On Coruscant, a Theta-class shuttle lands on a small platform in the heart of Imperial Center. Technicians carefully unload a cargo of ancient treasures from the Outer Rim under the watchful glare of a hunched, BLACK-ROBED FIGURE. The man's yellow eyes glitter as the carbonite statue of DENIA SAL--GADJ is floated down the ramp, and he begins to cackle softly. When the prostrate ANTARIM GADJ is carried out on a medical bed, the laugh dies away, replaced with a pitying frown....
On Ranjahr, a small convoy of speeders has gathered at the ruins of Rabblo the Hutt's compound, shattered in an orbital bombardment. Bodies of the Black Tusk gang lay smoking amid the rubble. MAS HEDDEBBI, accompanied by DODA, WAREK RADEN, GNOK the Gamorrean, and several other of the Hutt's former retainers, sifts through the wreckage. He uncovers a blackened kutaa wood box and gingerly lifts it from the rubble and ash. Within the box is a half-melted lump of silvery metal, once an exquisitely worked bridal necklace.Ryl lettering can barely be made out upon its deformed surface-- and the words make Mas wince. His brow furrowed in anger, he orders his men to strip anything of value from Rabblo's former palace. Atop a heap of fallen stone, MAS clutches Bilini's necklace and watches the bloated sun sink into the smoggy sky...
In the main hangar aboard the ISD Indomitable, still in orbit over Ranjahr, a ceremony is taking place. Ranks of uniformed officers and Imperial Stormtroopers look on as ARONIER receives a medal and rank badge from gaunt-faced MOFF TARKIN himself. The Moff gives COMMANDER Aronier a tight smile, and nods appreciatively at Commander Rolyn Janek and his heroic astromech droid. R2-ND-36 whistles back at the Moff, gleaming with fresh polish. The hangar bay fills with the sound of applause....
Elsewhere, in a smaller hangar aboard the VSD Illustrious, FRAK STARHUNTER prepares the SHIFTY CRAB for departure. Seated in the cockpit, he studies a star-chart taken from ZYAMM ITO's archaic starship. An Imperial archaeology team settles in behind him. Over the comm, REDCAP whistles to Frak from Engineering, signaling that all is ready. In the control booth overlooking the bay, CAPTAIN MIEEN watches as the Shifty Crab departs for the Unknown Regions, wondering if Frak and his crew will find anything at their mysterious destination.
The Imperial Fleet, backlit by the pale gold orb of Ranjahr, recedes behind the Shifty Crab as it makes for deep space. For a moment, the freighter seems to hang motionless. Then engines flare as the ship jumps to lightspeed, becoming a pin-prick of light indistinguishable from the other stars as it vanishes into hyperspace....
(the end.... for now!)
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