Prologue

Small Wonder





        The lights of welding sparks illuminated the hold of a ship, a ship ready to take a child on a extraordinary journey. Power had been off the entire time the reconstruction had been going on, but it was almost over. Soon, it will be ready to fly. 

        As for the child, she had been moving in all her things from her little hovel outside. Ever since she was orphaned during a crash landing years ago, she had struggled to find a way off the rock they hit. She had been stuck here since childhood, with nothing but droids in an abandoned Imperial Mining Facility to keep her company. The long years had turned her dirty-blonde hair black with yellow spots in between.

        "Today is the day, i can feel it." She kept saying to herself, as she had over and over. And she can; she can feel it. Today is the day she will finally leave and go out to find the rest of her family after losing her parents and her brother. 

        "I can feel you, Cindel." a RA-7 Protocol Droid called P-A16, or Patrick, commented as he watched her put the finishing touches on a console near the bridge. Her brother had programmed Patrick to be more... human then most RA-7's, more sarcastic and childlike. It was annoying at first, but as Patrick is the only real family she has left, changing it would be like killing a 4th member. "Though i don't know what it is i'm supposed to be feeling." 

        "That feeling that we are finally going to get off this rock." Cindel responded as she clicked in the last touch, lighting up the console. With a smirk, she took out her tools and closed it up. 

        "While i agree with the sentiment, you have said it before, and we've never gotten off the ground that day either."

        "That's because it had no fuel." She tossed her toolbelt over to him, which he caught. "Now we do." She tapped his head with her hydrospanner before she walked on down the corridor, passing by a black-colored T3-Series Utility Droid as it rolled to Patrick. "Just as Fritz; he's the one who spotted that problem."

        Fritz, the T3 Droid, did a little dance as its movement and viewing options were limited thanks to its outdated design. "I wasn't discouraging her." Patrick responded. "I was merely being a realist."

        Passing through to the engine room, Cindel looked at the large amount of droids hard at work getting the ship ready. A lot of them were repurposed Imperial droids: R2 Units, R3 Units, Gonks, Mice, a couple of Dum-Series Pit Droids, and even Probe Droids; with all those arms, it's amazing Probes Droids aren't used for repairs more often. As she had no way to wipe their memory banks, and didn't really want to, all the droids on the ship had developed personality's of their own. While they weren't in the engine room, there were a couple other droids, such as a medical droid in the med bay, and a couple of pilots that will be met shortly. And as with all Imperial-used Droids, they are all painted black, though the paint was fading away, revealing their original colors. Except the Probes; they just have primer underneath.

        As she passed to head to the hallway that led to the bridge, Cindel looked back and saw one of the Probe Droids shaking as it lifted up a duviel wrench to tighten one last sprocket. "Hey, Shake!" The Probe Droid 'jumped', losing the grip on its wrench, which landed on top of a R3 unit's head. "I know you mean well, but todays the day we don't want to take chances. Even a loose bolt can sink ships." A Pit Droid jumped on top of the R3's head and grabbed the wrench to finish the job. Shake 'lowered it's head' and 'sighed' in disappointment; it's not his fault he shakes all the time... well, it is, but that's because of a body error: bad repair job.

        Briefly swinging by her room to throw her dirty coat into- she'll wash it later- Cindel strode on into the main cockpit of the 38-meter long vessel. Sitting in both pilot seats were two Pilot Droids: one was a RX-Series Pilot Droid she called Rexx cause RX is just one letter away and she was 5 at the time. The other was a V6 Pilot Droid; think R2 Astromech's, but with a triangular head. Other then that, same chassis. Rexx handles the flying while the V6 handled the finer details, such as shield strength. There were 5 other seats- one for the captain and the other 4 for the turret operators- those are where the two DUM's, Patrick, and Fritz come into place.

        "How we looking, Rexx?" She asked as she walked into the cockpit as the pilot fidgeted with the controls.

        "Systems are looking green. Everything seems to be functionating optimally, but..." Rexx's voicebox trailed off, almost as if he was thinking.

        "But?"

        "I'm just worried, is all." With a press of a button, he brought up the hologram of the ship they were in: The YE-4 Imperial Gunship. The best way to describe it is if the Sentinel and the Lambda-class shuttles had a baby, stretched it out to 38 meters long, and packed on enough turrets to give a seasoned squadron pause. The biggest change, other then the length, are the wings; there were only two, one above and one below the engines, and as they don't fold, landing is impossible.. yet this one is on the ground. "All YE-4 Gunships have two stabilizer fins for a reason, but with our ventral fin gone, i worry how it will affect our flight patterns and maneuverability."

