Alternate: Part 1

                                  by

                Warren Hogue (encrypt@blue.misnet.com)



                               Prologue

The ship floated silently through space, it's starboard side crackling
with electronic sputters.  The ship was the once majestic
_Korissoick_.  In its day it could handle three Bissimarian War Birds
by it's self, but that day was gone.  Lately it was simply an explorer
with an untrained crew.  That fact cost the ship dearly.  It floats
through the galaxy like a ghost ship occasionally sputtering
electricity from a mortal combat wound taken during an exploration of
the Congeion region.
       In its day it was the grandest ship in the fleet.  It had a
fine crew and a new advanced main computer, which several ships of the
same class had received, the computer itself had been designed to
"think" faster than any installed before.
     It thought faster, there was only one problem, three years into
activation it became self aware.  The computer's first decision as a
thinking being was that it could run itself, which was alright until
it decided it expended too much energy delivering food from the
replicators.  That was taken care of by adding a cook, soon it
discovered that powering the door was expending too much energy.  That
was all the crews could take, they decided to pack up and leave.
Unfortunately the computer also decided that it did not need the
hanger bays magnetic shield, hundreds of passengers and crew members
were lost trying to get to a shuttle when the magnetic shield dropped.
     Now it was self aware with no crew and only one working
hyperdrive motivator.  Since the crew had been killed, it had stopped
running lights and powering computer displays.  Everything was dead
except the sensors, which it used to gather as much information as
possible, the main computer, the weapons system, and the hyperdrive.
     Of course it was one of three ships that went into this solitary
state.  The other two had engaged their hyperdrive at the first sight
of trouble.  Neither has been seen since...
 
                               CHAPTER
                                  1

     Sergeant Chaplin drilled his cadets harder than any other drill
sergeant Skids had trained under.  But he liked Chaplin because after
the workouts and the drills he was a man you could touch, someone you
could talk to and be heard.  The men liked him and Skids was starting
to get to know him.  Skids ex-roommate Thyms couldn't stand Chaplin,
for some reason he hated him.  Deadly hate almost, but hey, there were
always going to be people that didn't fall in line or even hear you
when you screaming at them till their ear wax peeled.  Thyms was one
of those people, and Skids didn't like it.
     Of course Thyms was only in the academy because his dad was an
Admiral and wanted to see his son become one too, but at least he knew
how to have a good time.  His favorite thing to do to his commanding
officers was to set their replicators to only dispense dog food.  He
had a square jaw and handsome facial features, he stuck out from the
rest of the guys like a Wookie in a group of stormtroopers.
     Skids on the other hand had worked his butt off through school
and worked at the academy logics directory just to get through academy
daily life.  He was had slender features and didn't really stand out.
He came from one of the backwater cities on Dantooine.

     "Hey Skids.  When are you gonna let me see the X-wing they issued
you?", Thyms said sarcastically across the locker room.  He had been a
little bitter that he hadn't gotten an X-wing of his on yet, he was
still using an ancient Y-wing.  "You shouldn't goof off during flight
lessons and you might have one two!", Skids replied. "What do you
mean?  Are you saying that I don't work hard enough?", Thyms was
getting mad, "You little runt!".  Thyms jumped, reaching out with his
hands made a grab for Skids arms, luckily Skids also paid attention
during self defense workouts.  He pivoted on his right foot grabbing
Thyms arm at the same time, Thyms slammed against the wall with a
thud.  He remained still.
     "What in the hell are you two doing?", Major Starls had run into
the locker room after hearing the commotion.  "Both of you report to
your quarters and stay there until someone comes to bring you to your
commanding officer."  Skids replied by walking silently back to his
quarters. Thyms on the other hand couldn't, he was out cold.

Damn, Skids thought as he walked back to his room this is gonna come
out of my hide and my money.  Damn!
     After waiting for a few hours, "to let him think about what he
had done", there came a beep at the door.  "Come," the door slid open
and a man no older than skids entered the room. Like a recording he
read from his data pad "Gabriel Skids Kiphing come to councilor
Fesill's office at 0900 hours tomorrow morning.  Then he turned and
left.  Hmm skids thought maybe their just gonna try and use some
"let's all be nice" talk and hope that it blows over.  Chances are
that Thyms isn't gonna let it blow over.

