Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, hero of the alliance, sat on the transport ship. All that he had worked and fought for was gone. "The academy is gone. It was just a group of buildings, but it was a home for the Jedi."
Kyp sat with his master, listening only to his own thoughts, thoughts regarding Marina. Luke continued. "But you can't extinguish the Force, the Jedi will build in many numbers, the light will overtake the darkness and we'll fight to get this galaxy back, one planet at a time."
Kyp softly asked, "Where are we going to go?"
Luke gazed out the viewport at the swirling scape of hyperspace rolled outside. "I'm not certain, but I'm aware that there is a rebel base on Dantooine that could be utilized. If the high council will agree to it, I would like to go there."
En route to Hoth, one of Bel Iblis' Lt.'s, who was currently posted in tactical analysis, was escorted to the General by his primary tactical officer.
"Yes Lt., what can I do for you?"
"Well, sir, I've analyzed the data from the last hour of the battle. I have reason to believe that many of the temples that we thought were destroyed were actually sensor ruses, perpetrated by the Imperial commander. There's no way of knowing how many of those were actually destroyed, except for maybe two or three that we have visual confirmation of." The Lt. looked nervous about being the bearer of bad news.
"DAMN!" Bel Iblis swore. "Don't worry, son, this won't reflect badly on you. I'll make sure that a commendation gets put in your record for finding this. That will be all."
As the tactical officer left, the communication officer looked over to Garm. "Sir, I have Nal Uther on line, and I think you should hear what he has to say."
From the look on his officer's face, Bel Iblis knew it wasn't good news.
"Why can NOTHING go right today?" He glanced at his chrono and saw that he hadn't slept in almost two days. No time for that now.
"OuCHHH!" Thix winced as the MD droid applied a bandage to his knife wound.
"I apologize for the pain, sir. I would have liked to place your wound in a Bacta solution, but, as you may have noticed, all our Bacta facilities are currently occupied by the more seriously wounded."
"That's okay..say, may I leave now?" Thix flexed his arm. The bandage had been applied well. He picked up his belongings.
"Yes, sir, you have enough strength to go about your normal business." The droid had begun to tend another patient.
"Thanks." Thix said, tossing his jacket over his shoulder and walking towards the exit.
"It was my pleasure to serve you, sir."
Thix headed straight for his quarters on the Xenomorph. Once inside, he activated his communications screen and got a direct line to the bridge. A rather haggard looking Hendrikson appeared.
"What's the bad news--oh, hey, Thix. Thought you were someone else." Lance was hailed by someone off screen, and Thix waited as Hendrikson signed a few documents. Then he turned his attention to the screen again.
"Where are we headed?" Thix asked Hendrikson.
"We're making a beeline to the Hoth System for a rendezvous. After that, I don't know. Most of the ranking officials are supposed to be attending some kind of meeting. Doubt if you or I will be invited. One of those "Top Brass" deals."
"Right."
"We've got a few hours flight time left--relax if you can."
~General, I'm going to be serious, please hear me out. I know your expectations of me are not that great. But give me a chance to speak.~ Nal said over the com.
"OK, but make it quick."
~All right, I'm Master Skywalker and his Jedi students to Dantooine where a new academy and base can be constructed. I apologize sir, for my rudeness during the battle, but I was brought up to respect. I wish we could become better acquainted, but my duty is to my planet and to the Jedi Master Skywalker. It was a pleasure talking to you, farewell.~
"Goodbye Nal."
Neb, bored and looking for something to do on the Xenomorph, stopped by the infirmary. He'd had his nose and the few contusions from his crash treated upon arrival, but had insisted that he leave and make room for the scads of wounded that had been brought up from the surface. He was looking in on Thix, to see how he was doing, but Thix wasn't there. The droid told him that Thix had been released, so Neb made his way to the next most obvious place: the hangar.
He didn't find Thix there, but he did find a pair that he had been planning to talk to.
"Mr., Um, Hawk. How are you?"
The man he addressed looked up from the repairs he was doing on his ship to look at Neb.
"Yeah, fine. what's it to you . . . Wait. You're one of those guys we picked up on the surface. I hardly recognized you without the bruises all over your face. Say, you look good, all things considered. You spend some time in the Bacta?"
"No, just mind over matter."
"Yeah, well, whatever." He turned and yelled into the ship. "Hey, Nathan! That Twi'lek we picked up on the surface is here!"
Another man came out of the ship, wiping his hands on his shirt. "Hey, kid. How are you holding up?"
"I'm doing all right. Look, I don't have much time, we'll be to Hoth soon. I just wanted you guys to know that I appreciate the save down on Yavin. I was afraid that they were going to evacuate the academy and leave without us. I feel like I owe you, so here's a private com channel. If I can ever return the favor, let me know.
"Also, we obviously can't take you two to wherever it is that we're going, ultimately, but we can either drop you in the Hoth system, or General Bel Iblis told me that we can dispatch a transport to drop you at the system of your choice." They exchanged pleasantries, and then with a final set of thank you's, Neb shook the men's hands and took his leave, and moved on to the next person he wanted to see before reaching Hoth: the young woman who had saved his butt back on Yavin.
Thix switched his communications console off and meandered outside his room, heading for the recreation deck. He hadn't had much to eat for a long while, and thought it might be in his best interests to get some food.
He turned the corner heading for the turbo lift to that deck (very handy for him, as the hangar for Nemesis Squadron was right down the hall) and very nearly crashed into Grant.
"Yikes! Watch it, I just got these wounds patched up!" Thix said, joking. Grant held up his hands in defense.
"Whoah, you're the one who cut that corner. Where ya headed?"
"Mess hall. Gotta get something to eat before we arrive at..Hoth, I think. yeah, that's where Lance said. Anyway, besides snow ice cream I don't think they've got much in the way of restaurants down there."
"Heck, the Navy doesn't have much in the way of restaurants either." Grant remarked, referring to the mostly-tasteless food that was served on the ships. "If you ever get the chance, let's stop off at Corellia for some good food again sometime.
"Right." They entered the turbo lift and descended in silence; then exited and proceeded to the cafeteria. "Ah, the infamous 'Vegetable Stew' from twelve different planets." Grant said. "The cooks will never tell you exactly what vegetables they put in it, no matter how hard you ask or nag."
They grabbed some of the food and joined a group of pilots at a table.
Neb hit the door chime on Alia's quarters. "Come in!" came the call from within.
Neb stepped into the somewhat cramped space, and realized that they'd given her what must have been a storage closet with a cot in it. Understandable considering that one of the hangars had been converted into a first aid station. Alia looked up from something she was reading. "Oh! It's you!"
