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Extinction Point 1999 short story by Mark Newbold Seventeen years before Episode IV - A New Hope "I should
have done this a long time
ago." Duze Jostenn eased back into his seat and drew the hookah
to his lips, drawing a deep drag and blowing it out slowly. He allowed a smile to seep across his
opulent, well-fed face and turned his head towards the figure that stood next
to the window, a silent silhouette that only betrayed his presence by a
steady, rhythmic breathing. Jostenn
waited patiently for a reaction from his companion. Patience was a virtue well learnt by the
obese ganglord. It wasn't by accident
that he had totally ruled the Setnin Sector underworld for six decades and a
finely honed sense of patience had assisted him enormously. All
good things come to those who wait was Jostenns personal adage, and it
had served him well. And even at this
time in his life and his career he had no reason to alter his views. Much had changed in the last few decades -
the newly risen Empire, headed by the treacherous Emperor Palpatine had
destroyed and replaced the Republic.
Those interfering Jedi Knights had been slain and Setnin had withdrawn
from the Republic and as yet had suffered little interference from the
Empire. But Jostenn was not worried - he had found the Empire to be easily
corruptible, just like any other organisation. He returned his attention to his mute companion. "Well? What do you think of my plan? Audacious, eh?" The man turned, his profile edged by the light of the
triple moons of the world of Yotil. He
opened his lips, as if to speak, and then withdrew. His back straightened and he returned his
attention to the city outside. Jostenn
shifted in his chair and leaned forward. "If I am to
speak to the walls then there is little point in you being here, is there
Glann?" Glann Cipple smiled and unclasped his hands from behind
his back, turning to face his new business partner. His baldhead shined in the office light and
the fresh scar glowed ruby red along the side of his face. Jostenn raised his eyebrows in expectation. "Our
annexation of Geon Tasar's operation was a bold
move." Jostenn said as he rose to
his feet. "One that couldn't have
been accomplished without your extensive knowledge of his operation. I'm impressed." He stood before Cipple. "And after sixty years of control,
that is a rare feat." Glann nodded deeply and opened his arms. "It was
nothing. Tasar is nothing. There are far more worthy operations which
we should turn our attentions to." Jostenn smiled, almost in amusement. He nodded. "Like who,
exactly?" "The Velixx Concern in the Quarshannel Sector. They would be a substantial addition to our
operation." Jostenn shook his head and took Cipple by the arm. They both stood next to the large window,
taking in the night view.
"Quarshannel has always been a thorn to us in the Setnin Sector,
but it has been a thorn without a prickle for the last sixty years. I made certain…agreements when I disposed
of my predecessor. Quarshannel is out
of bounds." He pointed towards
the sky above and the moons that glistened there. "Setnin is enough for us." Glann looked at Jostenn out of the corner of his eye and
folded his arms. Jostenn noticed this
reaction through the reflection in the glass and turned to face his younger
associate. "Glann,
since we began our business partnership I couldn't help but notice that there
have been more than a few decisions that you have not been entirely impressed
with." "I'll admit
that our methods are not always concurrent." Jostenn breathed in deeply. "Well I'll
tell you this. I have been in control
of the Setnin Sector since before you were born. Since before the Republic fell and the
Empire rose and the Jedi were destroyed and Arnee Kwarnee began his
show. And shall I tell you why?" Cipple nodded once.
He’d heard this story before, many times, but he always humoured his
former employer. And he always gleaned
something new from every telling. "Because I
know the lie of the land. I know how
it all works. Keep the A-desandians
happy and stay away from Janos. Don't
upset the Ferrereans and run all your tax losses through Chancai." He smiled and walked back to his seat. "You know this as
well as I do. You're a smart
operator. I know that because you decided
to come into business with me. And if
you listen to me, watch and learn like you did when you were working for me
before, then you may have the smarts to become my successor. When I die." Glann clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his
head in deference. "I
appreciate your continuing faith in my abilities. And I shall repay it through my
efforts. But you must see it from my
point of view. I am at the beginning
of a career as an operator in the sector.
I came from far away from Setnin to start a new life and I don't need to know the lie of the land. I have my own way of doing business." "Your own
agenda." stated Jostenn flatly.
Cipple nodded. "If you
will. I greatly respect what you have
achieved throughout the past sixty years.
