I'm back with another chapter! And before we begin, I'll answer a couple more of your questions from PM's...
1) Freya is stronger than she seems right now. Resilience in the face of terrible things you can't escape requires more strength than it takes to overcome what you can. If anyone were to call her a "damsel in distress", she'd probably break their face for it.
2) No, Thorne isn't based on my wife/girlfriend, or anyone else for that matter. She's an invention of my imagination. And if she were real, she probably wouldn't go out with me, seeing as I'm little more than a washed-up mercenary with a cynical outlook on life.
That out of the way, let us resume the story. Please send me your reviews.
Freya entered her quarters and sat down on her small bed. She was ecstatic at how the evening had gone. She and the commander had once again beaten the training simulation at its highest setting, and this time, they had played off of each-others' strengths against the droids. It had been like a dance, a beautiful, deadly combat tango of twirling about one another, and him even using momentum to launch her at the enemy. Her heart was fluttering again just thinking about it. She lay back and stared at the ceiling.
"Yer' goin' to get in trouble thinkin' like that…." She muttered to herself. It was just them working well together. That was it. So why did she feel so giddy? If anything, it made her feel a little shame. They were turning into great pals, and they worked so well together. In fact, if everything worked out, and he found a way to get her transferred away from Raliss, she might end up on his team. Meeting Drakken Tharcourt was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to her. And yet she felt guilt that the best way her emotions could cope with that was to go all atwitter for him every time they were less that two meters apart. 'Keep it friendly, or you'll ruin it all.' She told herself.
It didn't seem to help. He was so sweet, so valiant and so magnanimous that Freya couldn't help but be attracted to him. It was a guilty pleasure at this point. She knew she had to keep it hidden deep inside. Every time he smiled at her, every time he consoled her when she was down, all of the witty banter between them, it felt like a light was being shed, like a supernova erupting from her heart, and she had to hide it. When they had dominated the training droids, she had resisted the urge to grab him in a hug and kiss him deeply. When she had left his office to return to her room, she had fantasized about him caressing her cheek and saying something sweet and cliched like 'I'll see you soon, love.'.
"Come on, I don't e'en know him that well." She said to no one in the dark room. "It's stupid…stupid…I aren't in love with 'im, for pity's sake." Her eyes widened a moment. 'Oh kriff…'
…..
Commander Tharcourt walked briskly down the hall toward the office of Delta-7. He hummed some jaunty military air or another that he couldn't remember the name of, a spring in his step. He couldn't figure out why he was content. His back was sore from a stun-bolt strike, but he still felt like the proverbial tooka cat that ate the bulabird. The training time with Freya had been exhilarating to say the least. Drakken had never fought side-by-side with someone like that. Her astounding acrobatics combined with his shooting prowess had resulted in the most dramatic combat he'd ever experienced. That girl was amazing in battle. He opened the bulkhead door and stepped in.
"Evening, sir." Gallen and Ekks greeted.
"Evening troopers. What's the good word?" He returned.
"Ah, there's a big to-do in a couple hours in the enlisted man club. Free beers for anyone who was in the battle for Yavin." Ekks commented. "They brought in a nice Twi'lek dancer too, sir. Promised no action for any offense less than a grade 3. Tonight only. We're thinking about going. Me and a couple of the guys." Gallen grinned innocently.
"Go on then." Tharcourt stated graciously. "You fellows earned it. Just watch it with the free beer, eh?"
"Oh no worries, commander." Ekks replied. "I'm Corellian. We use beer as baby formula." Tharcourt scoffed and shook his head. "Oh, and Sergeant Daraay is in your office, sir." Drakken looked toward the door.
"Thank you." He said in a detached tone. He made his way to his office and entered, closing the door behind him. Sitting patiently in front of his desk was Daraay, her helmet sitting in the chair next to her. She looked at him, her amber eyes glowing slightly in the darkness of the room. To anyone else, a six-foot-five woman in black armor with glowing eyes might seem a bit off-putting. They just didn't know any death troopers personally.
"You're sitting here in the dark?" He asked, walking to his desk chair.
"It doesn't bother me, sir. I can see perfectly." She replied. He slowly slid the lighting dial up on his desk, lightening the room to a comfortable dim. It seemed dramatically appropriate for what this meeting must be about.
"I take it you made good on your guarantee." He began.
