RPG Star Wars: Rebel Scum (PG-LV)

[Brasil]

[indent][indent][indent]A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...[/indent][/indent][/indent]

STAR WARS ?Rebel Scum? It is a period of social unrest. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base on an innocent civilian planet, have just won their first victory against the ?evil? Galactic Empire. During the battle, many innocent lives were lost, but in every conflict, there are two sides at war. Unfortunately, it appears that the Rebellion is un-aware of this. Perhaps it will take the lives of many to show them, and who better to tell the tale than those survivors...

EPISODE IV ?Alderaan? It was viewed as a needless casualty of war. Millions of innocent lives were suddenly silenced by the cruel and unfeeling oppressive force known as The Imperial Empire when the mighty DEATH STAR?s destructive power was focused on the peaceful and neutral planet of Alderaan. In Alderaan?s place, there is an asteroid field, a floating graveyard that is said to be the precise illustration of the brutality of The Empire. But what if this brutality was not as uncalled for as some led others to believe? There are questions still unanswered, and queries have been left ignored. What of the inspections, and why has there been no mention of them? There are conflicting interests that have yet to be reconciled. Is there any truth to the tales and rumors of deceit and abuses of power? Perhaps there are no answers to these questions, but perhaps the full story of Alderaan has not yet been told. It is said that the first casualty of war is innocence, but it seems that innocence is lost not at the end of war, but at the beginning?

[Shinmaru]

