Note from the author: This narrative arc differs from those that preceded it —no prologue (it will also be shorter without an epilogue). We start directly with the "First Part". Why? Because, unlike the other Arc, it is not an independent story. This Arc focuses on the consequences of the abduction of Coh Veshiv.
Awkward Loads
(First Part)
Agamar, Migoshir System, Lahara Sector, Outer Rim Territories.
Agamar was a green planet covered with forests. Nevertheless, this exuberant nature gave way to steppes and frozen tundras in the polar regions. Thirty years earlier, a DH-Omni Class Support Ship (a military cargo ship from the CIS) crashed catastrophically on top of a cliff in the Arctic region.
Forgotten for decades, the wreck was looted by the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic before being partially repaired and transformed into a rebel base. After the Imperials stormed Yavin IV, the Provisional Council settled there. But this would probably not last, the planetary capital of Cah Muun had an imperial garrison with a radar and TIE patrols that patrolled frequently. Until then, they had never been interested in the polar regions, but... but that could change.
A Transpasteel bubble on the side of a metal room provided a view of the medical bed, surrounded by Alliance officers and droids.
Three people had settled in the observation bubble. In the center, dressed in a long white tunic and wearing around her neck the gold medallion of her position as Chief of State, Mon Mothma was a tall, thin woman with a face marked by suffering and exhaustion. Her auburn hair had no grey strands, and her magnetic eyes gleamed with childlike brilliance.
To her right was General Airen Cracken, a 51-year-old man with grey temples. He was a legend among the members of the rebellion. He and the band of Resistance that he had founded on Contruum (his home planet) had succeeded in driving out the imperial garrison and extra-planetary (and pro-imperial) mining companies that were plundering borium deposits. Engineer and mechanic (though not a graduate), Airen Cracken had become the most effective saboteur of the Alliance.
Former imperial officer and creator of the Storm commandos, elite Stormtrooper units specializing in sabotage, General Crix Madine was a specialist in commando operations. Bearded and reddish-blond, he was standing on the left of Mon Mothma, playing with a leather pad.
They listened to the man tied up on the bed. Eyes fixed, Coh Veshiv sweated, unable to turn away from the hypnotic images that were scrolling on the screen in front of him. Drop after drop, a truth serum entered his blood system by intravenous injection. In a state of mental narcosis, Coh Veshiv was unable to resist his interrogators.
Mon Mothma stood up when the doctor interrupted the interrogation.
"I leave you, gentlemen, I must inform the Provisional Council of your progress."
An hour later, in the command tower conference room.
A brown-furred Bothan laid his hands flat on the table. He was dressed in a blue tunic with leather patches on his shoulders.
"May I ask for the floor?"
My Mothma hit the table with a light hammer.
"Councilor Borsk Fey'la is recognized. The floor is open to Councilor Borsk Fey'la."
The Bothan looked at the other advisors, representing the main planets of the Rebel Alliance.
We must now decide what to do with the decrypted datacards. Coh Veshiv has spent years gathering evidence of malfeasance by members of the Palpatine government. There are two choices. The first is simply to publish these documents...
Admiral Ackbar, also a councilor representing Mon Calamari, stood up.
"That is the course of action we should take. I am not so naive as to believe that what is referred to as imperial justice convicts the truly guilty. Nevertheless, we have to enlighten the public about the misconduct of those in power."
Borsk squinted while stroking the fur of his throat, bristling under the effect of annoyance. He hated to be interrupted while speaking, but replied politely, in a soothing, almost calming tone.
"In an ideal world, that is obviously what we should do... Admiral Ackbar, as you rightly pointed out, the eyes of the people must be opened and – normally – the guilty should be tried and convicted. But how to spread this news across the galaxy? The Empire censors the media. Let us assume that our friends who work in the official media succeed in broadcasting a local investigation revealing the depravity of a Moff or a governor. The scandal would provoke resignations, maybe a trial... but at what cost? The journalists would probably die in a landspeeder "accident" a few days later unless their wives and children were threatened to force them to retract. All of this for what result? Another governor will be appointed, a Moff will replace his predecessor. Maybe they would be a little more discreet, but things would go on as before."
The silence lasted a few seconds after Borsk had settled down. Finally, a Sullustan and an Elomin spoke in their native language.
C3-PO, the protocol droid of Princess Leia Organa, translated their words.
