Hello again, my loyal readers! I'm back with another chapter and the beginnings of another mission for Commander Tharcourt and his team. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far, and that I am providing you with a worthwhile and realistic Star Wars narrative. I believe I've said it before, but I am trying to keep this story completely in-canon. To do so means not retconning anything in the existing universe, or having any of my characters appear in any setting involving existing shows, movies or books. It's more difficult that you may think, especially with them going on missions like the one assigned to the commander in this chapter...
Now I know your curiosity is peaked, so I will keep you from the story no longer. Let's jump right into it. Enjoy!
Commander Tharcourt walked to the right of Lord Vader as he was led through the hatch at the end of the hangar. They continued down the corridor, and the commander glanced back at the armored man who flowed them silently, a few paces back. Now that he was closer, Tharcourt could get a better look at him. The man wore a battle-scarred helmet of a type Drakken had never seen, green with a dark T-shaped visor trimmed in red. As he looked back, the man nodded to him. Drakken nodded back and turned his attention forward as Vader spoke.
"Your team is adept at tracking and uncovering information." The dark lord stated, leaving Tharcourt thinking that it was his habit to pose questions as statements.
"Yes sir."
"I have already uncovered a trove of intelligence on the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star, this…Skywalker." Vader said the name as if tasting it. "I want you to go to Tatooine, and see if you cannot find anything that may have been missed. Are you familiar with the planet, commander?"
"Only vaguely, sir." The commander answered. "One of my troopers is from there. I only know that it is a desert world like Lothal, and that the Hutts use Tatooine as a base of operations in that sector."
"You will go there." Lord Vader ordered. "Be thorough, commander. You have my personal authority to detain and question any civilians or Imperial personnel. I will send with you coordinates to several locations. I want them scoured. Seek out anything about his past or his whereabouts that may be useful. Any friends or family are to be detained. Do you understand?"
"Yes, of course." Commander Tharcourt answered immediately. "But with all due respect Lord Vader, doesn't this sort of investigation fall under the scope and authority of ISB?" Vader stopped, and the commander halted a millisecond later. The supreme commander of Imperial forces turned his head toward Tharcourt.
"It falls under the authority of whoever I deem appropriate, commander."
"Understood sir. Just clarifying for jurisdictional reasons, you know?" Drakken said truthfully. Vader nodded, seemingly in understanding.
"You need not worry, commander. As I said, you have my full authority to execute the mission in any way you deem necessary to achieve your ends."
"Loud and clear, sir." Tharcourt nodded. He thought for a moment, a question that had been at the back of his mind for weeks. "Is he dangerous, Lord Vader?"
"It cannot be seen yet…how dangerous he truly is to the Empire." Vader replied. "But consider him one of the most immediate threats to us. I want him alive, am I understood?"
"Yes sir." Tharcourt said. "What if he cannot be captured alive, or is killed during a fight?" Vader leaned in close, and that unnatural cold feeling began to build again.
"Then you had better hope that you can fully justify your actions, commander." Vader warned. Drakken swallowed nervously, knowing the meaning of his superior's threat.
"I…I'm sure I understand."
"Then you may return to your unit. You will be briefed on your mission tomorrow, and you will leave for Tatooine soon after." The commander recognized that this was Vader's way of ending the conversation.
"Yes sir." Tharcourt snapped, saluting Vader. The powerful being did not respond, but only walked away, the green-armored man giving the commander another slow nod as he passed by, following Lord Vader down the hall.
Drakken returned to the hangar to find his team still in their position, albeit standing at ease. Freya was still standing where she had been when he left the hangar, and as he entered the cavernous area, she turned to watch him with a mix of relief and anxiety. The other units were leaving the bay, and so Tharcourt made his way over to the young ensign.
"You holding up, Thorne?" Drakken asked with a small smile.
"Oh, thanks be ye ain't dead…" She exhaled.
"No…not yet anyway." Tharcourt answered dismissively. "We can get out of here now. We have a mission coming, and I want to talk to you about it."
"Oh. Alright then…sir." She answered. Tharcourt turned to his troopers.