"I was able to find a modicum of information in the last few hours." She answered. Daraay drew out a small stack of papers and sat them before the commander. "I was able to splice into the main personnel records. I wrote down all of the information. Paper doesn't leave an electronic footprint sir. I thought it would be best."
"Operational security is always a good idea." Tharcourt said with a smile. He leafed through the papers as Daraay spoke.
"Raliss, Kareeda Laseen. Born three-ten of seventy-nine-thirty-three on Coruscant. Parents; Taiga Vataal Raliss, currently Imperial Propaganda Deputy Director, and Major Belian Raliss, Naval Intelligence Agency.
"Oh kriff me…" Tharcourt groaned. Daraay shook her head in understanding and continued. "They are also shareholders in BlasTech, and have close ties with Coruscanti Imperial Administration."
"Mas Amedda…" The commander sighed.
"Amongst others." She added. "Kareeda Raliss attended medical university on Coruscant, majoring in human and near-human anatomy. Files indicate she was taken out of university before her senior year, following an undisclosed incident. She was enrolled in Imperial Academy that same year, and it seems she either excelled in her classes or was intentionally allowed to graduate early. She was placed in NIA, but requested transfer to prisoner interrogation duties after six months. She was assigned to The Accuser three years ago. Other than that, records show that she is exceptional at interrogation and has been reported to superiors a total of seven times for brutality and abuse, but in all instances, accusations were dropped."
"Abuse on prisoners?"
"No sir. On Imperial personnel."
"Ugh, what a carbon flush. So she has connections, money, and she's a regular hellcat." Drakken said, boiling it all down to a single unpalatable sentence. "Outstanding."
"I…may have something else, sir." Daraay stated. "I asked around, looking for…you know, scuttlebutt as they say."
"Yes?"
"Well, I had to change out of my armor. Haven't worn a regular dress uniform in years. It was strange, sir. Nobody wanted to speak to me otherwise. They just tended to run away."
"That…is sort of funny, sergeant." He said with a light laugh. "What did you find out when you stopped scaring the poor naval troopers to death?"
"Well sir…Ensign Thorne. She is assigned to Raliss."
"Yes…"
"Captain Raliss has had three ensigns assigned to her. One, a Lieutenant Egram Drier is her adjutant currently.
"I believe I met him." Drakken commented.
"He has been reported twice for inappropriate actions toward a female, but both times the charges were dropped." Tharcourt felt a little nauseated, imagining Freya having to work with a pervert who was protected by his superior. "And that's not all. The other two…"
"This is bad, isn't it?" Drakken muttered, feeling a lump in his throat.
"Commander, If the rumors are true, then I'm concerned for Ensign Thorne's welfare." Daraay said, her voice holding a slight edge. "One defected and joined the rebels after three months. The latest, that is the one immediately before Thorne…she served for two months, then committed suicide by blaster."
"I can't…" Drakken choked out. "Stars…I can't imagine what hell that ensign must've gone through…"
"No sir." Sergeant Daraay said in a low voice. Tharcourt huffed and spun completely around in his chair out of frustration. "Can I assume that this…espionage operation is related to Ensign Thorne's…continued presence here?"
"Don't you be getting the wrong idea too, sergeant." Tharcourt groaned.
"I've heard the scuttlebutt on the team, commander." She nodded. "Not my place to judge either way. I do find her company…enjoyable. As do some of the others." She gave a slight smile. "I am loyal to you, Commander Tharcourt. I still trust that this is a necessary task." He nodded his thanks.
"Then yes. It is about Ensign Thorne. She and I are colleagues. Friends. I take care of my friends, sergeant."
"I know, sir." She returned. "And your team."
"Not much difference." He said truthfully. She processed that for several moments.
"I have learned that, sir." Daraay remarked. "You've taught me that my own loyalty is to my teammates, second only to my orders." Tharcourt smiled.
"And that's about as best as it gets with a death trooper." He commented.
"Yes sir." She stated. "Imperial protocols don't alter desire. They just take precedence."
"Hm."
The next two days, the team trained relentlessly. Their last mission, despite being successful, showed that they had to be ready for not only unconventional engagements, but direct assaults as well. It was much akin to their first, nearly botched mission; They learned that the unit had to be ready for anything, even actions that were supposedly out of their normal range of activities. Especially now that Delta-7 was answering to a new hierarchy within Imperial command and control, there was no telling what kind of operations they may be called upon to carry out.
