ESCAPE
A snap kick to the stormtrooper's midsection sent him flying through the air where he landed heavily on the hologame table.
Chatqri rushed to the stormtroopers side and took the boot knife from the guard. Then with an act that committed him wholly to his plan, made one sharp thrust under the guards helmet. A wet gurgle escaped the mans mouth before he died.
Armed with the trooper's blaster carbine, knife, and utility belt, Chatqri made his way through the labyrinth of tunnels in the underground facility. Then, 3 dead Imperial troops and 1 wrong turn later he finally made it to the cliff side hangar.
Moving from shadow to shadow with his feline-like stealth, he got to an Assault Gunboat. He killed the pilot inside and strapped in.
"Assault Gunboat Tau 4, you have been granted permission to engage pre-ignition sequence."
"Roger Air Control," Chatqri said.
Chatqri started pre-ignition and then cut in the repulsorlift coils. He gently eased the Gunboat into open air. Once he was 100 metres from the hangar he slapped a button and the Gunboat's sublight engines roared to life, propelling him away from his former home.
HYPERSPACE
En route to Derra IV, Chatqri thought about Biological Weapons Testing Facility # 8, the place that had been his home for all of his life. He'd been taken there, 3 months after he'd been born, to be "given a great gift" as Doctor Phillips had told him. Chatqri had been born with a rare genetic disease that broke the genetic strains in an organism. In some unknown way it gave it's victims a 200% memory retaining ability
His parents, who had no wish to foolishly squander 160 000 credits on a child that was, they thought, doomed to die, willingly given there child to the Empire, to help fight those "troublesome Rebels."
First the Empire killed the virus in his body, then filled the gaps in his DNA with special strands that had been taken from species of strength, stamina, intelligence and reflexes. They pumped him full of growth drugs and with the help of surgery and chemicals, his skeletal structure had been altered to a titanium/bone mixture and he'd been given 4 centimetre claws in his hands and feet. They had also made his eyes more sensitive to light so he had better nightvison.
Because of Chatqri's increased memory ability, he remembered every thing that had happened to him from the day he was born. 3 years later, he was able to understand what the words and feelings that he had been exposed to in the care of his parents meant.
First, he knew that his parents hadn't loved him and considered him a burden to them. Second he knew that what the Empire had wanted him to become was the perfect killing machine. But because of the talk he'd heard among the facility personnel and the news channels he'd sliced into he knew that the Empire was evil. It had committed horrible atrocities against aliens and humans. At first Chatqri had thought the Empire a wonderful group, wanting only to bring order and stability to the galaxy. What lies they had told him; Wookies, a savage and primitive race, wanting only serve and help humans, even if it meant doing hard, manual labour.
The beeping sound that meant the Gunboat was nearing it's hyperspace exit point snapped Chatqri from thinking about the past. He had to worry about the future now.
He pulled back the levers on the control panel and nearly collided into a Corellian Corvette.
Chatqri hauled up on the stick and angled away from the Corvette.
"Assault Gunboat, come about and turn 20 degrees to port. Those 3 Rebel X-Wings have broken through the net, help TIE's Alpha 3 and 4 stop them."
Rebel ships? I've got to help them.
"Corvette, this is Tau 4, heading towards Rebel ships to engage."
Chatqri throttled up the Gunboats sublight engines to maximum speed. Chatqri spotted 2 TIE Bombers who were trying to get a missile lock on the X-Wings from a kilometre away. He selected one through his CMD and when the HUD went blood red he fired a concussion missile. The missile accelerated towards the bomber. The pilot, realising that there was a missile speeding directly at him, shoved stick to port, and diverted laser cannon power into his engines so that he could get more speed. But the missile simply curved to port and slammed into the bombers cockpit. The missile detonated a Proton Torpedo that had been armed and the resulting explosion left nothing but small scraps of metal floating in space.
The other bomber, realising that his wingman had just been killed by one of thier own Gunboats, came about and let loose a hail of green laser darts. The Gunboats shields held, however and Chatqri fired another one of his missiles. The concussion missile clipped the top of the bombers cockpit and detonated.
Chatqri, seeing that 2 Interceptors were angling towards him
from 4 kilometres away, targeted one of the TIE's that had been
relentlessly hammering at the escaping X-Wings, and triggered a
double burst that melted the cockpit and sent the solar panels
careening through space. The other TIE, too concentrated on the
Rebels, didn't notice the death of his wingman and so when a
Gunboat cruised up behind him he gave it no noticed. But the
hissing of green lasers coming from the Assault Gunboat got his
attention, but it was too late for him to juke. The lasers
ignited the fuel pods in the TIE Starfighter, turning it into a
bright ball of flame and debris.
