Star Wars: Spice Runner

Chapter 01: Smugglers

The hangar bay doors opened to the vacuum of space, and the T4Z Ore Hauler named Nova Star, glided out into the void. Like all cargo ships of the T4Z line, the trapezoid wedge of the cockpit jutted out in front of the central shaft of the hull. Massive cargo pods were supported on the flanks of the ship similar to saddlebags used on the frontier planets of the outer rim systems. Long and cylindrical, the twin engines of the cargo hauler were mounted above and below the cargo modules like the dorsal and ventral fins of a Ledebian spike fish.

"Nova Star, you have cleared the hangar," came the transmitted voice of the docking control officer through the communication panel.

"Understood, Control," I replied. Switching off the transmitter, I gave the orders to my navigator. "Deactivate thrusters and engage main engines."

Commander Kenzah nodded her acknowledgment of my instructions and deftly carried them out, her long fingers dancing across the control panel with the fluid elegance of a spider.

Being a Derosian, everything about her was monochromatic in either black or white. Kenzah's eyes lacked any kind of an iris and were completely white. The stark nature of her lustrous white hair seemed even more pronounced next to her ink black skin. She kept her hair twisted in a tight braid to keep it out of her way.

Since becoming Captain of the Nova Star three years ago, I'd come to rely on Kenzah's superb navigation skills. Her assistance in my more clandestine operations had also proved invaluable. In the back of my mind, I wondered what she might think of our newest business associate.

Proximity alerts began screaming for attention as red lights flashed from the computer console in front of us. A fleet of fifteen ships dropped out of hyperspace practically on top of the Nova Star, weaving and veering off sharply to avoid a collision. The ships were of many different types and designs. Some were flat and saucer shaped while others were rectangular and rusty in appearance. All of the ships read as heavily modified on the scanner with additional weapon emplacements, upgraded engines, and extra armor plating.

"Smugglers," Kenzah groaned while watching the ships. "They'll bring the whole Imperial fleet down on us."

Clusters of missiles were launched from the barren surface of Kessel, and the incoming ships swooped in to meet them. The projectiles split open, deploying a payload of cargo containers into space. Tractor beams from the fleet snatched the crates and hauled them aboard the vessels.

Kenzah and I watched as the Imperial patrol ships moved to engage the fleet, but the smugglers, having already claimed their illicit cargo, were turning around and making their escape with all speed.

"One ship's pulling away," I observed. Ignoring the scanner, I looked through the front window of the cockpit and watched the ship in action. The vessel was an old and battered saucer shape with a side mounted cockpit module. The Corellian YT-1300 was a favorite among smugglers, but this one quickly outpaced the other smuggler ships and jumped to light speed.

"Whoa!" I gasped before checking the instrument panel to be certain of what I had just seen.

"That's impossible," Kenzah commented.

"I know," I agreed. "Kessel's proximity to the Maw Cluster puts incredible gravity distortions through this whole area because of the black holes. No ship can jump to hyperspace until it gets away from it."

"Unless it has some very powerful engines," Kenzah countered. She tapped her display screen. "Look at the energy output. What was the distance on that?"

"Less than twelve parsecs from Kessel," I told her after checking my own sensors. "It usually takes fourteen. That pilot must be crazy."

"We've got problems of our own," Kenzah mentioned. "Imperial fleet incoming, and you know how they feel about spice smugglers."

"Yeah," I agreed.

The slower moving triangular wedge of the massive Star Destroyer wasn't fast enough to catch the swift moving smuggler ships, but it deployed waves of TIE fighters that could. The flat solar panels, supported on arms branching out from either side of the spherical cockpit, caught the light of the distant sun as the fighters screamed toward their targets.

Green lasers were unleashed from the TIE fighters, and the smuggler ships replied with their own weaponry, turning the space around the two fleets into a flurry of glowing bolts. It reminded me of the battling swarms of bioluminescent insects I'd seen on the third moon of Vestier.

Two of the smuggler ships weren't as heavily armored as the others. The Imperial lasers breached the hull and struck vital systems within. The two fleeing ships were torn apart by internal explosions. The fires quickly died out as the residual oxygen was either consumed by the flames or lost in the void of space, leaving only fragments of charred debris where the vessels had been moments before.

The surviving smuggler ships managed to reach the fourteen parsec boundary of the gravity distortion and jumped to hyperspace, escaping the pursuing Imperials. The TIE fighters, denied their prey, turned in the direction of the Nova Star.

"Incoming," Kenzah warned.

"I see them," I acknowledged. "Power down the engines."

Without question, Kenzah followed my command, shutting down the engines and leaving our ship hanging dead in space before the onrushing squadrons of Imperial fighters.

The sunlight was blocked by the massive bulk of the approaching Star Destroyer. My cargo ship trembled as a tractor beam took hold of it.

"I'm retracting the engines, extend the landing struts," I said to Kenzah, and she nodded, carrying out her part of the work.

The supports holding the engines out from the hull folded on concealed hinges, pulling the engines in close. When Kenzah flipped the appropriate switch, panels in the forward hull released, pushing outward on reinforced support rods to create landing skids.

The tractor beam pulled the Nova Star into a holding bay. Stormtroopers, clad in pristine and glossy white armor surged out of connecting hallways to surround the ship as it settled down upon the deck.

"Come on," I said happily. "Let's go greet the Imperials."

Heading out of the cockpit, I accessed a control panel on the bulkhead, lowering a ramp down to the deck and the waiting stormtroopers. Blasters swung in my direction as I disembarked.

"Easy now. I'm Captain Delson Trevis," I told the soldiers, holding up my empty hands. "I have an Imperial permit to haul ore legally acquired at Kessel's space station."

"Let's see that permit," came a snide voice from behind the stormtroopers. The arrogance dripping from the condescending tone could only mean it came from an officer.

The formation of soldiers split down the middle to allow a man to step forward wearing the gray of an officer, as I had expected. The number of insignia on one side of his chest showed he was a Captain. His hawk nose, sunken cheeks, and narrow eyes gave him the appearance of a piece of fruit left too long to dry in the sun.

"Here are my orders," I told the Captain of the Star Destroyer. I pulled an etched disk from my vest pocket and handed it over.

"Do you know if any contraband is found on your ship, I can have you shot?" the Captain asked casually as he looked over the disk.

"Do you know I command the Katana fleet and can have you blasted out of the stars?" I asked in return.

The Captain's eyes snapped up to meet mine and glare at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. "I thought this was the part of the conversation where we exchanged pointless threats."

The Captain clenched his jaw before spinning around and approaching one of the troopers. "If the scanning crew finds anything illegal, shoot this scum."

The helmet of the trooper nodded silently in confirmation.

I turned to Kenzah, who had come down the ramp to stand beside me. "While we wait, do you have a pack of cards?"