Beyond - Legends X-Wing: Rogue Diplomacy - Complete 5/20 (Sequel to Genesis. Syal, Tycho, Wes, Hobbie, Doran, Rogues)

loved the banter and Hobbie bumping his head.

Action again for the rogues

 

Foreshadowing, this time it was done rather bluntly

Yeah. And it?s sad.



Chapter Nine - Lesser of Two

?People are starting to think that we?re responsible,? the agitated Devaronian male said.

*snerk* what a wonderful way to start the chapter


we cannot afford to be known as terrorists, thugs, and suicide bombers. If we are going to be successful, we have to win the war on the media front as well.

So freaking true. It?s sad someone has to spell it out like that, and unfortunate more people can?t get it through their skulls.


If she?s willing to throw Mandos at the Jedi, she?s not going to hesitate to use them against slaves from some backwater system no one cares about.?

Very true.
The entire conversation shows just how bad it really is on Orvax IV

Dia


It was never about ending slave trading on this backwater world.

Of course not. How dare he even think she would care about such a thing *rolls eyes*

I really, really hate that he was forced to agree to doing this.


he?s mostly sticking to downplaying the issue

Why do people insist on doing that? I wonder if they even realize that it?s only going to get worse if they don?t face it head-on. Or if they even care


And ouch, 70% of the budget going to illegal dealings?! Freaking CRAZY


Unfortunately, he realized, Hobbie was right. Wedge would never stand for any of this. If he backed Cridmeen just to keep him out of Daala's judicial nightmare, Wedge would never forgive him.

Hobbie, the voice of reason
I?m glad Tycho understood that and agreed. I don?t want to see him going down a ?wrong? path.


"One agent confirmed. He was arrested as part of a mob protesting in front of the presidential building."

Yeah, but one doesn?t mean anything.
Oh man twists and turns everywhere, even for me as the reader.


Thankfully, she had at least been smart enough to smuggle a datapad and one of her favorite trash romance novels with her

Love it



"The slave resistance will not allow the Alliance to provide President Cridmeen with military aid," a voice finally responded. "You should not have come, human bigot."

Just the tone made me sad. Especially because I know so many people are just trying.
And it means even more death.


"Someone care to tell me what the hell that was?"

Tycho responded, "No idea

Well great. If Tycho doesn?t know, that means it?s worse than I thought.


And LOL Syal, how quick she is to change her mind

 

Hazel

He's more like Emperor than President.

I'd go with Warlord myself

I'm so with Syal on this - I'd do exactly the same thing.

Have to find a way to entertain yourself somehow

Welcoming Comitee?

Nope!

Naturally. Poor Hobbie

Barely even started and he's had a rough go of things

Nanci

Oh, I don't know, do you want the short list or the long list?

What, are you suggesting I've developed a list?

Oh I dunno, there were some human slaves somewhere. You know, that Vader guy?

Nasty fellow, Vader.

Oh, that's not a good idea.

Freedom Flight seems like a very interesting organization.

They are. Fringe vigilantism always makes for a fascinating subject.

Oh that's a reassuring thought.

Tycho seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It's going to be tough for him and he's going to go back and forward a number of times. Right now, he's trying to find a solution that allows him to take care of everything without having to tell Wedge or Syal what's going on.

Which romance novel? The Princess and the Smuggler? The Force Bond of Love? Wingmates of Destiny?

Wingmates of Destiny, now that sounds like a fascinating read

Hobbie can never go unscathed

He really can't

earlybird - Glad you enjoyed the action! There's a lot more of that in later chapters.

SWpants666

*snerk* what a wonderful way to start the chapter

A fun little hook that came to me after about a dozen drafts

So freaking true. It?s sad someone has to spell it out like that, and unfortunate more people can?t get it through their skulls.

Public perception means so much, but that's a difficult thing for people to grasp.

Very true.
The entire conversation shows just how bad it really is on Orvax IV

It's a world that no one cares for. Freedom Flight won't throw resources at it, the Alliance as a whole doesn't care, and the local government isn't any help.

Of course not. How dare he even think she would care about such a thing *rolls eyes*

I really, really hate that he was forced to agree to doing this.

That's Daala for you. Inept, but manipulative.

Why do people insist on doing that? I wonder if they even realize that it?s only going to get worse if they don?t face it head-on. Or if they even care


And ouch, 70% of the budget going to illegal dealings?! Freaking CRAZY

Things stay the same because there's no reason in their mind to change the status quo. We'll see what Cridmeen's stake in all this is soon.

I?m glad Tycho understood that and agreed. I don?t want to see him going down a ?wrong? path.

Well, there are multiple wrong paths he can take. It's not going to be easy fo rhim to do the right thing

Yeah, but one doesn?t mean anything.
Oh man twists and turns everywhere, even for me as the reader.

This is probably the twistiest fic I've ever written before. I hope it works out

Well great. If Tycho doesn?t know, that means it?s worse than I thought.


And LOL Syal, how quick she is to change her mind

As the great Hobbie Klivian once said, "It's worse than that."


Thanks for reading all! New post below.

