A StarWars Fable

by IAmElvie

The story is based on the SWTOR online game. There will be a mix of my characters & game NPCs. All class protagonists exist & occasionally come into contact with each other. My fable may veer some from the actual game content & timeline is imperfect. You will meet KOTOR descendants & a few Star Wars movie ancestors as well as whatever else I toss in. As always, mature readers only.

4. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Trooper

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Trooper – The Fall of Havoc

Ord Mantell

It was hard to believe they'd chosen her to be transferred into the special forces unit, Havoc Squad. The best of the best - and she was now part of that famous team. Her, a cathar. She thought for sure Thorman Johns, a talented human, would have gotten the position, even if his achievements were not quite on par with hers. As far as she was aware, only two non-humans had ever been a part of Havoc Squad, both of which were active duty currently.

The shuttle buffeted back and forth, distracting her from her thoughts. She gripped her chair until her knuckles felt numb as the shuttle hurtled through the crossfire between enemy ships. When it finally landed, she retracted her claws, their scrape against the metal seat seemingly unheard by the humans around her. But she'd heard it and it embarrassed her.

She squared her shoulders as she stepped out of the shuttle and into the hazy air of a warzone. She looked around, not quite sure whom she was to meet, but the large soldier in Havoc armor told her what she needed to know. She walked up to the soldier and saluted. With his return salute, he beckoned her to follow him onto the massive transport walker. So, she was either right where she needed to be or they would both soon have an eye-opening surprise.

Once seated Gearbox stretched out. "Ah…there's not a feeling in this galaxy like riding in a hundred-ton walker right through the middle of a combat zone, huh, kid?"

The driver popped on the intercom, preventing her from replying.

"Approaching Drelliad Village, sir. Scopes show small arms fire and enemy movements in all quarters. Separatists are definitely moving on the objective."

Gearbox looked over at the rookie. "Another beautiful day on Ord Mantell. You excited, kid? Nervous? You know, Wynter L'Vae,….you're the first new entry into Havoc Squad in some time."

"Do you know why they added another squad member?" she asked.

"The higher ups thought the fighting on Ord Mantell was getting too intense – they thought we need another pair of hands. Hell, maybe we do," he said with a chuckle.

"I'll fight the enemies with everything I've got, sir"

He found it hard to dislike the new recruit. She reminded him of his early, unjaded years. What he would give to have that feeling once more. The feeling of being on top of the world, full of belief and trust. Maybe her new, fresh outlook would help rekindle that in him. No, he was too old and beyond saving. Too much had happened for him to ever feel that way again. "No need to call me sir. We're in the field – you can lose the formality. Showing deference in the field can get an officer killed, kid. I'm Lieutenant Bex Kolos, but everyone in Havoc calls me Gearbox. We're a tight unit – you'll like it with us. Let me tell you why we're here. The separatists have nabbed a Republic bomb off a downed transport – a serious bomb, one of those orbital strike numbers. There's no telling where these grimy bushwhackers have hidden the thing. They have popular support and hideouts everywhere. Finding the bomb won't be easy."

"Maybe not, but we'll find it anyway, Gearbox – even if I have put my nose to the ground and sniff. I'm a damned good tracker," she said with a grin.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. It probably wasn't politically correct, but it was her joke. And it was true cathar noses could rival most canine noses. "I like you, kid. Wish you could have joined Havoc sooner." He leaned back in his seat. He'd have to be careful around her, she was too damned easy to talk to. "You'll get a full op brief once we rejoin Fort Garnik. For now, just sit back and -"

An explosion rocked the walker, smoke filled the cabin.

"Code red! Code red! We've been hit by an AP missile! A shoulder-launcher from somewhere in the village. Everyone hold on -" His words caught in his throat; he saw the rocket a moment before it slammed into the cockpit.

Gearbox grabbed his side with a grimace, the concussion damned near broke his ribs. "Damn it! The driver's down. Backwater separatists aren't supposed to have armor-piercing missiles! They'll tear up every convoy that passes through here!"

She rubbed the back of her neck and stretched her back. "If command didn't have that intel before, they sure do now. Hell of a fine wake up call, but a damned good objective. That arsenal needs removed from enemy hands."

