Of Shadows. Part One.

[Krayn]

Klaxon wails filled the interior of the small, yet surprisingly well manned corvette. It was a call to arms that had been fired ever since their departure from Hyperspace near the border of Bespin space, several systems before they had wanted to jump but it had been a necessity. Already scars of a space battle were evident on their hull as well as the occasional spark throwing console or smokey corridor on the interior. Yet as the ship’s security crew, armed heavily for such a craft moved into position in one of these corridors it would be the steady sounds of clunking clamps and a sealing airlock that would fill them with dread. They were captured, sealed within the lock of a much larger craft. The First Order had found them.

Sparks flew from the airlock as the security crew grasped blasters and took stances to allow cover behind bulkheads and still have a clear line of fire. Several risked glances around at their companions, worried looks mixed with sheer determination. If this was to be their end they would allow none to make it a massacre. The blast door, which allowed access to the outside world became a firework of sparks as a boarding torch was brought to it, a gaping hole appearing as fast as the sparks had and blaster bolts already sang through the corridor followed by the pristine white armour of First Order stormtroopers. The exchange of blaster fire was quick and effective, at least for the attacking force. Several of the security crew were already dead on the floor when the rest began to hastily make a retreat, as apposed to perhaps the single stormtrooper body in the corridor, a mere number as more poured through the door.

The fighting would continue for several minutes, smoke erupting from the various points were loose blaster bolts had hit the clean lines of the ships interior decoration but as the crew retreated it allowed the corridor to be declared clear and from the doorway strode two figures lacking the traditional white of a stormtrooper. The first, an Officer of the Order wore the traditional dark blueish-grey uniform, his hair kept to a respectable level and a pistol at his hip remained tightly holstered. Piercing blue eyes would take in the scene as his men would move to attention against the wall, allowing him passage as well as his black clad companion.

The Ren who was with this officer stopped and surveyed the scene through dark perspex, his motions slow yet meaningful. A toe would tap a nearby security crew corpse, clearly fully aware that there would be no reaction, yet eyes would linger just long enough.

“We have forced them into the main hold.” One of the junior officers clad in stormtrooper white approached and reported to the officer who had come to stand at attention with hands calmly behind his back. “We have a squad currently securing the bridge but the captain is no where to be found as yet.” A salute was offered and the officer gave a smile towards the stormtrooper. Clearly he was impressed.

“Very good captain.” His accented voice screamed control, raised from birth to do the job he was doing there would be no alternative with this member of First Order hierarchy. “All the lifeboats are still accounted form our captain is still aboard this ship. Flush him out, but bring him to me alive. I have some questions for him.” He spared a glance behind him to the Ren, still stood there swallowing the light of the room like a silent watchdog. “As does the Supreme Leader.”

“Yes sir.”

 

[Krayn]

“Hands to the front.” The Stormtrooper’s voice was calm yet had a sense of aggression as the ship Captain, a rough Duro was pushed through the door of the bridge by two flanking Stormtroopers. He wasn’t given a real moment to acknowledge their request, instead he was thrown down onto the polished floor with a solid thump. “The Captain. We found him in the maintenance quarter.” The trooper reported to the man now stood over the Duros.
“Planning to initiate the self-destruct on the reactors no doubt.” The Officer had a smirk as he allowed the captain to get to his feet, where he was, under the guard of stormtroopers escorted towards a group of other crew members huddled in the corner. “My name is Commander Torvik and you are all under arrest for arm running and intent to remove First Order assets into Alliance territory.”
“What nonsense is this?” The Captain blurted out, his red eyes bulging. “We are a merchant ship, carrying goods through. You can check the permits.” His hand curled into a fist in clear anger.
“I’m sure the permits are fine.” Torvik said. “However what is the issue is what you are carrying off permit. Oh and the weapon exchange with a First Order patrol.”
“We were returning fire on undeclared assault!” There was an attempt to defend his honour it would seem. His calls for reason were silenced by the backhand of a stormtrooper, a couple of hushed complaints could be heard among the rest of the crew, but were actively ignored.
“Now listen closely to what I am going to say if you value the lives of your crew. You are all under arrest and are to be processed before being placed under the law of First Order Space.” He held his finger to his chin. “However as First Order law places you all under the direction of the commanding officer within the area you are now all my responsibility and…”
The sound of the blaster door opening paused all in the room to look up at the helmeted and black robed arrival. “…Ah, yes. I almost forgot. Master Ren.”