                                 Chapter
                                    2
       
     The battle scarred A-class freighter glided fluidly through the
small group of capitol ships.  Equally fluid was the confidence of the
person at the flight controls.  "Somer, what's our velocity?", the
unkept man beside her asked.  "60 kliks heading on mark 41.03, 38.2.",
She answered.  "Change course to mark 41.02, 37.", Was his reply.  And
to that they flowed smoothly over a Spartis cruise liner.
     "What's the schedule for today Ren?  Another food transport, or
just a spice shipment?", apparently Ren wasn't paying attention to
her.  "What?  Oh sorry, I was thinking about that liner.  It would be
nice to take a break you know?", He replied.  "Well not today buddy,
we have to make a living.  Even if it's not quite an honest one.", She
said wryly.  Reaching over to the landing gear switch she set down on
one of the many huge decks of the Liner.  "Maybe we'll find some
business here?"
     
Walking through the corridors of the huge training station only
worried Skids more about meeting with this councillor.  Of course he
didn't have too much to worry about, all they would do would be to
take away his X-wing.  Thyms on the other hand didn't have to worry at
all, his fathers status in the military would be enough that the
councillor would just say don't let it happen again.
     There he was at the door to councillor Fesill's office.  Before
he could press the buzzer the door slid open with the familiar sound
of air being released form the door.  To his surprise Thyms was
already there sitting and chatting with the councillor when he walked
in.  "Ah!  Mister Kiphing.  Welcome.  Before you say anything hand me
you ID card and your military blaster."  Skids replied uneasily and
handed both over.  "Why do you want these?"  Skids sat down next to
Thyms.  "Well you see," He started, "your being decommissioned."
Skids felt his jaw drop and his hands fall open. "What?" He yelped.
"But, but...?"  So unfair this was.  "Well I'm sorry but that's the
way the hammer falls."  Skids looked down at Thyms and not too
surprisingly he saw a grin on his face.  "Is this your idea of a
joke!"  Thyms just looked up and shook his head still grinning.  Skids
began to leave as the councillor said, "Wait, take this data card and
read it."  Skids stormed out and ran down the halls furious that they
were doing this!  How could they do this?!  I don't deserve this!  I
don't have anywhere to go now.  Splendid.  I'm in deep.  He was.
     
As he walked into his room he looked down at the data card he'd been
neglecting.
     "You are now a citizen with only the rights of a citizen.  Since
you were a paying student you will receive as payment for your credits
a standard citizens issue blaster..."  The rest just explained where
to go to get it.  He turned to his room and began filling up his cases
with his clothes and various souvenirs from training missions.
     He picked up a medallion an old woman had given him on Vorn Nol.
It was an odd piece of craftsmanship, it was divided into four circles
and each had an alien word in front of them.  He had run them through
the computers several times but nothing ever came up.  With depression
in his soul he set it in one of his cases.  Locked them up and headed
toward Docking Bay 13.
         
She walked around trying to act like someone looking for work when Ren
walked up.  "I think I've found some work."  He said waiting for her
to reply.  "What kind of work?"  His eyes lit up and he said, "Spice
load.  Full cargo.  Big credits."  She nodded her head in agreement.
He began, "So it's settled, we start loading right now.  We'll have to
move our ship to another pad."  She turned and started heading toward
the ship.
     As she walked up the ramp Ren said "Oh yeah, leave your blaster
in the ship.  They don't like firearms."  She turned and with a hard
look in her eyes.  "Why didn't you mention this before?  You know I
don't trust anybody I just met, neither should you."  He had a
defeated look in his eye as he said, "At least put it in your sleeve."
She smoothly slipped it off her belt and slid it under her shirt.
     Ren pulled the stick back and they were off the ground and soon
heading toward another area on the liner.  "How much does this pay?"
She asked coldly.  "The price will be discussed when we get there."
She turned and resumed at her station.
     Suddenly the landing pad they were heading toward erupted into a
mountain of plasma and fire.  "Holy!"  Ren jerked the ship sharply
into a 45 degree turn just avoiding the explosion.  "What in the hell
is going on?"  Somer yelled over the roar of the explosion!  "I don't
Know!"  He rolled to the left.  Whatever was going on they were stuck
in the middle.  After steering away from the pad he risked a glance at
his rear and forward sensors, he almost wished he hadn't.  Right
behind them was a squadron of Tie interceptors.
     
