Star Wars Infinities: The Warrior

By Christopher W. Blaine (darth_yoshi@yahoo.com)

DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained in this story are ©2002 by George Lucas and are used herein without permission for fan-related, non-profit entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2002 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole without the express permission of the author.

CHAPTER 5

"I love the smell of Corellia," Dash said with sarcasm. He looked around the small room that he found himself in. The meeting with Garm Bel Iblis was indeed taking place on their home world, high up in orbit aboard an aging Victory-Class star destroyer that was part of the Corellian Home Defense Force. "Be nice if I could get down on the planet and enjoy it."

Hal shrugged. "We can't take any chances; you heard about who's coming, didn't you?" The elder law enforcement officer could see that Dash hadn't. Lando leaned over and whispered something into his friend's ear. Dash was not impressed.

"Pretty boys is all they are," he said with disgust. He leaned his chair back and put his feet up on the table. Lando gave him a wary eye, but said nothing. "TIE pilots always think they're the top of the food chain. They forget about the guys who do the real work, the grunts."

"Ah, the lamentations of the down-trodden," a tall, bearded man said as he stepped into the room behind a burly CorSec officer. "I suppose that was why you deserted from the ranks of the stormtroopers; you didn't get the respect you deserved." Garm Bel Iblis smiled and then turned his gaze to the feet set upon the table. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Dash brought them down and sat up.

Bel Iblis sat down in the remaining seat, nodding slightly to Hal. The elder Horn smiled and returned the gesture. "Mr. Rendar, you realize that your reputation proceeds you? Of course you do, but I wonder if you realize the responsibility that comes with that reputation?"

Dash considered his answer, trying to get a read off of the Imperial senator and then the other men seated at the table. Whatever was going on, nobody was stepping up to help him out. "I'm not really sure I understand, senator." Dash was still slightly in awe of Bel Iblis. Though the man was a member of the Imperial Senate, he was also a hero of Corellia, a man who tirelessly fought in the political arena against all of his home world's enemies. In the days before the Empire, it was said he was a strong political opponent of the then Senator Palpatine, which only added to the mystique of the man. "I may be an outlaw, on the run from a military that practices terror…a military sanctioned by your senate," he added with some bravado, "but you won't find a more loyal Corellian in the galaxy."

The senator smiled wide. "Of that I have no doubt, Mr. Rendar, and as far as your opinion of the Imperial military, I couldn't agree more." Lando suppressed a gasp, but still managed to make a squeak that drew Dash's attention. "We're Corellians gentlemen, so let us dispense with the niceties. I am a member of the rebellion against the Empire. The time has come for the worlds of the galaxy to unite to throw off the yoke of oppression. The Empire is choking the life out of our planet and I will not stand by to watch it happen."

Dash felt dizzy and reached for the glass of water. "Rebellion? Is there a rebellion?"

Hal spoke up. "Dash, we don't have time for games. We need you for something very important."

"Yes, we have a mission for you and Mr. Calrissian," Bel Iblis added.

"What kind of mission?" Lando asked as Dash refilled his glass. It was one thing to desert from the military, it was entirely something else to wage war against it. "We're not activists, you know."

Bel Iblis turned to Hal. "Did I not just hear about how loyal to Corellia they were?"

Hal shrugged. "That's what I heard."

Dash finally interrupted after wiping his mouth on his arm. "Senator, sir, if you know about my military record, then you know about my love for my home. You also know that I'm a wanted man with a price on my head. I can't operate very well for you, not that I would."

Bel Iblis leaned in close, but there was no malice in his posture. He understood men like Dash Rendar, men who had ideals they did not want to admit to. Many men considered things like compassion and honor a weakness somehow. Perhaps it was the way the galaxy was now, that even good-hearted people felt the need to add a little darkness to their appearance. "Mr. Rendar, you must help us. You have become something of a legend to the people of Corellia, those who haven't become starry-eyed looking at the images of Soontir Fel and Han Solo. To the poor, to those who are recognized only as labor for the great Imperial machine, you are the hero."

