ESPACE BELSAVIS, Freighter the Unfathomable

A ship is peacefully orbiting the prison planet, Belsavis. Punctuated by tropical jungle craters in the heart of the glacier that covers it, the planet is a prison-world with a heavy past. Criminals, thieves, assassins, madmen and other mystics are locked up there on behalf of the Galactic Republic, one of the two great factions that rule the galaxy. The spaceship seems to be about to leave the premises. It is a cargo ship, which probably has several thousand parsecs in the reactors.

- So, Ailein, you think that'll be enough?

- Double. That's too much. Malora will not be satisfied, you did not respect the order.

- Don't worry about her... Come on, let's hit the gas, we've got the whole galaxy to get through. Tell me, my lady, would you bring me a little stimcaf?

Ailein stares at Aven'Za'Ash through the glasses of her makeshift mask. The Twi'Lek wears his eternal smile halfway between the charming pout and the joking smile. His greenish face bears a few scars, the common lot of smugglers, pirates and other outlaws. He shakes his head and his lekkus, tentacle-like appendages at the back of his skull that fall down along his back, dance slightly under the movement. Impassive, without even raising the joke of the Twi'Lek, Ailein takes out her holocommunicator and moves away to be more quiet. As always after a successful mission, she informs her employers of the ship's imminent return.

In a fraction of a second, the space around Belsavis is stripped of the ship.

- Why always double it, huntsman?

- Gosh, didn't I ever tell you? Bad me, you'll have the right to physically correct me, snickers the Twi'Lek. You see, dearest Ailein, when you go to see our holds, you only see half of them...

- Correct.

- The other part is in a secret cargo hold. Even if we were to be accosted by pirates, or stopped by the authorities, if we had to purge the main hold, our most precious specimen would go unnoticed. And that way, agent, I'm always sure to honor my orders.

The Twi'Lek tilts his head slenderly, as if he were bowing.

- I've never seen such a device. Is it really useful?

- Luckily, lady, I don't have to use it every day. It would be a waste... But, yeah, it saved my ass quite a bit. It's better to look like a docile, almost incompetent low-level bandit ready to abandon the cargo at the slightest hitch, than a talented smuggler - which I am, by the way. In this way, the aggressors don't give you any interest. A clever crook becomes a threat and you keep an eye on him. M'kay?

Ailein nods. Stingy talker, the Czerka agent does not like to talk in vain. Aven'Za'Ash does not leave the starry immensity of the gaze. He stopped flirting with his icy "supervisor" a long time ago, a frustrating situation for a Twi'Lek of his kind. Since then, he teases her, it's in his nature, even if she doesn't answer; he thinks that deep down, she must appreciate him a little, since she lets him talk without flinching.

TRANSIT DOCKS, Czerka Moon

Aven'Za'Ash, in his career, has often had to harvest thinking beings for resale. Here is a Twi'lek who has succeeded in life: Czerka provider, or the dream situation. In general, Twi'Leks who are not captured to become workers or decorations in cabarets remain simple colonists. Za'Ash, on the other hand, has managed to set up his own small business. He had his own vision of the business world and was able to convince. Among the staff he did not sell, his traditional double load, many were always just passing slaves in his cargo, but some, strange as it may seem, linked up with the smuggler. Perhaps it was a ruse not to end up in the hands of degenerate scientists or dancers in the darkest parts of Nar Shaddaa... Anyway, these few eventually became involved in Za'Ash's work, although always under the threat of an electric collar to stem any risk of rebellion.

Having become faithful crewmen over the course of the exchanges, they obediently unload the three precious Acklays from Za'Ash's Cargo, seeming to perform a choreography so light and precise, almost automatic, are their movements. This shipment, enormous beasts more than two meters tall at the withers, yellow and green in colour, perched on four pairs of carapaceous legs bristling with spikes, smiling with several rows of teeth as long and as sharp as knives, struggles and wanders very unobediently on the unloading area, shouting bloodcurdling screams. One false step and you are impaled by one of those stakes that serve as legs for the Acklays.

