Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall
Book 1: Rise of a Hero
Chapter 19: The New Agent
Author's Note: So who is Blaze Redlopt, and what is her role in the story. Come find out!
The agent's eyes swept the room, as if taking everything in with that one glance. Then, with fluid grace, she stepped into the room.
"Mon Mothma," she said.
"Blaze, I'd like you to meet Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors."
Rather than extend a hand, she made eye contact with Jan first, then Kyle.
"So you're Kyle Katarn," she said.
He knew he should say something, but it was as if his brain had gone into neutral.
Although Blaze was a few inches shorter than Jan, she carried herself in a way that seemed to make her taller. Her hazel eyes were locked onto his and her face wore a neutral expression. She was clearly waiting for him to speak.
"I'm…" Kyle began, his voice hoarse, almost audible.
"You'll have to forgive my partner," Jan said, "He only recently mastered the art of speaking in complete sentences."
"No, I…" Kyle tried to say. Then with a loud clearing of his throat, he finally spoke.
"Sorry 'bout that," he said, "I just finished debriefing Mon Mothma and Jan. Guess my throat was drier than I thought."
Blaze raised one elegant eyebrow at him.
"So you've heard of me."
She nodded.
Unsure of what to say, Kyle blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Was it good?"
Mon Mothma chuckled and Blaze smiled at him. He looked over at Jan, expecting her to be smiling as well. But she wasn't. His own smile fading, Kyle gazed at her, his eyes asking the silent question.
"What's wrong?"
Jan's eyes briefly cut to his, but there was no answer in them.
I want to answer him, she thought, but she couldn't find the words. There was something about Blaze, something that bothered her. It was more feeling than anything else. And how do you explain a feeling without words? She finally gave Kyle a shrug that said, "I don't know."
"Well," Blaze said, crossing her arms over her chest, seemingly oblivious to the exchange between Kyle and Jan, "let's just say that you've broken the record for most consecutive visits to sickbay."
As Blaze's smiled widened and the others laughed, Jan found herself chuckling. It was kind of funny, she thought. The chuckle turned into laughter as she remembered coming upon Kyle that time in sickbay.
"Yeah," Kyle said, "Doc thinks I should just go ahead and move in."
Jan laughed again with the rest. It was easier this time.
Kyle tried to think of something else to say to make Blaze laugh. He liked her laugh. He liked her voice. It was bright and silky, her laugh almost musical. The hint of huskiness in her voice that only added to its appeal.
"I believe we were discussing the mission."
As if a switch had been turned, the laughter stopped and all eyes looked to Jan. She stood there on the other side of Kyle's side, hands planted on hips, her face serious, almost rigid.
Mon Mothma gave a slight cough
"Yes, we were."
Kyle tried to find her eyes with his, searching, wondering what was wrong. But Jan would not meet his gaze.
"As I said," Mon Mothma continued, "given that you have a bounty on your head, Kyle, and your penchant for getting into trouble on missions, I've decided that you need additional backup."
For a moment, Kyle stared at her. Then he looked to Blaze and back to Mon Mothma. Raising a hand, he pointed.
"Her?"
"Yes, unless you have a problem with my decision."
Kyle's smile was wide and genuine as his eyes focused on Blaze.
"No ma'am, no problem at all."
Part of Kyle's mind realized he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. Rebel operative or not, Blaze was gorgeous. Raven hair cascaded around a slightly wide face, blonde highlights creating spots of light in the dark. The tips just brushed the tops of her shoulders and neck. She wore a loose white shirt with a gray jacket and black pants terminating in low-heeled shoes.
But the outfit could not hide the raw beauty of her. She has a presence, Kyle thought. You can't help but notice her.
"Wait a minute," Jan said, her voice even, with a hint of coldness, "are you saying that Blaze will be accompanying us on missions?"
"Yes, Jan," Mon Mothma said, somewhat surprised at the reaction, "that's exactly what I mean."
Jan shook her head. "It won't work. The Moldy Crow will only hold two people."
"Oh, that won't be a problem," Blaze said, eyes shifting to Jan, "I have my own ship."
"I see," Jan said.
"Is there a problem here, Jan?" Mon Mothma asked.
Catching sight of Mon Mothma's gaze, Jan realized that this was not the time to continue this, she was going to lose.
"No, Mon Mothma," she said, "no problem."
