"Opportunity Knocks."

Written and Directed by:
Paul Burton.
Fiction by: Paul Burton and (mostly) Anthony Hummerston.
STARRING:

Karnov,   Jimmi,   Niall,   Rojic,   Mama
And special guest stars:
Hen3ry , Joe-9T, Trio and 'Blinkie.'
as the droids.

AND
Storm Cutter: The first on the scrapheap when the revolution comes.

Our heroes are walking back to Storm Cutter. “What was that lead again?” Rojic asks.

“Well we think that Storm Wraith might have loaded up with particulate filters and vaporator parts….Does that give you a clue?”

Karnov thinks. “Ummmm….Is it Hoth?”

“No it isn’t Hoth. –Stupid!”

“I’m guessing Tatooine.”

“Correct. It’s civilised –of a fashion, and local.”

Rojic disagrees. “It’s too dry for my delicate skin….”

Karnov shoots him a look. “You have absolutely no idea, do you?”

“Me?” Rojic sounds all innocent.

Mama breaks them up. “We can make some much needed credits by shipping machine parts there. Rojic, would you look into it?”

“I’ll get on it straight away.”

“Good. It never ceases to surprise me how credits can be so motivational!”

On returning to the ship, they press the button to extend the ramp and turn off the sentry guns. They troop past the sofa and Trio asking if they’d like drinks. Mama and Niall both instinctively head for the cockpit.

“What’s that flashing?” Niall asks.

“Just something on the blink. –I expect we’re out of lemon-soaked paper napkins again.”

Star wars Elite anyone?

“No here!” Niall says, pointing.

Mama is puzzled. “Ummm….I don’t recall that panel ever being active in the last twenty years….Rojic!”

Rojic buzzes in. “What?”

“What’s this?”

“Oh nothing. Just a little Trade Federation comms interception.”

“A broadcast tapping device?”

“Yes.” Rojic says proudly, “It took many months, but I finally got it working. Here!” He plays the holo.

“You do know that by intercepting private holo broadcasts you could end up in the slammer for a minimum of twenty-five years?”

“Um….Well yes…But….”

“But nothing!” If we’re implicated, we’ll do twenty-five as well. They’ll impound Storm Cutter and we’ll be ruined!”

Niall stops Mama right there. “Actually in a time of war, the Republic will probably shoot you. The Trade federation might not be so forgiving.”

Rojic objects. “But this might be vital intelligence.”

Karnov comes up to the cockpit to see what all the arguing is about. She perches on a console and by extending her hands to support herself, turns the transmission off.

Niall sighs. “Those are two words you’ll rarely hear aboard ship. – ‘vital’ and ‘intelligent.’ Karnov, you just sat on an intercepted Trade Federation transmission!”

Rojic bustles around. “It should be recorded somewhere. –Let’s see what or who we’ve intercepted.” He taps at a keyboard. “It’s a substitution cipher. –Give me a minute to lock it down.”

Joe-9T scans the message. After about sixty milliseconds he says, “Sir! I have gone through every possible substitution cipher I know, even shifting by between one and three hundred billion different sample-sliding cryptographs. I have run it by every known prime, and every algorithm in my databank, which I might add is extensive. Every time I drew a blank. I therefore conclude that it isn’t a substitution cipher.”

Niall waves a hand gently in front of Rojic. “There is no substitution….” He says persuasively. Had he used the force it wouldn’t have worked on Rojic, who gives a wry grin. “It is a substitution. The sender substituted the Basic language for Neimoidian. –Watch and listen!”

Nothing happens. The others point this out. Rojic apologises. “Okay getting the bulb to flash the data in binary wasn’t the best of ideas. I’ll patch it to Hen3ry and use his holo-emitter.” He switches a switch.

Joe-9T isn’t pleased. “Oi! I was enjoying that!” The droid tells him pointedly. “I was just going to settle down with a bucket of WD-60 and some popcorn!”

Rojic ignores Joe. “Patching now…Okay! Play it again, Hen3ry!”

A narrow beam of light projects from Hen3ry. The recording starts to play. Those that can see it, boggle at it. They can’t quite believe it. They get Hen3ry to play it again…And again….And again in high definition with surround sound. This goes on for quite a number of repeats, until Jimmi –who can sense but not ‘see’ the holo puts a stop to it.

“Okay, I get that it is a Viceroy talking….But it doesn’t sound like Neimoidian….Am I missing something?”

