Disclaimer: The settings and some characters contained within are not my property, but the property of Lucasfilms.

ADJUDICATOR

I

His Imperial Majesty regrets to inform you that your son, Major Durq Barrin, was killed in action against insurrectionist forces during a planetary assault in the Hoth system.

Captain Salas Barrin stared at the monitor screen. The Emperor had not personally informed him of his son's death. Barrin knew that a bureaucrat somewhere in the vast capitol on Coruscant had drafted the missive. The captain closed his eyes for a moment of silence for his slain boy. He had never before heard of the Hoth system, but now his son was lying dead on a planet in that obscure solar system.

Durq had always dreamed of serving the Empire that his father served. Instead of the Imperial Fleet, like his father, he had chosen the ground forces. Barrin still remembered the day young Durq had come home on leave fresh out of the Academy, announcing his acceptance into the Army's armored divisions. He was ecstatic at the prospect of commanding one of the lumbering, four-legged All-Terrain Armored Transports. The elder Barrin had seen those walking behemoths on many occasions as they were transported within the Star Destroyers upon which he served.

And they had always seemed indestructible, especially against the pitiful forces that the rebels could muster. Then again, the rebels had managed to destroy the Death Star, which was larger and more powerful than even Barrin's Star Destroyer.

Barrin stood up and straightened the dark gray tunic of his uniform. The captain moved around his desk and crossed his cabin to stare out the view port at the starscape outside his ship, the Star Destroyer Adjudicator. He had the urge to take the Adjudicator to the Hoth system and pump her awesome firepower into the rebel base there, but he knew it would be a futile gesture. The rebels were already gone, scattered to the four corners of the galaxy until their next regrouping. Even now the Emperor's favorite lackey, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, was leading the elite Super Star Destroyer Executor and her fleet in pursuit of a small contingent of rebel fugitives. Two of Barrin's Academy classmates, Captain Needa of the Avenger and Captain Tyrin of the Inquisitor, were involved in the chase.

Barrin wondered why one particular contingent of insurrectionists would demand the attention of Vader and the impressive fleet at his command. It seemed to him a waste of ships and manpower.

His communicator beeped, informing him of an incoming transmission. He strode to his desk and tapped the console. A holographic image appeared above his desktop, bringing a smile to his face. Although the distance of the transmission distorted the colors and features of the hologram, he imagined the auburn hair, the eyes that were the color of a lush planet's oceans, and the beauty that seemed to only improve at the approach of forty-five years. His smile faded as he remembered why he had had his wife contacted in the first place.

Karia Barrin knew something was wrong the minute she saw her husband's face, even through the distortion of the hologram he knew she was looking at back at their home on Coruscant. "Salas, what's wrong?"

Barrin doffed his black officer's cap, brushing a hand through his light brown hair. "Durq was killed in battle," he said. Directness, he knew, was the best way to tell her. Karia had always preferred that bad news be delivered that way.

Her face was impassive, but he could see in his mind the gleam of unshed tears coming to her eyes. "Where?"

"Hoth."

"What was he doing on Hoth? Where is Hoth?"

"I've never heard of it before, myself. He was killed suppressing rebels."

"The rebellion killed our son?"

"Yes, my love."

Her head bowed. "He asked to join the fight against the insurrection, didn't he."

"Yes, my love. He always had your fire. He was an Imperial officer, and he wanted to serve in combat against those who would threaten the Empire."

She lifted her gaze to his, and he thought he could see a spark of that fiery spirit that he had loved about her all these years. "Did he know the Empire that he served, that you serve?"

"Please, my love, the Imperial Guard could be monitoring this transmission. Be careful of what you say." He sighed. "I began my service under the Old Republic, and I could see then that it had grown fat and corrupt and ineffective. The Emperor, for all his faults, has at least restored order to the galaxy."

"Alderaan was my place of birth."

"Alderaan had become a hotbed for the rebellion. Political prisoners who didn't agree with the idealistic dogma of the insurrectionists were tortured and executed on Alderaan."

