Episode 3.08, Kanter's War, Chapter 1 Report

The speeches and cheering were over, so the real work got started.

That isn’t to say Chancellor Kanter’s speech wasn’t needed. It was. But, there is a shab-load of work to get done. I had to remind Goss about that, so he would quit drooling over the versiwalkers. Commaner Ysadora was right, they aren’t his.

But, he’s helping get those scanned, so he’s being helpful? I suppose. I bet he’s going to try to talk Sparks into making one.

The day, thankfully, was a calm one. Sort of. It was mostly training communication techs in the new Space Command Center the Freedworlds Republic has got now. It was Chancellor Kanter’s idea she dreamed up that morning. Really, I know she’s struggling with the job and all, but she is actually pretty good at it.

But things weren’t so calm out where Hicks and the others wound up. They met at the Kerplocken house. Good idea. Zaye Kerplocken makes a damn good breakfast. Noghri home cooking, which is better than it sounds. That meant Hicks and Doc needed to escort Jedi So’zen there. Jedi Knight So’zen Al Saba was still out of his mind, thinking he was some archeologist or something because he zapped himself with an old artifact.

There’s a lesson there. Don’t tinker with ancient things that lack instructions and still have power after several centuries. They got him there, despite the messed up memories in his head that kept trying to make him go north.

I only know what Hicks told me about the meeting, but it sounded intense.

Commander Ysadora, Reese, Vance, Davish, Captain Kolene, and Commander So’zen… or Dr. Zack Stavin, which he kept calling himself… met at Vance’s place. Hicks and Doc were just there to make sure Jedi So’zen didn’t go running off into the desert with no gear again. Like a hat. Sungoggles. Water. Sunscreen. Useful things.

Naturally, “Dr Zack” tried running off at least once. I was surprised it took Captain Kolene two shots to stun “Dr. Zack” so he could be hauled back inside.

They talked about the current situation here with the Freedworlds Republic, attacks by Black Sun and their allies. Then there was debate over the Tleilaxian Mentat, Almon D’Joy and what that laser-brained loon was up to now.

Reese, also a Mentat but not a loony one, had a lot of theories. They all were about Almon being after that Infinity Gate in the old temple. How all the attacks were distractions, a means to allow Almon to get people in close to scan the thing because he wanted to use it. Reese has some idea there’s a special ‘key’ somewhere that unlocks that energy gate to some place else.

Sounds crazy, but it makes sense. The Infinity Gate is some kind of Force artifact that acts like a tiny hyperspace jump point. But on a planet. I need to ask Ruk about that sometime. See if he flinches.

In the meeting, the group got most of their facts together about Almon D’Joy. I mean they know he’s a problem, but the fact the Tleilaxian Mentat is really mucking around with Sith Alchemy? Not good. To make things more complicated, Rico got called over to answer about some odd crystals.

He had that old droid ball thing he found in the underground tomb under the obelisk, north of Port Etmar. I told him he should have put it back and Goss is a laser brain for even messing with it in the first place. But what’s done is done.

It seems the thing transforms into a series of metal rings, that then shape to a gauntlet with armor plates. No idea what the metal it, but it blocks blaster bolts like a beast.

Then there was Chancellor Kanter. She showed up after ditching her bodyguards again. We all wish she would stop that. Anyway, she’s hit her limit with the local warlords from the deep desert raiding supply freighters. So, she asked the group if they would look into it.

Hicks said what the Chancellor wants is for the warlords to work with her and the Republic. Which means quit hitting the supply lines. She asked if the group would go talk to the ‘pre-eminent warlord’, if that’s a thing. A half-human, half-bothan named Erenn Baize. He likes to play at being a Vor noble or something. Could be that he really is a Vor in exile. Those seem to spring up like Beltoian Daisies in the snow.

In any case, they agreed. Which, it gave Davish a chance to get his new ship, Night Sparrow, up and flying.

I just hope nothing goes weird.

It got down right weird in the time it takes to have an afternoon snack. Let me back up a bit.

We packed up supplies, us, So’zen “Dr Zack” Al Saba, and lifted out of Port Etmar’s docking bays to head north. Chancellor Kanter was pretty specific. She wanted to strike a deal with this pirate leader ‘Erenn Baize’ and his crew, not go in guns blazing.

Fair idea. She needed allies and things stable here on Chalcedon if she was to handle Black Sun and their associates. Also, from watching her, Miss Kanter was fighting herself on all of this. I’ve dealt with government leaders before… both good and bad. She has the makings of ‘great’. Miss Kanter just needs to trust her instincts.

