"You sure this is the place?" Lee asked over his comlink. He was back on Tatooine in Mos Eisley, his least favorite place to be.
"Location was confirmed by Commander Skywalker. Apparently he last saw the contact in Mos Espa," Rya answered over the connection. "The Princess says he comes highly recommended by Solo."
"Nothing like a Corellian suggestion. What's this hotshot's name again?" Lee asked as he scoped the outside of the cantina. There were two stormtroopers posted at the door.
"Rendar," Rya responded. "Dash Rendar. Has a droid called Leebo. I'm dropping in on him now as well as scoping out the ship."
"It's called the Outrider," Lee reminded her.
"You can't remember his name but you remember the ship?" Rya teased.
"It's easy to remember things when they're beautiful,"Lee continued to watch the entrance. "Why do you think I learned your name so quickly?"
"Focus Captain," Rya warned. "You can flirt with me later."
"No better time than the present. Do you trust the Princess's judgment on this?" He asked as he saw a citizen approach the stormtroopers.
"Not entirely," Rya admitted. "Which is why I asked you to follow up with Captain Arde."
"Ha," Lee laughed as he crossed the street toward the cantina. This was his chance to enter while the guards were distracted. "Kina said she heard of him but never worked with him. Said he has the disposition of not wanting to owe anyone or vice versa."
"Kina used the word 'disposition' ?" Rya joked.
She and Lee had been doing well since leaving Yavin. She was no longer serving as a counsel member and Lee had decided he was a better fighter on the ground than in the sky. If anything the two were trying to find some balance since the Civil War had erupted. Even if it meant taking a step back from their advancements in the Alliance.
"Come now Lieutenant, pilots know big fancy words too," He laughed, "I'm going in."
"See you in a bit," as she cut her transmission.
Lee entered the room scanned over the usual gathering of riff raff in the local bar. In the corner by the holo-darts, he spotted a red haired man with piercing green eyes. Lee could already tell he was going to be difficult to deal with. If anything he would use all the interactions with Han Solo as a guide to Corellian Etiquette.
"Rendar," Lee said as he approached the mercenary. "I'm Captain Lee Tersu. I've heard a lot about you. I have a business proposition for you, if you're interested."
"Ha," Rendar chuckled as he took a sip from his cup. "Well that depends on your source. Who sent you my way, Cappie ?"
"Fellow Corellian of yours, Solo" Lee said, still standing. He was not a fan of the nickname 'Cappie' but he knew it was only the pilot's Corellian arrogance showing.
"Oh that scoundrel," Rendar smirked and kicked the chair out for Lee to take a seat. "I still don't buy that Kessel Run record."
"Hard to fathom in YT-1300 light freighter even if it's modified," Lee remarked as he took a seat. "Much easier to believe if he were flying a YT-2400."
"The Outrider is twice the ship the Falcon is, but any 'real' Captain can see that. And by the way, flattery will get you nowhere Cappie," Rendar noted. He was amused by Lee's knowledge of his ship, but also suspicious.
"What will?" Lee bluntly asked.
"Credits," Rendar smiled. "And full disclosure of the job. I'm an ace flying through an asteroid field, but why fly backwards through it with your eyes closed? Just for bragging rights? Ha, not me. That's Solo's MO. Last job I took with you laserbrain rebels left the Outrider in dismal shape."
"You sure that was due to lack of information? Not your inability to outrun Imps?" Lee pressed to see if Rendar could take a joke or was a hothead
"Well if it were the ladder, what you doing here?" Rendar leaned back in his chair cool and collected.
"I see you have a sense of humor," Lee chuckled. "Something Solo thinks he has but doesn't realize he's the punchline. I hear the wookie is the brains behind the whole operation.
Rendar laughed. He had nothing personal against Han Solo other than he was in constant competition with the man. He joked a number of times that Chewbacca was the true mastermind in the Falcon and hearing someone else say so put him at ease. He could use the job and the credits, but frankly he was bored. He could use the entertainment.
"So what's the gig?" Rendar sat up straight.
"Simple grab and go,"Lee began.
"If it's anything I've learned over the years, nothing is 'simple' if you're hiring out for it," Rendar stated which was true.
"We've scouted a number of crates containing food and supplies on a docking platform just outside the Anoat sector."