"Yeah, it is. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Neb Calluna, and your name is Alia." She looked a little startled that he knew who she was without hardly knowing her. The flight from the surface to the Xenomorph was a silent one, with Neb focusing more on accelerating the healing on Thix's wounds than getting to know the person who had scared off de Devastator's assassin.
"Don't worry, I didn't snatch anything from your mind, I just did a little research. I like to know as much as I can about the people who save my hide. Thanks by the way."
Neb flashed one of his premier smiles, and Alia found herself smiling in return. "So, what did you find out about me?"
"Well, I found out your name, and that you'd been shipped to the Academy because they didn't know what else to do with you. I found out that with the exception of the Skywalker you really weren't accepted at the Academy. Why that was so was a little more difficult to find out. Something about your past, and it involved the Dark Side. You wouldn't believe how classified some of the files on your past are."
"Classified? Why?"
"I don't know. But I couldn't access them, and a friend of mine is having difficulty as well."
Alia looked troubled. "Yeah, that's odd."
"Look, Alia, I don't care what happened in your past. Heck, I stole a Sovereign class Star Destroyer and nearly had my body taken over by a 10,000 year old Dark Side Master that makes the Emperor look like a toddler. When I was recuperating at the Academy, I was shunned by the others too."
"You're a student of Master Skywalker's?"
"No, I was a student of a Master named Tashannoc, but he recently promoted me to Jedi Knight." Alia started to look a little impressed, so Neb interjected, "It's not that big of a deal. It's just a title, after all. Really, I'm almost the same guy I was a couple of months ago." He smiled again. "Which isn't to say that the title isn't nice. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I don't care what happened in your past, it's the present that counts, and in the present you saved Thix and I by scaring off that assassin, and that makes you okay in my book."
They spent a few moments in uncomfortable silence, then Neb asked, "So, what are you planning on doing when we get to Hoth? Are you going with Luke and the others to Dantooine, or do you have other plans?"
Alia grimaced before answering. "Well, I suppose I'll go with Master Skywalker. I really don't have anywhere else and it would probably be best in the long run."
She slid over and motioned for Neb to sit down beside her. "Nowhere to go? I thought everybody came from somewhere."
"Yeah, well, I just pretty much go where I'm told to go or get taken. I only arrived at the Academy a few weeks ago, and a couple of those were spent in the jungle."
Neb smiled. "Why? Hiding out from someone among the Jedi?"
Alia smiled back. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. That's what the files were about, I'm sure, but I never guessed I was that important."
"Oh." Silence reigned again. "I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who got the silent treatment. I was beginning to feel like the crazy aunt they kept in the basement," she confided, looking down at her hand crossed in her lap. "Master Skywalker had told me that meeting people was the only thing I could do to get away from everything I left behind. The only things I really met was a bunch of "Holier Than Thou" attitudes. Sound familiar?"
The top secret Med Lab revealed little to betray its true, unique nature. The white seamless walls were embedded with banks of blue computer grids that twinkled continuously with medical data of every conceivable nature. In one corner, a Bacta tank of considerable size, bubbled and hummed, and in the opposing corner stood the most curious device. Encased in this device, as if mummified in glass, was the unconscious Rabyn Korender.
Two doctors and the ever present 21-B, stood before the device making calculations and arguing over last minute details. A separate bank of computers monitored Rabyn's vitals and another projected a wire frame holographic image of his body. The image rotated about an invisible axis, continuously.
Meanwhile, a pair of med techs hustled the hover gurney which held Gloudas Notchga's body, down the same hall Rabyn had traveled only hours before. They exchanged rushed conversation as they carted him into the lab and were greeted by the med team that had prepped Rabyn for "The Experiment."
"How's it look?" Queried one of the doctors. The other extracted a tissue sample from Gloudas' arm with a viability analyzer, noted the reading, and nodded approvingly.
"Put him in the tank for now." He said to the med techs and motioned towards the Bacta tank in the corner.
"This sample should be sufficient for our purposes at the moment. We need to keep his tissues viable, though." He warned.
With that both doctors returned to the crystalline cocoon that held Rabyn, delivering the promising tissue sample to 21-B, who in turn, took over the final steps of the process, inputting the sample into the device.
Holoimprint Systems have been engaged. Please wait. Tissue viability verification sequence initiated. Came the sound of a pleasant, but synthesized female voice.
The two doctors looked at each other nervously and then back at the monitors.
Analyzation completed. Viable tissue sample confirmed. Wire frame Imprint in progress. Please note the Holowire.
The doctors were joined by the returning med techs and all, with the exception of 21-B, swiveled to view the rotating Holowire, standing perfectly still as if frozen in that precise moment of time, transfixed on the rotating image of Rabyn. Slowly at first, the wire frame began to fill in, sector by sector, with tissues, body hair, distinguishing features. When the entire process completed, many breathless moments later, the wire frame held the exact likeness of Gloudas Notchga.
Holowire Imprint successful. Please wait. Holographic Imprint procedure commencing. Genetic sequencer initiated. Subject Korender.
"Yeah, it does sound familiar." Neb reflected for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "On the other hand, I have to admit that I wasn't the most cordial either. By the time I started to really recover, my squad mates were there. They were all guys I'd known for years, so I really didn't need to have those other trainees around. If I'd have known that Thix was there, I probably would have taken the time to see him for a while, but I was called off to a mission shortly after he arrived. I guess you showed up not long after that, huh?"
"Yes, I did. I suppose that one of the things that made it hardest was that I didn't really had a friend around like you did. The Skywalker's are nice, but I didn't know them, and they didn't know me." Alia stopped, still uncomfortable talking about herself. Afraid that she might say something that she didn't want to say, she changed the subject. "So what about you? I suppose you aren't going to Dantooine, being a Knight and all. Do you have any plans?"
"Well, I have my squadron to take care of. That's really my primary concern." Neb's head tails twitched in sorrow as he thought of the two friends that had died in the fighting, knowing that they were only the tip of the ice burg. "We lost four out of nine ships, and I lost two good men. They'll be hard spaces to fill. Actually, I've been considering expanding Omega to a full squadron of 12 ships, which means I'll have a lot of tryouts, especially after our performance at Yavin. I think we had one of the highest kill to loss ratios in the fleet. On the other hand, I'd trade allot of those kills for a couple less losses." Now it was Neb's turn to change the subject. "You know, I'm not sure that the students at the Academy are all that bad. I mean, if you take them at face value, you're doing the same thing they are: Judging them without knowing them. Really, they're just scared of something they don't know about. And when you get right down to it, the Dark Side isn't such a bad thing to be cautious about." Neb paused and waited for her response.
"How far are we from Hoth?" Lance asked an ensign on the bridge of the Xenomorph.
