Beyond the Return of the Jedi

Krell knew a few languages. Having been an Imperial Officer, he had to know a few. For he would have been expected to deal with a number of races, and the Hutts were one of them. They had their uses and knowing their language was always a good thing, especially if they didn't know you knew it. He grinned when he heard what they were talking about and gave a slight nod to Nila.

"Well now I think we should get to the bridge so I can lay in the cource for the entry point of the asteroid belt." He waited for both Nila and Key to lead the way.

Knowing Huttese was part of life in the Outer Rim and doing any kind of business here.
Key looked at Krell. "Yes, we need to be on our way soon," she agreed. She led the way through the Kubura to the bridge. The interior configuration of the Kubura was a little different. The corridors were spaceous which allowed Grall to roam the ship with ease. Grall also had her own quarters, though they weren't part of the tour.
It was several minutes from the hangar bay to the bridge. Upon entering the bridge, all the droids stopped working to salute Keysla and the other humans.
"Resume," Key ordered the droids. She then turned to look at Krell, "take the helm, if you wish, Krell."
Tac went to tactical and Geeto took over communications. Nila stood beside Key to watch.

Krell followed them up to the bridge. The ship looked to be in excelent condition. He doubted that Key had bought it. A ship like that would be more then a single person could afford. But that didn't concern him at the moment. Once on the bridge and Key informing him he could take the helm, he walked over to the controls and had a seat. His hand moved over the consol and the ship began to move and pick up speed. Soon it was at full sublight. "Should only take about twenty minutes to get to the entry point." he told them, "When we enter, better be strapped in, it is going to be a wild ride."

Twenty minutes later he slowed the ship and swung the shiip around to face the astoriod belt. He took a deep breath and in his mind pictured the route before sending the ship in at full sublight speed. The astoriods moved everywhere infront of them. Krell manuvered the large ship quite expertly, manuvering around the larger ones and avoiding smaller ones, that could smash through the shields.

He turned the communications to a very narrow band and direction so it would not be broadcast all over space. "Haven this is Krell. Coming in on a Maurder Class Covette. Prepare to open up. Sending authentication code now." he taped his wrist com and continued his mad like journey through the astoriods. A reply came shortly after, "Welcome Home Krell." Suddenly the astoroids cleared and in a huge clear space was a small round, moon like astoriod. The rocky, crater, face of it opened up in two sections like two huge doors swinging out. Two ships the size of the Kubura could fit through the opening.

Krell slowed the ship and manuvered it into the large and spacious interior. On the far wall of the interior was a structure with windows looking out into the hallow space of the huge astoriod. As krell manuvered the ship in a tube like structure extgended out and once Krell brought the ship to a stop it attacked to one of the airlocks and sealed. "Welcome to Haven he said." as the huge outter doors closed once more to hide the entrance of Haven. Krell stood up smiling. "This is just the space dock. Wait till you see the rest of Haven."

Nila looked at Key as the two females strapped into their seats. Grall kinda hunkered down at the back of the bridge.
"Hey, not so close to the asteroids!" Key complained to Krell, watching through the view port. She didn't like to go this fast around asteroids. Although in the Nomad or a starfighter, she could handle it with ease.
Key was about to take over the helm when the asteroids kinda cleared away. Before them was one of the largest asteroids in the belt. She barely registered Krell's communication or the response as doors in a crater opened for them.
She looked around at the space port. There were other ships parked here. Her eyes widened a bit at the sight of one, a YB-300. Was it possible? she asked herself.
Still... she wasn't ready to let down her guard. With that thought, she strapped her blaster and holster to her waist, adding her vibrosword to her back. "Geeto," she commanded. The droid already knew his instructions. As she unstrapped her seat, she looked at Krell. "I'm looking forward to this. You do have me curious. Nila, you stay aboard the Kubura," she told her ward.
Nila looked disappointed but she nodded.

Krell looked around the interior space dock and saw a few ships. Most were smugglers, helping him out. They would take cargos he stole and take them here and there to dispose of. Most of the cargos were imperal stuff that was hard to get. "You sure you want her to stay aboard? I think there would be a few here that might like to meet her."

