Before - Legends Crash Course- Repost (Action/Adventure Non-JA OC) *completed* 6/15

I was wondering why there hadn't been a new post in awhile Ahhh Shaindl, thanks for pointing that out to her Anyway you do write Crash very well... we all understand falling for Qui here don't we? Isn't Qui the reason most of us are lurking here on the Before the Saga message board instead of hanging out with Han, Luke and Leia?

 

we all understand falling for Qui here don't we?

Ohhhhh, absolutely!

 

Absolutely, indeed.

 

Sounds exactly like me in the morning, apart from the hair colour! And if I were in Crash's place, I would be going through all those emotions in those six strides too! I give her full credit fro another 15 minutes of sleep though... I'd be going for a couple of hours!

 

Thanks, Ladies. I worked hard to get Crash as cool as she is.


_________________________________


I cracked my knuckles in a very un-ladylike manner. Not that anyone I know has ever accused me of being a lady. The command line blinked at me in readiness, and I glanced up at Roble.

"I am now taking requests."

"First, I want you to route our usual 'available for business' message to Teletron." Death leaned forward over my shoulder, his eyes focused past the screen on the rapidly approaching future. "Then, I want you to hit the usual retailers for shipment estimates, and the pigpen for news on street crime. You know the ones I mean, hijackings, shipment piracy, that sort of thing."

"Got it, Boss." My fingers danced across the keyboard and my system jumped to fulfill my every wish. Many people are surprised that I use a command line and keyboard for my slicing, but I've always found that I have much better control over the routines that way. For slicers, control is everything.

Roble waited only until the message to Teletron whisked away over electronic byways, then he prowled off to his office, no doubt to start planning escort details. Shael moved up and took his place behind my right shoulder. Mason was seated just behind me and to my left. Now he leaned forward, eyes intent on the monitor.

I'd been in and out of the systems of most of Teletron's retailers so often that I had just sliced myself a backdoor to save time. I brought up the macros and let them run. Data flashed across my screen as they pulled up the files I wanted and just dumped them to memory for later scanning. It was routine enough to be almost boring, but slicing never bored me. Bored slicers got themselves caught.

The sector Police mainframe, on the other hand, was a job I was looking forward to. If my equipment had been a little better, I would have looked forward to it more, ?cuz then there would have been more I could have done while inside. At the gateway I paused momentarily, my fingers ceasing to clatter across the keyboard for a few fractions of a second. I shut down my other macros and called up new ones.

"I've got the timer, Crash," Shael told me, and produced a hand chrono.

"Timer?"

Shael was impatient with Mason's question, but I considered it progress that he didn't take another swing at the Jedi. "Cop Central's got tight security. We've got just two and a half minutes before they can lock onto us, trace us, and shut us down."

"A hundred and fifty seconds? That's not very long. Crash, are you sure you can get what you need that quickly?"

"She's done it before," Shael snapped back at him, pride ringing in his voice.

Mason asked no more questions, though I know he wanted to. The line of his neck and the set of his shoulders let me know clearly that he was intrigued in spite of himself. After all, how many times did a Jedi get the opportunity to see a great slicer at work?

"Timer," I said, fingers poised. "Start ... now!" The countdown started with a faint beep and my fingers dashed across the keys. A very precious fifty-five seconds were spent slipping past the front line security into the main system. After that my activity became a fast and furious search and dump, my eyes flicking over the data screens, scanning for key words. Beside me Shael offered a mild oath. He's asked me in the past how I could identify the screen contents so quickly. My only answer was that it's a gift. A talent. I only know that it's something I can do. The how of it doesn't matter to me, just that I can.

"Forty-five," Shael whispered.

I discarded two domestic disturbances and a breaking and entering before pulling down a minor piracy. Four drug busts, a DUI, another B&E ...

"Thirty."

... a blackmail, a murder, an indecent exposure, a ...

"Pull that one," Mason urged quietly, and my fingers tapped out the command before I'd had a chance to even identify it. Without missing a beat I moved on.

... a domestic, a missing persons ...

 

Another very excellent chapter, Lilth. Very cool... I wonder too maybe Qui-Gon's picking up some slicer skills himself while watching?


Leona, depends on what you like to read I know several good ones.

 

David Weber, if you like sci-fi with a more technical aspect to it (appeals to my inner engineer). Also he has wonderfully strong female leads. I recommend Path of the Fury, Appcolypse Troll, and any of the Honor Harrignton books.


Terry Pratchett, if you like dry humor, fantastic use of the language, and unforgetable characters. Some of my personal favorites: The witches, the luggage, Death (yes, he's a character), Susan, Carrot, and Vimes. Books not to miss: *Hogfather*, Maskerade, Witches Abroad, and Men at Arms.


Stackpole, if you don't mind fantasy with a dark twist to it. Some of his stuff is down right depressing, but so well told you hardly mind it.


Raymond E. Feist, for epic struggle sagas. He's not quite Jordan-esque in his lengths, but sometimes you wonder. The Riftwar books are quite good.


