The Theelinian Hybrid studied the two men accompanying Climber and Trace closely as they ascended the gangway to join him. "Who are your friends?", Ninx asked rather roughly. He did not like surprises, especially when it involved new faces coming into his "Spacebarn".
Climber motioned them forward. "This is Eras, owner of the ship we brought to you and his associate, Sho. Gentlemen, this is Shug Ninx designer of all that you see before you.
"Thank you so much for looking after the Stalker. This place is truly amazing!", Eras spoke up, extending a hand to their host.
Ninx brightened at this. wrapping his three-fingered hand around Eras's. "It is a work in progress, but one I am very proud of."
"I am surprised a Master craftsman such as yourself is not in the employment of the Empire.", observed Sho.
"Being a Kel Dor, I'm sure you can appreciate the struggles of non-humans under the Empire.", Ninx said, reminding Sho of the expulsion of Dorin from the Galactic Senate. He nodded back in understanding.
"You will not find anyone throughout the galaxy who knows more about ships.", complimented Trace.
"Speaking of ships. May I see the Stalker?", inquired Eras who was itching to get back into the pilot's seat.
"You mean the Arlechi? You're looking at her.", Ninx pointed to the ship behind him.
Eras could not believe his eyes. Barely resembling his most prized possession, he took a few steps towards her. "What the hell did you do to my ship!"
Ninx seemed somewhat insulted. "That ship, if you could call it that before, was about ready to fall apart, it was so poorly put together. The Arlechi has been improved in every way. She's fast, she's agile, and she's got one hell of a bite to her."
Eras walked around the ship, examining the hull closely. "What did you replace the durasteel armor plating with?" Genuine curiosity replaced his previous hostile tone.
Ninx's smile returned. "G-32 evasive armor plating infused with laminanium. Not only has your maneuverability doubled, I thought it would complement the CEC military grade shield generator with built-in drainage/transfer energy subsystems. You'll be able to perform precision flying."
Eras made his way to the ship's aft section. "I'm not familiar with these engines."
"Nobody is…", Ninx replied nonchalantly. "...They're my own design, a triple stacked Evader-GT Ion hyperdrive in Condor configuration. By stacking them, it allowed for a backup H2-1 mini-drive. The Arlechi may not be the fastest ship in the galaxy, but she's not too far behind and she'll really be able to get out there to explore. Plus, I'd wager she's in the running for being one of the most dependable ships."
A thought occurred and panic struck Eras. He spun around to face Ninx. "What about Scraps?! Is he okay?!"
The Master Engineer motioned him to remain calm. "He's fine. Actually, Scraps was quite instrumental in the Arlechi's redesign. Let's go inside and see."
Much of the inside of the ship was left in its original state, although Eras had to admit that Ninx's claim to enhancing his ship in every way was becoming more apparent. The Arlechi's cargo hold had opened up considerably and it was so nice to finally see all the exposed wires and relays stored away properly. Ninx led them to the bridge.
There was a delightful hum that greeted them all as they exited the lift. "Scraps. You okay?", asked Eras with concern in his voice. No reply was given. He turned to Ninx who pressed a command on the remote at his belt.
The sound of a power buildup resounded throughout the cockpit, followed by the sputtering and whirring of Scraps's voice coming into clarity. "Oh my…Captain Eras, it is so good to see you are still functioning. I began to worry when you did not return to the Guild's landing area."
Eras was relieved. "Sorry Scraps. We were detained. Are you alright?"
"Processing: My sensors show that changes to my programming as well as to several other ship's systems have been enabled since powering down. Analyzing data…fascinating…Analysis complete. It would appear that I have been given direct control over two secondary droid brains."
"That will be the CD-14c Gunner with a built in 'Surefire' Enhancement System and the 'Autoguard' Cybernetic Reflex Suite.", confirmed Ninx.
"Inquiry: Those units have a history of being highly temperamental, due to glitches in their behavior matrices. How have you bypassed these errors?", asked Scraps.
The architect of the "Spacebarn" glowed at this. "Ah, now that is where a bit of bragging is necessary. I wiped the droid brains personality cores and created a direct link to your AA1 unit by installing an Intellex VI processor. There will always be a part of you that can engage and disengage their auto programming." Ninx turned to Eras. "Should the worst happen, this ship will defend itself."
"I'm grateful to you. You are truly a master of your craft and I'm sorry I doubted you. The Arlechi is magnificent.", Eras spoke humbly.
"It's not enough to have a 'magnificent' ship. It'll take a real Captain to handle her. You ready kid?", Brax spoke up.
Ninx removed the remote from his belt and threw it to Eras. "Why don't you take it for a test drive and find out?", he asked with a glint of mischief.
The Arlechi's Captain responded in equal tone. "Scraps. Fire up the engines."...
…The Arlechi settled smoothly onto the hangar floor of the Spacebarn. Eras leaned back in the pilot's seat, letting out a slow breath. The test flight had gone better than he could have dreamed. Sho, seated next to him, silently reviewed the final system checks on his datapad.
"Well," Eras said, cracking a smile. "That was…different."
Sho nodded. "Most impressive."
"'Impressive' is an understatement. She's a beauty.", Brax chimed in.
Leaning against a large stolen Imperial supply crate with his arms crossed, Climber waited at the edge of the hangar. His expression was, as usual, unreadable as he watched the three make their way down to the deck. "She's a nice ship, no doubt about it. The Captain needs a little more practice, but he'll do."
