Aiden Lanic Angel Smuggler

[kabeone]

I really love this thread *queue cute kitten splayed over a ball of yarn picture*

 

Seriously, I want to possess a fraction of your talent. Just a little. I'll treat it good and everything.

 

Now I have to wait for more? *pouts*

 

Aww you're too nice to me but you've got talent in spades Ipha says so and she demands more stories about her. (ok I politely request more stories about her because I loves me some Ipha).

[kabeone]

Part 8. The old crew

 

 

 

I had done my part. Entry to Belsavis without resistance from the Imperials, we had two ships on the ground, mine and the stolen transport. That was the part of the plan they allowed me to dictate. Then they took what I knew about the Imperial occupation and made their own plan to take the target. This is where I was betting things would go horribly wrong, and I wasn’t alone.

 

“They are going to fail.” Big-Red said crossing his arms.

 

“I know.” I leaned against our stolen transport. It was a good thing no right thinking Imperial would question a Sith, because I was invisible and he looked like he was talking to himself.

 

We were supposed to watch the tunnel entrance and guard the transport. I had a feeling he was there to watch me as well, which was why I was invisible.

 

“Why did you not stop them?” he asked. I thought it was so cute that he imagined my opinion mattered to Commander Grunt or Jedi-Jerk.

 

“Why didn’t you?” I replied instead.

 

“This task is not my concern.”

 

“Well, there you go.” I stopped leaning against the ship and moved to a place where I could have a better view of where the team had gone. The target was a prisoner being held underground I could see the tunnel entrance but I wouldn’t see anything until they came back out again.

 

He nodded acknowledging that we had one thing in common. “You do seem interested in the medic, she changed your mind about joining in the first place. Do you not want to see her safe?”

 

I snorted, “She’s a soldier, she’ll never be safe. I can do what I do, but unless I tie her up and keep her in my cargo bay, she’ll have to keep herself alive the rest of the time.”

 

“That wasn’t your plan?” He asked darkly, I shuddered. I already surpassed my word budget for Sith conversations so I stopped talking. I moved to another position to make sure crazy prisoners weren’t trying to steal our ships.

 

“You are not a force user.” The Sith said unnecessarily so I didn’t answer.

 

“I only sense you as a life force not as a specific power, just a weak whisper of life.”

 

I stopped moving, I had a feeling there was a point to this conversation, I’m sharp like that. “Ok?”

 

“You are invisible, moving around, and have the same presence as any number of criminals here, if you do not speak I might kill you because I thought you were someone or something else.”

 

I was making him nervous, if he hadn’t been capable of cutting me in half or crushing me with air I’d have giggled. Instead I spoke up, “Fine, why are you here if you don’t care?”

 

“The Jedi might still be needed, I will see that he lives until I am sure.” I crouched silently, Big-Red wasn’t careless with his words, if Jedi-Jerk wasn’t needed anymore he would probably end up facing off against a Sith who knew all his weaknesses. I saw no reason to feel displeased about that, but I wasn’t going to let him know I understood.

 

I carefully calculated the safest possible response. “Uh huh.”

 

“What do you think of the Jedi Kira?” He asked. I saw movement from just off the narrow paved road that led to the tunnel. A small group with decent coordination seemed to be heading in that direction.

 

“Bad taste in men.” I replied, “Movement on the road, group of five, not prisoners and weird looking.”

 

“Elaborate,” he said walking toward my voice. I picked up a stick off the ground so he could see where I was and where I wanted him to look.

 

“About 30 meters, two humans, one red alien, one fish alien, and one umm hair alien?”

 

“That’s a wookie.” He said with disgust, heading to the tunnel. “Known associates of our target. Stay here.” He commanded.

 

He attacked the entire group. One of the humans broke away and headed in my direction, I was in luck it was the pretty one. I wondered if she was heading to the transport but she stopped a few meters from me and set up with her sniper rifle. I walked behind her quickly and stabbed the back of her neck. Killing like that is supposed to be instant and painless, but I can only vouch for the instant part.

