Rapora War (Introductory RPG)

[Stellar_Magic]

Kyp stretched out to the power of the force as his lightsaber plunged into the fuel tank setting it ablaze. The gases soared over him as he projected a shield around him with the force. He could hear the whine of the engines as the Falcon was lifted up from ground gritted his teeth as the heat bleed through his shield. Then the bubble cracked and a brilliant blaze of golden fire washed over him, and threw him down. Then it was over, the fuel was expended as his eyes fluttered open. His left side was now a blackened mass of burned flesh. Half of his face was gone and the pain looked to be unendurable.

 

Kyp didn't notice the pain as he stood and gripped the now scalding lightsaber blade as the dim flames from debris flickered around him. The only thing he felt was anger.

 

The Rapora saw him, it backed away glancing through the flames it had only just escaped, and for the first time Kyp felt fear flowing from the creature. He felt the fear and he liked it.

 

Kyp lifted his hands as the fire reflected in his pupils and a blaze of brilliant blue lightning shot across the room. The Rapora pitched back, its body smoking and rolled onto the ground, dead.

 

The snap hiss of more blades behind him was nearly drowned out by the roar of the Falcon's engines. In the ventral turret Kyle felt his mouth drop in shock as he felt the wave of hatred and watched Kyp lift his hands and send a blaze of force lightning into his new foes. The three other Raporan Warriors were quick. Several of them leapt clear of attack and rolled snarling into kneeling positions on either side of the Jedi Master.

 

Kyp spun lifting a wave of dust with the force and flinging it at one of them and turned to the other and thrust out his hand. A blast of brilliant crimson light shot from his hand blasted the Rapora back into the wall while the other stumbled temporarily blinded. That was when the third Rapora charged.

 

Kyp was knocked down by the blow and found himself lying on his back with the Rapora ontop of him. It's claws flexing for the kill. Without thinking he swung and decapitated the enemy and stood. Then the blinded Rapora thrust with his blade.

 

Han saw the expression of rage immediately disappear and was replaced with one of shock. Kyp slid forward, off the glowing lightsaber and fell to his kneels. Then, with a single swipe of his claws he severed Kyp's head.

 

* * *

 

Over Adumar, Garik Ioor knew that he could no longer play his part, more Raporan ships had arrived. Quietly he gave the order, "All forces commence withdraw."

 

* * *

 

Han felt his guts knot as Kyp's head fell to the ground, he was gone. In the cockpit Ulan's voice came through the comm, "By the force, he's gone!"

 

Kyle's voice answered him, "Well, if we're not gone too his death will be for nothing."

 

With those words in his mind Han pointed the Falcon to the sky and threw the drives to maximum burn. Within moments he was clear and outbound. Then he pulled the hyperspace lever and leapt toward the core and safety.

 

* * *

 

Thrawn watched as the few surviving transports from the ground force leapt from the ground and too safety. He'd done it. Now his mind turned to the now halted Raporan ring around his forces, and a single question echoed through his mind, "Why didn't they hit us harder?"

 

"Sir?" The ship's captain asked.

 

Then the truth hit him, "Recover all non hyperspace capable fighters and prepare an outborn course."

 

The bleeping of an alarm suddenly echoed across the bridge and the human lieutenant manning the sensors turned to him, her face drained of all color, "Raporan Replicators decloaking..."

 

"How many..." Before he could finish his sentence a bright white light blurred his vision and as fast as his mind was it couldn't comprehened the meaning of the light before being reduced to carbon.

 

* * *

 

Athien felt the gut wrentching scream of torment from her comrades and father as the elegant shape of his vessel bloated and exploded in a blaze of fire. She spun to her subordinates, "Emergency Jump courses! All ships, disengage and retreat any heading!"

 

It was too late. Three fourths of the fleet disappeared in the blaze of fire before escaping to hyperspace.

 

Even after they'd exited the system and linked up with Admiral Oreton the shock of the attack nailed her to her seat. She sat there for two hours, her eyes blank and cold as her mind replayed her father's death, over and over again. She'd lost him, and there was no cloning tank readying for his return. He was gone from them, forever.

