"Hey be careful with those chemicals, yea all hear," the little weasel looking chemist yipped out as Adman and his boys unloaded the truck in the new lab they set up in the old South East warehouse district.
"You just mind your own business," Adman growled back as he set the crate of chemicals on the table.
"I am minding my own business you big lug, if you drop on of those crates, you could blow us all into orbit."
"This stuff is that strong?" Adman didn't understand what was written on the individual bottles that the brain was unloading and examine.
"Yes," the weasel said absently as he checked some items on his data pad, "making Bliss isn't easy or safe."
"Neither is taking it," Adman laughing at his own joke.
"I won't know any thing about that," the weasel said check in the other crates Adman's boys brought in, "I still don't understand why we had to move way out here."
"Some clown is hitting the boss too hard, he wants you to make up for the supplies he has lost that last few days." At least that was the way the guy who hired him said it. Adman never paid much attention to the news or read papers but he had heard that they had lost millions in credits in the past week or so. So much Bliss had been lost that the freaks were starting to flip out and, the worst news from his point of view, fewer new freaks coming on board. But the contact told him that spice has been pushed on the streets for years and not even the Empire was able to stop it. Adman knew nothing about that; all he and his gang cared was that they were being paid good monies to baby-sit some nerds and their chemicals, so that what they were going to do.
"Hey boss," one of his saps yelled in his ear and woke him up from his nap.
"What are you … this had better be good or you're dead," Adman said stretching. He was getting a good nap, the nerds had left earlier to get some sleep didn't he deserve the same.
"No one is supposed to know we are here, right?"
"That is the whole point of being a secret lab, dimwit," he growled out.
"The motion detector has been showing someone hanging around out front."
"Probably just some bum."
"And who ever it is has been trying to enter through some windows."
"Oh really," Adman said getting up, "how long has that person been out there."
"About an hour …"
"And you just now woke me up!"
"I thought …"
"I don't pay you to think," he said checking his blaster, "it might be a freak or rival gang; either way he is about to learn not to poke around where he is not wanted."
After a quick search of the outside perimeter, all they found was some kind of dummy near the last known position of the intruder. Adman did not like this one bit; it was too cute for his taste. He ordered his men to stay outside while he went back in to call for some back up. Cute people were a real pain in the rear until they were eliminated. When Adman reached his com link next to his pack, he saw a note lying on top of it.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Don't you wish you knew
How long you had before you went BOOM!
Little Brother reported to Ratnena that the bomb had exploded right on time; his scan of her reported to him that, although her expression was merry, her vocal tones were more resigned.
"Did he really stand there for 3 full minutes?" Ratnena asked him shaking her head slowly in disbelieve.
CORRECT, THE MOTION DETECTOR WE INSTALLED IN THE SOUTH SIDE WINDOW REPORTED THAT HE WAS MOTIONLESS FROM THE MOMENT HE PICKED UP THE NOTE UNTIL THE DETONATION.
"I know I am not that good of a poet but you think anyone with a half a brain would have figured it out quicker then that," Ratnena again looked at the scene 15 blocks to the South before picking up her bag, "come on lets get back to my parents. I want to get some sleep before we remount those engines."
"Can we talk," Cathy said sitting down across from High in the mess hall.
"For you, I always have time," Aden's face lit up in his annoying but cute way as he pushed his plate to one side. "And we should talk about who to invite to our wedding."
"I am being serious Aden."
"So am I," he responded letting his smile get bigger, Cathy could tell that he had lots of time on developing a smile that would make most women melt. Cathy was good at not being effect by smiles like that … most of the time. "I was thinking a small wedding party, no more then 1000 guest …"
"Aden, we need to talk about Captain Tahiri and you."
"Sorry, she's not invited," Aden said, his face becoming still, as he reached over and began eating his dinner. Cathy blew out a frustrated sigh wondering why she was even going to bother.
"Look, you have to quit being so rude and disrespectful to her. She is second in command here and if you keep pushing her like you have been she is going to …"
"What? Use her voodoo powers on me," Aden said in a snappish tone.
"No, transfer you out," Cathy said, hoping she didn't let her tone show him how much she would hate that idea. "You are a good Wraith and the squad would suffer if you got kicked out for something like that, not to mention the rest of your career."
"Maybe it won't be me who would be asked to leave," Aden said in a tone that she had heard in her younger brothers more times then she could count. The tone that just screamed that he felt he was right, no matter how wrong he was.
"Aden, she is second in command, Commander Loran and her has been together for awhile now, they have fought side by side at Ossus against the Vong," Cathy said trying to make him see some kind of reason. "He is not going to toss aside someone whom he trusts with his life for some newcomer that hasn't yet proven himself."
"You're saying I can't do the job?"
"No, Aden," she said trying to smooth out his ruffled feathers, "I know you can do the job or you wouldn't be here. Commander Loran knows that too, or he would've washed you out earlier. However, you are still somewhat an unknown while Captain Tahiri is very much a known factor to him. In the military and in life, no one tosses aside a known for an unknown, especially in a squadron like this one."
