Star Wars - A Servant of the Empire - Unpublished by James L. Cambias

Mace knew he was in trouble when the shooting started.
    When the Imperial Customs cruiser had hailed his ship, Mace had tried desperately to stall for time. He’d used the old “communications malfunction” routine, followed by the “how do I know you’re not pirates?” ploy. He was just going into the “reactor leak” number when the cruiser opened fire.
    Either the first barrage was just a warning, or else the Imperial gunners were terrible shots. Mace threw the engine controls to maximum and switched off the safety Interlocks. The Ordinary Trader leapt away from the cruiser like a frightened tauntaun.
    Thump! The cabin shook as a laser blast struck the ship’s flimsy shields. Two more shots followed. The shield status panel was all red.
    Okay, so they’re not bad shots, thought Mace. But how’s their piloting?
    He began jinking and veering the Ordinary Trader. Give them a minute to get used to it, and then—the hull groaned as Mace pulled the ship into a tight corkscrew turn, sending it hurtling down toward the system’s largest gas giant.

    On the bridge of the patrol cruiser Sentinel , Commander Panatic was deceptively relaxed. Normally a very upright, spit-and-polish officer, in combat he slumped immobile in his seat. Only his eyes remained alert, glued to the tracking display.
    When the fugitive changed course, Panatic barely blinked. “Ensign Monidda, change to vector ten by two-ninety. Maintain speed.”
    “He’s going into the planet’s ring system!” Ensign Av, the astrogator, called out.
    “Follow him.”
    As the view of the rings ahead changed from a shimmering silvery arch to a barrage of tumbling icebergs, Ensign Monidda began to earn his pay. The fugitive freighter looped and dodged among them, and the Sentinel hung grimly on its tail.
    “All stop!” The helmsman shut down the engines with a sigh of relief.
    “You’re letting him get away, sir?” Av looked puzzled.
    “Take us out. Vector zero by ninety.” Panatic glanced over at the astrogator. “I’m not going to play his game. Once we’re clear of the rings, switch to silent running. Engines off, sensors to passive mode. We’ll let him find us.”

    “Ha!” Mace allowed himself a little chuckle when his scanner no longer showed the Imperial cruiser. “Serves them right for trying to follow a master pilot through an ice ring.”
    He slowed the Ordinary Trader to a safe speed, and scanned. No sign of the Imperial ship anywhere. Had they hit an ice chunk? He felt a momentary twinge of sympathy as he steered cautiously out of the rings and set a course for open space. He was just setting the hyperdrive when everything went wrong.
    The cruiser was dead ahead, blazing away with all four lasers. Before Mace could react or adjust the shields, the Ordinary Trader was hit three times. Mace’s control board lit up red, showing maneuvering thrusters out, shields gone, and the laser cannon disabled.
    “Surrender or be destroyed!” the comm speaker blared.
    “Okay, okay. You’ve got me.”

    Commander Panatic led the boarding party himself. Sergeant Ivlik and Private Kamlok kept the prisoner at gunpoint while Ensign Av and the other two troopers searched the ship. Panatic sat in the pilot’s seat, asking questions.
    “Name? Occupation?”
    “My name’s Rav Mace. I’m a freelance trader registered out of Dovuli.” That much was true. Of course, he had registration documents for half a dozen other systems, too.
    “You’re a long way from home, then. Cargo and destination?”
    “I’m carrying medical supplies to the Moldar system.”
    “Your drive’s set for the Shkali system.”
    Mace tried to keep his face blank. “Must’ve made a mistake setting it. You were shooting at me.”
    “Yes. Why did you try to run, by the way?”
    “I thought you were pirates. My comm system’s been acting up, like I told you.” Mace glanced nervously at the two black-clad troopers flanking him.
    Panatic swivelled his seat around to the comm