Dash started to shake his head, but Hal stopped him. "It's true. Every month, the bounty on your head goes up and the people of Corellia cheer a little longer. Most of the officers in CorSec are behind you, though officially we have vowed to bring you in."

Dash started to blush and rubbed his beard. "I'm nobody…"

"That is how a somebody generally starts, Mr. Rendar," Bel Iblis commented. "You left the Imperial military because of a moral objection."

A memory flashed briefly into Dash's mind and Lando caught a familiar look cross Dash's eyes. "Both of us have objections to the Empire, but that doesn't mean we're willing to throw our lives away…"

"The Empire has developed a battle station, a globe of malice called the Death Star," Bel Iblis started. His voice was strong as he went over what technical details he knew. "It is 120 kilometers at the equator and possesses more firepower than half of the Imperial fleet. It also has a super laser capable of destroying a planet."

Dash said nothing but instead made a religious gesture. Lando shook his head, silently figuring out the cost of such a project. Bel Iblis's next comment nearly choked him. "They are building an even larger one that will be completed within the next three years."

"It's impossible!" Dash exclaimed. Deep inside, though, especially after all of the horrors he experienced in the service of the Emperor, he knew just how possible it really was. "Why would they need something like that?"

"Fear. These battle stations will allow the Emperor to rule by decree instead of through the legislature. I fully expect the senate to be disbanded within the month, power will be turned over to the Moffs." Bel Iblis stood up and walked over to a corner of the room where he pulled out a small cigar. "I only learned this because I have an old friend on the military appropriations committee who is about to retire. I cannot and will not stand by and allow Corellia to be ruled by an outsider."

"So, this is a Corellian matter?" Dash asked with sarcasm.

"Every member of the rebellion likes to talk about freeing the galaxy, but its all about home. Yes, I want to see the Emperor brought down and a reestablishment of the Old Republic, but my concern is, in the end, about home." He took a drag off of the cigar. "Are you interested?"

"In what? I sympathize, but Lando and I are planning on heading out into the Corporate Sector for awhile," Dash said, turning to Lando for support. He wasn't too assured by the look that he received. What his partner was thinking was beyond him for the moment. "You don't expect me to try and take out the Death Star do you? You're the one with a star destroyer."

"When the Emperor strips us of our sovereignty, I will be taking portions of the Home Defense Fleet and heading into the Unknown Regions," Bel Iblis explained. "The hope is to draw some of the Imps out and away from the Core. Agent Horn will coordinate efforts here on the planet and then we would like you to be part of our special forces."

"Senator, can I talk with him for a few minutes?" Lando suddenly asked. Bel Iblis eyed Horn who nodded very slowly. The two government men then left the small office and Lando turned to his friend. "Look, Dash…"

"Hey, this is a partnership, buddy; I know how you feel about getting involved…"

Lando shook his head and laid both of his hands flat in the table. "Dash, it isn't that. I got a response back on that job on Bespin I applied for. You know, the Baron Administrator?"

Dash began to understand his friend's earlier hesitation. "I guess you're going to take it, eh?" It made little sense not to as Dash pointed out. "You don't have a price on your head yet and basically have a reputable name. Something worth saving. Hell, I don't blame you for leaving."

Lando looked out of place, like a poor man at the Emperor's court. "Dash, this is all big military stuff and you can act like you don't care all you want, but I can see it in your eyes. You want to join up, but you haven't because of me."

"That isn't it; look, we've got that debt to Xizor to worry about…"

Lando held up a hand. "My new employers forwarded me enough credits to square it with Xizor, plus I've arranged for a sweet little bit of black market trade in Tibanna gas from Bespin. The debt is gone, you're a free man once again."

"I'm gonna need a copilot," Dash thought as he rubbed his chin in thought. Not many smugglers would be willing to give up the lucrative trade of illegal transport to help out the rebellion. Dash suddenly realized that he was already thinking of himself as part of it. "Did you believe that stuff about me being a hero and all?"

Lando laughed. "You're so full of yourself! Yeah, I do believe it. You aren't just some gun for hire, Dash; you help people, and you don't care what laws get broken to do it." Lando leaned back, relieved that his friend was not angry with him. "Maybe Dengar will take second seat on the Outrider."

