Cromwell at Algara

The Algara Story

After several stops and much money spent for a decent story, the smuggler ship GWYNEDD exits HS over the imperial sector capital ALGARA / Trax sector. Cromwells home planet, that shows a deep blue sea, contrasted by red coloured mountains and green forests, that sometimes fight against purple ferns that cover most of the plains instead of grass. The clime changes slowly, but you can find everything from paradise island with warm and smooth whether, where in the summer time sirens-snails enter the cliffs in moonlight and wind hauls through their shells. Baked in fern-butter and small green gooseberry like fruits, their smooth taste is a delicious appetiser - and supposed to be a soft aphrodisiac. On the other hand, you have the red mountains of the north, rising up to more than 5000m, topped with snow and sprinkling in the setting sun for moments you remember a lifetime.

Unnoticed by the imperial space control, the GWYNEDD is treated like any other ship of the various salesmen in orbit over the busy planet. The spaceport and the space over the planet itself is filled with medical cruisers, technical supply ships and traders, trying to make a lot of profit out of the disasters. Nothing shows, that the imperial command has given order to clean the planets from everybody, who has any connections to the new republic - ALL persons, including wives, relatives, children ... This started after a big natural catastrophe, where a million people died in a big flood, that was caused by an exploding marine power station. Of course, the New Republic had been blamed for it, but everybody knew, that this is not the way the rebellion works. But the mystery of the explosion is still unsolved, and New Republic Intelligence decided to solve it - and to rescue their huge spy-net, that suffered from the so-called "clearance" and "investigation" of the ruthless imperial governor.

Gambling crwllic, the best known card game of Algara, Cromwell feels better than in the last few days, where he had to check his disguise on several planets. He just escaped twice a stormtroopers patrol at Baralou, and he wasn't sure, but thought, that he knew the barkeeper at the shilwath-bar at the transmission space-station. He still can't remember, where.... "Anyhow", he thinks, "this fool over there will loose all his credits NOW". Keeping an eye on the blaster of his opponent, the NR-Navy Admiral on special duty reveals his last cards and sees the eyes of his opponent closing, and opening again, with a shocked sad view. Accepting, that he lost half of his profit, made in his last travel, he retreat. Cromwell sighs, takes the money and looks at his watch. "Blast", he thinks, "it’s really getting late, I better should not be caught too late travelling northwards. This would make the Imps suspicious." The North is still supposed to be the main land for the rebellion and the imperials never got really the power over the stubborn people there. But there, it’s was Cromwell’s home, this is, where Cromwell’s friends and relatives are.

A sudden explosion only some blocks away attracts Cromwells attention. he hurries there, and crying and injured people are fleeing from the centre of the destruction - where a house had been, only stones, dust and burning parts of the roof are left. Cromwell stumbles, looks down and sees a sign an orphanage, blasted away from the house. "Bl**dy rebels" he hears a man mumbling. "First, the imps take over, kill our best men and imprisoned our leaders, and now, the NR kill our children and the people. " The man looks at him, sees that Cromwell heard him, gets pale and get lost in the gathering crowd.

Surprised, and not wanted to be interviewed by the local authorities, Cromwell leaves the place of this shocking experience and heads forward to his meeting point with the hidden rebel undercover agents.

Some hours later and a few hundred miles away, Cromwell meets the head of the algara rebellion.

"Good to see you back, Cromwell. I have two things for you. First: we have no news about your family - sorry. They are still kept on a secret place, somewhere on the planet, we guess. Second, we have a problem: a new rebel group - faked or real, is doing attacks and claims to be the real rebellion of algara. They started with bombing streets, power lines etc., but since a few weeks, they started to kill innocent people. We are loosing our backup from the mountain-people, we are loosing our connections, because everybody gets imprisoned - and we have still no clue, who is behind it. Your job, is first, to make sure about the loyalty of the NR to our people. Your job is, to go into the mountains and to talk. Be damned careful, there are a lots of traitors up there as well right now. Many persons, not seen there for years, suddenly showed up - most of them are in imperial charge. Your name for now is Owain, Hall Gret Owain. Try to get information, we need everything we can get."

"OK. Where do I have to start ?" - "Lets see, not in you home-area, its full of traitors - you are sure that the NI doesn’t know anything ?"

"Well, you are never sure, are you ?" - "No, you aren’t" replies his friend. "So start in the east. You will get more information later. The code is LLATH, you got it ? You will meet a Tjk Klopsa and a Yr Ktu in the next bar down the road. Order a glass of water and they will recognise you. Introduce yourself as Edward Clarck "

Cromwell nods and leaves towards the bar, meets his new comrades, and they head for the north-east, in the red mountains, to reveal traitors, save Cromwells family and to solve the mystery of the terrorists, that play along with the Imperial oppressors.....

The door of the puffins bar slaps behind the citizen-supposed - to be "Edward Clarck" alias "Hall Gret Owain" alias "Oliver Cromwell". The NR Admiral in special mission inhales the sticky air full of smoke and the dumb smell of bad brandy and spoiled beer. He left the dark unsecure night full with patrolling stormtroopers behind, to enter this unpleasant pub. Cromwell sighs. He goes to the bar, hearing the sticky floor releasing each of his steps with a gobbling sound. A dozen eyes follow his movements but one couple in a gloomy corner just continue whispering and laughing. Three rough looking lads at the bar stopped talking and two gamblers interrupted their game to join the bored look the barkeeper has for Cromwell, entering the bar. He nods at the gamblers and the three men and orders a beer.

