"Weren't we supposed to offer air support only?" Hobbie growled, dodging another blaster shot.
"Sure...if your friend didn't go and get caught!" Wes yelled back at him, climbing the building to a high spot where he could he could use his blaster rifle.
" He wasn't my friend! Just my...you're not even listening anymore!" He whined, laying low and shooting back at the stormtroopers trying to ambush them. "Leader, this is four. Five is on position." He spoke into his commlink.
The static filled voice of Luke Skywalker, echoed from the cylindrical device. "Go to two's position. I've got eyes on the 'package'."
Eyes on the package…
Meaning he'd pinpointed Celchu's whereabouts and was moving to retrieve him from Imperial custody.
Himself, Wedge and Zev were Luke's backup, while Commander Narra, Wes and Ketku had the higher ground, providing additional backup with their sniper skills.
Page and his team made contact with Celchu, but their Intel had seriously underestimated the Imperial presence in the city of Garang and their continuous surveillance on any Alderaanian personnel, due to the risk of defection.
And now here they were! Trying to solve that mess, and getting Celchu back.
A double click on their commlinks, was the signal. Hobbie heard the snap-hiss of Luke's lightsaber and the grunting of men being taken down by him.
Another double click, and the three of them swiftly rushed to Luke's side, analyzing their surrounding and identifying possible targets.
Wedge gazed at Luke, cutting through the back wall of the garrison with his lightsaber. "Show-off…"
The Tatooinian looked sideways at him. "Got an easier way?"
"Not really!"
Luke pushed his lightsaber downwards. It was much harder than it looked at first sight, but the metal gave in enough for the rest of them to blast it open.
Once inside, they systematically took down the guards, advancing quickly to where Celchu was supposed to be kept in custody.
They searched the few cells until Wedge signalled them pointing at the door.
"Artoo would be of help now…" Luke whispered. Their astromechs had stayed behind with their starfighters, keeping them ready for take-off on arrival. He couldn't count on the trusty droid's help to unlock the door. "Never the easy way."
Hobbie sneered at his CO and friend. "If it was easy, they wouldn't send us, now would they!"
"Stand back!" Luke yelled to the man inside the cell, throwing Hobbie and lopsided grin as he shot at the lock. "I guess they wouldn't!" Luke and Wedge kicked down the door, revealing the man being held inside.
He was Hobbie's age, though slightly shorter. As he stepped outside Luke saw he was as blond as himself, with blue eyes so clear that it gave him an almost cold look. His lips were pressed into a thin line, denoting his suspicion. It was only when saw Hobbie that he seemed to relax a bit.
"Derek 'Hobbie' Klivian!" He stretched out his hand, smiling at the Raltiirian. That smile was what change his demeanour completely. His features, at first giving a distant air to him, were now merry. "Good to see you! We feared they'd gotten a hold of you and Biggs." He looked beyond Hobbie, as looking for someone.
"Celchu… he's not with us. He's gone." Hobbie informed him. The Alderaanian lowered his, nodding sadly.
"He was the best of us all…" He whispered.
"Yes he was." Hobbie patted him on his shoulder. "Let's go. We don't want to be here when the rest of the party comes crashing in."
"Good idea!" Wedge added.
"Here, take this." Luke turned to Celchu, handing him a DL-44 retrieved from one of the stormtroopers.
The five of them left the building, shooting their way out, plowing through the incoming imperial reinforcements.
"Speeders!" Wedge shouted, pointing at three brand new speeders on the road. He smiled at Luke rushing to one of them.
Zev and Luke grabbed the other ones, with Tycho and Hobbie on their backs, shooting at stormtroopers.
"Renegade leader? Rogue leader here." Luke tapped his commlink. "We have the 'package' and we're coming your way with brand new rides, courtesy of Garang's garrison."
Luke could hear Narra's gruff laughter on the other side of the line. "How thoughtful of them. No more gifts?"
"We may have also picked some DL-44's." Wedge added.
"I want one!" The deep, merry voice of Wes Janson made itself heard.
"Aim straight and behave, and maybe I'll consider giving you one!" Luke answered the brash Taanabian.
"Yes, Boss!"
"Artoo!" Luke changed to his astromech's frequency. "Get our X-Wings up and running! ETA in 15 minutes or less!" The happy chirping of the little droid, was his confirmation.
They speeded through the streets, arriving fast at the other pilots' positions. Precise shots from above rained on the pursuing imps, clearing their way to Page's team stollen Lambda Shuttle.
"Commander Skywalker." Captain Judder Page saluted him as the eight men arrived.
"Captain Page." Luke returned his salute. It was still awkward to him, to have men older and with much more experience than himself saluting him and obeying his orders. "Do you have space to store these babies?"
Judder Page, an average looking man that could easily blend in everywhere, walked to the speeders, giving them an appreciating look. "Those will come in handy!" He smiled. "Always nice a touch, to come bearing gifts…"
"And here's your passenger!" Narra pointed at the Alderaanian. "This, is Lieutenant Tycho Celchu."
"Yeah…" He cast an evaluating look at the young man. "I heard you - uh- come bearing gifts too."
"Yes, sir."
"Judd...Leave the kid alone." Narra warned him, turning to Celchu. "He barks, but he doesn't bite."
"Unless you're an Imp." Janson grinned, leaning on Hobbie.
"Shut up, Wes!" Hobbie admonished him. "Whatever this guy tells you, believe half and doubt the rest…"
"And you call yourself my friend." Wes side-eyed his friend, pouting.
"We're chatting, or flying outta here?" Zev complained.
Narra shook Page's hand and the pilots headed to their X-Wings.
