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General Chat => Fan Fiction and Art => Topic started by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 05:32:39 AM



Title: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 05:32:39 AM
This is a story that I started writing years ago, derived from the GCW roleplaying game here on the forum. I came up with an idea for my character to evolve her and after I had decided that it was going to happen in the game, I started writing a story initially just to explore my smuggler's background, and it kind of turned into an extremely long story where she has become a very different person. Now that a certain event has occurred in the game I can finally begin to post the story that is still a continuing work in progress.

This story has been largely written by myself but has had a great deal of input from Krace, who has written sections and given help with others, as well as input about his character Kardac Shalth. Darth Abaddon has also given input about his character Coren Lunelle as well as general advice. Any other mention of player characters from the roleplay will be with permission from their original creators. The GCW roleplaying game itself wasn’t my creation but I've had the pleasure of being its Game Master for a few years now.

I will update this thread as I edit the story so that it can be posted here- the original isn't so PG rated so can't be posted here :P That in itself will be a slow process. It is currently over 900 MS Word document pages in length so there will be plenty of reading to be had by the time I get it all up to its current stage, let along keep writing and adding to it.

The character sheets for GCW can be found here: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=7635.0

If you wish to leave comments, ideas for improvement etc feel free. I would appreciate it if you limited it to constructive criticism.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 05:36:29 AM
Belyra Vekraa walked at a moderate pace through the streets of her old sector in Coronet City, Corellia.  It had been years since she had been back here and she was surprised by how little it had changed. At the same time, she noticed small changes all over the place as memories came back to her. Another warehouse block rebuilt for residential, new public service buildings. Other blocks had become even more run down than they used to be. The smuggler had taken a train across the city to get to her sector then opted to continue on foot. She could have taken a shuttle bus even closer to her destination but she was enjoying the walk.

 The beautiful red head was wearing her customary attire of tight black flightsuit undone enough at the front to show off her ample cleavage, with her dark brown leather jacket over the top and knee high dark brown leather boots. While she was completely covered, the outfit showed off her attractively curvy and slightly muscular body nicely. A blaster belt sat on her hips with two Merr-Sonn Model 434 ‘Deathhammer’ heavy blasters sitting in holsters on either thigh. Her waist length, wavy, fiery red hair fell down her back with the shorter front sections framing her face, and her emerald green eyes were dazzling. She walked with an easy, relaxed confidence, yet there was the slightest air about her that she wasn’t the type to be messed with. The blasters weren’t just for show, the smuggler knew how to use them.

As she walked along the number of warehouses began to increase as did the number of starships. Here and there were dotted open air landing platforms but the majority were hangars. The familiar smells of lubricants, coolant and starship fuel filled her nostrils and she grinned. This was what she had grown up with and while she had never been tied down to home it always reminded her of it. It relaxed her more than she has felt in weeks but still something nagged at her. She couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.
 
She had managed to check behind her discreetly a few times but she hadn't picked who it was in the busy warehouse district. She got her opportunity to find out when she was almost at her destination. A speeder was manoeuvring to pull into a warehouse ahead of her, so she pushed past it before it blocked her path completely. A bit further up on her left there was an alleyway she knew of between warehouses leading to the landing pad on the opposite side of the warehouses and hangars. She ducked into it, pulling one blaster out and waiting to see who came along. Thirty seconds later, after the speeder had moved out of the way, she was frustrated to see who walked by looking around. As he looked down the alleyway she slipped alongside him with a blaster drawn and poked him in the ribs with it.

"What the kriffin' hell are you doing here Kardac?!" the feisty woman hissed at him quietly, her anger apparent on her face, grabbing his arm and dragging him backwards into the alley with the blaster still out. 
 
The tall darkly tanned man she had named Kardac turned slowly around, obviously angry at being prodded with a blaster and doing his best to stay calm while replying with the same hushed voice. "I could ask you the same thing!"  He had short black hair with dark reddish brown eyes and a few scars on his face, with a muscular build. He wore plain non descript civilian clothing, like that worn by any number of spacers in the galaxy, with a single Merr-Sonn Model 57 blaster holstered on a plain worn blaster belt. While he didn’t currently stand out as anyone special he was a Lieutenant Commander within the Alliance, and the executive officer aboard the Alliance CR90 corvette Qanotha that Bel had been operating out of for the past few months.
 
"Oh no you don't! I'm the one holding the blaster here, you answer my question first!"
 
Bel glared at him, and Kardac Shalth glared back. "You were kinda very evasive about where you were going! You avoided answering any question straight and blatantly lied to me."

"So you are spying on me" Bel interrupted him testily. Kardac folded his arms in return, trying to ignore the blaster.
 
"Put that thing away. You aren't going to shoot me. Anyway, I am making sure you don't get into any trouble Bel. I have a ship and crew to be concerned about, I can't let you jeopardize that. On top of that you are part of my crew at the moment, so I am concerned about you as well."

"Kark it all I can take care of myself! Just because I didn't answer you doesn't mean I'm getting into trouble, just because I am a kriffin' smuggler! You can't be here!" Bel's answer ended sounding desperate as well as angry.
 
"Why not? I'm on shore leave while here on Corellia, I can go where I want."
 
"No, no you can't! Are you trying to ruin my security? Get the kriff out of here Kardac!" 
 
Her urgent hiss was louder than before. From the opposite end of the alleyway a loud voice called out.
 
"Oi! What you two doin' loiterin' about at my warehouse?!"
 
Bel's face paled. "No, you've kriffed it up!" she whispered. 

She turned around to face the man striding towards them cautiously but purposely, inconspicuously putting the blaster away as she did. The man looked to be in his sixties, medium built but still fairly muscular and fit. He was wearing a pair of dusty brown old cargo pants as well as a faded red long sleeved shirt. Most notably however were his facial features. They looked vaguely like Bel's own and just like an older version of Danint, her cousin who had been killed by Imperials by a biological weapon in a testing facility on the moon of Alvor a few months beforehand. She had been helping the Alliance break into the facility in order to discover more about the bioweapon and try to destroy their research, when she made the unfortunate discovery that her estranged relative had been captured and used as one of their test victions. The man who continued to approach them had reddish brown hair which was heavily greyed and his face was weathered.
 
"Hello Uncle" Bel called out to him simply in greeting.
 
Any remnant of her usual voice masking was gone, instead replaced by her native strong, husky Corellian accent. The man stopped dead in his tracks, blinking in surprise and squinting at the pair. He took a few uncertain steps forwards.
 
"Ariruuna?"
 
Bel cringed inwardly at having Kardac not only hear her given name but meet her family. She tried to put that from her mind and gave her uncle a smile as she walked towards him slowly.
 
"Yeah, it's me Uncle Gaven."
 
The man closed the remaining distance then scooped the woman up in a giant bear hug with a cry of delight. Bel relaxed a little at that moment, laughing and hugging him back.
 
"Eck, you are squeezing too hard!"

Gaven put her back down and Bel caught a glance of Kardac. He was standing there arms unfolded and looking equal parts of stunned and uncertain while trying to regain his composure. Bel couldn't resist a slight smug grin at his reaction though she was anything but pleased at the situation. She had carefully made sure her true identity had remained secret and completely isolated from all of her personas all these years. Even after Danint’s death and all the questions fielded at her by the Qanotha’s crew she had managed to keep her real name secret, and now in one fell blow it was all undone. She tried to keep that from entering her expression as her uncle stood back and looked at her.

"By the gods it’s been years! Just look at you! I think you'da put your ma to shame and she was a stunner at your age! Where have you been all this time, what have you been doing? Why haven't you visited sooner? Your ma an' pa they will be so happy to see you, have you seen them already?!"
 
Bel laughed and lifted her hands to motioning downwards with them.
 
"Slow down slow down. You are the first I've seen since getting back and I think explanations can wait a little bit. How are Ma and Pa?"
 
