Flotsam
Commander Coowins took a long moment to steady himself before entering the briefing room. He had a sickening sense that this meeting was going to be one of those turning points in life. Priests on his homeworld called it a Force premonition but that was just silly religious men trying to explain the unknown. Still, the last six months had been odd. Rumors swirled through the ship of a great defeat to the Empire. It couldn't be true that the Rebels and a secret Wookie army defeated the vanguard of the Imperial Fleet. There couldn't have been a second Death Star destroyed above some moon of the Endor system – of all places. Preposterous. Yet, it was odd that no new orders had come in nor had the Emperor made any appearances or speeches. Even stranger was the order to evacuate and then lay waste to two industrial planets: Ihopek and Narth. The order had come from some Grand Admiral or Moff that Coowins had never heard of and not from the regular chain of command.
Nothing had been normal in the nine months Coowins had spent as executive officer of the Imperial Star Destroyer Gnisnal. There had been the random system glitches allegedly caused by a lack of resources in the supply chain. The shortages in parts and materials were part of the rumors about a second Death Star and the success of the Rebellion. Coowins had enough sense, however, to realize that the shortages were due to an ever-expanding fleet, not another boondoggle battlestation or those terrorists who dare to call themselves freedom fighters. Coowins would never understand why outlaws fancied themselves romantic heroes – out to rescue princesses, cute animals, or to hubristically "save the galaxy." The only thing more cliché was some kid on a backwards planet leaving the rear end of space to save the galaxy. All they did was cause uncertainty and chaos.
Coowins took another moment to steady himself as he entered the briefing room. It wasn't like the Admiral to keep everyone in the dark about a meeting nor was it her style to rouse everyone out of their beds to have a clandestine summit during the alpha shift's rest time. Something was definitely up, and that is why he had that dreaded sixth sense feeling.
Admiral Kylnata Stolty leaned back in her chair as he walked into the briefing room. Unlike most Admirals in the fleet, Stolty kept command of her flagship, though most of her fleet had been summoned away before Coowins arrived on the ship. Coowins wondered if there would be anyone on the holo system or if this was going to be another ship-only briefing.
Sitting around the table was Lieutenant Kessma, the ship's chief helmsman, her posture straight and ridged, but the youthfulness of her eyes betrayed the serious demeanor she tried to maintain. Kessma was near the top of her class at the Imperial Academy and a protégé to Stolty. Coowins liked the young helmsman and remembered when he was the young officer just let into the inner circle. Sitting next to Kessma, was Lieutenant Commander Bonric, a frown etched into his already dour face. He had the disproving look every old man seemed to master. While Bonric's rank seemed low, rumors persisted that he was the secret Imperial Intelligence loyalty officer. People who crossed Bonric did have the strange habit of disappearing to remote posts or dying on unnecessarily dangerous assignments. Coowins made it a point to avoid Bonric. Coowins only had a couple of years left until retirement, and, while he enjoyed his job, he was looking forward to becoming an Imperial Magistrate and spending more time with his wife and kids.
Wing Commander Autem was also sitting at the table, her short cropped black hair struck Coowins as jarring. This was one of the few times he had seen her without her flight suit and helmet, though her hair was such that it could easily be mistaken as a non-regulation helmet. Must be all that time with the helmet on, he thought. Her hair must have been molded into that shape. As commander over the TIE squadrons, Autem spent her time on the flight deck. If she was here, something big was happening. Coowins was surprised for a moment when he didn't see Commander Marlax, but remembered that the Chief Engineer had come down with a rare and nearly unheard-of disease. He was currently in a bacta pod down in the med bay.
Coowins took his seat and stayed quiet as he looked back at the door, waiting for any of the other command staff to come through. He was quite sure he couldn't have been the last to arrive. That would not have looked good. As he looked back at the door, he noticed for the two Stormtroopers standing in the corners of room, their blasters primed and readied. These were not ordinary Stormtroopers, their markings and insignia made it crystal clear these were highly specialized shock troopers that had no place in a Navy briefing room. Now Coowins really had a bad feeling.
"Now, that everyone is here," Admiral Stolty began, standing from her seat. "I will make this brief." She turned on the holo projector. "As some of you are aware, six months ago Emperor Palpatine was killed aboard the second Death Star in the orbit of the forest moon of Endor. Reports are conflicting if the Death Star II was destroyed by a Rebel strike launched in conjunction with an unknown army of warriors from the forest moon or if it was a failed coup lead by Lord Darth Vader." Stolty gave a moment's pause as everyone in the table seemed to stare at her in utter disbelief. Everyone except for Bonric, Coowins realized, as he scanned the table to share in the shock and awe of the moment. He must have already known what had happened! How else would he not react to news that the galaxy lost the greatest leader it had ever known? Coowins then realized Bonric probably even knew what had happened, probably every detail, or, at least, more than Stolty had just told them. Could Bonric keep secrets from Admiral Stolty?