"Councillor Sian Tevv from Sullust asks what the information provided by Coh Veshiv could be used for if they cannot be used to convict the guilty."
The golden droid leaned slightly in front of the Elomin.
"Councillor Verrinnefra B'thog Indriummegh of Elom takes the same view. He added that there would have been no need for a Rebellion if justice still had the right to cite in the Empire."
Borsk Fey'la shook his head.
"I think the information will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. However..." The Bothan picked up a datacard and inserted it into his datapad. "Ah... this is what I was looking for... The Grand Moff Ravik of the Tolenda Oversector diverts resources for the central government and resells them on his behalf. Veshiv discovered the secret warehouses of Grand Moff Ravik. Let's pass this information on to the Tolenda Oversector Rebels. I am sure they will make good use of this information."
"You mean looting these warehouses," replied Ackbar with a gravelly voice.
Borsk shrugged his shoulders.
"If you are determined to speak of theft, I leave the choice of words with you, Admiral. But the Rebels will only take back what Ravik illegally took from them. Stealing a thief, is that really stealing?"
Ten minutes passed in an incoherent brawl of arguments, all the counsellors speaking simultaneously. Finally, Mon Mothma managed to bring back some orders.
Leia Organa, advisor for Alderaan, spoke while waving one of the decrypted datacards.
"I would like to draw the attention of the honorable members of this assembly to the content of this datacard. According to our agents, Emperor Palpatine sent Coh Veshiv to travel through the Coreworlds under the guise of inspection to punish him. It appears that this punishment stems from an attempt to blackmail Grand Admiral Nial Declann. According to the information on this datacard, Declann allegedly diverted substantial amounts of Durasteel for his personal profit. But we are talking about large quantities of Durasteel that have disappeared from the imperial warehouses... This alone is sufficient to refute the hypothesis of a diversion of resources. A mere balance sheet could not hide such quantities. This is obviously a requisition ordered by the government, perhaps even by Palpatine himself. Durasteel's shipments have all been redirected to the Moddell sector...where we are losing track of them."
The advisors looked at their datapads, searching for information about this sector... and discovered that there were only a handful of weakly industrialized worlds in this sector, and that most of the other habitable planets barely reached the Stone Age.
Doman Beruss of Corellia frowned.
"What are they going to do with all this Durasteel? No industry in this sector could use so much metal."
The Wookie sitting next to him replied with a long, hoarse shriek.
"Kashyyk's Councilor Kerrithrarr says the Empire has chosen this isolated area to make something they want us not to know," C3-PO said.
Mon Mothma crossed her hands under her chin, pensive.
"Leia, you may not remember this because you were too young at the time, but your father, Senator Bail Organa, Senator Garm Bel Iblis from Corellia, and I encountered a situation strikingly like what we're facing now. At that time, we were members of the Imperial Senate. After a speech by a retired Imperial officer at the Fleet Academy, we discovered that a large quantity of Durasteel had been secretly diverted."
The princess of Alderaan frowned, which raised her nose... when she was grumpy, she looked even cuter than usual, but only Counsellor Beruss (the only human male in the room) noticed it.
"What did the Empire do with all this Durasteeel?"
"Palpatine was building the Death Star!"
A shocked silence followed Mon Mothma's reply.
"There is another troubling coincidence..." continued the former senator from Chandrila. Coh Veshiv was kidnapped by Dhas Vedij, a privateer working for the Alliance. But the officer who made a speech at the Fleet Academy complaining about Palpatine diverting Durasteel from ship construction was the Baron Admiral Ronnan Teyla Vedij... Captain Dhas Fenoep Vedij's own father."
Suddenly, Borsk Fey'la stood up.
"I apologize, Madam Head of State, honorable councilors of the provisional government, but I have an emergency..."
Without a word more, the Bothan left the room.
His mind racing, Fey'la was trying to remember if he had agents in the Moddell Sector... If the Empire was building a second Death Star, he had to find it before it was finished. The first Death Star had destroyed two planets (1) before a proton torpedo made it explode. Such a tragedy should not be allowed to happen again.
Outer Rim Territory, Atrivis Sector, Deedx System
Four Mon Calamari MC-80 cruisers were sailing through the cosmos. Around them, smaller ships formed their escorts. The closest ships were Corellian Corvettes and frigates of the Constriction, Starfire, and Ironhead classes (2). These ships had once served the CIS. Although they were now adorned with the Alliance's crest, remnants of blue paint reminded them of their former allegiance. The outer layer of this defensive shield was made up of modified freighters and gunships.