"Dismissed!" He called, and the unit disbanded for the time being, most of them making their way back to the unit's quarters at a leisurely pace. The two officers remained in the hangar until the rest of Delta-7 had left. "So…" He finally muttered.
"Yes…yes I was sacred outta me bloody wits, Drakken." Freya whispered harshly. "I thought I was about t' die fer feck's sake." He put a hand on her shoulder, and Thorne let out an exasperated breath. "Whew…alright…I think I'm good now, Drakken."
"You handled that well, at least." Tharcourt commented. "I told you he was…powerful."
"Yer not taking the piss neither, c'mander darlin'." She returned, shaking her head. "Aye…fairfolk…Jeada'Hai …whatever he is. I think 'e was lookin' into me thoughts there." Tharcourt sighed.
"He probably was." He stated. "He can see things…inside you." He then remembered what Vader had said to her. He looked around to make sure nobody could hear them. Aside from a few deck hands returning to work on the other end of the hangar, and a couple of officers on the other side of the room, nobody else was in the bay with them. "Freya…what Vader spoke to you about…you don't ever have to be afraid of that. I don't see you failing me or the team ever."
"Drakken…"
"No. Listen." He said in a low voice. "You're a great officer and an amazing fighter…and the best friend somebody could ask for. I trust you fully, and that means something coming from me, you know?" She huffed, and tugged his sleeve, leading him off down the long hallway. They came to a large unisex refresher off the main corridor, and she practically dragged him inside. There, she turned to face him, her cheeks turning pink.
"Aye…" She breathed. "I know what yer sayin. I jes want to do right by ye…after everything you…an' yer men 'ave done fer me. Ye have t' understand that. You pulled me out a fire that was burning me up, an ye gave me what I always dreamed a' when I signed up fer this job." She sniffed, her eyes a little damp. "I ain't afraid a dyin, me darlin…I don't think I e'er was. I's raised too good fer that. The only sottin' ting I'm afraid of is lettin' you down. I don't ever wanna let you down, Drakken. Laird Vader was right, ye know?" She continued, and her bottom lip trembled a little. "It's that fear that oughta make me fight 'arder. Cause I'm fightin' the enemies o' the Empire, and I'm a fightin' fer me family honor. But most a' all…I'm a fighting fer you. I want ye t' know that. I'll follow ye wherever you lead me, wherever ye go…an' I'll fight till I drop because yer the best thing 'at ever 'appened to me."
"Freya…"
"Nae, ye shaddup Drakken Tharcourt." She said, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. "Ye ain't got a whim as t' how hard it is fer me to say all a' this. I know I'm young, and prolly jes a wee girl t' eyer eyes, but I got more figured than ye' think. This whole almost a' dyin' thing, and the friendly chat with me boss the sorcerer put it all in perspective. We might well die, Drakken…an' I don't wanna go without sayin' what I need ta. I ain't scared when I'm with ya. Only of not livin' up to what I need t' be to earn me place there with you. I lo…" She let out a hitched breath. "I'll be beside ye through everything. I promise ye that much." She had a look of sadness on her face, and shook her head. "There's still things I'm too afraid of."
Tharcourt nodded. Freya had finally let free all of the things that had been bothering her since her brush with death, and he fought with his own feelings to keep from tearing up. He had been a soldier almost his entire life, and it was a life that hadn't left room for many things. He realized that this sort of friendship, this close of a bond was one of them. He and Thorne had only known each other for a couple of months, but the ordeals and the danger they had been through together had solidified a connection between them that he knew would make them inseparable. She had just declared that he was the most important person in her life, and he could not say the same. He knew it was the truth, but Drakken couldn't bring himself to say it to her, no matter how much he wanted to. The implications filled him with a fear he didn't understand.
"It's okay…Freya." He whispered. "I uh…I can be scared too, believe it or not." He met eyes with her, and they stared deeply into one another for a few moments. The young woman didn't need an explanation of his words. She put her arms over his shoulders and let her forehead gently bump into his.
"Ye probably think me mad, doncha?"
