It had been one and a half standard day since her talk with Marcus which meant that her time frame for meeting the Liberty had shrunken to almost impossible to hold. Luckily all of her people were at least close to being fit to fly again. They would be leaving Noquivzor in only a half of a day. In her mind Coreena went over her checklist just a last time, making sure everything would run smooth. Kal had plotted the courses they needed to reach the Liberty in time and had given them to all the other astromech units. They had gone through all the emergency routines for at least four times now and had flown some orbit patrols to test the flying condition of the people who had been down. They had packed up everything, fueled their fighters and cleaned up their landing place. Now the only thing she needed was sleep.
Sighing she got out of her cockpit and hobbled over to her sleeping bag. Thanks to the force her ankle at least seemed to have gotten better over the last time making her almost able to stand properly again. Looking up on the cloudless night sky for a last time Coreena crawled into her sleeping bag and snuggled in, trying to find as much comfort as possible since the journey to the rendezvous point would take at least one and a half standard day, not counting possible ambushes and the like.
Sending a last Alderaanian prayer in the void of space she closed her eyes and tried to find some sleep.
"Gray Leader to Liberty Control. Home again. Mind if we settle in?" A micro second of static hissing, then: "Of course. So much quieter without you." Coreena smiled slightly as she heard the snorts and comments of her pilots over comm and answered: "Very funny, Control. Bet you couldn't wait till we got back. Anyway… make sure there's no-one in the hangar who could suffer some damage, then let us in." The disembodied female voice snorted, then said: "Well… here you go. Hangar bay 2D. Control out." She frowned. 2D was nowhere from being their usual hangar bay but a bay situated a little lower and smaller than their normal bay 4A. It was barely fitted for nine X-Wings. Coreena cleared her throat and hailed Control again. "Gray Leader to Control."
"Hey, what're you waiting for? Get in that hangar and don't block the frequency, you're not the only one who wants inside.", another voice, male this time, barked at her and made her flinch a little but she answered as calm as possible: "It would be very nice of you to explain why we should take that cramped janitor's compartment." It was hard not to yell the last part but she managed quite well actually. The voice on the other side of the vacuum heaved a sigh and said: "I forgot… due to your little holiday you missed the arrival of some new pilots. Call themselves Biniir Blue Diamonds, and since they are more than you they got your bay. And please… could you discuss everything else when you arrive and with the right person? There are people here who have to work. Control out!" She shot a glance to her left side and smirked as she saw Randy shake his head in dismal. Finally she ordered them to land in 2D.
When he finally got off his X-Wing and came to stand on the clean durasteel deck plates he somehow felt at home even though landing in here had been more difficult than the whole trip to the Liberty. He took in the familiar smell of fuel, paint and a lot more unidentifiable lesser ones. After doing a quick check on his craft he sauntered over to Coreena's ship where she was doing a quick inspection of herself. Or rather something that would have been quick if she had been able to walk properly. By the time she was done the rest of the squadron was assembled around her ship, too. Marcus looked around.
All of them looked weary and tired and those who had received heavier injuries still bore some of the reminders. Saron Kenzy tended to relieve her right leg since there hadn't been enough bacta to heal all her burns while Pat Flann still touched the patch over his left eye where a heavy bruise was hiding under. He glanced at Coreena and received a look that told him she was thinking the same. All of them needed bacta treatment, a decent shower and some hours of sleep in a real bed. Well, or something very close to that for that matter.
She cleared her throat and drew their attention to her again. "All right, people, those of you who feel like they need to have a look into the infirmary go there – if they don't want to be ordered there, that is – the others go straight to their quarters, have a shower and go to bed. The debriefing will be in 8 hours from now. Until then... enjoy yourselves. Oh, and check if there is anyone inside your quarters before you enter, who knows where they put those Diamonds people." Tired laughs and some smirks escaped her pilots, and then they slowly retreated one by one.
Finally there were only Marcus and Coreena left and he said: "So… you want me to accompany you to sick bay?" She shot him a strange look and said matter-of-factly: "I'm not going to sick bay."
