttle and lifted off without further comment. She didn't care, she had no desire for conversation. The destroyer had dropped into a high orbit of Ord Mantell, and now their little shuttle was plunging down towards the planet. She could see the ingoing and outgoing ships, the orbiting resident destroyers, the defence platforms, the satellites – so much life going on around her.

They were breaching the atmosphere of the planet before he broke into her thoughts. 'Are you ready?'

No explanation as to ready for what.

'Do you have your sabre?'

Rune raised an eyebrow, what a conversationalist. 'Why would I need it? I am only finding the group, you're doing the fighting. You don't need me in your way.'

Vader gave a shrug that clearly indicated he did indeed prefer not to have her getting in the way.

'You know, one of… Frys people…told me that there was a very talented comms op in that crew. Maybe you should capture rather than kill them, see if you they will work for you.'

Vader considered her questioningly as he ignored the traffic queueing to reach the planet and shot skilfully past the assorted spacecraft trundling downwards towards Worlport.

'I know you're thinking you would prefer to kill any rebel scum you come across, but not all insurgents are committed rebels, they just fall into it because of a friend or family member. If this person is as good as they thought - maybe you could use them, get them to test your comms and look for weak spots or something, they could be useful.'

Vader gave a grudging shrug. He might think about it.

She closed her eyes and reached out with the force. She had never met these insurgents and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to identify them. She only had the images of them that Inez had had in her mind.

She felt nothing other than the low-level force that was generated anywhere there was life. This was all a distraction, how was she supposed to know where they were hanging out? She frowned and slouched into her chair like a moody teenager. She certainly felt like one.

'I thought Frys team had made contact, how on earth did they lose them?' She didn't try to keep the snark out of her voice.

There was a pregnant pause, and Rune wondered what her companion was thinking. Eventually he spoke: 'The insurgents are astute – when they lost contact with the Shadowdancer crew they vanished immediately. And they didn't get in touch with the Contact they were given.'

'So they decided it was too big a risk and broke all ties. They are cautious, risk averse – and still very active I am guessing'. She paused but Vader didn't respond. 'So how do you expect me to find them?'

'However you like.'

'I don't have any links to them, I never met them'.

So? If you can only hunt down traitors you have met before you are not going to make a good Sith.

Rune could see he had a point. 'Well I still don't see why you need me here, you do this all the time. Very successfully from what I gather' She couldn't quite keep the petulance out of her voice.

'It's a test, I don't need you at all, but the Emperor wants to see how you get on.'

There was no arguing with that.

'So where do you want to start?'

'We can surely only start from their last known location, the place where Ine- Frys team were meeting the – er – rebel scum.'

Vader nodded, and she could have sworn he was laughing at her.

They settled into his modified speeder and emerged from the shuttle into the crisp, cold, if heavily polluted air of an early morning in Worlport. They set off for the old industrial sector in the South, without further conversation, their destination some abandoned warehouses near the polluted river Worl. The stench from the bracken water hit them long before they glimpsed the river through the derelict buildings. Even now the sun was coming up and the air was beginning to have a warm tinge to it. Rune dreaded to think how badly the river would smell under the hot mid-day air.

The further they went into the sector, the more destitute the area became, until it didn't look like the kind of area nice young ladies would ever consider visiting. Rune wasn't too worried, nothing in the shadows here was as terrifying as the creature that sat beside her. He truly was the stuff of nightmares.

The Nightmare pulled the speeder up outside one of the warehouses in sight of the river and was out of the vehicle and considering the front doors, skewed drunkenly off their rails, while she was still taking in the scenery, the weeds growing out of cracks in masonry, green moss beneath gutters, rubbish dressing the sidewalks. And movement behind cracked glass and broken doors and down alleys hiding in dark shadows. They were far far from alone in this deserted sector. There was nothing to indicate this warehouse as special, it appeared just as empty and run down as the others in the area, but Rune was acutely aware they were being observed by several sets of eyes.

However, she didn't sense anyone behind the doors they were looking at, so she stepped up next to her companion and then taking a breath, cautiously led the way in through the strangely angled gap in the doors.

Even if the insurgent group had left quickly, they would surely have had some trip wires set to catch any investigating troopers. There was a good chance other scavengers would have tripped them by now, but still…..

She allowed her vision to take in the floor and walls around her with care, she could see dust motes hanging in the air, drifts of rubbish caught against abandoned barrels and boxes, vines creeping through the broken windows – but nothing that looked like a trap.

They stepped further in, revealing the full expanse of the warehouse. There was plenty more rubbish, and some abandoned, rusted machinery and broken pallets on the far side next to some stairs up to a balcony that ran around two sides of the building, giving access to the office spaces from the look of it.

Her heightened senses heard the tiniest noise behind her and had her spinning around, igniting her sabre, almost before her brain could comprehend what was happening.

The blaster bolt slammed into her hastily raised sabre and bounced off into the ceiling, the next incoming bolt she directed back at the mystery assailant, hitting him squarely in the knee. She smiled grimly, Vader's hours of drilling hadn't been misspent.

The black masked attacker fell back yelling, but he was replaced by another in a battered, graffitied storm trooper helmet. On the edge of her senses she was aware of three more masked figures emerging up on the balcony by the offices. The cross fire was cacophonous in the echoing environs of the warehouse.

She concentrated on the stormtrooper guy in the doorway, angling his blaster bolt back at him, but he dodged back behind the broken door. She felt the rush of power from Vader as he yanked the three assailants on the balcony over the railing with the Force. Her man appeared at the door to take a shot at her, and instead saw his three colleagues falling. He must have made a snap decision and decided discretion was the better part of valour, for he retreated around the door even as Rune heard the crunch of bodies hitting the plascrete floor behind her. She ran for the door leaving the tortured screams and groans to Vader. She was surprised to see the stormtrooper helmet guy supporting his injured colleague as they limped across the street toward the cover of a building opposite. So, there was some honour among thieves.

They hadn't got too far, and suddenly she wasn't sure how to stop them, she had no blaster and she wanted them alive.

'Hey!' the pair struggled forward a little faster.

'Stop now and I let you live. Keep running and only one of you lives – for a while.'

For a moment, their indecision hovered in the air between them and then, reluctantly the pair halted in the middle of the dusty street and turned to face her.

'Who are you?'

'We're nobodies, honest' shouted black mask. Just street kids. We wanted your speeder to sell, but…we got greedy, wanted to see what else you got.' They both took a tentative step back, toward the cover of the building behind them.

Rune took two firm strides forward, just so they didn't get the wrong impression, like they could escape if they wanted to. 'You know FreeOrd?'

The uninjured figure squirmed. 'We know 'em, who don't 'round 'ere?' His voice was distorted by the storm trooper helmet.

'You know where I can find them?'

Vader appeared at her side. He was radiating disapproval.

'No. Have ter stay hidden from the imp scum I guess.' There was a twinge of insolence in his voice. He was starting to get complacent.

Vader became very still.

'You are going to have to do better than that my friend.'

'Hmm, I'm wondering how you're gonna make me?'

Rune narrowed her eyes, stormtrooper helmet was clearly starting to feel bolder. He had back up coming – but where from, that was the question.

'You think your friends just jumped over the balcony?'

