We see a clear blue sky, no clouds, you can almost feel the heat. The sentry droid slowly flies forwards, desert, featureless, barren...inhospitable. A sound is detected by the droid's audio receptors...thud..thud...thud..a sound of metal striking rock. The droid moves downwards and towards the direction of the sound. We see small white specks scurring around within a canyon far below. The droid flys lower...the features of the canyon become more distinct, the little specks turn into men.

Sweat glistens off tanned skin, the man's breathing is slow and purposeful. Conserving energy. Muscles ripple under taut skin as he swings a hammer against a rock...again...and again...the rock begins to crumble..with a roar the man swings the hammer once more..it arcs through the arid air and strikes the rock with stupendous force! The rock shatters...the figure stops and leans against the haft of the hammer breathing heavily.

"Come on convict, keep working!..." shouts a uniformed figure angrily. The hammer man looks up, beads of sweat running over the patch covering his right eye. He stares at the grinning guard..."Fuck you". The guard lifts his gun and points it at the hammer man..."Come on Starfighter, you've only got another 843 years more to go...hah hah hahahahahahahahahahah........."

So..how did the mighty Mattlock Starfighter end up doing 845 years hard labour on a desert planet? Well, there now follows a short account of the last couple of years...

Moved with the kids to the DRAN system, stayed their a year working as a commercial pilot. Got bored, heard there was good money to be made on Commencor so decide to move there.

Stayed on Commencor for three years, worked for Commencor Merchat Defense Forces, i.e. providing Figher support for merchant shipping. Saw a lot of action, made some good money as this area was rife with pirates. The kids come of age and you have them all enlisted into the New Republic Star Academy (the discipline would do them good). This cost you a lot of dough but hey nothing good comes cheap right?

Commencor joins the Correllian-led "Free Trade Leagure"..you decide to leave as your still wanted by the Correllian authorities for the Space Race incident. You buy a one way ticket to a backwater world in the former Corporate Sector and haul ass out of Commencor. The next year is spent bumming around the worlds in this Sector. For many reasons you become short of money (gambling debts, GUN repairs, insurance claims, school fees, etc) so while on RAMPA you agree to join a small group who are preparing a little "liberation of money" project from a certain bank on the planet of Ord Mantell. You are to pilot the getaway ship. Sounds cool.

The robbery goes ok and the rest of the group arrive at the landing area on time and quickly get on board. You lift off in a blaze of engine power just as the native heat arrive. After an amazing battle against five police vessels you get out to hyperspace distance. The shields give way..so long suckers! as you pull back the hyperspace levers....nothing...Ooophs!..you pull again..nothing. You call for the rest of the group over the ship's intercom...nothing...Oh shit!...you scan the vehicle bay...nothing.

Meanwhile, outside the police vessels surround you and engage tractor beams. You're captured and tried. The rest of the group never got on board, you were just a decoy to lure the heat away while they escaped. The authorities sentence you to 845 years hard labour on a penal planet close to the Ord Mantell sun (several civilians were brutally killed during the group's getaway from the bank).

Your now bald due to mental re-conditioning treatment. Your bionic right eye has been removed after a failed escape attempt (?). Your now stronger than you were before, however your memory has dimmed (the mental treatment and the sun). The face of the man who set you up remains clear though (Gant). Your increased muscle bulk has increased your presence.

Carlos Castillo came to question you about Gant 2 months ago, but you wouldn't co-operate unless he got you out of this hellhole...and this he couldn't do.

and thats your lot...(Sorry PJ ).