"The Arlechi's incredible! Thank you so much.", Eras appreciatively shook the Clone's hand.
Climber offered a small nod. He glanced back at Trace approaching them, and his expression grew more serious. "There's something we need to talk about."
Sho, sensing the shift in mood, raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
The Rebel leader sighed, choosing his next words carefully. "You two came here with a mission of your own. I can honestly say I don't know of any other Jedi on Nar Shadaa, but I do wish the ones that ARE HERE would help in our cause."
"The fact you both are standing here says there's a chance that more are out there…", added Trace. "...You could take your ship and continue your mission to find Jedi survivors. Maybe you'll find them, maybe you won't."
"Or you could stay and fight with us. What do you say, kid?", Brax joined in.
Eras looked to each Clone and then to Sho. The Kel Dor stepped forward. "I would have been the last to admit weaknesses within the Order, if I'm honest. Master Drallig feared that the War itself corrupted our purpose…to protect the weak and innocent. Too many Jedi lost sight of that. We were searching for survivors because we thought they were the only hope left. But we were wrong. The real fight is HERE and NOW,...with people like you. I choose to stand with you."
"As do I.", joined Eras.
Brax chuckled and clapped them both on the back. "Welcome to the Rebellion boys."
"That reminds me…", Eras addressed Climber. "...You never told us what our cell is called."
Climber's lip curled up into a mischievous grin. "You're right. Gentlemen…welcome to Gideon Squadron."...
…Grakkus's Palace…
The massive stone doors to Grakkus the Hutt's private chamber creaked open, allowing a thin stream of torchlight to slip in. The Hutt's chamber was dark and cool, a stark contrast to the lively chaos outside. Grakkus's large, sluggish form lay slumbering on his platform.
His Chief Advisor approached with caution for he had witnessed his Master's cruel wrath towards servants who had disturbed him before. Hesitating for a moment, he tapped a control panel that illuminated the chamber with a dim, orange glow.
The Hutt's eyes snapped open, pupils narrowing into slits of rage over the intrusion . "Chuba da naga chii, cha dissa mohto?" (What is it, you fool?)
His minion bowed deeply, trying to keep his voice steady. "Mighty Grakkus, I apologize for waking you, but...the contact from Coruscant is here."
Grakkus' large eyes blinked slowly, the initial grogginess quickly giving way to interest. His thick, guttural voice rumbled through the chamber. "Ei sa he unko?! (Why is he here?!)" The Hutt crime lord had given explicit instructions to wait until he had the two Jedi back in custody.
His advisor shrugged unknowingly. "He's waiting outside."
Grakkus annoyingly shifted his massive bulk, slithering upright on his platform with the assistance of his cybernetic legs. "Koose him Wata. (Bring him in.)"
A tall figure stepped inside. The stranger was draped in a thick, dark cloak and hood that obscured his entire form. No features could be discerned, save for his cold, deliberate movements.
As he approached, the room seemed to grow colder. Even Grakkus, with all his bravado and might, could not deny the sense of danger that followed. The figure stopped a few paces away from the Hutt's platform, saying nothing.
Grakkus peered down at the figure, his booming voice breaking the tense silence. "Haku are Uba Wata Che? (Why are you here?)"
The figure's voice, low and filtered, spoke from beneath the hood. "My benefactor's patience has run out."
Grakkus growled deeply. He muttered a few words, motioning to his advisor to act as his mouthpiece. "The illustrious Grakkus has given his word that he will find the Jedi. Please remind the Guild that it would be unfortunate should a civil war break out on Nar Shadaa at a time when the Empire is seeking weaknesses for their exploitation."
The figure reached into the folds of his cloak, producing a small metallic disc. He tossed it onto the floor in front of Grakkus. The Hutt's advisor scrambled to retrieve it, quickly handing it to his master. Grakkus inspected the disc, which shimmered in the dim light. It bore the unmistakable symbol of the Inquisitorious.
"That is why I am here. It would behoove you to provide me with anything I may require. After that, you are to stay out of my way." The figure turned his back on the Hutt and began to take his leave.
"Haku makes Uba Tinka Uba can take Ta Jedai on Do own? (What makes you think you can take the Jedi on your own?), growled Grakkus, insulted the hunter had left without permission yet powerless to do anything about it.
The stranger chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder. "Leave that to me. I have a little surprise for our prey."
The door closed behind him, leaving the Hutt and his advisor in silence. Grakkus was no fool and always had known it to be a matter of time before his power would be challenged. Whether he could turn this to his advantage remained to be seen. Regardless,...the Empire…was coming…
Author's Note:
I want to personally thank all of you who took valuable time out of your busy schedules to humor me by reading this story. I am not a writer by trade, as my work clearly demonstrates. I am simply a fan of George Lucas' epic vision which has magically captivated many (including my family and me) for years! I will be updating the last chapter with a link to the second installment in the near future. Until then…May the Force be with you!
Please feel free to leave comments as well as recommendations you have to other great Star Wars fanfics! This is purely Star Wars fanfiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only. The author has not received any monetary contributions/payments in any form or fashion. Existing characters and terminology used from the Star Wars Universe are the sole property of Disney. Quotes in italics are the property of various authors.