'Nooooo' He glanced up at the windows behind her.

'You think the power that pulled them down, couldn't do it again? In a heartbeat?'

'Noooooooo' The figure squirmed again and made a tiny signal with his hand.

Nothing happened. Rune let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. If these kids had attacked again, there was nothing she could do to protect them from Vader's tender ministrations.

'So where are FreeOrd? Tell me and I let your friends live.'

In answer he raised his blaster and took a shot, as more shots rang out behind them.

Rune only had time to think 'relaxed too soon' as Vader parried the shots coming from behind. She ran toward stormtrooper guy, parrying the shot straight back to his knee as she had done to his friend. The impact sent him sprawling in the dirt. His injured colleague tried to get off a shot, but she jumped and kicked the blaster from his hand. Then she stood over them both sabre hovering between them.

'Last chance' she warned, hoping against hope they wouldn't call her bluff. She felt Vader walk up behind her.

'No one knows, honest.'

She hovered the blade over storm trooper helmet.

'Really.'

She ran a scorch mark up from the base of the helmet with her blade, seeing the casing melt. A tiny drip fell onto the kids' skin. He yelped and gabbled frantically: but there's a rumour they're on the west side, squatting in some luxury apartment where no one would ever think to look for them. Really that's all I know.'

'You need to narrow it down a lot more than that, remember you are bargaining for your life' She ran her sabre a little further up the split she was creating in the helmet. The materials fizzed and hissed menacingly.

'We don't know no more n'that – only they're not just in a nice apartment, but a real real fancy pad - like unreal' interjected the mask eloquently. 'One of 'em was bragging about it'

'Keep talking' rang out Vader's smooth voice behind her and the next moment both figures were clutching at their throats gasping for breath.

'We….don't…..know….anything else' the kids were writhing round on the floor, ripping off their helmets in an effort to get more air. Without their masks, Rune could see they really were just kids, a boy and a girl, maybe 15 or 16, trying to survive the rough streets of Worlport. And now they had crossed the wrong people. She could see them turning blue as they clawed at their throats.

'Who does know more?' she demanded while they still had some breath to speak.

'Try Pryors bar, they used to hang out there-' The girl passed out.

'Enough' Rune barked.

Vader gave it an insolent beat before he released his hold.

The boy was coughing and choking but had the presence of mind to get to his knees and try and drag his friend away. It was painfully slow going with his injury, but he didn't look back.

'You should have finished them' observed Vader watching the kids pathetic retreat.

Rune shrugged. They're kids and they're injured, no threat to anyone, not even you. They need time to recover. This will be over long before they can tell anyone.

'Mercy is unbecoming to a Sith' he pressed.

'Is sticking to a deal unbecoming as well?'

Vader's shrug adequately indicated what he thought about sticking to a deal, but he dropped the subject and swung on his heel, heading for the speeder, which remained unmolested, despite a couple of even younger street kids surveying its souped-up glory wide-eyed from behind the safety of a burnt-out repulsorlift platform..

The tall black figure certainly had a bit of a spring in his step Rune observed. Having a little morning skirmish seemed to have brightened his day. Maybe 5 or 6 dead, she wondered what the tally would be by the time they had found the group. She had no doubt they would find them sooner or later. Vader was an old hand at this, and she couldn't help feeling he was just indulging her at the moment, holding himself in check.

She climbed back into the speeder slowly, looking up at the tightly packed, empty warehouses around her. What a decrepit place, her years in captivity had been bleak, but this was terrifying. People voluntarily lived in this desolate landscape, eking out a living amongst the rubbish and ruin. Had there been places like this when she had been a Jedi? There must have been, but she just never got to see it. They had been more sheltered that she had realised. Even when she had been on the run with her Master she had never seen such poverty and corruption. She had a lot to learn if she was to survive in this Empire.

Maybe this was the Emperors way of giving her a reality check, and she certainly needed it. She had seen so little of the galaxy, too many years in a cell. For a moment she could hardly catch her breath, this wide-open planet, was hers to roam. Almost. If she didn't have her travelling companion. How did anyone decide where to go, where to live, what to do, when there was just so much choice, so much space to fill….

She realised Vader was tapping the dashboard impatiently. 'I guess you had better head to the West Side' she said coolly, trying to hide how close she was to being overwhelmed. 'If we have a look round and can't find the place, at least it will fill some time til the bars get going. She grabbed a data pad and started researching the most expensive places to live.

It quickly became apparent that there was only one locale to live in if you wanted to be considered the crème de la crème of Worlport society, and within that area there was one street even more exclusive than the rest. It seemed the best place to start what was sure to be a long and boring search of the Westside on a wild mynock chase.

The Crescent in question was tree lined, a quiet but ostentatious jewel in the middle of the dirty, bustling city. Vader drove them from one end to the other of the majestically curved road and Rune drank it all in, saucer-eyed. The road serviced two long magnificent terraced buildings, each split into ten of what Rune could only describe as palaces, and with a glorious park opposite: a tiny bit of Coruscant grandeur here in the most unlikely place.

Each segment of the terraces was split by high walls, trees and fences between its neighbours, long winding driveways, even fountains. Each garden more outrageous than the last.

But by the time they reached the end of the crescent, they both knew the place where FreeOrd had been hiding. It had been about a quarter of the way along– the house every bit as grand as the rest, but the gates locked, the lawn overgrown, the curtains that could be glimpsed through the lush greenery, firmly shut. Every other house had been bursting with activity, lights, multiple flashy vehicles and delivery vans. Not this one. If the insurgents really were squatting in this area, this had to be the house.

Vader looked at her, waiting for her instruction. She felt like a silly school girl next to him, it seemed ludicrous that he would listen to a word she said. Call a squad of your best troopers to go in the front, we will go around to the back, I want to see if I can get on the roof, maybe go in through the attic' she suggested tentatively. She could have sworn he raised an eyebrow at her, even though the black helmet only tilted the merest amount.

Of course, he would just drive up to the door, get out at a leisurely pace, take them all out and drive off within 5 minutes. But she didn't think that approach was going to work for her.

'Remember we want to capture the comms tech' she reminded him.

The helmet remained tilted. It seemed to be saying 'we?'.

'That is my firm recommendation' she added stoutly. 'You can do what you like with them if they won't join you, but you should find out'.

A black leather glove indicated the commlink in the speeder

Rune took it and summoned a pack of troopers. Or whatever a gaggle of the non-clones were called these days. They were to gather nearby and await her signal.

Vader drove them onto the next street and down to the far end, parking the speeder with finesse. These houses were grand, but not quite in the same league. It was easy enough to find the house that backed onto the deserted grounds of their target. Vader simply swept up the tree-lined driveway of this house and headed to the line of ancient trees at the bottom of the palatial gardens, Rune scurrying to keep up. No one in the house challenged them, and Rune considered that a Very Good Thing, for their own sake.

They entered the trees and Vader paused to bring out a small gadget, which he aimed into the trees and appeared to fire before Rune could stop him. She expected a blast but heard nothing. She frowned and looked at him askance.