"You know what you're after, right, Davin?" "Yeah, I've got it all written down on my datapad," I said. "There are suspicions that Alderaan has not been entirely forthright with their claims that they've abolished and destroyed all weapons on the planet. Apparently, there's a secret weapons cache deep below the surface of the planet, 'just in case'. Looks like Alderaan is just as paranoid as the rest of the galaxy." "Excellent, Davin. You know what to do - over and out." There was a slight clicking sound, and the line on the other side went dead. I turned off my comlink, and stuffed it into the right pocket of my pants. There was big news to be captured today, and I hoped that I would get lucky in finding it. Today was a day like most others on Alderaan, and I hoped that this would play into my favor; perhaps security might be a bit lax, or a foolish government employee might tell me a bit more than he needed to. One could only hope. I walked up to the main area which housed all of the major political activity of Alderaan. Of course, it was very clean and pristine, more than presentable to the average person. If anything, however, this overly clean presentation of their buildings made me more suspicious than I already had been at the moment! In my view, Alderaan was hiding something that could be very dire for their social and political interests if anyone caught wind of it. And I was very determined to follow the wind to my prize. "Hello, sir," a guard said to me, stopping me at the front door. "What business do you have here today?" "I'm a journalist," I said casually. "I'm here to speak with a few of the local political leaders about a few things, maybe get a tour of the complex. They should be expecting me." "Ah, I see," the guard nodded. "Let me contact my superiors, and then we will let you in." I smirked and took a moment to look around the planet; the rest of Alderaan was just as clean and peaceful as their buildings were. It was as if the entire planet was flaunting this fact to anyone who stepped foot onto Alderaan. I didn't like it, not a bit. After a few moments, the guard tapped my shoulder. "You can go in now, sir," the guard said. "The representatives are ready to take you around." "Thanks," I replied, walking into the large front hall. I glanced around the interior of the building - the inside was, if possible, cleaner and more subtly extravagant than the outside. The heels of my dress shoes clicked noisily on the white marble floors as I walked across the room, eager to meet up with the men who would be hopefully answering all of my questions. "Good afternoon, Mr. ...Madine, is it?" A tall, regal-looking old man asked me. "Yes, sir," I answered. "I'm the reporter from Coruscant. I'd like to ask you a few questions and perhaps take a tour of the building, if that's okay with you?" "Yes, yes, I have no issues with that," the old man said. "Today is not a very busy day here, as most of our major political players are abroad at the moment. I'm afraid you won't see very many people of influence today." He let out a small chuckle, as if he found this fact very amusing. I knew at once that I would not be very fond of this person, but I decided to put up with him for the sake of my story. "So, where do we start?" I asked. A few hours later, I was not any closer to where I wanted to be than when I had started. The old man had showed me nothing of major interest; I could've gone on any random tour beforehand and saved all of the time I had just wasted. Of course, I wasn't expecting anyone to show me stockpiles of weaponry or any really valuable information. Still, I was hoping to get a glimpse of something, perhaps catch them off guard for the one moment that would give me reason enough to continue on this chase of mine. When we finished with our tour, the old man led me back to the front of the building. He might as well have been grabbing onto my nose and pulling me along with him. I wasn't very fond of being led by the hand the entire time, but it just went to show just how sanctimonious the whole lot of them really were. I didn't trust them in the least. "I do hope that you enjoyed the tour of the building," the old man said, smiling graciously. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask them right now." I somehow drove back the urge to smile to myself, but I was pleased nonetheless at the opportunity. Perhaps I'd find something out right now. "Yes, I would like to ask a few questions, if you don't mind," I said, making sure to take out my datapad. "I'll be recording the conversation, of course, if you have no qualms against that." "Er," the old man said. "Of course I don't have any problems with that. Go right ahead." "The building is nice," I started. "How long have you been working here?" "I've been working here for many years," the old man replied. "I'm not sure of the exact number, though I would say that it's a bit over thirty." "I see," I said. "And you've been treated well during your time here? No grievances, nothing unfair ever happen to you?" "Oh no," the old man said. "Everyone here has been nothing but kind to me all these years. I feel I am among not just friends, but family." "And not once have you bared witness to any...strange activities?" I asked, taking a slight chance with this question. "That would depend on what you mean by 'strange activities'," the old man replied. His tone was a bit less wizened and bit more hard this time. I made note of this. "Never mind for now," I said. "You mentioned earlier that many important political figures would not be in today?" "That is correct, sir," the old man said. "Do you happen to know where Senator Bail Organa is?" I asked politely. "The Senator is in Coruscant, taking part in the Imperial Senate," the old man replied. "He rarely makes the journey back home to Alderaan." "I see," I said. "Understandable, I suppose. And where is Senator Leia Organa?" "I'm sorry but I cannot answer that question," the old man said. "That is classified information." "Classified information?" I asked. "Surely the Senator is on Coruscant...? Unless there is something that the rest of the galaxy is not aware of..." "I'm not privy to information of that sort," the old man said, backtracking slightly. "I cannot answer your question, young man." "Are you quite certain of that?" I asked innocently. "I'd hate to be led on by an important public figure such as yourself. I think that I deserve to hear the truth, don't you agree?" "The truth is what you are hearing, sir," the old man replied sharply. "I do not know what you are speaking of, thus, I cannot answer your question!" "So you are not aware of certain rumors floating around the galaxy?" I asked. "It would depend on what rumors you are speaking of," the old man answered. "I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about," I said. "More people would know what we're talking about if it weren't all just rumor." "[i]I[/i] don't know what you're talking about," the old man inisisted. "You do," I replied. "And I wish that you would stop dodging the questions, and give me a straight answer - unless, that is, the implications of those answers would be far too dire for anyone to comprehend." Apparently the old man did not know what to think of this, but I did not have very much time to dwell on my slight victory. "Guards!" the old man yelled. "Please take this man away! He is quickly becoming very disruptive to the environment of the building!" Before I knew it, guards swooped down upon me, grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me out of the building, throwing me out onto the ground. "I'm sorry, but you are no longer welcome here," the guard said. "Please leave this place." I got up, dusted myself off, and walked away of the building. There was definitely something up; I knew suspicions actions when I saw them. I also knew that I would have to dig, scratch and claw my way to any available information, because I knew that there was much more to this than meets the eye. I wanted the story, and I wanted the faithful citizens of the Empire to know the truth. through whatever means necessary.

[Boba Fett]

