Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Fiction: Santa Of The Stars - An Elite Dangerous Story

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

If you're interested in keeping track of Santa's progress, you might want to check the Official NORAD Santa Tracker.


Originally published Friday December 29, 2017

An Elite Dangerous Story

by Brian Joseph Johns

Matt sat in the SRV as the micro winds peaked and howled, occasionally pushing the pumice pocked landscape aside revealing the dense and dark mica surface. Rock that had formed through millennia of punishing meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions long before humankind had ever set down on the planetoid's surface. The planetoid itself lacked an atmosphere, instead, exhaling gases from its interior that would quickly spread into outer space in attempt to quell the vacuum and the constant bombardment of stellar radiation from its nearby host star. These gases had enough of a life span to form pocket weather systems that would last for hours at a time before dispersing once and for all. At least until the next time the planet burped from one of its many geysers and volcanoes which was often enough. Ironically the phonetics of its name mirrored this fact for it was named Cooke, and that's precisely what it did on the inside.

The planet Cooke had been one of the many orbital children of Barnard's Star. As it happened, this system was located strategically within the stellar medium between the interior of Federation space and the rest of a vital trade network within the human-occupied bubble of the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, it was one of the last shipping and distribution points before the Sol system. Located on Cooke was a facility where the Federation Postal And Communications service would sort the shipping containers arriving from various sources throughout occupied space on their way to the Sol System. Sol was Matt's birthplace and his one time home was the planet Earth. That was however a long time ago in the measure of one's life.

Matt had been born with the curse of wanderlust and wander he did from Toronto, Canada, the city of his birth travelling around the world often finding himself caught between amusement and mischief. It wasn't until he'd arrived in Geneva, Switzerland that he'd signed on with the Federation Navy hoping to see the stars. It was good for Matt, grounding him and giving him a sense of self-discipline however instead of space travel he wound up with a desk job given his natural ability in dealing with numbers and details. He moved up through the ranks quickly finally ending up with the position of Resource Distribution Coordinator for the Federation Crises Center. He'd been tasked with solving the growing problem of food and goods shortages across the globe. Through his work, he often found himself in the field amongst those in need. It was there that he'd befriended Salua.

Salua had been orphaned the prior year during the food riots of 3291. He'd since been acquired by one of the foster care camps run by the Federation where he lived amongst many other such children. Matt had been taking one of his assessment strolls around the camp trying to weigh in on the severity of their shortages when he'd been approached by Salua.

"Mister? Mister? Are you Santa Claus?" Salua asked Matt.

Matt paused in his walk through the camp stopping to address Salua who'd sat amongst a group of children.

"No. I'm not Santa. I'm Matt." Matt offered his hand to Salua.

"I hear that Santa brings food to all of the children around the world. Is this true?" Salua asked Matt.

The other children began chanting... "Santa! Santa! Santa!"

"I don't know. We're trying the best that we can to get you some food, clothing and medicine but some things are very difficult sometimes. Even for adults." Matt tried to assure Salua and the group of chanting children.

"Santa could do it. He's magic! He can do anything! I've even heard that he can deliver presents around the world in one night!" Salua replied hoping Matt would agree.

"Isn't Santa from the across the sea in the West?" one of the other children said.

"I heard that Santa won't come unless you believe in Jesus!" another child stated.

"I heard that he keeps a list of who has been bad and good. If you're bad he won't feed you or give you anything!" one of the little girls said.

"I don't believe that! I believe that Santa comes to all children! No matter what they believe! Whether they're good or bad, though Santa wants us to learn to be good!" Salua stood batting his index finger at the other children.

"Then why did they take our parents away? Were we too bad? Will Santa bring them back Mister?" the little girl asked Matt.

Matt found himself speechless and on the brink of breaking down in front of them. He took a moment to gather himself before he replied.

"No. Nobody took your parents away from you because you were bad. It's not your fault. Sometimes bad things can happen for no apparent reason and sometimes there's nothing that we can do about it. But also sometimes good things can happen for no apparent reason and there is also nothing we can do about it. There are some things that we have no control over. So we have to do our best to learn what we can and can't affect and not to let ourselves get down when things go wrong, or to get too proud when things go good." Matt tried his best to explain to the children.

"I heard that if you write Santa a letter, that he'll come to you during the Christmas holidays. Will he?" the little asked Matt.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I'm sure that he'll do his best though." Matt replied before breaking away and back to his office.

He got onto his holopad and checked the scheduled shipments of food and supplies. They would not make it before two weeks and by that time many of the children would likely starve. Matt buried his face in his hands and began to weep. There were some things that progress and technology could not overcome. Matt thought though that maybe Santa could. That's when he came up with a plan.

Matt had checked the shipping schedules for several major centers around the world. Many supplies were arriving from the orbital hydroponics stations around Venus while there were shipments of food coming in from one of the local grocery supply distributors in from the Federation sorting depot in Barnard's Star. It was being hauled by the Hutton Orbital Truckers by Ergan Dazong, a contact he'd made during his tenure as the Resource Distribution Coordinator. He quickly got onto the GalNet Communications grid and linked with Ergan.

"Ergan Dazong speaking, loud and clear! Go ahead!" Ergan spoke from behind controls of his Type 9 Freighter.

"Ergan, It's me. Matt Lavian. How are you?" Matt spoke professionally yet personably.

"Well hello Matt. What can I do you for?" Ergan asked through the GalNet Communications grid.

"I understand that you're hauling a large shipment for the Federation Urban Supply?" Matt confirmed with Ergan.

"You'd be right on that count, Matt. It's a big 'un too. They must be anticipating a boom in holiday sales." Ergan assured Matt.

"I'm sure that they are. Listen, I'd like to ask you a favour that you might not like, but I'll ask it anyway." Matt paused purposely drawing Ergan's curiosity.

"And what kind of favour would ya like?" Ergan asked.

"Well, I need that shipment of food here at Camp Starlight or a lot of children are going to go hungry and possibly die." Matt explained.

"Don't you have a backup plan or something? Aren't you guys supposed to manage crises like that?! I'm under contract Matt. You're not dealing with one of those independent haulers out there. I'm a tried and true member of the Hutton Orbital Truckers. I've got a name to keep and that name has to honour this contract." Ergan replied cold and hard.

"What if I get an equal quantity shipment to replace the one we're taking to save these kids, one that will cover for what you'd be giving us and ensure that you're fulfilling your rightful contract. Then what would you say?" Matt asked Ergan.

There was a pause on the other end of the communications link. Matt even heard Ergan punch his dashboard console of the freighter in frustration.

"Dang! Alright Matt, but this had better work out. I ain't never missed out on a contract and I don't want to have to send my brothers at the Hutton Orbital Truckers after ya for breaking that flawless record. It is kids we're dealing with here and lives matter, so what do you have in mind?" Ergan broke down.

Matt began explaining his plan and in the end Ergan had agreed. Ergan would arrive at Camp Starlight within the next day. Now Matt had to ensure that he'd live up to his end of the deal and that involved commandeering another shipment of equal value to replace the one that Ergan would be providing for them while ensuring the absence of that shipment would not create famine elsewhere.

Matt searched the GalNet trading boards high and low for a shipment that he could abscond with to replace Ergan's when he finally found it. A shipment of food and consumer goods bound for the Sirius System that had been contracted by the Sirius Corporation itself, possibly to meet growing the same demand in time for the holidays. Sirius Corporation were a powerful entity. In fact they were as powerful as the Federation themselves and even competed with them for planetary resources on the galactic scale. If Matt was going to pull this off he'd best not get caught or there'd be a price to pay.

He jumped into his utility craft and made his way over to the camp's stockade where he commandeered the ship he'd need for the job. A military version of the Eagle Fighter, one of the craft in which he'd trained for the Federal Navy. It was light, well-armed and armoured and certainly up for the task of taking down an unarmed bulk freighter. After verifying his identity for the Chief Officer of the stockade he strapped himself in and took to the skies in the direction of the Ross 154 star system.

The Frame Shift drive hummed as it warmed up ready for the 9.69 light-year jump. Despite the technological marvels that humankind had achieved, it had still taken just over a century from the breaking of the sound barrier for us to finally break the light barrier. Science had conceived theoretically how it could be done, but it took a century and a bit before humankind could engineer these theoretical concepts to create their applied counterparts. The result had been the first Frame Shift drive which had opened up the rest of the galaxy to the conquest of humankind. Within a decade, land claims were being filed for first the nearest planetary systems and thereafter everything beyond. All of this resulting from the first Scientist who'd considered that to defeat the light barrier one must first reverse the roles of time and space in the equations that constrained their limits.

