Chapter 11: New Equipment for New Missions

The Freedom Fighters and Team Stryker, upon rendezvousing with the Calamari Cruiser Home One, landed in the hangar bay and reported to Admiral Ackbar.

"I'm pleased you all have made it here safely!" said the Admiral. "This will be another setback for the Rebellion, but we al least have the location of our main base safe for now."

"Your main base?" asked Sally. "Where is it exactly?"

"All in good time, Princess." said a familiar voice.

"Luke!" said Sonic. "It's been a while!"

"Good job back there, Sonic." replied Luke as he turned to Kaylor.

"Kaylor, it's been a while too."

"Thanks, Luke, haven't seen you since that raid on that base over Kashyyyk."

"Anyway, let's go get some drinks!" said Cross.

They soon were in the mess hall enjoying their drinks when Rotor asked: "Hey Hack, now will you tell us about Guts?"

"You wanna know?" asked Hack with curiosity in his voice.

"Do we have to hear this story again?" groaned Root.

"Shut up Horn-Head!" grumbled Hack.

"Anyway, Guts was born into a wealthy Gungan family on Naboo. They opposed the way the government was doing too little to stop the racism against Gungans." Hack explained.

Then Hoax took over: "So they arranged a non-violent protest in hopes to convince Moff Panaka to try and ease off, but Panaka responded with a large force of TIE Mauler tanks, which scattered the demonstrators and ran several others down."

Finally, Kaylor finished the story. "And so, Guts, who was the only surviving member of the family, had to take the punishment. So the local Imperial Garrison Commander took him and tortured him and had him arranged for slavery on Kessel. But, he escaped, and has drifting the stars since then. I found him on Nar Shaddaa, fighting a bartender, and then I took him in."

"Speaking of Nar Shaddaa." replied Luke, "Sonic, Sally, Han and I need you to accompany us on a little assignment there."

"Nar Shaddaa? What's a 'Nar Shaddaa'?" asked Sonic

"It's a moon of the planet Nal Hutta, its home to large city. Empire doesn't maintain much a presence there." replied Cross.

"Okay, we'll leave as soon as you're ready Luke." said Sally.

Later, Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor joined Luke, C-3P0, R2, Han, and Chewie aboard the Millennium Falcon, and set off for Nar Shaddaa.

Upon arrival there, Sonic, Sally, Rotor, and Bunnie were impressed, and as soon as the Falcon landed, Sonic gazed upon the city skyline. "Something wrong, Sonic?" asked Han.

"Nothin' this feels a bit like Robotropolis back home." replied Sonic.

"So were are we goin', Han?" asked Bunnie.

"We'll head for the nearby cantina and there we'll meet a pair of mercenaries who'll help us get what we need." said Han.

"The names are Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors." added Luke. "And watch your step here, both literally and figuratively. This is a rough city, you'll find some bad lowlifes here."

"Well, better keep a low profile here." replied Rotor.

"No prob, Rote!" replied Sonic.

Soon, the group set off down the street from the docking bay, trying not to attract any attention. They entered the cantina and sat down at the counter.

"Any sign of Katarn or Ors?" asked Sonic.

"Sonic! I urge you not give away names, Imperial Spies are everywhere." whispered Luke.

"Sorry Luke." replied Sonic, who then noticed two humans sitting at a table and he walked up to them. "You guys expectin' someone?"

"Who wants to know?" said the man.

"I do." said Luke, walking up to the man. "Kyle, good to you."

"You too, Skywalker."

"So, you're Kyle Katarn?" asked Sonic.

"That's right." replied Kyle.

"And I guess that makes you Jan Ors, correct?" asked Sally.

"That's correct as well." she replied.

"You gonna introduce us to your new friends, Skywalker?" asked Kyle.

"Oh, uh, this is Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sally Acorn." Luke introduced.

"And that is Bunnie Rabbot and Rotor the Walrus over there with Han and Chewie." Luke finished.

"All right, let's get down to business." said Jan.

"What's this business?" asked Sally.

"There is a starship dealer who has made an anonymous contact to the Alliance and said that he is willing to sell us a stolen Sentinel-Class Landing Craft and a Corellian Vessel, which we intend to use in a much larger plan." explained Luke.

"So where do you two come into all this?" Sally asked Kyle and Jan.

"We don't know where the dealer is located at, so we plan to lead you guys to him. We'll meet an information broker who knows something about him, and then we'll help you get those ships back to the Alliance." replied Kyle.

"So let's go, follow us." said Jan as they got up and begun heading for the door. The heroes soon followed Kyle and Jan into an alley, where they waited.

"Our broker will meet us here." said Jan. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently, and checked his watch, and then he said:

"C'mon, what's taking this guy so long?"

"This is why I despise organics." said a droid who appeared behind Kyle. Everyone turned to look at a tall droid.

"8t88." said Kyle. "I thought we'd be meeting your metal face."

"So Kyle, you seek information?"

"Yes, tell us the name of the starship dealer who contacted us." asked Luke.

"I will tell you…if you pay me….15,000 Alliance Credits." replied 8t88.

"15,000!" exclaimed Han, "That's more than I owe Jabba the Hutt!"

"Then you will get nothing from me." replied 88.

Sonic, angrily jumped on 8t88 and pointed a blaster at his head: "Listen here, bot brain, I have no patience for anyone who acts all shady like this! Especially a bot like you!"