"There are rumors that none of that really happened, that it is propaganda to justify its destruction by the Death Star. Alderaan had always been a world of pacifists; I don't see it being a central base for those espousing violence."

"We shouldn't speak of this anymore, my love."

"Where are you, darling?"

"Taking on supplies in the Yensa system. I haven't seen any action here. This region is far from any fighting."

"You will be careful, won't you?"

"I will. The Adjudicator is scheduled to return to Coruscant in three weeks."

"I look forward to seeing you in person again." She raised a hand, palm outward.

He wished that she was here, in the flesh, so he could intertwine her fingers in his. He longed to once again feel the touch of his wife, especially now with their son gone. At least she had their daughter with her, so they could console one another. Barrin had his men and his duty.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too, my love."

The hologram winked out. Taking in a deep breath, he spun on his heel and strode from his cabin. He made his way to the expansive bridge in the ship's superstructure. He looked out the huge view port that gave him a good view of the arrowhead-shaped hull.

Clasping his gloved hands behind his back, he noted his executive officer hunched over a console, speaking to a holographic image. Commander Tal Vesperon straightened, adjusted the dark gray tunic of his uniform, and approached his captain.

"It's Admiral Urias," Vesperon said. "He has new orders for us."

Barrin nodded curtly and followed the executive officer to the communications console. Admiral Urias, a grizzled veteran with close to fifty years of service to the Fleet under both the Old Republic and the Empire, gave Barrin a greeting nod.

"Captain, are you almost complete with your re-supply?"

"Yes, sir," Barrin replied. "We should be completed in six hours."

"When you're done taking on supplies, I want you to proceed to the Lurkon system. The local administrator is asking for Imperial intervention."

"What's wrong there, sir?"

"A Huttese slave ring has been taking their people, kidnapping them to serve as slaves for certain clients of the Hutts."

"I'll see if I can speed up our loading process so I can leave Yensa in no later than four hours."

"Good luck, Captain Barrin." The admiral didn't cut the transmission right away. Instead, he added, "And I'm sorry about your son. He died a hero of the Empire."

"Thank you, Admiral."

Urias's image disappeared. Barrin turned from the console to look at Commander Vesperon. "Speed up the on-load," he ordered. "I want this ship ready for the jump to hyperspace in four hours."

Vesperon clicked the heels of his gleaming boots together. "Yes, sir."

He spun on his heel and strode to a console to relay the captain's orders.

* * *

The Adjudicator was hailed by the administrator of the planet Tureen almost as soon as she dropped out of hyperspace in the Lurkon system. Captain Barrin's posture was erect, his hands clasped behind his back, as he peered at Moff Ruykin's holographic image.

"Thank the Emperor you've arrived," the stout Moff said, absently brushing something off the front of his uniform. Barrin scowled. Was the insignia on the administrator's tunic a trifle askew?

"I was told you're having a Hutt problem, my lord," Barrin said.

"Yes, yes," Ruykin said. "The damnable Hutts are kidnapping Imperial subjects to sell in their vile slave auctions. They're selling humans to Hutts!"

"We'll discuss this in person. I'll be down shortly."

"Your presence is welcome." The administrator's gaze shifted to the side, the fingers of one hand fiddling with his uniform insignia. "Moff Ruykin out."

The holographic image winked out. "His uniform is a disgrace to the Empire," Vesperon remarked. "How did such a contemptible man become a Moff?"

"The Lurkon system is near the outer rim of the galaxy," Barrin said. "There were perhaps few, if any, men of good caliber who wanted the job."

"If Tureen is such an insignificant planet, then why are we here?"

Barrin held his first officer's gaze. "Because the people of Tureen are as much Imperial subjects as those in the core. They deserve the same protection under Imperial law."

Vesperon, properly chastised, nodded. "Prepare your shuttle?"

"Yes, and a squad of stormtroopers."

"Very well, I'll get right on it."

