The Emperor's Finest

A cabbage spun through the air, flinging leafy greens in every direction, as Scottrick sat down to a dirty card table set up in the Lambda squadron mess hall. He brushed away a fresh bundle of kale, hardly noticing the disturbance happening around him. His eyes were focused on a dark red binder laying on the table in front of him. Scottrick unfastened the clasp on the front of the binder and opened it with a sense of wonder he hadn't felt since childhood.

Just then, from under the table, a brown and furry head peered up, its eyes moving rapidly from Scottrick's face to the binder and back again. It was an Ewok. And it found itself momentarily distracted from its everyday antics. With a forgotten lighter held in one hand and a half-filled bottle stoppered with a burning sock in the other, it scanned the surface of the table.

"What's that?" Solohan asked, curious. A pale liquid sloshed inside the glass as he moved closer.

But before Scottrick could answer, a loud and shrill voice called out from the far end of the room.

"Utinni! Utinni!" A Jawa darted towards the table, screaming. It was Gytheran. His hooded face was hidden, his yellow eyes were like daggers, and his arms were waving more frantically with each passing second as he moved with desperate rapidity.

"UTINNI!"

The Ewok looked at the crazed Jawa, quizzical, before he began to turn back towards Scottrick, intent on repeating his question. He only made it halfway before realization struck him. His eyes snapped into focus on the bottle he was holding, smoke drifting into the air and its makeshift fuse nearly depleted.

"Aiiiiieeeeegggaaaa!"

As if someone had lit a fire under the Ewok, he began to shout and run in circles.

A figure cloaked in darkness and forgotten until now, took this opportunity to lean forward and interject.

"Solohan," he said, beckoning. His voice was raspy and had a filtered quality to it. Why Das Oberon insisted on wearing his helmet in the mess hall, nobody knew. He brought a gloved hand from out of the shadows and slid open a small metal door adjacent to him. It was built into the mess wall. He turned his head, inviting the Ewok in.

Solohan leaned forward, his little nose scrunched and eyes squinted, and hurled the bottle-sock-and-flame towards the opening. It sailed through the air (a perfect throw!) and clattered against the backside of the laundry chute before falling down below into the belly of the Hammer.

"No gentle cycle today, after all," said Das Oberon. A grim smile spread across his face as he slammed the opening closed. He gave Wolve, who had just arrived, a high-five and leaned back, melting against the wall. It was not a comfortable pose, but he held it, and kept his face concealed in the shadows just the way he liked it.

A subdued and distant explosion erupted moments later, causing the lights to flicker. The entire crew of Lambda squadron sighed. They had avoided another one of the Ewok's Attention Gathering Antics, but knew it was only a matter of time until Genie and his stern blue face appeared with a reprimand.

As the echo of the explosion faded, the hall was quiet.

Sauntering over to the table, the Ithorian Wolve carried a half-eaten container of plain yogurt in one hand and an over-sized wooden spoon in the other. He seemed unfazed by the catastrophe that had just been avoided and was surveying the table's contents.

"Well, well, well," he said, looking down. Wolve Excelsior Berkana said each word deliberately, applying meaning and weight evenly to each one. "Is this what I think it is?"

Now intrigued, the entire squadron came forward and grouped around the table, each pilot craning to get a good view. Even Das Oberon leaned forward to get a better look from the shadows.

On the table, safely contained inside the individual protective sleeves of the binder, was an array of cards. Each one was unique and contained a striking image that danced off the cardboard, scattering light in every direction.

"This," Scottrick started, his hands brushing the revealed pages with great reverence, "is the Emperor's Finest." Scottrick breathed out deep, as if he was waiting for an applause.

The Ithorian let out a long whistle as his eyes took in the Finest.

"And a holo set too, by the looks of it," said Wolve, smiling. The excitement in his voice was visible. "I didn't know we had another connoisseur onboard. I once had a pile so big it filled the floor of my bedroom. It's one of my few memories of childhood."

"Yes, it--" started Scottrick.

He was interrupted by a loud buzzing noise, emitted from a speaker strapped to the chest of Lambda squadron's Commander. Gytheran had created the carrying harness because the bulky device was uncomfortable to hold in his hands for a long period of time.

"It's not working," said Solohan, in a mocking I-told-you-so manner of speaking. His ears had pulled back at the sound.

"Utinni!" said Gyth and he began to bang a tiny fist against the metal contraption. His voice continued, unintelligible as he worked, before finally modulating into focus.

"..ease can somebody tell me what you two are talking about?" Gytheran's voice sounded tinny through his translation device, but the crew admitted it was better than having the small Jawa yelling all day with no one understanding a bit of it.

"It's the Emperor's Finest," explained Scottrick, refocusing his attention.

"I know what it's called," said Gyth through the translator, "but what does that mean?"

"The Emperor's Finest is a highly collectible and highly sought after set of cards," explained Wolve. "Each year, The Emperor would personally select a group of the finest soldiers and pilots throughout the Empire. They were recognized and included in this prestigious set of cards."

"Exactly," said Scottrick. "I can remember buying pack after pack, each containing a random selection of cards, and tearing them open with excitement. Each card has a beautiful photo of one of the Finest on the front, and a series of facts or quotes on the back."

Scottrick sighed to himself, remembering life back on Carida II. "I used to have a complete set, too."

"What happened?" said Solohan, his Ewok ears raised in attention.

"One was stolen."

Scottrick turned the pages of his binder in sad melancholy, revealing page after page of cards. Each was complete and meticulously cared for. Eventually he stopped on a page containing an empty space in the center.

"Lieutenant Commander Lorth Needa of the Integrity," Scottrick said, the words bitter in his mouth even after all this time. "He was the member of the Finest that was taken from me. I never learned the thief's name, but I did discover they had fled on a freighter with a golden sigil painted onto its hull. The Candelabra."

The room stayed silent as Scottrick reflected on the loss, the words still heavy in the air. It had been years ago, but remembering it today made the old wound tear open. The entire crew seemed to feel the weight of the treachery together.

"Wait," said Wolve, his mind turning. "Isn't the ship we're pursuing the Candelabra?"

"It is." said Scottrick with finality.

"Well that's damn interesting," said Gytheran, focused on the cards in front of him. "Now I want a set."

"Me too," said two other pilots in unison.

"Let's go get that ship!" hollered Wolve, excited. "What a great opportunity for all of us to get into the hobby together!"

At that, each squadron member jumped into action and attended to their duties and pre-flight checks. The entire squadron was buzzing with conversation and questions as they worked.

Was Lord Vader a part of the Emperor's Finest? It would be silly if he was not.

Would they find the stolen holo of Lorth Needa onboard the Candelabra? They would tear the ship apart to find it, if necessary!

Were there cards for sale on the Hammer, or would they have to wait until they arrived at an Imperial world? Nobody had an answer to that.

"Maybe we could have sharing time," said Wolve daydreaming, "where we all share with each other our favorite cards."

"Do you think there are any Ewok's in the Finest?" asked Solohan, innocent. His teddy bear face was filled with hope. "I'd trade anything for an Ewok card."

"I'm sure they do," said Gytheran, reassuring, "and I would trade one to you in a heartbeat." He smiled at the idea of swindling the Ewok out of a holo Vader for a worthless Wicket.

I like that sound of that, thought the Jawa to himself. I like the sound of that very much.