"We've just passed the halfway point, sir. We should be arriving not too long from now." The tech turned back to his screen. Lance opened a channel with the Lightbringer to check on their makeshift repairs.
"Lightbringer? Major Hendrikson. How are the repairs to your hull going?" Some of the technicians on the ship were fixing and bolstering the damaged armor on the ship.
"Repairs are proceeding on schedule. We have completed the repairs to the shielding systems."
"Good." Lance shut down the link and sat wearily in his command chair.
Alia sighed and adverted her eyes again to her hands. "I know. It's just that..well, I suppose you could say I have a fear of trusting people."
"I can understand, but you can trust these people. Most of them are probably in the same freighter you are."
"Thanks, but I really doubt it. I don't close to anyone and they can't hurt me." Tears glittered in her eyes, threatening to spill over. As she spoke, she realized that she had let something of herself go no one had ever heard before. "I met one of the trainees, I don't even know his name, but he was friendly and kind until I told him who I really was. Then he started avoiding me."
Neb grimaced, knowing that that first impression had probably walled her up to the others. "So who are you really, Alia?"
Alia stood quickly and turned her back on him as tears spilled down her face. "I can't say."
As he watched her back, Neb realized just why all her files had been so classified. Someone or someone close to her must have done something horrible, and that was why she was here, trying to undo what had happened. And no one had understood, including herself, how much damage had been done. "Look," he said, walking over to stand beside her, "Thix and I are both extremely grateful to you and we're not going to hurt you because someone else who didn't know you did. I'm sure the others feel the same way, but you've got to trust them for them to trust you."
"I know. It's just going to be something that's going to take me a time to get used to."
Yavin IV, a scene of massive violence for the last few days, had been quiet for several hours. Drop ships had been performing the task of retrieving the troops and TIE squadrons had been performing recon patrols, scanning for any remaining/surviving rebels. None were found; the rebel evacuation had been complete.
Stormtrooper Commander Jelvin Krith stood next to the smoking ruins of the main temple, the main site of the Jedi Academy. "I understand, General Tamar," he spoke into his com mic, "I will hold 5 squads of stormtroopers and two squads of Julayps behind to serve as protection for the team. Everyone else is being retrieved as scheduled."
As an afterthought, he added, "Would there be a problem if I remained behind as well?"
~Yes, there would be a problem with that commander. We are to meet with the top officers of this mission for a debriefing,~ came the reply. ~I know you won't have much to say, but we're under orders, I'm afraid.~
"Sith's Blood!" Krith cursed. "The last thing I want is to sit with several bureaucrats in over starched uniforms who have no recollection of the sights and scents of battle." He turned to his lieutenant, stormtrooper #ZD-886, and filled him in on the situation. "You're in command until I return or until you are retrieved from this moon, lieutenant."
"Yes sir." the trooper replied.
Once on board the Xenomorph, Hawk and Nathan stayed near the Lumchugger in the hangar. They did need to perform some repairs on the stabilizers, so they worked on the freighter.
At one point, they took a break. While Hawk sat on the deck and leaned against a landing strut guzzling a bottle of lum, Nathan played with Arionis. The game was similar to "fetch," but it had one variation. Nathan would throw the object (this time it was a ball), Arionis would run after it and grab it in his mouth, then Nathan would run like hell to get away from the valdrekel. Arionis looked forward to returning the ball to Nathan so much that he could not resist tackling his master.
"Arionis! Stop!" Nathan cried as the huge canine knocked the man down nearly effortlessly.
Hawk laughed as he stood from his spot. "No offense Nate, but that beast receives commands from you so often and obeys them so little. I thought you were good with animals."
"We've been over this before Hawk." Nathan responded. "When it really matters, Arionis knows when it is vital to obey my commands. When we are playing, it isn't that big a deal."
Just then a woman wearing a rebel uniform approached them. "Excuse me. I hope I am not interrupting anything."
"Not at all, Lieutenant Caleer." Hawk said all too enthusiastically. It was clear that he was fond of the woman.
Becky smiled and walked a little closer. "I just wanted to thank you both again for showing up to help at the last second."
Nathan jumped in before Hawk could respond. "You have me to thank for that Lieutenant. We were ambushed by a Ssi-ruuvi scout cruiser after we dropped you off on Bakura. We performed a dangerous blind jump to get away from the bird-lizards, then I found that Yavin was the closest system to where we were."
Becky only nodded as she crouched down to pet Arionis. The animal licked her face as she spoke. "Whatever the circumstances, I'm grateful that you were there to help out."
"So we're heading to Hoth?" Hawk masterfully changed the subject.
Becky nodded again. "Yes. Then you two are going to have to be on your own. You'll be asked to launch from the hangar once we reach Hoth. Your ship will be completely refueled, and your stores will be restocked. We will wait until your ship jumps to light speed then we will leave for our destination." She stood up from Arionis and turned to walk away, then stopped and turned back around. "You boys be careful out there. I hear there's a bounty on your heads."
"You call that a bounty?" Nathan chuckled. "No self-respecting hunter would waste his time with us."
Becky smiled again, and waved. "Regardless, it's an unfriendly galaxy out there. May the Force be with you both."
Hawk and Nathan looked at the woman as she walked away, then at each other, and finally responded as she entered the turbo lift. "You too." they called in unison.
Domino had been working with the six Jedi students who had surrendered to his army on Yavin IV since returning to the Pride of de Devastator. He had tested them each, in turn, in one-on-one lightsaber combat, and he had assessed their abilities well, then he had asked them to attack him in groups of three with lightsaber to determine their ability to work in teams. In truth, they needed some training, and that would take some work.
As the last of the Jedi trainees picked himself up off the floor, Rayla burst into the room. The students were startled by her sudden appearance, but Domino had apparently been aware of her arrival. Reaching out with the Force, Rayla grabbed a lightsaber from a student and called it to her hand. Engaging it, she pointed to one of the students. "You!" she said. "Attack me with all of your skill!"
Thinking this to be another test, the Jedi student, Judas, stood from where he sat and eagerly prepared to attack the assassin. He drew upon the Force to guide his blade as he assumed an entirely offensive stance and closed in on Rayla. He struck fiercely at his opponent, who clumsily fought hard to parry his attacks. In only 30 seconds, Judas had disarmed Rayla and had her on the ground looking at the tip of his lightsaber.
"My Lord," Rayla implored, "I must learn to use the lightsaber."
Domino was unable to respond for several seconds. He had thought her request for lightsaber training while on Yavin IV had been due to her fighting someone who was merely better than her with the Jedi weapon. What he saw when she sparred with Judas (who he had determined had low, but reasonably promising skill with the lightsaber), was someone who had little or no ability with the device.
"Very well, my beloved prize." He held out his hand to her and helped her off the floor. "We shall begin your lightsaber training immediately."
