Episode 7: Firefight!

PLAYER CHARACTERS (and what we know about them so far).

Asti : Female Young Jedi. Quiet, cool-headed and sensible.
Stoge : Brash Pilot.
Straun Solarwind: Young Jedi. Trying to follow in his father's footsteps.
Dar : Muscled black native. Prefers the ways of his people to technological means. Uses an ornate sword with his great strength.
Karlos Trialeki : Eight-gun slinger. Deadly with firearms. Running from his past.
Surge : Combat Medic. Very knowledgeable and good with blasters.
Menarggrah : Wookiee. Good pilot, strong fighter and intelligent.

"Fell Infidel, you are requested to lower your shields and hold position".
Karlos Trialeki grunted. "Didn't we just hear this spiel?". He spun in the dorsal turret to face the two giant ships in front of them. In the cockpit, Straun Solarwind spoke into the headset.
"Acknowledged and accepted, Vigilant. We're personnel from the Usurper under lieutenant Fraggine's command and are ready to receive an inspection party".
"Shields down" reported Asti from beside him.
"Ibdubbdulad" commented Yabud.
A triumphant homecoming it may have been, but the galaxy was in a state of war. Four X-Wings flanked the Infidel in seconds, S-Foils in attack position in case of a trick. A small ship was despatched from the Usurper and as it drew closer Menarggrah noticed that it was the Supply 5, the simple, shuttle-sized ship that the group had first left the Usurper in when they had embarked on their first mission for the Alliance. Straun piloted the Slave II to the Usurper to make room for the Supply 5 to board, and its pilot chatted casually on the way in.
"A docking bay? Infidel , you're a real head-turner".
Recognition crossed Stoge's face. He reached for the comm and asked carefully "Greer?"
"Stoge, m'man!" was the reply. "About time you got back. The wimps around here don't know how to drink".
Speechless, Stoge dropped the comm and ran aft to the docking bay.
When the Supply 5 was guided in on the Infidel 's weak tractor beam, the two pilots were reunited with strong handshakes and warm grins.
"I thought you were dead!" Stoge exclaimed.
"On Perodeen? Nah" Greer scoffed. "On the way down I spotted a lake and came down low on the water. Broke one of my best legs but I was eventually helped to the King's hideout by a small group that had come from the palace. I came back with the old dude, Fegbert. Say, excellent snub you got there". He indicated the white starfighter.
"Doesn't look too bad" Stoge replied modestly.
"Not too bad?" retorted Greer, who consided himself quite knowledgeable on the topic of older ships. "Do you know what this is? it's a Z-98 Renegade! space/atmospheric interceptor, rare as droid's teeth. This baby's faster than an X-Wing! highly manouverable (especially in atmosphere) and soaks up the punishment like the 95, but no hyperdrive and those triple blasters aren't as good as an X's cannons". As the inspection party debriefed the group he went on to explain that the Z-98 was the final product of the Incom/Subpro collaboration before they went their seperate ways. Stoge looked at the fighter again, feeling his hands itch for the controls.
"Hurry it up, guys!" he called. "And somebody get me a power feeder!"

----//----

Straun.
Straun?
His eyes fluttered open. "Lights" he said reflexively, and they came on overhead, dimly at first so as not to hurt his eyes. Straun sat up, sleepily taking in his room in the Usurper and the visitor within.
He was a man perhaps fifteen standard years older than Straun. If he had not seen pictures of him before he would still have no trouble identifying the visitor's features, as he saw their like quite often. Sitting bolt upright now, he stared at the glowing apparation of Miguel Solarwind.
"Father?"
The man smiled, a warm expression that penetrated to Straun's heart and restored fragmentary memories long buried.
Straun stumbled on his words. "Father, I've.. missed you".
Miguel raised an eyebrow in a way that Straun had thought only HE did. "But I've been with you, son. And your beautiful mother. And everything else, for that matter". He seemed both content and slightly amused. He looked Straun over with a proud father's eyes.
"How you've grown, my boy. In more ways than one. Though I've watched all these years, I was not permitted to visit you until now; It is the way of things, the way of the Force. I don't have long now, and it cannot be seen when or even if I may visit you again, so listen".
The door to his room hissed open, and Asti stood there. She seemed to have just woken up and apparently was wondering what she was doing there. Seeing Miguel, she blinked. Twice.
"Come in, my dear" he said cheerfully. She nervously complied and he addressed them both in a slow voice deep with meaning.
"You two live in evil times. The hope for the galaxy that remains is but a glimmer, a flickering of light in an expanse of darkness. Yet you are that glimmer; it is because of such as you that even that small hope exists".
"The future from here is difficult to see, turbulent and uncertain. There are many possible outcomes that the present may take, and in not all of them do you emerge alive. However I can discern one thing; there is but one who has the power to face the Emperor and his dark champion. If he succeeds, and that is far from certain, he will seek to rebuild the power and glory of the Jedi, and when he does, you must be there for him. For at least one of you, this is your destiny".
"Before I leave you there are two things you must know. Firstly you live in a time when teachers of the ways of the Force are few; the risk is great that you will turn to the dark side when tested. Resist at all costs! Secondly, you will find a teacher. Be strong in the Force, both of you.." he faded before them, and in moments there were only two in the room.
The revelation of how hopeless their cause seemed and how important the two were was overpowering. Asti felt emotions sweep through her. She was simultaneously jubilant, challenged, terrified. With an effort she brought herself under control.
Beside her, Straun broke down and wept. It was not from sorrow, as he knew his father's fulfillment. Nor was it fear. It was a final release of twenty years of longing, searching, hoping. Of finally knowing. The tears of a man.

----//----

Some days later...
The number of Rebel ships that floated in the immediate vicinity varied periodically as a ship would leave or arrive every now and then, but not counting fighters, there were four regulars. The Vigilant conducted Rebel operations for the sector, assisted by the escort frigate Usurper, the transport Stellar Vein supplied operations, ferried troops and equipment and periodically carried out combat missions, and the Fell Infidel, while tiny compared to the other three, nevertheless was too big to fit inside the docking bays of the Mon Cal Cruiser or the Nebulon-B and had to be accessed by boarding tube.

A lone X-Wing was launched from the Usurper to resume routine perimeter patrol, replacing the fast white Z-98 that had just finished its shift. Stoge reported in via his headset comm, then lined up his approach on the Fell Infidel's tiny docking bay.
"Back door open please, Straun. And don't worry about the tractor beam, in this baby I can do ANYTHING". He waggled the wings playfully, then closed the S-foils, watching the wings swing up to almost join above him.
Within the Infidel's bridge, Straun acknowledged the request. He flipped the docking bay switch and there was a powerful whirling hum that turned into a strained screech as the atmosphield generator struggled to cope with its jury-rigged connections. Straun also engaged the tractor beam, enduring Stoge's insults for the sake of ensuring his safety.
Inside the lounge of the Infidel', Surge sat fiddling with the holoprojector. He'd just discovered that it had a built-in hololibrary and was browsing through it with some curiosity, fingers flying over keys and eyes surveying the three-dimensional images that were produced. A few chairs away, Karlos sagged into the padding of his chair with his hat over his eyes.
Though the hololibrary hadn't revealed anything of interest to the Alliance, it was a wealth of information on the way things were around the time he was born. Surge studied some of the older medical practices with amusement.
"If that thing" stated the muffled voice of Karlos "has 'Love is Waiting' in it, I'll erase the whole thing and then shoot it". Dar nodded his agreement from another chair.
The aft door hissed open and Menarggrah stepped through. The Wookiee had been frustrated the last few days as the Infidel had been repaired without him. Since the ship couldn't fit inside the Usurper or Vigilant it had had to be repaired externally using suits, and since nobody had a Wookiee-sized space suit handy, Menarggrah had been forced to be content with the few internal repairs.
Entering the lounge behind him was Adro, the tech who had accompanied them on their mission to Fo and the one who had been supervising the repairs.
Studying his datapad, he reported to the Wookiee.
"All systems check out, but I wouldn't keep that docking bay of yours open for more than a minute or the atmosphield generator will blow and take most of your systems with it. We've also updated the nav computer on a few stars that went nova or collapsed these last twenty years, and our current co-ordinates have been put in with an instant-erase facility". He turned to return aft, then paused.
"Oh, and Yabud said to pass on his farewells. He's been called away on assignment at short notice and couldn't tell you himself". As if, Adro added to himself, you'd understand him anyway.
There was a slight pause in conversation as Stoge joined them. "I guess he wasn't that bad" the pilot sentimentalized. He generally found it easier to praise people when they weren't around.
Surge turned off the holoprojector. "He went through the risks with the rest of us. And for what? Technically he could have laid claim to his share of the Infidel". There was another pause in the room, as some reflected on the Jawa's humble generosity.
"Yes" confirmed Adro. "All he took was the crate of Kessel spice that he found in the secret compartment in the storeroom".
There was a third pause in the room. Karlos sat up and raised his hat. Menarggrah, Stoge, Dar, Surge and Karlos all looked at each other wide-eyed.
"ARRGGGHHHH!!"

