The Rebel Faction

"Section 10, report?" came the voice over the intercom unit. Several people scurried on by paying the voice no mind, while one rather dirty looking alien in rags hissed.

"Section 10, respond please." the voice droned and finally, a small, rather fat, alien came up and punched in his access code.

"Here boss." his translator spoke, in it's traditional metallic sounds.

"There's a Solenium leak in corridor number four..check it out and next time answer quicker."

"Sure thing boss.." was the immediate response and the alien limped away to carry on his business.


*

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Business as usual<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->,someone thinks to themselves. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The rather large vessel had need of many such assignments<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, the cynical response coming to the fore as the figure watches the mural of decay in all directions.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*

A rather skinny gambler, dressed rather cheaply in purple garments, flashed his rotten teeth to his fellow players in the all too knowing confidence the comes from having a winning hand.


*

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Sometimes one bluffs when confronted with unknowns and sometimes events are manipulated for a certain outcome. Determining which is which is the trick.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> A red light flashes, serving as notice to all inhabitants that the once prestine ship has finally exited hyperspace.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*

A hairy alien walks over to the bar and sits down, paying no heed to the flashing lights nor to the warnings of proximity alarms. The inhabitants were used to the faulty alarms going off after every exit from hyperspace.

"Ale... strong..." were his only words and soon he his wish was granted.

The alien let out a belch and welcomed oblivion.


*

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Strange how ships like this keep a most temperate climate throughout. With everything going wrong, why only the environmental controls seem to stay functioning.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> It was an intellectual debate that kept the figure occupied till an intersection point.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*

The vessel was stopped at a particular checkpoint and the typical search carried out. There was nothing special about the old star liner nor it's crew but law enforcement officials knew such places were havens of scum.

Usually the spot checks satisfied everyone on paper and the officers, sometimes with a little "extra", sometimes not, found themselves ending early and rejoiced over the fact that their patrol would soon be over.

Upon exiting, a law officer kicked the boots of a sleeping resident who had taken up a spot near a particular airlock.

The sleeper whined and mumbled something in his sleep causing the officer to laugh.

Another lawman lowered himself and began to sift through the pockets of the sleeper. The person awoke with a start kicking the lawman away. Of course, the lawmen then took out sticks and beat the individual.

When the small, rather fat crewman of the starliner tried to intervene he too found himself knocked down.

Several deputies came over as one lawman falsely charged the sleeper with assault and held their weapons at the ready when the lawman narrowed his eyes at the alien crewman (who understandably was frightened).

The lawman grinned, having done this deed many times, being lord and master of his own spot of space...his domain they had dared cross, and said,

"Welcome to Almania. Hope you have a pleasant stay."

and they were off.


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> It's always the same... anarchy painted over with a title..a name... Self appointed protectors of their domains...Agressive...arrogant..and ultimately, short lived.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
The figure sighed to himself and chanced a glance out a port as their ship began to descend.


It was nearly time.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

OOC: To be perfectly honest, I didn't kill anyone. After your post it appears 16-?? have died... I shall work with this little paradox...



IC:


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Any military state or dominion soon finds itself short of resources to man the ramparts...and therefore, inevitably turns to the dregs of society to fill the gap.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The figure sighed as a report went across his desk. Another day, another murder...and, looking up, several X-wings flew by...<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Like jawas to a droid...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The figure smiled at the reference.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*

The skinny gambler gave a howl of delight as his hand was shown. His yellowish brown teeth appeared and he taunted, "Read them and weep gentlebeings..."

Suddenly, the starliner shifted it's position rather suddenly flinging passengers and crew alike around like toys.

When the gambler awoke the nasty bump on his head screamed pain into his nerve centers. He opened his eyes and howled in anger upon finding his winnings gone, his opponent players gone, and his own pockets empty.


*

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> The image swiveled around fast but the figure had noted the important parts. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Sometimes our wins are taken away before we have a chance to reap their rewards.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The figure laughed to himself and then considered the near mishap. The X-wings had almost caused the pilots to lose their homing beacon lock to their landing platform.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Zed 9 is surely on about something<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, and the report soon came over the COM-NET.

Murder....murder...murder....

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Yes, that would excite the otherwise unflappable robot.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*


The rather fat alien had finally calmed down, his second scare for the day also involving TNA lawenforcement. "I hate this planet", he murmured through is translator not caring who heard.

