Emon Kaaren woke up…

…which was a bit of a surprise really, considering that he was supposed to be dead. Emon had to get up, as he was lying on a cold, metallic floor, and it was killing his back. Actually, the whole room was covered in the same material, making his room essentially a grey box. It slowly started to dawn on Emon that he was in a cell that was regular to most Imperial Capital Ships.

Emon thought back to his last few memories, before he was supposedly killed, and remembered the Bounty Hunter telling him that Warlord Zsinj had put a price on Emon’s head.

“After what you told me before you shot me, I thought I never would,” Emon told the Bounty Hunter, “Anyway, what’s a Certified Food Inspector like you doing on a Super Star Destoyer like this?”

“Heh, you have a good memory, Kaaren,” replied Masch. He turned to tell the stormtrooper guards to leave them alone, and they exited the room closing the door behind them. “Don’t bother trying anything now, they can still see us via the cameras…but they can’t hear us!”

“You didn’t answer my question, Masch, what are you doing here?” Emon thought for a moment before continuing, “and even more importantly, what am I doing here?”

Masch rose an eyebrow and went on to say, “I was just about to tell you…have some patience!!! A wise man once told me that patience was a…”

“Well I never met that wise man, so patience means nothing to me…talk!!!”

“You know that I don’t have to! I can walk out of here right now,” Masch talked back angrily, “but I won’t. I may need you to know this later.”

Emon’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this. “Then I suggest you tell me as soon as you can.”

“Warlord Zsinj thinks I am working for him. He wanted you captured so he could find out your ‘secret’. He’s heard about a special mission that was done just outside of the galaxy before the Emperor’s death, where an Imperial Officer went to recon mysterious occurrences just outside of the galaxy. Zsinj also knows that the officer sent there was you. The rumour is that there was something out there that was large enough to destroy the entire Empire, if not the whole galaxy. While we don’t even know what that force is, Warlord Zsinj wants it.”

Emon cut in, “And now you’re here to pump information out of me?”

“No, as I said, Zsinj only thinks I’m working for him,” answered Masch, “Really, I’m a New Republic Agent”

“I’m not a big fan of Rebels either,” Emon pointed out, “why should I trust you any more than I do now? Remember that it was you who said that it was the New Republic that destroyed the prison I was in.”

“Because I’m not here to spy on you! I am investigating a Republic General who has been acting suspiciously lately, and there are fears that he is working for Zsinj. It is my belief that he arranged the bombing raid on your prison using borrowed ships from Zsinj’s navy. If that’s the case, it also means that there are at least four pilots in on this too.”

“Why are you telling me all of this, Masch?”

“I’m here to take you up to Warlord Zsinj’s quarters so he can ask you a few questions…over a lavish dinner. The security won’t be too high as Zsinj is trying to win you over. That should give you the chance to escape to Hanger 2, where your supply ship, Oasis, is docked.”

Emon had to think for a moment. This was too good to be true. What if Masch is tricking him again? The plans all seemed a tad…convenient. “What about you, where will you be?”

“I’ll be leaving too as my work here is done. I should have enough information to bring down the renegade General, and it should make the co-conspirators panic and scatter. There are Navigation co-ordinates in your ship that should bring you straight a rebel base where I will meet you…and don’t think of changing them as they are locked in. The only way those co-ordinates can be changed is by my command.”

Masch pressed a button that was attached to his arm and the cell door opened. “Come on, you have to see his highness, Warlord Zsinj now.” Masch got out his blaster to show that it Emon had little choice but to follow him and the guards.

**********

As Emon walked through the long corridors of the Super Star Destroyer, he thought about what he was going to have to do now. Should he say and face the upstart Warlord Zsinj, or should he follow Masch’s plan and end up in the Rebel’s hands? And both of those choices depended upon if Masch was even telling the truth.

They came up to a pair of massive doors…with gold finish! “Ah, this must be Zsinj’s quarters,” spoke out Emon, “Only he would have to make a military ship look classy!”

The doors were opened and a stormtrooper pushed Emon along with his rifle. It was quite a hard push to…he must have been a little peeved with his last remark.

“Emon Kaaren!!! Welcome to my humble abode!!!” burst out a voice from inside the room. A little, fat, balding man emerged from the corner of the room in a Grand Admiral’s white uniform. Zsinj was far from being good enough to be a Grand Admiral, but saying that, it’s doubtful that he was good enough to be a plain Admiral.

“Please, sit. I have had us a small dinner made, I hope that you will join me.” Zsinj said, as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

The room was over-decorated with gold and velvet, and the room looked like a bank had thrown up on everything. There was a huge table in the middle of the room with masses of food on it, but Emon didn’t look at for long after noticing the many, many paintings of Zsinj spread around the room.

The doors closed behind Emon, and he was left in the room with only Zsinj for company. “Of course I will accept your hospitality. I’ve been eating prison food for so long, it would be nice to remember what it really tastes like again.”

“Good, good, sit and enjoy…and perhaps we can get some business out of the way while we’re at it.”

“Oh, and what business is that?” Emon asked as he took his seat.

Warlord Zsinj smiled for a moment. “I believe that you have some information that I am interested in, so I have a little deal for you.”

“Heh, for the information that I supposedly have, I would expect a BIG deal!!!”

“I think that my deal is good enough. Basically, you can either give me the information I want, and I will let you live and become an important officer under my command, or…”

“…You will have me killed, after extracting the information that you want rather painfully.” Emon finished Zsinj’s sentence.

“So, what is you’re choice?”