Vala's Mission

[lordocelot]

“You wanted to see me emperor?” asked Vala standing in Tiberian’s office.

“I thought you would be more grateful that I relieved you of your duties in the Assembly Hall and excused you from the boring speeches of the politicians” commented Tiberian looking up from his campaign reports.

“They are politicians Lord Coale, they never stop talking, and when I return it will be the same one on the same long winded speech” replied an obvious frustrated Vala.

“Not satisfied with your post chancellor?” asked Tiberian.

“May I speak freely Tiberian?”

“Certainly”

“I do not think that my gifts and qualities are truly being used as chancellor of Corellia” admitted Vala careful to keep her tone polite as she voiced her frustrations.

“The Chancellor of Corellia is a very important post, if anything were to happen to me, it is the chancellor who inherits this empire” commented Tiberian his attention fully on his upset Chancellor.

“Yes I know but politics are not for me” she argued respectfully.
Tiberian laughed holding up a few datapads, “I don’t think politics are for anyone but for the ruthless and the greedy” joked Tiberian.

Vala released a small smirk from her frowning expression, “Tiberian please I want my old title back, I want to be Consul again, I want to lead and fight in battles. Not listen to old men rant about public safety."

“I am sorry Vala but I am not going to reassign you, you are the only person in our empire who qualifies as Chancellor” dismissed Tiberian civilly.

“I understand Sir” Vala said her head lowered in defeat.

“But that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t allow you to take a break from your duties” added Tiberian.

Vala’s head jolted up, she was no longer frowning but eagerly looking at her master, “Really sir?”

Tiberian smiled amused at Vala’s sudden change in mood, ‘that’s a woman for you’ Tiberian thought to himself. “Yes I do, I have a mission for you” he answered.

“I am ready to serve” Vala said quickly saluting her sith lord.

“Good I am glad to hear, because this involves your best skills, stalking and maiming, I want you to hunt down the president of Solstice Weapons. I can no longer tolerate his growing complaints and shady dealings” began Tiberian.

“Tiberian I take it that you are not telling me everything” remarked Vala.

“Ah women and their intuition, yes Vala you would be right, my sith forces found his cronies trying to hack into our mainframe in Sullust. He is now somewhere in the mid rim, he left his factory ever since he was told that my sith officers apprehended his spies, I don’t think he had any faith in their loyalty, but I trust that he will be unable to hide from a Moon Angel but be careful I am sure that he has many still loyal to him ready to die before allowing us to capture him” commented Tiberian.

“I will leave right away sir” said Vala.

“Good and take this” said Tiberian extending his hand across his desk, he was holding a datapad. “This is all the information on him from our sith databases” added Tiberian.

“I will study it” Vala said taking the datapad.

“Vala make him suffer”

“Gladly sir and Tiberian thank you” said a grateful Vala.

“That is all Chancellor” Tiberian said his eyes drifting away from his attractive chancellor and back onto his military campaign reports on the outer-rim.

A smiling Vala, with the datapad in one hand left the sith emperor’s office excited at her mission which would free her from the dullness of politics and thrust her back into her days of old as a bounty hunter and Vala couldn’t wait to begin.

[lordocelot]

Vala was quick to dump her chancellor robes and more excited to suit up in her bounty hunter armor. Vala was no longer in the chamber overseeing the droning voices of sith politicians. She was back within the confines of her flagship Pompai, with her crew and other bounty hunters. Vala stood in her room, awaiting her ship to reach the coordinates that were given to her by Tiberian.

“Captain Baan you are needed on bridge” came a female voice as a hologram appeared on Vala’s desk, a miniature replica of the sith officer.

“I am coming up now” replied Vala.

The miniature saluted the console and captain, and the hologram disappeared.

Vala was simply excited by being address as captain by a member of her crew instead of chancellor by a boring Politician within the assembly chamber.

“Captain on deck” announced A sith officer as the bridge elevator doors opened.

Vala stepped onto a bridge, “stand down."

The officers aboard went back to their duties.

“Captain Baan, we have reached the coordinates that Lord Coale gave us” informed the female bounty hunter. This bounty hunter had predatory canine features including dark fur which covered her body, large glowing eyes, sharp claws, pointed ears, distinct muzzles, and rather sharp teeth. These features made up one of the most isolated species in the galaxy, a Shistavanen.

“What planet are we at Lupa?” asked Vala turning to the Shistavanen bounty hunter.

“Not a planet Captain but a ship” corrected Lupa pointing forward at the bridge window.

Vala looked forward to see a large frigate floating through space. “This must be his ship."

“It is probably abandoned” Lupa observed.

“Ready a shuttle and bring me the recruits from the academy” Vala ordered.

“But commander this could be a trap is it wise to lead an inexperienced team” Lupa warned.

“The best experience is to be thrust into the fire” Vala countered leaving the bridge and stepping onto the elevator. “Inform me when the crew and shuttle are ready” Vala ordered.

“Of course Captain” Said Lupa saluting her captain knowing it was best to fulfill her order s and not to argue with her superior.

Vala stood patiently in the hanger watching and overhearing her excited bounty hunters conversing and filing into their shuttle, which would take them towards the floating personal frigate of Shelster Monham.

These bounty hunters were not the elite of Vala’s heralded moon angel guild, no these were fresh, raw recruits who had passed the academy on Mindar and now needed real experience in their field. It was hard to tell why the bounty hunter whether the bounty hunters were so excited because this was their first mission or was it because they were being led by the legend and the best in the entire galaxy Vala Baan.

“Commander Baan” came the voice of Lupa approaching Vala.