"Rebel X-Wing's, my name is Chatqri, I'm defecting, take me with you, I want to fight the Empire!"
But it was too late, all 3 of the X-Wings shot into the safety of hyperspace, leaving Chatqri behind.
"Rebel Assault Gunboat, lower your shields and power down your weapons and engines, and you will not be destroyed."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" shouted Chatqri, and then, he too, made the jump to hyperspace.
JABBA'S PALACE
"Esteemed Jabba, ruler of all crime lords, I am Chatqri, mercenary and bodyguard. I am here to ask if you require my services."
"Tell me some of your exploits, Chatqri."
"I have battled Imperial forces, in space as well as in hand to hand, which I am an expert in. I can fly any combat craft, and my marksmanship could rival that of Gellandro, were he still alive."
"Show me."
Chatqri whipped our his custom made blaster before any realised what he was doing and flipped the selector over to STUN, then fired 3 shots. All three hit the bodyguards surrounding Jabba and all three collapsed onto the floor. Then, Chatqri flipped the selector back over KILL and shot 4 vibro axes out of 4 Gammorrean guards hands.
Chatqri did a back flip that propelled him well away from the trapdoor in front of the Hutts dias, and jammed his blaster under a dancing girl's jaw, who was reaching for a holdout blaster, tucked into her boot.
His arm shot out and took the knife a Gran was going for. Chatqri tossed the blade so that it embedded itself into a droid's' eye, that was standing behind and to the left of Jabba.
"As you can see, Your Excellency, I am quite proficient in my marksmanship."
"Hoh hoh hoh hoh hoh, yes, you are very good at fighting," after a pause, "Yes, I will hire you. Is 15 000 credits a month enough?"
15 000 credits?! I never thought that I would get that much. He hurriedly caught himself, "It is a most generous salary, Your Excellency, thank you."
"You may leave to go see my majordomo, and work out the details with him."
"Of course Most Exalted One."
Chatqri walked over to the Twi'lek that was gesturing at him to come over.
"I am Bib Fortuna, Jabba's majordomo. You will stand over there at his right. That was where his last bodyguard stood."
"What happened to him?" Chatqri asked.
"He displeased Jabba and so Jabba fed him to the Rancor."
"Ah, I see. I will strive to be the best bodyguard Jabba has ever had."
The glit-biter went for his blaster, but before his hand was 3 quarters of the way there, Chatqri had shot him 3 times in the chest. The glit-biter was fast, but not fast enough for Chatqri.
"Hoh hoh hoh, well done Chatqri, you provide me much entertainment. Ah, here is Bib Fortuna with your new contract, sign it," the Hutt ordered.
Six or seven months later:
"Most Exalted One, I have decided that I will be leaving your employment, I have , uh, other pursuits to follow."
"I see, well, this wasn't expected. Guards!. Chatqri, about 5 months ago, I had my majordomo do a little background checking on you and he found out that there was a bounty on you, put there by the Empire. 400 000 credits. So you see, I cannot let you go. Put him in a cell and guard him until the Imperial Colonel arrives."
Two gammorean guards and 1 human advanced on him from his left while 3 other Gammorean's came at him from his right.
Chatqri instantly had a throwing knife in each hand and hurled one at the human and the gammorean guard on his left, both fell to the ground with a knife between the eyes. But before they hit it, Chatqri had whipped out both his blaster carbine and pistol and stared shooting at the trio of guards coming at him.
Grabbing both of his satchels that were on the ground, he ran out the doorway leading to the speeder bay.
Chatqri ran around corner only to come face to face with a pair of trandoshan's. He body checked one into the wall and then grabbed the others arm, hurling him around the corner where the clamouring guards that had been chasing him tripped over the alien.
Chatqri rammed his knee up into the first trandoshan he had attacked and then flipped him over his back onto the ground and started running again.
Chatqri got to the hangar and ran over to his heavily modified gunboat.
"Greasy, start preflight now!" Greasy, an R5 droid, had been one of the modifications made to his gunboat.
Affirmative bleeps and boop's were his answer as Chatqri strapped in.
He looked out the cockpit window and saw the guards setting up an E-Web blaster behind one of the speeders.
A message scrolled across the main screen from his R5 unit, We are leaving Jabba's employment?
"Yes, Greasy, we are. Is preflight done?
Yes, and I have already completed pre-ignition.
"Good. Well were off to see the Rebels."
