Fort Ypso, Planet of Savareen:
Fort Ypso is a small mountain-town with a spaceport, it reminds us of Mos Eisley but is located in the Rocky Mountains. The streets are busy with trade, filled with drunks and prostitutes. Several people have gathered to witness the hanging of six pirates. Members of the Pyke Syndicate have them on trial.
"Behold what happens to those who cross the Pyke Syndicate!" the Pyke Leader tells the crowd. "Take from the Syndicate and the Syndicate will take from you! No one is beyond the Syndicate! No one escapes our wrath!"
The Leader gives a signal and the pirates are all strung up from the neck. The Crimson Dawn comes in for a landing and lands in a docking-bay and three Pyke Syndicate officials waits. Exiting the Dawn are Solo and Chewie and two others; a human female, Elyssa, and a male Bothan, Ferask.
"A year!" Solo says, astonished. "A year was all it took before you challenged my position as captain?!" Chewbacca argues. "Whad'ya mean I never was a captain in the first place? I own a ship, I pilot a ship, how am I not a captain?" Chewbacca argues some more. "Braga clearly gave me the ship, Chewie. He didn't give it to us, he gave it to me, so you can't, per definition, be the captain. I am the captain."
"Captain Solo" the Pyke official says.
Solo turns to Chewie. "See? Told ya." He then turns his attention back to the Pyke official, pleased and confident. "I'm Captain Solo."
"Rumor has it you fly for the Hutt's" the Pyke official says.
"And others" Solo says. "If the pay is good enough. But it's hard to find anyone paying better than a Hutt."
"We don't like Hutt's" the Pyke official says.
"Who does?" Solo says and then hands the officials a data-pad. "I'm here on business. Invited by a Kara Guld. I believe she is an associate of the Syndicate?"
The officials hook up the data-pad to a droid via a cable and the droid turns to the officials and says "Their clearance checks out. They are here on a personal request made by Lady Guld."
The officials are not pleased. "Stay out of trouble, Hutt-pilot."
"Captain" Solo corrects the official. "Hutt-captain." Solo then turns to the woman and the Bothan. "Stay with the ship. Make sure these scavengers don't snatch any spare-parts from her."
Solo and Chewie enter the town while the other two of the crew stays behind with the ship. Solo and Chewie make their way through the crowded streets.
"You may be a hundred-and-ninety years old" Solo says, "but you sure act more like a ten-year-old at times." Chewbacca growls at this. "You have an attitude problem, buddy. You need to keep that in check." Chewbacca snorts and frowns and growls. "Yes, I know you flew a gunship during the war before I was able to walk. It's hard to forget when you keep reminding me all the time. Hell, you flew a gunship before my grandfather was old enough to walk! You know what you need? A hobby. Do something to get your mind of things, you know. Because this, this whole this, that's not healthy."
Up on a balcony, three cool looking bounty-hunters are spying on Solo and Chewbacca as they make their way through town. One of the bounty-hunters says something in an alien language. The leader, Enfys Ness, shakes his head, fully enclosed in armor.
"No" Enfys says. "We stick with the contract. We wait. Solo will be handed to us soon enough."
Solo and Chewbacca find a saloon and Solo checks his chronometer. "We're not supposed to meet up with Kara Guld for another four hours. Whatcha think? Check out the local establishment?" Chewbacca agrees. "That's the Chewie I like to keep around" Solo grins and slaps Chewbacca over the shoulder.
They enter the saloon; a proper Star Wars cantina setting. Chewbacca finds his way to the bar while Solo walks around the establishment and finds a table playing Sabacc. A dark-skinned human male in posh attire has just won a big hand; Lando off course!
Solo catches the gamblers attention. "Mind if I joined in?"
The gamblers all look up, Lando included.
"Well, what have we here?" Lando says as Solo sits down.
Solo holds up a pair of Sabacc-dice. "A simple freighter-pilot looking to play a game of Sabacc."
"A freighter-pilot, huh?" Lando says, inspecting Solo. "Please, join us."
Solo sits down and places the dice on the table. "That's an impressive pile of credits" he says and nods at Lando's winnings.
"It's an average pile of credits by my standards" Lando says, looking confident.
Solo nods. "I see… Well, in that case, what an average pile of credits you have there."
