Beyond - Legends Finished, finally!!! New Jedi Order: Night Stalkers (Face Loran, Kell Tainer, OC) 10/17/0

Hi everybody. As you can probably tell from my username, I'm a huge fan of the Wraiths, Face Loran in particular. I've been outlining Wraith Fics for a long time, but their total lack of respect in the NJO finally drove me to actually write a story. It's been in development for a long time, but I'm proud to say it's finished now. I've waited until it was complete to begin posting because I knew it'd take forever, (and it almost did!). So, hopefully, if you like the story, you won't have to wait to long between posts. I'll try to post one section a night until it's finished. It'll also be available in MS Word and ebook formats soon, for your perusal, if you prefer to read it all in one shot.

This is the first piece I've actually worked up the nerve to post, so I'd really appreciate feedback of any kind. I hope you enjoy it.....

NEW JEDI ORDER: NIGHT STALKERS

One year after A Vision of the Future, the capture of Allysen Menin, an NRI Operative operating illegally on the Imperial Capitol world of Bastion, erupts into a scandal that threatens the fragile peace. Publicly denying all knowledge of her mission, Intelligence Director Dif Scaur orders the retrieval of the vital information she carries at all costs. NRI Officer Garik Loran, known as the Wraith, goes undercover to prepare the way for the insertion of an elite Special Forces team. Together, they will attempt the NRI?s most daring mission yet?.

Dramatis Personae (Original Characters in bold)

With the New Republic Military

Admiral Dif Scaur, Director of New Republic Intelligence
Brigadier General Collumnus, Deputy Director of New Republic Intelligence
Col. Belindi Kalenda, Deputy Director (Operations), NRI
Col. Zakarisz Ghent, Deputy Director (Cryptology), NRI
Col. Iella Wessiri Antilles, Watch Officer, Operations Directorate, NRI
Col. Bijo Hammax, Chief of Station (Bastion), Operations Directorate, NRI
Col. Nash Vallen, Reconnaissance Pilot, Intelligence Directorate, NRI
Maj. Garik Loran (Agent WRAITH), Field Officer, Operations Directorate, NRI
Capt. Kell Tainer (Agent VORNSK), Field Officer, Operations Directorate, NRI
Lt. Allysen Menin (Agent PRINCESS), Field Officer, Operations Directorate, NRI

Gen. Wedge Antilles, Starfighter Command, New Republic Defense Force
Capt. Tur Vissek, Special Ship Service, Starfight Command, NRDF

MSG Jensen Kal, 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF
SFC Micha Davis ? 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF
SFC Wil Lantee ? 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF
SSG Dann Allard ? 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF
SGT Greh Park ? 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF
SGT Benn Wilki ? 2271st Airborne Division, SpecForce Command, NRDF

With the Imperial Military

Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, Supreme Command, Imperial Forces.
Col Beri Lomarr, Counter Intelligence Directorate, Imperial Intelligence

Prologue, Part 1
Prologue, Part 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2, part 1
Chapter 2, part 2
Chapter 3, part 1
Chapter 3, part 2
Chapter 3, part 3
Chapter 4
Epilogue

 

A snippet from the prologue....

Prologue
Coruscant







The New Republic Intelligence agency never slept. Charged with gathering, analyzing, and often acting on foreign and domestic intelligence from a galaxy spanning thousands of systems and billions of light years, the so-called war room was alive with activity day and night, because, as the Company saying went, the suns never set on the New Republic. Or it?s enemies. Thus, Colonel Iella Wessiri Antilles, Chief of the Watch, 3rd Shift, was not surprised in the least when a clerk from the communications section commed her just after local midnight.

She stifled a yawn and took one more sip from her caf before rising from her desk and walking the short distance to one of the many consoles that made up the first few rows of the war room. A large, high ceilinged room with wall-spanning vid-screens, it was the central nervous system of the NRI. All communications from field officers and other ?human? intelligence sources were routed through this room, as well as a good deal of other sources. As an Operations Senior Staff Officer, she regularly took turns as Chief of the Watch, this week drawing the dreaded 3rd, graveyard, shift.