[Trejiuvanat]

Oreton had left the long lasting battle before it had turned sour, he had spent weeks on the surface of the planet preparing enduring defenses for the inevitable campaign of conquest that the Rapora woudl launch. He had been highly disappointed when the realization came that the fate of Ord Mantell would be decided in that single battle by the River.

 

Worse yet, was that he found himself obliged to leave before seeing the ground battle's end, and then make a hasty and secret escape from the planet itself. The battle had been at its second day when he decided to leave ground operations to his ground staff and take his stealth shuttle and hyper to the nearest rendezvous point. Which was just out of the Ord Mantell system. Imperious, the UDA attachments to the Imperial Fleet and a small armada of Star Destroyer had been there waiting for the event of an emergency.

 

From the battle it had been evident that the Rapora had a strong force in orbit, and that the Empire's Fleet would need to intervene. Then had come Thrawn's message that asked him to remain on standby, the Chiss had already been moving his pieces to recover Solo and the forces on Ord Mantell.

 

Of that second battle for Ord Mantell there was little to remember or accound except for the unveiling of the Raporan trap. Oreton had just brought his forces to help Thrawn when the replicators had appeared and opened fire on Thrawn's ship.

 

The white flash visible from afar on the forward viewport made him feel as if a dagger had been plunged into Oreton's heart. Oreton backed off from the viewport ran down into the crewpits. But Onolovav had arrived before him to the forward sensor station, his sad look confirmed that Thrawn's ship had perished.

 

Oreton's voice came back angry and grieved when he ordered his ships to maneuver to keep the exit window open, keeping shy of the replicators and of the Mass shadow of Ord Mantell.

 

It seemed that the Rapora had reduced their combat intensity, satisfied perhaps with the loss of the enemy, Thrawn's and a huge portion of the UDA had died in matter of seconds. Oreton believed he could discern a malicioius glee that manifested through the battling Rapora, along with contempt for whatever forces remained and a quiet satisfaction over the death of Thrawn.

 

"Whatever was left from the UDA are moving out, they cannot hold the window open. The Mandalorians are being overrun. Orders sir?"

 

Oreton looked at his captain. "What's the status of the evacuation?"

 

"Many transports are safely in hyperspace, others are about to leave the area, some others were lost by the replicator attack." Onolovav reported.

 

"Begin to maneuver us out of this system. Coordinate with the Mandalorians and the UDA for a rendezvous point." Oreton answered and sat back on his chair.

 

***

 

Han felt his guts knot again as he saw the bright flash in space, he too was gone. In the cockpit in the copilot's chair Leia's voice came surprised and shocked, "By the force, he's gone!"

 

"I'm not sure I'll miss him, but he'll be hard to replace." Han answered.

 

"Oreton is ordering all ships to leave the area."

 

"About time," Han murmured as he sent the Falcon deeper into space, leading some last groups of transports away from the Raporan formation.

 

"Why is it that Ord Mantell always leaves me such bad memories," Han said as soon as the lines of hyperspace were visible. "I swear I'll never go there again."

 

Leia smiled faintly and leaned her head on Han's shoulder.

 

"Where are we going, by the way?"

 

"To the Imperial rendezvous point."

 

"Great," Han breathed. "Just the place I'd want to be. Along with Oreton and Athien in Thrawn's funeral." Han looked at his wife. "And you know what I think about funerals."

 

"Yes," she said softly as she remembered hundreds of funerals and memorials. "They make me sad too."

 

Now it was Han who leaned his head in Leia's shoulder.

 

***

 

When normal space rematerialized in front of him. Oreton ordered all units to report in. He wanted who made it and it what shape. Then he asked for his shuttle to be prepared.

 

"Sir?" Onolovav asked.

 

"I will shuttle over to," his voice seemed to hesitate, "the UDA Flagship, I will bring my condolensces to Commodore Athien personally."

 

In matter of minutes he was in Athien's ship. The crew were attending their duties, but even the Chiss were showing signs of despair and sadness.

 

When he entered the bridge it seemed a grave. The officers attended their routines but one could tell that evidently everything was wrong. Athien was sitting on the chair with her head in hear hands. A moment of weakness overcame Oreton at the sight of this image.

