Chapter 10

The Corellian System

They drop out of hyperspace by ones, then by twos, and finally by fives. The fifth fleet, comprised of one super star destroyer, fifteen Imperial Mark III Star Destroyers, two viscount class cruisers and a host of tenders, light cruisers and blast boats. As they drop all around the Corellian System, gravity well generators activate, keeping all traffic in the system.

Admiral Traest Kre'fey stands on the command walkway of the SSD Guardian, overlooking the skies of the Corellian system. His white fur bristles slightly as he considers just what he's doing here, when he should be out in the Unknown Regions searching for the remnant of the Vong.

He hears the scuffle of feet from behind him, and turns to find an ensign standing at attention. Kre'fey smiles at this sign of respect. "Report, Ensign."

"Diktat Antilles is online and wishes to speak with you Admiral."

Kre'fey nods his head, and returns to his command chair, activating the console there. He smiles at Wedge, baring his teeth in a friendly greeting. "Hello Wedge, how are you?"

Wedge returns the smile. "Admiral, it has been a long time, can I ask exactly what you are doing running up gravity wells in Corellian space?"

"You know the answer to that Wedge. I'm following orders."

"Shavit Traest! What is Omas thinking? Doesn't he realize that this is an act of war?"

"I think that's the point Wedge."

"Okay, let's make this formal, please vacate Corellian space."

"I can't do that Wedge, but Omas should be contacting you soon over all this."

Traest frowns at the console, as the image winks out, letting a small growl escape as he considers the various pressures being put on everyone here. Then he pushes all thoughts of politics and power from his mind, and requests a status report on current operations focusing his mind once more on military strategies.

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Cartann City, Adumar

Ben sits in an empty apartment in the warrens above the manufacturing concern, probing with the Force as groups of workers come and go. He glances at the sleeping form of Jysella, and throws on his over cloak, and enters the hallway. His eyes scans the workers as they walk away from the plant, and smiling as he picks up his mark, he stops the pair by stepping in front of them. "Can you help me?"

They draw up short, a startled look on their face, obviously unused to being stopped on their way home. Ben smiles at them, and waves his hand, putting pressure on them in the Force. "Follow me."

He then turns, and retraces his step, leading the two workers back to the apartment where Jysella is sleeping. As he once more enters, he presses his hand to their foreheads and utters a single command. "Sleep." The two workers crumple to the ground asleep.

"Kidnapping people already?"

Ben turns to look at Jysella, as she stands in the doorway, her elbow propping her up against the doorjamb and a smirk decorating her face. He smiles at her, allowing his eyes to travel up and down her form, admiring the pants and tunic she is wearing. "Of course, upset that you didn't get to help?"

She laughs, and bends down next to the sleeping forms. Pulling back the cloaks they both wear, she looks back up at Ben. "At least you choose two people of different sexes this time, which means that you don't have to pretend to be a girl again."

"And you claim that I keep bringing the past back up."

She shakes her head, laughing slightly. "So, when do we go into the factory?"

He looks back over the two people asleep on the floor. "They're not due back in the factory for another twelve hours or so, which means we should probably go in then."

She smiles coyly at him, one finger idly twirling her hair. "So what are we going to do until then?"

He quirks an eyebrow at her. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

She slowly saunters over to him, and leans in close to his ear. "You…going and getting us some dinner."

Then with a laugh she spins away, going into the other room. Ben shakes his head, and shrugs into his cloak, and once more goes out into the city. He quietly slips from shadow to shadow, always watching those around him, wary of another attack. A picture on one of the flatscreens that the Adumari seem to put everywhere attracts Ben's attention, and as he focuses on it, he lets out a curse.

There, apparently being broadcasted to every home in the city is a picture of him and Jysella. Tuning his comlink to the appropriate channel he begins listening to the audio-cast.

"..right. Again, we bring you this breaking news; there are currently two armed and dangerous criminals loose in Cartann City. They are posing as Jedi and operating under the aliases of Ben Skywalker and Jysella Horn. These two felons are responsible for the bombing at the Hotel Cartanna, and believed to be responsible for the murders of three Adumari citizens the night of their arrival, following a ball hosted for them by our Perator. In addit-"

Ben turns off the comlink, plunging the night around him into a silence that is only interrupted by his cursing. Looking around and getting his bearings, Ben lifts the cowl of his cloak over his head, and searches for a restaurant or food store where he can get them something to eat, still muttering curses about his Skywalker luck.

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Han walks to the cockpit of the Falcon, frowning slightly. He looks around the hallway, trying to figure out when something is going to go wrong. Something always breaks on trips like this, yet this time the Falcon has been flying smoothly and perfectly.

It gives Han Solo a bad feeling.

Once more shaking his head, he enters the cockpit, sliding into his comfortable old seat, and preparing for the drop from hyperspace. Looking at the navicomputer, he notes that he has about a minute and a half before it's time, so he leans back into his seat.

Then with a wailing of alarms, the Falcon shudders and the hyperspace tunnel collapses in upon itself, dropping Han out into realspace. A sense of alarm flickers through him as he recognizes the dagger shaped hulls of star destroyers. Muttering curses under his breath, he sends the Falcon into a spiraling dive, and glances at the transponder, noticing that all the destroyers are registering as Federation vessels.

The com crackles to life. "Unidentified transport, you have entered restricted space, please come to a full stop, and prepare for boarding."

Han frowns at the com, and decides to ignore it. Pushing the Falcon down from the ecliptic, he pours full power into the sublight engines. Then the bright light of a turbolaser blast slices down in front of the cockpit, leaving a glowing afterimage in Han's eyes.

The com once more crackles to life. "Unidentified transport, this is the Federation Star Destroyer Ackbar, I repeat that you are to come to a full stop and prepare for boarding."

Sighing, Han decides that he needs to answer them and flips on the com. "Star Destroyer Ackbar, this is the Millennium Falcon I am on an important mission for the Jedi Council for negotiations with the Corellian Diktat."

Han mentally crosses his fingers, and pushes the engines up to full power, heading towards Corellia, hoping to get to the planet's surface before the com officer on the Ackbar can figure out his lie.

The com crackles again. "Falcon, heave too immediately"

Han grins, and spins the ship just as a tractor beam attempts to grasp onto the Falcon. Han is once more cursing, as she starts to shudder from the grip of the tractor beam, then with one last burst of power from the engines, the Falcon is skimming the atmosphere of Corellia, the red glow from friction flaming up the sides of his ship. Han leans back slightly, and switches over to repulsers, happy to have been able to run the blockade and make it back to Corelllia. Looking at a monitor, he determines his location, and begins heading to Coronet.