The dust cleared as the familiar silhouette of Storm Commandos rushed toward the charred Trandoshian that lay just inches away from PH's feet. Visibly shaken but relieved, she stumbled up to her feet and slowly picked up her pistol and loaded up. The commandos ran over to the Trandoshain and began searching it while the other stood at the ready facing the tunnels.
"What's the situation?" said one of the commandos as he pointed his light toward the tunnel system.
"I'm fine, thanks." PH blurted out as she dusted her face off. "Maybe you should ask the support you sent."
The lead commando stood up slowly, blaster in hand. "What support?"
PH stared at the body and nudged her head toward it. "That. Apparently Hano sent that."
"Hano didn't send any support. There's been no communication with anyone down here since you touched base here," replied the commando.
PH a muffled "What…" escaping her bloody, caked lips as she looked at the Trandoshian and then to the commando.
"Sir, there's only one here. Where's the other one?" said one of the commandos.
"There's three others, minus this one," replied 109.
"Not these lizards. Two of you," said the commander.
One of the other commandos next to her lead stood up as well while she placed some of the Trandoshian's things in a muddy ruck. "We were sent to get you and Piel. We're the closest thing to backup you have at this point…now, where is Piel?"
"Piel…." PH whimpered as she looked at her map.
Piel's tracker had stopped moving 30 minutes ago. "Those damned lizards! Follow me!" she roared. Without warning, PH charged out of the door and across a flimsy metal gangway that connected the cave system to a secluded part of the cave system. Countless stories below her, burnt and mangled bodies covered the ground as the Stormtroopers had begun fighting through the catacombs of the cave system in search of Penko.
"Follow her!" screamed the lead commando as the three followed her. Just as PH made is across the gangway, the commandos were suddenly fired upon by sniper fire midway. The gangway swayed back and forth as the commandos ducked their heads trying to evade the fire. One of the commandos raised his pistol above his head and began firing shots in the general direction of the fire.
"Suppressing!" he screamed as the other two commandos tumbled across the dilapidated gangway to the entrance where PH disappeared. Just as the commandos began returning fire, a well-placed shot slammed into the visor of the lagging commanding commando, sending him swiftly down to his death.
"We need to keep going!" yelled the female commando as she pulled the other one away from the gruesome view below.
"Now, where'd she go?" huffed the commando in anger. He raised his rifle and stood quietly, listening. The sound amplifiers in his helmet activated and highlighted the pitter pattering of PH's heavy boots across the hall. A sudden flurry of blaster fire erupted, nearly deafening the commandos. He winced in pain as the other commando quickly took lead with her rifle at the ready and charged forward into the battle.
When they reached PH, she was surrounded by the bodies of traitorous Stormtroopers and a huge metal door that had been braced shut.
"Don't do that. Ever again. You cost us a good soldier back there rookie," said the commando as he pushed PH. PH stood her ground and stared at him silently as she brought a finger up to her lips. "Maybe you're just not as good as they say. Show me what you got and cover the entrance."
PH glued her ear to the door as she listened for activity. The other two commando stared in confusion as PH muttered "Five…no eight."
"What the hell are you doing idiot, move aside. I'm taking command here," said one of the commandos as he turned up the amplifier on his helmet and walked toward the door. "I don't hear anything in there. You, move up with a det pack and you, set up next to her to cover our ass. We're blowing the door."
"So much for the silent approach. Aren't commandos supposed to be good at that?" PH said.
"Shut up already!" whined a commando as she frantically wired the explosive.
"You already lost your commander…do they let anyone through the academy now?"
The command barked back, "We can leave you to die here on this rock you know."
PH smirked. "You'd be failing your mission you know."
The lead commando scoffed and shook his head fretfully. Just as the other commando had finished setting up the explosive, the lead commando set up next to his companion and took cover behind rusting metal beams and aimed his blaster at the door.
"You sure you wanna do this?" whined PH as she slowly shifted her blaster at the door.
