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Corellia


Darth Jade

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  • 4 months later...

The Silk Road lands at Coronet City. Kheldar, leading Ame with locked arms, steps out of his ship, Cyrion trailing behind.

 

"It's been ages," Kheldar notes to no one in particular. "I haven't been here since my parents funeral some years back. Before that the last time I was here was for my wedding day- my first one that is."

 

Walking around Coronet City, the merchant prince feels a great weight being dropped off his shoulders. He remembers growing up here, his family and friends of old. He realizes sadly that Ame never had a childhood so to speak. Instead of making a beeline for his destination, he takes a side stroll through a green plaza. CORE would wait.

 

"So, Ame, how does it feel to be back to your homeworld again? I mean, what do you remember about his place?"

 

Perhaps this will bring back some good memories... I hope...

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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"Ale is a good thing," Kheldar replies sagely. "Anyplace you wish to take a look around at? I'm going to need to stop by the Corellian Engineering Corperation before we go though." A brief flicker of concern crosses Kheldar's face as he mentions the CEC, but he continues. "This is your homecoming, so enjoy it. We could even catch a taxi and look for that old bar of yours."

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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"Take us to another part of Coronet then." The merchant directs the cab driver.

 

Kheldar turns to Ame. "I've heard intel that a lot of Corellian ships were used by CORE. My family's worked for the Corellian Engineering Corperation for generations. I have a few connections there, and should be able to ease any suspicions I have without any problem. However..."

 

He points out the window. "Would that be it by any chance?"

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Kheldar sighs. Perhaps it is out of want for a good drink. Perhaps it is because the bar collasped without giving him the pleasure of wrecking it first. Perhaps it was a sign of the past crumbling. Still, Ame was not affected and remained as bright as ever.

 

"Cyrion, make a note. Find who owns that property and buy it. Driver, take us to the Corellian Engineering Corporation's main offices." He turns and examines that brick. "I think Kas will love that. We should probably have that mounted though. It'll look nicer that way."

 

Plus she'll be less likely to throw it at me if I should wreck the bar again.

 

The taxi lands in front of the CEC building. Kheldar hops out and turns to Ame and Cyrion. "I have some business that needs to be discussed in private. Wait here and keep the meter running." Kheldar turns and walks into the building, faintly distracted.

 

I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this. If something should happen, I want Cyrion to get Ame to safety.

 

The CEC was Kheldar's first place of employment. The vos Correlli's and his mothers family worked for them as engineers and buyers and sellers. His parents worked for the CEC. Kheldar himself worked for the CEC. Then he turned his skills to dealing in and smuggling illicit and salvaged ship parts on the black market.

 

His uncle, Cyrion vos Correlli worked here. He was an engineer and taught Kheldar all he knew about engineering. A bit of his good sense, and skills with machines went into KVC's protocall droid, affectionately named after his late uncle.

 

The last time he was here, he notes looking at familiar faces, was when he was obtaining parts for the Silk Road. His old ship, the Drake's Revenge was destroyed when Zain Jabul planted a bomb on it. The ship was destroyed and Cyradis died in that explosion on what was to be their honeymoon. It was because Rinwald ordered it. Kheldar takes bitter satisfaction at the memory of Rinwald's death- shot by his own men, and Zain's- atomized as the Silk Road's quad lasers tore up his ship.

 

”œKheldar! Is that you?”

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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It's amazing how one's life flashes before one's eyes”¦ Think Kheldar! think! Bionic arm”¦ no that only works in the video games”¦ Hmmm”¦.

 

Kheldar reaches into a side coat and draws out a handful of VICE from his pocket and throws them at the ground. May the force be with me on this”¦ please”¦

 

The merchant throws the VICE down onto ground where they erupt with a loud boom. Kheldar is thrown up by the force of the explosion and rising column of warm air. He feels vaguely like a child's rag doll as the explosion slams him hard into the side of the CEC building . He tumbles hard to the ground, but spreads out to lessen the impact. Bleeding with scraped palms, a cut on his forhead, three broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder, KVC clutches his wounded chest and runs towards the taxi where it was parked. He can sense an immediacy behind him. Surely Rinwald knew and would be sending CORE troopers to finish the job.