Without a warning he slammed his hand on the nearest X-Wing hull and said through clenched teeth: "Sithspit, Cap. I thought we had talked that through." Totally unimpressed, it seemed, she replied: "I meant not now, Lieutenant." Then, however, a small laugh escaped her throat and it made him smile a somewhat embarrassed smile. He cleared his throat. "Care to tell me where you're going then?"
She ragged her hair a little, then took her helmet, threw her R2 a "See you later" and then slowly made her way towards the hangar door. Finally she said: "I'm going to look for that Diamonds Leader and Captain Zifra because I want to know what this is all about." He shrugged. "You know… I think they are just staying temporarily, maybe missed their rendezvous point or are some independent unit. I wouldn't spend too much thinking on them." She shook her head. "No, otherwise they wouldn't be staying in such a big hangar bay. I tell you, they will be staying longer and I want to know why. You coming or what?" She turned and looked expectantly.
He smiled and said: "I was letting you win." Grinning she shook her head and turned again, making the most of her injured ankle, and he was surprised to see her gain quite some speed. After departing the hangar she took her comm and called Zifra. When he didn't answer she called again and this time her comm crackled to life and the distinct and somewhat cold voice of Zifra could be heard. "Zifra here. What is it, Captain?" Coreena didn't waste any time with formalities or such but came to the point immediately: "We need to talk, sir." A snort came over the comm. "I don't think so. You made your point clear last time we spoke and…"
"With all due respect, sir, there are things that have to be talked about. We had a very nasty encounter on our last mission which let me to some interesting… assumptions. And I think that here there are some things, too, which need to be discussed or at least told to us." Some silence. Then: "Very well. Meet me in my office in the quarter of an hour then, Captain." She bit her lower lip for a second, then said: "Yes, sir. Mallan out, sir." Zifra closed the conversation and they went back to silence.
After a few more steps she suddenly stopped and leaned on a wall, leaning back and closing her eyes a few moments. "You still sure you don't want to visit sick bay first, Cap?" Coreena's eyes jerked open and she said with a voice that told him otherwise: "Yes. I need to get this done. Zifra has to know if someone's suspecting one or more of his subordinates of spying. Imagine the fuss he would make if he would catch us sniffing around on our own. That would be a feast for him." Marcus scratched the back of his head, then said: "Yeah, that's the Captain. Listen... do you mind if I join you in the meeting?" She rubbed her wrist unconsciously and said: "Actually yes, but knowing you, I couldn't shake you off anyway, so… no. Just don't try to annoy him too much." A little almost devious smile crossed her features and told him she would hold a little longer. With that he was totally satisfied and so he said nothing to her final remark, just grinned and fall in step beside her again.
Commander Tom Rannan, squadron commander of the Biniir Blue Diamonds was in the middle of a Sabacc game with his XO, Lieutenant Marlin Rua, and two of his Flight Officers, Kesan Mayn, a young man from Commenor and Reslin, a female Mon Calamari, when suddenly his comm beeped. He growled and practically tore it out of his pocket. "Rannan here. What is it?"
As the distinguished voice of Captain Gatton Zifra filled the room Rannan immediately regretted his harsh tone. "Watch your tone, Commander. I want you in my office in ten minutes. And not later. Is that understood?" Rannan didn't give him the satisfaction to let out an audible gulp and kept his voice as even as possible as he answered with a short: "Yes, sir."
"Good. And I want your XO, too." Rannan nodded and said again: "Yes, sir."
"Good. Zifra out."
Growling again Rannan switched his comm off and looked at his XO. "Old bastard. He's doing that on purpose, Lin, I tell you." The woman chuckled and said: "As if you are such a young fellow yourself, Rannan. And you quite deserved it after that show you pulled two days ago." Rannan just snorted and threw his cards away. He got up, straightened his washed-out uniform and then said: "Always have to play my consciousness, huh, Lin? Well, I'll get you for that in our next Sabacc game…" She smiled only and retorted: "If we are ever going to finish one, you mean?" He took his jacket and grumbled: "Whatever."