"Section 10 patched. Recommend parts resupply at port." he spoke to the bridge. The pilot winced at the words the alien spoke but he also knew that the patch wouldn't hold. "A Solenium leak in the port would not be a good thing, boss." he followed to the displeasure of the owner.

The gruff voice coming in from a rather smelly suite (though the best on board) dripped sarcasm. "Oh sure, I get to pay for your incompetences.."


*


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE HTML START--> <font color="yellow">Datastream established</font> The computer took a few minutes with the upload but soon all information queries were present. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Siennar District pays off once again<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->. <font color="lightblue">Computer, data query priority?</font> and the answer it spat back ended up being no surprise: <font color="yellow"> Jaice Sajin</font><!--EZCODE HTML END-->

The figure's eyes narrowed. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> So you finally caught him you bucket of bolts..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> <!--EZCODE HTML START--> <font color="lightblue">Liner under enforcement quarantine?</font> <font color="yellow">Starry Wisdom</font><!--EZCODE HTML END-->

Nondescript liner in a long line of nondescript vessels. The port authorities had their hands full as it was with hundreds of ships passing through. Why the commercial interests alone of Almania would fill thousands of vaults with vouchers, permits and sales receipts.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Government accounting must be a nightmare<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The figure turned his attention to the sleeper, taken into custody by the officers on whim. Of course the charge was bogus...everybody knew it.. but at least the sleeper was alive.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Which is more than Zed can say for the poor fellow on the liner Starry Wisdom.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> The officer was rough but competent when he put his mind to it. In the long line of corruption making up the galactic law enforcement agencies, the officer was at the bottom of the list.

The craft touched down.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*


The hairy creature also felt a vibration as the liner touched down and yet he spilled not one drop of his "Ale", as he called it.

"That's your fourth, friend, and we've landed. Welcome to Almania!"

The hairy creature snorted and inserted his credit voucher into a passing server droid and was soon on his way.

"Did you hear about the Starry Wisdom?" someone was asking to his right, but the hairy creature was in no mood for conversation. "Policeman was found guilty of murder... he was. Killed a squatter right in their halls. What is this galaxy coming too?"


The hairy creature grunted, "One less yapper to worry about." and pushed through another droid that had unwittingly stepped in front of him.

"I beg your pardon!"

"Beg all you want.." was the only reply the droid got.



*


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> They were definitely doing a very thorough search of the Starry Wisdom for any contra band or whatever Zed's got up his butt.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> All ready the erring liner had been escorted to a separate loading pad, an Enforcer Holding Pad to be exact, with both human and droid contingents scurrying around. Spy eye droids moved too and fro looking for any sign of an escaping villian while others were rounded and put through the usual background checks.

Zed 9 was interrogating it's own officers when Jaice drew a weapon. The figure stared incredulously that the stupid move on the lawman's part. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Very stupid!<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Zed 9 had fortunately seen the move coming. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Lucky bucket of bolts..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


*


The starliner, Bassile's Design, powered down and the motly group of civies disembarked going about their business, the news of Zed 9's efforts to root out corruption within it's own ranks spreading like wildfire across the port.

The port's groudcrew moved the craft into a spot, blending it with the rows upon rows of hundreds of vessels similarly parked.

Almania boasted excellent port facilities.


The owner of the vessel, a smelly fellow tried to bargain the price of his parts down but the port agent would have none of it. The owner needed the parts and he knew it. More importantly, the agent knew it as well.

The fat alien nearly fainted again, the third surprise of the day hitting him harder than most. The owner simply walked by his flustered crewman paying him no heed. He had sold his worker droids to pay for the needed parts... the fat alien would have to cover their jobs as well.


"I hate this place.." the translater's metallic voice spit out.


*


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Having landed, noone gave the group a second look as the person in their charge was taken to a holding area.

The sleeper's name was registered as Kas Prutt, home: none. How he paid his way was anybody's guess and the figure knew that Kas would not be able to post bail. The holding cells were already at maximum but surprisingly, the officer's found someplace to stick him.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Crime breeds it's own ingenuity it seems.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The monitor's switched off... killing the slice.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->



*

<!--EZCODE HTML START--> <font color="yellow"> Starry Wisdom, currently held in Enforcer Holding Pad 4, status: Under investigation for murder suspects</font><!--EZCODE HTML END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> "Good day sir. I hope that we are not causing any undo inconvenience."<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


The man cast a slightly questioning glance at the officers being taken away and then faced the master of civilian law on Almania and quite possibly, all of the Alliance.

