Star Wars
Episode Trent IV
"Greater Things"
This story, it's characters and happenings are by now way endorsed or stuff by George Lucas or Lucas arts and are only figments of my imagination. I am in no way getting money from this site or story or content, and am not intending to break copyright laws. This story was intended only as a hobby and not for commercial gain. The Pictures used on this site are mainly from the Star wars Episode I movie. If you wish me to remove them, email me and I will. They are here to add to the total effect of the page only.
Chapter 1: Confluence of Destiny
          scene 1: space
It was apparent, even from a long way off, that the small ship which was now heading toward Tatooine was substantially damaged. It was a fighter style craft, not an X-wing, but the less common Delta-wing, and a very battered two seater at that!
 The lower port side had a gaping hole in the light armor, and much of the fighters finish was spattered with stains and burns, giving it a distinctively mottled appearance. Along with this, a thin wispy trail of smoke trailed behind the fighter as it raced toward the planet.
 Inside, the single pilot was preparing for entry into the Tatooine atmosphere. A small Flight Control Unit FC2-F6/27 plugged into it's socket was giving readouts on it's screen as the fighter began to approach the Planet. Tatooine was getting progressively larger and larger in the forward windscreen, a great splotchy yellow-brown hemisphere, still featureless from this altitude, and indeed, as legend had it, from any altitude.
 The pilot hit a button on FC2-F6/27 and it gave out a little chirp of acknowledgment, as he took the control stick into his hands and aimed his craft toward the night side of the planet, keying the shields on.

            Scene 2: The Tatooine surface, evening

Even though the sun had set nearly thirty minutes before, The heat of the Tatooine desert hadn't let up even yet, as the pale white stars twinkled in the cloudless sky.
 Corlanda Tupeh looked up at those stars dreamily. She always found herself looking up after her chores were finished, dreaming of faraway places. All her friends were the same, dreaming of getting away from this place. This place like a stranded Island in space.
As she looked up, she saw a light pearce the sky, leaving a small white-blue trail behind it. Quickly as she could manage, she took her Macro-Binoculars from her repulsor-sled and focused, quickly as she could, but couldn't quite make out what it was, but as she was about to pass it off as an asteroid, It changed direction quite radically, too radically. It then passed abruptly then behind terrain.
Corlanda Tupeh lowered her macro-binoculars, looking over toward where she had last seen the object before it had disappeared. For nearly a minute she stood, waiting, looking, listening... before her Teecea Tupeh called her. She quickly spun around and pulled the Repulsor-Sled and it's load with her inside.
"I saw a vessel come down over toward Mos-Esnik." Corlanda still thinking about the night's happenings was only jabbing at her food in a disinterested way. Her Father Teecea was, on the other hand, chewing vigorously on his food. He swallowed a mouthful before he answered. "That's odd, Mos-Esnik doesn't have a port facility..." He glanced toward the door, as if looking toward Mos-Esnik, before picking out a piece of vegetable with his fork, saying, as he did so "You sure it wasn't an asteroid?"
Corlanda defensively shot back quickly, "No way... It pulled off landing maneuvers and..." She trailed off as her father gave her a reprimanding look. she hung her head slightly, staring at her plate of uneaten food, whispering sorry.
After Swallowing his mouthful, Teecea continued, in a forgiving tone. "Well whatever it is, it doesn't concern us anyway." He looked over at his daughter who was still staring blankly into her plate, still quite ashamed of her uncontrolled outburst of rudeness to her father. Teecea comforted her slightly as best he could, and let the conversation drop. "Come on Corlanda, Eat your tea before it goes cold."
"Yes Pa." She answered timidly, as she begun eating.


