2

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The Skipray blastboat set down on the landing pad and Mara Jade took her first look at the forests of Myrkr in over a year. Mara killed the engines of her personal ship and then climbed out of the craft. Aves met her at the bottom of the ramp and led her to the main room of the smuggler base. Talon Karrde was waiting for her, sitting in his chair with the large tree growing behind him and his two pet vornskrs at his feet.

“It’s nice to see you again Mara. It’s been too long since we last talked, but you have been busy working with the New Republic,” Karrde said dryly.

“I got your message, you wanted to see me about something?” Mara asked her former boss.

“Yes, I did. I’ve arranged something that you might be interested in. It’s a meeting of the galaxy’s smugglers at Mos Eisley. Since the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s forces, many of my comrades have been having their doubts about continuing to work with the New Republic. Since you are the liaison with the New Republic, you should be there to convince them that this partnership is still needed.”

“Are you sure that the Imperials won’t get wind of this?”

“Ghent scrambled every message well enough so that the Imperials shouldn’t be able to crack the code for sometime. Besides, there is no Imperial activity reported in the Tatooine area. Be sure to keep the New Republic away from the meeting, their presence could upset some of the older smugglers who are afraid that the New Republic is trying to control them. If you need help dealing with the any of them, Aves will be there to represent me. I’ve got a deal to close on Kessel and they expect me to be there personally.”

“I’ll be sure to tell them that, are you sure that your not being there won’t upset some of the smugglers?”

“It might, but I’m sure that you can deal with them. While you’re here, would you care for dinner? Chin has it already prepared, unless you need to get back into space,” Karrde offered and Mara smiled. She had been in space for weeks now, only making occasional trips to Coruscant to make reports to the New Republic. She had been trying to solidify the smugglers’ relationship with the New Republic, but with only random Imperial attacks the smugglers were beginning to go their separate ways.

“I’d be honored to dine with you,” Mara smiled and followed Karrde to the dining room.

The Star Destroyer Ravage cruised through space. There were no other ships with it, those had been destroyed during a fierce battle with Rebel forces. The Star Destroyer itself still carried burn marks from the battle, although repair crews had repaired the ship. Captain Ark Isel commanded the ship and looked out one of the many windows on the bridge of the mighty vessel.

“Sir, we just intercepted a report from Deysdon IV. A Star Destroyer was destroyed during an attack on the planet!” Isel’s aide, Lieutenant Cam Bysal reported. Isel took the report and read it slowly. He frowned after reading about another Imperial defeat. He could still remember the bitter taste of losing the ships under his command twice, at Endor and only a few weeks ago in the Outer Rim. He crumpled the report and looked up at the lieutenant.

“It’s fools like this that are tarnishing the name of the Imperial Fleet. We must remind the galaxy that we are still a force to be reckoned with. I want to find something to destroy. Put us in the nearest shipping lane. Power up the shields and all of the turbolaser batteries. And have all TIE crews standing by. It’s time to stop licking our wounds and fight back,” Isel commanded and Bysal hurried to give the orders.

Less than twenty minutes later the Star Destroyer was in position Isel wished for an Interdictor cruiser, but he knew that that was impossible. A patrol of two TIE Interceptors and two Assault Gunboats was launched and it wasn’t long before a freighter came out of hyperspace. The freighter was battered and hauling supplies to a Rebel space station. Isel smiled as his turbolaser crews opened fire and pulverized the vessel. The patrol reported a space station nearby that was under construction. Isel had the Star Destroyer head for the station.

Work crews were working on the new class A space platform that the New Republic was building when they saw an Assault Gunboat approach. The Gunboat began to fire on the transport carrying a party of workers. The transport tried to avoid the shots, but another Gunboat appeared from a different direction and launched two torpedoes into the rear of the transport. The ship exploded and debris flew into the unfinished station.

The station had yet to be armed, except for a single turbolaser battery and fifteen Headhunters. The turbolaser began firing and the two TIE Interceptors swooped in from different angles to fire on the gun. One of the gunboats flew to distract the gun from the fighters. Headhunters began to launch and the gunboat flying interference for the interceptors was caught in a crossfire and went spinning into the station. A docking platform exploded as the turbolaser battery was silenced. The interceptors and the remaining gunboat began to take on the Headhunters and the two ships that had docked at the station, an Escort Shuttle and a freighter, began to take off. They were readying for the jump to hyperspace when the Star Destroyer appeared. Ion cannons were brought to bear on both ships and TIE Fighters were launched. The TIE Interceptors and the Assault Gunboat moved aside as the Ravage’s turbolasers pounded the station. Two stormtrooper transports were launched to secure the vessels.

