Boring Preamble - In a deleted scene at the start of ANH Luke meets with his friends and one discusses joining the rebellion. In the same time frame that Luke takes bumbling about having the universe hand him everything on a platter, Biggs joins the rebellion. He has no force powers, no untapped super skills. This is his story.
The tale diverges from canon after Yavin. Some events are more important in this fic, others less so. That said, the films are the dominant source material. EU stuff is there mainly for a word or term, after all, why invent new ones?
But it's really the tale of a young man with a large moustache (damn you 70's) who freely chooses to oppose a galaxy spanning totalitarian state.
Disclaimer: Just the ramblings of a fan. No more.
Part 1: Malcontent
Sand. It's the dominant feature of the marginal world known as Tatooine. It's surface is mostly sand, the locals build their buildings from it. It's what they make their living from. Whether terraforming it, growing plants on it, mining under it or extracting valuable elements from it a Tattoine local thinks in terms of sand. They dress in it's tones. They worry about it messing up themselves, their livestock and machines. This attitude fixes their attention on the ground. Seldom wiil they think about the horizon and beyond.
In a dusty cantina two men sat nursing their drinks. One is dressed like a typical resident, a sandy tunic over loose trousers and shirt. Blond hair, blue eyes and fair looks mark him out from most of the resident human population. A settler, or more likely a refugee of the wars plaguing the galaxy at the moment. The other is dressed as a member of the Merchants Guild, a spacer. His uniform is still pressed and sharp, the pilots tabs still shine. His features mark him as a local. Dark hair, sand weathered features, the only incongruous feature is the large mustache this young man sports. It is halfway between making him look older and sophisticated and as if he is the victim of a strange hairy parasite.
The pair have secreted themselves in one of the cantina's nooks and are speaking in the hushed tones of those who think doing so wont attract attention but would of had anyone been there to care.
"Keep your voice down! People could hear us." said the merchant.
"Okay, okay. I'm being quiet." said the farmer.
"First thing we're doing is going AWOL at Bastion and joining the Rebellion." the merchant continues.
"How you gonna find them. I'm betting they don't have a regular recruiting office." the farmer said.
"We got a contact. Vance says he's knows a guy who knows a guy whose
cousin's in the Rebellion." the merchant explained as if that solved everything.
"I don't know, sounds awful risky." said the farmer.
"Got to try. I'm going to do something about the Empire before it's too late."
"I know, I hate it too. But what can you do?"
"You have to try, otherwise you'll just end up some nameless tenant farmer toiling for the Empire."
"I won't be a farmer forever, my uncle just needs me for a few more seasons.", the farmer groused, his tone suggesting that even he didn't believe this. "Then I'll join the Academy."
"That's what you said last time, Luke. Face it, you're never leaving this sandpit." pointed out the merchant. "A pity, you're the best pilot of anything that floats or flies", he finished sadly.
"Yeah, but you're right Biggs. I'm never leaving."
The two men finished their drinks and left soon after. Luke trudged back to his uncle's farm. Biggs headed to a shuttle at the spaceport. He whistled as he walked, pushing through the throngs of beings. He was excited to be finally leaving his birth world for the first and he hoped, last time. Tatooine was a dry, boring, dustball. It's only main claim to fame being all the hyperspace routes that crisscrossed the star system. None of them terminated here though so most galactic travellers went right on past it. Even the Empire had ignored it. There was a small garrison apparently at Mos Espa, it was staffed by local boys who thought they'd look good in a uniform and a few off-worlder officers sent here as punishment for whatever infraction they had made.
The Empire. Bigg's whistling stopped as his thoughts drifted towards that subject. There was something strange and unpleasant about the Empire. Of course it was a ruthless tyranny that crushed all opposition under it's booted feet but there was also something indescribably, wrong about it too. The Empire was fearsome. It commanded millions of star systems and enforced it's rule with uncountable troops, starships and secret police. There was also this feeling of pure dread, of something crawling up your spine and trying to worm into your brain. Whenever he thought of opposing the Empire he almost could hear a voice telling him to just give in, it was hopeless and what could one man do anyway?