When she had gotten ready to go, too, they both said a short good-bye to their fellow officers on the table and made their way out of the overcrowded cafeteria. Finally out of it, she said: "So… what do you think he wants of us this time?" He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Maybe do us the favor and throw us off his ship for breathing the air of his precious crew or something. Really, I don' know. And to be honest… I don't care. It's about time we become an independent unit again. Five months together on the same ship as Nomo Morgan made that all the more important." His XO grinned. Nomo Morgan had been the first Captain to be able to tame the Diamonds a little, being strict but just and having the natural authority of a born leader. There had never been any friendliness between her and Rannan and the only thing that kept them – or, maybe only him – from jumping at each others' throats was the fact that they stood on the same side. The little private war between them had lasted five months and it had been him who had finally surrendered. Rua smirked a little at the memory of him – big, strong, growling Rannan – coming into her quarters and telling her he couldn't take that anymore. She could have told him from the beginning since she knew him long enough to know his love for freedom and inability to accept any leader above him he didn't respect. Why he hadn't respected Morgan was still inexplicable to her but she didn't question him. Normally he had good reasons for disliking people and she let it lye there.
Rua glanced at her wrist chrono. "We're lucky, Ran. Three minutes too early. You should take me more with you, you know." He simpered and said: "Only in your dreams, Curly." She showed him her teeth and stuck out her tongue. He knew how she hated that nick name since he had given it to her himself on their very first meeting two years ago. A little annoyed she turned away from him and smoothed her short dark curls out of her face. Rua knew very well that he was grinning evilly behind her back because he knew she never could stay angry with him for long. She glanced at her chrono again. "One minute. Time to get in, I'd say." He just nodded and just as he was about to knock another pair appeared in the hallway.
With an interested look in her eyes Marlin turned and observed the two. She seemed about 27 to 29 years old – though pilots' faces often betrayed the ages of their owners –, had her red-blond hair tied back in an obviously very lose plaid, had her left wrist in a splint and was hobbling a little, trying to go easy on her right foot. Her flight suit looked as if she hadn't changed for at least a week and had several large dark spots on it which might have been blood. His flight suit looked the same, so Marlin assumed they somehow belonged together. She let her gaze travel back to his face and estimated his age in the space from 26 to 28. He didn't seem to be injured in any kind but was clearly as tired as his female companion.
She glanced at her chrono again. The ten minutes were up, so she nudged Rannan to knock, and immediately got a "Come in." from the inside. Just as they were to enter and close the door, a female voice behind them shouted: "Wait!" Marlin turned to see the woman with the red hair trying to be even faster than before with the man constantly trying to assist her. It earned him only an annoyed look and the words: "Hey, remember what happened last time you tried to help me?"
He grinned and said: "Yes, you got up and walked over to the fire." She made a face and retorted: "You know what I mean…" After two or three more sentences of bickering they had reached the door to Zifra's office. Before they could introduce themselves an impatient voice from the inside of the office called: "You can exchange formalities later, I want this meeting over as soon as possible."
With his usual "I don't give a damn"-face Rannan entered the office and Marlin just hoped he wouldn't behave his usual self around people like Zifra just for once. It would save them a great deal of trouble, and they could use a little peace. She heard the hiss of the closing door. Finally they were all in the room. She glanced around. The woman – a Captain by her rank insignia – looked as though she was to collapse any minute but she seemed not even the slightest bit aware of it, and her subordinate – at least Marlin estimated him to be since he bore the rank insignia of a Lieutenant – didn't look much better. She sincerely hoped Zifra would let them sit.
This, however, seemed to be none of his objectives since he just returned their salutes and leaned back in his chair. He then made a move with his hand which included them all and said: "Maybe some introduction would be useful." He looked at the starfighter Captain. "Captain Mallan, commander of Gray Squadron, and her XO, Lieutenant Marcus Lochlin." He moved his gaze to Marlin and Rannan, whose face looked like a mix of surprise and disbelief and something she couldn't quite place. Was it conceit? Contempt? Or just dislike of some sort? Obviously Rannan knew that woman and Marlin was determined to find out what their connections were.
