Back to the Setnin Sector

2000 short story by Jonathan Hicks

Thirty years after Episode IV – A New Hope

The ship turned slowly as it ended its docking sequence. Lights flashed on its hull, positioning lasers streaked across its beam and carbonised gas flew from its thrusters as it backed into the mooring tube.

Pollyanna smiled as she pressed several switches to end the sequence. It had been a long flight from Repusub in the Setnin Sector, with several navigation problems due to the need to dodge official spacelanes and patrol vessels, but she knew the route well and when to stop, re-plot the course and continue. It had been harder this time around; Galactic Alliance of Free Alliances patrol ships were on the lookout for an unidentified craft preying on cargo haulers and, even though it wasn’t her they were looking for, she didn’t want to be boarded and questioned.

The Shadow of the Phoenix ended the sequence by latching onto the docking umbilical and securing itself to the space station orbiting the battered world once again known as Coruscant. The long ship wound down, the engines lowering power output and sending a descending crescendo through the ship’s hull. Lights flickered to life in the dark cockpit to indicate system shutdown.

The systems that still work, at any rate she thought.

The artificial gravity shut itself off and Pollyanna was subjected to several moments of queasiness as she adapted to the station’s own gravity. She swallowed as her body adjusted and made her way to the airlock, wanting to get onto the station as soon as possible to rid herself of the feeling at the pit of her stomach.

The twin doors of the airlock slid open, she quick-stepped down the docking tube and into the station proper, taking deep breaths of the recycled air. Fourteen weeks aboard the Phoenix and the air went stale without her noticing. The air on the station seemed to be fresher, with a hint of aroma that suggested it had been purified and laden with chemicals to suit new arrivals to the location.

A short man approached, lightboard and stylus in hand, covered in a myriad of communication devices and creased coveralls. He adjusted the readout on the lightboard and checked the number stamped on the breast of Pollyanna’s flight suit. His eyes lingered on the number on her suit and she shifted uncomfortably. Her twin ponytails were shining with grease from lack of care and, under the custom officer’s scrutiny, she became very conscious of her appearance.

   “Name?” the officer asked sharply, looking back down at the lightboard.

   “You just spent several seconds looking at my chest, it’s stamped there,” she mumbled. Her voice was weak, both from lack of use and the air on the ship, and she scowled at the man.

   “Name,” he said again, more of an order than a request.

   “Pollyanna Chenk,” she sighed lazily, crossing her arms and tilting her head to one side with consternation.

   “Ship details please,” he added. Pollyanna put her hand into the pocket and pulled out her data card, handing it to the man who put it into his lightboard. He stared at the readout, glancing up at Pollyanna every now and then as she sighed theatrically.

   “It says here you’re taking cargo to Coruscant,” the officer said. “Biological compounds?”

   “Viruses,” she said flatly. “For study.”

   “I’ll have to check you’re freezer units...” but Pollyanna cut him off before he had chance to continue.

   “They’re all sealed and set to a continuous temperature. I don’t want you poking your nose about and introducing thermal variations.”

The officer stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Miss...”

   “Mrs.”

   “Mrs Chenk, I have to check the cargo. Now, if you don’t mind opening up.”

But Pollyanna was prepared for this.

    “Mister customs officer, I have a directive from Genbio Corporation that the cargo is not to be handled until Coruscant planetfall. It’s all there, on the data card. Republic approved and everything.”

   “This is a military station...”

   “And Genbio is a military company. Do the math, man. Either way, you’re not getting on my ship.”

Pollyanna suddenly held her tongue, hoping that she hadn’t come over too desperate to keep the officer off the ship. He was already obviously suspicious of her - her stop at the station wasn’t scheduled, after all - and this show of almost panic wasn’t going to help.

She relaxed mentally as the officer appeared satisfied. He tapped a few keys on the lightboard and nodded. It was obvious he had done the math as he said, “Okay, okay. What do you need?”

   “Re-charge on my primary power conversion core and just a few supplies. Then I’ll be gone.”

   “Just staying for the hour, huh?”

   “Yep. What’s the damage?”

   “Two hundred, all in. You can pay by...” Pollyanna was already pulling a small purse of tokens from her belt, “...credstick.”

   “But I only have cash.”

   “Currency?”

   “Setnin Donalees.”

   “Oh you’ve come from the Setnin Sector, have you? Well, I’m afraid they’re not worth much in the core.”

   “The station databurst I was transmitted told me that all forms of currency here were acceptable.”