“Yes Lupa?” asked Val turning her attention to her number two agent.

“The shuttle is ready but allow me to come with you. You may need experience on this if it turns ugly” Lupa said still concerned about her commander’s choice to lead a boarding party of all freshly graduated recruits.

“No Lupa you need to stay on Pompai and remain the captain until my return” Vala dismissed sternly.

“Of course commander” Lupa said.

“Good” Vala said walking away from her loyal officer and onto the Shuttle’s ramp, where she climbed until at the top when she turned back to Lupa. “Captain” Vala said with a sith salute.

“Commander” Lupa said returning the salute.

Vala stepped onto the shuttle and its doors closed as the shuttle’s engines revved with life, raising itself off of the hanger floor, hovering momentarily before slowly flying forward and out of the hanger doors and out of sight.

“Captain Lupa you are needed on the bridge, we are being hailed by the emperor’s office” reported an officer over Lupa’s comm.

“I am on my way” replied Lupa leaving the hanger.

[lordocelot]

Vala stared through her window into space as she stood with the others in the shuttle’s loading hold. The other bounty hunters were excitedly conversing with one another as they checked and loaded their weapons.

Vala could remember when her master led her to her first kill, Vala could still remember her nervousness but excitement that she felt, when her finger was on the trigger and Vala remembered the adrenaline and rush when she pulled the trigger and killed her target. The satisfaction she felt when she and her master looked down at the bloody corpse which had been her target and more importantly then the kill was her master’s approval and recognition of her talent which was the ultimate reward for the young Vala, who had so respected and admired her master since their meeting.

Vala was already ready she had been ready for this mission since she was given the orders by her friend and sith emperor. Vala had her guns already checked, and holstered; she was already in her bounty hunter armor and was now waiting for her slow moving shuttle to dock into the frigate’s loading hatch.

After what felt like eternity flying from her flagship to the frigate, Vala could feel and hear her shuttle latching itself to the frigate’s loading dock. The shuttle fell silent, the recruits all stared at each other, all of them seemed unable to comprehend this surreal moment, that they found themselves in.

“Commander Baan, the shuttle is latched onto the frigate. Shall I open the shuttle’s doors?” asked the pilot over the loudspeaker.

“After a thirty second countdown” ordered Vala.

“Yes commander” replied the pilot.

Vala stepped in front of her recruits placing herself between them and the shuttle doors which would lead them out onto their first real assignment. “I know how you are all feeling, because at one point I felt the same way during my first assignment. But if you remember your training and follow your orders, and stay vigilant and never panic you all will succeed and be able to make it to your next mission” Vala said.

All of the newly inducted Moon angels gave their commander a crisp salute, and a hearty Moon angel credo “we are here to serve and kill.”

The Shuttle door slid open behind Vala which was of a dimly lit corridor. “Follow me angels” Vala said grabbing her sith rifle off her back and stepped off of the shuttle with her angels in two files of five behind her.

All of them were walking into the unknown, none of them knew what to expect within this frigate or what still remained on board, caution and complete vigilance would be their best tools on this mission.

Vala led her group deeper into the corridor, lights flickered, illuminating the corridor for seconds before darkening it for the next few seconds. Vala turned back to see that they had made progress through the corridor and that her shuttle entrance was barely within sight. “What is your name?” Vala asked to a red headed human female at the end of the row.

“Teri” she answered.
“Teri, I want you to go back and stay at the shuttle doors” ordered Vala.

“Yes commander” answered Teri slinking back up the corridor they had just walked.

“Keep communications open, stay on channel four. That will give us the ability to talk to each other and to the ship” reminded Vala, looking down at her own wrist to make sure that her com was set to the right channel.

The other Moon angels did likewise after a few seconds of checking, the girls moved forward.

At the end of the corridor was an open door, gun in hand, Vala carefully crept through, scanning the small room. “All clear” Vala said.

The room was rectangular, no larger than Vala’s barrack on board her ship, at the other end of the room were two different doors. By their entrance was a console.

“Who is our tech?” asked Vala turning her attention to the console.

“I am” answered an iridonian female stepping forward.

“Let us see your training come in handy” Vala said stepping aside.

The female iridonian nodded holstering the pistol she was carrying into a holder strapped to her calf. The tech bent over the console began typing away. “I am in” she said within minutes.

“Good, now what happened to the crew?” asked Vala.

The Iridonian did not answer right away as she tried to find the answers of the crew’s fate in the crew’s entries. “They used the escape pods, and abandoned the frigate two days ago”

“Does it say why?” asked Vala.

“Yes, engine failure” answered the tech.

“Where did the pods go?” asked Vala.

“It won’t tell me” answered the iridonian after a few minutes of typing and hacking into the console.

“What do you mean?” Asked a surprised Vala.

The iridonian shrugged, with her attention still on the console, “it says that information was stored in a different console” answered the iridonian.

“Is that information on board?” asked Vala determined to find the whereabouts of Shelster Monham.

“Yes it is on board, on the bridge computer” answered the iridonian.

“Good, download the schematics of this ship, and try to get the power back on this vessel” said Vala turning her attention back to her silent team. “We will be splitting up so that we can get off of this ship faster and back on the hunt. So I want you four to check the escape pod records. You will be yellow squadron. I want you three with our tech to go to the bridge and download all information you can on Shelster and where he departed. You will be Red squadron. I also want crew records, and I want them to match the pod records, and you are coming with me we are going to visit Shelster’s room looking for any clues of what he is planning to do and where he might be planning it. And we will be blue squadron. Moon angels do you understand me?” asked Vala.