The older woman studied her for a long moment
"Very well. Kyle, as soon as Dr. Berth clears you for release, I will brief you on the assignment."
"Yes ma'am," he said.
With that, Mon Mothma turned and left the room.
"I should be going too," Blaze said, "I need to make sure Black Gold is ready."
"Black Gold?" Kyle asked, brows drawing together in confusion.
Blaze gave a small, embarrassed smile.
"Sorry, Black Gold is my ship, a modified Z-95 Headhunter."
"A Z-95?" Kyle asked, "I haven't seen one of those since the trainers at the Academy."
"Stop by before the mission if you have a chance," Blaze invited, "I'll introduce you."
"I'd like that," Kyle said.
"Until later then, Kyle Katarn," she said, favoring him with another quick smile. Turning to leave, she glanced in Jan's direction. The other woman's blue eyes were daggers of ice directed right at her.
"Miss Ors," Blaze said, and left.
When the door hissed shut, Kyle turned to look at Jan.
"What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" she asked.
"You," Kyle pressed, "I kept waiting to see if you were going to hit Blaze."
"Oh please," Jan scoffed, looking away.
"C'mon, Jan," he said, "You were downright rude to her. So what is it?"
"I…" Jan began, "I don't know. It's just a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"Yes!" she said sharply, turning back to face him, "a feeling, Katarn, a bad one. Something's not right with her."
"Not right?" Kyle said, trying to contain his sarcasm, "Jan, you met the woman five minutes ago. You don't know anything about her."
"Say what you want, Katarn," she countered, "but I think I've either met or seen her before. And it wasn't as a Rebel agent."
"So now she's an Imperial spy, is that it?" Kyle said incredulously. Then his eyes widened as it dawned on him.
"Wait a minute! I know what this is about!"
"Oh you do, do you?" Jan answered, her gaze one of sarcastic disbelief.
"You're jealous!" Kyle said, smirking at her."
"What!" Jan yelled, "I most certainly am not!"
"Oh yes, you are," Kyle replied, "It's so obvious."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Katarn."
"Look, Jan," he said, "it's a normal feeling. Blaze is attractive after all."
"And I'm not?" Jan said, fire in her eyes.
Realizing the mistake he had just made, Kyle backpedaled hastily.
"No, that's not what I meant. I…"
"Save it Katarn," she said, holding up a hand, "you don't know the first thing about me. And how dare you accuse me of jealousy!"
"Then why are you acting like this?" Kyle asked.
"I don't know!" Jan exploded, "it's just a feeling, okay?"
"Okay," Kyle said, holding his hands in a gesture of surrender, "look, I…"
But Jan was moving, tossing a last comment over her shoulder.
"I thought we were partners, Katarn. But if you want a new one, I'm sure Blaze will do just fine."
"No, Jan! I…" he called, but she was gone.
Kyle lay back down, mind whirling. How come, he thought, I can take out a base full of the Empire's soldiers, but I can't talk to Jan?
Jan stalked the halls of the New Hope, heading in no particular direction. Personnel passing by turned their heads away when they caught her fierce gaze. Teeth gritted, eyes flashing, Jan was more a force of nature than a person at that moment.
Jealous! How can he think I'm jealous? I don't even know Blaze well enough to be jealous.
So what's wrong, her mind answered back.
I don't know, just something about Blaze. Something about that face. I know I've seen it before. If only I could remember.
Besides, it's not like I'm interested in Kyle, she thought. We're partners, maybe friends. So why didn't I like seeing the way Kyle looked at her?
Because, she's an unknown factor. And if Kyle starts doting on her, it could compromise the mission.
That's it, Jan decided; she was worried that Kyle's attraction to Blaze could impact his mission performance.
But a small voice, barely discernible kept saying there was more to it than that.
Three hours laterHe had checked her quarters, the hangar bay, the mess, but no matter where he looked, no Jan. After being pronounced fit for duty by Dr. Berth thirty minutes ago, Kyle had dressed quickly and set off in search of her. He wasn't sure whether to apologize to Jan or confront her over her behavior, but he could at least listen to her suspicions and concerns, no matter how he felt about them.
But after a half hour of fruitless searching, he decided it would have to wait. Checking his chrono, Kyle saw it was about an hour until briefing. Maybe he and Jan could talk afterwards. But what to do with the intervening time? Then, he remembered Blaze's invitation. Smiling, he turned and headed towards the hangar bay.