Soon, four thugs (two Grans and two Weequay) came out and pointed their blasters at Sonic, and it turned into a deadly standoff. Sonic pressed his blaster hard against 8t88, making it clear that he would shoot 8t88's head off.

"All right! All right! You win, organic!" exclaimed 88. "Your man's name is 'Forgell'. He owns a shipyard in the lower part of the city! Let me go at once!!"

Sonic then released 88 and then he got back up. The standoff soon ended and then as he and his thugs left, he turned to Sonic and said, "Next time, you will not get it from me easily." Then he walked away.

"Sonic, that was quite reckless of you! But that was an effective method." said Luke.

"Welcome to my world." said Sally.

"Wasn't about to let some bot brain hide info from me!" said Sonic angrily

"Come on, let's get to that junkyard." said Kyle as he and Jan headed to their ship, the Moldy Crow. Sonic, Sally, Han, Luke, Chewie, Bunnie, and Rotor returned to the Millennium Falcon and upon joining Kyle and Jan, set off for the shipyard.

Upon arriving, they met with Forgell. "I worked hard to get this ship." he said. "Don't let this effort go to waste."

After showing them the Landing Craft, he showed them the Corellian Ship. "This is why we brought you here Sonic and Sally, this ship will be yours to use." said Luke.

"What is it anyway?" asked Sonic.

"It's a YT-2000." said Han. "Big and improved over the YT-1300, but this thing never saw mass production."

"Looks no different than the Falcon." said Sonic, sounding unsure.

"Let's look inside." said Rotor as they entered the YT-2000.

"Nice and roomy. Plenty o' space." said Sonic soon after.

"It's perfect!" said Sally.

"I knew you'd like it!" said Fordell.

Outside, all was soon ready. Fordell was just telling Sally about the vessel and of it's quirks. But then, it came to the decision about who would fly the ship first.

"Let's do rock-paper-scissors." said Rotor.

They soon played, and Bunnie and Rotor were rock, and Sally was paper, Sonic was scissors, so that meant Sonic would be pilot, and Sally would be co-pilot.

"Are you ready to do it to it, Sonic Hedgehog?" asked Sally.

"Ready to juice Sal!" replied Sonic.

Soon, Sonic and Sally were at the controls and made an attempt to power the ship up, and after several attempts, they were able to power the ship up and assure takeoff.

"Way past cool!" said Sonic as the YT-2000 took off. Luke and Kyle, flying the landing craft, followed them, and were soon joined by the Millennium Falcon and the Moldy Crow. They flew away from the Smuggler's moon and were almost to their hyperspace jump point when the YT-2000's scanners beeped wildly.

"I'm detecting several craft at 6-2-7-Mark 1. Configuration is Imperial." said Sally over the communicator.

"Copy that." replied Jan over the communicator, "I'm reading 3 flight groups of Alpha-Class Xg-1 Star Wing Assault Gunboats. This could get a little rough!"

"Assault Gunboats? Somebody please explain…in Basic." asked Sonic.

NICOLE then came on: "The Assault Gunboat is a more advanced Imperial Starfighter that is equipped with deflector shields and a hyperdrive. It also is equipped with Ion Cannons and warhead launchers. Advise caution."

"Wow…NICOLE, who taught you that?" asked Sonic.

"No time for that! Let's get into attack formation. Han, take the left. Jan, you take the right. Sonic, you take the middle."

"There they are!" shouted Han as the Gunboats came in and attacked.

NICOLE then assessed the situation and said: "Group Tau is attacking the Millennium Falcon, Group Mu is engaging the Moldy Crow, and Group Nu is engaging this vessel, Sally."

"Thank you for the tactical info NICOLE." replied Sally.

Sonic begun shooting at the Gunboats, but due their shields, they were tougher than regular TIE Fighters. "Man, these guys just won't give up!" he commented. But soon, he managed to down two of the four Nu Gunboats, and the Falcon managed to down one of the Tau gunboats when another flight group of gunboats and a Stormtrooper transport came out of hyperspace.

"Warning, Gunboat group Rho and the transport appear to be making a capture attempt on the Landing Craft." warned NICOLE over the communicator.

"Thank you for the warning NICOLE." said Kyle over the communicator.

"Come on, Sal; let's go help Luke and Kyle." Sonic suggested.

"OK, but let's hurry, these last two Nu Gunboats will harass us in the process." replied Sally.

Sonic started shooting at the Rho Gunboats, managing to down two of them before a warning beeper and flasher went off on the control panel.

"The Nu Gunboats are going for a missile lock on us!" shouted Sally.

"Oh no, they won't!" said Sonic as he made a hard jink to the right, making the gunboats lose their lock. Soon, they were both destroyed by the Moldy Crow.

"Thanks Jan!" said Sally.

"Just doin' what I do best. Bailing people out of trouble." replied Jan. With Jan's help, Sonic and Sally took out the Rho Gunboats and the Transport, and the Millennium Falcon drove off the remaining Gunboats.

"That wasn't so bad. Sometimes I amaze even myself." said Han. Chewie roared in agreement.

"Alright guys, let's go home." said Luke.

Meanwhile, aboard the Praetor, Admiral Kreeshkin was setting the final stages of his plan. "Captain, is everything set?"

"Yes Admiral, the first Deep Power Stone is in place, and soon the Rebels will come for it." replied the Captain.

"And I will have….that Hedgehog!" added Robotnik. "Snively, get our guests ready to meet them!"

"Yes sir!" replied Snively.