But that was not his decision to make. "Come on I will show you Haven." he moved off the bridge and to the airlock that had been locked on. Opening the hatch he moved across the docking tube to the interior of Haven. Here was something amazing. It looked like a small city built within the astoriod. But the buildings were nothing like anything that had been seen before, nor the materials that they were made of.

As they emerged from the airlock on Haven's side, they were surrounded by a number of young boys and girls ranging from 10 to 16. Behind them were their parents and others. The kids were all asking where Krell got the Maruder Class Corvette, he smiled and turned to Key, "Well I think you had best ask her about that. It is her ship." Some of their mouths dropped open and they turned to Key "Your ship?" "WOW. Can we go aboard and look." and many more questions.

But then there was a voice that came out of the crowd. "Well Now. Do these old eyes deceive me? Well lassy, it looks like you have done good for yourself." An elderly man pushed his way forward and grined ear to ear as he looked at Key.

Key looked at him. She was protective of her ward. "Nila, you can come with us," she said and then added. "Stay close, though."
The Twi'lek girl beamed and said, "Thank you!" She came to Keysla's side as Geeto joined them as well. The four of them went through the dock. Key and Nila couldn't help but look around as they were curious.
Key came up short when the children joined them. "Maybe I''ll let you look later," she said. Aside from Nila, she wasn't used to children.
Key looked around for the voice. Huh? She saw the man but didn't recognize him.

OOC: Perlan shouldn't be elderly. 50s at the most.

(Hard times in a mine might make him look older. Been planning on putting him in since you mentioned him.)
The Children looked at Key a bit disappointed. Krell knew how all of them were. They were all excited about any ship that came in. They were the future spacers that would crew a ship someday. Already some of them had shown extraodinary knowledge and abilities for various jobs on board a ship. Two especially had shown a talent. Jenny had already began showing that she would be a great pilot one day, and Lucus seemed to know everything about what made a ship work. He would be a great Engineer one day.

The man that had spoke before to Key moved up closer. He looked older then he was. A slave mining camp would do that to a person. Him and a bunch of others he had rescued not to long ago and had also captured a heavy freighter that the pirates had been using to haul the stuff being mined away in. Krell had not gotten to know them yet. "Don't you recgonize me Key?" he asked. He had been a partner of Perlan's when Key decided to go off on her own.

By now a bout a hundred adults had gathered around along with the children. Now Nila was being surrounded by them and asked all sorts of questions about the ship, what she did aboard, where was the crew, and many more questions. Krell grinned seeing that. He had a feeling that Key's young ward would not mind having a few friends her own age.

Key just didn't need a bunch of unsupervised kids on board her ship. Who knew what could happen?
Key looked at the man that stood before her. Perlan had a few old friends here and there. Particularly ones that had been part of the Rebel Alliance and were now still working to build the New Republic. He did look a bit familiar.
"Groghe?" she said finally.

Nila stepped a little closer to Key as the colony's children swarmed her. Like Key, Nila had some trust issues. She'd been practically abandoned onto the streets of Mos Eisley.
Nila answered some of their questions, almost defensively. The ship only had a skeleton crew of droids that Key had rebuilt and in many cases reprogrammed. She pointed to Geeto as an example.

The man gave her a wide grin. "Ah lassy you remember." he took one of her hands and shook it. "Perlan will be glan to know that you are here lassy. He would have probably been here himself but he is laid up with a broken leg." He looked over at Krell who was staring at him and Key, raising a brow. This was one hell of a coencidence he thought. Krell shook his head and then nodded to the people about her.

"These are some of the people I was telling you about. Crews of a number of ships confiscated by the empire or taken by pirates and place in slave labor camps or mines. They are experienced, and they have no love for the empire nor the pirates. Up to you though." he said

"Do you fly the ship?", the girl called Jenny asked Nila. "Droids?" a boy about 10 asked awe struck, "I would love to see them." he was excited. He was hovering around Geeto looking him over closely.