As the doors parted before him, Kyle caught sight of the Moldy Crow sitting nearby, but still no Jan.
Looking about, he spotted the Z-95 a few hundreds yards away. As he walked towards it, Kyle saw movement, Blaze's dark hair flashed in the overhead light. She was in the cockpit, head turned away from him.
Drawing closer, he called out.
"Well, I can understand the name a lot better now."
Hearing his voice, Blaze turned to face him, smiling. She gestured with one hand.
"Makes it easy to find in a crowded spaceport."
Black paint covered the nose of the ship, stretching back to just past the cockpit. From there, shiny gold paint covered the engines and wings.
Placing one hand on the side of the cockpit, Blaze stepped out and jumped down to the deck. She had changed into green mechanics coveralls, its surface mottled with streaks of grease, lubricant and various other fluids. A few splotches marred her otherwise perfect face.
"Agent, pilot and mechanic," Kyle said, "You do windows too?"
Blaze lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Oh-kay," Kyle said, "guess I have the answer to that."
"Are you always such a smartass or is it genetic?" Blaze asked.
"Ouch," Kyle said, miming a hit to his chest, "felt that one. Guess I should have added warrior to that list."
That brought a smile from Blaze.
"That invitation still open?" he ventured.
"Sure," she said, motioning with a hand, "come on over."
Kyle did so, and Blaze showed him around her ship.
Black Gold indeed appropriately named. Rather than find a stock Z-95, she had a ship more akin to an X-Wing. Her ship sported the same hull, engines and laser cannons used in the newer X-Wing. However, she had kept the concussion missile launchers rather than replace them with the X-Wing's proton torpedo capability.
"In combat, I've found concussion missiles a whole lot more effective than torpedoes. They track better, are faster and provide the perfect setup for a laser attack."
"But what about hyperspace capability?" Kyle asked, "The Z-95 doesn't have it."
"So you would think," Blaze said, "however, if you examined the ship closer you'd see that Black Gold is about six meters longer than the standard Z-95."
Kyle looked closer and saw she was right.
Placing one foot on the port wing, Blaze lifted herself up and pulled off the panel, which hid the astromech droid compartment.
"Take a look," she said.
Kyle pulled a foot on the wing also and started to pull himself up. Reaching out, he sought a grip on the hull to help him. Suddenly, his hand slipped and he felt himself began to fall.
A soft, yet firm hand grabbed his and pulled. With Blaze's help, Kyle pushed with his foot and found himself standing on the wing next to her.
"Whew!" he said, breathing hard, "thanks, that was close."
"No problem."
He realized she was still holding his hand. She had a strong grip, leading Kyle to wonder about what kind of shape she was in. Obviously good, he thought.
Blaze let go and reached for a section of hull that covered the compartment used for holding an astromech droid. As she pulled it free, Kyle noticed something right away.
"Is that an R-5 unit?"
"Exactly," Blaze replied, pointing, "and that's why."
Leaning forward, Kyle turned his head to look behind the astromech. Just behind it sat a hyperdrive unit, its hookups reaching out to the R-5 unit.
"Wow," Kyle said, truly amazed.
"So," Blaze said, looking directly at him, "I showed you my ship, how about you show me yours? I've heard a lot about the Moldy Crow,"
"Sure," Kyle said, "I'd be happy to show it to you."
Blaze held out a hand, indicating he should go first.
"Oh, you mean now?"
"No time like the present," Blaze said, jumping down to the deck.
Smiling somewhat stupidly, Kyle jumped down too and led Blaze over to the Crow
"I'll warn you now, she's not much to look at."
As the ship came into view, Blaze stopped, her eyes shifting to take it all in.
"A VT-1300! I've heard of these ships, but never thought I'd see one. It's a really old design."
"But still good enough to get the job done," Kyle said, his smile now one of admiration for his ship. "C'mon, let me introduce you."
Blaze's wide smile as she followed him made Kyle feel like nothing else he could remember. As he showed her the Moldy Crow, she favored him with that smile again and again. And each time, his heart beat a bit faster.
"Ahem."
The two of them turned to see Jan standing nearby, her face a mask of barely controlled anger.
"Hi Jan," Kyle said, "what…"
"We had a mission briefing," she said flatly.