If you would like to be added to the PM list, please feel free to let me know.

PM List
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Hazel
earlybird-obi-wan
Katana_Sundancer
SWPants666
PRINCESSCAMBRIA
InsaneIsta

 

Chapter Ten - Shades of Grey

Nyla Kaartinen tapped her fingers against her desk, a futile effort to redirect the seething rage that was coursing through her. Why had Daala decided to act now? The Chief of State had appeared content ot simply let the rumblings of slave revolts continue unchecked across the Galaxy so she could focus her attention on putting the Jedi under her rule. Sending a diplomatic envoy to Orvax IV now could undermine Nyla?s entire operation. If they actually managed to succeed in diffusing the situation, she would be forced to start over at square one.

She slammed her fist against the desk, spitting out a curse that would have made a hardened soldier blush.

Sighing, she opened a panel hidden at the front of her desk and depressed a button.

?Communications,? a dull voice said over the speaker.

?Get me a holonet patch through to Reetat,? Nyla said. ?Audio feed only.?

?Yes ma?am.?

Nyla waited for the encrypted call to be routed. She picked up a flimsy pin, idly spinning it between her fingers to distract herself from the stinging in her other hand.

The patch finally connected. ?Reetat,? a garbled male voice said.

?What are you doing about it?? She demanded.

A pause. ?About what??

She sighed, rubbing her temples with a thumb and middle finger. ?What are you doing about Celchu??

?Oh. That. I assure you, ma?am, he will be mitigated, but we have to be patient. If we move too quickly someone could easily track the slave revolt back to you.?

She frowned. He was right, of course. If her people on Orvax IV were sloppy, it would only be a matter of time before someone in the Alliance managed to work their way up the credit chain back to her. They had to be deliberate, move at a pace slow enough as to stir violence on-world but not so quickly that it would attract further attention from Daala. It was bad enough that she had already dispatched General Celchu. Anything more and Daala might get suspicious.

?We continue as planned,? the man said. ?Frame the continued terrorist acts on Freedom Flight and use them as our cover. There are at least a dozen other slave worlds teetering on revolt themselves. If we play our sabacc cards right we just might be able to bring some of them down with us. That?s going to be what gets Daala to do something rash and turn the Alliance against her.?

?Provided Celchu doesn?t get in the way,? Nyla noted.

?He won?t,? the man insisted. ?Celchu is just a minor stumbling block and you know just as well as I do he?s here for political theater reasons only. Chances are he will not be a problem and even if he does try to get in the way, we are prepared to deal with him.?

?See that you do,? Nyla said, depressing another button on her desk and abruptly terminating the holonet call.

She swiveled in her to face the holodisplay behind her, grabbing the remote and powering it on. The image of an aging Chevin appeared. Disgusting creatures, the Chevin.

?In other news out of Coruscant,? the Chevin said, ?tensions between the indentured service populace of Klatooine and the Hutts continue to rise. Officials from the State Department have expressed concern that the Klatooinians may be on the verge of a full revolt. For more on the story, we go live to Madhi Vaandt on Klatooine ??

Nyla watched the Perre Needmo Newshour for a few more minutes, idly paying attention to the story of the plight of the Klatooinians, a species doomed to thousands of years of indentured servitude to the Hutts. She sneered. It was just another one of those fluff pieces designed to engender sympathy among the citizens of the Galactic Alliance towards these lesser beings. It made her sick to know that there were those who considered humanity and alien kind to be on equal terms.

It was a necessary evil, though. For her plan to succeed, the Alliance needed a reason to turn on Chief of State Daala. The Jedi didn?t appear to be polarizing enough, but perhaps slavery would be the trick. It was already clear that Daala didn?t consider slave trafficking to be a large enough i

 

She slammed her fist against the desk, spitting out a curse that would have made a hardened soldier blush.

Nice lady!


[bHobbie raised a hand. ?I?d like to formally object to any actions that might result in us getting shot today.?

?Seconded,? Doran said.[/b]

THIRD !


?My advisors, Wes Janson and Hobbie Klivian.?

If you ask me, anyone who has these two for advisors is asking for it


Syal could be heard screaming at the top of her lungs. "No needles! Needles bad! Needles bad!"

Major fashback. Once, when I was six, I literally ran away from the nurse's station because of a needle. Both the nurse and my mom had to chase me around.

Poor Syal!


With a heavy sigh, he looked at her squarely in the eyes and said, "It's about your father."

That b**** is threatening him.

 

action packed update with nasty Imps and the rogues in a situation

Syal should go to a Jedi healer

 

Oh dear! I missed reviewing the previous chapter! *slaps own wrist* Bad Kat, bad!

I loved this chapter. Getting into Nyla's head leaves me wanting to bathe in disinfectant. But you showed very well where she stands.

I really loved the diplomatic team. Tycho's control, Hobbie's desire for no shooting, Syal's impatience and hotheadedness, Wes' ... Wesness. (Yes. That's a word. Cos I say so!)

