2.20: Edge of the Galaxy – Among the Ruins

DS Day 207 – 245

Where: Shantuun & Nah’Malis

The Muvon, unofficially designated as the diplomatic boat for the Farstar, took the team to the surface of Danoor. Upon dropping into the atmosphere, they were able to survey the hardest hit areas of the capitol. The haze was almost impenetrable. The starport was in flames. The city militia was frantically trying to keep the peace, and failing badly. In the capitol, they were fighting off the Tugrah, but only from the more rich and affluent areas. It was a difficult landing, but Brophar handled it well.

They were greeted by a large contingent of armed guards. B’Dorbeck shook his head “I knew this was a trap.”

They were escorted to the planetary senatorial chamber, a large structure only slightly damaged by the bombing. Moyato couldn’t help but notice the preciseness of the damage, minimizing casualties, but maximizing collateral damage to the infrastructure of this world. Typical Imperial tactics when it was setting a trap. Too late now…

The senatorial chamber was a vast cavern of a room carved of obsidian-like rock. Murals were carved and painted into the black rock; depictions of the conquering of the world, and a recovery from some great disaster. Whether they knew it or not, they were going to be faced with a new disaster if they didn’t listen to the diplomat.

They were addressed by the council, then told they were to stand trial for the crimes of their “sister” ship, the Lance of Endor.

I knew it, dammit! B’Dorbeck thought, shaking his head. He pitched the standard Farstar/New Republic defense line, telling them that the Lance was an imposter, commissioned by Sarne. The name seemed to get only passive attention. Before he could finish, they were being escorted to holding cell near the senatorial building.

*****

Days later, several senators with their entourages came to them and declared them guilty of crimes against their civilization. The crew was enraged. “Not even given a chance to defend ourselves??”

“B’Dorbeck will be the first to die! Make you peace, New Republic scum, you have 56 hours.”

2 local days. B’Dorbeck looked glassy eyed at Moyato. The Spec-ops team leader slammed his fist against the metallic wall. He had been railroaded before, but never like this.

Uluala walked up to her cell door “But of course, you don’t mean me, do you senator?”

The human looked very sympathetically towards the Falleen, who almost looked like she was pouting. “Of course not, my lady. Please, forgive me. Let her out!” She was let out, and waived back at the group as she left.

Loh’Khar knew she would double-cross them. “That’s the last we’ll see of her”, he said, as if speaking from experience.

Slave had noticed something about a few of the entourage members. He seemed to recognize a handful of them. Three were faces he remembered from a past Farstar-encounter; a group called Qulok’s Fist. They were three bounty hunters/mercenaries that recently were under the employ of Sarne. What were they doing here? Obvious influencing policy. But on a doomed planet? Maybe Sarne didn’t tell them about the asteroid. Cleaning up loose ends? Exactly.

Also with them were two faces Slave had never met before, but suddenly knew who they were. The two assassins that were to receive his message from the assassin droid stood with another senator. They all seemed just a little too friendly.

Dajus, who found her assignment to the diplomatic team odd, recognized some of the people too, but for different reasons. She knew this world was an Imperial collaborator world. These all were aspiring Sarne-agents, and were people she was to investigate long ago, before her falling out with Sarne. She didn’t know whether they had become full-fledged Sarne agents or not. She knew that they would be surprised once they found out what she suspected; that Sarne had something to do with the asteroid being hurled at their world. They still didn’t believe there was an asteroid. However, she was willing to bet the assassins would. She knew them too, and hid from them when they came in. She was worried what the assassins might do to get off this world.

They were to soon find out.

Days past, and when their execution came and went, they were concerned. The day after their execution day, an administrative assistant came down with a few guards.

“I must talk with your… ummm… leader? Commander? Whatever…. We have a problem and it seems only you can help.” The admin looked distraught, and confused. She instructed the guards to open their cells.

Moyato stood up from the group, as did B’Dorbeck. They looked at each other, but Moyato let the diplomat talk.

“What is it?”

“The entire senate is dead, murdered over the last 3 days. We have no one to take the roll of leadership here. I am the senior admin here, but I have no experience in leading a world or anything. We heard that you were New Republic, and despite recent senate decisions against the New Republic, some of us believe in you. We never believed the Empire had our best interests at heart.

“We also have heard that this world is in the path of an asteroid, is this right? ”

Moyato, realizing this was more a military situation than a political situation, stepped up to answer. B’Dorbeck yielded somewhat reluctantly, but realized this was way out of his league. And it’s in the league of a grunt like Moyato?

“We are hear to help. That’s what we have been telling your senate all along. The asteroid shouldn’t be a problem. I have my best men working on it deflection. What we need to do here is mobilize a defense force around this planet, coordinating it with the Farstar. So first, we have to get some kind of communications up. What is the status of…” Moyato, calling on the others to follow, walked the admin out of the holding area towards the senatorial building.

*****

Finally released, Slave, along with Thanis, went off looking for the assassin. They grabbed a speeder-cab parked on the street and sped off into the ship yards/starport district. If anything, they would be looking for a way off this world. Unknown to Slave and Thanis, Kl’aal wasn’t far behind.

Kl’aal, not able to keep up with the air-speeder, picked up the trail of Uluala.

They spotted the assassin droid going into a heavily damaged scrap yard for shuttles and small freighters. Not long afterwards, the bounty hunters arrived, with the two assassins. A few minutes after that, the female female arrived. What a nice little reunion we have here, thought Thanis. They were making their was to a freighter resting on a recently cleared landing area. They watched as the assassins and the bounty hunter walked towards the ship, while the Falleen waived them on as she want back to a public comlink booth. She apparently wanted to make one last call before she left.

Slave gunned the speeder, as Thanis realized what he planned to do. “When I say ‘jump’, jump.” Could this droid be suicidal? All he could do is lean out the window and provide cover fire.

Uluala didn’t see the speeder. She was busy making her comm to someone… to Gorak. She wanted to say goodbye. Gorak’s face came on the holo-pad. Well out range of her influential aura, he smiled as he watched a familiar shadow walk up behind her.

“I just wanted to say goodbye, Gorak. You did mean something to me.”

“Yes, good bye, my lady…” The wraith’s first strike missed. But the second didn’t. She was quick, and got a swing in as well, producing an elaborate blade from her cloak. Kl’aal was bleeding, but his prey was much worse off. Kl’aal caught a glimpse of Gorak’s smiling face before a power explosion threw him a distance away, destroying the public comlink, and almost all of the scrap yard. The freighter exploded.