Bigg's was broken out of his reverie and brought to a halt by a challenge.
"Stop! Who goes there! Identify yourself!", rasped a spindly droid. It's construction gave the impression of some skeleton and the rust indicated it was well past it's use-by date. The blaster it carried in it's claws looked all too new. It blocked Bigg's progress to the boarding ramp of a bulbous shuttle, it's small wings more for show than aerodynamics.
"Hey, BD243. It's me Biggs. I mean Pilot, 3rd class, Biggs." said Biggs
"Do not recognise Itsmebiggs.", the old droid stiffened and pointed the blaster at Biggs. "Halt. Intruder, Please wait for security detail. Do not move or I will blast you."
"Look, it's me Biggs, I'm with you. We're on the same side." he reasoned. Why had the captain bought this ancient, paranoid deathtrap?
"Target has changed it's story. Claims to now be Lookitsmebiggs. Target may be infiltrator for the..." The droid stopped mid-sentence as it's head was whacked with a large spanner wielded by someone inside the shuttle.
"Override B4!" a pleasant voice said crisply "Droid BD243/S32/D27/A75 recognise Biggs, Pilot, 3rd class. Subject is also known as Biggs, Damnyoubiggs and Itsmebiggs. Acknowledge." the voice continued.
"Acknowledged.", BD243's stance changed to a more neutral pose and pointed the blaster downwards. A short human female in an originally blue jumpsuit adorned with tools and smeared with the 12 different fluids, greases and oils commonly used on spacecraft jumped down. Biggs suspected she might look quite good cleaned up.
"You've just got to talk their lingo sandworm.", she said airily as they walked into the cavernous cargo bay of the shuttle past the droid. Vaus rubbed her hand through her hair making bits stick out at odd angles.
"Who's a sandworm?", said Biggs, mildly shocked.
"You are. Kid from a desert. Don't care how good you are. You're still a sandworm until the first jump."
The ship rumbled as engines fired up and the cargo ramp began to close. There was that bizarre feeling as the entire vessel lifted off and began rotating so it's nose pointed up. Inside BD243's feet stuck it to the floor which was rapidly becoming a wall. Vaus effortlessly transferred her balance so she stood on the new 'floor'. Biggs stumbled, landing with a thud. His stomach heaved as his head tried to make sense of the new orientation.
"Need a hand, wormy?", Vaus extended a hand, Biggs took it and looked into her grinning face as he pulled himself up.
"Thanks." he managed.
"Any damage?" she inquired.
"Does my pride count?" said Biggs patting himself down
"Not really. Just something you should get used to. Gravity is just an optional extra." Vaus explained.
"Vaus", the ship's comm growled and hissed. "Get Biggs up here, lets see how good a pilot he really is."
"Come on." Vaus said, "Can't play just yet, there's work to do." she then lithely ascended to the ship's cabin. Biggs followed somewhat slowly after her.
The shuttle's flight compartment was small, cramped and festooned with switches, dials, buttons and screens. Currently most of them indicated the shuttle was floating a few metres of the ground, nose pointed away from the planet. Other dials indicated it was fueled up and that the cargo holds were slightly more full than they should be. In the pilot's chair sat the shuttle's and her parent ships owner and main pilot. Captain Malorn was an aging male human. Years of wrestling ships, people and droids had left him tough and wiry. His uniform was an older and more rumpled version of Biggs.
"C'mon kid." he said to Biggs, "Show off those skills you got and prove to me that all those apprenticeship credits are worth it."
"Sure thing Sir.", Biggs clambered into the co-pilot seat and checked the shuttles controls. Engines. Power. Repulsors. Thrusters. Converters. Biggs ran through the list of components checking that the shuttle was ready to make the transition from planet to airless void. Captain Malorn nodded and grunted approval as Biggs went through his checklist.
"He's good 'eh." observed Vaus, strapping herself in. "And they said these Rim flyboys just punch launch and yell 'Ye-Haw'"
"Don't think that's true." said Malorn, "No-one's that suicidal."