Matt took and held his breath as the Frame Shift drive engaged. The only way to describe it to someone of the early twentieth century might be to liken it to cresting the first climb of a roller coaster. There's that moment of stillness as the forces grab hold of the roller coaster before it is pulled speeding through its course. Faster than light travel was very similar and in its beginnings had found the breakfast of most early pilots on the cockpit floor or at very least, their laps. They had come a long way since the early days to provide a more stomach pleasing flight though some still had to rely on Nerve-Stims to avoid regurgitating their last meals.

The flight was a short one, taking less than thirty seconds of his time before his Eagle lurched back into regular time-space close to Ross 154. The fighter's windshield and armour filtered the heat, light and radiation, keeping it from entering the cockpit, protecting Matt from blindness, sunburn and intense radiation. He marveled at the blazing giant for a moment before turning his attention to his navigation panel. The ship he'd sought, the freighter Sirius Corp. Pinnacle would be leaving from Birkeland City, one of the many orbital facilities that humankind had erected throughout the planetary systems of a small bubble of the Milky Way galaxy. It had become an artificial satellite of Aster, an immense gas giant and the second planet from the star Ross 154.

Matt piloted his Eagle taking it to a point just 50 km from Birkeland City waiting where he anticipated that the Pinnacle would attempt to make its jump to the Sol system. A quick check of his chronometer indicated that he had ten minutes before his quarry would show. He kept his eyes on the station, jumping between the docking bay and the surrounding Federal Navy patrol ships that had been tasked with protecting the station. There was a tense moment where he suspected that one of the bigger ships, a Federal Gunship may have caught glimpse of him on it's sensors. The Gunship moved slowly and lumbering in his direction before veering away still 35 km from him. He sighed with relief as it returned to its patrol route. He watched it carefully just to make sure before returning his attention to the station. A moment later and the Pinnacle emerged from the docking bay heading directly towards his Eagle. He was in business.

His plan was simple. He would reduce his thermal signature by disabling the cooling equipment on his ship. That, in turn, would prevent him from being picked up on sensors though he would still be visible to the naked eye. He would only be able to maintain this ruse long enough to circle around to the rear of the Pinnacle where he would fire a warning shot and announce his presence.

The Pinnacle approached closing its distance slowly as Matt disabled the Eagle's thermal signature. He quickly accelerated the Eagle in a long arc so that it closed in from the Pinnacle's starboard flank. The Eagle closed in just as the heat alarms started to wail in Matt's ears. He quickly restored his cooling system firing a warning shot in front of the freighter just as he did.

"Open your docking hangar. If you have a fighter in it, then I'd suggest you eject it. I'm commandeering your ship in the name of Feed The Children. If you comply, you will not be harmed. If you don't, I will disable your ship and blast open your cargo hold and you'll lose your whole shipment and possibly your life." Matt advised the freighter pilot calmly.

"Children eh? That's a new one. I'm unarmed. I'll open the hangar now." the freighter pilot did as Matt had instructed.

Matt maneuvered the Eagle into the larger ship's docking hangar where it was pulled into the freighter's interior. Matt then popped the canopy of the Eagle, brandishing a stun gun firmly in his hand. He set his helmet visor to opaque, which obscured his face so as he could not be recognized visually. He quickly made his way up towards the freighter's cockpit.

"So you've taken the path to piracy have you? So is it going to be murder as well? You know what the penalty for that is?" the Pinnacle's pilot asked Matt.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I need this shipment in order to make sure that a whole lot of kids on Sol get fed for the next two weeks." Matt explained keeping the stun gun focused on the Pinnacle's former Captain.

"I hate to break it to you son, but there's no food on this ship. Only industrial parts and consumer goods. I think you targeted the wrong ship." the Pinnacle's former Captain explained.

"Look, I can't explain right now. I need your cargo and we have to deliver it within the next few hours or a lot of kids are going to go hungry." Matt pleaded, coaxing the freighter's pilot with his stun gun.

"Alright. I'll fly it for you. Where are we going?" asked the freighter pilot.

Matt looked closer at the pilot's flight suit seeing a name tag.

"We're going to Camp Starlight in the Sol System, Charlie," Matt answered him.

"Well I'm at a loss here. What can I call you?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie, you can call me Santa." Matt answered.

An hour later and the large Type 9 Freighter had landed at Camp Starlight in the Sol System. Ergan's freighter was parked beside theirs already waiting. Matt led Charlie outside to the landing tarmac where they met with Ergan.

"I didn't think you'd make it." Ergan said to Matt.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Matt responded to Ergan.

"Alright, then lets get this done." Ergan said authorizing the release of his shipment of food into the Camp.

A small convoy of Robotic Autoloaders arrived on the scene and began removing the food cargo from Ergan's ship. When it was empty, they began transferring the Pinnacle's cargo to Ergan's ship to make up for the cargo he'd given to Camp Starlight.

"Are you sure that you want to do it this way, Santa?" asked Charlie.

"I'm sure as I'll ever be. I couldn't let those kids go hungry." Matt replied.

Ergan shook hands with Matt and then took off in his freighter leaving Charlie and Matt with each other.

"Looks like you just have to grab your Eagle and go." Charlie advised.

"That's right Charlie. Thanks for being a sport." Matt said as sincerely as he could muster given the circumstances.

"Alright. Let's get this done." Charlie replied solemnly.

As Matt approached the Pinnacle to retrieve the Eagle, he was quickly surrounded by a group of armed men.

"Freeze! Hands up! Keep them there! You're under arrest for piracy against the Sirius Corporation!" one of the men shouted through his communicator.

"...how'd you know?" Matt asked having dropped his stun gun now holding his hands high in the air.

"I'm sorry Santa. I had to report it..." Charlie's voice echoed through Matt's communicator.

"Not as sorry as I am..." Matt replied and it was over.

Matt stood before the Holographic Magistrate, the Auto-Jury just having listened carefully to the entire case (which took less than two seconds) weighed the wrongdoing and calculated the recommended penalty. The Magistrate began:

"We the jury find you Matthew Harris Lavian guilty of piracy and theft against Sirius Corporation of goods to the value of 3 million credits. Sirius Corporation has chosen to pursue this case against you to the fullest of the law. Since the goods were never found you will be held liable for the price of these goods during your sentence of fifteen years on the Stafford Penal Colony on WISE 1506+7027 1 C. Having served said time you will be paid for the entirety of the goods and be free to go. Until that time you are to be remanded into the custody of the Stafford Penal Colony Administration. Do you understand?" the Magistrate presented the sentence.

"Yes. I understand." Matt replied descending into his depths.

"Then let this sentence be served. This court is adjourned." the Magistrate brought his gavel down driving the last nail into the coffin of Matt's hope.

Matt was suddenly startled awake in his SRV. He was on Cooke again, watching the activities of the Federal Postal and Communications depot. He'd fallen asleep while keeping an eye on the facility. He dreamt of his past. Of Camp Starlight. Of Ergan and Salua. Of Stafford Penal Colony and his fifteen years there served. He dreamt of Charlie having to pull the trigger like that. That must have been a hard choice Matt thought, and he pitied the man. They'd both made a choice that day and it was theirs to keep. He wondered whose choice was more haunting and ultimately decided that it must have been Charlie's. Poor Charlie, but that was then and this is now and Santa still had a job to do Matt thought to himself.

Salua was now all grown up and had kids of his own thanks to people like Matt and Ergan, he'd had a chance. Matt had often wondered himself if he would have taken the same path again if he'd have had a chance to relive his fateful journey. Perhaps if the resources were available for problems like the plight of those kids, he wouldn't have had to though ultimately the choice was his in the end. Perhaps in this case and this case alone, it was the lesser of two evils. With that being the case then why was he sitting here on Cooke in his SRV waiting for the opening that he needed to plant the device? As he considered that very thought, the opening that he'd been waiting hours for occurred.

The Sentry Skimmers, automated hovering drones tasked with acting as the security's eyes for the facility had hit their inspection time limit. It was protocol in such facilities to conduct inspection and maintenance on half the Sentry Skimmers so that the facility was never entirely unprotected. It just so happened that the inspection and maintenance schedule affected all of the Sentry Skimmers watching the facility's North sector. The very sector where Matt had been waiting patiently for such an opening.

He watched as the last of the Skimmers disappeared into the service hangar and then accelerated the SRV towards his target: the sorting and distribution facility. He pulled up beside the building and popped the canopy on the SRV, jumping out onto the facility grounds. He peeked around the corner looking for the access door he'd needed to gain entry to the building. Upon spotting it he made a dash sticking close to the wall to avoid being spotted by any security detail he'd missed. When he arrived at the door, he pulled a small Weevil-Drone from his belt pouch and stuck it to the door's security mechanism. The Weevil hummed to life quickly deciphering the security and encryption method used by the lock. It then applied the measures needed to bypass the lock then jumped back into Matt's hand. Matt nearly jumped when the Weevil leapt from the door into his hands but quickly caught himself. He pocketed the Weevil and hit the door's button. The door slid open revealing the sorting facility to Matt.

