Kyle's eyes snapped open as he felt a jet stream of bubbles run along his
naked skin. He was floating in a thick, warm liquid that stung his eyes,
but made him feel surprisingly well. Slowly, he recognized where he was. At
first, he thought he was dead, but soon realized he was in a bacta tank,
one that was located in the infirmary of the Mon Calamari Cruiser,
Independence. He looked around, looking at all the faces that were staring
at him with intent concern. After putting names to the faces, he looked
above him at a now opening hatch on the top of the machine, and kicked his
feet to swim up and to get out.
He was helped up by the gentle grip of a medical droid, 6-1B, and removed the facemask that he breathed through while in the tank. Two women walked up to him, and he knew them both. The one in front was older; she was wearing brilliant white robes and had had auburn hair. Mon Mothma, one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance and the woman who had hired Kyle originally to aid in locating the original death star plans that helped destroy the Imperial battle station at the Battle of Yavin that took place a little more than a year ago. The younger woman, that treaded lightly behind Mothma was Kyle's mission officer and the one person he could truly call his friend, Jan Ors.
Kyle coughed up some of the bacta he had been floating in, and wiped some of the liquid from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked up at the two and was helped up by Jan. Not knowing what to say, he just stood there. Mothma broke the silence, "We were so pleased to see you back here Kyle. You have contributed to our cause with more than we could pay you. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that your mission was a success. Rebel scientists now are observing the weapon you stole. Of coarse, as with your request, Jan will debrief you for further details."
"You had us all shaken up there for a moment, Kyle," Jan Ors said, while slipping on her greasy gloves that were bundled into a bunch on top of an orange barrel full of fuel. The two Rebel agents stood on a catwalk that was suspended above one of the two main hangers of the Mon Calamari Cruiser. Their Corellian Courier-class ship, the Moldy Crow, was being fueled and repaired by a group of rebel technicians.
Kyle licked his lips and managed a nod, "Well, you weren't the only one shaken up. I guess that death mark that Jabba the Hutt put on my head is still active."
Jan nodded, "Maybe so, but Alliance Intelligence concluded that those Grans that were after you are Imperial assassins. They must have been brain washed or something, but you can expect to see a lot more of them where you're headed."
"What?" Kyle asked, stepping onto a small lift, "Where am I going exactly?"
Jan smiled, and stepped on it after him, "Unknown right now, but you should pray that the death mark you referred to is not still around, because then you'll have to deal with all sorts of goons to get to Rebus."
Kyle walked off the elevator after it reached the hangar floor, and headed over to the Crow, Jan walking beside him, "I'm going after Rebus again?"
Jan nodded, "Well, don't expect it to be as easy to infiltrate as his hideout at Anoat. I'm sure some Imps as well as those Grans will be waiting for you."
Kyle moved his hand along the cold, carbon-scored belly of his ship and shook his head, "I could have gotten him at Nar Shaddaa, but I was occupied with the Grans. He was there, and he definitely recognized me. He was there with a girl to. If Mon Mothma had told me to get them, I would have."
"The Alliance authorities had no idea they'd be there. The girl, his girl friend, is Xazalia Crashaan. She is working with him and has developed the ammunition and the weapon's launcher," Jan said. She pushed a lock of black hair from her eyes and climbed onboard the Crow. Kyle followed and sat behind the pilot's seat.
"So," Kyle said, "It's a projectile weapon?"
Jan nodded, and flipped a pair of switches into an on-position and the lights on the control systems lit up to life, "The weapon you found, the Rail Detonator, is some sort of explosive missile launcher that grabs hold of the enemy, and blows up on impact. Rebel analyzers, the same who had examined those other prototyped you stole, the repeater-rifle and the Darktrooper weapon, have concluded that they can easily be jammed up. Only because they're prototypes though, and Rebus can easily correct the error. But, the fact that it can jam easily is what gives us a chance to blow a major hole into the production of this project. That is of coarse if you can get the two weapons technicians back here alive."
Kyle smiled, and rubbed his newly bearded chin, "Well, this beard might help in my disguise. When exactly am I going to pull this off?"
Jan pulled down the goggles atop her head over her eyes, "Next week. In the mean time you and I are going to escort a Rebel espionage ship, Freedom Fighter, out from the Anoat system."
"Oh?" Kyle asked, surprised. They watched the technicians that had just finished their work on the Moldy Crow back away, and wave to them.