The Sith archaeologists were back in force on Yavin IV. Domino had charged them with the task of examining every last meter of every remaining temple, mapping the temples, and surveying them. They were quick with their work. Stormtroopers and Julayps were patrolling in earnest as the Sith initiates worked, and TIES flew overhead in a constant state of vigilance.
In only 28 hours, the team of archaeologists, surveyors, and architects had completed their work. The only task they had not been successful with was finding any more Sith scrolls or artifacts, but the Dark Lord had told them not to expect anything like that.
Within an hour of collecting the final squads of stormtroopers from the Jedi moon, both Alpha and Omega Battle Groups blasted off into hyperspace, returning to Deominia.
Domino met with two of the Sith scholars who had been involved in the mapping of the temples on Yavin IV.
"And you say that you went into each surviving temple, into every last room and nook, mapping every last detail?" de Devastator asked
"Yes, my Lord." Sith Lord Westrom Beale answered. "We didn't want to miss a thing, so we went over every last meter twice, to be sure we were being thorough."
The other person in the room, Sith Lady Roma Allanse added her thoughts. "Lord de Devastator, it is evident that the Alliance sought to prevent us from gaining access from the temple for one reason or another. I believe that some among them thought we would find Sith devices or writings. I think they acted out of ignorance or fear. Regardless, what we did gain is the blueprints for a major project that can begin in earnest once we reach Deominia."
Domino digested these words for several seconds as he met Roma's cold gaze. Then he inhaled sharply and asked, "What project can we begin, Lady Roma?"
Roma did not buckle. She saw the opportunity to gain Domino's approval and went for it. "We should build temples such as the ones found on Yavin IV on Deominia."
Domino smiled. 'The thought sounds good to him.' Roma thought.
Then Domino shook his head. "No, I cannot allow such a thing." Roma and Westrom sat with their mouths gaping wide open. Domino continued, "To do such a thing could be construed as a desecration to Deominian soil. The people could revolt."
"Let them!" Sith Lord Beale shouted. "Constructing temples of this nature could grant us all such magnification of power that we could crush anyone who oppose....."
Westrom Beale clutched at his throat, then fought hard to open a passage in his wind pipe to be able to breathe again. "Westrom, I could destroy you where you sit for arguing this with me. We will NOT be building these temples on Deominia. Am I understood, or do you need further convincing."
The Sith Lord was silent for several seconds, then finally found enough air to reply. "I....un..der..stand....my..Lord."
Holoimprint process completed. Have a nice day. Droned the computer's synthesized female voice.
The med team peered through the multi-faceted glass encasement that cradled Rabyn Korenders' unconscious form. Hesitantly, one of the doctors signaled 2-1B to open the glass sarcophagus. As the lid slid away, the hissing sound of pneumatic seals releasing, echoed in the otherwise breathless room. Inside was Rabyn, totally nude, and bearing the most remarkable likeness to Gloudas Notchga. The only missing features were Gloudas' coiffure--the waist length braid, and the countless loops and studs, which had hitherto fore, pierced his body in a variety of places--some pleasant, some not.
"Success!" Shouted one of the doctors, after recovering from the initial shock. "Contact headquarters. Tell them The Experiment was a success and they can pick up Captain Korender.....I mean Notchga, this evening say around.....18.00 standard time." He declared, motioning excitedly to the com station. A med tech ran off to fulfill the doctor's request. The remainder of the team shook hands, congratulating one another on the success of the experiment. The doctors were especially proud since the Holoimprint device had been their pet project, assigned to them by Rebellion headquarters, passed down from some portion of the Top Secret division. The endless hours of struggle and calculation had paid off and the Rebellion had taken a mighty leap forward in the fields of espionage and science, jointly.
After the congratulatory mood had eased into a relaxed state of satisfaction on a job well done, the med team's preparations for the final leg of the experiment began in earnest.
The med techs took over now, dressing and adorning Rabyn in the apropos attire and embellishments. To finish the Gloudas "look", a third med tech arrived, shaved Rabyn's hair from the sides of his head, and then braided the thick, black mane into a single-weaved strand. When at last they stepped back to view their handiwork, all were aghast at the change. Beyond all doubt---Rabyn Korender had become Gloudas Notchga.
"It's remarkable!" Exclaimed a med tech.
"Indeed it is," replied a doctor in answer, "However, the real test is yet to come." He paused for a moment. ".....Yes the real test is whether or not they can convince him that he IS Gloudas Notchga." The doctor shook his head. I hope the Force is with them on this one....."
Neb was just about to reply when his wrist com chimed. He looked at it and swore.
"What is it?" Alia asked.
"We're coming up on Hoth, ought to be there in less than an hour. I need to get to my shuttle. I just don't want you to think that I'm ditching out on you."
"No, that's all right. Get to your shuttle. I appreciate that you would talk to me at all."
"Hey, it's the least I could do for someone who saved my life. There's going to be a memorial service before everyone goes their separate ways. Will I see you there?"
"Maybe."
"All right. I promise that the next time we see each other we'll have more time to talk. Deal?"
"It's a deal."
With that, Neb left her quarters, and hustled down the unfamiliar hallways in search of the bay that held his shuttle.
The Top Secret Rebel Facility was small and non-descript, all things considered. Even camouflage was nigh unto unnecessary. The few buildings erected on the site, were so dismally plain and inconsequential, that most who saw them gave them little heed, if at all. Still, precautionary measures had been taken when the word came in that Yavin IV was undergoing an Imperial invasion. All systems had been put on emergency alert: computers shut down, emergency generators kicked in, com channels were closed, and exterior lighting was extinguished.
A solitary siren sounded the alert, echoing down the only hallway in the Lab's structure. The med team scurried about, finishing the final preparations for Rabyn Korender's transport, and then made their way to a secluded and nominally secure, underground holding facility.
Headquarters notified them of the invasion just prior to the shutdown of the com system, assigned them their own mission, and verified the arrival of a medical transport....someday. Apparently, the situation had become a grave one indeed.
The call for the medical transport was rendered moot with the arrival of the Imperial troops who crashed their way through the Yavin IV buildings. The hidden Rebel medical facility was overrun by several squads of stormtroopers.
A few of the medical technicians put up a great fight, and the four rebel guards fought valiantly, but in the end the stormtroopers took the bunker.
Two of the doctors and one medical technician were taken into custody. A stormtrooper lieutenant was overseeing the handling of the prisoners. "That's good, and what about that man laying over there on the table?"
Two stormtroopers approached the table Rabyn Korender was laying on. "Sir, this man is alive."