Coruscant's seedy lower levels are trod only by those with a fully charged blaster and confidence to spare. Ten years ago the hooded Humanoid wouldn't have dared go into such scum ridden, criminal infested lairs. My how things had changed? As he entered one of the bars and wearily sat down upon one of the dirty seats by the counter, he glanced up at the holoscreen in the corner of the bar. The date caught his eye, and he nearly spilled his Jawa Juice down his front. Fifteen years to the day since Alderaan's destruction. Listening intently, he could make out the word of the Sullustan news anchor. "If ever one needed an example of the irredeemable evil that was the Empire, turn to the shattered remains of Alderaan. An influential world, Alderaan was represented in the waning days of the Republic by such venerated politicians as Bail Antilles and Bail Organa. A peaceful world, Alderaan was bereft of weaponry in an era of galactic strife?" The Zabrak snarled. The New Republic's propaganda machine had been working overtime to gloss over Alderaan's violations of galactic law ever since it's destruction by rebel terrorists. Not only had they convinced a clueless public that Alderaan was a completely peaceful planet, but that the Empire had destroyed it. After all, there were only a handful of witnesses to be silenced by the traitor Madine's secret police. He'd been there, on Alderaan, part of the inspection team that'd scoured the planet for weapons. Everyone knew that they had weapons; all of the satellite scans showed weaponized energy sources. The royal family had also used these weapons previously in the Clone Wars to massacre thousands of Geonosians, although the Galactic Senate had been too involved with its own corruption hearings to care. Every night the weapons would be moved, and every morning the inspection teams would get residual readings from many of the bunkers they searched. This process had gone on for years, searching for the elusive weapons that were always one step ahead of the inspectors. Eventually he'd been replaced as the head of the inspectors, and demoted down to a stormtrooper for his "incompetence". Never mind that the inspectors were never supposed to have to search for weapons, but instead have the documentation and arms handed over to them peacefully. He was issued blast armor, an E-11 was shoved into his hands and he was shipped off to a dead end job on an ore mining planetoid. If the story had ended here, the New Republic's agents would have been able to track him down and silence him forever. It was just a twist of fate that saved him. The vessel was hijacked by a young Luke Skywalker and some of his criminal friends; they later used it to destroy Alderaanwith the intent to unite the galaxy against the Empire. This inspection was to be his first, and he was very nervous. The scanning crew called for assistance. He entered the ship, blaster lowered. A flash of red light and a blinding pain in his right shoulder. The cold hard deck knocked him out cold as he hit it. The newly commissioned trooper awoke hours later, bound and gagged in the hold of the vessel. Later he was transferred to a prison camp. The Alliance held him for years without legal representation, humiliating and torturing him. They never knew of his former career. They simply called him by his number. TK-421.

[Gavin]