They utilized the training hall extensively, using the holoprojector to simulate different environments, and facing off against training droids in mock-battles. They sometimes split into teams, using very low-powered stun bolts to have more realistic battle simulations in which they pitted their own skills and tactics against one another. On the second day, Freya joined them after work, and happily took part in the training with them. Tharcourt and the rest of the team learned quickly that though the young ensign had no real combat experience, she was quite adaptable under fire.
Her only training had been the standard academy teachings of 'send your men into the breech and shoot at the enemy', which worked well if you had superior numbers and were fighting a weaker enemy. Her childhood training of closing within melee range, and a certain degree of cautiousness on her part led her to constantly attempt to get as close as possible to the opposing team before engaging. At first, the team didn't comprehend what she was doing. Then, with a little instruction from Tharcourt, Felian and Daraay, she was able to start holding her own, and did well acting as a squad leader during the force-on-force training.
On the third day, the team had a short away mission, checking out what was believed to be a small, abandoned rebel base. The Accuser hung near the planetoid, and the team went down in their ship, planning and executing the raid as if it were against an enemy stronghold. Once they had arrived on the deserted moon, they found a few empty buildings, discarded crates, and two Y-wing bombers which had been stripped clean of most of their useful parts. A large fuel tank sat by the craft, it too devoid of all but a little residual starship fuel. The rebels had obviously been here, but all indications pointed to them having evacuated a week or so before, probably sometime around the battle of Yavin-4. Their findings only strengthened what Imperial Intelligence had predicted; the rebels had gone into hiding.
The evening of the next day found Tharcourt in his office, going over their battle reports, trying to find some pattern in the rebels' movements, some indication of where they could be hiding. It wasn't technically his job, but he figured that if anyone in the Empire could predict the way the insurgents would be thinking and acting, it would be someone like him. He looked up from his work as Thorne entered the office. She gave him a small, nervous smile and sat in front of his desk. Drakken sighed, knowing immediately that something was amiss. He noted that her left cheek was red, and her uniform tunic was slightly rumpled.
"You alright?" He asked.
"I'll…I'll be okay, Drakken…" She whispered. "Just 'ad t' get away for a while."
"What happened?" He asked in a low voice. She sniffed and looked down.
"Nothin'…it's okay. I jes'…wanna sit here a while, okay?" She returned in a hollow sort of way. Drakken slid his tin of cigarras across the desk, along with a pocket torch. She lit up one of the tabac rollups, and took a deep drag, staring at the far wall of the office. He watched her for a moment. Freya seemed deep in thought.
"If you want to…"
"Jes' shut up, Drakken…please." Thorne stated. "I can't…I gotta process this for a minute." She took another drag, and bit at the flesh around her thumbnail. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke again. "Don't judge me, Drakken." She muttered.
"I wouldn't…" He said. "Never, Freya." She sniffled, took another drag of the cigarra and crushed it out in the tray on the desk.
"You think I look like a slag in me uniform?" She asked outright. "Some dumb little trollop?"
"What? No." Tharcourt answered. She stared at him as if to demand more. "It's different, yes. But not in a bad way. I…I think it suits you, Freya." She bit her lip and looked away again.
"Raliss said…" She paused a moment. "She said I look like a common prostitute, an' that it's a disgrace t' the Imperial Navy."
"Freya…" Tharcourt sighed. "Look at where it's coming from. You can't…"
"She didn't believe me…" The ensign said forlornly. "No…kriff it…she did. She jes' didn't do a thing about it except tell me it was me own fault…"
"Wh…what are you talking about?" Drakken asked.
"Lieutenant Drier…" Thorne explained, seemingly at a loss for words. "He…I don't know what he did." Tharcourt leaned back in his chair and started flexing the stylus in his hand with his thumb. He already felt the heat of anger starting to spread.
"Tell me." The commander stated in a cold tone.
"I was…cleanin' the office, Drakken." She began. "An' I was alone with 'im. He was behind me, and he shoved me into a desk an'…" Freya's eyes darted about fearfully. "He pushed again' me hard. Oh fark…I can't do this…"
"Freya…tell me. It's okay." Drakken said, his voice as cool as a dead star, but his blood starting to boil.