"Point. Hey Biggs, Who were you saying goodbye to? Some girl you'll never see again?" said Vaus.
"Some guy." replied Biggs checking the core power temperature. Vaus made a noise indicating some disappointment. "Hey, it's not like that. I've known Skywalker all my life. I'm practically his big brother. Poor kid wants to fly but he'll be a farmer all his life.", Biggs paused as he saw the shocked stares, "Why you looking at me like that?"
As the ship took off, between Vaus' excitement and Malorn's more measured tone Biggs learned a bit of spacer lore. The name 'Skywalker' turned up a lot, always associated with outlandish and improbable tales. A great many surrounded the recent Clone Wars. A Jedi, named Anakin Skywalker had performed many fantastic deeds. Vaus remembered him as one of her childhood heroes.
"He was the 'Hero with no Fear'" she reminisced, "I had a holo poster of him all in black robes. It used say 'Help me save the Republic' if you switched on a toy laser sword near it.", she looked at the two males. "What! I got over him. I'm older now." she finished sulkily.
"'Hero with no brain'" be more like it." said Malorn. Vaus stuck her tongue out at him, "I remember a skirmish at Kalista's Drift. The Seps had us cut off from our escorts and their fighters were forming up to get us when these two Republic fighters fired afterburners and charged them. Tore the formation apart and saved my ass. Turns out one of those pilots was Skywalker. Damn big ones."
The Shuttle left the atmosphere, the horizon giving way to a arc of the planet and then a disc. Biggs watched the sight with awe. "Now there's a sight that never gets old." said Malorn, "But let's get home, I don't make money just sitting in orbit."
The Shuttle turned and headed for a mote in the distance. The mote resolved itself to be the Bulk Freighter 'Malorn's Dream'. Almost two miles long the ship sported a small bridge and crew quarters at the
bow with a thin spine connecting to the reactor and a single ion drive. Coming off the spine were six massive trapezoid cargo bays set in pairs symmetrically round the actual ship. The shuttle docked just behind the bridge and the crew crawled through to the main ship. A host of droids also descended on the shuttle and began transferring the contents to one of the six larger holds. Malorn left immediately for the bridge leaving Vaus to show Biggs round the ship.
"And this is your room." said Vaus. Biggs looked round with surprise. The room was huge and had the look of being well appointed once. In addition to a large bed it had it's own toilet facilities, sitting area, holoscreen and window.
"I know what you're thinking." she said. "Malorn had this mad idea to carry some passengers way back and had several staterooms installed. Never got any though.", she leaned closer and added "Personally, I think he got sick of being cooped up in the standard cabins and bunks. All this extra is still nothing compared to the rest of the ship, so it's not slowed down any. Anyways Vance is two doors down on the left, Malorn's is just behind the Bridge and it says 'Captain' besides. I'm opposite, so if you want anything just knock." she finished and departed. Biggs was left to continue gaping at the surrounds and wondering if she had really just winked at him.
An hour later Biggs and Vance were relaxing in the ship's lounge. Like the rest of the crew quarters it was spacious and luxurious compared to what they had been led to expect. Biggs had briefly glanced at the original cabins and bunks. Ouch. They were now droid bays since they didn't complain about cramped quarters.
"Here's to taking the slow boat from home in style." said Biggs
"Yes, we're seeing the ion pulse at a time." remarked Vance. "Beats being an earthworm, I guess."
"Yeah" replied Biggs, "Then again, worms get to walk for more than a few metres in any direction they please."
"Back on the old dust bowl, you didn't have cute techs lusting after you. 'Please Biggs, I need help with my prime motivator'" Vance said in a high pitch teasing. He too wore a crisp new uniform and cloak. Vance looked like someone out of a recruitment holo with features considered classically handsome across multiple cultures and a few species.
"She was just being friendly." Biggs dismissed the image, not too successfully of Vaus, having recently showered and..."Look, were not planning on staying, are we?" he whispered.
"Right. All I'm saying is that it's a long way to Bastion." said Vance getting up to get another drink. Could be worse ways to spend your time."