“Yes Commander Baan” the Moon angels replied in one strong united voice.

The lights in the room hummed to life, illuminating all inside, the lights were no longer flickering. Power was back on the ship. “Schematics are downloaded and transferring to everyone’s personal computer, you will be able to call them up, whenever you need them” remarked the female iridonian.

“Excellent” Vala said bringing up the schematics of the frigate, “Ok Yellow squadron through door left, and blue and red squadron through door right. Remember keep communications open and work as a team just like in the academy. We will meet back here in Room x when we are done, so I hope to see you all here within the hour. Moon angels out” Vala ordered.

[lordocelot]

It had been slightly more than a quarter of an hour since Vala split the Moon Angels in three squadrons, assigning each one with an important mission, that will hopefully help them solve the puzzle and locate the traitorous Shelster Monham. Vala was traveling with a blue skinned twilek, they had recently separated from red squadron and went up the elevator and have arrived on the level of barracks.

“What is your name?” asked Vala civilly. While the two women walked through the lit corridors, guns in hand ready for the unexpected.

“I am Flo Dala” answered the twilek.

“Where are you from?” asked Vala.

“I don’t want to be rude, but I do not like talking about my past” answered the twilek bluntly.

“I understand my parents were over bearing as well” Vala said shrugging off the twilek’s angst as a problem of the parents.
“No it is not that” clarified the twilek but she looked reluctant on saying anything else on the topic.

“Yea you are probably right, it is better to push down your pain and emotions, if not they can only bubble up at ill opportune times” Vala remarked her attention on the 3-d schematics which were illuminated by her wrist computer.

“Commander?” asked Flo after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“Hmm?” asked a distracted Vala.

“Why did you choose me to come with you?” asked Flo.

“Because you were the last one picked” answered Vala plainly her attention still on her 3 d map and not on her partner. “His room is at the end of this corridor” Vala announced looking up, delighted to see that the room was only feet away.

The doors slid open upon sensing the presence of approaching footsteps, pistol raised Vala entered with a rifle holding Flo behind. Shelster’s room was about the size of Vala’s own room aboard her own ship. A large bed was against the wall across from them, its sheets and blankets tangled amongst each other, on both sides of the bed were small nightstands. Next to the door, was a large desk that went from the door to the wall, files and data pads were scattered across the table’s surface.

“Looks like he could not bring everything” said a delighted Vala holstering her pistol and began looking through the data pads.

Flo noticing that the Shelster had his own private bathroom which was on the other side of the bed, Flo entered to make sure, that they were truly alone. Rifle raised, the bathroom door slid open, to reveal the only threats to the two young women were a sink and toilet.

“We got him! Some leader this man is. His followers have put their trust in the wrong man” Vala said triumphantly grabbing one journal entry in which Shelster openly talks about a secret base in the outer rim, where he plans to go, if the sith become suspicious. Vala began to download the files.

“Commander Baan are you there?” called the voice of Lupa in her ear.

“Yes Captain Lupa I am here” answered Vala looking down to see that she was almost done with the download.

“Is everything alright?” asked Lupa suddenly.

“Yes why would it not be?” replied Vala suspicious not just with Lupa’s question but the tone in which she delivered it in.

“I have been unable to contact any of the others, but it seems that they were all just with you” said a relieved Lupa.

“What do you mean, you cannot make contact with the others?” Asked Vala it was her turn to sound nervous.

“Well it doesn’t matter now because you are all together” reasoned a confused Lupa.

“No, we split up into three factions” answered Vala.

“Oh dear” said Lupa, her relaxed tone which had only been with her for a few words, had disappeared once more being replaced with an anxious and fretting one.

“Continue to try to contact the others!” ordered Vala.

“And what about you commander?” asked Lupa.

“We are getting off of this frigate” answered Vala determined turning around to see Flo, standing and ready for orders. Vala was surprised to see that Flo’s features seemed to remain the same upon hearing about the uncertainty of her friends, Vala wondered if her expression remained the same as well.

“Orders Commander?” asked a well trained Flo.

“Cock your gun and follow me” Vala answered, her two modified pistols gripped tightly in her hands, she and Flo went to the door, not knowing what to expect upon opening it.

The doors opened to reveal only empty and silent corridors.

“Let us go and be quick” Vala instructed leaving Shelster’s room with Flo in toe.

“Commander what do you think is wrong?” asked Flo as the two made it with no harm back to the elevator.

The Elevator doors closed giving the two privacy as the lift descended back to the main floor where their shuttle was. But before Vala could answer her partner’s question, both of their communications hissed to life.

“Commander Baan?” called a soft voice.

“Yes? Who I am speaking to?” asked Vala.

“Officer Stea, we have downloaded all information from the bridge” answered Stea.

“Good, meet back at room x now” ordered Vala.

“Yes commander” replied officer Stea.

“Officer Stea have you had any contact with yellow squadron?” asked Vala.

“No commander, but we have not tried” answered Officer Stea. “Is everything alright?” asked officer Stea after a short pause.

The elevator doors slid open, Vala and Flo were on the main level of the ship. When a blaring siren echoed throughout the corridors of the ship followed by flashing red lights, it was the ship’s intrusion alarm, Vala and her moon angels were not alone.

“Commander?” shouted Flo over the alarm.

“Back to Room X!” ordered Vala in a run, with her pistols cocked and ready, with Flo running right behind.

It only took the two women a few minutes before running back into the familiar console room, which would lead them to their shuttle. But they were the only ones there.

“Where are the others?” asked an impatient Vala.

The alarms continued to echo through the eerily quiet and mysterious ship. But the noise was mainly drowned out in the console room.