"No." He said softly. "Just a bit lost." He scoffed, allowing himself to hold her in a gentle hug for the moment. "Think I am too sometimes, love. Hm. The lost children of the Rachel."
"Whassat, Drakken?" She asked.
"Nothin'…" He answered, breaking the embrace before somebody could walk in and catch two officers showing affection in a refresher. "Just from a book." She smiled a little. "That great white purrgil hasn't killed us yet." She shook her head softly.
"Okay, sure you ain't the one goin' daffy now, Drakken?"
"Thought I was just your kind of crazy." He smirked. "Come on, we don't have anything to do for the rest of the day. Let's discuss our mission someplace better than the head."
The two of them sat on the catwalk, their legs dangling off the edge. It was a secluded part of the ship, an area used by engineering to look out over the port side of the ship through the large window set into the superstructure. Just like in most Imperial ships, throughout the ISSD, there were very few windows or ports one could look through besides on the bridge. Since this led to a feeling of being inside of a huge building, or in an underground facility, sitting here looking out into space, watching smaller vessels fly to and fro was an almost liberating experience, especially for Freya.
"I canna get used to it." She mutterered, and snorted. "Ain't had much chance to enjoy flyin' about the galaxy. Kriff, I almost keep forgettin' I'm on a ship o' war. Same as on The Accuser." She put her arms through the railing and leaned on it, gently kicking her legs. "I wanted to go see th' stars when I was a wee girl. Used t' watch the ships come and go back hame, and I'd jes' look up at 'em and wish I was out there…visitin' all these worlds and meetin' all these new folk. A duro came to me world on a carga' transport anse, an' I pestered 'im about places 'ed been to 'til 'e told me to go buy me own ship an' see fer meself." She let out a girlish giggle. Drakken chuckled quietly. She was staring out the viewport, cocking her head to watch different ships as they passed, like the fascinated child she was describing in her stories. It was almost too endearing for words.
"Glad you like the view." He said. "I have to confess…I never really pay attention to it much anymore." He watched the scenery for a few moments. "I guess I was about the same as a kid though. Maybe for different reasons, but I wanted to get out here and tour the galaxy." They caught themselves giving each other warm smiles, and he turned his head back toward the window.
"Why'd you want to?" Thorne asked. He shrugged.
"I wanted to get off that damned rock." Drakken admitted. He wanted to leave it at that, to leave that part of his past unspoken and buried as always, but when he looked back to Freya, he felt something. All these years, and he had never spoken about his past to anyone, and it had become like a scar hidden under layers of clothes. Yet he knew now that if anyone could be trusted with it, if anyone was worthy of glimpsing the part of him that had set into motion everything that had led him to this moment, it was this woman, his friend, his ensign…his companion.
"I hated it." He spoke, and Freya blinked. "I hated my family. I hated my life. I hated being rich." He sighed.
"Ye were rich?" Freya asked in surprise.
"Nah. My parents were." He answered. "I was just a whiny, rebellious kid. Heh. I wanted to live, you know? Get out in the galaxy and do something, not sit in some temple to the cult of credits and eat fish eggs my whole life."
"Is that when you joined that war you were talkin' about?"
"Yeah. I guess I got my chance to live my own life when the seps invaded. Some of the smarter people on Garos saw it all for what it was, and were forming a resistance. Some of the kids too, especially the children of the soldiers. They and their parents were about the only bit of real military knowledge most of us had to work with…" He trailed off and was silent a few moments. No, not all at once. Its like any system; you have to vent it off gently. "When the war was over though, and the Empire had been formed, I signed up and got as far away from that mess as possible." Thorne finally got that the 'mess' he'd referred to was his life.
She watched him stare forward, silently. A corvette was slowly passing by, and his eyes were locked on it sternly. It began to make sense to her. He'd come from a dark place, a place in his early life where he'd had to fight for everything; what he wanted to be, his beliefs, his world…even his very life. She'd known that he was a warrior, but until now, Freya had assumed that it had been a conscious decision on his part. Maybe a family tradition or some moral drive within him. She had never suspected until now that he was a warrior because it's all he knew. She slowly slid her left hand along the grating, and on top of his. She expected a Typical Drakken Tharcourt response of a cynical remark, or the hand to be pulled away, but he didn't even acknowledge it.
