Author's Note: This chapter is a little longer than the others because it's got some background info on the newest member of Echo Base. The story has taken a turn for the more serious, but I promise there is still a lot of humor. Keep up the reviews! Thanks!
Chapter Nine: A Rebellious Professor
Dear Diary,
Things have gotten a little bit more relaxed between me and Commander Sinclair. Even though I still think she's gorgeous, there's really not a lot of time for me to hit on her because we're just too busy. And, like I said, I'm not like that anymore.
She has changed a lot from the Dr. Sinclair I remember. I remember her as always having a smile on her face and laughing a lot. She had that unique ability of keeping a professional distance with her students but also able to joke around and put them at ease (except for me, I guess). She rarely smiles now. The Commander Sinclair I see sitting across from me in our lab is much more sober and careworn. She looks older, which is odd because she's only about thirty. Her black hair is always pinned up into a neat bun, but in the old days she would wear it down. I used to dream of burying my hands into those soft, dark waves. Now she looks like an old matron. Her blue eyes carry a haunted look about them, a look she never used to have.
I've actually become her subordinate because she has the higher degree, but I've got more experience in the field. She assumed that this was going to piss me off (it didn't) and that accounted for her guarded attitude around me the first few days she was here. Eventually she became more accustomed to my presence in the lab. With our combined experiences we're turning out to be an awesome and effective team.
It's been three weeks since her arrival and I think she's lonely here. There aren't a lot of females at Echo Base and when she's not working she's in her room. She doesn't socialize at all. She won't even go out of her way to make friends. Last week the Base had a little get-together and I suggested that she join us, but she just shot me an icy look and said, "No thank you, Lieutenant." Han remarked that she's almost up there with Princess Leia in terms of being an Ice Princess. Almost.
I've decided that my new mission is going to be bringing her out of her shell, whether she likes it or not. After all, what's she going to do? Flunk me?
Dear Diary,
We're having trouble establishing a stable link between one of the Third Markers and the Base. Normally, that isn't in my field of expertise but you'd be amazed all the stuff I've picked up around Echo Base simply because we don't have the manpower. Besides my own primary duties, I've served as a Mess Cook, occasional mechanic, and Wedge is trying to talk me into learning how to fly an X-Wing ever since I pulled that stunt in the TIE fighter (it's been two years and he still hasn't succeeded...you'd think he would have given up by now!). Well, we do need pilots but I'm not so sure that I'm the one to fill those shoes. Somehow, I just can't see myself on Rogue Squadron.
General Dodonna dropped into the lab this morning and asked me and the commander to ride out past Hudson's Ridge and try to manually boost the signal strength on one of the transponding markers. They'd tried unsuccessfully to do it by remote, so it was obviously a mechanical problem. I guess they're worn thin with all of the repairs and expansions going on because that's not something he'd normally assign us to do. But we both eagerly agreed because it's nice to get out of the lab for a while and, for once, our work wasn't too pressing.
So Commander Sinclair and I saddled up our tauntauns and headed out. It was a pretty clear day for Hoth, though we both knew that it could change any minute. Hoth is prone to sudden and violent snowstorms so it's important to get out, do your duties, and get back inside. We didn't talk on the ride out there and reached our destination in about forty-five minutes.
In no time we located the first of the three Markers, which were half-buried in snow. I popped off the side panel and peered through my goggles into the tangle of wires and circuitry. One of the connections was loose. I tightened down the loose bolts using the laser wrench. "That should do it," I said to Commander Sinclair.
She nodded and flipped on her comm-unit. "Echo Ten to Echo Base. Are you receiving a stronger signal from Marker Three-One?" she asked.
"Affirmative, Echo Ten. Got it nice and strong. Good job."
"Copy that, Echo Base. Echo Ten out." She switched off the comm-unit and helped me lug the heavy panel back into place.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem," she answered and headed over to where her tauntaun was grazing at the top of the ridge. Hudson's Ridge looks over a vast ice ocean and it's one of the most scenic spots on the planet. I picked up the toolbox, strapped it back onto Vader, and joined her at the top. "It's beautiful," she breathed, her eyes roving over the pristine white landscape that stretched below us.
"I forgot that this is your first time out," I responded. "The general couldn't have chosen a better spot to have us do repairs." Vader clomped up behind me and started nibbling on the fur hood of my coat. "Vader, no! Bad!" I nudged his face away and he stepped back a few paces.
Commander Sinclair started laughing and I turned back to look at her, surprised. "What?" she asked, noting the look on my face.
"You laughed," I answered. "I haven't heard you do that since you arrived."
The smile on her face faded and I was instantly sorry for having said anything. "I haven't had anything to laugh about," she admitted. "But you and that tauntaun..." she smiled slightly again.
I couldn't resist. I had to know why. "Commander...may I ask you a personal question?"
She looked sideways at me then nodded, "As long as it's not about my black holes."
She'd cracked a joke! I don't ever remember her joking with me and I grinned. "No, not about black holes. I just wanted to know how you wound up in the Rebellion."
There was a long silence and I thought maybe I'd asked the wrong question. After all, it really wasn't any of my business. "That," she answered finally, "is a long story and I'll be happy to relate it to you, but not here. It's too cold. Let's go back to base and I'll tell you my story over a cup of caf in the Mess."
Another first! She wanted to actually share a meal with me. "Alright, let's go." I swung up into Vader's saddle and she mounted her tauntaun.
