Extinction Point 1999 short story by Mark
Newbold Seventeen years before Episode IV - A New Hope
"I should have done this a long
time ago." Duze Jostenn eased back into his seat and
drew the hookah to his lips, drawing a deep drag and blowing it out slowly. He allowed a smile to seep across his opulent,
well-fed face and turned his head towards the figure that stood next to the window, a
silent silhouette that only betrayed his presence by a steady, rhythmic breathing. Jostenn waited patiently for a reaction from his
companion. Patience was a virtue well learnt
by the obese ganglord. It wasn't by accident
that he had totally ruled the Setnin Sector underworld for six decades and a finely honed
sense of patience had assisted him enormously. All good things come to those who wait was Jostenns
personal adage, and it had served him well. And
even at this time in his life and his career he had no reason to alter his views. Much had changed in the last few decades - the
newly risen Empire, headed by the treacherous Emperor Palpatine had destroyed and replaced
the Republic. Those interfering Jedi Knights
had been slain and Setnin had withdrawn from the Republic and as yet had suffered little
interference from the Empire. But Jostenn was not worried - he had found the Empire to be
easily corruptible, just like any other organisation. He returned his attention to his mute
companion.
"Well? What do you think of my
plan? Audacious, eh?" The man turned, his profile edged by the
light of the triple moons of the world of Yotil. He
opened his lips, as if to speak, and then withdrew. His
back straightened and he returned his attention to the city outside. Jostenn shifted in his chair and leaned
forward.
"If I am to speak to the walls then there is little point in you being here,
is there Glann?" Glann Cipple smiled and unclasped his
hands from behind his back, turning to face his new business partner. His baldhead shined in the office light and the
fresh scar glowed ruby red along the side of his face.
Jostenn raised his eyebrows in expectation.
"Our annexation of Geon Tasar's operation was a bold move." Jostenn said as he rose to his feet. "One that couldn't have been accomplished
without your extensive knowledge of his operation. I'm
impressed." He stood before Cipple. "And after sixty years of control, that is a
rare feat." Glann nodded deeply and opened his arms.
"It was nothing. Tasar is
nothing. There are far more worthy operations
which we should turn our attentions to." Jostenn smiled, almost in amusement. He nodded.
"Like who, exactly?"
"The Velixx Concern in the Quarshannel Sector.
They would be a substantial addition to our operation." Jostenn shook his head and took Cipple by
the arm. They both stood next to the large
window, taking in the night view.
"Quarshannel has always been a thorn to us in the Setnin Sector, but it has
been a thorn without a prickle for the last sixty years.
I made certain…agreements when I disposed of my predecessor. Quarshannel is out of bounds." He pointed towards the sky above and the moons
that glistened there. "Setnin is enough
for us." Glann looked at Jostenn out of the corner
of his eye and folded his arms. Jostenn
noticed this reaction through the reflection in the glass and turned to face his younger
associate.
"Glann, since we began our business partnership I couldn't help but notice
that there have been more than a few decisions that you have not been entirely impressed
with."
"I'll admit that our methods are not always concurrent." Jostenn breathed in deeply.
"Well I'll tell you this. I
have been in control of the Setnin Sector since before you were born. Since before the Republic fell and the Empire rose
and the Jedi were destroyed and Arnee Kwarnee began his show. And shall I tell you why?" Cipple nodded once. He’d heard this story before, many times, but
he always humoured his former employer. And
he always gleaned something new from every telling.
"Because I know the lie of the land. I
know how it all works. Keep the A-desandians
happy and stay away from Janos. Don't upset
the Ferrereans and run all your tax losses through Chancai." He smiled and walked back to his seat. "You know this as well as I do. You're a smart operator. I know that because you decided to come into
business with me. And if you listen to me,
watch and learn like you did when you were working for me before, then you may have the
smarts to become my successor. When I
die." Glann clasped his hands behind his back
and lowered his head in deference.
"I appreciate your continuing faith in my abilities. And I shall repay it through my efforts. But you must see it from my point of view. I am at the beginning of a career as an operator
in the sector. I came from far away from
Setnin to start a new life and I don't need to
know the lie of the land. I have my own way
of doing business."
"Your own agenda." stated Jostenn flatly.
Cipple nodded.
"If you will. I greatly respect
what you have achieved throughout the past sixty years.