The young officer that had signaled her spun to face her as she approached. Iella noted it was the desk responsible for handling communications from the Braxtant Sector, the heart of Imperial Remnant space and home to its Capitol, Bastion. ?What is it, Sergeant?? She asked with piqued interest. It was very early morning on the Imperial Capitol world, well before the routine communications from Station Bastion usually arrived.

?Unknown, Colonel, just came in from Bastion; it?s marked as flash traffic.? The flash designation meant it was classified more heavily than routine message traffic, for the eyes of the Chief of Watch and more senior ranking personnel only, and more importantly, time sensitive. She took the offered encrypted card from the sergeant and slipped it into her datapad. The decrypt program immediately set to work once it was satisfied Iella was who she said she was, and in moments the message appeared in glowing green letters on her screen:

To: Senior Watch Officer, NRI Central Command Authority
From: Chief of Station (Bastion)
Attached: ins_291001.vid

Agent PRINCESS captured by elements of Imperial Intelligence at 11:21 Local Time in the Capitol District. Current whereabouts unknown. See attached video file.

End.

This was a transmission from Colonel Bijo Hammax, Chief of Station Bastion, the highest ranking spook on the planet, in charge of NRI activities on the Imperial throne world. Iella didn?t recognize the codename PRINCESS or the details of her status or mission on Bastion, but she immediately went to work. ?Alert Colonel Kalenda immediately,? she barked at a nearby clerk, ?and get Director Scaur on the comlink for me.?

------------

Garik Loran stirred, swatting in annoyance at the incessant buzzing that threatened to wake him from his deep slumber. As he slowly regained consciousness, he realized the buzzing was coming from the comlink on his nightstand. He cracked open his eyes and fumbled sleepily for the small device before finally grasping it. ?Loran,? he half coughed and half mumbled into the device.

?Face, this is Iella, we need you in here.?

?What?? He mumbled again, still not conscious enough to fully grasp her message.

?We need you in the operations center immediately, Major.? Iella?s professional tone brought Face back to full consciousness immediately.

He knew better than to ask what it was about, instead simply responding, ?Yes ma?am, I?ll be right in, Colonel.? Only after replacing the comlink on his nightstand did he glance at his chrono, which showed 03:30. He?d been in bed for only forty minutes.

?Sithspit!? he cursed fiercely as he left the warmth of his bed.

------------

?You look like hell,? Iella said in greeting as Face strode through the security checkpoint in the lobby.

?We just got in from the Mid

 

I'm not well up on the Wraiths in the NJO era, having only read the Wraith Squadron books, but this is looking interesting so far.

 

Hey Face Loran!
I'm a big fan of the Wraiths too, so naturally I was thrilled to find this fanfic. I really like what I see so far! Keep up the great work!

 

Interesting so far.

 

Looking good, Face! Sounds like you have some interesting stuff planned. So, how long before we get more?

Jae Angel

 

The second half of the prologue.....

--------

Iella?s secretary had informed Face that Iella was in the cafeteria eating breakfast when he had stopped by her office to say goodbye. Iella?s husband, General Wedge Antilles, had been Face?s commanding officer eleven years previously, when they had both been members of Starfighter Command. He had promoted Face to the rank of Captain and given him command of Wraith Squadron. Face had been only twenty at the time, and Wedge had mentored him, helping him to develop his latent leadership skills. The General had remained a father figure to Face even when the Wraiths had transferred to the NRI, leaving their starfighters, and the term squadron, behind. Iella had served as his control officer on several missions, and when Wedge and she had married, it had cemented her role as a mother figure, despite her relative youth.

Hefting his gear, he rode the turbolift to the sublevel where the cafeteria was located. He was pleased to see the General sitting alongside his wife at a nearby table when he walked in, and he approached the couple. ?Why General, you?re up early.?