There was a strange look in her eye and she smiled at me. "Race you back to base!" she called and kicked her tauntaun into full gallop. I sat there for a second watching her retreating form and shaking my head. What had gotten into her? She'd never acted like this before, but it was nice to see her laughing and acting like...like a normal human being. I'd known there was a warm personality somewhere under all that icy façade. I guess it just took a trip into the ice itself to melt it.
"Let's get her, Vader," I hollered and he shot off after her, bellowing into the crisp, afternoon air.
We got back to Echo Base in no time and she beat me by less than a meter! Aargh! We quickly put our tauntauns back into their pens and headed for the semi-warmth of the Mess. After we'd peeled off three layers of clothes, retrieved our caf from the line, and found a spot at a corner table she told me her story.
She propped her feet up on a chair and took a sip of her drink. "How I got into the Rebellion..." she thought for a second and shrugged, "The truth is I've secretly been working for the Alliance for many years. I joined back when I was working on my undergrad, but I'd never seen any action. I was just a contact on our planet, which was pretty safe for me because the Empire didn't have a presence there. That is, until three years ago."
"When the Empire took over," I said.
She nodded briefly. "Yeah. For awhile I was alright, even thinking they wouldn't find me out because I was just a minor contact. You'd be surprised how much information you can pick up while working at the University, though. I started dating an Imperial lieutenant in the hopes that I could get information to pass on to the Rebellion. But I was naïve. Last year, the Imperials raided one of our safe houses and my name was found in the files. That same Imperial lieutenant signed my termination order."
Ouch. "How did you escape?" I asked.
Commander Sinclair smiled. "Not all of the Rebels were caught and word got to me moments before the Storm Troopers arrived at my office. I managed to escape off the planet in the back of a merchant supply ship. I hid out for months on Corellia until I could locate a Rebel contact. And that's how I wound up here."
No wonder she looked the she way she did. Her whole life had been turned upside down. She'd lost everything, but that's not an uncommon story here. Most everyone that's fighting in the Rebellion has lost everything because of the Empire, myself included. But, that's why we're fighting.
"Well, I'm glad you're here," I replied. "I'm thankful that someone is helping with the work load and you're the best person for the job. We make a good team."
She laid a hand on top of mine and said, "You've made it a lot easier for me, Eugene." She chuckled a little and continued, "I admit that I wasn't too pleased when I saw you, but now I know just how much I needed to see a familiar face."
SHE CALLED ME BY MY FIRST NAME?! "If there's anything I can do to help you, Commander..." I began.
"Evelyn," she answered. "Call me Evelyn. We're co-workers now and there's no need for formality when it's just the two of us speaking together."
"Evelyn," I repeated. Will someone please pinch me?! I thought I was dreaming. That is, until Wedge and Luke came over with mugs of hot caf.
"Good afternoon, Commander Sinclair" said Wedge, "how nice to see you out of your office." He grinned at me. "Hey, Dyson."
Evelyn stiffened up noticeably but I wasn't about to let her get all icy again. She really needed to loosen up some more with the rest of the base, not just around me. "Wedge, Luke. Would you like to join us?" I asked. There were two empty chairs at the table.
"Sure!" Luke said and they sat down. "So when are you going to quit holing yourself up in that lab and join Rogue Squadron?"
"I didn't know you were in on this conspiracy," I said to Luke while looking pointedly at Wedge. Wedge just grinned back.
"Well, you are a good pilot, whether you think so or not," Wedge said.
"You're just assuming that, Wedge. You've never even seen me fly! You forget I'm a scientist," I answered. "I analyze data and I hole myself up for days at a time in the lab for a good reason. Look, your job is to fly. My job is to keep us ahead of the Empire by finding us places to establish a sufficient base. I'm not a very good pilot."
"That's funny, Dyson. I distinctly remember you flying with the University Civil Air Patrol your first year at the university," Evelyn suddenly broke in. "And didn't you win a couple of medals doing that? As I recall, you were a pretty good pilot."
There was a silence as Wedge and Luke looked between her and me. How could she mention that!? That was something that I seriously try to forget. "You never told me..." Wedge started in, but I cut him off.
"The only reason I joined was because the Infantry program wouldn't take me because of my feet. I lied to the Guard and became a pilot, but then I was found out and kicked out of the program. It's not something that I'm proud of." My face couldn't have been any redder had I been sunburned on Tatooine.
"Is that why you won't fly? Because you lied?" Luke asked. "Come on, Dyson. The Alliance doesn't care about your feet. We don't make you march....usually."
"And you can't tell us that you're still not interested in flying. Dack said you were asking him questions about the snowspeeders yesterday in the hangar," Wedge added, still grinning. "Come on, Dyson. You know we need pilots and you've got the skills."
"No, I don't," I said. "You've got the wrong person."
"Why don't you come with us tomorrow, anyway?" Luke suggested. "You don't have to pilot; you just can ride with me in the gunner's seat."
"Go with them, Lieutenant," urged Commander Sinclair. "I can clear up the reports by myself and you can help me with the survey of Galvor Twelve when you get back."
"See! You don't have to work!" Wedge cheered. "Come with us!"
As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn't pass it up. The snowspeeders do look like a lot of fun. "Well, ok," I said.
"Great!" Wedge replied and slapped me on the back. "See you in the hangar tomorrow at 0800 hours."
What have I gotten myself into?! I was an idiot for inviting them to sit down. Then again...Evelyn did talk to someone other than me, so maybe it was worth it.
Maybe.