Rojic titters. “Vice is right!” He bangs Hen3ry on the dome. “Hen3ry! You’re playing the wrong message!” The others stifle sniggers at Jimmi’s expense.

Joe-9T lets the Cathar out of the bag. “Well I for one could stand to watch Kory in the shower a few more times!” The others fall about laughing until Joe-9T pulls them up sharp. “Only I was waiting for the TnY-PkN5 droid to come in with a vibro-knife and slash the shower curtain and her frail…. Wholesome body into tiny bloody ribbons!”

Niall snaps out of it first. “Even though a girl is naked; she may be in rags.”

There is a pause. “Eeew!”

Joe-9T gurgles with glees over this comment, until Niall glowers at him and he stops.

Karnov says, “The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.”

Niall holds up something in his hand. “Not the force…. Restraining bolt!”

Hen3ry plays the message again, this time with the right visuals. It shows a Sullustan delegation in negotiation with a Neimoidian – Who is later identified as Nute Gunray – a viceroy of the Trade Federation. They are setting up a meeting at the SoroSuub corporation to negotiate the supply of military gear for the Federation. The meeting is scheduled on Sullust, and very soon too.

“If we could break into the corporation, we could bag us a Trade Federation viceroy, and disrupt the negotiations!”

“True, but we can’t just walk in there and nab Gunray…. He’d have a legion of battle droids, bodyguards, minders and the like.”

“Nimbly nab Nute!”

They ignore Karnov.

“We’d need security clearance to get into their headquarters. That’s something we can’t rustle up in a day or two.”

Niall and Karnov look at one another. “There might be another way….”

“Oh yeah?”

Karnov tells the others, “Well, we went to the academy with a Sullustan. ….Right about the time that Niall dropped out.” Niall grits his teeth at this one.

“So?”

“So….I hear the force is strong in her family. I also hear that she went to work for SoroSuub….In their administration division. The company is almost global on Sullust.”

“So?”

“Well rumour has it that her little brother Ull has passed his youngling exams and is looking for a master to take him on as a Padawan.”

“So we might have some leverage on the sister…. I like the way that you’re thinking.”

Karnov isn’t being sidetracked into something subversive. “Well I’ll leave it as our ace-in-the-hole….But if Unum Murub won’t be persuaded to help us, then I might offer to take on her brother Ull.

The others fall about laughing. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing…. Only….”

Karnov isn’t going to be belittled. “When I choose a Padawan it’ll be on my own terms. –It isn’t for anyone to say different.” She stalks off.

“I have to hand it to her. She’s pretty straightforward, our Karnov.” Niall waits for someone to say ‘And that’s why we love her’ but no-one does.

Jimmi says nothing, but a Cheshire Cat grin breaks out.

“What is it Jimmi?”

Jimmi jumps. “What? –Er, oh….Um….Nothing.”

“What were you thinking?”

“I was imagining the holo was still playing.”

“The one of Kory in the shower?”

“No actually thinking of Jedi Master Satele Shan.”

The others look toward Hen3ry who is playing the last frame of the holo. It is all the transmission data, and appears as a cloud of fuzzy mush.

“I have to say she’s let herself go a bit.”

“Not surprising really,” Niall says after a moment. “After all, she’d be around thirty-five hundred years old about now.”

Mama clears her throat. “Just because a prune is wrinkly, doesn’t mean it isn’t still juicy!” She says with a twinkle in her eye.

Three milliseconds go by. Then there is a collective “Eeeew!”

They sit for a while deep in thought. Jimmi is trying to remember what Satele Shan should look like.

Mama snaps out of it first. “Rojic!” She yells into the intercom.

Rojic’s familiar growly voice asks, “What?”

“Did you put in that order for cargo – the one for Tatooine?”

“Just working on it.”

“Well belay that order. –And that order. Get us some stuff for Sullust. Fabrics, exotic foodstuffs, brocart filaments….Whatever’s good.”

“Okay.”

In short order, several loading droids trundle up, and start to load Storm Cutter with cargo. Mama and the others go down to the hold to supervise and reluctantly congratulate Rojic on such a swift turnaround.

“Pfft! It was nothing!” Rojic says, hoping that they’ll contradict him. They don’t.

“What is this stuff anyway?” Niall asks, opening the top of a container. “It smells a bit like Bacta.”

“It’s not Bacta. It’s the most exotic foodstuff in the galaxy. An exquisite ‘fruit and fromage’ combo. –There’s also a rare seafood sauce….”