 

I turned off my stealth generator and borrowed her sniper rifle. It was a beautiful weapon, I could see the fight as if it was right in front of me, and I could hear it too, some kind of laser sound enhancement, I was glad I met pretty human.

 

Fish alien, red alien, and the other human were already down, but hair alien was giving a good account of himself. If giving a good account means being knocked down and getting back up again. I wondered if Big-Red was playing with him. I aimed the rifle at them so I could listen in, it was the weirdest conversation I’d ever heard.

 

“What is your master’s purpose here?”

 

“Auuuuuarrwwwwooooooooaaaaahhooooooo.”

 

“Fool, do you think I care that you were a slave?”

 

“Auuurgguhh aauuuuu aaahhhhhhhh roooooooo.”

 

“You fight well, call him back and you might live.”

 

“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaurrgh raaaahhhhhhuuuuararrrrr.”

 

“So be it.”

 

Personally, I think the Sith was just making stuff up, they fought for a few seconds more, then red alien got back up. She was missing an arm but she grabbed her staff and leaped at Big-Red’s back. I almost felt bad, I mean if she could take him down after getting her arm cut off with a lightsaber she earned it, but anyone who could do that would come after me next, it was an easy call. I shot her in the back of the head. She fell just as he cut down the wookie. Big-Red turned and saw the headless red alien’s corpse. He glanced in my direction, probably sending gratitude and warm thoughts at me, then walked into the tunnel.

 

I turned my stealth generator back on and started going through pretty human’s pockets to see what other stuff she had. I was dragging her body away when I heard noises coming from her head. I hoped she was wearing an earpiece, I really didn’t want to dig into her face for cybernetics.

 

“Risha, dammit answer me.” The voice whispered, after I located the tiniest earpiece I had ever seen. I was so sad that this woman was dead, I wanted to know who her supplier was. I hit the transmitter to send a few clicks of static.

 

“Are you there? One for yes two for no.” I snickered at the idea of clicking ‘no’ for ‘I’m not there.’

 

One click.

 

“If any of the others are still alive I need help, we’ve got a stand-off, I’m wired with explosives but they have me pinned, there’s a big Jedi behind me, I need you guys to take him out. If you can’t get to me in five minutes I’m blowing these charges, they won’t take me alive. I love you. Crisis out.”

 

One click.

 

I started running. Several things flashed through my mind. One I was running toward an impending explosion to save a half-sister who didn’t know me and thought I was a creep. Two, he thought Big-Red was a Jedi, I saved my breath for running, but that would have been really funny otherwise. Three, what kind of name is Crisis?

 

I hit the tunnel and slowed down to approach silently. I remembered what Big-Red said about my presence, I had to hope he wouldn’t cut me down before I could get past him. I found the group halfway down the tunnel. I stood next to Big-Red letting him recognize I was there, I saw his hand twitch toward his saber, I held my breath and put a hand on his shoulder. He nodded very slightly and I removed my hand, I think we both shuddered. I walked past him toward Crisis, I couldn’t even give him a nickname, his name was dumber than anything I could make up.

 

Crisis turned out to be a Twilek wearing a vest full of bombs.

 

“Give Pollaran to me, and we can all go on our way.” Twilek demanded

 

“Not going to happen.” Commander Grunt answered.

 

I don’t understand suicidal tactics. Hey do as I say or I’ll blow myself up. It’s ridiculous, but I looked at the team of soldiers and Jedi that stood frozen in the tunnel. Ridiculous was effective.

 

Crisis raised the detonator in his hand. Hoping no one would take a shot, I paralyzed the Twilek and pulled the detonator from his grasp as he fell to the floor.

 

My stealth generator can handle a certain amount of energy expenditure. Nothing as kinetic as a stabbing or energy intensive as a blaster shot, but walking, running, a small needle stab, or holding an object, I can stay invisible. Now everyone stared at a floating detonator. I unstealthed, grinned at their expressions and put the detonator down. I headed back up the tunnel, I had already left the transport alone for too long.