The human E-Web gunner tracked the Gunboat with the barrel of the heavy blaster, but the gun's power pack hadn't been hooked up yet and so she watched as the ship flew into open air and started climbing rapidly.
"Damn. Pack it up guys, Jabba's not going to be happy."
REBELS
"Good, now that everyone's here we can start."
A holograph schematic of a facility sprang up from the table.
"This is our objective, Biological Weapons Testing Facility #8."
Chatqri stiffened at the name of his former home. This would be his 4th mission on the Dragon Commando Team, just 7 weeks after joining the Rebel Alliance.
"As I was saying Chatqri," Team Commander Lauren interrupted his reverie, "We are to go in to steal the code breaker and then destroy the facility. The Imps gave it good test results, and the Alliance could use it."
Now, the facility is slated to get some foodstuffs in 4 days. 3 Y-Wings from Orange Squadron will intercept and disable the transport that will be delivering the foodstuffs. Once the transport is disabled, the Y-Wings will send word back to the Defiance, the Calamari Cruiser will be launching from. Well be leaving in a transport that has all the same markings that the Imp ship has. Well be hiding in the foodstuff containers for the ride down.
"Once were down and the workers have taken us into the galleys well break out. The signal to break out of the containers will be when I tap on my comlink, 3 times in quick succession.
"Once out we're out, we will proceed to the storage facility, eliminate any resistance on the way there and shoot out any of the surveillance cameras. By the way, the Cruiser Maria will pick us up. Questions?"
Chatqri said, "Sir, I'm not sure if you know this but, I grew up in Biological Weapons Testing Facility #8."
"Yes, I know, High Command told me about that. Well need your help in finding our way around."
"Yes sir," Chatqri said.
EN ROUTE TO THE FACILITY
On the way to the facility, Chatqri thought about his former home, something he'd not done in long time. He remembered those long classes in the fighter simulators, learning how to fly and fight in them. They'd even trained him in an Uglie, an X-TIE.
And now he was going back. Back to the place he'd tried to get away from.
"Chatqri," Commander Laurel was suddenly sitting beside him, "can you compare this map with what you know of Facility 8? Just want you to make sure that the map is correct."
Chatqri spent several minutes studying the map and comparing it with what he remembered of Facility 8. "It seems pretty accurate. I take it that that the yellow line here is the route were taking?" at the Commanders affirmative nod Chatqri went on, "Well you can't go this way, you see that door over there? Well it's actually a guard station, there's a couple of 'em hidden all over the base, and since my escape, there's probably been more added."
"Thanks Chatqri. Hey, while were down there, I don't want you to get any funny ideas, you hear me?"
"Yes sir,"
"Good get your gear ready, were getting into the foodstuff containers in 20 minutes."
Chatqri went to his container and started to put on his gear. A black body glove, it wouldn't do much good to stop a blaster bolt but it might help...a little, black trousers and a black tunic, one boot knife for each boot, two spring loaded throwing knives up each sleeve, a blaster pistol strapped to his thigh, a blaster carbine in a holster at his hip, a bandoleer full of extra blaster packs, three thermal detonators attached to his belt, other assorted knives strapped to various places of his body, slicing equipment in his pack, a comlink, and a black helmet.
"All right, everyone into the boxes! Wait for the signal!"
12 people clamoured into 12 different boxes and got as comfortable as possible because they knew they'd have to wait an hour inside the boxes.
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS TESTING FACILITY #8
Tap,tap,tap
12 foodstuff boxes burst open, and black clad figures jumped out and started to stun the workers and chefs in the galley.
Ensign Tippit, who had just finished his shift and was getting a snack, stood there stunned, as 3 of the figures surrounded him, jamming blaster barrels into his abdomen and jaw.
"Where is the nearest guard station!" The voice was a bit muffled through the ballaclava, but still Tippit understood him.
"A-a-a-a-bout 60 meters down the corridor, on your left."
Lieutenant Schllir stunned the ensign, and as he slid, unconscious, to the floor she took the dewback sandwich from his limp hands. She took a bite and immediately spit it out.
"Ppffffftttt, too much Dantooine fire spice!"
"Come on, according to the map the storage area should be 700 meters down the corridor to the left. Fernesco, lob a thermal detonator down the hall at the guard station. Chaqrit follow him. Joagha" Commander Lauren turned to the Trandoshan, "cover the rear."
The team moved down the hall, silent and focused on there jobs. As Chatqri and Fernesco, a Devaronian, saw the guard station come into view around the bend of the corridor, Chatqri dropped to his knee and brought his blaster carbine up, Fernesco lobbed a thermal detonator into the hall. The blast shook the whole team, and when Chatqri looked around the bend he saw that there was nothing but a black crater in the floor where the guard station had been.