"I agree with you, kid – that's why I'm sending you. Fixing things is my specialty, kid – I'm nowhere near the fighter you are. I'll stay behind and get this walker moving again. You disable the separatists' missile launchers. Understood?"

"Understood, s – Gearbox."

"The separatists will probably have their missile launchers piled together in a cache somewhere in the village. I'm sure you can track it." His lips twitched as he turned to open the door. "You can bet that cache will be heavily guarded. Find the cache, disable the missile launchers and then double time it back here. Got it, Wolf?"

"Oh, you are a laugh a minute, Gearbox. Looks like the Wolf's going hunting." She slipped around the LT and out the door.

"I really like you, kid…good luck," he murmured, his voice as somber as his mood.

The sights and sounds of war were everywhere. Civil wars were some of the nastiest…brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. The thought of such a thing curdled her blood. There were no winners in a civil war.

As expected, Drelliad Village was filled with separatists. But the greasy, charred scent of the fresh fired artillery led her to the cache of launchers. After she destroyed the cache, she hurried out of the village and slipped behind a tree that looked as if it had lived its last season.

She pulled out her holotransmitter. "Mission accomplished, Gearbox," she informed the LT.

"Nice work, Wolf! You've got talent – there's no denying that. I, however, didn't have much success. This walker isn't gonna be moving anytime soon."

"If it was possible, you'd have fixed it."

Damned if he didn't regret what was going to happen. Not for him, but for her. He would change things if he could, but there was no going back. "Thanks, Wolf. Shame about the driver, though. Poor guy never had a chance. I'm gonna stay here and salvage all the goodies off this wreck before someone else does. You better head for Formt Garnik. Stay sharp out there. I'll see you later."

No sooner has she stepped into the Republic Command Center when she was flagged down by a young soldier. Gearbox called her kid, before he gave her a nickname – but she was nowhere near as young as this kid.

Farn cleared his throat nervously. She wasn't what he expected at all. She was a cathar, but she was far more stunning than he'd have thought possible. Her silky coat was as white as snow, black markings lined her blue eyes making them look like large, bright blue gems on a bed of black velvet. Her lips full and inviting – not like the LT at all. Her blonde hair was tousled as if she'd just gotten out of bed. He flushed at where his thoughts had gone. "Excuse me, Sergeant? Uh – sorry to interrupt, but you're the new member of Havoc Squad, aren't you? I'm Farn, sir…ma'am. Private Farn. It's a real honor to meet you! Ord Mantell is my first post – I can't believe I'm here the same time as Havoc Squad!" He sucked in a breath. "And you're so…or, wha – what I mean to say is, uh, sir…ma'am, is that I wasn't expecting you to be so…"

"So…charming? Pretty? Strong? Intelligent? Any will do, private…I'm not picky."

Heat flooded into his cheeks. "Yes – yes…all of that. And…and more. If you don't mind sir…why is Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell?"

She smiled at the young man and hoped like hell he'd live to see the end of the war. "I'm sorry, private. We're special forces and I can't discuss the details of our mission. But I'm always open if you need someone to talk to, private."

She was willing to talk to him? Maybe ….no…not right now. But maybe soon. "Uh…thank you, sir! I won't take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have lots of important things to do."

"Then, I will talk to you later, private."

"I hope so, sir! Good bye!"

She spotted Havoc Squad and moved in to join them after the private rushed off.

Tavus frowned. "If we focus our efforts on M-sector, I'm certain that – Sergeant! Wolf! Welcome…welcome! Good to have you here. I'm Commander Harron Tavus, Havoc Squad's commanding officer. We're all excited to have some new blood in the unit. Let me introduce you to the other members of Havoc. My second in command, Captain Zora," he said, motioning to the mirialan, "is the squad's infiltration and assassination specialist. We call her Wraith."

"Wolf," Wraith said with a smirk.

"This is Fuse – Lt Vanto Bazren," he motioned to the zabrak. "He's an expert with every type of explosive in the known galaxy."

Fuse inclined his head. Gearbox had already talked about the newest member. It seemed the human quite liked her. He had heard the hesitation in his friend's voice. Was there something special about the cathar that gave Gearbox pause? "Oh, uh, yes…hello, Sergeant…er – Wolf. Good to meet you."

And this is Needles, Lt Ryler Dorant. Needles is a medical genius – he's particularly adept at synthesizing powerful new combat stimulants. And adrenals."