Lando grins. "What's your name, pilot?"
"Han Solo. Captain of the Crimson Dawn."
"A captain?" Lando says and looks impressed. "You don't strike me as a captain."
At that point, Chewbacca sits down with a large mug of ale and laughs and says something.
"What the Wookie said" Lando says and smiles.
"Don't listen to him" Solo says and nods in Chewbacca's direction. "He's nothing but fur and muscle."
Lando shuffles a deck of cards. "Nar Shadaa straight rumble. You familiar with it?"
"I'm familiar with it" Solo says and Lando begins dealing out cards. "And you are?"
Lando picks up his cards and glances at Solo. "Landosius Calrissian. Captain of the Millennium Falcon."
"Lando, huh?"
"Whatever you want, Han."
"It's Han, actually."
Lando grins and nods and then rolls his two dice. The game continues and one by one, the other gamblers fold. In the end, only Solo and Lando are left. Solo rolls his dice and picks one and both he and Lando drop three cards and picks up three new ones. The game continues as they talk.
"So" Solo says, "the Millennium Falcon, you say? What kind of space-junk are we talking about? Kuat? Seinar? Nubian?"
"Corellian" Lando says. "A YT-thirteen-hundred, with a lot of personal touches payed for by yours truly."
Solo looks up. "A YT-thirteen-hundred? No kidding. My mom installed the electrical wiring on those ships back in the day, before the war."
Lando is not all that impressed. "Then I guess I know who to blame the day the wiring shuts down."
"Never was much of a fan of the YT-thirteen" Solo then says, inspecting his cards. "Too much focus on comfort. Not enough on engine-power or cargo-capacity."
Lando grins. "The Falcon is not your usual Corellian small freighter."
"I'd prefer a classic CR90 over the YT-series" Solo continues. "Powerful engines, strong shields and a large cargo-hold. What more do you need?"
"A comfortable bed, a decent kitchen, a pilots-seat that wont break you back" Lando replies. "And a hyperdrive that will take you Point Four above lightspeed" he adds confidently.
Point Four obviously impresses Solo and Chewbacca.
"Point Four?!" Solo says, surprised. "Four-hundred times the speed of light?!"
Lando grins confidently. "And I haven't mentioned the sub-light engines yet. What about your ship? How fast does it go?"
Solo looks down at his card. "Point Three…" he says, almost sulking. "So how do you cram that much thrust out of the motivator?"
"Trade secrets, son" Lando smiles. "Trade secrets."
"So at Point Four" Solo says and does the math. "You'll travel a full parsec in three and a half days."
"Close to it, yeah" Lando says. "The Falcon is the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. She's saved my ass more times than I can count."
Solo checks his cards. "Let's make this interesting. How about, if I win, we swap ships."
Chewbacca grows concerned.
Lando checks his cards. "And if I win?"
Solo grins. "I'll sell my ship and give you the profit."
Chewbacca growls and objects.
"What kind of ship are we talking about?" Lando inquires.
"A VCX one-hundred in good condition. Easily worth twenty-thousand."
"Twenty thousand, huh?" Lando says and nods. "That is a lot of money. I can't help but wonder why you're so eager to get rid of it. Some kind of local trouble?"
"I'm not eager at all" Solo says, "I'm just curious about your ship."
Lando checks his cards. "If I win, you give me twenty-thousand. If I lose, we swap ships."
"That's right" Solo says with a cocky grin.
Lando chuckles. "Fine… roll the dice."
Solo rolls his dice and as they come to a stop, Solo's face loses all color and Chewbacca looks at Solo and growls. Lando grabs all the winnings and looks irritatingly and annoyingly smug about it.
"I believe you owe me twenty-thousand, Han. But I can settle for just claiming your ship."
Solo is properly irritated. "I'll see what I can do."
Lando nods. "I'll inform the Syndicate of our transaction here. So they'll know that your ship isn't allowed to leave without my approval. I think that makes things easier for all of us."
"Yeah… much easier" Solo says and leaves the table.
Solo and Chewbacca leaves the saloon, and outside Solo turns to the Wookie and cuts him off just as he is about to say something.
"Not a word!" Solo says, knowing what Chewie is about to say. "I'll figure something out. Let's find this Kara Guld as soon as possible and get the hell out of here" Solo says and Chewbacca agrees.