Patrols of X-Wings, A-Wings, and Y-Wings circled the Capital Ships.
On the Star Ocean's Bridge, Commander Innema (a Calamari in white uniform) was sitting in a chair at the end of an articulated arm, overlooking the consoles where other Calamari were working, his eyes were fixed on the screens that waved strangely.
The atmosphere vibrated with excitement and tension because the enemy was nearby.
Innema leaned forward to see the six imperial destroyers and their escorts: Arquitens-class picket ships, Velox-class Fast frigates, and Virgil-class Heavy Corvettes. The ships were flying into the cosmos, nose to tail. If they kept their course, they would cut off the trajectory of the calamari ships. Already, turbolasers' turrets and ion guns turned towards a Calamari cruiser in the middle of the row of cruisers.
It was a classic combat tactic, used for centuries and known as Capping the T. The first destroyer served as a shield for the others, while all the firepower of the imperial ships concentrated on a single rebel ship.
An officer in charge of the detection looked up from his console.
"We have arrived within firing range!"
The reverse was equally true because the imperial destroyer at the head of the formation had begun firing.
Except that...
The Rebels were expecting this maneuver. They had been trained to counter it with another maneuver of their own.
"All ships, prepare to turn starboard at my command. New heading to 90. Countdown: T minus... 19... 18... 17... "
When the countdown reached 0, the ships turned suddenly and accelerated. Innema would have dearly loved to see the astonishment on the faces of the commanders of the Star Destroyers.
When the first Calamari cruisers appeared, the Imperials laughed. Luxury Liners transformed into cruisers! Never could such ships fight with equal weapons against the powerful Imperial Star Destroyer. Arrogance partly dictated their certainty, but there were also perfectly rational reasons. For example, the MC-80 Cruisers were smaller, which meant that they could not have as many anti-ship batteries as a Destroyer. In addition, the main generator of a Luxury Liner could not power weapons as powerful as the ones fueled by the giant ion generator of an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer. The shielding also could not be as strong because the armor plates had been added to the structure of a ship originally designed for civilian use.
The list was long.
In truth, the Calamari Cruiser was a design inferior to the Imperial Star Destroyer... Nevertheless, they had an extraordinarily efficient shield system and were much more maneuverable than the ships of the enemy fleet.
The MC-80 targeted by the Imperials had endured the concentrated fire of six Star Destroyers for nearly a minute... without being destroyed, long enough for the Calamari cruisers to accelerate suddenly and change course, heading for the attacking fleet. Chaos spread among the Imperials. Their escort ships turned to avoid collisions with the rebel ships and dispersed in all directions.
While the Destroyer at the head of the column was attacked by two cruisers, each attacking one side, the other two MC-80 and their escorts made a screen to prevent the rest of the fleet from coming to her rescue.
Sitting in the command chair, Captain Innema was violently jolted as a dazzling projectile of energy collided with the bridge's shield.
The space between the ships glowed with green turbolaser blasts from the Imperial vessels, while the rebel ships responded with red projectiles. Various types of ships in the battle also fired blue ion shots.
Flying at full speed just above the hull, two TIE bombers skillfully dodged the defensive fire while releasing plasma bombs on the hull. However, as they turned past the command turret, they were struck by a pair of concussion missiles, disintegrating into orange fireballs and scattering fragments of their solar panels.
The victor of this clash, an A-Wing, swiftly navigated through the fireballs and continued its pursuit of other enemies. Yet, it found no opponents nearby.
The TIEs were not only unshielded and lightly armored, but they also lacked hyperdrives and long-range sensors. This meant they were entirely dependent on their carrier ship for long-distance travel and target acquisition.
As the frigates and other escorts dispersed following the rebels' unexpected change of course, the TIEs retreated with them.
"Engage the bombers!" shouted Innema over the cacophony of battle.
"Aye aye, Captain," replied a Calamari officer wearing a peculiar golden helmet atop his fish skull. This officer was the Commander of Air Group (CAG) of the Star Ocean and was responsible for all the fighters and bombers aboard the Calamari cruiser.
Often nicknamed the "Flying Pigs," Y-Wings were considered "ugly and slow" by the pilots of X-Wings and A-Wings. Nonetheless, these old bombers from the Clone Wars were essential to the Rebellion. First and foremost, they were the only bombers available in (almost) sufficient quantity. They were solid and enduring, able to survive attacks that could disintegrate a less strong fighter.