A thin, slender woman approaches. Her graceful and agile gait does not go hand in hand with her strict black suit stamped with a turquoise logo on her shoulder and heart, and the inordinately long sniper rifle she carries on her shoulder, very unnecessary at the moment. She pulls out a block of data while briefly greeting the Twi'Lek and Agent Ailein.

- What's up, agent?

- Three Acklays, ma'am, as we requested. The subjects are in excellent condition.

- Show?

The young woman approaches the animals, inspects them from every angle, under the watchful eye of the smuggler and the officer. The Twi'Lek, silent, holds his breath. When her inspection is over, the newcomer turns to him. Severe, impassive, faithful to the attitude of the Czerka agents, she is about to render her judgment. A crucial moment for the scoundrel, for it is on this appreciation that his reward will depend.

- Za'Ash. This is once again excellent work. These Acklays will make very good subjects. You'll be able to follow me.

She turns to Ailein. This one's still as cold as the Hoth Jundland. Ailein carries a melee weapon on her belt. Once she was part of an order that advocated peace and light, within which she fought long and hard to gain acceptance. Finally, weary and constantly faced with new opponents to her integration, she left this milieu for the credits, the glory, and the satisfaction of advancing the galaxy thanks to the discoveries of Czerka Industries.

Malora beckons her to leave. She respectfully tilts her head and in three seconds, disappears with a simple activation of her stealth field generator. Leaving the Czerka staff to handle the three freshly landed exotic animals, the young woman with the rifle turns her heels. Aven follows her, to a desk with no decoration, behind which the young woman takes her place. The smuggler sits in front of her, never taking his eyes off her.

Malora. Malora Rok. So young and yet so talented. A human, too. It was never Za'Ash's idea to hit on her, this one. Too intimidated maybe. Even if he dared, it would be useless. All the love and admiration he has for her can be felt in every move he makes. She is the only one he has ever really loved, after all. Even for a human. She knows. She looks at him with her feline eyes.

- Aven, I know you're not happy to have Ailein aboard. But her skills complement yours. Since she has been accompanying you, the subjects you bring me are each time exceptional.

Aven'Za'Ash is pouting. That girl's always right. She's so perfect...

- Good. Good. I'll wire the money to your account. Maximum balance.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- As always, I'll send Ailein to you for your next contract with the Czerka Corporation. Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all that's being said. Here one never overdoes it, unless one's name is Rasmus and one is the weighty and eminent owner of the company. Once the interview is over, Za'Ash simply leaves the room. In the hangar where his ship is waiting for him, he begins to feel uncomfortable, confused, as if he were being watched. As he reaches the bridge of the Freighter, he hears a slight laugh. However, after taking a quick look around, he realizes that there is no one around. Distrustful, he holds his hand to his blaster. This is the moment Ailein chooses to come out of his invisible camouflage. She has learnt this technique of manipulation, she has repeated it, she has searched for it. This stealth field generator, the "Czerka Invisibility Shield 2000" or ProtoCIS, is one of the very first prototypes of the armament branch created by the engineers of the multiplanetary firm. Not commercialized but reserved for field agents wishing to equip themselves with it, it was immediately adopted by the mysterious agent. Invisibility is a field she knows only too well. She almost always needed to hide.

She is standing in front of the door of the Unfathomable, straight as an "i". She gently tilts her head to the left, preparing to manifest her questioning, simply giving Za'Ash time to understand what is going on. Before he can speak, she precedes him.

- What about the other three?

- Wha...?

- Acklays.

- Uh, yeah?

- What happens to them?

- Well, if you really want to know, they're not as beautiful as the ones I sold to Malora. So, I'll probably sell them on Tatooine as Sarlacc fodder or fairground animals. Or maybe if my way brings me back to Belasvis in the coming days, I'll release them, those brave beasts. Why do you ask ?

- I'm interested.

Ailein doesn't give him time to bid. She gets off the bridge, looking straight ahead, and walks away. The smuggler, perplexed, climbs into his Cargo ship and leaves the moon of CZ.