        "We'll be fine." She said with confidence, a confidence not shared among the flight crew. "We just need to get to the nearest inhabited system. It's not like the wings affect hyperspace travel, right Sink?" She asked the V6. Technically, yes, it can affect hyperspace if they snap off during flight. Rexx isn't sure how hyperspace will affect a ship going IN with a missing wing. "Speaking of which, what's the closest system?"

        Sink pulled up a map of the local sector, with all of the inhabited systems highlighter. The system they were in was green with a ring while all the rest were yellow. "We are in the Droxu system; more precisely, on a ringed moon in orbit around a dead planet. The closest system is Nar Haaska, a shadowport located--"

        "In Hutt Space..." She finished for him. "Crap......" She looked down at herself. If she was still a child, going to Hutt Space wouldn't be a problem; best she would be is child labor. But now... with how finely sculpted and shapely she is now after a full decade of living on this moon and doing everything by herself, she'll become a Hutt's plaything. She looked into the crew quarters, towards the empty imperial suits that remained. "All chance those would fit a 16 year old?"

        "Wouldn't bet on it." Rexx replied, which made her lower her head in worry. The Pilot extended out its arm and patted her on the shoulder. "There there. None of us would ever let a Hutt take you." That made her smile a bit. 



        Before take-off, Cindel had gathered every Droid outside and gathered them outside the hanger, as they looked out towards the vast wide emptiness there was. Thanks to Imperial overmining, most of the moon was barren, save for a few small patches of greenery every so often. This was their home for the past 10 years. They built a life here, but... living by yourself with nothing but droids for company is not the kind of life for a young woman. Even the saltiest of droids would know that. And she knew it too. As peaceful as this moon has been, she longs to return to the galaxy, to see what had changed. Besides, as fun as this place was, there is one memory of this place she would like to forget.

        She took a deep breath, sucking in the air of her home for the last decade one last time. A part of her will miss this rock. She exhaled, "Take it in one last time, boys...... we won't be seeing it again." She knew droids couldn't feel true feelings like sentients can, but... the last decade has proven to her that while it's different feelings droids obtain, it's still feelings. It may not be nostalgia like she feels, but they feel something. 

        Turning to her left, she knelt down at a trio of grave markers. She kissed her fingers, then put the fingers to the top of the middle one. "I'm gonna miss you guys..." She softly said. 

        After a moment of silence, she stood back up, and she and the droids headed back to the ship. She looked up at the mountain the abandoned imperial base was built into and saw many nasty creatures lined at the top; oversized millipedes that can spit a nasty corrosive acid. They are also very smart beasts; they won't be performing quantum physics or building ships for a few thousand years, but they are smart enough to know intentions. She has had many run-ins with these corrosive-pedes before, especially one in particular that she marked up with some good laser blasts. "But i won't miss you guys. Especially you, Mark."
    
        The scarred alpha corrosive-pede just watched on. On any other day, he would attack... but this was not another day. He and the rest of the corrosive-pedes could feel it; she was leaving. The two stared each other down one last time, likely acknowledging the other as their eternal rival and equals, before she eventually headed back in.




        "Estimated time to Nar Haasha is 3 days." Rexx said as Sink punched the coordinates into the navi-computer.

        "Ah, that doesn't sound too bad." Cindel said as she sat in the captains seat. She leaned back on it, putting her hands on her stomach. "What about everything else? Did we pack up everything we need?"

        "We loaded up as much food and spare parts as we could manage." Patrick said. "And every droid is present and accounted for."

        "Good. I'd feel guilty if we left someone behind."  She lowered her hand and stood up straight. "Well... let's not keep delaying any longer. Rexx... take us up." The Pilot Droid nodded and took over the controls. For the first time in years, the repulser lifts kicked in, lifting the ship off the ground. "Let's see what's changed in the last ten years." 



        
        For the first time in maker knows how long, the YE-4 Imperial Gunship, designation Tempest 18, took to the stars. The corrosive-pedes watched as the ship took off into the vast sea of stars above them. Rising up, Mark let loose a roar; whether it was a roar of victory over finally getting rid of a dang nuisance to their hive, or a cry of sorrow that his equal was gone, nobody knows for sure.

        One thing WAS certain, though:

        Cindel's life was about to change forever, for she had rejoined the galaxy as the most inopportune time, for war was on the horizon, between the Empire and a fledgling group still in its infancy known as the Rebel Alliance.







Star Wars
Children of War






        Out in the fringes of deep space, in orbit around a red planet, a Revenge-Class Heavy Carrier Star Destroyer and its Raider escorts hovered above, waiting for word from their forces that that had cleared out a Rebel cell.

        As the captain looked out the viewport of the bridge, one of the technicians approached him from behind and saluted. "Sir, we've picked up a signal."

        "Probably someone trying to send out a distress signal..." The captain sighed out of boredom, taking a sip of his freshly brewed drink. 