It is inspirational. But in order to
forge ahead I believe that we have to look outside our borders and expand. Make the Jostenn Empire an even greater
concern." Jostenn smiled again and intertwined his
fingers, rubbing them thoughtfully together.
"I'm an old man Glann. I don't
crave expansion. Besides, Setnin is one of
the largest sectors in the Mid-Rim. What does
the Quarshannel Sector offer that Setnin doesn't?" Glann Cipple clenched his fists behind his
back and gritted his teeth through his smiling lips.
"Challenge." Duze Jostenn raised his eyebrows in
surprise.
"A challenge?" He coughed
out a laugh. "Glann, I do believe you're
serious!" Glann made no attempt to either show or
hide his annoyance at this belittling comment. He
simply stared straight ahead as Jostenn raised the hookah to his lips and drew again.
"I am rarely anything but
serious." Jostenns smile vanished in an instant and
he locked eyes with his young associate, his body fixed rigid.
"You do like a challenge, don't
you?” he growled slowly as he drew again. "Well
Glann, you may get what you wish for…but not today. We have other business to attend
to. Contact your best men and tell them to be
on alert."
"Why?" Duze Jostenn flinched in annoyance and
narrowed his stare.
"Because I asked them to. Tell
them to prepare for a possible incursion into the sector by an outside force. One that I have no intention of allowing to
remain." He paused and looked up from
his bubbling hookah raising his eyebrows in feigned surprise. "You're still here, partner?" Glann Cipple bowed once again and exited
the large office. Closing the doors behind
him he walked the long corridor and entered the turbo lift, pressing the button for his
own temporary office on the fourth floor. As
he waited for the doors to open he activated his comm unit and spoke quietly into the
receiver.
"This is Cipple. I have a job for
you." Duze Jostenn bowed to his major domo as he
walked up the ramp of his starship and prepared himself for the long journey out to the
Coreward world of Remlan. He nodded in
acknowledgement to his waiting captain and passed three more bodyguards as he left the
main corridor and entered his main quarters. Waiting
for him were three advisors and another two guards who stood stoically in the corner. Jostenn removed his jacket and seated himself,
throwing it onto an empty chair. The massive starship Hekgleader rumbled as its main engines revved and a
few brief seconds later the ship left the flat ground of Yotil and slowly ascended into
the skies. Jostenn took a glass of
Shiba-Di'xx, a drink from the desert world of Yuma, from the waiter droid, knocked a hefty
swig back and leaned into his seat.
"So. What news do you have for
me?" The first of his advisors, a large man
named Kollspar, stepped forward and glanced down at the flim that he held in his large
hands.
"Our first order of business is the procedure for our discussions once we
reach Remlan. As you know, Guildmaster
Evanson is a stickler for protocol." Jostenn raised an eyebrow in ironic
agreement and smiled at his advisors.
"I do. Which is why I pay for you
good men to cover for my inadequacies." They all laughed easily and accepted their
drinks from the waiter droid. Kollspar continued.
"He will insist on a formal banquet as soon as you arrive, followed by
preliminary discussions concerning our proposed plans to inhibit the influx of outside
operators entering our trade area." Jostenn smiled and downed the remainder of
his glass.
"All of which sounds satisfactory to these old ears. What then?"
"A tour of the new Noscage spice facilities in their primary city and another
formal banquet…"
"Like their food, don't they?" Jostenn
observed dryly. Kollspar was about to answer in the affirmative when they all turned their
heads. A sound, like a thump echoed down the
main corridor. Jostenn sat up in his seat and
placed the empty glass on the floor.
"Stay here sir." said one of the guards sternly. "We'll check this out." Duze Jostenn nodded stiffly, ignoring the
harshness of his guard's order. He paid these
men a king's ransom to protect him - if they were anything less than funnel-focussed on
their job then he'd have to fire them…permanently.
No one left the employ of Duze Jostenn without a sure-fire reminder of their time
with him. Glann Cipple had been a rare
exception, and only because Jostenn saw within him the potential for future uses. Jostenn smiled and motioned to his advisors to
seat themselves.
"It's probably nothing. After
all, what could possibly happen on the Hekgleader?
Is there anyone foolish enough to attempt an attack on this ship?" His advisors shook their heads in unison
and took sips from their drinks. Jostenn
looked at each of them and narrowed his eyes. Relax you cowards.
