Aella turned around and stared at the steward. "Why, I'm honored. I'm sure it's every passenger's dream to see the bridge." She answered sweetly, her smile was predatory. Smiling tightly the steward kept his polite mannerisms. "This way, miss." He turned and led her to the bridge. Aella followed in silence trying to behave and not to smile. Knocking the steward showed her in. Aella could see that the Captain was conferring with his officers by the communication station. "Captain." Aella greeted evenly, she could tell there was something up indeed; it didn't take Intel training to see that the bridge crew was upset. The Captain turned and straightened. "Captain Skott?" Aella absently check her pocket for her ID then looked at the steward, at least his change in manner was now explained. "Yes. I'm she." Clearing her throat before the steward left. "I think you have something of mine?" The steward handed her ID over to his captain who looked at them then handed them to Aella. "You said you had information from the Alliance. What's going on Captain." "I never those words Captain and I'm sorry if you were misled." Aella glared at the steward. "What I said was I would see what I could find out from the Alliance. What is the problem with landing?" Aella looked around her it didn't take her long to notice confusion and concern on the officers' faces. "What's wrong? Is it a malfunction?" "No, we do not have a malfunction." The captain looks wintry. "We cannot contact the planet. The relay beacons are down. We can't raise anyone. Not even other ships who are in orbit." Aella studied him carefully. "Have you checked your equipment? I mean could something been damaged when we came out of hyperspace?" Looking at the com station Aella had her answer even before the captain replied, everything showed it was working properly. The Captain turned, calling over his shoulder for someone to go do an avac and check the dish anyway. "No, we have not." Aella could tell he didn't appreciate having his equipment disparaged "I ask forgiveness Captain, I work with communication devices and it's habit to look for mechanical failure first." she rubbed the back of her neck, she didn't believe in the Force. She thought it was something for the Jedi, but she didn't like what she was feeling about the silence they would call it instinct she called it gut reaction. "Captain, do you have a shuttle that I could use to take me down to the planet?" Relenting slightly he turned then stopped. "Of course. As you know we use shuttles to transfer passengers to ground and orbit." Aella nodded, she didn't want to make an enemy of this man. "I don't know what could have stopped communications or why they haven't repaired it, and that doesn't explain the trouble you're having with the ships. "Let me go to the planet and see what I discover, and if I can fix it and let you know." she glanced around the bridge. She had concern over her friends and her parents that were below. "I of course will abide by your decision." "Can you pilot a shuttle?" "Yes, I can." The Captain gestured to two of the officers. "Go with Captain Skott, and see that she has no mechanical problems." "I thank you sir." Aella bows slightly. She stopped by her quarters long enough to gather a few things stuffing them into a backpack, sealing the records she had been working on. She doubted if anyone would be able to read her notes, but she wasn't going to take any chances. Once that was done she then placed them in her backpack as well. ~*~ Devastation was visible everywhere, as the shuttle went to land Aella saw where ships coming in to land just crashed taking out big chunks of the space port city. Fires were still blazing; whole blocks were black from burning and the soot that was in the air. It was hard to decide where to land the shuttle but Aella finally found a spot. Avoiding the debris she turns to the two who came with her grabbing her backpack she pulled out her blaster strapping it on she then placed the pack on her back. "I don't know what happened here, but I'd recommend your Captain keeping his eyes open and not letting anyone down here." They nodded as one went back inside and alerted the captain. Aella wiped her eyes as the dust and smoke assaulted her eyes. Moving toward one of the wrecked ships she studied the outside looking for any signs of a firefight, but the only damage the hull had was when it hit the ground. Taking in a breath Aella peeked inside and turned away from the crushed bodies. Aella tilted her head slightly something was bothering her, then she realized it there were no sounds not an insect buzzing or bird nothing but silence. It really bothered her even when she worked with the computers she had some type of white noise. Moving away from the shuttle and the other crashed ship Aella moved closer to where mechanics and droids should be. She found only more debris from where transports had fallen. One droid unfortunately had been in the same place when the transport crashed only its foot was visible. She let out a whistle she continued inward. When she came across a body Aella bent down to study it. Blood that had pooled and clotted was visible, There was evidence that the man had been mauled, but she couldn't tell by what. Releasing the strap that held her blaster in palace Aella felt secure she would be able to reach it if she had to. Looking over her shoulder she realized that she couldn't leave the officers from the luxury liner down here, it was apparent that something had happened here and they were only civilians. Moving back toward the shuttle she decided she would come down on her own and do more investigating on her own. ~*~ Aella was happy to step foot back on the luxury liner. After she reported her discovers to the Captain she couldn't wait to get to her room and take a long hot shower. Aella opened up a coded transmission to the Alliance she wanted them to know what she had stumbled onto, and if anything happened to her hopefully they would be able to figure out what had happened here. Thankron Zeta was far enough on the rim to be ignored not only by Alliance but Empire as well. TRANSMISSION BEGINS ENCRYPT BEGINS To: General M. Branwyn From: Aella Skott I have found a disturbing sight on Thankron