The question was asked somewhat anxiously. Gaven replied "oh they are great! Both are home at the moment, you chose a good time to visit. Your old man is looking older by the day, he has even more greys than me!"
 
He gave a cheeky grin at his jab then added with a flurry of his hands "what am I doing why are we standing around out here! Come on inside both of you, I'm gonna call ya pa down."
 
Gaven waved them to come after him and walked ahead cheerily, pulling his commlink out to call his brother down to the warehouse in as serious a tone as possible. Bel looked back at Kardac and shrugged with a sigh before motioning him to follow her uncle. He knew now, it wasn't like he could do any more damage and assuming her uncle hadn't changed over the years if she turned the executive officer away now he would have even more questions. Kardac fell into step beside her and leaned in to speak quietly.
 
"You came to visit your family? Why didn't you say so?"


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 05:38:25 AM
Bel turned her head to look at him. Her voice displayed that she was upset. "Yes. I promised Danint I would, and seeing him made me realize how long it has been. The reason I didn't tell you was to protect them. I've put a lot of effort into making sure my true name and my family have been protected from any of my other identities to prevent any repercussions of my actions on them. I've done a lot of less than legal things and you know what the Empire is like, not to mention countless unsavoury types I have worked for over the years. Now someone from my current life knows who they are, who I am. It's all just come tumbling down."
 
Kardac was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry Bel, I had no idea...."
 
"No of course you didn't. That was the damn idea. I'm not nearly as self-centred as you think I am. Part of the reason I have stayed away and why I'm so secretive was to protect them" Bel snapped back automatically.

Kardac ignored her tone and responded gently "it hasn't all come tumbling down, just because one person knows. I would never betray your secrets."

The redheaded woman looked at him with hurt in her eyes but didn't say anything back. He might say that but she had no way to be certain. She also knew that his cause meant more than any one person to him and she didn't doubt that if it was necessary she would be betrayed for the Rebellion. They finally stepped out from between the buildings. Ahead of them was a landing pad bearing a CEC-YT1250 with blue markings. Bel stopped and blinked with surprise.
 
"You still have the old girl?!"

Gaven by this point had finished his comm call and turned back to them. 
 
"Aye, we still have ol' Blue. She faithfully keeps chugging along." His expression turned a little more serious. "Besides, we haven't been able to afford to replace her. Business hasn't been so good."
 
Bel sighed. "Aye, I've heard."
 
Gaven looked at her curiously. "How would you know?"
 
The smuggler looked at the older man. "I may not have been home in a long time but I've been keeping an eye on the family business."
 
Her uncle nodded. "Aye, I'd forgotten about that. Makes sense. Come on in, not a lot else has changed either."
 
He led them inside the hangar, where another CEC ship lay.
 
"Oh when did you get a YV- 100?" Bel asked brightly.
 
Gaven turned to her. "About eight years ago. Shows how long it’s been since you've been home Hun."

Bel scuffed one foot on the ground. "Yeah, well.... I've been busy." She tried to change the subject. "I have my own ship now."
 
Gaven's face lit up. "Really? What mod... Hey, Erik! Come over, look who is here!"
 
His attention had been diverted by a tall man with dark brown hair in his late thirties entering the hangar from an office in the corner of the room, wearing casual business clothing. He started walking over towards them, his pace quickening and his face lighting up when he recognised who it was.
 
"Ruuni!" He scooped her up and spun her around, then gave her a kiss on her cheek when he put her back on the ground. Bel giggled and gave him a hug back. He stood back and looked at her much the same way Gaven had.
 
"When did my little cousin become such a confident beauty?!"
 
Bel lightly punched him in the arm. "While you were too busy trying to seduce every pretty girl you came across in every cantina in every port." 
 
Erik grinned madly at her. "Well I must have done something right, one of those girls followed me home."
 
Bel's mouth hung open. "You got married?!"
 
"Yep, and had two kids. Five and eight." 
 
Bel looked back and forth between Erik and Gaven. "Wha... Ahhh.... Congratulations!"
 
Erik beamed, and then seemed to realise that there was someone else present. He turned to Kardac and took a few steps forward with his calloused hand extended.
 
"Sorry to ignore you like that, lost in the moment. Erik Elsin."
 
Kardac shook the offered hand with a firm shake. "Kaberc Shurret" he said, giving him the name he sometimes used when pretending to be a mercenary.
 
Gaven came forward to do the same. "Agh where are my manners! Gaven Elsin. You are standing in the home of Elsin Brothers Transport. Started off with just one old ship that my brother and I bought together."
 
He looked proudly around the hangar. "Anyway let’s get you both some drinks."
 
Father and son led Kardac and Bel into the offices and to a small kitchen. They chatted small talk as cups of Caf were made and handed around, Gaven raising an eyebrow when told Bel would take hers black. 
 
"I remember you liking a lot of milk in yours."
 
Bel shrugged with a smile. "Things change Uncle Gav."
 
A short while later a voice could be heard booming through the warehouse adjacent to the hangar. "Gaven! What is this urgency that you called me 'n' Mia down for immediately?"
 
Bel put her cup down and exchanged glances with Kardac before standing and facing the door. A man in his fifties came through first and it was immediately apparent that Bel was related. He had the same fiery red hair though it was dulled and greyed from his years and very similar facial features. Behind him was a woman with long jet black hair. While the woman was in her fifties it was evident that Bel had gotten her good looks from her mother. Both stood stunned at the sight that met them. Bel swallowed, having no idea how her parents would react to her after all this time.
 
"Hi Pa, Ma."
 
Her mother cried out and ran to hug her daughter tightly, followed closely by her father. It was too much for Bel and she couldn't help the tears that came unbidden. It was a few minutes before the trio parted.
 
"Ten years. Oh my little Ariruuna, we have missed you so much!"
 
Kardac meanwhile was standing off to the side looking decidedly like he was intruding on something and shouldn't be there. Bel's mother saw him there and looked between the two of them.
 
"Don't tell me you got married without us knowing!"
 
Bel's mouth fell open at that. "Ma! No I didn't get married it’s not like that! He's just a... shipmate."
 
She had paused momentarily before saying the last word, trying to find the best term to use. Shipmate wasn't entirely a lie, since her YT served out of the Qanotha currently. Her mum gave her a little secretive grin.
 
"Ah but a shipmate that you have brought home to meet us! That must mean something!"
 
As Bel rolled her eyes and groaned and again tried to tell Mia that she had it wrong, the older woman walked over to Kardac and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Her husband came over to shake his hand and introduced himself as Aves, with hands as equally calloused and weathered as his brother and nephew.
 
"Welcome to the family" Mia said brightly. Bel looked despairingly at her Uncle with a look that said 'she is still like this?' and Gaven just grinned back knowingly but said nothing. The elder woman wiped the tears from her cheeks and fussed.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 05:43:27 AM
"Oh I must just look a mess, I am so sorry you had to meet me like this! Please sit down! Where have you been all these years Ari, what have you been up to? Your messages have always been so vague and short and it’s been almost twelve months since we have heard anything."
 
Bel gave a guarded glance to her father who sighed softly and remained standing while just about everyone else sat down.
 
"Ah, well.... I guess you could say I've been following the family tradition" Bel answered as she sat on a chair near the table.
 
"I have my own ship, a nice little YT2400, work as an independent captain transporting goods all over the galaxy. I don't ever stay in one place long, always on the move."
 
The family seemed pleased that the daughter had followed in the footsteps, though Gaven and Aves gave each other a quick knowing glance. It hadn't slipped either of their attentions how heavily armed the redheaded woman was for just a 'transport captain' and they both knew her better than that even after all this time. Mia gave a pleased humph.

“So good to know you have given up that silly smuggling nonsense you had gotten yourself into and taken on some real work. Though why you couldn’t come work for your family and settle down here I’ll never know.”

