@>~~~1: UNINTENDED CONSQUENCES~~~<@
The holo of Admiral Parnett blinked out, leaving Meagan, Alexandra and Vash temporarily in the shadowed gloom of the bridge's holocall station. Meagan leaned back on the couch and laced her fingers behind her head. Alexandra stared blankly at the darkened lens of the terminal. And Vash sighed.
"They seem displeased." Vash said. He hunched forward and, with his elbows placed on his stubby knees, propped his head up on folded hands. He looked out across the expansive bridge of the
Orchestra, and saw heads peaking out from behind control stations, watching him and his nieces.
"Less than two weeks into our commission, and we're already in trouble." Alexandra said.
"Surprised it took this long." Lieutenant Garea said. The Bothan smirked.
Meagan chuckled, and nodded in agreement. "Hardly our fault that those laserbrain pirates destroyed our shipments."
"That doesn't change the fact that we're being relied on, Medium. We were ordered to Umbara. And forget the shipment for a second here: Lismea and Jaxolis were piloting those freighters." Alexandra said, suppressing a pang of sadness. The husband and wife team, who were as entrenched with the Free Spacers Fleet as the Elariels, had been on what was supposed to be a routine smuggling run, only to be caught in the attack.
"And how are you going to treat the wounded? With the ship cantina silverware and what's left of our Corellian rum?" Meagan said, with a bite in her voice. The thought of Lismea and Jaxolis being nothing more than ashes filled her with a simmering rage.
Alexandra ignored Meagan's comment. "Any luck with the Free Spacers contacts, Uncle?"
"Sadly, no. All of the Republic's medical supplies are being diverted to either Iokath or Umbara. There simply are no shipments - legal or otherwise - to be found."
"So our only option to stock up is going to the kriffin' Black Sun." Meagan said.
"Language. But I don't think we have a choice." Alexandra said.
"Oh we have a choice. Find out who the kriffin' pirates are who did it."
Only an hour before, the
Orchestra had received the holo from a Free Spacers Fleet Clarion belonging to
Liberty Squadron, that was outbound from the Kril'Dor system, informing them of the attack. The strike was swift and ruthless, and specifically targeted a Tibanna gas mine, leaving few survivors, if any.
"What do we know about the mine?" Alexandra asked. "And the attack?"
"The mine was destroyed in its entirety by an unrecognized and unidentified group.
Pirate is a term used loosely to classify the attackers. The strike resulted in a total loss of operations, including what is estimated at a hundred or more lives. Including two of our own."
"And the mine's registration?" Alexandra asked again.
"Its corporate records trace ownership to an equally-mysterious gentleman by the name of
Ke'rii Ogasawara."
"I know that name..." Meagan trailed off. Her memories flashed back to her and Alexandra aboard the Belsavis orbital station in their pursuit of Medley, and to the image of a dark-haired man on the bounty board.
"Perhaps. Mr. Ogasawara seems to have gained his share of notoriety of late. As well as some very motivated enemies." Vash stood and walked to a nearby serving tray. He poured himself a tumbler of a dark blue liquor and knocked the glass back in one gulp. "His current whereabouts are unknown. But I may have a lead on the mine's attackers."
Both Meagan and Alexandra stood bolt-upright and stared at Vash.
"Hutta. A..." Vash began, but trailed off. He stared nervously up at the bridge's ceiling fixture. "...a woman I know might have information on their location."
"Woman?!" Meagan stared wide-eyed at Vash. "You owe me a story. But in the meantime, that settles it. I'm going."
"I owe you nothing but caution, dearest Vivace. Even though the shine on your promotion has not yet dulled, chances are that news of your admiralty has spread. Hutta is still under Imperial influence. Your presence could arouse considerable suspicion. And my...friend...certainly prefers discretion."
"You know I can order all of you to just let me go." Meagan folded her arms across her chest, standing defiant.
Vash chuckled, but shook his head.
"Then I'll go." Alexandra said.
Meagan laughed. "Oh you'd fit
right in. About as well as an Icetromper at a Senate cocktail party."
Alexandra shoved Meagan. Meagan shoved her back.
"Children, please. It is a dangerous operation, notwithstanding the Empire and the Hutts, and these pirates are not to be underestimated. There is only one among us who is suitable for this particular excursion. And you know who that is."
Meagan and Alexandra exchanged nervous glances.
@>~~~
The
Orchestra's auxiliary hangar was empty of starships, as the Clarions of
Liberty Squadron were spaceborne on sensor sweep patrol, ensuring the Flagship was safe from potential attackers. Though she drifted through the void of Nar Shaddaa space alone in the sector, her crew was always on alert. Always watching the stars and ready at a moment's notice to pounce on any wayward starships with bad intentions who thought her defenseless.
While Medley's choice would have been to be among them, gliding in formation with the Clarions as they made their sweeps, she relished having them away. It afforded her more room to fight.
Medley couldn't see her opponent, but didn't need to. She closed her eyes, and felt the presence creeping up behind her; stalking her. She felt the subtle displacement of the hangar's pressurized air as the lightsaber blade descended straight for the crown of her skull, and she raised her own lightsaber to block the attack. Violet light erupted when the two sabers collided, and Medley spun around with her other blade, sweeping for her opponent's waist. The attacker deflected her strike with the opposite end of her dual-bladed lightsaber, then back-flipped away from Medley.
"Excellent maneuever, Padawan!" Medley exclaimed. She smiled at Sariyah, who was crouched on one knee several feet away, smiling back. "Again!"