A slow smile started to turn the officer’s mouth up at the corners and she perceived that he seemed to take delight in Pollyanna’s discomfort. Her anger was boiling from the pit of her stomach but she didn’t let it show.

   “That databurst transmission is out of date since the economic shift. Hasn’t Setnin yet changed to the single currency?”

With a flick of her head that sent her ponytails into motion she huffed a smile.

   “You’re joking, of course.” The Galactic Alliance had been trying for a single colony-wide currency for a long time. “So what do I do?” Pollyanna sighed.

   “Well, I guess we can take the Donalees but it’ll have to be over the exchange rate. If they lose value any further then we’ll have no profit.”

Pollyanna slapped the bag of coins into the officer’s waiting hand without bothering to count it and growled.

   “There’s double. Now recharge the ship and let me pass, huh? I want to get to the surface sooner than later.”

   “Trying to miss the convoys, eh? I hear they’re...”

   “Whatever,” she muttered, walking stiff-legged past the officer and into the station proper. The officer was still talking, obviously on purpose as she continued on her way, feigning friendliness and a warm welcome to the station. He turned to watch her go and let the sentence about gland surgery trail off, his smile diminishing as he looked down at the bag of the rapidly value-lowering coins.

Pollyanna stepped through the central pressure lock and entered the main station thoroughfare.

Pollyanna looked over at the man she now shared the starship with and smiled at the memory of her first trip to Coruscant. She hadn’t meant to stay there for long, least of all get a job and actually put her starship construction skills to use, but now she knew the man better she was glad she had stayed.

The man noticed her gaze and looked over and smiled. She smiled back and then turned back to the flight console.

   “We’re almost there,” she said in a low ominous voice. The man looked at the readouts and sighed.

   “Looking forward to going home?” he asked.

Pollyanna smiled and nodded.

   “I intend to be home long before now,” she said.

The man smiled again, remembering the first time they’d met and how he thought he’d never see her again...

The huge open area was brightly lit and well populated by the denizens of the station and visitors alike, the mis-matched collection of clothing styles and career denoting suits a little overwhelming at first. Pollyanna walked to the edge of the walkway she was standing on which enabled an all-encompassing view of the different levels of the thoroughfare. She placed her hands on the bar and leaned over, taking in deep breaths to draw in as much of the fresh air as possible.

   “You’re late,” came a voice from behind her. “I’ve been here four hours.”

Pollyanna didn’t bother turning.

   “I’ve just flown a half-wrecked starship halfway across the galaxy. Getting it down to the nearest hour is a little difficult.”

   “Did you have any problems?” the voice asked.

   “Yep.” Pollyanna turned and looked into the shadows where she could plainly see a figure that seemed to be trying to keep out of sight. “Look, they bought my story. There’s no need for this secret meeting stuff.”

The figure stepped from the shadows. He wore dark brown clothes that were smartly cut and appeared to be in the latest Coruscant fashion. His hair was short and well trimmed with small beads tied into the longer hair, tucked behind his ears. Pollyanna looked at his face and smirked.

   “You’re my secret employer?” she said with a snort.

   “Yes.”

   “You’re a kid.”

   “I’m sixteen.”

   “As I said. Where the hell did you get the credits to pull off a thing like this?” Pollyanna turned back to lean against the railing and stare out over the station interior. The newcomer came up beside her. “How was the ship?” he asked.

   “Well,” Pollyanna sighed, “I found it on Repusub with half it’s engines shot out and massive damage to the hull. It cost a little over eighty percent of the money you gave me to get her up again - and three weeks work. She’s running on minimal systems and we had to strip most of her weapons and internal systems. High-grade stuff, turbo blasters and high-tech scanning equipment...”

   “But is the ship still flyable?” the boy asked eagerly. “Is it still good to use?”

Pollyanna smiled at his boyish eagerness.

   “Yeah, sure. She’s stripped right down, though. Probably good for little else than cargo transport. Now, there’s one more thing...”

   “I can’t give you any more money.”

   “It’s not that. You do know who this ship used to belong to, right?” Pollyanna pointed a finger at him to make her point.

   “Yes, of course,” the boy said. “It was my father’s.”

Pollyanna balked. Her eyes widened and she felt the need to take a step back but she managed to control herself. The boy looked at her quizzically.

After getting over the initial shock, Pollyanna narrowed her eyes at the boy.

   “Are you sure? Who are you?”

   “I’m Drate Galletti,” the boy smiled, a dimple appearing in his right cheek. “The Phoenix belonged to my father and to his brother before him. I’ve been trying to find it for a long time. That’s why I hired a salvage location contractor,” he motioned to Pollyanna.