"He told me that he knew I wanted 'im, that he loved the way my body looked, and he…he wanted a piece of the action. I told him to shove off, but he just forced himself on me more. I got free, and told the filthy bastard if he touched me again, I'd gut 'im like a ghest. He told Raliss I'd threatened him, and she dressed me down. I told her what he'd done, and she called me a sodding liar! She said I'd made it up, and that I was comin' onto him!" Tharcourt felt a snap, and looked down to see that he'd broken the stylus in his right hand.
"I looked at her…I can't take this anymore, Drakken…" Freya panted, tears in her eyes. "I told 'er I was sick o' bein' the scapegoat…that I didn't need t' be treated like this." She threw her cap off and clutched the fabric of her tunic in both hands. "She slapped me and grabbed me up. Threw me into the wall, and said if I act up like that again, she'd kriffin' slot me. Called me a 'wildspace hoor', and said I either served me purpose and submitted, or I'd be…" She trailed off. Tharcourt was barely in control of his emotions, no matter how well he hid it. He knew he had to be calm and supportive for his friend. Inside, he felt like going Base Delta Zero
"You'd be…what?" Tharcourt whispered. Freya shook like a cold chill had just come over her. She lit another cigarra.
"She made me understand, Drakken…that there are a lot of ways to die on one a' these ships. She mentioned fallin' in a trash compactor, and bein' shot from an airlock…among others."
"She won't hurt you, Freya." Tharcourt stated. "I won't let her. I promise."
"You can't protect me all the time." Thorne muttered dismally. "I wanted t' kill her."
"I know." Drakken said. "If I could, I'd be there with…" He stopped himself, but Freya caught his meaning.
"I know, Drakken." She muttered. "Yer so good t' me…and I don't know why…I'm not worth all a' this…I'm not…"
"Stop that." He ordered. "Don't you even think that way, Freya. You're worth it. To me. I'm gonna get you out of this pile of dung, and everything will be okay."
"Can you? Will it?" She shot back. He walked around his desk and guided Freya up from the chair. He looked into her eyes.
"I can, and I will." He said resolutely. "Don't you doubt that I'm gonna do whatever it takes. You're not facing this mess alone. Kark it. You go down, I'm going with you."
"Why?" She asked in a soft voice.
"Because…" He struggled to find the words. "You're more than just someone I'm helping. You're my friend, Freya…I'm…I don't…" He sighed. "I'm glad we met. I…I never had many close friends, and you…I mean…" She shook her head.
"Stars…" She whispered with a little smile. "You're terrible with this stuff, Drakken."
"Yeah…I kind of am." He admitted. "Comes with being on my own so long, I guess…" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "But I ain't…and neither are you." She suddenly grabbed him in a hug. Tharcourt had no idea what to do at first, then awkwardly placed an arm around her.
"Thank you, Drakken." She breathed. "Ye don't know what all this means t' me."
"It's…It's nothing…" He tried to say.
"No…it's everything." She contended. "You ain't e'en known me long…you didn't have t' help me. But ye did…ye do, Drakken." She broke the hug, and pulled back, holding him by the shoulders, tears sparkling in her emerald green eyes. "Yer me best friend, I want ye t' know that. I trust ye like I ne'er trusted anyone, and I don't know why. I jes know…that I ne'er want to part from ye."
"Freya…" Drakken said softly. He had no idea that he meant that much to the young woman. He didn't think he had ever mattered that much to anyone. Yet here was this young ensign, someone he had only known for a couple of months, stating just that. He didn't even think about his actions. He embraced her in a hug. "I trust you too, my friend." He said. "And however this thing ends, I want us to be able to spend time together like we have been." She nodded. He pulled away. "It's gonna be alright, Freya."
Drakken slowly strode down the hallway near the bridge of The Accuser. After the last evening with Freya, he knew he had to act more quickly than he'd initially thought. He had thought deeply about the situation, and had arrived at one conclusion; If he were going to help Thorne, he needed some help. If there was anyone on the vessel who could help against someone as influential as this Raliss, it would have to be him. Tharcourt stopped by a doorway, andpressed the call button beside the hatch. A moment later came the grumpy reply from within.
"Yes?"
"It's Commander Tharcourt, sir." He stated.
"Well, come in then." The door slid open, and Tharcourt entered the office. Captain Piett sat behind his desk in the large room, four holopads and a stack of disks in front of him. He held one in his right hand as he watched his old friend sit down at his desk.