"None looks like being called Tjk Klopsa or Yr Ktu. No mountain men around, strange ...." he thinks. Taking a sip of his watery beer he curses the head of the rebels to decide that ordering "A glass of water" is a could code to be recognised. "I could as well order an elephant boiled in anoath white wine, everybody would remember me as well then, grrrrrr". Sitting down, he starts to summarise his information:

"1. There is a group of terrorists - the power station, the orphanage etc.
2. It is unknown, if they are "real" or if the NI is behind them"
3. This group has high technical knowledge, are highly organised and well trained and very secret.
4. They are ruthless but claim to be the rebellion.
5. The ordinary people got suspicious, if they are really the NR - although the NR never used terror against the population as their weapon. This rapid change in opinion might be triggered by a well organised propaganda machinery
6. The imperial governor imprisons hundreds of persons. This cannot be kept secret and will produce an uproar at least in the north, we will get more help from the people and by analysing the system of imprisoning we might reveal traitors.

This has no system! IF the NI is behind this, the Governor is a fool or wants to cover something. If its a new group, why do they claim to be the NR ? And what is the reason to choose these senseless targets ?"

Cromwells concentration is suddenly disturbed by one of the two gamblers, sitting down at his table. "Hi stranger, you are not from here, he ?" "To be honest - it IS my first visit in this bar, yes."
"I might have something interesting for you " and his hand eases into his jacket. Cromwell frowns. His sleeve with his hidden needle stunner pointed towards the man, he recognised the second gambler with his hand in his bag, holding, presumably, a blaster. nobody else noticed the situation.

Smiling, the man puts out his hand, opens it and shows him short a small flask containing a yellow, oily substance. "300 algs - and this piece of heaven is yours !"

"A dealer - a ordinary, slimy drug dealer - hell...." Cromwell, who feared the worst, relaxes. "300 ? Sorry, but even if I had so much, I lost my house, my family, my work, the flood you know...." starting with his faked story. The dealer shrugs, says " Think about." and goes back to his partner.

Finishing off his beer with a large big gulp, Cromwell returns to the bar. "A brandy, and a "GLASS OF WATER", please." The unshaved barkeeper glares at Cromwell: "A glass of water ? well... " The three guys at the bar start to laugh "Down to paradise Island they had enough water for the next years. hehehheh do you want some sirens-shells as well ? Thousands of them are washed on land after the flood - ask me, I was ordered to help there, because they started to stink like hell. Even Stormtroopers shipped the dead meat, mussels, fishes, and some fisher as well - disgusting. But they will sell the tons of these bloody shells to all souvenir shops all over the galaxy hahahahhahahhohohhhuhuhu".

Ignoring the "joke" that included the death of millions of people, Cromwell notices that the couple vanished from their corner, and that a small note is laying on his chair. "LLATH - outside". Letting the unhealthy looking drink and the grey water behind at his table, he leaves the bar.

Outside, the muggy dark night is suddenly brightened by a flash, and the last thing, Cromwell notices are the faces of the couple and a pair of stormtroopers dragging him into a waiting unmarked fighter....

A view weeks ago, Admiral Cromwell got a message, that his whole family, which lives under surveillance on a NI planet, vanished suddenly. Furthermore, strange thinks happen at Algara, his home planet, and NR Intel decided to solve the mystery around the unknown terrorists, that murdered millions of innocent people by producing a tidal wave. Of course, the NI governor blames the New Republic, and started secretly to imprison all people known to be friends of the rebellion. Because of being a native of the planet, his own will to rescue his family, and because of being able to use the connections his father had, it was decided that Cromwell takes it upon himself, to solve the mystery. But some information slipped somewhere, ..... somehow and Cromwell was captured .....

Cromwell dreams ....... He is playing Imperial and Rebel with his Cousin in the forest out of his home. He is just hiding behind a green Kruwa-tree and awaits the attack of his enemy, when he hears the fighter of his dad arriving. The only thing, he knows, is, that his dad makes planets to be inhabitable and he likes this. Today, his dad will have not much time, he thinks, he must return to the capital, because they have "senate-conference". After the death of Emperor Palpatine, his father joined the "Citizen for Peace" movement and made his money with terraforming and renaturating planets looted by the imperium - this was, what happened to Algara. Cromwell Natural Reserve Company a former small enterprise, grew up to be one of the biggest terraforming and renaturation companys in the sector. What Oliver Cromwell only recognized some years later was, that this and the activity in "Citizen for Peace" made his Father a popular spokesman for the ordinary people that depend on nature, touristic and agriculture. On the other hand, he was a thorn in imperial flesh, especially the imperial party chancellor Gyth Ddohr, who was told to had special connections to the former emperor........ Cromwell only met him once, and thought that he looks polite and friendly - not very charming and therefore not someone doing the presentation, more someone working in the background for the evil emperor. Seeing his Father exiting his shuttle and his mother waving, he suddenly feels a punch in his back. "Awake!" he hears his cousin cry, and another hit follows........

