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Word Gets
Around 2000 short story by Mark Newbold Thirty years after Episode
IV – A New Hope
“I’ll say it one more time. If
there’s no payment then there’s no delivery.”
Tannis Rixx narrowed his eyes at the
squat Gamp and waited for a response.
The thick-hided alien turned, consulted a notepad and scratched away
for a few moments before turning back with a placid smile across its face.
“Okay, okay Mister Rixx. I think
I know what you’re saying. Let
us say that you leave the delivery.
I then consult my associates and we mutually agree to
send the money on afterwards. That
would be satisfactory, yes?” Tannis closed his eyes and allowed the
fresh breeze of Kanina to wash over him.
Gemo the Gamp was putting plenty of emphasis on what he was saying,
only in the wrong places. Here, close
to the edge of what was once a great oceanic continental shelf but was now a
dry swampland, Rixx could almost feel at ease with the galaxy - if he allowed
himself to. With
life, the universe and everything else in it. But there was a turf war raging throughout
the Setnin Sector. Fights for
independence, for territory, fights over old rivalries and new alliances. Battles with allies who
swore never to breach the peace.
Battles on the floor of the Chamber of Systems and throughout the once
powerful and influential but now fractured underworld. Tannis blew out a long, tired breath. And here I am on a swamp of a planet
haggling credits and regulations with a squat little doorstop like Gemo the
Gamp. Where’s the sense in that? Gemo squinted up at Tannis as the suns
began to slowly set across the vast horizon.
Rixx ran his hand across his bald, scared head, from the bridge of his
nose to the top of his spine and stared down, his pure white Janite eyes
reflecting the glow of the distant suns.
It made his eyes look aflame.
“Gemo, I know that you’re a good customer and I believe
that we could work this out but if I don’t get the money for the Cipple
sisters then I know that I’ll have to leave with my cargo
undelivered.” He leaned in closer to
the Gamp, who nervously looked from side to side for support. But that support in the form of four
bodyguards had melted back a number of meters. Not even they were foolish enough to get
aggressive with an ex-Janos Executioner turned smuggler like Tannis
Rixx. Gemo was on
his own. “And if I get back to
Amagad in the dead of winter with a full cargo then the only thing that will
thaw will be your cold dead head in a bucket of ice, because I’ll be damned
if I’m taking the rap for a stunted tree stump like you.” Rixx looked angrily at the four bodyguards,
a stare that at once invited their attack and informed them of what would
happen if they were foolish enough to try.
“Do we understand each other?” They wisely remained rooted to the
spot. Janos Executioners weren’t know
for giving ultimatums and it would be rude to ignore one offered
so…reasonably. Gemo swallowed a wad of phlegm and
nodded eagerly.
“Okay, okay Tannis, I get the picture.
C.O.D or nothing at all.” He motioned in irritation to one of his
bodyguards who approached. “Fifteen
thousand credits, not a donalee less. Satisfied?” Tannis Rixx snatched the purse away
from the Gamp and opened it. A credit
stick with the agreed price sat at the bottom of the velvet purse. He forced away a satisfied smile and stared
harshly at the five men.
“The Cipple sisters don’t have to hear of your reluctance to
pay me.”
“Glad to hear of it.” Chimed Gemo as he folded his arms and allowed a self-satisfied
grin to leak across his face.
Rixx narrowed his stare and furrowed his hairless brow. Gemo shrank the smile away into a lipless
fixed line of fear.
“But if I ever have to ask you for anything twice again then it
will be the last time. Do we
understand each other?” Gemo the Gamp nodded a muscle-knotted
nod as Rixx stood to his full height and secured the purse. He took a final glance at the boiling sun
as its last vestiges of flame flickered over the horizon and turned to return
to his transport.
“Per-per-perfectly Mister Rixx.”
“Good. The Cipple sisters would
hate to lose another satisfied customer.” It was the worst storm he could
remember. Snow whipped around the Bay
of Amagad in a furious blizzard of steel-edged flakes. Outside, the flecks lacerated like shards
of cutting diamond. Inside his vessel,
the Worons Pride, his shields were just about the only thing keeping
the hull plating attached to the ship.
And Tannis Rixx hated the snow.
It was yet another thing that reminded him that every world was inferior
to his beloved Janos. The red sands,
the blistering suns, the salt flats.
Here on Amagad, a planet thrown into a nuclear winter by the impact
caused by the legendary Janite ship the Heed over twenty years ago, a
temperate climate had given way to a furious ice box of a weather system that
showed little sign of abating.
Certainly, scientists had predicted that the orbit of Amagad was
rapidly returning to its former state.
Many believed that the regularity of the storms would lessen swiftly
over the next handful of years. But
that was too long for Tannis Rixx. The
only thing that kept him coming back to Amagad was the regular payments of
the Cipple sisters, and the work they shifted his way. But it wasn’t always like this. Tannis had still been a Janos Executioner
when Glann Cipple, the father of Bessa and Breia Cipple, had fallen. When the Heed had destroyed what was
the most influential criminal empire in the Setnin Sector since Duze
Jostenn’s reign. Others claimed their
spoils but in effect the Setnin Sector underworld had never been the same
since. It had fragmented, shattered
down into the component parts of what was once a unified underworld. Of course, within that underworld there
were power struggles. Cipple, Dressel,
Geon Tasar, Pocock. But Cipple was now
believed dead, as was Dressel. Tasar
had died at the hands of the mercenary Ryath Centaur, now leader of the
sector-famed Iron Claws mercenary unit.
