Arrival on Dexul

[Cam Stryker]

Dexul City
Outside the Dexul Space Port

Dexul was not the type of planet a normal person would want to get marooned on, but as Cole Ryser walked the lawless streets, he knew that this was just the place he needed to be. He had pasted several buildings, or at least the shells of what could have been called at one time buildings, and noticed posters of the leader of Dexul. Not its official Imperial Governor but the true leader.

Frenix Kylan had first appeared on the scene during the end of the occupation. At that time, Dexul was a peaceful GME planet, famous for its laid back attitude and relaxing spas. It was a frequented vacation spot for the rich, but when Imperial boots touched the sandy ground, all that changed and much of that was thanks to Kylan. Kylan was a tan skinned small time drug dealer who commanded a small group of ten men, mostly bodyguards. It was only after a late night raid of an Imperial weapons garrison that Kylan took power. Weapons were the currency of the realm and Kylan had enough to arm a small army and he did.

Kylan and his Dexul Syndicate had began to implement guerilla tactics which the small Imperial forces on Dexul had been ill prepared for. Kylan had turned the tides of the occupation in the Dexul capital but the Imperial war machine was unstoppable. Outside of the city, Kylan’s power died, but it was men like Kylan that Cole needed to see because it was men like Kylan that the resistance looked down their nose at.

As the midday sun began to fade, the arid wind that made the night so unpleasant was beginning to whip. It was at this point that Cole noticed the two raggedly dressed men following him closely.

“Hey we don’t like resistance type around here,” one of the men drunkenly exclaimed. “I am sure the Imperial guard would give us a high price for you.”

It was at this time, with his back turned to the two strangers that Cole noticed the distinctive sound of a blaster charging. With military grace, Cole wiped around pulling out his projectile based side arm on his hip, but as he did both men had fallen two small blades stuck in their back.

Cole twirled to see the entire area. He was in a small alley way, just himself and the two dying men. He finally turned and face the two men. He noted the small silver blades in the backs of the two men. He heard the sound of booted feet landing behind him and then he felt an arm wrap around his neck while another arm hit a pressure point on his shoulder causing him to drop him side arm.

“I don’t know what the resistance wants in Dexul but you will come with me and explain yourself,” a dark voice whispered firmly in Cole’s ear. Cole then felt a quick thrust to the back of his head and everything went black.

*******

“Cole Ryser. Unit 37 B,” a voice said in a deep accent as Cole awoke. Cole quickly realized he couldn’t see and for a moment panicked but then felt the fabric bag that had been put over his head. Suddenly his eyes were flooded with sunlight as the back was ripped off his head. He was sitting facing out of a large window overlooking the capital city of Dexul. “I am sorry for these precautions we had to take but I couldn’t arouse suspicion. Among my countless other terrible acts, it would have been the act of having an audience with a Resistance solider that would have brought the Empire busting down my door.”

Cole felt thick hands on his shoulder and the chair he was tied to spun around and away from the window. He was now looking at a large organized office space and a bulky tan skinned man in an elaborate business like suit. Cole immediately remembered this man from the posters.

“Kylan, Frenix Kylan,” Cole said with a smile. “I was wondering when we would meet.”

Without another word, Kylan snapped his fingers and from the door came a lone man holding a blaster in his hand. The man was tall and slender and wore a long brown trench coat. His hair was short and well kept and his pale skin suggested he was not from Dexul.

“So Mr. Ryser tell me why I shouldn’t have Mr. Lor here put a round in your head,” Kylan said, not breaking a piercing gaze he had fixed on Cole, who hadn’t dropped his smile.

“Because I come with a proposition,” Cole said simply. “I need your help and we have the same goals.”

“I will not work with the Resistance,” Kylan said, nodding to the man known as Lor. Lor raised the blaster level with Cole’s head.

“Good thing I don’t speak for the Resistance,” Cole said, remaining completely cool. “I realize that there is only one way to achieve victory in this war and it isn’t with honorable military tactics. It is people like you who are doing the most good. I wish to rally supporters, a union of people like yourself to strike back against the Empire.”