"Look Cathy, you don't know how dangerous Jedi are …"
"She is not a Jedi anymore," Cathy pointed out.
"Once a Jedi always a Jedi, besides it doesn't matter anyways," Aden said waving away her objection, "sooner or later she will show her true stripes."
"Look Aden, sooner or later you are going to push things too far and she will come down on you like a ton of bricks. When that happens Commander Loran is going to back her up 100 and he will have to do it regardless of what you think of Jedi." When Aden look like he was going to object, she talked over him, "he is going to back her up because she is the XO and she will be right."
"Don't worry Cathy, I know what I am doing," he said with a reassuring grin and standing up to headed out the door.
Cathy slumped back in her seat, closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead while thinking about that big empty space between most males ears that allegedly held their brains. Right now, she was sure that Aden's thinking center was located further south, anatomically speaking. She wished she knew just how to get past that male ego long enough to get Aden to see how wrong he was being. She would hate to see him kicked out of the Wraiths, both professionally and personally, and the damage he was doing to his career. She knew from practical and personal experience that she was better off wishing for the moon then to expect an answer for that particular problem. After all the old saying said it best, boys will be boys.
"Oh sir," Cathy said with a start when she opened her eyes and found Commander Loran sitting across her, with a amused expression in his eyes and sipping on a cup of caf. "I'm sorry sir; I didn't hear you walk in."
"That's ok Lt.," Commander Loran said with a smile and waving away her apology, "I been having Captain Tahiri giving me some lessons on moving silently."
"You must be a quick study, I never heard you," she said trying to hide her embarrassment.
"I wish I could take credit for it but when Squeaky and the others drop their pans, it covered my entrance," he said point back to the kitchen. Cathy turned around, and to her horror, saw Squeaky and the other three banged around while cleaning up some kind of mess. She turned back around and sheepishly shrugged her shoulders. "I take it by that reaction that you were lost deep in thought." Cathy could only nod; she really hoped that he wouldn't get too personal. She didn't want to go on the record, yet, about her talk with Aden. "I bet I know what you were thinking," Cathy looked away knowing what was coming next; "you are disappointed about your assignment, aren't you?"
"Sir," Cathy said confused at this turn of conversation.
"Lt. I hope you understand that your command skills were not the main factor in our decision making when Captain Tahiri and I dealt out the assignments. Since Lt. Bora isn't here to lead team three you, by your rank and your skills, should and would have been in command of team three. Never doubt that for a minute; except I really need a medic with team one to make sure the Grand Admiral is in shape to travel."
"Ah yes sir," Cathy said jumping on any excuse to deflect any thoughts from Commander Loran might have about Aden's attitude being the main reason she was so out of it. "I didn't want you or Captain Tahiri to think I wasn't capable of performing any task you need done."
"Don't worry about that, Captain Tahiri and I are both impressed with your abilities outside your chosen profession. If we could have Calghal fit into Stormtrooper armor, we would have her on team one but I'm sure you understand the difficulties in that plan."
"Of course sir, the problem is easy for anyone to see," then Cathy told one whooper of a lie. "I hope that I will be afforded other chances at showing you and Captain Tahiri my command abilities in the future." Which was false, Cathy never wants to be in command of anything, she never even consider it as one of her skills. She just wanted to stop the bad guys before they shot the good guys, which she would have to patch up.
"Don't fret on that point," Commander Loran said drinking more of his caf. "Regardless of that inhuman meal you laughingly call my diet, Tahiri and I have been impressed and know what kind of leader you can be," then he got up while giving her a grin. "After all you're already showing strong leadership traits by trying to get Flight Officer High to see some reason about Tahiri. While your motives weren't completely professional, I still applauded your efforts. Just to let you know Tahiri and I do have complete faith that he will come around eventually. See you at the finial briefing in the morning." With that he walked away whistling a tune that may have been popular thirty years ago.
Cathy just sat there, stunned, by his abilities to know what she was thinking and confused that he didn't reprimand her for even thinking about Aden in any manner then professionally. Cathy shook her head in a silent mocking laugh at herself that is what would have happened in a normal unit. The Wraiths have never operated in a normal manner, even when they have tried in the past to be like other units they were still the odd boys and girls in the bunch. It has been said that it has been their oddness that helped them escape from many death traps; she could only hope that the new Wraiths were able to maintain that streak.
Face walked into his office after doing a tour of the base and found Wedge, behind his desk working on his computer, total absorbed in the text on the screen.
"Oh ye old gods had finally heard my anguished cries of despair and sent you back to the clutches of command. Now this poor wretched soul can toil in an endless search in the galley for a descent meal and be content in the knowledge that the Wraiths are in the hands of the best," Face said in an overly done, highly rich Coruscant accent that he developed when he was a child actor. With a dramatic flare, he dropped himself in to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"This is just temporary, remember, as soon as we get Pellaeon I go back to the pasture." Wedge responded with a raised eyebrow.
"But Wedge, you look so relaxed behind that desk," Face said straighten up and putting on his best "I'm shocked that you would disagree with my idea" look. "Why you would be a natural at playing a general in the holo-dramas."
"Temporary, Face," Wedge said trying to keep a straight face.