The Admiral's service record of loyalty was longer than the ships in her command. In his first week on the Gnisnal, Stolty led the ship through a rebel ambush defeating two CR-90 Corellian blockade runners and a Mon Calamari Cruiser. This was along with an extra compliment of rebel fighters, including some of the newer B-Wings, made Coowins into a believer. Imperial Intelligence, however, was notoriously cagey and did not play well with others. It wouldn't be out of character for a secret intelligence officer to play information close to the vest and to, of course, suspect and investigate everyone, even the Admiral.
Stolty spared a single glance at Bonric before continuing, "Needless to say, the Imperial Navy is in complete disarray. A large percentage of the Admiralty, our flagships, and some of the best ships in the fleet were also lost at Endor. It would have been nice to have known of these events sooner, but this is where we stand now. Reports are coming in that various Admirals and Captains are declaring themselves as the new leaders of the Empire. Some reports have even suggested that Imperial ships are now acting as Warlords, terrorizing local systems like petty pirates." She stated the last words with such disdain that Coowins involuntarily shuddered. "Lieutenant Commander Bonric has received communications from a group of Captains and Admirals who are going to try and link up with a secret deployment of loyal forces scouting the Unknown Regions." Bonric gave a slight nod. "That is why we are here with Captain Brandei," she said referring to the other Star Destroyer under her command. "We are gathering resources, civilian personnel, and machinery in the hopes of establishing more permeant manufacturing centers in the Unknown Regions." She paused again as she let this information sink in. "This information is highly classified. We will eventually make an announcement to the crew." She looked at Bonric again. "I have asked Lieutenant Commander Bonric to prepare a statement for all personnel." Stolty's tone conveyed that she probably did not ask but Bonric had informed her he would handle the messaging. This time Bonric looked at her with the briefest hint of startlement. He had not expected her to disclose that fact.
The Admiral, satisfied everyone had caught up to the gravity of the moment, continued, "I have previously disclosed this information to Wing Commander Autem." Stolty made a gesture towards the officer, "and asked that she double security around the flight decks. Our TIE pilots will be doubling as security." She lowered her voice not because she feared eavesdroppers, but it was clear what she was about to say made her physically ill. "There have been scattered reports of Imperial officers defecting and deserting, taking Imperial ships with them." Her features hardened. "While I do not have any doubts about anyone on this ship, I will not stand for traitors or defectors. We serve the Empire and as long as there are citizens of the Empire, we fight and we fight for them. We will inform the crew in two days and should complete evacuation procedures within the week." She gestured towards the door. "Dismissed."
Coowins numbly got up and started walking out of the briefing room, confused, scared, and upset. It was only hours after he left that he realized that either Stolty or Bonric didn't trust everyone in that room. That is why the Stormtroopers were there.
Days later, Coowins sat in his cramped private quarters as he watched the recorded message from Admiral Stolty informing the crew about Endor. Her message was short and discussed how the Emperor was murdered by Darth Vader in a coup attempt and that loyal Imperial officers sacrificed their lives stopping Darth Vader's coup by destroying the Death Star II. No mention of the Rebels or a potential secret army of fierce primitive warriors on Endor. Coowins guessed he understood why. After all, there was a war to be fought and morale would be low enough without the crew worrying about an advanced Rebel fleet. Best to live in the knowledge that the only thing that could really bring down the mighty Empire would be the Empire itself. Which, if you really thought of it, was the truth. The galaxy needed the Empire, Coowins had no doubt.
Coowins sat on his bunk for a long time, debating about whether he would sleep or if he should go to the bridge for an extra shift. Ultimately, he decided that sleep wouldn't come and duty demanded that he go to the bridge. It would benefit the crew to see him in service to the Empire at this time of crisis. They needed to know that the top command was ever present. If nothing else, staring out the viewpoint would give him some calm. Space helped to recenter him.
