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Anzai Karoo: The Execution Derrick 1988 short story by Jonathan Hicks One year after Episode IV - A New Hope Anzai
Karoo clicked the air drill back onto its clip in the tool locker. He flopped his
tired frame into the nearest seat and let out a long, exaggerated sigh of
relief. “Finished at last.” He cried in jubilation. “No more repairs until we get to Wennicas.” Karoo
and his Astromech Droid assistant K3-NIK, who Anzai called NIK, had been
working on their starship the Cannon
Angel for most of the week. Most
of the major wiring components required resoldering
and this had taken much of the time.
The other repairs had been simple, jobs that collectively taken
perhaps half a day in total. Anzai
hated repair work, so NIK took care of the bulk of it. NIK, programmed for obedience, willingly
completed the tasks. Being a jovial
character, Anzai disliked NIK’s straightforward
nature so he’d had him reprogrammed many years ago when he was still the ship
Droid aboard their previous starship the Happy
Contriver. Unusually for an
Astromech, NIK had a vocal device, allowing him to talk directly to his
master. “No more repairs?” Asked NIK.
“Like hell. What about those
clamp locks on the inner hatches you want installed? Or the new ramp seals you said we needed so
badly back on A-desando.” NIK placed
the last of the machinery into the locker and flicked it shut with his
appendage. Anzai
waved an irritated hand at him. “That’ll have to wait till Wennicas. We won’t have any trouble till then.” NIK
rotated his cylindrical domed head in a rough approximation of a shaking
head. “I’ll get the rest of our stuff.” He
pivoted on his central wheel and rolled to the outer door. Anzai smiled to himself. Shame NIK wasn’t really human. “Anzai, Anzai, wake up quick!” NIK
shook Anzai awake with one of his appendages. “Anzai, wake up! Anzai!” Anzai
had been thinking to himself earlier that if he remained in the
leather-padded seat that he was sure to fall asleep. He had, and now he was annoyed to be
awaked. “Karoo, you should open your eyes. Open them now.” That
wasn’t NIK’s voice. Anzai
opened an eye slowly only to find it staring down
the business end of a Blaster rifle.
He felt the icy trickle of sweat accumulate and run down his temples. “It’s rude to point.” He remarked calmly. “On your feet. Hurry up, I
haven’t the time to waste. On your
feet and lock the outer hatch. C’mon
scum, move!” Anzai
wobbled unsteadily on his feet as he signalled NIK to do what the man had
said. After all, it was always unwise
to disobey an Imperial Commander with a Blaster rifle. NIK
returned to Anzai’s side. The Imperial
waved the rifle at the Droid and motioned to Karoo. “Shut it off.” Anzai
frowned and turned to NIK as the small Astromech Droid opened its chest
panel. “It’s alright Anzai. Shut me down and I’ll and recharge for a
while. I’ll be fine.” Anzai
reached into NIK’s chest and depressed a switch,
then twisted a knob labelled `timer’ and closed the panel as the Droids
lights dimmed to stand-by mode. “Right,” Said the Imperial, pointing his
weapon back towards Anzai. “Take me to
the…Uhhh…” The
Imperial staggered and clutched at his shoulder, which Anzai noticed, was
drenched in blood. He lunged forward
to take advantage of the Imperials pain but in a fluid motion the Imperial
brought his weapon up to point at Anzai’s throat. “Back off.” He hissed through gritted teeth. “Back off or I’ll decorate the inside of
your skull.” Anzai
backed off slowly. To his amazement
two other Imperials ran into the compartment.
One was a lieutenant, the other an armoured sergeant. The lieutenant spoke first. “The hatchway is secure, sir. The Executioners are outside the ship now.” Anzai’s
eyebrows lifted in surprise and shock.
It was then that he noticed a black pouch hanging from the commander’s
belt. Embossed on the pouch was an
emblem. The emblem of the Janos
Executioners. Almost
three years previously the Empire had invaded the world of Janos. A deeply religious and isolationist society,
the Janites had reacted with anger and rebellion at the invasion and
succeeded in repelling the Empire from their world after a two year
occupation. But Janos was also
required by the Empire for its most dangerous natural resource – Janos
Jewels, an ore found only on Janos and Escall which possessed incredible
explosive properties. After the
retreat, the Emperor priest of Janos sent out Janos Executioners after those
Imperials who had taken Janos Jewels from the homeworld. This was one such Imperial. “Janos Executioners, eh?” Smiled Karoo. “I’d say you’re in big trouble.” “These fools have been chasing us for
three days.” “Shouldn’t have taken their jewels then,
should you?” The
Imperial frowned. “That’s enough out of you. Do you realise what would happen if I
smashed this stone?” The grin on the
Imperials face was pure malicious evil. “Yeah, I do. You’d destroy this starship along with most
of the landing bay.” The
Imperial nodded. “That’s correct. So stow it.” Anzai
complied. As he glanced around a
beeper sounded off in the cockpit and all heads jerked to face it. “What’s that?” The lieutenant asked in alarm “Comm-unit.” Anzai said.
“Somebody wants me.” The
commander frowned again and motioned to the cockpit. “Answer it.” He said, and then winced as he rotated his
shoulder. “And get a med-kit for me.” Anzai looked at the fresh shoulder
wound. There was no sign of a burn
mark around the entry wound, so the commander hadn’t been blasted. “Slug thrower?” Anzai looked closer at the wound. The commander nodded. “The wound will infect.” Anzai sounded almost sympathetic. The commander shook his head. “Projectile went straight through. Now answer the comm.” He shoved the Blaster into Karoo’s
side. “Now!” Anzai
ambled to the cockpit and seated himself.
He activated the comm. “Who is it?” The
comm hissed for a while and then a voice growled
deeply. “Hand them over.” “Who is this?” Karoo asked, but he knew full well who it
was. It was the Janos Executioners. “You know full well, Karoo. We have no business with you…today. Hand over the Imperials and we shall
leave.” “There may be a problem with that
request. At the moment I’m their
prisoner.” “We can wait.” The connection fell silent. Thanks a lot, thought Anzai.
Looking out of the cockpit window he could see four hooded figures
waiting stoically at the edge of the bay.
He raised an eyebrow at them, for he knew that they could see him.
Anzai Karoo: The Execution
Derrick
1988 short story by Jonathan Hicks One year after Episode IV – A
New Hope
Histories – Written on the 7th/28th June 1988 Cast
of Characters
Anzai
Karoo
K3-NIK |