Please note that all standard disclaimers apply.
The Story of Idnarb de Oy:
Queen of the Pirates
by BAS
Part Two
Idnarb’s hair lay strewn across her face, wet from perspiration and dirty from blood. Every movement ached. She rolled over
on her side only to discover more pain. The glaring white light stung her eyes and she closed the emerald orbs to the light.
Consciousness began to fall in, like a black cloak slowing descending around her mind’s eye.
A sting, like an electrical shock ripped Idnarb to consciousness. Disoriented, she rolled over and off the small plasteel pad she
was on, onto the even colder floor. She dripped everywhere from the icy water which had been tossed on her. Lying on her
stomach she paused to breath, her fiery red hair hanging in wet strands around her face, clinging to her muddy skin and
soothing the cuts that marred her cheeks. Laughter reverberated not only in the room but again in her head making them sound
demonic and ghastly. Her eyelids again struggled to open, the glaring light still stinging them. Her arms desperately tried to
push her body weight up but failed. She sunk back down.... death was a pleasant friend, if indeed this was it.
Laughter again filled her throbbing head but now it was not the disembodied laughter she had heard but a strong, close sound.
“No my dear.... we’re not going to let you give up so easily.” The voice mocked her. “Grab her!” it commanded almost at the
same time she was torn from the floor her body had resigned itself to. The disembodied laugh was a quick
servant....stormtroopers she thought. Her frail body was helped up and then placed upright on the plasteel slab her head
slamming into the wall.
“Gently, men...we need her alive.” Idnarb had never wanted to rip out a more mocking voice box, but she put aside the
thought and tried to coalesce herself. The last thing she remembered was lights flashing. She had sent her men away to the
escape pods, telling them she was behind them, but she would not abandon her ship.. her baby, the Zefron. She held
her ground, rifle in arms, ready to take down as many of the bastards as she could, before they got her. Death would be an
honorable friend. It was the only time she had ever been caught; ambushed, and if she lived through it she would make sure
every single man who served under her would be loyal to the last. A brotherhood she thought, as the door bent, a fraternity of
pirates, the door gave, a terror to be reckoned with. She opened fire, a..... and she fell.
Id’s thoughts were interrupted by a grubby fat hand grabbing her by the hair... “Can you hear me dear? I suppose you can. I’d
enjoy your ability to think while you can my dear... when the admiral gets through with you your only thought processes you
will have will be of pain. With every inch of energy she had she spat in the proximity of the voice. A blunt pain to the side of
the head... and all was black.
**********
When at last Id opened her eyes, they were stung by a sharp bright light. Everything before her was a blurred, smear of
whitish light. She could hear voices but they were no more than muffled tones. As her hearing and eye sight came back she
distinguished three forms standing before her.
“Well, little girl, you've become quite a thorn in my side.”
“Data indicates she should be fully operational in a few more minutes," another voice said; Id knew that voice, but from
where?
"Can you hear us yet?"
Id moved her left arm to rub here eyes only to find it restrained. Finally focus came to her and she saw before her a tall and
neat looking Imperial officer. He stood tall, hands behind his back, blankness on his face. Behind him stood two guards.
"Well, well, we have some people here who would like to speak with you my girl." He leaned over towards her as he spoke
and she didn't think twice before missing the opportunity to spit in his face. A gloved hand flew across her cheek leaving a
sickening leathery smell in her nose.
"Why you insolent, scum..." Again the hand came reeling at her face this time balled up in a fist. The pain stung but was quick.
Id stayed defiant, never loosing eye contact with the all too full of himself Lieutenant before her.
"Lieutenant Healy, contain yourself," the voice was strict and harsh, and crazily familiar. Unable to turn her head she could
not see the face from which the voice came, before she heard the door behind her close; had the men left?
Id took the next few minutes to regain her senses. Time had no meaning. In what could have been five minutes or an hour she
sat there trying to make everything in front of her focus correctly.
Pain coursed throughout her muscles, none of which could move very much in her restrained position. Her head pounded with
every noise she took in.
“Dear, dear Elizabeth... we know who you are........” the voice faded, as if in another room. You should have never tried to
run.” She had to strain to hear it.... “Idnarb....” Blackness filled in blackness on all sides. Then all was calm, like the dawn.
