Please note that this chapter is a direct cross-over with chapter 22 of the story Family Ties II by author Ladyofdarkstar. The characters and event are the same, but described from the viewpoint of Tessa. I recommend reading FTII as it is a great story and provides additional background information to the events in this chapter.
I would also like to thank Ladyofdarkstar for allowing me to use her OC characters:
Tessa, Layla Lafatin, Major Feyr and Brack from FTII
Torr Kann from her story Perspectives.
CHAPTER 36 - RUMOUR & RETRIBUTION
The following morning, we equipped ourselves in the armoury and formed up in the grand training hall with the rest of our company. Before the executions were to take place, we would receive new recruits and carry out some marching drills.
The officers gathered before our ranks, their black dress uniforms contrasting with our gleaming white armour. The cermony commenced with the appointment of lieutenant Denlin. Captain Lowenar presented him as our new training officer. Lieutenant Denlin made the usual speech, telling us all how proud he was to serve with our stormtrooper company and vowing to serve the Emperor and the Galactic Empire with courage, devotion and dedication.
Lieutenant Denlin had changed in the last few weeks. I always remembered lieutenant Denlin to have a generally enthusiastic and flamboyant demeanour when I served under him previously. But today, he seemed distant, melancholic and reserved. The loss of his stormtrooper unit on Alderaan, and his subsequent demotion to lieutenant, had obviously greatly affected him.
Afterwards, 17 new stormtrooper recruits marched into the hall and halted in front of our formation. Our officers announced their names and ordered them to join the ranks of their assigned squad. We received two new recruits to raise our squad up to ten troopers, a clone called Lonn and a regular human called Kann. One was to replace the clone we lost in live-fire drills a few days before, while the other was to replace the soon to be executed Brack.
After Kann and Lonn incorporated themselves into our ranks, we performed two hours of marching drills. As training officer, Denlin conducted the marching drills from the balcony overlooking the hall. We did one hour of regular marching in standard block and line formations, followed by one hour of Thrawn drills. It was good to serve under lieutenant's Denlin's orders once again. And it was greatly satisfying to perform the complex concentric and artistic shapes of lieutenant Denlin's Thrawn drills.
After the drills were complete, we formed up in ranks and awaited the commencement of the executions. As we waited for further orders, I looked up to the balcony where lieutenant Denlin was standing. I was not surprised to see that Miss Jentessa Motti was there. Or should I say, lady Jentessa Batch, as she was now formally the wife of Grand Admiral Martio Batch.
Lady Batch stood tall and proud, surrounded by an entourage of high ranking imperial officers, General Tagge to her right and Grand Admiral Batch to her left. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I could just imagine her looking coldly and impassively over the training hall, just like the vengeful goddess of death that Yalasa's people used to worship. Waiting patiently for the executions to commence. Waiting for imperial justice to be dispensed in her name. To extinguish the lives of her enemies in blood and pain.
Sergeant Dreyfus gave an order by comm and six of our squad led by Yalasa turned and marched out the training hall. We made our way to the armoury where we picked up a charge for our blaster. The charge was good for one low powered blaster shot. The shot with which we would execute Brack. Since our squad was the last unit that Brack had been assigned to, we were required to carry out his execution.
We knew from the datapad reports that he was to be executed for attempting to murder Yalasa in the medical area. After Timor had beaten Brack to a pulp in the barracks, he was taken to the medical area to be treated for his wounds. There he had attacked and tried to kill Yalasa who was recovering from serious injury.
We didn't know the details. And we never found out why Brack had tried to kill Yalasa. Yalasa refused to tell us anything of the incident the few times she had been in the barracks with us after duty. Timor and Mandala tried to encourage her to speak of it. But all Yalasa told us was that Brack attacked her and that she had knocked him unconscious by smashing him on the head with the torso of a medical droid.
Yalasa made it sound like it was quick and easy, But I was not so sure. We heard that the medical area had been wrecked during the fight from squad members of another platoon who had had been called to investigate the disturbance. It sounded like it had been a bitter and violent struggle, with both Yalasa and Brack using every item in reach as a weapon. Both of them received several cuts and bruises during the fight, but fortunately Yalasa had managed to knock Brack unconscious and call for assistance.
Yalasa led me, Timor, Mandala, Davos and Skeen to the detention cell where Brack was held. When Yalasa opened Brack's cell door, he was waiting for us, standing proudly to attention. He saluted and marched formally into the centre of our formation.
We marched back into the grand training hall, Brack's boots resounding loudly on the durasteel floor in perfect unison with ours. As Brack walked to his death in time to our steps, back straight and head held high, you would never have known that he had only been with our squad for only one day. It truly was a perfect display of courage, discipline and composure.