"Then we take him as well." the lieutenant declared. "Whether he is a rebel getting his tonsils removed or just an ordinary sick man makes no difference. Now then, tear this facility apart and confiscate anything that looks important."
Aria spent as much time as possible in the cockpit of Bandork's Revenge. The ship only had about 35 people aboard so none of the illegal compartments needed to be used. Aria was drifting when the intercom went off, again. 'I hate Jedi!' she thought and stormed out to the main area. Most of the students were sleeping and Tenel Ka was no where in sight. No wonder they were out of control. "Who did that? Who turned on the intercom for the fifteenth time in less than two hours? Who?"
"I'm sorry, I was just practicing pushing the button," the boy said.
"Look, Jedi student, or whatever you answer to. I swear if you touch or not touch anything else in this ship, I will jettison you out of the airlock!"
"You can't do that in hyperspace," the boy said defiantly.
"For you, I will make an exception." Aria growled, her face two nanometers from the boy's face.
"You wouldn't dare. Master Skywalker wouldn't allow it," he shot back.
"You little xerana! I ought to-" she lunged for the boy's neck just as a hand firmly reached out to hold her shoulder.
"Mycha! Aria! What is going on here?" Luke asked, sternly.
Normally at that tone of voice Aria would be ashamed of her behavior but she was past her limit of patience.
"Your little Jedi clones, especially this one, seem to take great delight in playing with the friggin intercom button. As a matter of fact, they have made it into one of your famous Jedi studies. Irritating little mucouses!"
"Mycha?" Luke said, looking at his student.
"But master, I was just practicing turning on and off the switches. None of the other buttons are really safe to push but the intercom." Mycha quickly protested.
"How bout I push you off the ship?" Aria suggested.
"Aria, calm. Mycha, apologize for bothering Aria. Then I want you to go sit down and look at your studies on the data reader. You are behind anyway."
"Yes master." He turned to Aria, and reluctantly added, "I'm sorry Aria."
"I'm sure you are."
"Aria, I appreciate all you've done for us and appreciate your patience, but you still seem to let that anger surface too quickly. Though he may be irritating at times, I doubt Mycha is the source of the problem."
Aria remained silent, maybe Luke would give up on this fishing expedition and allow the remaining hour of hyperspace travel to go in silence.
"Aria Te, what is it?" Luke felt he had given her her space for long enough, now it was time to find out what was going on. "I will not relent so you may as well answer me."
"Don't you have students you have to go terrorize or something? Even if you don't, I have some important things to do so if you will excuse me." Aria marched towards the cockpit but Luke was right behind her.
He ignored her sarcasm, it was too common in her to take with any merit. "Aria, you were a good student, you only had a few more tasks to complete to become a Jedi Knight. Why did you leave?"
"I got bored."
"I'm not going away."
"Is Tenel Ka a Jedi Knight yet?"
"I would believe so."
"How is her grandmother?"
"Fine," Luke answered, confused. What did Ta'a Chume have to do with this?
"Well, some people have all the luck." she shrugged. "Master Skywalker, there are certain things I am sure Tenel Ka doesn't know because I didn't find out until just before I left. It would have reflected badly on Tenel Ka and her mother and possible their ability to take over when Tenel Ka's grandmother finally died. If the Force is ever that lucky, that is one mean old lady. I left because of those things, it had nothing to do with the Academy."
"Tenel Ka believed it had something to do with her but she wasn't sure what. Please explain." Luke said, more than curious. He might have to speak to Ta' a Djo and see what she said to this girl.
"I can't right now."
He could tell she was not letting down that wall. "Well, tell me how you wound up in the Yavin System."
"A streak of bad luck. Hopefully, I can distance myself from it after I drop you guys off on Dantooine."
"Domino De Devastator."
"Is going to have my head if he ever catches me. Put it simply, I snuck into his Deominian cloud, survived, got drafted into a hair brain scheme to come to Yavin for some Sith Artifacts, I jumped ship and the rest is history."
"Hmm, I don't think it would be good for you to leave Dantooine just yet. Would you mind staying a while longer?"
"I can take care of myself." she said, but with little conviction. He was right, that poor girl Dawn didn't get very far and she was now his prize pupil. The entire planet was buzzing about it.
"Aria, don't argue. It's not safe and that is final."
"I'll think about it."
"There is nothing to think about." Luke said as he stood and laid a hand on her shoulder. "No one will mind. In fact, I think everyone would benefit from your company."
"I guess you don't want calm, sane students then." Aria said, laughing.
"Believe it or not, people like you." He said as he walked out.
Neb just barely made it to the shuttle before the fleet came out of hyperspace, and was on the Peregrine quickly. His squadron mates were there to meet him when he landed, with a mixture of gratitude that he was okay, and anger that he and Jeffy had covered up his condition (apparently, the grilling Neb received was only half as bad as Jeffy's had been). After a brief reunion, the group (short two of their members and feeling the loss) attended the Memorial service. It was a brief service, and very somber. Most of those attending had the feeling of having attended too many of these, especially when each one hurt as much as the last. It was something that most never became callous toward. Memories of a friend's fighter disintegrating around him, while all you could do is watch, or even worse, of men being decimated by blaster fire, played through everyone's minds. Neb tried to find Alia in the crowd, but was unsuccessful. Once he thought he caught a glimpse, but couldn't be sure.
After the ceremony, the Jedi were all transferred to the Uther's Scepter, which left for Dantooine. The two freighter pilots were long gone, so the fleet was free to leave. Bel Iblis passed on his thanks to Major Hendrikson for his timely arrival, then watched as the Major's ships departed. Neb watched this exchange from the bridge, and waited until Bel Iblis acknowledged him.
"Yes, Captain Calluna, what can I do for you?"
"Sir, if you'll excuse my curiosity, I was wondering where we are going?"
"Well, I'm not sure about Major Hendrikson, but I suspect he'll be going to the Kashyyyk orbital base for repairs. We are in need of more serious repairs overall, so I had a different destination in mind." "Where might that be sir?"
"Patience, Captain. I'll call you up here when we arrive."
Two Hours Later...
Neb answered a call up to the bridge. The general signaled toward an empty seat, and smiled. "Enjoy the show, Captain. I think you should be pleasantly surprised."
The blue sheen of hyperspace disappeared, and real space filled the view screen. Neb's eyes popped as he watched a swarm of ships, Frigates, fighters, MC80's and even the last remaining MC-2600. What really surprised him was the planet they were orbiting, a beautiful blue pearl amidst the black of space.
"Wait . . ." he sputtered, "That's not . . . It can't be . . . ."
Garm was outright grinning by now, glad that his surprise had its desired effect, not only on Neb but on most of the bridge crew. "Yes it is, son. Mon Calamari. Reports of its demise were greatly exaggerated."