Cromwell gets consciousness and is confused in the beginning.... "Cousin....?" Then he remembers.... the couple, the stunner ---- STORMTROOPER !. His movements are still limited, the stunner still shows his effect and he is handcuffed. "How, did they ...." another punch disturbs his thought and he looks around the shuttle. "SO, you rebel scum. Then lets see what the imperium will have for you!" says the one Stoormtrooper. The couple is vanished and he is alone with the white uniformed enemies. "Let something alive, they will want to ask him some questions, I guess ..." is, what Cromwell hears from the pilots seat. "Where are your chiefs ? What your orders ? Rebel scum ! Want to kill another thousand poor imperial subjects ?. What are your orders ? Who is your contact person ? ".

"My name is Edward Clarck and I’m a humble subject to the imperial governor and the emperor of the whole galaxy !" The stormtroopers laugh out loud "Edward Clarck ! - HAHAHAHA - humble subject HEHEHEH" Stopping laughing anothe hit follows, "A bloody terrorist are you ! Rebel ! HA".

The shuttle suddenly stops, the first trooper turn around, and the stunner in his hand stops Cromwells thinking another time......

What happened until now ....
A view weeks ago, Admiral Cromwell got a message, that his whole family, which lives under surveillance on a NI planet, vanished suddenly. Furthermore, strange thinks happen at Algara, his home planet, and NR Intel decided to solve the mystery around the unknown terrorists, that murdered millions of innocent people by producing a tidal wave. Of course, the NI governor blames the New Republic, and started secretly to imprison all people known to be friends of the rebellion. Because of being a native of the planet, his own will to rescue his family, and because of being able to use the connections his father had, it was decided that Cromwell takes it upon himself, to solve the mystery. But some information slipped somewhere, ..... somehow and Cromwell was captured and stunned .....

PING-PING-PING- PING-PING-PING- PING-PING-PING- PING-PING-PING- PING-PING-PING-

With a loud hammering inside his head Cromwell awakes. His eyes still shut, he feels the stony ground he is laying at and the smell of damp walls and dirt. "What..... ohhhhhh" - his head burns. He opens his eyes and sees his fears acknowledged. He is in a cell, in an old prison. Outside, he hears stormtroopers drill and orders yelled. No sound of a battle, just drill, so the troopers don’t get bored. His whole body hurt from the hits he got from the stormtroopers and his thoughts where in confusion. The dim light entering through the grilled window tells him, that he slept at least one day - and he still feels sleepy. Breathing in deeply, he tries to get rid of his stunner-headache and he examines himself if he is seriously injured. Beside contusions and smaller wounds he seems to be all right, even if he feels like chewed and spit out again.

With slow movements he goes to the window, but the only thing he sees is a brick stonewall and a shallow empty pathway between the two buildings, where mosses and some ferns start to recapture the stones for nature. There is a light salty smell of the sea in the air, and as well, a light smell of rotten meat. His cell has no bed, no table, only a dirty bucket that seems to be the toilet. His thoughts are still going back and forth, and he sits down and fell asleep again....

Hours later, concerning the missing light, at night, Cromwell awakes by being shaken. Still a headache, he just recognized two stormtroopers , the same or not, he doesn’t know, show him to follow them. One behind him and one in front, he is walking through the empty hallway, guarded to a nearby room. A uniformed imperial Captain sits there, with a bunch of papers. Seeing his prisoner, he starts to smile. "Sit down, please. I hope you enjoy your accomodation and the room service ?" Cromwell says nothing, and just looks at the Captain. The stormtroopers salute and leave the room, not without handcuffing him. "You are very quite.... I don’t like this ! Edward Clarck - or should I say " Cromwell frowns "They know everything ?" "Or should I say Hall Gret Owain !!!" says the Captain with a charming smile. Cromwell looks surprised and thinks "They don’t know that I’m the NR-Admiral Cromwell ? what the hack is going on here ?"

"HALL GRET OWAIN - born 24.13.20032 in Crillath, 2 brother, one died in the clone wars, one for the rebellion " he looks with disgust. "You never had been noticed to be on the rebell side so far - surprised about everything we are knowing about you ?"

"Well, yes I am." is the only thing Cromwell can answer. His thoughts are still slow and a strange feeling starts to rise in his body. "You had been recognized and identified as soon as you exited the spaceport. So, WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS! WHO ARE YOUR CONTACT PERSONS IN THE REBELLION!"

"I’m just a humble subject to the empire, and if I did something wrong by telling somebody, I have another name, I’m very sorry about. I just didn’t want to be recognized here to be from Crillath, I heard the people here don’t like them too much...". With sparkling eyes, the Captain stands up and holds a nerve-vib-pistol at Cromwell and says in a low voice . "Don’t lie at me...." and a flash of pain flood Cromwell body. "AARRGHHH" is the only thing the captain can hear from his prisoner. "You like it ?" Cromwell tries to relax, and starts another tactic "But, sorry, I really don’t know what you want to know, I ...." he frowns and looks at the pistol ---- but the pistol never fired a second time.

With a blast, the door exploded, smoke was everywhere and a well targeted stunnershot takes the imperial captain out of the game. Two masked persons appear, one securing the door, where a white helmet shows the doom of the stormtroopers. The other shoots Cromwells handcuffs and starts to get as many papers into his bag as possible. Cromwell wonders, but then helps by getting even more papers out of the filing cabinet. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?" "NO TIME - GET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE" Then, the other man yells "Ok enough, we go OUT NOW - OWAIN - FOLLOW US".

