Die Hard with a Rebellion 2
Chapter 2 - Probe X420-B -
Late Disclaimer - I do not own Die Hard or Star Wars.
V.S.E.D Flagship Junicer
Inside the Aldroit Astronomy lab, crew members surrounded a single, badly damaged probe laying on a table in the centre of the room. The probe sat in the middle of spent cutting tools and wire hook ups.
Olo Quarvic gently nudged a crew member out of the way in front of a monitor that was to the side, wires attached the monitor to the probe. "This is probe X420-B."
Shella raised her eyebrows at the news. She wasn't aware the probe had been retrieved. John noticed her reaction and payed closer attention to the monitor.
"As you can see," Quarvic continued as he moved his finger on a pad near the monitor moving the image around, "we have probe X420-B that has been badly damaged. We sent this probe outside the galaxy ten years ago. We never expected to hear it's signal again. It was modified with several layers of thick alloy and shielding making it ten times stronger than the average probe. This magnified melted section here is where we'll need to cut next, we can upload it's travel images into our computer and we'll finally understand what is beyond our galaxy. I really should be filming this !" Olo quickly walked out of the room to get his camera orbs.
" Well," Shella looked at the image, " that won't be easy without corrupting the inner circuits, all it would take is one bit of melted alloy."
" Attention, we will be arriving at Dantooine in two hours. Please prepare your equipment for departing Junicer." A computerised female voice announced.
" Already? Just when things were getting interesting." Shella frowned, she gave John a nudge and he seemed to snap out of his boredom. "Have you been to Dantooine before ?"
"No." He responded, I'm pretty new around here kid. But nobody is supposed to know that. Not like it's a big deal anyway, but Mon Mothma insisted that I keep my history to myself.
" You are one strange guy, " Shella Goowe smiled, studying John closely," where are you from anyway?"
" A big egg. "
" Har har, funny guy." She jabbed him on the shoulder.
Olo Quarvic entered the room again with two small camera orbs floating around his shoulders like little insects looking for a spot to bite. He quickly picked up a cutting tool and started commenting excitingly to nobody, he was in full documentary mode.
Shella rolled her eyes and whispered to John," Say goodbye to normal Olo, here's the Showtime version."
" An asshole is an asshole." John crossed his arms and watched the Captain flail his arms excitedly while talking directly to a camera orb.
" One wrong cut folks and I could very well ruin fifteen years of work," Olo barked out at the camera, he then turned on the cutter," here we go. Cutting away the panel for the input cable. I'll have to have a steady hand and not cut too big of chunks or the melted parts could fall into the circuitry inside and corrupt all the images captured by this probe."
Olo Quarvic began his slow cutting, adding some dramatic faces while cutting just for show.
1 Hour Later
" Excellent job sir !" A crew member beamed as Olo turned off the cutter. They quickly attached an input cable into the hole to upload the information. Everyone crowded around the monitor and waited for the information to upload. Olo Quarvic was a centre stage commenting everything for his camera orbs. Crew members started getting louder as the excitement was building for the results.
" Upload complete. Let's see what we have here." Olo announced and pressed a button next to the monitor. All the images were dark and fuzzy. Olo moved the images ahead several hours only to get the same results. He then moved it ahead a full day without any further changes.
" Is it damaged Captain ?" One of the scientists asked, narrowing his white eyebrows to make out any shapes on the monitor.
"No," Olo responded with slight annoyance, "it's clearly going through what's known as the storm wall surrounding the galaxy. We might have to go through years of images before we actually see anything. I'll set in the commands on the computer and it will give us the first image that is not similar to these. Should take a few minutes."
They didn't wait long before the image changed to a large, rolling blue cloud that looked out of place with the backdrop of total blackness. Everyone let out surprised gasps at the image. The probe travelled lower to see a series of arcing lightning fingers stretching into the distance.
Olo jumped up," I TOLD you ! Artery Beams ! Artery Beams !"
John leaned closer to Shella," What is he having a shit about?"
" Captain Quarvic has been telling us about Atery Beams for years. They are long funnels of energy that snake out from a major intersection located in between galaxies. They are invisible and impossible to detect, he's claimed they've passed through the beams many times but that's not how they work."
Olo's voice soon drowned out Shella's whispering, " ...they stretch out through both galaxies, possibly even further than that. When the beam reaches a stopping point, whether it be a star, asteroid or planet, the point of impact gets sucked into the beam. It's been my belief that larger objects have too much mass to get transported by the beam. It'll be most likely small rocks or animals, smaller objects. LOOK ! The probe is entering through the connection !"
They all watched in silence as the probe travelled through an electrified tunnel. The image distorted every few minutes until it changed to complete , bright white screen. Everyone covered their eyes at the bright screen.
The next image shocked John McClane and everyone watching.
Death Star
Tarkin sat at his desk inside his office inside the nearly completed , moon sized space station, the Death Star. He just shut down his communication device when the door to his office slid to one side. Darth Vader strolled to the front of his desk. He slowly stood up and walked around the desk with his hands clasped behind his back.
" Lord Vader," Tarkin cleared his throat," do you realise how many people I have in command in The Empire? How many people are completely loyal and devoted to me?"
" I'm sure the count is substantial." Vader responded, not sounding committed to the conversation.
" Do you know who is in charge here on The Death Star?" Tarkin raised his voice, clearly angered at Darth Vader.
The Dark Lord didn't respond, his breathing mechanism was the only sound between them now.
Tarkin turned his back to Darth Vader and walked over to the corner of his desk and seemed to fidget with his nail. " What is stopping me from reporting your plans on starting an Imperial Civil war to the Emperor ?"
" Because you know the outcome. I will rule the galaxy when it's over. It would be wise to be on the right side of the battle when it begins. This little space station will be the first to be destroyed by my fleet. Then I'll wipe out the Rebels easily. " Vader walked closer to Tarkin's back.
Tarkin rubbed his neck, clearly feeling uncomfortable with Vader so close to him now, " You can't keep this from the Emperor for long, he'll soon find out. "
" Don't concern yourself with the Emperor, I'll play along with your little games here on this station for now. But there will be a time when you will have to choose a side." Vader turned and walked out of Tarkin's office. Tarkin shuttered and rubbed his neck again.
End of chapter 2