Luke went back to his seat and sat beside Mara, she smiled at him, "Is Aria going to stay?"
"Yes." Mara smiled, she frowned when she thought of the six Jedi that had left. "I wonder how Alia is, I feel bad that we didn't get to her."
Luke nodded, "She's OK, she's on board as we speak."
Bjiatocah sized up her men. This wasn't too hard, as all of them were about half her height. The Zuu Shi commando's were quite a surprise upon her arrival on her brother's new base of operations. Apparently, the group had been working together for years, and worked well as a team. However, their activities had made them virtual outcasts in the peaceful Zuu Shi society, despite the fact that they had saved dozens of their brethren from certain doom.
The group consisted of a pilot, a medic, a munitions expert, a demolitions expert, a communications expert, and a couple of guys who were just all around good soldiers. Their leader had been killed in their most recent skirmish, right before being brought here. Now her brother had assigned her as their new commander, and it was up to her to whip them into shape. She activated the remote combat drones in the woods to their north, and sent her men out to stop them before they got to the base. This was just a test of their abilities as a team, so that she knew where to emphasize their training.
Time to start the exercise. "All right, GO!"
"Ah'm sick of all this playin' around, Wookiee!" Dalon Marr was, to put it lightly, pissed off. He'd been kept for weeks grounded on Kashyyyk, then his ship had been practically hijacked, his navicomp erased, and now he was stuck in the middle of who knows where on some planet that probably had never shown up on any chart in history. "Ah'm nay yer ferry service, and ah'm nay a messenger boy either!"
Tashannoc sat calmly, the translation device over his mouth hiding his amusement. "Mr. Marr, I really do apologize for the inconvenience you've had. However, the reason I've brought you here isn't just to run a message for me. Once you get there, I have something special planned for you, to pay you back for helping Lerma out." Tashannoc went on to describe his plan, and by the end, Marr was nodding.
"All right. Ah admit that yer offer's temptin'. Ah'll give it a try. But Ah'll warn ye, yer nay to tell another soul where Ah am. Ah've some secret's Ah'd rather nay have out.
"Now, what's yer message."
"Okay, once you arrive on Imperial Center, check into any hotel you want in Imperial City itself. My man will find you. You are to tell him two words. The first is the message for him: Sideslip. The second will get you what you want. That's Red Rain. However, if the only message you give him is Red Rain, then you'll never see the light of day again. Understood?"
"Aye, Ah understand. When do ah leave?"
"A transport will take you out of the system. You will stay in the hold until you are let go. You'll be provided with your location, and a well calculated route to Imperial Center from your location. Your ship has already been loaded, and you can leave whenever you are ready."
"Well, only a few more minutes now," Sammy thought to himself, "though I'm not sure why I'm still going."
Sammy had spent the last couple days fixing his hyper drive that had blown just a half a day out of the base. It was jury-rigged well enough, for now, but would need some major work before he felt safe in using it at full power. This had delayed Sammy's arrival to Yavin 4, and most likely killed any chance of battle.
Dejected, but still a bit hopeful, Sammy pulled the hyper drive back and watched the stars revert into points of light. Sammy gasped at the scene lay out before him. It looked like the entire Imperial and Rebel forces had fought it out. Now, only the Imperial fleet remained over what looked like a devastated planet. A dark cloud fell over Sammy. Yavin 4, home of the new generation of Jedi, captured by the empire, who knows how many dead, or worse captured.
Sammy again hit the hyper drive knowing there was nothing he could do here except get himself killed. Hopefully it was not as bad as it looked. Hopefully the Rebellion would continue. Sammy had a bad feeling about it, though.
After a short jump, Sammy came out of hyperspace and checked his navicomp. "Hmm, Dantooine is a half a day away, though it would take me a bit longer. I think there's still a rebel base there. I could get some supplies and repairs done there, and maybe some news." Sammy set the coordinates and shot off into a dim future.
Alia sat alone on the ship heading out to the new Jedi Academy, wherever it was. Talking with Neb had given her a totally new perspective on things, but she wasn't ready to face the crowds just yet. She had almost gone to the memorial service on Hoth, but it really didn't seem right since she hadn't known anyone who had died in the fighting. And as the Jedi students had all been joyfully reunited, she had hung back in the shadows.
Thankfully, Alia had lost most of everything that had made her just the Sith lord's daughter when Yavin 4 had been abandoned. With everything going on, she hadn't realized that she had left nearly everything she owned, mostly things her father had given her, in the Jedi temple. The only things she had left in her name anymore were the lightsaber, 2 sets of clothing, and a blaster and the lightsaber was the only thing that really reminded her of the past. That fact and the conversation forced her to realize that she needed to really get on with her life.
And that's what she was going to do. No one had to know about everything that had happened, but the person she had become now was someone totally different than the child that had been pulled out of Kethren Trynyty's fortress not that long ago. She wasn't anyone's pawn or plaything, she was her own person and it was time she started acting like it.
Aria set down her ship in the massive hangar of the Wildcat, the group of Jedi left and Aria breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank the Force that they are gone."
Luke stepped up to her with Mara next to him. I'm glad you have decided to come with us.
Mara nodded as Aria answered, "Just don't get used to having me around."
"Luke!" The shout made him turn around, and he saw Kyp Durron shoving his way through the crowd to reach him. When he finally reached Luke's side, the first words out of his mouth were, "I need to talk to you, Luke. It's about Marina." The pain in his voice and eyes were unmistakable, and Luke could almost feel his grief. He looked tired and slightly disheveled, as though he hadn't slept in a long time.
"You look terrible," Mara commented in concern. "Why don't you lay down and you can tell us everything."
Kyp smiled wanly. "Yeah, everything."
Kyp walked to the nearest seat. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything, but this is important."
Luke shook his head and Mara folded her arms, "No Kyp, it's fine. Tell me, what happened to Marina?"
Kyp sat down on a futon across from the bed, "I felt her presence swallowed by the dark side. I felt our youngest daughter die!" Kyp broke down and wept, "She went with that, that, Domino De Devastator."
Mara whispered, "She could turn out just like her father."
"Mara, it's OK, we can get her back."
But she had already got up to walk out, "I need a minute alone, I'll let you guys talk for a while." Mara walked out of the chamber, she went down to the deck and gazed at the vast expanse of hyperspace.
Neb glanced into the cafe where his squadron mates were getting to know each other. In the weeks since they'd arrived at Mon Calamari, he'd been stuck in every kind of debriefing, meeting and whatever else you wanted to call those torture sessions, that he could imagine. Most had to do with the debacle at Yavin IV. Neb knew that if he were just a squadron leader, he wouldn't be under such scrutiny. But he wasn't. He was a Jedi Knight, and the Jedi more than anyone else were being scrutinized for what happened.