"Alright I'm in", Alderaan had become less friendly to outside journalists in the last few weeks, I had a gut feeling that the authorities were hiding something, I'd have to thank a contact for the tip-off later. Unfortunately Alderaan security meant that I couldn't get anywhere near any government building with forceful expulsion and that was something I could do without. I had decided to do some low-level interviews with civilians, afterall if the Organa family had something to hide their people had the right to know about it. I had decided to hit a normal middle-class neighbourhood, the building blocks of Alderaan's society. My camera had been hidden into my garments so that I would seem as normal as any visitor to the planet, but there was a story here and I was willing to bet my Holonet timeslot on it. I had few contacts on Alderaan, until recently it had been considered unworthy of major news coverage, the last piece I could recall had been a dispute over the legitimacy of the Organa's claim to the thrown. I had a feeling that normal Alderaanians had a right to know what their government was up to, few governments ever gave transparency into their actions, unless of course the Emperor demanded so. If the rumours about Alderaan were true pretty soon every two-bit Holonet writer would be swarming the planet like a hoard of mynock around a power generator. I had prearranged a meeting with local university professor, with any luck I may have just landed a catch that would put me on Prime Time news for a major network. I did my best to blend in, I was a journalist and this was something I had to excel at, on some worlds a slip up could cost you a lot more than a fine. A partner of mine had been unlucky enough to be caught by the Black Sun crime syndicate while doing a story; they vaporised him and sent us a copy of the execution. I had made it my business to keep and eye out for anything suspicious, guards seemed to be on higher alert at any of the government buildings, perhaps they knew the jig was up. "You must be Garn" the old man's head appeared out of an open window about two or so meters above my head, "And you must be Professor Jovus", quickly the gentleman pulled his head back in the window before it could seen that the two of us were talking. The house didn't look like it belonged to a man who probably made two or three times my salary but then again appearances could be deceiving, the door was quickly unlocked and I was motioned to step inside. "You know how much trouble I could get into for merely speaking to you ?!, the Organa's power stretches far beyond the rim of the proper and legal", the old man was clearly having second thoughts about what he was doing but this was my story and I wasn't about to let it slip away... "You were the one who wanted to do this interview, in a few weeks you'll be heralded as the man who brought down a corrupt and dangerous government with nothing more than honesty and vigilance", I had obviously got his pride working as his mood shifted almost instantly. "Alright I'll do it, but only for the good of Alderaan... that and I want you to use a false name and change my voice, if I'm discovered I'm more than likely a dead man." I could have asked for a better start to the interview but then again with so few genuine sources I had to make do with what I got, he seemed a bit skittish about this but chances were I got get at least some useful info from him. I was brought into what appeared to be some kind of study, most of them had to do with Alderaan's political history and others had to do with various other subjects of Alderaan subject matter. "So you said you had proof that the Organa family is involved in terrorist activities, can I get you to elaborate on that ?" I had posed the question as carefully as I could so as to get any possible margin of error, if I was going to make accusations as serious as this I had to be very careful about what I wrote. Jovus breathed in and out a few times before beginning to answer, obvious he hadn't expected me to be so forthright about my questions, "I assume that you are aware of the group calling themselves the Rebel Alliance, and their supposed ties to the Imperial Senate ?", it was a rumour I had heard of, one who's legitimacy I couldn't confirm, "I have, are you saying that the Organa's are involved with the Rebellion ?". "They're more than involved with it, Bail Organa and his daughter Leia are senior members of the Rebel High Command, along with Imperial Senators Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis, they are responsible for dictating the actions taken by the Rebel Alliance as well as trying to countermand effort to defeat them in the Senate. I had just struck gold, that is if the proof was there, "So is this treason against the people of Alderaan and the citizens of the Empire limited to Leia and her father or are other members of the Organa family involved ?" Jovus seemed to become slightly more confident now that he had someone to confirm his belief to. "It is my understanding that many of the more highly powered members of the family are involved with the Rebel Alliance, this includes smuggling finances for the Rebels to equip their growing fleet, offering safe harbour to Rebel spies and officers as well as the storage of weapons for use in terrorist activities. Beautiful, just beautiful, if my camera was working then every bit of this information was being transferred into a ship in orbit as well as the Databanks of my ship docked in a nearby port, that way even if the authorities got wind of what I was doing there was still a good chance that the information wouldn't be lost totally. "I assume you have proof to back up these claims against the Organa's ?", Jovus' face seemed to light up at this question, as though he'd been waiting then entire meeting to discuss this, from his back pocket he removed a small data chip. I took the chip and held it between my fingers before inserting it into a small datapad I'd brought with me to the meeting, within seconds a assortment of different files and documents became available for me to view, some had to do with the management of finances, others had to with police reports detailing the arrival of known member of the Rebellion, another, the most recent even dealt with a mysterious trip Princess Leia was taking to the world of Tatooine. I wondered what would happen to Jovus if the Rebellion ever found out what was happening here, but then again once I got off Alderaan that was no longer my problem, I had my story and the Empire finally had proof against the traitors in the Senate. He motioned towards the back door, obviously intending for me to leave by it, but before he could say any more the front door was broken in, instantly he knew that Alderaan security knew what he was doing, the jig was up. Quickly he pulled up a section of wood from the floor and pushed me down into it, I fell about a meter onto solid ground before realising that he'd pushed me down into a tunnel, I heard raised voices from the room above, "YOU TRAITORS WILL NEVER WIN AGAINST THE EMP..." the sound of a blaster echoed from the room and I knew what had happened, Jovus had given his life so that the galaxy would be a safer place... I moved quickly, I wouldn't allow Jovus' death to be in vain, I had my proof and I intended to use it. Hopefully they believed they'd silenced their leak. A number of minutes later I reached the end of the tunnel. My first thought was to get off-planet, but a frantic dash to the starport might attract attention. I'd better lay low for a bit. Hangar traffic would catch somebody's eye, especially after blaster fire. But where would someone go to disappear for a few hours...

