Devourer: 1

Two Years Before the Battle of Naboo

Trader’s Misfortune was named aptly. The pirate ship had been the misfortune of many traders, after all.

“What is it, Mios,” Jarrack said as he came onto the bridge. “I was breaking in the new Twi'lek.”

“Ship, boss,” the pirate said. He glanced up at the human. “Cold ship.”

“What?”

Jarrack looked at the readouts.

Cold as a Hutt’s heart… 

“You got me up here for some garbage?”

“Boss, look at it. It’s nothing like any ship I’ve ever seen.”

Jarrack opened his mouth, then closed it.

Mios was right.

And it was cold and dead. So whatever was on it… there was always a market for previously unknown alien artifacts, and who knew, it might have valuable materials, so it made sense…

“Fine. I won’t kill you now. I’ll lead the boys in.”

After all, he needed to get a look at it, to make certain nobody had sticky fingers.

****

The vessel was smaller than the Trader’s Misfortune, so Jarrack decided to bring it into the ship’s hanger bay. No sense in tempting anyone to hyper out and leave him there. The ship was brought in, and the hanger bay heaters slowly brought it up to normal temperature.

Jarrack wasn’t about to freeze his dick off by not heating it up.

Up close, it looked… strange. What he had assumed were thrusters looked more like what a kid might think a thruster looked like. But the rear hatch was clear enough.

“Any thing, Mios?”  Jarrack asked.

“Nothing. It’s dead.”

Good. No droids to worry about. Easy haul, assuming there’s something…

“Hatch is opening, boss,”

Jarrack frowned. What the hell? “Mios, I thought you said there was nothing running!”

“Nothing Boss.” Then, slowly the hatch opened. Jarrack pulled his blaster. He had a bad feeling about—

The hatch opened and things came out of it, some kind of big aliens, six-limbed and moving so fast he could barely keep track of him. Tara got one shot off and then was torn in half. Jarrack started to shout orders, but the aliens were just so force damned fast. The hanger bay hatch had been left open because why not, and before anyone could close it, several aliens charged in. People started screaming over the intercom, while Jarrack started backing up to the lifepods, still firing. Whatever was—

“Get them!” he shouted.

“Get them you—“ one of his enforces, a Gamorrean shouted before his voice ended in a gurgle.

Then there was silence. Jarrack looked around. Everyone else was dead, and three of the aliens were still on the deck. He didn’t hear anything from the rest of the ship which was a bad sign.

“Hey, we can make a deal…” They didn’t say anything. But they know I’m the captain… probably because he was the one giving orders. “I can work with you…” Until I figure out how to kill you. “But—HEY!” The lead alien moved fast, smacking his blaster out of his hand and then pushing him down onto the deck. “What are you—“ Jarrack screamed as a proboscis like thing emerged from its fanged mouth.

His screams got very loud, indeed, but there was none to hear them.

****

Mira waited in the slave quarters. She had been a college student, out for an adventure, and then pirates had struck her budget liner. Now she was waiting to see what would happen. A few older people had told her to make certain she looked dirty, that was a good way to avoid coming to the wrong person’s attention. But nobody would ransom her, and the stories of the other people, the ones who knew more than she did, said that they might end up on Kessel, or slaves for the Hutts, or—

The hatch opened, and Jarrack was there. Next to him was the Twi’lek who had been enslaved, but now she was… wearing a jump suit? And armed?

What in the Force’s name?

“Don’t worry,” Jarrack said. “You’re not slaves anymore. There’s something greater, more important, waiting for you.” He gestured, and the Twi’lek raised her riot blaster. “But…Mira, come with me.”

Mira didn’t say anything, just got out, the others giving her pitying looks. Jarrack stared at her. “You were training to be a biologist, right?”

“I, um, yeah?” Oh Force, has he found a buyer?

“You’ll like this. And I think we need you.”  He gestured and Mira followed him as he walked out of the slave quarters, the riot gun bearing Twi’lek at her back.