----//----

"Welcome back" Stoge drawled sarcastically as the Infidel's main lock connected to the boarding tube with a clang. Returning to the Dravian Starport had not been his idea, but he intended to make the best of it. They now had a large ship and some time before their next mission, so he left with Menarggrah for the cantina, intending to find a client for a cargo run and thus make some money with their spare time. The others decided to either shop or browse.

The electrospurs <chink>ed on Karlos Trialeki's boots as he stepped out of the gravlift and into the mall. Slowly, he let his narrowed eyes drift over the milling throng. He could see rogues, cutthroats, vile scum of every species, the flotsam and jetsam of the galaxy. Here friends stabbed each other in the back, vice was the norm, and a quick demise awaited the unwary. Karlos was not even concerned. But for a few minor differences, their way of life was his.
A short, heavy-set alien looked back at him.
Karlos matched his gaze.
The alien stepped back, turned and vanished into the crowd.
Scratching the stubble on his chin, Karlos became one with the bustling mass, poncho rippling. His individuality was regained when he emerged from the crowd into the antique weapons store. The shop owner that they had met on their previous visit was still there, and greeted the gunslinger with a lopsided smirk. It was not returned; for now at least, Karlos was all business. He outlined what he wanted; a small, single-shot firearm that was easily concealed.
"We don't get 'em in here, sir" the shopkeeper said, shaking his head in emphasis "but my brother might know where you can get 'em". He referred Karlos to a smaller business area on the other side of the station. The outlaw thanked him with a slight nod of his hat and left.
The corridors leading through the station were almost deserted; it was rare that another sentient was encountered. Yet encounter someone Karlos did, when a voice that was fast becoming familiar shouted:
"This time, Trialeki, you are MINE!"
Karlos turned, this time not even bothering to reach for his eight-gun. Bobb "the Feet" stood at the far end of a branching corridor, this time having his stun blaster strapped to the correct hip. Bobb attempted to give an evil sneer but only succeeded in squinting.
He went for the draw, this time even reaching down with the correct hand. As his hand closed on the blaster he caught the trigger and accidentally fired while the weapon was still in it's holster. A wave of stun energy washed down his right leg and as it went numb he keeled over onto the floor.
Karlos just shook his head and walked away.
When he reached the other shop he was disappointed to find that they didn't have the weapon he sought there either, and Karlos resolved to seek a craftsman. He started back to the ship.

Straun's first move was to head to one of the lower levels and sadly sell the Slave II. As ships went it was a piece of junk, but due to the number of close calls they had had in it he felt attached to it in a minor way. They had scrubbed and shined the ship the best they could (trying in vain to hide the terrible batterings it had taken under his ownership), and Straun managed to sell it and its accompanying slave unit to an independant dealer (a Quarren) for almost fifteen thousand. Generously deciding to spend most of it upgrading the Infidel, he took a gravlift to the central mall.
Passing a clothing vendor hawking its wares, Straun was struck with memories of the bitter cold of their visit to Drabbilt and how poorly prepared they all had been. He purchased a sub-zero parka, an arid exposure suit and a thick blast vest. Satisfied with his new wardrobe, he set off to find the others and was instantly drawn to a strange scene in a nearby droid shop.
Straun had seen some dumb droids in his time, but this one seemed to have fried its behavioural matrix. The astromech was small enough to be carried, two-thirds the size of a standard R2 unit. On whirring treads it rolled forward quickly and thumped itself into the counter, recoiled with the impact and wheeled into it again. It was thus engrossed as Straun curiously approached, and as it's head spun around four times before facing him Straun was suddenly startled into realisation.
It was Veet (V2P4), the little droid that had helped them in their first mission against the Empire.
The photoreceptor winked.
The used droid salesman slid smoothly over to him, a hairy biped covered in a thick layer of grease. As expected, it spoke very fast in Basic with an untraceable accent. "Like the droid? looking for a good deal? Look no further, sir! at Amulf's All-purpose Automatons , Ask for Absolutely Anything! We've got astromechs, we've got protocols, we've got them funny little buggers that zip along the floor.."
"How much for this droid?" Straun pointed to Veet.
"THIS droid? THIS droid?" the salesman looked at him bug-eyed (which he did anyway). "This droid is a personal favourite, sir. Been together for years, we have. Why, there was the time when I'd been captured by a screaming band of psychotic rabid bezerker plants from Bimmisaari and this droid single-handedly.."
"How much?" Straun cut him off.
"Eight thousand" the salesman retorted.
Straun grimaced. "Eight thousand for THIS? look at it! It's brain-dead! Where do I wind it up? Eight thousand! I'd heard you were a reputable dealer. This droid is pathetic!".
"Okay" said the salesman. "So it can't calculate multiple hyperspace jumps while translating Bocce and dancing the Mamooshka. It's got simple charm! the perfect household droid. And loyal! why, just look at the cute little guy. A perfect steal for seven thousand.."
They looked down at Veet. He thumped stupidly into the counter again, Then produced rickety vibrations that made most of its panels rattle.
"Kids love him" continued the salesman, losing verbal momentum. "Perfect droid for all your little humans at home.."
"Five thousand" offered Straun.
"FIVE THOUSAND?? Ridiculous! Why, I offered you seven thousand just now, and that's cuttin' me own atmospheric intake glands".
They looked down again. Veet uttered a sick warble, trembled again and spat a bolt onto the floor.
"Five thousand" confirmed the salesman, crestfallen.
Straun paid him and left the shop, Veet wheeling behind.
"Sucker" thought Straun and the salesman independantly.
"Phew" Veet electronically exhaled once they were out of sight of Amulf's All-purpose Automatons. "I thought you'd never see me through the crowd. Glad to get away from there. I could use a good dose of lube".
"I didn't think droids were capable of a con job like that" Straun told Veet, puzzled.
"I'm modified to the max, remember?" he retorted in Straun's Agostian
accent. "You just aren't the hobby of a shipful of techs without having one or two non-standard bits, you'd be surprised at what I can do. Now lead the way, boss". They headed back to the Fell Infidel.