When we reached the wall, Brack marched to the execution spot, before briskly turning and stamping to attention. He stood facing us and looked straight at us, waiting calmly for his sentence to be carried out.
General Tagge's authoritative voice sounded loud and clear from his position on the observation balcony. He confirmed that Brack had been condemned to death for the attempted murder of Yalasa and would face an execution by decimation.
I felt a touch of bitterness when I heard that. A decimation execution is an honourable death by firing squad typically applied when a stormtrooper unit fails a critical mission. At least one in ten of the stormtroopers in the dishonoured unit must be executed to wash away the shame and dishonour resulting from the failure of the mission. It is a military punishment for a military failure.
This situation did not apply to Brack. In attempting to murder a fellow trooper, Brack had committed a criminal act which was contrary to the stormtrooper code. Thus for me and the rest of the squad, Brack should have received a punishment reserved for criminals. He did not deserve the honour of a formal military execution.
However, General Tagge had decided to show mercy to Brack and permitted him to receive an honourable military execution by firing squad. Despite our reservations, we would dutifully follow our orders and carry out the sentence.
After General Tagge finished his discourse, he permitted Brack to speak. As was expected of a loyal soldier of the Empire, Brack declared his eternal loyalty and devotion to the Emperor and the Empire. He was determined to die like the devoted stormtrooper that he believed himself to be.
Yalasa gave the order to raise our rifles and we shot Brack straight through the heart with 6 blaster bolts. After Yalasa had administered a close range shot to the head as per procedure, we immediately returned to our place in the ranks. Brack's body was taken away by recovery droid and dumped down a nearby garbage chute. There would be no guard of honour for Brack's body.
The second execution would be for a woman called Layla alFatin, or Prisoner 82, as she was now known. She was an imperial agent who had worked as Jentessa Motti's handmade. Under the orders of Major Feyr, she had administered drugs which were generally used for stormtrooper conditioning to Miss Jentessa Motti.
For us, these stormtrooper conditioning drugs are sacred. They are specifically designed and produced for stormtrooper training and development. They have no other valid purpose. We regard them as the property of the Emperor. And we regard anyone we find trading, smuggling or administering them as traitors, thieves and murderers who deserve no mercy.
Stormtrooper conditioning drugs are very dangerous and deadly. They are not like the recreational drugs peddled in the backstreets of Coruscant. They give no pleasure and no high. They only give discomfort and pain, and if abused, will lead to brain-damage and death for the recipient. The only reason that anyone could have for possessing such drugs, is to sadistically enslave others to their will. Many a good loyal imperial citizen has suffered and died through the illegal and sadistic use of conditioning drugs stolen from imperial authorities.
There is only one punishment for criminals we find dealing in the conditioning drug. We summarily execute them by administering them with a lethal dose of the drug through an injector. The drug normally kills them after a few minutes, but not before they have gone mad with pain and despair, causing them to rip their own face off with their hands.
Many, even in the imperial military, say we are barbaric and cruel for carrying out such an act. But the punishment serves a purpose. It shows the damage the drug can do. And the bloody self-inflicted demise of the criminals serves to dissuade others from dealing with the conditioning drugs. Many a smuggler has dropped their shipment at the first sign of an imperial cruiser just because they fear the punishment they will receive for holding the conditioning drug on their ship.
Prisoner 82 was condemned to suffer the same fate as the other common criminals found abusing the conditioning drug. Two troopers held her still in the centre of the training hall while a third injected her with a fatal dose of the drug. What was once a young woman was soon just a corpse and a bloody mess of flesh and hair lying on the floor. Soon after, a recovery droid took the body away and dumped it down a garbage chute.
I felt no sympathy for prisoner 82. She was an imperial agent and must have known the fate of criminals who are found in possession of stormtrooper drugs. By using the drug on Miss Motti, she showed herself to be a traitor and unworthy of imperial service. She deserved the harsh punishment she received.
The third execution was applied to an officer called Major Dezrend Feyr. Feyr was convicted of the attempted murder of Yalasa. It was Feyr who ordered Brack to kill Yalasa. He was also found guilty of illegally procuring the stormtrooper conditioning drug and ordering prisoner 82 to administer it to Miss Motti.
For his crimes, Feyr was subject to a humiliation execution that is carried out on senior officers who are found to use their position and influence to commit criminal acts. The execution is ritualistic in nature and represents the rejection and humiliation of the convicted officer by his peers.