“We are already doing that Mr. Ryser,” Kylan said, raising his hand to Lor telling him to hold fire.

“Yes but not on a grand scale,” Cole said. “I hear tell that the other crime lords on this planet have accrss to ships. You have man power, they have ships.”

“What are you asking,” Kylan said, cutting his eyes at Cole.

“Call a meeting together,” Cole said. “Ask them to unite against the occupation of Dexul. If we unite and push the Empire off of Dexul then we can use this as a rally point. Victory is the ultimate show of rightful reason.”

“So you quote Frost now,” Kylan said with a chuckle. “Why do I need you? Who is  to say I won’t kill you and call the meeting anyway?”

“Because you need me if it goes south,” Cole replied quickly. “If you simply say it’s an audience with a Resistance soldier with an interesting position you don’t risk anything if they were to say no.”

“You seem to understand the workings of business outside the little militaristic ways of the Resistance,” Kylan said then he seemed to think for a few second and then put both hands in the air. “Fine you have your meeting but only because I want to see the Empire pay and if that falls through, it’s always nice to see the crime lords of Dexul tear someone apart. I just hope you know what you are getting into young Mr. Ryser. Lor please untie this man and get him some less conspicuous clothing.”

With a nod to Cole and then to Lor, Kylan stepped out. For a second Cole could have sworn he saw something in his eyes. If he wasn’t mistaking it was pride.

[Cam Stryker]

Kylan's Command Tower
Dexul City

Cole Ryser was finally out of the dusty worn resistance uniform. He had found some clothing in the massive wardrobe in the small cramped room that Kylan had given him to stay in until the meeting. It would have never been an outfit he would have picked out and he was sure all the guys back at the resistance barracks would have thought it was unfitting for him to be dressed in anything but a uniform, but these clothes felt right. Cole was dressed in black pants, black shoes, a black dress shirt, and a black blazer. The only thing that wasn’t black in his uniform was the bright blue tie that seemed to radiate out of a black abyss.

Cole spent several minutes getting a feel for the outfit, shocked at how at home he felt in it. Suddenly there was a beeping that indicated that someone was at the door into his room. He swiped his hand over the sensor beside the door and it slid open. There dressed in a similarly business-like outfit was Frenix Kylan.

“Huh that is actually fitting,” Kylan said with a chuckle. “Never thought I could dress a solider to look like a man of intelligence.”

Cole ignored the comment and grabbed his blaster off the stand and tucked it into the back of his pants then pulled his blazer over it.

“That is very wise,” Kylan said. “The first of the warlords began arriving this morning and the last is in the docking bay now. I’m glad its your head being put on the block here. In all honesty I have been wanting to do this for years, but these guys would never here it from me. They would think it was some sort of power play.”

Cole gave him a look of disbelief and then walked towards him. Kylan gave a gesture with his hand and the two walked out of the room and down the hallway. The meeting room was just down the corridor and once they arrived at the large blast door, Cole could hear the “representatives” already arguing.

“Good luck,” Kylan said as he smiled and waved his hand over the door panel.

As the door slid open, Cole saw the oddest looking assortment of men and women he had ever seen. There were six in total and each was yelling at one of the others, but as Cole stepped into the room a hush filled the room.

“So Kylan this must be the solider you told us about,” the voice of Ter Harkis, a pale skinny human male in his late thirties said breaking the resounding silence. Harkis was the leader of the Gideon Mercenaries, a sprawling Galactic crime ring run by ex-GME counter terrorism officer gone rouge after the fall.

“I must admit he doesn’t look like a solider,” Yori Terkal responded with a laugh. Terkal was an ex-pirate who after the pirate arrest warrant was issued by Blaze, had fled to unknown space and began building a large fleet of rouge and runaway pirated. The tall, bulky, bearded man was more than likely the largest and most powerful pirate admiral in the Galaxy.

“I think he is handsome,” said Uleana Samson, a gorgeous blonde female who Cole had read was one of the most dangerous assassins in the Galaxy and was the newest leader of the Red Eclipse. 