"It's a bit sleazy. Isn't it?" said Biggs. He then wished he could take back those words. It was hardly the image of a cool, free loving, galactic to get held up on being improper.
"You do know what we're doing? Don't you? Run of the mill. Law abiding citizens who worry what others think of them, we are not." pointed out Vance.
"I thought we were supposed to lay low." said Biggs
"Never said we couldn't in agreeable company." leered Vance. "Just think on it." he finished and left.
Over the next week Biggs settled into the routine of a commercial spacer. The giant ship mostly ran itself once pointed in the right direction but an endless list of checks and small maintenance duties kept Biggs busy for most of a ship day. Of these, his favourite became ships watch, consisting of sitting in the bridge keeping eyes on sensors for anything large enough to trouble the vessel should they collide. For a craft as unarmoured and weakly shielded as the Malorn's Dream this meant any object bigger than Biggs' fist. He enjoyed it for the endless wonder the void offered him and for the time alone to think.
Biggs knew why he was joining the Rebellion. It was dawning on him how tricky it would be to do so. Luke was right, damn him. You couldn't just walk into a recruiting office, sign a few forms and you were in. Who could he trust and how could he convince others to trust him?
"You can't do it. It's too hard. They will find you out." Biggs started. Who had said that? He looked around. No-one was present and the voice, if it was a voice had not had the ships comm's distinctive twang to it. Had he imagined it?
"You're just getting jumpy Biggs. Calm down." he said to himself, trying to follow his own advice.
"Are you talking to someone or just trying to guarantee an intelligent conversation." said Vaus from the doorway.
Biggs nearly jumped out of the chair. How much had she heard? How much had he actually said or thought he had said? He tried to look relaxed and calm.
"Don't look like that." she said, "All spacers talk to themselves, times like this. You're crazy if you don't.", she settled into the seat beside him. "It's beautiful though." as she looked out of the canopy.
"Um, what. Oh yes. It is." stammered Biggs
The two of them stared at the inky void and the instruments for a few moments before Biggs got all his nerves in order.
"Vaus" he said.
"Yes, Biggs." she said staring at him.
"What do you think of the Empire?" he blurted out.
"Not many women on Tatooine, it seems." she said, "Well, they're a nasty, rotten bunch and they make you kick puppies every Tuesday. You thinking of not joining the Navy after your tour with us is up? I can assure you the Merchant's Guild has all sorts of attractions you'll never see on a Navy berth." she said, her tone leaving no doubt as to what some of those attractions were.
"Um, sort of." Biggs could feel himself starting to blush.
"Don't look so worried. I don't bite. Didn't think you were the patriotic military type." she said. "Seriously Biggs, the Navy is a lousy way to see the galaxy. Your first tour will be on some patrol cruiser assigned to one system. Which I assure you, you will get sick off. After that it's a cap ship that'll see the same few systems, forever. And you'll have to wait ages to get pilot duty. As opposed to us free enterprising types. We go where the action is and I'll let you know another thing." Vaus again leaned over and stared intently into Biggs eyes. "I'm already a rich woman. We don't do all this out of a sense of charity. We make money, Biggs. Even if you don't have a share in the ship you're on, which I do and you'll be dumb not to you'll get paid better than any but the top brass."
Biggs looked worried. "Um, that's not what I mean. Would you do anything about it?"
Vaus settled back and smiled, "Oh dear, I've read you completely wrong my dear boy." Biggs winced, "Don't tell me you want to join the Rebellion?", when Biggs nodded she continued, "You're serious.", he nodded again. "Well, they got that right at least. Your profile." she explained, "Trustworthy, dedicated, principled, moral. Only thing missing would be brown robes and a laser sword. You're not one of 'them', are you?" Biggs shook his head. "That's a relief, apparently they didn't get out much, if you take my meaning. And say something. I'm not going to put 'Rebel sympathiser' on your record."
"The Empire needs to be opposed." said Biggs. Again, there was a chill down his spine but he shrugged it off. "I don't care what everyone else says. How they're too big or it's not my problem. What matters is that I do something."