The entire facility was itself automated though there was a small pilot's and maintenance colony close by that kept the facility running. Most of the Freighter Captains who delivered or picked up goods from this site never left their spacecraft, so Matt would most likely not encounter another human being during his personal project.

The interior of the facility looked much like any factory might, with conveyors, queues, stacks and branch points all geared towards arranging each package to its most optimum shipping schedule. The packages themselves were grouped into containers all destined for the same vicinity in the surrounding star systems. There were sixteen freighter bays in all. Eight incoming and eight outgoing where the Freighter Captains could land, deliver or load their cargo and be on their way. Matt had to deploy specially-designed Nano-Pods (which he referred to as his "Elves") to each of these bays. They'd each been programmed for the task he had in mind. Santa's work was never done as would be the case for his "Elves".

Matt went quickly to work deploying each of the Nano-Pods to the docking bays as quickly as he could. He had just finished placing the last one when he noticed a Skimmer hovering through the facility. They can't be finished the inspection already? Matt thought to himself. He pressed the initializer button three times on the Nano-Pod which started its Self Test Diagnostic.

Come on! He thought to himself as the Skimmer passed around the neighbouring bay towards his position. The Nano-Pod whirred to life counting down the time until it would start its assigned task. The Skimmer passed as Matt shrunk into a ball in the shadows covering the Nano-Pod with his body. He thanked himself for wearing a thermal and magnetic shielding suit because the Skimmer passed right by him as if he wasn't even there. Rather than take a chance moving near the Skimmer, he instead took the long route out of the facility trying to avoid it altogether. When he arrived at the door through which he'd entered the facility, he stepped out placing the Weevil on the door lock once again. The Weevil undid it's prior work on the security lock and the facility was once again sealed. Matt made his way back to his SRV and then on towards his ship which he'd hidden a few kilometers away. It was not long after that he was back into the stars and on his way home.

He'd managed to land himself a small apartment land-side in the newly terraformed tundra of north Hudson's Bay. It was very modest, a bachelor pad at best in a populated district. He sat in his favourite seat and watched his holovision set for the festivities to begin. After all, it was the 24th of December and a magic night at that.

Salua and his family sat around the tree sipping their Egg Nog marvelling at the tree that Salua had managed to procure this year. He'd grown into a strong man working long and hard for his family through his source of inspiration came not from his strength, but his heart. He'd never forgotten the day that the miracle of food had arrived from the stars. From the Santa of the stars that day many years ago. He'd only been a child but he'd believed in something. In the greater good of being and perhaps that's what Santa was and is to us all. It was that food that had given the children of the camp the hope they'd needed to continue and to pursue their own dreams despite the fact that they'd been so close to their own demise. It was their hope that had prevailed and that hope is what Santa had represented.

Salua and his former Camp Starlight allies had put together a Christmas Fund to help those in need just as they had been so long ago. Their monies might make a difference but it still needed that extra something that only faith in the greater good could provide. Sometimes that faith had a bumpy path.

"I wonder what happened to Matt that day? I do so miss him." Salua professed to his wife Lali.

"Maybe he is wondering the same thing of you?" Lali tickled Matt just between his ribs and he laughed without the help of the Rum in his Egg Nog.

"Then let us drink to Matt. Here's to Matt on this glorious Christmas. Remember children that we'd have never had this chance without the likes of Matt!" Salua raised his glass and his family followed in joy.

Matt sipped from a glass of brandy and anticipated his next move. He'd spent fifteen years in a penal colony for this moment and could possibly spend the rest of his life in prison for what he was about to do.

It was at that moment that Matt decided to click the button, and that's just what he did.

It is at this moment important to speak of the Nano-Pods Matt had set up for they were very pertinent to his current endeavour. The Nano-Pods after all had produced a small army of Nanites, that is very tiny robots, millions of them who collectively had a mission. That mission was to gain entry to the cargo holds of every ship that had passed through the Cooke Federal Postal And Communications depot and to deploy their cargo on Christmas Eve.

The Nanites themselves had worked feverishly if not incredulously fabricating Christmas wrapping and parachutes and from the molecules of materials local to their presence. They worked atoms at a time building the molecular structures of gift wrapping and parachutes for all of the shipped goods. Much of these goods were consumer goods such as Holovision Sets, Gravity Inducers, Nano-Playbots, Boo-Boo Make Betters, Happy Teach Sets, Real Friend Bots and many others not to mention. The Nanites helped each of these gifts out of the cargo holds of the ships that were supposed to deliver them that night, though not through their own cargo holds.

The Nanites marched these gifts from the cargo holds of these ships one by one marching them out of the ships having activated their hatches one by one.

These gifts leapt from the back of these ships (with the Nanites help) each of them labelled with the name of a specific family. The Nanites steered these gifts throughout their descent into Earth's atmosphere and to their destination homes.

Matt watched as the breaking news interrupted his current viewing on his holovision set.

"Breaking news here as what is being called the greatest Christmas Caper unfolds! Santa Steals From Sirius!" the new caster announced incredulously.

"It appears that some malicious entities have taken to hijack the cargo from the cargo ships of Sirius Corporation, one of the biggest sponsors of Christmas and an advertiser on this very station!" the announcer spoke.

Matt watched on his holovision as the cargo was marched one by one to the cargo hatches by tiny little carriers and then thrust out the hatch before their parachutes deployed, steering these gifts each earthward to their destination homes.

There were no families spared this occasion as the cargo fell planet-wide, gracing each and every home of the planet save one. Matt's home.

"We have just received news that Sirius Corporation is responding to the situation and will follow up with a report live in the next twenty minutes." the correspondent replied to the anchorperson.

"This is incredible for this night! Just incredible!" the news anchorperson announced.

The tears began to flow as Matt watched this moment for which he'd planned for years. He knew that it would only be a matter of time and that it was. Sirius was here and they'd eek their revenge upon him both physically and legally.

The door to his apartment exploded and a variety of armed troopers took up tactical positions in his confined apartment.

"Is this the living dwelling of Matt Lavian?" asked one of the troopers.

Matt sat still in his seat as behind him enough firepower was levelled at his back to obliterate an entire city.

"I am he." Matt answered.

There was a moment of silence where only the footsteps of a single man could be heard.

"A little modest for a man of such endeavours don't you think?" a single voice spoke.

"Aren't you going to arrest me?" Matt said allowed holding his hands up in no struggle for them to cuff him.

"Arrest? For what? You're a genius. Why would I want to arrest the man who has done more for our public relations since the Inbashivek Global Revolution?" asked a solitary voice.

"I just stole more than nine hundred thousand tonnes of cargo from Sirius? You're calling it a genius move. Why?" Matt asked of the mysterious voice.

"Why. Well, you've hit upon something for which our corporation has long stood, though few in my organization have such will for which to stand. Against their competition. Against me. Yet you were willing to do both." the mysterious voice responded.

"And what is that? Greed? To watch while our fellow humankind starved and suffered?" Matt asked in response.

"No, Santa. We're supposed to stand for our product. For the customer. For people. For the merger of them all. You've just come up with the best marketing campaign we've ever had..." the voice suggested.

"Honesty and integrity is the best marketing campaign? Well, I should hope so!" Matt responded.

"You don't understand. You stole all of our stock but yet we're grateful to you." the voice responded.

"Why is that?" Matt replied.

"Because, your stunt garnered us the most effective free advertising and marketing we've ever had, not to mention it was all for a good cause. If we prosecute you, we're incinerating all of that goodwill not to mention running our own brand through the gutter of public opinion. So instead we've decided that we'd like you to work for us doing what you do best. Helping others, with us to back you up. The Federation and the Empire have already agreed to drop all charges against you should you accept this generous offer." replied Li Yong-Rui, the CEO of Sirius Corporation.


"When do I begin?" Matt asked, a sincere smile stretching across his face.


The End

Elite Dangerous® is a trademark of Frontier Developments LLC.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Fiction: My Secret Place by Brian Joseph Johns

My Secret Place

By Brian Joseph Johns

Snaky Cake


"I said... gimme your Snaky Cake!"

The morning sun just having risen above the horizon cast its light down through the trees onto the rural schoolyard playground. It was early September. It was just like any other school day and much like any other rural school playground. There were the predators and there was the prey. On this day at morning recess, the roles of two students were being determined as such.

