I shook my head, not quite believing what I had gotten into.

“All right,” I said, shaking my head more. “I’m bold and daring enough to try to fly my way out of this escort, BUT I get a bad feeling about that. And I trust those feelings, they’ve get me out of trouble more than once. I mean, just yesterday I was offered a job as bodyguard to this green lady – Aelly – who said she was the leader of the intergalactic mob, right? But that tingle went off, and it kept me out of the fryin’ pan when the Impies showed up and started shootin’. And it’s going off now when I think of ditchin’ these ships. So what I say is that we play it cool, get to the crappo planet we’re bound for, land for a bit and let Bongo get his computer stuff put in right, then go act innocent at the blockade. I mean, we got that guy’s name right? Panbot Dantrie or something like that?”

--------------------

...if it was going to work at all. "I like the idea of following course and hunkering down on the planet," she stated aloud. "But just randomly arriving in system where there is a massive Imperial blockade and playing innocent..."

She trailed, pursing her lips again and turning to Bon Foyagee. "What do we know of the ships on those two worlds the Imperials are blockading, exactly...

...and even more importantly, how do we know it?"

--------------------

Bon smiled, but was greeted with a wide-eyed look of total disbelief from Rico.

“So you mean to tell me that all that techno-hoopla you spouted off back there, and this massive galactic bantha-hunt was all based on ONE STUPID PICTURE in a book that you can’t even TRANSLATE? Ah, man, that’s it.”

I pulled blaster and pointed it at my head.

“Just pull this trigger right now,” I said. I banged the blaster on my head and put it down.

“All right, all right. So you got a book that has a picture of a ship, and things that might be weapons, and the book was found in an abandoned dig site on an unknown deserted planet somewhere. And you got a psychic to draw you a map of some star system, which may or may not be the place this book was found. And now you got the potential name of the potential archeologist, and here we are hurtling through space to explain to the Empire why we want to go through their blockade.”

I stopped, something suddenly making sense. I hate to admit that part, but like I said before, I get those feelings.

“Now, why would the Empire have a blockade around this supposedly deserted system?”

I shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

“You know, I may be going as crazy as Bluebell, but there might be something out there. What, I don’t know.”

--------------------

Pausing at that, she chewed her lip in thought, that plan of hers still trying to spring forth into something useful. "Coming against the Empire with anything, at this point, is going to be difficult with that blockade. We can say we have a lost researcher there, as has been suggested...

...or we can come up with something even more interesting, something which would make the Empire feel sending us in would be to their advantage. So we got the picture from some archeologist's abandoned dig site...

...but how did you come upon it, seeing as the system is so heavily gaurded? How, exactly did the drawings of the ships come to be in your possession?"

--------------------

“Man, the craziest thing. It was a long time ago, man. A year? Two? Guys get drunk, man, they hyperspace out into nothing, man, suicidal. CRAZY! But they make it out of hyperspace, right? They stop in a system, maybe not even a system, too close to a planet, right? So they have to land, BOOM! They walk, they explore, they sober up, they find this dig, right? All scorched and blasted, nothing but rocks and melted tools and equipment, but they find this box, right? And in the box is this book. And on the box is that name. Then they go back to the ship, take off, get drunk, and hyperspace somewhere else. This time they come out near one of my ships, they take them in, trade, get the story and the book. Good thing, too, because next thing you know, the suicidal CRAZIES hyperspace into a star, so I heard.”

Bon leaned back.

Cardissa paused and pursed her lips, her mind spinning. "So what if we offer to work with the Empire and give them the book? After all, they will stop us at the blockade and possibly investigate us anyway. So why not be openly honest, keep our enemies close at hand...

...and keep a very close eye on them in the process?"

--------------------

“Heck,” I said. “Sounds like a good idea to me! When we get to where we’re going, let’s buzz around the planet a bit, then set a course for the place BlueBonnet laid in.”

I glanced over at Cass and gave her a wink. God, she was nice looking…

Anyway, the little furball in the back didn’t say anything else, so I put my hands behind my head and leaned back, ready to let the time pass and hope the person next to me got sleepy and wanted to lean this way.

Wishful thinking, I know, because it wasn’t too long before the warning light came on telling me that we were heading down from hyperspace soon.

--------------------

We came out of hyperspace in a flash, just outside the reach of Kati'Shyn. I sighed in relief as the fighters came out of hyperspace with us, I really didn’t want them to disappear on me and get me on the 10 Most Wanted List.

“Hey, thanks for the escort, boys!” I called into the com. “Rasia clearing off and descending into planetary atmosphere. You have to leave us, or can I buy you all a drink?”

--------------------

--------------------

"Rasia this is Imperial... escort. Please send coordinates of intended landing site; over."

The smile still curling about his lips, he contacted the others in the escort, warning them to be prepared for anything. For the Empire, though a spanking brand new one with oxymoronishly new-yet-old ideas, was the Empire after all, and its men found their lives within it to be uncannily truncated ones if they themselves couldn't show at least a modicum of wits and intelligence.

[ 11-22-2006 12:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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I settled back in my seat.

“My favorite, of course, is the Depressed Cosmic Dust. Any other ideas?”

[ 11-22-2006 12:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rico Riven ]

--------------------

--------------------

“Golden Galaxy, eh? I had a dream once of goin’ there. Never thought it would come true.”

I plugged in the coordinates and sent it over the com. Then I tapped the switch so I could talk with our new best friends.

“Hope you boys wore your clean shirts. See ya planetside.”

I took my finger off the send button, put the ship into approach mode and set her into motion. I looked back to make sure everyone was ready before I began the descent, and noticed Bon really fidgeting.

“Bathroom’s in the back, Blueball. But I suggest you hold it, we’re almost there.”

