Full Circle

2002 short story by Louis Turfrey

Thirty-seven years after Episode IV – A New Hope

The ship approached the compact cruiser and rotated about its axis. It’s claw-like engine mounts folded back to reveal a standard docking ring. With a grace that told more about the pilots’ skills than the ship itself, the smaller craft docked lightly with the larger cruiser.

Ryath Centaur nodded towards the two guards on the hatch, and they cycled the airlock. There was a brief hiss of air and the clanking noise of shifting locking rings, then the hatch opened. A man walked through, his muscular figure immediately visible through the thin, form fitted flight suit that he wore.

   “Hello Ryath.”

Centaur’s icy blue eyes narrowed as he took in the sight in front of him. That was the only surprise they showed.

   “Hello. You look like him and you sound like him, but I need to perform a couple of tests before I confirm your identity.”

The man nodded and made no move to stop the guards from removing the one blaster strapped low on his leg. Ryath motioned for the guards to move off and the man turned to follow them. Ryath pulled him up with an iron hard grip on his arm.

   “No. This way.  Let’s walk.”

The man nodded and they both set off along the ventral walkway.

   “What makes you think I want to give it back to you?”

The man smiled his response.

   “Because you remember the last time I ‘lost’ it. You know what it means to me and that I’ll do everything within my power and abilities to retain it.”

Centaur nodded.

   “Point taken, but you still haven’t convinced me. Your DNA checked out with a point five percent divergence.  Can you explain that?”

The man smiled again.

   “It was necessary to modify some aspects to counter the build up of Force capability that would occur over time.”

Ryath stopped and turned.

   “I beg your pardon?”

The other man continued to look ahead. His face turned wistful.

   “I’m not saying that I won’t one day regret the decision, but I think you will agree that I was always a better bounty hunter than Jedi Knight.”

Centaur nodded in agreement.

   “True.  Being a bounty hunter didn’t get you killed.”

   “No.  Being heroic got me killed.”

He turned to the door to his left and pressed the code sequence into the security system. There was a brief bleep then a tone sounded. He pressed his hand to a concealed DNA scanner and the fingers glowed blue for a millisecond. The blast door opened with a snap hiss. 

   “It’s yours. Disappoint me and his legacy and I’ll track you down myself.”

The man turned to Ryath and his face grew grim.

   “You can try.”

The guards watched as their commander-in-chief and the stranger walked back towards the airlock. The man carried a large suitcase with the ease of one used to the task. The two men shook hands silently and the stranger moved back on to his ship. Moments later it had detached and quickly dropped into hyperspace.

Ryath Centaur watched the ship disappear and moved away towards the command deck. There was trouble brewing in the Setnin Sector and he could not afford to rest on his laurels.

The man moved away from his control console and into the reception area at the back of the cockpit. He unclipped the case with the ease of one familiar with the act and removed a dark and foreboding helmet. Without preamble he moved over to a couch and sat down, placing the helmet over his head. A quick flick of a hidden switch and the world came alive around him. There was a click and a three dimensional face appeared on the Heads Up Display.

   “Greetings my son. If you have received this piece of equipment then Ryath Centaur is either dead or slightly confused. I sincerely hope it is the latter. This helmet will key itself to your unique DNA sample and then download my final memory engrams into your mind. This is your last chance to back out and remain in touch with what you were. If you continue, the next time you activate this helmet you will know and be everything that I was up until the point which I shed the armour. The helmet will now turn itself off.”

The display powered down and the hum of the ships engines could be clearly heard outside. The stranger sat silently for ten minutes, not moving, barely breathing. Then he reached his hand back inside the helmet and switched it on. There was a rushing sensation and then clarity. This time the voice he heard was electronic.

   “Helmet systems are active at one hundred percent efficiency. DNA pattern submitted to suite hard wired systems. Please state your name for voice identification.”

There was a pause of five seconds then the last message repeated.

   “Please state your name for voice identification.”

The man stood and looked across at his reflection in the blacked out view port.

   “My name is Ranth. Tar Ranth.”

Full Circle

2002 short story by Louis Turfrey

Thirty-seven years after Episode IV – A New Hope

Histories – The return of Ranth, albeit a cloned, genetically modified version.  Appearing just prior to the Fall of Chancai, Ranth begins his strange reintegration into Setnin society.  Reclaiming his armour from Ryath Centaur he bides his time, waiting for the right opportunity to begin the hunt again.

Cast of Characters

Tar Ranth

Ryath Centaur