“Lupa” Vala said trying to contact her friend.

There was no answer.

“Lupa, this is Vala Baan, do you hear me?” asked Vala again.

“AHHHH!” replied a shrill voice over Vala’s communicator, this voice was in pain, sounding as she was being tormented.

“Who is this?” asked a now worried Vala.

The console room began to shake violently as a loud explosion rocked the ship. Vala and Flo were both forced to the ground because of the violent explosion; the doors which led to the shuttle were trembling, before breaking open as a monstrous orange blaze burst into the room.

Vala flung her hands over her head, feeling the flames of the intense heat licking her armor, it was unbearable Vala did not know how long her armor would be able to protect her before her skin was exposed and she was burned alive.

But almost as soon as it begun, the flames retreated back through the shuttle corridor, leaving room x in a smoking haze, but the room remained incredibly hot. The walls and ceilings were scorched black from the heat, the console which was in the room, had been melted into a pile of scrap.

Vala slowly lifted her arms off of her head and pushed herself up, she turned to her left where Flo had been laying.

Flo’s armor was not as expensive or made from the same material as Vala’s had been. Flo’s charred corpse lay next to Vala. The gruesome distortion of Flo’s body made her beyond recognizable. Her skin had been scorched, her flesh melted, it would have been a terrible death for any to bear.

Vala immediately rolled away from the gruesome scene and got to her feet. Vala could only hope that Flo had died quickly and did not suffer long.

“Commander Baan, what is going on? Are you and the others alright? We just saw the shuttle explode?” asked Lupa’s voice.

Vala was amazed that her communicator had survived the flames, even though it was built into her armor. “I am fine, my partner is dead and I do not know about the others. Lupa has enemy ships arrived?” asked Vala.

“No”

“Then how did my shuttle explode?” asked Vala.

“That’s what we were going to ask”

The doors of room x slid open, “Raise your arms Vala, you are wanted alive” came a cold voice.

[lordocelot]

“Commander who was that?” asked Lupa.

Vala ignored Lupa’s question but obeyed the familiar voice’s orders, raising her arms over her head. “It has been to long Lucien” replied Vala coldly.

“Turn off your communicator Vala”

Vala put her fingers to her communicator, she could still hear her captain’s frantic questions but Vala clicked a button and the voice went silent.

“It is good that you remember because I was sure your years within the sith ranks would have had you forget your old life” replied Lucien

“Even the sith could not let me forget the galaxy’s second best bounty hunter” Vala said her arms still raised as she slowly turned around.

There were several mercenaries in the room, all were human males, and all looked to be brutes and veterans of violence. These mercenaries all wore black armor with a silver hammer imprinted onto their chest plate, these mercenaries had their pistols and rifles lowered.

In front of them was their leader, it was Lucien. He to bore similar scars of savagery and intense hatred, his short jet black hair and sharp green eyes, his rifle was cocked and aimed at Vala’s chest. Lucien wore near identical armor

“And yet it is I who has caught you” Lucien responded.

“You cannot win Lucien, my capitol ship is monitoring this frigate, at my word they can send another dozen shuttles to this ship and wipe you and your thugs out” threatened Vala.

Lucien smirked, “A lot has changed since you left your guild and joined the sith”

“And yet you still work for the worst scum that the galaxy can offer” Vala replied

“Actually I have had many different cliental now that I am the best bounty hunter in the galaxy”

“Is that what you have been telling people?” asked an amused Vala.

“Oh yes, though there have been murmurs of those who do not believe me” answered Lucien.

“I bet”

“But now I can silence those critics, because I have not just caught the supposed best bounty hunter in the galaxy. I have caught the sith empire’s chancellor and former console. I wonder how big of a price you will fetch. I wonder how much the sith treasury is willing to spend, to secure your safety” Lucien contemplated, a wide smirk still stretched across his face.

“The sith empire does not bargain with thugs” Vala replied boldly.

“It is not me that they will be bargaining with but it will be my client”

“Shelster” Vala mumbled.

“Very good Vala, yes he threw to many credits in my face for me to pass up the chance of catching you. But then again I would have done it for free, well killing you that is” corrected Lucien.

“So then what now?” asked Vala sounding almost bored but frustrated with herself at her current predicament.

“First I must cleanse this ship” answered Lucien.

“Cleanse?” asked Vala unsure of what Lucien was referring to.

Lucien only smiled before whistling, the other door of room x opened to show three of Vala’s moon angels were in a straight file line, handcuffed to each other with bruises on their face, which could not hide the fear in their eyes.

“Lucien” hissed Vala angrily noticing that the other mercenaries in the room had their guns at Vala now, allowing Lucien to lower his.

Lucien though did not respond to Vala’s words, he walked right by her, and stood in front of the captured Moon angels.

“Lucien!” Vala said again louder and angrier.

“I will be with you shortly” Lucien called back, Lucien raised his rifle and without hesitation he fired.

Three rounds of blaster fire tore through the narrow corridor and penetrated all three moon angel’s armor killing them all instantly and simultaneously.

“Those women were unarmed!” Vala screamed angrily. She wanted to charge Lucien but she remembered that she had many guns still pointed at her.

“Those women were not innocent, they were like you but unlike you they were expendable” Lucien replied darkly turning his attention back to Vala.

Vala looked at the corpses of the moon angel recruits, and then to a smirking Lucien who stood over them. “There is no victory for you here Lucien! You are on a derelict ship at the mercy of a sith capitol ship. This will be your tomb”

Lucien chuckled amused with Vala's false assessment of the situation, “did you really think I would make such a gaff by capturing you and not having an exit?”