"Palpatine was elected, you know. First Chancellor and then Emperor. Is armed insurrection really the answer to opposing the choice of the people?" said Vaus
"He's hardly letting people vote him out again. Any democracy movement gets labeled as revolutionaries and you don't hear from them again after a while. If Palpy's boys are going to come for me in the middle of the night I want friends with blasters." said Biggs. "I know what the holos say, but I've seen a lot of history cubes. Palpatine's regime is brutal and keeps people in line through fear. It's a monstrous tyranny."
"Those same cubes probably told you how Palpatine got elected. The old Galactic Republic was hardly a shining beacon of freedom itself, especially at the end.", Vaus said.
"That's a problem for later. Hopefully for someone older and wiser.", Biggs stammered as Vaus gave him an arch look, "Well maybe I could figure something out. Make something new that avoids the problems of Republic and Empire."
"When are you planning on leaving? Somehow I don't think you're planning on completing your apprenticeship tour. Is it Bastion?" Vaus asked
"Um, yeah." said Biggs.
Vaus got up and made to leave the bridge. "Wait here." she said. Biggs waited somewhat nervously wondering if his anti-Empire outburst had been in fact the wisest thing to do. He felt however that you had to start trusting people at some point even if he couldn't precisely articulate why.
Vaus soon returned. "If you're all so fired up to join the Rebellion I guess there's no way I can talk you out of it. Three things Biggs and pay attention. One, don't trust Vance. He may be your friend but he's not in it for the reasons you are. Two, don't talk about this to Malorn. He's old Navy and would probably warn you that the Rebellion follows in the traditions of the Republic Navy, those traditions being synthehol, incest and the electrowhip. He might put you off."
"And three?" said Biggs wondering what other surprises there were.
"Three." Vaus leaned over, her head meeting his, "Go to Greble's and ask for a holosuite, pay with this credstick." she said slipping something into his jacket pocket. "Lastly, think on what you're giving up." she finished, standing up.
Vaus left the bridge leaving Biggs alone with the void and some more thoughts.
Malorn's shuttle descended in a grav tube towards Bastion Port 5. Inside, Malorn waxed on about the various delights and lack of horrors galactic society had to offer. At least it was those bits that Malorn considered important. He also considered Bastion safe enough for the two new apprentices to lose the 'Rimworld hick' look.
"Can't look like a couple of rubes boys, or they'll take you for all they'll get. And if you're intent on the Imperial Navy later on no enlisted is going to follow an officer who gapes like a fish all the time. They just don't."
Vance and Biggs nodded in what they thought was a sage way and attempted to look calm and confidant.
"And don't worry. Bastion aint Mos Eisley." Malorn continued, mistaking the boys' looks entirely, "People here won't jump you and leave the body in an alley. They want you back again and paying every time you make port."
The shuttle touched down and Malorn and Vaus hustled Biggs and Vance down the ramp towards the starport and whatever delights it could offer. Malorn then shook their hands and admonished
"Try to come back in your clothes alright?" before sending them off. When they had gone, the shuttle soon lifted off and was back in the grav tube for orbit.
Malorn looked at his tech, "AWOL?"
"Yessir" Vaus replied.
"Rebellion?"
"Fraid so."
"Bad boy or the cute one?"
"The cute one.", Vaus sighed.
"He's going to die you know."
"I know.", Vaus looked distraught, "Why do they do it."
"Young men always think war is glamorous. You can't tell em different?", Malorn raised an eyebrow, "You did try just telling, didja?"
"Yes. Sir." she replied, "I'm not stupid."
"Never said you were." Malorn, "O well, we don't make money mooning over cute rebels. lets get some trades and practice the outrage at those damn ship jumpers we'll be having next week."
The shuttle continued its ascent.
Greble's Sensirama was a brightly lit establishment from which came a rolling dissonant beat not entirely palatable to Bigg's ear. The interior was dark, the flashing, strobing lights making anything difficult to see but he could make out several gyrating figures. Outside a hulking Gammorean, absurdly dressed in a dinner jacket watched the two humans suspiciously.