“I just hope he has a good reason for bringing us together,” Kylan said, taking a seat  between Terkal and the leader of the Jolin Suns Smugglers, Ruden Jolin, a hefty short man wearing a simple white shirt and flight jacket.

“I am not here to sit here and be talked about as if I am not present in the room,” Cole said, his voice suddenly full of passion. No one questioned him. “I am here because we once saw the rise of one of the greatest nations ever and I don’t mean Blaze’s excuse for a nation. I am talking about the old GME which I am sure had an effect on everyone in this room. Now because of Blaze and the Empire we have lost that.”

“I remember the days of scavenging those war zones after a GME-Legion confrontation,” Yori Terkal said, as his aged eyes wondered off in, obviously going back to his glory days.
“But it isn’t lost yet,” Cole continued, ignoring the old man. Cole had already moved around the table and stopped behind the only non-human in the room, a reptilian humanoid named Soultis. Cole put his hands on the back of Soultis’ chair and leaned over him. “You six represent the most powerful crime rings in the Galaxy. If anyone can fight back it is you. You remember the days of the GME, when criminal weren’t viewed as such. People like you were viewed as opportunists. Those were the days we can bring back.”

“How do you intend we go about this,” Samson asked in a cold voice, too cold for someone as pretty as her Cole thought to himself.

“The Empire is not loved by all,” Cole said. “We give the people a victory point to rally behind and have the Empire by the balls. People will flock to you and your ranks will swell with recruits ready to jump into battle and into the fire for you. You will each have armies of people who would love nothing more than to see the Empire crumble.”

“Soultis would love to see new blood in his command,” the reptilian said from his chair looking up at Cole. “Where do you think this rally point should be, human?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Cole said and with that he pulled out a control from his blazer and pressed a button. With that the wall at the end of the room rose revealing a large window over looking Dexul City. “Dexul is already on the verge of collapse. The Empire cant afford anymore troops here. It will be easy for you to liberate this land for yourselves. Imagine, a chunk of land to call your own that is on a planet uncontrolled by the Empire.”

Cole could tell they were thinking, hard. “I am just one man and you all have recourses I don’t at your disposal, but imagine the damage you could do if you all attacked the Empire here at once. The Empire would be overwhelmed,” Cole said, a smirk growing on his face and fire burning in his eyes. “So what do you say?”

************

It didn’t take the crime lord long to come to a decision. Though two of the seven present pulled out and went home calling the whole thing a dumb idea, five agreed. Already those five were in a room planning their first strike on Imperial forces in Dexul, but as Cole walked down the hallway towards the hanger bay the smile he had on his face had only grown.

He knew he wouldn’t be needed any longer. The crime lords wanted him gone. He was certain of that. He was also certain that the combined force of the crime lords would be easily crushed by the Empire. Those criminals would never work together enough to make a difference, but that had never been his plan. He had just killed the heads of the main crime lord in the Galaxy. Once they struck the Empire wouldn’t let them off of Dexul and with that, the greatest power vacuum in criminal history would begin. Five criminal organizations all without leaders and all looking for someone to take charge and Cole would be that someone.

Cole pulled out a small tablet from the bag he was carrying and pressed a button on it. Instantly, a bug planted in the shuttles of the two crime lords leaving Dexul activated and shut off the false identifiers onboard.

With that Cole opened the hanger doors and saw the large freighter parked inside. It was basically a large flying box but it had limited FTL capabilities and it could be flown by one man. As Cole entered the port side of the ship and came into the cockpit he noticed that their was a text message on the console before him. He waited until he had made it out of the hanger bay to check it.

“COLE RYSER……WE NEED TO MEET……BE IN TOUCH……ORDER MASTER”

Cole stared at the message as the ship left the atmosphere of Dexul. He snapped out of his daze as he noticed two shuttles disappearing from his scanner, shot down by Imperial Patrols. It was all going according to plan.