Feyr was led to the centre of the training hall. Then, one by one, every member of the imperial military in the hall, with the rank of sergeant and above, was required to strike Feyr a heavy blow. Feyr was struck over 40 times as each NCO and officer took their turn. By the time General Tagge delivered the final blow, Feyr lay barely conscious on the floor, his limbs broken and his face a bloody shattered mess. Finally, Feyr's broken body was thrown down a garbage chute to be crushed alive and ejected into space.
Again, I felt no sympathy for Feyr. He was an senior officer with a privileged position. By his criminal acts he had betrayed and shamed his uniform, his unit, The Empire and the Emperor. He deserved his humiliation and execution.
With the executions finally at an end, I found myself again looking up at the observation balcony. For a brief moment, I found myself expecting and hoping to see Miss Jentessa Motti. But the carefree passionate young lady I first encountered on Alderaan was not there. All I saw in her place was Jentessa Batch, the cold vengeful imperial lady who had come to ensure that punishment and retribution were carried out against those who had wronged her. A ruthless woman who would not hesitate to protect her interests and utterly crush her enemies.
I felt a shiver down my spine and looked away. Despite having my stormtrooper armour and helmet on, it gave me no comfort or protection. One of the stormtrooper's greatest defences is anonymity. But against Lady Batch, I had lost mine. She knew my face, she knew my designation and I had no doubt she knew my name.
Lady Batch was a dangerous and powerful woman. If she so willed, she could destroy me at her whim, just as her enemies had been destroyed today. I would be forever at her mercy.
After the execution, we put on our off-duty jump suits and went to eat our midday meal in the mess. As usual, Yalasa had been called away with sergeant Dreyfus to prepare for our 5551 training session in the afternoon cycle. The rest of the squad sat together and discussed the morning's events.
We inevitably came to discuss the one person that all three executions had in common: Lady Jentessa Batch. We wondered how such a high-born aristocratic young lady could have got herself involved in such a dramatic turn of events.
Timor, in his usual attention-seeking way, came up with his own dramatic theory.
"You know what I think." He said. "I think Lady Batch is a top imperial agent."
"You can't be serious." I looked at Timor incredulously. "Miss Motti, I mean Lady Batch, is a simply aristocratic high society lady."
Timor shook his head. "Think about it, anal-boy. How did you first encounter her, eh?"
"Alderaan." I answered. "And?"
"Do you not find it interesting that we had to..." Timor made inverted-coma sign with his fingers. "...'rescue' her from Alderaan. Then a few weeks later the planet is destroyed by the Death Star. She was clearly an imperial agent uncovering treasonous activity on the planet."
I frowned and shook my head. I just couldn't believe that the exuberant young woman I escorted to Admiral Motti could possibly be an imperial agent."
"But Lady Motti was just a frightened delicate girl." I said. "She was fragile and naive..."
"Oh, for fucks sake, anal-boy." Timor threw his hands in the air. "She is an imperial agent. It was an act. Do you remember how she shoved Yalasa down that ray-shaft. Do you really think a weak delicate girl could do that? No, that doesn't make sense. She is probably really a calculating ruthless trained assassin. It is the only logical explanation."
"But she is the sister of Admiral Motti." I protested. "Surely Admiral Motti would not permit his sister to be employed in such activities."
"Oh, for fucks sake." Timor rolled his eyes. "That's exactly the sort of person who would work for imperial security. Do you not think the top families would want to have their own people in such positions? People they can trust and depend on. The admiral probably helped her become an agent. It's obvious."
"What? You are joking, Timor? Yeah?"
I looked round at the other members of the squad looking for support. I found none. They looked intrigued with Timor's theory and urged him to continue. All, except the memory-wiped Skeen, of course, who as usual just looked blankly into space.
"And then Lady Batch came here. And what happened?" Timor displayed a mock questioning expression on his face." She went under cover again to expose Feyr's criminal activities."
To my surprise, the others round the table nodded. They obviously believed Timor's theory to be plausible. Other off-duty troopers from other squads sitting nearby turned their attention to our conversation with interest.
"I just can't believe it." I said shaking my head.
"And then of course, she coincidentally meets Leia Organa in the turbo lift." Timor was clearly gaining confidence from the positive reaction of the other troopers. "Lady Batch obviously arranged the encounter, hoping to gain Organa's trust as a means of obtaining information on rebel activity."
"That's ridiculous." I replied. "Lady Batch was almost killed when the Turbolift plummeted into the depths of the station."
"Exactly." Timor bashed the table with his hand in a sign of victory." You said it yourself. She is only a delicate aristocratic lady. So tell me, anal-boy. How did a delicate weak high-society girl survive so long in the depths of the Death Star. Even Yalasa barely survived and she is a trained stormtrooper conditioned to survive in extreme conditions."
