Chapter 10

A glint from outside caught Tin's eye. Green! Grabbing Sash, he dropped to the floor as the window exploded into shards. Glancing up through the onslaught of laser flooding into the room, he saw Valek in the far corner, grinning. Keeping himself in front of Sasha, he pushed her toward the door. A shot to his leg made him jerk. Once she was outside, Sasha grabbed his arm and pulled him out. "You hit?"

"Armor took it." The sound of footsteps made him tense. "We've got Rebs coming."

Putting her ear to the ground, she grimaced. "Their coming from both stairwells."

Flanked and out-gunned and no more grenades. "We can't stay here. We need to get outside."

"What about Valek?"

"I'll get him."

Darting back into the room, he saw Valek dusting himself off. With a grunt, Tin leaped up and tackled him to the ground. "Get off me you dirty…"

"You're our way out," Tin hissed. Arms propping Valek up, Tin positioned his prisoner toward the remains of the window and sidestepped toward the open door. By the time he'd made his way to it, the hall bellowed with the chatter of exchanging fire. Stepping out, Tin wrapped an arm around Valek's neck; the other peeking his blaster out from under Valek's right arm. The Rebels at the staircase several meters ahead of him froze as they saw their leader being used a meat shield. The retort from Tin's E-11 caused them to duck into cover.

"We need to move! I'll cover you." Sasha yanked them past her, pointing them other staircase. Still holding Valek out front, Tin stepped over Sasha's victims strewn about the stairwell. As he turned onto the first floor, he came face to face with a group of three soldiers on their way up. Dispatching the first with a shot to the stomach, Tin kicked the corpse into the other two. The mash of flesh tumbled to the ground. A series of blasts made sure the other two didn't get back up again. "Sasha, we're clear!"

"Are you really going to insist on carrying me like this," Valek muttered.

"No." Flipping a switch with his thumb, Tin fired a shot into his back. Outside, he dragged the limp body through the grey dust to cover. Looking back, he waved to Sasha as she dashed out the door seconds later.

"What'd you do to him?" she breathed when she joined him.

"He's stunned."

A groan made them jump. Valek rubbed his head. "I don't suppose either of you would be willing to give me pain pill?"

Tin grabbed his shoulder. "How many more of your goons are here?"

Sasha wiped her eyes. "It can't be that many. I took out the bunch near the acid tank before going in."

Shaking his head, Valek smirked. "It won't matter. The team I sent to Daanup City; they're on their way back. How long do you wager you'll last then?"

"You're bluffing."

"Try me."

Tin gritted his teeth and looked at Sasha. "If he's right, they'll be looking for our bikes."

"There's a hanger here," Sasha said after a moment. "We can fly out."

"Where is it?"

"Under the city. There's a tunnel that leads to it. I'll just need to-" she stopped and turned to Valek. "Did you erase my access code?"

He just stared at her silently.

Sasha sighed. "In all probability, my code won't work on the console by the entry hatch."

"I guess there's no point in asking him, either." He gestured at Valek. "Is there another way?"

After a moment, she nodded. "Yes. There's an override switch in the control tower." She pointed at a relatively straight standing high-rise. "It should be on the fourth level."

"Let's move."

Later

"Through here." Sasha waved for Tin follow her into a wide open room. One wall was glass, giving them an excellent look over the rocky terrain beyond the city. A surge of pain in his arm caused him to grunt. Sasha looked at him. "You alright?"

"It's just the wound with the badger. The fighting must have reaggravated it."

Valek raised his eyebrows. "You ran into a rock badger and are still in one piece?"

"I know rock badgers, scum. I know how to deal with them."

"You might want to listen to him on that one," Sasha chimed in, sitting in front a command console. Switches and buttons littered the space around her with a screen directly in front. "I'm removing the lock safeguards from Hanger Entrance One. It's only several blocks from here and the nearby structures should give us adequate cover."