Aiyma watched the two spar with nothing short of fascination, and tried to mimic every feint, parry and thrust that the two Jedi practiced. They were so graceful in their movements, like the dancers in the ballerina holos that old lady Heidsam used to show her on the docks of Smuggler's cove. Aiyma had become so enthralled with watching Medley and Sariyah practice, that she had scoured the ship until she found a mullinine pipe lying around in the engineering section, that was the perfect length for a miniature lightsaber. The little Mirialan gripped it in both of her tiny hands, and swung it through the air in front of her.
"Zoop! Zoop! Zoop!" Aiyma said, punctuating each swing with the word.
Sariyah spun her dual-bladed saber in front of her, its twin extensions creating a shielding effect between her and Medley, and crept forward. Medley smirked. She thrust one of her sabers into the whirlwind, stopping it abruptly, and thrust her second saber forward. The blade stopped an inch away from Sariyah's chest.
"Always be mindful of a secondary attack." Medley said. The blades of her ligthsabers withdrew. "And remember, a lightsaber doesn't make you invincible."
"Yes, Master." Sariyah said. She bowed before Medley, a bow that Medley returned. Aiyma rushed to their side and bowed towards both of them as well.
"Master Medley Elariel. Please report to the bridge." The voice of Ensign Libretta echoed throughout the hangar from the ship's overhead comm.
"I repeat, Master Medley Elariel, please report to the bridge."@>~~~
"Both of them?" Medley asked. She pawed at the edges of her armour, and could see the faces of Lismea and Jaxolis in her mind. They were legends among the Free Spacers, and so very much in love.
They died doing what they loved... Medley thought, though it was far from consoling.
"Sorry to have to break it to you, Small, but we figured you should know, so that you know why we're asking you to do this." Meagan said. She stood behind the plush, velvet couch of the bridge's holostation, cradling a steaming cup of caf in her hands. The
Orchestra's bridge had been cleared of all non-essential personnel, particularly the Republic Troopers from the guard.
"I still think I should be the one going." Alexandra said.
"Small goes. Alone. That's an order."
"Where am I going?" Medley asked. She glanced from Meagan to Alexandra to Vash.
"Hutta." Vash said. "There is someone there who might have a lead on whoever attacked the Kril'Dor mine."
"I shall accompany her." Sariyah said.
"No, you won't." Meagan said.
Sariyah tapped at the navigation console, and a map of Hutta flashed onscreen. She pointed at a spot several kilometers outside of Nal Hutta proper. "We shall land there."
"I'm going tooooo!" Aiyma said. She rushed to Sariyah's side, standing on her tip-toes in order to get a closer look at the screen.
"Why does no one listen to my orders around here?"
Medley placed a hand on Sariyah's shoulder. "Padawan, I know you wanna help, but it'll look too odd with both of us walking around, I can blend in a lot easier alone."
Sariyah huffed and folded her arms across her chest. She stared down at her feet, dejected.
"Not to worry Song 4, you're needed more here." Meagan said. "Ensign, bring up a map of the System."
Libretta tapped at her console, and the central holo display flickered out from the map of the planet to an image of the entire Hutta System. Dozens of red dots were scattered throughout the blue-hued void of space.
"See these?" Meagan said. She pointed from dot to dot. "Imp ships, and not just starfighters. There are more than a few capital ships out there, as well as dreadnoughts. This isn't exactly a friendly block of the neighbourhood."
Consanance emerged from the bridge's turbolift wearing a flightsuit, while carrying another. She tossed it in Sariyah's direction, the fabric wrapping around her neck and shoulders. Sariyah shoved Consonance as she walked past, and Consonance turned and shoved Sariyah back. Aiyma, her face twisted in a mixture of confusion and anger, ran towards the pair and shoved them both.
"Children!" Vash exclaimed. With a thumb and index finger, he seized Aiyma by her earlobe and pulled her away from Consonance and Sariyah.
Meagan shook her head in frustration, and leveled a stern gaze at Sariyah. "We need you and Song 5 protecting the
Orchestra along with
Liberty Squadron. We still read on sensors as a 'Pub ship, and not all of the Imp Moffs will buy our whole we're-just-an-innocent-little-hospital-ship explanation."
Sariyah still seemed clearly upset, but nodded at Meagan. She turned to Medley and said, "do not drink the ale. I have heard it has an alternate use as a solvent to clean the Hutt's private toilets. Among other private things."
"Bwaaaa!" Consonance cackled.
Medley smiled at Sariyah, and watched as her and Consonance walked from the bridge and disappeared into the turbolift.
"There is another individual who you should be on the look out for." Vash said. He pulled a palm-sized holopad from his belt, and clicked it on. A blue, transluscent image of a human male stuttered to life.
"I...I think I know him." Medley said. "Is his name Ke?"
"Small, how
exactly do you know him?!" Alexandra said. Her eyes flashed with alarm.
"Oh settle down, Large. I only met him once. There was this...discussion, I guess...about Iokath a few months ago at a place called the Oasis Lounge. On Tatooine. I kinda went there after a Fleet call." Medley blushed, remembering how, when she took her leave, she had wandered into a bedroom instead of the the exit hallway. "I met him there. He was really nice."
"Oh for the love of Alderaan, Small..." Meagan said. She cupped a hand to her forehead and shook her head.
"Hey! I thought we were past the whole 'Medley-gets-in-trouble-for-sneaking-away' thing." Medley said.
"Fine. Whatever. But you owe me a story too." Meagan said. She then turned to face Vash, and smirked at him.
"So how do I do it?" Medley said. "I don't exactly look like a no-gooder, especially with these hooked to my belt." She tapped her hands on her lightsabers.
"Uncle has a plan." Meagan said. She pulled a Rainbow Gem from a utility pouch in her coat, and tossed it at Medley. "And you have 48 hours to rehearse."