 

He had come here expecting to find her heartbroken. Thrawn had been everything in her life, her father, her tutor, her idol. Oreton could relate the moment to the day he had been informed that his father had died. When he had been taken away and there had not been a body left behind.

 

"Commodore." Oreton said and his voice was slightly broken. "Athien." And she raised her head but did still not look at her. He walked up next to her chair and looked at her. The blue face wetted by tears. Oreton took out his handkerchief and gave it to her.

 

"He," she started to say.

 

"I know." Oreton said. "I feel your loss, Athien. It is a loss to us all," he spoke softly.

 

"He will be avenged," she answered firmly, though the words were provided by a broken voice...

[BadSamaritan]

OOC: Hey now, my warships never entered the fight!! That, and I think only Thrawn would know what a mandalorian warship m,ight look like. Oreton would have no idea that the mandalorians even have a warfleet....

 

 

IC: Captian Ivak watched in utter horror as the heart of the UDA fleet vanished in a flash. In a single moment, the battle had gone from horrible to a complete and total rout of all allied forces. he quickly checked his scanners, and wasappalled at how many UDA vessels were left. And the ones that were left were in a very bad situation. They were surrounded by enemy vessels, and were in danger of being massacred. It was than that Ivak heard the order over the command channels.

 

"All vessels, hyper in system now!! We have to help get the UDA out of there!!" was all he needed to hear. Almost before he could bark the order, his warship had begun the leap in system. In only took a few moments to arrive. But to him, each moment seemed to last an eternity. Finally, after what seemed to be eons, they reverted into realspace, dangerously close to the Reporan fleet. Ivak smiled, however. It was right where he wanted to be.

 

Along the rear flanks of the reporan lines, dozens of mandalorian warships appeared, and began the task of helping free the remaining UDA vessels from the trap they found themselves in. The warships dashed into the enemy lines, turbolaser banks firing at full speed, tearing through enemy sheilds and hulls. The larger reporan vessels had the sheilds and hulls to withstand the fire being poured into them, but not for very long. Smaller vessels, however, found themselves at the mercy of Mandalorian gunners. Reporan vessels, not to be outdone, returned fire, pouring plasma and turbolasers into the mandalorian warships. Vessels on both sides exloded violently, turning the space around them into quickly expanding clouds of gas and debris.

 

"Captain, Imperial warships have entered the system. Its Oretons' fleet." the sensor officer announced, and Ivak grimaced.

 

"Took them long enough. Contect them, and coordinate the final retreat with them. We wont be able to keep this up for very long." ivak said, and his communication officer nodded. Ivak tunre his attention back to the battle, just in time to see a barrage of plasma blasts rip into the hull of his vessel. Ivak fell to the deck of the bridge, and quickly got back up. he looked out the viewport, and saw that his vessel was starting a slow spin in space.

 

"Sithspit! Helm, get us out of here! Gunners, keep up the pressure on everything you see!" he barked, and he looked back out the viewport. As his mighty vessel began to turn, he spotted a massive reporan vessel baring down on them, intent on taking advanatge of his nearly crippled vessel. Ivak watched carefully as the vessel got closer, and opened fire. In his final moments, all Ivak saw was a bright flash as plama bursts crashed into the bridge.

 

**********************************************************

 

Fett sat in the passenger seat of the evacuation transport, and watched as the reaming vessels from all the fleets in orbit made their final jumps to hyperspace. He sat back in the chair, astounded at the turn of event that was now on everyones mind. By all reports, Thrawn was dead. The UDA fleet was in shambles. And almost half the Mandalorian warhips that had arrived to assist in the orbital battle had been lost. It had turnd into a very grim day, one that would not be soon forgotten.

 

"Pilot, jump us to the Imperial fleet. Admiral Oreton will be in charge for now, I would think." Fett said, but the Pilot shook his head.

 

"Sorry sir, Im supposed to take you to Denon for a very important meeting. By order of the Supreme Coucil." the pilot said, and Fett nodded. He assumed that it would be about all the failures at Ord Mantell, but he had a feeling it would be for something for more important. he watched as the shuttle flew away from teh battle, and then shot on its way to Denon.

 

************************************************************

 

Deep in space, far from any inhabited system, an ancient cargo vessel dropped from hyperspace. In front of the vessel, sat a massive world encased in ice. In the small bridge of the ship, the captain sighed, and looked to one of his passangers.