        "No, sir, it's not from the planet. It's from the Droxu system. It's Tempest 18."

        The captain stopped drinking and slowly lowered his cup. "Tempest 18? But nobody's heard from the Gunship in over 10 years..."

        "Why is that?"

        "Cause the wildlife overwhelmed our defenses. If people think the Killik's are bad, they haven't seen those millipedes......." He stopped and pondered for a moment. "... What's the location of the ship now?"

        "Based off the transponder and its speed, it just left the system and should arrive at Nar Haasha within a few days."

        Well, that settles that then: they can't go into Hutt Space as they are now. If they do, it would be seen as an act of aggression. They'd need to get permission first before they could even think about crossing the border. While most in the Empire would love to put those slugs in their place, their powerbase is too cemented, too powerful, and too widespread. Their fleets can rival even the Empire. "Nar Haasha... that's Hutt Space... we can't cross the border without express permission, and even then, i'd doubt they'd allow a whole fleet." He tapped his fingers, wondering what the solution would be. "... send one of the Raiders; i don't think they'd have a problem with a corvette. Tell the captain of the Raider that a old ship of ours has been found and we'd like to retrieve it."

        "Yes sir, but... sir, why would Tempest 18 wait 10 years to come back?"

        "I don't know. It may not even be the squad, but some scavenger who found the ship. Either way, it's our property and we must retrieve it." The technician saluted, then went away to inform a Raider of their mission, all the while the captain continued to look out the bridge. 

        "Tempest 18..... what did the Emperor send you all the way out to Droxu for...? What was so important that he had to send his special forces...?" A question that will be answered, just not today.
 

2: Chapter 1: Nar Haaska Crash

Chapter 1

Nar Haaska Crash

        

        At the eastern-most edge of Hutt Space lay the Shadowport of Nar Haaska, a location where every sort of illegal trade is performed; slavery, trafficking, drugs, piracy, thievery, bribery- it's all legal in some way. That was mostly due to the ports location; the system was smack-dab right on the border between Hutt Space and the Outer Rim Territories, technically making the planet half Hutt owned and half Empire owned, a tug-of-war of power that's put the planet through many shifts in governance for the last 18 years, which leaves some to wonder... why bother?

        As stated before, Nar Haaska is on the eastern border; right on the line as it appears on the maps.... but the same maps also show that Nar Haaska is mostly isolated, with it's only connection to Hutt Space being the Saqqar system. Every cheat with a ship has their own private routes to and from the port, to be sure, but... the only planet located out in the route to the Outer Rim is Droxu, and that system is usually never visited. Beyond that is a long trip to either Teth or Aduba, but those are long flights. Ironically, it's that same isolation that makes Nar Haaska a pristine Shadowport, as the Empire only has one route there, and that's through Droxu- any Imp ship that wants to go there has to go through the long way either ways. 

        It's also not exactly... pretty. Ask either a visitor or a native, and they'd tell you that Nar Haaska is mostly a dump. Almost every building was rusted and old as sin, some dating back all the way to the days of Revan. Outside of the cities, the planet is mountainous, with many red clay peaks, and a few valleys of trees and greenery. 

        It's in one such port, the eponymous Shadowport named after the planet itself, where a girl's destiny was about to begin.

 

        A bored and tired Aqualish laid back in his chair, snoring up a storm as a magazine of ill repute draped of his head. He is supposed to be doing his job as traffic controller, but... well, he's not doing that job well. If he was, he would seen the approaching unidentified ship and reported it to his boss, but, again, he's not that good at his job. 

        He didn't even know what was going on when his boss, another Aqualish, came into the control room and saw him being lazy. He kicked the chair, flinging off the magazine and making the lazy one spin around to wake him up. "<I'm up, i'm up.>" He looked to his boss. "<i wasn't="" asleep.="">"

        "<Right... and i'm not Jabba's missing son.>" Well, given how Hutt's are notoriously..... polyamorous, it wouldn't be that surprising. "<And check your sensors; there's a unidentified ship coming in.>"

        The lazy alien looked to the sensors and saw that the was one indeed coming in. He opened up a hailing frequency and turned on the translation collar around his neck; it's always easier in Basic. "Unknown ship, this is Haaska Port 7, state your name and registry." All he got on the line the first time was static. The lazy Aqualish looked to his boss for a brief moment before trying again. "Unidentified Vessel, identify yourself or we're not going to be held responsible for any pirates that come and get ya."

        At first, it was still just static, whcih just infurated the boss even more, and then... just madness. Multiple voices talking over each other, all loud, enough to make the lazy alien to pull his headphones off for a second.

        "(.......---irst time flying, alright?!)" They heard a child's voice say.

        "(Watch the stearing stalks!!)"