Wedge looked up and smiled broadly, returning Face?s salute. ?Well, look what the mynocks dragged in. Sit down, take a load off.?

?Sorry, Wedge, I can?t, I?m leaving soon. I just came down to say goodbye to Iella. It?s awfully nice of you to come in this early to see me off,? he added with his usual humor. Iella noticed that his appearance had changed from the briefing. His normally unruly black hair had been cut reasonably short, and his goatee had been shaved clean. His sideburns remained, but were noticeably more trimmed than what was standard for the handsome operative. He was wearing black, government issued cargo pants and jacket, with a gray tunic beneath it, typically nondescript attire for an undercover mission. Iella had no doubt that his pack contained several more outfits of similar quality, along with personal items and some gear hidden within the bag, along with NRI technology to ensure it remained hidden.

?Where are you off to?? Wedge asked. Face and Iella just shook their heads, and Wedge got the point. Instead he offered his hand, which Face shook in response. ?Well, take care of yourself, son. Don?t do anything I wouldn?t do.?

?I appreciate that, Wedge, and I don?t intend to. I?ll see you around Iella,? he added, bending down to kiss her cheek. His normally cheerful demeanor was still present, and Wedge was left to marvel at how well he hid the tension he must be feeling. Wedge was a veteran of the long Civil War and had seen his life in danger many, many times, yet he had developed a deep respect for Face. Few people could say they had looked their enemy in the eyes as often as Face had, and that he had spent long months living and working among them while undercover amazed Wedge. It was a whole different sort of bravery than the one Wedge was used to, a sort that was often left unrecognized by those it protected.

--------

After Face had left, Iella returned to her breakfast, which consisted of some sort of simulated avian eggs and dried toast, and of course, the caf that was mandatory for any government employee. After a few moments of silence, Iella looked up at her husband. ?Wedge, can you tell me what the real situation on Drunkenwell is??

He swallowed. ?You don?t know? I thought NRI had teams on the ground there??

?They do, or they did, apparently. I was left out of the loop. I have my suspicions, but I?m curious about the details.?

Wedge nodded at this and took another sip of his caf. ?Well, as you know, Governor-General Maetor regime has been shifting more and more towards a dictactorship. In recent months he has suspended the Planetary Council and denied attempts by the Senator?s delegation to return to the planet. They?re now officially in exile here on Coruscant.? Iella knew all this, but nodded anyway. ?Well, as you know, the New Republic does not look favorably on dictatorships on the planetary level, or any level for that matter, but generally tolera

 

Too right! Wraiths are the best! Congrats on another gr8 post!

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of Face living and working undercover for long periods of time. I rather thought his face was immediately recognizable, so it must take some considerable talent for him to hide it for so long. Now I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles this new mission.

 

Just bringing this up. I've been sick the last few days and studying for exams so I haven't had time to get the next post set up. Sorry about the delay.

 

Oooh, hope you feel better soon, and good luck on the exams!

 

Thanks, I appreciate the thought!



Chapter One
Chandrila

Captain Kell Tainer was not a typical looking officer of the NRI. Most field officers were trained to blend in, to go unnoticed, and to be easily forgotten But for the Captain, standing nearly two meters tall, blending in and being unmemorable were difficult tasks indeed. So Kell had adapted techniques of his own to use while operating undercover. Often he played the part of the big, dumb, muscle-bound body guard or soldier type. People respected his strength but often stopped there, believing him incapable of subterfuge or trickery. It worked surprisingly often, and was much easier on his ego than other techniques he?d learned to use, which, as Face liked to joke, mainly consisted of letting Face do most of talking. It was true enough, he knew. Over his decade long career in the intelligence business, he?d learned to lie with great skill, and he was more than capable of thinking on his feet, but keeping the tension from his voice and body language was something he hadn?t mastered like Face, an actor almost since birth, or some of the other Wraiths had.

