by I. J. Thompson

illustrated by Amanda Price

After the shocking, tragic death of Grakkata the Wookiee at the hands of Binoshi assassins, our heroes have been forced to reevaluate their futures, and prepare for their fates.

Leaving planet Elrood behind, the Treespirit's remaining crew ventures forth to the distant Almaran system, to the site of their first meeting - the space station Almar Upside...

Log, personal: RO-6, 20.19.F5454
--Begin recording--

"Greetings, gentle reader, to the personal log of RO-6, servant/protocol droid aboard the independent freighter Treespirit. In light of recent events aboard our vessel (the most shocking of which being the death of our captain Grakkata at the hands of Binoshi assassins), It was decided among the remaining crew that one of us should keep a record of further events, in the hope of making some sense of the needless loss of the Wookiee woman who brought the five of us together in the first place... she will be sorely missed.

"After having concluded our business with Devron Zal of Radell mining on Elrood, there remained little to do but to return to our de facto 'home base' at Almar, or more specifically, the orbiting space station Almar Upside. It was decided to immediately check our vessel into Jif Lowstar's Garage for restocking, modifications, and a disguising paint job (the recent tangle with Binoshi agents of Imperial Mining Ltd. meant that the Treespirit's distinctive camouflage paint job would have to go - another regrettable loss, though of course a relatively minor one). After some discussion of the various modification options, we all agreed that a good, accurate ion cannon would be the wisest addition to the Treespirit's armament. Feeling a little left out, Dot asked me to ask our masters if he couldn't be somehow modified, as well. Amusedly, Jif assured us that he'd be able to spice up the little blasting droid.

"The choice was pretty clear that Itar, the only member of our crew with much experience aboard space transports, should be the new captain. Although uncomfortable being thrust into such a critical role so suddenly, our new captain rose to the challenge admirably, laying down a workable plan of attack. The first step was to get our vessel re-registered in the records of the Bureau of Ships Services. The Treespirit needed a new identity, which meant that we needed a competent forger. Also, a new name would be required for the vessel. We didn't approach this decision lightly. After all, this ship was Grakkata's pride and joy, and we wanted to make its new name pay tribute to her somehow. This led to a proposal from Resh, which we all agreed would be perfect. After telling Jif the new name (and leaving me to rest in the ship's hold), Avery, Itar and Resh ventured into the station in search of a forgery specialist. 

"Winding up at a bar called the Blind Comet, the trio were met by a shifty Bith named Fabille, who assured them that he could put them in contact with the best forger in the sector. Subjecting themselves to their new acquaintance's amnesia chemicals, they instantly found themselves in the office/workshop of one Mr. Dast, with no idea just how they'd gotten there.

"Luckily, Mr. Dast was not only on the level, but also just as competent as the Bith Fabille had described. In short order, they not only had new ship's licenses, listing Itar as captain, but Mr. Dast was also able to slice into BoSS records, setting everything straight there, as well. After paying the little human his exorbitant fee, the group went once again under Fabille's needle, and, stripped of their memory of how they'd gotten back, found themselves in a side corridor beside the Blind Comet. With plenty of time to spare before the modifications were completed, they ventured further into the station to do a little arms-shopping, Avery in particular plunking down a good-sized pile of credits for a new Herloss HBt-4 blaster rifle, which he was very keen to begin modifying. 

"When they returned later to Jif Lowstar's Garage, I rejoined my masters, enjoying the looks on their faces as they took in the sight of their newly transformed Ghtroc freighter. It had been repainted standard grey, and a vicious-looking ion cannon jutted out from beneath the cockpit, in harmony with the laser cannons pointing out from above. On the port side of the cockpit, just under the transparisteel window, a small, gold-plated stamp of metal announced the new name of our vessel to the worlds: Freespirit. 

"As we were admiring the plaque, Dot rolled into the hangar, sporting the new look Jif had chosen for him - his standard, dull black metal dome had been spiced up with a fire burst pattern, giving the little blasting droid the impression of a real hot-rod. Everyone got a good kick out of the irony, given the robot's slow speed and laid back attitude.

"It was with the arrival of a personal message, delivered to us by one of the garage employees, that events on Almar Upside took a darker turn. The message had found us through Dorok Zalaster's spy network, and read thus:

Crew of the Treespirit:

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your friend Grakkata. We here on Lanthrym would also very much like to keep her memory alive in our hearts for a long time. So, tell me - would you be interested in selling her pelt? I'll pay quite handsomely for it.

-Dorok Zalaster

"Needless to say, if we were lacking direction before, we certainly weren't now. The message was bait, of course, but my organic masters didn't care. A mostly green crew on a newly modified starship, the five of us set course for Lanthrym, in search of revenge..."