Aves looked guarded and tensed at that. Bel looked at Kardac. This was what she had been afraid of. She wondered whether she should lie to her mother or tell the truth. It wasn’t like she hadn’t lied to her parents before, but she knew her father knew the truth and if it somehow got back to Mia...

“Yeah…. Well….”

Mia looked at Bel, then to her husband and Gaven and back to Bel. Her expression went dark.

“What? You are still doing that?” She stood up, hands on her hips and staring her daughter down. Bel instantly went on the defensive.

“So what if I am?”

“Wha…. How… I thought I raised you better than that Ariruuna Elsin! My own daughter, a common criminal! I thought I had made it pretty clear last time what I thought of you getting yourself into such stupidity! What, have your brains been scrambled by all that time in hyperspace?!”

Bel’s hackles raised at that and she stood as well, her own hands on her hips and glaring back at her mother.

“Yeah, you did make it pretty kriffin’ clear! Why d’ya think I haven’t been back in ten years, do you think I like you karking yelling at me? It’s my life Ma, I can kriffin’ do what I like!”

Mia shot her daughter a fiery look. “Don’t you swear at me young lady! I am still your ma, how dare you!”

Aves quickly stepped between the two feisty women, an exasperated look on his face.

“Woah woah, both of you settle down. Do we really have to go through all this again? Mia it is her life.”

“What, you are defending your criminal daughter?!”

Mia pointed angrily at Bel. Before Bel could respond Aves grabbed Mia’s hands with his and spoke.

“Mia! Yelling at Ari isn’t going to change her mind! She’s only just come back to us after ten years do you really want to have her storm out of here again and disappear for another ten?!”

Erik meanwhile had side stepped closer to Kardac and leant in to talk in a sarcastic voice.

“Lovely to see that she is still just as fiery and stubborn as Aunt Mia. Some things never change.”

Kardac responded back equally quietly “yeah, she is pretty hot headed, has one helluva temper.”

Erik chuckled quietly. “You must have the patience of a saint then, assuming you really are her shipmate. She didn’t give the most convincing explanation there.”

Mia took that moment to turn her angry gaze on the pair. “And you Kaberc! Do you gallivant around the galaxy smuggling stuff and encouraging my daughter to continue her terrible ways?!”

That caused the room to erupt. Bel got even more fired up, her emerald eyes flashing dangerously. It was taking all her restraint to keep her hands from automatically falling to her blasters.

“How dare you, you kriffin’ keep Kaberc out of this!”

“Mia that is enough!” Aves said firmly, trying to keep calm, as Gaven said “really Mia you don’t need to insult him. Ariruuna don’t swear at your ma.”

Kardac meanwhile held his hands up. “Hey, please don’t involve me in this Ma’am. I’m not involved with your daughter’s work.”

“But she just introduced you as her shipmate!” Was the snappy reply.

Bel went to snap back but Gaven stepped up to her so both brothers were between the angry women.

“Come on Ari don’t make it worse” he said quietly, holding her arms. Bel shrugged him off angrily with a hissed “don’t you grab me and tell me what to do!”

Kardac replied back over the top of everyone in his calm commanding voice. “Yes I am her shipmate, no one said she was still involved in smuggling did they?”

Both women stopped and looked at him. It was a truth, of sorts. The only illegal work Bel had done since first coming aboard the Qanotha months beforehand had been in support of the Rebellion. Mia looked at Bel and Kardac.

“Why didn’t you say so?!”

Bel shot her a look around the brothers between them. “You didn’t give anyone a chance to say anything!”

Aves let go of his wife’s hands and motioned downwards with them, speaking firmly.

“Okay I think we should all calm down now. Mia, what Ari does or did might not be legal but it’s her choice and you know it’s a hard world out there. We barely struggle to keep the two ships running at times and there are plenty who had turned to the odd illegal job to keep things going even if we haven’t. Besides plenty of smugglers out there are doin’ good helping the fight against the Empire. Ari, don’t swear at ya ma. She is still ya ma, even if you aren’t that freshfaced 15 year old who ran away.”

Both women shot looks at him but didn’t say anything further. Gaven let out a slow breath and tried to change the subject.

“You said you have a YT2400? I’ve seen’ em in the docks before, nice looking little ship. I’m assuming you have kitted her out?”

Bel gave her uncle her usual grin. "You bet she is! I dun think there's a single thing left stock on my baby." She paused for a moment then added "nope even the pilot seats have been changed!"
 
She started rattling off some of the modifications without going into too many specifics, her family listening on interestedly. Even her mother seemed interested and understanding and her temper died down. The tension in the room has dropped down as stories about the ships were passed around. The Elsin's just about lived and breathed them since their livelihood depended on them.
 
Bel's uncle laughed at the end of telling one story. "Ah, it’s such a pity Danint isn't here. He would be so thrilled to see you home again and he has always wanted to see what a two four hundred was like."
 
Bel fell silent and looked at Kardac. She'd known she would have to tell her family at some stage but it was not something she had been looking forward to. Should she wait until later rather than greet them with the bad news? Or get it over with?
 
"I saw Danint a few months back" she said quietly.
 
"Oh really? He hadn't said anything, in fact we haven't heard from him in months. He saved enough to buy his own ship about a year back and goes for longer periods of time, doing longer runs. He'd be gone for weeks or months with little contact but this is the longest he's been away without contacting us. How was he doing?" 


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: TheDutchman on November 27, 2017, 12:59:38 PM
Wow Angel.  Great world building from the start (thanks for also providing a bio in the beginning, gave me good insight and a mental picture of Bel).  I like the easy dialogue between the family...and the heated argument (I'm sure we can all relate  ;)). 

This story is different from the others is this thread.  Karmack, Lord_S_Gray, Taegin Roan, and myself have stories centering around Force-sensitives (if you haven't had the opportunity to read them, I'd highly recommend dong so  ;)), your smuggler is a welcome and disparate departure from that.  I am certainly eager to learn more and see where this is leading!

I think you did a very good job in sprinkling in subtle info for future story points (Danint, the bioweapon to name two).  You're off to a great start!


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Karmack on November 27, 2017, 02:52:20 PM
Welcome Angel!  This is a great beginning!  As Dutchman said, it has a very different feel from the "gray" stories we've been swapping. :-)  Your style is excellent, though, and you've done a good job of hooking us into your world.  I am intrigued, especially by a smuggler with Rebel Alliance leanings from a family with ties to the shipping industry.  :-) 

And 'shipmates'?  You brought him home to meet the family and he's just a 'shipmate'?  Yeah, sure...  ;-)  (Sorry, a little of the "father" showed there...)

Looking forward to more installments!  RP games can be AWESOME inspiration!


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 27, 2017, 04:34:10 PM
Thanks guys! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it :)

*********************************************************************


Bel didn't even bother trying to hide her emotions. She looked at her family with a grave troubled expression, dreading what she was about to say.
 
"Danint's not coming home. He was killed by Imperials."
 
Shocked silence filled the room and everyone was staring at her. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, and she had dealt with some real nasty beings in her time. Finally Erik just said "what?"
 
"The reason he had been going on longer runs was because he had started smuggling to make some more money on the side to try and help the business. But he got caught. Instead of just killing him or imprisoning him they experimented on him, nasty biowarfare stuff. We found him afterwards but it was too late. I… I’m so sorry.”

Tears were in her eyes, it was as bad as reliving it. It had happened about three months previous, on the second mission she had done with the crew of the Qanotha. Her path had started with the corvette’s crew long beforehand though she hadn’t realised it at that time. The promiscuous smuggler had tricked a young cocky Imperial officer in a cantina after hearing him drunkenly boast about some important information he had. She had gotten him more drunk then slept with him, stealing a datachip containing confidential information after he passed out before making herself scarce. The heavily encrypted datachip was sold on and she thought that was the end of that, though it was the Alliance who purchased the information when it was decrypted. Months later Bel herself unwittingly was the courier of that information and the mission details to the Qanotha, and they went on to hire her to aid them in their mission to the gas planet of Alvor. There the Empire had been working on a new superweapon and they were tasked with finding more information about it and destroying it.