It is inspirational. But in
order to forge ahead I believe that we have to look outside our borders and
expand. Make the Jostenn Empire an
even greater concern." Jostenn smiled again and intertwined his fingers, rubbing
them thoughtfully together. "I'm an old
man Glann. I don't crave
expansion. Besides, Setnin is one of
the largest sectors in the Mid-Rim.
What does the Quarshannel Sector offer that Setnin doesn't?" Glann Cipple clenched his fists behind his back and
gritted his teeth through his smiling lips.
"Challenge." Duze Jostenn raised his eyebrows in surprise. "A
challenge?" He coughed out a
laugh. "Glann, I do believe
you're serious!" Glann made no attempt to either show or hide his
annoyance at this belittling comment.
He simply stared straight ahead as Jostenn raised the hookah to his
lips and drew again. "I am
rarely anything but serious." Jostenns smile vanished in an instant and he locked eyes
with his young associate, his body fixed rigid. "You do like a challenge, don't you?” he
growled slowly as he drew again.
"Well Glann, you may get what you wish for…but not today. We have
other business to attend to. Contact
your best men and tell them to be on alert." "Why?" Duze Jostenn flinched in annoyance and narrowed his stare. "Because I
asked them to. Tell them to prepare
for a possible incursion into the sector by an outside force. One that I have no intention of allowing to
remain." He paused and looked up
from his bubbling hookah raising his eyebrows in feigned surprise. "You're still here, partner?" Glann Cipple bowed once again and exited the large
office. Closing the doors behind him
he walked the long corridor and entered the turbo lift, pressing the button
for his own temporary office on the fourth floor. As he waited for the doors to open he
activated his comm unit and spoke quietly into the
receiver. "This is
Cipple. I have a job for you." Duze Jostenn bowed to his major domo as he walked up the
ramp of his starship and prepared himself for the long journey out to the Coreward world of Remlan.
He nodded in acknowledgement to his waiting captain and passed three
more bodyguards as he left the main corridor and entered his main
quarters. Waiting for him were three
advisors and another two guards who stood stoically in the corner. Jostenn removed his jacket and seated
himself, throwing it onto an empty chair.
The massive starship Hekgleader
rumbled as its main engines revved and a few brief seconds later the ship
left the flat ground of Yotil and slowly ascended into the skies. Jostenn took a glass of Shiba-Di'xx, a
drink from the desert world of Yuma, from the waiter droid, knocked a hefty
swig back and leaned into his seat. "So. What news do you have for me?" The first of his advisors, a large man named Kollspar,
stepped forward and glanced down at the flim that he held in his large hands. "Our first
order of business is the procedure for our discussions once we reach
Remlan. As you know, Guildmaster
Evanson is a stickler for protocol." Jostenn raised an eyebrow in ironic agreement and smiled
at his advisors. "I do. Which is why I pay for
you good men to cover for my inadequacies." They all laughed easily and accepted their drinks from
the waiter droid. Kollspar continued. "He will insist
on a formal banquet as soon as you arrive, followed by preliminary
discussions concerning our proposed plans to inhibit the influx of outside
operators entering our trade area." Jostenn smiled and downed the remainder of his glass. "All of
which sounds satisfactory to these old ears.
What then?" "A tour of
the new Noscage spice facilities in their primary city and another formal
banquet…" "Like their
food, don't they?" Jostenn
observed dryly. Kollspar was about to answer in the affirmative when they all
turned their heads. A sound, like a
thump echoed down the main corridor.
Jostenn sat up in his seat and placed the empty glass on the floor. "Stay here
sir." said one of the guards sternly.
"We'll check this out." Duze Jostenn nodded stiffly, ignoring the harshness of
his guard's order. He paid these men a
king's ransom to protect him - if they were anything less than
funnel-focussed on their job then he'd have to fire them…permanently. No one left the employ of Duze Jostenn
without a sure-fire reminder of their time with him. Glann Cipple had been a rare exception, and
only because Jostenn saw within him the potential for future uses. Jostenn smiled and motioned to his advisors
to seat themselves. "It's
probably nothing. After all, what
could possibly happen on the Hekgleader?
Is there anyone foolish enough to attempt an attack on this ship?" His advisors shook their heads in unison and took sips
from their drinks. Jostenn looked at
each of them and narrowed his eyes. Relax you cowards. What fool would even dare try an attack? The three guards slammed against the wall and edged their
way along, checking the various ancillary rooms for movement. All clear.