* * *

The shuttle's wings folded up as its repulsor lifts fired, bringing the craft to a gentle touchdown on the landing pad near the central administration building. Captain Barrin and eight white-armored stormtroopers disembarked down the shuttle's access ramp. The captain ordered the lieutenant in charge of the troopers to hold back, and the armored men did as bidden.

Moff Ruykin approached his guests with a retinue of four gray-uniformed men who were probably his personal guard. The administrator wore a rumpled standard-issue gray uniform, but he had a purple mantle draped over his shoulders that fluttered in the breeze. As Barrin and Ruykin moved closer, the captain could see that the stout administrator was at least a full head shorter than he.

"I'm Captain Salas Barrin of the Star Destroyer Adjudicator," Barrin said.

"Yes, yes, so you are," Ruykin said, his head bobbing around Barrin's shoulder to look at the squad of stormtroopers. "I really wasn't expecting you so soon, Captain. I thought it would take much longer for the Fleet to send a Star Destroyer to our insignificant little planet."

"A threat to Imperial subjects requires swift action, my lord."

"I thought the rebellion kept the Fleet occupied."

"A portion of the Fleet, my lord. The Imperial Fleet has enough ships to allow it to tend to needs less dramatic than suppressing a band of rabble-rousing insurrectionists."

"Perhaps I can interest you in a meal before we get down to business?"

Barrin shook his head. "I think I'd like to get down to business now. Tell me all you know of this Hutt who's kidnapping Imperial subjects out from under your nose."

Ruykin frowned. "Certainly, Captain. I'll take you to my office, where we can talk in private."

The captain gestured for Ruykin to lead on. With a nod to the trooper lieutenant to have his stormtroopers follow, Barrin fell in step beside the administrator.

Ruykin's office occupied the entire top floor of the administration building, and its opulence was reminiscent of the days of the most corrupt senators from the Old Republic. Barrin wondered how this ostentatious office fit in with the Emperor's New Order. The captain ordered his stormtroopers to remain outside the administrator's office, and they dutifully complied.

Ruykin gestured to a plush chair in front of a sturdy desk made of wood from Kashyyyk, the forest home world of the Wookiees. Barrin lowered himself into the chair and suppressed the guilt of enjoying its comfort. With a smile, his fingers toying with the insignia on his rumpled uniform, Moff Ruykin seated himself behind the desk.

"I apologize for the state of my office," Ruykin said.

Barrin scanned the room, finding nothing out of ordinary—save its decadent splendor. "What's wrong with it?"

"I would have had it tidied up if I'd have known you were arriving so soon. You see, out here in the backwater of the Empire we don't get many visits from senior officers such as yourself."

"Your office called for intervention." Barrin turned his gaze toward Ruykin. "You authorize all official transmissions from this planet, don't you?"

"Why, yes. Yes, I did make the call."

"According to my records regarding Tureen, your first adjutant is one General Daelin. He's the one who actually contacted Admiral Urias, under your direction I presume."

"Yes."

"Where is he? I believe he should be here as well."

Ruykin shifted his gaze. "Well, you see, General Daelin met an unfortunate demise. The Hutt in question had discovered that Daelin knew about his operation and had my capable aide murdered."

Barrin leaned back in the plush chair and folded his hands in front of him. "That's unfortunate. Daelin has, of course, detailed all he knew to you?"

"Yes."

"Did he know the identity of the Hutt in question?"

"It's a Hutt, Captain. What else do you need to know? Take your Star Destroyer to the home of the Hutts and bring our people back. And, while you're at it, you may as well eradicate the filthy, disgusting creatures."

"Going to the home of the Hutts won't accomplish anything. A lot of the Hutts dealing in illicit activity take up residence on fringe worlds. I will need to know the name of the specific Hutt in order to take my Star Destroyer anywhere."

Ruykin tapped his chin. "I had heard of a particularly nasty Hutt who has made a lot of noise by hiring practically every bounty hunter in this part of the galaxy."