'EMP pulse' was the only explanation she received. She blushed, she hadn't thought about surveillance equipment, in her rush to get this over with. The EMP should take out anything electronic pointing in their direction for the next couple of minutes at least. Sure enough, as they hurried through the vegetation, she spotted a camera up in a tree on the other side of the crumbling rear wall of the property. They would have been in full view of it, if Vader hadn't pulsed it. He ignored her discomfort, or maybe just didn't notice, and with an agility in that suit that kept on surprising her, leapt over the high wall. She followed him, nimble and quiet.

A brief observation of the far side of the wall showed a convenient ladder leaning unobtrusively on its side against it. All ready for an emergency get away. She ran her sabre up it length-ways and left the two halves on the floor where, from a distance, it wouldn't look broken. That would be a nice surprise present if any runaways made it that far…

The pair walked slowly through the thicket of trees on the other side. It was cool and dim here, the sounds of traffic and the noise of neighbours going about their business dimmed by the trees, brush and long grasses. They made their way cautiously through the undergrowth, looking for traps or more surveillance equipment, but saw nothing. They took up a position well back from the lawn, still under cover of the trees and bushes, but with a good view of the quite private gardens and rear aspect of the house. Framed by branches, they couldn't see the full expanse of the grounds, but from what they could see, unlike the front, the rear was a little hive of activity. Three figures were working out together, a fourth was sat at a table cleaning blasters, his gaze on those working out instead of his own task. A fifth wandered out of the house and gave him a mug, then wandered back in.

So, four then in clear view, all working but peaceful, enjoying some sunshine. Vader would have them flattened within thirty seconds. Were there others in the garden but not in view? She sat quietly and reached out with her senses. The force felt close here, in this little patch of cultivated nature in the midst of the sprawling, barren city. She didn't sense any other humanoids out in the garden, but she could sense there were others inside. There were several clustered in a room, maybe on the first floor, and three or four others scattered about the house. She consulted her data pad, did these houses have cellars? She had spotted one for sale further up the street – and took a moment to consult its sale notice on the local net. It didn't indicate any cellar. She felt Vader shift impatiently next to her. This was not his style at all. He would have routed the lot of them by now. But would a few have managed to escape? That was the question.

She looked up at the roof. She didn't believe there were only two, such obvious, exits. Insurgents that had survived this long would be crafty. And hiding in this top residential area, after an abandoned warehouse in a derelict logistics sector of the city suggested someone in the group could think outside the box. So there had to be a third exit, one they could use if the house was surrounded. And if there was no cellar, then an attic seemed a good possibility. If she could just get inside and find that other exit, they should be able to get everyone, get the leaders of this little rebellion, not just the worker bees they had before them.

To get inside and have a look around she figured she just needed to get on the roof without being seen. She looked up and studied the leafy canopy, framed against the bright morning sky.

The trees in this garden were ancient, and the branches of a couple reached almost to the house. She needed to climb up, creep along the branches, but she would need to leap the last part to the house. And if she nudged so much as one tile, or someone glanced up she would be spotted instantly, exposed out in the open. And the jig would be up.

She assessed the two trees closest to the house. They were equidistant to the house, but she would be able to access different parts of the roof from each. She judged one to have sturdy enough branches that reached higher than the other. While she couldn't see any indication of an attic window, she could see a sizeable chimney stack. The chimneys looked to be the only way in, so that meant there was a clear winner, tree wise.

She glanced at Vader, he shifted impatiently. 'Wait here while I get inside and have a scout around, have a look round for other exits. When I'm ready I'll send the go signal. Anyone who exits out the back of the house is fair game for you – but if you see someone who looks like a comms tech you need to subdue, not kill, ok?'

Vader's answer was to rest his hand on the hilt of his sabre. Rune sighed. He was only interested in one thing. And what a comms tech was supposed to look like she didn't really know, but she had made her point.

She moved over to her chosen tree without a backward glance and started to climb. The trees were strange things, not like any trees she had seen before – their bark was spongy and felt unpleasantly moist under her finger tips. A couple of times her boots slipped as she put her weight against the bark, and she was forced to pause and regain a good footing before she could proceed. She was relieved when she reached her chosen branch, the humiliation of falling out of a tree and landing at Vader's feet didn't bear thinking about. She inched up her selected branch, careful to stay under cover of the verdantly green, leafy canopy. She surveyed the roof carefully from this closer vantage point. It was a steep slope, but with a nice wide, sturdy looking gutter. She calculated her next moves without haste, this needed to be done right. She could run along the branch and jump up to the chimney, avoiding any potential loose slates without too much trouble by using the force. But if any of the insurgents looked up just at the wrong moment and saw her flying through the air….. it would be game over. Peering through the oddly rubbery leaves she cast about for a distraction. And saw it not too far away. A pile of fighting staffs piled against the wall near the guy cleaning blasters. She crouched on the branch, ready to move, stilled her mind, concentrated, and gave them a nudge. The moment she saw them start to slide she was sprinting along the branch, hearing the clatter as they hit the ground just as she started her lift off toward the chimney.

She leapt across the expanse of air as if in slow motion, hitting the chimney stack with rather less grace than she would have liked, but without touching the roof itself and loosening any tell-tale slates with her feet. She clung onto the stack like a monkey, catching her breath and listening carefully. No shouts of alarm went up – everyone's attention had been on the staves rolling across the patio as she had hoped. She took a breath and spared a glance to the patch of deepest black under the trees, that was the only sign that Vader was watching her progress. She could imagine him tapping his foot impatiently at all this tomfoolery.

She stood tentatively and peered down the chimneys, there was a collection of smaller ones and one large one, the one leading to the kitchen she would guess. Even the smallest chimneys were quite large, and as for the largest, it reached almost to her waist and she couldn't have got her arms all the way around it. With her tiny frame, she could easily fit down any of them. She peered into them, moving around them so as not to cast a shadow, allowing the rays of mid-morning sunshine to illuminate the shafts. She didn't want to go to the kitchen, she wanted to be upstairs, but which chimney to choose? Eventually she chose one at the back of the house, hoping it was more likely to lead to a bedroom. There was some sort of grill she saw immediately, holding up a lot of feathers and a few rotting leaves – urk. She caught the shout of the exercise class restarting after the pause. All was still well.

Repulsed, she scraped up the leaves and feathers and transferred them into one of the other chimneys. She hoped this was going to be worth it. Once the rusted grill was clear of debris that could fall down into the house and alert someone to her presence, she cautiously brought her lightsabre to bear, and gently cut the grill away on three sides, then pushed it firmly down with her foot.

With a bit of creaking she was able to flatten the grill downwards enough for her to slip inside. She fastened her sabre back to her belt and sat on the edge of the chimney, swung her legs over and bracing herself against the sides of the chimney started to lower herself downwards.

It was hard going, and she was grateful for the running she had done, and the workouts Vader had put her through when they had trained. She had to brace her arms and legs against the sides of the shaft and inch painfully downwards.

She almost came a cropper when the side of the chimney opened into a horizontal shaft. She hadn't been expecting side tunnels and nearly lost the tension she needed to maintain so as not to plummet down the shaft.

She investigated in the gloom and realised that the chimneys were connected to each other. This was great news, it meant even if this shaft led down to the ground floor she could explore inside the house and find a shaft that led to the first floor, if not the attic.