 

Job’s like this was like going on a date with an unstable woman. You want to take different speeders so you don’t have to ride home together. I headed to my ship and let Commander Grunt’s team retake the transport. In the few minutes it was unguarded prisoners were already trying to steal the engines. I got back to my ship and a few smoking corpses testified that my turrets were still working. I stealthed and walked past the turrets at the ship entrance then disarmed the inner defenses. I saw our stolen transport taking off, and I did the same. I hoped I would never see this planet again.

 

I sorted through my spoils, Imperial Trooper armor, some ID’s, data chips to look through, a few credit chips, and a beautiful sniper rifle. I sighed touching it, why do all the cool pretty women end up with idiots.

 

I had never smelled a Weequay before, but the funny smell was the only warning I got before he hit me. I managed to turn slightly so an incapacitating shot was only extremely painful. I have learned from experience that if someone gets the jump on me and tries to knock me out rather than kill me, it’s best to let them think they’ve succeeded. I pretended to be unconscious. He dragged me to the bridge and contacted Commander Grunt’s ship.

 

“I got him, boss.” Gray-lizard-faced-ponytail-wearing-ugly-son-of-a-hutt-alien-scum-bag-jerk said.

 

“Good, we’ll bring him to justice, we found more of his aliases, the man makes you look like a Jedi.” I almost made a sound, did Commander Grunt not realize what kind of Jedi he had been associated with lately? “Bring his ship to dock with the Valiant.” Commander Grunt ended the transmission. I decided to stay unconscious, there was a chance Boss-Jedi would just let me go and I could spend a few nice days in their prison. The food wasn’t even that bad.

 

A comm somewhere beeped. Ugly-corrupt-ganster-wannabe answered his personal device, “What?”

 

“Vik,” Jedi-Jerk said. That was bad, I twitched to drop my shiv into my hand. I already used my last paralytic on Crisis. I tried to remember Leather-faced-smelly-psycho’s armor, no weaknesses that I could remember. I’d have to go for the face.

 

“Jedi, to what do I owe this pleasure.”

 

“I had a vision, Vik,” Jedi-Jerk replied. I wondered if he talked like that before, or did the dark side force you to speak with dramatic pauses. “A vision where your prisoner woke up, where he attacked you, where you were forced to kill him, later you were rewarded handsomely for your heroism.”

 

“Did you now,” he said rubbing his chin.

 

I jumped up and stabbed Vik in the eye hoping the Jedi was lying about the vision. Sometimes you hear about men so tough that when stabbed in the eye they scream but keep coming after you. One-eyed-weequay wasn’t that tough, he passed out.

 

Unfortunately, Jedi-Jerk witnessed the whole thing. I could hear him calling the Commander to blow up my ship. I looked at the nav, the Valiant was close but still out of firing range. I started up the hyperdrive and dragged Vik to the escape pod. I slid a kolto stick into his face, ran out of the pod, and launched it. When I got back to the bridge the hyperdrive still needed more time, Commander Grunt was gaining on me, and my engines weren’t at full power yet.

 

I contacted Commander Grunt.

 

“You killed one of my men,” he said without waiting for me to talk, “I’m taking you in or shooting you down.” I wondered if self-righteous speeches were something they taught in officer school. I already knew the Jedi had a class for that. “You can’t outrun us, give up and you’ll live.”

 

The hyperdrive needed two minutes, I had to buy some time.

 

“He’s not dead,” I answered, “I only stabbed him in the eye, but he’ll die without help, and I just put him in the escape pod.”

 

The Commander was silent, he seemed to be listening to his team. “Hey Dorne,” I called hoping she was near enough to hear.

 

“You don’t talk to her, you only talk to me.” Commander Grunt yelled firing a few shots. He was still too far away. I wanted to lecture her about the dangers of getting involved with possessive men, but I wanted her to actually listen.

 

“Dorne,” I repeated, “Vik’s got a kolto stick in his face. If you get to him before it dissolves you can write that paper.”

 

Commander Grunt listened to his team for a little longer, then he sneered, “Guess I have to go get Vik, means I have no time to capture you,” His ship entered firing range, he fired several shots and launched four missiles, more than enough to disintegrate my ship. “Thanks for saving Vik,” he said and ended the transmission.