Barrin was familiar with the reputation of the Hutt in question. He shook his head. "Jabba is a crafty operator. If he is involved in dealing slaves, I doubt he'll have any direct involvement. Daelin's information, with the resources available on this world, will probably lead us to a cover organization, not to Jabba himself."

"Then maybe it's Orba."

"I've never heard of him."

"He's a new up-and-coming entrepreneur, if you can call him that. He would like to compete with Jabba in influence and capital, and he is on his way to doing that. He may be risking the lucrative slave trade to give him the edge to topple Jabba's organization. His limited capital, as compared to Jabba's, would preclude him from creating a cover organization."

"You don't know, do you?"

Ruykin's face puckered with an abashed grin. "No. To be honest, only poor Daelin knew."

"Did Daelin keep journals? Perhaps I should look at any journals he kept."

"Yes. Yes, of course. I'll get it to you as soon as my people decrypt his pass code."

Barrin leaned forward. "If you hand it over now, my lord, I can have my people crack the code. The Adjudicator has some powerful decryption protocols, and my cryptographers are highly skilled."

"Yes. Certainly." Ruykin stood up. "Wait here."

Barrin stood in respect for a senior official, even though Ruykin barely deserved such a courtesy. The administrator quickly left the office, and Barrin shifted around the desk to the communications console. With a few taps of the controls, he brought up the holographic image of the crewman standing watch at the communications console on the bridge of the Adjudicator.

"Get me Vesperon," Barrin said.

"Right away, sir."

The image winked out, to be replaced moments later by Vesperon. "Captain?"

"We may have a location of the slavers," Barrin said. "Prepare the ship for the jump to hyperspace."

"Aye, sir."

"Muster the cryptography crew."

"Aye, sir."

Barrin glanced up toward the office door. "Barrin out."

He shut down the console and moved around the desk as Ruykin entered with a datapad in his hand. He held it out to the captain. Barrin took it.

"I certainly hope you destroy those scum who would dare sell humans to aliens as slaves," Ruykin said. "As you can see, my people had already decrypted Daelin's pass code."

Barrin peered at the datapad, displaying its stored data on its small screen. "Orba the Hutt, based in the Dor Tann system."

"That's the information Daelin had obtained."

"And you trust Daelin's information?"

Ruykin offered a smile. "Daelin was, if anything, loyal to the Empire."

Barrin nodded. "The next time I speak to you, my lord, it will be a report on my success or failure."

"I hope you report success, Captain."

Captain Barrin regarded the administrator for a brief moment. "Yes, so do I."

* * *

"We are nearing the orbit of the fourth planet of the Dor Tann system," Vesporin reported. "Initial scans indicate it is a relatively undeveloped wilderness planet with but one settlement. According to Daelin's report, the Hutt's base of operations is on the eastern coast of the southern continent."

Barrin nodded, his gaze never leaving the blue and green orb spinning before the sharp prow of the Adjudicator. He hoped to get this task completed shortly. He couldn't abide the thought of loyal Imperial subjects suffering the indignity of enslavement by a Hutt. Barrin found many alien species to be disagreeable, but the Hutts in particular were especially loathsome.

"Issue a proclamation to all on the planet that they are under quarantine until further notice," the captain ordered. "Then deploy a battalion of stormtroopers, a platoon of walkers, and a team of cryptographers to the planet. Monitor orbital activity. If any ships attempt to leave the planet, disable their drives and bring them aboard."

"Aye, sir," Vesperon said, and he moved away to carry out the orders.

Moments later, several landing craft with an escort of TIE fighters streaked from the Adjudicator's main hangar bay toward the planet. The fighters banked away before entering the atmosphere, but the landing craft continued onward.

"The Hutt should be quaking in his slime, Captain, with a Star Destroyer in orbit," Commander Vesperon said, suddenly at Barrin's side, staring out the main view port with him. "Few who violate Imperial law are able to escape Imperial might."

"Except a few insurrectionists," Barrin commented.

"Our fleet obliterated their base on Hoth, sir."