After seeing a cluster of buildings on his approach line, Jenat-Lai Ovarn had turned across the desert, navigating by eye in the dark, looking for a suitable place to land. This part of Tatooine was rocky rather than sandy, with large rock gorges and outcroppings facing out in a dangerous hodgepodge of escarpments and ravines. Jenat-Lai Ovarn maneuvered his damaged craft with skill through the dark, sensing when to turn with almost superhuman accuracy until he found what was probably the only suitable landing place for the Delta-Wing within miles.
The landing was quite rough. With the repulsor-lifts out, he had to put the Delta-Wing in with sufficient forward speed to produce lift enough from the Delta-Wing's aerosols to compensate for the damaged repulsors.
 After the clatter of the landing subsided, and the engines had spooled down, the shocked silence was almost deafening.
Slowly letting the tension drain from his body, Jenat-Lai relaxed his grip on the controls, letting them finally drop heavily to his side with a quick sigh.
 Tatooine had been the first place that FC2-F6/27 had come up with when Jenat-Lai had requested an out of the way place, and in the heat of the escape, he had been in no place to make second choices.
 He was glad that the Hyperdrive had even worked, glad that the damage to the Delta-Wing hadn't turned everything into a fireball as he entered the Tatooine atmosphere. He was exhausted. Exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally. Drained.
 Yet he could not sleep. It was not so much the cramped clutter of the Delta-Wing's cockpit, or the still-stifling heat of the Tatooine night, but a dull, persistent and terrifying memory of utter failure. He could still see her face now. Not the Calm placid beauty of the Jolanda he had given his life to those many years ago, but the fresh memory of that face streaked in blood and mud, broken flesh. A face amongst many. He had tried. Tried his best to save her, Just her. He had given everything, his whole life for her, now she was gone forever. Taken away from him by that same enemy who had tried to destroy him. And now he was starting to wish they had.

      Scene 3: Tatooine. Morning

Tattoo 1 and Tattoo 2, the twin suns of Tatooine are basically indistinguishable, except for the fact that their slight angular displacement causes Tattoo 1 to rise and set first. Jenat-Lai Ovarn had found himself with his head slumped over on the annaculator panel of the Delta-Wing as the first of the suns crept over the horizon to announce day to the occupants of the area, which, as far as Jenat-Lai could tell, was either nonexistent or very far away. Jenat-Lai knew nothing at all about this parched planet, but it seemed that there wasn't much to know about.
  The annaculator panel was starting to dim. All of the lights were either blank or faintly glowing a dull red. Not a green light was on the panel. The Delta-Wing was truly incapacitated. Seeing that there was no use staying with the craft, Jenat-Lai decided to de-plane before the day got too hot to bare. Pulling out the emergency issue rations, Jenat-Lai attempted to open the Canopy.
  It was apparent after only a couple of tries on the canopy handle that the egress was going to be less than conventional, and so Jenat-Lai began to prepare for emergency Canopy ejection.


  The Mos-Esnik trading groups were always well protected. The main reason was because of the almost constant threat from the Tusken Raiders. Yet there was a distinct advantage which traveling with the group, as it offered the most secure way for the areas moisture farmers to send their goods to the small but profitable Mos-Esnik markets. Not only that, but a strong man could make quite a living as a perimeter defense, If he lived long enough.
 The groups always left just at the crack of dawn. Early enough so that the groups got back into Mos-Esnik before the midday sun made travel impossible.
 It was for this group that Corlanda was traveling in with her father's droid C-1PW, the worker droid, who was actually a protocol droid, and the repulsor cargo sled, full of his fortnights produce, and two Eopies. Corlanda preferred to travel as close to the middle of the group as possible. It was the safest spot to be. The dangerous Tusken raiders were constantly on the lookout, ready to pick off the stragglers. It was their living in a large way. They had to steal to survive in this harsh environment.
 Corlanda was always nervous when she had to travel with the groups, yet she always looked forward to it. It was the only time she ever went off her fathers property and into Mos-Esnik. Mos-Esnik itself was quite different from the spaceport cities in the north of Tatooine, where the main trade happens between traders, Jawas, and various space pilots and smugglers. Although the Mos-Esnik crime rate is much less than the larger spaceport cities, it still pays to be careful, and Corlanda was well aware of this fact. Yet it was the Tenuun homestead which Corlanda was most fearful. This overgrown moisture farm had a particularly bad reputation among Mos-Esnik citizens. It was well known that the homestead actually housed considerably more populous than the actual town of Mos-Esnik, with a variety of less than legitimate business ventures going on as well. A mix between city and casino bar, this place was a rather profitable place, and a major stopping point for the Trading Groups.
Corlanda knew well her fathers dislike of the Tenuuns, and also knew that he probably equated the previous nights mystery landing with one of the Tenuun's smuggling operations. Since the end of the Legendary Hutt organization on Tatooine, smuggling had only become moreso attractive. Without the monopoly of the Hutts in Tattoine, numerous operations of various caliber had risen, often creating quite vicious competition, and subsequent related violence. Although she had never seen anything, Corlanda did respect her father's desecration, and was relived to be leaving.