Nodding, Tin turned toward the window. Is that… Tin removed his helmet and reached for a compact pair of macrobinoculars. Activating night vision, Tin caught his breath. "Sasha, how much longer?"

"Shouldn't be too long. Why?"

"Because I've got Valek's cavalry in my sights."

She went ridged. "How did they get here so fast?"

"My men have fast vehicles," Valek stated coldly.

"They must have pulled out of the assault immediately after seeing the bodies." Tin spun around. "You done?"

"Almost. There's just one more safeguard I need to-"

"Did it ever cross your mind," Valek interrupted, "that you may have needed to search your hostage?"

Tin tightened his grip on his blaster.

"Did it ever occur to you that he may, just possibly, might be carrying a device that let his men see his location?"

Sasha froze.

Seeing their reaction, Valek grinned. "Nor did you consider that he might be carrying a means to which to he can relay a message to his men."

Tin leveled his blaster. "Did you ever consider that due to extreme circumstances, I can take measures to assure the success of my mission, and in this case, it means scorching your face?"

"Perhaps, but you'll be too scorched yourself to do anything."

A flash of light caused Tin to jerk back around. "What-" A clang from behind made him look back. "Where'd he go?"

"He jumped down the stairs!" Sasha stared out the window. "Tin, what is that?" The dread in her voice gave him chills. Looking out the window, he saw the silhouette of a missile against its orange jets. The impact shattered the room. Everything went white then black.

Silence...

"Tin!"

Waking with a start, the Stormtrooper stared up at the night sky, one eye exposed to the air as part of his visor had been blown out. His lungs ached for for his helmet, a crippling pain in his left shoulder made him gag. When he bent around see the cause, he found he couldn't turn his head much more than several centimeters. Choking, he slid his helmet off with his right hand. Immediately, he regretted it. Dust clogged his throat, sending him into a coughing spasm. Shoving his helmet back on, he took deep breaths to ease his cramping chest. After a moment, he swallowed and glanced around him.

Fires illuminated the area, revealing the expanse of the demolished tower. Jagged metal protruded from the glass-covered ground. A rock slab lay over his legs and a metal beam pinned his left arm unnaturally backwards. His blood-drenched gloves were torn with embedded debris. Ahead, a figure covered in dust and dirt pulled herself out of the wreckage. "Tin, where are you?"

"I'm here," he grunted as he waived to her.

Placing her blaster down, Sasha bent over. Tin could see her face glisten in the firelight, a testament to the blood that streamed from her numerous gashes. The slab moved easily at her shoving. Examining his arm, she set her teeth and sucked in. "It's definitely dislocated." Grabbing hold of the beam, she strained to pull it off, but fell back breathless. The shaft hadn't budged. "Can you roll over to help?"

Tin twisted to his left. He fell back as pain surged through his body. "I'm going to need a pain shot."

Rustling through her belt, Sasha brought out a syringe and plunged it into his thigh. After injecting the painkiller, she unscrewed the tip and tossed it away. "Okay, now try." Tin rolled his body to the left, numb to the pain that attacked his brain. "Okay on three. One. Two. Three." Finishing her countdown, Sasha yanked on the beam as Tin pushed against it, pulling his trapped arm out. Glancing at it, he groaned. It lay limp, bent back behind his spine. "Help me up."

"Don't we need to set that?"

"We can do it once we get to cover."

Nodding, she helped him to his feet and offered him his weapon. "You might want this."

Holstering it, he studied her. "How'd you do?"

She shrugged. "The glass screen in front of me exploded, showering my face, but a chunk of wall fell over me and shielded me from anything too bad."

"You didn't get crushed?"

"It was propped up, fortunately."

"Lucky. Any sign of Valek?"

She shook her head. "None."

Tin cursed.

"So where do we go now?"

