Star Wars : Chapter 66: Boarding Action I

( 31 BBY )

Each of the Federation's Munificent-class star frigates would have been described as four fifths of a kilometer long in Japan, or half a mile in Germania. It had been years since Tan'ya had used either measurement system, but watching the approaching vessels from the window of her speeder almost left her feeling strangely overwhelmed.

Even the largest battleship in Earth's history, the Yamato, was only two hundred and fifty meters long. The scale of this galaxy was so different compared to anything on Earth, with wars waged across lightyears and some legendary battlefields choked with billions of dead.

Seeing the sun shining down on the frigates, so vast that they cast shadows over the spaceports terminal building, impressed upon Tan'ya the scale of what she was about to attempt.

Shaking her head, she looked forward, noticing one of the House Guard glancing back at her in the rearview mirror. The guard next to him in the passenger seat passed a small dark blob of some unknown substance behind his headrest to the man sitting next to Tan'ya. The driver, a slightly older soldier from Coruscant, didn't take any, but the newly trained guards from Serenno both broke off a piece each and were still chewing on them as they fixed their helmets in place.

The driver, a Sergeant Sio, noticed her watching the exchange, and explained, "It's not a food, it's a stainer, a local battle tradition. The Colonel encourages them to keep such things if it helps morale. "

Tan'ya glanced over at the man in the passenger seat, who turned to face her.

"Why the tradition?" She asked him in Outer Rim Basic.

"Don't want alien to see smiling white teeth in shadows, Highness." He answered in heavily accented Standard. Of course one of the main draws for people to join her House Guard was the education that came with it. An opportunity to learn to read and write, as well as learn Galactic Standard was sorely tempting for anyone out in the villages looking to raise their standing in life. "Or so I told. Old way. For raiding."

"Are the other men doing the same?" Tan'ya asked.

Still smiling, he nodded. "All Serennoan is. Be a helmet in way, but is old way. Not for Coruscanti, eh?"

Tan'ya considered for a moment, before holding out her hand.

He looked at her surprised, before offering her the stainer.

Tan'ya broke off a small piece then handed the rest back to the man. She wrapped up her portion in her handkerchief, before pocketing it. She didn't want to do anything that might alert the Trade Federation of her intentions, a Princess with blackened teeth and gums would certainly look strange, but she would try some herself later.

"I'm Serennoan, too." She said to him, and looked forward. If participating in such a simple tradition helped inspire loyalty in her men, then it was worth it.

He stared at her for a long moment, before looking back ahead. No doubt he was excited to see his first battle, even if hopefully no one would die today.

Tan'ya's convoy of speeders finally pulled up outside the space port. A bodyguard from the vehicle behind her ran forward to hold the passenger door for her as she stepped out onto the tarmac, feeling the tiny spots of an early rain mixing into her upraised hair.

Today she wore her hair high, stylised and formal looking like coreward nobility. Of course she had her cape and chain that marked her out as heir, but it was over the top of a flowing blue dress with silver droplets around her neck. It even came with a little tiara of Serenno silver, a precious and coveted substance. It was an outfit that wasn't much use for combat, but helped to sell the deception she was spinning. Normally, Tan'ya wouldn't want to wear something like that, she still remembered being a man two lifetimes ago, but this whole plan hinged on selling this persona.

From the first speeder at the front of the convoy, the Colonel emerged with his plastoid helmet under his arm. He made eye contact with her, nodding once before putting his helmet on. Gon Seith was in his mid fifties, and declining as a soldier. His marksmanship was impressive, but his speed and stamina were fading. All he really had left was a good eye and his physical strength, but that would have to go eventually as well.

Tan'ya still kept him on as the captain of the House Guard for his wealth of experience, and also because it would be hard to find a suitable replacement. Eventually, the House Guard would be staffed and run by people only from Serenno, but for now most of its officers were drawn from Dooku's old and trusted friends from Coruscant Security Services. They stood out, compared to the others. Often pale from years of patrolling the streets of Coruscant where even on the city's surface, the sun only touched the pavements for an hour in a day at most. They were also older, with touches of gray here and there in their hair.

Among her guards, Tan'ya could pick out the ones born on Serenno pretty easily, even with the dark plastoid armors covering their skins and faces. The Serennoans also had a different way of standing, and moving. Like they were less used to moving across flat services as they lifted their feet a little higher to avoid obstacles that weren't there. They also seemed vaguely disgusted and curious about the Nemoidians that were approaching.

A small delegation of three Trade Federation officers were hurrying over towards Tan'ya, accompanied by a troop of battle droids. All of them wore captain's hats, but from what Tan'ya had read of the Trade Federations regulations, a fleet this small wouldn't even be commanded by a Commodore, just the Captain with the most years of service. For some reason one of the Nemoidions seemed like he was glaring at Tan'ya.

She wasn't sure why, she only remembered him as the Captain who had given her a guided tour a few years ago, Suib Sugrath.

"A warm welcome to you, Your Highness." The lead captain bowed at her, speaking in that way that adults do when they are talking to a child. It was sort of annoying, but at this moment it served Tan'ya's purposes.

"Oh, are you the Admiral?" She feigned ignorance, widening her eyes and smiling brightly. Right now she was nothing but a stupid, spoiled child.

"No, I'm Senior Captain Rerley Dratfat." He smiled nicely then glanced back at the other two, narrowing his eyes at Suib who looked like he was balling his fists. Captain Dratfat looked back at Tan'ya, and said hesitantly. "I'm sorry Your Highness, but there's been a little miscommunication. We organized this inspection with the Count's Defence Advisor, a Colonel Seith?"

"Actually, I was only acting as the Defence Advisor's intermediary." Seith explained as he approached. "Tan'ya here is the Count's Advisor to the Defence."

Captain Dratfat opened his mouth then closed it at that, no doubt stunned at what must seem like such absolute backwater petty nepotism. Behind him, Captain Sugrath leaned forward and began to whisper something in his ear.

"Later, Suib." Dratfat hissed at him.

"We need to talk." Sugrath insisted, looking around at Tan'ya and her bodyguards.

Tan'ya kept up her airheaded smile, internally fighting back panic. Had word gotten to the Trade Federation? Or did Tan'ya's excessive number of bodyguards tip them off?

She thought thirty was barely enough of them as it was, but if the Nemoidions were getting suspicious already then the whole operation might be doomed before it even started!

One of the advantages of B-1 Battle Droids was that they could be folded into small, mobile forms, and concealed in countless small compartments.

At a moment's notice, any of these droid stations could be switched on, and Tan'ya as well as her bodyguards would be surrounded by swarms of disposable droids out here on the tarmac, pinched from multiple directions before they even got inside! The damned things didn't even need to be good marksmen under such conditions.

"Is there something wrong?" Colonel Seith asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Dratfat insisted, turning back towards his subordinate. "We can talk about this later."

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Don't forget to throw some power stones ;)

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