 

"Well, here we are. I dont know how you got clearence to enter this system, but I dont think I want to know. Your credits are just as good either way." he sai,d and the man nodded.

 

"Just land us at the appropriate coordinates captain. We need to hurry." the man said, and then he left the cockpit and walked back ot the cargo hold where the rest of his crew awaited him. he entered the hold, and smiled, seeing his crew playing a quick game of Sabaac before they landed.

 

"Alright guys, we're here. It looks cold down there, so I hope you packed your cold weather gear." he said, and the crewers all nodded. None of them really knew what they were expected to find here. Only their leader knew that, and he had kept absolutely quiet about everything. All they knew was that they were on a tight time schedule, with a lot of equipment and an unlimited budget, all gifts from the GFFA. The one thing their leader had been willing to share was the name for their apparently top-secret mission to a forbidden system.

 

Soon, the ship had landed, and the workers had set up their new homes on the fozen world. Not long afterwords, excavation machines had begun the task if digging down to what appeared to be a massive buried structure.

 

Across the galaxy, dozens of other freightors in dozens of other starsystems started the exact same task, all under a veil of extreme secrecy. Operation Chases' End had begun.

Edited July 9, 2005 by BadSamaritan

[kaja]

IC: (Rimak Ardar)

 

Ardar was surprised to see the ships De-cloak, They had torn the UDA fleet into shreds. He smiled as what remained of the UDA fleet retreated. That was easy, Even though his ship was drifting, after taking heavy hits from the enemy ships, Cyclical Death was barely operating.

 

"Status report." Rimak asked one of his officers.

 

"Sensors indicate..." The officer paused, then continued "The enemy ship are Retre-"

 

"Not the Battle, It's clear that the Enemy is retreating, The Ship!" Rimak said.

 

"Oh, sorry, Sir, the Ship is heavily damaged, Life support is down to Fifty Two Percent, The main reactor is off-line, Secondary Reactor is heavily Damaged, Weapon systems are off-line, Engines are down to Twenty Three Percent, Hyperdrives are still operational... only minor damage to them, Um, Shields are off-line, Both our Star fighters are destroyed, All Twenty Four of our Mines are have been Deployed... And destroyed, Only One of our Heavy plasma cannons are operational, Seven of our Twelve light plasma Cannons are online, and all four of our Anti-starfighter turrets are online."

 

"Casualties?" Ardar Asked.

 

"Twenty Seven of our Raporan Warriors are Dead, and One Hundred and Eleven of our Droids are Destroyed." Another Officer said.

 

"That's it then," Arder said, "Take us to the Nearest shipyard, the battle is won. This ship needs a some Repairs... Or maybe a Refit... Hmmnn... What are you looking at? Get Busy!"

 

"Yes, Sir!" all the Raporan Officers said in Unison.

[Stellar_Magic]

Commodore Athien felt her shoulders sag as she settled back in the dark lit cabin of her quarters. Her eyes slid shut and she slid onto her desk, burying her head in her arms, she wept. Through the force should could feel the despair of her fellows and the reverberations through it from all the deaths including the one which overshadowed them all.

 

Athien didn't look up as the door to her quarters slid open and a man stepped in. He wore a simple white uniform, nearly identical to Thrawns except for its lack of decorations, and he was Commodore Athien's new superior. Slowly he turned and made sure the door was closed before he spoke, "Commodore, all the preperations have been made." He paused before stepping into the light illuminating his blue skin, "Commodore?"

 

"Leave me Chorak, I have no taste for you being here," Athien whimpered from her desk. She looked up at him starring down at her, "I told you to leave..."

 

"Commdore no one regrets..."

 

Athien's lightsaber flashed into her hands as she stood, "I know what you are Chorak!" The violet blade hissed into existence, "I told you to get out!"

 

Chorak had already begun to back to the door. There he stopped, "I may let you off the hook this time for threatening me Athien, you've been under stress, and I understand that." He smiled as he faced the door, "But if I hear that you've threatened a superior officer again, you'll be the first to see the Raporan homeworld as a private."