"Let's get over there for starters." Tin pointed at corroded housing complex. Picking their way through the scattered rubble, they tried to ignore the hum of Rebel speeders closing in. Stepping over a shattered piece of wall, Tin's leg gave out. Sasha shot out an arm to catch him, but not before debris ripped into his knee. He broke into a sweat as she seized his crushed arm, wrenching it into the air. She quickly changed her hold to grab his torso. "Sorry!"

"Just get to the bloody building," he panted.

Together, they stumbled to shelter. "Just rest here," Sasha whispered as she sat him down.

Tin took a deep breath. "You ever set one of these before?"

"I've seen my fair share of wounds, Tin. I've been in more combustible spots, remember?" She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You ready?"

He nodded and closed his eyes.

"One… three!"

The bone shrieked inside his body, returning to its proper place, as its rage burned through his arm.

"You okay?" Her voice waivered.

Gasping for breath, all he could do was nod.

"All right. Just take a moment."

Swallowing, Tin glanced at his surroundings. "How far is it to the hanger entrance."

"About two blocks, but it won't matter." She sighed loudly. "I wasn't able to get it unlocked."

Easing back against the wall, Tin whistled. "So," he said after a moment, "what's the move now?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm out of ideas." Her lip quivered and she looked at the ground. "Can the garrison come and get us?"

"I guess it won't matter to give it a go since the Rebs already know we're here." Tin activated his commlink. "This is Black One to base, please respond." Static poured through the speaker. "This is Sergeant Ky Tin to Base, Operation Scalpel is compromised," he tried again, "We need immediate evac, over." He smashed the button to kill the connection. "They're either jamming us or managed to damage the garrison's control center in their assault."

Sasha scratched at the blood crusted on her cheeks, eyes tearing up.

Tin rubbed his shoulder. We were so close. There's got to be something left. "How strong is the hanger door?"

"It's a blast shield, reasonably reinforced. You would need a small pile of grenades to blow a hole."

Tin let out a painful breath.

"We could try to get to the bikes," she offered.

"They're probably already in Rebel hands."

"Well it's better than hiding here and waiting for them to find us."

"I'm not hiding. Let's get to the door."

She frowned as he got to his feet. "Tin, it's sealed. Valek will have probably ordered his men to form a perimeter around it. Even if we get to it, we'll be surrounded. We'll die with our backs to solid metal!"

"You said a small pile of explosives could take out the door, right?"

She nodded slowly, brow furrowed. "Yes, but we don't have any left."

"No we don't." He glanced around him. "But the only chance we've got to see the sunrise is to fight. Maybe we can salvage something of theirs and get that door down. You with me or not?"

Letting out a puff of air, she stretched her arms. "All right, let's go."

"Good. Now what's the chance Valek will be there?"

Tin resented her chuckle. "Where? At the hanger entrance? Ky, if they've got any sense, they've moved him somewhere secure."

"Well, he might want to see the end of a longtime grudge," he spat, "Which way to the door?"

Sasha gestured to an alley between two huts. "This way. Follow me."

Later

Tin froze as a yellow searchlight pierced the darkness by his head as he peeked out behind a wall. Directly ahead from him, separated by a single street, stood a little square building with a round hatch on the front. "That's it," Sasha whispered, crouched below him. "They got here first."

I know, Tin fumed as the rumble of Rebel vehicles shook the ground. "They'll surround the district to secure that entrance, right?"

"Yeah."

Tin drew his blaster. "You ready?"

Nodding, she copied him.

Tin waited until the next sweep of the light passed, before jumping out into the open. "Move!"

He got about four meters before he was blinded by the spotlight. Setting his teeth, he pushed himself to run faster. Taking a glance to his right as he heard yells, Tin spotting a tank lining him up with its primary cannon. He juked to his left, but the concussion blast still sent him sprawling. A hand yanked him to his feet. Sasha pulled him behind her as she dashed toward the door. The squealing of servos indicated that the tank was retaking aim.