“There’s precious little sea on Sullust.” Jimmi points out. Rojic is in full flow and ignores Jimmi. “There’s also the finest alcohol Mama’s money could buy….On a budget.”

Niall takes a closer look. He picks up samples from an open crate, identifying each one in turn.

“Cheese and pineapple….With cocktail sticks to mount them on….Marie Rose sauce- Otherwise made with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise….And what do we have here….Blue Nun Liebfraumilch.”

Rojic looks proud. “Like I said, the most exotic foodstuff…On a budget.”

As soon as everything is loaded, they get clearance and blast off. Hen3ry plots a course for Sullust, and the others settle in for a short journey through hyperspace.

“Jimmi, what can you tell us about Sullust.”

“Oh loads…I don’t know where to begin….”

“Well try.”

“Well….” Actually Jimmi cannot remember very much. “It’s home to the Sullustans. The major corporation is SoroSuub. That is one of the prime players in the tech game. – Mostly ship parts, electronic devices, weapons vehicles and such. Some civilian, some military. Um….Sullust also held off a Republic invasion not so long ago. –Though it is thought that the Trade Federation had a hand in its defence.”

“If only we could get Gunray.”

“I don’t think the Republic would sanction an assassination.”

Joe-9T looks crestfallen. “Boo! Down with the Republic. What is an assassin droid supposed to do if he can’t assassinate?”

“Well the head’s a bit backed up, the air scrubbers need de-coking and the….” Joe-9T gives a shrug, and puts himself on standby.

Niall and Karnov use the holo to contact Unum. She doesn’t have direct clearance to be at the conference, but can get them access to the sector of the company where it is being held. They touch down in a trade hangar and arrange to offload the cargo. An intel update tells them that they’re a little early. “No matter. We can take in the sights and sounds of the town….”

They leave Joe-9T and the droids looking after the ship, and head downtown. The planet is a warren of tunnels and passages, pierced with a multitude of doorways into residences, offices, workshops and businesses. In a few hundred yards they think they see at least two muggings and a stabbing. They push away filthy beggars and out-of-credits traders. Screams and moans pierce the stale air, and they start to wish for the cleaner and more wholesome atmosphere aboard Storm Cutter. – Which says a lot about downtown Sullust.

“What a wonderful dive you’ve found! Sights and sounds you say!”

“Why does it have to be so dark?”

“I think the natives species lived underground. They tunneled and burrowed through most of the planet…In the meantime evolution took its course and their hearing and eyesight adjusted to their environment.”

They call Unum Murub and arrange to go and see her. She lives in an apartment overlooking a park where the murder rate is under two per hour.

“We are here on Republic business. We were hoping that you might do us a good turn, and get us a way into the conference.”

“I can take you to the building….But I’m risking a great deal to help you.”

Mama and Jimmi try to persuade her. “If you could help just a bit more… Karnov here might help you in return…Or rather help your brother.”

“Let me tell you about my brother….” Unum Murub snaps, before remembering her manners. “It is true that my brother is looking for a master to take him on as a Padawan….”

Karnov steps up to the plate. “If he is suitable. -Then I will train him.”

“He comes highly recommended.”

“We’ll see. But when I make a promise I stick to it.” Karnov says, sounding authoritative.

Unum Murub wavers. “This is a big sacrifice on your part. For that I can get you access to the building and let you have my keycard. If you have some skill in forgery it should be good to get further in.”

The team jumps into action. Rojic starts slicing into the computer system and pulls up schematics of the building and surrounding area. Mama and Niall get to work on replicating the passcard. Jimmi keeps them all happy by not singing, while Karnov discusses Unum Murub’s brother. Near the end of their little montage, Jimmi volunteers to play the harp for them. “I’ll play a rousing tune, I may even sing a little too.”

“Could you wait until we’re back on board Storm Cutter?”

“Why?”

“Only the acoustics are better there.”

“Besides….” Mama says with a grin. “I love the way your music gets gradually less audible the more we pump out the atmosphere!”

Rojic also secures a cargo for their onward passage. Mostly tech parts and machinery. Mama draws the line at shipping food again. Rojic starts complaining. “Aw….Why can’t we ship Brussels sprouts?”

“Not with your appetite. The atmosphere on board is only just recovering from the Nexu we shipped.”

Rojic shushes them as he seals the deal. A second later he whoops in joy. “Fifteen thousand! Woohoo!” He and Mama bury the hatchet and high-five. It nearly sends the Toydarian across the room.

“I take it we made a profit on the food we brought.”

“Fifteen kays!” Rojic shimmies in the air with delight.