Syal saving Tych was all . Nice move, Sy, but damn, Tycho's going to feel bad about that. At least she's going to be okay. Could you imagine the conversation if she weren't? "Yeah, Wedge. I requested that your daughter come with us on this mission that's really all about saving you from a mocked-up sham trial. And now, because she found it necessary to leap in the way to protect me, she's gone." The guilt of that would kill Tycho. And Wedge would have preferred the trial. * woobie everyone*

Oh dear. Syal, you are the commanding officer of the most celebrated and legendary fighter squadron in the ENTIRE GALAXY. You've flown against your father and Luke Skywalker, and proven that you have nerves of steel (even if your leg *does* rock when you're nervous). And you scream about needles?! *sigh* Everyone has their weakness I suppose.

Oh boy. Tycho, I really don't think Syal is going to take this news very well. And since you've conveniently made yourself the only target... This could get messy.

Excellent update Lane!

 

It's a world that no one cares for. Freedom Flight won't throw resources at it, the Alliance as a whole doesn't care, and the local government isn't any help.

I know that it happens, but it?s still sad to read about.


Well, there are multiple wrong paths he can take. It's not going to be easy fo rhim to do the right thing

True. But you wouldn?t do that to poor Tycho now, would you? *bats eyelashes*


Chapter Ten - Shades of Grey

Sending a diplomatic envoy to Orvax IV now could undermine Nyla?s entire operation.

Which is, of course, probably Daala?s purpose


?He won?t,? the man insisted. ?Celchu is just a minor stumbling block and you know just as well as I do he?s here for political theater reasons only. Chances are he will not be a problem and even if he does try to get in the way, we are prepared to deal with him.?

*gulp* Please don?t.


It wasn?t that Nyla felt any sort of sympathy for the slaves.

That just makes me so sad. Stupid Imperial thinking.


Their scheduled meeting time had passed fifty minutes earlier with nary a word from any member of Cridmeen?s staff.

*glares at him, and Daala*


?I only expect formal introductions to be made,? Tycho continued. ?We?ll exchange pointless pleasantries, pretend to like each other, and then be on our merry way.?

If only it?ll be that simple


?Just when is the Alliance going to dispatch the military to deal with the suicide bombings and the sniper attacks??

And he needs to talk to Syal about this? Psycho man. Yes, because she is in charge (and the cause of) everything.


Better to let Tycho take care of the grueling task of negotiating with that monster.

Agreed. I?d hate to do the dirty work too.


when she saw it again she felt her nerves flare

Go Syal!



"That certainly could have gone better," Hobbie said.

Understatement of the bloody day.



He had gone and dragged Syal into this mess without giving her a straight reason.

Poor Tycho. Still, it?s not his fault she was in so much danger.
Besides, she?s a ROGUE.


"Little tike was a trooper, though. Doctor gave her some candy as a reward for being such a brave girl." He held up a red colored candy on a hardened flimsiplast stick.


I can?t even feel bad that she?s the butt of the joke.


With a heavy sigh, he looked at her squarely in the eyes and said, "It's about your father."

So basically she just died of a heart attack, thinking the worse.

 

Nyla Kaartinen

I don't like her. At all. I want to throw things at her.

?Oh. That. I assure you, ma?am, he will be mitigated, but we have to be patient....Chances are he will not be a problem and even if he does try to get in the way, we are prepared to deal with him.?

I don't like the sound of this. Mitigate Tycho Celchu? Deal with him? Good luck with that.

Then, and only then, would Nyla make her bid to set herself apart from the other Moffs.

Damn power-hungry Imperials. As if Daala wasn't bad enough!

?This is just a preliminary meeting,? Tycho said, ?so don?t get your hopes up. Diplomacy is a slow process.?

NEVER HAS MORE TRUE A STATEMENT BEEN SAID

?My advisors, Wes Janson and Hobbie Klivian.?

at Wes and Hobbie being called advisors.

Blaster rifle scope.

Uh-oh! What is it with delegations being shot at?!

"She's not fond of doctors," Tycho explained, wincing as another wail echoed through the room.

AND SHE WON'T BE LATER ON [FACE_TONGUE]

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Hobbie said. "I've never had a problem with doctors."

Wes looked at Hobbie for a moment before shaking his head.



"No, that was just a hypo with a local anesthetic," Doran said, ruffling Syal's hair. "Little tike was a trooper, though. Doctor gave her some candy as a reward for being such a brave girl." He held up a red colored candy on a hardened flimsiplast stick.

Dawwww.

With a heavy sigh, he looked at her squarely in the eyes and said, "It's about your father."

And the poodoo hits the fan.

 

Hazel

Nice lady!

Nyla can be a bit...aggressive.


If you ask me, anyone who has these two for advisors is asking for it

It's a headache waiting to happen!

Major fashback. Once, when I was six, I literally ran away from the nurse's station because of a needle. Both the nurse and my mom had to chase me around.

I used to be deathly afraid of shots, then I had to go through one of those allergy test batteries where you get about fifty small shots in your arm in one sitting. Fear went away at that point!

That b**** is threatening him.

Damn Daala

earlybird - Jedi healers, no needles required!

