Chapter 2

Jand Dorric piloted the Quiver's Arrow into a high orbit about Alderaan. Normally he would have just taken the old ship into the atmosphere and land as usual, but after the stunt with the cargo bay, he wasn't sure the old ship could take the battering of re-entry, and so decided to use his small orbiter craft instead. It was a tiny one man vessel; quick and hard to detect by normal sensors. Back in his smuggling days it had come in very handy indeed.

Leaving the young recruits onboard the Arrow, he detached the orbiter from its underside mounting and drifted back from his old ship, taking the opportunity to inspect the damage she'd taken during their brief but intense battle. He was surprised to see so many scorch marks on his beloved ship. Those new TIEs are good, he thought.

The cargo doors, however, weren't as bad as he had imagined. Should be ok for atmospheric flight he hoped. But he could just as quickly get down to the planet in the orbiter as he could if he came back to the Arrow and flew her down. So he flipped his little ship about and applied his thrusters, braking his orbital speed, and allowed the craft to be pulled down by Alderaan's gravity.

Dorric hoped his alliance contacts had received the latest access codes for the new rebel base; and its whereabouts for that matter. He hated the thought of turning up there without the proper invitation. Could get nasty. He didn't dare contact them via a comlink. It was safest to do it in person, down on the planet's surface. All very cloak and dagger but necessary with all the Imperial espionage taking place.

The ship entered the atmosphere and automatically extended its short, stubby wings and glided down in a spiralling trajectory towards his designated rendezvous point, outside the city of Aldera.

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Unknown to Dorric, the Imperial ship Fierce re-entered normal space above Alderaan not long after he had, but much further out than Quiver's Arrow. Captain Xander smiled triumphantly when his officers reported the smuggler's ship in orbit below them.

The crew found a new respect for Xander at that point, above and beyond their fear of him.

"We'll wait," he ordered. "Wait and see where they go. Maybe they're picking up more passengers? More traitors to the Empire," he pondered to himself.

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Deep in the bowels of the space depot, Biggs Darklighter was roughly tossed into a holding cell with several other detainees. Some looked tough, others frightened. A couple of them looked downright petrified.

How did you get yourself into this mess, Darklighter, he asked himself. This wasn't part of his plan. He was meant to be jumping ship at Bestine. He and another graduate of the Academy, Derek 'Hobbie' Klivian, both now assigned to the Rand Ecliptic, had it all worked out. But now he'd gone and let himself get into trouble. Blast It!

Biggs looked about the cell for a place to sit. Knowing the Imperials, he could be here for some time before they decided his fate. Which should also give me a chance to devise a plan, he thought. Spotting a quiet corner with only two people nearby, he went over and tried to make himself comfortable. As comfortable as you can on a metal seat, anyway.

The two men next to him eyed him cautiously; nervously; sizing him up. Oh great, now what? But for prisoners of the Empire, they looked fairly harmless. Both human, both wearing the same uniform; an Imperial uniform. Biggs recognized it from his time in the Academy, a sort of middle management bureaucratic division that handled the enormous flow of paperwork and red tape the Empire generated. He couldn't think of the division's name, if he'd ever known it, but every one called them the Imperial Accountants.

Obviously trying to build up the courage to talk to him, Biggs decided to help them out by making the first move. "Hi fellas. My name's Darklighter. Biggs," and smiled friendlily at them.

A sweaty, slightly shaking hand was offered to him by the first of the accountants, "I'm Neville, Mr Biggs. And this is my friend, Jobe." They shook hands.

"Hello Neville. But it's not Mr - ", but he was cut off by the enthusiastic greeting from Jobe.

"Very pleased to meet you, Mr Biggs!" And took Biggs' hands in his and shook vigorously.

Biggs smiled and didn't bother to correct them, after all they'd probably all go to different places, different planets in the next day or two. "Pleased to meet you both. So, what are you guys in for?"

The two exchanged a look and shrugged as if to say, Why not? Neville spoke, "We got caught embezzling some credits. Not many, mind you, we weren't greedy. Just enough so that we could retire comfortably. Buy a nice little planet somewhere..."

