Acquisition
by John Allison

     The soft glow of the computer screen provided the only illumination in the dark alley.  Moran's slicer kit had tapped 
into the Posting Agency of Celanon and was running through possible access codes for the Agency's computer.  Moran 
knew this was the only way she would get off this planet safely.
     After about five nervous minutes spent hoping she wouldn't be caught, Moran was relieved to see her homemade 
slicer gear crack the access code.  She silently thanked her brother, the slicer, for all he had taught her.  Skimming 
through the files, she found her name at the top of the list of acquisitions.  A 75,000-credit bounty was on her head, along 
with a warning that she was a "threat to Imperial security."  Moran stifled a laugh.  Being the granddaughter of a great 
Lorrdian Jedi Master was a crime in itself, apparently.  Who knows what Palpatine would say if he knew that she had 
received training from him?
     Moran picked up the miniature keypad and erased the name "Terth-and Ved Nayer Moran of Lorrd," and replaced it 
with "Andoss Middex," the bounty hunter that had been giving her an inordinate amount of trouble lately.  Now she would 
be able to escape the planet.

     After a six-hour standoff, the Celanon police force apprehended Andoss.  Moran was one of the many in the crowd 
that watched them haul away the masked hunter, who screamed about there being some mistake and how he'd done so 
much for the Empire.  Since her troubles were temporarily over, she decided to book a flight to a much more 
out-of-the-way system.
     As Moran headed for the spaceport on foot, a blunt object prodded her in the back.  "Hold it right there," a voice 
commanded.  Moran risked a glance over her shoulder.  Behind her was a short, stocky Snivvian with sharp teeth.    He 
was nervous but trying to hide it, as any average Lorrdian could tell.  Probably another artist doing research on the field 
of bounty hunting for some poem or painting.  He was holding her at blaster point.
     "May I help you?" she asked innocently.  Hopefully he thought she was just a baseline Human.  If he knew she was a 
Lorrdian, it would ruin her advantage, and smiling at a Snivvian did not have quite the same effect as it would on the 
average male Imperial.
     "I think you can, Moran of Lorrd," he answered.  Stang!  "That 75,000 on your head will help me complete my life's 
work.  Now move along before I blast you!"
     Moran knew he probably wasn't going to let her read his body language again.  Oh well, she'd learned to rely on her 
other abilities long ago.  "Would you really just blast me?  What about the moral implications of killing another sentient in 
cold blood?"
     The hunter paused for a second.  "You bring up a valid point.  However, in order to portray accurately the true pain 
and guilt a bounty hunter feels, I must first experience it first hand.  Now get moving.
     Thinking back to her training, Moran closed her eyes and concentrated.  The Snivvian's blaster suddenly jerked to the 
side.  He was startled by the sudden movement and pulled the trigger, but the shot went wide and hit the wall.  Moran 
took advantage of his momentary confusion by making a Force-assisted jump behind some trashcans a few meters down 
the street.
     The bounty hunter took another shot at her that bounced off the container, which had been made to be durable.  The 
Lorrdian Jedi trainee returned a shot from her hold-out blaster that just missed.  In response the Snivvian pulled out a 
pulse rifle.  "I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he said in a conversational tone completely inappropriate for 
the situation.  "My name is Thalsek, though most people in the hunting business refer to me as 'Fang.'"  The Snivvian 
rolled his eyes.  "I regret having to kill you, but, if it is any consolation, you will be remembered as an integral part of my 
masterpiece, 'Hunter's Lament.'  Not only will you help fund the project, you will also . . ."  A stun blast caught the 
bounty hunter between the eyes.

     Thalsek pushed his way through the crowded terminals of the Celanon Spaceport.  He was not going to let a 
75,000-credit bounty escape.  With a little research and a lot of guesswork, he had arrived at the conclusion that she 
might take a flight to Alderaan.  Of all the planets that had incoming flights that day, Alderaan probably had the least 
amount of bounty hunters.
     Thalsek approached the tall Duros behind the counter at the terminal where the Alderaan flight was supposed to be.  
"Stop the flight," he ordered.
     The Duros looked up.  "I'm sorry, sir.  That's not possible."
     The bounty hunter shoved the barrel of his blaster in the Duros' face and demanded, "Why not?"
     With an audible gulp, the blue alien answered, "Because it left ten minutes ago."

Copyright John Allison 1998