Coowins arrived on the bridge to a quite unexpected scene. The entire beta shift crew was silent. Displays flashed and were wholly ignored. No one was working as everyone stared transfixed at the ship's large central holoprojector. A woman was speaking, her hair braided in an elaborate style that reminded Coowins of the nobles on his homeworld. "What was once known as the Rebel Alliance stands now as a New Republic, born out of the ashes of the second destroyed Death Star. The Emperor and Darth Vader, who spread an unyielding wave of terror across the galaxy, have fallen on their last battle station of terror. Once more the galaxy can breathe the fresh air of freedom. The New Republic will begin liberation and aiding any system who wishes to rise up against the last vestiges of the corrupt and vile Empire. The New Republic is here to welcome all to join in the dawn of a new galaxy – one whose foundation is just and strong. May the Force be with us all."
The recording stopped and then started again; it must have been on a loop. Coowins was too stunned to catch the name of the woman speaking. She claimed to be a Princess of Alderaan and proceeded to explain what had happened on the forest moon of Endor. Her speech included battle footage with authentication codes. She then explained the atrocities committed by the Empire along with footage of various planets celebrating. He tilted his head as a swarm of dwarf fuzzy creatures seemed to dance and celebrate over the armor of various Imperial soldiers. He could have sworn one of the images was Darth Vader's armor burning in a pyre. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that was the forest moon of Endor. But there is no way a bunch of animals that looked like children's toys could defeat the grandest military forces the galaxy had ever seen. The scene then shifted to the statute of Emperor Palpatine being toppled on Courscant. Coowins blinked back tears, he silently prayed that his wife and children were safe. He moved them to Courscant so they could have the best the Empire had to offer. Never did he think that it could be ground zero for a revolution. A stark thought pierced through the fog of his mind.
The rebellion had done it.
That was all Commander Coowins could think of as he watched the holo continue its playback. Eventually, the last part that Coowins had already seen played again, and once more the holo stopped and started again. Coowins thought he should do something or say something. What does one say when your entire way of life was laid bare, and the future was lost. Despair took over him once more, and, briefly, Coowins thought about running to the flight deck and stealing a ship to take to Courscant. He had to save his family. Before he could turn to head to the turbolift, he remembered that Wing Commander Autem had her pilots as extra security. If he knew anything about the wing commander, he knew she was fanatical about her duties. He couldn't talk his way past her or her men. If they even let him talk. Maybe he should order the attendant communication officer to turn off the holo.
"Turn that holo off!" A voice boomed from a turbolift that had just opened behind Coowins. He scrambled to compose himself from the startle and his spiraling thoughts. Admiral Stolty and Lieutenant Commander Bonric came storming out of the turbolift. Coowins eyed them for a moment and realized the pair had just been arguing but were trying to mask that fact. Children from a broken home always recognize that body language. Stolty and Bonric brushed past Coowins on either side, with Bonric giving Coowins a withering glare.
Admiral Stolty spoke again after she passed Coowins, "I SAID TURN IT OFF!" She barked once more.
"We can't, sir," said a meek voice belonging to an ensign that Coowins didn't know by sight. He probably knew his name from duty reports, but Coowins drew a blank. "We are locked out of the system, sir. It requires a clearance code that none of us have including the watch commander, sir." The rail thin ensign gestured towards Coowins, "We were just about to ask Commander Coowins to…" The ensign was interrupted as Bonric shoved him aside.
"Incompetent fool!" Bonric growled at the ensign. "I shall keep my eye on you Ensign Wall. You better hope your rec…" Bonric was cut off as the main controls to the holo projector exploded, shrapnel lodging itself into Bonric's throat and chest. Ensign Wall was not spared, as a particularly large piece of what was once the holo projector wedged itself into the poor ensign's face, splitting it in half. A couple of other officers yelled in pain and collapsed to the decks as shrapnel hit them in arms and legs. Based on the moaning, Coowins thought, most, if not all, of the rest would survive. Wall and Bonric, however, were both dead before their limp bodies hit the deck. Coowins could have sworn that a look of relief passed over Stolty's face as she saw Bonric die, but he probably imagined that. Coowins continued to stare as medics rushed past him. He was getting the distinct feeling he should have remained in his quarters.
Stolty's turned to Coowins, speaking firmly but with feigned kindness, "Commander Coowins, if it is not too much trouble, could you please ask Lieutenant Commander Stadow why the power system keeps fluctuating."
"Aye, aye," Coowins barked out as his training took over. He began to move towards an internal comms panel.
"Oh, and Commander, let Stadow know she is now Chief Engineer. Marlax died an hour ago."