 

Just my luck. I come home and find that Corellia is being used as a massive CORE base and my own company is supplying them with their ships for galactic conquest. I need to get offworld fast.

 

Kheldar runs into the taxi, bleeding heavily and collasping into Ame's lap. ”œAme. Get us offworld. CORE's here already! We need to get to Brell and tell him”¦ Rinwald is alive again”¦”

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Cyrion turns to the cabbie. "Get us into the country side. Fast!" The droid turns to Ame. "If CORE has been here, they'll have gotten the planetary defense shields up so no one can get in or out. We should get out of Coronet as fast as possible and try to contact the Commonwealth."

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Under normal circumstances, a C-3 protocall droid cannot use a blaster proficiently, aim with the marksmanship of a battle droid, have the reflexes of one, or process situations fast enough to respond to life or death situations.

 

Then there was Cyrion, KVC's custom protocall droid. Kheldar liked to think of him as a C 3.1 model. So when the taxi was speeding away, Cyrion was able to tap into KVC's arsenal to deploy his array of weaponry to throw off CORE persuers.

 

"Ms. Mizuyama, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to stay down. Mr. cab driver, sir. Keep your head low and turn left sharply when I say."

 

Cyrion gives a quick command and hurls a small marble sized explosive into a CORE speeder, which quickly erupts into flames. A well aimed blaster shot takes out a sniper hanging out of a pod chasing them on the road, and a savy bit of use with a mini rocket launcher and a VICE does wonders for the Mynock Class Assualt Boat's chin gun and general hull integrity.

 

The taxi though is about shot out and the cab driver evacuates followed by Cyrion, carrying Kheldar and dragging Ame. "You best take off road," Cyrions states, "and contact Kheldar after this is over. He'll compensate you for your cab."

 

What now though. Cyrion thinks.

 

He spots a large vehicle approaching Coronet.

 

It can't be CORE.

 

"Over here!" Cyrion states, stepping out into the road, waving his arms, and despite the pastoral setting of Corellia, he bears an odd resemblence to another droid of his model stranded on Tatooine long ago.

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Cyrion holds up Kheldar, and turns to Ame. "I think we've had a bit of luck. My records indicate these are Jedi knights Tares Vortex and Airleas Lianahan."

 

"We are in trouble. I'm Cyrion, a C 3 droid, that is Ame Mizuyama, and this is Kheldar vos Correlli. To make it brief we found out who CORE's leader is and where they've been supplying their ships. They are after us. CORE's leader took off to their base, but his forces have been on Corellia for some time and are now occupying the planet in force. We need to get ahold of Brell and tell them CORE has a seizable fleet here capible of leveling occupied worlds. We need to hide in the mean time."

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Cyrion leads Ame inside, still carrying Kheldar. He lays the merchant on a couch and looks over his wounds.

 

"He needs medical attention badly and I don't have the programming for that. He has a blaster shot through his leg, his chest appears to have been cut open. I'm seeing burns there. His right shoulder is dislocated, three ribs appear broken, blood loss, and cuts to the face and arms. He gut roughed up pretty well."

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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"Am I alive?"

 

Kheldar felt horribly dizzy and a tearing ache ripped across his chest. Taking shallow breaths, he took in his surroundings. He breaths a sigh of relief seeing Ame and Cyrion there.

 

"This would be the Lainahan residence," he inquires, noting the unknown persons resemblence to Airleas, who his commercial contacts informed him of being recently married to Jedi Master Sly.

 

"I own you all one." He stands up and limps over to Ame, wincing slightly at the blaster shot that went into his leg. "I need to confir with Cyrion quickly." Kheldar whips out his organizer and plugs it into Cyrion, downloading the conversations the droid recorded from when he passed out as well as some additional info.

 

"Groovy. I could use a bacta tank, but supplies are scarce. If I could have your attention," he states lying down again, "I think I can give you a complete history of CORE based on the information I found out at the CEC.