Needles bowed. "Perfection is my art, Wolf. It will be my honor to help you perform at your very best."

Something about the small man didn't sit well with her. She would give him a chance…he was part of the team, but she didn't trust him.

Tavus studied the new Sergeant for a brief moment. She didn't look green or nervous, but he'd keep an eye on her all the same, too much was riding on what happened here. "And, of course, you met Gearbox on your way here, so that's everyone. People, this is the new sergeant, Wynter L'Vae, otherwise called the Wolf." He grinned. "Don't think of the name as an insult. Gearbox only names people he likes. Wolf ranked first in the Academy in Forward Assault, Search and Destroy and Advance Recon. She proved her merit on Taris with difficult op and we are looking forward to see what she can do with Havoc Squad. It's good to have you, Wolf."

She inclined her head to the group. "It is a pleasure to be working with you all."

Tavus resumed his pacing. "Now, the reason we are all here: A Republic transport, carrying amongst its cargo, a ZR-57 orbital strike bomb, crashed into northern Avilatan six days ago."

"It sounds like someone on our side tipped off the seps," she put forth. Though, no doubt they'd already considered that.

Tavis gave a slight nod. "Yes, we've already considered that possibility – but we don't have time for a mole hunt. Recovering that bomb is priority one. We're investigating several leads to the bomb's location. But the one I'd like you to look into, Wolf, comes from a Republic spy named Bellis. He's too deep to exfiltrate, so I'll need you to rendezvous with him in Talloran Village in a small alley. I'll get you the coordinates. Find out what he'd discovered, then return immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," she replied stiffly. Tavus was not as easy to get along with as Gearbox. But it looked like Fuse might be the only other squad member she'd get on with…maybe the others will be more reachable after they work together for awhile and build a connection.

"I have one last introduction to make: This is Lt Aric Jorgan, an operations officer from the Republic's Ord Mantell's Infantry Command. Since we're on individual missions to search for this bomb, Lt Jorgan is coordinating our efforts from the mission room here."

One look at her and he knew she'd be trouble. He hadn't expected her to be cathar. He hadn't expected her scent to affect him. He hadn't expected to be drawn to her and that was unacceptable on too many levels. "All right, Sergeant," he growled. "I'll be overseeing your op through the camera mounted on your armor, so I see what you see. It's activated when you leave the fort." He leaned in aggressively. "I'll make this completely clear, rookie – when you're in the field, what I say goes. Period."

"With all due respect, sir, I have battle experience. I may not have served with Havoc Squad, but I'm no rookie," she pointed out.

"The other members of Havoc have proven themselves on dozens of ops, Sergeant," he growled. "You haven't."

"I have, sir" she growled back. "Check my record."

He was all but in her face, yet he couldn't pull back just yet. She challenged him and he found it invigorating. "I don't care what you did somewhere else. What I care about is what you've done here – which is nothing." His lip rose in a snarl, flashing his fangs. He wasn't sure why he did that, he'd never reacted that way to another soldier. He was an officer not an animal. He straightened to regain his composure. "Just make your way to Talloran, meet with Bellis, and find out what he knows without screwing anything up. Can you handle that, Sergeant?" He'd be damned if he was going to call a cathar 'Wolf'.

Tavus studied Jorgan as he walked away. The cathar was not acting like himself. Indeed, he nearly took a bite out of the newest member of Havoc Squad. But she'd stayed her ground, as she should. As Gearbox had said, she was a good fit for Havoc – the timing of her arrival was unfortunate. "Good luck in Talloran, Wolf. Dismissed."

The first thing she did was rent a speeder. If time was essential walking to the villiage wasn't an option.

Talloran, she discovered was pocked and scarred by war. It also seemed to be occupied by seps. Not just a few, but a whole town of seps. She saw a few people dart into their homes when they saw her as if they knew what was going to happen and didn't want to see it…or didn't want to risk getting hurt. She couldn't imagine living like that.

She skirted through the back allies behind the fabricated homes and buildings. She found a body of a man and rolled him over. He'd been shot and the body was stone cold. He'd been dead for a while. She ruffled through his pockets, but could not find identification.

Her holo chimed and she pulled it out.

Her first mission and she failed. He should have expected it. A woman that pretty didn't belong in a uniform, much less Havoc. "Great, Bellis is KIA. That's some fine work, Sergeant! Do you think you could've taken a little longer to get to the RV point?"