Bel’s small group were an advance team and their mission was endangered when the smuggler was recognised by the very Imperial officer she had stolen the information from. She had managed to turn the tables on the flustered man after he had attempted to kidnap her, but a fight had broken out in the marketplace on the satellite station Touk which they had infiltrated. The Empire, fearing a breach in security, decided instead to kill the thousands of people in the marketplace. Bel’s small group had narrowly escaped the slaughter while the second Alliance team infiltrated another station. Unable to do anything to help Bel’s team had left the system and gone to Nar Shaddaa to find more information. After discovering the true nature of the Empire’s superweapon in development they flew back to Alvor to find that the second team had completed their mission by destroying the weapon and were attempting to escape. Bel was able to help them fight off the TIE fighters and escape back to the Qanotha. They then discovered that the weapon on Alvor was only part of the Empire’s plans.

The Empire’s true weapon was a deadly biological agent, designed to be delivered into a planet’s atmosphere by the prototype weapon they had destroyed on Alvor. The agent was being developed on the small moon Drongar Alpha, and the Qanotha was tasked with finishing the job by infiltrating the research facility and destroying the weapon. Bel used her knowledge of the underworld, her ship and a mercenary alias she had as leverage to become part of the strike team under the guise that she was in it for the pay, though that was only partly the truth. The Empire’s ruthless slaughter of thousands of innocents at Touk had affected her more deeply than she cared to admit. They gained access to the research facility by assuming the personas of slavers, bringing ‘prisoners’, the strike team from the corvette, in as test victims for the scientists. It was while carrying out their mission to find out all information they could about the bioweapon before destroying the facility that Bel discovered her cousin Danint had been captured by the Empire for smuggling and was an unfortunate victim.

They had been too late to save him, but it had haunted her since and started her down a very different path to the one she had taken beforehand. She was no longer the same free-spirited smuggler who worked for whoever offered the most credits with no allegiance to anyone. She had only recently started to come to terms with Danint’s death but having to explain it to her family was bringing it all back. The silence was eventually broken by her mother beginning to cry. Aves put his arms around his wife and held her close. Gavin and Erik had matching murderous expressions on their faces. Bel crossed her arms and hugged herself, feeling absolutely terrible. The tall executive officer of the Qanotha came over and put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. Finally Erik choked out an angry “how the kriff do you know this?! What were you doing?!”

“I…. I can’t say. I really wish I could tell you but I’m not allowed to. It’s not safe for you or us if I tell you. I promise we weren’t working for the Imperials, I’m never working for those bastards again. You have to believe me.” The words were choked out as Bel struggled to keep some composure.

Erik clenched his fists in anger and glared at her and Kardac. Gaven asked flatly “are you sure he is dead?”

Bel nodded, her voice still choked. “He told me what happened with his dying breath. He asked me to make sure I came home and let you know what had happened to him. We watched him die.” It was a lie but she couldn’t tell her family that he’d died in the destruction of the facility at the Rebel's hands. The Imperials were the ones to blame regardless. Her mother’s sobbing got louder.

“I’m so so sorry. I wish I didn’t have to be the bearer of such bad news.”

“Karking Imperial scum!” Erik spat out and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Bel looked after him helplessly not sure what to say. Gaven stepped forwards and put a hand on her shoulder, tears in his eyes and shoulders slumped.

“Thank you Ari. For telling us. Erik will come round just…. Give him some time.”

He took the hand from her shoulder and walked slowly from the room like a man defeated and looking ten years older in that short time. Aves watched after him but kept his arms around Mia. Her mother sniffed and looked at Bel, her face filled with a mix of sadness, outrage and despair. Erik and Danint had been more like sons to her. When their mother died the boys had often lived with Bel and Mia while Gaven and Aves worked away. Bel had grown up with them, seeing them more as brothers than cousins.

“This is why I never wanted that life for you! That could have been you!”

Aves hushed his wife and sat her down on the small couch, then came over to his daughter and wiped the tears from her face. His own eyes were tear filled.

“I’m so sorry you went through that Ari, but I’m glad he had someone with him at the end.”

He pulled her in for a hug and Bel wrapped her arms around him, tears running silently down her cheeks. Aves held her for a few minutes then looked back over his shoulder at Mia. He carefully steered Bel into an adjoining office, beckoning Kardac to follow. Once they were somewhere more private he spoke quietly to the two of them.

“I’m going to take your mother home. Please Ariruuna, don’t push her. Everyone is a bit upset right now and it won’t help anything. She has missed you terribly and has blamed herself for you being gone for so long. Please promise me you won’t go anywhere.”

He redirected his gaze to Kardac. “Don’t let her go anywhere. I know my daughter, she has always had a habit of wandering. She is worse than her old man.”

Kardac nodded. “Aye, we will stay here. My condolences to you all for Danint.”

Aves looked hard at him for a moment. “You are a military man aren’t you? Or at least used to be. I’ve seen enough of yous in my travels to know that hardened look to death. I don’t think you are Imperial either, I severely doubt my Ari would have brought you here if you were. Don’t worry we have no love for the Empire, even less now. Look after her, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He nodded towards Bel and gave Kardac a pat on the shoulder before walking out of the room. Bel looked at her friend and sat back on the edge of the desk.

“That was….. that was horrible. I don’t know what I was expecting but I don’t know if it could have been much worse. How do you do it? How can you tell families that their loved ones aren’t coming home?”

Kardac came over and leant back against the desk next to her. “Because I have to. The families deserve to know and it is my duty. It doesn’t get any easier no matter how many times you do it.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave him a slight smile.

“I think I need a drink.”

She opened the office door quietly, seeing that her parents had left. While the couch had been replaced since she had last been home everything else looked the same as from her childhood. She went to a cupboard above the sink and reached her hand to the back, standing on her toe tips and feeling around. With a small grin she pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

“They always thought it was well hidden back there and that we kids didn’t know about it. So predictable that they still keep it in the same place.”

She opened the bottle and took a mouthful before leading Kardac out a different door and into the warehouse itself. Her uncle was sitting on the edge of the drop down from the office to the main floor a metre below. Bel hesitated but he heard the pair come out, turned his head and waved them over. Bel sat on the edge next to him, her uncle eyeing the bottle in her hand and wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

“I always suspected you three knew where to find that.” He motioned for her to hand it over and had a long pull from it before handing it back to Bel who did the same thing. She offered it to Kardac. Gaven gave her a small smile.

“I remember the time I found you and Danint drunk in the corner of this warehouse. You were what, 15? Danint said you’d only had one glass. You begged me not to tell ya ma. I can’t remember how many times I covered for you, you were always such a trouble maker.” His eyes flicked up to Kardac. “I bet that hasn’t changed.”

Kardac grinned in return. “No it hasn’t. I’m not the least bit surprised she used to get into such trouble. She can hold her liquor better now.”

Gaven chuckled. “Of course she can, she’s a Corellian through and through! Her ma never quite understood our love of drinking and mischief, she wasn’t Corellian you see.”

“Hey, I’m right here you know” Bel protested mildly about being talked about.

Gaven smiled and put his arm around her. The two occasionally shared the bottle but otherwise sat in silence. At one point Gaven shuffled sideways and looked at the grip of the blaster sticking out of the holster on her hip.

“I see you haven’t lost your love of blasters. May I?”

Bel hesitated a moment then handed over one of her deathhammers, grip first. He took it and turned the heavy blaster pistol over eyeing it appreciatively.

“Lethal looking piece of equipment there my dear, and you have two of them. Still any good with them?”

The smuggler grinned slightly. “Do you have to ask? I could whoop your arse in target practice with dual blasters now.”