The door was suddenly transformed into a molten wreck that blew chunks of rock from the walls. Out of the smoke, blaster fire ionized the air around the three as they hurriedly cowered for cover, with the commandos wondering if the explosion had set off ammunition on the other end.
PH quickly jumped up and fired back, dropping two rebel stormtroopers. The commandos quickly got their bearings soon after and mowed down the remaining rebel troops.
As they entered the smoky room, eight bodies covered the dusty floors.
The commandos looked down at the bodies and stared at PH in awe.
PH gave a quick glance at the corpses and continued coolly walking down the dark hall. "So we're just gonna stand here now?" Nobody responded either out of sheer awe or embarrassment. "
I'll take over from here, buddy," said PH as she passed the commando and patted his shoulder board.
*******
Penko stood in a makeshift prison cell carved out of the dense, slimy rocks of the cavern flanked by two stormtroopers. His prisoner was none other than his old colleague, Piel. Nearly unrecognizable with a bloodied face, Piel's face cowered down as his body was held up with chains and shackles so he could reach Penko's height.
Penko remarkably still towered over Piel despite the contraption and motioned for the stormtroopers to bring a torture droid. As they ascended toward another hallway, the dim lights in the cavern system quickly became bright again. Piel looked around in confusion and awoke in an unfamiliar room. The bodies of native Boz Pitians and other unfortunate dissenters lined the cells.
"I hate to see you like this old friend. But I need to know who sent your fleet here and why. I lost a lot of friends today."
"Spare me the waterworks. Don't bother asking me anything," garbled Piel.
Penko's thin wrinkled face gave a chilling, somber look.
"It won't be me asking the questions next time. I don't want to hurt you anymore." Penko looked back at the barbaric torture tools on the desk that had been soaked in Piel's blood.
"Be honorable and lets have a civil discussion before things get complicated between us to say the least."
"Man that's rich. Traitorous mongrels like you can't have peace or stability in this galaxy, all you care about is your next paycheck. Your honor died well before you had me chained up here and asked for a 'civil' discussion."
"That's just how the Empire does business, haven't you forgotten? Or has your soft spot for scoundrels and the like gotten to you? I must admit, you've resisted much more than I had anticipated…even rogue Jedi have perished during my…questionnaires. Truly, your time as a Storm Commando served you well."
I'm no stinking Jedi…I'm a proud Imperial. With a lot more damn experience doing the duty of the Emperor than all of your clowns in armor put together. Can't say the same about you either."
"Are you blind? Look around you Piel, there has never been nor ever will be peace in this forsaken galaxy. Credits and blood make this galaxy go round, not false morals or inflated egos with a sense of duty. Money is power and power is freedom Piel. That is why the Jedi fell, why Vader fell. and that is why your 'Emperor' fell. Only the Emperor truly understood that, yet he also fell victim to his archaic religious dogma. No practicality in their lives, all superstition. I do what I have to do to survive in this dreadful galaxy of scum and false prophets."
"The Emperor's wisdom will guide us to victory, you know that. You've fallen for Rebel propaganda."
Penko, taken aback by Piel's statement quickly recovered with a smile.
"He was probably the worst false prophet of them all. Again I must ask, who sent you? That's all I want to know…for now." said Penko as he began pacing around the cell.
"The ISB. You're finished Penko," said Piel as he raised his head confidently.
"Interesting how this is all playing out…. but don't lie to me."
"Another sick game Penko?"
"Yes but not one orchestrated by me, unfortunately. I need your help Azvan. There is someone, at this very moment, consolidating power among the Grand Moffs and it's not our…beloved Emperor."
"I won't help a defector to the Alliance. What are you even talking about?!" growled Piel as he spit blood out of his mouth.
The clanking on the metal floor indicated the return of Penko's Stormtroopers with a menacing black orb following them.
Penko quickly shooed them off. "Take the droid and wait for me at the entrance."