"You know what," Face said letting a smile spread across his face and snapping his fingers, "I know some people back on Denon. I could contact them and let them know how much you miss being a general."
"Temporary, Face," Wedge said tossing him a pad that was lying on the desktop, "I even looked up the word for you; it is marked so you will have no trouble finding it."
"A man of your potential would make an ok leader of the Wraiths; tell you what I will do." Face said, not even looking at the pad but putting on his best 'sales man' façade, "I'll even give you Squeaky as a personal assistant to help smooth out any rough edges you may have, what could be worst then that for a deal?"
"Fine, you deal with my wife," Wedge said completely straight face.
"Ugh," Face said with a face that he knew projected dismay perfectly, "I think I rather deal with Doc's humorous idea of a diet."
"Coward," Wedge said with a grin and he turned away from the screen, Face just gave him a sheepish grin as he sat back in his chair. "So what are you doing up so late Commander?"
"Oh just taking a walk through the base, making sure everything is ready for tomorrow's finial briefing," Face said, sounding a lot more at easy then he felt.
"You worried about this raid?"
"Wedge … to be honest I would be worried even if Kell and the rest were doing this raid and not these kids." Face said leaning forward, glad for the chance to talk to someone about this. He couldn't talk about it with Squeaky, since he wouldn't really understand and the kids, even Tahiri, had to believe that he was confident in this mission. If they knew, that he had any doubts at this stage it could weaken the team and bring about the disaster he wanted to avoid. "This isn't some simple information raid or a minor outpost on some 5th rate planet; this is Bastion and their Grand Admiral and their best prison we are talking about."
"Do you think we should scrub now and have command get a more experience team to do the raid?"
"No," Face said without hesitation, "the kids are as ready as anyone could be and pulling them now would only make them believe that command and I have no faith in them. You know how disastrous that can be to a new team like the Wraiths." When he saw Wedge's reluctant nod he ticked off some more points. "Secrecy is the only advantage that we have right now, if we pull the kids off we will have to train a new team, keep our back up plan secret, and hope that the Empire doesn't decide to just off him before we can move in"
"Which could happen even if we don't wait but you're right it would be worst politically if they execute Grand Admiral Pellaeon and we were still in the process of training?" Wedge said nodding still, "plus we have that Dark JedI to content with."
"With the data we brought back from our little trips is just making Calghal more convinced that their new Emperor is a Dark JedI." Face said slumping back in his chair and looking glum. "Every time I look at that data, I keep thinking of Lord Nynex and that crazy clone that Grand Admiral Thrawn had what was his name …"
"C'baoth," Wedge said with a slightly haunted look of his own.
"Yea," Face said blowing out a sigh, "Calghal and Tahiri think she can handle her own against who ever this turns out to be but …"
"Yep," Wedge said leaning back and putting his hands behind his head, "How are your Jr. Nuts doing anyways?"
"They are locked and loaded; my new explosion expert is practically wetting himself in excitement to blow something up. Hunter and Pathfinder are having a pool to see how it takes something to go wrong, but Snipe and Watcher told me not to worry about that since they have been going through Elassar's old database to find the perfect lucky charm. Doc is worried about Snoop doing something stupid but not to worry since he is sure that Peacekeeper will be kicked out before he will be court marshaled. Tahiri on the other hand is not the least bit worry about the Wraiths or the prospect of running against a Dark JedI, she is more worried about our two best slicer ending up blowing up Kidriff 5 before we can get there; lets not forget Squeaky who wants triple pay for going along."
"All in all sounds like a normal day for the Wraiths," Wedge said with a grin.
"You have no idea how easy you had it," Face said.
"Easy?"
"Yea, we were normal compared to these kids."
"Who are you trying to kid, commander," Wedge said leaning forward in his seat.
"Oh come on Wedge …"
"I had you and Pham pulling pranks on each other and driving anyone insane with in 20 meters of you two …"
"Tahiri and Ratnena have that one beat, they didn't even meet 15 minutes and were all ready doing more to hospitalize crazy people then Pham and I ever did."
"I had a mechanic who likes to blow things up, fall in love with a JedI who had an inferior complex and he wanted to kill my second in command."
"Deal with a JedI/Vong once and then come back and talk to me," Face said with a grin big enough to swallow a death star. "My mechanic has a genius IQ, photographic memory and has a temper so short a Wookie would complain about her being hot headed."
"She was a good choice to bring on board wasn't she," Wedge said getting serious again.
"Mix in that droid of theirs, who is about as stable as either one of them, and you have a team that I would be hard press to outwit," Face said staring out in to space, "I hope Boss knows what he is doing leaving Ratnena to her own devices. We still don't know what it exactly was that set her off when she was younger; all we do know if you make a pass at her you better have a doctor nearby if you want any shot at breathing."
"She'll be ok Face," Wedge said getting up, "right now we both need to worry about the briefing tomorrow and then getting to the assembly point. We can't keep the Imperials waiting for the Wraiths resurrection now can we?"
"Of course not, we maybe mad, piratical, blood thirsty Rebel scum but we are never rude!"
