CHAPTER SEVEN
Chommell Minor
The G9 freighter was hardly anything of note, and neither was its avian pilot. Non-humans were a rare sight on Chommell Minor, given the humanocentric policies of House Greejatus, although their presence was tolerated so long as it was brief and only for the purpose of dropping off supplies or trading goods.
As such, Lieutenant Niera Vallem had been more than a little surprised when she had been ordered to take a contingent of stormtroopers to perform a full inspection of the freighter and its cargo. In all the time she had spent on Chommell Minor, she had never heard of such an inspection being called for unless there was enough reason to believe that the ship in question was carrying contraband. From what she had overheard from her captain’s conversation with the Starwish’s pilot, she hadn’t picked up on anything odd (other than the pilot’s quacking voice) that arose suspicion. Clearly, though, her captain had and he had ordered her to head down to the planet to carry out the inspection. Never one to question orders, Niera had heeded the command, even though she had her doubts.
As she marched into the hangar bay, followed by a squad of four stormtroopers, the Palmopate pilot of the freighter was already beginning to unload crates from his ship. Upon seeing the Imperials, he froze and his feathers seemed to prick up.
“Um, can I help you, officer?” the duck-like being asked. His voice sounded even more ridiculous here than it had over the comms.
“We are here to perform an inspection of your ship,” Niera said coolly. “Please stand by until we are done.”
“Uh, okay.” The Palmopate stepped away from the crate he had been moving as a stormtrooper walked over to it. The soldier unlatched the lid and lifted it up, revealing a soft, brown substance that looked—and smelt—very unappealing.
“What is this supposed to be?” the stormtrooper asked.
“Fertilizer,” the Palmopate said. If Niera recalled correctly, his name was something along the lines of Nald Ducson. “It’s a big commodity here on Chommell Minor, isn’t it?”
The stormtrooper said nothing as he closed the crate and moved on to the next one. Meanwhile, two of his squadmates marched onto the freighter to check the inside of the ship.
Focusing her hazel eyes on the talking duck, Niera said, “Are you carrying any form of contraband on your person or on your ship?”
Nald shook his head. “No, ma’am.”
“You realize that, if we do find any contraband, you will be arrested for lying to an Imperial officer?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And that lying to an officer is a capital offense on Chommell Minor.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nald’s nervousness was palpable, although she couldn’t tell if it was because he was lying or just general anxiety.
This is a job for an ISB agent, not a naval lieutenant. Keeping her thoughts to herself, Niera watched as the first stormtrooper continued to check through all of the crates. Some of them carried more fertilizer, others food and general supplies. When he got to the last one, Nald suddenly spoke up again.
“Oh, I’d be careful with that one. That one’s full of yolk.”
Niera eyed the Palmopate, arching an eyebrow. “’Yolk?’ As in… egg yolk?”
“Yeah, but it’s different from the type you humans are familiar with. See, my ancestor Ward Ducson once found himself on a planet in the Colonies—I think it’s called TerraAsta these days, but back then it was called—”
“I am not interested in a history lesson,” Niera said coldly. “Why is it something we need to be careful about?”
Nald waved a feathered hand. “Oh, it’s just something that spills easily. I don’t wanna get your spaceport all messy.” He laughed, which sounded even more irritating than his speaking voice.
The stormtrooper opened the crate and Niera visually confirmed that it was indeed egg yolk. Lots and lots of egg yolk. As far as she knew, there were no laws on Chommell Minor that banned yolk… even if it was a strange thing to find in a crate.
As the trooper closed the crate, the two that had been sent onto the ship came back down the ramp.
“All clear, sir,” one of them said to Niera.
“Good.” Niera eyed the crate with the yolk warily before turning her gaze back to Nald. “Very well, captain. You may proceed with your delivery.”
Nald glanced furtively at the two stormtroopers that had come from his ship before snapping off a salute. “Thank you, ma’am. Have a nice day.”
Niera did not acknowledge him and she turned sharply on her heel, leading her squad out of the hangar bay. For some reason, she still could not get her mind off the crate full of yolk. Perhaps she should double-check with her superiors to make sure there wasn’t any policies on transporting crates full of egg yolk. Maybe even verify the duck’s story to make sure that it was actually yolk and not some sort of poisonous substance.
Honestly, she couldn’t wrap her head around any of it. A talking duck transporting crates full of yolk. She had to be dreaming. She couldn’t be the only one who saw how ridiculous that was.
Her mind was still dwelling on the subject when she turned a corner to head down an unpopulated alleyway that led back to base. That was when she heard the telltale sound of a stun bolt going off behind her. She wasn’t able to turn around in time before the world went black.