And have you ever seen the damage that a squadron of Y-Wings can inflict on an Imperial Star Destroyer?
Twelve bombers plunged towards the Destroyer's hull, shifting from side to side to dodge the bolts fired by the space defense batteries mounted on the hull of the Imperial ship.
Flying close to the white metal shielding, the Y-Wings began to drop dazzling light bombs —ion bombs. As the first explosions struck the hull of the Star Destroyer, electric arcs erupted across the surface, causing lights to flicker and go out in the portholes, only to rally again. Even the thrusters of the massive triangular ship functioned only intermittently.
The shields, clearly unable to withstand such an assault, failed. The pilots and gunners erupted in cheers while the squadron leader smiled and said, "Well, guys, the next target is an Arquitens cruiser! Switch to proton torpedoes!"
On the Star Ocean's bridge, crew members also cheered on the success of the Y-Wings. But from the command chair, a grave voice ordered to continue the attack.
"Fire! Focus first on the shield projectors and the bridge, then on the long-range sensors, communications, if you have time, aim for the thrusters!"
The chief gunner immediately carried out Innema's orders. The turbolaser batteries began to thunder at high speed, aiming at the designated targets.
On the other side of the Imperial Destroyer, a second MC-80 was also firing. Hit by these concentrated shots that hammered her armor, the enemy ship was violently shaken by explosions.
The battle of Deedx lasted two hours and ended in an undisputed victory for the Alliance. The DSI Desacrator had been heavily damaged and would require at least eight months of repair in a shipyard, two other destroyers had received less severe damage, while half of the escort was destroyed or had fled.
The Rebels had received only minor damage.
Commander Innema smiled.
"Be ready to jump at light speed."
"Aye-Aye, captain."
The second in command, another Calamari, turned to Innema.
"We are very fortunate to receive a recording of recent maneuvers between two imperial fleets. This allowed us to prepare for their combat tactics."
"Yes, we should thank the Alliance Intelligence."
Innema was unaware that the film the rebel commanders were watching had been given to the Alliance by the crew of the Far Orbit.
Somewhere in the cosmos, aboard the Privateer's frigate Far Orbit.
After delivering Coh Veshiv to the Rebels, the Nebulon-B frigate was set to return to the Core Worlds and her designated hunting ground, the Ringali Shell. The ship was currently in normal space, allowing her hyperdrive to rest and undergo maintenance. Some crew members were diligently working at their stations, while others took the opportunity to rest in their cabins.
Captain Dhas Vedij sat in the Ready Room, an office separated from the bridge by a single door. He was reviewing the inventory and supply status, visibly frustrated as he frowned and absentmindedly tapped the edge of his desk while consulting the files compiled by his subordinates.
Despite the recent capture of a ship of the same class—the New Star—the Far Orbit still lacked adequate resources. She had only one squadron of TIE fighters and was severely short on everything: weapons, ammunition, food, and equipment. The Alliance could not be relied upon for assistance. If the few industrial planets aligned with the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic had produced enough supplies, they wouldn't need to hire privateers to raid commercial shipments for starters. The abduction of Palpatine's advisor had starkly highlighted this issue. The crew of the Far Orbit took absurd risks, yet they were only met with minimal rewards.
They needed to secure a supplier. Dhas Vedij picked up his datapad and opened a file he had created after Space Ishtar's mission to Brentaal. Puullo the Hutt was mentioned—within the Ringali Shell, this Hutt had the organization most likely to discreetly provide them with the necessary supplies for their ship. Of course, payment would be required.
Vedij shook his head. If he made a deal with the Hutt, it should remain unknown to the Alliance... so much for diverting a portion of the shipments BEFORE the Alliance Observer can count the loot. This would not only keep these transactions secret but also avoid having to draw directly from the crew's share. Immediately after the problems caused by the lack of food for Aliens, it was better to avoid another source of discontent.
As he thought about it, the comlink in his office started to beep. Dhas Vedij replied.
"This is the commander."
"Hi, boss," replied Galiria's recognizable voice.
"Is the word 'captain' too difficult for you, young lady?"
"No, but I prefer 'boss'. I hope you have a second, boss...because I have some shitty news to tell you."
Leaning against the back of his chair, Vedij looked at the black metal ceiling while rubbing his forehead.
"Go ahead, since yesterday I have received only bad news."