 

I watched the hyperdrive countdown and I watched the little defense alert console show me where the missiles were. The blaster bolts would hit me first taking out my shields then the missiles would finish me. I watched each shot chew up my shields, seventy-five percent, fifty percent, twenty-five percent, shields down. The missiles crept closer.

 

I couldn’t help but think the last woman I kissed was a Jedi twice my age, sometimes life just wasn’t fair.

 

Hyperdrive Ready. The ship told me, I slammed the lever back and the stars swam past me in a beautiful field of Eat-Me-Commander-Grunt glory, the missiles exploded in my wake. I leaned against the console giggling and giddy.

 

I watched the stars for several minutes trying to memorize my name. I’d had so many I forgot them when I was done with them, I usually forgot everyone’s name after a while. Names just weren’t important to me. This name, Aiden Lanic, this name I would remember for the rest of my life.

 

I had to make sure I never used this name again.

 

***

 

Dorne watched the missiles explode, they did not have time to search for wreckage, they had to rescue Vik. True to his word, Lanic had left Vik alive, in an escape pod, with his miraculous invention sticking out of the Weequay’s face. He was the only one on this mission who kept his word. She thought idly then quickly dismissed it.

 

They carried Vik to the medical bay, the Valiant lacked a kolto tank so the best thing they could do for him was leave the stick in place and keep him sedated. It worked so well they would probably be able to save his eye when they got back to Coruscant.

 

They also had two prisoners, the Twilek and the one they had come for, Darmas Pollaran. Apparently, he and the Twilek had a history together, but they were not able to determine if the Twilek had come to kill or free the Imperial double agent. Dorne and the doctor gave him every antidote they knew, but nothing countered the paralytic. Finally, they put him on a respirator until the poison could wear off on its own or they could get him to a better facility.

 

“A lot of destruction getting to you, Pollaran,” Major Vance Meldrov said from outside the holding cell. “You better be worth it.”

 

“Major,” Darmas Pollaran replied with his cultured accent, “I assure you I am. You have no idea how much I appreciate this rescue, twice now, once from my former masters, and now from that idiot Captain. I hope he’s dead.”

 

“Maybe,” was all the Major would allow.

 

“Do you know why you were sent for me?” Pollaran asked.

 

“Not my pay grade.” The Major replied.

 

“I see, well you deserve to know as a reward,” The Commander did not react but the others edged closer. They all wanted to know the reason they had all risked their lives on that madhouse.

 

The Major noticed both his crew and the Jedi’s listening, he crossed his arms and scowled at the Imperial.

 

“Two words,” the man settled into seat as if it were a throne, “Dusk Nine.”

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2012 by kabeone

[Earthmama]

“Auuuuuarrwwwwooooooooaaaaahhooooooo.”

 

“Fool, do you think I care that you were a slave?”

 

 

I laughed way too hard at this!!

[bright_ephemera]

that idiot Captain.

 

This remains one of the most viscerally infuriating phrases in the game for me. Oh, Darmas, you crazy joker.

[Morgani]

Holy crap, who's the bad guy here? Excellent stuff!

[Magdalane]

Kabe, this is excellent! I have to say that Darmas is the only one Miriah

 

really enjoyed killing. Even if Corso didn't want her to.

 

[kabeone]

I laughed way too hard at this!!

 

I couldn't resist

 

This remains one of the most viscerally infuriating phrases in the game for me. Oh, Darmas, you crazy joker.

 

 

That Idiot Captain thing made me roll another smug JUST so I could kill him.

 

 

 

 

Holy crap, who's the bad guy here? Excellent stuff!

 

In this universe, bad is entirely relative.

 

Kabe, this is excellent! I have to say that Darmas is the only one Miriah

 

really enjoyed killing. Even if Corso didn't want her to.

 

 

 

I have killed and arrested him. KIlling him was way better.

 

I was unable to find any youtube videos that show what happens if you let him go. Supposedly he bribes you and you have to get your loot at Port Nowhere. I could never confirm it though. I guess if you're going to get dark side points you might as well kill the guy.