Her uncle grinned. “You could whoop my arse with one back in the day, I have no doubt you have improved to wield two just as effectively. It’s a strange thing, seeing you all grown up. No longer that young lady so eager to see the galaxy. You look like you have seen more than your fair share of things now.”

Bel sighed as he handed her blaster back. “You have no idea.”


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Karmack on November 27, 2017, 06:34:01 PM
And an excellent continuation!  :-)  I am very much liking the character interactions and development here.  A subtle shift in the Bel/Kardac relationship, I think...  Or maybe it was just not "there" yet.  It definitely feels like back-story, though.  But good back-story!  Now, what could they be setting up?

I can't wait to find out!  :-)


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Krace on November 27, 2017, 10:03:44 PM
And an excellent continuation!  :-)  I am very much liking the character interactions and development here.  A subtle shift in the Bel/Kardac relationship, I think...  Or maybe it was just not "there" yet.  It definitely feels like back-story, though.  But good back-story!  Now, what could they be setting up?

I can't wait to find out!  :-)


Krace here, Kardac's player.  This is actually forward story for where things are in the RPG currently.  She started writing and then we just took it in a continuing direction. 

The backstory is actually in these locations:

Aboard the Qanotha (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=18039.0)

Aboard the Wagtail's Shadow, Smugglers Ship (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=18345.0)

Drongar Alpha (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=33229.0)

The story jumps from location to location at points, but it always has links to the threads where it jumps.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: TheDutchman on November 27, 2017, 10:07:08 PM
Poor Danint.  And poor Bel.  She's the anti-anti-hero.  But such imperfect characters make for great pathos.  And now that we get to see her among family, letting her emotional barriers relax somewhat, we see another facet.  I am reminded of a Japanese proverb: that each personality has around it an "eight-fold fence:" the closer you go to the center, the more "real" the person will be (trust, actions, emotion, et. all.), but NO ONE can ever truly know a person in their heart of hearts, in this case, the inner-most fence.

I get the feeling that Bel would know precisely what I mean.

Keep it up Angel!  Looking forward to the next installment  :)


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Taegin Roan on November 27, 2017, 10:39:09 PM
Wow. I had a feeling there was a lot more to Bel than what I knew, but I never knew how much. This is a very cool story, and knowing some of the background makes it so much more understandable. Like the others, I can't wait for more.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Krace on November 27, 2017, 11:01:55 PM
Wow. I had a feeling there was a lot more to Bel than what I knew, but I never knew how much. This is a very cool story, and knowing some of the background makes it so much more understandable. Like the others, I can't wait for more.

Just remember, none of this has actually happened in our RPG, it's all future.  Also, some of what eventually will be posted here may never actually happen in the RPG just due to how the RPGs work.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Taegin Roan on November 27, 2017, 11:06:03 PM
Just remember, none of this has actually happened in our RPG, it's all future.  Also, some of what eventually will be posted here may never actually happen in the RPG just due to how the RPGs work.

Yes. Ralen has no knowledge of any of this whatsoever.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 28, 2017, 01:10:14 AM
Just remember, none of this has actually happened in our RPG, it's all future.  Also, some of what eventually will be posted here may never actually happen in the RPG just due to how the RPGs work.

Yes, as far as the RPGs go this is a separate story. What happens here in my story isn't a sign of what will be happening in the future of the RPG.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Lord_S_Gray on November 28, 2017, 01:54:39 AM
Good start, interesting take, I like the sort of family dinner table scenario, it's not what you often get in Star Wars stories, a kind of more familial space in which events are impacting everyday lives of a family largely uninvolved in the Galactic politics.  The echoes of Imperial policy...

Okay so some constructive criticism as you've asked for....
The section starting at “Tears were in her eyes, it was as bad as reliving it…” when Bel recounts her adventures with the bio weapon and Danint, there are four solid blocks of text just describing past events…it’s a bit overwhelming, I’d break it up a little maybe one section of back story then a little dialogue in the present.  but yeah can be hard to do when you need to get the reader up to speed.

This is something I’m guilty of having done but in my next stories am trying to get away from it.  My current strategy is roughly one paragraph of action/dialogue, then one of description/backstory when I need it. 

Also there is a lot of play by play in the dialogue, its very descriptive about what everyone's saying...its great in setting the atmosphere, but that can work against you in that its hard to pick up on what the most important points that I as a reader need to keep in mind...having said that most of my chapters are done more like 6-7 minute scenes so might just be me.

These are all just my opinions/observations, I'm by no means a great writer or anything, its more these are some issues I'm trying to work on in my own stuff so though it might help out.  Overall good stuff.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 28, 2017, 03:07:36 AM
Good start, interesting take, I like the sort of family dinner table scenario, it's not what you often get in Star Wars stories, a kind of more familial space in which events are impacting everyday lives of a family largely uninvolved in the Galactic politics.  The echoes of Imperial policy...

Okay so some constructive criticism as you've asked for....
The section starting at “Tears were in her eyes, it was as bad as reliving it…” when Bel recounts her adventures with the bio weapon and Danint, there are four solid blocks of text just describing past events…it’s a bit overwhelming, I’d break it up a little maybe one section of back story then a little dialogue in the present.  but yeah can be hard to do when you need to get the reader up to speed.

This is something I’m guilty of having done but in my next stories am trying to get away from it.  My current strategy is roughly one paragraph of action/dialogue, then one of description/backstory when I need it. 

Also there is a lot of play by play in the dialogue, its very descriptive about what everyone's saying...its great in setting the atmosphere, but that can work against you in that its hard to pick up on what the most important points that I as a reader need to keep in mind...having said that most of my chapters are done more like 6-7 minute scenes so might just be me.

These are all just my opinions/observations, I'm by no means a great writer or anything, its more these are some issues I'm trying to work on in my own stuff so though it might help out.  Overall good stuff.


Thanks. The back story bit to what had happened on the missions i added last night quickly, realising that almost no one would know what's happened in the RPGs. I'm gonna have to work on that a bit. Was trying to do it within one paragraph then realised just how much had happened lol.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Karmack on November 28, 2017, 02:02:26 PM
Yes, as far as the RPGs go this is a separate story. What happens here in my story isn't a sign of what will be happening in the future of the RPG.

LOL  This is why I have trouble with RPGs.  :-)  Not on a philosophical level, but I find it VERY hard to play them because I wouldn't be able to put a character into it and just isolate the character for the RPG.  I end up making decisions as  player based on information I have that my RPG character does NOT have...

Karmack is strong in the force, but not THAT strong.  LOL

Still, the story is shaping nicely.  Thank you for the explanation of where material is coming from, etc.  I also enjoyed the family "round table" format and the mother-daughter conflict.  Mom can't help herself! 
Having to come home with bad news would also be very hard to deal with, and you portray that pretty well.   I think my only quibble so far is that there still seems to be a sense of the characters "settling" if you will.  They're not always consistent.  That may be on purpose, there's a lot to tell and we're just beginning, but the closest analogy I can think of is to a new TV show starting up.  Everyone is feeling their way into the characters, so they can sometimes be inconsistent.  I get a little of that from Bel, but I might just be getting lost in the fact that we are actually peeking behind her normal mask, as it were.  And her relationship to Kardac has that same raw, not-quite-settled feel to it in the passages.  He comes across in the first meeting as an unwanted acquaintance, but later on he's morphed into a close friend and confidant.  I suspect he's really more the latter, but I'm still not sure.  That's really my only quibble with the writing.  Stabilize the character relationships a bit and I will be happy happy happy.  :-)


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 28, 2017, 04:01:16 PM
LOL  This is why I have trouble with RPGs.  :-)  Not on a philosophical level, but I find it VERY hard to play them because I wouldn't be able to put a character into it and just isolate the character for the RPG.  I end up making decisions as  player based on information I have that my RPG character does NOT have...


heh, at times it has been difficult- Bel becomes a very different person in my story to what she is in the RPG and I sometimes have to remember which Bel it is I'm writing about at the time.