“You got lucky.” Niall says, trying to stop the celebrations get out of hand.

Jimmi isn’t convinced. “No. They got Rojic-ed!”

Karnov is sober. “Fifteen thousand split how many ways….?” She stars counting on her fingers. Mama says innocently, “Twelve thousand. I’m sure Rojic said twelve.”

Rojic realises his schoolboy error. “Twelve….I meant twelve. There’s the fuel, the tax the ‘sundry explns’ to deduct.” No-one is taken in by the ruse, except Karnov who has to start the dividing sum all over again.

“What do we do now?” Niall asks. “We need to scope the place. Scout it out before tomorrow. I might just take an evening stroll.”

“Well I wanted and early night.” Jimmi reminds them. “I need to catch up on my beauty sleep.”

“Even a sleep of a thousand years won’t improve that face!” Karnov says, rather unkindly, “What about you two?” she asks Rojic and Mama. The two of them exchange a glance. Rojic says casually, “I was thinking of blending in with the locals. Maybe take a few credits and see if they’d like a spin around the roulette wheels….You know….”

Mama stops him right there. “Actually Rojic, you and gambling are strange bedfellows. – Your record with wagering money in bars, clubs and casinos is rather poor….If not downright criminal.”

“But I learned from Kory. –She taught me everything I know!”

“Maybe she should have taught you everything she knows!”

“But I’m good!”

“A hundred credits says you come back with less than you started with.” Mama tells him.

Rojic puffs up his chest once again. “Easy! Like taking candy from a baby!” He won’t be argued with, and the others are glad to be rid of him for a few hours. “Okay. Take a thousand. –That’s your share.”

“Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!” Rojic sings as he prepares. “I’ll show you!”

Some hours later, the ship is quiet. Rojic’s wings are the merest whisper. He flits up the ramp, and is glad to see that all the lights are off.. The droids are recharging, and the cargo is stowed safely aboard. He glides toward his doorway, and oh-so-gently opens the door.

“Caught you!” Mama says behind him, making him jump.

“Thought you could sneak back and not face us?” she asks.

Rojic blusters, “Well….Er….I…Er….You see… the money….Er….I lost it.”

Karnov is sympathetic. “Lost it you say? Let’s get out immediately! –Retrace your steps, - or rather your ‘flight path.’ -I’m sure if we look we’ll find it.”

“Not that kind of lost….Lost as in ‘frittered away.’” Niall says, approaching with the grace of a stalking Nexu.

Rojic looks for a hole to fly into and hide. There are none.

“How much did you lose?” Mama asks, pointedly.

In a very quiet voice, Rojic says, “Nine hundred and seventy.”

“What was that? I can’t hear you?” By this time the others have emerged from cabins to see Rojic squirm.

“Nine hundred and seventy.”

“So not only did you lose your shirt at the tables, you also owe me a hundred!”

Rojic goes a shade of crimson with embarrassment. “I’ll win it back. I promise. I know exactly where I went wrong.”

“Yeah! You put it all on red, when it came up black!”

“If only everything else in life was as reliable as….” Niall looks around at the tramp freighter with peeling paint; panels hanging off and wires trailing. “As something really reliable.”

Karnov swoops in with the coup de grâce. “-As reliable as Rojic losing money at the sabacc tables!”

Finally, after about twenty minutes of baiting, Mama stops them. Still crowing over her prediction, she lets Rojic go to his cabin and sleep with his shame. She turns to the two Jedi. “How was your evening walk?”

“Rather uneventful, except seeing Rojic losing the lot at the casino. –that’s why we cut the trip short –so we could report back and catch him in the act of sneaking in.”

“Good job!”

“The conference centre isn’t far either. Security firm, but not overly taxing.”

In the morning Rojic has regained his bravado, even though every other comment from Mama reminds him of his failure last night. In the end he can take it no more. “I’ll prove it to you. A straight bet!”

“Put your money where your tusky mouth is, Rojic. Five hundred!”

Rojic’s confidence grows. He disappears into his cabin and brings out a wad of credits big enough to choke a Nerf. He peels off five hundred. Mama tosses a credit stick on the table. Rojic heads out into town, searching for a game. It doesn’t take long. A few hours hour later he flies back. He slides up the ramp and puts a hand on the credit stick. Mama’s hand covers his, pinning it down. “Let me see the winnings….” Rojic swallows hard. He’s lost the lot, apart from twenty credits. He tries to tell a tale of woe, but Niall brings him up short. “It isn’t wise to lie to a Jedi.”