Are… are those claw marks and blood stains? Where is the rest of the crew?

“Here we go,” he said, and Mira walked in…

And then squeaked in horror. There were bodies, and body parts in the former mess hall and in it were…

She’d seen every kind of alien lifeform, but these… They were terrifying. Six-limbed, bulbous heads, fanged mouths shredding the bodies…and then she was being pushed forward to the first one.

Mira screamed.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” The Twi’lek said. “I didn’t understand, but this is freedom… You’ll never regret it!”

Mira screamed louder, but the creature held her down, it’s grip inescapable… and then it opened its mouth, and Mira tried to think this was a bad dream, she’d wake up at home, she’d be safe she’d be—

And then the creature bent down.

****

When Mira came back, everyone stared at her, as she opened one cell, leading the human family out. She bent down to the youngest child and smiled. “Don’t worry,” Mira said. “It’s all okay now. We’re not slaves anymore. Once I show you our new friends, you’ll be free.”

****

The Mind was concerned. There was no way to know if any others had survived. This tiny group was not charged with providing a beacon and preparing the way for a hive fleet—it would have to recreate the species. And yet the prey species were numerous and evidently, powerful. It’s understanding of them was insufficient. So as always, now that they had been subverted, it would be forced to depend on their greater understanding of the prey species and societies.

The primus genestealer continued gorging itself. Its genetic and telepathic link to the other genestealers and the prey species, would help spark its transformation into a central node for a broodmind. That would allow more effective expansion.

And yet, it could not risk redeveloping the primary hive organisms. They were suited for massive attacks and consumption of prey species, but they were equally not at all subtle. Any prey species, upon encountering higher bioforms, would almost certainly respond poorly. And with their current tiny numbers, the probability of destruction was too great to be risked. Expansion would have to be… subtle. When the conversion into a patriarch and broodmind was complete, further plans could be made. But for now, a safe region must be found.

****

Jarrack sat in the captain’s chair and marveled at how much better it felt. No worries that someone would kill him, no fears of betrayal. Behind him, Mira sat, going through read outs, and the others, former slaves, but now his brothers and sisters worked at other stations. They were armed—why not?  None would dream of harming Jarrack, just as he would never dream of harming them.

And deep in the ship, he could feel the comforting presence, like father and mother and the friends he’d never had of the Emissary.

Not alien, not monster. Emissary, of a future they would guide the rest of the universe into.

“I’ve a site,” Mira said. “Nar Shadda.”

Jarrack nodded. “The Hutts don’t care what goes on there, but can the Emissary survive?”

“They are fine with normal atmosphere and can eat what we can.” She gestured. “The crew didn’t poison them.” She paused. “The Undercity is full of strange lifeforms, so if any are seen…”

“They won’t be remarked on.”

“And there’s another reason,” Mira said. “If this ship was to be destroyed, the Emissaries…”

Jarrack shuddered. “I know.”

“You’re a pirate. How many smugglers leave Nar Shadda?”

“A lot…”

“And we have twelve Emissaries. If we can provide them with their own Faithful, they can leave Nar Shadda. I wouldn’t even want to know where they go, because by doing so, we could protect them.”

Jarrack frowned. On the one hand, sending an Emissary into the universe, without knowing where it might end up, without being able to protect it but…

We could establish ourselves. Then get a smuggler and… enlighten them about the Emissaries and their glorious plan for us all…

“I like it.” We’re heading for Nar Shadda.”

And we can sell our Brother’s and Sisters there. Money for the cause and more importantly, loyal ‘slaves’ who would do their best to asssist the Emissaries. The Hutts wouldn’t care. They would just be happy that their ‘slaves’ were obedient. And they might even open a Hutt’s mind to the glorious new world to come…

With that, Jarack sat back into his seat as the preparations were made. He didn’t say anything, but silently gave thanks to the now dead Mios. Imagine what the world would have been like if he hadn’t made his discovery?