      Scene 4: Tatooine. High Noon
 
 The suns were now beginning to take their toll on Jenat-Lai as he struggled along toward the town which FC2-F6/27 had identified on his approach into Tatooine during the night. The Rocky terrain also made going tough, and Jenat-Lai frequently lost his footing. Even though FC2-F6/27 was now starting to loose power, the Faithful Flight Control unit was doing his best for Jenat-Lai. However it was only time before both FC2-F6/27 and Jenat-Lai collapsed with exhaustion. In fact it was Jenat-Lai who faltered first. Pulling himself wearily over a steep rocky gradient, Jenat-Lai had lost his footing. Too weak to stop his fall, he tumbled backwards and took a lot of weight in the fall. The final drops of the Water rations splitting across the hard rock as Jenat-Lai fell into unconsciousness. FC2-F6/27 beeping out in alarm and disappointment, before falling silent.

Detae Azneih was probably Corlanda's best friend in Mos-Esnik. Corlanda did not have many friends, because of her solitary life with her widowed father on the Moisture farm. But if there was one person that her father would not approve of her befriending, that would be Detae. Detae was well known in many parts of Tatooine. The twenty year old model was quite involved with the Pod Racing scene and was known as a controversial figure, and also a huge drawing card for the human audience to pod racing. Yet she was very kind hearted and was always very friendly. Much more friendly than probably any other being in Mos-Esnik. She had been living by herself in Mos-Esnik since Corlanda had met her nearly 3 years ago, and in that time had made quite a living modeling for the Controversial Malastarian based company "Skangan Powerplants inc."
 Detae always let Corlanda stay with her in her room in Mos-Esnik, and would always have something interesting to say. Today was no different.
"Did You see that Ship yesterday Corri?". Corlanda knew that the ship she had seen the previous night was going to be the talk of the town today. Mos-Esnik was small and not much ever happened there, and so an actual ship landing would arouse both suspicion and gossip amongst the Mos-Esnik locals, both human and non-human alike.
"It looked like it was going over your house actually" Detae observed.
"It didn't actually get as far as our house actually... It looked like it went down over the Sezk ridge, I thought it was going here actually". Corlanda always spoke softly and deliberately. It was part of her upbringing. Her father had once been an outlander and had carried with him to Tatooine a long religious and moralistic tradition, passing it on To Corlanda in bringing her up. Corlanda had never met her mother. She had died before Corlanda could remember. Teecea would rarely mention her, but her memory seemed painful to him.
"From here it looked like it actually crashed into the Sezk ridge Corri! Maybe it did!" Detae had an air of excitement about her now. It was like a little kid hoping for an adventure of some kind. Her eyes sparkled even more than usual as she seemed to come across an Idea. Like a little child who has a secret to tell.
"You go home throughout the Sezk ridge too don't you Corri?"
Detae's head bounced softly in excitement, making her hair bounce with it. Detae's hair was sort of straggly today, very full bodied golden bouncy locks which at times seemed even comical.
Corlanda indicated yes with a refined gesture. A slight smile whisking across her face as she considered her friend's antics.
"I have to go to Mos-Espa did you know?" Detae continuing excitedly on even before Corlanda had indicated that she did not know.
"There is a Pod Race there, but I have to be there by tomorrow and they gave me a speeder, and I'm going to the Tenuun Farmstead for tonight so I can get to Mos-Espa by tomorrow morning...." Detae drank in a deep breath before continuing.
"...Which means I can go with you and we have a speeder. How's That for service Corri?"
and with a wide smile which showed every white gleaming tooth, Detae waited for Corlanda's reply.
Instead, Corlanda had obviously lost track of the last part of Detae's outburst and simply stated with genuine concern, her distrust of the Tenuun's.
"Ah, I'll be Right Corri. I can take care of myself good enough."
Corlanda was still worried, but knew it was pointless arguing with Detae. And a ride home in Detae's speeder would be usefull and fun too. Corlanda packed her things and loaded C-1PW into her friend's Speeder with a sense of genuine happiness.