“Nor a woman with two loaded blasters. –who is owed five hundred credits!” Mama tells him. Rojic has to take it on the chin. This time around Mama baits him mercilessly for most of the rest of the day.

Finally it is evening time, and they make their way to the conference building. They manage to bluff their way in as representatives from ‘Storm independent trading company.’ Mama takes the lead, relishing her new confidence at diplomacy. They enter on the ground floor. They find a stairwell and ascend, only to find a locked door. Rojic has got his confidence back, and tells them that it is easy to slice the door. He plugs in a keypad, and it comes up with a code. They punch in the code, but nothing unlocks. Rojic tries again. Still nothing. By this time, some guards have followed them up. The team show their forged badges, but the guards tell them that their clearance doesn’t allow them to be there. Niall pulls a blinder by asking where their clearance is for and how to get there. The guard is wrong footed, and starts giving him directions. Our heroes troop off dutifully until they are out of sight.

Jimmi stops. “What’s up, you smell something?” Karnov asks.

“No….But if I concentrate I might get a bearing on the conference room…” Jimmi trots off at a steady pace, and a few bluffs, showing credentials, and avoiding guards later they are in a corridor alongside the conference halls.

“Made it!”

Outside the hall is a notice board welcoming the delegates…Or rather delegate.... Only Nute Gunray is mentioned. “We’re not invited. This isn’t a conference, it’s a tête-à-tête.”

“So we can’t sit in the hall or blend in with the other delegates?”

“I’m afraid not. There’ll only be Gunray and possibly his aide or bodyguard and a few Sullustans. We aren’t going to mingle among the crowd. –there is no crowd.”

Rojic looks around. “Only a few minutes to go. We can sneak into the auditorium, maybe plant a few bugs….”

“-And maybe find a place to eavesdrop as well.”

This is agreed and they find their way into the room. It is like a lecture theatre, but there are no benches. A small balcony overlooks a small conference table. They hear noises of someone approaching, and dive for what little cover there is. Rojic buzzes around planting listening devices. A Neimoidian comes into the room, along with two Sullustans. They sit down, and after a few minutes of small talk, begin the negotiations in earnest. Jimmi listens in, and translates. Mama can get by in Neimoidian, but is stumped by many of the technical terms. This continues for an hour. Our heroes listen intently to details of capital ships and plans and armaments, and delivery schedules. – They get a broad picture, but not many hard-and-fast details. The delegates stop for a break, and then continue. Another hour passes. Our heroes are getting fidgety. Finally an aide comes in and speaks to the Sullustan. He stands and raises his voice. “Get them! -Now!”

The ruse is suddenly over. Several security guards come into the room, and there are battle droids behind them. Out heroes roll for what little cover there is, and open fire. Mama blasts a battle droid, knocking its head clean off. It continues firing at her, however. Karnov leaps the rail, and with a burst of speed, draws her lightsabre to tackle one of the guards. Another battle droid takes careful aim at Jimmi, but misses. Niall closes on another officer, who shoots him. He responds with the lightsabre, making the officer take a hasty step back and spoiling his aim. Karnov’s officer whips out a vibro-blade and slices into Karnov’s arm. Karnov rolls with the blow, mitigating most of the effect. Mama snaps off another shot, this time felling the headless droid. Jimmi concentrates and lifts the other droid. It spins once before Jimmi sweeps an arm, and sends it smashing into the side wall. It’s wail of “Nooooo!” cutting the air. Karnov beats her officer back, but Niall isn’t so lucky. The officer steps sharply aside and manages a shot on Rojic, who is flying for maximum altitude. Rojic’s squeal of pain is almost as loud as the droid’s before him. Karnov is advancing, looking menacing. “I feel a lot better now that Rojic is injured!” She whoops. Niall regains his footing, and cuts a slice into the officer, who falls down dead. Karnov puts her officer beyond reasonable use, and Jimmi jumps to join them.

“Run!”

They run. Jimmi is trying to navigate and hustle along corridors. They take a wrong turn, but manage to foil their pursuers. Rojic jams a data-spike into a computer terminal. A second’s anxious wait later, and he removes the slicing tool. “Now we’re on levels six and seven!” He says, flapping off as fast as his little wings can take him. They barrel down corridors, and down stairwells, until they stop to catch their breaths. They beat off some guards and seal a door behind them.