Key raised her eyebrows. "Then that was his ship I saw?" she said to Groghe. She was a little anxious now. She hasn't seen her mentor in a few years... ever since he disappeared. She looked at the others gathered around. Then something occurred to her. "Does this Haven have a leader?" she asks Krell and Groghe.
Nila looked at the girl. "No, I don't," she answered. The twilek girl didn't understand some of these children. Droids were so commonplace in this galaxy so why were they surprised. "We don't have enough people on board so the ship is operated with a droid crew. Key likes to salvage, repair and in some cases reprogram droids and she's teaching me to do it, too. And other useful things, too. Free labor force if someone else throws out a broken droid... just needing repairs."

Groghe chuckled at her question about a leader of Haven. "Well from what I have gathered, Captain here....." he pointed to Krell, "Is basicly the owner and leader here, except he leaves the running of the place to a man called Marcus. Suddenly there was a fuss at the edge of the people around them. A mans voice could be heard shouting for people to get out of his way, a very familar voice "Come on move out of the way." boomed the mans voice. The middle aged man piloted his medical chair through the crowd, his right leg bound up. "That's it out of the way, I have to talk to this Krell fellow about my ship." he then looked up and saw Key and stopped dead in his tracks, or the med chair. His jaw dropped, and his eyes got misty.

The young boy said "Wow, we don't have alot of droids here. Mainly on the Raven for repair work and such and maybe on a couple of the other ships out there. Use to see alot of them before the soldiers came and made mom and dad move away from our home." he moved closer to the Nila. "Think you can convince her...." he nodded to Key, "to let us take a look at the ship."

Key wasn't sure what to make of Groghe's cryptic answer to her question. She was about to ask when she heard a voice she hasn't heard in a while. She looks around as the crowd parts for a man in a medical chair. As she looked at her mentor, her expression softened. "Perlan," she whispered. She came to his chair as tears were welling in her eyes.
Nila wasn't paying any more attention to the boy as her eyes were watching Key and Perlan. She's never seen her guardian behave like this.

Pelean opened his arms and enveloped Key in them. He hugged her tightly. "How are you doing my girl." he whispered a lump in his throat. "I missed you terribly and have wondered about what you have been doing." A tear fell down his cheek. "What are you doing here?" he asked easing up on his hug.

Krell only shook his head and smiled. The look on Nila's face was priceless and he bet the girl had alot more to learn. Groghe moved over to Perlan and Key. "Krell and her have brought in a Marauder Class Corvette." At the mention of that Perlan looked at Key. "Yours?"

Of course, Key hugged him in return. Her arms were tight around him. "I heard what happened with the pirates. I went looking for you. No one knew what had really happened. They said pirates had attacked your ship. Nothing more than that. I even went to the pirates' den on Lok looking for answers. Some of my earnings from jobs went to paying informants or investigators. Everything lead to dead ends. I missed you so much. I have so much to tell you."
"What I'm doing here? Krell told me of this place... but not that you were here. What are you doing here? I have so many questions!"
She looked out of the viewport at her ship. "Krell doesn't trust my droid crew and brought us here. In truth, I wish I could properly crew the Kubura... which is why we are here." She looks at Perlan and nods. "Yes, she's mine. It's a long story how I got her."
Now she was glad Nila came with them. "Perlan, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Key says and puts her arm around the Twilek girl. "This is Nila. She helped me out in Mos Eisley and I adopted her as my ward. Nila, this is Perlan... the man I told you about."
The Twilek girl looks at Perlan. "Hello," she said shyly.

Perlan looked at the Twilex girl and smiled. He took her two hands in his an nodded. Then he looked at Key. Taking on a lot of responsibility here." he chuckled. "Going to teach her everything I taught you?" then to Nila, "She was a very astute learner. Listen to her and you will learn alot." Then he got back to the more serious talk. "Pirates came after me. Was just getting out of the Kessel system with a load. Enough that would set me up good for quite a long time, maybe even retire. With the way things were back then, the empire trying to get things under control and all, I was in and out of there without any trouble till them damn pirates showed up."