"Twelve TIE's right behind us!  And they don't look friendly!"  Ren
yelled over the roar of their ships sudden acceleration.  Somer gad
been powering up the weapons since the explosion erupted.  Two bolts
rocked the ship as She maneuvered to fire the ion cannons.  "Well I
guess they mean business!"  Ren fired two ion beams right into the
cockpit of the closest Tie, in an eruption of green fire the ship was
ionized.  "Waahoo!"  The battle cry didn't last long as a concussion
missile rocked the hull.  "I thought they couldn't carry missiles on
those things?"  Only phased for a moment Somer fired a spread of
twenty shots and took out three Interceptors.  Flying under the belly
of the liner to configure the hyperspace coordinates Somer said, "Well
at least the liners security took care of the rest of them."  Wiping
the sweat off his forehead Ren said, "Let's just get outta here.
Where to?"
     "The Myenteron system.  We need some repairs and maybe find some
business that won't blow up?"  Somer pulled the two levers to activate
the hyperspace jump and with the forming of the starlines they were
off.

                               Chapter
                                  3

                      Skids entered the docking bay, he quickly
started looking for someone to ferry a ride with.
     All the sudden the red alert began to flash.  Skids dropped his
packs and looked up at the main view monitor.  He saw a map of the
station and then appeared several red flashes indicating numerous
explosions through the stem holding the station up.
     For the second time in so many hours he felt his jaw drop.  Then
his feet became unsteady and the floor began to shake.  He grabbed two
of his cases and ran for a ship.  As looked around for someone who
might let him hitch a ride he saw a stack of crates fall, in the
process crushing the pilot of a Tyderian Shuttle nearby.  Familiar
with the controls of one he took of in a dead run toward the shuttle
avoiding falling shrapnel and other debris.
     He dove into the ship and looked up to see the muzzle of a
blaster pointed at his head.  "What the hell are you doing in here?"
The figure asked.  "I saw the pilot of this ship killed...", unable to
think of a reasonable explanation he started to make up a lie, "And
you decided to steal the ship?  Well I'm taking this ship so get off!"
The man waved the gun menacingly.  "Wait!  Just give me a ride outta
here and drop me off at your next stop."  He lowered the blaster.
"Fine."
     Sitting in the copilots seat Skids looked over at the man.  "So
what's your name?"  The man turned and stared for a moment.
Hesitantly the man said, "For now just call me, Encrypt."
     He jerked the rear propulsion units on and throttled them.  In no
time they were through the docking bay doors and off into space.

Groggily waking from his sleep Ren looked up to see what woke him.
There was Somer prodding him with her hand lamp, "Get up, we're here."
Where exactly is "here", he thought.  Then he remembered, the
Myenteron system, home of the best repair facility in the delta
quadrant.
     Somer was already manning the controls.  "We're heading toward
Teron III to pick up some supplies and get the ship inspected."  Ren
just nodded and sat down, still not quite awake.  Ren was suddenly
fully awakened by the sound of the sub-space radio, "Unidentified
ship, what is your registration number and ships name?"  He looked up
at Somer with a look that signified that she could handle this.  She
spoke up "Registration number 4521-234-5612, ship name
Nebulan-Phoenix."  The radio replied, "Nebulan-Phoenix, you are clear
to land on pad 4-1."  The communication abruptly ended and Somer set
course for landing pad 4-1.
     
