Updated 05/27/2007
Chapter IV
"To summarize," Ghost addressed the officers in the conference room. "A Rebellion officer has offered us a contract to steal information from a Imperial science facility, undoubtedly heavily guarded. A kind of operation we haven't attempted since pre-Empire days.
"Resources required for this type of operation would include: infiltration or deployment transportation, two, possibly three SO covert infiltration squads, along with extraction transportation."
"That runs the risk of exposing ourselves as more then the common bounty hunter," Mouth offered.
"It most likely will," Boom added.
"I agree," Valdar said. "But considering that the Rebel came up to us directly and posed this offer suggests that there is someone out there that knows who we are."
Zero's expression grew more concerned, "What are you suggesting Valdar?"
"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, an acquaintance of mine, is somewhat in touch with the Rebellion."
"Does he know about us?"
"Yes," the clones in the room shot him looks of decaying trust. "He can be trusted," Valdar defended himself. "When the Emperor issued Order 66, the survivors banded together to figure out what to do and who was still alive. We established who went where and who was hiding with whom. I had to inform both Master Yoda and Master Kenobi of you. I apologize, but they would have been worried and concerned other wise."
The clones eyed him suspiciously. They weren't sure what to make of this sudden revelation. If word were out about their doings and whereabouts, the Empire would be quickly coming to enact swift justice.
"This complicates matters," Ghost muttered.
"With that information added, I'll take a vote," Zero said. "All in favor of ignoring the Rebellion…" No one spoke up. "It settled then. Ghost contact the officer and get a rendezvous location, preferably a discrete, out of the way place."
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"Is this transmission clean?" Ghost asked.
"Yes, I am alone, and…" replied the holographic Rebel officer.
"And what?"
"Nothing, just a slight equipment bug, my anti-listening software is somewhat over-sensitive. I'm detecting no listeners. Let us get down to business shall we?"
"Yes. My associates and I have discussed this offer of yours are interested in partaking, where do you suggest we meet to discus the terms in person?"
"Do you know the planet of Caamas?"
"It's near Alderaan, correct?"
"Yes. I will meet you at these coordinates in the Caamas System in two days, transmitting now."
"Data received," Ghost said after the coordinates arrived. "In two days then?"
"In two days."
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Two days later Rebel Yell exited hyperspace 100 million kilometers outside the Caamas system.
"Sir," Tree addressed Zero. "We have exited hyperspace. Ghost and Boom have the rendezvous shuttle prepared to disembark."
"Good," Zero replied. "I want you to maintain an open comm. channel with the shuttle along with a data transfer link. Have its coordinates tracked from here as well through a fly-patch, Engineer Numbers knows what to do."
"Sir, why a fly-patch set up? Do you suspect a trap?"
"My head tells me no, but my gut tells me that it can't hurt to be safe. Numbers should be up here soon." Zero turned to gaze out the main view port. "I just can't shake this feeling of uneasiness."
The doors from the turbolift hall hissed open.
"Lieutenant RY-8547 requesting permission to enter the bridge, sir." Number said.
"Granted, you can use the system control terminal over there. I'll rout you some of the communications controls as well." Tree said. "Sir," He said to Zero. "Should I alert the shuttle bay that you are ready to disembark?"
"Yes do that. The bridge is yours Tree."
After a short microjump in-system, the shuttle carrying Ghost, Boom, and Zero had arrived at the rendezvous coordinates. They were alone in the void, left to gaze at the planet of Caamas revolving slowly around its star.
A proximity alarm sounded, "Looks like our friend decided to show up," Boom said.
A sleek transport roughly 400 meters long exited hyperspace before them. The smooth Calmarian freighter looked like one of the water-planets giant whales. Heavily modified with two Imperial Tri-Flux engines, three missile ports, and four hidden laser turrets made the ship intensely lethal but none less beautiful.
"We're being hailed, sir," Boom informed them.
"Put it through," Zero said.
"I see you've gotten yourself another ship, Ghost. I told you that other one wasn't top notch."
"If you would please leave my crewman's taste in vehicles be, we would like to begin talking business," Zero informed the Rebel.
"You must be Vice Admiral SO-5700; Zero correct?"
"Correct, you may call me Admiral, or sir."
"Well then, Admiral, if you would care to come aboard my ship, we'll talk this matter out face to face."