Cromwell sweats and has stopped to kill the mosquitoes that regard him as dinner. His both comrades are some meter in front of him and keep on going. 100 meter running , 100 meter walking, 100 meter running, and so on. He accepts the necessity to go as far as possible, but he cannot anymore. He is even to tired to think. They are running now more than three hours, after they escaped the prison through a tunnel, that lead to the nearby forest. He notices with relieve, that the ground changes from muddy and becomes harder. The moisture in the air is not as much as two hours before and that is a feeling like in paradise. His comrades seem to know where to go and Cromwell doesn’t ask.

A long hour later, the company stops. "We do a break here. We should be save by now! My name is Tjk Klopsa and this is Yr Ktu. After we didn’t meet you in the puffins bar, we got the order to gather some information about the secret NI stoormtrooper base here in the forest. There, we learned about a prisoner and decided to free him - how did you go there ? Its miles away from our meeting point ?"

Cromwell opened his mouth, but the only thing he could mention, was "Later, please, I just need slee..." and he sleeps. The first time, since he entered the Puffins Bars, what seems for him years ago, he feels calm and secure.... he dreams again....

...... He smells the sea and hears the waves at the beach, seagulls are crying. He is laying there and feels the smooth sandy beach under his skin. The monotonous sound goes deeply in his mind and Cromwell relaxes. Suddenly, a slimy touch at his feet let Cromwell opens his eyes and he sees one of the big siren-snail creeping on land, its one foot long shell is blue and green from the algae, and the wind starts to make this deep humming sound by starting to haul through the shell. Cromwell likes these creature, and starts to pet it. As soon, as he touches it, the shell becomes a white stormtrooper helmet. The helmet glares at Cromwell and eats his hat. Then, four other snails appear from the sea, becoming helmets and started to jump over another and lining up. Cromwell is confused, looks under one helmet but didn’t find his hat. The helmets starts again to jump over each other and Cromwell keeps on searching.....

Cromwell awakes, again, but in this time, refreshed and without headache. Only his muscles hurt from the long and exhausting walk. Standing up, he sees Tjk Klopsa and Yr Ktu looking through the papers and info-crystals. Immediately with Cromwells movements, both look around simultaneously "We got everything we needed, Owain. Here it is, the whole NI plan to subdue our strong forces here on Algara. NR Intel need these things ASAP! We are heading towards a hidden shuttle, and it would be good if you could deliver it. Can you fly a shuttle ?"

"Well, I can. " Cromwell wonders. "Basically, I had orders to go northwards. But, this might have been changed." "It has." Yr replies, "After you vanished, all plans had been changed. Normally, I should have tried to deliver them, but in this case, I can go on another mission .....".

Eating some instant food, Cromwell replies "Its OK for me by now. Let me see the papers." Reading the messages, he frowns. "That cannot be possible - that plan is insane. They cannot kill so many people, just to let as many people flee to the rebel bases. And then, as result, they would have a lot of spies and can take out the bases ?" Cromwell feels chilly. "That is....." he tries to find an appropriate word and can’t find one, His appetite is suddenly gone. Tjk nods, "You must deliver it ASAP otherwise.....anyhow, we have to get on the move again." Packing everything together in seconds, Cromwell wonders another time about the precise movements of his both comrades, how good they work together. Within minutes, nothing remembers, that three people slept here. The Walk started again, 100 steps running 100 steps walking, 100 steps running 100 steps walking, 100 steps running 100 steps walking, .....

Cromwell is totally exhausted again, "Baked goat and anoath wine, correllian cheese, ...." are the only thoughts going through his brain - he hates instant food. It doesn’t give you the feeling of having had a proper meal! Since one hour, he only saw the backs of his comrades, and heard only the sound of the forest - the cries of the birds, the chirping insects and sometimes the growls in a guttural fashion of gliding-cats. Suddenly, Cromwell stops - "there are no sounds anymore!". In this moment he only sees grey shadows jumping down the trees on his both comrades, that run in front of him "A tree wolf pack". Before he could only react to help him, another wolf jumped at him and snapped after his throat. The stinking mouth from this 2 meter big wild animal closes millimetres in front of his face. Cromwell tries to strangle the beast, and drags it with him close to a tree, so that no other wolf can attack him from behind. The power of this animal seems to overcome the strength of him, and the snapping teeth come nearer an nearer. The claws rip of his shirt and produces deep wounds, before he could clinch his legs around the wolf. The stinking breath makes Cromwell sick, and the thinking, that he will be its next meal didn’t improve his feeling. The yellow, and somehow intelligent eyes of the beast show victory and the red pupil in its centre narrows.....

Cromwell tries to make his strangulation of the beast even more powerfull, but he feels, that his strength will not be enough to cope with the wolves 120kg of muscles and bones. His hands around his throat and his legs clenched around his paws to avoid his sharp claws, he has no possibility for sudden movements. Even then, he has no idea what he could have done in this case. With the tree at his back and the wolf at his front, he gives the smallest attack possibility for another wolf.

