Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 03:58:11 -0500
From: Heywood254@aol.com
Subject: Short Fiction: They're Here
To: jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU
Errors-to: jae+sw-rpg-errors@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU
Reply-to: jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU
Message-id: <960116035810_117951174@emout06.mail.aol.com>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

This short episode introduces the Nagai alien race to my campaign. Many of
the characters and locations described below have been taken from several
different sources and have been mangled and jumbled to fit my campaign.

Share and enjoy,
        Mark H

-----------------
    Derilyn in the Elrood Sector.
    Warlord Delurin's destiny was to rule the galaxy.  But the Empire was
spinning into chaos.  Petty bureaucrats and corrupt officials, desperate to
hold on to what meager influence they had left, were clearly unable and
unworthy to restore the Empire to its former glory.  The galaxy required a
leader, and Delurin was certain he was it.  In the months since an upstart
Jedi Knight named Skywalker had murdered Emperor Palpatine, Delurin had
carefully begun to assemble the means to unite the fragmented Empire under
his rule.  The most impressive of those means was the flagship of his
starfleet, "The Galaxy Dragon", the most advanced and fearsome combat vessel
in the galaxy.
    And like the Emperor, Delurin had a Dark Lord in his service.  Like
Vader, Lady Lumiya was a cyborg strong in the ways of the Dark Side.  Delurin
did not fully trust Lumiya, but there was no doubting her power.  But Warlord
Delurin's power was greater; with a single order he had laid waste to cities,
and every sentient in the sector knew that to cross him meant death.  Soon
the rest of the galaxy would know and fear him too.
    He gazed across the dark, baroque bridge of the "Dragon" and smiled
contentedly.  The turbo lift doors hissed open and Lumiya strode out onto the
bridge.  Delurin singled his Bormterran bodyguards, scaly, lizard-like
humanoids, to let Lumiya pass.
    "Good morning, Lady Lumiya," Delurin said.
    Lumiya nodded deferentially, "Warlord.  Repairs to the hull have been
completed.  The ship is now fully battle ready."
    "Excellent.  Soon we will begin our invasion in earnest.  I will show you
the correct way to deal with rebel scum."  Delurin smiled thinly.  Despite
her vaunted Jedi skills, Lumiya had allowed a group of rebel infiltrators to
kill Delurin's trusted aide, Eril Garkin, and then escape, damaging the ship
in the process.  Delurin had not yet forgiven Lumiya for that failure.  Nor
was he certain he ever would.
    An officer called Delurin's attention to the sensor station.  "Excuse me,
sir, but we're reading something strange on the scopes.  It looks like a
massive hyperspatial disturbance."
    "Don't be ridiculous," Delurin snapped.  "A hundred ships or more coming
out of hyperspace would be necessary to cause that.  Recalibrate the sensors
and then run a... diagnostic..."
    Delurin's mouth fell open as he realized that the sensor reading were
indeed correct.  It was only a few at first, but then dozens of ships began
to appear out of hyperspace.  Their design were like nothing he had ever seen
before; no two ships were alike, some as small as snub fighters others as
massive as cruisers.  They seemed more like art objects with elegant curves
and ornate features, but they moved through space with the deadly precision
of a sword strike.
    "Who are they?" he asked in amazement.
    "They are the Nagai," Lumiya said.  "And they are your new masters."
    "What?"  Enraged, Delurin spun on Lumiya.  "Betrayer!  Kill her!"  The
Bormterrans lunged at Lumiya but lost her in her long shadowy cloak.  Lumiya
spun around, drawing her weapon.  Her whip howled as energy crackled over its
tendrils.  Two swift strikes left the reptilian warriors torn like paper.
 Their cold, dark blood ran across the deck plates of the bridge.
    Two stormtroopers came to their senses and raised their weapons.  With
the barest of gestures, Lumiya reached out with the Force and snuffed them
out like candles.
    Delurin didn't move.  It was his destiny to rule.  It was the only thing
in the galaxy of which he was certain.  But he did not know what to do next.
    "You will open a channel to the lead ship," Lumiya said calmly.
    "I will open a channel to the lead ship," Delurin agreed.
    The bridge crew fearfully obeyed their orders and main viewer lit up with
a man's face.  He was tall and thin; his skin was grayish white, but his
clothes and long tousled hair were as black as night.  He smiled warmly.
 "Lady Lumiya, I see you have the situation in order."
    "Everything is as I said it would be, Den Siva," Lumiya said, ignoring
Delurin who could only watch.
    "Then let the galaxy know," Den Siva said, "the Nagai have arrived."