Wow, thanks for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter!
Twenty-seven hours. It had been twenty-seven hours.
Although he wasn't particularly fond of the man, Kerrick was still worried.
When they had first left the outpost, Capt. Mentzer had contacted Darth Vader to update him on the situation. They never got a reply. Since Vader hated being disturbed against his wishes, no one dared bother him any more, but after twenty-seven hours of no contact whatsoever, everyone knew something had to be wrong.
Kerrick was sifting through some information on the bridge, getting ready to return to his regular post elsewhere on the ship, but his mind was on the situation with their missing commander-in-chief. Capt. Mentzer paced the bridge a little nervously, but he tried not to show it. Instead, he let out his stress by barking orders at poor lower-ranking officers who were just trying to deal with the situation in their own way.
Suddenly, Mentzer decided to turn on Kerrick. "Lt Cdr. Chelcu!"
Kerrick straightened immediately. "Yes, sir?"
"Take Ens. Hu and go to Lord Vader's quarters. See if he's in there. Make sure to try contacting him first before entering. Get going!"
Kerrick rushed off with poor Jifo tripping over himself to keep up. After they exited the bridge and turned the corner, Kerrick immediately stopped for Jifo to catch up.
"What are we going to do?" Jifo panted. "We're not actually going to barge in on Darth Vader, are we?"
"We're going to have to do something," Kerrick responded. "Lord Vader would not disappear off the face of the Executor for more than ten hours at the most. Ten hours was his record, and that was for meditating. Everyone knew he was in his quarters because he specifically said he was not to be disturbed… but we didn't get any of that this time. He just went to his quarters for the night and then vanished. We all know that he wouldn't oversleep… in fact, we don't even know if he does sleep!"
Jifo winced, obviously thinking of something. "Is it true? The rumors about Lord Vader…"
Jifo trailed off, gripping his throat and looking at Kerrick. Kerrick sighed and nodded, "Yes, he has been known to strangle his officers when they do something wrong. He killed Captain Hooge for his… ah, miscalculation."
"How recently was that?" Jifo asked in fear.
"A month ago," Kerrick answered. "Captain Hooge was certain that he could stop a fleeing Rebel fleet if he surrounded them with Death Squadron. So, he ordered a quick hyperspace jump, that way his ship would be ahead of the rest and he could seal off any escape. However, he miscalculated and sent part of his ship plummeting right into part of ours! Lord Vader was… less than pleased."
Jifo shuddered, and then the two resumed their walk to Vader's quarters. Kerrick took out his comlink, gulped, and then keyed in for Vader's channel.
"Lord Vader?" he spoke into the comlink, waiting for a response. "Lord Vader, this is Lt Cdr. Chelcu."
Silence.
"Are you sure he isn't just busy or something?" Jifo stammered.
"He wouldn't be just busy, ensign," Kerrick replied, somewhat irritated at the situation. He didn't want to get strangled because Vader didn't want to be disturbed!
Kerrick tried contacting Vader a few more times before giving up and walking up to the door that led into his quarters. Hesitating for a fraction of a second, Kerrick opened the door, only to reveal that the room was completely empty.
That's odd… he thought.
"Does this mean we can leave now?" Jifo asked with a trembling tone.
Finally exasperated and panicked at the entire problem, Kerrick whipped around. "Go back to the bridge and report to Capt. Mentzer that Lord Vader isn't in his quarters, then get a backbone! I want troopers searching for Lord Vader all over this ship!"
Jifo saluted and rushed off. Kerrick sighed. He didn't know why he was so stressed… even if Darth Vader really was missing, he wouldn't feel this stressed…
Jifo ran down the corridors towards the bridge. Stress and panic filled him as he drew closer. He knew he was scared of Vader, but why did he feel so overwhelmed?! He could understand his poor superior officer getting exasperated with him! What was wrong with him?!
Jifo mentally swatted himself before entering the bridge. "Capt. Mentzer, Lord Vader didn't respond to his comlink and he isn't in his quarters!"
The captain looked over calmly, but sweat gleamed on his face. Why was everyone so freaked out?
"Get some troopers dispatched to locate Lord Vader," he ordered.
"Yes, sir," Jifo said automatically before rushing off once more.
A part of being the unofficial officer in charge of morale was to make sure what the mood was on the ship.
Well, the mood was pretty blasted clear: panic.
For some reason, the entire ship was in a state of panic. According to some, it had started in the middle of the night. From what Kobayashi had gathered, people were waking up in the middle of the night feeling scared out of their wits for some sort of reason. Many others felt confusion or worry and couldn't explain why. Kobayashi himself felt stressed, and even he didn't know why. It had to be something; these emotions didn't come from nowhere. Perhaps it was some sort of assignment?
Kobayashi did know (as well as the rest of the Executor) that Darth Vader was missing. They had searched the entire ship and couldn't find him at all. Still, that was no reason for everyone to be in such a state.
Kobayashi sighed as he wandered the halls. As he turned the corner, he caught sight of Kerrick.