[Shy]

Leia Organa apprehended on treason, conspiracy charges Press Chairman Saphap Nopotas announced this evening that Princess Leia Organa, former senator to the world of Alderaan, was apprehended today for several counts of treason against the Empire. ?This is a sad day for everyone involved,? said Nopotas in a press conference, ?But we will not have everything we stand for undermined by conspirators.? Organa, widely known for her brash attitude and animosity towards Emperor Palpatine, was taken from her spacecraft early last night after Imperial Intelligence had managed to successfully track down her whereabouts. Long suspected to be a member of the Rebel Alliance, strong evidence was found to show her connection to the militia group, including backdoor funding she and the Alderaan royal family had been providing for years. This closes a chapter wrought with controversy, and one that brought about the end of the Galactic Senate. By the dawn of the Rebellion, the Imperial Senate had become nothing more than a dated and highly ineffective form of governing. Long bloodlines, which had held these powerful positions for millennia, had faded away during the Clone Wars, and the ensuing turmoil that surrounded the ride of the Empire. New senators, many appointed by Emperor Palpatine himself, proved to be little more than puppets, with either Palpatine or Tarkin often pulling the strings to influence crucial votes. As a result, the senate, which had been tri-partisan for nearly 800 years began to conglomerate. Imperial spending budgets were approved by a record number of votes, with the minority of dissent shrinking each and every year after the Empire?s formation. ?As chancellor of the senate, Palpatine is expected to be present for every vote, in the case he may have to break a tie,? Said Senate Historian Ybrez Dizari, ?In later years, Palpatine was documented to have been absent from nearly 120 votes. He became too comfortable with his position of power, I don?t think he, or anyone was expecting the influence that Alderaan would have on public opinion.? Following decades as a Galactic Senator, Bail Organa of Alderaan retired from his position, allowing his daughter, Leia, to assume the role and it?s responsibilities. Leia was the first new senator to be elected to a Core World in nearly five decades, signaling the dawn of a new generation of young senators. With her intelligence, charisma, and influence as a Core World Senator, Miss Organa made her presence known immediately. Her radical views on Imperial disarmament and cultural diversity had been shared by her father, but were not thrown into the center a controversy until Leia had been appointed as a senator. Her first vote, opposing Palatine?s plan to an Imperial prison in the Outer Rim, was met with his criticism by many senators, including some who had been strong supporters of her father. During the debate, Senator Organa revealed evidence that Imperial inmates throughout the galaxy were being tortured unethically. This revelation, which directly goes against the Empire?s Galactic Freedom Doctrine, caused the subject to be debated for nearly three weeks. In the end, the prison was approved by a two-thirds majority, but an Imperial investigation based on these findings was quickly initiated. ?For a first-term senator to draw such attention to themselves, and openly defy the majority in a way that she did, she really put herself at risk, both in her political career and in her private life.? Said Dizari. Soon after this first historic moment nearly every new vote became heavily contested within the senate halls. Palpatine began appearing at meetings of the Galactic Senate to challenge Organa, despite his deteriorating health. This in turn created a huge rally in support for the Emperor and his policies, but not without dividing the entire galaxy among lines of race and politics. The Core Worlds themselves remained loyal to Imperial philosophies, but it was the latest additions to the Galactic Senate, those of the Outer Rim and Mid Rim that helped to strengthen Leia?s political clout. While the Empire was the overwhelming majority, with every new vote came more shocking Imperial secrets made public. Many speculate that Organa had employed the Bothan SpyNet to uncover this information, which helped to deteriorate the trust that Imperial citizens had in their government. ?While I support the forum that the senate creates,? Said former Senator Jaren Darg in a public Holonet interview, ?I do not agree with the very