"Never seen you look so somber…" Piett stated curiously.
"Firmus…" Drakken began. "I have a bit of a problem, and I may need your help."
"If I can, I will." Piett returned, setting the datapad aside, and picking up another, starting to look over its contents. "What have you gotten yourself into, old man?"
"I need some help from above." The commander said vaguely. "It's about an officer."
"Making enemies, Drakken?" The captain commented with a smile. "Or has someone sealed their fate by making an enemy of you?" He chuckled a bit. "Surprised anyone would be foolish enough to do that, given your reputation." Tharcourt made a temporary detour of the matter at hand.
"Reputation?" He queried.
"Oh yes, it's gotten around…somehow, that you and your team has become a premiere Imperial Special Forces unit, and that you are under the command of Lord Vader. Many officers are making like you're the new Inquisitorius or something."
"Oh for the love of…" Tharcourt groaned. "And I take it you have done little to staunch the rumors…"
"What? And deny all those poor people the belief that my ship is home of the top commando unit in the Empire? To sadden them by saying that we don't have a war hero on board? I think not."
"Your altruism is a beacon to us all, my friend." Drakken deadpanned. Piett just grinned again. "Well, this war hero needs help from his old superior at dealing with a personnel problem. I thought since it's your ship, you might be able to do something."
"Define…something." Firmus stated, sounding suspicious.
"I don't know…maybe transferring someone from a certain officer's command, or even transferring the officer elsewhere. This officer is…I'll just say it…guilty of conduct unbecoming at best."
"Go on." Piett pressed.
"I have it on good faith that they mistreat subordinates, going so far as to commit abuse under Imperial Military law. Physical assault, deprivation of rations, unpaid overtime, just to name a few violations. I would like to see that the object of this officer's abuse is taken out of their command, even if punishment is implausible.
"You obviously never took my lessons to heart, Drakken." Piett stated. "Especially when it comes to meddling in the affairs of another officer, hm?" He gave an amused smirk.
"I did…and I have…" Drakken sighed. "But it can't be avoided this time. I can't bring myself to overlook it, Firmus…as an officer and a human being."
"I understand." Piett nodded. "Who is the officer?"
"A Captain Raliss…Interrogation officer, I understand." Piett's eyes darted back and forth a few times.
"Drakken…" He said in a hushed tone. "…I suggest you drop this, as a friend."
"Can't do it." Tharcourt confessed. "I'm aware that she has connections…"
"You have no idea what influence she and her family has." Piett advised. "She has been accused of various offenses in the past, but every time a case is opened, it gets shut down by someone on Imperial Center, or the claimant is advised as I am advising you; there are some places you don't go."
"It's that bad, huh?" Drakken muttered.
"You know I would help you in anything if I could." Firmus said defeatedly. "We've known each other for…centuries, it seems sometimes…" He sighed. "Pressing this issue, I could very well lose my command."
"I understand." Tharcourt groused. "Thanks anyway, old friend." He stood to leave, but Piett raised a hand.
"I know you, Drakken." He stated. "You aren't going to leave this alone." Tharcourt finally nodded.
"Can't…" He whispered.
"Then as I did when we were young, let me teach you something useful." The captain said. "You know those silly games of politicking and power plays that many officers partake in? The silent coups, the cronyism and buying of favors we hated so much back then?"
"Yes…I never got involved with all that garbage." Drakken remarked.
"Well, sometimes you can make it work for you." Piett counseled. "Is an evil done for a good cause still an evil?"
"That's a dangerous line, Firmus…" Drakken said, "…and one not well delineated."
"I realize that. But how important is this to you? What ends are you willing to go to in order to pull off this good deed of yours?" Tharcourt had to meditate on that one for a moment. What would he be willing to do to save Freya? The answer seemed more obvious than he initially thought. She was important to him. It struck him that he cared deeply for her, more than he wanted to admit, and he truly felt that breaking some long-held taboo seemed insignificant if it meant helping her. Firmus saw his friend's expression. "I thought so."
"So, what do I do?" Tharcourt asked, sounding lost.
"You're not a fool, Drakken." Piett answered. "Put that mind of yours to it. All regular channels are closed to you on this. She has connections to Naval Intelligence, and nobody knows how to assail an untouchable thing. You can't fight the obscure or unknowable. It can't be done, and if you're seen doing it, you'll be destroyed."