Scene 5: Tatooine. late afternoon
The Force was swirling uneasily about. It was not the disturbance from other beings, but an elusive thing. Almost like the force itself was trying to becon him. Was this like it was to die, he thought. Or maby it was not him thinking at all, but the force itself. He should have been hot, but he could feel a chilling coldness. Like some dark somber other rising, consuming. A deathly evil working in the air.
A vision flashed before him. A dagger shape. Jarring flashes of red light Jabbing out from it's sides. He recognised home. Coruscant. Civilisation's Capital. The Jewl of the Core worlds. It's silvery surface sparkling with awe inspiring vastness. The dagger now Jabbed it's red fingers of light toward it. And each time, darkened a patch of the silvery glow to dull, and then black. He saw masses killing masses. Just like what had happened on Veninia. Riots perhaps. Hatred and Jealosy pouring out. Blood. Serenly a familiar figure watched the destruction. Clasping her hands. She sensed him and turned to Strike at him Red Sabre jutting out with vengefull frenzy, Red Sabre... Red hair...
He moved, defensivly. She shouted his name. Jenat-Lai.... Jedi... Jenai... It all clouded into one in the same. Jenai... Over and over. Jenai... Jenai... Jenai...
He had no weapon. She moved in, made an easy kill.
and the White sabre lashed out as if posessed. It came from no-where. held by no-one. Destroyed the woman. And left in it's place, a girl. Shaking but confident. She held the White Sabre. it moulded to her small hand, and shone- silver. More brilliant than was bareable. The light filled the room, the planet... It filled the entire Galaxy. The vision was gone.


"I think he's alive Detae! He is breathing."
The voice that Jenat-Lai next heard was a girl's voice. Lapsing in and out of conciousness, he could still see the Suns of Tatooine high above him. He tried to see who the girl was, but was too weak to turn.
"Here, give him this. I don't need it. I'll get C-1PW to help us take him."
A second voice. More mature, but still young, a little more pointed in tone.
Finally, water. Someone splashed water lightly over his lips. Relief.
"We can make it to your house in just under ten if we hurry. Your pa will take him won't he? I can't take him to the Tenuun's, I can't imagine he's survive it Corri"
He didn't hear the answer. Perhaps one wasn't even given. But he felt himself being hauled up onto a soft surface by a droid of some sort, and then the distinctive whine of a speeder. He was saved.