Kat

Oh dear! I missed reviewing the previous chapter! *slaps own wrist* Bad Kat, bad!

No worries! Updates up every Tuesday and Friday

I loved this chapter. Getting into Nyla's head leaves me wanting to bathe in disinfectant. But you showed very well where she stands.

Nyla gets set up in this fic, but it's going to be the next fic where she really shows her stuff

I really loved the diplomatic team. Tycho's control, Hobbie's desire for no shooting, Syal's impatience and hotheadedness, Wes' ... Wesness. (Yes. That's a word. Cos I say so!)

A rather dynamic team, if I do say so myself

Nice move, Sy, but damn, Tycho's going to feel bad about that. At least she's going to be okay. Could you imagine the conversation if she weren't? "Yeah, Wedge. I requested that your daughter come with us on this mission that's really all about saving you from a mocked-up sham trial. And now, because she found it necessary to leap in the way to protect me, she's gone." The guilt of that would kill Tycho.

Poor Tycho is going to be grappling with this guilt and responsibility for a long while. Does he do the morally correct thing, even if it involves throwing his best friend and his daughter under a bus? Does he cover it up? Does he try to fudge the truth?

Oh dear. Syal, you are the commanding officer of the most celebrated and legendary fighter squadron in the ENTIRE GALAXY. You've flown against your father and Luke Skywalker, and proven that you have nerves of steel (even if your leg *does* rock when you're nervous). And you scream about needles?

Some people REALLY do not like doctors

Oh boy. Tycho, I really don't think Syal is going to take this news very well. And since you've conveniently made yourself the only target... This could get messy.

It could, but Syal's a smart girl. Perhaps any anger she feels towards Tycho won't last for long.

SWpants666

True. But you wouldn?t do that to poor Tycho now, would you? *bats eyelashes*

Me do evil things? Neeeever

Which is, of course, probably Daala?s purpose

Tangential side effect. Daala just wants PR numbers

If only it?ll be that simple

It's a Rogue operation. It's NEVER that simple!

And he needs to talk to Syal about this? Psycho man. Yes, because she is in charge (and the cause of) everything.

Highest ranking military officer available, unforutunately.

Agreed. I?d hate to do the dirty work too.

I've got a feeling diplomacy isn't Syal's strong suit yet.

Poor Tycho. Still, it?s not his fault she was in so much danger.
Besides, she?s a ROGUE.

She is a Rogue, but she's still his best friend's daughter and in his mind, she's probably still the little girl with skinned knees.

I can?t even feel bad that she?s the butt of the joke.

Ah Doran, making everything a little more amusing.

So basically she just died of a heart attack, thinking the worse.

Pretty much

Nanci

I don't like her. At all. I want to throw things at her.

Good! You're supposed to!

I don't like the sound of this. Mitigate Tycho Celchu? Deal with him? Good luck with that.

Well, don't count them out yet

NEVER HAS MORE TRUE A STATEMENT BEEN SAID

Water is wet, the sun is warm, diplomacy is sloooooow.

Uh-oh! What is it with delegations being shot at?!

It's a quick

 

Chapter Eleven - Nonstandard Reinforcements

Quint Staven paused at the door to the embassy's recreation room where a good number of the Rogues were spending the free time they suddenly had. Once they were on the ground, their mission was on hold until the diplomatic team was ready to depart. That left the pilots with a good deal of time to kill. Some had chosen to spend their time catching up on sleep (since that was a rare commodity for starfighter jockeys). Others passed the time by reading or viewing the various holonet shows they had managed to smuggle into their personal belongings.

He scanned over the Rogues that were present. Zhane Nezuma, the greenhorn, was sitting with Lieutenants Maru and Salan. By the look of it, the rookie was sharing another tale of his triumphs at the Academy to a skeptical audience again. Salan appeared to be doing his best to refrain from laughing at the absurdity of the story. At a table behind them was Captain Ryann Anthek. He appeared to be busying himself crafting a hat out of cooking foil. Idly, Quint recalled that Anthek had at one point in time been committed to a VA hospital for the mentally unsound. How he wound up with the Rogues in the first place he wasn't sure, but Quint wasn't going to complain. Anthek was a sound pilot.

Jamee Farlander was dealing a stack of sabacc cards to Ryomir Versai, Diona Katar, and Kessila Zorvan. The four of them had been locked into a seemingly endless sabacc tournament since arriving onworld. Quint had lost track a while ago who had made off with the most credits. Quint had noticed that Farlander and Zorvan were spending a good deal of time together. Perhaps that was just Farlander being her normal sociable self and taking Zorvan under her wing to help integrate her into the squadron. Perhaps it was a legitimate kinship being formed.

Off in the back the room and locked in their own little Galaxy were Rixar Dain and Haruko Skobra. Neither of them advertised the fact that they were together, but all of the signs were there. The other Rogues didn't broach the subject. Major Antilles didn't have an official policy on relationships between squadron members. The others knew that was unwritten code to keep things quiet. So long as the relationship didn't become an issue, the Major had no problem with it. It was, Quint would come to realize, a small vote of confidence Antilles had in her pilots. She wouldn't force regulations on them unless they were called for.