"Well, this is my sort of place." said Vance. "Much nicer than the Mech Bay I knew about. Say, how did you find out about this?"
Biggs decided discretion was the better part of valor at this point. "Does it matter, cmon." he said.
A giggling Volidian stumbled out of the establishment, walked into a nearby flyer and fell over backwards, still giggling. Swiftly the Gammorean scooped up the smaller being and pitched it down the alley. It then returned to it's post.
"No loitering." it growled, "You two coming in?"
"We're coming in." said Biggs and stepped over the threshold. Vance followed.
The interior was crowded by a comprehensive cross-section of the local sectors species as well as the more ubiquitous ones like Darlmaq, Rodians and Humans. A few hundred were squeezed into the small area attempting to overwhelm their senses in as many ways as could be imagined and then some. Biggs and Vance pushed through the throng to the bar. Beside them on the bar tiny Arkini were climbing a small ladder to a diving board before leaping into a tall, steaming tumbler. Occasionally one would clamber to the lip, fall to the bar and join the line at the ladder again.
"Cheap drunks," said the bartender, a tall, thin purple humanoid. "What do you want. We have many, human drinks, or maybe something more, exciting?" the bartender blinked at them.
"We'ld like to rent a holosuite." said Biggs, trying not to show fear.
"First time in a major port, eh. Both of you?" the humans nodded,
"Hmm, kinky. 20 credits each per transect. Read and sign these." It said. Vance promptly found the 'sign here' field and did so while Biggs read, with mounting horror at the denials and forfeitures involved. "Don't worry about all that." said the bartender. "It's all standard."
Biggs eventually signed and proffered the special credstick as payment. "That, will do nicely," said the bartender, scanning it and handing it back. "Second floor, take those stairs," it pointed vaguely at a staircase in the mist. Your holosuite is the third, on the right."
Biggs and Vance followed the directions and arrived at the designated holosuite and entered. Inside a measured voice asked them to choose from a bewildering range of questions, admonished them with several warnings and finally wished them well in their chosen fantasy. At which point, the lights went out. A door opened on the other side illuminating an indistinct figure.
"Well, hurry up, we don't have all day." it said in flawless basic.
Biggs and Vance walked through the second portal. They followed the hooded figure to another sparse room.
"Wait here." the figure said. They waited. After a while another hooded figure came in, pointed at Biggs and said "Follow me."
The figure lead Biggs to a small room. It was a storeroom for the Sensirama. Between crates was another figure tied to a chair with a sack over their head. The first figure handed Biggs a blaster. "Shoot him.", it commanded.
"What?" said Biggs, not far off he heard the report of a blaster bolt.
"There needs to be a body for the holosuite accident so nobody pays too much attention to your disappearance. Shoot him."
Biggs looked at the blaster, then the tied up figure in the chair. "No." he said.
"They're an Imperial sympathizer. Killing him furthers the cause. Shoot him."
Biggs looked at the prisoner. Was this what the rebellion was about? Shooting people in dingy rooms? "No, this isn't right."
"What's right?" said the Rebel. "This is the Rebellion. We kill them until they can't take it anymore. Shoot him."
"No, this isn't..." Biggs started.
"What you thought it was all about. We can't afford to fight fair. Not yet. Now we've got what we need out of this Imp. Now shoot him."
Biggs shook his head.
"This isn't some debate club you know. We don't score points and get judged afterwards. We kill them and they do their damn best to kill us. Shoot him." the Rebel was starting to sound agitated.
Biggs put the blaster down on a nearby crate. "No. I want to fight the Empire, but I'm not committing cold blooded murder just to prove my loyalty or dedication or whatever it is." he said.
The Rebel drew a heavy blaster and pointed it at Biggs. Biggs could see the oil on the projection spike glisten. He gulped.
"Yes, kid. We are serious. Now, I'm going to count to ten. When I get to ten either you've shot the Imp or I'm shooting you. Can't let you reveal where we are. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six."
Biggs made a grab for the blaster and attempted to bring it up to shoot the Rebel. The Rebel however only had to press the firing stud. There was a brief flash and noise and it all went black.