Stoge and Menarggrah entered the Dravian Starport's main cantina with a sense of purpose, Stoge even abstaining from ordering a drink. The Wookiee slipped a few creds to the bartender and told him that if anyone came in looking for a ship to charter, the INFIDEL was the ship for them. They took a table and waited.
The sound of exaggerated bragging captured Stoge's attention and his attention was drawn to the table behind them. The two humans were obviously pilots, and once they noticed Stoge and Menarggrah they introduced themselves as the crew of the Sleek Beak. The two groups exchanged stories with enthusiasm and were getting along well when an old human and young boy approached.
"Greetings" he declared. "I am Ollman, and this is my son, Yunkid. We wish to charter a ship to the Endaba system".
"No problem" said one of the pilots they had recently met. "The Sleek Beak is fast and cheap. We'll get you there no problem at all for fourteen thousand".
"Waitaminute!" Stoge cried, getting to his feet. "The Fell Infidel will get you there for THIRTEEN thousand, and I'll bet it's a better ship!" The relationship between the two crews, formerly friendly, had become bitter rivalry in the passing of seconds due to the sudden arrival of a customer.
"Better?" snorted the other pilot. "Why, our ship has one of the best hyperdrives that ever raced the Cron Drift! You can almost be there YESTERDAY for twelve thousand".
{Eleven} Menarggrah dug his heels in.
To Olmann's amazement, the two crews argued spitefully in his favour, bickering and dropping the price lower and lower. The old man found it hard to decide between the two, was swayed when Menarggrah pointed out that the INFIDEL had an excellent medical officer on board (Yunkid had a minor illness), but was still undecided when the bidding bottomed out at six thousand, neither crew wanting to go lower.
"I suppose" he said "that the only way to decide is to see both ships and compare the two".
This was seen as a fair argument, and Stoge and Menarggrah followed the others to the docking tubes. They were taken on a grand tour of the Sleek Beak, a Ghtroc freighter that had been modified and was in excellent condition, though more suited to carrying cargo than passengers.
Ollman, Yunkid and the crew of the Sleek Beak, were more than impressed when triumphantly shown around the Infidel. There was an extra room which they had already designated to be guest quarters, and of course there was the docking bay.
"Hey, cool!" the Sleek Beak's copilot exclaimed when they stepped aft from the main lock and beheld the sleek white fighter sitting at the ready. The copilot looked the fighter over curiously, then raised himself on the bottom rung of the entry ladder and peered into the cockpit.
Sitting in the acceleration couch was Stoge's flight helmet.
Emblazoned on the helmet was the insignia of the Rebel Alliance.
The copilot nodded to himself, then climbed back down and pretended he had seen nothing, mentally browsing the many sources that would pay for such information.
Ollman decided on the Infidel, and the crew of the Sleek Beak left without a word. The rebels prepped the ship for a quick exit, waiting only until Karlos and Straun (with Veet) returned. There were introductions all round, and they disengaged from the Dravian Starport.
Straun addressed those on the bridge. "After we drop these two off, let's stop over at Agost. I must tell my mother the news". Dar agreed for reasons of his own.
"Look!" Asti pointed out the cockpit bubble as they maneuvered for the jump to lightspeed. Attached to another docking tube was the Databank 3, the academic dataship that they had stolen for their escape from Perodeen. They had long ago surmised that it might have belonged to Bobb 'The Feet', and as the stars lengthened into hyperspace before them, they knew that their suspicions had been confirmed.

----//----

The hooded figure walked slowly around the Slave II, noting the severe dents and scrapes, the absence of the sensor ring, the cracked viewport, the heavily damaged engine.
"It's it, all right" he told the Quarren. "And look what they've DONE to it!!"
His eyes narrowed as he turned over the descriptions of the previous owner and his companions in his mind. Then he smiled.

----//----

Straun threw himself into the chair and methodically keyed the FTL transmitter to one of the coded Alliance frequencies. Veet's story about the freighter Bandar being destroyed by pirates may have been known to the Rebellion, but it was best to be sure. He transmitted the details and then made his way aft.
He heard Menarggrah's bellowing laugh before he reached the lounge and saw the source of the Wookiee's mirth. Stoge had easily defeated Yunkid in a game of holochess and had bragged of his landslide victory for twenty long minutes until challenged by Ollmann. The pilot was now in the process of being soundly defeated, and he was not being helped at all by Menarggrah's amusement. Yunkid provided further distraction in the form of an eruption of coughing.
Passing through the lounge, Straun continued down the corridor and entered the docking bay. Next to the Z-98 a figure knelt over a small droid.
"Well?" Straun prompted.
"Apart from the carbon scoring, he's in perfect condition" Asti straightened and patted Veet's chromed head. She was glad to have been offered the opportunity to have a close look at him. "I've never seen anything as customised as him before. He certainly has character".
"I call it class" Veet opinionised.
The hyperspace journey ended an hour later (Stoge's holochess game ended in defeat), when the Infidel returned to realspace in the Endaba system. Asti scanned the sensors and detected two Imperial escort frigates orbiting their destination, the fourth planet. An Imperial comm officer told them immediately in no uncertain terms that they would be subjected to a routine check.
"Hmm" Ollman mumbled. "I hope none of you have Imperial bounties on your heads".
They all looked at Karlos, who felt very self-conscious, then remembered that a bounty hunter they had met on their first trip to the Dravian starport had indicated that Stoge also seemed to have a bounty, for reasons unknown. The fact that they all were possibly known Rebels did not help matters.
"I'm liking this trip less by the minute" frowned Stoge.
Ollman spoke again. "You could always do a lightspeed hop to Endaba 1 and then back here. It would take you around to the other side of the planet."
"We have some distance between us and the frigates" added Asti with another look at the sensors. "And a short jump won't take long to calculate".
"Do it" said Dar decisively.
They did. Menarggrah suggested telling the frigates of a fake medical emergency that prompted their sudden getaway, and Straun relayed it at the comm station. Before a reply came back they were in hyperspace, and dropped out of it almost immediately at Endaba 1. The second leg of the hop was finished just as quickly, and they were back at Endaba IV.
No ships were in sight.
They were given landing clearance from ground control, and as they dropped through the atmosphere toward one of the larger cities, Surge congratulated Ollman on his strategy. The old man flushed with pride.
Menarggrah brought the ship in smoothly and executed his first planetary landing of the Infidel without error. The Rebels dropped the bottom ramp and they all filed down it. Ollman was pleased to finally reach his destination, and paid the second half of the fee as agreed. Yunkid had just washed his face, combed his hair and dressed in spotless clothes; Dar wondered what the occasion was.
They farewelled the Rebels sincerely and walked over to where some spaceport officers waited to check their datasticks. It was a calm, routine scene until Yunkid suddenly broke down into a hoarse fit of coughing and almost collapsed to the ground.
The officers pointed in realisation at the Infidel's crew and shouted in alarm: "QUARANTINE RUNNERS!!".
"Oops" said Surge in a small voice as it all clicked.
"Everybody in the ship!" cried Asti. "Menarggrah, get us out of here!"
Straun spoke into his comlink, and as they scrambled up the ramp the engines fired. Reaching the cockpit, Menarggrah found Veet plugged into the systems and prepping the ship. The Wookiee dropped into the pilot's chair and the Infidel lurched upward in mechanical panic.
Perhaps fear may have contributed to team work, but they all functioned as a flawless team as they fled. Asti scanned the shrinking horizon and found no trace of the frigates while Straun plotted their course to Agost. As they entered hyperspace, Menarggrah resolved to select his future customers with more caution.

----//----

The surface of the planet seemed everchanging, rippling constantly as if it were composed of a pale green liquid. As the ship lowered slowly toward it on its repulsors Menarggrah had to fight the feeling that it would sink through the surface and, with veteran skill, landed the Infidel on the waving grassplains of Agost.
Straun alighted from the ship and stood quietly in the waist-deep grass, breathing again the air of the world that he called his home, returned for the first time since joining the Alliance. He had left home against his mother's wishes and now intended to confront her with the news of her husband's fate.
"Which way to the old girl's place?" Stoge interrupted from beside him. They had set the Infidel down away from the Solarwind ranch in case the ship had been tracked during it's descent (an unlikely prospect on the backwater world, but the Rebels had learned caution).
Straun squinted at the featureless (as it seemed to Stoge) landscape. "That way" he pointed under the nose of the ship as the others joined them (except Veet, who stayed with the ship).
Karlos breathed deep. "Good to be home" he said.
"I will return" said Dar suddenly and, before their very eyes, vanished into the grass. Not a ripple marked his passing.
"How'd he DO that?" marvelled Surge.
"I've seen him do it before" said Karlos, but didn't elaborate.
They set off, wading roughly through the grass. Though the day was quite hot, Asti found to her surprise that the ground was moist under their feet, and Karlos explained that most of Agost's water was subsoil.
Nearly three hours later they reached the farm, and surveyed the half-cylinder buildings, grazing eguale and agricultural machinery with interest. To Straun, it was as if he never left.
Samanti Solarwind answered the door as if expecting them, greeting them all -including her son- with a simple warmth. To everyone's surprise she understood Menarggrah, and she explained that she had had some aquaintance with a Wookiee on Alderaan.
"And this must be Karlos Trialeki, the famous outlaw who works against the Empire from either Agost or the Alliance, depending which rumour you listen to" she addressed Karlos as they were all seated and she began to pour them all a drink.
"Apparently there's a lookalike of me somewhere on Agost" Karlos explained. "Perhaps I'll meet him while we're here".
"I doubt it" Samanti replied. "Just over a week ago he was disintegrated by a bounty hunter named the Ice Man". As Karlos pondered this silently she turned to her son and they walked away from the group.
Straun searched for gentle words. "I know what happened to father".
"Yes" she said. "I know".
"You do?" Straun was puzzled. Samanti was not force-sensitive.
"Tiacc is here. He arrived three days ago".
Straun was shocked. Though he had told the old Jedi-in-training where he lived, he had thought that Tiacc had died back on Bindibar 2 when an entire village was massacred by stormtroopers and the small group of rebels had nearly perished. His surprise did not, however, intrude with his concern for his family, and gently he related what they had found in the Bermil system, including the strange, Force-related vision.