Overall, the Rogues seemed happy. A bit bored, perhaps, but morale was good. A shame he had to break that up.

"If I could have your attention," Quint said, raising the volume of his voice a notch to combat the dull roar of conversation. He approached the first table and set the box he was carrying under his arm down upon it.

Lieutenant Farlander (who again was sitting with Lieutenant Zorvan) set down her sabacc cards and looked towards him. "Uh oh. Commander Staven found out about our non-regs party last night. Hope you all sobered up."

"From here on out we're going to have to put an end to late night shenanigans," Quint said, injecting as much edge into his voice as possible. "Two hours ago the diplomatic team took sniper fire while speaking with President Cridmeen. Major Antilles was wounded in the attack and underwent treatment for blaster scoring shortly thereafter. All reports indicate that she is fine and is making her way here as we speak."

A cold hush fell over the room. Quint gave them a moment to let the gravity of the situation sink in before continuing. "I've just received word from High Command that we are to escalate from 'standby' to 'combat ready' operational status."

Moving from 'standby' to 'combat ready' was not something High Command took lightly. It was all but an explicit confirmation that the situation was about to get dicey for the Rogues.

"We haven't done this in a while, so let's just make sure we're all on the same wavelength right now," Quint said, opening the box and withdrawing a handful of blaster power packs, setting them down on the table. "Y

 

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Syal most assuredly was not fine. Quint couldn't place his finger on it, but something was out of place. Rarely did she get into shouting matches with her pilots, even if one of them deserved it. Something had happened and it had put her on edge. Quint wanted to blame the blaster wound for her emotionally charged behavior, but he didn't believe that fully explained it. There was something else at play here, something that had rocked her to the core.

I know what it is

*

This was a really good way to shown Syal's reaction without going into her mind, which I'm guessing you're svaing for later.

*

"And now things get exciting,"

Oh-ho

 

He appeared to be busying himself crafting a hat out of cooking foil. Idly, Quint recalled that Anthek had at one point in time been committed to a VA hospital for the mentally unsound. How he wound up with the Rogues in the first place he wasn't sure, but Quint wasn't going to complain. Anthek was a sound pilot.

This is painful to read after knowing your diary.

Quint had noticed that Farlander and Zorvan were spending a good deal of time together. Perhaps that was just Farlander being her normal sociable self and taking Zorvan under her wing to help integrate her into the squadron. Perhaps it was a legitimate kinship being formed.

:uts this into my pocket for future reference::

Overall, the Rogues seemed happy. A bit bored, perhaps, but morale was good. A shame he had to break that up.

I like Quint.

Let me repeat that, a little bit louder.

I LIKE QUINT.

Ahem.

"We haven't done this in a while, so let's just make sure we're all on the same wavelength right now," Quint said, opening the box and withdrawing a handful of blaster power packs, setting them down on the table. "You are to have your sidearm on you at all times.

There are Rogues who don't carry weapons with them at all times?!

"That's kriffing unacceptable and you know it!" Rixar snapped, bolting out of his seat and slamming his fists down on the table in front of him. Haruko reached up, taking a hold of his arm to try and calm him down.

I have a bad feeling about this.

A new voice shouted from behind Quint. "Because our orders are to stay on this damn rock!"

Syal is maaaaaad.

"I know," she said before running a hand through her disheveled, blond hair. "Quint, I don't know what I would do without you. You're the best XO a girl could ask for."

"Aw stop, you're making me blush."

Ahem, let me repeat my earlier statement.

I LIKE QUINT.

The holodisplay flickered to life, displaying the image of a bald, goateed man.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAACE.

Why is there not more Face in profic? He's in Intelligence! They could use him! Grrarrgh.

General Face, eh? I like the sound of that.

Dia Passik had been in dirtier tapcafs.

DIAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Face and Dia in one chapter? Woo-hoo!

"And now things get exciting," Dia muttered to herself.

Hmmm. Well THIS is interesting.

 

Love those rogues and the new one: Zorvan

Things getting interesting and action again?

 

And now the ex-Wraiths are involved? I don't think 'interesting' is gonna cut it. Though I do wonder what Dia was doing on-planet *before* the (ex)Rogues contacted Face. Running her own little operation, perhaps?

Looking forward to more.

 

It's a Rogue operation. It's NEVER that simple!

Exactly. Which is why it?s silly of them to think so.



She is a Rogue, but she's still his best friend's daughter and in his mind, she's probably still the little girl with skinned knees.

Yeah, yeah. Adults



Chapter Eleven - Nonstandard Reinforcements

Neither of them advertised the fact that they were together

But they may as well have


Moving from 'standby' to 'combat ready' was not something High Command took lightly. It was all but an explicit confirmation that the situation was about to get dicey for the Rogues.

Yeah, raise your hand if you?re surprised.
*looks around at the grim faces and empty air*
That?s what I thought


"Those orders can space off!" Rixar said. "We're not prepared to fend off snipers and terrorists! This was supposed to be a blue milk run and you know it."