A ‘win’ to forge an alliance with the largest warlord on Chalcedon? If my guess was right, that would be the push to help her more than anything we could tell her.

So we flew north for the pirate’s base or whatever it was sitting up way up north at the other side of the same landmass Port Etmar sat on. Destination was the Girisk Rust Cliffs along the Honloo Dust Ocean. Colorful names here on Chalcedon.

Also, I didn’t miss the fact she knew about where Erenn Baize and his crew called home. Not exactly, but the general area.

That wasn’t a surprise. It hasn’t been that long since Black Sun, the Bloodsmith Raiders, and the Meldari Council had a generation’s old death grip on the planet. Pirate clans would be literal celebrities in a place like that. So, any local would have a good idea of where those clans had staked out territories.

The trip started off quiet. Five klicks out, we transmitted a greeting. Nothing fancy, just an introduction and that we were there to propose a business arrangement. They signaled us in.

That’s when things got weird.

Erenn Baize’s castle, or ‘estate’ as he called it, was a refurbished old monastery. Looked like B’omarr Order design. No monks around, but plenty of turrets mounted turbolasers on the towers. Even more interesting? There was another obelisk on the north side of the building.

It was sandstone, like the other one outside Port Etmar, and acted like an antenna for the Force as well. Another point in favor of So’zen “Dr Zack” and his rant about ‘three points’. The points could be the obelisks.

We set down and the initial meeting went uncomfortably smooth. Chancellor Kanter warned us Erenn Baize thought of himself as an ‘up and coming’ Vor noble. Apparently, his crew bought into the idea as well. They were all in Vor-style uniforms and taking this whole thing seriously. So I didn’t rock the boat.

Vance opened the negotiations with discussing the missing cargo, but softening that claim with Chancellor Kanter’s desire to work together. A cooperative arrangement. Erenn Baize, or Erenn Vorbaize as he preferred, seemed really eager about this. Lots of ideas and emotions were flying around. I had my own.

Sure, Vance was trying to steer him toward a peaceful settlement. Vorbaize? He followed right along but interjected some unusual ideas. Mostly about a ‘grand campaign’ to unify Chalcedon's factions. Vanya was worried the guy was eager for a bloodletting. I was too, but I couldn’t shake that Vorbaize may have meant a ‘bloodless’ one.

Vorbaize never gave any sort of details on this ‘campaign’ idea in either direction. Reese, much to his Mentat style , prodded carefully to tease out an item or two. But Vance did most of the talking.

Then Vanya and Reese had a quick conversation off to the side about Vorbaize, his claims, and attitude. Captain Kolene had staked out a corner and held her position, watching the room. Fighter pilot to the core, flying guard. So’zen “Dr Zack” raved on about the archeology, which delighted our host.

It seems our desert “Vor” was a student of history as well. A genuine interest, too. I wanted to let Vanya know about that. Yes, Vorbaize idolized the legendary Shey Tapani, but I’ve a funny feeling he’s not really shown his cards.

But Vanya stepped up to raise the stakes. Taking a stance, she used her full formal Tapani title, then challenged Vorbaize on several fronts. Open challenges to Vorbaize claims of Vor-ship, strutting about and dishonoring the uniform, and on down. Vance sputtered, So’zen “Dr Zack“ moved to hide under the table, and Reese went still as stone. Captain Kolene? Same as she was before; ready to blast anyone who twitched wrong.

Basically, in this diplomatic Sabacc game, Vanya raised the bet, then called. Good tactic. It gave us the high ground, leaving Vorbaize to either show his cards or try to have us killed. In hindsight, it was time to call Erenn Vorbaize on this Vor play acting anyway.

Then, by the Force, life decided we were bored.

Captain Kolene, who had kept in touch with her droid the entire time, shouted a warning. Inbound attackers using Arcturan wingpacks from the North. A drop ship was screaming in from the West. All of them ready to wipe Vorbaize and his people off the map. Silver lining to this cloud was that the alarms shook the "So’zen" out of “Dr Zack”. We had our second Jedi back. None too soon.

We scrambled out of our chairs as Vorbaize answered Vanya’s challenge. He agreed to her ‘duel’. But he said he would reply with words and, failing that, with blades.

I caught the reference. That was one of his cards. Whatever else Erenn Vorbaize is, he knows the Tapani saber-rake customs. Those aren’t learned by a holovid course. Vorbaize was taught that.

But the rest? That would have to wait until we fought off the Tilles pirate clan. Provided we come out with our skin intact.