"Lt Cdr. Chelcu!" he called out.
Kerrick turned around and saw Kobayashi running up to him. "Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, may I inquire as to what in the blazes is going on?" Kobayashi asked.
"We finally got through to Lord Vader's comlink." Kerrick explained.
Kobayashi blinked, waiting for him to continue. "…So, this is a good thing, right? I thought you had already tried Lord Vader's comlink."
"We did, but we never got any sort of response," Kerrick went on. "This most recent time, we got something. It wasn't Lord Vader… in fact, it wasn't even a person. Instead, we got sounds. We heard people talking in the distance and feet shuffling. We heard a loud voice over some sort of comm. system, too. When we listened hard enough to what the voice said, we realized that it was announcing something about a ship leaving from Deck 3, air lock Besh."
"Deck 3, air lock Besh?" Kobayashi repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Kerrick looked grim. "Deck 3, air lock Besh was at Outpost 37752, the station we left about eighteen hours ago."
Kobayashi gaped at his friend. "What?"
Kerrick nodded. "You heard me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been ordered to take the Accuser and return to Outpost 37752 to search for any clues as to what's going on."
At that, Kerrick turned and walked off towards a hangar that would take him to the Accuser. Kobayashi sighed and headed to his quarters.
On the way, he passed by the medical wing and entered after seeing them half-dragging a pale-looking Imperial.
"What happened?" he asked as he helped the doctors lay the Imperial on a bed.
"Well, to put it bluntly, the guy practically had a nervous breakdown." One of the doctors explained. "What do you have those people doing out there, anyway?"
"I don't know what's going on," Kobayashi responded, worried. "I didn't expect it to get this bad, though."
After making sure the Imperial was alright, Kobayashi left and went to his quarters. He collapsed on his cot after the door hissed shut.
"Oh, what is going on?" he muttered to himself.
The longer he lied there, the more he started to notice that his insides felt like they were churning. Everything started spinning. Kobayashi closed his eyes, moaning as a wave of nausea came over him.
In the middle of all the chaos, he could see shapes and lights in his mind's eye. People started to form from blotches, walking back and forth. They were all taller than him for some reason. No, they weren't taller; he was shorter. Noises filled his eardrums and multicolored holographic signs hovered about, advertising restaurants and shops.
A sign was floating in the middle of a large open area. Some people were stopping and looking at it. Kobayashi turned his head to read what it said, but things were still a little hazy. After a few minutes, the edges cleared.
Kobayashi realized he was out of breath.
The sign said Deck 3, air lock Besh: Occupied. Status: Boarding
"Lt. Beillane!"
Kobayashi's eyes popped open and he realized he wasn't in his quarters. Jifo was standing over him, looking concerned.
Kobayashi stuttered, "Wha… where am I?"
"You're in the medical wing, sir," Jifo replied. "People heard you yelling in your quarters and when they got there you passed out."
"I—I what?!" Kobayashi exclaimed, bolting up.
"Lt. Beillane, you need to lie down!" a doctor said as she rushed over to push Kobayashi back down.
"But—but I… what are you—I didn't pass out!" Kobayashi yelled, panicking. "I… I saw Outpost 37752!"
"You saw what?" both the doctor and Jifo asked.
"I…" Kobayashi trailed off. What had happened? He was lying on his cot… then he felt sick to his stomach… then he saw the outpost. Why in the blazes did he imagine the outpost of all things? And why was it all so… odd and blurred? Why was he so short and low to the ground? "How long have I been out?"
"Seventeen hours, sir," Jifo answered.
"Seventeen? You're joking!"
Jifo shook his head.
As the doctor closed the curtain to Kobayashi's bed so the two could talk in private, Kobayashi and Jifo both dropped Imperial protocol.
"Ji, what in the blazes is going on? What's happened in the past seventeen hours? Is anyone else hurt? Where are we?" Kobayashi rambled on before Jifo held up his hands.
"Whoa, one at a time, Koby," Jifo interrupted. "I—I don't know what's going on… quite frankly, I was brought in here because I collapsed on the bridge. Capt. Mentzer is confined to quarters; Cdr. Chupa-Pau had to take over command of the Executor until further notice!"
"Why is this happening?" Kobayashi asked no one in particular.
Jifo shrugged. "I don't know. But in the past seventeen hours, almost a third of the crew has been through this wing! We've been floating in the same plot of space ever since Kerrick had to take the Accuser back to Outpost 37752."
"Kerrick!" Kobayashi remembered. "Has there been any word from him?"
"He reported last an hour ago from what I heard," Jifo replied. "He said he just found Lord Vader's comlink, but there was no sign of Lord Vader himself."
"It doesn't make any sense..." Kobayashi whispered. "Lord Vader would have no reason to get off of his ship! He normally prefers to stay on board from what I hear!"
"I know," Jifo folded his arms. "That's what's got everyone worried. We don't know what could have possibly happened."
A doctor peeked in. "Ens. Hu, you're going to have to leave now. You're confined to quarters until further notice. Lt. Beillane, I suggest you get some rest."