She noticed, just before Zifra introduced Rannan und her to Mallan and Lochlin, the look on Mallan's face changed almost the same as Rannan's had. Lochlin seemed to have seen it since he gave her a strange look. Jealousy?, Marlin thought, but dismissed it. They didn't seem to her like they were anymore than squadron mates, superior and subordinate. Someone to her left cleared his throat and she turned towards Zifra again, standing half at attention. "Well… Captain Mallan asked about the reasons why you are here. Do you mind if I explain, Commander Rannan?" Rannan just shook his head, and Marlin could see the anger building up inside of him, but she wasn't entirely sure anymore if it was only because of Zifra or more because of Mallan.
Zifra cleared his throat and continued. "With great reluctance I forwarded your request for enforcements and the Blue Diamonds are the result of this. They came from the fighter carrier Starfield and are assigned to the Liberty for the time being." Marlin looked over to Mallan who had let out a something that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed exclamation of disbelief. She coughed and said: "Sir… this is all we got? A fighter squadron? No offence to you, Rannan…", she held out a hand to Rannan who shook his head slightly, "but… Sir… We have to fight a battle group and all they sent us is a fighter squadron?" Marlin and Rannan winced at the same time, and when she looked at him she braced herself for one of his famous outbursts. "A battle group? We are here to fight a battle group? When did you plan to tell us this, huh, Zifra?"
The Captain's face turned into a deep shade of purple as he jumped up and threw his hands on his desk. From the corners of her eyes Marlin could see how Mallan put her hands over her eyes and shook her head. Zifra's voice was very low when he spoke but in Marlin's ears it was louder than any yelling could have been. "I said it before and I'm saying it again: Watch – your – language, Commander. You will address me by my correct rank designation and with sir. And you are not to question my style of commanding. I will tell you orders and information when I choose to. Now, out of my office. All of you." For a few seconds none of them said anything. Then Zifra's face seemed to turn even more purple if it was possible and said through clenched teeth: "I said: OUT!" The last part was yelled and everyone scrambled out of the room in a most unruly fashion out of the room.
It was Rannan who spoke first after Zifra had thrown them out, saying: "Well, that was fun, huh?" Marlin rolled her eyes and could see Captain Mallan doing the same. The woman snorted and said: "I really thought that you would have learned at least something after two years, Rannan." Half amused, half alert Marlin watched Rannan reply, snarling: "Well, you didn't seem pretty busy with learning yourself, Mallan, or so I've heard." Mallan opened her mouth to shot him a reply but her XO was faster, holding up his hands and saying: "Would anyone mind telling me what exactly is the problem here?" Marlin crossed her arms and nodded in acknowledgment but Mallan just shook her head, saying: "Later, Marcus." And her own CO only growled at the male Lieutenant. This, however, didn't seem to satisfy Lochlin since he addressed her a second time: "No, I think, I want to know it now, Coreena." A sharp look came from Mallan's eyes and she said with a little more force: "I said, later and I mean later, Lieutenant." Marlin said nothing, merely observed the two noting that there obviously was more under the surface than she thought at first. However, Rannan finally said: "I have some things to do, Mallan, so I hope you don't mind me going and taking my XO with me." Knowing Rannan, Marlin recognized that he was giving her one of his hinted orders, so she just said a short good-bye to the Gray Squadron officers and followed a fuming Tom Rannan back to his office.
Coreena on the other hand finally went to sick-bay, with a slightly less than Rannan agitated Marcus in tow. Inwardly she sighed. She knew he would be like this as long as she didn't tell him what he wanted to know since he always got what he wanted in the end. But upon reaching sick-bay he suddenly turned and attempted to go to his quarters but a quick and somewhat hasty decision forced her to say: "Hey… wait. I'm sorry…" He turned, his looks still stern. "Sorry for what, Captain?" Suddenly she felt like back in third grade when one of her teachers was waiting for an answer from her she absolutely couldn't get right. This was just downright ridiculous. "For snapping at you in the hallway. It's just…" He came back a few steps, standing right in front of her, non-chalantly hands in his pockets, his eyebrows cocked somewhat interested: "Yes?" She ragged her hair, the stress and exhaustion finally showing through fully. "I didn't want to discuss that right in front of Rannan."