"But that's because Yalasa gave Miss Motti her radiation shield."
"Of course, she did, bantha brains." Timor looked at me as if I was an idiot. "Yalasa was expendable compared to an aristocratic lady protected under an 0000A order. It's obvious that she would have priority for the radiation shield. And even more so if she is a top imperial agent."
I looked around at the others troopers again. They nodded at Timor in recognition. Other troopers around us murmured in agreement. They seemed to believe him. Or at least wanted to believe him.
"Sounds logical." Said Mandala. Davos also nodded his agreement.
"And then there was her visit to our barracks." Continued Timor. "No high-society lady would dare march into a stormtrooper barracks like she did. But a top imperial agent would do so without hesitation if it suited her objectives."
"She was there to help Yalasa." I said.
"Ha!" Timor sneered in disbelief. "That's what she wanted you to believe. But she was really there to expose Brack as the traitorous shithead he was."
"But..." I was about to remind Timor that Brack was exposed because Timor himself had attacked him. But I was interrupted.
"Yeah." Broke in Mandala. "And did you see the way Lady Batch stepped in front of Yalasa when the brawl commenced?"
"Exactly!" Cried Timor, clearly delighted at the unexpected support from Mandala. "No aristocratic lady would do that."
"But she was clearly terrified." I protested.
"Oh, come on." Timor raised his hands and looked around at the other troopers who were listening in. "She is an imperial agent. They are trained to feign weakness to maintain their cover. But if anyone went near her, she would probably snap their neck in an instant."
I sighed and shook my head. I just couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe that Jentessa Motti had been an imperial agent. And I couldn't believe that the other troopers, including Mandala and Davos, believed Timor's argument. Apart from the blank-faced Skeen, only the new recruit Kann didn't looked convinced. He just sat quietly with sly smile on his face.
"And another thing." Timor was determined to keep up the momentum and drive his point me. "Why did Lady Batch get stormtrooper protection under a 0000A order, eh?" Timor opened his hands to emphasise the question. "You know that an 0000A order is only reserved to top military commanders. So how did a regular aristocratic lady receive such a top priority protection? There is only one logical explanation. Because she is a top imperial agent. Probably working for Lord Vader or the Emperor himself. It's obvious."
"But she married a Grand Admiral." I blustered. "Why would an imperial agent marry a Grand Admiral?"
Timor smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, come on. Think about it, anal-boy. It's obvious. I don't have to spell it out."
Timor paused and looked around at the other troopers who were murmuring and nodding around us. No, Timor didn't have to spell it out. It was obvious why an imperial agent working for the Emperor would marry a Grand Admiral. To keep him under observation. To protect him. To ensure that he remained devoted to fulfilling the will of the Emperor.
"Apart from that..." Timor shrugged. "...perhaps she was permitted to marry Grand Admiral Batch as a reward for her services to the Empire. What Lady would not want to marry a Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire after all."
I wanted to say something to refute Timor's claims. But I just couldn't think of anything to say. And it was clear the other troopers believed him, or wanted to believe him. If there is one thing that stormtroopers love more than fulfilling their duty to the Emperor, it is to hear a good story full of intrigue and drama.
At that moment, Yalasa entered the mess and came over to our table.
"Right men. To the armoury." Ordered Yalasa. "5551 training starts in 20 minutes."
"Yalasa." I said as I stood up. "Timor says that Miss Motti...I mean Lady Batch..is an imperial agent."
Yalasa frowned and looked at me and Timor in turn.
"Oh, come on, anal-boy." Snorted Timor, "She's not going to tell you. Even if she does know."
Yalasa sighed, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Right men. Get moving. We have no time for idle talk."
We all got up, deposed our trays and headed for the exit.
"See I told you she'd say nothing." Timor whispered in my ear. "It's obvious Lady Batch is an imperial agent."
I could believe that Lady Batch was a ruthless woman, ready to use her power to destroy her enemies and obtain her goals. But I just could not believe that she was an imperial agent. But whether it was true or not, the rumour was going to spread very quickly throughout the stormtrooper corps, and probably the whole Death Star.
I didn't believe it. But many others would.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION
REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087
Although the rumour spread by Trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) that Lady Batch is an imperial agent is almost certainly false, it is neither disrespectful nor derogatory in nature. Indeed, such rumours among our lower ranked troopers are tolerated and even encouraged as they reinforce the belief in the superiority of the ruling classes, their commanding officers and the Emperor.
No action required.