 

"I'm not you subordinate, my Father's will broke me out of the normal chain of command Chorak." Athien smiled menacing at the new Supreme Leader of the United Defense Alliance, "As well as the whole of the nineth fleet."

 

"We shall see Commodore, we shall see." Chorak answered as the door hissed shut behind him.

 

* * *

 

The hanger bay of the UDA starship Freedom of Thought was crowded. Packed from side to side with dignitaries and functionaries. All of them were focused on the simple steel torpedo casing at the center of the room. It had been filled with a chest of his personal possesions and a pair of lightsabers, their beams crossed to symbolize a death in combat. Over the casing the light blue flag of the UDA alliance was drapped.

 

Han Solo felt himself nervously shift his foot from side to side as Commodore Athien took the podium that was present beside the capsule. To her left an honor guard of chiss stood at attention, to her right a squad of UDA troopers dressed in stormtrooper armor with pauldrons designating their unit and red stripes down the sides of their white armor much like the red stripes of the 181st's uniform.

 

Her eyes, seemed dull and shallow as she glanced across the room to Admiral Oreton and the Mandalorian delegation, "Lacking the mortal remains of the man who brought us together we have gathered together treasures of his life, symbols of the being who he was to be left adrift in the depths of space to patrol and mark the peace he hoped to win forever."

 

"For us here there is no such peace, much work lies ahead for us. Much blood has already been spilled and more has yet to be spilled before we can have that peace and safety which Mit'thrawn'uruodo strived to create through his life. It is left to us, the living, to finish that noble work."

 

* * *

 

Rimak Ardar paced his command cabin for a moment before stopping to listen to the hammering of mechanics in other compartments. The battle over Adumar had been short, and less decisive then it had been thought to be. Still, it had been a victory.

 

Suddenly his holoprojector snapped on, "Rimak Ardar."

 

The Timeless One stood before him and Rimak instinctively dropped to his knees, "Yes my master?"

 

"You are needed to assist in the defense of Vagaari space, your commander will be Admiral Verator, report to me once you've arrived."

 

* * *

 

Commodore Athien smiled softly as she bit back tears, "My father respected everyone he dealt with, even those that were his mortal foes, and through time and peace he showed that even bitter enemies can become friends. Now that he is gone the fate of the galaxy rests in our hands, we can not fail." She sighed as a somber note rang through the chamber, "From the universe that bore him to the universe that carries him, he will not be gone so long as we remember him and what he fought for." Slowly behind her the capsule was lifted and tossed out into open space.

 

* * *

 

Deep in Imperial space a lonely shuttle dropped out of hyperspace. In the control cabin a woman thought dead came too and began to remember as much as her new masters wanted her to remember as the shuttle's distress beacon came to life.

 

* * *

 

Cal Omas sighed as the funeral came to an end. He bowed his head as his thoughts turned away from the remembrence and to the war, it was time to draw a line in the sand.

 

The only Rapora in the room, General Veran, stepped beside Athien, "How are you holding up?"

 

"I'll live," Athien replied quietly, "Any word from Hirotek?"

 

"No word, and General Fel is planning to head back to Imperial space. Commodore, I'd like to join you on yor mission." He smiled coldly, "I believe my experties will be of more use there then back in our space." Veran sighed, "Especially with Chorak in command now. I doubt we'll be seen again in on the galactic disk."

 

"I'd be honored to have you with us Veran," Athien answered glancing over to the new Supreme Commander of all UDA forces, "I hope you're wrong about him."

 

"You know that many in the fleet..."

 

"No Veran, I will not turn the UDA into a monarchy, this is the way it must be."

[Trejiuvanat]

The small torpedo had not yet disappeared from sight when the Honor Guard of Chiss started to move out. Indicating that the ceremony would continue elsewhere. Perhaps in the dining room, perhaps elsewhere. Beside him Eressa brushed away a fugitive tear from her cheek, and smiled wanly at Oreton. The Grand Admiral returned another wan smile to her. "It will be pretty rough for her," Eressa murmured. "She must carry a great weight, and with most of her friends away. Even Hirotek."

 

Oreton wondered momentarily and noticed that though the honor guard had moved out. Athien had remained. She now had her back reclining on the podium and followed the torpedo with her eyes. A few Chiss looked at her but followed the Honor Guard out, as did all other dignataries.