**********
Idnarb could not account for how long she was unconscious before she was once again ripped from the blackness. Focus came
more quickly to her this time. Only she’d rather of stayed blind than face what she saw before her. A tall older man, fit and
upright stood before her in the uniform of an Imperial General. He looked at her cruelly, trying to heighten the tension. Then
he spoke.
“Well, well, well, the infamous Idnarb de Oy. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while. Seems we’ve found you.” He
paused, clasping his hands behind his back and walking behind her. She went to turn her head to follow his eyes but found her
head restrained also. “Looks like some one out there doesn’t like you, someone wanted you caught.”
Id didn’t respond, instead she glared at him when he came back into her view. He leaned over, getting in her face. His hoarse
voice spewed foul breath into her ear... “We know its you Liz, we know you have it.”
She grimaced at the foul man before her. Again, she gathered every piece of strength she could and spat at him.
“DON’T, call me that you...”
He raised his hand to the techie behind him. Before she could finish her sentence her body pulsed with a current of pain
emanating from the straps that restrained her. She would not however, give the slime before her the pleasure of hearing her
scream. With every once of willpower she had she forged her mouth shut.
“Dear, dear, Elizabeth, surely you weren’t raised that way...’ he chuckled coldly. “ This can be as easy or hard as you want it
to be. Now, where is it. We know you received it, we know you have the information... give it to me!”
Her eyes burned with an inner flame.... “You’ll never find it, you’ll never know if I didn’t sell it to some rebel or dissident
or.....”
Again the pain coursed through her body. And again. And again.
“Now.. tell us where the data is!”
Again the pain. Only it no longer hurt, Id had floated away from the scene, letting her mind wander away from her physical
body. She had learned to leave her present pain, physical or mental long ago, she could close her eyes and drift.
“Ack... this isn’t working..... Captain, take her out of here. I want her transported to the Beta fleet.”
“Yes sir.” The voice startled her out of her thoughts, it wasn’t cold, or cruel, it was in fact familiar. Her body jolted forward as
she was rudely grabbed by two stormtroopers. The general had left in a huff and she scanned as best she could for the familiar
voice.
“Carefully! Be careful you dolts.”
She looked up and saw the resonator. A pause took place before his words and her recognition of the body. It was a younger
man, tall, handsome... an old familiar face. Keflan. Rory Keflan. A face from a time long ago. Taller, colder, hair blacker,
neater, but no doubt him. Her old beau. Or at least one of them. Crai had always been her parents favorite, but Rory was
always trying desperately to find her alone, without chaperones, when the two could be alone. She had to admit, she had loved
him, She had loved them both, and it was the only strain on her happy young existence. Daddy had always felt he was beneath
her... but now.... "Look at him," she thought.... "a General." She knew her past would somehow come back to haunt her, but
this was crazy.
Every muscle in her tensed again...pain.... and again....pain..... and again.. pain......everything went black. Only she could still
hear, in the back of her head, as if miles away. She felt herself being unstrapped and dragged away. Her body was placed on a
cold metal slab, numbing her pain. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? She had no idea.
"I'm sorry," she heard somewhere. Where had it come from? Was it a dream? It was the last thing she heard before her
consciousness left her.
**********
When Idnarb awoke it was on a cold metal slab in a similar cold metal box. She could see the outline of the door but that was
all.
"I've got to find a way outta here." Every time she tried to piece together a thought, spears would shoot though her head."
Geez, I'll never figure it out if I can't even think." Idnarb sat up and rubbed her soar muscles. "I wonder what happened to ...?
Oh well, it won't help any of us to worry, gotta get outta here. Hasn't been a cell that could hold me yet!" The smile on her
soar face faded as she looked around. "Only, I've never been in a place like this." Still, what do they want with me.....or
Elizabeth for that matter." Elizabeth had been dead to her ever since that fateful day Crai left her for good.
Metal clanked and doors opened outside. The metal in front of her flew open. Well look who we have hear, Rory the high and
mighty man himself, she thought. Idnarb glared at the man before her as she was seized by two accompanying guards.
"You may leave us," he ordered the guard behind him. There was a long pause and then...
She was placed back down, restrains off. She let her head fall to one side and took a deep breath. She felt a cold sensation on
the left of her face. She reached up the grab the hand.
“Calm down Liz, its me. I promise I won’t hurt you.” She believed him. The cold sensation pressed itself against the deep cut
on the left side of her face. “Here,” he place her hand on it to hold it up. After taking a few moments to compose herself she
looked up at the face. It looked at her sympathetically.