Solo and Chewbacca find an old warehouse and step inside. They wait for a moment and then a woman steps out of the shadows. To Solo's great surprise, he knows her.
"Qi'ra?!"
"How are you, Han?" Qi'ra smiles.
"You're Kara Guld?" Solo asks in disbelief.
Qi'ra nods. "I needed an alias when I set up my Kessel operation. Otherwise the Hutt's would have shot me dead long ago."
"So you pulled it off?" Solo asks. "I heard there was a quicker route being used through the nebula."
Qi'ra nods. "Fifteen parsecs. Fastest smuggling-route in and out of Kessel" Qi'ra says and is quite proud. "To be perfectly honest, it has made me filthy rich."
"I can imagine" Solo says. "And because of you, the Pyke Syndicate has kicked the Hutt's out of Kessel. Impressive. So what's all this, why am I here? And don't tell me you went through all of this just to see me again."
"A situation has arisen" Qi'ra explains. "A big-shot gangster named Dryden Vos is making a move that could tip the scales and cause a war. He has acquired an item, an artefact, a relic from the Old Republic. It's worth is... significant, shall we say. And he has a buyer; a Zygerrian arms-dealer. Dryden Vos will trade the item for enough credits to supply a small army of mercenaries and fleet of starships to put everyone else out of business in three sectors. I suspect he will use these mercenaries and privateers to make a move against Tanaab."
"Tanaab?" Solo says. "That's a Hutt operation. They control everything in that system. If you're with the Syndicate, why do you care what happens to the cartels?"
"Dryden Vos is a Vigo of Black Sun" Qi'ra explains. "It is in the Syndicates interest to ensure that neither Black Sun, or the Hutt's, gain an advantage in the region."
"And as upstanding citizens of the Empire, the members of the Syndicate wish only to prevent years of bloodshed as the crime-bosses of the galaxy wage war on each other" Solo says. "You have no interest in this artefact yourselves. Right?"
Qi'ra smiles. "Right. Let's just say we are no friends of Dryden Vos."
At this point, Lando reveals himself, together with his droid, L3, as they enter the warehouse.
"Me neither" Lando says.
L3 is next to speak. "Dryden Vos is as cruel as they come. Of all the meat-bags in the galaxy, Dryden Vos is among the worst."
Qi'ra is unaware that Lando and Solo have met. "Calrissian, this is Han Solo, the smuggler I told you about. And yes, he's as good as people say he is."
"Han" Lando says with a smug grin.
"Lando" Solo says, annoyed. Solo then turns to Qi'ra. "What's the job?"
"To stop Dryden Vos from selling the artefact and prevent him from assembling an army" Qi'ra explains. "Han, what can you tell us about Vandor One."
"Vandor One?" Han says, a bit surprised. "The Empire has a presence there, mining-operations, penal-colonies, some refineries, basic industry. When I was in the navy, some local administrative bureaucrats ran a smuggling-operation together with an Imperial officer, Commander Relkys, laundering contraband coming through their system."
"They are still in business, I'm told" Qi'ra says. "I've hired your ships and your crews for a couple of reasons. I've worked with you before and I know you're the best in the business. You are both incredible pilots. The Millenium Falcon is an exceptional ship for her size. And Han knows everything we need to know about Vandor One and the smugglers operating there to pull this off. I want that artefact and I can only get it with your help. When this is all over, you can all buy yourselves a brand new ship each. I'm offering you thirty thousand each, per man. Crew included." This has the others glancing at one another. "But, for that to happen we must intercept the item at Vandor One. It's the only place we know for certain that it will not be stored on an Imperial cruiser and protected by an entire crew, making it the ideal place for us to hijack the shipment."
"I like it" Lando says, confident as ever.
The droid, L3, is not convinced. "Corrupt Imperials and trigger-happy gangsters? The odds of us surviving this are slim to none."
Lando nods. "Which is why I'm going to insist on demanding another ten percent."
Qi'ra frowns. "We had a deal, Calrissian."
Lando nods. "Sure thing, babe. But that was before I knew I would end up owning the second ship needed to pull off this heist."
Qi'ra looks at Solo with curious eyes. Solo sighs heavily.
"I lost my ship to Lando over a game of Sabacc" Solo admits.