"HELP!", he cries, his voice using as last weapon, to call for backup. A short glimpse at his comrades, let him nearly looses all confidence in his luck. The both warriors, that showed all the time a coordination in attack like jedi knights, or cyber-soldiers, where surrounded by 4 more wolves, circling around them. It seemed, that the one here just wanted to keep Cromwell out of buiseness, and the other teamed up against Tjk and Yr. Both, back to back, hold their blaster. But as soon as they target one, the others attack, as if they know, what the warriors plan. Both are bleeding out of several wounds, and Yr stands on one leg only, the other serious injured. The stinking breath of the wolf seems to get even more closer, and it managed to hit Cromwell with his back paws. The sudden pain let Cromwell shiver and he hits his head at the tree, letting a growing headache behind. BUT, this strengthens Cromwells efforts, to keep the snapping mouth the secure millimeter away. Hoping for help he looks to his comrades, but he sees Yr tumbling, and as waiting on this command, the four wolves attack and kill Yr, and then, within another second, the unprotected Tjk. A victorious yowling breaks out of the wolf in front of Cromwell, when suddenly the small red pupil of the beast widens, flashes lash out of the bushes around and the powerfull beast shakes in pain and becomes a hairy, stinking sack. The other four wolves with bloody teeth and yowling, fell down in the same moment and silence enters the bloody plot.

Cromwell decides, that this was the right moment, to fell unconscious again,

Cromwell feels a stitch and hears accompanied by the hammering man in his head, that seems to become his best friend, the words "he might have a small headache, but he will be ok soon.". He sighs loudly and opens his eye. Beside the med-droid, he sees, Hor ! The man, who proposed "A glass of water" as an apropriate code word - Hor, the normally genial tactician for guerilla attacks, intelligence work and head of the algara rebellion. Cromwell closes his eyes again opens his dry mouth and orders with a low voice "A glass of water please !". Hor laughs, gets a glass of water and helps hiom up. "Hey, its so good to see you ! After we found Tjk and Yr dead behind the Puffins bar, we feared the worst. I thought, that we will never see you again. " He puts out a report "I even wrote the report of your disapperance, hear "so, we fear the worst. Oliver Cromwell is to be listed under "Disappeared", and all information he had is to be seen as given to NI intelligence !", but I didn’t sent it yet !". He laughs relieved, causing increasing hammering of Cromwells little friend. "Oh sorry, your headache".

Cromwell takes a sip of water and feels better. The med-droid produces out of his vast unknown selection of pills a green one and hand them over to the Admiral on special duty. Cromwell looks suspoicious at the mossy-green pill, shrugs and downs it with a sip of that wonderfull, clear and pure water. His little friend cries out and vanishes. The med-droid fizzled satisfied and returns to his other duties.

"What the #@*%$ happened on this @#$5£ planet, Hor ? What are you doing here in the middle of nowhere and " Cromwell stops ".... wait! --------- Tjk and Yr found dead behind the Puffins Bar ?"
Hor explains "Yes, they had been found some hours after the planned meeting, dead, but seriously injured as well, I spare you the details ...."
"But tell, me what happened to you ? What are you doing here ?"

"Hor, to be honest - I neither really know WHAT really happened, NOR do I know HOW or WHY it happened. You checked the data-chrystals and the papers, from one of the men, that accompanied me?" Hor shakes his head "No, they had been placed in a self-destruct bag. Our specialist opened it quite carefully, but an error in the system started the self destruction. Nothing remained.We neither know your comrades."

Cromwell looks at Hor. "Hmmmmm......would you mind, if I tell you the everything later. Please show me everythink around here." Hor looks surprised at his friend, but then he sees, that Cromwell seems quite confused and suspicious. "Ok, by the way, I ordered a small dinner in about 2 hours, would you mind to be my guest?" "With pleasure" answeres a even more friendly voice, and Cromwells eyes starts to twinkle, knowing, that Hor has an as imperial stomach as himself. "But, as I told you, 2 hours, " Hor continues with a mean voice "the Grillgarian rabbit still needs at least so long!"

"GRILLGARIAN RABBIT !" "Well, we might start in one and a half hour, I have an pre-clone war anoath white wine, I just remember,.... this might fit...." "ANOATH WHITE-WINE, PRE CLONE - WAR". Cromwell closes his eyes and tries to remember, when he had such a delicious combination the last time "on the hawkseye? no, this was a more gentele combination with duck..... the cadets party ? well, a buffet is a really good thing, but ..... hmm..... well, his adults feast, before the New Imperium took over the planet, this might be adaequate comparision" The med-droid touches Cromwells shoulder "Sir ? You feel fine? I measure high blood pressure, fastened heart beats and more stress indicators! You should lay down and rest another day bit, I guess, I was too fast with" Hor laughs, as he sees Cromwell fleeing the med-barracks, and follows him.

Outside is a bright, sunny day, and the trees around let enough through, to give the warm peasant feeling on the skin, but are close enough to prevent the imperial scanners to recognize the mobile rebell headquarter. In front of a brownish lift carrier across the place, Cromwell sees a familar face: "Susanne? Hey, Susanne!". A women with grey haires and smoking a cigar boggles, looks up and then cries loudly "OLIVER CROMWELL! HOW OFTEN HAVE I TOLD YOU, THAT YOU HAVEN’T TO YELL AT PEOPLE SO THAT ALL IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD KNOWS ABOUT ?". Laughing, Cromwell hugs his former teacher and later friend. "What are you doing here? I thought you lead the biochemistry branch of my fathers company?" Susanne nods, "well I did until he and some of my best scientists vanished. Then, I thought, it might be saver to vanish at my own will.Anyhow, Hor, you can remove the cadaver of the wolves now, I have everything I need."

