"How do you know him?" Kinna asked as she stared at Joshua as she stopped the play back. "He's my uncle." "You didn't tell me he was your uncle!" Peenk said, annoyed. "Well actually, he's the half brother of two of my uncles," Kirk told the others. "James and Samuel. But I've never met him. You see the ship he was on vanished twenty years before I was born. Unfortunately, my father's older sister was on that ship. She'd graduated from the Academy just the week before." "So you're family?" Baby asked as she listened in from the quarters she shared with Ano. "We always called him the Doc. It was sad how doing what he did hurt him. I neab, it was obvious he did not want to do it." "My guess is he has young children," Joshua said to the others. "The Nirilese are compelled by their genes to do whatever it takes to protect them." "So you're saying he couldn't sacrifice his children to save us?" Ano asked Joshua. "That's right," He told her. "Which is odd because Humans can." "What do you mean?" Peenk asked, confused. "What do we have to do with these Nirilese?" "They are our closest relatives," Kirk said as he turned to Peenk. "You see they evolved on Earth, the Human homeworld. We share a common ancestor. We are related closely enough that we can interbreed. On Earth, they are known as Neanderthals. And while they no longer exist there, most Humans do have some of their DNA mixed in with our own." "Okay, we don't have time for an anthropology lesson," Peenk said as she reached out to the projector. Let's just watch this first." "Hello, I am Gath Pok of Nirril. And I send my warmest greetings to the crew of the Long Distance Runner." Everyone looked at each other in surprise. "No, this is a recording. I just knew that you were the ones sent to the lab on Ziphine, so that meant that you were the closest ship to Leelos IV. I also know that you have five very special people on board. To me anyway. I was the one who programmed the droid that released the girls on Melee's transport. I also did the same thing for Ano and Tel'met," Pok smiled weakly. The man in the holo looked down for a second, then back up. "I'll give you the good news first. None of the girl's were here when the Empire attacked. Three days ago, a large force of Mandalorians attacked the base the fake pirates used. Evidently they took the wrong girl. It was simply a matter of putting in a call to one of their ships and making a little business deal, and they agreed to take all the girls with them. Though I think they would have done it anyway. Most of them were part of the Kerrish clan." "Also just as important, I informed the government of Leelos that an Imperial bio weapons lab on the moon had had an accident, and that they needed to evacuate the farmers. I also suggested they keep it quiet. Of course thay had no problem complying with that request. I even got the droids off. No, the only sentient being to face the Empire here will be me. I have much to atone for, and nothing to live for." "And that is because the Empire, who had been holding my family over my head to force me to do their foul work, killed my wife and two of our children when they put down an uprising on Corroon. Of our older sons, Mek, is with the Republic, while the other, Jek, commands a transport for the Empire. In fact, I've learned that the ship he commands was supposed to pick up the stormtroopers at Ziphine." Pok glanced to his right. "The Empire is here. Four Star Destroyers. They'll be in position in about ten minutes. So I must be brief. The girls will be okay. All the alterations done to them were done at the genetic level. Which means that they are not only permanent, they'll be passed onto future generations. Except the things involved in the breeding program itself. The Empire thought that was genetic as well, but it wasn't. I did it chemically." "The drugs used will wear off after a year. Which means that Ano and Tel'met will be returning to normal any day." The doctor looked sternly into the recorder. "But the girls will need to be placed in quarantine. They will begin going through withdrawals. During this time, about one, maybe two weeks, they will become even more hypersexual. I would recommend they be kept in a medically induced coma." "Kinna Banka! You remember that favor you owe me?" Everyone turned to Kinna. "I'll explain later," She said. Pok continued. "Look up my two living sons. Their names are Mek and Jek Marisun. Mek works for Republic Intelligence, so he shouldn't be hard to find. Saving your life was one of the high points of my life here in your galaxy. And no, I never got used to that poison called Correllian food." Peenk rolled her eyes angrily. "And let's not forget the newest member of your crew. Joshua Kirk. I regret that I was never able to meet you. But I'm glad to see that your father kept the promise he made when he was five," Gath Pok crossed his arms and stood ramrod straight. "I remember him standing like this. Just like his father would, as well as your great grandfather, James. And he swore to the universe that his first son was