"A planet?" Biggs asked incredulously. No wonder they got caught!

"Yes, they aren't as expensive as you might think. We've been checking, haven't we Jobe?" Neville looked at his friend.

"Yep. Nothing near Coruscant, mind you," continued Jobe. "Way too expensive there, but out on the rim you can pick up some of those failed farming planets for next to nothing!" he exclaimed. Obviously their idea of 'next to nothing' and the Empire's were somewhat different.

"Just how many credits did you take?" asked Biggs. And they told him. He'd never heard some many zeroes before in his life! Clearly being locked up in an office every day gave you a distorted view of things.

Jobe then asked, "And what are you here for, Mr Biggs?"

Biggs looked at them and said, "Apparently I'm a murderer." Which got him a frightened reaction from the two accountants. "Don't worry, fellas, I didn't kill anyone. Not yet." And thought of Narec and his despicable act of betrayal.

"Oh yes, of course," they laughed nervously and exchanged an odd smile.

"Once I can talk to the commander of this depot, I should be able to explain what happened," Biggs hoped.

"Mr Biggs, don't be so sure," said Neville. "We worked on this depot and the commander was never too keen on justice. One of my jobs was to tidy up the paperwork for prisoners that 'disappeared'. I never could work out what happened to them, but I know they weren't set free. None of them."

"Which is why we have a plan to escape!" said Jobe in a slightly loud whisper.

"Escape?" Biggs replied doubtfully.

"Yes, with your help, we think we can get out of here and - " But Biggs interrupted them.

"Look guys, I'm an Imperial Officer. I'm sure if I can get in contact with my captain, that he can work this out for me. He's a good man. And when I'm out, I'll put in a good word for you two." But they just looked at him and shook their heads.

"You don't understand," pleaded Jobe.

At the opposite end of the cell, the door unlocked and several troopers marched in. Pausing for a just a moment, they spotted Biggs and headed towards him. He stood up to meet them, and they fell in about him, shoving him back towards the door.

"Someone wants to see you, Darklighter," one intoned.

From over his shoulder Biggs told the two accountants, "You see? Everything will be fine. Must be the commander." And he was marched out of the cell.

Neville and Jobe looked on as the cell door closed. Yet again they exchanged a look and frowned.

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Biggs found himself locked in an interrogation chamber. All the troopers had said was to sit down and wait for his visitor to arrive. Several long minutes passed before the door opened and an officer stood silhouetted in the doorway. Assuming it to be the depot's commander, Biggs stood to attention and saluted in proper military fashion. This resulted in a laugh from the officer in the doorway.

"About time you saluted me, Darklighter." Narec Harkin entered the room, closing the door behind him, a blaster held loosely in his hand.

"I should have known," replied a despondent Biggs, sitting back down. "What do you want, Harkin? Come to gloat? Are you proud of your handiwork?"

Another rare smile formed on Narec's face. "Actually, yes. Particularly the part that I'm about to tell you."

Biggs looked up at his former friend. Friend? But that wasn't true. They'd never really been friends. Not like he and Luke. Narec was more like a fellow competitor; one that didn't like losing. And by the predatory, almost gleeful look on his face now, Biggs knew he thought he'd won again. Suddenly he felt very concerned.

"I've spoken to the commander here. A very agreeable gentlemen with similar goals to myself. We got on quite well, actually, and came up with an arrangement for your future, Darklighter. Apparently your trial was very brief and your sentence quite fair, considering the crime you committed." Narec's smile broadened at the look in Biggs' eyes. A look of incomprehension and disbelief.

"You're to have your mind wiped, Darklighter," he gloated evilly. "In preparation for your enlistment as an Imperial Stormtrooper! You can forget any future with that alien monster of yours!"

Was that what this was about? Charii? Biggs stood up in a rush, starting toward Narec. But the blaster in Narec's hand came up quicker, and Biggs stopped himself and decided to try and reason with him instead.

