Star Wars (Legends):The Eternal Conflict. Book:2

Chapter 8 (High Speed Hijinks) Part II

Location: Coruscant

"I've got a bad feeling about this!" Growled Yaqeel Saav'etu, as the wind whipped past her, forcing her eyes to narrow to slits. The Bothan Jedi had been in some sticky situations in the past. Hence the "Bad Feeling". It was experience. And her experience told her, that those other Jedi better get the Kriff back in a hurry.

She had understood why they had to go. 15 minutes earlier, she had be strolling the halls of the Jedi temple when, suddenly, she was pulled along by the diminutive Tekli to the nearest hanger bay. By the time they had reached the bay, there were 5 of them, and from the sound of it, they were going to need every one.

GA Security, in concert with the Department of Health and Medicine had been transporting 15 tons of Ryll spice from the spaceport to DHM headquarters, when the plan was vaped to dust.

The Galactic Alliance (like the New Republic before it, and Like the Empire before it) claimed federal control over all medicinal Narcotics. Since Lando's "Cold War" with the GA, Glitter-Stim shipments from Kessel had all but ceased. This left the government with no choice but to turn to Ryloth for help. The Ryll "spice" from Ryloth, was plentiful, yet inferior to Glitter-Stim. It took double the Ryll, to equal the pain killing effect of Spice from Kessel. This created 2 problems.

1)  It was hard to transport such large amounts of spice unnoticed.

2) The blackmarket's need for spice had skyrocketed as well, and dealers would need to get their hands on double the amount of Ryll to equal the high from Glitter-Stim.

For spice dealers on Coruscant, that would usually translate into multiple strikes on small supplies in order to build up their own stock; clinics, pharmacies, hospital warehouses.

But there was nothing usual about crime on Coruscant the last few days. In fact, across the galaxy, the floodgates of organized crime had burst open.  Black Sun. The Hutts. Pirates. Mando's. There was no single large incident. It was more like  a thousand small fires that had sprung up everywhere.  Because of that, the Jedi had become spread thin.

That's why, when the call for help had come in, Tekli (who rarely went out on non medical mission in the field anymore) had been the Master to answer it.

It didn't take long for the Jedi task force to catch up with the commotion. The large armoured cargo speeder had been hijacked from GS personnel, right at the landing pad. Over 20 thugs, had taken control of titanic land speeder, and they had nothing quite as pesky as conscience to prevent them from being ruthless and despicable. They had used gas grenades and stun bolts to neutralize the guards, so as not to damage the cargo or the navigational instruments. The unconscious bodies of those guards, were heartlessly tossed out viewports and hatches, leaving them to plummet to their deaths. The officer's riding in the 6 security speeders in pursuit, could do nothing but watch the sleemos kill their friends and coworkers.

There would be no time to mourn. Within seconds, several hijackers had taken up position on top of the cargo hauler. Each one of them had brought aboard a tripod mounted heavy blaster cannon, and those cannons where now raining down a hail of glowing death, at the pursuing vehicles.Vehicles that had no shields, and very little armour. They had a top mounted pulse canon, but against an armoured transport, it was like shooting a spit ball at a rancor. The security speeders switched to evasive manoeuvres, but there where just too many incoming blots. With a loud cracking "BOOM", one of the pursuing craft gave out under the great onslaught. Tongues of flame came bursting out of each view port, as the doomed craft plummeted out of sight. A few moments later they got another one, then another, and another.  Only two left. The guards in the remaining 2 speeders had no choice but to...