"You examined the wolves? Why? " Hor coughs and Susanne looks up surprised, "well, I guess, Hor wants to tell you. We will see later, Ok ?" "Yes, join our dinner, hmmmm..... but only if you have enough rabbit, Hor, do you ?". "Hehehe, yes, I have.Well, one think I can tell you about the wolves right now: They had been laboratory animals, we tested something, that seems to improve some parts of the FORCE; well, it improved a lot and they escaped us, killing three guards. We followed and found them, but too late to help your friends. It was strange, the wolves seemed to head for this group. They didn’t wander around, but headed there straight on."

"Strange, perhaps, because we had been the only people around - we are the most powerful in the FORCE of all animals, well even me force looser has more than any of these wolves, normally... Anyhow, now, I need a shower and I have to think about some things, its getting more and more confusing." Hor smiles, and says "If you are the same Cromwell I knew before, you’ll enjoy the freshwater sea, not a mile from here." "Heaven, I think I’ll resign from the navy and join the rebell underground. Do you know, what for a stinted life I have onboard of a battleship?" "Stinted Life!" Hor laughs out loud "please, don’t start one of your "poor Cromwell" - story. I have work to do, see you in one hour!" Still laughing, Hor returns to Susanne and Cromwell heads for the lake.....

Refreshed and highly motivated after being punched around for several days, Cromwell returns to the hidden rebel headquarters. His headache is away and his mind is clear and sharp again. Entering Hors accommodation, not more than a wooden box, he smells the forecast of a promising dinner. Susanne and Hor are there , discussing. Looking up, Hor smiles "So you are here finally, we nearly started without you." "You wouldn’t dare" Cromwell replies. Hor stands up and gets the bottle of anoath wine, opens it and smells "Hmmmmmm delicious" "Hey, pour it out, don’t talk about !" "Hehehe, of course, wait, I just get the rabbit.". Hor gets the rabbit out of the oven and after the toast "To the Victory of the New Republic and that friendship never ends" the three friends sit together and no word is spoken, until the delicious rabbit went down the way all meals are supposed to go.

Pouring out the last round of the wine, Hor starts to speak: "Cromwell, you will perhaps know, that I made a high level security check about you after your unexpected return. Nothing showed up, and I even risked to break into the NI secret data net, but even their, nothing but all the normal NI check on NR Admirals showed up. Beside this, I would trust you anyway, I guess....but I was concerned about our security here, and neither do I know anything about the two dead men, that accompanied you. As you know, we have still the problem about the terroristic attacks - right now, its silent again. After the orphanage, nothing happened. On the other hand, we have since then an increasing problem of a new drug, that makes quite fast addicted, but leads to an increase in FORCE abilities. Not a general one, and not with everybody; furthermore, many addicted seem to vanish after some time. We have especial big problems with the mountain people, many of them have some minor abilities in the FORCE, well, as nearly every people leaving near to nature or close with the nature. We have neither a clue, where it comes from, nor how it is produced and how it works. But this is Susan’s part."

"Wait - let me guess, its a yellow, oily substance, and you get it in small flasks ?" Cromwell asks, remembering his experience in the Puffins-Bar.

"Yes, it is....how do you know" "I was asked to pay 300 for it, but I told him that I lost everything in the flood" "Well, actually, you had a large dose of this in your blood, the same with the both men. One reason, why we had been suspicious about you. Anyhow" Susanne continues " I did some tests, and it seems to be based on a natural product and increases the hormone production of body-morphine’s, that it what makes you addicted after a short time. It increases the activity of the creative brain parts, that is, what makes you feel good and take it again. At least, it increases somehow the using of the FORCE, but not in all parts. To study this, I fed this drug to a wolf-pack, and it seems, that especially the co-ordination between the wolves increased a lot, as if they could communicate better. This would go along with our observation of addicted, that the drug, taken from a whole group together, it results in a whole-group hallucination. As result, the group comes together and is normally dominated by one of the members - possibly the one with the most FORCE abilities. But this is guessing, as long as we don’t know, how the FORCE is really working and how we can measure the abilities. It might be of a big use in the therapy of mental illnesses."

Hor continues "The combined attack of the wolves surprised one guard, and they could escape. You know the rest. So, what’s your story ?"

Susanne and Hor looks at Cromwell, and he takes a sip of his wine and enjoys the flavour of fruit and herbs. "After I reached the Puffins Bar, I waited some time, in case , that Yr and Tjk hadn’t arrived yet. I expected two mountain people and nobody looked like one. Nobody arrived, only a drug dealer wanted me to buy some of this stuff here. Then, I ordered this Bl*** glass of water, by the way, Hor, next time you think about a nicer code, will you ? " Hor mumbles something and smiles embarrassed "Anyhow, when I returned, a couple, that sat in one edge, was disappeared, a notice said "LLATH-outside" and when I exited the bar, I was stunned. I got back consciousness in an unmarked shuttle, two stormtrooper asked me some silly questions and stunned me again, even before he got an answer. Then I awake in a stoormtrooper barracks, but a really old one. Wet walls, and a salty smell of rotten meat. All the time I had a terrible headache, and I was there longer than 2 days, I guess. In the end, I was brought to an inquisitor-Captain but before he could break my will, I was freed by the two men, that had been killed by the wolves. Then, you found me. The two men introduced themselves as being Tjk an Yr !"

"WHAT - they weren’t ! Tjk and Yr had been dead by then, what the hell is ...."

