Star Wars is fascinated with thedownfall of the Jedi Orderright now.
But another trend in examining the Orders inevitable doom?
So many space pirates.
Image: Lucasfilm
Hell, even the main villains of the High Republic,the Nihil, are pirates!
Star Wars, it loves itself a pirate.
You cant have a meeting of the minds if nobody attending has one.
Image: Penguin Random House
But this was the first time shed thought of it in the middle of a firefight.
Even peeking around the corner was death.
A Feeorin, Burlug had head-tendrils like hers; his were blue, while hers were Nautolan green.
But he was a much bigger target.
Burlug yelled over the incoming fire, Stay back, Zil!
Luggy, whats the story?
Tal and Krins got it.
Our surprise guest popped em as soon as they started to parlay.
Saves me from killing them, Zilastra replied.
So much for trying for a peaceful meeting.
A boarding action, in my own port.
Intake was one of the simplest tasks her crew was expected to handle.
In the safety of one of her own landing facilities on Keldooine, newly captured spaceships got the once-over.
Before all that could happen, however, the ship had to be secured.
That tended to just be a formality once in port, where the numbers favored her forces.
From there, it progressed as it had since the dawn of piracy.
Most captured crewmembers tended to switch sides without much fuss.
Joining up was better than unemploymentor a violent death.
Even presumably loyal captains of commercial liners would flip once a little pressure was applied.
Or to do a little damage of their own.
With shots continuing to crackle past, Zilastra adjusted her gloves first, and then drew her blasters.
Thermal detonators would be of no usetheyd damage the freighter.
And a gas bomb would simply mean an even longer delay before intake could begin.
No, this would have to be done the hard way, before
The shots stopped.
Burlug looked back at her.
She heard the cockpit door closeand seconds later the low thrum of the freighters engines starting.
The owners still trying to save the damn ship!
She holstered one of her blasters and activated the communications unit.
Up in the cockpit.
Then a husky voice.
Im not talking to you.
Get off my ship!
Yeah, I hear that a lot.
Then the speaker sounded.
Im glad youve heard of me.
That means you know what Ill do.
Burlug shook his head.
I dont think
Wait, Zilastra mouthed.
It usually took ten seconds.
The freighter owner was ready in five.
Let me keep the Morleen.
Just take the cargo.
Zilastra had heard that one before, too.
What are you carrying?
Tanks of industrial acid.
Four million liters, bound for Introsphere on Gorse.
Zilastras green mouth crinkled.
Still, the engines were really starting to rev.
She toggled the intercom.
Okay, youre in luck.
We happen to have a buyer for that right here on Keldooine.
Ill give you one of the tanks.
You sell it, you might find your way offworld.
The owner was clearly caught off guard.
I want my ship!
The Morleen is mine.
You want to negotiate, next time get caught by a used starship dealer.
She listened to the engines.
If your ship clears the facility, my people will shoot it down, with me in it.
Youd really order that?
I thought youd heard of me before.
Youve got ten seconds.
Zilastra snapped off the gear and redrew her other blaster.
It took the owner all ten seconds to see reason.
She was wasting time.
Zilastra holstered her weapons.
Get her out of here.
Nearly twice Zilastras weight, Burlug had no trouble at all picking up the pilots limp body.
Zilastra pointed a thumb aft.
She owns one of those acid vats in the hold.
A deals a deal.
She glanced at the corpses of her fallen henchmen.
Zilastra wanted a bath, herselfif in something a lot less dangerous.
But there was more yet to do.
Luggy, where was she hiding?
Under the heat exchange manifold.
Snuck into the cockpit past everyone.
This wasnt supposed to happen.
Zilastra looked from side to side.
She started to reach for her comlinkand decided instead on the ships public address system.
Her voice boomed through the halls.
A metal bulkhead panel behind Zilastra shot outward, landing on the deck with a clang.
A dark-haired human girl of twelve slipped out of a space barely a meter tall.
Her face and clothing were completely covered in grease smudgesand her wide brown eyes beamed as she saluted.
Reporting, Your Majesty!
Zilastra waved a gloved hand.
Im not in the mood.
Ive got two dead because of a pilot we missed.
Checking crawl spaces is your job!
Kylah got to her feet.
I found something else.
I knew youd want to see it.
And you thought the way to reach me was to crawl here?
The wiry girl dived back into the maintenance tunnel before Zilastra could grab her.
Kneeling, she saw Kylah clambering like a rodent through the tunnel.
Unable to fit, Zilastra shouted inside.
Whats the matter with taking the stairs?
Seething, Zilastra heard a comment from above.
The pilots body over his massive shoulder, Burlug snickered at his boss.
Saves her from getting chewed out.
Id follow if I could fit!
Get to the hold before I liquidate the lot of you.
Zilastra watched him pass and turned to follow.
The long way to the hold, down the halls.
There was no place in Zilastras life for children of her own.
Yet somehow she had become a kind of surrogate parent for Kylah.
Kylah was all striving, with none of the conniving.
Shed lately entrusted the stowaway with a very special project, in fact.
She was beginning to doubt the wisdom of that when she arrived in the hold.
True to the late captains word, freestanding tanks stood in the wide area.
That was why Zilastra instantly had known the prize was less than useful.
No kid, Burlug said.
I was sure shed beat us here.
came a voice from high above.
Zilastra looked to the top of one of the tanks.
Somehow, Kylah had gotten up there and was perched next to an opening in the massive container.
Youre going to want to see this, Kylah said.
Im not the only stowaway on this ship!
Reprinted from Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller.
2024 by Lucasfilm Ltd.
Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
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