Dander's grip on Corgi's shirt tightened, pressing his back against the playground fence. There was a moment of pause as Corgi considered his options. Dander was much bigger than Corgi and two years his senior. Corgi would have little chance physically against Dander, not to mention that Dander was captain of the wrestling team. Corgi's small and thin frame would have quickly collapsed under Dander's weight.

Corgi on the other hand, could give in to Dander the local bully of  Pine Heights Public School and be freed from another day of torment. All for the price of just one Snaky Cake. The perfect and most tasty snacking cake ever to grace the inside of the lunch pail of any child.

The Snaky Cake by brand name was a long and winding strawberry cake. Its interior was filled with whipping cream and its surface was scaled with chocolate icing and sprinkles. It contained enough sugar to power the energy needs of a small country, never mind the energy needs of a growing child. They were big enough to share as well, adding to their popularity as a schoolyard currency for friendship.

Corgi considered offering half to Dander, something he'd tried prior a few days earlier. At that time Dander had just grabbed both halves of the Snaky Cake and quickly gobbled them down right in front of Corgi before laughing a mouthful of crumbs into Corgi's face.

Alternately he could keep his Snaky Cake, the one his own Mother lovingly placed into his lunch pail after having carefully crafting his sandwiches and protect her dignity. The dignity of his family. Protect the rest of the school from people Dander's malice and appetite.

Corgi was the kind of boy many would call stubborn but mostly for the wrong reasons. He was fixed in his belief of right and wrong and firmly believed that what Dander was doing to him was wrong. He thought of his mother, who woke at 6 in the AM every day to make sure her boys all ate well for the day. He thought of his father slaving over the machining lathes at the factory where he was employed as a toolmaker so that he could ensure his family would have a roof over their head eat every day. Corgi doubted that Dander's mind ever considered factors such as those. That would imply compassion, which he believed that Dander lacked entirely.

Corgi considered this carefully and then made up his mind.

"You can't have this one but if you wait until after school, I'll show you where all of my Snaky Cakes come from. Not only that, once you know where they are you can help yourself to them any time you like." Corgi spoke, quickly running out of breath.

Dander loosened his grip allowing Corgi to catch his breath.

"You're serious? You'll let me have as many as I want?" Dander towered over him.

"When you want." Corgi nodded his head still breathing heavily.

There was another pause as Dander's eyebrows tightened around his eyes in the scrutiny of Corgi.

"...but I get to keep the one in my lunch" Corgi reminded Dander tactfully.

"Where are they?" Dander asked.

"Meet me here after school and I'll show you" Corgi answered brushing himself off.

"Why not now?" Dander interrogated Corgi.

"Because..." Corgi answered cryptically.

"Because?" Dander's eyes pierced Corgi's.

Corgi paused again before speaking, only saying one thing before leaving Dander and heading back into the school.

"...they're in my secret place."

School Day's End


Corgi arrived to find Dander leaning up against the fence where he'd pinned Corgi earlier in the day. He was talking with a couple of his wrestling teammates when he saw Corgi.

"Sorry guys, gotta go. I've got someone to deal with." Dander told his teammates as he stepped towards Corgi.

"Don't forget we've got a match tomorrow. You might want to leave some of Corgi for tomorrow so you can at least have a cake before the match." one of his teammates suggested.

"Don't worry boys. I'll bring enough cake for us all." Dander smiled feeling very much like the cat who swallowed the canary.

"Ready?" Corgi asked Dander.

"Yep. Lets go. No tricks either. If you run for it, I'll get you tomorrow and it will be the last time you trick me." Dander replied.

"Don't worry. I have exercise induced asthma. I can't run very far." Corgi said pushing his glasses back up to their seat on his nose.

"So that's how you got out of track and field?" Dander laughed, pushing Corgi.

"Precisely." Corgi replied as they began to walk under his lead.

"I always thought it was because of Giordi. You remember. The other guy who used to beat you." Dander smirked at Corgi, perhaps disgusted by his weakness.

"I remember him. The truth is that my asthma's improved a lot. I guess I kinda used the Doctor's note to keep me safe from him. I actually changed my class because of him. From Mr. Tebersol to Ms. Perina's class. All because he told me he wanted to beat me up every day. Just for fun he said." Corgi told Dander as he continued walking towards Myer Laneway.

"I guess you lucked out when dropped out of school for good." Dander pushed Corgi's shoulder almost sending him sprawling to the pavement.

Corgi caught his step and contined along.

"He didn't drop out. He disappeared." Corgi told Dander.

"That's not what I heard. I heard he dropped out. He left for a sports opportunity in the minor leagues." Dander said firmly.

"Whatever you say. I guess he did. He's just one less person to..." Corgi began before stopping himself.

"...bully you? You dufus. You bring it on yourself. You practically walk around with a target on your head that says pick on me and beat me up. Wolves prey on the meat. That's the way its always been. You just act like the meat all the time. Kind of like when a Wolf sees a rabbit. The rabbit bolts, and the Wolf chases it. Not because its hungry. Simply because the rabbit ran. You're the rabbit man." Dander pushed Corgi, though Corgi sidestepped enough to deflect it.

Dander almost fell to the ground as they entered Myer Laneway.

"Are you trying to be smart with me rabbit?" Dander suddenly got angry.

"No. I just want to make sure we get to my rabbit hole. I think you'll feel much better when you see my secret place." Corgi answered.

Myer Park 'Afore The Dark


After half and hour of walking they'd come to the end of Myer Laneway which opened onto the park. It was lush green and filled with a large array of maple and pine. The trees started out thinly scattered to either side of the foot path. As their walk progressed, the density of the forest grew until even the early evening sun could not penetrate its canopy.

"Are we close yet?" Dander asked sounding a slight bit jumpy.

"Very." Corgi replied.

"So why would you keep a collection of Snaky Cakes out here in the middle of Myer Park?" Dander asked Corgi.

"Well this place is kind of ...  special." Corgi replied struggling to keep his breath paced.

He stopped and pulled an inhaler from his pocket. He put it to his lips and drew a deep breath of ventolin. The pace of Corgi's heart picked up from the steroid. He then walked off the path and into the woods.

Dander cautiously followed him.

They remained silent, walking for another ten minutes until the forest around them completely muffled the sounds of the small town and the light from the sky.

"Alright Corgi, stop screwin' me! Where is this place?!" Dander demanded of Corgi.

Corgi almost immediately stopped and lower himself to the ground where he sat making himself comfortable.

"We're here." Corgi smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dander asked him sarcastically, half expecting a trick.

"This is my secret place." Corgi answered, ruffling through his knapsack.

Dander suddenly became suspicious and grabbed Corgi's pack from out of his lap.

"You trying to pull a weapon on me?" Dander barked at Corgi.

"No. I'm just looking for my key." Corgi replied shrinking away from Dander.

"I'll keep this. Wait, there's nothing in here but this water bottle." Dander responded angrily.

He pulled the water bottle out, unscrewed the cap and sniffed the contents.

"What the hell is this? It smells like..." Dander demanded nearly gagging after inhaling from the bottle.

"Its my key." Corgi replied innocently.

Dander shook his head in disbelief. He'd been played by Corgi and now he knew it. Dander poured the liquid on the forest floor and threw the bottle away.
 
Now there was only one thing left to do.

"You tricked me you little bugger! Now you're going to pay!" Dander reached out for Corgi just as the forest floor erupted.

Dander was thrown throught the air at least ten feet before landing with a thud on his side. His experience in wrestling helped him to avoid any serious damage, especially given his weight. The forest rumbled as a gaseous mist spewed from the ground through fissures.

Dander could barely see Corgi through the mist while Corgi kept his eyes focused on the focal point of the gaseous formation.

The gas congealed and a flare of bright light and blackness emerged in the shape of a doorway. The gas slowly settled and the quake ceased. Ice crystals beaded and fell in droplets from around the door shaped blackness.

"What the hell is that?" Dander asked now shrinking away from the doorway.

"That's the door to my secret place." Corgi replied.

"The place with all of your Snaky Cakes?" Dander asked in awe.

"One and the same." Corgi replied.

"How do we get in?" Dander queried Corgi cautiously.

"We just walk through it. Walk into it." Corgi assured him.

Dander laughed aloud his eyes wide in mania and shock.

"You are going to make me rich little Corgi rabbit. All because I chased you when you ran." Dander approached the doorway.

The heat of his body seemed to condense the water vapour in the area which quickly became ice droplets, falling like snow in front of the doorway.

"I think I'll get myself a Snaky Cake." Dander said shakily.

He closed his eyes and stepped forward into the blackness.

There was a moment of incredible silence. Silence as he'd never experienced in his life. Then it felt as if the entirety of his body was turned inside out. He could feel the air upon his innards. He could smell a found odor far more pungent than Corgi's elixir. The key as he'd called it.