She was conscious that Vader would be getting more and more impatient, but she pushed that to the back of her mind and continued down. She was brought up short by reaching the bottom of this shaft and finding a dead end – the old-fashioned fireplace no doubt filled in to make way for some modern heating arrangement.

She braced herself and climbed back up to explore the horizontal shaft, it only took a few minutes of crawling about to find the fireplace that led into the attic level. To her relief this hadn't been filled in and was still open.

She dropped down, landing lightly on her feet, and crouched silently in the hearth, looking around. The room was dimly lit from a few windows on the front aspect of the sloping ceiling, but she could see clearly. She could make out piles and piles of old trunks, furniture, toys and boxes, but the room didn't have the musty feel of a room that hadn't been opened for years. In fact, there were signs on the floor that some of these boxes had been pushed to the sides quite recently, the thick dust disturbed with scrape marks and cobwebs dangling and broken.

She fought the urge to sneeze and followed the recently created path through the dust. Sure enough a way had been cleared to the end of the room. She walked through the long room, past box after box, strange shapes shrouded in old cloths, everything covered in dust, to the connecting wall between this house and its neighbour. The wall only came three quarters of the way up to the apex of the roof and was easy enough for someone to climb over into the next house. Still she frowned, this didn't feel quite right. Such an obvious path had been cleared, it seemed too easy. What was wrong?

On a hunch, she walked quietly back up the make-shift path as far as the spiral stairs down into the main house, and then she began to pick her way to the other end of the room. Once she had got past the initial batch of boxes and furniture blocking her way, she could pick out a path through more easily – coincidence or…? No, she could detect signs that the boxes on this side had also been moved around a little too.

She felt a thrill of excitement, she was sure she was on to something. She wend her way along the faint path cleared between crates and old furniture until she reached the dividing wall between the houses. This one also came up to shoulder height, and it was possible to get over it and into the house next door. But here there was a convenient ladder and a couple of full back packs at its base.

She felt exultant, she hadn't been wrong. Good. She glanced around, there was space here to hide and wait to see if anyone came this way.

She was about to give the signal when it occurred to her to climb over the wall and see what was on the other side. Sure enough the communal attic stretched on, and she was able to climb over into the next attic and the next. When she reached the end, she got out her commlink to send her simple message over its secure frequency to the troopers and Vader: Go.

Then she headed back to the abandoned house and waited patiently.

She didn't have long to wait.

In the garden, Vader sensed her gain entry to the house and then move along and out of the house into its neighbour. He was impressed when she had the good sense to send the go signal from a different house entirely.

He was even more intrigued, when within 30 seconds a figure ran out of the house, carrying several backpacks. The exercisers and the guy cleaning blasters leapt to their feet taking a blaster and a backpack each. A few more figures poured out the back doors with more back packs until there was one for everyone and a couple extra.

Vader contemplated the scene as they scurried around, getting everyone equipped. The troopers weren't here yet, so it had to be the go signal that was picked up. Not an easy task to pick one word out from a street of bustling houses that would all be sending and receiving messages. The groups comms tech really did have an edge. Maybe Rune had more sense than he had given her credit for.

Either way, he was looking forward to the next few minutes, his grip flexed around his sabre.

They were heading for the back wall as he had predicted. He scanned the insurgents dispassionately, none struck him as techie, they were all fit and wielding their blasters with confidence, well trained, they moved off without loitering for personal possessions, they were leaving. But they were a little too confident. It hadn't occurred to them that someone would already be waiting for them along their escape route. They must have thought that go came from a team coming up the street, not from inside the buildings.

They set off from the house, running steadily towards him. There was no panic, they thought they had time.

He lit his sabre and still they came on, he was invisible in the undergrowth.

Then the figure in the lead spotted the red glow of his sabre and brought up his blaster, letting off a warning bolt, unsure as to what he was facing, but alerting his team.

Fool. Vader swung into action, launching himself at the rebel and cutting him down with his sabre. Immediately his nearest companions opened fire, and Vader parried the bolts back easily, taking them down with their own fire.

He was causing chaos in their carefully organised plan, some were sprinting for the wall, one running back to the house, the rest opening fire on him even though visibility was diminished here in the cool, dim undergrowth. He hadn't had this much enjoyment in quite some time. When he had downed those attacking, he flung the one running for the house, headfirst into the wall, then he turned and pursued those making for the wall.

They were about to be in for two nasty surprises. He heard their shouts of dismay as they discovered the sabotaged ladder and strode forward through the undergrowth as though it wasn't there. It tore and snagged at his cloak, but he ignored it as he closed in on the insurgents. There were three of them, two had been boosted up onto the wall and were attempting to pull the third up with them.

One on the wall spotted him coming and dropped his colleague's arm with alacrity. The dangling figure plunged down, pulling his other colleague with him. Vader coolly reached out with the force before the man still on the wall could drop down the other side and pulled him through the air towards him. The man dangled in the air like a broken puppet, grasping at his throat, trying to breath. Vader brought him to a full stop just in front of him. The man's companions, sprawled in the dirt, watching this spectacle open mouthed, forgetting to try and escape in their horror.

Vader squeezed harder through the force and felt the man's neck break. He flung him at his two companions and waded in with his sabre. It was the work of a couple of seconds to finish them off. Slightly disappointed he strode back to the house to see if the man he had flung head first in to a wall was still alive. He wasn't.

And no one else seemed to be escaping in that direction.

He headed into the house and looked for the stairs.

Rune listened to the noises the house made. Creaks, footsteps, then she heard faint shouts from outside. She was surprised at how quickly things had started. It was maybe two minutes before she heard the front door crash open and troopers pour inside, and by then she had already heard footsteps running up the stairs and into the attic. Two of them she thought.

She could hear them coming closer, and then they were in the little clearing, blasters at their hips, grabbing for the backpacks, not even thinking to look around, no idea she was stood in the shadows. Two woman, one older, one quite young, not much older than Rune herself. The moment the girl stood and swung her backpack over her shoulders, Rune got a clear view of her face, and the image she had picked up from Inez mind clarified. This was the com-tech: tall, solidly built, short spiky pink hair.

It was all too easy to raise her hand and yank several large wooden crates down on to their heads. They never even saw what happened.

Rune looked at them as they lay sprawled on the floor unconscious. Both would have a headache when they woke up but wake up they would. And while the comm-tech would have a chance at a better life, for the older woman it would be interrogation and prison. Could she put someone in a prison, after her own experiences she wondered?

But she was a Sith now.

She commed the storm troopers and told them where to find her prisoners. When she looked up, Vader was watching her.

'I think that's all of them then' she said. 'This ones the comms-tech – I'm sure of it.' She nudged the girl with her toe to indicate.

Vader nodded. 'Good.' A squad of troopers barrelled into the little space.

'Have that one delivered to our ship, process the other.'

'Yes my Lord.'

Rune followed the Sith back down the stairs and out of the wide-open front door.

'So, you had your sabre after all.'

Rune shrugged. 'It always pays to have back up.'

Vader gave a non-committal grunt.

'And besides, you knew I did, else I would have been sent back for it like a naughty schoolgirl.' She added with a certain amount of rancour.

Vader gave a grunt that may have been assent but wouldn't be drawn into an argument. Rune changed the subject abruptly.