"Stars…after all these years, you're giving me one of those damned unsolvable problems…" Tharcourt grumbled.
"You'll figure it out." Piett said dismissively. He turned back to his work. "You tend to do that. Smarter than I ever was. Just…" He looked up. "Unconventional." Drakken couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"Thanks, Firmus."
Later that evening, Drakken sat at his desk. He stared at the blue button before him, the call button on the small communications set. It seemed so senseless, to be afraid of pressing it. On the other hand, he knew that if he did this, if he just pressed that little blue button, there would be no going back. He closed his eyes. It was for Freya. All of this was for her…for his best friend. He opened his eyes and pressed the button.
"Communications." A female voice said. He took a deep breath.
"Commander Tharcourt, Imperial Special Forces." He directed. "I need a secure comms link to ISB Major Zala Veruna at once."
"Hold please." The communications officer stated. The speaker beeped a few times. He tapped his index finger nervously against the desk. Finally, there was a click.
"Commander Tharcourt." The ISB Agent's voice greeted warmly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I um…I wish I could say I was calling under better circumstances." Tharcourt said dejectedly.
"Ahh. Then this must have to do with a certain pretty young officer, I'm taking it?" Veruna cooed. Tharcourt rolled his eyes. Surveillance footage, the call, gossip. Of course she knew. "I have to say…I'm kind of jealous."
"It…may have to do with that particular person, yes." He admitted. Veruna chuckled. "And she's not…I mean we're not…together like that."
"Oh no…of course not." Veruna said mockingly.
"Look, it has to do with her, but it doesn't." He stated, his voice becoming a little more commanding out of desperation. "I called you because you're about the only person I know who can help me."
"Well, what do you need, commander?" She inquired curiously. "And this is a secure line, so don't worry."
"In that case…I need…a favor." He said hesitatingly. "A big one, Veruna. And I…hate to say it, but um…I guess it's kind of…one of those things." There was a long silence.
"Oh. Wow…you're not one to play at those kinds of games." She returned. "I take it you've finally gotten into something way over your head."
"I have…" He sighed.
"You've played too close to those black holes, like I said." She said in a cautionary tone. "Now Drakey needs me to pull him out." Her voice was far too playful for his liking.
"Maybe this was a bad idea…" He muttered.
"Wait." Her voice came back. He heard her exhale sharply. "Damnit, Tharcourt…okay. I won't make you beg, no matter how much I'd like you to. Just because I can tell you're in it bad, and I still think you're delectable…I'll do you a favor." Before he could speak, she snapped a warning. "But you owe me one, Tharcourt. I should like, make it two for choosing that foxy little Ensign over me."
"If you can help me, I'm in your debt." He said humbly.
"What do you need?" She asked.
"Can you meet me? On the ship? Maybe…I don't know…make it look official or something?"
"Kriff, Tharcourt…what is this, a clandestine military operation?" Veruna shot. "Maybe I ought to make you owe me double."
"No, I'm just trying to handle this…low-key."
"Alright…" She sighed. "I'm finishing a case up right now. Been on it for six months. I swear I could kill someone…but they won't let me. Ugh. I can visit tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you." Tharcourt said gratefully. "It shouldn't take long."
"With you, I would want it to." Veruna quipped. Tharcourt felt himself start to blush for the first time in years. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself. I will be there tomorrow evening. And remember, you owe me one."
"Kriff…I owe you a big one." He said, then slapped his forehead at the realization of what he'd just said. Veruna just chuckled.
"You are an entertaining man, commander." She commented. "See you soon." The line clicked, and Tharcourt lay his head in his arms.
Now Drakken has Piett and his ISB contact helping him. What sort of plan can he concoct to get Freya away from Captain Raliss? And will the mysterious and flirty Agent Veruna be an ally, an enemy, or a love interest? I will try to have the next chapter up within a day or two...or three. I'm trying to sell one of my gaggle of cars right now so I can buy an HK Mark23. I like the car, and it has a 5.3LS, but I never drive the thing. It's such a pain trying to buy or sell anything in this economy. For kriff's sake, we need to unplug the country and plug it back in or something.
Anyway, enough mindless rambling. Until next time, send me your comments and questions, loyal readers. Tune in next time for another gripping installment of Imperials. Till then, Cheerio! -Drake