Chapter 2: In the Midnight Hour
"We are so doomed." Those were Hobbies words, and the last words that Wedge heard just before the ground rose up to meet the transport. When he came too Luke was standing above him holding a cold compress to his left arm and splitting it as well as he could.
"Hold still. You fractured your arm when we crashed." Luke's voice was calm and collective.
While Luke tended his arm Wedge looked around. Tycho was already helping Wes and Hobbie get to their feet. Winter and Page were watching to perimeter of the crash site. After being shot down by the Star Destroyer Interpreter, they were lucky enough that they were all alive if not a little worse for wear. Avoiding detection would be beyond anything Luke could do with the force. "How long since the crash?"
"About fifteen minutes. As soon as you're on your feet we'll circle around and get out of the area before the Imp patrol gets here."
Wedge sat up and thought about their situation. "Why not wait for the patrol and follow them back to the base? We don't have the location anyway and it's a pretty big planet to cover on foot."
Luke just nodded and helped his friend up. "You're the General. Even so, getting into and out of the base should be easier than the Death Star runs right?"
"Right, let's get ready."
The alarms in the base blared and the lights sent off an eerie red glow. Over the PA system a male voice instructed personal to head to the front line. Sandra was at the door ushering people outside and around the perimeter. "Let's go people! Move it! Move it!"
Just moments before the Interpreter had sent down a warning to let them know that there was a supply shuttle crashing in an unknown area. Sandra and ten other men were moving out to secure the crash site. She headed out the door bringing up the rear. The crash was surprisingly near enough that they could walk there if they chose too, but they didn't.
They all piled into a single hover craft that held two in the cab and the rest rode in the open back. All of them save the driver were aiming their blasters ready to shot anything that moved and wasn't human.
The trip to the crash site took under twenty minutes. Not fast enough for Sandra's taste, but it'll have to do. She was the first one out of the hovercraft and covered her men as they descended. She kept her blaster trained on the surrounding forest not looking at the remains of the ship in case it sparked the hope that there would be supplies on board. By the force let there be supplies. "'tono, you and Gronge examine the ship. The rest of you keep your eyes and ears open."
No one else said a word. No one needed to. Daetono and Gronge went inside the ship. Five minutes they came out. Sandra didn't need the force to know that they had come up with nothing. Sandra felt frustrated. But no one showed that frustration better than Rodrigo as he opened fire on the nearest tree.
If that raving lunatic fires one more shot Winter would be killed. This was Tycho's only thought when he rose out of the bushes where he was hiding and body slammed the trooper to the ground. All at once there was an uproar of sound and commotion.
The troopers rushed in two of them yanking Tycho off of their comrade and flinging him back. The other Rogues rushed in trying for the element of surprise which was already compromised. Somehow, the Rogues who had surrounded the Imperials were being dragged out of hiding and thrown into a pile at their center.
The troopers raised their blasted fingers already squeezing down on the triggers to kill them all in one messy bloodbath when one single voice said simply "Stop."
That was it. The troopers relaxed their trigger fingers at that one said word. It wasn't yelled or ordered. Just stated simply. Most of the troopers went back to scanning the forest, a look of distrust on their faces like they expected the whole world to attack them. As far as the Rogues were concerned, it very well should have.
From between two of the troopers stood a woman. Tall and in command. She held her blaster although it wasn't aimed. "Let them up. They're no threat."
"With all due respect, they could be Butt-heads." That was the trooper Tycho had tackled.
"Their not. They wouldn't be able to move like that if they were and don't even think that they are hitchhikers because than you would be missing your upper half instead of getting your uniform duty. They're just rebels. That's all."
Wes snorted. "Oh no, just rebels. Nice to know we're not a threat." Wes was awarded with a smack on the head by Hobbie since Wedge was a little too injured to do it himself.
"Trust me. You're no threat. Not even your Jedi friend makes us uncomfortable. I'm going to give you directions and if you want to live you'll follow them." She paused and looked at Wes for a second. "I'll even break them down step-by-step so the slower ones among you might even grasp the concept." Wes looked shocked. The look he wore clearly said "Was I just called slow by an Imperial Woman?" Wedge shot him a look that said "yep"
"You're going to get on the transport. Keep your blasters ready and set on kill. If you see any movement outside of the vehicle that is not human, shot it first and ask questions later. If you're fast enough, you might survive the trip to the stronghold."