So how did I do?

'You achieved the objective'

'Yes, but how I did it… it perhaps had too much mercy for the Emperors liking?

Vader didn't answer for the longest time until she thought he wasn't going to, but then suddenly he made a noise that she could only interpret as a chuckle.

'Worried you won't be allowed back to your precious book?'

'Of course – I'm not here for the company, that's for sure'

Vader's laugh sounded again, this time she was sure it was a laugh.

'It was risky, but it did not affect the outcome. This time.'

'Aw, come on A – she exploded into a fit of coughing – she had so nearly said Anakin. She caught her breath and stared at him innocently. 'Aw, come on all humanoids were kids once' Nice recovery she thought to herself wryly and cleared her throat in what she hoped wasn't an overdramatic way. 'Even you must know that any kid who's managed to survive on the streets for that long is canny enough to not tell the person they just snitched on. That would be a very life-shortening move'.

There was another long silence. Rune wondered if Vader was reflecting on his own childhood. Eventually he shrugged. It seemed to be his go to response where she was concerned. 'Maybe you are right. In this instance at least.'

'So? she pressed. What are you going to report back?

'To be a Sith is to be unique – we're not clones like the Jedi, always following the rules. A Sith get things done by whatever means work for them. As long as the result is a success, it doesn't matter if you did it differently to how I'd do it, or the Emperor for that matter. Just don't fail. Failure is not acceptable, no matter what method you use.'

Rune thought it over. She thought she understood what he was saying.

Katani

Fry was pleased to learn that he was to get a new comms tech, one that knew plenty of tricks to keep his team on the cutting edge. Of course, the girl couldn't be trusted. She had agreed to tell them everything they wanted to know about the group in exchange for her own life and the life of the older woman – just a nobody helper, she had claimed.

Fry didn't think so, he thought the woman was the leader, but she had been tagged and released to see where else she went and who she contacted.

The girl wasn't stupid, she must have realised the FreeOrd group were all dead apart from the two of them and so had nothing to lose in telling them pretty much every secret they wanted to know. But that didn't prove she was trustworthy – she only thought it did.

So Fry was going to assign Deckard to watch over her. He had already ascertained that nothing escaped Deckard's eagle eye – the woman never missed a trick. They had hunted down 4 different insurgent groups alongside monitoring the Shadowdancer project, since he had taken over as commander and it was Deckard that had found the key piece of information they needed every time. If this girl tried anything, anything at all – Deckard would be all over her. He had no doubt.

Fry had summoned Deckard to Cell Block 9 and she was on her way now, wondering why on earth Fry would want to meet her there. She knew Vader had been out of system and sent a package over within minutes of reappearing in the system. Had that package been alive? She was curious. And also wary. Vader rarely meant good news.

She saluted smartly as she entered the control room. Fry was stood by a view screen with the Officer in Charge. They were both looking at the screen. She straightened her shoulders and walked over, as curious as she was apprehensive.

'Ah, Deckard, we have a new member of the team' said Fry without looking up.

Deckard raised a doubtful eyebrow. 'In the cells sir?'

Fry grinned, 'Yes, it's the comms tech from the insurgent group on Ord Mantell. Remember?'

Deckard brightened 'Yes, some very interesting methods of circumventing the local news net and the holonet protocols as I remember.'

'Exactly, I knew you would appreciate her work. Well, her name is Arla Katani. She is all yours – to train and to keep an eye on.'

Deckard groaned internally, and possibly externally, as she saw Fry grin. Why her? 'Why me?' she mouthed at his retreating back. She had things she needed to do, insurgents to track down – babysitting a rogue comms tech was not her idea of a good time. But Fry was gone, and she already knew him well enough to know that asking him to change his mind would only make him more determined that she should do the job.

She glared at the screen, on the monitor she could see a young woman with pink spiky hair laid casually on the hard bed, she seemed to be dozing. Well that was all about to change. She had an afternoon of being indoctrinated into the imperial way of life ahead of her – biometrics to take, access to the systems, uniforms and sleeping quarters to secure, even evacuation procedures to be memorised. Deckard gritted her teeth and got on with it, mainly because she couldn't do anything else.

She marched to the cell and walked in. The woman looked at her drowsily, Deckard allowed herself to feel cross.

'Katani, I'm Deckard, you're with me.'

She walked out, and Katani didn't follow.

Drat.

'Katani, this is your last chance. I don't care whether you join me or not, but if you don't then we will be opening this cell to the vacuum of space. So much kinder to the facilities crews than leaving your dead body lying around to be cleared away.'

Katani suddenly decided she wanted to be an Imperial after all and was at her side in a moment. Excellent.

But Deckard quickly tired of her company, the girl liked to talk. She soon warmed up, exclaiming over the small size of her sleeping apartment (which wasn't much bigger than a street sleeping tube and much less comfortable, or so she claimed), how stiff her uniforms were and how uncomfortable the boots, why couldn't she have a blaster, and how was she supposed to find her way around, and what if she overslept and on and on and on. The fact that the girl had an artificial leg and needed special boots meant it took even longer to get her kitted out

Deckard wanted to scream and she hadn't even taken her up to meet the team yet. When she had finally got the girls hair stripped of its pink dye, at the tiny sink with a possibly too strong cleanser, she had to help Katani into her uniform and help her pull her boots on. It was exhausting – the girl had no idea how to dress smartly. Deckard stood back to survey her. She had to look up, the girl was tall. She was also a sort of dirty blonde now and her hair, which had been rendered straw like in texture after the harsh cleanser, stuck out at ludicrous angles. Deckard straightened her collar and took her up to meet everyone, there was nothing else she could bear to do for her. Every time she glanced at her she found herself smoothing imaginary escapees from her own sleek bun.

Of course Xinn was smirking because Deckard had pulled the baby-sitting duties, Mattesta was looking cross because he hadn't been consulted, and Petrosk just smiled shyly. Deckard glowered and ushered her over to Fry, who was just… Fry. Watching everyone else, observing reactions…..

After Deckard's blunt introductions she got Katani sat at a desk next to her where she had a clear view of the girl's screen. She showed her how to log in, she was a quick study which was just as it should be, reflected Deckard. Now for the real test.

'Tea or Coffee?'

'Nah, you got any juice?'

Five sets of eyes swivelled around to stare at the newcomer. 'No, it's tea or coffee' said Deckard slowly, in case the girl hadn't fully understood.

Katani wrinkled her nose. 'I don't drink hot drinks – eew'

Deckard realised she was staring. What was this creature that Vader had foisted upon them? She shook her head in disbelief and made herself a strong coffee to fortify herself before showing Katani the computer systems.

Finally Deckard was ready to show Katani the surveillance works she was to be assigned. 'You are part of an elite security team now and your work needs to be of an elite standard. We have the highest rate of viable leads of any of the security teams. Now we're adding you to our ranks our percentage will drop unless you can keep up with us. I expect your work to be up to standard in the next two weeks – that's when you'll officially be added to our numbers and contribute to our stats. I will not tolerate any drop in our performance so you need to get up to speed fast. I don't care if you have to work all day and all night for the next two weeks – am I clear?'

Katani nodded, there was a mulish hint to her mouth that reminded Deckard a little too much of Xinn. She brushed this thought to one side; the girl couldn't be that bad after all.