The troopers quickly returned to their post.
"Now where were we?" Penko clasped his hands. "You have no idea what is going on. But let me give you a hint, whoever is giving you orders isn't the ISB."
"What makes you say that?"
"I can tell you, but whether you believe me is totally up to you," said Penko as he looked back at a strange box on the far end of the room.
Piel lifted his head. "Well?"
"There is no real easy way to say this and believe me, I couldn't believe it when—"
"-Get it over with Penko."
"For all intents and purposes, the Rebels have won this war. Now do you understand the balance of power? Why I've joined them?"
"No! Impossible!" screamed Piel in agony.
"The 'Empire' is imploding on itself. There is no ISB. There is no Vader. And there is definitely no Death Star. The Emperor is no more. As we speak, your Outer Rim fleets are being pulled out to hold Core Worlds against joining the Alliance…and are failing miserably might I add. That's all I know."
"The Moffs would never abandon the Core worlds like that!"
"It's true, I heard from Moff Junta herself. The other fleets that had originally be in the Core Regions have abandoned their posts completely, being led by damn Moff fools that think they'll be able to hold their own sectors of space on their own. Perhaps they think they could retake Corusant on their own? Who knows."
Piel's voice trembled slightly. "Retake?! So then who is leading the troops now?"
A sudden thud at the door startled the two as they stared in anticipation at the door. Penko held his pistol toward the door as his stare slowly melted back to Piel.
"Whoever sent you to get me. And whoever that is doesn't want anyone to know what I've just told you."
"You're basing this all on anecdotes. You won't convince anyone of this."
"The Emperor failed. Normally I would have let you hear the ISB distress signal that was supposed to be sent out to all fleets, but Junta's fleet was the only one close enough to receive it. Hano's hooligans destroyed her ship as she tried to contact you all. Thanks for that. uckily she did give me that." Penko pointed to the mysteriously grey magnetically sealed box in the corner.
"And that would be?"
"Proof. All the proof you need. This is where I need to trust you. I need you to take me back as a free man to Hano. Only then, I will tell you everything …and show you the truth."
Piel hesitated. Another thud could be heard from the door, this time louder. And followed by distant blaster fire.
"What's it gonna be?" snickered Penko anxiously.
"How about we wait until my troops get here to decide that," replied Piel as he smiled.
Suddenly the two Trandoshians blew through the door, lighting the jail in a flurry of blaster fire.
"You scoundrels, I've given you your pay! I have your bounty already!" said Penko as he drew his pistol and took cover behind a desk.
Bossk lifted his rifle. "You right we finish job but we here for another," he grumbled.
"I'm worth more alive, I assure you. I can pay you much more that whatever the bounty is, you have my word," pleaded Penko.
Bossk calmly approached as he kicked the pistol from Penko's trembling hands.
"We not just here for you idiot. Give the box and we send you in alive. Good plan."
"I wouldn't call being surrounded by loyal Imperial soldiers and ships a good plan. And that goes for all of you here," interjected Piel.
The Trandoshians ignored him as they picked up the box and began walking toward him with the box. As Bossk exited with rifle and box in hand, a tense silence overcame the room. As the other Trandoshian paced around in an attempt to get any other souvenirs, the silence and uncertainty nearly drove Piel mad. He could hear the sweat dripping from Penko's forehead as well as the blood spilling onto the grimy floor directly below him.
Suddenly, Penko exploded upwards and desperately raised his hand in a failed attempt to get his pistol. The other Trandoshian crawled like an animal over a sea of tables and hardware and slammed Penko's face on the ground and held him in a headlock as he carried him away.
Piel watched in desperation as Penko's screamed were muffled by the thick dry hands of the Trandoshian. "Penko! Damn it Penko!" yelled Piel as he desperately tried clawing and thrusting about to get out of his shackles. Silence once again overcame the room. Piel let his body relax to give his mind enough energy to think clearly enough to find a way out of his cell…or else.