Rok Aster rode in the back of the Escort Shuttle and hoped frantically that there was some way of escape. He was a smuggler that had been overseeing the delivery of the turbolaser battery to the space station. The New Republic had not sent any weapons, other than the old fighters, to the station but the quick-thinking commander of the station had made a deal with Aster to deliver the gun in exchange for a ten percent cut of all money collected by the station. Now Aster was stuck in space with both his personal ship and his valuable freighter disabled. Aster didn’t think things could get worse until stormtroopers burst into the shuttle.

Aster’s two bodyguards drew their weapons but the stormtroopers cut them down with deadly accurate blaster fire. The commander of the Imperial soldiers picked Aster up from his seat. “Any reason why I shouldn’t kill you, traitor?” The stormtrooper asked.

“Yes, I can give your commander valuable information, if you don’t kill me!” Aster pleaded. The stormtrooper nodded and the two troopers behind him put cuffs on Aster and hauled him into the transport. Aster looked out a tiny window and saw two TIE Bombers destroy his freighter and then a TIE Fighter blow up the Escort Shuttle.

The workers around the station began to try and escape the station as a turbolaser hit the last Headhunter. Those workers in spacesuits began to drift in space to avoid the turbolasers pounding the station. The workers working inside of the station rushed for the escape pods as the station began breaking apart. Three escape pods blasted out of the station as the Star Destroyer opened fire with all of its cannons. The station exploded and debris flew in all directions. Merciless TIE Fighters picked off the escape pods and even some of the workers floating in space.

Isel looked out the windows and watched his TIE squadrons land. Everyone had done a good job and only one gunboat and three TIE Fighters had been lost. And he now had a prisoner who wanted to give him information. Isel got up from his chair to go and interrogate the prisoner.

Luke stood in the center of the battered city of Deysdon IV and received a medal of bravery from the city’s leader. He wondered why he was getting the award, he had done no more than any of the other pilots who had defended the planet. Leia stood near him and Luke could see Han and Chewie standing in the back of the crowd. Luke shook hands with several of the city’s leaders and then wished that he was back in space to check on how his X-Wing and Artoo were doing.

The ceremony was beginning to end and Luke followed Leia and the dignitaries to the city’s government building. On every corner stood armed troops, dressed in armor and helmets. The walk was short, but Luke was already sweating in the oppressive air. Luke followed the tall humanoid Deysdonites into the government building. The air was cooler and less humid and Luke and Leia were ushered into an office. The city’s leader motioned for them to sit down and then took his seat behind a large desk made from native hardwood trees.

“Although I cannot speak for the many villages throughout our planet, I am more than grateful for the New Republic’s assistance in repelling the invaders, and yours as well Jedi Skywalker. I am honored that a Jedi was able to come to our defense and help buy time for the New Republic’s forces to arrive. During the Old Republic there were Jedi on this planet, but they were killed by Darth Vader and the Emperor. It is good to see that not all Jedi were killed.

My city wants to join the New Republic, but first we must talk with the leaders of all of the villages and convince them that joining is in their best interest. Some of the villages were hit in the attack and they will be hard to persuade. You may stay here as long as you like, but if you have more pressing matters, than you are free to leave. Once again, thank-you for your aid,” the city leader said.

“As much as we would like to stay, we must attend to the repairing of our ship. Thank-you for your hospitality and I will relay your words about joining the New Republic to the Council. Good-bye, Leader,” Leia replied and shook the leader’s hand. She strode out of the room and Luke followed, knowing that she had said good-bye enough for both of them.

The Diplomat orbited Deysdon IV and crews busily worked inside and outside to repair the vessel enough to get back to Coruscant. Wedge flew his X-Wing over the vessel, leading his patrol of three X-Wings. The ship was badly damaged and Wedge knew that it would probably be in refit for months, if not years. Most of the turbolaser batteries were destroyed, most of the engines were damaged, and the hyperdrive was off-line.

A freighter had arrived with a new hyperdrive unit, but it would take over a day to install the unit in the cruiser. In the meantime, the ship was nearly defenseless and it was up to Rogue Squadron to protect the ship. Wedge looked around and saw the Millenium Falcon and a shuttle break out of the atmosphere. The two ships landed on the cruiser. Wedge yawned and wished that his squadron could get out of here and back to the action.

Leia hadn’t even gotten out of the shuttle before a messenger came running up to her. “Princess, I have an urgent message from Mon Mothma. She wants you back at Coruscant right away. That new space station that was being built out near the Outer Rim was destroyed...by a Star Destroyer,” the messenger reported. Leia gasped. The station had been the New Republic’s first attempt to try and establish a strong presence in the Outer Rim area. Han had been walking to the shuttle and heard the report.

“I’ll take you there on the Falcon,” Han called.

“We’ll have to hurry, are you coming with us, Luke?” Leia asked her brother.

“I’ll have my X-Wing put on that freighter so that it can be taken to Coruscant. I’ll get Threepio and Artoo,” Luke ran off to get the droids and have his fighter put on the freighter. Less than an hour later the Millenium Falcon entered hyperspace. Wedge watched the ship go and wished that he could go with it.