        "(Now would be a really good time to pull up!!!)"

        "(I got it; no, you don't know what you are doing; I said i got it; no, i got it; i thought Sink had it!; ...congratulations, you broke it!)"

        "(It wasn't my...)" They heard a loud grinding sound over the radio. "(.......... you think we'll get sued for scratching up that hull plating?)"

        "(Cindel! Strap yourself in; it's going to be a bumpy landing!)"

        A bumpy landing? Just what the heck is going on? The boss grabbed his electrobinoculars and looked out to the skies. He could see a smell vessel speeding its way towards the port, flying so haphazardly. Smoke was trailing behind it, which was cause for worry. It wasn't long until he can see the ship. 

        "<Wh... that's a Imperial Gunboat!>"

        "The Empire?!" The lazy one shouted. "This soon?!" He pulled out his own pair of electross and took a look in the same direction his boss was. Somehow, with it being this beaten up and coming in as it is, coupled with what they heard on the comms, and one would begin to think this wasn't an imperial ship. "For a Empire ship, it has seen better days."

        On final approach, the port-side thrusters blew out, creating more fire and smoke. "This is gonna hurt."

        The port side of the ship struck against a weather vane, snapping it off and cause more smoke to bellow from the side. The Gunboat came in sideways as it crashed down on the landing platforms, skidding a long way as sparks shot out every which way, taking out several cargo carrier lifts and scatting the items- legal and otherwise- all over the pavement. At the end of its skidding trip, the ship lurched to one side as it stood on one end for a moment before slamming back down.

 

        Inside the cockpit- heck, all over the ship- every droid gave off some kind of moan and groan as they got up off the floor. Droids can feel pain like organics can, so the tousle they went through when they hit the pad wasn't pleasant. The only ones who weren't jerked all over the place were Rexx and Sink, and that's cause they were hooked into the ship itself.

        Speaking of whom, Rexx's and Sink's heads spun like tops before they stopped it themselves. Cindel, who had fallen out of her seat, groaned loudly as she sat up. Steam and sparks came off the walls all over the vessel, but that was the least of her concerns. She slowly started to sit up, but hissed when she felt pain on her side. "Ow..." She looked down and saw she had a nasty burn on it from exposed electrical wiring. "And near my kidneys, too....." 

        "Let me take a look." Patrick asked, his voice right next to his. Without even batting an eye or even questioning it- as it has happened so many times by now, it's like a running gag- she picked up the droids head after his whole body had become dismantled in the crash, and brought it to her burn. "It should be fine; looks no different from the other electrical burns you received." Which were many. "Some ointment from Doc and you should be fine."

        "Good..." She grunted as she got up, using Patrick's head as support. 

        She tossed the droids head up onto the console, which produced an audible "ow" from him. She followed him up... and her face sucked in on itself when she saw over a dozen security guards pointing blasters straight at the cockpit. "Un...." She looked past them and saw the carnage their landing had left. "Oooooh, that's not good." There was no alternative in the entire universe that could be used to explain this mess. "Do we have anything worth selling......?" She asked as she slowly stood up with her hands raised.

        "Yeah." Patrick replied. "Us."

 

        "1,360,000 CREDITS!?!"

        Sitting within the confines of the port's brig, Cindel was stunned beyond belief as she looked at the bill she was going to have to pay. Her mouth hung so far open and her eyes were so wide, you could use it for a carnival game; pop the balloon with water. Patrick was with her, his head on her lap; she insisted she bring her and leave her droids alone. Her eye twitched as the boss Aqualish took the tablet out of her hands. "But i saw the damages i did; there's no way all that costs over a million credits!"

        "Well, it does." The boss said. He had his translator turned on for this situation. 

        "But it was just some cargo crates!"

        "Crates belonging to some very 'influential' people, if you get my meaning."

        She did not. "What?!"

        "He means that this is a shadowport, Lady Cindel." Patrick went on to explain. "We talked about this before we left: they move illegal goods here, and clearly, those crates were filled with illegal goods."

        "We use the term illicit around here, droid." The boss snarked. 

        He's missing the bigger picture here, "But i don't have that kind of cash!"

        "Then i suggest you start by selling the junker out there!" He gestured out the window towards the Gunship, which had been lifted up off the tarmac by several service cranes. 

        "Like hell i am!!" She shouted, standing up in a rush. "That is my home and i am not going to sell it!! Same with all those droids!"

        "Then i suggest you get a job, Miss Towani, IF that is your real name." It damn sure is, not that this idiot will believe her. "I mean, that is just some stupid story you expect us to believe; you just HAPPENED to crash on a Imperial mining world after it was abandoned, and they just HAPPENED to have left behind a Gunship?"

        "YES! How many times to i have to say it?!"