He was dressed in khaki pants and a white cotton-like shirt, holding a light jacket over his arm. He smiled at the droid and responded, "Good day to you as well." and after several seconds he assured, "No..No trouble at all."

-= On board <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Eclipse<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->-class Super Star Destroyer <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Archammer<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> =-

Logan was walking along the corridors of the giant ebony black ship.His Noghri bodyguard,Mahk,followed silently behind him.Just as he was preparing to get into the turbolift his commlink beeped.Yanking it out of it's small holster he said

"Logan"

"Sir this is Captain Hawk.I have just recieved some disturbing reports from the head of security forces,Zed Nine.It says there is some unusual activity down on Almania."

"I am on my way"

Logan quickly got into the turbolift and headed up to the bridge.


-= <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Archammer<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> bridge =-

Logan glanced at the security report and skimmed it.He had a very bad feeling about this.

"I want 140 <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Titan<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->-class Assault Walkers transfered down to the sheild generator complex.Also transfer 100 Darktroopers to the complex as well.With the current attack by TRE at Kessel I would at all be surprised if they hit us here as well."

Running with delicate speed, the moderately experienced agent headed away from Hyfe and in the general direction of a nearby alleyway. All the distance he communed with a comm in his helmet, yet not taking his eyes off the surrounding area. There was a medium amount of people around, for this time of day. A medium amount of people, and species.

He looked around him once more when he reached the alleyway, glancing briefly back over his shoulder to where Hyfe was apparently resting. All the time he maintained the constant stream of conversation with his comm, although no-one was listening.

The man moved his eyes quickly back to the open-roofed corridor that lay before him, and stepped inside.

It was a clean place, which provided minimal shadow and no cover to hide any sentient’s who may harbour lees-than-honourable intentions for him and his purpose. Moving quickly, he stepped a few paces into the alleyway and up to a near-by side entrance of a tapcaf, which resided in the building next to him.

The door was shabby, and yielded to an almost inaudible kick. He glared once more down both ends of the alley before entering, and closing the door again behind him.

Several minutes later, on the other side of the tapcafe, by yet another back-entrance, the man emerged again. There was but one noticeable difference to the eye, but it mattered not to him. What did matter him though, and greatly, was that in the back of his mind, he had the dreaded felling as though he had picked up a tail.

There was no noticeable sign, but instinct trusted him to be warier than usual. He slipped out of the back door cautiously, making note of the people inside and remembering their faces.

Onlookers, had there been any from the roof above, would have seen a well dressed Almanian security guard striding warily down the backstreet, seeming overly cautious to his surroundings. If they had looked closer, however, they would have also seen a brief glimmer of a man, no more than a shadow on the wall, trailing slowly behind the first.

For around half an hour the pair walked through the backstreets, hardly noticed by anyone, let-alone each other. There came a few moments during this walk when the agent felt he was about to be ambushed by some unknown adversary, but those critical moments always passed with an ease of inactivity.

After a time, they came once more to a main street, and the man in the lead pushed bodily out into the thick throng of foot traffic. It parted before him, as he was falsely wearing an Almanian security uniform, and allowed him passage.

It was much stronger here, the agent noted, than it had been back outside the tapcafe. All the better, for all the more chance of loosing the tail he felt he held. Even though the foot traffic parting before the security guard gave his location away to a well trained eye, he did not feel he would be noticed much.

With ease, the “shadow” followed the security guard out of the street, and delved straight into the bustle of foot traffic after him, taking care to stay a fair distance behind.

The security guard now made straight for a large building set aside from the main flow of creatures on the edge of the street. The “shadow”, apparently now, was no-where to be seen.

The agent began to relax, as his confidence built up once more. The feeling of a trail was diminishing, but he was still wary.

Slowly, the “guard” began to climb the steps of the building, the Almanian National Bank, pressing forward toward the front doors.

He reached them, and moved inside, gun slipping lightly into his hand from it’s holster.

The security guard entered the bank, his eyes constantly on the lookout for any possible threat, although he was careful not to make his movements too obvious. He stepped up to the locked inner doors, and slipped easily through them, brandishing his fake ID for proof. It worked a charm.