personal attacks that Senator Organa has made against Imperial policy, or Emperor Palpatine himself. The Galactic Senate was not meant to be such a sensational body of the government, and I believe she should pursue a different avenue to share her information with the public.? Three years into her term and much of the controversy she had created on Coruscant was being largely ignored by the mainstream Imperial press. However, one planet?s citizens maintained a close watch on each and every vote taking place within the senate, those of Senator Organa?s home world of Alderaan. The politically neutral citizens had grown uncomfortable with such a headstrong and brash young woman representing Alderaan, and before the end of her five-year term a major shift in public opinion had placed Leia at odds with her own people. ?This was long before Leia was publicly ?outed? as a member of the Rebel Alliance, and even then the people of Alderaan were very concerned over her political motivations. It was no secret that she had high aspirations, either. She and was being groomed by her father to one day assume the role as Chancellor,? said Fabia Sklav, assistant to Senator Organa and advisor to the Alderaan royal family. Emperor Palpatine had spread the Imperial Navy too thin; in his efforts to gain sovereignty over the entire galaxy, major areas of military weakness were starting to show themselves in the Mid and Outer Rim regions. To correct this mistake more Star Destroyers, TIE Fighters, Imperial Stormtroopers were needed. As it had always been since the Empire?s formation, a two-thirds majority vote was required to increase military funding. Several times throughout the past decade Palpatine or Tarkin had gone before the senate, pleading their case for civilized, unified, galaxy. Much to their dismay, Senator Organa and her growing base of support had anticipated such an event, and had prepared a presentation of their own. This one, taking advantage of a dated senate doctrine, was to put a vote of no confidence into Palpatine?s actions during his reign. Although such a vote required a majority vote to pass, something that Leia would be unable to pass, even setting such an action into motion would create an avalanche would create a public relations nightmare for the Emperor and greatly damage his plans for Imperial expansion. Prior to what was expected to be an unprecedented day in the Galactic Senate, the Imperial High Court ruled that the Senate itself had stepped beyond it?s own jurisdictions by having Organa reveal confidential documents during a public vote. Calling the move ?unconstitutional,? the senate was forbidden to meet again until the issue had sorted itself out and the senators involved revealed their sources. The Emperor himself has no power over the Imperial High Court, but his sphere of influence easily covers it?s 110 appointed judges from throughout the galaxy. Most suspect that Palpatine had plotted this move since day one, anticipating a political nightmare if a vote of no confidence were to be initiated. Organa refused to reveal her sources, even when threatened with a prolonged prison sentence. ?The Emperor had trapped her,? Said Dizari, ?By revealing her sources her connections to the Rebel Alliance would have been made public, and she could have been tried for treason. By remaining silent she saved her own life, and those of her sources.? In a highly controversial vote, large portions of the Imperial Governing Code were amended by the courts, removing what little power had remained from Palpatine?s ascension to Emperor. Calling the governing body ?antiquated? and ?archaic? what had been the major figure of government and stability throughout the galaxy for thousands of years was disbanded through a ruling by the Imperial High Courts and Emperor Palpatine himself. Claiming diplomatic immunity, Leia left Coruscant to take up a much more active role in humanitarian efforts by her own planet of Alderaan. This gave her the ability to travel between back world planets easily, and allowed her to spread the message of the Rebel Alliance. While the specific location of her apprehension, and where she will be held remain classified currently, many expect her trial to be a long and drawn out public spectacle. ?I have no doubt that Miss Organa is already looking for a way out of this,? said Nopotas, ?But I can only assure the public that justice will be served and that she, and the Alderaan royal family will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.?