What fool would even dare try an attack? The three guards slammed against the wall
and edged their way along, checking the various ancillary rooms for movement. All clear. The
lead guard dropped to his knees and poked his head around the wall to look down the main
corridor. Nothing, although the distinct
smell of ozone from a Blaster could be detected. He
gave his men a hand motion to follow and stepped out into the corridor. The Hekgleader
was out of Yotil's atmosphere and powering relentlessly towards the entry point for the
jump across the sector to Remlan, blurred points of lights which represented stars
speeding past the window as the realspace shifted into a purple miasma of confusion and
hyperspace. The guards nudged down further
and paused at the entry to the cockpit. The
door was ajar. The lead guard gripped his
blaster rifle and moved forward… …not feeling the icy cold stab of
metal until it was too late, and the hilt of the bayonet was buried right into his chest. He groaned and fell back into his two companions
who instinctively reached for him as he dropped. Exposed,
they were in no position to defend themselves from the swift attack that felled them both
in a flurry of hacking blades. The hooded
assailant grabbed the three dying men and pulled them into the cockpit, securing the door
behind him. He coldly covered their mouths
with a large, gloved hand and slit their throats. Depositing
their lifeless bodies in a pile next to the other two guards, the captain and her
co-pilot, he wiped his bayonet clean of blood and moved to the nava-computer. Jostenn stepped away from the large window
that revealed the swirl of hyperspace and leaned against the wall, Shiba-Di'xx still in
hand. His advisors had secured the door,
pressing chairs and tables against it for good measure and stood around Jostenns seat,
sweating. The elderly ganglord clasped his
hands together and smiled.
"My friends, is there the slightest possibility that my earlier comments about
the safety of this vessel were…overly optimistic?" Kollspar stepped forward.
"I believe so sir. Without
wishing to sound pessimistic I think we may have to face the possibility that someone has
circumvented our security measures." Jostenn grimaced and moved back to his
chair.
"Remind me to give you a raise for your diligence once we get back to
Yotil." He shook his head slowly in
confusion. "What I don't understand is who? And
why." Kollspar frowned.
"I need not remind you that you have naturally accrued many enemies during
your six decades of operation. And it's
not the first time that you have been attacked. Remember
the assassination attempt on Wattana?" Jostenn nodded earnestly. One of the only times he had left the comfort and
comparative safety of the Setnin Sector was when he had travelled to the Brother Sector
and the world of Wattana for a crucial meeting with other neighbouring sector ganglords. But it was a trap, and he had retreated back to
Setnin barely alive and much the wiser for his folly. Kollspar
was right - this was no isolated incident. Attempts
were made on his life all the time, but his best men kept it from him.
"You are correct. So, if this is
an attempt on my life what is to be done?" Kollspar glanced at his fellow advisors
and his shoulders sagged.
"Pray that your men really are the best that money can buy." The hooded man finished his calculations
and entered them into the nava-computer. The Hekgleader's next hyperspace exit point would lead
them through the Bordin Space Lane and right through towards Remlan. There was little Imperial activity in this part of
the Mid-Rim, just the occasional appearance of Victory Class Star Destroyers and wings of
Imperial Fighters. Enough to keep the local
systems in line, but not enough to bother the established operators of the Mid-Rim. And certainly not a man like Duze Jostenn. The hooded man straightened and looked
outside, his matt-black faceplate glowing from the reflected light of the purple maelstrom
outside. Seconds later the Hekgleader dropped from hyperspace to re-orient
itself and head in a new direction. But not the one originally programmed by
the captain of the vessel. The man surveyed the board before him and
selected a batch of switches and buttons. Life
support, lighting, security measures, all of them lay open and vulnerable before him. With a swipe of his gloved hand he de-activated
them and moved out of the cockpit towards the main corridor…
"…and an excellent idea it is too, sir, but if I may be so bold…the lights!" Kollspar dropped to the ground as the main
cabin lights flickered and died, along with the reassuring hum of the atmosphere controls. And the light panels which displayed the security
countermeasures. Jostenn wiped his forehead
in the dim light of hyperspace and kneeled next to the chair.
"I would say that confirms my worst fears.
So, Kollspar. Advise me. What
should your beleaguered employer do now?"
"Pull us out of hyperspace and get to an escape pod. Sir." added Kollspar respectfully. Jostenn laughed.
Polite and to the point with bells and ribbons on.