----//----

Far beyond the boundaries of the Solarwind farm, where the land was dotted by two-meter hills, the grass had been gently reshaped and encouraged to grow longer lengths in intricate ways. The living huts of the Wilder people were low and flat, easily overlooked by the casual observer, yet strong enough to withstand the savage windstorms that periodically raged over the Agostian surface.
No movement or signs of life were apparent as Dar glided silently toward the camp, but he would have been surprised if there were. Raising himself to full height, he made a strange noise with his mouth, imitating perfectly the whisper of wind through the grass.
Immediately twenty warriors rose from the grass around him, leafy camouflage adhered to their bodies with the fresh, sticky resin of the tower
grub. They carried swords and spears, and stood motionless as The Old One emerged from a hut, flanked by the Elders, and gave an answering call. Then they welcomed him as a brother, and he was drawn into the village of his people with the Wilder's characteristic happiness that was felt rather than shown by facial expression. When he reached The Old One, the elderly Wilder addressed him in a more personal tone.
"Dar son of Coli, how goes your task?"
"I have learned much" Dar answered "and have seen many worlds. As we hoped, the Alliance has helped me in my task, and I have slain many of the white-shelled men. But my task is not complete".
The Old One nodded, betraying the view of all the Elders that Dar's task was close to impossible. Yet by tradition and the Way, Dar had to complete the task or die in the attempt. He spoke again.
"Dar, do you wish the restatement ceremony?"
"I do" the warrior replied.
The Old One turned to the Elders, but spoke to Dar.
"So shall it be.. tonight".

----//----

Straun found Tiacc tinkering with a landspeeder in the machinery shed. An image immediately flashed across the young Jedi's mind; that of the other apprentice that had fled to Agost with them from Alderaan and had been killed in a groundcar accident. The old apprentice Jedi didn't look up as Straun approached, but addressed him in a muffled voice over the clinking of hydrospanners.
"Good afternoon. Pass the magnoclamp".
Straun snatched up the tool in confusion and passed it to him. "I thought-"
"That I was still on Bindibar 2?" Tiacc straightened from his work. "I told you that I foresaw that what I knew would be needed. It was not my destiny to die there, though I did slow the Empire down for you. When they started to get the upper hand it was a simple matter to lose them with the Force and my local knowledge. I made my way to the other settlement on the planet, a very nice group of Ithorians studying the jungle habitat. They got me offplanet, and I knew that you would eventually come here. I hope that you and Asti are ready to continue your training".
"You can train us?" Straun felt a mixture of elation and nervousness.
"Normally, no" said Tiacc. "It is unwise for anyone less than a Jedi master to train another. It can be done, but it is risky. But these are desperate times, and the need for the ways of the Jedi are greatest even as their presence is the least".
"Besides" he added "I have been authorised by a Jedi Knight".
"Who-" said Straun, knowing as he said it.
"Your father appeared to me in a vision shortly before I arrived here. It was very brief, he didn't say much more than I must teach both of you what I know".
"HEY!" Stoge and Surge ambled over from the house, Surge pausing to give Tiacc a nod of welcome. "Are you gonna show us around, or what?"
Tiacc smiled. "Have fun" he told Straun, shutting the speeder's engine compartment. As the rest of the group arrived it started on the first try, and Straun took them for a trip around the farm on it (except Karlos, who rode an eguale for old time's sake).

----//----

The flickering of firelight in the darkness played on the ceremonial
bodypaint of Dar as he stood before the Elders, sword and vibroblade sheathed at his back. Behind him, the dancers fell to the ground as the drums fell silent.
"I have been given a lifequest" Dar stated to the Elders.
"YOU HAVE" they confirmed simultaneously.
"I have returned to my people with this quest unfulfilled" Dar said
emotionlessly.
"YOU HAVE" intoned the Elders as one.
"To do so once is to seek guidance, twice is dishonour, thrice invites the death of a coward".
"IT DOES".
"I will have my quest stated again, and leave with the dawn to take the life that must be taken, or never return".
"YOU WILL".
"Why must I do so?" Dar asked the formal question.
The Old One stepped forward. His deep voice boomed across the empty
grassplains.
"As long as there have been Wilder, there have been threats to Wilder. Beasts that crawl, monsters that burrow, creatures that fly. As long as there have been Wilder, there has been a great warrior, and this warrior has slain the threat to our people. Brin of old slew the great grassworm, Usuf fought the rogue eguale barehanded. It is the way".
"IT IS THE WAY" chanted the Elders.
"It has been many seasons since there has been a creature that has been a threat to the Wilder, until the white-shelled men massacred Uda and Naht and drove us from the hunting fields. Is Dar our greatest warrior, proven by combat?"
"HE IS" confirmed the Elders.
"We have learned the nature of the white-shelled men, and though this is different it is the same. Dar, son of Coli, restate your quest".
There was no sense of hopelessness in Dar's voice. Rather there was pride, the pride in his people that his people had in him. Firmly and with commitment, he spoke.
"I will bring back the Emperor's head".

----//----

The group spent most of their between-mission time on Agost, a gentle interlude and a welcome rest after their search for intelligence droid DP4, and a time that was not without its events. Straun and Asti trained hard with Tiacc in the ways of the Force, Asti proving quite capable of effectively using her Force Lash. Straun found his lightsaber more difficult to use, however, and decided to use it only when he was more proficient or when the situation was desperate.
Karlos, Menarggrah, Surge and Stoge made a trip into Mol Danta to pick up some supplies. Karlos souvenired a 'wanted' poster of himself, and Stoge and Menarggrah decided to make some money by singing on a street-corner. This venture only succeeded in producing bad comments (some involving an organ-grinder) before an irate shopkeeper gave them four credits to go away.
Dar returned the next morning, seemingly even more withdrawn than usual. The next day they left on the four day hyperspace journey to their rendezvous point with the Usurper and Vigilant, and a few days later were summoned to the giant Calamari ship for a special operation.