Zeta. It has been attacked by unknown force and I'm not totally convinced that the Empire is behind it. I will begin a through survey of this, and hopefully find out what happened here. I have attached vids to show what I have discovered on my first trip down to Thankron Zeta. Though I am not a medical doctor, the marks that have mauled the victims doesn't seem to be anything I've ever heard, vids are attached as well. Captain Aella Skott Transmission ends. Aella pressed the send button and reviewed what she had found, the medical labs on the liner wasn't much use unless you needed an aspirin to cure your hangover. Repacking the samples she took Aella retrieved herself another cup of coffee and went back to studying the vids she had taken and making plans on what she would look for when she went back down tomorrow. Rubbing her hand through her hair she didn't know what she was doing going back down there, she was a computer wiz use to doing things via reports and research. But she had friends and family down on Thankron Zeta. She had to find out what happened to them. ~*~ Aella landed the shuttle and stepped out, she couldn't believe that some fires were still burning. She moved out trying to look at every body she came across. They knew she was coming and they would most likely be at the spaceport. She hoped she was wrong. Aella stopped when she heard a ship overhead making sure her blaster was ready she followed the direction and headed toward where it would land. Stepping out from behind a building she watched in silence. Was it the people coming back to make sure they succeeded in destroying everything or had the looters arrived? Hiding behind a building she watched as it landed it looked like a battered freighter and it steamed lightly. Aella stood there for about a half-hour to her estimation before the ship lowered it ramp and a humanoid figure in spacer togs and helmet came out warily. She was able to see it was armed. 'Great' Aella muttered to herself. 'Chemical warfare.' She watched as the figure looked around the other side of ship then walked toward her shuttle. Drawing her blaster she waited as she went over her options. She could stay hidden and let her only transport be taken or sabotaged. She could confront the person and possibly end up like so many others she had found so far, or she could try to run in the other direction and hopefully find that her friends and parents escaped by some miracle. Debating them in her head and running out each scenario and how they could end she decided to stay put and watch for now. After all the Captain did say he would alert someone to her location, and she did send out that transmission to the Alliance so there was a chance for rescue. The suited figure moves away from the arc of fire of the shuttles laser cannon, and knocked on the hull by the door. Aella watched 'well if he's an attacker he's polite.' she told her herself. Stepping out she kept her blaster out but pointed to the ground. "No one's home." She yelled. The figure wheeled and dipped to present a lower profile, the blaster wavering. "Yours?" Aella nodded. "If I was going to shoot you, I would have already. What is your interest here?" "I'm supposed to be delivering some cargo, but there doesn't seem to be anyone here." "No, there isn't. Something happened here and it wasn't nice. For your own safety you should leave." Aella kept her eyes on him and listened for anything out of the ordinary silence she had been listening to. The figure looks around then at Aella. "And you?" "I'll leave as soon I find out what happened to m ... what happened here." The Suit looked at her, then away. "This isn't the first world. There's been talk of several others like this." Aella couldn't believe it the destruction here was horrible. Had the Empire discovered another weapon? Was it linked into the missing Jedi? She had heard reports, of other planets, but she never thought they would be like this. "Others? Like this?" The Suit nods, sounding a little sympathetic. "Yes. If you're here looking for friends or.... family... I don't think you will find them alive." Aella let out a sigh. "I know, but I also know I have to find out and there are others who .... need…" Aella stopped herself. "I shouldn't hold you up in leaving." She took a step backward refusing to turn her back on this suit but wanting the safety of the building behind her. Dead? no ... there had to be a chance that someone was still alive, there just had to be. "Others?" The Suit moved away from the shuttle, a wide arc that brought her no nearer Aella, nor into the shuttles laser cannon arc. "Others who have family somewhere else." Aella stumbled to get the words out. She couldn't come out and say Alliance what if this so-called suit had loyalties to the Empire. "Have you heard how many have been found like this?" she counted her steps soon she would have a solid building behind her a possible shelter. "Six, I think. Possibly more. Some worlds have little traffic or outside communications. And then we would not know." Aella absorbed the information six worlds like this? The realization was hard to comprehend. Straightening her posture Aella looked at the suit. "Who do you work for?" The suit seemed to know more than a simple deliverer of goods. A hiss gurgled out of the suit's respirator. Not a human sound. "I'm a free spacer. I haul cargo wherever people want it." Aella nodded, wishing she had her communications set up from the Alliance's base. Let alone wishing for a medical team to go over this place. "I was wondering if I knew the name of the person who hired you." she motioned behind her with a wave of her hand. "I thank you for your time, but I have a search to continue before it gets dark." and space to put between us in case you're a looter or the person responsible. "Good luck, and if you do find out, let me know." "And how will I contact you?" Aella paused. "I don't even know who you are?" She hated sounding like a tourist, but she wasn't going to give away her identity to just anyone. The Suit turns back. "Pride of Dreams, It's my ship." Aella nodded and backed toward the building, once out of the suits line of vision she continued her search
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