The lead guard dropped to his knees and poked his head around the wall
to look down the main corridor.
Nothing, although the distinct smell of ozone from a Blaster could be
detected. He gave his men a hand
motion to follow and stepped out into the corridor. The Hekgleader
was out of Yotil's atmosphere and powering relentlessly
towards the entry point for the jump across the sector to Remlan, blurred
points of lights which represented stars speeding past the window as the realspace shifted into a purple miasma of confusion and
hyperspace. The guards nudged down
further and paused at the entry to the cockpit. The door was ajar. The lead guard gripped his blaster rifle
and moved forward… …not feeling the icy cold stab of metal until it was too
late, and the hilt of the bayonet was buried right into his chest. He groaned and fell back into his two
companions who instinctively reached for him as he dropped. Exposed, they were in no position to defend
themselves from the swift attack that felled them
both in a flurry of hacking blades.
The hooded assailant grabbed the three dying men and pulled them into
the cockpit, securing the door behind him.
He coldly covered their mouths with a large, gloved hand and slit
their throats. Depositing their lifeless
bodies in a pile next to the other two guards, the captain and her co-pilot,
he wiped his bayonet clean of blood and moved to the nava-computer. Jostenn stepped away from the large window that revealed
the swirl of hyperspace and leaned against the wall, Shiba-Di'xx still in
hand. His advisors had secured the
door, pressing chairs and tables against it for good measure and stood around
Jostenns seat, sweating. The elderly
ganglord clasped his hands together and smiled. "My
friends, is there the slightest possibility that my earlier comments about
the safety of this vessel were…overly optimistic?" Kollspar stepped forward. "I believe
so sir. Without wishing to sound
pessimistic I think we may have to face the possibility that someone has
circumvented our security measures." Jostenn grimaced and moved back to his chair. "Remind me
to give you a raise for your diligence once we get back to Yotil." He shook his head slowly in confusion. "What I don't understand is who?
And why." Kollspar frowned. "I need not
remind you that you have naturally accrued many enemies during your six
decades of operation. And it's not the
first time that you have been attacked.
Remember the assassination attempt on Wattana?" Jostenn nodded earnestly.
One of the only times he had left the comfort and comparative safety
of the Setnin Sector was when he had travelled to the Brother Sector and the
world of Wattana for a crucial meeting with other
neighbouring sector ganglords. But it
was a trap, and he had retreated back to Setnin barely alive and much the
wiser for his folly. Kollspar was
right - this was no isolated incident.
Attempts were made on his life all the time, but his best men kept it
from him. "You are
correct. So, if this is an attempt on
my life what is to be done?" Kollspar glanced at his fellow advisors and his shoulders
sagged. "Pray that
your men really are the best that money can buy." The hooded man finished his calculations and entered them
into the nava-computer. The Hekgleader's
next hyperspace exit point would lead them through the Bordin Space Lane and
right through towards Remlan. There
was little Imperial activity in this part of the Mid-Rim, just the occasional
appearance of Victory Class Star Destroyers and wings of Imperial Fighters. Enough to keep the local systems in line,
but not enough to bother the established operators of the Mid-Rim. And certainly not a man
like Duze Jostenn. The hooded man straightened and looked outside, his
matt-black faceplate glowing from the reflected light of the purple maelstrom
outside. Seconds later the Hekgleader dropped from hyperspace to
re-orient itself and head in a new direction. But not the one originally programmed by the captain of
the vessel. The man surveyed the board before him and selected a
batch of switches and buttons. Life
support, lighting, security measures, all of them lay open and vulnerable
before him. With a swipe of his gloved
hand he de-activated them and moved out of the cockpit towards the main
corridor… "…and an
excellent idea it is too, sir, but if I may be so bold…the lights!" Kollspar dropped to the ground as the main cabin lights
flickered and died, along with the reassuring hum of the atmosphere
controls. And the light panels which
displayed the security countermeasures.
Jostenn wiped his forehead in the dim light of hyperspace and kneeled
next to the chair. "I would
say that confirms my worst fears. So,
Kollspar. Advise me. What should your
beleaguered employer do now?" "Pull us
out of hyperspace and get to an escape pod.
