Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the Rogues, or Luke, Winter or Page...Although I wish I did. But don't sue me, I'm poor

Chapter 1: The Way of Midnight

If words of comfort had any meaning, it wasn't here. Sandra stood on the roof of the Imperial fortress on the forbidden planet of Mayonaka watching the sky. She had been there for almost an hour watching the low static discharge of the Electro-magnetic field create a stunning show of light dancing from here to there.

Her Strawberry blonde hair was kept in a tight bun, the way she always wore it when she was on a mission. Her black Imperial uniform was switched out for a Black Combat suit, which was tight fitting but held more blaster packs and weapons. In her hands she held a blaster riffle that was modified to fit more power packs and shoot faster.

They had been there for one year fending off the aliens known by the locals and now the Imperial fleet as the Rippley. The Rippley was a complex species. They would start out as a ripe fruit almost like a berry. It was really an egg. Once ingested the egg would become a parasite taking 24 hours to become larger than Sandra's forearm and as big as a star fruit from Coroscant. The parasite would travel through the host's intestines eating its way out the backdoor. Once outside, the Rippley Parasites (or better known at Butt-Busters among her men with Butt-Heads being the victim's term) would lay hundreds of eggs that would produce worms about the size of a baby's fingernail. It would take two to three days before they would grow into their adult form. The adult form consisted of a worm with two legs. They had two yellow eyes and a mouth that ran vertically from the top of their "heads" to a place about a foot above their legs. Each mouth was filled with four rows of teeth. Their tails ended in a three-prong pincher that was strong enough and fast enough to cut a person into four separate pieces while said person blinked. The Adults were twice as tall as the average person was. All victims of the Rippley bred a red, fast-growing fungus that would bare fruit and the process would start all over again.

The blessing was that most of the Butt-Busters didn't take hold in most humans, so they tended to recover with the proper aid. That and those who where breeding the Butt-Busters to term were marked with a red spot somewhere on their bodies.

Although some of them didn't have any signs. These were known as hitchhikers. This is where an adult Rippley would possess a person and access all of their memories. They would be able to act and talk like that person. They only way to tell would be to scan for the presence of fiber in the bodies wake. Most of the Rippley possessed a large quantity of fiber. So if anyone went outside of the base they would be scanned before they were let back inside.

When they had learned about the situation the Imperial fleet offered to stay and help. They built a fortress that was kept clean of the Rippley in all forms and offered a protective shelter to the natives. The fortress had its own power generators and they had tapped into an underground water supply which they had filtered through twenty different filters and gone through three different distilling processes before it got into the water ducts of the base to supply for drinking and bathing water. Any animals and vegetation that was edible and clean of Rippley was brought in and breed for food.

The troopers were kept well equipped even though most of them chose to ditch the helmets. Sandra had sent word back to Isaard, her direct supervisor, for supplies. For the first couple of months they had been receiving everything, from extra men, to weapons, to turrets, to foodstuffs to an under enthusiastic Biochemist. But now something had happened. Three months ago they stopped receiving supplies altogether. Sandra figured that the war between the rebels and the Empire required supplies and she could accept that. But all of her transmissions to the Imperial Palace have gone unanswered. Even though she didn't know exactly what was happening, she knew in her heart that Imperial Center fell to the Rebels.

She had tried to keep her men's hopes up. She worked hard at assuring them that reinforcements were on the way. Once upon a time, she might have even believed it. Watching the stars she began to feel her own weariness creep in. If they didn't find some good news fast, they would all lose hope.

Turning around and heading back into the walls of the sanctuary, Sandra started coming up with several plans to boost moral in her troops. But it all came down to knowing that if they didn't get good news soon, they would have to pack up and leave. It was either that, or they'd all die.

Wedge Antilles leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. After the affair with Yasanie Isaard and her clone trying to take back the Lusankya, things had been almost peaceful for the past couple of days. It wouldn't last. There were always things to be done. Especially since he made his promotion to General.At least his acceptance of the promotion. He had become proficient in certain areas.like avoiding council meetings or pretending to be plotting the New Republics next move. But at least for now he had a few seconds of peace.

A few seconds and no more as the door to his office opened. Abruptly he put his feet on the floor and sat up straight as General Cracken entered the room. Cracken didn't even bother with pleasantries. He just walked over pulling his uniform taunt and sat down in one of the chairs by Wedge's desk. "We have a situation."

"I couldn't have guessed General."

Cracken looked at Wedge and sighed disapprovingly. "Recently High Flight Squadron has been pulling runs on supply shuttles heading for an unknown destination." Wedge simply nodded. Supply disruption was one tactic used to gain advantages in war. It was also a tactic used for training purposes. Wedge didn't think that High Flight Squadron needed to pull training runs. So something else had to be bothering the General. "Recently, we have received several transmissions to Isaard."

Wedge frowned; he didn't like where this was going.