Cromwell closes his eyes and concentrates, the first time in all the puzzling days.
"Wait, let me think.....they told me, they had to gather information for the NR about the attacks. They got it and we escaped together. Then they showed me the attack plans of the NI, INSANE PLANS, really. It included bombing two more cities, to make more people frightened. Then, they will start to inprison ALL RELATIVES INCLUDING FIRST GRADE of persons that are to be related to the NR. Then, they ‘ll start to make public executions, until the 100 most-wanted NRs are given to the Government. And so one "

"BUT - that wouldn’t work - Algara would revolt and the Governor would have to kill half of the population or even more. This is too similar to the last insane king of Algara, who did this to get republican rebels. It was his last thing he ever did..... EVERYBODY KNOWS"

"Its confusing, let me think .....
1. Tjk and Yr weren’t NR.
2. They had been highly addicted, they showed this highly co-ordinated behaviour.
3. The information about the NI - Plans are unbelievable, and the proofs are destroyed by now.

I have three questions:
Hor, is there a stoormtroopers garrison in an old barracks in the middle of the forest, but southwards.
Then, did you found a shuttle in the direction we headed for?
Susanne, why didn’t I have had hallucinations and got addicted? I just got a heavily headache all the time?

Susanne thinks and answers while Hor checks out the maps and phones the security chief.

"Hard to say. I would guess, you had been saved by your small FORCE abilities. The drug started to work, but because of having, sorry to say so, nothing to work on, it wasn’t included into your hormonal system - the remains of the drug, if not processed correctly by the body, might be poisonous, that might have caused your headache."

Hor comes back from his study "There are remains of barracks, out of the Clone War time. But they aren’t in use, we thought. I sent out my security chief, he should search the area for the shuttle."

Cromwell "Be careful with it, I have the bad feeling, that I get the point of and this now. Can you send somebody to the barracks as well ?"
"I did, we have some good comrades down there. I’ll await the answer right now. Lets stop here, just until we get the information. It happens that I have some Melon-Ice creme with lemon topping right here." and Hor vanishes to show up seconds later with the ice ....

A couple of minutes later, an incoming message disturbs the eating friends and Cromwell jumps up to read the message. "Like I though, drat ! I guess, I figure now a lot."
Waving with the info-pad, Cromwell speaks"

4th fact: This garrison is no garrison. Its used now as storehouse for, hmmm... "Algara-Crafts-Shop Enterprises" strange.... wait, that would explain the salty smell, if they store up the sirens-shells of the siren-snails that died in the flood. Yes,....that leads to the following:

Somebody plays a big game here. They do the attacks, but they are neither NI nor NR. But they wants the NI thinking its the NR, and the NR its the NI. They must have got somewhere the information, that we got very suspicious, and then, that we would investigate it. That was the whole reason to capture me, question me, to free me, and to show me the faked NI-plans. I’m sure they are faked. My father has sworn a lot about the NI, when he came back from the senate-assemblies, but he never called them fools. They just made a play ! They wanted me to escape, they prepared the bag to destroy the contents, so no proof would be let behind, but my word, that this are the plans of the NI. And I guess, we will find a bomb in the shuttle, somehow connected with the HyperSpaceComm, so that I would be killed after I sent my first, and therefore only draft report. And if I wouldn’t have done that, even then there would have been only my word, that this are the plans. Drat.

The plans of the unknown group are coming to an end. That play cannot be carried on longer, and somebody, NI and NR will figure, that there is something REALLY strange going on. But, we still don’t know, what this all is about. What is the purpose, and who is behind all this ?

We have to hurry up. Do you know, who is behind "Algara-Crafts -Shop-Enterprise", Hor ?"

"Its a consortium of other salesmen, enterprises, etc. hmmm.... wait, let me check with the in-official NI roster. hehehehe.... I knew it, that old bast.. sorry Susanne, ... but most of them are related somehow to
the imperial party chancellor Gyth Ddohr ! The old fox, so he is still going on....."

"I thought, his special connections to Palpatine, my father was always talking about, made him a target, when Emperor Xindell took over? " Cromwell exclaims.
"No, " Susanne explains behind a thick cloud of blue smoke, "He kept on doing his businesses as usual. Well, he does it more hidden then. What do you think, is he behind the drug-thing as well? See, Cromwell and the both men had been in contact with drug, the both unknown men had been even heavily addicted!."

Silence

Disappointed, Cromwell shrugs "I don’t know! We have everything now, but the reason. What a mess... Do we have an intelligence report, of all his locations ? Where he goes, etc. ? "
Hor, just looking in his ComPad, says "There is something like that. I wouldn’t trust it too much, he has many possibilities to cheat us or the publicity."

Silence again.

Susanne looks at her watch. "Oh well, its late enough, I will go to bed. Perhaps after a good sleep, there will be new ideas. Good night all."

"Good idea, I’ll go as well - where are my quarters, Hor?" "Its beside mine, Oliver, just follow me."

And the night overcomes the camp of the faithful rebels, only some comrades patrolling the area, for the security of their friends.After a quite night, the three friends meet again for breakfast. After a big one, without discussing any work, Hor, starts to summarise the incoming messages from the night.

"The only place, where Gyth Dddor is frequently going to and that is out of NR AND NI intervention, seems to be his mountain-"house", actually, its more a fortified castle in the Ticau-massive. This would fit to the observations, that there is an increasing shuttle transport, including people and materials. I guess, the only way to find out what is really going on there, is going there and have a look ! By the way: Oliver, you had been right: there was a shuttle, and there was a bomb !