* * *
After they had quickly stunned the two other stormtroopers that had reacted to them stunning Lieutenant Vallem, Leia and Shara removed their helmets, stolen from the two stormtroopers that had been sent to inspect Nald’s ship. She hoped they would be back in time before they woke up and gave the Palmopate trouble. They just needed to infiltrate the nearby Imperial base and get a message out to the Queen of Naboo. Then they could leave the planet and head there with the required clearance.
“I don’t know what you were talking about,” Shara said, smiling. “That was fun. I think Kes has disguised himself as a stormtrooper before.”
Leia couldn’t help but smile herself. “It’s how my brother and Han rescued me from the Death Star.” She then nodded to Vallem’s unconscious body. “Think you can take her uniform? My face is too recognizable so I’ll have to stick with the armor.”
“Sure.” Shara removed the rest of the armor before taking the lieutenant’s uniform off of Vallem’s motionless body. Once she was done, they moved Vallem and the unconscious stormtrooper into a nearby alcove, hidden just enough that no one would notice them unless they would actively searching for a missing lieutenant and two stormtroopers. Leia then placed the stormtrooper helmet back over her head as she followed Shara down the alleyway, heading for the Imperial base that laid just ahead.
* * *
Lady Dulcea Greejatus sat in her office, facing the window as she sipped from a glass of tea. The dark, murky clouds made it difficult to tell whether it was night or day on Chommell Minor; such was the price to pay for the industrialization that the city of New Renatasia brought to the planet, choking the air with smog and pollution. She rarely ever stepped outside, of course, enjoying the fragrant artificial air that was produced within the confines of her palace, powered by the very factories that could be glimpsed just outside her window.
At the very moment, the climate disruption arrays were being loaded onto the Torment. In a matter of hours, the Star Destroyer would be on its way to Naboo and Operation: Cinder would finally commence. The Emperor’s final order would be completed. It was the first time in a year that she felt good about the future of the Empire. Soon, that fool Isard would be removed from power and the true heir to the Empire would ascend to the throne.
But she knew she had to keep her excitement in check. The work had only just begun, and there was still much that still needed to be done.
As if on cue, a chime sounded from her desk and she turned around to answer the incoming call. A hologram materialized in front of her and she refrained from flinching at the image of the Duros in front of her.
“Lady Greejatus,” the bounty hunter known as Cad Bane said, tipping his hat to her in greeting. “We’ve captured the Jedi.”
Her eyes widened, momentarily forgetting her disgust. “You have? Show me!”
Bane leaned to the side, giving her a glimpse of the blond-haired man sitting behind him, his face passive as he appeared to be in meditation. Even from the small hologram, she could still recognize the face of Luke Skywalker—the man who had destroyed the Death Star and killed their Emperor.
“Brilliant,” she said, practically beaming. “Where did you find him?”
Bane came back into view. “He was snooping around on Dantooine, where we were fulfilling another contract of ours.”
Greejatus’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Did he discover our operations there?”
“We made sure he didn’t get that far,” Bane replied. “Anyway, we’ll be arriving shortly. Where do you want him delivered?”
“I will send you the coordinates.” Greejatus leaned back in her seat, smiling again as she raised her tea cup to the Duros. She supposed not all aliens were bad, so long as they performed their job well. “Excellent work, bounty hunter. You will receive your payment after the Jedi had been delivered.”
“I better,” Bane growled, and his image winked out of existence.
Lady Greejatus sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Bounty hunters,” she muttered, raising the rim of her cup to her lips.
“Perhaps you were correct in your assessment of his skills.”
Greejatus nearly jumped out of her chair at the sound of the voice, cursing as she splashed some tea onto her dress. Scowling, she set the cup down on her desk and glared at the figure standing at the doorway in front of her.
“What did I say about startling me like that?”
The figure did not move from where it stood. “Still, I have my doubts. Cad Bane may be renown for his reputation as a Jedi hunter, but even he is not infallible. Especially when taking his age into account.”
“He had others working with him,” Greejatus pointed out.
“Did he? Even so, I would think that a Jedi Knight would be more than capable of handling more than one bounty hunter. Are you sure that he didn’t allow himself to be captured? Or that he’s even the real Luke Skywalker?”
Greejatus scowled again. “Keep your doubts to yourself. I trust that someone of Cad Bane’s reputation would not deceive the Empire, especially given the fact that he’s been hired by us in the past. He may be an alien—”
“So am I.”
“…But some aliens know better than to cross their superiors.” Greejatus raised a finger at the figure. “Speaking of which, don’t you have your own duties to attend to?”
The other bowed his head. “I merely came by to relay some information that I think you should know.”
“Speak then,” she said impatiently.
“A G9 Rigger-class freighter landed in the city less than half an hour ago. An inspection team was dispatched to check it, but they have yet to report in.”
“So? Deal with it then. That’s your job, isn’t it?”
“There’s more. The captain who granted the freighter passage reported that there were three lifeforms aboard. But the ship’s pilot claimed that the other two were merely loth cats.”