Not all of his time was being monopolized by his superiors, however. He had gotten some more O wings, and the pilots needed to fly them. He now had a full squadron of 12 fighters, instead of the 9 he had before. Of those twelve, half were new members, and the squad hadn't gotten a chance to gel yet. Jeffy, as usual, was facilitating an easy transition. Neb briefly thought about promoting Jeffy and giving him his own squad, but knew that Jeffy would turn it down. Neb decided to put some serious thought into how to reward his friend.
There was another squad member who deserved some looking after as well. Lt. Fel had performed admirably both in the sky and on the ground. Neb had just put in papers to have the young man promoted from Second to First Lieutenant, and was planning on giving him a leadership position within the squad. If all worked out well, Neb expected that Fel would have his own command within a year.
Neb was just about to join his friends in the cafe, sit back, relax, have a cup of his warm cafeinated beverage of choice, and have some fun, when an aide tapped him on the shoulder.
"The Admiral is ready for you, Captain."
'No time for fun', Neb thought. 'It's back to the business of war'.
One week after the Alpha and Omega Battle Groups returned to Deominia, the Dark Lord of the Sith found himself spending a great deal of time in study and in meditation. The Sith scrolls Domino had acquired on Yavin IV were full of ancient rituals and knowledge long forgotten, and he was already feeling the focus of the power. As Domino came out of a state of meditative rage, he experienced a vision of Darkness and death.
"Martel!" the Dark Lord cried out in anger. "There is no safe haven for you, or your Nerakan master!"
The state of affairs on Deominia for the next several weeks were chaotic, but ultimately the entropy gave way to order and Domino de Devastator had assembled his assault squads of Julayps and Sith warriors for the impending mission.
"Repairs to the aft section of the Lightbringer have been completed, sir." A man's face said on a screen. "We've repaired the shielding and installed new turbolasers to the area, and welded new armor over the job. All it needs now is a new paint job!"
Lance grinned. The Lightbringer was now fully functional again--save for the aforementioned much-needed paint job. The Mon Calamari cruiser had suffered heavy damage in the second battle of Yavin, and was just finishing up it's time in repair at the orbital station over Kashyyyk. Most of the crews and pilots were either on the base or on Kashyyyk.
Lance himself had not done much in the past time except write letters of consolidation to families whose kin had died and read applications to squadrons from pilots who were eager to fill empty slots in the various squadrons that had taken losses.
Still, it WAS nearing later evening, so Lance dropped his mighty pen and turned off his comlink, and settled down for a single night of relaxation, one that was long overdue.
Sammy finished the last gulp of his ale and sat back. Repairs to the Cat would take another 6 hours so he decided to enjoy the local decor. Unfortunately, Dantooine was not a heavily populated planet with a small almost forgotten rebel base, a few towns, and not much else. No one had even heard of the massacre over Yavin IV. Details coming in were still sketchy.
Sammy ordered another ale and pondered his future or if he had one at all. Two men came in and, the bar being rather empty, came over to Sammy's table.
"Mind if we join you?"
Sammy pointed to the seat next to him. "Go for it, though I probably won't be much company."
The two sat down and ordered a pitcher of lager. "I'm Carl, this is Tyrrin," one of them said.
Sammy introduced himself. "You seem a bit gloomy, I guess you heard about Yavin."
"Yeah, I was there, for about 30 seconds anyway. My hyper drive blew on the way there, and I got there in time to see half the Imperial Navy surrounding the planet."
"Yeah, I heard it was pretty rough."
"You don't seem too upset about it," Sammy eyed the man cautiously.
The man chuckled. "I guess you haven't heard the other news. Cheer up, the rebellion is far from over. Tyrrin heard from a friend of his that was at the battle. After the Alliance fleet fled to Hoth the bulk of it went to another forgotten world," the man gestured to include the surroundings, "though for a different reason. It seems the Imps are not the only ones with good propaganda."
Sammy raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"You heard about the destruction of Mon Calamari, right?"
"Yeah, some force witch blew it up with a super laser." Then it clicked. "Hey, you don't mean..."
Carl and Tyrrin nodded together. "It's alive and doing well, ship building yards intact."
Sammy was almost speechless. "That's great! I don't believe it!" Sammy fell off his seat laughing. "Holy cripes! With some more MCC's we could really take it to the imps!"
"Well, the war is still a long way from over, but things are definitely not as bad as they seem."
"Hey, what about the Jedi?"
"I think most of them got off, a few were captured which could be bad news if Palpatine get's a hold of them." Rumors of Vader's terror still ran rampant through Sammy's head as he cringed.
"Well, it certainly brightens my day. I thought I was gonna half to go into hiding or something. Thanks a lot!" Sammy paid for his beer and the pitcher and headed back towards the hanger. He had to see if the rumor was true. Mon Calamari, alive and well, and Yavin not a total loss. Yes, the future is looking up...
Aria took a deep breath and let it out slowly as Bandork's Revenge gave its final purr before shutting down. This had been the first time in weeks that she had totally to herself physically, emotionally and definitely mentally. So much had happened that she had difficulty sorting out destiny from fault. She was still wondering should she stay or bolt for the safety and quiet the stars offered her, the same promise of safety they offered her as a child. But now, she was settled inside a ship, heading back on a path she been on before.
'The Academy!' Well the new Academy anyways. The old one now laid in piles of rubble, scattered all over the jungle. There would probably be brush fires for weeks because of the explosion. But like the dead animals that saved Aria and Tenel Ka's life, it had to be done for the sake of the Jedi and Alliance. Frustrated, Aria shut off the cock pit lights and headed aft to check the damage to her ship. That A wing pilot did a great job of keeping her ship from being harmed but Bandork's Revenge still received a few seasoned stings from enemy ships on the way out of system.
The ships diagnostics showed little interior damage and most repairs were so routine she had plenty of time to muse and brood.
'Why am I here? I need to leave, I should leave, why won't I leave?' "You can't make me stay!" she yelled, her voice hollow and trapped, echoed back towards her. "Domino! He is keeping me here. I can't leave until I am sure he won't hunt me down all over this stinking universe." If she stayed she would be safe from Domino for a while, but soon someone was going to pry into her training and her past and it will be Hapes all over again. Ta'a Chume staring at her with those cold eyes, casually sipping that disgusting broth they make for her, all the while tearing away the little bit of life Aria Te managed to put together. Aria couldn't see the old woman's face and the guard's fingers pressed so hard into her shoulders that she flinched in pain, preventing her from getting up from the table. The hall smelled too flowery, the people too perfect, the air too clean, everything was too much. Her mother's life was told, by a woman Aria learned to hate with all the venom of a snake. Aria had no claim to be Jedi, she deserved to be dead, she--.