"Chatqri, point." Lauren ordered.
Chatqri moved up 40 meters and tapped his comlink 3 times, and the team moved up.
They did this for the next 4 minutes until they came to the next guard station. The stormtroopers there had heard the blast and were prepared when Chatqri stuck his head around the corner.
The blaster bolts chewed at the wall and Chatqri was forced to fall back, out of the line of fire from the stormtroopers.
"Fernesco!"
"Yes sir," the Devaronian said and he rolled a detonator down the hall. The blast turned the guard station into another black crater.
"Move out."
Chatqri went around the corridor and came face to face with Doctor Phillips.
"Well, well, well. You have returned to us, Chatqri," said Phillips.
Chatqri turned around and saw that all of the Dragon Commando Team was on the floor, unconscious.
"But how?"
"Electro fields. See up in the roof? Well, the electro field in this corridor is on a track and once you were far away from the Rebel team, we activated it. It swept down the hall, making the field go through each of them.
"You see Chatqri, the Empire spent a lot of money on you. They don't like when there investment runs away, so we devised a plan to get you here. Imperial Intelligence had found out about your inclusion in the Dragon Commando Team."
"You mean...there's no code breaker?"
"Oh, yes there is, of course, we had to make it seem real. There is also other things in the storage area. But, come," he said after a pause, "you left before we could finish your training. By the way I heard about your employment in Jabba's guard. Impressive, most impressive."
"NO!" Chatqri shouted and raked his claws across Doctor Phillips cheek and grabbed the doctor, using him as a body shield.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Phillips cried.
The squad of stormtroopers just stood there, blaster rifles aimed at Chatqri and Phillips.
The faint wurring sound made Chatqri look around. He immediately brought up his blaster carbine and fired 4 shots. Each hit the electro magnetic fields' mechanism in in the roof before it got to Chatqri.
"Any more tricks like that and I'll kill him. Now, tell me how to revive them."
When the stormtrooper hesitated Chatqri held his claws near Phillips throat.
"All right, you'll just have to wait a couple minutes. The effect well have worn off by then."
"Down the corridor, NOW!"
As the troopers backed down the hallway a groan escaped Joagah's mouth. He got up and stood unsteadily on his feet, swaying for a moment or two.
"Joagah, I've got us a hostage. Help the others."
The trandoshan merely grunted and went to Rail's side.
4 minutes later, all of Dragon Team was awake and ready to get out .
"Come on Commander, we can't stay here all day."
"I know. So, Phillips, is there actually a code breaker? Is it in Storage?"
"Yes."
"Dragon's, come on. Let's go get us a code breaker."
There were protests, but all complaints ceased when Joagah gave them a scathing look.
"I can't believe we're doing this, the Imps know were coming. I say we-"
"Shut up!" Werrin hissed. "Commander says we go, we go."
The team moved forward looking out for any more electro fields.
Chatqri handed Phillps to Gronnel. Still point, Chatqri sneaked a look around the corner and saw the corridor leading to the main entryway of the storage area. What he saw distressed him.
"Sir, there's three E-Web blasters out there. One in front of the door, the other 2 at the corners. There's also 2 squad's of stormies."
"No problem. Joagha, hand me that concussion missile launcher you've got."
The trandoshan handed the launcher and missile to the Commander.
"Everyone, back down the hall 50 meters, Chatqri, I'm going to step into the hall about a meter, fire the missile and then dive back. Lay down whatever suppressive fire you can. Got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good on the count of three, one..two..THREE!." The commander stepped into the hallway and at the same time Chatqri leaned out and fired with both his blaster pistol and carbine.
The Commander fired the missile and dived back into the hall. The missile slammed into the durasteel door leading to the storage area. The door blasted inward. When it stopped it rested 20 meters from the door.
Most of the stormtroopers had been incinerated and others were laying against the wall.
"Hmmph," the Commander said in satisfaction. "Dragons, into the storage area."
It was Werrin who found the code breaker a minute later.
"I found it sir!"
"Good, check it for tracking devices. Fener, Schllir watch the door. Fernesco, go with em'. Werrin, is it okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, you carry it. Chatqri you know the layout, get us to a hangar."
"Yes, sir."
They were almost to the hangar, when all of the sudden another Chatqri stepped out from an adjoining hall, stopping right in front of Chatqri.
"Doctor Phillips, are you all right?"
"Yes, I am Donnel."
"Well, Chatqri, my predecessor. What are you doing with Rebel scum? And why did you hurt Doctor Phillips earlier?"