Qi'ra turns to Lando. "You own both the ships I need for this mission?"
"Sure do" Lando grins. "I think those ten percent are a fair increase to my wages, considering what I bring to the table."
Qi'ra sighs and shakes her head. "Why am I not surprised that you once more have screwed up one of my plans, Han."
"Believe me" Solo says, "I'm not happy about it either."
Lando smiles. "Cheer up, everyone. We're still in business."
Qi'ra sighs. "Han, what can you tell us about the operation on Vandor One?"
"Freighters brings cargo to the planet" Solo says. "Any contraband is then quickly moved to a smaller outpost and shipped back to the freighters by way of shuttle. In all the official records, all cargo has ended up on the planet, but in reality, all contraband is back on the cargo-ship and can be transported anywhere in the galaxy. Contraband is moved from the main spaceport to Commander Relkys personal outpost via freight-train. Low profile and not very suspicious, if I may say so myself."
Qi'ra looks at each one present. "Dryden Vos will move his item through Vandor One, using the operation there to make his shipment disappear from Imperial records. I have confirmed intelligence that the item is on its way to Vandor One as we speak. If the artefact reaches Commander Relkys outpost and gets loaded onto a shuttle, we'll never get another chance to intercept it."
Lando nods. "Alright" he says and turns to Solo. "So what do you say, Han? What's the best way to pull this off?"
Solo glances at Chewie, then at Lando and Qi'ra as he rests his hands against his hips. He smiles and shakes his head. "If I'm supposed to be the brains of this outfit, I think I'm entitled another fifteen percent."
"Ten" Qi'ra quickly replies, severely annoyed. "Without a ship, ten is all Im giving you."
Solo gives her a wink. "Ten it is."
"So?" Lando says. "Let's hear it."
"The plan is simple; we steal the item from the train, before it reaches the outpost" Solo says. "I used to be an officer in the navy. I will infiltrate the train as an Imperial. Halfway to the outpost, I will enter the cargo-car and retrieve the item in question."
"Not so fast" Qi'ra cuts in. "I'm going with you. This is my operation and my responsibility. I will secure the item. Not you."
"What's the matter?" Solo asks. "Don't you trust me?"
"I dont" L3 says.
"Me neither" Lando adds.
Qi'ra looks at them all. "Me and Han will infiltrate the train, dressed as Imperial officers. Han will bypass security and I will unlock the crate and retrieve the artefact."
Solo nods. "Sure thing. By now, we should assume that the guards will be aware of our presence. You and me" he says and looks at Qi'ra, "will have to climb outside. If we stay indoors, we'll be sitting ducks. Once on the outside, Lando here will swoop in with the Falcon to pick us up. A YT-thirteen-hundred is way more maneuverable than a VCX. And with the mountains we'll be moving through, the Falcon is our only choice. We will then jump from the train to the Falcon and then we can make our escape. My ship will keep some distance and act as support. If trouble shows up, Imperial patrols or TIE Fighters or whatever, my crew will provide fire-cover until we have the item safely on the Falcon. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? Once we're off the train, we leave the planet faster than a Hutt earns profit. The train should shortly after reach a bridge, a bridge we'll have tampered with to ensure that the train derails. As the train crashes, hopefully, all evidence of our heist will be erased."
Lando eyes Solo, both impressed and suspicious. "You planned this heist years ago, didnt you?"
Solo shrugs his shoulders. "It's a hobby. You never know when you might need a good plan to rob a criminal." Solo then turns to Qi'ra. "One question though… What sort of an item are we talking about?"
"That is not important" Qi'ra says. "But it's small enough to be carried one-handed, if that's helpful."
"That's actually reassuring" Solo says and turns to Chewbacca who replies in turn, both appearing happy about the situation at the moment.
Lando nods and smiles. "Let's do this."
Chewbacca growls and L3 agrees. "I am forced to agree with the Wookie. This is not the plan I would have used as Plan A."
"Come on, L3" Lando says, "it'll be fun."
"I will never understand you organics and your concept of fun" L3 says.
Solo shakes his head. "Come on, Chewie. Let's head back to the ship and tell the others."
"My ship" Lando adds.
"Boys" Qi'ra says. "Behave."