Originally this story was written just for myself and Krace as a bit of joint storywriting and fun reading. There will be times where it seems a bit disjointed because we didn't write it for others to understand it rofl. That's the biggest thing I'm going to have to work on posting it here.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Lord_S_Gray on November 29, 2017, 02:18:38 AM
Thanks. The back story bit to what had happened on the missions i added last night quickly, realising that almost no one would know what's happened in the RPGs. I'm gonna have to work on that a bit. Was trying to do it within one paragraph then realised just how much had happened lol.

Yeah I get that, its more nit picking than anything else as you asked for feedback! be careful what you wish for.  For a once off get up to speed it worked fine...also makes you think if Bel has done all that already no doubt her future adventures will be pretty awesome too!


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on November 29, 2017, 03:17:36 AM
Yeah I get that, its more nit picking than anything else as you asked for feedback! be careful what you wish for.  For a once off get up to speed it worked fine...also makes you think if Bel has done all that already no doubt her future adventures will be pretty awesome too!

Lol all good. Im not offended. If I cant take constructive criticism then im gonna have a lot of issues in life :P some things I do 'wrong' in other people's minds will be different styles in writing- lets face it everyone has their own style which doesnt always mesh for other people, theres been some pretty famous and well loved authors whose work I cant stand just coz of its writing style not the content, JRR Tolkien being one of them- and some of it will be because there are things I can work on to make it better. Either way it is constructive criticism that helps us grow, we can be blind to our own work and sometimes need an outside perspective to improve.

One other thing- I also have a fantasy story I have written and is a WIP (yep, writing two stories side by side as well as rpgs lol). Would ppl like me to post that on SF, given its not a SW story? That one Im a bit more serious about, the Bel story was always just for a bit of fun but I really want to work on improving the fantasy story.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: TheDutchman on November 29, 2017, 03:34:09 AM
Lol all good. Im not offended. If I cant take constructive criticism then im gonna have a lot of issues in life :P some things I do 'wrong' in other people's minds will be different styles in writing- lets face it everyone has their own style which doesnt always mesh for other people, theres been some pretty famous and well loved authors whose work I cant stand just coz of its writing style not the content, JRR Tolkien being one of them- and some of it will be because there are things I can work on to make it better. Either way it is constructive criticism that helps us grow, we can be blind to our own work and sometimes need an outside perspective to improve.

One other thing- I also have a fantasy story I have written and is a WIP (yep, writing two stories side by side as well as rpgs lol). Would ppl like me to post that on SF, given its not a SW story? That one Im a bit more serious about, the Bel story was always just for a bit of fun but I really want to work on improving the fantasy story.
That's one of the aspects of feedback that I appreciate: the constructive criticism.  I have gotten several critical (but always polite) posts regarding a chapter that I feel helps me grow as a writer.  And--in retrospect--that feedback enables me to produce something that will (hopefully) be superior to my earlier writing.  So: special thanks to TR, LSG, and Karm  :)

And I say go for it Angel (with you SF story)!  I feel this is the perfect venue to post your story (regardless that it isn't a SW story  ;)).


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Taegin Roan on November 29, 2017, 04:15:17 AM
Lol all good. Im not offended. If I cant take constructive criticism then im gonna have a lot of issues in life :P some things I do 'wrong' in other people's minds will be different styles in writing- lets face it everyone has their own style which doesnt always mesh for other people, theres been some pretty famous and well loved authors whose work I cant stand just coz of its writing style not the content, JRR Tolkien being one of them- and some of it will be because there are things I can work on to make it better. Either way it is constructive criticism that helps us grow, we can be blind to our own work and sometimes need an outside perspective to improve.

One other thing- I also have a fantasy story I have written and is a WIP (yep, writing two stories side by side as well as rpgs lol). Would ppl like me to post that on SF, given its not a SW story? That one Im a bit more serious about, the Bel story was always just for a bit of fun but I really want to work on improving the fantasy story.

Fantasy is possibly my favorite genre, and any that I can I like to read, so yes. I'd love to read it. I understand about writing multiple things at once. I am not a writer, but I do do a bunch of stuff with my own superhero universe as well as a fantasy world that I am creating. Plus help my brother come up with ideas for short films or tv shows to make (though none of them have been successful as of yet).


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on December 03, 2017, 04:28:50 PM
She looked out across the warehouse, only half seeing the small stack of crates that were there. Either they were between shipments or business was much slower these days. She remembered that when she left they had four ships in their small fleet and several employees outside of the family itself. After a few more minutes of silence Gaven gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“Hey, there’s something you might like to see.”

He dropped down off the ledge, with Bel and Kardac following suit. He led them over to the corner of the warehouse closest to them which had a smaller room built into it, large enough to house multiple speeders. He opened the door and turned on the light inside. There sat a few more personal items, some crates as well as a speeder and a speeder bike. In the far corner was something hidden beneath a large tarpaulin. He walked over and pulled the cover back. Underneath was a speeder bike, obviously modified. It was old and slightly dusty but looked like it had been cared for over the years. Bel’s mouth fell open and her eyes went wide.

“You kept it?! All these years?! I thought you would have sold it by now!”

Gaven smiled. “You loved this thing so much, we couldn’t just sell it. Besides if we had then you would have probably walked back in the door the next day and been grumpy at us for it.”

Bel walked to the side of it and ran her hand over it lovingly. Her uncle watched on, taking a step closer to place a hand on the machine. “We take her out for a spin every now and then and Erik has been making sure she’s looked after.”

Bel turned back to him then uncharacteristically stepped forward and hugged him tight. “Thanks.”

The elder Elsin gave her a kiss on the head and stepped back. “I really have to get some things done. The bike is yours again if you want it. Don’t go anywhere hun, I look forward to hearing plenty more stories from you. It’s been far too long. Maybe we can set up a few things and shoot at them for old times sake eh?”

Bel smiled. “Yeah, sounds good.”

She watched him walk off then turned her attention back to the bike, pulling the cover off completely and walking around inspecting it fondly. Kardac leant against a crate watching.

“So you rode speeder bikes as well as a teen?”

Bel didn’t look up as she answered. “Yeah. I built this when I was twelve. Never took to bikes like I did starships, but I loved the thrill of the speed and it was good fun to tinker with. That and I wasn’t allowed to pilot my pa’s ships that fast or experiment with modifications on them.”

She gave him a cheeky grin. “I wasn’t allowed to ride bikes that fast either, I was kinda underage and they don’t like you speeding around terrorising the place. I may have been arrested once or twice. They let me keep my bike each time though.”

“I thought you were too good to get caught” he teased gently.

“Hah! Cut me a break, I was just a teen. I got better as I got older” she said back with a little smile.

“Were you a thief then too?”

The question was asked quietly. Bel looked at him for a moment before answering.

“No. I picked that up later. Do me a favour, dun mention to my ma that I not only move illegal goods for a living, but con people and steal and offer my services as a gun for hire. She would either have a heart attack, or kick me out for good.”

Bel realised she was still carrying the bottle of whiskey in one hand, and after having another sip from it put it down on a crate so she could look at her bike better. She made sure it was pulled away from anything else, straddled it and started it up in neutral. It took a couple of attempts since it hadn’t ran in a while but once it started it sputtered twice then purred. Bel smiled with satisfaction and after a minute turned it off again and sat back.

“I’ll have to take her out later. Think if I did it right now my pa and uncle would chase me down thinking I was running off again.”

Kardac tilted his head to one side. “What happened that you took off last time?”

Bel looked back hard at Kardac before eventually replying. If she didn’t, he would probably get the answer out of her family. Besides, how could he do any more damage? He already knew who her family was, the secret was out. “My ma doesn’t approve of my choice of profession. As you saw. I hadn’t even been home long last time when she started ranting at me about it. I…. kinda didn’t react well.”

