Summary: Rogue Squadron heads back to Hoth to defend an Intelligence Unit. But they get more than they bargained for.
Disclaimer: Star Wars, Rogue Squadron, and the rest are not mine. I write this for my own amusement. Jesina is my own, original creation.
---------------
Chapter 33: Questions Unanswered
---------------
Iella tossed a few last things into her valet and closed it securely. She and Wedge were leaving for their honeymoon to Velusia tomorrow, and they were finishing the last-minute packing. "You have anything left to do?"
"We have that meeting with Cracken and the others, and then I have to meet with Tycho and Jesina, since the squadron is technically active even while I'm gone."
"That's not very smart," Iella murmured, tossing some soap and lotion into a smaller travel bag.
Wedge shrugged. "They don't have much choice. With everything that's been happening, in case whoever it is decides to show themselves, we need as many people as possible to be ready for it."
"I know, but still…" she shook her head. "I can't wait to get on that liner and not have to think for a week." They'd wanted to take a two-week vacation but the timing just hadn't worked. There was something Cracken needed her for, and the squadron couldn't spare Wedge longer than the week they were taking.
"I'll still have to call in," he reminded her, "just in case there's trouble."
"I know…but, well, you know what I mean."
"I know."
She kissed him quickly and headed out to the living room.
---------------
Wedge followed Iella into a conference room in the upper levels of the Palace. General Cracken was there already, as were Mara, Kyp, and Luke. Just as he and Iella took their seats, Jesina and Leia entered, taking the last remaining chairs.
"All right, we all know why we're here," Leia said without fanfare. "I need to know what, exactly, we're looking at."
"We can't give you an exact answer," Iella began.
"Then come as close as you can." She looked to Luke. "Do you remember anything about what you found out when you were on Skaloc IV?"
He shook his head. "I don't even remember what it was that I came across that I mentioned to Kyp. I've been trying, but I can't. They managed to wipe out just that part of my memory completely."
"Severe physical or psychological trauma, probably," Jesina said matter-of-factly. "My guess is that they subjected you to extreme physical or mental stress, and your mind blocked it. It's not something I'd necessarily expect to happen with a Jedi, but I wouldn't be shocked." She glanced over at Iella. "If we knew who had you, I'd be better able to tell you what, exactly, they might have done to you."
Wedge watched her carefully. She was in her element. Piloting was her first love, he knew, but Intelligence work was still where her expertise lay.
Luke nodded. "It is possible. Difficult to do, and it would, as you say, take an incredible amount of duress, but it is possible."
"All right, then," Leia said, "Can I assume, at least, that we're dealing with someone who knows something about dealing with Jedi? That they would have to in order to be able to do something like this?"
"That, or they'd have to be extremely skilled with torture techniques," Mara said. "I know of a few…technicians…who were around while the Emperor was still alive who could have done it."
"Do you have any names?" Leia asked.
Mara shook her head. "The people I knew of – they were Intelligence-trained. The names I knew wouldn't be their real ones, and even if they were, they wouldn't be the names they're going by now."
"Okay." Leia looked over her datapad. "How was Councilor Vikk killed? And Senators Kunb and Niev?"
"All three were poisoned with something that caused their throats to close up. It gave the impression to onlookers that they were being choked by a Force-user," Iella said. "The problem is, the official report hasn't been released publicly – on either planet. They refuse to release it, though we've tried to talk them into it, so the general public still believes that a Jedi was responsible."
"Wonderful. I'll see what I can do about that, especially once I have actual information to go to them with. Now, what do we know about the people you dealt with on Hoth? And about the bombing?"
It was Kyp's turn to speak. "When Luke didn't contact me again, I went to Sullust. I couldn't find out anything for certain, but the people I talked to pointed me toward a human man who went by the name Ikta Jues. Jues was the leader of that pirate gang – an organizer of sorts, but he didn't fly with them. He was also the pirates' link with the Imperials – who were the people behind what was going on in the Hoth System."
"What, exactly, was going on in the Hoth System?" Leia asked. "And how did you end up there?"
"It took a lot of acting on my part, but Jues finally decided that I might be of some use to him and I tagged along when his crew headed to Hoth. Unfortunately, I never learned what was going on there – everything fell apart too soon."
"Do you know anything about what they were doing?" Wedge asked him.
"That's the problem," Kyp said. "They weren't doing anything. They were there; the pirate squad was running patrols. I don't know if they were supposed to be laying low or if it was a setup of some kind."
"Looking at everything that's happened since," Jesina broke in, "I'd say the latter, probably meant to distract us from whatever actually was happening."
Leia made a couple of notes on her datapad. "Is there anyone left on that asteroid?"
"All of the Imperials were killed," Kyp answered. "The squad and Jues were the only people remaining on the asteroid when Horn and I left."
"They're gone now," Cracken said, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun. "I sent a crew with even more sophisticated scanning equipment. They picked up no sign of life anywhere in that asteroid, and found nothing in the system."
