Port Hattaru, Houkwal:
Amee is being treated by an old medical-droid together with an elderly man. Tyl, Fate and Kyle looking on.
"She'll be alright" the old man says as he scans the girl. "Your droid did a good job." He then turns around. "I usually deal with nerfs, not young children. And never blaster-wounds."
"We can pay what ever is needed to keep you quiet" Tyl says.
"That's not necessary" the old man says, putting away his equipment. "That the girl will live on without any disabilities is payment enough." He looks a bit troubled however.
Fate turns to Tyl. "Pulse and breathing indicates that the doctor is concerned about some matter."
The doctor, Bayl Daclunn, nods. "There are rumors of the Inquisition searching for people on the planet. Even boarding a ship in orbit. And here you are, with a young girl shot… And you visit me instead of the hospital."
Tyl places a hand on his blaster. "Are we gonna have trouble?"
"Not at all" Bayl says. "Im more worried what happens if the Inquisition comes here next."
"We'll be far away from here by then" Tyl says. "We dont mean you any harm, old man. We just need to get the girl patched up, and we'll be on our way."
"I suspect you need a ship?" Bayl asks.
Tyl nods. "That would help."
Kyle is next to speak. "We should be able to hide on a transport. There are dozens leaving every day."
Bayl shakes his head. "Sounds like the most obvious choice you have. So it will also be the beef transports that they will keep an eye on."
"So what do you suggest, old man?" Tyl asks. "Passenger transports are not really an option either."
"Well, if it was me trying to leave the planet unnoticed" Bayl says, sitting down with a drink while his droid keeps an eye on Amee, "I would hide on a manure-hauler."
Tyl and Kyle look at each other with serious second thoughts. But Fate is not as suspicious.
"The doctor is correct. This planets second greatest export after beef is manure, shipped to a good two dozen farmplanets in the sector. Since most sentients are reluctant to go near large amounts of feces, let alone touch it or smell it, a manure-hauler is statistically our best option to leave the planet undetected."
Tyl is not impressed. "You have got to be kidding me."
Kyle is clearly hesitant. "I'd rather take my chances on a beef-transport to tell the truth."
Bayl shrugs. "It is up to you, of course."
They react to noises from outside. Bayl walks up to a window and sees three speeders with local law landing and unloading enforcers.
"They've found you" Bayl says. "Come. I'll help you."
Bayl shows them through the building and the heroes follow, the medical-droid pushing the hovering bed with Amee along with them. Soon after, law-enforcers burst into the practice, searching for the fugitives. Our heroes enter an alley and hurry to enter the maze of alleyways between the various buildings. They hide from enforcers on the ground and speeders in the air, all searching for them.
Enforcers are all over the place. On one busy street two droids, Fate and the Medical-droid, carry a hover-bed covered by a tarp, a tarp that covers a heavy cargo. The two droids manage to avoid detection carrying their load and leaves the enforcers behind them as they walk down the street. They walk into a small alleyway and there Tyl, Kyle and Bayl throw the tarp to the side and climb off the hovering bed that still carries Amee.
Houkwal Orbit:
A cargo-ship leaves the planet of Houkwal and sets its course for making the jump to hyperspace. On the bridge, the captain oversees the preparations.
"Cargo containers secure?" the captain asks.
"Secured" a crewmember responds.
"Hyperdrive motivator online?" the captain asks.
"Online" another crewmember responds.
"Navicomputer calculations initiated?" the captain asks.
"Initiated" another crewmember responds.
The captain nods. "Ready the hyperdrive, wait for the navicomputer, prepare to jump to lightspeed."
Thats when the door to the bridge opens and in steps Tyl, Kyle and Bayl, covered in manure, armed with blasters.
"Hands in the air, gentlemen" Tyl says. "We're commandeering your ship."
"Please surrender" Kyle says. "I need a shower."
The crew are all jammed into escape pods at gunpoint. Fate is standing by the controls.
"Thank you for your cooperation" Fate says and then launches the four escape pods with crew in them.
On the bridge, Tyl sits down in the pilots seat with Kyle and Bayl looking on.
"You know how to fly something this big?" Bayl wonders.
"I got an idea" Tyl says. "Sort of." Tyl manages the controls. "By the way, Im Tyl. The kid is Kyle."
"Bayl" the old man says. "Bayl Daclunn."
"Nice to meet ya, Bayl" Tyl says. "Find a seat, we'll jump in a minute or two."
As Kyle sists down, he cant help but ask a question. "Wont the crew tell everyone what happened? Wont they be looking for the ship?"
Tyl looks back over his shoulder at the other two. "Fate is right now disabling the beacon-transponder. Thay way they wont be able to identify the ship. And where we are going, they wont ask question of that nature."
Bayl sighs. "I was afraid of that."
"Hold on" Tyl says and pulls the lever that sends the ship into hyperspace.
Hyperspace:
Kyle, having showered, is mighty pleased about the fact as he enters the ships simple lounge.
"Man, that was exactly what I needed. All that nerf-much was starting to get to me."
As he enters the lounge, he realizes that Bayl is putting food on the table infront of Amee.
"Amee!" Kyle shouts and runs over to her and they both hug.
The hug intensifies and they start to cry, they cry hard and long. The death of their parents overwhelming the two siblings. Bayl simply takes a step back.
Amee and Kyle sit by a viewport, hyperspace rushing past outside.
"So… We are going to find a wookie?" Amee asks.
Kyle nods. "Yeah. The wookie can help us get even with the bastards that killed mom and dad."
Amee shakes her head, it all feels unreal, and looks out the viewport. "I dunno, Kyle… what can we do?"
"We cant turn back, that's for sure" Kyle says. "Im wanted back home. They think Im a criminal."
"Are you?" Amee asks, turning stern eyes on her brother.
"Amee."
"Are you?" she asks again. "Why did they come to our home, Kyle?! Why?!"
Kyle sighs. "Because I helped these guys get to the Bald Wookie tavern. That was all I did."
"And who are they? Mom and dad are dead, Kyle! Do you understand?! They are dead! And I want to know why!"
"They died" Tyl says as he enters the room, freshly washed, "because the Inquisition is slowly turning the Republic into a new Empire" he says. "They operate outside of the law. They dont answer to anyone. They make their own rules and act as judge, jury and executioner as they please and see fit. And myself and others try to stop them. That is why your parents died. They have killed thousands of innocents over the years, and thousands more will die unless they are stopped."
Kyle looks at his sister. "They must be stopped, Amee. Or they will do the same thing all over again somewhere else. What other choice do we have?"
Amee turns to Tyl. "And who the hell are you?"
"Im Tyl. I work for a senator on Baramon. We are trying to gather evidence against the Inquisition. So they can be stopped. For good."
"And you need that wookie to get that evidence?" Amee wonders.
Tyl nods. "Yup, that about sums it up. The wookie can reveal a dark secret that has been kept hidden from the Republic for ten years. If we can convince him to testify infront of the senate, tell them what he saw ten years ago… then we might have a chance of bringing the Inquisition, and its leader, to its knees, and dismantle it all. And those responsible for your parents deaths would go to jail for a long long time. I give you my word, kiddo."
Kyle shrugs. "What other choice do we have? Do you have a better idea?"
Amee shakes her head. "No… No I dont… Yet."
Tyl nods. "We're going to sell this ship and get another transport. One the Inquisition wont be looking for. After that, we're going straight for the wookie."
Kyle nods. "Sounds good enough."
The manure-hauler shoots through hyperspace.
To be continued…