        The boss slowly shook his head, not believing a word she was saying, but looked back to the door when it hissed open and another worker- a female twi'lek- came in with Cindel's background information. "Well?"

        "Her story seems to check out." She said as she skimmed through it. "The background check we ran on the Towani family says that her parents were xeno-biologists, studying newly discovered alien species. As for why they were on Droxu, it doesn't say, but i personally have a couple of guesses: one is that the Empire hired them to study the indigenous lifeforms on the planet, or they went there unknowing that the planet had been turned into a mining operation. Regardless, they haven't been seen in the last ten years, which could be explained with their deaths. It is also enough time for her to grow from this little kid..." She showed him the picture they took off the ship, showing her with her family 10 years ago. "... into this spunky teenager." They looked to her and she gave a wave.

        "But the kid in the picture has dirty blonde hair. They all do." The Aqualish pointed out. He looked to her, "So why is yours pitch black?"

        "Oil and soot." Cindel responded. "And i think the natural dye job is permanent; a couple dozen showers never took it out. And as for why the Imperials abandoned the planet, it WAS because of the wildlife. There are insects there- gigantic millipedes; the biggest of which can fill out that entire lobby out there- that can spit a corrosive acid. Can melt even Durasteel."

        "So then how did you survive a decade?"

        "Luck. And a... mutual respect, i guess you could call it. And i think they knew i wasn't a threat; they're surprisingly intelligent bugs." 

        The Aqualish looked at the report before handing it back to the Twi'lek. "Even if half of that story was true, you won't convince the owners of those crates with your little story. They're the emotionless type of criminal; money first, morals last. And just because you are a kid doesn't mean they'll give you any slack." She grimaced; she was a teenager, but technically still a kid on most planets. "When they find out that you ruined their shipments, i imagine 3 options: they give you the time to work up the money and pay your way, or they take all your things and sell it off, leaving you in the gutter."

        "And option 3?"

        "Well, you tell me, cause i think a Hutt would like you just fine."

        Her face melted as she sucked in her lips. Option 3 is THAT option. She doesn't like that option. Her lips still sucked in, she popped them a few times as she tapped her fingers on her legs. "....... do you have any job openings available?" She innocently asked with a cutesy, but annoying, voice.

        
        A lone Raider-Class Corvette emerged from Hyperspace above Nar Haaska, slowly drifting to a halt as the planet was laid out before them. Even though he was in Stormtrooper armor, the captain of the ship looked out the viewport towards the world below. He had never been here before, but he had heard how this world changed hands so many times, it's been nicknamed the Turntable World.

        Another Stromtrooper approached from behind and saluted. The captain saluted back and followed him to the holo-table. "Captain Viel, sensors indicate that Tempest 18 has touched down at Haaska Port in Troika City."

        "Troika..." The holo-table zoomed in on the city on the surface. It was on the other side of the planet from them. "I heard that city is not friendly to the Empire, even during our many occupations. If it is the squad after all this time, they're going to be in for a bad time."

        "And if it's a scavenger who took the ship?"

        "Probably not as bad, but still bad. Shadowports aren't known for being squeaky clean." The holomap showed the beacon Tempest 18 was transmitting still active. "Going down to the city with the Star Flame is too risky, and we already have the Hutt's watching us the entire time we're in their space, so we are very limited in how we operate here."

        "So what do we do?"

        Viel pursed his lips, wondering what the best course of action was. "... for now, we'll wait, but tell the rest of the men to be ready for combat, just in case." The trooper saluted and began to walk away, but stopped when the captain called to him to remind him of something, "Oh, and Sergeant Tarl? Stun rounds only. Like i said, we're not here to cause an incident..." Tarl saluted again before heading off once more, setting his own blaster to stun on the way out. Viel leaned forward on the table, muttering under his breath, "... even though these slugs deserve it..." and pressed a few buttons on the table that zoomed it in even further. "Why come back after all this time, Tempest 18...? What did the Emperor himself need you for on a out-of-the-way world like Droxu...?"

 

        
        Not long after the crash, the Gunship had been moved to a obscure part of the docks; old or not, it is still an Imperial vessel with Imperial markings, and that would make the illicit customers think twice about using this place. The entire underbelly was scraped up to heck and back. The port engine had blown out, so that was gonna have to be replaced. Replacing the bottom wing is another one; they launched without one and it made the trip almost unbearable. It would probably be better to get a new engine block, therefore a better wing design that would allow this hunk of junk to actually land on platforms like this. 

        Inside, everything had been flung around thanks to the crash, so it was a hassle and a half to clean up. All of the food and medical supplies that weren't tied down were all over, so those were gonna need to be replaced. And some of the droids were broken thanks to it, so they need repairs too. Add that to what the cost to replace those illegal items are and her bill comes out to...