The ship's lights suddenly streaked on as the ship's floors began to vibrate, its engines were humming. The ship was preparing to make a jump to lightspeed.

“You might want to buckle your seatbelt, I would hate for you to get injured before arriving at your new home. But I am sure that my credits will remain the same as long as you are breathing upon arrival” Lucien was clearly enjoying himself.

“Lucien you little son of a b-” Vala cursed but she lost her words and her balance as the ship jumped into lightspeed. Vala skimmed across the floor having not prepared for such a violent jump.

The mercenaries laughed entertained at their hostage sliding on the floor, but as the rough passage ended and Vala came to a halt, Two mercenaries grabbed her by the arms and lifted to her feet.

Lucien stood across from her, a triumphant smile stretched across his face. Lucien could not help relish the moment at hand, his feat of capturing the supposed best bounty hunter alive, securing his own reputation in the process. “Cuff our guest, and lead her to her room”

One of the mercenaries slapped cuffs across Vala's wrists while the other pusher her, trying to force her to go forward.

Vala took a few steps forward, remembering the faces of every mercenary in this room, so that when the time she would have her revenge on these bafoons, but none of them would pay more then their leader. Vala's last look of the room before she was forced out was of the arrogant smirk across Lucien's face.


Lupa and the remainder of the crew on the bridge of the pompaii watched with the utmost surprise the ship that their commander had boarded, jump into lightspeed. It had happened so fast there was nothing they could have done to have stopped it, now the bridge was cloaked in an awekard silence none of them knowing if their commander was alive or dead.

Lupa cleared her throat, “send word to Coronet, we have lost contact with the chancellor.”

[lordocelot]

A large spherical space station orbited around a barren planet which had become a victim of a past war. The space station was in one of the deep remote pockets of space, that only the most seasoned and skilled travelers knowing the routes but even these brave souls would think twice before venturing so far from civilization.

This space station now served as the only sanctuary for one of the richest men in the galaxy, it would be his refuge from one of the most powerful men in the galaxy.

Once the envy of the masses, a star on the holonets, a commodity only for the wealthy, with more space ships then some entire planet's militias, and with homes scattered on a dozen worlds. Shelster Lurnex had anything a man would want, but that all changed when he crossed the wrong man. Shelster was the president of Solstice weapons, who made a fortune with contracts with the republic, and dozens of other army contracts to boot but his life changed once he was contacted by a young politician.

Shelster was immediately taken aback by this man's charisma, charm, and confidence, but even after the politician proposed that Shelster switch his allegiances with this man's new growing faction, Shelster still admired this young man. Shelster's company had reached record highs thanks to the darth siphon conflict, but Shelster had grown tired with some of the reublic's attempts to block his large monopoly on several planets. Without the approval of the board, Shelster agreed to a transition with this new faction.

The profits for Solstice weapons had no shaky transition switching allegiances, as the company continued to grow, turning out more weapons, and raising more money. Shelster was even caught off guard when the politican offered some of his own schematics of new weapon designs and upgrades. Shelster immediately accepted them, and their stocks and wealth soared.

Shelster though didnt become an excellent businessman by blindly trusting people, and Shelster began to do his research on his new client. Shelster discovered quite the cache of information from his personal spies, but Shelster wanted more especially when it came to his files on unfunded weapons and ships. His curiousity and greed got the best of him, when two of his spies were apprehended on Sollust, realizing that his partnership with his new client was at an end. Shelster made even a more bolder mistake by beginning to sell weapons and designs to the republic and warlords! Shelster had just been able to escape the Solstice headquarters before a legion of sith stormed through his office. Shelster was now on the run, cursing and blaming this sith emperor at every stop he made. His luck had recently changed when he got a message from his bounty hunter

Shelster was an umbarian, tall humanoid people, with pale skin, shaved heads. Shelster stood on the bridge of his space station, those workers still loyal to him keeping themselves busy with work. Shelster waited impatiently on his throne like commander chair, waiting for a new report.

“Sir it is Lucien, their ship has just left lightspeed” reported a technician

Shelster leapt out of his seat with pure joy, “bring them in and prepare to connect a link between the detention cells and Coronet palace .” With that order the exiled businessman left the bridge of his station, eager to greet his new guest and his successful employees.

[lordocelot]

Vala couldnt remember a worse position, then the one she found herself in now, she could only count the number of times she had failed with one hand but this mission was different. It had been a disaster from the very beginning, she was lured into a trap, lost her entire crew, became a political hostage, and a bargaining chip, without even the slightest clue of where she had been taken.

Vala was led through a series of identical corridors, being paraded as a trophy of war, as workers who caught sight of her and the mercenaries, openly cheered her capture as well as jeer her presence. Leading the shameless parade was the man Vala now found herself loathing most in the galaxy, her arrogant rival Lucien. Vala was finally led into a small rectangular room which she guessed was her new quarters. A large monitor hung on wall, shadowing a console that spanned the entire length of the screen, across the screen was a small holding cell. The pulsating walls of the cell faded as Vala was shoved in, her hands still cuffed, turning around to see that the walls of the cell were active once again.
The holding cell was little bigger then a closet, with the only furniture being a small cot that barely stretched four feet in length.

“I know that you are accustomed to more comforts as chancellor of the sith, but this was all I could spare” came a gloating voice. Shelster Lernix entered the room practically skipping, a wide ugly toad like smile stretched across his face. Shelster approached the holding cell wanting to see his captive guest up close.

Vala didnt even give him the dignity of even acknowledging his presence

“This is who the sith emperor trusted with the contract of killing me?” snorted Shelster.