[Brasil]

All The Chancellor's Men But, where do you dig when you?re looking for sensitive information? The embassies aren?t going to be any help?they?re pretty much locked down, and I wouldn?t be able to persuade any doormen or technicians to be able to poke around storage rooms or data networks. I?d have a better chance of skinning a live kath hound than I would striking up a conversation with any Alderaan official. I don?t think I?d get much from regular citizens, either, except maybe an odd glance and then find myself at the wrong end of a guard?s Bothan Stunner?definitely not a pleasant experience. I?m going to need to get dirty?so where does the dirt collect? The cantina, the most wretched hive of scum and villainy, and the best source around for anything contraband. If you?re looking for someone, ask around in a cantina; you?re bound to hear something. Looking to get in on the spice trafficking, cantina?s where you need to be to make some contacts. It?s easy to disappear in there, too. Sometimes, people just don?t want to be found?the outside world?s gotten a bit too hot for their liking. A few droids are idling outside of the entrance. Guess the barkeep doesn?t take too kindly to their kind, but that?s not very surprising. It?s pretty common. Droids don?t drink?not Juma juice, Talusian ale, or anything like that, at least?and there?s no room in the bar for cheapskates, any good businessman will tell you that. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark, murky haze. The overhead lights are dimmed, probably for the Chadra-Fan. They don?t take too kindly to bright lights. Their bat eyes can?t handle it. They?re in here, too?I can hear their high-pitched squeaks. I take an open spot at the bar and tug on the bartender?s sleeve. He could stand to lose some weight?cut back on ?sampling? the products. Drink enough Juma juice, and you start looking like a Hutt slug, and this guy is starting. He turns and hands me?something. Smells like brandy. I start to protest, because I?m not terribly fond of Vasarian drinks, but he?s not going to listen. ?Tough to get what you want in this dump, huh,? a voice to my left asks. ?Yeah,? I turn, ?sure is. I swear?Alderaan is getting crazier everyday.? ?I believe it. Every time I travel here, I can?t wait to leave. Wish I could get to my ship right now.? ?Why can?t you?? ?Er, well, uh?I think the Starport is a bit hot right now.? ?I heard about some commotion over by the residential areas.? ?Yeah. I heard blaster fire. With everything that?s going on lately, I didn?t think hopping on a ship right after that would be such a good idea.? ?Understandable,? I reply. ?I don?t think we?ve been properly introduced. Name?s Derek.? ?Kyle.? ?So, what brings you to?? I suddenly feel a brutish hand grab my arm and pull me away. The nerve of some people, interrupting what is a perfectly polite conversation and? ?I heard your talk there, and I know who you really are. I gots a message to pass on here,? the bartender explains as he slides a folded paper into my hand. ?It?s sensitive stuff, so don?t go blatherin. Just be there. He?ll contact you. Now, get out. Back exit.? he says in a gruff whisper. As I leave through the rear of the cantina, I take a glance back at the barkeep, who now?s talking to Kyle. This thing is getting weirder and weirder. I step out of the door and into complete darkness. A few minutes pass?it?s a pretty eerie silence, except for the muted music from the cantina. Then I hear a door slide open somewhere to my left. I feel my way through the black to walk right into?Kyle? ?Derek? What?s going on?? ?I don?t know, but I have a feeling we?re about to find out??