Tainer strode confidently down the ramp of the shuttle that had just delivered him to the Chandrilan Starfire Military Center for Special Operations. He wore the dark fatigues without insignia that had become synonymous with intelligence types, and approached the Colonel waiting at its base with outstretched hand. ?Captain, please come with me,? he said without preamble. Leaving the docking bay behind, the Colonel led him to a turbolift which swept them downwards to the lower levels of the massive building. ?General Page is expecting you.?

The lift opened up into what looked to Kell like a massive indoor firing range. Soldiers in groups of five or six were lying prone or kneeling, unloading ammunition at distant targets down range. Gunnery Sergeants stood over each group, calling out targets. A man wearing general?s stars and many campaign ribbons strode over to the NRI Officer and returned the salute offered to him. ?Mr. Tainer, welcome to Chandrila. I understand we?re to assist you in some way.? General Page was the commander of the New Republic Special Operations Command, which included Special Forces units from all branches of the NR Military and Intelligence divisions.

?Yes sir, I assume you?ve been contacted by the Director and aware of our needs.? The General shook his head and removed his comlink from his belt and spoke briefly into it. ?Charlie Squad, front and center!? His voiced boomed over the ranges speakers, and group about half a kilometer down the line rose and sprinted towards the General and his guests. ?I think I have just the group you?re looking for. This is Charlie Squad, part of the 2271st Airborne Division. They?re designated as special operations capable, one of our best infiltrator units. Tricky insertions are their specialty.?

The group of six men came to a stop and to instant attention in front of the General. ?Charlie Squad reporting for duty, Sir!? Bellowed one of the soldiers, apparently the commander.

?At ease, men. Mr. Tainer, this is Master Sergeant Jensen Kal and the Night Stalkers. Night Stalkers, this is Captain Tainer.? Kell could feel the young Sergeant give him an appraising glare. He couldn?t help but smirk.

?A spook, eh? This should be interesting. Where are we going this time??

?I think you mean, ?Where am I going,? Sergeant. It?s yet to be decided whether you?re coming along.? Tainer paused, and cast his gaze on General Page, who nodded affirmatively. ?I?m putting together a potential black op. for immediate deployment. The mission profile calls for a HALO insertion and extended activities in enemy territory. I understand you?re group has extensive experience with this.? HALO stood for High Altitude, Low Opening, and harkened back to the days when airborne troopers used parachutes instead of repulsorlift harnesses. ?How many HALO drops have you participated in??

?Eight for me, sir, six each for Davis, Lantee, and Allard,? he

 

i just found this fan fic!! when i saw it i was like "A wraith fan fic!!!!!!" This looks like a good start! keep up the good work

 

This is great!

It's good to see more of the Wraiths.

 

Yay!

Cool story, Face! I can't wait for more!

Long Live the Wraiths!

 

Whoa, very cool concept. We need more action/Wraith stories in the FanFic, it's been over run by the mush loving community!

I'll be reading this story

 

Cool, thanks.

Here's a long one, because I couldn't find a good place to break it up....




Chapter Two
Bastion




Bastion?s High Desert Interstellar Spaceport was a typically busy transportation hub, with thousands of beings passing through on their way to and from the Imperial Capitol world. Face Loran was surprised to see a small but significant amount of nonhumans milling about the area. The Imperial?s notorious bias against nonhumans seemed to easing, just a bit, or perhaps the new capitalist society had realized how many opportunities for profit they were denying themselves with their prejudice. Either way, though still the vast minority on the planet, the alien population was growing. Face wondered if the prejudices had faded or if the nonhumans were forced to endure it still.

The trip from Garqi had taken sixteen hours on board the densely packed starliner called The Morning Star. Most of that time Face had spent sleeping, lightly of course, in case someone should someone try to tamper with his baggage. The NRI had trained him how to do that reliably and effectively, in fact. He hadn?t brought much with him, a small case for his toiletries, a few changes of clothes and undergarments, and of course, his false sets of identifications, hidden in the liner of his garment bag, electronically shielded from sensor equipment.