 

 

 

[iamthehoyden]

Have I mentioned how much I adore anti-heroes? They're seriously one of my favorite character archetypes. Yours is an especially delicious mix of ruthless opportunist and man with his own sense of honor. And the way he knows practically nothing about other races or the details of the galaxy is lovely. Let's just say I very much look forward to each new part that is posted.

[kabeone]

Have I mentioned how much I adore anti-heroes? They're seriously one of my favorite character archetypes. Yours is an especially delicious mix of ruthless opportunist and man with his own sense of honor. And the way he knows practically nothing about other races or the details of the galaxy is lovely. Let's just say I very much look forward to each new part that is posted.

 

I love anti-heroes too. Could that have maybe something to do with our favorite red man?

[kabeone]

Part 9. Brother and Sisters

 

 

 

Life was back to normal. Back to taking jobs to kill people or steal information or kill people and steal information. No more Sith, no more soon-to-be-Sith Jedi, and no more idiots trying to get into my sister’s armor. I arrived, stealthed and early as usual, ready to work for pay doing things that aren’t right by anyone’s definition. She walked in, sat at the bar, and ordered water. I needed a better agent, too bad no one else would work with me.

 

“Pretend you’re drinking, cover your lips with your cup when you talk, and don’t look in my direction.” I said standing next to her.

 

She did as I asked but said, “I’m alone.”

 

“Dorne,” I said sighing, “I hope you’re lying to me, because I refuse to believe you’re that stupid.”

 

Her brow wrinkled slightly, she took a sip of her water and put it down.

 

“How did you find me?”

 

She covered her mouth with her cup to hide a smile, “I’ve been attempting to hire various mercenaries for weeks now hoping to get you.”

 

She clearly wasn’t stupid, I’d have to watch out for that trick in the future. “That sounds expensive.”

 

“It worked, so it was worth it.”

 

I smiled at her because she couldn’t see me. “What do you want?” I said finally.

 

“I just wanted to thank you,” she said softly. “None of us would have survived if not for you.” She put her cup down and looked at her hand, cybernetics replaced two fingers, metal mixed with her skin disappearing under her sleeve. The side of her face that I could see was also scattered with implants and metal patches, but they saved her eyes, and her hair had grown back. She would still be beautiful to most humans, and she was any Nar Shaddaa slicer’s wet dream.

 

I watched the little lights blink through her circuits, she was lucky to be alive. Her face twitched as she willed herself not to look in my direction.

 

“Why did you do it?” She asked.

 

Why indeed.

 

***

 

The cipher for the even days of the galactic year was simple substitution. The key was a Hutt opera over five hundred years old. The message was hidden in the lyrics of the top Twi-pop song on Hutta. The key for that was a fractal pattern left for me at a dead drop in a dust-house* on Tatooine. If my agent wanted me to stop smuggling, she should have just said so.

 

After six hours of Hutt opera, and yes that is every bit as bad as it sounds, I had a new mark. My agent wondered why I kept taking jobs. I had long past the point where I needed to work, but I like screwing people for money. Interpret that how you will. The pay for this job was better than usual which was good because I had to replenish my stock of nearly everything and replace my escape pod.

 

I set an intercept course for the transport. If I was lucky, I could grab the cargo and hit the drop off in less than a day. I hadn’t been lucky lately so I doubled the number of poisons and stun grenades I carried. I was almost looking forward to this, I could try out my new warfare pod and EMP.

 

The transport was not where I expected, it was either early or late. A few scans indicated two ships fighting nearby, one had the same signature as the transport. I turned on my ship’s stealth generator and set a course for the combatants.

 

My target had taken heavy fire and a boarding pod stuck out of its side. The other ship was also damaged and it looked like mine only bigger. I watched the two vessels while running continuous scans, I hoped the two sides would kill each other but leave my cargo intact.

 

After about ten minutes, the transport powered up and fired on the other ship. Missiles fired at that range, did not leave much to salvage. I waited. The transport’s engines came online and continued in the direction it should have been going. It only had one working engine, and their shields were down, I was about to make their day worse.