"In the unknown region there is a planet named Mayonaka by Imperial Intelligence. A word that when translated from Chandireian means 'Midnight'." Cracken paused and waited for a response from Wedge. When he didn't get one he continued. "There is an Imperial facility on Mayonaka. Why it's there we don't know. But most of the shipments we believe where heading for that planet. Those shipments include weapons, survival gear, medical supplies, foodstuff and personal in alarming qualities."

Wedge was getting impatient. "Can we get to the point General?"

Cracken shook his head at Wedge. "We have reason to believe that the Imperials have designed or are designing a new weapon of mass destruction. Not a Death Star mind you, but something along those lines."

At this Wedge sat up. The Empire didn't have the funding to build another Death Star. But they may have enough to build something else. Perhaps not as dangerous, but just as deadly. But even if there was a new weapon out there, he was a pilot. While he'd be more than happy to destroy whatever the Imperials came out with, discovery and Information gathering was Intelligence's department.

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to lead a small team to take to Mayonaka." Cracken held up a hand before Wedge could say anything. "I've already sent some agents and they haven't been able to get through the security around the planet. Whatever they are developing, they are keeping a very tight control over it. My agents believe that it would be impossible to get through the screen the Imperials set up. And that's where you come in."

Wedge sighed. Sometimes the reputation that his squadron earned for doing the impossible was a death sentence. "So now you want me to set up a team to go to this Mayonaka planet and find whatever information is being hidden there right?"

"And if possible destroy whatever project they are working on. But only if that opportunity presents itself."

Wedge rubbed his temples trying to fend off the oncoming headache. "So what information do we have?"

"The operation and the base are being run by Imperial Agent Starrunner. We know that Starrunner sent in several requests for supplies over the past few months. From the supplies requested for and intercepted, we estimate occupancy of around 35 thousand all in an area of 10 square miles."

Wedge suppressed a whistle. With that many people in that small an area, there would have to be several levels to the base. Before he could ask anymore questions, Cracken continued. "We also know that they have at least five Star Destroyers in orbit fully staffed and equipped with a full staff of Tie-s. Although we don't know if they are Fighters or Interceptors."

"General, I don't think you realize what you're asking me to do. You want me to put together a team to go into an unknown planet with unknown territory by sneaking in past five fully operational Star Destroyers each one with their own wing of Tie's and sneak into a facility past the eyes and ears of 35 thousand people? You are out of your mind Cracken."

"That's not Correct General." Wedge gave him a look that said he did know whither to be amused or to plot a course over the table to strangle him. "I've already picked the team members for you. The rest is on target though."

Wedge was still plotting the course when Cracken left him the data pad and walked out. Since his target escaped his sights he picked up the data pad and glanced over it briefly.

The team was small enough that it was theoretically possible to get into the base, and experienced enough to suit Wedge's taste. The Transport that they were to use met none of his requirements though. It was a medium bulk transport with living quarters and large storage space. It was one of the captured transports from the supply runs. The team consisted of seven people. Wedge and three of his pilots, Hobbie, Wes and Tycho, Winter and Page from Intelligence and Infantry and finally Luke. The local Jedi Master. At least he could work with these people.. If anyone could ever work with Wes.

Sandra entered the brightly-lit lab. She held her hands clasped behind her back while here eyes scanned the holding cells for the nine Rippley adults that they had managed to capture. She walked over and stood in front of one of the cells and watched, as the Rippley attempted to split her in half with its tail. She felt the hatred that the Rippley had for her spill out and fill the room as its tail bounced painfully off of the force field which held the Rippley in its cell.

After everything that the Rippley had done to her men and after all the friends that they've killed, Sandra was surprised that she didn't hate them. But than again she wasn't the one being kept in a cell.

She turned around to face Myrrh Daystar. Myrrh was the Biochemist who was sent by Issard. She was one of the best in the Imperial Army, but even then, she was only one person. And one person can not work all the time.

Sandra walked over to Myrrh and watched her study a specimen under her microscope. Without even looking up at her Myrrh knew she was there, she always did. "Nothing new to report Sandra. They deteriorate too fast. I need new specimens."

"What you need," Sandra retorted, "is sleep. You can not keep working this hard Myrrh; it will get you no where."

"But my Specimens.."

Sandra held up a hand to cut her off. "Go get some sleep and a decent meal Myrrh. That's an order. I'll keep watch of the Rippley for you." Myrrh finally looked at Sandra reviling the black rings of sleep deprived eyes. "When you are rested and feed I will lead some men to get you more samples. But now you need to take care of yourself."

Myrrh looked like she wanted to argue. To fight to stay in the lab and study the Rippley, but she had long ago learned that if she didn't comply willingly, than Sandra would sedate her instead of letting her pass out in the middle of the lab. Instead, she simply nodded and walked out of the room to go sleep.

Sandra sat down in her vacated chair and watched the Rippley in their cages. "So tell me, how do we kill you?" When she didn't get a reply she scolded herself for having the hope that they would just offer up the solution to her entire problem so that she might go home.