Dander opened his eyes expecting to see a mountain of Snaky Cakes. Instead what he saw brought his innards spewing forth through his mouth, ejecting his breakfast and lunch in one fell swoop.

There were bones. Bodies. Some halfway through decomposition. Others completely bleached by time and the air.

Dander's eyes watered and he wiped them trying to regain his sight. In looking around in the darkness he stumbled upon a body donning a football jersey. Lucky 11. The number on Giordi's football jersey.

"Corgi you bastard! Where the hell are you? I'm going to get you! You little..." Dander screamed.

Corgi's voice answered, distant and echoing through the darkness.

"You know Dander, Giordi said the same thing to me. So did Mr. Beirbeck. They all did. You see, in about half a minute this door will close. It will meld back into the dimension from whence it came. Into the interior negative space of the universe. Something I've been experimenting with at home with my chemistry set. I won't be able to open it again because you used up all of my key. It would take me a year of work at the ice cream store just to earn enough money to buy the amount of deuterium that I would need to make another key. So this is goodbye, Dander. Maybe next time you won't go chasing rabbits just because they run. Maybe you won't take Snaky Cakes from people who would otherwise share them. Maybe a lot of things could have changed for the better even with you around, but you chose to take everything from me rather than waiting for me to share." Corgi's voice ceased.

"Corgi! Please... don't leave me here... I don't want to die... I am so sorry for what I did to you... please... please... don't leave me..." Dander's voice pleaded and cried, slowly fizzling and disappearing with the door through which he'd stepped.

Dander was gone. Forever.

Gone But Not Missed


The school playground was filled with laughter. The third graders were busy on the swings while the fourth graders mostly played tether and volley ball. There was sense of peace and happiness. The freedom to be young and enjoy life and learning. There was Corgi and his best friends. They sat on the adventure playground together finishing the last of their lunch.

"I'm a bit surprised." said Ellen.

"Surprised about what?" asked Kuan-He.

"Just how quiet and peaceful it has been since Dander went missing." Ellen replied.

"I know. This is the first time in a long time that I could go to gym class without getting a wedgie every day from him. It feels good to be able to sit down safely." Kuan-He noted aloud.

"I certainly don't miss him breaking my bra clips like he used to when he was seated behind me in biology. Brought my poor mother to tears paying for new bras so often." Ellen nodded in approval of the recent improvements.

There was a moment silence as they chewed their food.

"What about you Corgi? What do you think?" asked Ellen.

Corgi fixed his glasses, perching them correctly on his face and then reached into his backpack pulling forth a Snaky Cake.

He paused a moment and looked at his friends before speaking.

"You know what I think? I think that I want to see if I can split this cake three ways..." Corgi smiled, doing his best to wink at Ellen.


The End

Copyright 2019 Brian Joseph Johns

Friday, November 1, 2019

Fiction: A Knight To Remember: A Star Wars Story by Brian Joseph Johns

Preamble: This is a story I wrote (or rather started to write) in 2012. It is based upon the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas and now in the hands of Disney. It tells the story of Sylin, a woman and former member of the Jedi Order who managed to escape from the repercussions of The Emperor's Order 66 and keep herself hidden during the reign of the Galactic Empire some after the events of Star Wars: Episode IV and Episode VI.


During those dark times she'd managed to rendezvous with other former members of the Jedi order where they agreed upon a protocol to keep themselves hidden from the Galactic Empire, which included discarding their most valued ally, their own light sabres. They also agreed not to maintain contact with one another instead of watching for a hole in the Galactic Empire's rule through which they could eventually re-establish themselves.


This story was started long before the Lucas-Disney trade. Long before Rogue One (which I believe lives up to the Lucas vision as an incredible movie). Long before the final trilogy which I've found to be a great work of the performers and crew, but lacking in story and vision. Perhaps episode IX will re-establish its credibility. I've never been one to criticize any Star Wars property, especially after what happened to poor George Lucas during his production of the prequel trilogy. I still often wonder how the prequel might have looked without the harassment and abuse of Lucas by a nasty part of the Star Wars fan base.


Please do enjoy. I might finish it one day though if Disney or its legal representation ever requested it, I'd remove it from publication here. I post it here as a tribute to George Lucas, Disney, Krop Serkel and all Star Wars fans throughout the galaxy.


Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


This creative work of fiction is based upon the worlds, characters and creations of George Lucas (in the original canon), and the owner of the properties and right to those properties, Disney. This work is intended as a tribute to those worlds and the people that created them, made them real before our ours and ears, and those that are recreating that wonder for the next generation to enjoy. They will upon request from the holder of the rights, be removed and their wishes respected both legally and creatively. Thank you to those involved in their existence. Lucas Arts and Lucasfilm Games both played a big part in inspiration of my lifetime within the world of Star Wars and thanks to all of its employees, both current and former.


[Updated September 15, 2013 - 11:30 AM - use your browser's search function to find the word September]


[Background into the atmosphere of the post New Republic era galaxy we find Sylin, Nikko, Shinak and Telik demystifying the motives of the deceased attacker at Nikko's club. We also begin to understand the kind of pressure upon the few remaining Jedi at that point in time, as they are being hunted down, even by those whose freedom they protected for so long.]

A Knight To Remember


A creative work based upon the worlds and characters of George Lucas, Lucasfilm, Lucas Arts and Disney


written by Brian Joseph Johns


(Thank you to my childhood friends Scott Maple, Brian and Miranda Kwok, Robert Tozer and Joel Farinha and my own brother Darryl, some of with whom I'd seen the movie Star Wars: A New Hope well over sixty times through its year and a half run at some Toronto theatres from 1977 onwards).

Nikko's



He stood tall, raising his tankard in clash to that of Shinak who held his against its force. They laughed at the resistance between tankards, but mostly they laughed in rejoice of their profit which was abundant for their trip, and for the trouble. Nikko's was packed making the success of their most recent job that much more enjoyable and in the face of the Empire, whose grip was strong, but none so much as their lust for wealth and adventure.


The club itself was a former warehouse that their employer had remodeled years prior to the Empire's incursion into the system. Nikko's prior business dealings had drawn pressure from some of his business associates, a large risk in the face of the Empire's presence. It had been a year since the destruction of the Death Star, a subject only spoken of in hushed tones in dark corners of the galaxy.

The Empire had extended its reach to every system it occupied and expanded that occupation where necessary. It searched ruthlessly for the Rebel force responsible for the loss of their super weapon and rumour had it that a dark lord of the sith was overseeing this search directly. Nobody ever mentioned that name in these times. The memory and loss of Alderaan was still a fresh wound and the loss of life a scar on the surface of the living force.


Nikko had sold off his inventory to an unnamed buyer, who had paid for the entire inventory in one lump sum. He had acquired the inventory years earlier during an estate buyout and had sat on it for years, not moving a single piece of what appeared to be spare parts for an assembly line. It took a month to empty the warehouse, shipping three loads a day and only drawing attention once from the local Imperial detachment. Nikko's was opened to the public as an entertainment facility a few months later, and became a success for its owner, though nowhere near as profitable as his smuggling years, but much safer and more enjoyable. Nikko never got involved in anything that would tarnish his customer's respect, a rule of business that kept him alive in the worst of times.


Nikko still ran the odd trade job if it was at least twice the return on investment, and Shinak and Telik were often the delivery men of choice and paid well for their service. They were the right combination of muscle and discretion, and Nikko prefered the latter over the former. Telik had come into the service of Nikko during his days as a weapon runner for Mandalore before setting up his smuggling network locally.


Telik was a combat specialist (a common talent among Mandalorians) and a skilled pilot while Shinak was a jack of all trades, brash and sometimes foolish enough in the right places to get most jobs done. What Telik lacked in curiosity Shinak made up for in boldness, which was often another guise for foolishness. Those who knew Shinak and Telik in this system, remembered them and those who had forgotten them were likely dead.


Nikko had always been happy with their record of performance and in their two hundred and thirty eight runs together had only lost their payload but once. They had made up for that loss by hijacking the vessel of the merchant pirate who had stolen it returning with both the lost cargo and a Corellian Corvette. That came back to Nikko at more than twenty times the return on investment. Telik and Shinak were inseparable from each other and from Nikko's employ.


They sat at the bar in the center of the club, quaffing their drinks and trading stories of the past. The club had all of the modern amenities, including holo-vaults and droid pal booths. There were Twi'lek dancers to get the customers dancing and even celebrity holograms that would make an occasional appearance in the club. The staff was friendly and courteous, as Nikko has always insisted and everyone who visited Nikko's had become a repeat customer.