Tycho frowned. This wasn't standard Imperial procedure. And if their referring to the base as a stronghold, than Tycho doubted very much that they were putting a new weapon together. It seemed more to him that they were defending themselves from one.
Sandra's men didn't like the little ambush the rebels had pulled. Sandra didn't like it either. To make matters worse she couldn't take the rebels weapons until they get back to the facility. Otherwise there would be just that many less guns to defend themselves with.
She risked a glance over her shoulder at the rebels. Their own uneasiness was spilling over. They kept their blasters trained on the forest while keeping watch over their shoulders for any Imperial who might try to kill them. She knew most of them from their arrest warrants. General Antilles was one of the most obvious and so was Jedi Skywalker. She knew three others, Tycho Celchu, Wedge's second in command, Wes Janson, the notorious prankster and Derek "Hobbie" Kilivan. The woman and other young male she didn't know. But she would soon enough.
Wedge turned his head and looked at her and for a moment they shared eye contact. Both of them studying and sizing each other up. They sat there and stared at each other in contest. The understood rule that the one who looked away first was weakest. For the next few seconds they stared at each other both knowing that it was a child's game and yet neither of them willing to lose.
The contest broke when Gronge shouted a warning as a fully mature adult Ripley landed in the bed of the hovercraft. Sandra opened fire and a nano second later so did the rest of her team. The Ripley screamed as the blaster bolts flew into its flesh causing painful burns on its skin. Than it lunged again, flinging itself at Gronge. Sandra adjusted her aim to fire inside its mouth but it was too little to late. Gronge flung himself away and his lower half filled the Ripley's mouth. He screamed and fired into its eye once its mouth had closed but a second later he died, his upper half falling uselessly into the bed of the hovercraft.
Two seconds later the Ripley was flung out of the craft by the force of blaster bolts hitting it from one side. It flung into a tree at such high speeds that a tree branch severed it in two leaving a new spot for the Ripley fungus to grow. Rodrigo and 'Tono moved quickly picking up the upper half of Gronge and throwing it in the Ripley's wake.
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT! STUPID SON OF THE SITH, MOTHER OF HELL.." 'Tono started on one of his rants before he was cut off sharply by Sandra.
"Shut up 'Tono and keep your eyes open. We can't afford another attack." Sandra watched as he slumped down and reluctantly focused his attention on the outside. Sandra watched him to make sure he could keep his anger under control. Before returning her attention to the outside.
It was her fault that Gronge had died. Had she had kept her guard up she could have seen it coming before it killed him. She should have seen it. God Damn it! God Damn everything.
Wedge was thinking that he might.no.he was certain that he would have words with Cracken when they returned. After seeing that monster jump at them he knew that there wasn't a weapons project on the base. But now that he knew why the Imperials were so jumpy, he wasn't too sure he wanted to be here himself.
He risked a brief glance in the woman's direction watching her peer intently at the forest. Than he turned his own gaze to his section of forest. He didn't want to know anymore than he already did. But without transportation off the planet, he was sure that he was going to get more than he bargained for. But after this crisis was over what then? Would Starrunner have them delivered to whoever was leading the Empire now for a proper execution? He glanced back at the woman and wondered if she would be able to pull some stings in their favor.couldn't hurt to ask.
They were back at the base in five minutes. But it might as well have been five hours. They stopped at the gate and everyone was checked over with several tests before being allowed back inside.
Sandra came in last. She used the time to think of her options now. She was pretty sure what she was going to do, but she didn't want to make any decision without thinking over all of her options. She watched as the Rogues and their companions were disarmed and bound. Their backs were to her as they were lead away to the interrogation chambers.
Sandra just watched as they disappeared inside before nodding to herself. Yes, she knew what she was going to do. She glanced over at 'Tono and than walked over to him. "I'm sorry about Gronge. It shouldn't have happened."