----//----

Briefing room T4 aboard the Vigilant was small and crowded as the Mon Calamari Commander Uubir stood expectantly in front of the holoprojector and cast his bulbous eyes over the assembly. Taking up most of the room were the twenty Storm unit commandos dressed in shaded grey camoflage, their faces grim and battle-hardened. Ten men in flight crew fatigues sat to their right, looking nervous but committed. In front of the Commander sat Karlos Trialeki, his eyes scanning the crowd by force of habit. Next to him was Surge, adopting a serious pose and waiting patiently. Asti kept a more casual posture, radiating an air of calm confidence. Two pilots sat beside her, Stoge and Greer in their flight suits swapping stories enthusiastically.
Straun Solarwind was silent and slumped in his chair as if pressed down by a great weight, withdrawn and reflective. At the back of the room Dar leaned against the wall, arms folded. Beside him loomed Menarggrah the Wookiee.
Commander Uubir stiffened as the holoprojector came to life, and in moments a glowing image of a planet dominated the center of the room.
"The barren moon of Indibronai" Uubir began. "Site of an Imperial ore extraction complex producing Bertrium, Nacellium alloys, fission reactant agitators, vital components for our production of X-Wing starfighters".
The holo narrowed to show a view of the complex, showing large industrial machinery, several small buildings and large metal frameworks. Sections showed up in red as Uubir continued.
"Defences include several small turbolasers, an unknown number of TIE fighters, and possibly some ground defence vehicles. However, its main protection is a high-ceiling energy shield strong enough to deflect any bombardment the Alliance can muster".
The holo panned back to show half the planet and a red blip in space.
"In exactly 17 standard hours an Imperial X-23 space barge will arrive to load these components for transportation. Our sources have informed us that there are another two on the planet that wil have almost finished loading".
"The Antrola medium transport Fell Infidel will drop out of hyperspace as the transport nears Indibronai's atmospheric limits. The Infidel has been fitted with a powerful but limited range electronic countermeasures package. This will then be engaged and will effectively block all communication to and from the barge. Flight Officer Stoge will then move to intercept the barge in the Z-98 Renegade White 9. This will appear to be a typical 'hit and fade' strike, and cause the barge to run for the safety of the base, and the Imperials to send up and TIEs they have to intercept. White 9 is to damage the barge but not destroy it as it is piloted by a Rebel spy who will gain credibility from this mission".
"If the schedule is met, once the ECM bubble is up Flight Officer Greer in Y-Wing Blue 4 will hyperspace in behind the barge, approximately in its sensor shadow. Stoge will disengage and withdraw to the Infidel , leading the TIEs away from the barge and be assisted in engagement by the gunners of the Infidel . When the shield is deactivated to let the barge through, Blue 4 will overtake the barge and deliver a proton torpedo strike to the shield generator, allowing the Infidel to land in the complex with the fighter cover of White 9 and Blue 4. Storm unit team Theta will then recover information from the base's computers while the other barges are captured and retrieved by the ten-man crewmember team.
The mission must take less than 1.5 standard hours as our spy will flee in the first barge and raise the alarm in the nearby Opo system. This time limit is based on the barge's hyperspace time from Indibronai to Opo, and a Star Destroyer's on the return trip. Any questions?"
One of the commandos raised a hand. "Is this gunna be a standup fight, sir, or another.."
"Yes" answered the Calamari. "It will be a standup fight".
The commando seemed taken aback.
"Oh" he said in a small voice.

----//----

Up close, team Theta were a motley bunch. Surge appraised them as they filed through the Infidel 's main lock into the hold, carrying blaster rifles, armoured vests, explosives, a large repeating blaster on a support harness and even a captured Imperial speeder bike. They seemed to be expecting heavy resistance.
Led by sergeant Hek, the team featured a corpral, a slicer, a medic, a black human called 'Hammer' as big as Dar that was a heavy-weapons specialist, and a scout by the name of Buzz that rode the bike and relayed information and directions as well as providing fire support. A comnet had been set up connecting all of the Infidel crew to Hek, corporal Dain, the medic, Buzz, and Stoge and Greer.
Stoge checked the Z-98 for the third time in an hour, at his station even though the fighter would sit in the Fell Infidel 's docking bay for the six hour hyperspace journey.
"Get those weapons stowed!" shouted Hek. "All right, I want combat seating, people. You know your places". As his men settled in and the Infidel eased away from the Cruiser he said into the headset:
"All personnel report in"
"Dain ok"
"Reber ok"
"Buzz ok"
"White 9, suave as ever and standing by"
"Blue 4, standing by and blowing chunks"
"Cut it, guys. Asti ok on sensors/shields"
"Straun ok at comm/nav"
"Bottom turret: Surge ok"
"Top turret checks out"
"Urrrgurgaaaggh"
"V2P4 ok"
Straun glanced over at the droid. "But you weren't connected to- never mind". He switched his gaze to Dar, who had no crew station on the ship. The warrior's calm patience was strangely soothing. He turned back to the nav computer.
Some minutes later, the Infidel shrank to a distant speck with impossible speed. Forty seconds later, Greer's Y-Wing followed with a flare of its engines.

----//----

Stoge leaned on the Z-98's ladder and whistled softly, then glanced at his chrono. Slightly over an hour more in hyperspace and he would be going into snub combat, for the first time since the futile battle he had fought on his home planet of Tyndor, when the Empire had invaded and destroyed everything in its path. That was the day his mother and sister were killed and his mind had suddenly been made up for him to join the Alliance. Today he was flying against the Empire again.
"But this time, baby" he patted the Renegade's sleek fuselage as he passed "I got you". He left the Infidel's hangar and stepped into the small elevator, riding it down to the main hold.
It could not be said collectively that team Theta were doing any one action. Some of the troops were engrossed in checking weapons or adjusting their heavy armoured vests and helmets, some were simply staring into space. The ten flight-crew that had come along to capture the two freighters and fly them out seemed very apprehensive, and Stoge wondered how many of them had seen action before.
The muscled black heavy weapons specialist, Hammer, was absently pumping a combiweight bar, the dial set on its heaviest setting. Stoge indicated his knotted biceps.
"Man, you have a set of bi's as big as Dar!"
"Bigger" the man grunted.
"Oh yeah?" Stoge said doubtfully. "I reckon if it came to an arm wrestle he'd snap your wrist off".
"Bring him down" Hammer said with good-natured interest.
Stoge immediately went up to the lounge and presented Dar with the challenge.
"No" he said.
Stoge was speechless. "But..but..why not?".
"It is not my way" said Dar, and left it at that.

----//----

Spryan was a pilot, and a pilot of the Galactic Empire. Other pilots tended to look down on him, as he only flew a sluggish space barge and therefore didn't have the glamour or courage that pilots of smaller, faster ships did.
But Spryan didn't mind. Glamour? they could keep their precious ego-trips. And courage? they would never know the silent heroism it took to be a spy for the Rebel Alliance. He remained coldly attentive as the barge, the Conva 3, neared Indibronai at a sluggish pace. When the blip appeared nearby on the sensors he turned innocently to the Imperial soldier beside him.
"Are we getting an escort for this? Nobody told me".
The soldier glanced out the cockpit's side viewport and saw a seventy meter Antrola medium transport off to starboard, some distance away. It seemed battered and jury-rigged (in contrast to Imperial standard and perfection) and the soldier instantly reached the correct conclusion.
"Rebels!" he snatched at the comm. "Beta control, this is Conva 3. We're under attack! request immediate assistance. Acknowledge".
The comm remained silent. The soldier tried again with just as much success.
"They're jamming us" Spryan said mechanically. He glanced at the sensors again. The single blip had divided into two, and the second was closing fast.
There were a series of jolts as intense energy hammered into the thick hull, then a white blur flashed past them, beginning the split-S that would take it back for another pass. Spryan shoved the throttle of the barge into the red and hoped that the Rebel fighter pilot knew what he was doing in the precision deception.
"They'd better open the shield" he said nervously. Glancing at the sensors again, he saw the other blip directly behind them, matching their speed, and knew it to be the Y-Wing. Though his sensors could read it, the ones on the ground wouldn't pick it up because the Conva 3 was in the way, and Spryan couldn't be held responsible for not telling control, because the comm was being jammed. The Rebel plan was a carefully thought-out one.
He also noted that the shield was still up ahead of them, and that some TIEs, six of them, were streaking up from the planet to intercept.

"Six TIEs" Asti reported from the sensors. She focused carefully and added "Two flights of three. The second flight is of a different type, lighter and faster". She turned to Straun, who was feeling useless at the comm station. "I hope Stoge sees them, because we can't tell him with the ECM on".
Straun could do nothing but shrug.