"Not with the price on my head; it doesn't do a lot of good for a bounty hunter to hang out with the bounty, now does it?" Dash drummed his fingers on the table. "I could get a droid."

"There are some good droids out there," Lando remarked, suddenly thinking he had made the wrong decision. His dream had always been to become legitimate, to be a big-shot with class, but flying around the galaxy with Dash had been a blast. He also knew he would do a lot more good for the galaxy of he stuck with his younger friend.

Lando was not a particularly religious man, but he did put some stock in the ancient Jedi religion of the Force. He remembered a Jedi Knight from his youth, long before the purges, who had said that sometimes destiny takes you along a path you don't want to follow. He felt that way now, as if a piece of him were dying for the betterment of the universe as a whole.

He knew that in order for both of them to grow, he and Dash had to separate. "I was going to tell you in a better setting, but since they won't let you on the planet, I figured I better do it here."

 Dash nodded and the two sat in silence, contemplating the future for several minutes before Bel Iblis and Hal Horn reentered the room. Both men noted the somewhat somber change in the air between the two friends, but realized that there were no hard feelings between them. The truth was that Bel Iblis was quite aware of Lando's recent luck. "Is there anything we should know?"

Dash looked up. "I'm not promising anything, but if it means helping out Corellia, then I'm in."

Several hours later and in the onboard cabin of Garm Bel Iblis, Dash continued his conversation with the renegade senator. "If I'm going to be part of this, then I'm going to need to know everything. I spent too long in the dark when I was a stormtrooper."

Bel Iblis indicated that Dash should sit in a large easy chair. Both men sipped at Corellian spiced ales. "Not just a stormtrooper; you were being considered for inclusion in the Crimson Guard if I remember correctly. But, you opted for special mission training instead. Why?"

Dash shrugged. "I wanted to do something important. I don't know…everything started getting so screwed up after Mon Calamari. When I saw how…how passive the Mon Cals were…I had always been stationed in the deep Core. I guess I was sheltered from the realities of the Empire."

"Yes, there a so many things out in the galaxy that nobody wants to talk about. If it wasn't for Deceptra, I can only imagine that slavery of non-humans would be rampant. Instead, the Empire merely slaughters those who will not abide by second-class citizen status."

Taking a deep breath, Dash dared to ask the question that had burning his tongue for quite some time. "Sir, I've heard a rumor that you knew Deceptra before she became…"

"So dark?" Bel Iblis asked with a smile. "Oh, that was so many years ago, Dash, back in the days of the Old Republic. Yes, I knew her and respected her for her opinions, even if they were contrary to what I believed. She had been a senator from the planet Naboo. Her name was Padme Amidala."

Dash scratched his head. "I've never heard of Naboo."

"The Emperor had the planet removed from all star charts and quarantined the entire sector. I couldn't tell you if the planet was still there or not. Naboo had two senators in the Republic senate, one representing the human population and another representing the Gunguns."

"So, you were friends with her?"

"Hardly; she did, however, attract the attention of many a suitor. She was beautiful, still is in a dark sort of way, and it was her allure that helped bring down the Republic. She captured the heart of a young Sith Lord named Anakin Skywalker…Luke Skywalker's father, who also went by the name Darth Vader. Vader and Padme were seemingly meant for each other and he soon began to train her in the ways of the Force."

Dash snickered and Bel Iblis shot him a cold glance. The pilot quieted. "That's an Imperial education making you laugh, Rendar! The Force exists. I remember the Jedi Knights. Many of them were aloof, self-assured bastards, but there were also great thinkers and philosophers among them."

Getting up to get another ale, Dash kept questioning his host. "You said 'suitors'; who else was after her?"

"Bail Organna of Alderaan was madly infatuated with her, despite the great difference in their ages. In fact, because of his feelings for her, Bail has given up any attempt to join with us in a rebellion." Bel Iblis shook his head in disgust. "Damn old fool! That witch knows it, too! She'll keep playing with his heart until he dies."