“Don’t look at me like that Rory, like you feel sorry for me.”
“Liz, how ever did you get yourself into this mess?”
“By avoiding the mess your in.”
“Mess? I’ve worked my way up quite well I’d say.” His voice was calm and non threatening. It held no power over her.
“I did what I had to do... and I did it quite well I’d say. I’ve taken more from you than you’ll ever take from me.”
“But Liz, your a pirate.”
“And your an Imperial.”
“Is that so bad. You were once too you know.”
“Yea well I didn’t have that much choice Rory, not like you did.”
“Liz, I can help you, if you’d just cooperate.”
“Never..and don’t call me that. Don’t think I’ll die so easily either. Not until I’ve repaid every last scum bag who made me
what I am today.”
He looked at her for a long time before speaking. It was no secret he had intent on asking her father for her hand, but Crai had
been quicker. He had been quite the catch in his day, probably still was.
“I already told you, I wont hurt you.”
Then with a look of longing and fear, “Then help me escape.”
“You know I can’t do that.” His words where soft. “But I can help you.”
“I don’t want your kind of help... just have those brutes take me to where ever it is I’m going Rory.”
“Liz...”
“Now.” Even in her position she knew she could be in control. He was at heart a good boy, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
He bowed his head and left the room. Two troopers entered and gripped her harshly, she struggled in vain. With one swift
move the butt of a rifle again sent her into unconscious bliss.
**********
She awoke in a cell no different from what she’d expected. Only in the corner were rations. She ate them and slept.
Idnarb awoke to the clanging of metal. It soon subsided and all was quiet. Twice a day, if it was a day, for she could not tell,
food would appear. At first she held out but soon hunger over came her. Better to risk eating than starve to death. Each time
she would grow weary and fall asleep, but as far as she could tell besides a sedative nothing else was in her food. It must have
been a week and Id had not so much a seen a living soul. As hard as she tried she couldn't conceive of any possible way out.
Sleep enveloped her like a sweet release from the boredom and hunger of her existence.
**********
She could not account for how long she’d been asleep but she awoke in the same place. It could have been hours or days
that she sat there... she had no way of knowing. All she could do was sit and wait to be rescued. She’d been captured and
rescued before but it seemed like an awfully long time had passed. There was absolute silence. Time and time again she
searched the cell wall for a means of egress but found none. She sat dazed when a low throbbing wakened her. It was the
sound of boots. Another prisoner she thought. Poor fool. Louder and louder they got and then... chaos... Screams, blaster
fire, long bangs and thumps she couldn’t place. Something was happening out there but she had no idea what. The firing got
closer until it appeared to be right out of her cell. “Ah,” she thought, “probably a lovely figment of my imagination. I knew it
was only a little while before I went absolutely bonkers.” Then, like sheer magic the door opened.
“Oh, great, now I’ve really lost it.”
Before her stood an odd looking Verpine creature..... “Eww... c’mon mind, pick something nicer.” The creature disappeared
and a tall dark haired man took the creatures place.
“Better... definitely better.”
“Huh?” The image spoke to her.
She sat back, laid down and closed her eyes.
“Are you crazy? Let’s get out of here...”
She sat up.... real? Could this be real?
“Who are you?” He turned away from the corridor to look at her for the first time.
“Yo babe, does it matter, you wanna sit in this cell?”
“No!” With cat like reflexes she sat up and darted to the door, peaking out the door on either side. She saw smoke filled air, a
few dead troopers and an otherwise empty hall.
“Who are you?”
“Some one trying to get outta here, as I supposed you are. My question is who are you babe?”
She glared at him... “Someone you shouldn’t be calling babe...”
The creature spoke up.... “Captain, this isn’t the time...we’re gonna have company.”
“This way,” Idnarb started down the hall.
“Are you crazy, that way is...”
“Look, you wanna go your way go.. but I know my way throughout these ships.”
The two did a double take as with the push of a ceiling tile a seemingly solid wall procured a small door which she disappeared
into.
“Wait for us....!”
**********
The three followed the winding passage way for the better part of an hour before she stopped to rest. She was still exceedingly
weak and needed to stop. None of them had spoken since they entered the secret hall.
“Let’s stop, I need to rest.”