Telik and Shinak eyed the club from their perch at the bar. Their drinks disappeared quickly, but not so quick as their enjoyment, though the two may well have been linked. They were reminiscing about their past on Mandalore and staying away from the topic of their cargo runs purposely in order to remain discreet about their business at Nikko's.


Though they were alert they failed to notice their appointment with fate that night in its slight package and modest demeanor. She approached the bar, nor more than neck in height to theirs, but her presence still hidden from their attention. A dark hood concealed her face from them and her voice emerged from within the cloak and somehow made it to the aural detectors of the bar droid. The droid returned with her drink and placed it in front of her, collecting payment then turning to other duties.


Telik, the taller of the two stood pointing to his drink, signalling the bar droid for a refill. The droid acknowledged and returned with two fresh tankards. Shinak taking his and greedily drawing from it, while Telik watched paid for the drinks, Shinak not noticing his current uneasiness.


"I think we should leave" Telik said to Shinak, who was clearly amused by Telik's statement.


"What? We just got here and after that trip, we should be taking it easy" Shinak responded, becoming agitated by Telik's concern.


"Look brother. I think that we need to leave!" Telik looked directly at Shinak speaking quietly enough not to alert others, and Shinak knew he was serious.


The only time that Shinak had ignored Telik about his intuition had seen him end up with a scar that spanned his back diagonally from shoulder to waist. A deep gash, inflicted by a Gamorrean from behind (how they often liked to attack). Telik had killed the Gamorrean with his bare hands in a savage battle that would have easily found its way into the archives of Mandalore, saving Shinak's life and earning his life long trust.


Shinak reluctantly poured his and Telik's remaining drink down his throat and gathered himself following Telik to Nikko's office door at the back of the club. They navigated the dance floor and numerous drunken patrons in the flashing strobes and holographic projections.


Another mysterious figure took notice of them from a table in the recesses of the club. As they approached Nikko's door, the figure stood and started in their direction, a dark cape flowing behind him as he picked up pace. His hood had dropped, revealing a deeply scarred face and recessed eyes. His height was comparable with Telik's as was his build, though he'd not need either for his current task.


The lady from the bar that had triggered Nikko's intuition had caught sight of the stranger and had known that this was the threat she'd been told to seek here. She quickly made her way around the central bar and around to the back of the club, approaching her target's left rear flank, the best choice as she had already deemed him to be right handed, and therefore his guard would be weakest to his left.


Telik and Shinak approached the office door, where two burly guards stood, dwarfing them both. They stepped upon recognizing Telik, Shinak following behind. Telik's heart was racing and his senses were on high alert as he approached the door, which slid open for them and slid closed behind them as they passed through it. Telik felt a momentary sense of relief as he walked the hallway and turned the corner into Nikko's office.


Outside in the club, the burly guards had taken notice of a stranger who approached the door to Nikko's office. The one of the left stepped forward to confront this stranger while the one of the right drew a pistol. The stranger didn't slow for the approaching guard but merely gestured, and the guard's innards collapsed while an unseen force threw him across the the air like a rag doll. He was dead before he hit floor. The other had time to fire a shot at the stranger, the beam glanced harmlessly off his shoulder. He pulled the trigger to fire another shot but instead felt a sharp pain as the pistol, exploded into pieces of shrapnel, one piece impacting his solar plexus with a montrous blunt force, rending him to the floor before the stranger. The stranger stopped, eyeing the brute for a moment who was struggling with his abdomen and gasping for air. The stranger gestured with his hand, and the brute's neck snapped, leaving him motionless and dead.


The stranger turned to face the front of the club, where the music and dance had stopped while onlookers looked on in utter shock at the encounter at Nikko's door. The stranger gestured again, and a large piece of machinery more than twice the size of a bantha: the power conversion assembly fell in front of the front door, barely missing a crowd of people and blocking entry and exit to the club. Nobody was going to come in and nobody was going to leave, except the stranger. The stranger turned to Nikko's door, failing to notice the table that blindsided him from his left. It struck him hard sending him through the air, joining the table in flight. Both found the floor again, colliding with another table along the way, and stopping in a pile on the far side of the club. There was a moment of peace, and a cheer from the front of the club.


The mysterious lady stepped forward drawing the hood from her face, revealing an angelic beauty. She spoke in a commanding voice:


"Everyone remain calm, and please start tending to the..."


The heap of table debris exploded and the stranger emerged from the chaos, clearly enraged. Some of the debris sped toward a couple who were held in embrace protecting one another. The mysterious lady gestured and the chunks of debris stopped in mid flight as if they had hit an invisible obstacle. The couple, who'd been sparked into action by their protector ran for cover keeping their hands clasped.


The mysterious lady turned in time to see another large section of ceiling come crashing down upon her. A dust cloud filled the air and the hopes of the crowd were dashed to their fear of the stranger, who snickered slightly satisfied with this outcome. He began towards Nikko's door once again ignoring the screams and cries of the crowd.


Nikko, who had been busy in his office finishing up the business from the previous job looked up to see Telik and Shinak entering the room.


"What gives, my good men?" ask Nikko, still happy about to profit from the day's events.


"There's something wrong" Telik said bluntly, looking shaken.


"I told you two for the last time, we don't water down the drinks!" Nikko blurted out defensively.


"Its not the drinks. This time. Its something else..." Telik stated, his concentration drifting somewhere else.


The three heard a loud crash from inside the club and the music had stopped. Screams could be heard from the club and Nikko reached for the controls to the transparent wall to have a look. The wall opacity faded and revealed the scene beyond into the club. Imaging reticles quickly zeroed in on two people who were near the back of club, closest to the office door who were engaged in a conflict. There seemed to be a fair bit of damage and there were no sign of the burly guards or the other club employees.


Nikko cursed under his breath and shouted to Telik and Shinak:


"Go see what you can do out there. Take what you need from the weapons locker".


He didn't need to point and Telik was already on it tossing a battle rifle to Shinak and grabbing a rapid repeater with an under mounted thermal detonator launcher.


Shinak ran down the hall towards the club seeing only a dust cloud at the door way. He stopped for a moment and shrugged before continuing forward.


Telik ran down the hall behind Shinak shouting ahead.


"I'll take the left, you take the right. Stay in touch".


Telik turned out the doorway charging through the dust cloud and into the unknown.


Shinak activated the sensor aperature on the battle rifle, and a small holographic heads up diplay jumped to life before his viewpoint. It indicated the current threat level of any targets in its field of view, and was currently clear. He continued further into it coming upon a pile of debris where the collapse ceiling had come to rest.


"Nothing here Telik. The ceiling needs a new coat of armite though" Shinak spoke into the headset.


"Back me up here!" Telik's voice blared through the headset in panic and the sound of repeater fire echoed through the now silent club.


Shinak turned and ran toward the sound careful not to stride into the field of fire. The threat indicator jumped to life before his face, indicating an extreme threat level from a single target, that appeared to be in a melee.


Shinak arrived only to see Telik thrown to the ground by a tall cloaked stranger. The stranger turned in time to see Shinak leveling the battle rifle at the stranger. He pulled the trigger and flashes of supercharged plasma streamed toward the stranger faster than even he could move. The plasma struck him in several points along his chest throwing him back, his cloak catching fire as he flew backwards to the floor.


Telik struggled to his feet and the crowd cheered again, gaining its lost hope while Telik limped towards Shinak who guarded his approach.


"Looks like we're even now, and you haven't got any scars. I guess I'm one up" Shinak said, a smile crossing his face.


"You bantha loving slime devil" replied Telik, smiling in return.


They shook hands to seal the deal before being thrown back by an immense force which hit them like a wall. They both flew into the wall dropping to the floor, this time Telik rising first to see the stranger, tattered and burnt had arisen and was approaching them, the smell of rage thick in the air.


The stranger's tattered cloak still held onto to his body, and bits of shining metal could be seen beneath it. The armour had protected its wearer who strode forward to complete its task. The stranger leveled his hands, pointing both at Telik, gesturing twice. Telik flew back, slamming again into the wall, held in place against it as the stranger approached.


"All of you must die today" said the stranger, clasping his hands in front of him toward Telik.


Telik gasped for air for a few moments struggling, ultimately falling limp and then to the floor. The stranger turned to the crowd near the front of the club.


"Your turn" he said, absent of any concern.


A blurred form passed before his field of view and the mysterious lady materialized before him in all of her angelic presence.


"You'll not be causing any more harm" she said confidently before flying through the air over his head, latching onto his shoulders and flipping him onto the floor with the force of a wind wyrm. She landed on her feet stretching her hands out before her as the stranger stood once more.


"It is too bad we could not do this the traditional way. I'd enjoy cleaving you in two" he said, steam bellowing forth from his nostrils.


