Rhiannon and the members of her crew stood, bound to wooden pillars in the great hall of her Clan Righ. While many of the crew struggled against their bonds calling curses down upon the headmen of the clan, Rhiannon remained calm, with a composure she would not have thought possible. She was determined to be victorious; after all, she was Captain Rhiannon Rua of the Black Arrow.
Rhiannon and the crew of the Black Arrow had been brought up on false charges of betraying the Clan. An appropriate number of ‘witnesses’ had been well paid to sully her name and do anything necessary to get them exiled.
All was done on orders of Barclay, the Clan Tannist, and eldest son of the Righ. He had sworn upon all the deities of the galaxy, to get revenge on them for their refusal to ‘ fly under his banner’. Barclay was, like his father, not a bit interested in the welfare of the Clan. He was, as Rhiannon had so aptly nicknamed him, a weasel. His only interest was to fill his own coffers with as many credits as he could amass, and was furious that Rhiannon and her crew had refused to ‘fly under his banner,’ he had intended to use their skills to increase his own wealth.
“For the crime of betraying this Clan,” growled Siesal, the Righ of the Clan,
“I pronounce you to be exiled from the lands and holdings of this Clan. You will not
set so much as a foot upon our lands, under penalty of death.”
As the men of the crew were removed from the pillars, some tried to fight, while others spat upon the guards. As Rhiannon was removed from the pillar, her hands bound tightly before her, she spoke in a quiet yet dangerous tone, “It is said that there be a place
in the nine hells, reserved for betrayers, may you have a swift journey there.”
The pirates were led, under armed guard and the cover of darkness, through the clan holdings and surrounding villages. They were taken to the docking bay, to their ship, which was now their home. As they were roughly pushed up the boarding ramp, their
Clan Righ gave one final order, “Heed my words and stay away! I will not be so lenient next time, you will hang if ever you return to my lands.”
Once onboard the Black Arrow, Rhiannon used a dagger propped up on a table to cut her bonds, she had perfect aim and didn’t give herself as much as even a tiny nick. Once free of her bindings, she undid those of her loyal and faithful crew.
As they raised ship, wondering where on the rim they’d go first, Rhiannon had a plan formulating in her cunning mind. An hour or so later, when the ‘automatics and hyperdrive’ had kicked in, Rhiannon retreated to the privacy of her cabin. As she entered the cabin, she was greeted by Finvar O’Cillinan, her longtime friend, and sometimes lover. She heard him before she actually saw him. As she entered the cabin, he’d sung a snatch of a popular pirate drinking song, “ So haul away lads, haul away. Devil take us all to an early grave, I’ll live my life in my own way, by the blaster and cannons thunder.”
Finvar had seen them arrested, knew what the sentence would be, and had stocked the ship with enough supplies to get them by for some time, he had also moved himself in, right into the Captain’s quarters, right into Rhiannon’s very bed.
Rhiannon sat on the bed, hardly believing her bad luck had started to improve so soon..
Finvar’s appearance had lightened her mood considerably.
“Oh, Finvar , Laddie, I’m so glad ta see ya now…I need ya at me side, but if they know you have joined me, they’ll exile ye too.”
Finvar pulled her into a tight embrace, as he held her against him with one strong arm, he used the other to pour her a drink of the brandy he’d found while rummaging around in a storage locker next to her bunk..
“Me Captain, it’s too late to worry about things like that, I have been named ‘outlaw’ by more than one Righ of the Highlands. I’m here, to stay at yer side, love.
We will have us a grand time sailing the rims, plunder aplenty, just waiting for bonny Captain Rhiannon Rua to claim it.”
The two made their way, arm in arm, to the main hold where they joined the rest of the crew for a hot meal, made from supplies Finvar had stowed aboard.
As they ate, they made plans for the future.
***Within a few months, Captain Rhiannon Rua, and the crew of The Black Arrow increased their attacks on any ship that caught their fancy. It mattered not if it was an
Imperial or Alliance supply ship, or a fat merchant vessel, or a tourists pleasure yacht.
The Black Arrow used stealth and cunning to hide quietly and then come seemingly out of nowhere and attack. Many of the attacks were bloodless, but the pirates of the Black Arrow were more than ready to use any means necessary to get their plunder.
Although they were in exile from their clan, their exploits were sung and romanticized by
Bards all over the Highlands of Corellia
**** For the past ten years, these pirates have been amassing a sizable treasure, safely hidden away.
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