 

CORE was ironically a smuggling front about six years ago for a company known as the Corellian Outer-Rim Exports. It worked in skimming a living off trade between the outer rim and central worlds, usually picking at the pieces the Hutts and the Black Sun would throw at them. They were tightly controlled and efficient. Then Jabba and Xizor died and the problems began. Their leader got ambitious and used his network to try and expand to fill their niches. His name was Rinwald Adolphus Dahlmiester.

 

Anyhow that expansion period came to a crashing end. I got personally involved in that after my first wife was killed by an assassin of his- probably also because she was married to him first, but that's not relivant. Anyhow a few smugglers and other entrepanuers ganged up to stop him. To make a long story short, it came down to a high stakes sabbaac game for control of illicit activity in the galaxy. Rinwald was playing one hand, and I was representing everyone else. We played and I drew a loosing hand. It looked like the end, but..."

 

Kheldar pauses to take a deep breath and clear some of the blood out of his throat, "I bluffed. I said I had a winning hand and that he lost. I ordered Rinwald's men to remove him from the room. He lost his temper and drew his blaster. I ordered his men to shoot him." Kheldar pauses, a small smile drawing onto his weary face as if treasuring an long held memory most precious to him.

 

"And they shot him. That should have been the end of it, but here's what I think happened in the next six years. Rinwald's body was stored here on Corellia. He still had men loyal to him and the go through great lengths to find the best scientists in the galaxy to revive him. They found and financed a nanotech specialist to revive him and rebuild his body. That would have been at least 4-6 months after his death. He then makes an offer to these scientists, promising a new order in the galaxy- their technology for power.

 

"They accept. The present CORE is born and Rinwald uses his old channels to spread his network. They dominate the CEC to gain ships, use the nanotech to create their elite agents, and slowly spread out developing their technology. They begin poking around for about say, six months or so, and watch the Commonwealth oust the Sith. It's a rather extreme change of power. They give it a bit, then move suddenly to strike a complacent and secure galaxy and knock it off balance. I can't go into details, but that about sums it up.

 

"Now, they have their shipyards here even though they are headquartered elsewhere. They can do serious damage with those ships. They're probably centered at the CEC shipyards. I can give security details and passes to get in, eliminate their leader here and hopefully stop CORE from moving out before they do a counterstrike while everyone is occupied assualting their headquarters. If I had to guess, Sly's probably found out where they are and gone after Rinwald in person."

 

Tiredly, Kheldar asks Cyrion to repeat that verbatim and send it to the Commonwealth, then falls back asleep, breathing shallowly.

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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"It'd be something along the lines of a sneak in, seize the CEC's shipyards, then blow the living hell out of CORE's men, save the galaxy- the usual." A boyish grin fills his face, and his eyes brighten. He almost rises then coughs out a large gob of blood which he spits into a basin before sinking back down.

 

"Damn... I never knew Rinwald could fight, (of course I didn't even know he was alive for the past six years or so till earlier today), but those nanomachines... I got the Sithspit kicked out of me. Thank you very much for giving me a hand Ms. Lainahan. You know that name sounds familiar. We're any of you by chance involved in the old smuggler's alliance about six years back along with Kardde, Booster and the rest?"

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Kheldar thinks a minute.

 

There's always supply ships going to the shipyards here. You could sneak on one, and..." he taps on his organizer and downloads some information into a datapad. "...here's the codes you should need to bypass security. I don't think they've changed too many of them, but they should get you inside at the very least. You'll also find maps and security details that should still be fairly recent. These are the transport numbers and everything. I'd go with..." he looks down at his blood covered doublet, "but I'm worried I'd slow you down."

 

Cyrion returns with a small wrapped bundle for Ame. Inside is a well made vibro katana.

 

"That was spoil of war taken from the Imperial Palace after the rebellion ended. It has quite a history behind it, but is one of the finest vibroblades I've ever seen. Needless to say it ended up in rebel hands, and I was able to get it on the black market." Kheldar smiles thinly, remembering the good old days.

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Kheldar shakes his head.