“No contract is needed in killing you Shelster, I am doing it for free” replied Vala coldly.

Shelster giggled, “oh is that so? You are still planning on killing me? Because I am sure that contract is off the table, now that I have you to ransom with.”

“The sith emperor will never bargain with a bottom feeder such as you” retored a fiery Vala.

“We shall see” Shelster said taking his attention off of Vala and onto the console and screen where two mercenaries and Lucien were typing away.

“We have a secure feed” commented Lucien.

The screen flickered to life, the powerful sith emperor appeared before them, sitting behind his desk at his office in Coronet. His expression was hard to read.

Vala had never felt such embarrassment in all of her life, as she felt right now, having failed her mission, and now she was being used as an instrument or tool to further damage her friend.

Tiberian's eyes though did not come across Vala, they rested on the jubilant Shelster who blocked Vala from view as well as the many mercenaries including Lucien who stood behind him, probably trying to impose some sort of strength against the sith emperor.

“I am glad you got my message, Tiberian”

“I am a bit surprised that you are still breathing.”

The confident Shelster chuckled, “Your plan failed Tiberian”

“How so?”

“Your prized chancellor, and bounty hunter failed” Shelster boasted.

“Is that so?” asked Tiberian his expression never changing, his tone hinted a dismal amount of curiosity.

“See for yourself.” Shelster and the other mercenaries stepped away, revealing Vala'c current predicament to the sith emperor.

Vala's faced flushed with color, feeling the eyes of her friend looking down at her. She was hesitant at first to look up at him, but after a few seconds, she rose her head and met Tiberian's curious gaze. Though Vala had considered Tiberian a friend for more then a decade, she was still unable to predict the reaction that he would give her, or what words he would greet her with.


There was no flash of anger or dissappointing shake of the head as Tiberian looked down at his imprisoned friend. “Are you hurt Vala?”

Tiberian's question was received with an outburst of laughter from the mercenaries and Shelster who witnessed this moment between friends.

“Only my pride” answered Vala honestly.

Tiberian released a small smirk pleased with his friend's answer, “that can easily be atoned.”

“Now Tiberian if you meet my demands, perhaps we will be able to bargain a price for your friend. Who knows she could leave on one of my shuttles in a few hours, with no one ever knowing about her embarrassing incident”

“You wish to exploit my friend, Shelster?” Tiberian asked sternly.

“But of course, she is my most precious bargaining chip of retaining my freedom and lining my wallet with a few more credits” answered an honest Shelster.

“I do not negotiate with traitors of the empire” Tiberian remarked.

“Even at the expense of your friend's life?” Shelster paused realizing Tiberian's had turned his attention back to his defeated looking chancellor. “I think it is time that you reexamine your rules”

In Vala's mind she had mustered at least a dozen different things to say to Tiberian during this feed, including an apology for failing, as well as trying to tell him not to negotiate with Shelster. But every
time Vala tried to speak, her words never came, she looked up to see that Tiberian was watching her, but she was unable to tell what he was thinking. While Shelster continued to rant his list of demands.

“Yes that is quite the list Mr. Lernex, it is evident that you put a lot of thought in wanting to bolster your own bank account. But do you actually think that you truly are the victor?”

“Are you blind Tiberian, can you not see the prison cell that your chancellor is residing in? Now stop stalling on my deal!” shouted Shelster his tone reeked with arrogance, sounding like a spoiled child.

Vala's embarrassment and self pity began to disappear being replaced by anger, at the blatant disrespect and arrogance that this man was showing to Tiberian. It was something Vala couldnt tolerate, her fists were shaking at her side, she felt a sudden power come over her, which braced itself with her anger. Vala had never felt such a presence within herself.

The lights and screen began flickering.

The mercenaries were mumbling to one another, confused.

“What is going on?” demanded Shelster impatiently looking up at the screen to see the screen was being garbled the last thing he could see was a smirking Tiberian before the screen went blank.

The console exploded into an array of sparks and flames, a handful of mercenaries were knocked off their feet, their bodies crumpled against the wall. The lights went out, and the room went pitch black.

“It's Baan!' shouted Lucien angrily.

Spurts of blaster fire lit the room, a chorus of muffled shouts followed as more mercenaries fell silent.

“Where is the emergency power!” shouted Shelster who was no longer jubilant, as he scrambled across the floor, trying his best to evade the gunfire which surrounded him.

The door of the room opened, the hall lights danced into the room, Shelster turned around only for a moment to see a dozen lifeless corpses lying across the floor.

“Call security!” shouted Lucien pushing Shelster out of the room, the door closed behind them, but it was unable to block the shouts of two more mercenaries who were silenced by gunfire.

“What are we going to do?” asked a panicking Shelster, he was no longer confident and smiling. His face was sweating, and his hands were shaking.

Lucien cocked his rifle, “assemble your damn security team and put this station on lockdown!”

Shelster nodded running over to the corridor console, he punched in the eight digit emergency code, as a redlit up the halls, while a loud siren bounced off the walls. “What about me?”

Lucien was leading Shelster away from the fighting, and towards the elevator. Lucien pushed the button summoning the elevator. “You are going to do what you do best. You are going to hide, and when I am done putting her down, I will be collecting the credits you owe me for bringing her, and the extra credits you owe me for saving your life.”

The elevator door opened, “more credits?” Shelster asked stumbling in.

“A lot more” corrected Lucien.

The door of the elevator closed, as it ascended up to his private deck/room.