“Very well,” the man agreed. “ I, uh, guess I should introduce myself. My name is Griff, Griff Anstrona and this is Koo and
you are...”
“She stood up right from her resting position and extended her hand... “Idnarb, Idnarb de Oy...and don’t look at me that
way...and don’t call me babe....” She breathed heavily trying to catch her breath.
“Well, now that the ground rules are in place..... how are we gonna get out of here.”
“This is a RD34 right?"
"A what?"
"Model RD34” she laughed lightly and steered left from their present course. “This way, I know a few tricks myself. At the
end of this hall should be a storage room that leads to a enlarged ventilation shaft. It should circle the ship and take us to the
hanger eventually.”
"Hey, who are you and how do you...?"
"Don't ask, let's just say I've been around these things more than I needed to; and I have a knack for memory."
The man and alien exchanged looks and shrugged. "Let's go!"
The three raced down the hall and sure enough they were able to bypass the confusion and find their way into an enlarged
ventilation shaft large enough for the three of them.
“Hey, there she is." Griff said pointing to a small cargo ship at the far end of the storage hanger. "Now how do we get on?"
"Hmmm, you got a comlink? I got an idea."
"Yea, I got one and a heavy blaster off a stormtrooper some creature destroyed on his way, uh, out!"
“Great, even better, it should have preprogrammed Imp channels on here."
Within minutes Id had removed the back of the comlink and rearranged several wires. "This should work."
"Let me have the buttons of your shirt."
"I don't really think this is the right time, at least not with Koo here."
"Look you...."
"Griff, Griff Anstrona."
"Well Griff, this isn't the time for your sarcasm just give me the button ok."
"Sure thing grouchy."
Id gave him the look of death but continued.
"Imps sometimes use an ancient code, called morse, for emergencies. I happen to know a code or two that'll help create a
diversion for us."
Id proceeded to tap out dots and dashes on the back of the comlink.
"Huh, I ain't ever heard of troopers responding to this."
"No my slow witted, grammatically incorrect friend, but some others will."
Sure enough within another few minutes the guards in the hanger all responded to some message through their helmets and
dissipated, except for a few.
"Excellent, now give me your blaster."
Griff and Koo stood mouth opened, as Id proceeded without them. She finished off the extra few with out any trouble.
"Who are you?"
"To you, no one now, lets go."
Id had renewed strength at the prospect of getting out of this Imp hell hole. The three climbed down from the shaft carefully
and precariously made their way over to the ship.
"Yes!! We've made it, we're outta here," Griff yelled, picking Id up and twirling her around as he reached for the manual
switch to open the door on his.....well it wasn't exactly a corvette.
A voice stopped them in mid whirl.
"Stop right there. Hands in the air where I can see them. Turn around slowly. I should have know you'd try something like this
Liz."
"Hey hey, kiddo lets not be hasty," Griff said, sarcastically mocking the voice back.
"Shut up Griff! Rory, don't do this..."
"I'm sorry Liz, I can't let you...."
“Rory... don't do this, please, for me, for old times, there is no one here but us."
"You know I can't, don't look at me that way."
The two locked eyes for a moment. It was all Griff needed to grab his blaster and get a shot off and hit Rory, forcing him to
the ground.
"Nice try but no luck." Griff stepped over him and pointed.
"Stop! No! You can't."
"No? Are you crazy, it's him or us. We'll never get outta here alive if we let him go."
"No, we will, trust me, open the door. "
For some reason Griff didn't question her. He just did it.
Id stepped over to the wounded man.
"I wouldn't have, you know I....." he was having trouble speaking.
"I know, I don't blame you. Come with us, if you stay they'll..."
"No, we both followed different paths. You yours and me, mine, I have to stay and face the consequences. Just get out of here
as fast as you can.”
For the first time in years tears welled up in Idnarb's eyes, only she didn't let them fall.
"Good luck." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Lets go, they're coming," Griff shouted.
Id ran up the ramp not looking back. She had learned never to look back. It was too painful. Chose a course and follow it,
never look back. That was how she lived.
Id collapsed in a chair as the strange man she had been thrown into with steered the three of them away and into hyperspace.
For right now it didn't matter who he was. She could worry about that latter. For now she slept, the first comfortable sleep she
had in ages. I mean what could possibly happen at this point? Idnarb chuckled and fell into a deep, happy sleep.
The End
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