----//----

"Whoa" Stoge exclaimed when he eyed the sensors after his third pass at the barge, an intentional near-miss. He had no time to do any more than a passive scan, but at the speed the six bogeys were coming up they couldn't be
anything other than fighters. He carefully withdrew from the barge and headed for the Fell Infidel.
Thanks to some careful piloting of the Conva 3, the barge neared the shield at the same time the TIEs did. The shield opened, Greer punched the throttle, and the Y-Wing sped past the barge and was through.
The TIEs, passing on the other side of the great cargo ship, failed to see Blue 4 and raced for White 9 and the Infidel, the two flight groups separating for one target each. As Stoge slammed the Z-98 into a hard bootlegger turn and headed for one flight, he saw that the three coming at him were standard TIE/Ins, and while they occupied him, three TIE/rc fighters streaked for the Fell Infidel. The rc TIEs were the long-range, lightly armed model that was useful in the more remote systems such as Indibronai. This was not to say they weren't dangerous, however; the Infidel was not exactly renowned for its thick hull or strong shields.
His attention came back to his current situation as green energy lanced at him through the void; the opening volley as the three TIEs went at the Z-98 head-to-head. Stoge executed a series of small banks and dips that dodged the most part of the fire while streaming back energy of his own. Warning lights blinked in alarm as his forward shields lost power, but he heavily damaged a TIE and as they screamed past he swung the Z-98 in a tight turn and hit it again, blasting it to spiralling debris. The other two split up immediately, and Stoge flipped onto the left one's tail as it climbed and spun. When it levelled out momentarily he suspected a setup and confirmed it with a glance at the sensors, but by then its companion was upon him. Vivid energy splashed across the cockpit and the shield indicator flickered and died.
This, thought Stoge, could mean trouble.

As Asti detailed the sensor information to Menarggrah, Straun disengaged the ECM, knowing that it had done its job. The Y-Wing was through the shield, and provided Greer did his job the shield would soon be down and they could attack.
Ahead of the Infidel, Menarggrah could see red and green energy as Stoge duelled furiously with the flight of TIE/Ins. At Asti's insistence, he began to take the transport through evasive manouvers, and this was synchronous with the first hammering pass of the three TIE/rcs as they swept out of the darkness. From the turrets, Karlos and Surge opened up on them.
Even though the TIEs had less-than-standard weaponry it punched through the Infidel's shields with little resistance and struck the hull violently.
Karlos scored a hit with his first shot, leaving the TIE with an almost severed wing but still active. Below him, Surge cursed uncharacteristically, then they were thrown into their harnesses again as Menarggrah tossed the transport around in the sky.
The Wookiee chose to concentrate on avoiding the fire of the TIEs rather than giving his gunners the best angle. This caused the Infidel to escape the second pass unscathed and, logically, would have meant that Karlos and Surge would have had little chance of scoring a hit, but this time they were ready for the Imperials. Surge fired by instinct and hit a TIE hard, just above its cockpit. It swept on, sparking from the damage and still firing. From above him, the medic heard Karlos give a triumphant yell as he destroyed the one he had damaged earlier. Determined not to let the gunslinger get the upper hand, Surge turned to his targeter with renewed enthusiasm.

"Blue 4 to Infidel" reported Greer. "Shield is down, let's go get 'em". Straun replied that the Infidel was preoccupied with surviving.

Not letting himself be distracted by successive near misses as he dodged and weaved, Stoge concentrated on staying with his target and lit up the sky with it as his four triple blasters found their mark. His exultation clouded his judgement for a split second and the other TIE pounced, jolting the Z-98 Renegade with a glancing hit. The cockpit briefly filled with smoke before fire control cut in and the air was recycled, and once he could see again, Stoge checked the readouts. His shields were still out (there could be no in-flight repair as the Z-98 didn't have R2 capability), and the (empty) concussion missile launcher was damaged, but all other systems checked out.
Stoge saw red. "You skin-tight-black-wearing pansy! you hurt my ship!" the pilot swung the ship in a blurring split-S and gunned the throttle. A damaging shot gave the TIE pilot time to know terror before the successive shot transformed him -and his ship- into random particles.

From his vantage point in the top turret, Karlos could see out over the top of the Infidel, and hence could see the somewhat distracting sight of striking energy walking its way across the hull toward him. He shot and missed wildly. Surge didn't, turning the damaged TIE into a fireball.
Both gunners now had one kill each, and there was one TIE left. In the heat of battle the competition had developed to near-obsession, and both of them anticipated the next pass, lining up their shot.
It never came. The last TIE erupted some 150 meters to starboard, and then a sleek white starfighter passed over the transport at top speed, barrel rolling as Stoge whooped into the headset.
Greer's voice replied. "Better not break out the Centukki yet, chief. I need some help down here".
Stoge hesitated. One more hit and his precious fighter -and him- would go mininova, but Greer needed some help, and he didn't hear any other fighter pilots volunteering. Besides, he thought as he and the Infidel turned planetward, I want to see how this baby flies in atmosphere.
He raced ahead of the Infidel and passed the Conva 3 on the way down. It was heading up this time, its pilot (the rebel spy) "realising" that landing was futile as that was where the rebels would be landing. So he would flee and get Imperial help, carefully giving the rebels enough time to complete their mission- they hoped.
Once atmospheric constraints were imposed on the Z-98 Stoge was pleasantly surprised at the performance of the fighter. It may have been fast and manouverable in space, but it had been designed to specifically excel in atmosphere. Stoge hoped that Greer's "trouble" involved a few more TIEs so he could match the Renegade against them.
But when he made out the details of the Indibronai ore extraction facility he was disappointed; the station had already launched all its six TIEs. As harassing fire from the three seperate turbolaser batteries poured up at them he took in the scene.

At the south end of the facility was a large, seemingly tangled conglomeration of equipment connected to each other and a cliff face; the ore extractors. At the north end was a shape that was fast becoming familiar, the octagonal, Imperial shape of a command bunker that no doubt housed the troops, weapons and computers. Between these two features lay some small buildings and the hulking shapes of two space barges: Conva 1 and 2. To the northwest the shield generator spiralled smoke into the sky.
Greer swept under a savage turbolaser volley and laid waste to one of the two AT-STs that clanked their way across the compound. Stoge immediately joined him and blasted the turbolaser emplacement that was on the cliff behind the extractors. From above the wheeling fighters, a rapidly growing speck, came the Fell Infidel.

----//----

"All right, I want a clean dispersal this time!" sergeant Hek bawled as the transport neared the surface. Buzz, the scout, leapt atop the speeder bike and fired its engine with a tense whine. Hammer, who had finished strapping on the support harness for the repeating blaster, picked up the huge weapon and locked it into place with a metallic snap. As adrenaline surged and combat neared, team Theta was becoming more a single entity with every passing moment. Rifles were unslung, safeties clicked off. Amidst it all, Dar stood at ease, waiting.
Their plan was that when they landed Buzz would carry out a highspeed recon while the Infidel crew got down to the hold and main ramp, then they would charge in their respective directions. Dar and Menarggrah would go with team Theta and Veet to the main complex and computers. Karlos would lead one group of five flight crew to capture the Conva 1, Straun and Surge with the other five would take the Conva 2. Asti would give cover fire from the lower turret.
In the cockpit, Menarggrah tried hard to shut out the fire coming up from the two remaining turbolaser batteries, and looked for a suitable place to put down. The complex was intentionally spacious to allow for the giant barges to land, so the Wookiee could pick and choose. There was a slight lurch as the Infidel touched down in the middle of the facility, so that the Conva 1 was to the west, the Conva 2 to the south (and beyond it the extractors) and the command bunker to the north.
Buzz flew from the ramp while it was still half down, bent low over the speeder bike. As the Infidel crew scrambled from the cockpit and turrets the scout's voice came over the comnet.
"One AT-ST half a click northwest of drop point. Standard Imperial troops, perhaps ten barricaded underneath each barge, more than twenty coming from main complex. Appear to have small arms only. No, repeat no, stormtroopers visible".
Asti was halfway down the access ladder leading to the lower turret when she stopped, her eyes gazing unseeing before her. She felt.. something. Her father was afraid.
She didn't even know where in the galaxy he was, but she KNEW that he was awash with fear.
Another ripple in the Force struck her senses. A heightening of the fear. Could Straun sense it too? she doubted it, it seemed too.. personal. She must help Anatar!
Then the Force-ripple detonated into a tidal wave. Pure agony washed over Asti, snapping her head back as her mouth opened in a silent scream. The world started to go grey.
How long the pain lasted she didn't know. But as her world went black, fingers slipping from the ladder, the young Jedi knew with terrifying certainity that her father was being tortured by the Empire.