Jimmi uses the force to scan the way ahead, and guides them to a side door. They run across the alley and around the corner. Several alarm sirens start up a wailing cacophony. They dodge and weave along side-streets until they come to a vehicle lot. There are three Sullustan security guards lounging by a skimmer. A few blaster shots and whirls of lightsabres and the officers lie dead or dying. Jimmi sneaks off to a hiding place as a patrol vehicle whips by. Mama and Niall hide. Despite all her efforts, Mama can’t manoeuvre Niall into kissing him as they stand in the doorway. Rojic is partly hidden beneath the skimmer, slicing into the security computer. He plants a dozen more possible sightings, and even substitutes patrols for fugitives. After a moment of strenuous non-kissing, Mama gives up on Niall, and pries open the skimmer door. They all pile in. A few twists and turns later, they can see the hangar where Storm Cutter is berthed.

They ditch the skimmer, and creep toward the hangar. “Funny, I don’t remember closing the blast doors.”

“We didn’t!”

“Damn!”

With several feet of durasteel between them and the ship, things are looking desperate. Jimmi can sense some people behind the doors. Niall is ignoring everything. “Just watch my back!” He growls. He fixes something to the door. “Now duck behind the skimmer and cover your ears.”

“Is Jimmi about to sing?”

Niall grabs as many of his companions as he can and rolls into cover. The others follow as an almighty detonation splits the air. “What was that?”

“Demolition charge!”

“Yikes!”

Mama wonders whether Niall has had that in his pocket all along.

“Yup.”

There being no time to discuss it at a committee, they dash across the docking apron. Joe-9T has sensed that something is very wrong, and extends the ramp. “All aboard….” He says helpfully. Mama tosses a transponder to Niall. “Why don’t you drive?” She and Karnov move off to man the guns. “Droids on repair detail. Rojic, you’ve got the shields for now….Don’t mess this up. Hen3ry plot a course as soon as we’re clear!”

“And me, sir?” Trio asks.

“Strap yourself in….Niall’s driving!”

Right on cue, Niall guns the engine, flips the ship ninety degrees, and gives it full throttle out of rapidly closing hangar doors. Storm Cutter slips through with inches to spare. “Whew!” Rojic breathes a sigh of relief.

“We’re not out of the woods yet!”

“Incoming!” Karnov yells. Behind Storm Cutter several Y-wing interceptors have scrambled. Niall punches for more speed, trying to buy time for Hen3ry to plot a course out of there.

“Of course you should have smelled a womp-rat the moment you intercepted that transmission.” Joe-9T says.

“Now’s a fine time to mention it!”

Joe-9T looks smug. “Well, I ask you….When did SoroSuub make capital ships? Their largest product range is a series of personnel carriers.”

“You could have pointed that out before!”

Blaster cannons arc across the gap, making Niall swerve violently.

Joe-9T gloats. “What and miss all this fun….?”

+ + + + + + + + + + +

Six sleek snub fighters slide swiftly out of their Sullustan hangar in search of Storm Cutter.

Niall powers the ship out into space. Mama barks orders, while trundling Hen3ry to the computer interface. Karnov leans on the guns ready to take a shot, while Rojic aligns the shields to double backward. “Those slugs can’t outrun us…”

“You’d better hope so. The last time we presumed that, we nearly got one-shot-killed.”

The Y-Wings press on, but as Rojic predicted, they cannot overtake the freighter.

Mama informs them, “Once we’re clear of the atmosphere, it’ll take a few minutes for Hen3ry to calculate the jump to light speed. All we need to do is to hold them off until then.”

From long range, the Y-wings start shooting. Blue and green streaks of energy spit past them. Niall pulls a barrel roll and the shots pass harmlessly by.

“We need to clear the gravity well; otherwise it’ll burn out the coils.” Rojic warns.

“Tell us when we’re free.” Niall calls back.

Karnov peers down the sights of the guns. The fighters are gaining but only fractionally. She settles in for a protracted fight. In the other turret, Jimmi starts to stretch out into the force.

Rojic is watching a spinning display counting up to zero. As long as it is positive, they can make the jump. Minus two hundred, minus one hundred, minus fifty…. He braces himself for a bumpy few minutes of intense combat.

“Okay, start calculating, we’re very nearly cleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaa……rrrrrr!”

The Y-Wings fire a concentrated spread pattern, but Storm Cutter has already jumped to hyperspace.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Footnotes. THe episode was cut short, and resumed the next week, hence the '+ + +' divide. The next section lasted all of 40 seconds, when Hen3ry rolled a natural 20 to jump to hyperspace!