The Tenuun homestead stood rigidly against the pinking sky as the Suns slowly sank across the sandy horizon. By this time in the evening, partiers, con artists, drug pushers and various other less than legitimate delegates were squabbling with their customers, selling anything from military hardware and intelligence, to alcohol and narcotics, and even females of various species selling themselves. Contrary to local rumor, Detae Azneih preferred to stay away from places such as these. It was not her type of place at all. It was for this reason that she did live in Mos-Eznik. A much tamer part of Tatooine than most. But her work called for much travel, at least within Tatooine. Pod Racing was making quite a large comeback now that the Empire's restrictions had gone. But even now, it remained more popular with the non humanoid audience than with the other species.
  This was mainly due to the fact that no humans were able to pull off pod racing, or at least to date. Scangan Powerplants had tried to change this, as they saw how much of a marketing possibility the racing arena was. They had even recruited several ex-imperial starfighter pilots to attempt racing. But so far this trial had been unsuccessful, as there was quite a difference between maneuvering a TIE Fighter at 2000 km/hr in space and maneuvering a pod at nearly that speed only 3 centimeters off the ground! But while Scangan attempted to create the first human pod racer since the old Republic days, many other companies came up with a unique Idea, yet an ancient one. The human female.
  In effect, Detae was the marketing ploy for Scangan on Tatooine. It was her job to carry the Scangan flag out on the Starting grid, her job to display "Scangan Powerplants INC." over her bikini. Her job to look sexy. Her job to get humans betting on the Scangan pod.
  Detae braced herself as she closed in toward the Tenuun homestead. She knew she had to be careful. Being a quasi famous person, especially at such sleazy places as the Tenuun Homestead, she knew she was being watched at every turn. Persons with all kinds of wishes would want to be seeing her. Some with quite disturbing intentions too. Once she was in her room she would be all right. She had given the stranger most of the water that she would have used during the trip, so she would have to buy some more. Not too much of a problem. She would do that after she found Dvuur and got her room set.


 Teecea Tupe helped the new stranger slurp some warm liquid. "It's a Faver-leaf brew... it'll make you feel better." he promised.
The man was dressed in a hodgepodge of Republican flight gear and civil clothes. Even though he hadn't spoken yet, Teecea felt comfortable with him. He seemed kindly enough.
 Teecea began to speak softly. As much to the stranger as to himself. "You're lucky Corlanda found you... and not some Tusken. They're quite savage those Tuskens." he thought for a moment and continued. "In fact it's quite strange... Corlanda usually doesn't come home through the Sezek Ridge..." He paused again. "You are very lucky indeed."
He stood up again, for no particular purpose, and walked to the far end of the room, continuing spasmodically.
"She's a good girl Corlanda. A lot of her mother in her." He turned to the stranger and noticed he was following him with his gaze. Waiting for a moment, Teecea then asked the man what his name was.
 The man took in a breath for what seemed like a long time, and held it. His reply was unclear, with only the vowels coming out in a strangely gruff and tired sound. "ehn..yaaih".
 Teecea, perplexed, apologized, and then caringly said "Better rest. You'll be stronger tomorrow."
And with that advice, Teecea left the man alone.

  "He said his name was 'En Yie' or something. He's very weak, but I think he'll make it."
Corlanda was still interested in the new arrival, but knew that the man also needed his rest, so went back to her own room. Secretly she still worried about Detae. And suddenly remembered that Father would probably not even know who she was or what she did... But what was done was done, and besides, there had already been enough excitement for one day.