And Jomobol Pocock had gone legit.
Which left Setnin without the backbone that had kept
the Empire largely at bay. Kept the likes of Black Sun and Jabba the Hutt away from its
borders. Kept
the autonomy of the sector from the looming influence of the New Republic
after the final demise of the Galactic Empire. But even that had changed. After almost fifty years Setnin had
rejoined the larger galaxy by signing a reintegration treaty with the New
Republic, later renamed the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances after a
crushing defeat at Coruscant by the invading Yuuzhan Vong, and many Setnin
citizens believed that it was for the best.
But they were wrong, and it took a Janite to realise this. It took Tannis Rixx to realise this. And therein lay the problem. Janos Executioners were not expected to
hold opinions, especially political ones.
Janos was a world of doctrine. Of religious fervour and belief. And the Janos Executioners were the
ultimate weapon in the Emperor Priests continuing struggle to cast the wisdom
and the will of the Janite religious system across the remainder of the
sector. But Tannis Rixx was a restless
soul, and one who had thoughts and beliefs that demanded to be heard. And so when he was
brought up before his superiors to be held accountable for harbouring `Thoughts
of an independent nature’ he plead guilty and fashioned an escape, never
to return to his beloved homeworld. And all
because he had a dream.
One that held no place for the Galactic Alliance,
the Empire or any other organisation from outside Janos’ borders. He wanted a return to the old, isolated
days. So he did what no other
isolationist would do. He renounced
his military ways and travelled the galaxy as a smuggler with the intent to
learn as much about the alien infidels as he could. To compile a true guide to the galaxy and
take it home to his people, even if it meant his death upon delivering
it. And fifteen years later he was
still compiling, but his motives had altered. The galaxy wasn’t the place painted by
the teachings of the Janite leaders.
Certainly it was a place of debauchery and sin, but in no larger
measure than on his homeworld. And a
common decency was widespread throughout the sectors, although the criminal
elements were uniformly less than honest.
Rixx found the galaxy no more or no less than what he expected. But it wasn’t the galaxy that the
Janite teachers said it would be. It
wasn’t the galaxy that the Janite teachers said it was. His travels had brought him into
contact with a number of beings, the novelty of an ex-Executioner making him
an unusual number to have available.
Soon he was employed with regularity as a smuggler who always got the
job completed and who would travel to the bleakest worlds without
complaint. And as his reputation
increased, so did his paycheques. And with that, the regularity of his work. And so within a few short months his
efforts to compile documents on the galaxy slowed to a trickle and his
attentions shifted to the business at hand.
Being a
smuggler. His time of learning coincided with
the disappearance of the sectors most famous smuggler Jan Lomona and so
Tannis Rixx, along with Petrol Merritch, became one of the pre-eminent
smugglers in the local regions. And as
time passed his excursions out of the Setnin Sector decreased and eventually
the bulk of his work was within Setnin’s borders. And whilst in any other field that
narrowing of his operational parameters would be seen as a hindrance, those
in the know could see that his focusing on the Setnin jobs was a sure sign of
his excellence. And two sisters saw
what they wanted in the Janite smuggler and made certain they employed him. Breia and
Bessa Cipple. Rixx was impressed with these two
young women. Both were strong,
independent characters with iron wills and a firm grasp of what they wanted
from life, and the Setnin Sector. The
elder sister Bessa had spent years away from Setnin and so her appreciation
for the sector was wrought from a fierce pride in the influence Setnin held
over other systems and sectors. Brea
had also been away, with her mother Bella after Cipples fall, but had
returned to join her sister and stake a claim as leader of the Setnin
underworld. And in Tannis Rixx’s eyes
they had done just that. After all,
would he be working for them if they were anything less? No – only the strong, only the determined, only
the believers were worthy of his services and loyalty. And Rixx had been loyal to the sisters, and
they to him. He’d follow them through the gates of
hell. Worons Pride powered down
swiftly, her intra-ship systems kicking in to protect the ship from the icy
blasts outside which had made other visiting vessels to Amagad susceptible to
the heat changes as they blasted away into the unforgiving friction of the
atmosphere and then the icy depths of space.
Wrapping a heavy cloth shawl around his shoulders and over his
sheer-domed head he ran his hand across the scar that adorned it, paused in
thought and then exited his ship. Rixx ran up to the Fortress. Being of Janite extraction he felt the cold
more keenly than most, but braved it without so much
as a snarl. Certainly, he hated this
world. A previous visit during his
years compiling his guide had shown him a devious, underhand society, but one
with a climate he could adjust to.
Modern-day Amagad…it was just as well the Cipple sisters were worth
the discomfort. He entered the Fortress and was
ushered into the turbolift without a word.
A smooth elevation to the ninth floor followed, past the Shadow
Warriors complex on the fourth level.