Greejatus narrowed her eyes, already annoyed by how he was dragging out his point. “What of it?”
A bright grin pierced through the darkness of the room. “I sense that the pilot was lying. I have detected another presence through the Force. Skywalker is not the only Jedi who will be delivered to you today.”
Greejatus’s eyes widened as she caught onto his meaning. Then, she grinned.
“Bring her to me.”
* * *
Shara Bey took a deep breath as she and Leia entered the Imperial base, having used Lieutenant Vallem’s code cylinders to gain access. The base was staffed by other officers and stormtroopers, with some of the former appearing to have come straight from the Security Bureau given their white tunics and black trousers. Shara adjusted her cap to cover her eyes better as they passed by an ISB officer, whose glance in her direction seemed to last a few seconds longer than she would have liked.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” she murmured.
“I told you that you weren’t going to like it,” Leia replied. The stormtrooper helmet masked her voice, making her sound more masculine and more like the other stormtroopers that roamed the base. “We just need to find something that will get us clearance to the Naboo system.”
Shara scanned the room with her eyes. “And where are we going to find that?”
Leia looked around before pointing to a hallway leading down into a command center. “Try over there.”
Shara nodded and made her way into the command center, heading for the main computer station. Leia made sure to keep a few steps behind, staying closer to the doorway as she did not want to arise suspicion by trailing too close. As she took position standing guard, a pair of Imperial officers walked past her as they entered the command center, speaking to each other in hushed tones.
“She was supposed to have reported back by now,” said one officer to the other. “Captain Makosh isn’t going to be happy when he asks me.”
“Try hailing her on her comm again,” his companion suggested.
The officer sighed before bringing out his comlink. “Lieutenant Vallem, this is Lieutenant Halmers. Have you completed your inspection of the freighter?”
Nearby, Leia heard a buzz coming from the comlink that Shara had taken from Vallem’s person. She tensed as the officers heard it as well and Lieutenant Halmers narrowed his eyes in Shara’s direction. Even from the back, Shara clearly looked nothing like Vallem given her lighter skin.
As Halmers began to make his way over to Shara, Leia’s mind raced. If she moved or spoke up now, she would give away herself and jeopardize both her and Shara’s lives. She needed some sort of distraction; a distraction that couldn’t be correlated to her.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath… and then it came to her.
Behind the visor of her helmet, her eyes scanned the room, eventually falling on a blaster rack near where Shara was standing. She focused her mind on the rack. Then, she made a subtle motion with her hand.
Nothing happened. Frowning, she concentrated harder and repeated the motion. Finally, the rack fell over, spilling the blasters it was holding onto the floor.
Halmers let out a yelp as he tripped on one of the blasters and fell face-first onto the floor. At the same time, Shara turned away from the computer station and started heading back towards Leia while Halmers’ fellow officer moved over to help him up. The officer grabbed Halmers’ arm but the lieutenant quickly wrenched it out and angrily pointed at Shara’s retreating back.
“Forget me! Somebody stop her!”
Leia moved from where she stood, hoping that the movement would momentarily create the illusion that she was complying with the order. She had only taken a single step when an invisible force suddenly slammed into her chest and pushed her back against the wall. At the same time, Shara was knocked off her feet, her cap falling off her head and revealing her black hair.
Leia gritted her teeth as she tried to move, but the invisible hand around her did not release its grip. She then turned her head to see a tall figure enter the command center. Their tan and black outfit was unlike any Imperial uniform she had seen before, with a high collar that had three feathers hanging from either side. The man’s faced was covered in black and red markings, and the horns atop his head distinguished him as being a member of the Zabrak species.
The man had his hand outstretched in Leia’s direction, and she immediately deduced that he was a Force-user of some kind—an Inquisitor, perhaps. He stared down at Shara, a wicked gleam in his eyes, before angling his head to look towards Leia.
“I thought I had sensed another Force-user,” he murmured.
He made a gesture with his other hand and Leia winced as the stormtrooper helmet was forced off her head, revealing her face to the rest of the Imperials.
“Princess Leia Organa,” the Zabrak chuckled. “Only you could be so bold.”
Leia glared at him but remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his remark with a response. Back on his feet, Halmers stepped over to the Zabrak and stood to attention.
“Inquisitor Rarnok,” the lieutenant said. “Shall I have these two rebels arrested?”
“You can take the other woman,” Rarnok replied, his eyes still on Leia. “The Princess is mine.”
“Of course, sir.” Halmers motioned for two stormtroopers to come over and apprehend Shara.
Rarnok then released his Force grip on Leia and she fell to the floor, landing on her knees. The tall Zabrak cast a distinctly-shaped shadow over her as he approached.
“Lady Greejatus is going to be most pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess Organa,” Rarnok said darkly.
Leia looked up at him and smiled humorlessly. “I look forward to meeting her, then.”
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