 

Crossing my fingers, I dropped out of stealth and hit the transport with the warfare pod and the EMP. One would prevent them from targeting me with their missiles the other would disable the rest of their systems. I hoped the new EMP wouldn’t fry my ship like the last one I used, that was embarrassing.

 

My ship was too small to launch boarding pods. Instead, I send a little probe to slice into their systems from access panels on the outside. The probe can get a view of the inside of the ship, mess with their life support, and cancel any distress signals. I used it for all three.

 

It was too dark to identify anything except basic shapes, there were many dead shapes, several bound shapes, cargo shapes, and two walking shapes. The two walking shapes were on the bridge, they were probably trying to bring the power back online. I had the probe set the console they were working on to overload. The two walking shapes joined the dead shapes. I brought my ship to dock and let the probe turn on a few emergency lights. I boarded quietly and stealthed, remembering how Vik had snuck on board my ship I closed the connecting door, at least I would hear it if someone tried to get past me. My cargo was straight ahead, and I passed the room that held the bound shapes.

 

Weequay smell. Dorne had told me what he was called, he tried to kill me when I called him bumpy-faced-alien and that was before he tried to kill me that other time. I told myself it was a coincidence and continued to the cargo bay.

 

The cargo was undamaged. I gave them my speech.

 

“Hello, my name is Markus Vincent.” I said staring down at half a dozen children. They looked unusually solemn, the solemn ones are the creepiest. “You are here because the Empire collects force-sensitive children and turns them into Sith or kills them. I am not here to rescue you. I am here to give you a choice to become something other than Sith or dead. If you come with me, you will speak to no one until I say it is safe. Do you want to come with me?” Six heads nodded. I paired them up and led them out of the cargo bay, Imperial children are fairly easy to rescue, they’re taught to march in formation from birth.

 

We passed the door with the bound forms and the Weequay smell.

 

“Aiden?” A familiar woman’s voice called out. I turned on the lights in the holding room.

 

Even with hyperspace travel, it takes days, even weeks, to get from one end of the galaxy to the other. With all of our knowledge and technology there are still regions unknown to us, aptly named, the Unknown Regions, and yet somehow I managed to board the one ship that held a group of people that tried to kill me, two of which I had stabbed personally. I looked at Jedi-Jerk, he had not gone quietly, he was more injured than the others, he lay on his side unconscious, so did the Weequay.

 

I allowed myself to fantasize for a moment that the Republic had sent two Jedi, one Sith, and five elite troops, to rescue six force-sensitive children. I laughed at the thought, and of course, they all thought I was laughing at them. I wondered why I had not been force-choked yet.

 

“You’re not here to rescue them,” I pointed at my cargo, “So what are you doing here?”

 

“We’re here to rescue more than just them,” Commander Grunt said trying to sound noble while bound and on his side.

 

“You’re rescuing all the kids at Korriban?” I asked pleasantly surprised. It was stupid of course, and suicidal, but just about the noblest thing the Republic had ever tried to do.

 

“They were not slated for Korriban,” Big-Red managed to look menacing even with his hands and feet padlocked together. “They were going to a secret prison, where experiments are conducted on force users.”

 

“Huh,” I said intelligently, “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Now that you know the ship is unguarded, you’ll be able to free yourself and get on with the heroics. I’ll have my probe restore the power.”

 

“Wait,” Commander Grunt said. “This transport is supposed to be carrying children. We need them to get inside, you can’t take them.”

 

“Yes I can.” I replied dropping my shiv into my hand. I found it disturbing that he would use children as bait or keys; I’m not sure what the right metaphor is. I walked toward him, the galaxy would be better without Commander Grunt.

 

“Wait,” Dorne said desperately, “He’s right we can’t get in without something to deliver.” I almost dropped my shiv.

 

“You too?” I looked at her angrily, “You have force users right there,” I pointed at them, “Pretend you’re delivering them.”

 

“A decent idea, but it will not work,” Big-Red said gravely, “These children are special, it is why they are not going to Korriban. They are expected.”

 

“Then abort the mission,” I said shrugging, “This prison isn’t going away. You almost failed already,” I pointed at their bound forms earning more sour looks. “Take this transport back to Republic space and try again later.”