David Eddings, for great characters, fun stories, and more superb use of the language. "... it was one of the more impressive displays of organized unfriendliness in the known world." Personally, I like his trils better than his quints. And since they're essentially the same story.... It starts with the Diamond Throne.

Oh, and make sure you read the Curse of Chalion before you move on from Bujold. She's got a sequel for it out, but since it's not in paperback yet I haven't read it yet.


Is that enough to give you a start, Leona?

 

Great post, Lilith! I've never believed in false humility myself - I'm glad that Crash can see her own ability. Shael better watch himself. If my husband kissed me just to make someone else mad or to say "Nyah, she's mine" I'd be plenty upset.

I LOVE Pratchett! If you like his stuff, you should read Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series.

Cheers,

Shaindl

 

There are some lovely lines in this one that flow really well;

My only answer was that it's a gift. A talent. I only know that it's something I can do. The how of it doesn't matter to me, just that I can.

I just love that... don't know why, but I do.

I could practically feel the electronic hunters nipping at my heels. Then, I was out of the system, almost slamming the door in the very faces of my pursuers.

Wonderful imagary there, and in the rest of the post. And she deserves her moment of back slapping. Now to find out what caught Mason's eye.

 

She's good, but I've sorta outgrown her. I read her last book, but I had the ending guessed less than halfway through, which I find more than a little disappointing. When I was in junior high I read everything she wrote.

In high school it was R.A. Salvatore (who really, really needs to not write sci-fi, since he stinks at it). He hit a slump a few years ago, couldn't tell you why. But recently he's started to pull out of it, so I'm giving him another go at it.


I also read a lot of Mercedes Lackey, though I pick them carefully to try and avoid the more ... alternative lifestyle stories she's got among her repetoire.

 

It was as vivid as watching a movie. Cool! I wonder what was it Qui- I mean Mason caught sight of while she was slicing.

 

I just registered so I could tell you that I love this story and cant wait for the next part and the sequel. Keep up the Great work!!!

 

Wow! Another reader. Thank you very much.


As for the file... you'll see.


_________________________________________



"So now what?" Mason's way of talking was getting more gang-like all the time. He hadn't said 'So now what do we do?' or 'What will be our next move?' The Jedi hadn't used any unnecessary words. He had pared it down to the essentials, using only what was important. I was impressed, despite my knowledge of what he was. Some people just couldn't ever manage to get over their early training.

"Now, we get some breakfast while the machine chews on the retail estimates." I tapped out a couple of commands and was rewarded with a cheerful beep as my computer started its task. "And then I come back and check the estimates over as a precaution against machine error and then I read through all of the cop reports myself."

Mason's blue eyes were focused somewhere in the distance as he thought. "The police reports are to help plan how many members might be needed for extra security on the shipments?"

"Yeah. It gives us a better idea of who's doing what and where. The types of cargoes taken, and a few other factors are important, too." I raised one hand to push a pitch black tangle away from my face and stood, but Mason remained seated, his head cocked to one side, thinking. "You hungry, or have you already eaten?"

He waved a dismissive hand at me, his gaze still staring past the little animated swoop rider that zoomed back and forth across the bottom of the screen. "I ate when I got up."

"And when was that?"

He shrugged. I rolled my eyes, sighed, then gathered my blanket back around me and shuffled off to find a table and some warm food. The triplets were only too happy to oblige me.

A hot meal and a shower later, I returned to my machines. They were humming away happily, their job done, the resulting files ready and waiting for me. I rolled my head a bit on my shoulders, giving my freshly combed hair a swing, before I sat down in front of the main monitor. Mason was off in the maintenance area, no doubt recruited by Bulldog or Trapper or one of the other guys to come let them brag about their rides.

I knew that the shipment projections could wait just a bit, and my curiosity about that file my Jedi had asked me to pull was starting to eat me alive. Glancing over my shoulder once more to be certain that Mason was elsewhere, I opened my stolen cop report files and began browsing through them. They were just what I had expected; reports about shipment highjackings, attempted highjackings, random drive-bys, and outright acts of piracy.

Except the one Mason had asked for.

It was junk.

I puzzled over it, and still couldn't figure it out. It was a routine report of a disturbance call in one of the smaller business districts. The incident had been investigated, no problems had been found, end of report. There had to be a reason for him to have wanted that file. He was Jedi, but there was no way he could have identified it before he'd asked me to download it. I hadn't even identified it by the time it cleared the screen. He must have been prompted by the Force, but why? It was a junk report generated by what was most likely a nosy or paranoid neighbor, or a prank call. There was nothing in it that I could see that might call it to the attention of a Jedi Knight, no matter what mission he might be on.

My finger hovered over the ?Delete' key. //It's a useless file,// I told myself. //It won't matter at all.// A little paranoia of my own tried to argue with that. //Mason thought it was important. Maybe it is. He's a Jedi after all. But even Jedi are not perfect. He could have made a mistake. Shael almost breaks into a sweat every time I slice into Cop Central and he's seen me do it dozens of times. Why wouldn't even a Jedi, seeing it for the first time, feel a little of the tension and react to it? He sounded awfully sure at the time, though.// I shrugged mentally. //Maybe his

 

Good girl, don't erase that file. If Qui told you to download it, he had good reason.