 "Dets!"
With that single word, shouted loudly across the bar, Detae's hope for a quiet entry was shattered. Humanoids and other creatures alike turned their heads as if in unison to see what the commotion was, and a sudden murmur spread across the room like a summer sandstorm. Perhaps a hundred different languages all at once, like the currents of air and sand spinning loudly and chaotically throughout the bar. But one common word throughout... "Detae"
 "Hi... Dvuur." Detae put on a smile of perfect white teeth, and shot a glaring look at Dvuur as she said his name.
Already some of the less than humanoid occupants had turned back to their drinks and gambling. However she was disturbed by the number of those Humanoids which continued to gaze at her. She heard that if one had the force, one could read thought's, yet to be truthful, she would rather not know what those thoughts were. She felt alarmingly small and immature amongst the roomful of rogues and criminals.
Dvuur was a short furry creature with a long tail. He had been the Skangan's test pilot for racers for nearly a year now, and was himself a coulourful character. Detae never really liked him, but it was true that he was good at what he did. He was almost too cliched to be real. He was an entertaining type, cracking jokes and fooling around. His artwork was almost always a feature of his ships. He was also well known to be a cheat at games. Almost any game. Yet he always appeared at least on the surface to race fairly. His Racing style was unique. Almost kamikaze style, he would hoon down straights and often, if terrain was permitting, would vastly overshoot corners. Yet there was always something ruggedly heroic about him. Just two races ago, an engine cut out on the last lap, and as he was placing second, instead of cutting power to idle. he slammed everything to full, dislodging the crippled power plant and, on one engine and with some severe dis-balance problems, crossed the line in third place. Milliseconds ahead of his rival, Bulc Sevens. In fact, Dvuur had just been reliving the story with Bulc over a drink as Detae entered. Dvuur and Bulc, although they often nearly killed each other on the racing circuit, lived the rest of their lives like best friends. Detae could never really understand them, and although she saw the comical side of both of them, she couldn't ignore that she also feared them. Or maybe it was just this homestead that she feared.
 Mustering up her courage, she walked sternly over to where Dvuur sat, by the bar, and sat beside him.
"So, what room are we in?" Detae's voice carried a scolding quality to it. But it was because she was self conscious more than anything. She often disliked her voice because of that.
Dvuur took a while to respond.
"well?"
Her voice filled with even more urgency and brittleness than before.
Dvuur a little perplexed, and even a little worried for a moment defended himself.
"give me a chance chick!"
and after a moments silence between them, Dismissivly indicated that she was in room zero three eight and handed her the key.
"I'll be in there if you want me" Detae shot behind her back as she slid off to the room.

  Alone and silent the Imperial Class Star Destroyer sat in space. Darkened and foreboding. All of it's systems were shut down. It's half completed hulk silhouetted against the dull red glow of the Sheik II Nebula. Powerless construction droids hung motionless against the hulk. Beyond, further into the red haze suspended in space were ships. Many only partly constructed, Still born, half completed hulks without power. Other ships were damaged, some blasted into trash and debris. The only movement was the orbit of the material as it spun and glittered around in endless circles.
Then the rapid deceleration of a ship bursting out of hyperspace, and another... and then like a swarm of insects, a whole fleet bursting out, converging on the remnants surrounding the nebula.

"Admiral Taunsia, we have arrived".
The Officer stood at attention in her clean gray uniform. She stood just over a metre tall. All of the non-humans aboard the ship did. They were all of the same species. Humanoid looking, but shorter. Their hair was either purple, purple-brown, or rusty-red. This officer had a dark purple-brown hair, and was female.
"Captain Crossgni. You have your orders."
"Yes Sir"
Cathanin Crossgni was an attractive member of her species. With a well proportioned body and face. Gray eyed and long haired. She wore her hair longer than regulation length. She was the commanding officer of the Admiral's flagship, The Elisyum.
Before Taunsia's task force had contacted the Burshyns their world had been caught in a wide raging civil war. But now Burshya held a global peace, the two armies now working as one to help Taunsia's 'Empire'
Before 'The Empire' Burshya had explored space travel, but had never come into contact with other life. The tales of millions of life holding planet's had driven many Burshyns to join Taunsia's Spacefaring army both to help them explore their galaxy and an inherent sense of adventure. Taunsia's Army and Navy started a Burshyn ship building program as well, letting the Burshyns command many of their own ships, as well as the Imperial groups. Burshya is 4 years travel distance from the extreme outer rim of the galaxy now ruled by the Republic by the speed of the Burshyn version of the Imperial Star Destroyer.