'Like Petrosk you will sift through security footage that I assign to you and look for signs of sedition. Any indicators you find will be sent to the teams on the planets to investigate. I will set you off on some of Petrosk's footage. You can watch it and see if you can pick up the lead or leads that he did. If you work really hard, you may eventually become as good as Petrosk. Of course, he is not as good as Xinn and I, but I don't think you can hope to reach our level of skill.' In truth, Deckard knew neither Xinn or Petrosk would ever match her level of skill, but she was feeling magnaminous and her stats spoke for themselves. Besides Fry was watching and she was still trying to establish herself as a team player.

Deckard was on the look-out and didn't miss the brief flash of steely determination in Katani's eyes. She had to turn away to her console before she was tempted to smile. The girl responded to competition, she didn't like to be told she wasn't as good as the rest of them - that was good. While ever she was busy proving she was better than the rest of them she would be busy doing her job. Who knew, maybe eventually she would be a suitable replacement for the hated Xinn.

Keehan

They came out on the edge of the system, keeping Keehan 1V between them and the major planet of the system. They got into orbit and powered down non-essential systems. As they were swept around the barren planet, Kehan gradually came into view. Inez ran a passive scan. Sure enough an imp IGV-55 Surveillance ship hung in close orbit around the planet Kehan.

'Well that's probably as good as we're gonna get' offered Inez, 'Better than a star destroyer or 2'.

Six shrugged. 'Those ships aren't called listeners for nothing. Their long-range monitoring and scanning capabilities are second to none. No doubt they have been deployed to scan the planets for – well, you know. We need to be careful – say nothing about anything until we are planet side.

He gave the signal and Kehl keyed a micro-jump. A split second later they emerged closer to the planet. The listener loomed menacingly in their viewscreen. No one said anything, even though everyone was packed into the cockpit - much to Kehl's annoyance.

Their comms pinged. Six opened a channel. 'Unidentified freighter identify yourself and state your business. This is Kehan City control.' There seemed to be only one major spaceport on the planet, other cities were strictly ground and air traffic, but in the main the planet seemed given over to vast expanses of agriculture and mining. Scans seemed to indicate most of the planet's waters were contained in just a few deep seas.

Kehl transmitted their transponder code and tried not to look anxiously at the imp ship they were passing.

Six adopted a friendly tone. 'Hey there control. We are merchant freighter Leviathan, looking to do some buying and selling. First time visit mate. Can you recommend a good place to set down? Somewhere not too expensive, but a safe area and good for trade?'

'Sure friend, sending coordinates through now. Follow this flight path planet side and there are a couple of docking companies to choose from that are reputable and not too expensive.

'Thanks mate, I owe you a beer.'

'Well you'll find me in the Spacers Boot in a couple of hours if you mean that. Ask for Bay'

'See you there'

'Roger that and out'

Six beamed at his crew. 'If the intel is good, I'll go meet him for a drink and see what I can find out.'

Inez looked none too happy. 'That's all three of us off the ship then? I should have known you staying on board was too good to be true'

'We have no time to waste, maybe I can find out something that will help. If not, I have a drink, I go back to the ship – it's all good. We aren't together, so at least one of us should be able to make it back safe, and if not, then Kehl you get the ship you always wanted.'

Kehl smirked. 'Sounds good to me boss.'

Fifteen minutes later he was setting them sedately down in a small, but tidy, hangar bay. Inez was straight off the ship with Dan, they were taking the speeder bikes and heading over to the main ship yards to see if they could access any of the bays belonging to the major mining guilds on the planet. Tia and her little team were not far behind, heading into the heart of the city to look for signs of the rebel agents.

Six strolled off the ship a few minutes later, taking in the surrounding area. The intel from air control had been good. It seemed like a poor, but respectable area. He had jacked his data pad into the local net, and soon had directions to the Spacers Boot. He hoped the local beer was good. He needed a pint.

There was a local monorail that looped around and through the city, and he hopped on to that and let it take him smoothly around to the nearest stop to the bar. The Spacers Boot was nestled between the main ship yards, and the edge of the main city. It was clearly used by workers, rather than the locals in the nearby suburbs. He stepped in with an air of nonchalance that, to anyone who knew him, indicated extreme caution.

The bar was heaving, and Six had to jostle his way inside, but the atmosphere was good. Workers, mostly natives he concluded, kicking back after a hard day in the office, the workshop, the docking bays, whatever.

He joined the throng at the bar and when it was his turn to be served he asked the bar tender for Bay.

The guy pointed out a large guy holding court in a group of large guys. He dwarfed even Six. Give me two of whatever he is drinking' and he was rewarded with two pints of something that looked like beer. He sipped cautiously. Tasted like beer too.

He headed over to the group and thrust one of the beers at the man. 'Bay I believe?,

'Hey Mate!' yelled the guy a little raucously. He lifted the beer, ignoring the beer slopping dangerously from side to side and had a huge swig. 'Alagrande!' he yelled hoisting the beaker aloft. He paused and the group looked at Six expectantly. He knew his duty, he was a clone for goodness sake. He took a swig of his own beer and held it aloft and shouted 'Algrundy'. No one seemed to mind the approximate pronunciation, there was much cheering and shouting and after a certain amount of bustling about, a space was cleared at Bays side for Six to sit down. Six surveyed the group. The men seemed a friendly and welcoming lot, a little merry already. Up close he could see the fine smattering of freckle-like dots that ran around the men's hairline, that marked them out as native Kehans. He could see a few women in the bar, their markings seemed to be darker than the men's, or maybe they were more enhanced by the women's cosmetics, for they were certainly striking.

'So what brings you to our little planet Mate?'

'My name is Six, and I am here to find some friends.'

'Friends? From Kehan?'

'No, from off world.'

'Ah and you want my help?'

'Can you help me?

'Bay can help – I know everyone who comes and goes to this planet – and if I don't, my friends do!' He swept his hand expansively around his group of friends and they all roared and drank. They were a very enthusiastic people.

'Well tonight I am here to thank you for finding us a good hangar and buy you a drink, but maybe we could talk, later?'

'Yes, my friend, of course.'

Six enjoyed his drink with the group and gradually picked up that they all worked as space air controllers. It seemed that they received a fraction of the toll for a ship to land on the planet and so they 'looked after' the people they placed into the space lanes down to the planet, and took pride in making sure they were ok, hoping to direct them again when they left and pick up the exit fee. He also picked up that they weren't averse to a few deals on the side, but mostly they seemed conscientious, and keen to do a good job. They were very proud of their planet and their First Minister. Six relaxed a fraction. They didn't seem the kind of people who would invite the Empire here. If you could tell a race from 6 of its slightly inebriated inhabitants of course.

Eventually the party seemed to wind down and the men left one by one. When they were the only ones left, Bay looked at Six shrewdly. Suddenly he didn't seem as drunk as he had before.

'Do we need to go somewhere else to have this discussion, friend?'

'In truth, I don't know Bay. I think my friends might be in trouble, through no fault of their own.'

Bay considered him for a few long moments. 'Let's go find something to eat, then we can talk'

The men walked outside silently. Dusk was drawing down and the air was warm and dry. Six could see the Listener in the darkening sky, its stationary orbit keeping it in view. 'Hmm, let's eat inside.'