Great chapter, Lilith! I like how you're showing Qui growing in his role and learning how to behave like one of them. Very realistic.

Looking forward to more soon!

Shaindl

 

I agree, good thing she kept the file! I also liked the touch of Mason telling Crash he wouldn't take her out again, but at least she can appreciate why!

 

Good girl, she didn't delete the file. Still wonder what is so important about it and am sure you're going to tell us - at long last.

 

But it's a garbage file, I tell you. It means nothing.... Don't worry ladies, we'll get to the file soon enough.


___________________________________



"How's it look, Crash?"

I didn't so much as glance at Mason as he walked up behind me. I was polishing up my report. Normally the Horsemen were pretty informal about things like that, but Death liked having things like the cop reports written down where he could look at them or check back on them. I don't blame him if that's what works best for him, but I'm a visual person myself, and I prefer to store my important facts in my head rather than on a data card any passing cop could pick up and walk away with.

"Not too bad," I answered. "My data shows that I sifted through eighty-seven percent of the reports for the last three months. I can make some pretty accurate assumptions from that. There hasn't been much highjacking or pirating, all things considered."

"What things do you consider?" Mason pulled up a chair, turned it around, and straddled it, leaning his forearms on the back. He must have picked that up from Trapper. The actions were smooth, but not as smooth or thoughtless as his bows had been.

"If you swing your leg over the chair, like you would your ride, it'll look more natural," I advised. Continuing before he could do more than nod in reply, I answered his question. "First, I consider the fact that a third of the highjackings were gang related."

"Other swoop gangs?"

"Some, but not all. There are packs of homeless folks who'll attack almost any freight hauler that is slow enough, or sits still long enough. Doesn't happen often, but it's certainly not unheard of." I tapped out a command and brought up a map of the sector. "Then I take into account where they happened." Another couple of taps filled in the map with large blocks of hazy color indicating different gang territories and speckled it here and there with small red dots.

I indicated a point just inside our northern border. "That's Telecom's main distribution point. As you can see, the area around it is pretty clear of incidents. Any retailer outside this immediate sector or the northern half of the sector south of us will get their shipments from atmospheric craft or long haulers. Anyone who can take down a long hauler would chew right through us, so we don't guard those."

His eyes flicked here and there over the map, no doubt committing the various territories to memory. There were no labels, I didn't need them, and I waited for him to ask, but he didn't. "So you only have to worry about security for the immediate area?"

"Yup."

"What about the area south of Horsemen territory?"

I shrugged. "Would you believe that there's no gang activity there? At least no swoop gangs. The only reason why it's not Horsemen territory is because we don't want to mess around with two different sets of cops."

"So there won't be any problems there?"

"Not likely, but we make those escorts heavier anyway, as a precaution."

Mason nodded again, his eyes intent on the screen, and asked no more. I left the map up for him and moved my report to an auxiliary monitor and finished it there. Mason never moved. If he'd been a droid I'd have claimed I could hear him thinking, he was concentrating so hard.

I loaded my report and the raw data I'd drawn it from onto a datacard and strode to Death's office. I walked right in, knocking only as an afterthought as I stepped through the doorway. Roble was sitting behind his desk, Shael leaned with one hip hitched up on a corner, the desk's surface covered with lists and a sector map. Death was gesturing to the map, one calloused finger tracing the route they were currently discussing.

"This is the usual course they take for delivery to Bernard's. We've never had any problems on that run," Roble was saying.

"Yes, but that cuts right between Angel and Demon territory, then heads right into the Imperium, and with the way things are going right now ..." Shael trailed

 

Mmm, love the image of Qui swinging a leg over a chair and straddling it. Is it hot in here?

Great post, Lilith! I know I said this before, but I love how you show Qui learning his chosen character slowly but surely. Really fascinating learning curve.

Looking forward to more soon!

Shaindl

 

"Oh, and Crash, could you send Plague and Famine in here?"

//Forget dinner. Make that midnight.//

ROFLOL! I agree with Leona, Crash knows how to interpret everything around her. She's one smart cookie! I too loved the casual insert of the line to tell Mason how to improve his picked up mannerisms.

 

WHEW!! Just finished a 2-day marathon read of this story and I have to say I'm loving it!! This is actually my first foray into the "Before the Saga" board, but I saw a clip of your story in the Fan Fictin Newsletter and I decided to check it out...and let me say I'm totally excited about it! I love Crash- what a great tradition of strong Star Wars females you're carrying on with her! And Mason/Qui- adorable! I'm still undecided about Shael but I'm sure you can convince me The whole idea is original and fun and I can't wait to see how it's all going to turn out!

 

Still here Lilith What a great few chapters. This story is very enjoyable and I think part of it is how well Crash is portrayed as a strong female character. Everything just flows so nicely together and that girl never misses anything does she...