 

"I will try to talk to her." The Alderaanian spoke softly and Eressa nodded. Oreton was moving towards her, when a strong hand grabbed him by the shoulder. "I must speak to you, sir," Fel said. "I suggest you do it over dinner," Eressa answered for Oreton and led Fel out of the room. Oreton then turned and moved next to Athien.

 

"Thrawn will always be around you." The Grand Admiral stated.

 

"Jedi Wisdom, I did not now you were schooled in their beliefs?" Athien snorted quietly. The torpedo had now disappeared entirely.

 

"I have found that most of their moral code can be applied to every situation one finds itself," Oreton commented lightly not wanting to appear rude. "I feel your pain Athien, but be not too jealous of your pain."

 

Athien looked at him with a angered look. More emotional than the average Chiss, Oreton clearly saw she was disgusted at his intromision. But there was also curiosity, the legacy of her father. Not willing to break out until she learnt enough. Her question came as an obvious combination of both. "What do you mean?" came the sharp question.

 

"I have lived a similar situation to yours, to bury a father. The pain then blinded me, I did not want to admit that anyone had suffered his death stronger that I. Every condolesce seemed hypocrisy. I refused to give up on him."

 

She was about to interrupt him when he quickly came around and finished his argument with a simple swift answer. "It was then that I realized I had lost myself from him."

 

She hesitated which gave Oreton time to elaborate. "In my refusal I shut myself from everything that he represented. I forgot his advice and counsels, I dismissed his past warnings. I came to realized that he would for ever perdure in me, through the knowledge he passed on to me. When I act to his advice and warnings I can feel his smile, and I can see his wisdom in all the people he touched during his life."

 

Her eyes now turned down, considering the words of the Imperial Grand Admiral. "Your father touched many in his life, and proof to it was the assorted reunion of dignataries here. Imperials, Chiss, Jedi, Vagaari, Alderaanians, Corellian, Wookiees, Mandalorians, Yuuzhan Vong and even Rapora. They were all here, all of them were here to bid farewell to him. Are they not the people that your father wanted to see working together?

 

"Fear of loss, the Jedi claimed, led to the Dark Side. Over our lives we must learn to let go, pain is a tough master but its teachings remain with us, until it is time for us to pass. Death allows not to be cheated, always in the end it perdures. Your father above all people knew what he was doing, so heed his advice and orders, because he most likely had a reason for doing so."

 

A shy 'thank you' came from the mouth of Athien, and Oreton considered that he had finished and walked away into the corridor.

 

"Admiral Darak Noreto was always held in great steem in our family," Athien murmured so Oreton would hear it. "Your father also touched our lives."

 

***

 

Dinner was pleasant, a calm meal, with light idle chatter at the different tables. Han Solo's quiet laughter could be heard when he was explaining the delicate art of Alderaanian Table Protocol to an overwhelmed Ulan Shai who failed to comprehend the purpose of having food specific utensils.

 

The Mandalorians were also enjoying the calm atmosphere drinking and toasting in honor of their death. Wearing what would seem an hybrid of a TIE pilots uniform and a Jedi's robes, the warriors still seemed dangerous though deprived of their trademark armor.

 

In their table, a handful of Jedi were enjoying their meal, listening to Corran Horn's recollection of a strange meeting with Thrawn on Corellia years ago. "Just like telling stories around a bonfire," Fel said and laughed politely and Eressa giggled. Even Onolovav could not help but smile.

 

Only the Chiss table was still quiet, but Oreton considered that usual. Even in the UDA table their members were exchanging light chatter. Athien still seemed to keep to herself in a table seated with the Rapora and another high-ranking Chiss from the UDA.

 

Oreton took a sip from the Kinuarian Icewine. "I recall you wanted to speak to me," the Grand Admiral turned to Fel. "Unless it is something of a more secret nature."

 

"Not at all, and even if it were I believe the people in our table would eventually find out about it," Fel said and laughed. Seated around the circular table were Onolovav -Oreton's captain on Imperious, Eressa, Jagged Fel, Shankyr Nuruodo -one of Fel's elite pilots and distant relation to the diceased Thrawn- and Stent -security Chief of the now lost Hand of Thrawn-. "Actually I was requesting your permission to return to the Empire with you."