Qi'ra and the gang walks through the town; from a distance they are spied upon by Enfys Ness and his crew of bounty-hunters.
Planet of Qrishon:
The Crimson Dawn exits hyperspace. In the cockpit, the crew is gathered as Solo pilots the ship.
"So all we have to do is provide backup?" Elyssa asks.
Solo nods. "Yup."
"While you are on the train with this woman?" Ferask wonders.
Solo nods again. "Yup."
Chewie turns to the other two and speaks Shyyriwook with them.
"No, I get that" Elyssa says. "I dont like it. I dont trust this woman."
Ferask shrugs his shoulders. "The pay is good enough. You cant argue that."
Elyssa is not so sure. "If the pay is that good, you know the mission is ten times more difficult than they claim it is."
Solo is not worried. "We've pulled off more dangerous stunts than this."
Ferask nods. "And for less money."
Elyssa shakes her head. "I dont like it."
Solo glances over his shoulder at her. "You dont like money?"
"I dont like the risks" Elyssa explains, a bit annoyed.
Solo grins. "Who does. Im not in it for the thrills, Im in it for the money. And this job pays good."
Chewie adds his throughts on it all.
Solo shakes his head. "Smart-ass."
The Crimson Dawn flies towards the planet of Qrishon and eventually lands not far from a shady-looking smugglers outpost. As Chewie and Solo exit their ship, they are greated by Qi'ra.
"Welcome to Qrishon and the town of Noura" she says.
"You call this a town?" Solo asks, looking at the sad state of the settlement.
"Its a safe port for smugglers" Qi'ra says, "that's all that matters. Come on."
They walk through the settlement until they reach a large tent that serves as a bar. Here they find Lando sipping a drink.
"They're here" Qi'ra says.
"About time" Lando says as he looks up from his drink.
They all leave and walk through the town until they find the Millenium Falcon out on a field.
"The Millenium Falcon" Lando says with pride. "The fastest ship there ever was for her size. She's fast enough to run circles around corvettes and frigates. Neither Kuat or Seinar have ever built anything like it. Hell, she'll even outrun Imperial cruisers."
"F-type" Solo says. "Built in Coronet City on Corellia, Iblis shipyard. Handmade, no droid has touched this. Girodyne SRB42 engine, Chedak subspace transmitter-system, Nordoxicon shield-generator, Triplex power-core and Isu-Sim SSP04 hyperdrive."
"You know your stuff" Lando says. "But you're wrong. I've installed a Torplex deflector-projector to help the Nordixicon. The power-core is a Quadrex, not a Triplex. And the hyperdrive is an SSP05. And I've installed a Seinar-systems direct power-converter between the fuel-cells with the hyperdrive-motivator, giving the hyperdrive some extra juice."
"How do you keep the motivator cooled down?" Solo asks.
Chewie growls a theory.
Lando nods. "The Wookie catches on quick. Yeah, that's exactly right."
Solo glances at Chewbacca. "Lucky guess."
They walk onboard and Solo is impressed by the ships fancy interior.
"What's the matter, Corellian?" Lando says. "Something wrong?"
"Never been on an F-type before" Solo admits. "Not many luxury-transports were built. Not compared to all the cargo-versions."
"She is quite special" Lando says. "Fast, agile, smooth and fiery. Just how I like my women."
L3 shakes her head. "Oh, please. If you organics would focus more on getting results instead of sex, you would have no need for droids."
"I beg to differ" Lando says. "I know of a place on Coruscant where the droids…"
"I don't want to know!" L3 quickly cuts him off.
Qi'ra is next to speak. "Let's stay on track. Lando, you have what I asked for?"
"Sure do" Lando says and brigns a small crate and opens it.
Qi'ra picks up Imperial uniforms from the crate. "Uniforms so we can disguise ourselves as Imperials on Vandor." And she picks up two data-rods ( the pens that Imperial officers carry in their jackets ). "Security-rods, with fake clearance so we can get on the train."
Solo picks up a security-rod and inspects it. "One question."
"And that would be?" Qi'ra asks.
"How do we get past port-security at Vandor?" Solo asks. "The Falcon and the Dawn aren't exactly Imperial shuttles."
Qi'ra smiles. "You're a smuggler aren't you?"
Lando, having poured himself a drink, grins. "Groovy, baby."
To be continued…