[Shinmaru]

?What was that?? Kyle asked. I could barely see the outline of his arms feeling around in the darkness. The tips of his fingers brushed past my sleeve. ?Is there someone else there?? I asked. ?[i]Shh![/i]? a low, grunting alien voice said. ?[i]Do you want to alert the Alderaanian police to our location? Keep quiet![/i]? ?Okay,? Kyle whispered. ?What?s all this about? Who are you?? ?[i]I?m an Aqualish,[/i]? the alien answered. ?[i]And that?s all that you need to know about me.[/i]? ?Fair enough,? I responded. ?Answer our other question, then. What?s all this about?? ?[i]I?m here to help you,[/i]? the Aqualish grunted. Even in the dark, I could tell that he was a bit nervous. Something told me that we weren?t the first people that this Aqualish had bartered information to. ?What makes you think that we need any help from you?? Kyle asked. ?[i]I know what you?re both after,[/i]? the Aqualish replied. ?I barely know who this guy is!? I said sharply. ?How can we be after the same thing?? ?[i]Your goals have more in common than you think,[/i]? the Aqualish replied impatiently. ?[i]By the way, news travels very quickly around here; I would advise you both not to be so brash the next time you go collecting information.[/i]? Kyle and I stayed silent, and for good reason. I?d been thrown out of a hotbed of Alderaanian political activity, and Kyle must have had something bad happen to him, too, judging by his embarrassed silence. ?[i]Now that we?ve got all of that out of the way,[/i]? the Aqualish continued. ?[i]We can get to what?s important.[/i]? ?And what would that be?? Kyle asked. ?[i]The supposed arrest of Princess Leia Organa,[/i]? the Aqualish replied. I was completely dumbfounded. Kyle probably was, too, it was hard to tell in the darkness. We were completely speechless for a couple of minutes; the Aqualish was probably enjoying the silence. ?When did this happen?? I asked. ?[i]Very recently,[/i]? the Aqualish replied. ?[i]It?s been all over the papers. Don?t you keep up with the news?[/i]? ?I was too busy trying to find some news of my own,? Kyle said wryly. ?[i]It would serve you well to keep up on as much news as possible,[/i]? the Aqualish chastised. ?[i]So, you haven?t read the article yet, huh? I?ve got the paper right here. Read the article.[/i]? ?How?? I asked. ?It?s completely dark in here.? ?[i]I?ve got the light switch in my hand,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]The light should be just bright enough for you to be able to read the paper.[/i]? I could see the outline of the Aqualish stepping into the corner of the room, and then a small, dim light flicked on. The Aqualish stood in the corner of the room, still covered almost completely in darkness. The light only came up to his knees. Kyle and I positioned the paper under the light, and we began to read it. After we finished with it, I turned to him. He was smiling, just as I was. ?This is fantastic news!? I said. ?That traitorous Leia Organa has finally been captured! This is such a coup for the Empire!? ?[i]I?d agree,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]If it weren?t that simple.[/i]? ?What do you mean?? Kyle asked. ?[i]Take a good look at the article,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]I mean, really read into it. You don?t find it very suspicious at all?[/i]? ?Why would we find the capture of Leia Organa to be suspicious?? I asked. ?[i]Your questioning skills need a bit of touching up,[/i]? the Aqualish snorted. ?[i]This article is too cut and dry, even for a release from an Empire-supported news company.[/i]? ?Are you saying that Leia might not have been captured?? Kyle asked. ?[i]That?s a possibility,[/i]? the Aqualish replied. ?[i]Or perhaps there is much more to this than the news corporations are aware of. Leia Organa is a very crafty individual. I?ve witnessed a few of her more infamous debates in the Galactic Senate. She?s an extremely dangerous individual, always a few steps ahead of the game. If I know her type right, she?s got something set up. The tone of that article is just too neutral, too final. There has to be more to it.[/i]? ?What do you suppose it is?? I asked. ?[i]That I don?t know,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]It?s well known in most circles that Organa and the rest of her Rebellion comrades liked to make extensive use of the Bothan SpyNet to uncover information. The Bothan spies are among the best in the galaxy, rivaling even the best of the best from the Empire. They could easily pull a few strings somewhere to set something up.[/i]? ?Seems a little farfetched to me,? Kyle said. ?[i]Perhaps,[/i]? the Aqualish replied. ?[i]But you can?t completely discount the theory. Leia has shown many times in the past just how low she?ll stoop to see the Rebellion succeed. There are many number of ways that she could be able to worm her way out of this situation. The Rebellion is gaining more and more sympathy by the day. If Leia manages to get her way out of this, it will be a huge hit to the Empire.[/i]? ?You?re right,? I said. ?Leia?s probably captured, that I don?t doubt at all, but I do agree that she?s up to something. There has to be something more to this, something under the surface that everybody?s missing. We?ve got to find it, and expose it.? ?[i]Yes, yes,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]Very good. But be careful about it. Don?t give away your identity, don?t tell anyone what you?re after, stay silent, and stay crafty. Learn to think ahead of the game. Your normal way of approaching stories won?t cut it here, I?m afraid.[/i]? ?Understood,? Kyle said. ?Where do we start?? I asked. ?[i]Where does everything in the galaxy start?[/i]? the Aqualish asked. ?[i]Credits. Wherever something is happening, you can bet that there is a credit trail left behind. Follow the credits.[/i]? Before either I or Kyle could speak further, there was a sharp knock on the door. We turned around, and a muffled voice called to us through the door. ?Hurry up in there!? the voice said. ?We?ve got a bit of company in here! If they find you in there, you?ll be deader than Taun-taun after dark on Hoth!? ?[i]It?s been a pleasure speaking with you two,[/i]? the Aqualish said. ?[i]Remember everything that I?ve just told you. Get out![/i]? ?But--? I started, but Kyle opened the door and pulled me out of the room. I calmed down and tried to act as naturally as I could. My eyes met the bartender?s eyes, and he glanced over at the far end of the cantina. There were a couple of Alderaanian officers questioning the patrons of the cantina. Kyle and I ducked down low and snuck around the room, in between the customers. We made it out of the cantina without running into any of the officers. ?That was a close one,? I said. ?Yeah,? Kyle replied. ?So, where do we go now? That Aqualish gave us a lot of information, but no real leads.? ?You?re right,? I said. ?There?s gotta be somewhere we can start, though.? We walked away from the cantina, lost in thought for a few moments. ?Aha!? Kyle said. ?The Starport!? ?The Starport?? I asked. ?I thought that you said the Starport was a bit hot right now.? ?It is,? Kyle nodded. ?And Leia?s capture has to be part of the reason why. I think that some of Alderaan?s most wanted would be shuffling through that Starport undetected quite frequently. If there?s a credit trail to follow, it will likely start there.? ?You?re right,? I said. ?So, shall we go now?? ?Yes,? Kyle said. ?Nothing to do now but follow the credits.?