"He still loves her? Doesn't he know about her…well, more lustful tastes? The rumor in the academy was she was insatiable," Dash said as he sat back down, a bit of foam on his upper lip.

"When a man is in love, he will do strange things. Which is why I need you so desperately." Bel Iblis got up and walked over to his desk and picked up a folder filled with flimsy. He handed it over to Dash. "I want you to kidnap someone."

"I've been trained for that, though I've never actually done it," Dash said, glad to finally being given a purpose. He wondered how this kidnapping would help out his planet. It was probably some bigwig Imperial officer or even the Moff that would be put in charge of Corellia right after the Emperor disbanded the senate. He looked inside to see and old style hardcopy photograph of a young teenaged girl. "Who's the dish?"

"Princess Leia Mothma Organna of Alderaan."

"Forgive my ignorance, but could you tell me exactly how this helps us?"

Bel Iblis sighed. "I'm about to tell you something that is only known to three other people in the galaxy. Not even the Emperor knows this and if he did, there would be hell to pay. You know how Luke Skywalker is the son of Darth Deceptra?" Dash nodded that he did know that as it was one of the most advertised facts in the Empire. "The princess is his twin sister and heir to Jedi."

Several choice swear words filled Dash's mouth, coming out so fast that Bel Iblis would have needed a protocol droid to translate it all. "Does she know?"

Bel Iblis shook his head. "No. The plan was to send her to be trained as a Jedi Knight as soon as suspicion was off of Bail. He's convinced, though, that Deceptra is keeping a constant eye on him. I'm afraid he's gone quite mad in his old age."

"Then he never had a relationship with Mon Mothma?"

"No. Bail has no room in heart except for Deceptra. He is convinced that she can be turned from the Dark Side and be returned to the woman she once was." Bel Iblis suddenly looked very old. "I'm afraid that young lady is gone. A shame, really…"

"I still don't understand why we need to kidnap her…the princess, I mean." Dash looked back to the picture and could see the resemblance between mother and daughter. The princess was probably six to seven years younger than him, but that mattered little to Dash. He remembered briefly his encounter with the cantina waitress and realized that he may have a penchant for younger women. "Maybe I'm supposed to be from Alderaan," he whispered.

"I certainly hope not," Bel Iblis blanched. "The plan is to have Leia trained as a Jedi."

"That requires, I assume, a teacher of some sort?" Dash asked with a grin.

"Yes it does, Commander Rendar," Bel Iblis said with a smile. It was a commission in word only, as the rebellion still did not have a formal military. If the senator form Corellia had his way, however, that would soon change. "I understand with Calrissian's departure for the civilian sector, you are in need of a copilot?"

"I really haven't put much thought…"

"Excellent!" Bel Iblis said with a clap. "I have the perfect candidate! You remember young Corran Horn?"

"The kid? He's barely out of diapers!"

"Gave you a fight, didn't he?" came the sarcastic reply. "Regardless, we need him to get some real field work. We don't expect many defectors from the Imperial special forces, seeing as how disciplined they are." There was a brief pause and Dash snickered. "Sure," he said with a smile.

"If his father is allowing it, Dash, then it has to mean something. Hal Horn is the best law enforcement officer in the Empire…in the galaxy. The Corporate Sector has long tried to recruit him for their own security forces. " He then turned and pointed out of the window in the stateroom to the planet below. "But he stays because he, like us, loves this world. Not just this world, but Drall and Selonia and all of the other worlds of this sector. We were all together long before the Republic, long before the Empire and will outlast the next government to come along!"

Dash felt a stirring in his breast as his heart seemed to skip a beat. He felt like a young fifteen year-old boy again, sending off the application that would get him into the stormtrooper academy on Carida. He remembered how patriotic he had felt that morning, how he knew that what he was doing was going to safeguard the galaxy and his home.

This time, however, he had the benefit of feeling this way with a large dose of experience to back it up.

"You leave in the morning. I wish I could let you go down to the planet, but you understand. If you ever want to live free on Corellia again, Dash, then the Empire must come down."

Dash nodded and looked out at his home world. For the first time in a long time, he knew exactly what he was doing.