How long had he been in this cell? Janks, a male Phindian, laid on the cold bench in the cell of the Star-Destroyer. He laid there, waiting for his friends to rescue him...
The door opened, as did Jank's eyes.
Are they here for me?
He looked...only to see a man, no, not man, machine, in black look at him. He was taller than the clone troopers and had a box on his chest. He looked like General Grievous only...scarier.
Next to him was an old human male with a monocle on his left eye. He had white hair and blue eyes.
"You are the one called Janks. A member of the crew of the ship known as the Uhumele?"
"Y-Yes." Janks answered as he heard his slow breathing from his dark helmet.
"Do you know who I am?"
"No..."
"But you fear me?"
"Yes."
"That will be sufficient. Now..." He said, raising his tall, black-gloved hand."Tell me about the Uhumele."
"Welcome to my Kingdom." Said Runt to his siblings, Stinky and Claudette. They were in Shadow Forest, a dark place that was rumored to be haunted.
Stinky, the future leader of the pack, and Claudette looked around."It's, ah, nice Runt. Uh...a bit dark, and..."
"So shadowy." Claudette added, skeptical."Okay, now we've seen it and we should hight tail it over to the river."
Runt rolled his eyes and stomped on their tails before they could leave."No, I want to show you Saw Tooth Cave." Runt then smiled as an Idea came to him."Are you two afraid?" He asked his Alpha siblings.
"No!" They said in unison, turning to him.
An animal then cried out, causing them to jump in the air, startled."Would you two wolves channel your inner Alpha?" Runt said, annoyed."We're creating an image here!"
After talking to some porcupines named Fran and Frieda, the wolf pups moved on to Saw Tooth Cave. Just then, they heard a loud noise.
"What was that?" Asked Stinky.
"I don't think that was an animal..." Runt said, looking around.
Suddenly, something came out of the dark clouds. It was big, white, and it looked like a triangle.
The wolf pups watched as it landed in the forest.
"I think it's high time you let me know what's inside the crate, Heren." Said Bomo Greenbark, a short, male Nosaurian and a former Separatist soldier.
The ship known as the Uhumele was going through space, heading to the Unknown Regions to a place called Earth.
"He has a point, Captain." Ko Vakier, a male blood carver, nodded as they lifted the lid off a big box.
"I heartily agree, Ko Vakier." Said Schurk-Heren, a male Yakora and the Captain of the Uhumele."Indeed, I can hardly refuse Greenbark's request, especially after all he did to save us from Haka Hai and his minions!"
"Uh, well don't forget I was saving myself, too. Look, can we not talk about it? I...uh-" Bomo stopped himself as he looked at what was in the box."Wait a second...that's it?" Bomo said, looking to see a black box with mold on it."This is what everyone's after? What in stars is it?"
"No one knows." Heren shrugged."Which is part of its allure. What little that is known is this.
"About fourteen hundred standard years ago, Ice miners on a planet called Jebble found it under a kilometer of Ice. They couldn't find a way to open it and scanners couldn't penetrate Its skin. But, they decided, It must contain something valuable, otherwise, why hide it so well?
"One of the miners took the object for himself. As you know, it would not be the last time blood was spilled for its possession. The story grew. First, that the object could only be opened by a Force User...then that it contained an ancient treasure of the Jedi. Many feared that if the Jedi learned of the object, they would claim it for their own.
"Over the centuries, the 'Jebble Box'-as it has become known-changed hands many times, the very mystery of its contents driving its price ever higher. Collectors across the Galaxy have spent their fortunes in search of it. And several years ago, a War was even fought over it. Which is how it came into our possession." He explained.
"So, what do you think it is?" Asked Greenbark.
"Frankly, I don't know nor at this point do I care. I only wish to sell it and be rid of it." Heren said.
"Well, I hope this deal goes better than the last one..." Bomo muttered.
Heren raised an eyebrow."And what is that comment supposed to mean? Do you think I don't keenly feel the loss of Lynaliskar K'ra Snyffulnimatta or even Janks?"
"We didn't lose Sniffles, Heren. He was killed by one of your "Friends"!" Crys Taanzer, a human female, said angrily.
Heren was silent for a moment."Crys, I-"
"Crys, I need you up here. We're approaching our destination." Said Mezgraf.
"Um, execuse me?" Yelled Runt. He had just climbed a tree to get near the cave.
After the white, triangle thing flew into the forest (And Stinky nearly falling in the mud slide.) the Pups had returned home to their parents.
But, Runt needed to see the wolf again. The white, female wolf who had saved his life from the ghost."Sorry to bother you so late." He said to the cave, hoping she could hear him. The leaves flew around him."I need to tell you something."
"Come here." She said, finally showing herself in the cave.
Runt quickly jumped across the gap between the tree and the cave. He looked at her."Are you hiding from another pack?" He asked.
She looked down."Yes. Because uh..."
"Because a wolf who can't see isn't considered useful to some?" Runt assumed, knowing she couldn't see.
"Yes." She nodded sadly.
"Then how did you know where my brother was that day?" The pup asked.
"I heard a splash, and well, I have other talents."
"How did you get up here?" Asked a porcupine.
Suddenly, they heard barking sounds outside. Runt's fear came true: Link and Lyle and some other wolves were coming here.
"You led them here?" Asked the Porcupine.
Before Runt could answer, he heard another sound. A sound he didn't recognize.
He looked over the edge of the cave and was shocked. Humans, at least he thought they were, wearing white things, were shooting the wolves with some odd weapons. Runt saw Link and Lyle escape from the slaughter, but the rest of the wolves weren't so lucky.
Runt was horrified at what he saw.
"Sir, the wolves have been taken care of." Said one of the humans to a human in dark. Runt could hear his breathing from up here.
"I assure you, I have taken every precaution in setting up this sale." Heren assured.
"Yeah, that's what you said last time," Greenbark muttered. He had saved the crew of the Uhemele from some criminals, gaining their trust and even respect.
"Yes, for which I have already expressed my regrets. This buyer is known to me personally-"
"Again, what you said last time."
"But this gentleman, Fane Peturri, has no ties with any criminal organization. He is a scholar, a historian with a legitimate interest in objects of antiquity." The male Yakora said as the ship landed."I've dealt with him before, but I never imagined he had the resources to afford what we're selling."
They took the Jebble Box and walked through the forest, which was at nighttime."Where do you think this Peturri got the "Resources" to make the buy?" Greenbark asked, holding his blaster as the rest of the crew that had left the ship held theirs.
"From an inheritance? From a wealthy patron? Does it matter?" Heren asked. He then pointed to a old, male human with white hair, blue eyes, and a monocule."There's Peturri. He came alone, as he promised." He smiled at the human."Fane Peturri." They were near a cave that looked like a mouth on top.
"Schurk Heren." The historian said.
"You brought the agreed-upon payment?"
"No." He answered simply.
Suddenly, Imperial clone troopers, now Stormtroopers, surrounded them, pointing their blasters. The crew slowly put down their weapons.
Bomo then saw someone. A tall, dark figure who looked like a scarier version of the Separatist Warlord known as General Grievous. Only, he was breathing slowly instead of coughing."Take them. Get the crate."
Bomo glared at Heren, who smiled nervously.