"This is Captain Crossgni, The shuttles may now depart"
Four Lambada shuttles departed the hangar bay of The Elysium for the first of the Incomplete Imperial Star Destroyers.

"The Admiral is awaiting your command. The fleet has arrived at Sheik II"
The young Burshyn bowed to the mysterious cloaked figure, who ignored her for a while, staring out through the transpasteel to the red glowing reminants of the Shiek II star and the pinky glow of the nebula which seemed to spiral ever outwards.
She was swept aside suddenly as the cloaked figure rushed past her with a whirl and dissapeared down the hall toward the bridge.

"My Flagship will be that one. What is it's name Admiral?"
"Mistress Conquest, I see you have graced us with..."
The Admiral trailed off as Darthia Conquest held up her hand in a silencing gesture.
"Yes, yes I know, but now tell me what I want to know Brenn"
Taunsia looked up nervously as he took out the datascript and read out some information
"Imperial Star Destroyer, Upgraded Class. It's name is The Vengance. It's keel was laid over thirty five years ago by order of the then Grand Admiral Thrawn, Apparently it was slated to become...."
Darthia Conquest cut him off.
"It's older than me then. Interesting. Yet it has not achieved it's purpose"
Bren eyed his superior causiously, and with a mild interest as she slid her hood back and stepped closer to the transpasteel to take a closer look at the Imperial II Star Destroyer that loomed in the view.
It was not often that Bren saw Conquest without her hood up. Which was just too bad, she had very thick red hair that flowed down past her shoulders. He did not know exactly how old she was, but she had just made a revelation that she was youger than thirty five. Which surprised him. That made him older than her. At 43, Bren was now starting to show his hard years. He had been a military man during the worst times of the Empire. Drafted at the fresh age of 17, he had served as first a gun battery operator on board a Star Destroyer. Then somehow had gotten caught up in Conquest's crazy plan. For the last four years he had seen her plan come together. Piece by piece. She now had a fleet, if somewhat mottled in makeup. He admired her for her courage and leadership, yet feared her at the same time. And also had somewhat more than just a passing fancy for her.
"How long will it take for your men to get it ready Bren?"
She turned toward him.
"Bren?"
Bren shook himself aware and realised that she was looking at him and he could see her whole face. The features on her face. The perfect face.
"Liutenent, what's your verdict?" Bren said, hardly taking his eyes off  Darthia Conquest.
He knew this wouldn't last and he suddenly was aware that he was trying to memorize her face. Darthia stepped closer toward him. Her grey-blue eyes sparkling along with her white, white teeth as she gave him a smile.
"Well, sir, It's hard to say, probably three weeks at best, probably longer."
She was right up to him now, hood still down, less than a hand between them. He could almost feel her breathing, her heart beating.
"We'll just have to wait then won't we." she said to the liutenent, looking directly into Bren's eyes.
Bren couldn't think straight, but suddenly saw an image in his mind of himself at Darthia's side, and Darthia holding a child.
"We'll just have to wait"
With that she was gone.

It was deftnate. There was someone there too. So that was it now was it. No escape. Whoever was out the door didn't want to be noticed. And anyway the hall was too small to attempt to fight in. But the window would mean not having enough room to start with. She decided that the door would be the best way.
Clutching the small knife, Detae quietly as possible slid the crude locking device on the door open.
The man outside the window was not so quiet. Splashing the window open with a gaffi stick, and a battle cry, he revealed himself as not a man, but a Tusken Raider. Quickly she rammed the door open to reveal three large men with blasters. She jumped back just as one shot, hitting the raider square on the chest with a stun blast whereby a number of projectile shots fired back through the window. One of them hit the second man, sending the third running. Detae's knife found the first man's throat as she swung through the door.
The Thunder of a lazerturret drove home the fact that this was no random Tusken attack.