"Wake up pretty boy!" Skids eyes crept open.  He looked down at his
shirt and quickly wiped away the saliva.  "That's what you get for
sleeping upright.", Encrypt handed over a towelet from the first aid
kit, "Here wipe that off with this."  Embarrassed that he drooled all
over himself he stood and walked to the back to clean himself off
before changing clothes.
     "So, where are we?", Skids said from the back of the ship.
"Myenteron system, we're gonna check out the reports on what happened
at the training station a couple days ago."  Encrypt had already
finished getting a place to dock.

Somer walked over to her bunk.  She reached under the bed pad and
pulled out a cubic box about half a meter by half a meter.  She
unlatched several locks on it and opened it.  Sitting there like a
jewel was a purple and red brightly colored egg.
     Somer picked it up, holding it close to her chest, she just sat
there with it in her arms.  After a few moments it began to glow
slightly, then cracks began to form on the surface.  Soon she heard a
slight squeak.  She opened her arms and where there once was only a
shell now there was a small red dragon.
     "Are you sleepy Dink?  You slept for almost 17 days."  The little
dragon looked up and squeaked again.  "Well get up, it's time to go
searching for business."  Dink just squeaked a reply that almost
sounded like "ok".
     He hopped onto Somer's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek with his
nose.

Skids walked down the ramp after Encrypt, looking around at the huge
city with wide eyes.  "So pretty boy, never been to a big city before
eh?"  Encrypt asked sarcastically.  Skids replied, "Nuna prime but it
was nothing like this!"  The buildings were each over seven-hundred
meters high!  Skids couldn't believe it.
     Encrypt straitened his coat and started walking toward the
shipyards.  "Hey where you going?"  Skids said as he ran to catch up.
"That building is bound to have a public computer terminal," he said
with a gleam in his eye, "I'll move our ship up to first priority, it
needs some repairs anyway."  Skids realized what he meant, "Your going
to hack into it?"  Encrypt turned with that same gleam in his eye,
"Please!  I prefer the word `slice`."  he grinned, then quickly turned
and walked into the building.
     Skids caught up and said, "You any good at this?"  Encrypt said
without turning his head, "They don't call me `Encrypt` for nothing,
you know."
     His hands glided easily over the keypad connecting with it
rapidly.  He was good Skids thought.  "There!  We're next in line.",
He turned toward the bar and said, "Now while we wait I'm going to get
a drink."
     
Somer sat down at the bar to wait for their ship.  She turned to Ren
and said, "It'll be a while, our ship got moved back for some reason."
Dink let out an indignant growl.  "Probably some computer glitch."
     "So where's this business you promised?"  Somer said as Dink
crawled around her neck and squeaked what sounded like an imitation of
what she said.  "I think we might get some business from those two
over there.", Ren pointed at a couple of men, one younger than the
other, both looked like they had been going nonstop for a while.
"I'll check them out, see if they do need some hired help."

Encrypt looked up from his drink, "Hello there," he said to the
exceptionally nice looking woman standing over him, "and who might you
be?"  She looked down at him and said, "I was just wondering if you
were going to need any help loading and unloading your cargo," she sat
down, "or maybe need some transport to somewhere?"
     Skids just sat there trying to mind his own business.  "Maybe you
can help me too?"  Encrypt spoke up, "I could even move your ship up
to higher priority if you need me to?"
     Her eyes went wide and her fist slammed into Encrypts face!
Encrypt fell out of his chair sliding about meter from where he sat!
"You little slicer!"  she screamed, "You moved my ship down!"
     Ren looked up from his ale.  "So it wasn't a computer glitch
after all.", he smirked.

Encrypt looked up wiping the blood from his nose.  "Holy crap!"  He
got up and reached over the bar for a rag.
     "I should shoot you right now!" She screamed.  Encrypt made a
motion to quiet down, "Shhh!  Don't yell about it."  She reached over
toward him and grabbed his nose.  "Come on, your gonna get my ship
fixed for free you twit."