Freya smiled sadly, and squeezed his hand, keeping it there. For a few seconds more, nothing happened. Then she felt him move his hand and gently squeeze her fingers in his palm. He released her hand, and they slowly grasped each other's' hands and entwining their fingers. For the next few minutes, they just sat silently like that, looking out into the darkness of space outside the ship.
"So…uh…" Tharcourt finally said, breaking the quiet. "We're going to a planet called Tatooine. You ever hear of it?"
"No."
"Probably because you're a civilized person, Freya." He quipped.
"Huh. First time I e'er heard that." She scoffed lightly. "Real scughole, eh?"
"Ask Lago about it. He grew up there." Drakken offered. "It's a desert world out in the Outer Rim. Lago says it's controlled by the Hutts even though it's outside of Hutt Space. Every vice and pleasure of the flesh you can imagine gets sold there, and some you don't want to imagine. He says there's these people there too, called…damn it, what was it? Toscano or Tukkin…something like that. Savage beings that live in the wilds and raid settlements."
"Och…reckon Lago prolly wanted off-world more'n either of us." Thorne mused. "So what are we t' be doin' on this lovely 'lil garden spot?"
"We're gonna go in and try to find information on the rebel pilot Lord Vader is searching for, this Skywalker guy. I…we have orders that we are to use any and all form of persuasion to obtain information, so I'm guessing there might be some people there loyal to Skywalker or the rebels that he wants us to squeeze. We uh…we have all of Vader's authority while we're on-world too, so you can guess what that means."
"Feck. He wants us to go an' find anyone that knew Skywalker an' do me ol' job on 'em." She muttered unenthusiastically.
"Can you do it? I mean…if you have to?" Tharcourt asked. She squeezed his hand tightly.
"Aye…I can question people. If they're real dangerous and violent, I think I can get down on their level, Drakken. I jes' have me qualms and me lines, an' don't ye dare ask e t' cross 'em."
"I know." Tharcourt said quietly. "No children, no innocent people."
"Aye. I can't. Ye can't either. Ye do, an' I don't think we can be pals anymore, Drakken."
"I know. And I won't." He said firmly. "So that's that." He slowly drew his hand from hers and leaned on the railing. "We'll be given some locations to check out, and we're supposed to be thorough. Apparently, they've already been looked over, and we're trying to find anything they missed the first time around. I guess documents, tech, personal items, that sort of thing." She nodded. "I think we should handle this in a particular way, at least part of it. I'm going to go ask for some advice from a friend on how to do undercover ops."
"You got mates that do undercover…" Freya began and paused. "…oh yeah, that Intelligence woman ye pal around with." Drakken noticed that Thorne had a sour look on her face.
"We don't exactly 'pal around'…what, don't like ISB agents, huh?" He asked. Her eyes flicked from side-to-side and she huffed.
"Aye…that's it. Shady folk. Hazardous too. That's what it is." Freya replied tersely, and crossed her arms over her chest. Drakken cocked his head. Why was she upset about him knowing someone in ISB? He pondered on it for a moment, and realized that it was probably because most officers had learned not to trust the intelligence crowd. Aside from Veruna, he didn't either, and he couldn't say that he fully trusted her. The thought of someone working with them could seem a little off-putting.
"Eh, she's just a contact, kinda like Piett." He waved. "I'll figure out from her the best way for a couple of us to blend in and talk people up. If there's mistrust of the Empire there, maybe some of the locals will be more inclined to talk to a random stranger than an Imperial officer." Thorne rolled her eyes out of sight of Drakken, then turned back toward him.
"That makes sense, it does." She sighed. "When do we leave?"
"I'm supposed to get a proper briefing tomorrow, and the day after, we head to Tatooine for our mission." He answered. "Now that we have that out the way, and we don't really have any pressing business…"
"I'd love to." Freya said before he could finish. Tharcourt narrowed his eyes.