Rixx grimaced at that. Shadow
Warriors, trained by Ferrereans, a race that he and his world had fought
against many times. Two
warrior societies, so similar but cast apart by cultural differences and the
belief that they were the superior race. Which of
course the Janites were. The turbolift reached its destination
and the doors parted, allowing Rixx a view down the long corridor leading to
the Cipple sister’s office. He removed
the shawl, slung it over his shoulder and strode to the doors. Two unfamiliar guards momentarily blocked
his path, but parted when they realised who it was. Nodding curtly to them he opened the doors. Brea was stalking the balcony, the
full fury of the storm whipping around her like the claws of a mad
witch. Rixx frowned as he closed the
doors too – is she mad? The snow
shards will cut her to pieces. He
noticed Bessa working away at the desktop computer and she smiled as she
raised her elegant head towards him.
Her deep brown eyes were a magnet, luring Rixx deeper into the room
and he welcomed their attraction as he moved to the desk and seated himself
without invitation. Bessa sat straight
and nodded.
“Tannis, you’re back.”
“Evidently so.”
“You have the Gamps money?” Tannis reached inside his jacket
pocket and pulled out the velvet purse.
He opened it and allowed the cred-stick to roll onto the
tabletop. Bessa smile and reached
across to retrieve it. Fifteen
thousand credits. Not bad for two days
work. Tannis motioned towards Brea,
who was still walking across the balcony like a caged animal. Bessa smiled again.
“Force field.
Really Tannis, do you think I’d risk my little sisters
life with such abandon?” It was a
light-hearted comment, met with a furrowed brow.
“Only for the right reasons Bessa.”
Bessa Cipple froze for a second, unsure if this was another example of Rixx’s dry
wit or a damning comment on her modus operandi. Bessa could be as ruthless as her legendary
lost father at times, and added to the assets of her mother that made for a
volatile combination. She let the
moment pass.
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.
You know that.”
“This is a little out of your remit.
It’s not a smuggling job.” Good, thought Rixx. New challenges inspire me.
“What do you want me to do?” Bessa stood, her full-length gown
shimmering across her as she moved to join Brea on the balcony. The younger sister turned at the sound of
her approach and closed her eyes.
“The storms are so fierce today.
So dangerous.
It’s intoxicating.” Bessa raised an eyebrow in agreement.
“It will pass. All things
pass.” She turned to Tannis. “Even the Setnin Sector will eventually
pass.” Tannis shook his head a notch, almost
imperceptibly but enough to register his disagreement.
“Never.
Setnin will prevail through all.
And Janos shall endure even that.”
“A sentiment which I wish I could share. My spies have brought me disturbing
news. As you know, Janos has declared
war with the sector.” Rixx stiffened, his jaw clenched
tightly.
“I am aware of that.” Bessa touched him on the arm in a
comforting gesture.
“Tannis, relax. What I think of
you and what I think of Janos are two separate things.” Rixx eyed her closely.
“Are they? They shouldn’t be.”
“Why?” Interjected
Brea as she joined their conversation fully. “You agree with what Janos is doing?”
“In a way,
yes. We’ve always craved
isolation. Janos is best left
alone. But our new Emperor Priest
believes that we should become even more a part of Setnin than our beloved
former Emperor Priest did. And the
presence of the interfering Galactic Alliance jeopardises that.”
“What makes you think that?” Asked Bessa with interest.
“Because the Galactic Alliance hates Janos almost as much as the
Empire did. And everyone knows that a
Setnin Sector without Janos would be easy pickings for any aggressive power
bordering us. The
Ki-Ki Sector, Quarshannel, Lebbat, any sector with aggressive tendencies
towards us. Our Emperor Priest
Akallon also knows this. And I truly
believe the reason Janos has decided to declare war on Setnin is not to
attack Setnin, but to protect it from within.” Bessa nodded and folded her arms
across her chest.
“An interesting interpretation of the events.”
“It’s a Janite state of mind.”
“It’s of Janos that I wish to speak with you. As I said, my spies have brought disturbing
news. News that I
want you to confirm for me.” Rixx cocked his head in interest.
“What news?” Brea interjected with a flourish.
“That will be made clear to you on your journey. The walls have ears, Tannis Rixx, and we
don’t want to make your mission any harder for you than it already is. But I shall say this. Pack light and take your sun block.” Bessa nodded in agreement and raised
her perfectly arched eyebrow again.
Rixx at once understood, and the rush of adrenaline and dread flooded
his senses. A mission to
Janos. A journey home, after two decades. But to do what? Bessa watched him keenly as the
thoughts ran through his mind.
“Do you accept Tannis?” Tannis Rixx bowed curtly to his lady
and nodded.
“How could I ever refuse?” Word Gets
Around 2000 short story by Mark Newbold Thirty years after Episode
IV – A New Hope Histories – Part of the Ki-Ki
invasion stories, this introduces the Janite smuggler Tannis Rixx and goes a long way to showing the history of the man who the Cipple sisters Bessa
and Brea have utilised as their
number one most trusted operative. Cast of Characters Tannis Rixx Bessa Cipple Brea Cipple Gemo the Gamp |