Nightmare...on the ReBeL Station

Chapter 3: Casualties mount.

Authors Note: Some parts aren't my writing. But, as they are part of the story, I couldn't take it out. I'll cue you in when it's my work and when it isn't. Enjoy!

Vapor awoke in a cold sweat.

"Whaa!" he screamed falling off of the couch in the aft medlab.

"That musta been one hell of a dream" he said to himself getting up on the side of the couch. He felt dizzy. "Where's Tank? He shoulda been back an hour ago." He said rubbing his forehead and looking at his timepiece.

Vapor staggered to the door and it hissed open. The entire RBL Senate jumped at his appearance in the doorway. Vapor's eyes took focus. "What're you guys doing here? And why is Slash in the drink?"

Simon approached Vapor and said, "He was attacked in his sleep. Here let me take a look at that." Simon pulled out a tissue regenerator.

"Take a look at what?" Vapor said. He looked down for a second and caught a glimpse of a blood trail leading back into the aft medlab. "What?" Vapor said looking at his arm. It had a deep gash in it and was bleeding uncontrollably. With a swipe of the regenerator the wound was covered by a biopolymer seal that acted as a cleaning agent on it.

Vapor looked up from the wound and said, "Okay, fill me in here."

"There's a killer loose on the ship, you're lucky to be alive Vapor." Zara said.

"We don't know how he got here. Tank and Vader are discussing it now." Mac added

"Well there's only one way in and out of that aft medlab--through this door. He had to pass through here." Vapor remarked.

Simon gave the door a once-over and walked over to the internal scanner control. The scan of the room returned nothing. "Not even a heat trail" Simon said.

A chill ran down Vapor's spine. "Well I can't just sit here and wait for Tank to get back. Whatever that thing is, It's getting away." He went to the weapons locker and pulled out a bowcaster and three thermal grenades.

"Wait, Vapor!" Crysania called. "You shouldn't go by yourself."

"Yubyub, She's right, so I'm going with you." Aslan said.

"No, too dangerous. I don't think either of you should go." Zara said. "The forces that are at work here are too powerful for conventional weapons."

"Well what are we supposed to do then?" Vapor said shouldering his bowcaster.

"Let's wait til Tank and Vader get back, then we will come up with a plan." Zara replied.

"I've got a better idea. When they come back, give me a call." Vapor tossed Zara a two way radio. "I'm on channel three." Vapor exited the medbay.

Wait up! Aslan called grabbing a repeater rifle and following after.

My writing again.

As Vape and Aslan (with his Ninjas) went searching the station, Tank and Vader entered Vaders' quarters. Locking the hatchway behind them, Vader took a seat in his healing chamber, but left it open. Tank took a seat on a free chair in the room.

"Tanker, do you get the feeling that we can't fight this thing physically?" Vader asked.

Tank nodded, saying, "I don't think it's real...at least, not physically real. It's...like it was spiritual, yet in the Force. There and not there." he shook his head. "I couldn't really make it out."

"That's about what I felt as well." Vader leaned forward, then rumbled, "Yet, I felt you start. What was it?"

"It's just an old movie tale, from a long time ago on my homeworld. Can't be real." Tank dismissed the thought, but only for a moment.

"Yet, it appears it is. Tell me about this...'tale' if you can."

Tank leaned back, then started, "It was a horror movie. The main character in it was an evil being who had been killed by a vengeful mob to stop him from preying on children. Yet, years later, and this is all in the movie storyline, he returns to a new generation of kids. Teens all of them, and he attacks them in their dreams, as that allowed some access for him to reach them. He worn a red and black striped shirt, black felt hat, and I think brown or black pants. His body had horrible scars all over it, and his left hand had a claw on it. Knives attached to some kind of glove. He called himself Freddy"

Vader shivered, not imagining that anyone would want to watch such a weak movie. Tank continued.

"He made his attacks while folks slept, and, somehow, those attacks manifested themselves on a person's sleeping body. Usually fatal, either by something collapsing on top of the person, or a slash to a artery, or crashing a vehicle becuase they fell asleep at the wheel. He could change his forms to whatever he pleased." Tank stopped, thinking back to the movies he rarely watched.

"Ok, so what was it that stops him in this movie." Vader asked, confident that an answer was at hand, even in a rather cliched way.

"There doesn't seem to be a way."

"What?!?!"

"Seriously man, they had a whole series of movies made, each one ending with a possible way to stop him, but he finds a way out of it and comes back."

Vader groaned, then shook his head. "So we have a foe that can't be touched, can't be seen physically. He attacks us in our sleep, and he's unstoppable." Tank nodded, "That's about the size of it V. Noone sleeps, then nothing happens."

"Then we'll have to find a way to stop him, since we can't have people walking around half-awake." Vader thought for a moment.

It was Tank who spoke first. "Well, I already made a call to someone who might be able to help."

"Who's that?" Tank told him, and Vader nodded. "Yes, he might be able to. Think his commanders will have a problem though, having him come here?"

Tank shook his head, saying, "No, we talked about that, and he told me it'll be ok. Not like they could stop him if they wanted."

"True." Vader thought a second more, then said, "Ok, here's what we need everone to do...everyone, when they sleep, must have a partner there to watch them. They switch back and forth at four hour intervals till their duty shift comes around. That should keep people save for the most part." Tank nodded, saying, "I'll put that out here directly."

"As soon as our ally shows, we'll work up a plan of action, and hope that it works on the first shot." Vader and Tank both stood, and left his quarters, confident that they came up with the best plan they could.

Not my writing.

"Vapor, come in. Tank and Vader have returned" Zara spouted into the radio. "We need you back here at the medlab." Zara waited for a response. Nothing. Then...

"Zara, I read you, but we have a problem." Vapor said over the radio. "Aslan's hit his head pretty hard. I'm stuck here trying to keep him awake. I think he has a concussion." Vapor continued.

Tanker grabbed the radio off of Zara. "What happened out there?" Tank's expression changed. "Forget the explanation. Keep him there. We'll be right over." Tank nodded to Vader and the two of them exited the medlab with two 'Resuss,' or resusitator, packs and a hypoinjector of adrenaline.

To be continued…