"No, it shouldn't of." 'Tono looked at her coldly and than headed off. So he blamed her too. Not that he shouldn't, he had every reason to. It was her fault. She just stood there and watched him walk away. After a minute, she went inside. She had rebels to interrogate.
The man Wedge assumed was Agent Starrunner was sitting across from them in the small white, interrogation room. He had graying blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His cheekbones stood out and his face was thin, almost skeletal. He sat there in his grey Imperial uniform with his fingers tiered.
"Well, if it isn't rebel scum. And I assume you are here to take over this planet as well hmm?"
"No sir, we don't want it. You can keep this planet." That was Luke. Wedge frowned. He wasn't taking Starrunner seriously. That might get them killed.
"Oh of course you do young Skywalker. You rebels have a habit of making friends with untimely aliens."
"Trust me. We don't want anything to do with these."
Starrunner barked a laugh. "You shouldn't have anything to do with any aliens. They are disgusting."
Wedge frowned at him. "We're proud of dealing with other species Starrunner. It shows that we're all equal."
"My dear boy, I am not Starrunner." The man stood up to his full height which was a little taller than Wedge. "I am Grand Moff Tarkin."
"And I'm Darth Vader. Sit down Hoffman. You're going senile again." The woman from earlier walked in her arms folded across her chest and she was staring coldly at Hoffman.
"I am not going senile Sandra. And I will not be spoken to in those terms by my own daughter."
Sandra took a step towards him her hands dropping to her sides. Her eyes had narrowed and she was suddenly putting off the aura of a very dangerous predator. She stepped up to Hoffman and brought her hands up to grasp his caller. With a quick step she shoved him against the wall growling. "You are not Tarkin. I am not your daughter. I am in control of this establishment and I will speak to you in any tone of voice I choose. If you dare to even consider the possibly that I am your daughter again I will have you dealt with in the most uncomfortable ways. Do I make myself clear?"
Hoffman met her eyes a little less than securely. "Of course."
"Good, now get out of my presence and stay out." She dropped Hoffman and stood still as he retreated from the room rather quickly. Slowly she turned to the rebels. "Sorry to keep you waiting. So, where shall we begin?"
That's all for Chap 2...if you love me R&R!!!
"We are so doomed." Those were Hobbies words, and the last words that Wedge heard just before the ground rose up to meet the transport. When he came too Luke was standing above him holding a cold compress to his left arm and splitting it as well as he could.
"Hold still. You fractured your arm when we crashed." Luke's voice was calm and collective.
While Luke tended his arm Wedge looked around. Tycho was already helping Wes and Hobbie get to their feet. Winter and Page were watching to perimeter of the crash site. After being shot down by the Star Destroyer Interpreter, they were lucky enough that they were all alive if not a little worse for wear. Avoiding detection would be beyond anything Luke could do with the force. "How long since the crash?"
"About fifteen minutes. As soon as you're on your feet we'll circle around and get out of the area before the Imp patrol gets here."
Wedge sat up and thought about their situation. "Why not wait for the patrol and follow them back to the base? We don't have the location anyway and it's a pretty big planet to cover on foot."
Luke just nodded and helped his friend up. "You're the General. Even so, getting into and out of the base should be easier than the Death Star runs right?"
"Right, let's get ready."
The alarms in the base blared and the lights sent off an eerie red glow. Over the PA system a male voice instructed personal to head to the front line. Sandra was at the door ushering people outside and around the perimeter. "Let's go people! Move it! Move it!"
Just moments before the Interpreter had sent down a warning to let them know that there was a supply shuttle crashing in an unknown area. Sandra and ten other men were moving out to secure the crash site. She headed out the door bringing up the rear. The crash was surprisingly near enough that they could walk there if they chose too, but they didn't.
They all piled into a single hover craft that held two in the cab and the rest rode in the open back. All of them save the driver were aiming their blasters ready to shot anything that moved and wasn't human.
The trip to the crash site took under twenty minutes. Not fast enough for Sandra's taste, but it'll have to do. She was the first one out of the hovercraft and covered her men as they descended. She kept her blaster trained on the surrounding forest not looking at the remains of the ship in case it sparked the hope that there would be supplies on board. By the force let there be supplies. "'tono, you and Gronge examine the ship. The rest of you keep your eyes and ears open."