Climbing into his cockpit, Wes Janson watched as the Lambda shuttle took off, with their cargo and the Celchu kid in it!
He'd done it! He'd found the kid!
Putting on his helmet, the Taanabian went through a quick flight check. " Get it running Zapper." He turned to his red R5 unit. "Thrusters on. Repulsorlifts on. All systems check. Let's go my friend!"
The already familiar whistle of the Incom thrusters was like a sweet melody to him. He reclined on his seat, as he lifted his X-Wing and let it soar for a while, before taking up altitude and speed to breach through the planet's atmosphere and gravity pull, right into the dark of space…
Out there, in the cockpit of his starfighter, he found the peace of mind he needed. Punching the coordinates into his hyperdrive, he relaxed watching the stars stretching into lines around him.
Janson closed his eyes, trying to get some rest. It was a long jump to Thila, he might as well take the opportunity to sleep!
In his dreams he was just a kid, running alongside his siblings through the banks of the creek that ran across his family's property, he jumped towards Mia's arms, and she picked him up laughing. Derrit told him stories of the adventures beyond the stars they would all have.
And then the scenery changed… he was leaning on a beautiful white balcony, looking at a wide valley, filled with hovercabins, with the snow capped mountains on the horizon. he was handing a woman as old as his mother a medallion. A translucent golden circle encased on a Illum wood rim, engraved with the words Love, Unity, Family, surrounding it.
The dream changed once more, and this time he was back home, watching young kids running around a greenhouse he didn't recognize. It was a beautiful thing, all in white. he could see a myriad of flowers inside of it. Flowers that adorned the hair of one of the little girls laughing and running. She ran towards him, and he saw pale blue eyes on her tanned face. She smiled at him, and the dream faded away…
Leia waited patiently on the Hangar of Delta base. She had General Airen Cracken by her side.
"Did they report in already?" Leia asked the General.
"Yes, your Highness. They should arrive at any moment now."
Leia couldn't take her eyes from the skies outside… Tycho was her only remaining family member, and he was finally coming to the Alliance!
She held her breath as she heard the all too familiar engines of the incoming X-Wings. She saw them glide effortlessly and land with a perfect maneuver. She counted them: Twelve. They were all here! The six pilots from Renegade flight and the six from Rogue flight!
Following the starfighters, came the Damyry shuttle. Leia followed it with her eyes. Watching has it landed. As it lowered its ramp and the men from Page's team emerged.
Worse to wear, but all accounted to!
And then him…
The blond man she'd been waiting for…
Her cousin was here, finally!
He walked to where she stood, raising his eyes at last. He gave her a smile that told her of the immense relieve he felt, but also the immense pain he carried.
Leia smiled back offering him her hand, as he came closer to her. Tycho held her hand tight. "Hi, Leia…" He whispered shyly.
"Hi, Tycho…" She turned to the General. "Would you give us a second?"
"Of course, your Highness." Cracken gave a quick bow, as he turned to meet his friend Arhul Narra.
All alone, the two cousins embraced tightly. Both of them at lost for words, joined in the common grief of their homeworld and their entire family…
They were the last ones, and that knowledge weighed them down.
"Welcome, Tych! This is your home too now."
"I believe you want this." He told her, letting her hang her arm on his, and giving her a stack of datacards. "It's got all I could get my hands on. Access codes, tactical maps and the location of those missing scientists. It isn't much, but after… you know… they revoked access to all Alderaanian personnel, until we had a chance to prove our loyalty." He scoffed. "I'm sorry I couldn't escape sooner…"
"You're here now!" She reassured him. "Now, come. I want to introduce you to our Head of Intelligence. General?" She called to Cracken. The graying General responded to the pilots' salutes and headed back to where Leia awaited.
"Your Highness."
"General Cracken, this is my cousin Tycho Celchu. Former member of the Fulcrum team!" Leia announced, a tone of pride in her voice. Tycho looked at her tenderly, saluting the General.
"I was but a simple spy. I wasn't attributed that call sign, I merely received orders from one of the Fulcrum Senior Agents" Tycho straightened himself, his aristocrat upbringing visible in his manner and poise.
From the other end of the hangar, Wes, Wedge, Hobbie and Luke watched the new guy has he was being introduced by the princess to other High Ranks.
"He's a posh guy!" Wedge declared.
"So?" Luke asked him.
"So? How much do you wanna bet he's gonna be put in charge of some war Corvette?"
"A bet for real, or are you being figurative?" Wes turned to him.
"For real!"
"Well, I'm in!" Hobbie pulled out his pouch.
"Twenty credits says he'll be transferred to Alliance Starfleet." Wedge said.
"I'm in too!" Wes said. "I say he stays in Starfighter Command and gets assigned to one of our squadrons."
"Nah…" Hobbie countered. "You see how Leia is parading him around? She's gonna give him a whole squadron to command! Mark my words!"
"Luke?" Wedge asked him.
Luke shook his head. "Sorry guys. I can't join the bet."
"You know where he's going!" Hobbie squinted at him.
"There's that possibility…"
"So, where's he going?"
"Sorry, Wedge." Luke smiled at the Corellian. "But where's the fun in that? You'll find out in a couple of days…"
Chuckling at their protests, Luke left them behind. He had a meeting with Cracken, Narra, Leia and that Celchu guy. He turned to the corridor leading to the General's office, pulling out his datapad and turning it on. He smiled at the file it showed:
Tycho Mandirly Celchu
Alderaanian
21 years
Human
. To be evaluated, and if completely cleared,
to be assigned to Rogue Flight!
Boy, was Wedge going to be mad about losing a bet to Janson!