He grinned though. "But they didn't get the cargo." he chuckled. "was able to drop it in a safe place long before they caught up to me. They were pissed and threw me in to a slave mining camp and used the old girl to haul away the ore we mined. Then one day all hell broke lose. We thought it was imperials at. Imperial looking TI Fighters were swooping down everywhere taking out the pirates base, and then we attacked our guards." he rubbed his broken leg. "Getting to old to fight like a youngster. " he chuckled again. "Fell and broke my leg. But when it was all over it wasn't imperials but Krell's crew. They took us all aboard his ship and brought us here."

He turned to Krell, "As on that matter, I would like to have my ship back. Key can vouch that it belongs to me." he said in a matter of fact voice.

Krell nodded, "She is all yours, when you are back on your feet and ready to fly her again."

"Now you said you would like a crew for your new ship." he waved a hand around the assembled men and women. They may look like a mottly bunch of people, but most are good spacers, true to the core and will be loyal to ya. Many are itching to get back out there and earn a living. If you want, I'll pick them for ya."

"You could say that," Key said. "I guess that makes you a grandpa, in a way. haha!"
Nila looked at the man. "She's already taught me a lot, sir. She even taught me how to read," said the girl.
Key and Nila both listened to what had happened. Key wished she'd been there. If she'd known where Perlan was, the Nomad would have come swooping down on his captors. Key looks at Krell, "You have TIE fighters here?" She looked out the view port at the ships in dock. Of course smaller craft like fighters would be kept in hangars... but the assortment she saw out there was quite the hodgepodge. If the Kubura had a squadron of A-Wings aboard, it would add quite a punch to her effectiveness. She looked at Krell again and said, "Yes, that's Perlan's ship. I grew up on it so I should know."
She looked around at the men and women gathered. She wondered when the last time any of these people saw the sunrise. If they worked out... hmmm... she thought.
She spoke to the assembly. "I have an important job. There's an outbreak on Toydaria and medical supplies including vaccine are just sitting there on Naboo. I promised the Toydarians I would bring them that medicine. There is risk of a pirate ambush. That medicine would sell for a fortune on the black market. I have some surprises of my own for the pirates. They don't even know about the Kubura. The Kubura can send them a serious message and save lives on Toydaria at the same time once she's properly crewed."

Many of those about them stepped forward. Perlan chuckled. "I think you have a crew for your ship. One of the men spoke up, "We all got a score to settle with the pirates, captain. We'll crew your ship until you find a better one or until we are dead." every one of them nodded. "We'll get our things and with your permission go aboard and get aquinted with the ship."

They stood there awaiting her orders.

"Wish I could be going with you girl, but......" he slapped his broke leg. "Won't be going anywhere for a bit, though now I'll be checking out the old girl to see what those blasted bastards did to her." He took her hands in his and squeezed them. "You take care out there. They are some nasty bastards."

Key watched them all intently. "Right now, the pirates are secondary. Getting those supplies to Toydaria is the high priority. Everyone wishing to crew my ship stand in a line so I can see the lot of ya." Her voice was firm and full of authority now... but not unkind.
When the prospective crew were lined up on either side of her for her inspection she slowly paced them.
"We'll all settle our accounts with pirates soon enough. And maybe even some of the Imperials, too. But if you lose sight of the true objectives then you truly fail. Anyone so blinded by hate for pirates that they overlook the greater good has no place aboard the Kubura. If this mission is successful then this will be only the beginning."
She then looks at Nila and the children nearby. "Perhaps one day soon, you won't have to hide inside a rock and your children can see a sunrise and feel the warmth on their faces," she says. She needed these people to focus and have a hope to work towards.
"Those who still want to crew the Kubura have one hour to pack their gear. Nila and two of my droids will assign you ships quarters and duty stations. I want to be underway in three hours."
She then looked at Krell, "You didn't answer my question earlier. Do you have starfighters here?"

Those intrested in crewing Key's ship departed to get their things. Most didn't have all that much. Krell had brought stuff back that he gave out. Most of the cargos he stole was stuff that could be sold for a good profit to buy the things that the people at Haven needed. It onlyh took them a half hour to pack thier things and was aboard. Fifty men and women boarded and were escorted around by the droids and Nila. After their quarters were assigned each of them let Nila know what they did the best. Some took to the turbo blasters, others to Enginering a couple to the Sick Bay and a couple to the bridge so that Key would have a bridge crew.