"Donnel, help, kill Chatqri!"
In an instant Donnel was attacking Chatqri. Donnel slashed at Chatqri's face, while at the same time ramming his knee up into Chatqri's stomach.
Chatqri grabbed hold of Donnel's right arm and flipped Donnel over Chatqri's back. But the newer experiment threw all of his weight forward, pulling Chatqri over top of him. Fernesco, who had planned to shoot Donnel couldn't because now Chatqri was in the way. A squad of stormtroopers behind them diverted there attention away from Chatqri and Donnel's fight.
Donnel got up with Chatqri on top of him and started to ran into the wall behind him, trying to sandwich the Dragon between him and the wall.
Chatqri, who was having trouble breathing now, unsheathed the claws in his right hand and slashed across Donnel's throat.
Donnel let Chatqri drop to the floor and staggered away from him and then dropped to the floor, dead.
"Hmm," Phillips said thoughtfully, "I'll have to figure a way to fix that. You know the throat is quiet a vulnerable area of the human."
"You!" Chatqri hissed and walked over to the Doctor, picked him up, and, with mad fury in his eyes he said, "I hate you.," then tossed the Doctor into the crossfire between the Dragon and stormtroopers blaster bolts.
"Nooooo-" Phillips shouted, but was cut off when 7 blaster bolts slammed into his torso.
"Chatqri, the hangar. Protect Werrin, he's got the code breaker. Me, Gronnel, Allan and Joagah will hold em' off. Go, will be right behind you!"
Chatqri lead the rest of the team in a headlong dash, shooting out holocams as they went. They were about to get inside when two stormtroopers leaped out from behind a TIE-Bomber. Chatqri cut them both down with his blaster carbine but 2 blaster bolts from one trooper caught Werrin in the thigh and hip.
"Come on," he said and gestured to a Lambda-Class shuttle. "Fernesco, take Werrin."
As they were getting up the ramp, Joagha and the Commander came running out with troopers hot on there tails. Joagha was carrying the limp form of Gronnel. Schafer and Fener stepped out to cover the them.
"Werrin, man the blaster cannons."
The cannons spit long red darts at the troopers and made them dive for cover.
The Commander and Joagah ran up the ramp and Chatqri closed it.
"Strap in, this is gonna get rough." Chatqri swung the shuttle around so that it pointed to the back of the hangar. "Werrin?"
The human grinned as he swept the laser cannons over the hangar bay. Chatqri swung the shuttle around again so that he was facing outside. Then he cut in the sublight engines and shot away from Facility #8.
"Uh-oh Chatqri, Star Destroyer coming up over the horizon," Werrin warned him.
Before Chatqri could reply, a Calamari Cruiser emerged from hyperspace 2 kilometres away.
Chatqri swung towards it and headed over to it.
"Sir, the Maria's here. I've contacted them. They want the confirmation code."
"Right. Maria this is Lambda-Class shuttle...what's it's name Chatqri?"
"Epsilon 2."
"Right. Maria this is Lambda-class shuttle Epsilon 2, requesting permission to board.
"Transmit code Epsilon 2."
"Transmitting now. Werrin, how close is that Star Destroyer?"
"9 Kilometres, and there's 2 squadrons of TIE's heading our way."
"Damn, Chatqri, power up the deflector shields, full strength back."
"Yes sir,"
"Epsilon 2, code accepted, land at bay 2."
"Roger Maria."
Moments later a squadron of X-Wings launched from the Maria.
"Epsilon 2, this is Red Squadron. We'll keep those TIE's off you. No problem."
"Wedge?"
"Lauren?"
"Hey Wedge, how ya been?"
"Oh, not bad. Hey let me take care of your pest problem,
then
we can talk about your mission over lomin ale."
"Sure thing Wedge, see ya."
"Yeah, see you later."
A minute later the shuttle landed in the docking bay.
Chatqri lowered the ramp and the Dragon Commando Team walked down it. Although they had completed there mission they'd lost two comrades in the process.
Suddenly the ship lurched slightly and the Maria was in hyperspace.
DEBRIEFING
"Well, everyone, we successfully completed our mission and it has just been confirmed that the code breaker works. It cracked a type 3 code in 3 days. Half the time it would normally take. Yes, we lost Gronnel and Allan, but with this new code breaker we can decode the Imps transmissions faster. Werrin will make a complete recovery and should be out of the bacta tank in a few days.
"That's not all, Chatqri has been promoted to lieutenant."
After the cheers had died down, Commander Lauren spoke again.
"Also, Red Squadron suffered no losses and we've got 3 weeks R and R. Dismissed."