Yeah, well, unfortunately life doesn?t turn out that way. You knew the risks, now get over it.


He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Syal most assuredly was not fine. Quint couldn't place his finger on it, but something was out of place.

I love how well Quint knows/understands her.
He really is the best


In his mind, never had created the false hope that this entire situation would proceed without incident and she would never have to find out just what danger her father was in. Upon reflection, he realized that was a foolish idea to cling to.

Yup, it was a dumb thing to do. But he remedied that as best as he can. Syal will forgive him, given time.



"Yes, you did," Hobbie confirmed, "but I probably would have made the exact same one. She might be upset with you, but she's not going to stay mad at you forever. Poor girl's probably just having a hard time processing all of this."

Exactly.


Face!!


It was bad enough to have run into the slave resistance that early, but to find them so heavily armed was deeply concerning. Where were these resources coming from?

*nods* it?s very worrisome.


"I may be able to put you in touch with someone who can help us determine just how involved they are with the slave resistance here."

"Your uncle?" Hobbie asked.

She shook her head. "No. I can connect you directly with one of Talon Karrde's agents."

Nice to see her still using her resources hehehe

And glad to see Karrde?s going to make an appearance in this fic too!


"I need you to take this datacard to this man," Dia explained. His name is Wes Janson and he's going to be passing by here very shortly. As soon as you do that, I need you to ask him to take you directly to the spaceport. Can you do that for me?"

Oh?
Exciting?

With Dia there, hopefully it's exciting in the good sense

 

Hazel

This was a really good way to shown Syal's reaction without going into her mind, which I'm guessing you're svaing for later.

It's all going to kind of bubble up. Syal's going to have a rough go of things as things keep stacking on top of her

Nanci

This is painful to read after knowing your diary.

You know I was kind of worried about running the diary and this fic at the same time, but I'm kind of liking how it's all meshing together. The reader knows what the end-game of this fic ultimately is, but how Syal gets there? Oh ho ho, do I have tricks up my sleeve

:uts this into my pocket for future reference::

Oh Kess and Jamee, I love writing them

I like Quint.

Let me repeat that, a little bit louder.

I LIKE QUINT.

Should I be taking a hint, hm?

There are Rogues who don't carry weapons with them at all times?!

Times have changed, I'm thinking. Unless they're out behind enemy lines they may not have a blaster on them. Orvax IV isn't quite to that point yet. Or well it wasn't, it is now.

Syal is maaaaaad.

That is putting it mildly.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAACE.

Always nice to see him show up

earlybird - Kess has been a fun character to flesh out!

Draconarius

And now the ex-Wraiths are involved? I don't think 'interesting' is gonna cut it.

Interesting and potentially explode-y!

Though I do wonder what Dia was doing on-planet *before* the (ex)Rogues contacted Face.

In one of the last chapters, a few members of Freedom Flight confirmed that Dia is one of their agents on-world.

SWpants666

But they may as well have

Clear from a whole klik away!

Yeah, raise your hand if you?re surprised.
*looks around at the grim faces and empty air*
That?s what I thought

No one? Thought so

Yeah, well, unfortunately life doesn?t turn out that way. You knew the risks, now get over it.

Rixar's pretty upset. He wanted out before they left but couldn't get Haruko to agree

I love how well Quint knows/understands her.
He really is the best

A good XO is worth their weight in spice

Yup, it was a dumb thing to do. But he remedied that as best as he can. Syal will forgive him, given time.

She really does need time to process

Nice to see her still using her resources hehehe

Well, as her Uncle Dap always says, "If you have resources, you'd best use 'em."

With Dia there, hopefully it's exciting in the good sense

You can only hope!



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Chapter Twelve - Leverage

It was truly disgusting.

All around Syal were the unmistakable signs of an illegal trade. Ahead of her were miserable faces hidden away in cages. Young females of numerous species were put on display as if they were some sort of trophy. If they needed any evidence that Cridmeen was lying about the state of the slave exchange on Orvax IV, this was it. There weren't even attempts to cover up the trafficking. It was on full display for all to see, beckoning the scum of the Galaxy. Syal tried to put an estimate on the number of credits that were changing hands under the table.

She knew that many of these slaves were doomed to a lifetime of servitude. Once they left the streets of the marketplace, they would disappear off tracking grids forever. Slavers had the credits and resources to hide their tracks so well that it would take an Alliance Intelligence taskforce to come up with enough evidence to bring just one of them to the courts for trial. That really was the problem. Local authorities could deal with slave trading in a much more efficient manner than the Alliance could. The onus needed to be on planetary governments to enforce the laws in place that prevented this sort of trade.

Of course, that wasn't possible if the local government wasn't willing to acknowledge there was a problem to begin with.

If Syal were to guess, Cridmeen and his cronies were receiving some sort of a financial kickback in order to ignore the rampant flurry of illegal activity in the market districts. Aside from the slave trafficking, she had witnessed at least a half-dozen narcotics sales. The black market sellers didn't bother to hide all of the various potent spices that they had in their inventories. This place was, Syal realized, a paradise for those who bathed in illegal activity. Whatever laws were on the records here weren't enforced in any meaningful way. She suspected that one could get away with murder here provided they had enough credits at their disposal.