[Cam Stryker]

Galactic Bureau of Investigation Criminal Organization Division
Report on the Incident on Imir
Captured Red Eclipse Soldier: classified
Reporting Officer: Felix Lotis

Lotis: The prisoner has agreed to tell us what he knows for a shortened term. He has requested that the audio of this be applied into written text to hide his voice. In the room are only myself and the Red Eclipse operative. Please begin.

Red Eclipse Soldier: Reports of Urlena’s death on Dexul spread to us quickly and we were confused. I remember sitting in the barracks watching the news feed. Everyone was silent and lost.  We had no leadership and we knew that all the other cells were the same.

Lotis: Cells?

Red Eclipse Soldier: It is how our organization is arranged. There are thousands of tiny cells of less than a hundred men and the leader of the Eclipse has direct command over each cell. Without the leader, all the cells were confused. In the days to follow we heard about several cells falling off the grid but we just assumed they had disbanded. I never imagined that those men would throw in their lot with some new guy just because he towed a good line, until this man arrived at our cell.

Lotis: Who was this man? When did he arrive?

Red Eclipse Soldier: He would never tell us his name but he arrived nearly two weeks after the collapse of several cells and when he entered our barracks he was escorted by several ex-Eclipse soldiers. I must admit, this man was impressive. He spoke to us as if he was one of us, but also better than us. When he spoke you listened and knew that he knew what he was talking about. As he spoke, I knew that the others were listening to him.

Lotis: Everyone was completely into the idea of assimilating with this man?

Red Eclipse Soldier: Of course not. Our cell leader was outspokenly against him. He stood up as the man spoke and said “Who do you think you are?” Before the words were good out of his mouth, five Eclipse soldiers had their guns trained at his head and all of them didn’t come with the man, some were from our own barracks. The room erupted into chaos. Everyone was yelling and screaming at each other. Suddenly it began to get quiet. Those closer to the man got quiet first and then as everyone else got quieter. The man was speaking, softly but firmly. I think it was then that everyone noticed how amazing this man was. He knew how to work us. He talked about power and the great power we would be given for standing with him. By the end of the day he gave us a choice. Knell before him or walk out of the room. Only ten of us left the barracks that night. As we left we saw the other knell at that man’s feet.
 
Lotis: Is that when it happened?

Red Eclipse Soldier: Yes, one of the ten with us pulled out a blaster and fired into the knelling crowd as we left. The man wasn’t surprised; he simply looked at us and flashed a smile. Then he nodded to some of the men who had come with him. They pulled out their weapons and fired at us. It became a blood bath. The only way I survived was that I threw my gun down and knelt. I yelled for him to have mercy on me. I looked back and saw the last of the ten fall limp on the floor, my brothers. The man approached me and looked down at me. He pulled me up and looked at me, his eyes there was something wrong with them, they seemed off. Then he said “Leave if you wish.”
 
Lotis: And did you leave then?
 
Red Eclipse Soldier: Man I ran quickly. I got into the Eclipse to steal some things, maybe get into piracy. I never wanted to hurt anyone really. When I looked into that man’s eyes, I knew he was planning something big, Something dark.
 
Lotis: Can you give us a physical description?

Red Eclipse Soldier: He was tall and slender. His hair was black or dark brown and he wore a black suit. It was all pretty normal except for the tie a bright blue silk tie that seemed to fit him too well.

After this report we continue our investigation into this man who has taken over several cells of the Red Eclipse as well as a few other small criminal rings across the Galaxy. At this point the only lead we have on him is the physical description above.

[Cam Stryker]

Councilman Ti Borl was considered very handsome among the people of Na’Dar. An young up and coming politician, Borl, everyone knew would be a major player in the Imperial political game. Borl moved now with less posture and grace than he carried himself with before the masses. It was late and if there was one thing that tired Borl more than anything it was later night meetings with Na’Dar’s aging Senator, Danis Von.

Von had seen brighter days. The Senator had taken office several years ago after serving as Councilman for nearly 50 of his 87 years. Borl knew in his old age though, Von was getting weaker. In many ways that is the reason Borl had taken the actions he had taken. He had to position himself as the successor for the Senate seat, but he had been at a loss for how, until “that man” showed up.