"There'll be nothing to savor. The suffering you've caused is over" she responded before moving in a blur to his left side, twisting his arm forward into a lock and forcing him once again to the floor.


The crowd once again cheered, amid a few cries and the mysterious lady fell back into her defensive stance before the stranger, who struggled to his feet once again.


When he stood this time, he immediately plunged in attempted attack, catching her off her stance long enough to force her to the floor. He gestured with his hands one last time seethering as he did.


"You too will die this day" he said, watching her suffocate.


She forced herself to her feet against his power and they found themselves in a standoff, both of their skills and talents with the force in balance. She held him off, struggling to gain the ground she needed to incapacitate him, as he needed to stand trial for the injustice he had caused here and in numerous other places. Murder was not the justice she sought nor the justice of what she represented.


The stranger had no such ideals to hinder his goals. She would die as surely as they all would and he'd report to his superiors with the data they needed.


She held on with all of her strength and the stranger pushed her back once again. He closed in for the kill.


The sound of a single shot echoed throughout the club and the stranger staggerer backward a moment and fell backward to the floor, a smoking hole in his forehead.


Nikko stood in the doorway to the club, his custom pistol brandished in his hand and he cursed once again under his breath.


"Good thing for that. He could have really caused some damage to my club" he said listlessly looking around.


He stolled over to the mysterious lady offering her a hand, though she did not need it nor did she accept it. He seemed unperterbed and he was. His girl was his club.


She hurried over to Telik's body and straightened him out on the floor before her. She knelt beside him, placing one hand on his forehead and one hand on his abdomen. A moment of silence passed and Telik came to life, choking and gasping for breath. He paused when he saw the face of an angel. His angel.


"Am I dead?" Telik asked her, smiling charmingly for her.


"Almost. You may have a headache for a while, but you should be ok. I am Sylin" she replied, showing no response to his charms though inside she may have felt at least something for him.


They helped Shinak to his feet and then tended to the injured each in turn, and by the time they were done, a rescue team had cleared the debris from the door. A team of law enforcement officers poured into the club followed by medical droids.


A few hours after the injured had been removed and the questions answered, they were all allowed to leave, and Telik, Shinak, Nikko and Sylin returned to Nikko's club to talk about the situation.


"Who was the assassin and who sent him?" Telik asked, unsure who to direct the question towards.


"He certainly wasn't a Jedi, or anti-Jedi" Shinak stated, not knowing anything of the Sith as did few, deception was key to their existence.


Sylin kept her silence as those were her orders. There were so few of her kind that remaining hidden was imperative until Coruscant could be secured against the enemy and the galaxy restored to peace.


"One of you was involved in something that they wanted to hide, at all costs" Sylin replied.


"Anything that we should know about Nikko?" Shinak asked him accusingly.


"No, nothing. Business is business" Nikko paused for a moment to think before continuing.


"The individual who bought the contents of this building paid for them all in one payment" Nikko stated considering whether these were details that he should have revealed.


After looking around the room unable to conceal his thoughts against the scepticism of the others, he continued.


"The inventory was an estate buyout. That of a Mandalorian smuggler whom had according to the logs (and legend) acquired a large portion of it during a raid in Kessel during the Clone Wars. It was stolen from a disabled Frigate there. I don't know much beyond that point" Nikko offered up the explanation to his companions and a mysterious lady named Sylin.


"What Mandalorian smuggler and what kind of inventory?" Telik asked.


"It was mostly spare parts for energy combines, a few optic resonators for phalanx class cannons from an Acclamator class cruiser and some encrypted holoreels that contained a lot of pre-Empire propaganga most likely the property of the IGBC. Most of it we couldn't even decipher." Nikko paused taking in the faces of his stunned companions and then continued.


"I was tipped by an associate about the estate purchase option about seven years ago. He insisted that I buy it, that it was too good a deal to pass on, so I bought the estate and stored it here. Sold it all two years ago." Nikko looked around, a tinge of guilt crossed his face, but only for a moment.


"And who was the smuggler?" Telik asked again, slightly more impatient this time.


"It was Gerran The Sly..." Nikko replied.


"You fester sloth! Why didn't you tell me about that!" Telik stood and blared at Nikko, who rose in defence.


"Its business! I knew you'd take it the wrong way. You're the best crew that I have. I couldn't take that chance to lose you and I couldn't chance losing out on that deal!" Nikko yelled back, though pleadingly.


Gerran The Sly was one of the most feared smugglers during the transition from the Republic to Imperial Senate, a time that had seen the Jedi Order on Coruscant fall to charges of High Treason. With the Jedi Order gone, many smugglers were free to do as they would, without any resistance from the Chancellor or the clone army that were assembled to deal with break away systems.


Gerran had amassed a sizable conglomerate of criminals looking to seize the opportunity offered by the disarray in the Republic and begin their own private war against the prior powers that kept them in check. With the Jedi Order dismantled and fleeing the Republic, there would be no resistance to their effort. They were often used by the Chancellor himself to conduct secret operations and to unsettle opposing governments to the his new Imperial Senate. Raiding ships would often block needed trade routes to and from target systems in order to pressure them, while the growing Empire would offer up its assistance in exchange for a signed occupation treaty. Gerran's army would continue the pressure until the Empire had supplanted the leadership with their own, moving on to the next system.


Gerran had the support of Mandalore during the early stages of the transition and was largely considered a folk hero by the locals and they had supported early Imperial Senate at that time. That changed during a raid upon a Republic outpost with many Mandalorian resident workers. Telik's sister had been living at the outpost married to a member of the 109th Republic Cavalry unit, both his sister and her husband were murdered along with 300 other colonists.


[UPDATED June 12, 2013 11:00PM]


From that point on Gerran was recognized as a criminal even by Mandalore, forcing his ties into the underworld even further and soon he only found reprieve amongst his fellow smugglers and his contacts in the growing Empire. Even the Hutt Cartel loathed him, though they too would employ him if only to keep the peace between the Hutts and the Imperial Senate. The Chancellor knew that he would need the underground economy in tact as a spy network for his infiltration of the opposing systems to Imperial occupation and the Hutts although powerful, could not withstand an all out war with the Imperials. They merely did as always and tried to pull the appropriate puppet strings on the right people at the right moment, with a determination that the Hutts were capable of.


The Chancellor had the unique ability among the Sith that allowed "glimpses" into the minds of the Hutts on occasion. He used this to secure a victory against a group of Old Republic sympathizers whom had a Hutt in their circle. A night one week before a planned attack by the members of the sympathizers, the Chancellor had a vision or dream which gave him access to details of the attack, including the target location for the attack against the the supply convoy. The Chancellor rerouted the first section of the 102nd fleet into position for ambush against the sympathizers attack. The first section was a sizeable force which quickly crushed the sympathizers attack force, with one pilot and a bridge officer from the sympathizers being taken prisoner. The officer revealed detailed information about the sympathizers under torture and the Chancellor's Sith apprentice was dispatched to deal with their remaining numbers.


[Updated September 13, 2013 - 11:30 PM]


"You were dealing with the likes of Gerran, knowing the history of Mandalore and Gerran! You are more treacherous than Gerran himself!" Shinak responded to Nikko.


"You have all been played by them. That is their game. To make you fools to their manipulation." Sylin responded to Shinak.


"They wanted something that you have. Hidden. Forever. That is why they dispatched an apprentice of the arts of the dark side to deal with this. There is a much bigger piece to this puzzle." She continued.


"If you are such an ally of this force, then where is your sabre of light?" asked Telik.


"These are dark times, Telik. The three convened and agreed not to use and sometimes even carry sabres, for they identify us to our adversaries. Sabres are rare amongst us. They take many resources to build and much effort to come by. I have one, but it is hidden for it is in these times a mark of death. If I was to wield my sabre, my saviour, I'd be a mark for Vader, the Chosen one, a Dark Lord of the Sith and like the others, have been felled by his blade. He'd arrive and we'd all be dealt with and dead shortly after. Since the deadly order was given from the depths we've not bore sabre and kept our abilities under check. We've remained hidden. Quiet. The disappeared." Sylin explained, Shinak, Telik and even Nikko intensely listening.


"But the Jedi are..." Telik tried to finish his statement but found himself short of breath before he did.


"Do not state the name of our order, if you value your freedom or our lives and protection of your freedom again. Don't work against us. Work with us." Sylin exclaimed releasing the force tension upon his Mandalorian abdomen enough for him to breath freely.


"They are after something for sure sending a devil like that to our neck of the Galaxy. There is money to be made if we can find it." exclaimed Nikko.


"And lives to be lost and freedom to yielded in the name of it. When the senate leadership is replaced and emergency powers of the senate revoked, will we realize our potential without giving up our freedom in exchange." Sylin spoke with determination and wisdom.