 

"Don't worry about the Maw. If that's where CORE is located, then the Commonwealth should be moving out to put them in their place. If the CORE forces here get a command to move out, then I'd fear for them. Take back Corellia, and stop CORE here and now before they can send reinforcements."

 

Kheldar gives Ame a longingful look. "That blade is really sharp. They folded the metal on the outer edge when making it, so you could even use it as a non vibro weapon with deadly ability. There's a cortosis lining so you can match lightsabers with it. Just remember, use it defensively, and above all, be careful... please..." A small tear, unnoticed, forms in the chancellor's eye as he looks on Ame.

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Kheldar rolls his eyes. "They have enough forces to occupy Coronet, blow up CorSec, and have a fleet capible of wiping out a few occupied planets, and you want to make a military stand in a located civilian household on a world they are in almost full control of?"

 

Sighing, Kheldar takes out a small pocket flask labled Liquid Courage and takes a long shot of Corellian brandy. Pulling himself up, he draws his blaster with a fancy twirl of his fingers.

 

If you want something done right- do it yourself...

 

"Saddle up ladies and gentlemen. We're about to go hardcore on CORE."

 

At that point the blaster slips in his hand and the Chancellor shoots himself in the foot.

 

":curse:, , ! Let's just get going please!"

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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Kheldar thinks quietly.

 

"We should have your family get out into the country side. Pack up a bit and camp out for a few days. Take what you need and get moving in case CORE shows up here."

 

He looks over the party. "Ready?"

 

A short ride later everyone arrives in Coronet. Kheldar hops out with a slight limp and approaches a cargo yard. Using old security codes he deactivates the parameter security and sneaks everybody in.

 

"Careful now..." he whispers, "this is where it gets cute."

 

A transport is busy taking supplies to the shipyards. Another bit of hacking and everyone is aboard and smuggled in among the supplies.

 

Arrival at the shipyards is tense. CORE Agents are all over, though there is an uneasy air among the guards. By this time the first troops had begun to reach the command center at the Maw. Kheldar makes a guesture to wait and takes off.

 

He comes back later in the outfit of a CORE officer, though if one looks a knife wound and fresh blood can be seen under the arm pit. He quickly removes the uniform. By this time, CORE Omega was fighting for his life while Rinwald made his escape.

 

Kheldar gives a few orders. "Airleas, Dex, get into the security room. Here's the passcodes that should work. Set the programs to ionize the ships in orbit and turn on the CORE agents partroling this place. Adi-Wan, Tares- the CORE commander should be in the factory area. Ame, I need you to cover me, because in about ten seconds all hell is going to break loose."

 

As he finishes the shipyards are lit up by many colorful and bright explosions that quickly disable the internal security systems and scatter large waves of CORE troops.

 

"I think that's our cue." The Chancellor observes dryly.

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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((Sorry, I was hoping this would be wrapped up a couple days ago))

 

Kheldar watches as a demoralized CORE contingent fights for survival mpw that their HQ is gone. A trooper appears out of nowhere, rifle pointed at Ame and Kheldar. Without thinking, Kheldar shoots him dead. The soldier drops down in front of Ame, eyes lifeless and body still smoking.

 

The leader, he notices tries shooting one of the Jedi, but a timely use of a lightsaber deflects the bolt and strikes the commander down. Surrender soon follows as the CORE troopers are rounded up by surviving CorSec forces under the Chancellors supervision and order is restored. The CEC is put under temporary Commonwealth control while the owners are being cured of CORE's nanotech control.

 

"That was fun," Kheldar comments later at the Lainahan's later. "I think this represents the last CORE hold out. Word's gotten back the Maw fell. I'll leave you to your own business. I need to take care of something important elsewhere."

 

The Silk Road takes off into space with Ame aboard and Kheldar on the mend.

 

"Ame," Kheldar states quietly. "I'm glad you didn't get involved in that battle and I'm sorry you had to see me shoot that CORE agent like that. Have you ever watched anyone get shot like that before?"

 

Time passes.

 

"I'm heading back to Coruscant for the time being. I need to talk with Kasumi at the Last Call about getting a victory party together, among other things..."

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[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

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