He frowned it. Whatever she had to do with the big brawling git it obviously wasn't what he thought it was. He gave her a half-smile. "Whatever this is about… it can wait. And apart from it all… I shouldn't have asked anyway since it is none of my business." She leaned on an empty cot and fiddled with her hair again. Then she said: "Well… probably you're right but I'll tell you anyway when I'm out of the infirmary. Deal?" He smiled again, this time a full smile, agreed and she knew the tension that had been building between the two of them had eased.
According to Cayr's time sense it had been three full standard days now that Chesfer hadn't even bothered to pay them one of his occasional "observation visits" and it started to make them somewhat itchy. All of them had been unusually nervous, grumbling and easy to intimidate, even considering their status as prisoners of war with technically no hope of escape and the resulting personality change. R'siikhi and Whares argued more than ever, Deira's sobs could be heard a lot more often now, seemed even frequent, Anasu kept pacing around the cell if she wasn't sleeping and even Cayr's demeanor somewhat lacked her usual air of disinterest and boredom. Kesra observed all this and wondered why they all felt this strange kind of nervousness, including herself. Logically they should have been glad that for once Chesfer was giving them time to breath but maybe it was the source of it all which made them feel so uneasy. If he had forgotten them that might mean that they someday maybe would get no more food, no medical treatment, maybe not even air… they would starve and die a very, very slow and painful death and no one of them – not even Kat Deira or Kesra herself – wanted to die, despite everything Chesfer had done to them.
And additionally Kesra wasn't so sure about her Vader theory after having heard nothing more of after that faint sound coming from a hallway somewhere on the ship. The tenseness and the fights among her cell mates made her crankier everyday and by the third day she was ready to give R'siikhi and Whares some crab of her own. It were those two who vexed her especially. Not Anasu's pacing, not Deira's silent crying, not H'sishi's stern face that had replaced her usual calm expression. R'siikhi and Whares' bickering made her sick because it gave her the feeling of division among the prisoners, the feeling that Chesfer was finally wining.
"Don't give me that Bantha dropping, Commandoes. You know that you're just one little soldier that's expandable. And so is everyone of us. Don't expect anyone to come after us." Kesra looked up and R'siikhi's agitated voice carried over to her place. She groaned under her breath and leaned back, closing her eyes. Whares' voice sounded through the room in a snap as she replied: "Come after you, you mean. I mean, who would miss you…?" This was enough for Kesra. She stood up and exclaimed: "Will you just stop it?" Both looked at her, together with the rest of the prisoners. She stood there, slightly panting and staring at the banter pair. After a moment of perfect silence she spoke up again. "You've been bickering and bantering and fighting almost nonstop for three days now. You made it impossible to sleep, eat or just be in peace for three days for all of us. You acted with no regard for anyone of us. You forgot we are under surveillance and gave them the very, very strong impression that we are divided, that maybe someone of us will break, will betray the others. Sithspit, you could have done just that already. So will you just save us a lot of trouble and shut the hell up!" The last part was half yelled, and Kesra was panting even more. Everyone was silent for a long second.
Then, finally R'siikhi spoke up. "Do you really think that it still matters that we hold together? Do you really think that holding together and shutting up will save us somehow? I don't think so. Believe me when I tell Commandoes and all you others that we are nothing more than brave little soldiers and unimportant civil employees. There will come nobody to rescue us. Face it, dammit." The control officer huffed and sat down, glancing around, checking everyone of them with her penetrating stare. All except Kesra tried to avoid her stare, even Private Whares. The Rodian raised her chin and stared back defiantly. The staring duel lasted approximately 5 more seconds, then finally R'siikhi lowered her gaze and cleared her throat. After that everything went quiet but somehow it was even worse for Kesra than the bickering.
A/N: Again, sorry to my beta-reader for up-loading this without having him read it but really… I wanted to do this like thousand years ago…