"Narec, isn't this a little extreme? I'm sure that if we just talk this out, we can come to a sensible arrangement. Charii and I hardly know each other. If I'd known you had an interest in her, I'd have backed off."

"You think I wanted her?" Narec laughed. "You're stupider than I thought. Come on Darklighter, think! Why am I doing this?"

Biggs paused a moment, wondering. If Narec wasn't after Charii and wasn't trying to avoid punishment for the death of the shuttle passenger, then... It dawned on him. And Narec saw it in his eyes as his head rose.

"That's right, Darklighter. I know. I've known for a long time, in fact. You were going to jump ship at Bestine, right? Yes, that was it. Jump ship and join the rebels. Run off and save the galaxy. Well, I've got news for you, the galaxy has already been saved! The Emperor has freed us from the all the politics and corruption your so-called 'freedom' engenders. And I'm not about to let you ruin his plan!"

"Narec, you're insane. Can't you see the Empire for what it is?" Biggs implored, now that his plan was exposed.

"Oh yes, I can see it. And I like what I see." Narec scoffed.

Biggs looked at him more intently, "I still don't understand why you didn't just turn me in when you first found out. Why now?"

Narec nodded, smugly pleased at Biggs' vague comprehension. "Well, turning in one or two traitors didn't seem like it would further my career as much as I would like. So I decided I should jump ship, too! Then I could infiltrate the rebel ranks and discover the whereabouts of their base!" Narec then banged his hand on the desk, "Only you didn't trust me, did you, Darklighter? I've been waiting weeks for you to ask me to join you. But you never did. And I gave you enough opportunity, even going with you to that dustbowl of a world, Tatooine. So I had to get rid of you, and that little 'accident' I caused on the shuttle was the perfect excuse."

Biggs looked at him sadly, realising the true nature of the man before him. "And you killed that man deliberately, just to implicate me? My stars, Narec, that's low."

But Narec laughed in response, "Oh no, I wasn't aiming for him, I was aiming for that purple skinned freak you were so anxious to please! But you ruined that little pleasure for me, too!"

Biggs felt a shiver down his spine at the thought that Charii was the target of Narec's blast. He'd been intrigued by her from the moment he set eyes upon her exotic beauty. He had no idea, until that very moment, just how deep his feelings for her were starting to go.

Narec walked towards the door, finally finished taunting his victim. Turning around briefly, he left Biggs with the following words, "Time for me to go. My shuttle is boarding and I wouldn't want to miss the rendezvous with Rand Ecliptic. You'll actually enjoy serving the Emperor as a Stormtrooper, Darklighter. They program that into you during the Mind Wipe, I'm told!" And laughed as he walked out.

Biggs could still hear him laughing well after he was gone.

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Once back in the cell, Biggs approached Jobe and Neville, hustling them into their corner. "Ok boys, what's your escape plan?"

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Neville took the first swipe, landing a glancing blow to Jobe's chin. The skinny accountant stumbled backwards into the wall, screaming loudly. The other detainees turned to look at the fracas, some laughing at the high pitched scream Jobe emitted. None made a move to stop the fight, but a couple started exchanging quick words, obviously placing wages on who would win.

Jobe stopped screaming and stood up, a look of anger now crossing his face. Without warning, he took a running charge at Neville, catching him about the waist and bringing them both down onto the floor of the cell with a deadening crunch. Both now started screaming.

Blows were then exchanged, each hitting the other with all their might, the screaming getting louder and more intense by the minute. As they rolled about the floor, the inmates moved aside, letting them continue their struggle, some wincing at the annoying sounds they made.

Meanwhile, casually standing by the cell door, Biggs Darklighter was one of the few not watching the fight. His attention was on the door itself, awaiting the inevitable guards that should come rushing in at any moment. With all the racket the two accountants were making, it shouldn't be much longer. What he didn't expect to hear were blaster shots from outside the door. Two shots. No, three now. Followed by several thuds.

