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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 3001214" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 390: Another HourAfter convincing Tobias that he needed to get some rest and not wander off, Jyren left the young ‘Alraxian’ in their quarters and made sure the two guards that were stationed outside knew not to let the kid go anywhere. He stepped into the briefing in the middle of information he already knew about, and Rulae was the only one to give him a flat look when everyone turned and smiled.    It still amazed Jyren how much the kids seemed to like him. Not that it was a bad thing. Still, it was nothing he had expected to ever need to deal with. And knowing that it was bad form to interrupt them getting to know what was going on, he waved them silent and quickly had a seat near the back so he didn’t have to be in the spotlight, as it were, for any longer than he had to.    And soon Jyren was very glad he had decided to head to the briefing. There were some things that came up that had not been on the datapad. Items that Jyren figured were very recently received information. And when Rulae spoke up about them, it was obvious that they were very important.    The Vong were, of course, still on the move, slowly pressing into the galaxy from the Outer Rim. With Ithor out of the way, the Mid Rim was open and they were taking advantage of this...taking smaller worlds or completely obliterating ones that held no value to them. What held value to the Vong was another matter, as some planets they destroyed were rich with resources...but that was another matter.    The important matter was where the Vong were moving. Their direct path towards the Core was becoming an arc with multiple points. While one still headed straight through towards the Core from Ithor and, probably, through Obroa-Skai, another was heading through the Outer Rim territories still. And it was obvious why...    Hutt Space.    They were headed for Hutt Space. While the Imperial Remnant had been passed over from the looks of things, the Vong seemed to be heading straight for one of the other major powers in the galaxy. Not that the Hutts were an ally of any kind to the New Republic, but seeing what happened there was yet another way to gather much needed intelligence on the Vong. And, as always, agents were reporting back from Hutt Space on the goings on...but it was not looking like there would be a direct attack on the Hutts.    Unlike anything anyone had ever seen from the Vong before, there were reports of actual talks happening. Almost as if the Hutts were trying to buy their way out of the fight. Which, of course, would not be surprising when it came to the Hutts, but it was not at all like the Yuuzhan Vong conquering planet after planet in the galaxy.    To Jyren, this meant something was up.    To the New Republic, it meant an interesting turn of events that were worth watching if only to see if diplomacy was the answer.    ...and to the men and women fighting the Vong and those who had lost their homeworlds, it was just another reason to despise the invaders. Dealing with the Hutts couldn’t mean anything good, even if there was something else hidden going on.     “Part of me wishes you had kept the information on the Hutts to yourself,” Jyren said after the briefing had ended and only he and Rulae were left in the room.    Sliding a datapad into his pocket, the Duros gave his old friend an uninterested expression, “Its good to know every part of you has an opinion. I am a bit afraid to ask exactly which part you’re speaking of, however.”    Jyren just glared at Rulae as he walked past before sighing and following, “When did you develop a sense of humour?”    “I didn’t,” the same flat, analytical voice responded. He headed up the steps, and then stopped to look over his shoulder to Jyren, adopting a more serious tone, “There is something else I kept out of the report and didn’t let out here...something I expect a new part of you won’t like, either.”    Before responding to that, Jyren at least made sure to head up a few steps so that he was on equal footing, literally, with Rulae, “I don’t think any of me is going to like it...but lets hear it.”    “We dropped out of hyperspace about twenty standard minutes ago to adjust course and got a few extra reports...” Rulae was an expert when it came to setting something up, which was horribly annoying, “The local garrison on Obroa-Skai just came into contact with a group of Vong sympathizers.”    If that didn’t cement that Obroa-Skai was a target to the New Republic government, it was unlikely that anything ever would.    “When you say ‘came into contact with’, I assume you mean ‘shot at’?”    Rulae nodded. Jyren just sighed and shook his head, trying to ignore the fringe of his hair getting in the way again, “This Peace Brigade is popping up everywhere...”    “Two Yuzzhan Vong warriors were killed, also.”    Okay, Jyren had been wrong. That was what should have solidified the danger to the library world.    And for some reason, that only brought one question up, “When do we arrive in system?”    “An hour,” Rulae raised a long-fingered hand to quiet anything Jyren was about to say and then added, “You, Officer Lor, and Lieutenant Loro will be going to the ground when we arrive.”    Knowing what that hinted at, Jyren nodded but then couldn’t help yet another question, “Aren’t there SpecForce troops or Fleet Marines in the fleet to do that?”    With another nod, Rulae said simply, “Yes, there are. But you haven’t been ordered to go...understand?”    “Ah...” Jyren returned that with a nod of his own, “I understand.”    Saluting, the Duros officer turned and left Jyren alone in the briefing room. It was rare for Rulae to act like that...but obviously he felt this was important. It also meant he wanted people he could trust on the ground. So this wouldn’t be boring at all...    ...and that wasn’t even thinking about putting Tobias into the equation...</blockquote>

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