“Well cap’n, the super is operational and ready to fire.Ya just gotta charge it up first.Now the engines are a diff’rent story.We can not go to hyperspace untill thses babies are checked correctly.I just need one more hour to check and do a little mantenance and we will be ready to go.”

“What you have to do” the captain said angrily “is tell me that we are fully ready and armed.What about all our other more conventional weapons? Are they functional.?”

“They most certainly are.Who do ya think I am, cap’n? I am the best engineer this side of Ord Mantel.”

“A planet full of scum”

“Scum? I am hurt that you would say such a thing.I have lots of friends back on Ord Mantel.They don’t think I’m scum and I don’t think they are either”

“What types of lowlife do live there then, Roman?”

Roman made a rude noise.

“You Yevetha! You think you are superior to everyone else.You need to learn how to kick back and relax.The Galaxy is a fun place if you just treat it right.And I am certain that if you treat the Galaxy right, it will treat you the same.But I still need that hour.And if you don’t give me that hour then we are going to be short one really really good engineer and you will be going nowhere”

“You say you are an extremely good engineer, but you have yet to prove it.If you do not stop making all these foolish demands and start fixing something we would be done a lot sooner and you would not force me to end your pathetic weakling life”

“Your not a people person are you cap’n?”

“Certainly not.I simply want to get the job done and my orders to be carried out.You are going to do so, understand?”

“Yeah I got your gist.Give me an hour and we got a deal”

“You have one hour, don’t make me have to kill you”

Roman grinned, an annoyingly bright one.

“You got it cap’n”

Captain Shumar nodded. Roman was an exeptionaly good engineer and he was irreplaceable. But Shumar’s patience was wearing dangerously thin.If Roman didn’t just get the job done soon.They were already late and Viceroy Paret was getting slightly angry that they had not departed for the battle. The Yevethan forces would be mopping up the Hutt by now.And he desperately wanted to see their forces in action. Shumar was still having a hard time understanding it. Paret had seen, commanded, and was involved in the Yevethan victory at Tholaz. Tholaz was now under Duskhan League control and the shipyards were busily constructing new ships. So why did Paret absolutely have to veiw this batle? An interesting question. Maybe Shumar should risk it by asking the Viceroy that very same question.


He turned away from Roman who was now busily ordering crewmen to do various things. Shumar allowed himself a small smile, Roman would have the engines up and ready, and they could finally depart for J’t’p’tan. He walked past all the scurrying crewmen who were responding to Roman’s orders and made it to the turbolift. He punched the button to take him to the bridge, but suddenly his comlink began bleeping.He took a deep breath and carefully let it out. The Viceroy was undoubtedly going to demand another progress report from Shumar. He answered it.
“Progress report” the Viceroy’s voice came back.

“The human engineer, Roman, needs another hour to complete the overhaul. The engines, in his words, ‘are havin’ a ‘hard time adaptin’ to the new power couplin’s I put in a few weeks back”

The Viceroy barked a short laugh.

“Well tell him that he had better hurry up or something tragic will befall him”

“I have implied as much sir, but he seems to believe I am bluffing when I say those things”

Another laugh.

“Logan assured me that he was the ‘best in the business’.Tell me shumar, why do humans talk in such ways. It is hard to understand them somtimes"

“I have no idea sir. But Logan was-is- right, Roman is the best engineer we have in our service”

“Oh well, it really doesn’t matter.I trust you will have us underway in one hour’s time?”

“Less than that now sir. We will get underway in….55 minutes”

“Good. Paret out.”

The turbolift door opened and Shumar stepped inside. He keyed it up to the bridge level.



N’zoth



“What are we to do”?

“Well..this could work to our advantage. Imagine, the Yevetha’s gallant Viceroy goes to J’t’p’tan on a mission that is part of his overall campaign against our enemies. He fights a losing battle and his ship the pride of the Yevethan fleet Pride of Yevetha is destriyed and the Viceroy killed. As per custom one of the Councilors of the Council of Castes takes his position. I have hinted at many Council sessions that I am willing and ready to become the replacement if such a thing were to happen.The Council, spurred by my hinting, and you nominating me, makes me Yanth, the next Viceroy. It is a perfect plan.”

Greth, who was staring at Yanth in holo form, frowned.

“And what happens to me? What will I do?”

“Greth my friend, you will. Of course I will grant you a position. You will be our Commander-in-Chief of the military. I will head the political face of the Duskhan League and you become their savior. You continue the campaign that the heroic Viceroy started and crush our enemies. The Yevethan people will hail you as a hero and you will stand by my side as we destroy all those who come before us!”

“Yes!. Now we wait for the Viceroy to be killed?”