The door finally opened. Biggs tensed, ready to rush the first guard to enter, not really sure what to expect after the blaster fire. But as he started to make his move, he had to stop short as he recognized the figure entering... it was Charii! Her hair a purple halo about her head as she whipped it about to stare straight at him, her face a mask of concentration.

"Biggs! Quickly, we have to leave!" she exclaimed.

"Charii! W-what are you doing here?" Biggs stammered at her.

She smiled and said, "Well, I'm not here to rescue your money," and winked. Then she noticed the 'fight' taking place in the cell. "Did I interrupt something?"

Biggs shouted at Neville and Jobe to stop, the distraction now unnecessary. Turning back to Charii, he replied, "Never mind, I'll explain later."

It didn't take long for the other prisoners to work out what was happening and started rushing out the cell door to freedom. Jobe and Neville, grinning like pups, ran with them but stopped beside Biggs and Charii, expectant looks on their faces. "Where to now, Mr Biggs?" they asked.

"Let's just get out of here first, shall we?" replied Charii, and pushed her way through the door, the others following her lead. Several stormtrooper guards lay on the ground, the escaping prisoners leaping over them with the occasional one planting a kick into the prone guards.

"Nice work, Charii," complimented Biggs, "How did you do it?"

Charii smiled quickly back at him, "Feminine charm. They're not dead, just stunned. Now lets GO!"

Biggs scooped up the last remaining blaster, the rest having been picked up by the other escapees, and rushed headlong after her, the two accountants fleeing after them. They were less than a minute from the cell block when the alarm claxons sounded.

Jobe spoke up, "We've got to get off this depot. Standard procedure is to stop all space traffic during any crisis, and they'll consider this a crisis when they realize all the prisoners are loose."

"We need a ship!" exclaimed Neville.

"Yes, of course, but how can we get one that quickly?" Biggs retorted.

Charii nudged Biggs, "I have the access codes for a small craft at docking port twelve. That's not far from here."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Charii?" Biggs exclaimed with a bemused grin.

Charii's response was cut off by the sound of blaster fire from behind them, several bolts zipping past them. Biggs grabbed the two accountants and shoved them against the wall, while Charii pushed herself up against the opposite wall. With a look, they both quickly turned about and unleashed a torrent of their own fire, filling the corridor with red and green flashes. The troopers at the other end ran for cover when they realized their foes were armed and dangerous.

"Run!" Biggs shouted. And they rushed off towards a nearby junction, still firing blindly behind themselves to keep the troopers off guard. Charii took the lead when they turned the first corner, Biggs keeping back as rear guard. For several minutes, they ran full speed down the maze of corridors within the depot, shooting warning shots at anyone who looked threateningly towards them.

Before long they slowed down, having lost their pursuers, breathing hard. A sign above their heads read, 'Docking Port 12'. They'd made it. Charii pointed out a light blue, birdlike craft off to one side and they made their way there.

A vaguely humanoid shaped service droid approached them as they reached the craft's main hatchway. Holding up an arm containing a display screen attached, it announced, "This craft has been impounded by the Imperial Navy. You may not enter this vessel." Streams of data scrolled down the display.

The group looked at the droid; Charii and Biggs raised their blasters and pointed them directly at the mechanoid. "I, er, could be wrong... let me, um, go check..." The droid then retreated, leaving behind a small oil stain where it had just been standing.

Charii quickly unlocked the hatch by use of a small transponder she had pulled from her vest top. The hatch clicked and cycled and the door split in three and irised smoothly open. The interior lights automatically came on as they entered the craft, allowing them to view its small, yet cosy interior.

"This is your ship, isn't it, Charii?" Biggs asked.

Charii nodded, "Yes, welcome aboard the Lady Diver. I came back here to reclaim her... by any means necessary. Those blasted Imperials stole her from me and I wasn't about to let them keep her. Now take a seat, this is going to be a bumpy ride." And she started the engines and took off in such a quick motion that even Biggs would have been pressed to match it.