Now as he walked through the narrow halls of the Presidin Tower apartments 57th floor, he could rest knowing that he had done what “that man” had asked of him. He pulled the tie around his neck loosing it and then he scratched the stubble growing on the side of his face. As he reached his door and slide his card key in, he was only looking forward to his warm bed and a late morning the next day.

As he stepped into his apartment however, he immediately noticed something. It was dark. Too dark. He looked around the hallway that led into his modest living area and realized that the shades of the veiwport that over looked the cityscape of Na’Dar had been closed. He had left the open, he though to himself then he felt another presence in the room.

“I trust everything went as planned then,” a cold voice emitted from the darkness. Borl turned and noticed a shadowy figure moving in the small kitchen off to the left of the hallway.

“It did,” Borl said, as a bright light suddenly brightened the kitchen, causing Borl to squint his eyes. He realized a second later that the light was coming from his cold storage cabinet as his eyes adjusted he saw the figure grab a bottle of alcoholic Legion cocoa, a delicacy that wasn’t easy to come by anymore.

“We should speak then in your office,” the voice said and the figure moved out of the kitchen and into the living area before disappearing into a small room off the living area. Borl followed and as he entered the room was relieved to see the fire place on the right wall to be lit and casting a glow across the room. The figure was now easier to see and the identity of the intruder was revealed by the bright blue tie around his neck. “So what did you learn?”

“I recorded the whole meeting as you asked,” Borl said, pulling a recorder out of his pocket.

“I am a busy man Mr. Borl,” the sharp voice of Cole Ryser said as he took a seat at Borl’s desk and threw his feet atop the desk. He took a long sip of the cocoa. “Summarize it for me.”

“The Senator is planning on putting forth that the Empire begin to focus on crime and piracy again now that the threat of the Resistance is all but squashed. He plans to offer plans to establish an anti-crime organization that he will head himself,” Borl began, moving to a seat before the desk.

“That can not happen,” Cole said simply. The meaning behind those words not lost to Borl. “Is he unable to be talked out of this?”

“He is,” Borl paused for a moment to find the right word. “Passionate about it.”

“He is obsessed,” Cole responded after a second drink. “As he should be. The Red Eclipse made many attempts on his life, but being an anti crime ring politician will do that to you. His old age has also no doubt made him paranoid.”

“I think that is the root of most of his issues yes,” Borl said, reaching for a bottled water sitting on his desk. It had just sank in where he was sitting in his own house.

“Then I suppose there is nothing more I can do,” Cole said, in a matter of fact tone.

“What,” Borl said, shocked at what he was hearing. “You said we would be forcing him to retire.”

“I will be,” Cole said. “He will retire permanently.”

“You can not do this,” Borl said, shooting up. Cole remained completely relaxed.

“I can, Ti,” Cole said, waving his hand in a relax gesture.

“I will alert the authorities,” Borl said, repulsed by hearing his named uttered from that mouth.

“Oh Ti, as if I don’t already have control of them,” Cole said, standing to his feet and moving around the desk. “You must understand that there is no other way this can happen. You came to me because you want to be Senator now we are a stones through from doing just that. I have a feeling that in the Senators office you will do some major good. I have to insure that you make that office.”

“Is there no other way,” Borl said after several moment of thought. “Can you not talk to someone and have him forced to retire or show him mentally incompetent, anything at all?”

“I am afraid not,” Cole said. “He must be removed to solidify your position. You are his right hand. You will be elected in his stead without question. All I need to know is where he will be tomorrow so that we can carry out the plan.”

Borl dropped his head. He took a deep breath and then said in a small voice “He will be heading a march on criminal punishment that will be aired around the Empire.”

“Thank you Borl,” Cole said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Or should I say Senator Borl.”

Borl looked into the mix matched eyes of Cole Ryser and as he did, he knew he would be changing the shape of the entire Galaxy by helping this man. Even though his shoulder was being gripped by one of the strongest presences in the entire Galaxy, he had never felt so alone.