"All right. The Imperials who were killed…I'm assuming that they died by Corran Horn's hand?" Leia looked to Kyp for confirmation, and he nodded. "That brings me to my next question – what happened to Commander Horn?"
Jesina related their capture on the asteroid and the vibroblade left behind to torment the man. "Corran said something then that didn't sit well with me. He said that whoever we were dealing with knew more about us than they should. The next thing he said was that he could only use telekinesis when he was angry."
"So he thought that whoever was responsible knew his…weakness?"
"I believe so," Jesina replied, nodding.
"Who could have known that?"
"Mirax, Booster Terrik, everyone who was on Yavin when Corran was," Luke said. "But no one there knew him by his real name, except for Mara and I."
"Corran keeps the fact that he's a Jedi a closely guarded secret," Wedge put in.
"So that doesn't help us, either." Leia sighed. "About the bombing of the base. Do we have any idea who that was – or how they did it?"
"Whoever it was is dead," Mara said quietly. "I could…I could feel it. Whether or not it was intended to be a suicide mission, it ended up that way."
"How did they get in?" Cracken asked, looking directly at Jesina.
She shook her head. "Someone was in on it. Only the North and South entrances were even accessible, and they were monitored constantly. The only way someone could have gotten inside was with help from one of our people."
"Wonderful. This just keeps getting better," Leia muttered. Taking a deep breath and exhaling hard, she turned to look at Wedge and Iella. "Your wedding."
Iella massaged her temples. "I know. Another game. This whole thing – I'm convinced that's all this has been."
"What I said earlier," Jesina spoke up again, "about the whole thing on Hoth being a distraction – I mean it. I really think that everything has been intended to send us running in circles while the mastermind behind it does whatever he doesn't want us to see."
"And what do you think that is?" Cracken asked her.
"Given the Imperial involvement in this, I'd bet that there's a new warlord or Admiral looking to reinstate the Empire – and he's probably trying to distract us while he builds up enough of a force to come against us."
"Who could it be?" Leia asked, eyes lighting on Wedge.
He shook his head. He'd been asking himself that question over and over, trying to think of anyone they'd tangled with in the past who might have decided to reassert him- or herself, but had come up with naught. "I'm sorry. I just don't know."
"Anyone have a guess?" she asked, her gazing moving from face to face. No one had anything.
"Last question. What do we do?"
"We don't let it get to us," Iella said. "Like Corran said yesterday, when we ran into this with CorSec, we just let our quarry have his fun until he gave us something we could use. There's really nothing else we can do in this situation."
At that, Leia stood, the others following suit. "Thank you. Wedge, Iella, I appreciate your delaying your trip to meet with me. I think you'll agree that recent events warranted an attempt at understanding them."
"It's not a problem, Leia," Wedge replied. Beside him, Iella shook her head.
"Just the same, it was appreciated. Those of you who will be around over the course of the next week, please keep me informed of anything new." She hugged Wedge and Iella, wished them a peaceful honeymoon, and took her leave, everyone else walking out behind her.
---------------
Wedge leaned back in his chair. "I want to make this quick," he said as Tycho and Jesina came in. "Iella will kill me if we miss the liner we're booked on."
"Already feeling the pains of married life, Wedge?" Tycho asked, grinning.
Wedge glared at him and shook his head, refusing to indulge him. "Anyway, I'm going to check in twice a day. Iella isn't too fond of that idea, but it can't be helped. Once we get to Velusia, I'll get in touch with you with contact information for the week. Anything happens, you let me know immediately."
"Wedge, we aren't children being left alone at home while mom and dad go out to dinner," Jesina said with a laugh. "Tycho's commanded Rogue Squadron in the past. I'm sure that the two of us will be able to handle it."
"I know." He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "This whole thing just has me nervous. If I knew what was going on, I wouldn't be so edgy. These games, though…" He shook his head. "It just has me worried."
"Relax, Wedge," Tycho said. "You're going on your honeymoon. Enjoy it."
Jesina smiled mischievously. "Yeah. You're looking like you could really use a vacation, Wedge."
He narrowed his eyes jokingly. "Get out of here."
"Gladly." She came around the desk and gave him a hug. "Have a good trip, Wedge. Force knows you've earned it." Then she turned back and headed for the door. "See you later, boss." She clapped Tycho on the shoulder and headed out the door.
Tycho looked Wedge over after she left. "She's right, you know. You deserve a break. You need one."
"Trust me, I know. I'm hoping the Force sees fit to give me one."
"I have a feeling," the Alderaanian said with a grin.
Wedge stood and gave him a quick hug, then watched him leave. Glancing around quickly to make sure there wasn't anything he'd forgotten, he shut off the lights, locked the door – and went home to his wife.
---------------
Okay, guys...here is the link to the good sequel. Eventually I might get around to putting it up here, but even if I do, it'll get updated over there more regularly...with none of this 24-hour-delay in putting up updates that ff.n has. The well-written version of the sequel is titled "Shades of the Past" and is at the following URL: