This is another fairy tail story of mine from the New Jedi Order era, based on the likewise named German fairy tale of the Grimm Brothers.
King Thrushbird - A Yuuzhan Vong Tale
0. Prologue
Late in the year 25 after the Battle of Yavin – Orbit of the planet Fondor on the New Republic on heavy cruiser Yald
"How could we have been so fooled," Commodore Brand said to Leia, his voice growing more bitter with every word of his sentence, "The intelligence agencies, the politicians, and we, the military."
The commodore in command of the Yald pointed to the shipyards of the planet Fondor below, above which columns of smoke rose, between which the enemy's coralskippers darted to wreak even more havoc on that cradle of weapons of the New Republic with their cannons.
"The sources were all equally trustworthy or dubious," replied the Princess of Alderaan. "At some point you have to decide to play the cards. If you ask me, I wouldn't have left the Fifth Fleet with Bothawui."
Brand nodded. "Bothawui is far too far from the invasion corridor of the Yuuzhan Vong to take and occupy this world in the long term. I would have placed the Fifth Fleet at Denon - midway between Tynna and Corellia, the other two destinations the Hutts had indicated to us."
"Or have not indicated," Prince Isolder intervened.
"This was indeed a plan masterfully devised by the enemy," Leia conceded glumly.
"But we Hapans will help you to thwart it," promised Prince Isolder. "And we make no vague hints either." He gestured toward the Hapan battledragon leading his homeland's fleet that had rushed to the rescue. The ships had just arrived fifteen minutes ago and Isolder hadn't wasted a minute boarding the Yald immediately. "We promise something and then we keep it."
You may fire when ready," Brand assured himself.
"Whenever you are, Commodore." Isolder opened a channel and gave the order to attack in his native tongue.
The Hapan ships leapt down towards the enemy and Isolder looked proudly at Leia, but she seemed absent-minded. Isolder was reminded of how deeply his former crush hated war, but he also knew that she was good at containing those feelings in times of danger. It dawned on him that Leia might not even be thinking about the war. But why and what...?
A barrage of spears of light shot past the viewport of the Yald's command center, ripping through the ships of the Hapan fleet to race on toward the enemy. The light that appeared out of nowhere blinded Brand's eyes so that he had to close them for a moment.
"Centerpoint," he heard Leia say flatly, still caught in the darkness of surprise, closed eyes, and uncertainty.
Immediately he turned his head to where Leia's voice came from, and let her words sink in. A few seconds later, Brand opened his eyes again and saw that the others in the command center had turned to Leia too, their eyes on her every word.
"Someone fired an energy beam from Centerpoint Station," Leia specified, then slumped in front of everyone and Isolder and Brand rushed to her side to prevent her fall.
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1. The Ball
Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, there was a princess, who lived on the planet of Kuat and she was extraordinarily beautiful. She had raven black hair, green eyes and she was very cunning, but also very haughty.
"Viqi", her mother told her one day. "It is time that you will choose a man, to lead on our pedigree. And I also want to have grand-children."
"Well, I will choose a husband one day, but I will never bear you grand-children", Viqi replied. "So why should I, when your sister is queen, who has children already? Thus I will never inherit the throne anyway."
"But what will you do then?", the mother asked.
"I will go to Coruscant and there I shall become senator for our planet."
"Well then, but before this, you will choose a man, who will sear offspring for our family."
"So when it has to be", Viqi said devoid of any enthusiasm. "But the suitor's ball will be at Coruscant."
"Thus it shall happen", the mother agreed.
And so Viqi Shesh became Senator of her homeworld Kuat on Coruscant.
Six years went by and the Yuuzhan Vong came into the galaxy. Shortly after the extragalactic invaders had assaulted and devastated the shipyards of Fondor, a big party was held at Coruscant, and at the ball the suitors had to introduce themselves to the princess, showing from their best side and they tried to flatter her, but beautiful Viqi had an issue with all of them. One was too old for her, another one too thin, the third one too ugly. Even the Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya was spurned, because he had too much fur.
But then Viqi danced with one, with whom she talked longer than with the others. He was tall, slim, had dark blonde hair and shining blue eyes.
"You dance very good, so what's your name?", she asked.
"My name is Pedric Cuf and I dance that good, because I intermediate between various parties to initiate business."
"What kind of business?" Viqi wanted to know.
"I have certain contacts, who allow me to negotiate guarantees for certain worlds and beings, to be spared from the advance of what are commonly referred to as the Yuuzhan Vong."
Viqi edged a little closer to him during a quarter turn. "And the same could apply to my homeworld of Kuat?"
He smiled at her. "Oh yes, provided you are willing to put business before politics on certain occasions."
„You seem to be quite witty and you know how to get along in this galaxy", Viqi told him, „but why exactly you want to propose to me?"
"Alas", Pedric replied, "my superiors deemed it a good idea, that we get acquainted with each other."
„Your superiors." Viqi contorted her mouth. „That is indeed the most romantic proposal I ever got. That level even a droid couldn't reach."
Pedric's features went sour. „A droid, you said? What a pity. And here I was, all set to launch into a discussion regarding the eventual disposition of", he gestured broadly to the big windows at the ball room, "all this. I suspect we would have made a good team."
He let her go just in the mid of the dance and turned away. At this moment, Viqi realized, that Pedric Cuf had a secret and was eager to find out about it.
"Did I mention that I like your suit?", she said.
He smiled. „This suit is not from this world, but I will get you one as you wish, when you give me some information in turn, which some of my clients are in need of."
„That is a quite good bargain", Viqi agreed.
And so they started to go out with each other – to the opera or to a restaurant. And during one of their meetings in a restaurant Pedric told Viqi: "Once I told you about my superior. He wants to get to know you and here is the contact device. You just stroke the ball and his face will appear to give you more instructions. But you only open it at home."
Viqi almost died out of curiosity and after she was at home alone, she opened the parcel and found a villip inside. She stroked it and the villip revealed the tattooed face of a Yuuzhan Vong, who was scarred that way, that his facial features were barely to recognize.
"So you are the informant, Pedric Cuf praised on the highest notes", the face on the villip said to Viqi. "I'm Tsavong Lah, the Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong."
„I will serve you well, as I did serve Pedric Cuf", the senator replied.
Tsavong Lah laughed. "Well, that remains to be seen. The service for me will not be an easy one, but it will be rewarded lavishly."
„On the planet of Myrkr, there are predators named Vornskrs and they can sense the force", Viqi revealed to the Warmaster. "You can send the Vornskrs after the Jedi and none of those force users will evade you furtherly."
„That is very useful information, Viqi", the Warmaster praised her, then the villip inverted and left Viqi back alone.
Hence the senator worked directly for the Warmaster. When Pedric Cuf tried to reach her, she didn't answer his calls at comlink anymore. But one day she was contacted from an unknown number and when she picked up the call, she heard Pedric Cuf's voice: "Don't we want to meet once more, Viqi?", the agent asked.
"No", Viqi retorted. "I will never meet a guy, whose chin is so prominent that I can hang my coat on it. You are a real Thrushbeard!"
With those words Viqi ended the talk and left the disappointed Pedric Cuf behind. Yet the true reason to spurn him was, that Viqi had fallen in love with the Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong very heavily and she hoped that he would keep her by his side thoroughly one day.
This story is based on the events of the New Jedi Order book series (1999-2003). This chapter is about events of Vol. 5 – Jedi Eclipse by James Luceno (2000) and 9 – Star by Star by Troy Denning (2001).