going to be named Joshua Augustus Kirk. I was pleased to see he kept his promise. It is a good name, for he was a good man." Glancing back at the monitor, Pok shook his head. "They're already in position. They must be in a hurry. I'm using a Star Fleet carrier signal to transmit this to the beacons in orbit so the Imperials will not be able to pick it up. So I'll continue as long as I can." "The last thing I have for you is actually for all the girls. I've managed to funnel research money into a bank on Coruscant. The information needed to access the funds for all the girls is in the two droids I've given you. The password needed is one the Imperials would never come up with. It's the last name of the nemesis of your great grand father, Joshua." "Oh, Melee! I was told that you took out Admiral Vinzer. Good girl. He was the one who dreamed up this program with some help from the late Van Matthews. I left you a little something extra in a separate account." Dr Gath Pok looked one final time at the monitor. "And they are firing. Goodbye, and may the force and whatever diety you follow be with you," The signal ended. Three hours later, the crew of the Long Distance Runner stood on her bridge, filling in Admiral Bander on all that had happened. Standing next to him was Merrik Doon. "Well, this breeding program has ended, and the Mandalorians that took the girls have arrived at the 2nd naval hospital on Coruscant," Doon said. "Some of the surviving family members are there to see them. But unfortunately, most of the girls will have to stay there for another six months at least. Until this drug is out of their system. The girls who were freed along with Melee have been returned to family. A few were old enough to be allowed to leave on their own. For some reason, those old enough, have asked to join the Navy, or Intelligence." "Well, then let's get to that money for the girls. Accounts will be opened for them. All that needs to be done is gaining access to the funds. What's this password Kirk?" Joshua stepped forward and spoke to MU-SO 1. "Singhe." "Access refused." "Kor?" Kirk asked as he shrugged. "Access refused." "Kang?" Now Kirk was becoming confused. "Access refused." "MU-SO 1," Melee said as she nudged the confused Kirk aside. "The password is Finnegan." "Access granted. I will now give the Admiral the information he needs. The money is located at the Industrial Bank of Corell on Coruscant. It is in two accounts. I am uploading the information onto your data pad. Each girl will recieve 100,205 credits. Except Melee Orinie. She is to be given an additional 100,000 credits. That is her reward for killing the men behind this program, Admiral Mal Vinzer and Van Matthews." "Of course!" Joshua said as he slapped himself on the forehead. "The bane of my great grandfather's existence at the Academy. "Wait!" Everyone turned to see Ano and Baby standing by the bridge entrance. Baby spoke softly. "Has anyone found out what has happened to our babies?" Merrik Doon looked away. "The Empire has them. Them and two girls who were still pregnant. Sarah Dragos, and Moana Bretshee. They were taken two months ago." Joshua and Marty Arner stood in the hanger bay talking to Merrik Doon as he prepped his little runabout for flight. "What is the Republic going to do to help find those babies?" Marty demanded. Merrik looked down at the diminutive Scrum. "Well now that this program has been shut down, my division at intelligence is being put on the job of finding their children. This is a priority. This case has affected a lot of people. High ranking people." At that moment Lele Arner came through the hatch, the cries of Ano and Baby echoing down the corridor. With a flash of rage, Josua spun around and punched the bulkhead. The three stared in shock at the bloody indentation left in the bulkhead. Lele walked over and took Joshua's other hand into both hers and tried to calm him. "I don't take it well when I fail those who depend on me," Kirk muttered as he stared at his blood running down the wall. "Sorry about the mess." Lele gingerly took Joshua's damaged hand and examined it. "You've busted this up pretty badly. We'll need to get you to the med bay." "No. I can't go back that way," Joshua pointed up the passage. "Don't worry," She said. "Those new medical droids you brought to us are sedating the girls. They were scared to death. Melee had to be put under first before they would agree. They think that the Empire is coming back for them." "Get moving," Doon said climbing into the tiny one man vehicle. "And say hello to Seesha for me. These never ending calls are beginning to anger me." "I'll be sure to do that," Joshua said. With a nod, Merrik Doon shut the hatch and lifted off and dropped down through the shields. With a flip of a switch, Kirk closed the hanger doors and headed up the passage with the Arners. "I'm going to clean that blood up," Marty told them. "Doesn't that hand hurt boy?" "At first. But I blocked the pain. It was a stupid thing to do!" He said, staring at his swelling hand. And this ends the second chapter.