 

Red-Jedi’s head snapped up, “What happened to our ship?”

 

“Blown up.” I said, trying to remember her name. “This ship has one good engine though, and the hyperdrive works if you can get shields up.” Most of them had stopped listening.

 

“M1,” Commander Grunt said casting his eyes down.

 

“T7,” Red-Jedi said sadly.

 

“Who?” I assumed members of their crew had been on the ship when it blew.

 

“Our friends,” Dorne said quietly, I remember thinking those were odd names, I wondered if I should start using numbers in my names.

 

“They are droids.” Big-Red said dryly. I actually needed to lean against the wall. I looked at the cargo. The people in front of me would use children as bait but mourned the loss of their droids.

 

Big-Red met my eyes, silently laughing at me, he knew what kind of people they were and he knew that, despite my cynicism, I underestimated them. I looked at Dorne, she couldn’t meet my eyes. I hoped it was shame, I hoped she had been forced to follow orders. I hoped she was smart enough to walk away when it was pointless not to mention wrong.

 

“Dorne, one time offer, come with me.” Commander Grunt stared daggers at me, I would have shived him right then, but she never would join me if I killed her commander, and I wanted her to choose.

 

“I have my duty,” she whispered to the floor. Commander Grunt looked triumphant, his eyes practically daring me to kill him, but I wasn’t going to waste any more time on them.

 

“Fine,” I motioned for the children to follow me.

 

“Mr. Vincent,” one of the children said. I spun and remembered to put away my shiv. I stared down at the spooky solemn girl. She was short and very thin, I thought she was only six or seven but her voice was that of someone much older. “May I speak to them?”

 

“Sure.” I was curious what she would have to say.

 

She turned to the group of adults, “Do you need all of us?”

 

“No,” Big-Red answered when no one else seemed able to, “They do not know how many children are being delivered.” He eyed her appraisingly, “Even one might be sufficient.”

 

She turned back to me. “I will stay.”

 

“No, Nena, you’ll die.” One of the boys said, I thought he was older but perhaps he was just bigger. She touched his arm, then she did something with her eyes, he nodded and turned back to me.

 

A normal person might have tried to convince her to leave, but it's like I told them, I was not there to rescue them,I was there to give them a choice.

 

“Don’t let them free until we’re gone.” I warned her, she agreed and I took the remaining children to my ship. I’d like to say I admired her bravery, but it’s too hard to tell the difference between brave and stupid.

 

***

 

I might have been angry, I might have pushed my engines a little, I told myself I was testing the repairs, I made it to the drop off in twelve hours. A worried looking human woman waited for me. She looked at the five children searching for a particular face.

 

“Nena?” she asked me looking alarmed.

 

“He let her stay,” the boy who had spoken earlier shouted. He turned to me suddenly furious, and attacked my leg. I knocked him down earning a horrified look from Worried-Woman. She ran to hug the furious kid. She received a punch in the face for her efforts. I succeeded in not smiling.

 

“Rodric, Nena made her choice.” Was what she said but she looked at me accusingly.

 

“Take me back, I want to go back, Nena made me go.” He cried making slimy wet noises. He got it all over Worried-woman but she tolerated it well. “I wanted to stay with her and she made me go.” He repeated it over and over. I realized what the girl had done. She force-persuaded him, and didn’t have to say a word.

 

Worried-woman handed me a cred-stick, still comforting Furious-boy. I slipped it in a pocket with a nod turning to leave. Furious-boy knocked Worried-woman to the ground and rounded on me again. This time he used the force. Unfortunately, for him, I’m not a 45 kilo woman, and he had already spent himself. His force attack hit me like a stiff breeze. He attacked my leg again. One day he would learn where t*sticles were. I hoped that I would be far away when that happened.

 

Furious-boy stared up at me, “Take me back,” he said. I could feel something pushing his words into my head. I pulled out my shiv and knelt.

 

“I stabbed the last man who tried to force my will, age doesn’t matter when you’re dead.” I placed the tip of my shiv against his neck.