“Real surprise there” Kardac said in a sarcastic tone.

Bel shot him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Oh come on Bel. You and I both know you are hotheaded and have the temper of a gundark. You seem to have gotten that from your mother.”

The woman glared at him. Kardac looked back at her steadily. Bel’s expression slowly softened.

“I guess I just proved your point, didn’t I? Well after a very big fight… I walked out on them.”

Bel squirmed a little uncomfortably and lifted one leg over the centre of the bike to sit sideways on it, balancing herself with one foot on the ground.

“It wasn’t my proudest moment. I was only seventeen, though that’s not really the best excuse. I’ve had ten years to grow up and make up for my mistake but…. I couldn’t. I’ve talked to them in that time but only a few times a year and sometimes only via message. Last time was nearly a standard year ago. Ma and I wouldn’t even talk to each other for the first few years. We were both too proud and stubborn.”

She ran one hand over the side of the bike and swung her hanging foot a little.

“Seeing Danint made me realise just how long it’s been since I’ve seen them. He was so much older…. How much have I missed out on? I didn’t even know Erik was married and had kids no one had told me! Am I that out of touch with my family? Honestly I wasn’t even sure how my parents would react to me coming home after so long and leaving them like that. It’s not that I don’t love them all, very much the opposite…. I just… Well, you know what I’m like.”

Kardac pushed off the crate and came over to her. He put a hand on either side of her face and turned her head to look into her eyes. She could just barely see pain reflected in his dark eyes.

“Don’t take your family for granted Bel. Enjoy any opportunity you have to spend time with them. You never know what will happen in life, especially with what we do.”

“I know” was Bel’s whispered response. “I’m sorry. I guess this is hard for you too, isn’t it?”

He smiled gently at her. “It’s okay Bel.”

She gave a slight smile back. “That’s something. Don’t call me Bel. I want to try and keep my personas separate. I guess…. Ari will do.”

She screwed up her nose a little at the thought. Kardac stepped back looking slightly smug.

“Sooo… Ariruuna Elsin is it? I never thought I would learn your true name.”

Bel looked at him sharply. “If you ever tell anyone my name, anyone at all even your Command, I swear I will kill you” she said in a quiet deadly serious tone. “I mean it, I can’t risk it. I’ve crossed too many beings, some of them very bad vindictive beings. I will do whatever is necessary to protect myself and my family.”

“Woah woah. I’m not going to tell anyone nor put your family at risk. You should know me better than that by now! Don’t you trust me at all?”

Kardac’s voice had a hint of anger to it at being threatened like that and his face had darkened. Bel met his gaze with hard eyes.

“If I didn’t trust you at all you would be dead in that alleyway. I wouldn’t have hesitated to pull that trigger to protect them, I have done as much before when I’ve had no choice.”

“Kriffing hell Bel, you can’t keep going through life like that, holding everyone away at arm’s length. Have the last few months meant nothing, haven’t you learnt you can trust us?”

The smuggler’s reply was just as serious as before. “You probably know more about me than anyone else now so yes I trust you, about as much as I would trust anyone. I’ve told you things I’ve never before repeated, hells I just let you meet my family! But you know I’ve been bitten in the arse for trusting before, and trust is a two way thing. Do you trust me?”

“Yes” was the reply.

She just hurruffed a little. “No you don’t” she said quietly in a hurt tone. “You followed me here because you suspected I was up to something. Yeah I avoided answering your questions but if you trusted me, you wouldn’t have done that.”

They both knew she had him there. The smuggler shook her head and slipped down off the side of the bike, carefully pushing past him and heading over to the crate. She undid the cap on the bottle of whiskey and took several gulps before putting the bottle down, ignoring how drinking it like that made her throat burn. The alcohol was slowly serving to ease her nerves. Too much was happening too fast and she was struggling to deal with it. Part of her wanted to run away again but that wouldn’t help anything. It would probably just drive a permanent rift between her and her family and she couldn’t afford to create a rift between her and the crew of the Qanotha.

Much as she hated to admit it she needed the Alliance. Her world had been slowly shrinking and with the increased bounty on her head and more and more blown aliases even disreputable systems were becoming more dangerous than normal for her. The Alliance had work they were willing to offer her, and she had a desire to see the Empire pay. It was an advantageous relationship. She glanced up to the tall darkly tanned man. She hated to admit it, but she had begun enjoying the company of others. Not just in the form of finding some like minded people or some poor sucker she could mark in a cantina, but people she was learning to really relax with.

Bel found a box of tools in the corner and pulled a few out before walking back to the speeder bike. She crouched down to start removing a fairing.

“Kardac, argh Kaberc…. Your crew are the closest thing I have had to friends in years. I can’t help my nature, and it is in my nature to keep everyone and everything at bay, especially that which I can’t control. I was like that even before I became a smuggler, I just learnt to refine it a bit. The fact that I have stayed with your crew these past months…. That in itself is a pretty big thing.”


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on December 03, 2017, 04:39:38 PM
Bel and Kardac were busy working on the bike a couple of hours later. It was relaxing and took her mind off everything that was going on while being something a little different. She knew so much more now about mechanics and even though it was mostly gained on starships, she could apply that knowledge to her bike. What she couldn't fix now from her early modifications she was already planning out. She heard footsteps approaching and turned around, brushing a lock of hair from her face with the back of her hand as she did. Her mother was walking towards her with her father in tow.
 
"I shouldn't be surprised that this is where I would find you. It was either going to be here, or aboard one of the ships" she said with a small smile.
 
Aves quipped in "I'm surprised you aren't in the YV-100 somewhere checking her out and pulling something apart."
 
Bel smiled. "I've served on one before. I'll fix whatever you haven't managed to later" she teased back and her father chuckled. Bel finished blocking off the hose she had just removed from another component and stood up. She looked at her parents and took a deep breath. This was not something she was accustomed to doing.
 
"I'm sorry. About earlier. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me but it’s kinda... All too much at the moment."
 
Mia cleared her throat and looked at Aves who gave a nodding motion. "I shouldn't have gone off at you like that. As your father said it is your life. That doesn’t mean I have to approve of it though."
 
"By the stars, did I just hear Mia and Ari apologise to one another? Someone hit me, I must be dreaming or something."
 
Gaven wandered in behind Aves and Mia with a wry grin on his face. Both women turned and gave him identical looks, then looked at one another and rolled their eyes identically. Kardac hid a grin behind his arm then picked up a rag and wiped his hands. Mia cleared her throat again.
 
"Well I think tonight we should go out and celebrate your coming home."
 
"What? Are you sure ma, I mean I thought after finding about... about Danint...."
 
Mia walked over and put her hands on Bel's shoulders. "Danint wouldn't want us to mope about because of him. He would want us to enjoy you being home at last."
 
She let go of her daughter’s shoulders. "Besides you haven't said how long you were back for and knowing you, you'll have somewhere you have to go. You are staying here tonight and you are going to come out to dinner with us, as a family. You too Kaberc unless you have somewhere else you have to be. You are about the same build as Erik and only a bit taller so I’m sure he has something nice you can borrow."
 
She gave her daughter a smug look. "And you will wear a dress dear."
 
Bel blinked and said "I'll what?"
 
"I'll not miss the opportunity to see my lovely daughter in a dress."
 
Bel just looked at her mother. While she was more than accustomed to flaunting her looks she did it with tight skin covering clothing not with dresses.
 
"Ahh, I don't own a dress. Besides I have scars now and..."  Her attempts to avoid being put in a dress were easily batted aside by Mia, who simply waved a hand dismissively and cut in over the younger woman’s excuses.
 
That's alright we can buy you one, we have a few hours. And you better have a better excuse than a few scars. If you are that worried about them I can easily hide their appearance."
 