"Is that how you're going to play this, Lieutenant? I rented a speeder, at my own expense, because you didn't see fit to requisition me one. Imagine how late I'd have been if I had to walk here? His body was cold. If you'd needed someone here sooner, you should have sent someone before I arrived at Command…or you could have called me in the field. I will take the blame when it's mine, sir. But I will not shoulder the blame of others."

By others he knew she meant him and what galled him most was she was right. She was calling him out at every turn and he found that a mixture of annoying as hell and irritatingly arousing. "The mission isn't over, sergeant. There is a chance you might be able to find out what Bellis learned. If he followed procedure, Bellis should've left a coded recording of his discovery in his field box, hidden somewhere inside his home in Talloran. I'm sending you the coordinates. Remember – if the seps know Bellis was a spy, they may already be searching his house or waiting to ambush Republic agents when they come. Stay alert and double time it!"

"Roger that."

"Jorgan out."

She followed the coordinates and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She hurried into the home, worried about the man's family. No one was downstairs. She took the stairs two at a time.

Lin jumped up from her chair at the intrusion. "Excuse me? What are you doing in my house? Is there no limit to your nerve?" she asked loudly. "You barricade the town, you break into people's homes…" She lowered her voice and hissed. "Are you insane? You're going to blow my husband's cover! Storming in here in plain view – what were you thinking?" She shook her head. "Bellis isn't even here – he left for some meeting. Now, get out of here before you raise suspicions!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I was sent in to find your husband…he'd been…shot by the separatists. Words do not describe how sorry I am. I would have fought to save him if I could have."

She held her hand out and shook her head. "No….no…not Bellis. He can't be gone...he can't…no…" Pain gripped her heart and her body shuddered, unable to cope. Cold fury seeped into every pore. "Bellis risked his life every day for you and now you've gotten him killed! My poor, sweet Bellis…A good man, dead because of some stupid war on some backwater planet that no one even cares about!"

This was the first casualty she'd had to bring to a family. But she well remembered what it was like and she was determined it would not be as cold as the what her family had received. "Your husband died a hero, ma'am. He will be remembered and posthumously honored for his sacrifice. I know that is a cold, meaningless comfort. I've never been married, but my father died in war. I can understand you're the deep pain of loss. My father and I were very close. Being a hero meant nothing when I all I wanted then was his arms around me one more time. You truly have my deepest sympathies, which is why I'm sorry that I have to ask anything more from you. But, ma'am…a lot of innocent lives are on the line. Your husband's field box should contain the information to help us save countless lives – and we're running out of time to save them."

She wanted to hate the woman in front of her – and she did. With all of her heart. And a small part of her wanted others to suffer the pain she was suffering, but she knew she'd never be able to live with herself if she allowed families to die just because she was hurting. "Your sympathies mean little to me right now. You're alive my husband isn't…but I don't want to be the reason that families are torn apart. His field box is over there," she said, pointing to the box next to the shelving unit. "Take it and get out."

She picked up the box and looked at the distraught wife. "Ma'am…you should consider leaving as soon as possible. I can send a soldier to escort you to safety."

"No…" Lin said hoarsely. "Just leave…"

Two armed men were waiting for her downstairs. She quietly set the box down and shot them before they knew she was there. They had not been honorable deaths, but she could not risk them getting past her to attack the widow. She hefted one body over her shoulder, carried it outside and dumped it behind a nearby building. She returned to do the same for the other. She was not about to leave two bodies rotting in the widow's home as a thank you from the Republic. She picked up the box again, balanced it in front of her on the seat of the speeder and headed back to Command, careful to avoid being detected. She could not risk the information inside being destroyed.

Fuse smiled when he saw the newest member of Havoc walk in. "Wolf! You're back! Good job out there on Talloran, really nice work."

Jorgan descended on her. Unreasonable or not, he didn't appreciate the other man praising her. "I'll take the field box you retrieved, Sergeant." He had to stop himself from yanking it from her grasp. "Maybe next time you can bring me a live, republic agent instead."