 

He gulped but spoke even though the shiv scratched him, “She’s my sister. Would you let your sister go?”

 

“She made her choice.” I was talking about the girl, I really was.

 

“Then wouldn’t you choose to go with her?” He started crying again. I moved my shiv before he could drip on the blade. I took a moment tp wonder what force entity I had angered that decided to make it hard for me to be a normal criminal.

 

“I’ll make you a deal,” I told Furious-boy. “I’ll go look for your sister, but promise never to put thoughts in someone else’s head. Not under any circumstances. Never.”

 

“Deal.” He said instantly. I doubted he would hold to it, but at least maybe now he might think about it.

I turned to Worried-woman who watched me hold a shiv to an eight year old’s neck then make a deal with him. “Do you have any idea where that transport is going?”

 

“No,” she answered, she looked less worried and more satisfied, which made me worried. “But your agent does.”

 

I hated talking to my agent, she always wanted a bigger cut.

 

 

 

 

 

Note *

 

 

* dust-house – I made this up after hearing a conversation on Imp Tatooine regarding baths. I.e. rationed water = no regular baths. I figured a dust house was something they concocted like a bath house or a mud spa that would get you “clean” but without using water. No idea how it would work, it just sounded like it would be a thing.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2012 by kabeone

[iamthehoyden]

I love anti-heroes too. Could that have maybe something to do with our favorite red man?

It might have something to do with him, just might

[kabeone]

Part 10. Anonymous Friends

 

 

 

How do two people without names address each other? I’ve never had one, and my agent gave up hers. She was a Cipher, some members of Imperial Intelligence call her The Cipher Agent, Cipher Nine. I met her before all that, back when she was a cadet in the academy. They hired me to help teach seduction to a bunch of uptight agent candidates, kind of like one of those nude art models only more interactive. It sounded like a dream job at first for a man like me, but it turned out those classes are taught on a stage in front of fifty other students and they stop you and ask questions. It was, weird. I finished my contract as quickly as possible, but there was one person I met in that class who was a natural. I actually took the time to learn her name, which of course the Empire took away a year later.

 

Now she buys and sells information, arranges assassinations or prevents them. I don’t know who she’s really working for and I don’t ask. I pick up contracts from her now and then, and while I have more than one way to find work, she’s the one who gets me the interesting stuff.

 

Back to how we address each other, we don’t.

 

“Hmm,” she said when she saw my face, “Five of Six children, not your usual record.”

 

“One chose to stay.” I replied.

 

She raised an eyebrow, “I always wondered if you would let them stay. Your insistence on giving tiny children with no sense a choice is fascinating.”

 

I shrugged, “They have as much sense as adults, more sometimes when it comes to self-preservation, just not this time.”

 

“So,” she smiled knowingly, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

“I have to find her.” I said sourly.

 

She laughed, “Why would you do that?”

 

“Made a deal with her brother,” I said grumbling, “Look can you help me or not? If not I have to try to track down the transport the hard way and the trail’s getting cold.”

 

She still looked amused but inclined her head. “Your next job you work for expenses only.” I made a token display of anger, but she was letting me off easy. I wondered if she wanted me to help the girl too. It was something to consider exploiting later.

 

“Fine. Where was the transport going?”

 

She tapped something into her console transmitting the coordinates and the rest of the transport’s route.

 

“Someday maybe you’ll share with me how you know these things.” I looked at the depth of information she provided, defense schematics, personnel files, and security codes.

 

“No, I won’t.” she replied and ended the connection.

 

 

 

 

 

I blame Adwynyth for all new Aiden content from now on forever.

 

 

Edited October 14, 2012 by kabeone

[Adwynyth]

I blame Adwynyth for all new Aiden content from now on forever.

HOORAY! I'm popular! </Zoidberg>

[Adwynyth]

I blame Adwynyth for all new Aiden content from now on forever.

HOORAY! I'm popular! </Zoidberg>

[iamthehoyden]

Woot! More Aiden!!! <wanders back through the thread to reread one of her favorite characters>

[Earthmama]

So happy to see Aiden! <3<3