First Order Circus

Leilani (Capital of Delaya)

Delaya

16 hours later (early morning)

"Allow me to introduce myself," the gray garbed official said with a professional smile. "I am Marshal Prima of the Delaya Animal Control and Protection Office. This is my aide, Rarita. "

"Snoke," the exceedingly tall, cadaverous human introduced himself with a slight nod of his head. He inspected the Marshal, then turned a brief but disdainful look on the aide Rarita. The young woman was thin and beautiful and sported flowing blond locks which she tossed every 30 seconds. Her light blue robe was decorated with rancor head insignia, and she inspected her brightly colored yellow and orange nails at frequent intervals. It seemed likely she was a spoiled rich kid who had gained her job through sheer nepotism.

"I appreciate your time," Prima stated courteously, drawing Snoke's attention. "As your circus will open tomorrow morning, we will need to proceed through your animal collection and ascertain the level of danger from the creatures, plus determine whether they are being treated well."

"The animals are not dangerous and are being treated well," Snoke said with a focused glare of his icy blue eyes. "You don't need to check them."

Prima blinked in surprise, "I'm sorry, ah, Snoke, but I do indeed need to check them. It's my job and the circus cannot open unless the requisite forms have been filled and filed."

Snoke blinked even as his forehead creased in astonishment. What was this? A random human who was immune to Force suggestion?

"Very well," he replied cautiously, even as he carefully touched a button on his belt. "This way."

The subsequent tour of the animal cages would have been amusing if Snoke was blessed with even a semblance of a sense of humor. While Marshal Prima wrote notes on his holopad and occasionally asked questions pertaining to the care of the various creatures, Aide Rarita made inane comments about the same animals when she wasn't admiring her nails or running her hands through her flowing blond locks.

"Oooh," squealed Rarita. "What are these?"

Snoke lifted one white eyebrow, "These are Corellian Dark Snakes. I use them in my act."

The Marshal lifted his chin up, then up higher in order to meet Snoke's eyes, "Yes, about your act. I am concerned that the snakes are being mistreated in the course of your ... well, I understand you allow them to crawl in and out of ... er ... your body in some way? How do you coerce them to do something which surely is in opposition to their natural tendencies?"

Snoke hid a snarl, even as he reached over to key the access code into the snake's cage. It popped open and he reached in and pulled out his favorite snake Hebra, who darted for his neck hole and flowed inside with delight.

Snoke glanced at the two officials (if Rarita could be considered an official) expecting them to be backing up in horrified repulsion. To his irritated astonishment, the Marshal had stepped back with wide eyes, but Aide Rarita was a half a meter closer, her green eyes wide with apparent delight.

"What a wonderful snake!" she cried out, reaching out to touch Hebra's head which was emerging from another one of Snoke's neck holes.

"Don't. Touch. The. Snake!" Snoke snarled, then took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Really, who was this idiot?

The girl pouted noticeably, "I'm sorry. I just love snakes. And Corellians Blacks aren't poisonous, are they?"

Snoke glared for a moment and shook his head, "No, they are not. But Hebra knows me, not you. I don't want you to frighten her."

Rarita actually looked contrite, "I'm sorry."

"I see," Marshal Prima said rather shakily, "that the snake is ... er ... quite comfortable with ..."

He trailed off, then continued with determination, "Shall we move on?"

Snoke felt he had made his point quite nicely and, after patting Hebra gently on her scaly head, put her back in the cage and locked it.

The tour continued and 75 long minutes later, they were done inspecting the animals in the containment cages.

"Where are the circus records on the animals?" Marshal Prima inquired politely.

Snoke shrugged elaborately, "In that mobile office over there. But there are no animals outside the cages."

Prima nodded confidently, "I need to check your quarantine export/import records. Shall we?"

Snoke took a step closer and bent a fierce gaze on the Marshal, "You don't need to check our records. Your work here is done."

The man stared at him in astonishment, "I don't need to check your records."

"No, they are entirely in order," the 7 foot tall holey man stated.

"They are entirely in order."

"You can go about your business."

"We can go about our business."

"Uh, Boss?" Rarita asked with another wave of her flowing locks. "Didn't the Grand Marshal say you have to check the export/import files?"

Snoke leveled a furious glance at the woman, but she was checking her nails. Again.

"Yes ... yes, I do have to check the records," Prima said, shaking his head as if trying to rid himself of a particularly large dopplefly on his face.

Snoke nearly howled in rage. What was with these two? He wasn't highly trained in the Dark Arts, but he was very competent in Force suggestion.

"This way," he grumbled, marching over to his office and keying the door open. He'd have to kill these two and disguise their deaths as some kind of an animal attack. The tiresome woman said she liked snakes and he had a 20 meter constrictor who would enjoy an unconscious meal.

The door slid open and he entered the office and moved toward the holoterminal at the far end. The marshal and his aide followed him in, then turned around at the clatter of feet behind them.

"Ah, hello!" Rarita said with a thoroughly vapid smile. "Who are you?"

The two humans, one a very tall dark haired woman, the other a red haired man, did not reply except to pull blasters and fire stun rays towards Rarita and Prima.

Rarita lifted a hand and the rays deflected away from her as if off a shield. Both assailants were hit by the returning wave and collapsed to the ground.

Snoke gasped aloud and made a leap for his stash of poison grenades, only to be brought up short by a blaster in the chest held by Marshal Prima.

"Don't even think about it," the marshal growled, his face suddenly stern.

A moment later, a buzzing sound penetrated Snoke's stunned ears, and he turned just as a white lightsaber was thrust near his neck. He froze in shock and terror.

"I'll do it," the woman said, her face intent and her expression no longer blank with stupidity. "In a heartbeat. I promise."

He froze even more. He didn't move a millimeter.

"We are but three poor circus performers," he said meekly, hoping that the white blade of death would move a little farther away from his throat.

"And do poor circus performers commonly stun random officials?" a new voice inquired. Snoke lifted his eyes to see a red maned woman stride into the room with a robed figure at her heels.

"It was a mistake," the very thin man claimed, letting his face droop pathetically. Slightly. The white lightsaber was still hovering within millimeters of his exposed neck.

"I think it was not a mistake, Snoke," a male voice stated firmly, even as the robed figure lifted his hood off his head.

Snoke's eyes flashed in hatred and rage, "Skywalker!"

"Dad!" shouted Aide Rarita in obvious delight.

/

Author Note: Many thanks for those of you kind enough to follow and review this fanfic. I think just one more chapter, maybe 2 more chapters? Thanks to my dear husband for editing! Oh, did anyone catch the slightly mangled Princess Bride quote?