A couple of days had passed since word of the Rebellion's victory had reached the ship. The crew was on edge as random glitches still plagued the Star Destroyer's systems, but new Chief Engineer Stadow proved rather adept at solving the issues as they came up. Coowins made a note on his log to put her in for commendation. If there was any one left to give her one. It was getting harder and harder for him to pretend that everything was as it had once been, and he still had not heard from his family on Coruscant. Coowins continued to work on his reports at his station on the bridge. Life was more complicated now, but his duties didn't seem to notice or care. Coowins turned his head as a turbolift opened with a gentle hiss-woosh.
Admiral Stolty smoothed out her Imperial uniform tunic as she stepped on the bridge of her flagship. Confidently, she strolled passed all of the bridge crew to stand in front of the viewpoint, taking a long moment to stare at the mossy green-blue marble that was the planet Ihopek. It hung starkly against the black background of empty space. She continued her stare as Coowins came to attention behind her, his datapad tucked smartly behind him. He was trying to be more professional in front of her and the crew. His weakness during that blasted Rebel holo message had not gone unnoticed and he could hear whispers and snide comments made behind his back. The word coward was used more than once. But Coowins didn't dare reprimand anyone yet. Once we leave this system, he would be able to reestablish his status and authority. Now, with the crew on edge, he needed to be the model officer, not a little boy whose feelings got hurt and was now lashing out. He cleared his throat to announce his presence to the Admiral.
"Admiral, evacuation of Narth is complete. We estimate that Ihopek will be done within the next two hours." Admiral Stolty gave the faintest hint of acknowledgement as she stared at the planet. Coowins continued, "Sir, Captain Brandei reports that the Judicator and the transport ships under her protection shall make the jump to hyperspace shortly."
He turned to look as the transports and the other Star Destroyer began accelerating towards their hyperjump coordinates. "Admiral, Captain Brandei transmitted the coordinates to the loyalist fleet's rallying point. We are programming them in now." He spared a glance towards Lieutenant Kessma, who gave him a slight nod confirming the coordinates were being programmed in. Coowins stepped closer to the Admiral, his presence now clearly violating the her personal space, earning him the slightest tilt of the Admiral's head in his direction. He lowered his voice, "Sir, the crew is scared and strained. Reports of fights are coming in every hour. Wing Commander Autem has reported her officers have already shot 15 crew members including one of her own. I worry that if morale stays at this level, there could be a full fledge muntin..." He paused leaving his last thought incomplete. The pause lasted longer than he intended, but he had to choose his next words very carefully. "Perhaps, the crew just needs some words from their leader." He added a strained smile to soften his words.
The Admiral tilted her head again in acknowledgement. She raised the arm closest to Coowins and made a small dismissive gesture. Taking the hint, Coowins marched smartly away to his duty station. Admiral Stolty was unlike any commander that Coowins had served under in his nearly fifteen years of service. She seldom yelled or disciplined the crew, leaving her command staff to take care of such issues. But she knew everything that happened on the ship and knew it inside and out. She set the standards high for herself and for those she commanded, leading by example in all things. Except for the late Lieutenant Commander Bonric, everyone on the ship seemed fanatically loyal to her. Coowins had once made a crack to Kessma off-duty about the Admiral being an ice box. The younger officer promptly warned him never to say such things about the Admiral again. Coowins had then made it a point to study Stolty. If he could adopt more of her style, he thought that would help him when he became a magistrate. Coowins had concluded that Stolty aloofness hid something that her blue eyes almost betrayed.
Breaking into Coowins' musing, Admiral Stolty began to speak, "Today, we have ensured that millions of loyal imperial citizens and workers have been evacuated to continue to serve the Empire." She paused. "The Empire is more than one man, no matter how great. The Empire is more than one battle station, no matter how large." Her tone began to find a rhythm, her voice strong and powerful. "The Empire is you and I." She gestured towards the crew. "It is the citizens of Narth and Ihopek, it is all of the men, women, and children across the galaxy that trust us to keep them safe. The Empire is peace, the Empire is stability, the Empire is progress. What we do here and now, is what will rebuild the dream that the Emperor started." She paused to look various crew members including Coowins in the eyes. "A galaxy free of a corrupted government, a galaxy free of rebel terror, a galaxy where loyal citizens wake up every day knowing that their Empire will protect them from all the monsters that lurk in the galaxy." She pointed at the crew. "We are righteous in our mission and we will triumph over those who wish to sow discord and chaos by spreading dangerous ideals, for we know that only order and security will lead to prosperity." She raised her hands. "FOR THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!"
The bridge crew followed with their own chant, "FOR THE EMPIRE!"
