The Governor's Wedding (I)
20 BBY, January 19.
Before the two factions within the InterGalactic Banking Clan had officially fallen out and split, while Master Sass Tin was still on Caladan Planet investigating Geth intelligence.
Another storm was quietly brewing in the Core Worlds of the Milky Way Galaxy.
In fact, the reason the InterGalactic Banking Clan split half a month later and truly ended up dividing into two factions was, to a great extent, because of the storm brewing here.
The Rendili system!
One of the Galactic Republic's largest warship manufacturing centers.
And the spark that ignited this entire storm was an inconspicuous Gozanti-class transport ship.
Painted entirely white and bearing an emblem of two interlocking rings, the ship emerged from hyperspace and arrived in the Corellian system.
Because it was wartime, and the situation in the neighboring Rendili system was somewhat uncertain, the Galactic Republic military had imposed strict controls throughout the region, including here.
A Z-95 fighter immediately approached and sent a transmission. "Gozanti-class vessel ahead, identification code HX-55483. Shut down your engines, lower your shields, and submit to questioning and scanning. Switch to the Galactic Republic Second Systems Army security channel, frequency code 'Corellia-14449.'"
The pilot flying the fighter was in his forties. Dressed casually, with his data goggles hanging off to one side rather than worn, he nevertheless operated the controls with practiced ease—clearly a retired pilot who had returned to rear-line security work.
Seeing the Gozanti-class transport obediently reduce engine output and deactivate its shields, the pilot skillfully moved in. He steadily guided his fighter in circles around the transport and activated the external scanner to thoroughly inspect its cargo hold.
The channel connected. The screen flickered, revealing a blond man in a leather jacket, his face covered in stubble but his eyes full