He shot me a look that was less than friendly, I guess he was not too happy about this delay. I couldn’t help feel a little sorry for him.

“Hey, I didn’t think they’d agree to it. Impies never drink on duty.”

Hmmm.

I turned to Cass.

“Come to think of it, why the heck are they accepting this invitation?”

--------------------

...or they could accept, and see just what the hell is going on. They are obviously doing the latter."

Saying nothing further than this, Cardissa then sat back in her seat, redirecting her eyes to the forward viewscreen as stars shifted into dusky atmosphere. As that dusky atmosphere became clearer and clearer, a small group of ships on a landing tarmac came into view below. Nearby the landing tarmac was a large building-not overly opulent on the outside but yet not simplistic either; its decor implied a sort of stateliness in an otherwise grim atmosphere.

The Rasia touched ground. "The Golden Galaxy," Cardissa muttered quietly, her eyes still forward. "Shall we see if the Imperials have made a safe and acceptable landing as well?"

[ 11-22-2006 07:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cardissa Mitra ]

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Then, the maneuver one not only displaying the unexpected finesse of each pilot but blatantly meant to remind others just who it was who had indeed arrived, they settled in complete unison about Rasia, coming down from the skies as lightly as a grouping of feathers, their bellies alight as they slowed their descent with their braking thrusters. In but moments they hit tarmac, still in the encapsulating arrangement they had used to escort the larger ship, and there they remained, silent save for the humming thrumm of their yet-engaged engines.

Aboard each ship its pilot awaited permission to disembark, while the squadron commander set to the task of initiating an automatic feed back to Relentless, one carrying all the information they had gleaned from this particular mission so far, and one which would engage should for some reason the electrical circuits within any of their ships be unexpectedly broken.

--------------------

I unbuckled the belt and slid closer to Cass.

“I really didn’t expect them to take me seriously, you know. I mean, it’s kinda like a polite goodbye. With pilot banter is like ‘hey, thanks for the help, let me buy you a drink’ and ‘thanks, but gotta get back, catch ya next time’ and all. But hey, new experiences, right? Never ate in a nice place like this, and never called an impy pilot ‘buddy’.”

I stood, kicked the button to open the hatch, and took the lead onto the tarmac.

I hoped I wasn't getting a bad feeling. Maybe it was just hunger.

I waved towards one of the fighters and gave a thumbs-up.

[ 11-22-2006 03:37 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rico Riven ]

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"Sir, we have information on the ion signature of the departing yacht. It is not the same as the one purportedly to have taken Aelly Ssyn off-planet, but is one fairly similar. We hazard the proposition that it is the same model of ship, out of Kuat Shipyards, but one newer than the one you are seeking. Sir."

General Ahem closed his eyes briefly, feeling the onset of a headache. Wishing heartily for some nice hot tea, he forced himself to overlook the rising pain behind his eyes and quickly typed a reply.

"Bridge, this is General Ahem. Notify escort to remain standing by, and to remain in constant contact with us.

"This is Ahem, out."

Sending the message with a flip of a switch, he blacked the screen altogether and then returned his gaze to the waiting Josiah Darksaber. Folding his hands atop his desk, he leaned forward.

"Welcome to the Sormontato, sir; may I inquire as to what urgency might have possibly occurred to provoke you into attempting an illegal departure from Sullust?"

Saying nothing further than that, Cardissa stepped out of the ship behind Rico, then stepped in front of him, looking towards the Imperial escort fighters and waiting quietly for them to make the next move.

[ 11-22-2006 04:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cardissa Mitra ]

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"B-4738, disengage engines. Disembark ship, and stand guard on Rasia until further notice; VY-2254, remain engaged, all weapons trained on Rasia; at no cost is this ship to leave dirt without the full escort assigned to it.

"I'm heading out to see what it is they're up to, if I can. Keep a watch out over the fighters, boys. I will contact you when I return, or if anything unexpected should turn up."

Quickly then, he cut his engines, setting them on stand-by which yet allowed them to vent excess heat and energy. But another thought struck him before he departed from his ship; quickly he opened another link and sent off a final command.

"B-4738, VY-2254.. keep an eye peeled, fellas. If I'm not back within half a cycle, of if these bozos show up without me...

"...waste Rasia and notify Sormontato of my decision. I will take full responsibility, should it come to that."

With that he quickly finished disembarking protocol and making certain his armor was fresh and gleaming white, stepped out of his ship to approach and then come to a silent halt in front of those people he was meant to escort.

And whom he had every intention of not letting out of his sight, not even for one moment.

--------------------

“I don’t think anyone will give us grief about the way we’re dressed, not with that light blinding everyone.”

I walked forward to meet the pilot. I started with a salute, then stopped, not sure of what the impy salute is. I then extended my hand.

“Nice of ya to join us, cap’n.” I said, grinning. “And thanks again for the escort. I felt much safer knowing you were out there. And I admit, I’m happily surprised that you could come get that drink with us, I didn’t know the empire would allow that sort of thing. Maybe you could tell me a little about life in the Empire, might be an interesting career path someday.”

I kept my hand extended, grin on the face.

--------------------

"As to the reason of my hasty departure the honest answer is boredom, and my ship the Dark Phoenix has major personality issues."

As slowly as possible I reached into one of the pockets of my uniform and pulled out a few data cards and set them on the general's desk.

"Colonel."

Saying no more the General reached smoothly out to the cards Josiah had cast down before him. He let his hand merely touch them a moment, taking the opportunity to study the man who was so free and easy with what he offerred, before picking them up from where they lay. Not one to waste any further time, he quickled riffled through them--

All seemed on the up and up, normal, nothing out of the way...

--before casting them somewhat impatiently back on the desk again. Folding his hands he leaned forward, studied Josiah.