His current identity was as a salesman for an upstart wholesaler of starship parts from Garqi, on world to attend a trade show where he could meet some new contacts and begin the slow process of expanding his territory into Imperial Space. It was a solid story, and Face was confident he could fake a reasonable amount of knowledge if called to do so, though he didn?t intend to keep the identity for longer than it took to reach a public restroom off of the spaceports ground. Hefting his carry on bag, he made his way across the bustling concourse and down the grand staircase that led out the main set of doors. He was impressed with the vast windows the made up that wall, offering a stunning view of the arid, desert environment outside. The High Desert was located almost directly on the planet?s equator, and the major city was surrounded on all sides by vast tracts of desert. Face had never been here before, landing directly in the Bastion Capitol District several thousand miles to the north on his first and only previous visit. High Desert was where most civilians entered the planet, though, and Face decided it was nice to see something a little different. Bastion was marked with many large cities, but the Imperials hadn?t quite managed to cover the entire natural landscape yet. Given time, he was sure they?d turn Bastion into another Coruscant.

He called a hover taxi in front of the spaceport, casting casual glances around him as he did so, looking for possible trails. One of the many taxis lined up outside immediately sped to his location, and he climbed inside. ?The Capitol District, please,? he told the driver. Throughout the hour long journey he surreptitiously glanced behind to make sure he wasn?t being followed. It was very unlikely he could have picked up a tail already, but he wouldn?t bet his life on it. The Imperials tended to be suspicious of everyone, and it wouldn?t surprise him if he learned they trailed people at random to make sure they weren?t committing anything untoward.

The landscape changed noticeably as the speeder traveled north towards the Capitol District. The desert gradually made way for grassy plains and woodlands.
Outside, the temperature had dropped noticeably as well. The Capitol District was a far more temperate region than the one they were leaving behind. About half an hour outside the city, Loran leaned forward, giving the human driver a good look. Satisfied, he sat back. ?So, they have you moonlighting as a taxi driver, eh, Beej??

?Excuse me?? The driver said without looking back.

?Is it safe to talk in here?? Loran asked, ignoring the question. The cab driver just chuckled and nodded his head.

?How?d you

 

Cabs, you can stumble on anything in there

Great post! I liked the idea of the tablets drowning the effect of the alcohol

 

Up!!!

 

I just stumbled on this fic and I have to say I'm quite impressed. The premise is well-thought-out and believeable, and you've created a host of three-dimensional characters who I'm sure will play a great part through the rest of the story.

I loved the little Wedge/Iella interaction:

"It?s pretty clear now that he led one of those Special Operation teams on the ground. Probably some of the other Wraiths went in as well. That?s classified, by the way, keep that to yourself," she said, poking a fork at his chest with a grin.

"That doesn?t surprise me, Iella, they?re the best." I'd definitely have to agree with that one.

Face's trip to Bastion is exciting already--I can't wait to see what happens when the man he just stunned wakes up... Great job, and keep up the excellent writing!

 

UP!

 

Ahhh!!! My last final was wednesday and things have been so hectic since then, this is only the second time I've come near a computer....

Sorry to keep you guys in suspense, I promise to get a post up tomorrow morning. It would be sooner but I switched computer and I'm having Word to Works conversion difficulties.

 

Here we go, sorry about the long wait. Some random words and bits of words were somehow lost in the conversion, so let me know if I missed some. Hope you enjoy it.

* * * * *

The roar of the blaster was impossibly loud in the confined space of the hover taxi. ?For the love of the Force!? Hammax yelled, surprised at the sudden eruption of blaster fire in his backseat. ?What are you doing?!?