No one else said a word. No one needed to. Daetono and Gronge went inside the ship. Five minutes they came out. Sandra didn't need the force to know that they had come up with nothing. Sandra felt frustrated. But no one showed that frustration better than Rodrigo as he opened fire on the nearest tree.
If that raving lunatic fires one more shot Winter would be killed. This was Tycho's only thought when he rose out of the bushes where he was hiding and body slammed the trooper to the ground. All at once there was an uproar of sound and commotion.
The troopers rushed in two of them yanking Tycho off of their comrade and flinging him back. The other Rogues rushed in trying for the element of surprise which was already compromised. Somehow, the Rogues who had surrounded the Imperials were being dragged out of hiding and thrown into a pile at their center.
The troopers raised their blasted fingers already squeezing down on the triggers to kill them all in one messy bloodbath when one single voice said simply "Stop."
That was it. The troopers relaxed their trigger fingers at that one said word. It wasn't yelled or ordered. Just stated simply. Most of the troopers went back to scanning the forest, a look of distrust on their faces like they expected the whole world to attack them. As far as the Rogues were concerned, it very well should have.
From between two of the troopers stood a woman. Tall and in command. She held her blaster although it wasn't aimed. "Let them up. They're no threat."
"With all due respect, they could be Butt-heads." That was the trooper Tycho had tackled.
"Their not. They wouldn't be able to move like that if they were and don't even think that they are hitchhikers because than you would be missing your upper half instead of getting your uniform duty. They're just rebels. That's all."
Wes snorted. "Oh no, just rebels. Nice to know we're not a threat." Wes was awarded with a smack on the head by Hobbie since Wedge was a little too injured to do it himself.
"Trust me. You're no threat. Not even your Jedi friend makes us uncomfortable. I'm going to give you directions and if you want to live you'll follow them." She paused and looked at Wes for a second. "I'll even break them down step-by-step so the slower ones among you might even grasp the concept." Wes looked shocked. The look he wore clearly said "Was I just called slow by an Imperial Woman?" Wedge shot him a look that said "yep"
"You're going to get on the transport. Keep your blasters ready and set on kill. If you see any movement outside of the vehicle that is not human, shot it first and ask questions later. If you're fast enough, you might survive the trip to the stronghold."
Tycho frowned. This wasn't standard Imperial procedure. And if their referring to the base as a stronghold, than Tycho doubted very much that they were putting a new weapon together. It seemed more to him that they were defending themselves from one.
Sandra's men didn't like the little ambush the rebels had pulled. Sandra didn't like it either. To make matters worse she couldn't take the rebels weapons until they get back to the facility. Otherwise there would be just that many less guns to defend themselves with.
She risked a glance over her shoulder at the rebels. Their own uneasiness was spilling over. They kept their blasters trained on the forest while keeping watch over their shoulders for any Imperial who might try to kill them. She knew most of them from their arrest warrants. General Antilles was one of the most obvious and so was Jedi Skywalker. She knew three others, Tycho Celchu, Wedge's second in command, Wes Janson, the notorious prankster and Derek "Hobbie" Kilivan. The woman and other young male she didn't know. But she would soon enough.
Wedge turned his head and looked at her and for a moment they shared eye contact. Both of them studying and sizing each other up. They sat there and stared at each other in contest. The understood rule that the one who looked away first was weakest. For the next few seconds they stared at each other both knowing that it was a child's game and yet neither of them willing to lose.
The contest broke when Gronge shouted a warning as a fully mature adult Ripley landed in the bed of the hovercraft. Sandra opened fire and a nano second later so did the rest of her team. The Ripley screamed as the blaster bolts flew into its flesh causing painful burns on its skin. Than it lunged again, flinging itself at Gronge. Sandra adjusted her aim to fire inside its mouth but it was too little to late. Gronge flung himself away and his lower half filled the Ripley's mouth. He screamed and fired into its eye once its mouth had closed but a second later he died, his upper half falling uselessly into the bed of the hovercraft.