A muffled scream to Syal's left grabbed her attention. She slowed up her pace slightly, glancing out the corner of her eye. Crumpled on the dirty walkway was a pale Twi'lek girl who couldn't have been far long into adulthood. Standing over her was a heavyset human male, glaring down at the girl with an arm brought reared back and ready to strike. Swallowing, Syal turned her attention forward and continued to walk. As she took a step forward, Syal felt someone brush past her. On reflex, she reached out and grabbed Kessila Zorvan's arm.

"Don't look," Syal muttered. "Keep walking."

"Major, that girl is-" Kessila started.

"The least of our concerns right now. Look forward and keep walking. Don't draw attention to yourself."

Kessila looked as if she wanted to argue (and Syal suspected that she did). Instead, she frowned and fell back into step with Syal. Kessila seemed to be having a hard time coping, not that Syal could blame her. Jamee, on the other hand, was a picture of calm. Idly, she recalled that Jamee had spent a decent portion of her life on Tatooine. She had likely seen first-hand what the Hutts were capable of while living there. While Syal didn't think that Jamee was used to these sights, she had moved on from feeling shock long ago.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Tychoasked, peering over his shoulder at Syal.

She nodded. "We're getting close. If Cerulo isn't there, blame Face."

Hours earlier, Syal had received an information package from Alliance Intelligence that had been pieced together by Face Loran, one of the highest ranking members of the organization. In it was everything he could piece together on the Orvax IV slave resistance and its leader, a Rodian by the name of M'Trudar Cerulo. As soon as Syal had plotted locations on the local area maps, she pushed to confront Cerulo as soon as possible. That was met by a few protests from Tycho and Quint. Her XO was still worried she wasn't quite ready to set foot outside again, but she managed to school her features enough to convince him otherwise.

Bod

 

Kessila looked as if she wanted to argue (and Syal suspected that she did). Instead, she frowned and fell back into step with Syal. Kessila seemed to be having a hard time coping, not that Syal could blame her. Jamee, on the other hand, was a picture of calm. Idly, she recalled that Jamee had spent a decent portion of her life on Tatooine. She had likely seen first-hand what the Hutts were capable of while living there. While Syal didn't think that Jamee was used to these sights, she had moved on from feeling shock long ago.

Nice contrast between Kess and Jamee and their backgrounds. Also a good insight into how well Syal can read people.

Body language lessons from mom finally paid off, Syal mused to herself.

Heeee!

How could he have kept something like that quiet?

Because he's Tycho. You should know this by now, Syal.

"Let's hope that you won't have to turn that thing on," Syal said.

Ha! Oh Syal, so naive.

Mere moments later, Jamee's blaster was drawn and the snap-hiss of Kessila's lightsaber were heard.


See?!

"One more thing, General," Cerulo called out. "If I see you conversing with Cridmeen again, I can assure you that my sniper won't miss a second time."


Hissssss

"That's not a bomb, is it?" Syal asked.

Wes shook his head, looking up from the datapad he had slid the datacard into. "No, this is perfectly safe." A smile began to pull at the corners of his mouth.

Tycho peered over his shoulder. "Just what did you find."

"I do believe," Wes said, flashing a toothy grin, "I've found our third party leverage."

Cliffhanger!

 

Nice intrigue in the update and what's the third party?

 

Very nice evolution from the terrible and depressing first scene with the slaves, to the tension when they encountered Cerulo and finally the intriguing last scene. Will we find out who's Sarisa?

 

She really does need time to process

Can?t blame her though.



Chapter Twelve ? Leverage

Oh. The beginning made me so sad I REALLY hate that it?s so out in the open too.

Stupid, idiotic, Orvax IV government.


Kessila looked as if she wanted to argue

And Syal wouldn?t have been surprised.


Tycho had been even easier to convince.

Can?t say ?no? to a best friend?s little girl


She recognized that Daala was the one to blame, but Syal couldn't help but feel a good deal of resentment towards her former mentor.

Highly understandable. And Daala will get what?s coming to her. I hope.
But yeah, Tycho should have realized it would give Syal more incentive to help out.


"Me?" Kessila asked with a frown. "I'm not exactly on good terms with the Jedi Order at the moment."

"They don't know that."

fair enough


Even with Kessila and Jamee with them, they were still treading into very dangerous territory.

Good to know they recognize that now.


You'll have to forgive me, I'm getting a bit of cognitive dissonance when I pair that statement with the fact one of your snipers tried to kill me earlier today.

Oh my goodness. What a wonderfully eloquent way of putting it.


*sigh* the rest of the meeting made me roll my eyes


Jamee offered a solemn nod. "A very pretty name for a very pretty girl. Why don't you come along with your new Aunt Jamee? We're going on an adventure to the spaceport."

*makes a face* that?s just weird

 

Another good chapter, Lane. I loved Syal's anger, and her guilt at feeling angry. Poor Syal and Tycho.