"Sure, but…"
"That started fifteen minutes ago."
Kyle's eyes flew to his chrono. Sure enough, it was a quarter past the hour.
Five minutes laterMon Mothma took another look at the time display. Kyle and Blaze were late. Now, she wondered why it was taking Jan so long to find them.
With a whoosh, the door slid aside and a panting Kyle Katarn ran into the room, followed closely by Blaze. The door slid shut only to open less than a minute later as a composed, but angry looking Jan Ors strode in. Coming to her feet, the Rebel leader spoke.
"Kyle, Blaze," she said with no inflection, "we had a mission briefing that was due to begin twenty minutes ago."
Sheepishly, Kyle tried to explain.
"I'm sorry, Mon Mothma, we were…."
"It's actually my fault, Mon Mothma," Blaze interrupted, stepping in front of him, "I asked Kyle to show me his ship and in doing so, caused us to lose track of time. Please accept my apologies."
Behind her, Kyle stood silent, stunned by her words.
"Kyle?" Mon Mothma said, "Do you have anything to say?"
He thought for a moment. He was as much to blame as Blaze. But she had essentially told Mon Mothma the truth of what happened.
"I offer my own apologies, Mon Mothma."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jan looking at him, as if wanting him to say more. But what else was there to say?
"Very well," the older woman said, sitting down, "don't let it happen again. Now, to the mission."
Relieved, Kyle took a seat and was pleasantly surprised when Blaze sat next to him. Jan took the next chair, giving Blaze a brief glare.
"Despite our successes on Anteevy and the Blood Moon, we've received intelligence that General Mohc has managed to manufacture several hundred Dark Troopers."
She let the silence hang. Opposite her, the three agents exchanged glances, each realizing the threat posed by this new weapon.
"Phase 1 or Phase 2?" Blaze asked.
"Both, I'm afraid. We also have rumors of a possible Phase 3 type, but details are sketchy at best."
"So what are we going to do?" Kyle asked, "I've been up against those things and if the Empire unleashes them on a populated world, it'll be a slaughter."
"Sadly, we believe such a test has already been conducted."
"WHAT!" all three chorused.
Mon Mothma held up a hand to quiet them.
"Kyle, Jan, do you remember your mission to Talay?"
"Do I ever," Kyle said, and Jan nodded.
"We now believe that Talay was the site of a Dark Trooper attack."
"Of course!" Jan blurted out, "The sound we heard on the distress message."
"Was the sound of Dark Trooper insertion pods landing," Mon Mothma said, "and orbital scans detected a total of six launches from Mohc's ship, the Arc Hammer."
"Six troopers did all that?"
"Wait," said Blaze, "I wasn't briefed on the Talay mission. What did you find?"
"Complete devastation," Jan said, "the entire base was wiped out."
"By only six troops?"
"Blaze, I saw it myself," Kyle said emphatically, "there was nothing left alive at Tak Base. And the base was little more than a collection of smashed permacrete and scrap metal."
"There is no doubt the Dark Troopers represent a significant threat to the Rebellion and to worlds sympathetic to it," Mon Mothma said, "and that is why they must destroyed, at any cost."
All three agents knew what that meant.
"So, what's the plan?" Kyle asked.
"We have only one hope of ridding the galaxy of the Dark Trooper threat. We believe General Mohc has assembled all his forces on the Arc Hammer. If we can destroy that ship, we destroy the Dark Troopers with it."
"And that probably means infiltrating the ship somehow," Blaze ventured.
"Exactly," Mon Mothma replied, "but in order to do this, we must first locate it."
"And how can we do that?" Jan asked.
"We received a report from one of our spies that the Empire has been negotiating with the Hutts to create a navigation card. When completed, it will enable the Arc Hammer to remain in hyperspace except for course changes or to launch an attack."
"The Hutts," Blaze mused, "that probably means we're going to Nal Hutta and negotiate to get this card."
"We had considered that," Mon Mothma said, "and did send an envoy to the Hutts twelve days to purchase the nav card. He has yet to return or report in."
"Okay," Blaze said, realizing what that meant, "So we scratch Plan A. What's Plan B?"
"I can tell you that," Kyle said, his voice quiet and almost despondent.
Jan and Blaze turned to look at him. His head was hanging down, eyes closed.
The two women waited expectantly as Kyle said two words.
"Nar Shaddaa."