        "2.1... Million.... Credits..." A silenced Cindel dropped the pad and fell back into the seat in her personal quarters. This was originally the captains quarters, but as she was the only human left alive on that planet, nobody was around to complain. The bed was very comfy, for a Imperial ship, and it even had its own private shower and bathroom; the crew had to share. It was also decorated; mostly with kids drawings since Cindel moved in, along with the officers clothing and hers. "Between repairing the ship and paying back those items we wrecked, that's 2.1 million credits..."

        "That is a really big number." Patrick said, his head on the bed. Speaking of which, Cindel loudly groaned and whined, falling backwards onto the bed with her arms stretched upward. "So what do we do?"

        "I have absolutely no idea..." Cindel whined. "Everything worth selling that we can spare will barely pass 10,000 total."

        "You could sell the location of the mine back on Droxu."

        "I thought of that, but the problem is that it's in Imperial space. And is, or was, a Imperial mine. And with the Corrosivepedes, they'd leave before they'd even get their first rock. That may be why the Imps never came back to begin with."

        "Good point. But why not seek out a smuggler of illegal animals? According to the Galactic Database, the Corrosivepedes are completely and totally unknown. As far as the galaxy is concerned, they are a unknown and unidentified species; your parents were to be the first, but... well, we know how that ended. Surely a scientist or a crime lord would pay good money for one of them."

        "That..... is true." She sat up, putting her hands behind her to prop her up. "They are new... the price for the location would give us a sum to work with. And their corrosive spit can melt a Star Destroyer's Durasteel plating, so pirates and criminals wanting a leg up against the Empire would pay a good amount for that, too."

        "And if you still come up short, you can always get a job here."

        At this place? "At a Shadowport; are you nuts?"

        "We don't have the luxury of choice right now, Lady Cindel." She grumbled a pout, glaring away from the disembodied head. "You struggled to survive the wilds of Droxu. Now it's time to survive a new type of wild: the Wilds of Civilization..... or what passes for it in Hutt Space."

        "Yeah, yeah, i know." She waved her hand dismissively in the air, thinking of the best way to move forward. She looked towards the officers closet and pursed her lips. "... for starters, i need a new pair of clothes. Wearing the same thing for 10 years is just disgusting."

        "A fair plan. The folks in the port didn't want to say anything, but i could see on their faces that they didn't like the smell you were giving off." Cindel sniffed her armpit and was immediately grossed out. She is rank. "First, I'd take a shower." She nodded in agreement, getting up off the bed and starting to get out of her old, worn clothes. "Second, you find a outfit that isn't a old, ratty mess and use that until you can buy a new pair." Easier said then done on this old ship. "Your parents still have an account open in the Galactic Bank, so we can use those funds."

        "That's still open?" She asked, with the shirt half-taken off.

        "I kept an eye on it during our duration on Druxos. With standard yearly interest rates, you have a tidy sum of 90,413 credits."

        She whistled in amazement as she tossed the ratty old shirt away and started taking off her pants. "Didn't know i had that much money." 

        "It won't be enough, though. It's barely a fraction of what we need."

        "I know, i know. But it'll keep me fed and repair you guys and..." She grunted as she got the last pant sleeve off, leaving her in nothing but her skivvies. She really was as shapely and well-endowed as the clothes made her look, which is all the more reason to stay away from the Hutts. "... It'll get me some new clothes." She tossed the pantaloons at the shirt and got up. "And we can sell everything we don't need, like the Stormtrooper armor and weapons."

        "I'd recommend keeping one blaster, just in case."

        "I know. I'm not that dumb." She walked over to the closet and opened it up. Why are Imperials always so stingy when it comes to expression? "Hmmm..... no good temporaries in here. They're all too big or too... tight." She grumbled at the end, looking down at herself. She ate nothing but Imperial rations, wild game, and whatever fell from a passing transport for a decade; how in the galaxy is she this busty? It can't be from running from the bugs; biology doesn't work like that. She then looked at the ratty clothes on the floor. "Guess i'm stuck with those until i get replacements. These, we can sell." She pointed to the officers clothes.

        "Alright. We have blasters. We have the Imperial dress code. Is there anything else we can spare to sell?"
    
        Cindel thought about it as she went to the officers lavatory. "None that i can think of. We can check after i take a quick shower." She went on in. "And no peaking."

        "I'm a droid, Lady Cindel. We don't do that. Not on purpose, at least. Besides, i couldn't even if i wanted to; i'm still just a head." She closed the door regardless. "... that being said, i AM still a head and am unable to do anything." 

        "We'll fix your body when we get money." She said from the lavatory. "For now.... i dunno, start crunching some numbers or something."

        Patrick let out a forlorn sigh. His body was barely holding together as it was, so she can at least be a little sympathetic. "As you wish, Lady Cindel."