Two seconds later the Ripley was flung out of the craft by the force of blaster bolts hitting it from one side. It flung into a tree at such high speeds that a tree branch severed it in two leaving a new spot for the Ripley fungus to grow. Rodrigo and 'Tono moved quickly picking up the upper half of Gronge and throwing it in the Ripley's wake.
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT! STUPID SON OF THE SITH, MOTHER OF HELL.." 'Tono started on one of his rants before he was cut off sharply by Sandra.
"Shut up 'Tono and keep your eyes open. We can't afford another attack." Sandra watched as he slumped down and reluctantly focused his attention on the outside. Sandra watched him to make sure he could keep his anger under control. Before returning her attention to the outside.
It was her fault that Gronge had died. Had she had kept her guard up she could have seen it coming before it killed him. She should have seen it. God Damn it! God Damn everything.
Wedge was thinking that he might.no.he was certain that he would have words with Cracken when they returned. After seeing that monster jump at them he knew that there wasn't a weapons project on the base. But now that he knew why the Imperials were so jumpy, he wasn't too sure he wanted to be here himself.
He risked a brief glance in the woman's direction watching her peer intently at the forest. Than he turned his own gaze to his section of forest. He didn't want to know anymore than he already did. But without transportation off the planet, he was sure that he was going to get more than he bargained for. But after this crisis was over what then? Would Starrunner have them delivered to whoever was leading the Empire now for a proper execution? He glanced back at the woman and wondered if she would be able to pull some stings in their favor.couldn't hurt to ask.
They were back at the base in five minutes. But it might as well have been five hours. They stopped at the gate and everyone was checked over with several tests before being allowed back inside.
Sandra came in last. She used the time to think of her options now. She was pretty sure what she was going to do, but she didn't want to make any decision without thinking over all of her options. She watched as the Rogues and their companions were disarmed and bound. Their backs were to her as they were lead away to the interrogation chambers.
Sandra just watched as they disappeared inside before nodding to herself. Yes, she knew what she was going to do. She glanced over at 'Tono and than walked over to him. "I'm sorry about Gronge. It shouldn't have happened."
"No, it shouldn't of." 'Tono looked at her coldly and than headed off. So he blamed her too. Not that he shouldn't, he had every reason to. It was her fault. She just stood there and watched him walk away. After a minute, she went inside. She had rebels to interrogate.
The man Wedge assumed was Agent Starrunner was sitting across from them in the small white, interrogation room. He had graying blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His cheekbones stood out and his face was thin, almost skeletal. He sat there in his grey Imperial uniform with his fingers tiered.
"Well, if it isn't rebel scum. And I assume you are here to take over this planet as well hmm?"
"No sir, we don't want it. You can keep this planet." That was Luke. Wedge frowned. He wasn't taking Starrunner seriously. That might get them killed.
"Oh of course you do young Skywalker. You rebels have a habit of making friends with untimely aliens."
"Trust me. We don't want anything to do with these."
Starrunner barked a laugh. "You shouldn't have anything to do with any aliens. They are disgusting."
Wedge frowned at him. "We're proud of dealing with other species Starrunner. It shows that we're all equal."
"My dear boy, I am not Starrunner." The man stood up to his full height which was a little taller than Wedge. "I am Grand Moff Tarkin."
"And I'm Darth Vader. Sit down Hoffman. You're going senile again." The woman from earlier walked in her arms folded across her chest and she was staring coldly at Hoffman.
"I am not going senile Sandra. And I will not be spoken to in those terms by my own daughter."
Sandra took a step towards him her hands dropping to her sides. Her eyes had narrowed and she was suddenly putting off the aura of a very dangerous predator. She stepped up to Hoffman and brought her hands up to grasp his caller. With a quick step she shoved him against the wall growling. "You are not Tarkin. I am not your daughter. I am in control of this establishment and I will speak to you in any tone of voice I choose. If you dare to even consider the possibly that I am your daughter again I will have you dealt with in the most uncomfortable ways. Do I make myself clear?"
Hoffman met her eyes a little less than securely. "Of course."
"Good, now get out of my presence and stay out." She dropped Hoffman and stood still as he retreated from the room rather quickly. Slowly she turned to the rebels. "Sorry to keep you waiting. So, where shall we begin?"
That's all for Chap 2...if you love me R&R!!!