"Yet, most of the rebels escaped." Barrin turned toward his first officer. "My son died on Hoth. Did I tell you that?"

Vesperon shook his head. "No, sir."

"He was an AT-AT commander serving under General Veers. I'm not certain of the details, but his walker was destroyed. No one aboard survived."

"I'm sure he died as honorably as he served the Empire. I know you urge to join Lord Vader in his search for the errant rebels to exact revenge on them for your son. "

Barrin turned once again toward the panorama outside. "I want that Hutt brought to justice and the Imperial subjects he had enslaved to be freed. The best act of vengeance I can do for my son's sacrifice is to show the galaxy that he gave his life to the right cause, that the insurrectionists he fought against are wrong about the Empire. The Emperor may be ruthless and heavy-handed, but his Empire brought order to a galaxy ruled by the corruption and ineffectiveness of the Old Republic Senate. The justice I give those enslaved subjects of the Empire will show the galaxy that we are not the evil monsters the rebel propagandists say we are."

A crewman approached the two senior officers. "Captain, a ship is leaving the planet."

"Disable its drives," Barrin ordered. "Then bring it aboard so we can question its passengers."

"Aye, sir."

The ship exiting the atmosphere and attempting to break orbit was a pristine-looking YT-1300 freighter. A ship favored by many smugglers, it was reasonably well armed for its size. Its two quad-laser turrets would pose some risk to the pilots of any TIE fighters dispatched to intercept, so Barrin ordered the Adjudicator's turbolasers into action. A brief barrage of energy bolts lanced toward the escaping ship, striking with accuracy. The small ship skewed, shuddered, and floundered into an uncontrolled drift as its engines died. Moments later, the Star Destroyer's powerful tractor beam grabbed the drifting ship and pulled it into her massive hangar bay.

"Captain," a crewman reported, "the ship sent a distress signal to the planet. Star fighters are scrambling from the planet's surface."

"Type?" Barrin asked.

"Not a single type, sir, but they are all ancient. Pre-Clone War."

"Vector the TIE's to intercept."

"Aye, sir."

The TIE fighters intercepted the rag-tag squadron of ancient fighters just as they cleared the planet's atmosphere. The Imperial ships were outnumbered three-to-one, but the outmoded smugglers' ships posed little threat. The TIE's handily defeated them as easily as shooting mynocks in a gallery.

The reports from the ground forces came next. Those defending the Hutt's lair surrendered without firing a shot, and they were being rounded up by the stormtroopers for transport to the Adjudicator's brig.

"The rebels put up more of a fight than this," Vesperon remarked.

"The rebels are driven by the rightness of their cause, however misguided they may be," said Barrin. "They're willing to die for it. The Hutt and his cronies are motivated by sheer greed, and greed is not worth dying for. You have the conn, Commander, I'm going to the hangar bay to greet our newest guests."

"Aye, sir."

Captain Barrin made his way down through the bowels of the leviathan to the hangar bay at the underside of the arrowhead-shaped hull. By the time he arrived, the deck crew and a platoon of stormtroopers had already emptied the YT-1300 of its crew and passengers. A variety of humans and aliens were on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

Barrin's attention, however, was drawn to the large repulsor lift platform hovering at the foot of the freighter's forward landing strut. The massive figure of slime and blubber perched on the platform could only be the Orba the Hutt. The disgusting creature peered arrogantly at the approaching captain with his bulging yellow eyes. Barrin's gaze drifted to a pretty scantily clad human woman on the platform beside the Hutt. A chain ran from the collar around her neck to Orba's massive fist.

A slave, Barrin thought. "Do you speak our tongue, or are you limited to speaking Huttese?"

"I speak your tongue, Captain," Orba rumbled.

The Hutt actually spoke Basic without a Huttese accent, the captain thought, mildly impressed. "Then you'll understand me when I ask you some questions. But before we get to that, release the girl."

Orba tugged on the chain possessively. "This creature is mine."