Tin dove into a slide while jerking Sasha to his left. Liquidized rock spattered his body as the shell landed a meter away. The scalding material seared through the body glove between his body armor on his legs, scalding the skin. Tin writhed in the dirt, letting out a yell. As he rolled to his left, he saw Sasha trying to push herself up. Her arms failed and she slumped back to the ground. Turning around, he saw the tank, flanked by a half dozen Rebel foot soldiers, creeping forward. A whirr from behind caused him to jolt around. Oh, great. A second tank scooted from behind a corner, fifty yards ahead, also accompanied by a swarm of soldiers. Rustling on the roofs above coinciding with the indicative glimmer of green specks alerted him to the presence snipers. We're covered from all angles. He sucked in his cheeks as the grim reality set in.

"Lay down your arms!" The message repeated itself from the enemy lines over and over again. No point in playing it tough. Tin dropped his rifle and raised his hands. He glanced at Sasha, nodding as she complied as well. A hiss emanated from the tanks as they ceased their advancements, fifteen meters from him. Now what? A moment later, the line parted as a familiar silhouette in the vehicle headlights emerged. Zed Valek, flanked by a soldier on his right and left, strutted into the open. One of the guards broke off to cover Sasha. "Did you think I could pass up such an opportunity to close the book on the Tin family in such a way as this?" Reaching behind him, the Rebel leader drew out a pistol, gaudily flipping it around his finger. "How does it feel, to come into my home and try to lay hands on me, only to have it backfire into your own execution?"

"I did lay hands on you. I'm wishing I 'd done it harder."

He grinned. "You could have killed me but you let your arrogance get in the way."

"Someone will," Tin maintained, "and it's my 'arrogance' that makes me different from you."

"Really? You call me a mass murderer yet what about yourself?"

"I don't condemn those caught in the middle to death."

Valek recoiled. "Really? What of the extermination of Geonosis? The Antar Atrocity? The Lasat Genocide? You dare call me a deliverer of death while you annihilate entire species? The audacity of you Imperials never ceases to amaze."

"And you Rebels are quite the hypocrites when it comes to accusing the Empire of propaganda."

Shooting a hand to Tin's throat, Valek's face twisted into a scowl. As the long fingernails of the Twi'lek bit into his neck, Tin thought he could feel Valek's flaming eyes bore into his skull. "Don't tell me what's propaganda, Tin. My cousin's ashes are part of Antar's desecrated surface." He paused, strengthening his hold. "You think you're the only one who lost someone in this war?"

"The Rebellion is supposed to be the good guys, Valek!" Everyone's heads swung toward Sasha. She sat up on one knee, fist clenched. "Our actions are supposed to encourage others to join our movement, not repulse them!"

Releasing his grip, Valek tossed Tin into the dirt and rose to his feet. "You are not one to lecture on integrity, fool! Look at you, aiding in the destruction of a Rebel cell, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Imps. You die here with your new comrade!"

"And you've become like the Empire you detest, Valek. You made Tin just like the Empire made you."

"Sounds like you know a thing or two about hurting,"Tin jabbed as he rubbed his neck.

Valek turned back. "I don't care what you think you know. You were already on the Empire's path before I shattered your perfect little life."

"That must be a really convenient way to justify yourself."

Squatting down, Valek glared at him. "I don't need to justify anything."

"Because your right and everyone else is wrong."

Valek smirked. "It's just that simple."

Sasha shook her head and sighed. "You really are a plague to the galaxy."

"Perhaps a plague to you." Valek faced her. "And I intend to prove it now." Turning back, he let the barrel of his pistol rest against Tin's helmet. "I want you to know, Tin, that I intend to kill your mother and sister after this. If you hadn't come, I may never have remembered your name, but now they're dead because of you."

Tin gritted his teeth. "You would have killed them anyway. At least I died trying to kill you first."

Valek's finger slid to the trigger. "I've enjoyed this."

Tin answered with a cold stare