----//----

Menarggrah, Straun, Surge and Karlos reached the hold in record time, Straun pausing momentarily as if listening for something just out of earshot.
"Let's go!" shouted Hek.
The commandos, with a blaster-rifle-wielding Wookiee (carrying the droid under an arm) and a sword-swinging warrior in their midst, charged down the ramp firing. Blaster fire flashed at the weaving figures as they headed north for the command structure. The other AT-ST erupted violently as the Z-98 and Y-Wing swept over the complex again.
Behind the commandos, the two groups of five flight crew sheltered behind the lowered ramp and fired some tentative shots at the Imperial troops barricaded underneath the barges.
Karlos analysed the situation. Imperials under cover behind the barricade, Rebels under cover behind ramp. Stalemate?
No, he didn't think so.
Pushing his hat up higher on his brow, he flourished his eight-gun and sprang out of cover, running full tilt toward the Conva 1. Energy spattered the tarmac around his feet as he shot an Imperial trooper while at full pace.
There are two schools of thought concerning the gunfighter. The common view is that having quick hands is the secret to being deadly. A contrasting, veteran view is that speed of hand counts for nothing when the energy is flying, keeping a level head while under fire is the mark of a good gunfighter.
Karlos had both.
Behind him, the five flight crew gave an inspired cheer and ran after him. Karlos was narrowly missed by some of the return fire, but shot two more before he reached the barricade. He leaped over it without pause, through the smoke caused by his explosive bullets, and proceeded to lay waste to more of the troopers at almost point-blank range. As the crewmembers neared the barricade, firing with more enthusiasm than skill, Karlos found himself pointing his gun at only two remaining troopers. They swung their weapons toward him as he squeezed the trigger.
<klik> went the eight-gun.
Cursing for having made such a stupid mistake, Karlos tried to dodge the close-range blaster shots. He wasn't quick enough, and his shoulder was violently wrenched by a blast of energy, spinning him to the ground.
The Imperial soldiers were sighting for the kill-shot when the flight crew swarmed over them, ending the skirmish. Karlos stood up and inspected his shoulder nervously, but the shot had more stunned than damaged him.
He reloaded the eight-gun as the crew ran up the ramp into the Conva 1, blasters at the ready.

Straun Solarwind, inspired by the heroic action of Karlos, waved Surge and their five crew forward and ran from the cover of the Infidel's ramp toward the Conva 2. Successfully dodging the blaster fire coming at him, he risked a glance behind him as he ran.
Nobody had followed him. Even Surge still crouched behind one of the Infidel's landing skids.
Straun was now out in the open and exposed to fire. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of the Imperial soldiers lifted a small globe to his mouth,
pulled it away with a click and lobbed it at Straun.

----//----

Team theta made rapid progress toward the command centre, cutting down Imperials as they went. Dar had run to the front of the group where he spearheaded the attack with his sword, hacking through luckless soldiers as they swarmed from the large doors to the north.
The Rebels were certainly not having everything their own way, however. The Imperials had relatively easy targets, and the commandos' advance was marked by a trail of Rebel bodies. But team Theta was a highly trained special forces unit facing ordinary soldiers, and they returned their losses fivefold.
At one point it seemed that the Imperials had the upper hand. In classic Imperial fashion they began to hold the Rebels through sheer numbers until a voice shouted above the noise of battle.
"DECK!" Hammer yelled.
The Rebels immediately dropped prone as Hammer let rip with the repeating blaster, cutting a swathe of death through the Imperial ranks. The commandos, with Dar and Menarggrah, pressed the advantage, and after some more furious fighting (during which Corporal Dain was killed) they reached the doors of the command centre.

----//----

Completing a slow circle of the complex, Greer surveyed the smoking wreckage of the turbolaser batteries and AT-STs, their job done. His gaze then dropped to the tiny figures below and the flashes of energy flying back and forth, noting ruefully that the Imperial troops had cunningly chosen to stay under the barges, the Rebels' targets. Stoge's voice came over the comnet.
"Nothing more we can do up here".
"Nope" Greer acknowledged. "Let's get down there and give them a hand". He dipped the Y-Wing toward the cliff to the south, the Z-98 moving in to flank him.
They set down on top of the low cliff and systematically shut all systems down. Then the pilots sprang from their fighters with blasters drawn, and followed the cliff edge as it gradually dropped to meet the intricate, girder-filled network of the ore extractors.

----//----

Straun gaped as the small metallic orb skittered across the tarmac toward him, then threw himself desperately to the side, landing prone as the grenade erupted with a <CRUMP!>. Though most of the blast went over him, he grunted as gravelly pieces of shrapnel needled into his legs.
Suddenly one of the Imperial soldiers vaulted the barricade and ran at him, blaster in one hand and combat knife in the other, dodging the ineffective blasts of the flight crew and a poor shot from Surge.
It was too much for Straun. The pain of the many minor wounds, the anger at his comrades not coming to his aid, the hatred of the Empire, all welled inside him and overflowed. Leaping to his feet, he activated his lightsaber in one swift movement and advanced upon the approaching soldier.
He stopped as realisation dawned. He could feel within him the raw anger and hate, and a fearful awe dawned on him as he realised that the hate was...bottomless, an eternally deep, dark well over which he hung precariously. Straun forced self control upon himself. Beware the Dark Side!
When the soldier reached him, Straun was surprisingly calm. There was no malice in him, only necessity. Before the soldier could act, the light-saber flashed and Straun killed him with a swift strike.

----//----

Team Theta had been depleted to only twelve by the time they arrived at the doors, which had been hurriedly closed by the Imperials. Sergeant Hek studied the door controls for a moment, then motioned to the team slicer.
"Utin, run a bypass".
The commando slung his blaster rifle and set to work as Hek deployed the rest of the team for entry. Menarggrah set down Veet (who wished they'd let him have a go at the door) and used the momentary respite well by estimating the number of Imperial troops. Ten under each barge, and they had killed perhaps thirty getting to the doors. Judging by the small size of the command bunker, there couldn't be too many more.
Then the door slid open and reality gained his attention again by almost hitting him in the head with blaster bolts. The Wookiee immediately fired back with the blaster rifle he'd taken from a scout trooper long ago on Telthra IV, killing an Imperial soldier as Dar leaped inside the door and began coldly hacking the retreating Imperials to pieces. Veet yelled encouragement in a number of accents and personalities.
"Yeah! let's get 'em! Dodge, parry, spin! tally ho, and all that. Hmm, Never, in the field of sentient conflict.."
Inside the door a corridor extended twenty meters and turned to the left, punctuated by a number of doors. The ten Imperial soldiers finished their initial harrassing fire and began to fall back, still shooting. None of them made it to the corner.
Dar and Menarrgrah edged up to the corner as several of the team systematically checked the doors leading off the corridor (which all opened to quarters and storage rooms). Hek waved one of his men forward.
"Dudson, you take point".
The commando crept to the corner and ducked around it, blaster rifle ready. Dar and Menarggrah went with him, and they saw that the corridor continued for another fifteen meters and ended in a door. Dudson waved the team forward.
In slow motion, as it seemed to Dar, the door slid open without a sound and beyond he saw the white gleam of battle armour. Realisation was followed by the noting of a barricade on the other side of the door. Then he noticed a large barrel jutting from the barricade. Realisation came again and he started to move, but by then it was too late.
The repeating blaster hammered at the rebels, catching Dudson full in the chest and ending his young life. Menarggrah and Dar scrambled back around the corner as another volley from the stormtroopers narrowly missed them.
Dar spat in frustration. They had come so far, but now there were so few of them and they were pinned down before such a powerful weapon. Breathing heavily, he pondered their options.