After the three clones had exited the docking umbilical connecting their two ships, the Rebel greeted them, "Welcome to the Vengeance," he said. "My name is Commander Ryath Wynn, Rebellion Special Forces." The interior of the Rebel's ship was just as beautiful as the outside, from an engineer's perspective. There was not a diode, switch or button out of place or without purpose. Ryath brought them to the central hold and sat them around a circular table. "Ghost, Boom, I'm glad you brought Zero here to see me; the Rebellion desperately needs help. We have recently learned that the Empire has developed and new power buffer for turbolasers that allows them to fire twice as fast before overheating. We need that technology to continue our fight against their tyranny, but we are too few and too unskilled to attempt this ourselves. We will offer you two million credits and all the necessary intelligence you need."
"That is a pretty good offer," Zero replied. "We will accept you offer, but other things concern me. Primarily, how do you know so much about us?"
"As you should, considering the ship you command. How did you manage to steal it from the shipyards?"
"A tale for another time."
"Yes of course. You might have guessed that we heard of you from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Valdar Tyre, but we found you a different way. I was a new Ensign aboard the Fearless, and had seen just under a year's worth of action when Order 66 was issued." The clones were suddenly attentive; the Fearless was commanded by Admiral Jonathon Onasi, one of the few non-clone Republic soldiers and was know for being one of the key pilots who helped quell the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation and was revered throughout the Republic Navy, despite his age.
"Yes, I served under Onasi, and after the Empire heard of his dissent against Order 66 and his subsequent murder, I defected to the Rebellion. I had heard of other such officers that were attacked due to their condemnation of Order 66, primarily Admiral Travis Martile, and Commodore SO-5700, the only known commander that defected, that is a clone."
"It pains me that I am that only statistic."
The group paused and contemplated their fallen heroes. An alarm from the cockpit broke the reflective silence, followed shortly by a chirp from Zero's comm.
Zero picked it up, "5700."
"Sir," Tree's voice came through. "An Imperial Star Destroyer has just entered the system, we have remained undetected by entering an asteroid belt of the system's gas giant, but we will be unable to come pick you up."
Ryath joined them from the cockpit, "And if you attempt a microjump it might give away both of our positions."
"I thought you said our transmission wasn't bugged," Ghost shouted at Ryath.
"The Imperials have some of the best technicians in the galaxy; what I thought was the equipment malfunctioning must have been them tapping in on our little chat."
They moved to the cockpit where the sleek menacing dagger of an Imperial Star Destroyer loomed into view of the freighter. Ryath sat down in the pilot's chair. A warning flashed on his display.
"They're beginning to scan! Shut off the comm.!" Ryath shouted.
"What? Why?!" Zero replied.
"Just shut it off! We'll be detected!"
Zero abruptly severed his comm.'s connection.
"I'm going to have to jettison your shuttle, you won't make it back to your ship."
Ryath pushed a few buttons and the umbilical detached with a fhwump! that resounded throughout the ship.
"I apologize for this."
"Its alright. Its necessary," Zero said realizing what he was doing. Ryath armed a torpedo and shot it at the unmanned shuttle and finished what remained with a quick burst from his lasers.
"I'm going to make a short microjump."
"But won't we be detected?" Boom asked, shocked.
"Yes"
The Vengeance quickly entered and exited hyperspace even closer to the Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer promptly hailed them.
"Unidentified freighter, this is Star Destroyer Black Dawn, you seem to be off course."
Ryath flicked the controls opening the channel from the Star Destroyer as well as some controls Zero was certain didn't involve communications.
"Black Dawn this is freighter Fortune," he said in a voice that made him sound younger. "We're not lost, we're just prepping to switch our hyperspace routes."
"What route leads through the Camaas system?"
"It's this route my father thinks gets us to Ord Mantel faster."
"That's because it does!" he said in an older voice while covering his mouth, creating the illusion that he was talking from a distance to the listener. "It took three hours off a run from Bespin once."
"Pay no mind to him, we'll be out of your way shortly." With that he severed the communication and activated the hyperdrive.
"That's some talent you've got," Ghost said admiringly.
"Your crew will meet us at Yavin," Ryath said to Zero.
"How do you know?"
"I used that chat with the Imperial ship to mask a transmission to your ship. I gave them a brief synopsis of the situation and coordinates for a rendezvous."
"Clever, where did you come up with that?" Boom asked.
"Your Admiral here invented that trick."
"Well, for the most part," Zero said modestly. "I tell you some other time, I like the false transponder touch, that couldn't have been cheap."