"How did you…"
"Think about it, Drakken." She replied with a grin. He laughed as he got to his feet.
"Am I that predictable? Damn it, and here I always said that routine gets you killed."
"It always gets me fed, ya lump." Freya laughed as he helped her to her feet, and she stumbled forward a bit, almost falling into him. They froze, looking into each other's eyes for a moment, and she turned away and bit her lower lip. "Alright, take me out fer lunch, but you're buyin'.
Lunch in the mess hall was a tragic affair today. Drakken and Freya gave casual glances at their trays, wondering how any sentient being could define the indistinct masses of matter before them as dumplings. They picked their way through the main dish like it was a mine field, and were happy that the salads and the cobbler were agreeable enough.
When they were finished, the two of them took their trays to the return window and handed them to the two food-service droids within the wash-room. Then they began to walk toward the exit of the large cafeteria, both noting that everything on this ship seemed like a scaled-up version of their former home. As they neared the wide, opened hatch leading to a main hall outside, a familiar figure rounded the frame and stepped into the opening. It was the armored man who had been accompanying Lord Vader during their talk. Both he and Drakken paused, and the helmeted figure gave a slight nod of greeting, recognizing the officer from earlier.
"Sir, Commander Drakken Tharcourt." Drakken said, holding out a hand. The helmet tilted slightly downward as the man stared at it, then back up to the commander's face.
"Yes. You were speaking with Vader earlier." The voice amplifier on the man's armor spoke with a very slight accent. Tharcourt pulled his hand back, now sure the man had no inclination to shake it.
"That's right." Tharcourt replied.
"Some advice, be careful on Tatooine, Commander. The desert can be as treacherous and deadly as some of its residents. The night brings relief from the suns, but also brings its own dangers."
"Hm. Thank you for the advice. I'll be sure to watch out. I take it you've been there." Another nod.
"I've been many places."
"I take it you're not Imperial military then, sir?"
"No." That single word gave it all away to Drakken, who remembered the source of Vader's intel so far.
"Oh. You're a bounty hunter. The one who has been working for Lord Vader, right?"
"Perhaps." The man answered vaguely.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I have a great respect for most bounty hunters." Tharcourt stated as Freya just watched the conversation with extreme interest. She had never met someone like this mysterious, armored mercenary before, and she was intrigued. The commander continued. "One saved my life once back in the Clone Wars. Sugi, her name was. Zabrak girl." The man nodded yet again.
"I heard she died." He stated unemotionally. "Though that is a term sometimes used when we…retire. It makes it easier to enjoy old age in peace."
"I can see how that would be an issue, given your line of work." Drakken agreed. He now mentally kicked himself that it had just now begun to click. The armor. This man was a Mandalorian. He had heard they wore suits of impenetrable armor, but had only seen the young rebel woman's arm and leg guards. The man took note of Tharcourt's expression. "Is there a problem, commander?"
"No…just…may I ask, are you a Mandalorian, sir?" The figure was silent a moment.
"I am just a simple man…trying to make his way in the universe." The man said cooly. "It was good meeting you, Commander Tharcourt. Ma'am." He nodded at Freya and began to walk away.
"Wait, I didn't catch your name." Tharcourt called after him.
"Boba Fett." The man answered without turning back, and simply walked into the room, leaving them standing there. Drakken watched him for a moment, then turned to Freya.
"Well…" He began in a hushed tone. "You said you wanted to meet a real, live Mandalorian. Did he disappoint?" Freya's mouth was slightly agape, and her cheeks had a slight rosy hue. She blinked a couple of times.
"Bloody hell. N…no…not one bit."
Tatooine...they're going to Tatooine. And it looks like Drakken and Freya are getting pretty close there. She seemed awfully jealous about Major Veruna. Oh, and she was drooling over Boba Fett. What a chapter, huh?
Just you wait until the mission actually starts. And the arc officially begins now! So keep it locked in right here for the next installment. No worries, I will have it up in the next day or two! So until then, favorite, review, and stay awesome, my loyal readers. Cheerio!