Encrypt had just finished correcting his "mistake" for the lady when
he felt a hard slap on the back of his head.  "Good job Encrap."
     He stood up to defend his pride and realized she was pointing a
blaster at his nose.  He laughed nervously.  "Shut up."  She led him
over to the bar.  Skids was waiting and talking to Ren.  This wasn't
where Encrypt wanted to be right now.  He wanted to be home right now,
on Nar Shadda.
     He grew up on one of Nar Shadda's famous floating cities.  It was
like living in hell especially when your on your own.  He lied,
murdered, and stole for the first 16 years of his young life.  Killing
came naturally to him.  He could slit a throat and steel the credits
before the person could scream for help.  Not that it would matter on
that damned planet.  The Huts controlled the whole planet.  It was the
festering armpit of the galaxy.
     
Encrypt heard the emergency sirens from the bar.  Some poor gambler
down on his luck tried to steal several credits from a credit droid.
He probably would be executed for it.
     Somer had already pulled her blaster, hey there might be a reward
for catching the sap.  This got Encrypt interested, for the opposite
reason.  He stood from his chair at the bar and opened the door to the
shuttle bay right as the thief ran through it.
     
"You let him go!", Somer ran up to Encrypt blaster flailing.  Dink
chirped excitedly.  "You idiot. You let him go!"  Encrypt tightened
his leg muscles read for a kick to the groin.
     She dropped her blaster and raised her knee to strike.  Encrypt
felt a nauseating pain and collapsed.  "Saw that one coming.", Ren
said from the bar.
     Somer kicked him again in the stomach.  "Your violent for such a
pretty girl."  He felt his breathe get nocked out.  "I would advise
against mocking me!"
     Skids was starting to laugh but held it back afraid of what this
soldier of fortune might do to him.  So he held back his laughter
until he was alone.  Ren stood up revealing his full 7' 5''.  Skids
didn't think he looked that big sitting at the bar.  "Come on Ren,
let's go."
     Encrypt's eye's drifted toward Somer and then to Ren.  He would
get his pride back.  Then his eyes shifted toward a large balding man
at the bar.  Jorrel Tolwin.  He cracked a smile and walked over to the
man.  "Jorrel!"  Encrypt said loudly.  "Encrypt!  Go to hell."
     "Come on Jorrel, buddy?"  Jorrel laughed.  "You fool, your
messing with the big guys now.", Encrypt stopped.  "That explosion on
the training station, that was mine."  Holy shit!  Encrypt thought
back to when he was sitting in the hanger bay waiting for his ride to
get loaded when the explosions started.  He had remembered seeing
Jorrel sitting in the cockpit of a small personnel shuttle.
     "Pretty boy!", Encrypt screamed turning around.  "Let's get the
hell outta here!"  Skids looked up from the bar.  "Come on!"  By now
Encrypt had broken out into a run for the hanger bay.  Jorrel had
already gotten to his ship personal transporter.  The first explosion
hit.  The whole opposite half of the hanger bay was gone.  He looked
back for Ren and Somer.
     Somer was looking out of the empty sky.  The explosion had
knocked off the section with her ship and Ren had been over there.
Encrypt in one moment of desperation yelled, "Somer, over here!"  She
turned and saw him.  no choice but to go with him.  She ran just as
the hanger bay started to lose stability.  The planks on the floor
where she was standing a moment ago were part of space.
     Encrypt opened the door to the shuttle quickly and she dove in.
"Thanks!"