"So in the general vicinity," Rendar listened intently.
"We need them boosted and delivered to a location which will be transmitted to you once you confirm the cargo is on board for security purposes."
"What's the catch?"
"Catch?"
"Yeah. What makes this job so 'simple'?" Rendar asked suspiciously. Lee hesitated. "Look I ain't got no love for the Empire. But I do my best work when I know all my blindspots. So level with me Cappie."
"It's an Imperial Docking platform. Half the crates you're boosting contain assault blasters. There's a semi-blockade in route. Me and my crew have a stolen cargo tanker loaded with proton bomb which we'll release to deactivate it clearing the path for you," Lee revealed.
He was starting to come around the Corellian hotshot. As much of a tough guy front he had on, Lee could see he was solely focused on the job at hand. He was a professional.
"Well that almost sounds like fun," Rendar smiled. "Now the awkward part. Pay?"
"We're offering you 10,000. Four now and the remainder when you deliver the inventory."
"How 'bout we try that percentage again?" Rendar countered.
"Seven. We can give you seven up front," Rya said as she joined the two men. "Lieutenant Rya Dax."
"Excuse me sister but you're much too pretty to be a Lieutenant."
"Are all Corellians as thick as you?" Rya rebuked.
"Just trying to pay you a compliment Lieutenant," Dash said. "Seven…alright. See my droid Leebo about the payment."
"I've just come from there," Rya said. Dash raised his eyebrow impressed.
"I see why you're the Lieutenant. One step ahead of things. Alright then. See you all in your tanker. Lieutenant. Cappie.," He nodded goodbye and headed toward his ship.
"Cappie?" Rya rolled her eyes as Lee laughed amused.. "A carbon copy of Solo if you ask me."
"I disagree," Lee said. "He's his own. Why such a high percentage up front? That's more than usual. Anything we should be worried about?"
"Nope. I gave the droid four." Rya said.
"Rya?!," Lee was surprised by Rya's swindle.
"Relax," she said. "Not like he's going to count it before the job is done or else he wouldn't have the droid in charge of payment. We'll pay the full 10 when he arrives on Hoth."
Lee smiled and watched his wife. She was glowing. Something had lit inside of her. A new fire. She was more beautiful than ever.
"What?" Rya asked. "Why you staring at me like that?"
"No reason," he said. "I think Rendar has a point. You are too pretty to be a Lieutenant. Should have stayed on the council where it's safe."
"And leave all the fun for you and Denz? Not a chance Tersu," she said and kissed him.
"Rendar?" Denz said, trying to place the name. Riq and Jules were sitting behind him and Lee in the cockpit of Cargo Tanker, as Rya was in the control room preparing the transmission to send to Outrider when it was in range. "Hmm nope can't place him."
"Corellian smuggler," Riq informed everyone. "Was the personal bodyguard of Javul Charn before she was assassinated."
"The holostar?" Denz asked and looked at Lee. "Rubbing elbows with the rich and famous? You sure this guy's legit?"
"He's an Imp," Jules cut into the conversation. "Man's from a rich Corellian family. They used to own RenTrans. But pretty boy didn't want to take over the family biz so he entered the Imperial Naval Academy. That nerfherder would have been an Imperial Officer by now if he hadn't been expelled by the Emperor himself."
"Expelled," Denz was curious to hear more of the man they just blindly hired.
"He had a brother, Stanton. He was piloting a company freighter when the control engine blew and caused it to crash straight into the Emperor's personal museum. No pilot could have prevented the accident. The Rendars lost everything. Their business, their future, their son," Riq continued the story with more empathy than Jules could muster.
"One less imperial sympathizer in the galaxy," Jules added.
"Best not to speak ill of the dead," Lee cut her off. He had looked into Rendar's past more after their encounter. Everything Jules and Riq said was true, but he had a feeling Rendar had come to his senses and seen what the Empire really was once tragedy struck. To him Rendar was willing and able to assist the alliance and he wasn't about to let Jules personal hatred get in the way. At this point in the war they needed everyone who was willing to help. "Xizor Transport Systems was a huge competitor of RenTrans. They should have been investigated to see if they had anything to do with it. But Xizor is in bed with the Empire so nothing was ever looked into."