The droids manning the inner door turned a blind eye on him once he had passed, his memory permanently out of their minds unless it was needed for an inspection, and their focus returned solely to the job of checking people’s business and reasons for entering their bank.

----------

The unobtrusive Dark Trooper saw the guard enter, and attempted to move closer for a better look without arousing suspicion.

----------

Inside, the “guard” had moved into the bank’s main lobby, and was now loitering near a far wall, pretending to examine a holo concerning an upcoming film. Although this was his masquerade, he kept a keen eye open a every now and then chanced a look around the lobby. There were a few tellers working the stands off to the side, and a variation of other security guards.

He was waiting, obviously, for something. That much the other people in the lobby could easily discern. For what, they did not know, although they generally thought little harm of him or his intentions. A major flaw, he mused, as he waited for the signal.

Any moment now...

And then it happened.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, quite without warning and beginning as soon as it had ended, the holo to the left of the one he was examining flickered off and on again; barely noticeable.

Knowing that the time was right, he started sauntering inconspicuously towards a darkened doorway, situated close to he teller’s stalls. When he was halfway across the floor, he hesitated, and put his hand to his ear, imitating a commlink conversation. He nodded his head a few times, but after a few seconds made like to shut off the comm., and now walked with increased pride towards the door, an air of deep purpose about him.

He reached it, bypassing the security lock easily with his masterfully forged card, and stepped quickly into the corridor beyond, locking the door again after him.

----------

Outside, C4 was growing hasty. He had managed his time by sifting through files looking for a name to put to a face, but could not find one.

Something was amiss, he knew.

----------

In a dark side-room off of a main corridor, Julius Jin stood hunched over a terminal. His face and upper body were lit only by the light that the terminal was giving off, and the only audible sound other than that of his breathing was made by a small device attached to the terminal.

Just a little longer... almost there...

His fingers flashed lightly over the keypad, typing in commands at a rapid pace. Eyes were scrunched up into his brow in concentration, but frustration had yet to overcome his features. He was searching for something specific, something he probably couldn’t find anywhere else.

If he could just stay out of security’s way for a little longer, the slice would have time to grab the files he needed...

Bingo!

His heart leapt as he found the files that his search had been for. A large amount of news came with the bulk package of access codes and other files, and he skimmed them quickly for updates on the situation.

<font color=blue>Ship Starry Wisdom detained in Enforcer Holding Pad 4. Order: Zed 9. Current Status: under surveillance...</font>

They really should get a better system for that on this planet...

<font color=blue>Four killed in speeder store shootout on Gorumn Street. Current Status: no suspects...</font>

Understandable... considering it only happened a few minutes ago.

<font color=blue>140 Titan Assault Walkers + 100 Darktroopers transferred to Gencore complex. Order: Admiral Logan. Current Status: transfer in progress...</font>

Hmm, Logan seems stupider than I originally thought him. I’ll have to re-evaluate my report... later.

<font color=blue>Election of new city mayor to-</font>

He stopped reading suddenly, a footstep outside the door making him look up. He waited for a few seconds, but it receded, and he was alone again.

That experience brought him back to the mission, and he prepared the data package, along with some of the news items, in another one of Gormul’s little “toys”. After it had been properly prepared, he activated the device, and then quickly shut it off again. There seemed an endless inventory to Gormul’s library of devices, and it never ceased to amaze him of what he could come up with.

He now gathered up his equipment and stealthily stalked over to the dark door. It was pitch black inside the room, and when he opened the door it took his eyes a second to adjust, but he did, and strolled out and into the corridor with an air of authority, coming back the way he had arrived.

----------

Across the city, other agents were assembling in their various positions. A number of other crimes would be committed today, but none to rival the one planned.

The New Alliance wouldn’t know what hit them, even if they were strapped to a slab and held directly in front of it.

----------

The Starry Wisdom was still docked in it’s holding bay, and the investigation was still going on.

The forensics team had now moved in, and witnesses were being questioned.

----------

In the bank’s lobby, the “guard” was back at his post next to the holo. He was once again waiting, but now had a smug look on his face.

The holo flickered again, as it had before.

He reached down, and gripped the butt of his blaster for reassurance. Then, he started to walk back towards the door. There was a small cylinder in his hand, now, and a single red light was bleeping on it’s top.

Fingering the cylinder tentatively, he stepped out of the bank’s inner, past the droid guards, and outside.