"Do you recall how I persuaded the Fleet mainframe to send us updates and reports intended for a similar ship in the Imperial Fleet?"
"Let me guess...it doesn't work anymore."
"Uh... yes... that's exactly it, boss. Plus, I don't think they took my little tinkering for a bug... Do you know what the last message we got before they cut?"
"How do you want me to know?"
"This is an instruction for all Nebulon-B escort frigates operating in the Ringali Shell. As of today, they can no longer travel alone. They must be escorted by another vessel of the fleet."
Stopping to massage the beginning of migraine that twisted his temples, Vedij sighed.
"It's for us. And it's a simple way to counter us. They understood that they were dealing with only one pirate frigate. Now we will be easy to spot."
"That's also what I thought..." answered Galiria. "I don't think this message came by accident. The guy across is a sadist. He wanted to warn us that hunting was open. "
About to answer, Captain Vedij saw that a red diode was flashing on the comlink.
"Something else? I have another call."
"No, that's all I wanted to say, boss."
"Captain," replied Vedij, exasperated.
But the redhead had already hung up.
He accepted the other communication and regretted it immediately.
"Captain Vedij, it takes you a while to answer. I've been waiting for at least three minutes!"
Grimacing in pain, the privateer captain rubbed his ear.
"Hello, Ishtar, what is the pleasure of this... virulent morning call?"
"I'm in the officers' mess, and we're getting a 3D news channel here. They're talking about us!"
"About us?"
"About the Far Orbit, and especially from you! I've recorded everything, I'm sending it to you!"
"Here is Har Chevrik for Imperial Holovision News," says a young, tanned blond man with white porcelain teeth unveiled by an unnatural smile.
Sitting at the same table, staring at the holocamera with the same frozen expression, a young woman with long wavy brown hair smiles.
"Here is Lissa Onthorn for Imperial Holovision News."
"To begin with, a story that will delight the faithful imperial subjects. His Majesty the Emperor went to the Sandrevik Hospital of the Imperial Centre to visit children with Brelun's plague..."
Hands crossed under his chin, Dhas Vedij watched as Shiraz pressed the remote control to speed up the TV news.
"Poor kids, I don't want to see that, they'll have nightmares for months. Ishtar said the information about us was three and a half minutes away." Ah, there you go..."
The holoimage stabilized.
"We will now move on to the rest of the news. The imperial investigation into the surge of pirate attacks in the Bormea and Darpa sectors has identified a probable culprit. This would be the traitor Dhas Fenoep Vedij."
The image was replaced with a portrait of Captain Vedij, who remained on-screen while the commentator provided a politically oriented summary of the mutiny aboard the Far Orbit.
"Well, they could have chosen a cuter portrait," said Galiria, sitting at the foot of the desk.
"A portrait for identification purposes, so a recent portrait," retorted Space Ishtar, sitting on the desk. "You wanted to see what he looked like when he was young?
"Shut up, girls," interrupted Brock, standing next to the commander. "You guys are incorrigible!"
The image disappeared and was replaced by commentator Lissa Onthorn.
"The pirate frigate Far Orbit is led by a traitor and criminal who has cold-bloodedly murdered crew members who did not wish to become pirates. He then joined the Rebellion, a notorious terrorist organization that aims to overthrow the Empire and bring back the galaxy to the pre-Clone Wars chaos. As we often say, whoever looks alike, gathers. Since the Far Orbit pirates joined the Ringali Shell, they have massacred innocent crews of more than twenty cargo ships and destroyed the imperial frigate New Star. Nevertheless, the Imperial Fleet and the Imperial Security Bureau assure our viewers that steps have been taken to apprehend these pirates. Personnel in the Bormea and Darpa sectors have been strengthened, and measures have been taken to identify and locate the Far Orbit.
"... such as prohibiting any Imperial Nebulon-B from travelling without the escort of another Imperial ship, for example. In other words, if you see a Nebulon-B alone, shoot! " added Galiria.
(1) The building the Death Star differs in Legend and Canon. In Legend, the First Death Star is built in orbit of the prison planet Despayre. Once completed, the planet served as a training target... and all the prisoners died. A good half of the victims were political prisoners detained for opposing the Empire.
(2) These frigates were built by the Banking Clan and served during the Clone Wars. The Constriction is like a scaled-down version of the Munificent-class frigate used by the CIS during the Battle of Coruscant (Revenge of the Sith).