Jifo left after trying to give Kobayashi a reassuring smile. The doctor then closed the curtains again.
Kobayashi lied there for a while, wondering what was going on with the crew of the Executor. He wondered if the rest of the fleet even knew what was going on. Then his mind wandered off towards the outpost once again. Why had he seen that?! Why had he passed out?
It occurred to Kobayashi that he was sitting on the floor, slumped against a wall in his little "vision" of Outpost 37752. That explains why everything seemed so tall… he thought.
He closed his eyes and then heard the sounds of the outpost again. Startled, Kobayashi opened his eyes and heard echoes of the sounds fade away.
Then, suddenly filled with curiosity since he now had nothing better to do, Kobayashi closed his eyes once again to see what would happen.
Outpost 37752 rematerialized once again in his mind's eye, but the people passing by were different. When he looked over at the sign in the middle of the plaza, it had different information written on it. Deck 3, air lock Besh was now vacant instead of occupied. Obviously the ship that had been boarding left; time had actually passed!
Kobayashi knew that this definitely was out of the ordinary. He tried to get up, but he realized he couldn't move. Then, suddenly, his world started to move on its own. He grew taller; no, he didn't grow taller… he was standing up!
Without even moving his legs, Kobayashi started stumbling over towards the plaza, his view darting back and forth…
… Which was when it finally dawned on Kobayashi that he wasn't even looking from his perspective at all.
A distinct suck-hiss reverberated in the back of his mind. Then, a timid voice called out:
"Hello?"
Kobayashi's eyes opened and he fell out of bed, softly groaning in pain when he landed on his back.
The lights in the medical wing were dimmed; it was the night shift. Obviously, Kobayashi had been unconscious for some time, even though it only seemed like a few minutes.
Kobayashi was still completely aware of what he heard in his head, though.
"Lord Vader?" he called out softly. "Where are you, my lord? I thought I heard you."
Silence was the only reply.
Sighing, Kobayashi sat back in bed, mulling over what had transpired in his head. Maybe he was just going nuts…
Shaking his head slowly and lying down, Kobayashi closed his eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Kerrick looked around the outpost aimlessly, not knowing what else he could possibly find. They had been searching for hours, almost an entire day. The only thing that proved Vader had even set foot on the outpost was his comlink, and it was found just outside of the air lock where the Executor had been docked.
The crowds had dispersed since it was three in the morning. Some people went scurrying from place to place to leave for early morning appointments of some sort, but it was relatively still. Kerrick's troopers dragged their feet from one side of the outpost to the other, searching for any sort of clue as to what was going on. They had gone to security and checked the feeds, but strangely enough, the feed showing the entrance to the Executor had gone offline the night before. Frustrated, Kerrick clenched his jaw. They had no leads.
After what seemed an eternity, Kerrick finally decided to call off the investigation. He recalled his troops and began to head back to the Accuser.
On his way, he noticed someone sitting in a dark corner. It was a small figure, looking thin but muscular nonetheless. The silhouette stayed motionless, watching him. Kerrick stopped walking and watched it for a while before heading towards it.
As he drew closer, he could see some bits of the silhouette. It was a Human man, probably no older than twenty-two or twenty-three. The young man was thin and looked a little ill. His deep blue eyes pierced into Kerrick. He had a mane of thick, wavy, sandy-blonde hair that hung halfway down his neck, and, most notably, he was wearing an Imperial lieutenant's uniform.
"You," Kerrick said, pointing toward the man. "Lieutenant. Come here."
The man didn't move. He stayed completely motionless, not even blinking.
A little perplexed and more than unsettled by the odd person, Kerrick took a hesitant step forward, motioning for some stormtroopers to come over. Half a dozen rushed to his side.
The man stayed put.
"I said come here, lieutenant," Kerrick repeated. "That's an order."
Still, he didn't make any motions. Eventually, Kerrick told the troopers to grab him and drag him over, which they did with little effort. The young man looked like he was a rag doll letting them pull him around. His expressive eyes showed panic. He obviously didn't know what he did wrong.
Kerrick shook his head; this guy couldn't be an Imperial… but that brought the question: How did he get a lieutenant's uniform?
Suddenly, the man's head jerked up and he looked Kerrick directly in the eye. For a fleeting instant, Kerrick could have sworn he heard Vader's breathing in his head. The person's eyes narrowed for a moment and then he lowered his gaze.
"Who are you?" Kerrick asked the man. He got no response. "Answer me!"
The man merely stared at him, looking confused.
"Don't you speak Basic?" Kerrick looked at him incredulously. "Perhaps Huttese? Anything?"
The young man opened his mouth and Kerrick waited expectantly but the only noise the man made was a moan. He obviously was in some sort of pain.
Sighing in exasperation, Kerrick ordered the troopers to bring the man along. They all boarded the Accuser and left Outpost 37752 far behind them, jumping into hyperspace so they could rendezvous with Death Squadron.
A little cliffie there, but I promise to update soon! Please review!