"I gotta get out of here!" The ship suddenly felt like it was closing in on her. She needed to put some sealant on the ship outside, and reluctantly snatched up her tool kit and stomped down the ramp to the underside of the ship. The real work was here and Aria threw herself into to break into her thoughts.
"Has anyone seen Aria?" Tenel Ka asked for the thousandth time. Why did it feel like five years ago with her chasing after Aria yet again. Once again no one had seen her...it figured. That girl could remain hidden for weeks and no one would notice she was missing--except Tenel Ka.
"Try the hanger bay." A male's voice answered. Tenel Ka did not recognize him. "Thank You Mr.?"
"Name's Niah, Miles Niah."
"As I said, thank you." Tenel Ka turned to leave.
"I don't think that girl Aria wants company right now. She looks a little upset, if you know what I mean."
Tenel Ka considered his suggestion very carefully. "Thank you for warning me. At least I will be better prepared for any outburst then."
"You two seem close, do you know what's with the wall she's got erected."
"I believe you should ask her yourself."
"Thanks, but no! I have already looked down the other end of a blaster the last time I commented on her appearance. I think she would shoot me if I asked anything personal."
"So why do you ask me?"
"Like I said, you two seem close."
"Appearances can be deceiving." Tenel Ka said as she turned to head towards the hanger bay.
"Well, good luck. Let me know if she is in a better mood, then I might ask her."
"I will Mr. Niah."
"Are you hungry?"
Aria jumped. She hadn't heard anyone approaching, but then again she really wasn't listening. Her body relaxed slightly at the sight of Tenel Ka wearing Jedi Robes. "What's with the outfit?"
"I only grabbed what was essential so most of my things were destroyed in the blasting of the main Temple."
"Oh, well, I'm not used to seeing you in such distinguishing apparel. I guess I won't be able to borrow much clothing from you then."
"We can shop in the city for clothing."
"Look Tenel Ka, I know I blew whatever friendship we had when I blasted off Hapes. You don't have to be nice or even acknowledge me if you don't want to. I'll stay in the ship and out of the way."
"Aha, this explains the isolation. We could make this situation extremely uncomfortable or we can move on to more important matters."
"Like what?"
"Like stewed eita and biscuits. I am, as Jacen would say, starved."
Aria had to smile, "since when did you develop a sense of humor?"
"Jacen has had many affects on me. Some have even been positive. Shall we go eat Aria Ka, my friend?"
"I guess so, let me go clean up a bit and I'll be out in a little while."
Running to meet with Tenel Ka, Aria asked, "so who is cooking the stew?"
"I already prepared it, Dathomirian style."
"Good, I like it spicy."
"Who is Miles Niah?"
"Who...oh, that hot shot pilot. I think he flies an A wing."
"He seems to be showing interest."
"I'm not." Aria said, but Tenel Ka wasn't believing it. "I only met him once, goodness!"
"I see dinner is going to be very interesting. I know you remember exactly what he looks like."
"Don't push it Tenel Ka."
"You gave it away, your cheeks flushed, slightly."
Both girls chatted away down the hallway.
Bjiatocah casually strolled down the streets of a town whose name she didn't know, on a planet who's name she didn't remember. All she knew was that somewhere on this planet there were two things: A Hutt running a smuggling business, and an imperial prison. The back corners of the galaxy made for interesting bedfellows, she supposed, and left it at that.
As it was she didn't care about the Hutt one bit. She and her new commando's had been sent here by the Alliance high command to rescue some important prisoners being kept in the prison. She guessed it would be easier if that were all that was there, but of course there were also your basic scum-of-the-universe types that neither side really had any use for.
What she was in need of now was information. Which brought her to where she was. An information broker had relocated to this planet after a couple of close calls with the law enforcement agencies on a couple of planets. Bjiatocah had some previous encounters with this particular broker, and knew that he could be trusted for the most part.
Her team of Zuu Shi had drawn straws to determine who would be going with her to 'protect' her on this visit. The small demolitions expert who followed her in no way looked as strong as he actually was. The fact of the matter was that the Zuu Shi, despite their size, were some of the fastest, strongest beings in the galaxy, and their teleportation abilities didn't hurt.
She entered a building through a back entrance in an alleyway, and walked right into the information broker's office. The broker looked up from the paper work he was looking at and smiled.
The Zuu Shi commando with Bjiatocah tried not to look surprised when he saw that the broker was a scrawny looking Wookiee, whose almost black fur stood out in stark comparison to the Major's silver gray. Koowrakawrow grinned, and spoke. "Well if it isn't Major B*tch. What can I do for you."
The Zuu Shi expected the broker to get his head ripped off. Major B*tch was a nickname for Bjiatocah in the Alliance, that was only used behind her back. But the day was full of surprises, for instead of rending the dark Wookiee limb from limb, the Major just laughed. Koo, you are one of the few people who can get away with calling me that and not be killed. Look, I need some information."
"Well, that much is obvious. What kind of information?" "Technical readouts, layouts, and troop deployments for the imperial prison."
"You're kidding, right? You're talking about suicide."
"Do you have that information, or not." Bjiatocah was getting serious.
"Okay, yeah, I have the info. But it's really costly. If I get fingered in this, then that's a third home in eighteen months that I'm going to be fleeing from."
"How much?" Bjiatocah asked.
Koowrakawrow named a sum, almost outrageous. Not one to dicker, Bjiatocah named a significantly larger sum, which was still within her budget.
"Done." The broker loaded up the computer sitting on his desk and printed out a ream of information, then handed it to Bjiatocah. "Will that be all?" he asked, with a greedy gleam in his eye.
"Yep. That'll do it." Bjiatocah got up and walked toward the door.
"Wait! What about my money!!"
"Don't worry. You'll get it as soon as we get back." Major B*tch smiled and walked out.
Koowrakawrow sighed, and grunted at himself in disgust. "Why am I such a sucker for a pretty lady?" he asked no one in particular, reminding himself,
"Always get the money first!"
The Wildcat was approaching Dantooine and Luke and Kyp were still talking. Luke's eyes were about as swollen as Kyp's, "Luke, I miss her so much, I still love her, my heart is still with her."
Luke nodded, "I miss her too, I hope that she can still be saved." Luke looked Kyp in the eyes. He'd been talking with him for hours, working with him using Jedi calming techniques to reassure him. "Come on Kyp, let's join the others."
That pretty much wraps up the second battle of Yavin IV. The aftershock of this battle is still felt on the BZ, as the Jedi have not been as orderly on their new academy after relocating. It would seem that Domino achieved the goals he wanted to with his attack on the academy.
RETURN TO THE ARCHIVES
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