Jan nodded again, "Two rookie agents, former mercenaries, and no love for the Empire. Beduch and Duke. Sound familiar?"
Kyle couldn't help laugh, "Well, we'd better set off then. As we both remember, people of that sort can get into a lot of trouble."
Jan laughed aloud and replied, while pulling back the lever to lift off, "You're the boss."
He was helped up by the gentle grip of a medical droid, 6-1B, and removed the facemask that he breathed through while in the tank. Two women walked up to him, and he knew them both. The one in front was older; she was wearing brilliant white robes and had had auburn hair. Mon Mothma, one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance and the woman who had hired Kyle originally to aid in locating the original death star plans that helped destroy the Imperial battle station at the Battle of Yavin that took place a little more than a year ago. The younger woman, that treaded lightly behind Mothma was Kyle's mission officer and the one person he could truly call his friend, Jan Ors.
Kyle coughed up some of the bacta he had been floating in, and wiped some of the liquid from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked up at the two and was helped up by Jan. Not knowing what to say, he just stood there. Mothma broke the silence, "We were so pleased to see you back here Kyle. You have contributed to our cause with more than we could pay you. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that your mission was a success. Rebel scientists now are observing the weapon you stole. Of coarse, as with your request, Jan will debrief you for further details."
"You had us all shaken up there for a moment, Kyle," Jan Ors said, while slipping on her greasy gloves that were bundled into a bunch on top of an orange barrel full of fuel. The two Rebel agents stood on a catwalk that was suspended above one of the two main hangers of the Mon Calamari Cruiser. Their Corellian Courier-class ship, the Moldy Crow, was being fueled and repaired by a group of rebel technicians.
Kyle licked his lips and managed a nod, "Well, you weren't the only one shaken up. I guess that death mark that Jabba the Hutt put on my head is still active."
Jan nodded, "Maybe so, but Alliance Intelligence concluded that those Grans that were after you are Imperial assassins. They must have been brain washed or something, but you can expect to see a lot more of them where you're headed."
"What?" Kyle asked, stepping onto a small lift, "Where am I going exactly?"
Jan smiled, and stepped on it after him, "Unknown right now, but you should pray that the death mark you referred to is not still around, because then you'll have to deal with all sorts of goons to get to Rebus."
Kyle walked off the elevator after it reached the hangar floor, and headed over to the Crow, Jan walking beside him, "I'm going after Rebus again?"
Jan nodded, "Well, don't expect it to be as easy to infiltrate as his hideout at Anoat. I'm sure some Imps as well as those Grans will be waiting for you."
Kyle moved his hand along the cold, carbon-scored belly of his ship and shook his head, "I could have gotten him at Nar Shaddaa, but I was occupied with the Grans. He was there, and he definitely recognized me. He was there with a girl to. If Mon Mothma had told me to get them, I would have."
"The Alliance authorities had no idea they'd be there. The girl, his girl friend, is Xazalia Crashaan. She is working with him and has developed the ammunition and the weapon's launcher," Jan said. She pushed a lock of black hair from her eyes and climbed onboard the Crow. Kyle followed and sat behind the pilot's seat.
"So," Kyle said, "It's a projectile weapon?"
Jan nodded, and flipped a pair of switches into an on-position and the lights on the control systems lit up to life, "The weapon you found, the Rail Detonator, is some sort of explosive missile launcher that grabs hold of the enemy, and blows up on impact. Rebel analyzers, the same who had examined those other prototyped you stole, the repeater-rifle and the Darktrooper weapon, have concluded that they can easily be jammed up. Only because they're prototypes though, and Rebus can easily correct the error. But, the fact that it can jam easily is what gives us a chance to blow a major hole into the production of this project. That is of coarse if you can get the two weapons technicians back here alive."
Kyle smiled, and rubbed his newly bearded chin, "Well, this beard might help in my disguise. When exactly am I going to pull this off?"
Jan pulled down the goggles atop her head over her eyes, "Next week. In the mean time you and I are going to escort a Rebel espionage ship, Freedom Fighter, out from the Anoat system."
"Oh?" Kyle asked, surprised. They watched the technicians that had just finished their work on the Moldy Crow back away, and wave to them.
Jan nodded again, "Two rookie agents, former mercenaries, and no love for the Empire. Beduch and Duke. Sound familiar?"
Kyle couldn't help laugh, "Well, we'd better set off then. As we both remember, people of that sort can get into a lot of trouble."
Jan laughed aloud and replied, while pulling back the lever to lift off, "You're the boss."
