Chapter 10

"Nothing here. Guess the boss is being paranoid."

"Guess it's back to watching the prisoners in the cargo bay. A much better task if you ask me,"

"You just want an excuse to ogle the captive women, don't you?"

"Mostly because it's much easier than security sweeping the whole kriffing ship. Although, some of those native girls are pretty little things."

Ry'ven had stopped listening to their conversation as he and Ranharr stayed out of sight. This horrified the young man as could only imagine what those poor Oni would be going through. This was a monstrous act that couldn't continue, and would help ingratiate the Republic with the Oni even more if they helped with this.

"Permission to relay that information with the other two groups?" the Padawan asked Ranharr quietly.

A low chuff was the Wookie's answer of confirmation.

"Attention all groups," he said in a low voice, "The pirates have captives in the cargo bay. Be sure to retrieve them on your way out and lead them to safety."

"How will we get them to follow us sir?" asked Malcom on one of the lines.

"Use the phrase 'Anata o kaihō shi, anzen ni shitagatte kudasai', that sould get them to calm down."

After a repeat of the phrase from both Ranger and a few corrections, Malcom eventually got it down before he left for his retrieval mission.


Malcom and Billibango eventually reached a doorway to the cargo hold in record time. A quick peek around the corner reviled about half a dozen guards, in pairs and scattered at varies points around the room with no cover. All of them were watching about thirty captives, all being women and children.

Motioning to his fellow Ranger to keep close and to not use grenades. On the count of three, the two leapt from their hiding spot and let loose a few stun bolts on the guards that were around the captives before switching to back to lethal to take care of the rest. A firefight soon broke out and a quick shot from Billibango disabled the ship's alarm system. Despite their numerical superiority, the pirates weren't able to beat the Ranger's better training and coordination. After a few minutes of exchanging fire, the Crimson Nova were taken out.

With the hostiles dealt with, Malcom started to approach the captives slowly with his arms held up and blaster slung on his back.

"Anata o kaihō shi," he spoke, "Anata o kaihō shi."

This got the frightened Oni to calm down a little, enough to not flinch away from his presence. Finding a remote on one of the downed guards, Billibango used it to deactivate the captive's restraints.

"Eh, anzen ni shitagatte kudasai," Malcom said, motioning for the captives to follow him. With the Xexto covering the rear, the group made a break for safety.


Vezz didn't like this. They haven't found the people who hit the sensors yet, which meant that whoever took them out has had the run of her base. None of the crew had managed to report anything out of place. Even things looked normal from the bridge.

Not a good sign, means the Jedi were probably sabotaging the base. She was about to call up a sweep on the fuel storage when someone hailed her comlink.

"What is it?" she barked into the com, hearing blaster fire on the other end.

"Several prisoners are trying to escape," the pirate on the other end reported, "They have a couple beings covering them."

This shocked the Zabrak pirate. How were they able to get by them so easily?

"What do these beings look like?" the irate captain ordered.

"It's a Human and a Xexto," came the reply, "They both have blue pants and shirts with what looks like a Judicial Forces jacket, complete with a cap that's also blue."

Vezz felt a chill run through her soul as she realized that described the appearance of an Antarian Ranger.

"Don't let them get away!" she barked. There was a loud bang and from the view port, a large plume of smoke rose from the other side of the freighter closest to the hill.

"They popped a smoke grenade," the other end answered, "It would be suicide to charge-,"

Before the pursuit team could finish the freighter's reactor exploded, causing a chain reaction and blow the whole ship up. At the same time, a massive explosion happened in the fuel depot, shaking the freighter and rattling the transperisteel. Then the power went out.

"Captain, all power is down," came the report form the bridge pit.

"Comms are also down."

The rest of the bridge crew's scrambling and noise was drowned out in their captain's head. All Vezz Holsten could hear was white noise and all she could see was red.


Thanks to the heads up from Malcom and Billibango, the tasks of rest of their companions was mad easier. The explosion and resulting power outage created the perfect distraction to rescuing the captive Oni and escaping into the twilight of the setting sun. By nightfall, the two groups managed to rendezvous at the top of the hill with the rest of the captives and Rangers.

"Thank goodness you made it," Malcom exclaimed as the three crested the hill. The two groups of captives went and conjoined with the third group from the now defunct bulk freighter.

"Anything to report?" Duran asked between pants of exertion.

"Nothing really; they tried once to assault the hill but we repelled them easily."

"I've been keeping on things through the electrobinoculars," Billibango added, "It looks like they have no power on their base what so every."

"Good to know," Ry'ven added, "Now all we need to do is keep watch until Lord Yari arrives with the army."

"Indeed," the Arkanian Jedi noted. "Malcom, how about you Billibango get some rest while the three of us keep first watch."

"Are you sure Master Jedi?" the Rangers asked, "We'd like to be as much help as possible."

"I'm sure," Duran answered, "You two have done enough today."

With that the two went off to rest while the Jedi and Wookie took up watch. Thankfully, there wasn't any attack for the rest of the night. By dawn, the vanguard of the army had arrived at the hill, with the rest of the army arriving by the time the morning sun had crested the horizon.


Vezz was not very pleased at the moment. One of the bulk freighters they had used as a fortification had been destroyed by a reactor explosion as well as the other two bulk freighters reactors being rendered in operable, the fuel depot had also been blown up along with all of their smaller ships and all of the locals they planned to sell had been sprung lose.

She knew that the Jedi and Antarian Rangers had taken refuge on the hill and had managed to set up a defensive position there. One would think it would be easy to assault a hill against five people but the truth of the matter is it wasn't. Without any power or communication, it was almost impossible to launch a coordinated attack on the hill. So now the pirates had decided to fortify their position so the Jedi couldn't make an attack.

From her spot in the defensive position amongst the ruin of the bulk freighter observing the hill. She could hear sound of yelling, pack animals grunting and what sounded like digging from the top of the hill.

"I don't like this," the Zabrak said as she turned to her lieutenant, "They're up to something."

"Should I send a scouting party?" asked Jybal, "A quick look at what their up too."

"Their Ranger lackeys are probably watching us through a scope," Vezz crumbled to the Weequay, "They'd pick us off before we'd get close."

"Captain," another pirate shouted, "Somethings happening; look."

Vezz turned back to the hill and noticed a large mass moving over the crest and both sides of the hill. A look through the binoculars revealed them to be the natives of the planet, armed with what look like ancient slugthrowers and marching in formation.

"Perfect," the pirate noted as she put her binocs down, "Like nerfs to the slaughter; Get the men into a firing line, that will show these natives who's-,"

A loud boom sounded from the top of the hill. Then, a crash sounded off to the right flank of her current position followed by a choir of agonized screams. Eventually, a male Human pirate rushed over to their position to report.

"Something just struck our position," the pirate explained, "Many of my battle buddies are maimed or dead from it."

"Dammit!" the pirate captain shouted as more loud booms went off, "First we lose all of our power and now we're being attack under artillery fire? Can't we get a break?"

The echoing of the drums of war said otherwise.


The battle lines are drawn and group of space pirates are facing off against an army of Japanese yokai inspired aliens, using muskets and Napoleon-era tactics, with the aid of space wizards armed with "laser swords". Yeah it sounds like a strange premise but I feel it makes for an excellent story. Until next time, Xim the Despot out.