                                 CHAPTER
                                    4

     What is this all about?  That was the only think that mattered
now.  She couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, nothing was important now
except for answers.  Meanwhile Dink had slept well.  He had been on
her shoulder asleep during the explosion.  Right now he was pestering
Encrypt by walking all over his shoulder and back.  "Off me you little
scale!"
     "Somebody take him to his quarters!"  Skids laughed freely at
him.  "He likes you!"  Encrypt was trying to get some info about the
explosions who was paying Tolwin for them, and why.  These weren't
strategic places to blow up.
     "Encrypt?", Skids nudged him.  "What is it!", Encrypt snapped,
"I'm working!"  Skids gulped, "The inertial dampeners are failing."
"What!"  Encrypt looked up at the main screen, the dampener's were
going to fail in 5 seconds and it took 9 to fully stop from
hyperspace.  He pulled the hyperspace stop lever and felt the
dampeners start to fail.  Had he forgotten to put on his safety belt?
He felt his body slam against the transparasteel of the view port.
His chest felt like it was on fire.  "AAAARRRgghhh!" he screamed.
Skids had strapped in when he saw the warning sign and Somer was in
the sleep tank which had it own inertial dampeners.
     Encrypt felt a surge of pain and then every thing felt sweet, he
felt tired, very tired.  He just wanted to go to sleep, no, not to
fight it, to fight it would be futile, just sleep...

Skids woke up and saw Encrypt crumpled up on the floor.  He looked
back and saw the little dragon creature curled up shivering.  He ran
to Somer's quarters.  "Somer!"  She was in the sleep tank still
sleeping soundly.  "Thank god."  Then he thought back to Encrypt's
crumpled body on the floor.
     Skids broke into a run down the corridor.  "Oh my g.. go.."
Encrypt was hardly breathing through blood caked lips.  His eyes
wandered not perceiving the images, all he felt was pain.  And god was
it pain.  Encrypt tried to open his eyes but he was either too weak or
his eyes were caked over with blood too.
     He struggled to reach his feat and realized he couldn't move.
His body was far too weak from loss of blood.  "Don't move," Skids
said leaning over him.  "you've lost a lot of blood and you have some
broken ribs."  Encrypt did as he was told but didn't dare fall asleep.
He knew if you had suffered a concussion and fell asleep you may never
awaken.  So he just kept his eyes cracked and watched as Skids wrapped
his wounds and set his bones.  Then as he began to gain strength he
noticed just how cold it was in there.  "Why...is...it," Skids looked
up from one of Encrypts cuts, "so...cold.."  "The environmental
regulators were damaged during the sudden drop from hyperspace."
Encrypt knew what that meant.  They would have to land on a planet in
this system soon or they would be icicles.
     "Did we...reach a...system?"  Skids looked up and said, "We were
only a few parsects from Corriscant.  We'll have to land there soon."
Encrypt just nodded and laid back down.

Encrypt was lying in bed when skids came in and said they had landed
on a M- class planet.  Somer had gotten up and came in a moment later
with Dink on her shoulder.  "Some fall you took."  Encrypt wheezed,
"If not for my fall you would be part of the transparasteel right
now."  He went into a fit of coughing and finally calmed down, falling
asleep.
     Somer had not realized he was in such bad shape until then.  "You
shouldn't get him excited.", Skids said as he unloaded the tent and
the supplies.  "His condition is much worse than I had thought.",
Somer replied.  She picked up a crate and hauled it down the ramp.

Encrypt lied there on the bed ranting and raving.  "What's he mumbling
about?"  Skids looked down at him, "I don't know, he's been like this
all morning." Skids coughed, "Something like 'Tolwin blew up' whatever
that means."
     "For Huts!"  Skids head shot up and the word "hut".  "What did he
say?"  Somer looked over at him.  '' 'For huts' I think."
     Skids thought for a moment.  "Tolwin blew up, for Huts.  Maybe he
means Tolwin, whoever that is, blew up those places for the Huts."
Skids ran back to the cockpit and picked up the data pad Encrypt had
been working on before the dampeners failed.  He typed "recall last
entry".  There was a list of names some highlighted and there was a
conversation between Encrypt and some other slicer named Ghent.
Apparently together they had figured out who was behind this madness.
     "Time to pay the Huts a little visit." Somer said over Skids
shoulder.  "We can't just run in there guns blazing.  Anyway the ship
doesn't have hyperdrive if it doesn't have inertial dampeners."
Anyway he thought to himself, this place must have some small
cicilization on it.
     "Well first we have to move Encrypt out of the Ship.  Doing that
will take a little wood and tarp."  Somer looked at him and smiled.
Finally something to make themselves usefull.