The Lady raced towards the exit of the Docking Port 12, stars visible through the energy field that held the atmosphere within the port. No other craft were exiting at the same time, but several automated laser cannons, mounted about the exit, instantly locked onto her.

"Stars, I was hoping they wouldn't lock on so quick!" exclaimed Charii, a trace of nervousness entering her voice for the first time.

Over the comm, they received a broadcast, "Unofficial craft, you are NOT cleared for take off. Return to your designated bay or be obliterated!" Charii gave Biggs a scared look.

"I'm sorry, Biggs. I thought I could have gotten us out of here. Now what are we going to do?" A tiny tear welled in the corner of her eye. Biggs reached across and placed his hand on hers.

"You did your best, Charii. No use getting yourself killed over this. Just land and I'll explain that we kidnapped you." Biggs said.

But Jobe and Neville had other plans. They both took up comlinks and waved Biggs and Charii to silence.

"Station control, this is AK-142 flight maintenance," Neville said in his most officious voice, "This is a scheduled departure, please check your 149A log for confirmation."

Jobe then joined in, "AK-142, we confirm your 149A log entry. Entry code 77T64-AWL noted and approved. Please proceed as normal."

They both sat back, awaiting the response from Station Control. Finally, it came, "We have not received that confirmation, which office do you - "

Jobe interrupted the control, "What revision console are you operating, Control? Haven't you updated your H45LV today? You should be running Epsilon 12A software. Confirm."

Another pause from Station control, "We, um, seem to have overlooked that update. But I cannot allow this flight until I have confirmation. Unofficial craft, please stand by."

Neville then joined in again, "Station Control, you will need to report to your duty commander for the required update. Then you will report directly to the station commander for an immediate debriefing for failing to follow correct procedure." He then paused a moment, allowing them time to consider their fate at the hands of an angry commander. "However, if you wish to restart the update that you must have filed away, you can have yourselves up to speed within the hour. And avoid any unnecessary 'complications'."

The group looked one to the other as the comlink went silent. But before long, they noticed the laser cannons swivel away from them as the announcement came over the comlink, "Thank you for the advice. The craft may exit." And they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The two accountants smiled broadly, "And you thought we were good for nothing. If anyone can blind an Imperial with paperwork, it's us!"

Biggs and Charii just laughed and the Lady Diver drifted slowly and casually out the exit and into space. Charii manoeuvred them away from the space depot and applied a moderate amount of thrust, leaving the station behind them.

"Where to, Mr Biggs?" enquired Jobe.

Biggs looked at them all and took a moment to explain the situation involving Narec Harkin and his plans to bring down the Alliance. Charii had no love for the Empire as neither did the two ex-Imperial pen-pushers, so it didn't take much convincing to get them to agree to helping him find the rebellion.

"So are we going to your ship, the Rand Ecliptic?" Neville asked, "meet up with your rebel friend at Bestine?"

Biggs shook his head, "I'm a wanted man now, I can't possibly turn up at the Ecliptic and say 'Here I am, let's go to Bestine!' They'd lock me up quicker than a sandstorm starts on Tatooine. And I can only imagine what Narec has told them about me now. They may very well shoot me on sight!"

"So where else can we go?" Jobe asked.

Biggs took a moment to think, remembering all the talks he'd had with his fellow conspirator. "If there's one place in the galaxy that knows of the rebellion, it has to be Alderaan." Charii nodded her head beside him but said nothing.

Neville looked at Jobe and said, "How many people are on Alderaan, Jobe?"

"Less than a billion at the last census," came the reply. Jobe had an amazing knack at remembering statistical data.

"Oh."

Biggs said in a low voice, almost to himself, "My friend Hobbie said that Senator Organa was sympathetic to the rebellion. I'll go see her myself if I have to..."

Charii looked at Biggs, awaiting his decision. Finally he spoke up, "I can't see an alternative. We HAVE to get in contact with the Alliance before Narec exposes them. Alderaan it is!" And so Charii tapped in the co-ordinates into her flight computer and the Lady Diver rushed into hyperspace, the small band on a desperate race against time.

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