She pumped her first into air. "FOR THE EMPIRE!" she bellowed, and the crew followed. Again, and again, the reinforced plating of the bridge echoed with cries for the glory of the Empire. Coowins head continued to echo. He wasn't sure if it was the crews turn or Stolty's. He just kept yelling and pumping his fist, consciously trying to seem the most fired up among them.
As the fervor died down, the Admiral gave her crew one last meaningful look, her voice calmer and back in control as if the pep rally had not just happened. "If you continue to do your duty, I swear to you, that the Gnisnal and her crew shall be remembered as true heroes." She let the words soak in. "As you were."
She gracefully turned back to stare out the viewport, continuing to maintain the illusion that nothing had happened. The crew went back to their duties. The mood of the bridge had changed, a new confidence and energy had taken hold. Coowins returned to his reports, a small smile crept across his face. He knew Stolty was a great officer and commander, but he hadn't realized that she could be a great leader. Someone who could change the course of history. And if half the rumors about this mysterious Alien admiral who was going to reunite the fleet in the Unknown Regions were true, perhaps the Empire will rebuild. A better version. A second, grander Empire.
As visions of future glory and relief began to cloud Coowins' thoughts, a small beep at his station caught his attention. That's odd, he thought, the primary transfer coupling was reporting a slight fluctuation in the power flow regulator from the solar ionization reactor. If the Gnisnal had not been experiencing so many problems, he wouldn't have programed his station to register such minute fluctuations. But watching two men die from a minor glitch has a way of changing your priorities.
He was puzzled. The ship had been operating better over the last couple of days and the diagnostics on the power system came back as fine twelve hours ago. A dip like that shouldn't even happ…
Coowins' thought process was interrupted as a large explosion ripped through the ship's hull. The primary transfer coupling shot out of its supports and through the fifteen decks of ship that were between it and outer space. The explosion lasted less than a second, but it felt like an eternity to everyone on board. As Coowins came to his senses, his panic and nerves were being driven into the back of his head by years of training and the desire to survive.
The first thing Coowins registered was Stolty ordering the last evacuation transports ships of Ihopek to hold their jump to lightspeed in case they needed to collect survivors from the Gnisnal. "Commander Coowins, status report!" She barked.
Coowins stared at his console intently, Stolty needed him to do his job, the Empire needed him to do his job, his wife and kids needed him to do his job. So, he did his job.
"Sir, the primary transfer coupling failed. Damage being reported throughout the ship. Secondary and reserve systems are on-line for now. Force fields have been deployed on the breached areas of the ship. All primary systems reporting issues including life support." He looked across the bridge as other officers frantically tried to do something to help the situation. "Lieutenant Kessma, do we have enough power to jump to hyperspace and reach an Imperial repair yard?" He stated, surprising himself with the authority he projected.
The normal youthful zeal of Lieutenant Kessma was replaced by the fearful voice of someone who realized they were going to die, here and now. "Sir, uh," She stammered, "I…yes. The Galabin shipyard should be reachable."
"IS IT OR ISN'T REACHABLE, LIEUTENANT?!" Coowins barked. Yelling, while boorish, caused officers to refocus.
"Sir, yes sir. We will reach it. For the EMPIRE!" Kessma cried back. The remembrance of the rallying cry gave her purpose again. She plugged away at the navigational computer calculating the necessary jump. "Sir, coordinates ready, plugging them into the primary Hyperdrive Motivator." She furiously worked at her controls when pure horror went across her face. "No, no, no, no, no." She stammered at the computer.
Her words were drowned out by a new horrific metallic cry that filled the entire bridge. A cry of pain from the Gnisnal. Coowins stared at his screen as the power went out and the red emergency lighting kicked in. Admiral Stolty stopped barking orders. Her gaze locked on the chaotic ballet playing outside the ship's viewport.
The metallic cry was the hyperdrive engines ripping a small tear in the fabric of space as the motivator exploded. The engines spooled up, but, without any course from the motivator, they had nowhere to go and nowhere to shunt the power. It ripped a sliver of a hole in space for the tiniest, briefest period of time. The amount it takes for any given electron to move slightly in its orbit.
Immense gravity sucked in the damaged motivator and hyperdrive engines into a void of nothingness. All the nearby support struts of the ship twisted under the force. As soon as the void came, it was gone; however, its affects were still being felt as the Gnisnal tore down the middle from the aft engines to the fore triangular tip. A large visible crack appeared through the first twenty-six decks of the ship.