[lordocelot]

The room that minutes ago had been Vala's prison was now littered with the corpses by those who had imprisoned her, the stench of burnt flesh, and sparks still lit up the room. Vala still couldnt believe the chain of events that had just unfolded before her.

“Your days as a politician have not hurt your aim” commented a mercenary who was examining the other dead bodies.

Vala raised the pistol that she had been given, “who are you?”

The mercenary turned around to see Vala was pointing the gun at him, but his expression did not change in the slightest. “You are going to kill the guy who just saved you?”

“I will if you dont answer my questions” Vala cocked her pistol.

“I am Simmons,i am an informant for The sith empire” he answered quickly not wanting to test Vala's patience or her accuracy.

“An informant?” asked Vala confused.

Simmons nodded, “ you know lord Coale has connections within most organizations. I have been undercover for six years”

Vala lowered her pistol slightly, he was speaking the truth, Vala knew for a fact that Tiberian liked to have as many eyes and ears as he could, “But wait you let those moon angels get executed!”

Simmons sighed, “I had no choice, you were top priority I knew even with them you couldnt escape the trap, so sadly I had to keep up the act, but I slipped you the keys as soon as you were in your cell and I lowered the door and slid you that pistol you now have aimed at my chest”

“Yes I suppose you are right”

“Good, because we need to leave, Shelster has a lot of guards on this station” began Simmons.

“I am not going anywhere until I get Lucien and Shelster” interrupted Vala.

“Are you crazy? Do you not hear the alarms, dozens of guards are coming to our position, we dont have that kind of firepower” Simmons refuted.

Vala bent over one merc, picking up his rifle and a string of grenades, “you find us a ship, and I will get my targets”

Simmons didnt move.

“That was an order” Vala said.

“fine but at least carry this” Simmons said tossing Vala a commlink.
Vala cocked the rifle and headed to the door.

“You are one crazy-”

“Dont finish that sentence” Vala warned.

Simmons nodded.

The door opened and Vala peeked out of the corridor to her surprise, it was empty, she carefully walked out of the room and began her hunt for Lucien and Shelster.

[lordocelot]

Lucien had just sent Shelster to his private deck, Lucien stood in the corridor waiting for the two security teams that would join him. Lucien held his rifle at the ready, he turned his head to peer down the corridor, but it was empty. Lucien looked back up at the elevator, to see that the team had finally arrived.

“Finally” said an impatient Lucien realizing that he had been wasting precious time in finding Vala.

A loud rattling noise echoed through the corridor, Lucien spun around to see several small orbs were bouncing towards him. Luicen's eyes widened in horror at the realization. Lucien dove into another corridor, but he could still see the end result.

The doors of the elevator opened as the orbs bounced in, before the orbs exploded in unison, swallowing up the security team in flames. The elevator shook violently from the explosion. Lucien was alone.

A triumphant Vala peered her head around the corridor able to see the damage her detonators were able to inflict. Vala smirked, hoping that she had gotten Lucien in the process. Vala turned down the corridor and seeing the sign for the engineering deck, Vala went below. She had to kill Lucien and Shelster, but she was going to find it hard to escape the station if it was still functional.

“What are you doing down here?” barked an engineer seeing a silhouette walking down the steps approaching him.

The engineering deck was a long narrow platform, below though all you could see was darkness, actually were the infinite machines that kept the station functional.

Vala's pistol answered the question as blaster fire echoed throughout the vast space of the ship's decks.

The engineers fell silently without fight or struggle.

Vala walked over their fallen corpses , with no expression of empathy, regret, or pity for these engineers who she had just executed, they had picked their sides and was up to Vala to give them justice. She began typing away at the console.


Lucien groaned, his lungs burned as he burned in the smoke that billowed through the corridors. Lucien forced himself to his feet, his head throbbing, as he coughed in the smoke. Lucien approached the elevator, its doors were trying to close but were unable to because of a charred corpse that lay in the door's path. The entire squad was obliterated, the faces were burnt and charred into expressions of fear.

The station began rocking back and forth, Lucien had to brace himself against the wall, trying his best to keep his balance. Lucien only need a second to understand what was happening, the station's alarms were blaring, as it continued to rock back and forth. Lucien began to walk down the corridor towards the engine room.


“Vala what the hell did you just do?” asked Simmons over the comm link.

“Those were just the gravity stabilizers failing” answered Vala plainly.

“Well now the entire ship is descending towards the planet below” replied Simmons.

“Did you get a ship?”

“Yes it is good to go”

“Good I shouldnt be much longer”

“I knew I should not have underestimated you” came a cold voice. Lucien stumbled onto the engineering platform. His pistol raised, aiming at Vala's back.

“Oh Lucien you are still alive.”

“Yes arnt you the clever girl, with those detonators” Lucien cocked his pistol.

Vala did not move.

“But yet again, you are at my mercy”

“Actually I can learn from my mistakes” Vala said spinning around, tossing another detonator on the platform which bounced towards Lucien.

Lucien squeezed the trigger of his pistol, able to get off three shots before the detonator exploded.

Lucien's first blast hit the console, the second grazed Vala's shoulder, and the third missed her head by inches. Vala looked down to see her shoulder pad, was now burnt, and her shoulder stung slightly but the wound wasnt too serious.

Vala walked over to see Lucien had survived the explosion, he was hanging from the railing.

“Vala” he snarled looking up at Vala.

Vala smirked, watching Lucien dangling from the railing. Vala couldnt help but be pleased by how the circumstances had change so dramatically. If she had been feeling merciful, she may have actually pulled him up, but Vala wasnt feeling merciful. She lowered her pistol and pulled off several shots.