"Your point Tersu?" Jules asked. "Last I checked you had no tolerance for anyone with Imperial ties."
"People make mistakes," Lee said curtly.
He had begun to notice Jules was not the same person he once knew. She had become hard and vindictive. Her thirst for combat and devotion to bring down the Empire had clouded her judgment and extinguished any empathy out of his old friend. She was a loose cannon.
"People make choices," Jules corrected. "And those choices have consequences."
"There it is," Riq pointed out the blockade hoping to end the pointless debate. "Better hope those codes work."
"Blockade Clearance Operator here. Send your clearance codes and name your cargo and its destination," a voice cut over the radio.
"Spare parts headed to the junkyard," Lee answered. "Imperial Order to dispose in the Rim to keep the Core clean. Falls under the new Imperial Clean Act."
"Standby," the blockade operator ordered.
"Ry," Denz asked through the ship's internal intercom. "Got those proton bombs ready?"
"Ready when you are," she confirmed as we waiting in the back if the tanker ready to deploy them.
"I know it's too late but why couldn't we come in a light freighter with some guns? In this tanker we got one shot and then need to run," Jules said, annoyed.
"Light Freighter would have drawn too much suspicion. Plus we can haul more bombs in this thing so we can knock out the right side of the blockade," Lee said as they approached the deflector shield slowly. "Come on…."
"I don't think they're buying it," Denz said, gripping the controls as they got dangerously close to the energy shield, nearly skimming it.
"Cargo Tanker, shield's being deactivated," the operator said. "Proceed."
"On my signal," Lee as he coasted above the shield. He eased the Freighter close to the shield generators. They flickered as the shield dissipated. Lee quickly swerved and positioned the freighter vertically."Fire in the hole!"
"Protons away!" Rya yelled and opened the back hatch door and watched the bomb fall. The bomb exploded as the section of the blockade caught fire. It wouldn't take out the blockade but it would keep it out of commission for the next few minutes to let Rendar through.
"Better make a run for it," Denz said as he saw a Trio of ties fly out of the blockade's hanger. "Only three? We must be losing our touch. Before they would send a whole convoy."
"Prepare to jump," as Lee adjusted the controls the ship shook. They were hit. "Shield up Denz!"
"I'm working on it," Denz yelled with panic in his voice. "Where are they in this thing!?"
"Damn," Lee rolled the tanker trying to shake the Fighters on their tail. "The turn radius on this thing is horrible!"
"You can give us your full review once you get us out of this!"Jules yelled as they were hit again.
"Shields are up!" Denz alerted. "They should last long enough until you can jump to lightspeed."
"I can't jump with them following," Lee said. He moved the tanker side to side hoping to avoid the laserfire but there wasn't much he could do. Luckily the shields on the tanker were twice as strong as any other freighter. "Hang on. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
BOOM!
The laser fire stop and from behind came the Outrider.
"That's some terrible flying Cappie. You sure the Rebellion didn't make a mistake making you a captain?"
"You try flying this hunk of junk," Lee laughed with relief.
"If I wanted to fly something that ugly I would just ask Han for a go in the Millennium Falcon," Rendar said as he flipped his ship sharply and shot down the remaining two Tie Fighters. The two ship jumped to light speed to get distance between them and the blockade.
"Show off," Jules muttered. Rya entered the cockpit and joined the crew.
"Cargo all accounted for unlike your advancement," Rendar said.
"If you're going to have your droid in charge of your finances you should remind him to count it," Rya slyly said.
"Well played Lieutenant," Dash said. "But I don't like it one bit
"Apologies, won't happen again," Rya promised
" So where am I taking this load?" Dash asked with boredom in his voice.
"Transmitting coordinates now," Rya reached over Lee and pressed the transmission button.
"Hoth?" Rendar remarked. "You rebels are full of surprises."
"Now that's a compliment," Rya playfully remarked.
"Keep close, Cappie," Rendar said. "I'll get you to the Ice planet in one piece."
"Thanks Dash." Lee said grateful.
"Hey, this ain't a favor," he clarified. "I'm tacking on an extra 2000 as an escort fee."
"Fair enough,"Lee said. "Pleasure doing business with you."
"Pleasure's all mine."