Sir." added Kollspar respectfully. Jostenn laughed. Polite and to the point with bells and
ribbons on. But he was right. Unless he managed to get to a pod or drop
them from lightspeed then it was likely that this very ship would turn out to
be his grave. And that most definitely
didn't follow the script. Nor did the sound of the door being forced open,
scrapping against the stack of tables and chairs that were piled against
it. His advisors pushed closer to the
far wall, knowing that the design of the room gave them only two ways out -
the window or the cluttered door. With
what seemed like minimal effort the blockage was heaved aside and the door
slowly opened. Jostenn squinted in the
semi light at the silhouette that stood in the doorway, rifle in hand. It breathed heavily and looked to its
right. Silently it entered the room,
walking towards the huddle of advisors who tried desperately to phase through
the bulkhead and into the next room.
He eyed them keenly, looking at each in turn and then whipped his
rifle to bear and blasted the two junior advisors into oblivion. He cocked his head at Kollspar who stared
at him imploringly and brought the butt of the rifle down on his jaw in a
savage motion. The large man hit the
floor with a heavy thud. Letting out a
short breath he turned and faced Jostenn. "Duze
Jostenn." The hooded man stated
flatly. "I am here to kill
you." Jostenn narrowed his eyes as the words echoed around the
room. He recognised the voice, as
distinctive as if it was his own. "I thought
as much,” said the ganglord as he stood from his hidden position and moved
around to sit in his seat. His actions
were fluid, free of tension. "You
spared Kollspar. I assume he is to
assist Cipple in the future?" The hooded man nodded once, unsurprised that Duze had realised
it was his ambitious, junior partner who had ousted him. "The crew
is dead. This ship has taken a new
course. And you are to be
eliminated." "So why
wait?" Jostenn smiled. "I knew this day would come. It comes for all leaders. That fateful day when you learn that those
you believed you could trust turn out to be the poison chalice you've so
successfully avoided all your life." The hooded man shifted on the spot and took a step
forward. "You are to
be removed because you have become irrelevant. There are younger men with vision who
deserve to take your place." Jostenn laughed out loud. "You mean
men like Glann Cipple? Why, he's just
an arrogant pup with delusions of leadership and a bloated sense of
self-importance." "And you're
not?" Jostenn clenched his raised fist in defiance. "What I am,
what I've been, is everything that Cipple should strive to be. Brave in the face of defeat. Wise in the face of lunacy. Resolute in the face of stupidity. That fool Cipple, he'll never amount to half of what I am. And do you know why, my friend? Because he is an outsider! And there's nothing that Setnin needs less
than an outsider." The hooded man walked from the shadows up to the edge of
Jostenns seat and removed his hood.
Jostenn wagged his finger disapprovingly at the weapon-ready
assassin. Carlonian Feese remained
implacable. "I'm
disappointed in you Feese.” He spoke quietly, the sentence laced with double
meaning. “You're supposed to be
repelling an invasion force that's entering the sector." He folded his arms. "Why aren't you at your post?" "That
invasion force was invited to the sector by Cipple. To assist in his efforts in taking Setnin
as his own." "An astute
move. But there are few things in this
universe that scare me. I've looked
right down the throat of fear and it flinched away." Feese
paused for a fraction of a second, glancing out of the window at the
confusion of hyperspace. He turned
back to Jostenn. "You wish
to face fear for the final time? Allow me help you." Carlonian Feese removed his iron faceplate, something he
never, ever did, and revealed his savaged, worm-eaten features. Riddled strips of Mon Calamarian flesh hung
in tatters, open sores glistened and chunks of meat lay bare and
exposed. It was a sight that had
scared men into near insanity, sent others running and screaming for
cover. But Duze Jostenn was a man as
good as his word. He shrugged his
shoulders. "I've seen
worse." Carlonian Feese raised his rifle and settled his webbed finger
onto the guard less trigger. "See you in
hell Jostenn. Your time has
arrived." "Tell
Cipple I'll be waiting." The rifle flashed. Duze Jostenn died. A new era began. Extinction Point 1999 short story by Mark Newbold Seventeen years before Episode IV - A New Hope Histories - Set well before the events of Star Wars, this tale tells of how Glann Cipple finally removed his
predecessor Duze Jostenn and
secured his position as the prime ganglord in the Setnin Sector. Using the Mon Calamarian assassin Carlonian Feese, Cipple
utilised the main assassin of Jostenns employment against him, and ushered in
a new era. Cast of Characters Duze Jostenn Glann Cipple Carlonian Feese Kollspar |