Bel looked exasperatedly to her father who just laughed. "Hey I'm with ya ma on this one. This should be quite the occasion, I haven't seen you in a dress since you were a young girl."
 
"But..."
 
"Come now dear, we have shopping to do. Wash your hands and let's get going." Mia wasn’t taking no for an answer and started pushing her daughter out of the small garage. Bel looked back at Kardac mouthing to him ‘help me!’, but Kardac was too busy laughing as she was bustled out.

A few hours later the men were waiting in the living room of the Elsin’s modest apartment, a small townhouse with a few bedrooms. Gaven had found Erik somewhat calmed down and brought him home in time to get ready for dinner, and Erik’s family had been invited too. His daughter was in his arms while his son was roaming around bored. His wife Misou had gone out shopping with Mia and Bel, and as suggested by Mia Kardac was wearing some clothes borrowed from Erik. They were wearing smart casual clothing and exchanging small talk until the women appeared. Aves leant back against the couch and looked yet again to the staircase leading upstairs.

“Wonder when the ladies will turn up. What’s a bet they will completely outclass us and make us feel underdressed.”

“That’s what women do” Gaven joked back. “They take forever to get ready and leave us feeling like we haven’t put in enough effort. Jax stop that, just sit down and wait.”

“But I’m booorrreeedddd. When are we going to go have food?” the young boy complained but slumped into a chair as he was told, poking at the patterning on the arm while he swung his legs.

“Won’t be long son” Erik said in the typical parental response.

No sooner than he spoke, Mia came down the stairs looking delighted and proud. She was dressed in a smart black dress and despite her age it was still obvious where Bel had gotten her good looks. Behind her came Bel. Gone was her usual attire. She was wearing a black halterneck dress which showed off her curves, with a split up one leg. Her long red hair had been pulled up and her mother had even convinced her to wear makeup, jewellery and strappy shoes with slight heels. She had a borrowed black purse and most shockingly not a blaster in sight. In short she looked absolutely stunning, and just a little uncomfortable. Behind her came Misou, grinning just as broadly as Mia. Aves stood up straight and looked at his daughter proudly and Erik wolf whistled at her with a grin on his face.

“Oh Ariruuna! You look amazing! Doesn’t she just look beautiful?”

He gave his daughter a kiss on her cheek and beamed at the family and despite herself Bel grinned, pleased as always to have the attention of the opposite sex, even if they were her family. She saw Kardac and with her usual seductive smile strutted over to him, did a little spin and batted her eyelashes at him.

“So, what do you think?” she said in a seductive sultry tone.

Kardac had been looking her over and Bel could see from the barely disguised lust in his eyes that he liked what he saw. She enjoyed having that effect on men and this was no exception, even if it did mean she was minus her blasters and in less practical clothing. She might just like wearing the dress after all. Kardac cleared his throat and spoke in an appreciative tone.

“You definitely look stunning in that dress. We should find an excuse for you to wear it more often.”

Mia gave a triumphant little noise then started bustling everyone out proclaiming that the taxi would be there any minute. Kardac took the opportunity in the commotion to step towards Bel, put one hand on either side of her waist and pull her in closer to whisper in her ear. Bel’s eyes went wider and she blushed ever so slightly. She grinned mischievously and whispered back into his, finishing with a quick nibble on his ear. She twisted out of his grip and strutted away with a hungry little backwards glance to him. The exchange hadn’t gone unnoticed by her uncle and cousin, and Gaven came up and put a hand on Kardac's shoulder.
 
"Oh ho, just like her mother alright. Watch out lad, once she gets you in her sights she will pursue you ruthlessly, there will be no hope for you. In fact I think you are already caught, best to just give up now."
 
Gaven spoke loud enough for only Kardac and Erik to hear with a wink to Kardac. Erik chuckled and put his daughter down.
 
"Come on Pa, we better get our arses moving if we don't want to get told off by Aunt Mia."
 
He bustled his little girl out the door followed by the others. A short while later a taxi shuttle piloted by a droid came along, arriving right on schedule for when it had been ordered. The family piled on board chatting, and Bel and Kardac ended up sitting next to each other. She leant in close and spoke quietly so only he could hear. 
 
"I feel practically naked in this get up. I always get nervous when my sidearms are missing."
 
"Surprised you didn't somehow manage to strap one on somewhere" he joked.
 
Bel smiled and patted the borrowed purse. "My holdout blaster just fitted in here, and I managed to strap my vibroblade to my thigh."
 
He looked at her legs pointedly. "How?! That dress is tight."
 
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
 
Kardac rolled his eyes at her insistence to remain armed in some manner. 
 
"Oh Ari, I'm sure you will be perfectly safe. We are only going out for dinner."
 
"I never take my safety for granted. Besides both Uncle Gav and Erik are carrying. So are you I noticed."
 
Kardac grinned. "Exactly, you are perfectly safe. We will protect you sweetheart."
 
Bel rolled her eyes at the sweetheart, said in a perfect imitation of her Corellian accent in the way spacers everywhere said it. She couldn't help returning his grin however.
 
"I'll make a smuggler of you yet hun."
 
"You do look very nice in that dress though."
 
"Awww, you're a sweetie."
 
Bel gave him a kiss on the cheek for his compliment then realized that was probably a mistake, given her mother's earlier assumption and the knowing look the older woman was now giving her daughter. 
 
"Ah kark. Next she's probably gonna ask when we are getting married. If she asks how many kids we are planning to have, I say we run."
 
Kardac got a mischievous glint in his eyes. Bel looked at him slightly concerned. 
 
"What is that for?"
 
"Nothing sweetheart" he said in return as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer.
 
"I could hurt you" she warned.
 
"Not here in front of your family you wouldn't" he whispered into her ear.
 
She groaned with exasperation. She never like being beaten at her own game. "Enjoy your advantage while it lasts."
 
"Oh I will" he said, and cemented it with a return kiss on her cheek.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: TheDutchman on December 04, 2017, 12:30:42 PM
These last two posts were very well written.  You really have great rapport within the family and it comes across in the easy dialogue.  Indeed, I would say that's a strength in your writing; the natural comradery within the family while still having Bel's reticence is organic. Nicely done Angel!  The best characters have layers and you are providing that for us.

Call me paranoid, but do I detect an undercurrent of something...bad on the horizon?  We'll, it's a SW story  ;).  Again, your story is very different from Karm's, LSG's, TR's, and mine; a VERY enjoyable departure from what we've been reading (again, if you have the time/inclination I'd suggest reading theirs  :)).  Keep up the good work!

Until next installment friends  :)


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: B1ondeange1 on December 04, 2017, 03:45:04 PM
These last two posts were very well written.  You really have great rapport within the family and it comes across in the easy dialogue.  Indeed, I would say that's a strength in your writing; the natural comradery within the family while still having Bel's reticence is organic. Nicely done Angel!  The best characters have layers and you are providing that for us.

Call me paranoid, but do I detect an undercurrent of something...bad on the horizon?  We'll, it's a SW story  ;).  Again, your story is very different from Karm's, LSG's, TR's, and mine; a VERY enjoyable departure from what we've been reading (again, if you have the time/inclination I'd suggest reading theirs  :)).  Keep up the good work!

Until next installment friends  :)

Heh, i wish I had spare time! I hardly get any time to do reading lately 😕 very sad coz I love reading, but writing my own story is just as cool


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: Lord_S_Gray on December 05, 2017, 03:15:04 AM
Indeed quite different as Dutchamn mentioned...interesting though...combined with the title A Smuggler Truth it has the feel of being a lot about identity, belonging, the truth of who Bel is between her current life and her past which is quite interesting.


Title: Re: A Smuggler's Truth
Post by: txdarkjedi on January 11, 2018, 01:53:51 PM
I read a lot, and I am sure that a lot of people say that but seriously I read A LOT!. That being said, wonderful story, and like someone else stated, it was nice to see a family connection in the SWU. Love the story and can't wait to read more.