----//----

The climb down the ore extractors wasn't as hard as Stoge had first thought. The tangled mess of machinery was dotted by several maintenance access ladders such as the one that he and Greer now climbed down. He turned around as much as he was able while climbing and tried to see how his friends were faring.
The view was somewhat limited. Pipes and girders spiralled, dropped and climbed everywhere. Off to the left a giant conveyor emptied rock into a furnace three stories high. The rest of the view was taken up by the hulking shape of the Conva 2.
Reaching the ground, the two pilots crept cautiously through the extractors to where a thick feeder pipe fed into the back of the barge above them, rumbling slightly to indicate that the ore was still feeding into the ship. Ahead of them, very close, they could see eight Imperial soldiers with their backs turned, firing at Straun who stood with lightsaber in hand over the crumpled figure of another soldier. Stoge nodded to Greer, and they opened fire.
The soldiers were caught completely unawares, two falling to the pilots' fire before the Imperials could react. But react they did, whirling to face the new threat. In a splash of sparks Greer was shot in the right leg, and the pilot could not stifle a scream as he dropped to the ground, still firing. Stoge, cursing profusely, sighted at the offending Imperial and shot him repeatedly until he stopped moving.
The Imperials were still firing in both directions. One in their midst pulled the pin from a grenade and was about to toss it toward Straun when Surge, moving from cover at last, killed him with a fine shot. The lethal orb fell among the soldiers.
Stoge, realising with horror that the wounded Greer was well within the grenade's blast radius, bravely fell on him and protected him with his own body as the charge went off.
Wounded, though not badly, he raised himself to his feet and noted that the Imperials had taken the full force of the blast. Only a few remained and these were easily dispatched by Stoge, Greer, Straun, Surge, the inexperienced flight crew, and Karlos (who had finished the capture of the Conva 1 and had come to help).
As Surge saw to Greer's wounds, Straun and Stoge led the charge into the massive ship. Though big it was simple in design and it didn't take the rebels long to realise the ship was empty.
"She's almost full" reported one of the flight crewmembers as he came back down the ramp. "and fuelled, but we have a problem".
"What is it?" snapped Stoge, nodding his thanks to Surge's medical ministrations.
"This ship is keyed. It needs a coded key to run it, and it's not here".
Surge nudged an Imperial corpse with his boot. "Count the bodies. Nine".
Straun cast his gaze frantically around the scene, then looked up to where the overhead feeder line entered the ship next to an access hatch.
"Look!" he shouted, pointing into the extractors, to where a uniformed figure ran amongst the machinery.
Drawing their blasters again, the Rebels pursued him into the metal jungle.

----//----

To the Wilder people, time mattered little. Yes, they measured time by the seasons and had a great sense of history, but due to their nomadic lifestyle they had never needed to be concerned about, for example, the time of day.
Until now. Dar crouched around the corner from the stormtroopers' barricade and wondered how much time they had left. The entire mission had been structured around getting in, achieving the objectives and getting out before a Star Destroyer arrived. All the stormtroopers had to do was execute a holding action and the rebels were doomed, and the Imperials knew it.
Hammer approached him, hefting the repeating blaster. "We can take 'em" he said confidently. "All I have to do is keep their heads down until you get to 'em. You in?"
Dar considered the simple plan, then nodded. Menarrgrah agreed to join the charge.
Hammer rounded the corner firing. He moved to the right side of the corridor as Dar ran, crouched, on the left. The stormtroopers hit Hammer with a glancing shot that still had him hissing through his teeth at the pain, then the Imperials ducked down behind the barricade.
Dar grinned as the gap closed, the heavy footsteps of Menarggrah thumping along behind him. The plan was working. He twirled his sword in anticipation.
Two grenades arced above the barricade and landed in front of him. An invisible hand seemed to lift him bodily and slam him into the wall as the corridor filled with light. He distantly heard the pained bellow of Menarggrah, then realised that he was still on his feet. There was a wet feeling on his chest.
Then Menarggrah pushed him roughly to the ground in case more grenades followed. The Wookiee vaulted the barricade and started to pick up stormtroopers and bash them into the walls and ceiling.
Menarggrah was surprised as Dar joined the melee, the sounds of the advancing commandos behind them. Another grenade was produced but was kicked into a corner. The Wookiee, keeping in mind Dar's wounded state, actually considered throwing himself on the grenade, but settled for throwing a stormtrooper on it instead.
The commandos joined them in seconds. In less than a minute it was over.

----//----

Leaving the flight crew to prepare the Conva 2 for liftoff (as much as they could without the code key), Surge, Karlos, Stoge, Greer and Straun entered the extractors and split up to search for the soldier. Above them, a vanishing flare, the Conva 1 headed for the Alliance rendezvous with its precious cargo.
Karlos tried to ignore the distracting machinery sounds and hear any signs of movement, trying also (in vain) to move quietly with his electrospurs. His eyes moved from corner to shadow to overhead, treating every detail with suspicion. At the soft shuffle of a boot his head turned sharply and followed his eight-gun around a large, shaking, sieve-like apparatus to where the figure stood.
It was only Surge.
The Medic had been studying one of the more technical indicators with interest, but as Karlos allowed himself to relax slightly the elusive Imperial soldier appeared from nowhere and tackled Surge from the left. Toppling over a railing, they fell onto the giant conveyor and started to slowly rise toward the ore furnace.
Lifting a chunk of ore half as big as his head, the soldier brought it down onto the medic's face. Surge felt something give, and knew that his cheekbone had broken. He lashed out desperately and caught the soldier in the neck.
The Imperial swung again, but Surge ducked the makeshift weapon and grabbed the soldier's arms. The two struggled violently as they were slowly drawn up toward the gaping mouth of the furnace. Distantly, Surge could hear Stoge cheering him on.
Both of the wrestling combatants appeared to be of equal strength, the two men grunting with the effort as the upraised chunk of ore moved slowly in Surge's favour, then in the soldier's. But their fight, like the mission, could not last indefinately; they were both nearing a fiery destruction with each passing second. Surge renewed the struggle, and brought his knee up into the soldier's stomach. The Imperial trooper gasped, then his head exploded.
As Surge retrieved the key, wearily rolled to the edge of the conveyor and began to climb down, Stoge blew the smoke from his blaster barrel and reholstered it, nonchalantly covering his surprise at how good his own shot had been.
"What a wussbag" he commented at Surge.

----//----

Hek frowned at his chrono. "How long will that droid take to finish drawing the data from those computers?"
Menarggrah shrugged. Dar strode over to where Veet was plugged into the computers and said "Are you finished, droid?"
Veet disengaged and gave a hideous belch in answer. Utin, when he saw that the droid was no longer connected, dumped his monitoring virus into the station's computers, then Menarggrah picked up the droid and they left.
Outside, the rest of team Theta were hurriedly gathering their dead, weapons, grenades, blast vests and such. The Conva 2 sluggishly rose from the complex and soared overhead. Meeting with the rest of the Infidel's crew, they boarded their ship and lifted from Indibronai, the Z-98 and Y-Wing following within minutes.
By the time the Imperial Star Destroyer Apocalyptic arrived, the rebels were long gone.

----//----

Meanwhile, in another system...
The ship had crashed through the thick, green canopy of the harsh jungle some fifty years before and it was remarkable how the vegetation had reclaimed its own since that time. But now, in a single morning, the canopy had been methodically eradicated (along with the trees) in a half-kilometer radius, exposing the rusting ship and the forest floor to the sky, the system's gleaming sun, and the distant shape of the Victory Class Star Destroyer Desecrator far overhead.
Standing at the bottom of the shuttle ramp, the two figures watched with satisfaction as the droids and workers swarmed over and inside the old, half-buried ship. One of the workers approached them carefully and saluted.
"They're in there, all right. Many in working order".
"Yes" nodded the hooded figure in dark grey robes "I know". Beside him, the Imperial captain dismissed the subordinate and smiled.
"Our troid's information was correct. And now, on to stage two".

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