   “Why do you want the ship? And why the secrecy?” she asked.

   “Because it belongs to my father,” Drate said with a confused expression. “It didn’t belong to the impostor who flew it. I didn’t want any of the impostor’s old enemies to notice it around at the moment. The damage that man did to my father’s reputation in the Setnin Sector will have repercussions for a few years yet. Anyway, it’s a present for him.”

   “A present?” Pollyanna said with a bark of laughter. “You’re going to give him that wreck as a present? What, do you hate him?”

   “It’s sentimental value,” Drate said with a frown. “Now, can I have the start-up codes and ignition card?” He held out his hand expectantly.

Pollyanna had to admire his temerity. He was making demands of a stranger who had just done something highly illegal for him. She could sell him out in an instant. Hell, she thought, I’d be able to kick his butt.

   “So let me get this straight. The Goah Galletti that flew about the Setnin Sector killing people isn’t your dad but some kind of impostor? I was going to say, the bastard’s been dead for years. Now, you want the ship he flew back to give to the real Goah Galletti, your father, for sentimental reasons without even considering the impact it would have on the Setnin Sector if anyone saw it flying about. Do you have any idea of what Goah - the Setnin Goah - was like?”

   “I know he was a killer and assassin. The real Goah isn’t like that at all.”

Pollyanna dropped the ship’s system codes into the boy’s open palm. Then she slapped him on the shoulder and started walking away.

   “Well, kid, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

   “How will you get back to the Setnin Sector?” Drate asked. Pollyanna waved her hand at him without turning around.

   “I’ll figure it out,” she mumbled.

Drate Galletti stared out of the viewport as he thought back to that day. Pollyanna noticed his smile and nudged him.

   “What is it?” she asked.

   “Just thinking back four years. To when you first bought this ship to me.”

   “Strange,” Pollyanna smiled and nudged him again. “I was just thinking the same thing. I guess we’re almost in the Setnin Sector, now, and I’m just remembering what got me started.”

Drate nodded.

   “I don’t know what made me want to come here, you know. I guess I just wanted to see where my father came from, why he loved and hated the place so much. We Galletti’s have always been curious. Besides, my father’s business belongs to me, now. Perhaps I can start new trade with the Setnin Sector. I hear it’s a profitable place.”

   “If you’re willing to take the risk. Saying that, now the Galactic Alliance are there things are easier than they were before.”

Drate nodded again.

   “I’m sure.”

   “How’s your mother?” Pollyanna asked after a short pause.

   “I called her at our last stop. She won’t admit it but she’s taken my father’s death quite badly. I feel a bit guilty for leaving her.”

   “It has been a year since he died, Drate. You can’t mourn for ever.”

   “Tell my mom that. Still...” he sighed and let the subject drop.

   “Did I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to go home?” Pollyanna asked. She remembered getting the job at the planetary shipyard. Working her fingers to the bone for very little pay, nowhere near enough to pay for a ticket home, and then being asked to convert an old heavy freighter for cargo use. As soon as she had seen it was the Phoenix she knew her luck was in. Then it had been a simple matter of ‘bumping’ into the ship’s owner and re-introducing herself... and discovering that the ‘boy’ had turned into a respectable, handsome young man.

And then realising she was only six years older than him.

   “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked suddenly.

   “What do you mean?”

   “You’re flying into the Setnin Sector in a killer’s icon ship and the you’re his son... except you’re not his son... oh, it’s frying my head.”

   “It’s been years since the clone Goah died,” Drate said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, this ship isn’t capable of destruction anymore. And I’m nothing like him. It’ll be fine.”

Pollyanna looked over at her friend. She was still concerned - from the expression on his face he wasn’t convinced himself - but she was getting home in any case.

   Then suddenly, for the first time in a long time, her thoughts fell on her husband, still in the Setnin Sector. She looked over at Drate, knowing how she felt about him but not how he felt about her, and then looked back out of the viewport.

   Oh, freck, she thought.

There was a beep from the console and Drate started to decelerate the vessel.

   “Welcome to the Setnin Sector,” he whispered as the planet Zelon spun into view.

Histories – The first of the long-awaited Ki-Ki invasion stories, telling the tale of how the son of the real Goah Galletti returned to the Setnin Sector intent on discovering his heritage – and unaware of the reaction his familiar name will bring him given the career of his fathers clone.

Cast of Characters

Drate Galletti

Pollyanna Chenk