Lucien's peppered corpse with blaster shots, dangled for only a second until his body dropped into the darkness below.

“Always second best” she said. Vala left the engineering deck, one down, one more to go.

[lordocelot]

The lights flickered, the room was shaking, the alarm was blaring, while Shelster was trembling in his room. Shelster could not believe how the events had changed so dramatically for him, hours ago he was euphoric sensing his freedom and victory at hand, now he waited in his room, while his station was slowly descending towards the planet below.

Shelster was pacing his room, Lucien had told him not to leave until he contacted him, but that was more then a half an hour ago. And though Shelster didnt want to think about, he he to come to the realization that Lucien might not be coming back, which meant that he was wasting his chance to leave by waiting here. Shelster held no remorse for Lucien, he had served him well, and had served his purpose to his perfection, in Shelster's mind not surviving this ordeal would bring more dishonor to Lucien's memory.

Shelster crossed his room, and rummaged a few files from his drawers and placed them in his briefcase. This station had been his last refuge, now with it descending into doom, Shelster had to go on the run, no longer able to depend on his vast wealth and resources all of which had been stripped from by him by Tiberian. Shelster's expression sagged into frown at the thought of the sith emperor who was probably counting all of Shelster's credits, right now. 'I will get the last laugh' Shelster thought.

He pulled open on drawer, to reveal a shimmering ebony pistol, it was the new Solstice 567 blaster, considered the most dangerous in the galaxy, it had become a success for those of the underground.
It was a bittersweet sight for him, it had been Shelster's last pistol design, his last project before he was forced to leave the company. This pistol was presented before him, by the company, his name engraved onto the side. Shelster held the pistol as if he was a space pirate or a bounty hunter, his fingers stumbled over the handle.

The elevator began beeping.

Shelster almost dropped the pistol spinning around to see that the elevator was coming up to the private deck. Shelster breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Lucien had succeeded since only a select few knew the password to enter his own private elevator which went to his deck. Shelster began to whistle excitedly, clumsily spinning the pistol in one hand and with the other, he scooped up the handle of his briefcase.

The elevator doors clicked open.

“Lucien I was fearing the worst” Shelster said turning around, his smile vanished in an instant as he saw the sight before him.

Vala Baan walked out of the elevator, a grin flashed across her face, her pistol raised. “Lucien couldnt make it.”

“You... you lived” Shelster stuttered, his face stained with fear.

“Yes I do, but I cant say the same about you” Vala said.

Shelster's pistol shook in his fingers, as he raised it up, his whole arm was trembling. “Not if I kill you first.”

Vala smirked, noticing the pistol in Shelster's hand wasnt even loaded. Vala lowered her pistol, her blaster pistol erupted with a blaster shot.

Shelster screamed feeling the blaster fire punch through his flesh just under his knee. Shelster collapsed onto his knees. He fought back tears, he had never felt so much pain in his life, but he still rose his pistol and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.

Shelster shouted in anger, squeezing the trigger again and again but still nothing happened.

A triumphant Vala walked forward, her pistol raised, Vala could feel the old rush coming back into her. The rush she felt when she looked into the eyes of her dieing prey when she was the best bounty hunter in all the galaxy. The power she felt now as she held the pistol close to Shelster's chest was unimaginable, she had never felt so alive before she was about to end someone's.

Shelster was crying like an infant, but there were no tears, and his crying was not related to the blaster shot in his knee but at the realization that his life was at an end. Shelster looking at his fate, couldnt help but wonder how his life may have been if he had never left the republic and joined Tiberian, because even as he breathed his last breath, he still was unable to find fault within himself.

'Make him suffer' Tiberian's last orders still resonated in Vala's mind and Vala had no objections to her master's wishes especially after all Shelster had put her through. Without warning, Vala kicked Shelster right in his forehead.

Shelster grunted in pain, falling on his back, a large foot shaped bruise embedded in his forehead while blood was trickling down from his leg wound.


Vala lowered her pistol and fired again.

The blast punctured Shelster's side, ripping apart pieces of his flesh, as blood now began oozing out of the wound, exposing bones and organs. Shelster unleashed a tirade of unintelligible curses. He put one of his pale hands against his wound, to feel the sudden warmth of his blood.

Vala ignored the squirming and wounded Shelster, as she walked by him, stopping as her boots landed in a puddle of his blood. Vala knelt down beside him. Her stare was menacing, her sharp purple eyes intimidating the faltering sight of Shelster whose face was damped with his own sweat. “Shelster Monham, it has been pleasure killing you.” Vala grabbed a thermal detonator from her belt and without warning, she shoved the detonator into Shelster's side wound.

Shelster moaned in agony feeling the detonator being squeezed between his bones and organs, though the pain was slowly numbing, his body continued to tremble, he was no longer sweating but shivering, he was so cold from the amount of blood he had lost. Shelster looked up to see Vala standing over him. He spoke in a slow stutter “Why wont you just let me die'”

Vala did not reply, bending down, she held something in her hand, it was another thermal detonator and before Shelster could object, Vala shoved the detonator into his mouth, gagging him with the explosive before slapping engineering tape across his cheeks and jaw, making sure that he couldnt spit it out.

Shelster's eyes widened in fear at the thought of his death that still eluded him.

Vala winked at Shelster with a smirk before a patronizing wave of her gloved fingers, she turned and left not before scooping up Shelster's pistol. An appropriate gift for her master. The doors of the elevator opened allowing the bounty hunter passage, Vala took one last look at Shelster's room, a small control in her hand. As the elevator doors closed, she pushed the button, arming the two detonators inside Shelster. “I love my job.”