“Yes, my stupid pawn, Lithe, will see to that. Hopefully”

“Good. I am proud to help you”

“I know…I know. We will succeed, I am sure of it”


Pride of Yevetha- Bridge


Jian smiled faintly at Chief Engineer Roman gave him a report.

“All is ready cap’n.The engines are as fit as a fiddle”

“Fiddle”?

“It is a human musical instrument…maybe I’ll play for youm sometime”

“I should hope not”

“Aww..c’mon cap’n, I am really good.”

“I’m sure you are”

Jian terminated the holo and turned to helm.

“Set course for J’t’p’tan.Engage hyperdrive”

“Understood, hyperdrive engaged”

The were finally off.

The Pride of Yevetha slipped through hyperspace, heading for J’t’p’tan. Viceroy Paret sat at his desk in his personal office. Regent Logan had used it only several months earlier. Jian often wondered what it must have been like to participate in battle with such a fine piece of war materiel’. He was soon going to find out. True to his word, Chief Engineer Roman had gotten the ship ready and into hyperspace one hour after Jian had left. Even though the man was annoying, he was the best engineer that Jian had ever had serving under him. Roman was obsessive with getting the job done and over with. That was one of the chief reasons Jian was lucky to have him on his work force.


Jian was also happy because his son, Mase Paret was onboard the ship. Mase was an extremely competant commander and was instrumental in devising the ‘Centuria’ tactics. The tactics proved to be effective in many Yevethan battles. Jian had also ordered his son to create more than just the Centuria moves, but ones that would work well with enormous ships like the Pride of Yevetha. Mase had reported that he was done with a few and would like to show his father some. That is why Jian was not surprised when Mase walked in a few minutes later.

“Father, I have completed some valuble tactics that can be performed with---“

The intercom erupted in sound.

“—Viceroy, I am sorry to interupt but we are preparing to exit lightspeed”

“Understood, I am on my way”

Jian turned back to Mase.

“What is Spa’ar’s report?”

“He is ready sir, he has just exited hyperspace on the edge of the J’t’p’tan system. He is awaiting orders.”

“Understood, well, let’s save the Duskhan League”

Mase grinned.

“Whenever you are ready, father”

Jian stood up and went to the bridge.

The ship was already reverting when he sat down in his chair.

“Report”

“We have exited hyperspace and the superlaser is charged up’

“Excellent. Give me a report on the battle”

“Our forces are moving to intercept Lithe’s weak defense force. With this ships’s assistance we will crush them”

“Enough of that high’nonsense, captain. I want results, not arrogance”

The captain sniffed but said nothing.

“As ordered, Viceroy”

Jian nodded and turned back to the vewiports. He noticed a large Strike Cruiser and two equally powerful Belarus-class Cruisers. At least they don’t have a Star Destroyer Jian thought bitterly. His forces had suffered heavy causualties at the Battle of Tholaz. And the BlackStar pirates had even been suicidal enough to ram the Glory of Yevetha, Jian’s beloved flagship. And the BlackStar pirates had guts, Jian respected them for that. But he had barely survived that battle, and was lucky to be alive.

“Viceroy, seany requests our help.”

“Very well, pick a target and fire”

“Firing….”

And once again, the front of the huge 17,500 meter ship belched green angry fire. The center Strike-class cruiser erupted in a brilliant explosion. The massive Pride of Yevetha moved in to combat the other ships, and finish them off easily. But suddenly a huge ship swung around from the planet and began firing at the ESD as well as the rest of the Hutt fleet.

“What is that?!”

“Processing……..it regesters as the Insidious an old Invincible-class Dreadnaught battle cruiser.”

“Target the superlaser on it and fire when ready:”

“Sir…our superlaser is still charging. We will need another 15 minutes.”

Jian growled but didn’t say anything. But the Insidious seemed to disagree and began opening up on the Pride of Yevetha. It’s turbolasers striking it’s targets. And also as suddenly another ship exited hyperdspace. It was the Glory of Yevetha, TDL’s flagship. It pulled smoothly up on the flank of the ESD and began firing at the Insidious. The old huge dreadnaught used it’s aft thrusters to move it up and safely away from the battle. The ship undoubtedly had Lithe and his entire entourage aboard and was trying to flee the scene. But the Yevetha had a different plan in mind. The Glory of Yevetha suddenly started dropping some objects which was interupted by a bright flash of light from the Pride of Yevetha.When the blast darkened the huge ship was no longer there, and in it’s place was a lot of debris.

Later it was deemed the big ship was destroyed by internal explosions, no doubt the work of some spy for Lithe. But the Yevetha were successful in taking the planet. But the bad thing was three days after the tragic loss of Viceroy Paret Yanth assumed command.


The fate of the Yevetha was unknown……………