"We have powers. We are rare and our powers drawn to their limits in defence of freedom. For all. We have been divided and hunted to the edge of extinction by our adversaries, who show us no mercy. We are untrusted by the very people that we protect and most would likely turn us in if they found any of us. Use us like you would for an emergency rather than a take-out service." Sylin continued.


"You are now in their sights and they are aware of your establishment. They know that what they seek has passed through your doors, and will stop at nothing to find clues to it's whereabouts including dispatching any one of you, your families and their families until they have found it." Sylin accented her statement, and Nikko felt himself shiver momentarily.


"I must go through your records Nikko, and find this thing that the agent of darkness sought before they find it for the sake of the three." Sylin addressed Nikko, Shinak and Telik.


"You can do so, but you must let me know what you find, if anything." Nikko told her.


"I can't promise you anything of the sort. That information is too dangerous." Sylin responded.


"Then you can't use my archive droids to find it. If you don't start trusting the people that you claim to protect, how are you going to earn their trust?" Nikko raised an eyebrow, accenting his posit to her.


"Very well. I will do so, but you must promise not to tell anyone else beyond those of us here and now." she said in compromise offering her own tenures to the deal.


"It wouldn't be very profitable if I did now, would it?" Nikko leaned back in his chair, arms folded.


"I can see how you found your success in your business. We are in agreement then. Now if you will excuse me I will look into that." Sylin turned to the door and walked to Nikko's utility room which was located down the hall before the entrance to the public areas of the club.


"You two. Accompany her and keep an eye on her. I don't want to miss a thing." Nikko asked of Shinak and Telik.


She was at the archive console and the archive droid, which was more of a stationary interface feature more than anything popped up from an opening on top of the console. A monocled eye socket peered at Sylin awaiting instructions.


"I need access to all records with credit transfer or tracking information related to Coruscant Korriban, Kamino and Geonosis. Anything appears to have been purposely obscured." Sylin demanded of the archive droid.


"Searching. Filtering. Tabulating. Done." responded the archive droid in a monotone.


The results popped up in a holographic projection, a list of files with departure and destination points and the name of the shipper.


"Interesting one hundred and twenty three records. Of those give me the ones whose value is more than 1000 New Republic credits and with dates between the battle of Naboo and the battle of Coruscant. That should get rid of the small parts shipments and in the appropriate time window." Sylin stated, narrowing the results even further.


"Done." replied the archive droid, exactly as it had before.


"Seventeen records. That's better. Let's get through this then." Sylin started cycling through each of the records in detail one at a time, accessing interface controls on the console.


Shinak and Telik looked at each other, amused by her quick progress.


"Here. This is it. An assembly algorithm and binding codes." She pointed at the holograph.


"Assembly for what?" Shinak asked thoughtfully.


"Its doesn't say. The binding codes refer to a part on another shipment. Bring up the record details for the shipment referred to in reference to the binding codes here." Sylin directed the archive droid.


"Searching. Done." came the flat toned response.


"Corellia? That doesn't make sense. Corellia has long been known to resist the growing threat. Bail Organa even sought refuge there following the dark hour. There's no part number, only a reference code." Sylin pondered this and continued.


"Search the records for that reference code." Sylin ordered the droid.


"No records found. Done." the archive droid answered back.


"We must travel to Corellia and find the source of this reference code. Transfer all of the records in this filter to this account and then erase the audit trail for that transaction using the same account for authority. No trail back to this search and transfer." Sylin held up her hand, which was promptly scanned by the monocle of the archive droid.


"Done." responded the droid.


"Now make a copy of this search for Nikko in his private file and finish up." Sylin asked before turning to Telik.


"Done. Have a nice day." the archive droid retreated back into its chamber in the console.


"We need to leave immediately. We're going to need your ship." Sylin looked determinately at Telik who stepped back.


"My ship? Who is going to pay me?" Telik asked.


"Why Nikko of course." Sylin stormed out of the utility room and down the hall to Nikko's office again.


"It is done. Your private..." Sylin was interrupted.


"Yes I see. So what is this reference code business?" Nikko asked her, looking at his own console output which echoed Sylin's activities directly to him.


"We need to travel to Corellia to find out. I need you to pay Telik and Shinak for this trip." she asked him, without overstepping her bounds this time.


"You want me to pay them? What's in it for my business?" Nikko asked her, very obviously trying to push the debt in his favour.


"You amaze me Nikko. The freedom of the galaxy rests in your hands at this moment and you choose to bicker over the financial value of one run to Corellia? You'll have your profit, when we succeed. Consider this an investment. If we find what we are looking for, you'll have plenty of customers who'd pay handsomely for it." Sylin responded, playing his greed and business savvy to her advantage.


"Alright. I'll consider it an investment. Telik, Shinak. Take Sylin here to Corellia, following her orders while on the ground. While on the ship, you're in charge. Understood?" Nikko said, taking charge once again, looking the three of them over.


"Understood. This better be worth it." Telik replied.


"For a..." Shinak almost slipped "...fancy lady, you sure are a lot of trouble." he finished carefully, brunting momentarily for the possibility she'd use her powers on him.


"I appreciate your Mandalorian sensibility. Now we should make our preparations to leave immediately." Sylin spoke to him calmly, rewarding him for his care of her identity.

The Specialist



Shoobra lay comfortably about his throne room on the platform that had been erected to support one of his weight, and merit. He was used to the those around him polishing his tail ends for a little bit of his favour. His jester, Geeb, a heavily demoralized and feisty Gungan who'd lost patience with Shoobra a moontrage ago was his only source of amusement these days. Geeb would say exactly what was on his mind to Shoobra whenever he was chided or pushed by Shoobra, and of course this amused him. Lost in thought in the entertainment around him, a large man with a patch over his eye approached the throne.


"Shoobra, I beg your forgiveness for my interruption, but Kek Minart is here." offered the man humbly to the Hutt.


"What are you waiting for. Bring him here now!" Shoobra spoke, the floor rumbling with the depth of his voice.


"As you wish, Shoobra." answered the man, as he backed up a step still facing Shoobra, then turned to the archway entry to the chambers.


"You should fire him. You should kill him first, then fire him. Then eat him while the rest of your staff watch. Then shoot yourself!" Geeb injected before the man was out of earshot.


The Hutt laughed aloud, without restraint and sincerely though with the Hutts that was hard to tell. When he'd calmed down he flushed a welt feeler he'd eaten, a delicacy even for the Hutts, down with a drink from his hand tap.


A Zabrak male walked into the room, one of his many horns chipped, his battle scathed armour covering part of him, the rest made up of a mixture of his cybernetic replacement limbs. The armour itself was made up of a scale mail he'd built himself out of the armour plating from a salvaged Z-95 Headhunter fighter. There were several modifications he'd made himself, including custom weapons systems suited to match his highest-paying jobs, hunting Jedi of the Old Republic.


"Who is this fool? He's obviously the new Jester here, after my job no doubt..." Geeb had barely finished his sentence before he was permanently silenced by a quick blaster bolt to his forehead. Geeb slumped and moved no more.


"No more Geeb. You must be Kek." Shoobra laughed, unmoved by Geeb's demise and carefully reading the Zabrak before him.


Kek nodded, holstering his blaster.


"I like you. You come in here and shoot Geeb. Geeb insult everyone. You shoot him. I like you. Maybe somebody shoot you too soon. I used to like Geeb. Now I like you." Shoobra said thoughtfully revealing a great deal about Hutt loyalty.


"I am a busy man, what is this job about?" Kek answered, sneering at Shoobra.


"I seek a valuable person. A girl. You know? She is hunted by Empire and she make trouble for me here. She take something I need for keepsake. I pay good." Shoobra said, lying.


"I've checked her out. She'll be a tough one. Double my usual price. Half up front. The rest upon delivery." Kek responded having dealt with many liars. Even Hutts, having out lived a few.


"I pay you now half. You bring her and you get the other half. I prefer alive, but I still pay for her dead." Shoobra bellowed, his body rolling in motion under his speech.


Kek responded with an acknowledging nod.


"I want double the usual amount. She's special and you know it." Kek stood by the value of the service he offered.


"You drive a hard bargain for a harmless girl. You get your money. Double. You get the girl and bring her to me." Shoobra gestured to the bounty hunter.


"Consider it done. Have it forwarded to my account." he answered Shoobra, drawing his blaster and firing another shot at Geeb's dead carcass. Geeb's body disintegrated, disappearing into a fiery cold plasma.


"By the way. You need a new jester." Kek marched out of the room on his way to find his target.


The Galaxy drew dark and the Emperor grew darker and sought the prize once lost.


to be continued.


Thank you George Lucas.

Brian Joseph John s