Bay followed his gaze and looked troubled. 'Sure'

He took Six to a little bistro, serving native food – it smelt delicious, hearty and warming.

They took a table near the back and Bay ordered for both of them at Sixes request.

'So what's up?'

'You know what that ship is up in orbit?'

Bay shrugged but looked uneasy. 'Not really, comes from a long way away. They sent a ship down a few weeks ago to trade. But they haven't gone. They have been talking to our First Minister. He seems very…taken… with them. Are they your friends?'

'Frag, no.'

It was Bays turn to relax a little. 'Good. My sister works over in the First Ministers office an' she says she don't like 'em.'

'Well good, they are…..dangerous.'

'You know 'em then?'

'Where I come from, they… they rule with an iron fist.'

'Well why 're they here?'

'That's what I am here to find out. That's what my friends were here to find out in the first place. We think they tried to warn your government against the imps. But they vanished.

'Imps?'

'That's what we call them where we come from, short for Imperials. But listen, I don't want to make trouble – I want to find my people. But I would also like you to know what you are getting into with those imps. Have you heard of a system called Ilum?

'Yeah, sure….. we used to get merchant ships in from there to trade – used to send a few over from here.' Bay frowned. 'I haven't seen any merchant ships from llum in…quite a while. I haven't seen any of the regulars ship over there either.' He paused, a puzzled expression on his face. 'I haven't seen the regulars – full stop.'

'Listen, go and make some enquiries, see what you can find out – if you don't like what you hear, I can give you more information. If you could sound out your sister in the First Ministers office to see if she is aware from two visitors being held somewhere, I would pay you for that information..'

'Sure, ok, sounds reasonable. Say we meet back 'ere tomorrow after my shift? I can do some digging while I'm at work.'

'Sounds good – but friend – don't use your work computer, don't use anything that can be traced back to you'.

Bay was silent for a few moments. 'You think it's like that huh?'

'Where the imps are involved – it's always like that. And don't talk about this to your friends out in the open. Don't forget that ship in orbit. Its job is to listen.'

'Tomorrow then.'

The men shook hands and parted ways, both with a lot to think about.

Six spent the day waiting impatiently, he was pretty sure what Bay would find out, but even so he intended to be cautious. Bay might try to double cross him for the bounty that would no doubt be on his head if the imps ever found out he was here. Neither Tia or Inez came back to the ship, but they reported in regularly on their progress, or lack thereof. Everything seemed under control, they didn't need him.

He risked Inez wrath and took both Kehl and Star with him when he went to meet Bay, leaving Kraken empty.

He had Kehl on the roof on a speeder bike keeping watch over the back entrance of the bistro and Star sat in a little coffee shop opposite with a clear view of the front of the shop and the street in both directions. They had been in position a good thirty minutes before Six strolled down the street and into the bistro. He was earlier than Bay and he carefully selected a seat at the back near the entrance to the kitchens and the rear emergency exit.

Bay was just a few minutes late, he had a gloomy expression on his usually cheerful face. 'Well met brother.'

Six inclined his head, confident that Bay had arrived on his own. Bay didn't seem inclined to waste any time. He didn't wait for the serving girl to make it back to the bar with their order before he blurted out what he had found.

'I got my little brother to look up Ilum at a cyber-café on the opposite side of town to where we live. There was virtually nothing recent, they seem to be in total lockdown. But he found some hidden camera footage of these soldiers in white armour shooting protesters and sending in some sort of gas. The word was it was a fake, but…'

'Soldiers in white? No, that's the imperial army, storm troopers they are called.'

'So I did a bit of digging at my work – not on Ilum, but I asked around and got the names of as many of the freighters anyone could remember that used to go to Ilum. Thought I might get a first-hand account of what's going on over there... Well, they've all registered as leaving for Ilum and none 'ave come back in the last six months –'cept for one.'

'Is he around? Can we talk to him?' asked Six eagerly.

'Yeah, he's docked at the moment, we could call by – ' he stopped while the waitress delivered their food and beer and then resumed after a long swig of his drink. 'His docking bay is about 'alf an hour's walk from here.'

'That is great-'

'-It doesn't end there – I asked my sister and she says she remembers two men came asking to speak to the First Minister – they were taken to see him and never came back out. She works in personnel, she does the wages. She has seen they are paying guards 24/7 to guard the cells under the City Hall of Justice, which is part of the City Hall complex. Trouble is, officially there aren't any prisoners at the moment. Most criminals are held in the police cells, an' only stay at the town hall for an hour or so before their trial. The only other reason t' stay is if yer a highly controversial prisoner that needs extra security. Can't remember the last time we had one of those.

The other thing is, no one in her office has seen the First Minister for several days now. Usually he calls in and says 'ello and gets the latest gossip and brings messages and greetin's to be broadcast to us common-folk. Even when he got nuthin to say, he says somethin. Some positive message about a great achievement by some person or town, or a good harvest, or congratulates a sports person. He just loves communicatin' with his people. Now he sends one of these imp-men for updates, and never do they bring any messages ….she says it's very strange. If he were sending them down to the office he would ask them to send his messages – but they never do.'

'Sounds to me like he is their prisoner already. The next thing, he will be signing some treaty in public, ushering in a new dawn of commerce with the imps, and before you know it you will have those white soldiers on your streets enforcing the Emperors rule here.

'What? No, the First Minister would never do that –'

'No, he wouldn't, but he will be made to do it. If you are found to have Khyber crystals in sufficient quantities to make it worth their while.'

'What? Khyber crystals? They're our biggest natural resource, whole planets filled with 'em. They're not that high value to us'

'Well they are to the imps…once their teams have established that, they will bring about a merger. But it will not be a merger it will be a takeover.

Bay put his head in his hands. 'We have to stop this, we have to do something. What can we do?' He gazed at Six beseechingly.

Six looked at him assessingly. 'There are options – depends what you have the stomach for. You can warn people anonymously, get the swell of public opinion to demand the First Minister makes an appearance, show pictures of what the imps did to Ilum, start protests and demonstrations to say you will not deal with the imps. That might work – although it might not – depends how good a grip they have on your man. Trouble is, that gives the imps a heads up – and they know how to stamp that kind of trouble out fast. But the alternatives… they take a lot more…commitment.'

'How do you mean?'

'Well at the other end of the spectrum, we break in, we rescue my people and we rescue your First Minister, get him to make a public denouncement against the imps. Then there are quite a few options in between.

A strange gleam had lit Bay's eyes. 'No, I'm likin' the rescue option. I'm likin' it a lot. And I'm thinkin' I have a few friends who would like to be involved. Friends who've been in the palace, know their way round, even know the security.'

'Its dangerous Bay, you and your friends could get killed. The imps do not mess around.'

'I know, but you don't understand what it's like here. The First Minister, he looks after his people, he always puts us first. Maybe it's about time the people looked after their First Minister. There's somethin' going on, he's in danger, he'd never abandon us of his own free will. We're a thrivin' planet, but we're insular. Apart from some tradin' limited strictly to this one city, we like to be on our own. He'd never agree to a deal with them that allowed them to set one foot outside this city.'