 

        Some time after a quick rinse of both her wardrobe and herself, Cindel and the droids took stock of everything they had, and loaded up everything they could spare, which were mostly weapons and armor/uniforms from the Imperials that originally owned it. While she had this idea already, she still heeded to Patrick's advice and kept one for herself, and the choice was easy: a RSKF-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol. A very rare model, the RSKF is a special kind of blaster in that it can fire two bolts at once. They are also very expensive. Thank her lucky stars that this is a family heirloom, handed down from her a distant ancestor who served as a royal guard during the Legacy Run Disaster over 230 years ago. She also kept a standard E-11, for just in case purposes. 

        Everything they could spare were loaded up into a pair of crates, which required two of her droids to come with her. So, Fritz and a R2 unit she named Baker were chosen to come with her into the town that wasn't far from the port. She brought Patrick along as well, taping him on top of Fritz's circular dome, as it was the only thing flat enough among the three of them that could hold that thing. Plus, she didn't want to carry it the entire time. Her arm would get cramped. 

        The trio left the port behind and walked along a worn path that led to a small town only five minutes away. There were buildings along either side of the road, but the homes and warehouses were in ruins... the constant shifting of political power was likely to blame for all this. 

        "So much devastation...." Cindel whispered to herself, looking at the buildings she was passing.

        "This must be from the planet changing hands so often." Patrick said. "That's my assumption, at least."

        Cindel looked to the town ahead. It looked so small, even from a distance. "And they turned the port city into a small hamlet."

        "Not true. The town you see ahead of us is merely a front for outsiders who don't know about this place. The real city lies underneath."

        Underneath? Wait a second... "The entire city is underground?"

        "This particular one is, yes. I don't know about the rest of the planet, but i know Port Hesh up ahead indeed lies underground."

        "How do you know that."

        "Because i've been here before. It was a couple months after the Clone Wars began, back when it was still in its infancy. While all Clone Battalions at the time knew how to comprehend alien languages, some didn't really... click, you know? They may've been clones, but they were still individuals in some aspect. For Clones who couldn't understand alien languages, they were assigned a Protocol Droid. I was one such droid and i was assigned to the 811th Scout Regiment. One of our missions brought us here to Nar Haaska; we had received word that a Bounty Hunter named Cydon Prax had been giving intel to the Separatist fleet stationed outside the border, so the Hutt in charge of the sector "asked" us to come in and deal with him."

        "You mean he bribed you."

        "Yes she did." A female Hutt. Huh... she never knew they existed; it's always assumed Hutts just reproduce asexually, or they split apart like atoms. "She was more open then most other Hutts, but she still had profits on the brain, and a CIS fleet on the outskirts of your sector is bad for business, but she couldn't get involved directly as that could be taken as the Hutts declaring war on the Seps, so she had no choice but to discreetly ask us, so we did. After some time, we eventually tracked Prax down, but he escaped towards the CiS fleet."

        "So he got away."

        "Yes, and no. He did get away from us, yes, but we received word a week later that the fleet he had joined with was destroyed at The Battle of Thule, and a quick look showed Prax's body among the dead. Even though we didn't kill him, the Hutt was still thankful and gave us our reward, saying 'finally, that annoying rodent can leave me alone'."

        "What was the reward?"

        "............ nothing that should be said to the ears of an impressionable teenager." Cindel pouted and grumbled. She's not THAT impressionable. 

        But... wait, annoying rodent? It sounds like the Hutt knew him. "Wait, was Prax working for that Hutt? Because her words said 'leave me alone.' Did they know each other?"

        "Not really. In truth, he was seeing her majordomo." Cindel raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Her second in command, like how i am with you." Ok, that made sense. Why use fancy titles nobody is going to know what they mean? "I don't know the full details about what happened that lead Prax to betraying her. I also don't know what happened to the majordomo or the Hutt that hired us. This is the first i've been back since the mission."

        That would've been... she counted internally- the Clone Wars ended 18 years ago, and the Clone Wars lasted for 3, and he said the mission was in the early months, so.... it was 21 years ago. But wait a minute, "Didn't you come back with the mining team? The way to Droxu is through this system."

        "True, we did. But i never stepped foot on the planet during our passing through." That sucks, Cindel thought. "But enough about the past. For now, let's just hope the Hutt remembers me so we can work on our present." A very solid train of thought, indeed.

        Reaching the halfway point of the walk to Hesh, the trio had passed by a ruined building, which was huge in scope. It the size is correct, then this could've been a warehouse or a factory. Passing by what she assumes is the main entrance, Cindel peaked in and grimaced at the poor sight of it. "Yeesh... what was this place?"

        "If my memory bank serves me correctly, it used to be a garment factory."