I would suggest the following:

We do an attack at the castle, it seems, that Gyth Ddor sent away most of the stormtroopers, so we might have a good chance. We will enter in the moment of the attack with the shuttle we found, using one of the codes we hacked. Inside, we will see. Possibly, we can even take the castle, We have some good material over there - including 2 AT-AT Walker, we "found" in a NI-trainings area "

It will need 2 days to get our attack force there and to plan a tactic, but there, I totally trust our ground
forces specialists.....

Cromwell and me will have a look for information, Susanne, we will need you, if we find something concerning the drug, so lets get prepared"

2 days later

"Incoming transport-shuttle "Pride of Algara" request permission to dock at Ticau-massive-station. Release Code "AQWWL765"...." Acknowledged, please follow the red lights for Dock 23"

"Dock 23, acknowledged, over!"

Suddenly, the first bombardements starts and bombings are heard all over the station. In the hectic, Cromwell, Hor and Susanne, following the crowd, enter the fortified castle.

Cromwell sharply turns around and graps a fleeing worker "Where are the labs, man? I need to know this, NOW!" "You want to bring the other shells in there, while the rebels attack? You are sick! But, if you want...take these boxes and just follow the signs "recreation", then ask there again the security, they'll let you in then."

Hor and Cromwell looks at each other, and grab a box each, while Susanne plays to supervise the transport. Heading for the labs, they pass by a lot of storerooms, each filled with siren shells and remains of them, that produce another time the bad salty smell of rotten meat. At the labs entrance, a young security guard looks nervous, and then relaxes. "More shells? Even now?" he shrugs and after before he could have a look at the Data-Pad, Susanne shows him, Cromwell and Hor send him to sleep.

Entering the labs, Susanne and Cromwell look surprised. A scientist looks up and says "More boxes ? Well, put them over there and then... Susanne ? Oliver? Hor?" says Cromwells fathers. "What are you doing here ? He got you as well ?" "No, we are here to stop him and to free you. It is so good to see you alive, father, what is happening here, do you know?"

Aigull Cromwell looks with disgust "This old fox! You kow, that I always thought that he had a special relationship to Palpatine, don't you ? Well, It seems, that Gyth is quite good in the FORCE, but not good enough for being a jedi or a sith. He wanted to train under Darth Vader, but he rejected him. But Palpatine choose him for the search of strong FORCE user, that might be altered to the Dark Side. Then, somehow, he discovered, that something in the sirens snails improve his FORCE abilities, and then, he started to built up a secret warrior camp, with people strong in the FORCE, but only devoted to him. He wants to overthrow the NR and then Xindell, to become Emperor himself. He got all my good scientists, but susanne, to extract the drug out of the sirens shells, and to investigate, how he can introduce them on other planets, if there is no way to replicate the drug artificially. That was mine job, and I had to do, because he has Charlotte, too!"
"Mother is here as well?" Cromwell exclaims. "This Bast***, sorry, dad!" Aigull Cromwell smiles, shortly, "Yes, she is around the docks , there are the prisons."

"OK, we know, what we need to know. You and all your scientist leave with Susanne in the shuttle. We try to free all the prisoner and follow you in another ship. Lets gets moving!" says Cromwell to the now gathered crowd of scientists.

Running back, without meeting any guard or worker on their way, they reach the docks. Low but heavy bombings proof from the proceed of the rebel attack and it seemed, that everybody was ordered to defend. The shuttle takes off, and Hor and Cromwell start their search, when suddenly Hor took cover and Cromwell followed him. "It's him, there, have a look". Cromwell looks out, and sees Gyth Ddor down the corridor, in a long black coat floating in his way, hurrying towards the shuttle bay. "Lets get him. Go." Hor and Cromwell run behind the man, that just went around the corner and are suddenly in a dim wide storer room. The door shuts with a bang, and in an gloomy light, Gyth Ddohr appears.

"So, you followed me, Oliver Cromwell. I saw you as child the last time, I suppose, you did well. Admiral and a well known warrior throughout the galaxy. You may play "Catch me" with Xindell, but you have choosen the wrong opponent NOW." Flashes out of Hors blaster are defended by Gyth with a small motion of his hand. "HOR!!! For you, I have the standard death, I will really enjoy this...." Hor stops breathing, a hand on his throat and a storm of objects hitting him , he dies like many men before, that faced the dark side. Cromwell, shocked by the sudden death of his friend, cries out "NOOOOOOOO" and heads to attack the old man, but a iron pipe hits his head, and Cromwell fells unconscious, again.

Laughing, Gyth Ddohr stands over Oliver Cromwell "Well, Admiral mine, your death won't be as short. You disturbed all my plans, you will suffer......"

(the end was carried out by Art Farliner )

In short: The NR attack was accompanied by a small naval task force headed by Art Farliner - snekaing into the attacked fortress ans scanning it as well, Art followed his jedi senses and found Gyth Ddohr. In his first meeting with the dark side, he overpowered the strong but "wild" dark side follower and escaped with the unconsciousness Cromwell. The now alarmed imperial troops totally overthrew the fortress and crushed the organization of Gyth Ddohr.

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Comment from the holographic archivist: "Even if there where the main confrontation between the reortganized New Empire and the New Republic in the consolidation aera, some threats had been beyond the armed forces battles. This part of the history showed two things: The New Republic followed their principles - on their own planet as well as on imperial ones, and second, that the intelligence department and the diplomatic corpse would become more and more viable to the democracy."

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