The once pristine hull of the Gnisnal was now marred by a craggy metallic canyon that formed along her centerline. Debris and bodies floated outside, reminders that no matter how quick the hull breach forcefields were, they were never going to be fast enough to save everyone. Coowins stared for a long moment, sickness filling his stomach and mind-numbing horror rendering him almost catatonic.
I'm never going to see my children again, he thought as he slumped down in his chair. The eerie quiet that had sunk into the bridge was broken as the reserve power hummed up and limited systems turned on to create ghostly glows of light in the red blinking sea of abject doom.
"Abandon ship," Admiral Stolty ordered calmly as she enter the command code to send a ship wide evacuation order.
Stolty glided towards her command chair as if everything was normal. Military decorum, after all, should be maintained during times of crisis. "It has been an honor," she added to her stunned crew. Everyone knew Stolty would go down with the ship, but none of them thought she would do so with such grace. Each officer knew they wouldn't do the same including Coowins.
Coowins just continued to stare blankly. Fear, dread, and resignation won out over the instincts to do anything to survive. He knew he was going to die here, even in his present state he could run through the next set of events. The space on the evacuation transport ships to collect the escape pods was limited and the pods nearest the transports would be collected first, pods he couldn't be on, and per protocols the atmosphere of Narth and Ihopek were already starting to be poisoned to render the planets uninhabitable for at least five years. If the Empire could not have them, then neither would the Rebels.
Coowins was resigned to his fate. He once more thought about his wife and children. Would they miss him? What kind of galaxy would his kids grow up in? Without the Emperor, who would keep order and security? Who would maintain the safety of Coruscant? Could the Imperial Navy maintain the Empire alone? If Stolty couldn't keep one ship safe, how could any Admiral, no matter how grand, keep the whole galaxy safe?
Coowins understood that the population of the galaxy seemed to want freedom, but they did not understand that freedom came at a cost. Without strong order, there could not be progress. Freedom leads to chaos, chaos to despair, and, eventually, in a hundred or so years, someone would rise up and instill order once more, another Emperor perhaps.
The Old Republic failed because it did not have a strong leader and so too would this New Republic. He couldn't even remember that Rebel princess' name. Blast it all. He just hoped that his kids would survive to see another leader as strong and wise as the Emperor to take the reins of the galaxy. Maybe this new Emperor would see that the iron fist of Palpatine was too strong and that more of the velvet glove was needed. After all, the galaxy is just like a small child, it needs some love along with the rod. Coowins closed his eyes, his mind drifting off into fantasy as the rest of the crew scrambled to the escape pods.
Eventually, it was just Coowins and Stolty on the bridge, the escape pods were being picked up and the transporters jumping out, one by one. A large piece of the Gnisnal flew by the viewport. Coowins knew it came from the aft of the ship, and, if he cared, he could figure out where. He wondered briefly what scavengers would think when they came to strip the Gnisnal for parts.
"The Imperial Order of Battle," Coowins said.
"Excuse me?" Stolty asked, her tone neutral.
"We just received the latest Order of Battle before we embark to this system. It has ship locations, tactics, secret projects, everything." Coowins ponder for a moment. "Marlax, the rebel holo playing with the lockout, Bonric's death, the systems failing—" Coowins words poured out from his mouth as fast as he could think "— And now this. That must be what they are after, the computer systems and the Order of Battle." They probably have a shuttle with a hyperdrive in reserve he thought, that would likely mean one of Autem's pilots. He fidgeted with his controls but could not get the datacore's backup system to terminate function. Someone locked out control of that system. "I must go!" He could not contain the rising feeling inside him. Was it hope? If he could get to that Rebel ship, make the Rebel somehow take him to Coruscant, then maybe, just maybe.
Stolty was now intently looking at Coowins. "Go where?" She asked.
"To the datacore, sir. Someone locked us out of the back-up power system. I can't shut it down remotely. I'll have to go there and destroy it manually." Coowins continued, "maybe I will catch him down there. Yeah, I bet the spy is downloading the data as we speak, I can still be a hero." Coowins calmed himself as he looked at the Admiral to begin a more professional report. "Admiral, we have a Rebel spy on board."
"I know."
Coowins blinked pondering Stolty's latest words as a great pain ripped through his stomach, his eyes looking down at the smoke billowing out of his abdomen. Shock and pain filled his eyes as he looked at Stolty who was holding the blaster that killed him.
"May the Force be with you, Benn Coowins." She then went back to staring out the viewport. "May the Force be with us all," Stolty said softy as she continued to watch her ship get torn apart.