[Cam Stryker]

Jerin Vi’ali paced around the circular white and gold plated room that served as his father’s office. The windows that covered what seemed like the entire left wall looked out onto a beautifully maintained yard complete with decorative pond and swimming pool which now his young, slender build step mother floated around in aimlessly. Jerin did his best to divert his eyes, but he had never understood why someone so young and attractive would be with his nearly 70 year old father.

Jerin knew it was his family name and more importantly his family wealth. The Vi’ali family had been on the scene for hundreds of  years, silently but powerfully controlling the flow of illegal arms and drugs around the Galaxy. People didn’t mess with them because people feared them and in all reality fear was more attractive in many ways than money or at least that’s what his father had told him.

It was this thought that was passing through Jerin’s mind when his father’s golden engraved door slide open and a hefty man lumbered in. Jureic Vi’ali moved slowly and ungracefully like an elderly bear and like an elderly bear, he was dangerous. Though  the feeling that washed over Jerin now wasn’t fear of the man, it was the same feeling he got anytime his father was around. A mix of respect and repulsion, a feeling he suspected, most sons felt towards their father.

“Jerin,” Jureic said keeping his voice frail and weak, a ploy Jerin knew all too well. He was about to play on Jerin’s sympathy. Jureic grabbed his son up in an embrace and kissed his check. “It has been too long. Tell me how my endeavors are fairing on the outer fringes.”

Jerin knew what his father was getting at and decided not to allow this man the pleasure of outsmarting him.

“Father you know I have lost a shipment. Don’t play games with me” Jerin said, pushing away from his father’s embrace. His father flashed a look of hurt but when Jureic realized his son was unaffected, he morphed into a hard cold creature. The look of frailty passed away and left only ruthlessness.

“I wouldn’t need to play games as you say if I had a son who could do as he was told,” Jureic said, mixing in just the right amount of anger to drive it home. He then took a breath. “Son, I am having you moved back home. I may need to find a new leader of my guard. You must be more suited to sorting and shipping.”

“You will have the entire Guard hating you,” Jerin said, throwing a skinny finger in his father’s face. “They follow me not you.”

“EVERYONE FOLLOWS ME,” Jureic erupted, a large vein bulging out of his neck. “I have had men killed for less and even though you are my son don’t think I will not do the same too you. The entire organization is falling around us. Business has dropped by 50% in the last year and now I see that it is the end of our family because my son is nothing but a sniffling little girl.”

“Bastard,” Jerin whispered, but before the word was even out of his mouth a large meaty hand came across his face.

“I don’t see how I ever loved a child as weak as you,” Jureic snarled. “What can I expect from a whore like your mother. I should have had you killed before your were born. If only I believed in that it would have made my life so much easier.”

Jerin felt like a hundred blaster shots just ripped through him. He loved this man and to hear him say the words he had just said, broke his heart. He was numb. All anger had rushed out of him and was replace with something he had never felt before, self-hatred.

“I beg your forgiveness father,” Jerin said, falling to his knees and grabbing his father’s hand. He kissed the ring on his father’s finger. “I swear to you now that I am on your side. I will do whatever you tell me.”

“Get off the floor,” Jureic said, yanking his son up by his shoulders. “Your lucky you are from my loins or your stunts here today would have had you killed. You want to make it up to me.”
His father reached onto a desk and picked out a folder. He handed it to Jerin. Inside was a collection of photos and information on the leader of a small Red Eclipse cell on the planet Mavaria.

“The Imperial cell of the Eclipse has just fallen off the reservation,” Jureic said, taping the folder in his son’s hands. “Find out why it has shut down and why it is no longer purchasing weapons from me. Do not fail me son. If you do not bring back this information, then don’t come home.”

“Yes father,” Jerin said, bending his neck and looking down at his shoes. He was immediately hit with a feeling of inferiority as if he wasn’t worth to even look into his father’s eyes. He had to bring back this information because for all of his father’s anger, without his leadership of the Guard, the Vi’ali house was sure to crumble.