But he was right. Unless he managed to
get to a pod or drop them from lightspeed then it was likely that this very ship would
turn out to be his grave. And that most
definitely didn't follow the script. Nor did the sound of the door being forced
open, scrapping against the stack of tables and chairs that were piled against it. His advisors pushed closer to the far wall,
knowing that the design of the room gave them only two ways out - the window or the
cluttered door. With what seemed like
minimal effort the blockage was heaved aside and the door slowly opened. Jostenn squinted in the semi light at the
silhouette that stood in the doorway, rifle in hand.
It breathed heavily and looked to its right. Silently
it entered the room, walking towards the huddle of advisors who tried desperately to phase
through the bulkhead and into the next room. He
eyed them keenly, looking at each in turn and then whipped his rifle to bear and blasted
the two junior advisors into oblivion. He
cocked his head at Kollspar who stared at him imploringly and brought the butt of the
rifle down on his jaw in a savage motion. The
large man hit the floor with a heavy thud. Letting
out a short breath he turned and faced Jostenn. "Duze Jostenn." The hooded man stated flatly. "I am here to kill you." Jostenn narrowed his eyes as the words
echoed around the room. He recognised the
voice, as distinctive as if it was his own.
"I thought as much,” said the ganglord as he stood from his hidden
position and moved around to sit in his seat. His
actions were fluid, free of tension. "You
spared Kollspar. I assume he is to assist
Cipple in the future?" The hooded man nodded once, unsurprised
that Duze had realised it was his ambitious, junior partner who had ousted him.
"The crew is dead. This ship has
taken a new course. And you are to be
eliminated."
"So why wait?" Jostenn
smiled. "I knew this day would come. It comes for all leaders. That fateful day when you learn that those you
believed you could trust turn out to be the poison chalice you've so successfully avoided
all your life." The hooded man shifted on the spot and
took a step forward.
"You are to be removed because you have become irrelevant. There are younger men with vision who deserve to
take your place." Jostenn laughed out loud.
"You mean men like Glann Cipple? Why,
he's just an arrogant pup with delusions of leadership and a bloated sense of
self-importance."
"And you're not?" Jostenn clenched his raised fist in
defiance.
"What I am, what I've been, is everything that Cipple should strive to be. Brave in the face of defeat. Wise in the face of lunacy. Resolute in the face of stupidity. That fool Cipple, he'll never amount to half of what I am.
And do you know why, my friend? Because
he is an outsider! And there's nothing that
Setnin needs less than an outsider." The hooded man walked from the shadows up
to the edge of Jostenns seat and removed his hood. Jostenn
wagged his finger disapprovingly at the weapon-ready assassin.
"I'm disappointed in you Feese." he spoke
quietly, the sentence laced with double meaning. "You're supposed to be
repelling an invasion force that's entering the sector." He folded his arms.
"Why aren't you at your post?"
"That invasion force was invited to the sector by Cipple. To assist in his efforts in taking Setnin as his
own."
"An astute move. But there are
few things in this universe that scare me. I've
looked right down the throat of fear and it flinched away." Feese paused for a fraction of a second, glancing out of the window
at the confusion of hyperspace. He turned
back to Jostenn.
"You wish to face fear for the final time? Allow me help you." Carlonian Feese removed his iron
faceplate, something he never, ever did, and revealed his savaged, worm-eaten
features. Riddled strips of Mon Calamarian
flesh hung in tatters, open sores glistened and chunks of meat lay bare and exposed. It was a sight that had scared men into near
insanity, sent others running and screaming for cover.
But Duze Jostenn was a man as good as his word.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"I've seen worse." Carlonian Feese raised his rifle and
settled his webbed finger onto the guard less trigger.
"See you in hell Jostenn. Your
time has arrived."
"Tell Cipple I'll be waiting." The rifle flashed. Duze Jostenn died. A new era began. Extinction Point 1999 short story by Mark
Newbold Seventeen years before Episode IV - A New Hope Histories - Set well before the events of Star Wars, this tale tells of how Glann Cipple finally removed his predecessor Duze Jostenn and secured his position as the prime ganglord in the Setnin Sector. Using
the Mon Calamarian assassin Carlonian Feese, Cipple utilised the main assassin of Jostenns
employment against him, and ushered in a new era. Cast of
Characters Duze Jostenn Glann Cipple Carlonian Feese Kollspar |