Collected short stories

[ruane]

“So, what do you think, commander?”

Ruane watched the damaged skytrooper crawl along the floor towards its weapon. After the beating he had inflicted upon it, that it could move at all was impressive. “They’re very resilient, but until we can alter their behavior, a restraining bolt and the removal of their long range communication abilities renders them little more than novelties. Have you had any break-throughs?”

Jaroste shook his head. “No. I’m working on it, but it’s going to take more time to locate someone who can figure it out. They’re very complex.”

Ruane frowned. “Keep working, then, but don’t neglect the other projects. We have enough guards for now.”

“Yes, commander.”

Comments

Re: Enter a Spectre

[ruane]

Three bored-looking security personnel were there to greet them. One was more distant, analyzing the bits of the Spectre that fell off as they entered the hangar. One, whose insignia proclaimed him to be a sergeant and the ranking member of the trio, stepped up. "Captain Tirise?"

"Come on, fellas, I retired years ago. Cap'n Folan. This is Nuro." Ruane motioned towards Nuro, whose injuries and put-out-feline demeanor only dissuaded them from greeting him at all. "What can I do for you?"

"You want to explain what happened? " The sergeant gestured towards the holes in the Spectre's underside, which had widened considerably in the descent through the atmosphere.

Ruane whistled appreciatively. "Don't make Corellian birds like this anymore, do they? Pirate got a real hankering for good Narsh adrenals. Took the whole kriffin' batch and practically left us stranded."

The sergeant winced in sympathy. "They've gotten worse since Zakuul took over. I think the Eternal Fleet has been hitting their operations."

"I know they've been makin' my life hell. Both of the kriffin' bastards. How's an honest pilot supposed to put holes in some Imps and make a couple credits when every son of a Hutt is out there waitin' to pounce? I've snuck into Imp bases an' didn't get as many blasters pointed at me as I've had in the last three days." Ruane huffed, then held out what looked at first like a credit chip. "Stuff-shirt comm-jockey said you'd need to scan this."

"Yeah, protocol. Sorry." The sergeant held up a device and scanned the chip, then his eyebrows shot up. "Sir, I didn't realize..." He looked torn, finally lowering the device and stammering, "Captain Folan, I mean. It's good to see you. I didn't realize we'd be inspecting a war hero."

"Told you, I'm retired now. Crossed blasters with enough Sith. Anything else you need, sergeant, or can we get goin'? I gotta date with a pint of ale or three and a nerfburger. Or three. I haven't decided yet. I miss real kriffin' food." Ruane winked to ease the sting of his words. "Gonna be here a while gettin' this old girl back together again, if you wanted to talk later." Something materialized next to him, possibly just having turned off a stealth generator, and Ruane reacted without thinking, as his training demanded. One moment, he was grinning, at ease with the Republic soldiers. The next, his face was devoid of any emotion as he whirled, almost too fast for even Nuro to follow, the electrostaff almost magically at a fourth soldier's throat.

The fourth soldier stood absolutely still, eyes wide, staring at Ruane's cold, strangely-colored orange eyes from inches away, as the Guard held the sharpened tip of the electrostaff to his throat. "Uh, sergeant, I, uh. I checked the damage. Story checks out."

Nuro shifted, restless. His hands fell to the blasters at his side and he looked around at everyone else. Two of the soldiers had blaster rifles pointed at Ruane. The sergeant just stood staring, startled, as if he hadn't truly seen Ruane before.

Ruane broke the spell, relaxing and pulling back the electrostaff, flicking it off and giving them a half-hearted smile at the same time. "Sorry. I'm a little jumpy. Damn Imps have an ah, interesting way of making themselves memorable, if you catch my drift. No harm meant, huh?"

"Must have really been something." The sergeant still looked uncomfortable, but he gestured to the others, and they lowered their weapons. Nuro relaxed when they did, and pulled his lekku closer around his throat. "Come on, let's go, guys. I may be back for that talk later, captain, if you don't mind. I think I want to hear more about that."

Ruane gave an uncomfortable smile, but nodded. "Not at all. I'll pour a couple pints and we can talk all you want."

The sergeant gave him a weak smile in return. "Thanks." He looked between them and said more firmly, "Welcome to Coruscant."

When they were out of earshot, Nuro said dryly, "Da doth chatpop wa kouwauevasa." That was almost a disaster.

"Reflex, buddy. You'd be jumpy too, if some crazy Sith lady and her pack of assassins had a hate-on for you. Glad that crazy manka cat's locked up. Think I'd sleep even less if she was still around. Come on, I got a date with real kriffin' meat on a bun." He clapped Nuro on the back, then led the way through the spaceport as if he'd been through it a million times before. After the second lift ride, he grinned. "This place really is somethin'. Should visited years ago. This ain't nothin' like home." They reached the lobby and he looked out at the Senate building off in the distance with a wide grin. "Ain't nothin' like home at all. Come on!"

Nuro found himself following in the big Guard's wake as he made his way towards the Senate and the market underneath it.

Twenty minutes later, they lounged in chairs with pints of Corellian ale and plates full of greasy Corellian food. Nuro ate his greedily, but Ruane only nibbled at his, washing it down with generous droughts of ale. He was working on his third refill and except for a slight flush to his cheeks, showed no more signs of of the alcohol than when they walked in. He held a few of the cantina patrons' attention as he finished a story, a wide grin on his face. "...and that, ladies an' drall, is why you don't make fun of a Sith's hat. I think I picked bits of that Hutt's stupid statue out of my ship for the next week." Laughter greeted that pronouncement and he took a long drink from his pint glass, finished it off, then winked at the bartender. "Worth it, though. Hey, how 'bout a refill, sweet thing?"

Nuro looked up from his food long enough to say with an unwilling smile, "Fa doth stoopa. Uba doth nyowkee uba doth tee poodoo." It was stupid. You're lucky you're not fodder.

"Skill, not luck." Ruane grinned at Nuro and balanced a credit chip on one finger deftly before flipping it to the bartender. "So, where's your...what? Sister? Cousin? You told her we were here, right?"

Nuro nodded. "Jee jot uen wa wankee. Ua noa-a wata, ua doth bakanu ten." I left her a message. She'll be here, she was expecting us. He did pull out his datapad, though, tapping out a text message into it as he sat there.

"Hope she's not gettin' the third degree from security. Thought I was tryin' to set down on the wrong planet for a sec. Hey, is that the Rotworms on the holo? Turn that up, I missed the game." He leaned forward, digging into his plate now as he watched the huttball game.

Nuro just shook his head and sipped at his ale. They would either escape notice or get thrown out as tourist nuisances.