“You were carrying something that was stolen.” The voice of the Ren was dark and twisted, it’s true form hidden by the helmet that covered the Ren’s face. “Where is it?” There was no sense of anger or rush in the tone, just cold and dark intent.
“We weren’t carrying anything stolen, only food stock from…” The captain began, but stopped his eyes couldn’t help but avoid the blank perspex gaze of the Ren. “…from…food stock. Nothing stolen.”
“You can tell me Captain.” The Ren lowered himself to be at the same level as the Duro who had taken to his knees at the start of their conversation. “I will find out either way.”
“We weren’t carrying anything…” The Duro suddenly held his head, a grunt released from his mouth indicating some form of pain coming from him. “What? What are you doing? Why? No!”
“Where is it.” This time it was more forced, more aggressive and matched with a hand that was outstretched towards the Duro. “I know you have it inside somewhere.”
“I…I…No!” A final shake and the Captain fell to the floor.
The Ren stood, the helmet turning towards Torvik. “It is not here anymore. Rip the ship apart, I want any indication of where it has gone found.”
“What of the crew?” Torvik asked.
“That is your decision Captain. Space them for all I care.”

 

[Krayn]

“The crew have all been dealt with.” Torvik was stood alongside another First Order officer, this one clad in more intricate blacks then his own standard attire. “We will not be needing the lots within the Satyr after all.” There was a slight amusement to his tone as the other officer smiled. The thought of the faces on the prisoners as one by one the realisation that their new found cells were a short-term stay at the best.
“What of the ship, have we had any progress?” The officer asked, her face removing the smile with a few simple words. “Has there been any sign of what the Ren is looking for?”
Torvik hesitated for a moment too long in his own opinion. “No Admiral Vasu. We have ripped the ship apart and have found nothing that meets the description given to us by the Messenger.” He paused, a finger tapping at the cuff of his opposite arm. “However we did manage to gain several transmission codes that had been dispatched from the cruiser to encrypted channels as well as a manifest with the same amount of missing entries.”
“Nothing of importance then?” There was a slight annoyance in Vasu’s tone that almost mirrored her face as it stared out at the endless sea of stares. “Have the Ren summoned. He will wish to know what we have learnt.”

“There will be no need.” Krayn Ren entered the bridge through the blast door with a straight backed strut, his helmet covering his facial expressions did a poor job at keeping the seething rage within concealed. “The Ren are fully aware of what we have found, or lack there of.”
“I am glad you can put my mind at ease Ren.” The Ren held no true power over the First Order military, yet by Vasu’s tone alone Torvik felt as if the Admiral feared having to hand over her entire command to the black clad stranger among their ranks. “However I now find myself with an illegally held ship with no reward for our efforts. Which all in all is a rather delicate situation.”
Krayn’s head tilted slightly as if he was taking the Admiral in regard. “The ship dispatched transmission codes. I found found everything we will need within them.” He paused and there was almost a moment that Torvik, still silent seemed to be holding back a smirk. “I must however speak with my Master before we begin our pursuit.”
“Your master?” The Admiral’s eyebrow quirked, surely she wasn’t expected to have to deal with another of this blasted order.
“I must speak with The Supreme Leader and I will do so with you present.”

 

[Krayn]

The room was dark and bare, the only source of light being the blue hue of the robed being at the centre of the chamber. Large enough to seat a small army only three would be present within for this message, Admiral Vasu in her capacity as commander aboard the vessel, Commander Torvik who had remained faithfully by the side of the Admiral and finally the helmeted and hooded Ren. The summoner of their little party, yet it was not him who took the spotlight at this time, that honour belonged to the hologram at the centre of the room.

“You are certain that this transmission indicates your target?” The Supreme Leader’s voice was calm, smooth and as collected as ever, completely in charge and as imposing as it possibly could be. “If so then you should move quickly, pray the trail not go cold.”

“We have managed to trace the trail as far as Tatooine. There it is split as it usually does among those less then savoury locals.” Vasu spoke with her own attempt at command, yet in the shadow of the supreme leader it seemed a poor effort. “We will attempt to search the surrounding systems in the hope of intercepting the target.”

“Tread carefully, the Confederacy does not take lightly to intruders and while the sands of Tatooine are controlled by our cousins I highly doubt they would take kindly to a First Order Star Destroyer prying around.” The Supreme Leader declared before his eyes, cold and blue through the hologram fell upon his Ren. “Krayn, this task will fall to you and you alone. Allow the Admiral to go about it in her way, your path will lead you to where you need to be. Use your power, learn how to harness it fully in your absence.” A swift release of the Supreme Leader’s attention almost left Krayn gasping for air beneath his face-concealing helmet.

“I will do as you wish my Master.” He said with a bow of the head. “As I have always strived to do.”

The hologram flickered, something interrupting the feed half-way across the galaxy. “Do what must be done Ren. Do not fail me.” The hologram flickered and with a sudden flash disappeared all together, leaving the room quieter then it had been before.

“I shall set a course for Tatooine then.” The Admiral began to walk off. “I still have some friends among the Empire. I hope.”