        "Garments, hun?" She looked down at her ratty old clothes and frowned; this place wasn't going to help. "Considering how it looks, doubt i'll find a replacement costume there."

        "Likely not." 

        Cindel had only took a few small steps back on the trail when, out within the factory, a enormous golden-brown, burly cat the combined size of both crates they're hauling, burst out of the rubble. Cindel's eyes went wide, being pulled by by Fritz and Baker in the nick of time to avoid getting slashed by the razor-sharp claws.

        Cindel skidded to a halt as the droids let let go. "THAT IS A BIG KITTY!!!" She yelled in fear as the kitty turned to face her, snarling with exposed teeth. "What do we do?!" She yelled to Patrick.

        "Don't just stare at it; blast it!" The droid replied, and it was something she already should've done.

        Reaching back, she pulled out her inheritance and fired single-handed. The cat dodged to the side, snarling louder. "Oh, crums, it's smart." She whimpered. She held the blaster with both hands and fired again. The cat dodged once more, then picked up speed to begin its charge. Cindel continued to fire, but the cat just kept on coming.

        "SHIT!!!" Cindel yelled, having no choice but to dodge herself. She rolled out of the way as the cat, while trying to stop, slammed into the droids, sending the two rollies onto their backs and burying Patrick's head in the mud. Rolling back up, Cindel fired again, this time getting a lucky hit on the beasts back... for how little good it did as it just turned to snarl. ".... don't tell me you're half Nexu.." She whined.

        The cat charged again, this time moving fast enough to score a good hit on the charge. Cindel fell to the ground and the blaster flung from her hands and into a pile of dead leaves. The cat pinned her down and moved to bite her face off, but it neglected to hold down her arms, so the kid was able to get a real good punch on its nose, making it whine as it backed away, rubbing its nose. 

        Getting  up quick, she ran to the pile of leaves and rummaged through as fast as she could. "Come on, come on, where is..." She wasn't going fast enough. She looked back and saw the cat had regained itself and readied to attack again, and with her blaster gone, she  has no other choice. "Oh, blast it. Nobody's around to see this, anyway." 

        Rolling to avoid another swipe, Cindel skidded to a halt with one hand to the ground and another reaching to the back of her hips. As the cat charged her, she unhooked a handle and spun it in her hand. With one fluid motion, she brought it to bare and pressed the button, igniting a sword made of green light.

        With some doing and a lot of rolling, Fritz got back into its legs, which in turn brought Patrick up, who was stunned to see the glowing light. "Is that a lightsaber?!" Patrick exclaimed with shock.

        Holding the handle with both hands, she swung it around and around, both mesmerizing the cat with its laser glow, but pushing it back for fear of getting hurt. "Hyah! Hyah! Get lost, you oversized tabby cat!" She kept this up until the cat had enough and ran away, back into the hills. Once she was sure the cat was gone, Cindel deactivated the lightsaber and fell down onto her rear, shocked that she lived through that. "..................... whew.... that was too close..." She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

        Patrick, however, was in a state of perplexion. All these years, and Cindel was... was a Jedi? He never knew. When did she even... "L-Lady Cindel, that's a lightsaber! Are... are you a..."

        Cindel merely looked at the droid in dead silence. Any other time, she would've deactivated him permanently for knowing this. But now, with him and the other droids having become her second family, she can't end him. He may be Imperial, but he was originally from the Republic... she can only hope that programming remained in some way. "This is our secret, ok?" She got up off the mud and hooked the saber handle back where she got it. It's disguised as an accessory hanging off the back of her hips.

        Heading back to the pile of leaves, she kicked it away to find her blaster. She picked it up and brushed off all the gunk it just got. She looked back to Patrick again, who was just silent. "What?"

        "N-nothing."

        Cindel sighed, pinching her eyes. "Patrick, i know you're a Imp droid, but we've spent a decade together, fighting for survival on Droxu together. Surely you can let this slide." He remained silent. "Besides, i'm not out to fight the Empire or anything. I just want to live life, alright?"

        She makes a convincing argument. But... she's too young to have been a Jedi. They went extinct 2 years before she was born. So how could she have a lightsaber, and why hide this fact all this time? A question he really wants to ask, but can't because she is in no mood to answer it, nor was this the best spot to do it in. "Very well, Lady Cindel..." He hesitantly said.

        "Good. Now..." She holstered the blaster and helped get Baker back on its legs. She brushed off the viewing lens, which Baker much appreciated. "Let's go get some money." 

        With that exciting misadventure out of the way, the group continued on towards Hesh, with a feeling in the back of Cindel's  mind that: She had screwed up and the Empire or the Hutts now know. And if that suspicion is indeed true... who would she rather have catch her: Slavers or Killers?