Face ignored the urgency in his voice and began searching the man?s clothing. ?Just keep driving, Colonel. Uhhh,? he stopped to think, realizing he hadn?t told Hammax where to take him. ?Back to my hotel room.?

He fished an Imperial Intelligence ID folder from the man?s pocket and skimmed it over. The man?s name was Beri Lomarr from Muunilist. Perfect, he thought. He was very familiar with the mannerisms specific to that planet, and he was confident he could pass himself off as a native. The man had several other types of ID?s, a couple of credit chits, a metal flask of what smelled like whiskey, and a few other cards that Face wasn?t sure about in his tunic. He took the military grade blaster from the holster on the man?s hip and checked its charge, which was full. ?Hey Beej, any idea what kind of identity verification system they use at the Intelligence building??

?ID card scan and visual appraisal to get in the building, finger print scan for more secure locations. Why?? Hammax glanced over his shoulder as he spoke to see Loran inspecting the palms of the man?s hands. ?Sith Loran, half a day on planet and you?ve already got delusions of grandeur. Who is this guy??

The speeder was approaching the hotel now. ?You won?t believe me. This is PRINCESS?s case officer.? He took the flask and poured some of its contents on his own shirt. Drunken, unconscious people attract less attention than sober, unconscious people, but he didn?t want the uniform melling like alcohol. ?Alright, drop me off up front.? Hammax seemed to take the news in stride and pulled to a smooth stop in front of the hotel. Face waived off the door droid?s offer of assistance and dragged the man out of the cab. It?s a good thing I?m in shape, he thought as he wrapped an arm around the man?s shoulder and dragged him into the lobby. The drunk was deceptively heavy. Loran thanked the Force that the hotel lobby was empty at this hour except for a few employees, and he slipped into the turbolift with little notice.

He literally dragged the unconscious man the last few meters to his door and inside, immediately locking it once they were inside. He hefted the man onto the bed and fetched his travel bag, from which he retrieved a set of stun cuffs. Face stripped the man to his undergarments, then chained him to the glowlight fixture above the bed with the cuffs. The man?s breathing was returning to normal and consciousness would return soon.

Face went into the refresher to scrub the last vestiges of the alcohol from his skin, and came out to find that Hammax had let himself into the room and was standing over the unconscious figure, appraising the man?s rank insignia. ?Well, I?m impressed,? he told Loran with a quick smile. Face ignored the remark and hurriedly removed his own clothes and began replacing them with the intelligence uniform.

?His name is Colonel Beri Lomarr. He?s a case officer in counter intelligence,? he told Hammax, handing Hammax the datapad with the several images of the Colonel displayed. ?We have to move fast.? He paused his changing to reach into his pack and toss Hammax a small metallic case. ?You know how to use one of these??

It was a little gadget the Science and Technology Directorate had worked up back at the NRI, a datapad with special scanning and fabrication equipment, designed to read and reproduce finger prints of humans and near-human species. ?Yeah sure,? Hammax responded, and set to work immediately. He sat on the bed and took the man?s hand and began pressing the man?s fingers against the small sensing unit, one at a time. About half way through his work Face came over, now fully attired in the Intelligence u

 

Up!!!

 

Sorry I missed this post when you first put it up--don't know how that happened. You did a great job on it!

I like the emphasis you're placing on Intel and the way the operation is being run. The fingerprint fabricators are a really neat idea, and they made a lot of sense once I reconsidered the fact that Face is working more or less alone.

Hammax is great! He's a fountain of knowledge, and between his and Face's gadgets, they could take over the planet in an hour.

One of my favorite parts:

"...Oh yeah, can I have your speeder keys?"

"Sure, just be careful with that thing. The marines back at the embassy will kill me if you scratch it. It?s their baby. The armorer spent two weeks upgrading it. It?s a lot tougher than it looks." Somehow, those lines remind me of a certain scene in ROTJ, where Lando tells Han that he'll bring the Falcon back "without a scratch..."

Excellent job! I can't wait for more.