Barrin casually took a sidearm from the holster of a nearby stormtrooper and fired a hot bolt into the Hutt's fist. With a shriek, Orba released the chain, and the girl scampered off the platform to hide behind the wall of armored stormtroopers.

"No need for that!" Orba cried, staring incredulously at his steaming hand.

Barrin kept the blaster's muzzle aimed at the Hutt. "You seemed uncooperative."

"Ask your questions."

"Your organization has been taking Imperial subjects from the planet Tureen and selling them as slaves."

"Impossible!"

Barrin discharged a shot into the base of Orba's tail. The Hutt shrieked, the tip of his tail quivering.

"I tell you the truth!" Orba cried. "I'd like to enter the lucrative slave trade, but I don't have the capital required to layer my organization deep enough to keep your Imperial blood-sniffers off me. It would be suicide running a slaver organization without that layering."

Barrin gestured to an officer waiting nearby. "Have some cryptographers comb all the databases aboard that ship. Include all droids he may have aboard, too."

A sharp nod from the lieutenant. "Aye, sir."

Barrin activated the comlink to the bridge. "Commander Vesperon, this is the captain. Is there any word from our people on the ground regarding the computer banks in the Hutt's lair?"

"Clean so far, sir," Vesperon replied, "but the slicers have only just begun their searching."

"Keep me apprised of any developments."

"Yes, sir."

Barrin snapped off his comlink and handed the blaster back to the stormtrooper. "You and your associates will be 'guests' aboard the Adjudicator until we can off-load you to an Imperial prison transport. I have talented slicers aboard who will find any records you have, no matter where you have them hidden."

"What makes you think I have anything on my ship for your slicers to find?" Orba asked.

"You were running, Hutt. Probably abandoning that planet because we found your lair. You would need to keep your records on you in order to set up shop on another planet."

"And what makes you think I didn't just transmit everything to my next base of operations ahead of time?"

"And risk having your records intercepted by an Imperial monitoring station or a rival like Jabba?"

Orba cast his gaze downward. The very expression told Barrin that his deduction was right. The Hutt's records on all his operations were aboard the freighter somewhere.

Barrin turned toward the girl that had been Orba's slave. He tried not to imagine the indignities that she may have had to suffer under the Hutt's enslavement. She was so young, too—probably the same age as his own daughter on Coruscant.

He gestured to a nearby lieutenant. The officer walked up.

"Take her to Medical and have her evaluated for injuries or Huttese diseases," Barrin instructed. "And when you're through with that, go to ship's stores and get her clothing that is more dignified."

"Aye, sir." The lieutenant bowed to the girl. "Come with me, please, ma'am?"

Smiling at the pleasant young officer, the young woman nodded and followed him out of the hangar bay.

"The rest of this scum can go to the brig," Barrin instructed the commander of the stormtroopers.

* * *

At Barrin's summons, Commander Vesperon entered the captain's cabin. The first officer laid a datapad on the desk, and Barrin picked it up to view the contents on the tiny screen.

"Nothing, sir," Vesperon said. "There is nothing in the databases regarding the Hutt's slaver operation. There is plenty on his various illicit spice and arms trades, but nothing on slaves. Except for the girl we liberated, there is no mention of slaves. She was purchased by Orba, not abducted by him. In fact, the girl came from Tatooine, not Tureen. Since Tatooine is Jabba's turf, I doubt Orba abducted her from there."

Barrin tossed the datapad onto the desk. "I thought as much."

"You expected this?"

The captain rubbed his jaw. "Orba is too small-time to be involved in the slave trade. You saw how easily we captured him. He would require connections on Tureen in order to abduct slaves from there, and those contacts would have warned him of our impending arrival in the Dor Tann system. Orba would have been clear of the system before we even dropped out of hyperspace."

"So we release Orba?"

"No, he's still guilty of crimes against the Empire."

"The information we received was wrong."

"Or a plant to lead us astray," Barrin said.

"Daelin?"

"I don't know, Commander, but I intend to find out. Set course for the Lurkon system. We're going back to Tureen."