They didn't sit around, but got to work examining and checking out everything, bringing up the specks on the ship doing dianostic tests to ensure everything was running smoothly. The gun crews checked out the weapons and targeting systems communicating with each other. Those areas that had once been manned by droids and now had a skeleton crew of people utilized the droids as well.

"Most of the TIE Fighters are aboard the Raven. I have only four here. They are not the old type of TIE Fighter but a newer and sleeker looking version. Would you like to see them?" he asked.

(Vader's type of TIE Fighter)

Key spent some time with Perlan.... she had so much to say to him. She gave him a tour of the Kubura while watching how this new crew was working on the ship. On the hangar deck, the Nomad was still there... and off limits to the new crew. Key had put the down payment on the Nomad when she left him to go out on her own. He'd even helped her haggle down the final price.
"When this mission to Toydaria is finished... I'm going to come back for you, Perlan. I might have something to offer the Haven then."

As Key took Perlan aboard the Kubura, Krell went off to talk to Marcus. He was about the same age as Perlan, a bit thinner and had a beard of black and grey. He had been part of the rebellion and was not quite satisfied with the way the Empire survived. He had a personal score to settle with the new over all commander of the Imperial Fleet, Admiral Montrose. He knocked on the door to the dwelling he occupied.

"Come on in Krell." came Marcus' voice. Krell entered and found the man sitting in a comfortable chair, a drink in his hand. "I hear there is a Marauder Class Corvette out in the Hanger bay."

"Yeah you heard right. But doesn't belong to me, but a woman that I met. She might be a good asset if you can convince her to join your cause Marcus. But she probably won't be to easily won over. She has her own plans. But she has no love for the empire or the pirates. '

Marcus looked up at Krell. "I can be pretty convincing if I have to be." he said and rose from the chair and sat his drink down. "Come on lets go talk to her."

Perlan was impressed with the Kubura. "This is a fine ship." he told her. "Now how in blazes did you aquire such a ship?" he looked up at her from his medical chair, with the look, tell me everything.

The Kubura was in a space DOCK. Droids and men loaded some supplies for the crew.
Key brought Perlan to the bridge then. Grall greeted them with a soft chirp like sound. "This is Grall," she said to Perlan, patting the varactyl.
"Oh, it's a long story. Short version is: I rescued the son of a high up in the Banking Clan. It's a long story but this ship is the result. I've had her a few months, though, just reworking her transponder and other things so she is basically reborn. No trail of ownership, you see. I want to start a fleet. The Kubura is the first step but she's not the last."

Krell brought Marcus aboard the Kubura and took him up to the bridge. On his way he saw that everyone was aboard that was suppose to be and ready to go. He saw Key and Perlan there. "Looks like everyone is aboard and ready to get underway." he spoke up. "But before we go......." he turned to Marcus. "This is Marcus."

Perlan chuckled. "A real life Rebel my girl." he said, "Probably here to enliste your help and ship." Krell could not have put it better. He wondered if she would. He knew that she wanted to get the medical supplies and get them to Toydaria before she did anything else. After that it would be up to her.

Key looked over then as Krell brought another man onto her bridge. She stood stoically beside Perlan as Marcus was introduced.
"Well met then, Marcus," she said. She turned to Geeto, who was at his station. "Geeto, have all stations report in to you. We need to be underway soon."
"Yes, captain," said the droid.
Her attention then returned to Marcus. "So what can I do for you?" she asked him cordially.

"You have a capital warship that would or could be a great help in bringing down the emperor and the empire. I am trying to begin another rebellion that will free the star systems under the control of the emperor. Something that should have been done before the last Rebellion stopped their attacks when the second Death Star and Palapatine was killed." he was hoping to find those with warships that would help him. He knew there were others out there, but most were in the New Republic or other alliances. He was begining from scratch.

"I know you have your own ideas of what you want to do, but I ask you, do you enjoy dealing with the empire? Where they tax everything heavily and make life for people miserable?"

Krell just stood back and let the man do the talking. He was already out there doing what he could to make the empire miserable. It would be up to Key would want to get involved. He just wanted to get those that needed to get back out in to space, out there. That he had done.