"Five military vehicles. Looks like a bit of a mixture, I think it's two hover tanks, a tracked Attack tank, some sort of... oh god..."
Vinsoth Tenuun reached for the Macrobinoculars out of his employee's hand
"What is it? Gimme a look."
Fealith handed the binoculars to his boss.
"It looks like some sort of Walker!"
Vinsoth put the Macro's up to his eyes and scoured the horizon untill he came accross what Fealith had seen.
"It's an ex-imperial Scout transport no doubt."
"So nothing to worry too much about?"
Vinsoth clicked his tounge.
"Not one, but I think they'v got more"
Fealith looked around
"How you know that Vinn?"
Vinsoth simply gave the macrobinoculars back to Fealith and gave him enough time to find the right view.
he stiffened.
"At least ten AT-ST's, and even more AT-PT's. It's gotta be Hundt. I didn't think he got that many through though" Vinsoth spoke low, brooding over what could well be the last night of his life.
"Time to go inside I think"

Detae found her way to the back door, glad to be holding a real weapon for once. The place was a complete mayhem, the Tenuun's mercenaries firing the turrets almost randomly into the night and various 'loyals' making a run for it. Along with visitors. The last Detae had heard was that there were Imperial Walking units attacking. She wasn't going to stick around and find out either.

Corlanda listened to the sounds echoing around in her head. like rolling thunder. She was dreaming. She could feel the floor rock slightly and stared at the sight of two people fighting with strange weapons. She felt strange, and could see Starships barraging each other. Fighters dodging and exploding. And an uncomftorble sensation of people in panic.
Corlanda's eyes shot open. It was almost like she had seen Detae struggling and panicing. Yet more rumbling. She wasn't dreaming it?! She shot out of bed.

Teecea was already up, with a rifle in his hand.

"Stay back. And keep the lights off"
Teecea didn't look around at Corlanda as she entered the room, but continued peering into the night through the window.
A green flash lit the sky, punctuated by a low, far-off rumble.
"It must be the Tenuuns and some other fanction. They've gotten the Sand People all up and about though"
Corlanda peered over her fathers shoulder nervously as he spoke low, into the night. She let her mind wonder for a little while.
"How's our friend pa?"
A moment passed.
"C-1PW is with him. He was asleep last time I checked"

He was laying on his back with his eyes open, staring at the roof, holding a cup of water C-1PW had probably given him.
Corlanda sat next to the droid quietly.
"Hi."
her voice a little uncertain.
"How are you feeling?"

The speeder rocked violently as it was hit by a lazer blast. But the only damage was astetic. However Detae fought to keep the vehicle steady. One of the repulsors had already been knocked out, and the Speeder was quite unsteady. She shot between the legs of one of the AT-ST's and inches from the body of some sort of tracked tank, the remaining repulsor growling under the strain. She took a quick look behind her and saw a pod racer do the same, and another, close on it's heels not so lucky, explode with a gush of orange and white as one of it's jets were hit. She quickly spun her head around, but it was too late, the explosion had torn a gash out of her night vision and right in the centre of her vision a purple-yellow haze hovered wherever she looked. Squinting to see and cursing herself for being so stupid to look at an explosion head-on she manouvered toward the canyon to the east as fast as she could. Moments later she was overtaken by Dvuur's podracer and left in a trail of dust.
But she was out of the firing line now and could relax a little, she reduced the power a little and let the speeder cruise, and began to wonder what she should do now.
A shot from a rifle nearby jolted her awake, and then a few more closer by made her put the speeder back into full speed.
Sand people. Excited by the prospect of war spoils were literaly crawling all over the dezert. Making journey through the canyon ring would be suicidal. Detae turned her speeder hard away from the entry into the canyon system and toward the open dezert. She looked in stunned disbelief as five sprouts of dust got kicked up by bullet shots just inches from where she would have been if she had of continued on a straight course. The nearest place over the plains was, the Tupe Moisture Farm.
"Well corri, I guess you get to see me sooner than expected eh?" she muttered to no-one in particular.


 
 
 
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