'Are you sure you can trust your people Bay? You must be completely sure – if you have any doubts at all, you don't bring them ok? The imps pay a lot of money to traitors.'

'I understand what yer sayin', but anyone who betrayed the First Minister and their planet, wouldn't get very far. I won't bring anyone I don't need – but I do trust them.'

'Ok, then we need a safe space to plot and plan, and we need to go see that old merchant you told me about.'

Bay threw the last of his food down his throat and the last of his beer quickly followed, then he was on his feet. Six asked for a doggy bag, his food mostly untouched. Kehl would expect some food for spending his evening on a roof. Star was no doubt eating cake and sipping exotic coffee across the street. Inez would be appalled if she found out. She considered coffee to be the lowest of the low. Star kept her penchant for the stuff strictly under wraps when she was on board the ship.

The pair set off to the docking bays, and Six discreetly signalled Kehl and Star to go back to the ship. He knew Kehl would be off like a shot, Star would want to savour her freedom in such a pleasant city, and would no doubt take a little longer.

It didn't take Bay long to find the docking bay he was looking for, he seemed to know his way around the city. It was a battered old freighter, that looked like it was held together more by a miracle than anything else. Bay hailed the ship and eventually the docking ramp put down and an old, bearded guy limped down the ramp. 'How can I help yer?'

'Hey Finden – it's me, Bay – from traffic control'

'Oh hey Bay, what's on yer mind?'

Six nudged Bay.

'Can we take this inside man?'

'Sure Bay, who's yer friend?'

Bay waited pointedly until they were on board and the ramp shut. The smell of the ship assailed their nostrils – old cabbage and a faulty head. Six felt his eyes water a little but remained quiet.

Finden ushered them into a little seated area and got them settled. He offered the drinks, but the two men hurriedly refused, saying they weren't staying long. They hoped fervently that was true. Six blinked his watering eyes and looked at the old Kehanian curiously. The markings around his hairline were blurry and pale, but whether due to his age or his tribe, Six wasn't sure.

Bay launched straight into his questions. 'When was the last time you went to Ilum?'

Finden looked alarmed 'Huh?'

'Ilum?'

'Ah, that be a while ago now lad.'

'Yet you used to go regular – what happened?'

Finden scowled and shrugged. 'I don't really remember.'

'C'mon Finden, don't give me that.'

'Its water under the bridge, you should let it go.'

'Let what go?'

Finden sighed, exasperated.

'Why don't you go back?'

Finden put his head in his hands and seemed to come to some internal decision. It was clear Bay wasn't going away, and it was Sixes observation that Finden looked up to the big man. 'Look I had been going there for some time, trading. Old Coemer, he started doing the same, just to annoy me, he was like that.'

He paused and lit a pipe of something even more pungent than the other smells already present. For possibly the first time in his life Six wished for a tissue.

'Last time I got to Ilum, I dropped out a bit further out than usual. Hadn't been for a while, got my calc slightly off. As I brought my scanners on line there was an explosion in the distance, near to the planet. Near to where I would normally drop out. I dunno, somethin' told me things weren't right. I shut down most of the systems and just drifted while I programmed a jump the heck outta there. But I couldn't resist a peek at what the frag was going on.' He paused as he remembered what he had seen.

'There were these massive ships in orbit, like big…. wedges….and then I could make out all these carcases of dead ships floating not that far from me. I realised that's what the explosion was, one of these massive warships firing on a smaller ship….Well, I got to thinking about the salvage opportunities, if I could just get to some of these ships, who knew what I might find.'

So, I used the thrusters just enough to set me drifting towards the nearest hulk, and as I got closer, I realised I knew her…it was old Coemer's ship. With a massive hole in the side. I harpooned her and towed her away, slowly slowly. I thought maybe there would be survivors. But when I got a moon between me and Ilum I suited up and went over to have a look. There was no sign of the crew – sucked out into space I guess. But their cargo was secure in the hold, that hadn't taken any damage at all. It was clearly from Kehan – they never made it down to the surface to trade – so what could they have done to git fired on? I, I took the cargo, I took the black box and I took Coemers lucky blaster from his berth. Then I left. I was going to tell his wife, give her the blaster as a memento like, but then I looked at the black box. Man, he dropped out of hyperspace, and that ship just fired on him without warnin'– one shot – and blew him outta the sky. What kinda fire power is that? I couldn't go back to Kehan and report it to the authorities and tell 'is wife. People would demand justice. And if we sent our ships to fight that, we'd be destroyed. I just kept my trap shut – and hoped no one 'd figure out what was going on over there. And no one did – till now. You don't want to mess with Ilum boy - we'd all be in way over our heads.'

Bay looked ashen as he processed this information.

Six stood, it was time to go. 'Thank you Mr FInden – but, one thing – do you have that black box still?'

Finden looked at Six and then at Bay. Bay nodded and the old guy lumbered off into the depths of his ship.

By tacit agreement, the two men went and waited by the ramp, eager to be away and into the relatively fresh air of a spaceport as soon as possible.

Finden returned about ten long long minutes later and dumped the black box on the table in front of them. It looked covered in dust and smears of oil but Bay picked it up promptly and put it under his jacket, tucked under his arm.

'You want the salvage money?'

'No boy, take it – but if you start a war you'll regret it -don't say I didn't warn you.'

'Mr Finden' said Six respectfully. 'I know exactly what those ships can do – and you are right we do not want a war. That is what we are trying to stop.'

Finden grunted and opened the hatch. The two men tried to gulp the fresh air with being obvious.

'See ya around'

'Bye Finden' The two men walked off, filling their lungs with air, and saying nothing to each other while they were out in the open.

'Come back to my place' muttered Bay eventually when his lungs were full on cabbage-free air. 'We can run a scan on the – that' He tugged his jacket over the black box a bit further.

'Sure, but I cannot stay long – I need to check in with my ship.'

Six followed Bay, keeping a sharp eye on the route, he didn't want to get lost on the way back to the port, but Bay lived surprisingly close by. He had an apartment, quite spacious, but basic – nothing fancy, no décor to speak off – purely functional.

It didn't take long to hook the black box up to a data pad and watch the visuals. It was all there on screen. Dropping out close to Ilum. There were six star destroyers in view just over the one city, who knew if there were more. There was a glimpse of what could have been an imp freighter before the view screen filled with a bright light and the ship was rocked by a direct hit. The pilot hadn't even had time to open a channel and hail them, and he certainly hadn't been hailed and asked for his ID and purpose. The black box registered the direct hit and a massive breach in the outer hull, engine failure and structural disintegration before the next hit which wiped the power on the ship out entirely. At that point the box registered vacuum throughout the ship and total power loss.

Bay was watching the screen with his mouth open.

'We are lucky there was enough ship left to retrieve this. Luckier still that Finden had the presence of mind to grab it. When the time is right you need to get this to the media. Til then you need to put it somewhere safe.'

Bay nodded owlishly. He still looked stunned.

'Round your men up, it's time to start planning the rescue. We need to meet tomorrow as soon as you get off work, and it needs to be somewhere safe and somewhere neutral. Send me directions when you figure it out. We have to move quickly.'

Six left Bay then, hoping Inez and Tia had made some progress.