 

That made Oreton's spirit sink slightly. It had been an unexpected request and even unsolicited. "I hope that is not your method of learning the new location of our capital or the hidden Imperial colonies," Oreton smiled, but shook it away. "I would be honored and thankful if you were to return with me. I am simply left to wonder as to why would you choose to return with me."

 

Another of the service droids poured more wine into his glass. "Partly inspired by some of Athien's words and some of Thrawn's. Originally my association with the 'Hand' was meant to be temporary and I would hace come back the the Empire had Thrawn succeeded all those years ago. As it is, my involvement with the Hand has kept me away from the official hierarchy of the UDA," he then waved his hand before his face as he realized there was little need to tell his whole tale.

 

"In short, I want to help you to reinforce the Empire, I have had ample experience in the political arena which can be of use, given any problems with the Moff Council and I have enough experience with the Rapora to help you renovate training programs to prepare officers better. I want to help you continue what Pellaeon started. And I might even be able to bring a few ships and squadron's to reinforce security."

 

***

 

Ulan Shai had finally dismissed all the knowledge Han had tried to transmit and aribritrarily chose a fitting utensil for every plate served. By the end of the meal he picked the last remaining utensil for dessert.

 

"See," Han focused on Leia. "He managed it all the way through the end picking the right stuff." Leia's giggle grew to a soft laught that she hid behind her hand.

 

"It took him less tries than it took you to learn how to use them."

 

Han gave her a lopsided grin in return. "Right."

 

"Han?" Corran asked from his seat in the near table. "What are you up after this?"

 

"Dunno. We are trying to choose. From one of the evacuees we heard there's a cool resort somewhere in Berchest. I was promised some vacation after accepting that generalship again."

 

Corran looked from Han to Leia.

 

"We heard that Luke and Mara left Zonama on a particular mission, I think we will go there to check things out."

 

"It seems that the crazy Jabitha lady figured that in the big Jedi's absence she should call upon the big Jedi's sister. Not too mention Jacen's there, too. Hey kid," Han looked at Ulan, "there's plenty of space in the Falcon if you want to say hi to the family, the dog and the cat."

 

Ulan considered, given his recent episodes he knew it would do well for him to talk to the priests or at least be removed from the direct action, he had many mistakes to account for. His weakness and capture at the hands of the Rapora that might have led to its discovery, up to the sentiment of incapacity that fills him whenever he relives the escape from Ord Mantell and Kyp's death.

 

Ulan nodded. "What about you Corran?" Han asked.

 

The green-eyed Jedi shrugged. "Not sure. I was thinking to go with with you, or go back into the core along with the rest of the Jedi. Or even try to find where Booster is and what he's up to. You know the smugglers, Han. They are always up to something, and I bet Lando and Talon have something big up their sleeves."

 

"How do you figure that?"

 

"I didn't get the usual Booster rant for almost getting killed after Ord Mantell, which means as much as the Venture being busy. And Booster would only get busy when he has to run errands for the smuggler pair."

 

"Makes sense. I'd rather have you go and figure out what they are up to."

 

"Is that an order, Han? I though you quit the generalship before the funeral." Corran asked in wonder.

 

"Oh I did, and gave Omas that shiny insignia back. He made a bet that before dinner was finished I'd be giving orders again," Han shrugged. "Now I have to pay the Falcon's fuel out of my money. You are still going after Booster?"

 

He nodded.

 

***

 

Dinner ended without further highlights and the guests went down into the hangar bay to take their respective shuttles. Most Jedi were going back to Ossus or Denon, the Imperials and their liasions took their shuttles and went over to Imperious and their other warships. The Mandalorians left in their Gladiator Fighter with the exception of Boba Fett who had Slave I parked opposite to the Falcon. Corran Horn took his own black and green XJ X-Wing and flew out.

 

Han, Leia and Ulan boarded the Falcon and departed last of all.

 

In the cockpit of the Falcon, Han turned right to see his wife adjusting some instruments. "I have this feeling the worst is not over yet. Not by a long shot."

 

"I know." She said sadly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

[SOCL]

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