Sorry for the short review, but you understand why.

I promise I will keep reading. My responses may not be so deep though.

 

Nanci

Nice contrast between Kess and Jamee and their backgrounds. Also a good insight into how well Syal can read people.

Syal might be her father's daughter, but she picked up some of mom's skills along the way

Because he's Tycho. You should know this by now, Syal.

Oh Syal. So upset

Ha! Oh Syal, so naive.

She'll learn

Cliffhanger!

Oh, you want to see a cliffhanger? Wait til tomorrow's post ...

earlybird - Third party leverage? You'll soon find out!

Hazel - Sarisa is a pretty minor character that's just there to push the plot a bit. I wouldn't read too much into her

SWpants666

Stupid, idiotic, Orvax IV government.

Greed, corruption. Does horrible things.

Can?t say ?no? to a best friend?s little girl

Course not!

But yeah, Tycho should have realized it would give Syal more incentive to help out.

Given her incentive, definitely. But would she have helped out in a clear-headed fashion? I'm not so sure of that.

Oh my goodness. What a wonderfully eloquent way of putting it.

Artfully said

*makes a face* that?s just weird

Jamee's a pretty weird gal

Kat

Another good chapter, Lane. I loved Syal's anger, and her guilt at feeling angry. Poor Syal and Tycho.

She's got a lot running through her head right now, poor girl

Sorry for the short review, but you understand why.

I do, and my thoughts and prayers are with you, your friends, and family. If you ever need to vent at someone, hit me up.



Thanks for reading, all. New post tomorrow morning! Hope you're all ready for a cliffhanger.

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Chapter Thirteen - Explosive

Wes had seen just about everything the Galaxy could throw at a person.

He had watched the holonet reports that covered the destruction of Alderaan. Somehow he had managed to survive Endor despite being outnumbered and swarmed by TIE starfighters. Years later he arrived on Coruscant to see the devastation of the Krytos plague. Wes had survived the Vong war, a second Civil war. Hell, he had even seen (and smelled) Luke Skywalker covered in the intestines of a tauntaun. Yes, Wes had witnessed every terrible, absurd thing the Galaxy could cook up.

That didn't help to alleviate the sick feeling in his stomach as he continued into the seedier parts of the market district.

All around him were the wails of slaves that had just been brought on-world. They had walked into what appeared to be a section of the district devoted to processing new slaves. For what was claimed to be an isolated trade limited to fringes of the black market, the slavers had a remarkably efficient system in place. Slavers appeared to be using the warehouses in this district as semi-legitimate disguises, operating a somewhat legal looking business ranging from starship part suppliers. Officially, they were engaging in perfectly legal business activities. Of course, that only held up until one peered inside one of the warehouses.

A cursory glimpse inside just one of the buildings revealed the true nature of what was occurring in this part of Orvax IV's capitol city. The businesses were merely fronts that somehow managed to legitimize slaver operations. The wails and screams of terror from new slaves that had been smuggled in via covered cargo haulers made the purpose abundantly clear. Cridmeen had lied through his teeth. The slave trafficking wasn't just widespread, it was organized and ruthlessly efficient.

"I swear if I see another one of these scum sucking mynocks shoving a slave around again," Kessila said, "I will shove my lightsaber so far up their aft exhaust port their head will spin."

"Not if I beat you to it, Lieutenant," Syal muttered.

Hobbie leaned in towards Wes. "You know, Alliance brass probably won't be pleased to hear we've taken this unscheduled detour. It's not on our itinerary."

"If this is the scenic route, remind me not to come back here on vacation," Tycho said. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Wes rolled his eyes. "Yes, Tycho. For the fifth time, we are going the right way. I'm following Dia's directions to the letter."

No more than an hour earlier, Wes had received a datacard from one Dia Passik, a former member of the famed Wraith Squadron intelligence unit. Wes had served alongside the Twi'lek during the New Republic's campaign against Warlord Zsinj. From what he understood, Dia had remained with the unit for a short while after they were folded into NRI but had left at some point for undisclosed reasons. She seemed to have disappeared off of the grid for a number of years. As far as Wes knew, this had been the first time she had contacted any of her former squadron mates since her departure.

They finally stopped at the end of the street, staring down a rather dank looking alley that looked as if it had been ripped out of a demilitarized zone. Suddenly unsure of himself, Wes glanced back at his datapad. Sure enough, they were at the coordinates that Dia had written down for them. He cast a nervous glance to Tycho and Hobbie. If he were in one of the numerous action holoflicks he had seen over the years, Wes could assume that by stepping into the alley he was liable to be jumped by a group of rather unscrupulous thugs.

"I would like to point out," Syal said, "that we are in a rather dangerous part of the city and have been led here by directions from some mysterious stranger."

"Dia isn't a stranger," Wes replied.

"How do you know it's Dia?"

"I don't!" Wes said with a grin. "Makes this whole thing exciting, doesn't it?"

Syal frowned, pulling her blaster out of its holster and disarming the safety. "That's not quite how I would put it. If you don't mind, I'll b