She was really tired of his callous attitude towards her. He seemed to resent her or hate her on sight and she had no idea why. "Sure thing, sir. Maybe next time my walker won't be blown to hell. Maybe next time the shuttle will arrive hours sooner. Maybe, with all due respect, sir, next time I'll be able to pull a miracle out of my ass and revive the dead," she said as she released the field box a little more forcefully than she intended. She was surprised he did nothing but storm off to slam it down on a table. She had expected another slam. Maybe it was still coming.

"Lieutenant Bazren here still thinks you're mission worthy, so he has a task for you. He'll brief you while I start decoding Bellis' intel," Jorgan growled.

And there it was. The insult she'd expected. The man definitely had a burr up his ass when it came to her. Maybe she should offer him a laxative. She had to bite her cheek to keep the snort of laughter in check.

Fuse was appalled by Lt. Jorgan's behavior. It was highly irrational. Granted, the man could be an ass, but it was like he has a personal grudge against Wolf. "Never mind him – you did good, Wolf," he murmured so only she could hear. He cleared his throat. "We found an urgent lead while you were in Tallloran. The perfect op for our new assault specialist."

"Thank you," she responded quietly with a wink to show she understood. "What's the op, Fuse?"

Fuse nodded. "Here's what happened: This refugee comes into the fort, right? Not that unusual, but this guy says he knows about a sep bombing that was happening today. All we got was his name. Mirru – 'cause he was thrown out of the fort before we could get to him,"

That made absolutely zero sense. "What? Why would we throw an informant out? That sounds counterproductive."

Jorgan scoffed. "Bums come here every day, trying to trade intel for credits. It's bogus ninety percent of the time, so the grunts usually chase them off."

Fuse rubbed his chin. "I suppose Mirru could be lying, but what if he does know about the ZR-57? We can't take that risk." He smiled at her. "I overheard you talking to the widow. You have far more diplomacy than any of the rest of us -that's why I wanted you to handle this assignment." He rolled his eyes when Jorgan grunted and nearly laughed when she choked down her own laughter. "Mirru is staying over in the refugee camp. See if you can find him there."

Jorgan looked up from his screen. "Now get to the refugee camp and get Mirru's intel, soldier. If this bombing is happening soon, there's no time to waste."

Fuse shot a glare to the other LT. "Grab a sandwich at the mess on the way to the refugee camp. Even the best of us need to refuel."

She stopped off at the mess, grabbed a sandwich and ate on the way. She liked Fuse. She had a good feeling about him. If the bombing was happening soon, they'd have sent someone the moment they heard about it. No, Jorgan was just being an ass. He was good at that.

The refugee camp was located on the outskirts of Fort Garnik. The second person she asked was able to point Mirru out to her and the man was highly irate about being knocked around by the soldiers he'd tried to confide in. She had to give him the credits out of her pocket to get him to talk to her. But in the end, he told her what he'd overheard. The intel sounded very legit and promising.

The moment she walked away her holo chimed. She walked a bit further to be out of hearing range and answered the call. "I would have called the moment I was out of hearing range. I want to investigate. It sounds legit," she informed Jorgan.

"Understood, soldier. I copied what Mirru said and I…I agree with you." He wasn't sure why that had been hard to say, but it was. "I want you to head for the road Mirru described and locate the seps hidden bombs. A troop convoy is scheduled to move through the area any minute now, so you need to get those bombs defused ASAP. Double time it, soldier!"

"Of course. I was already moving out."

"Jorgan out." He cut the call.

"Jorgan out," she murmured with his stern expression and then flushed. The man was getting to her. She could not wait until Havoc got reassigned. Until then, she would find a way to cope. Maybe blow off some steam with Fuse or Gearbox.

She'd had to take out about fifteen seps, but she'd been able to defuse the three bombs she'd found. But, no doubt, that wouldn't be good enough for Jorgan. Nothing she did could ever be good enough for that surly man.

She stilled the moment she walked into command to turn and look at the private who was waving her down.

"Private Farn, good to see you again. Is something wrong?" she inquired. The private seemed…frazzled.

"I'm very sorry to bother you," he said, rocking from foot to foot. "But you're the only person I could think to go to. You said we could talk…and…"

She smiled warmly at him to calm him down. "And I meant it. What's concerning you?"

He knew he was laying his life on the line here, but he didn't know what else to do. She was his only hope. "All the other officers I've met here are completely corrupt – all but you, sir. I – I know I can trust you."

"Of course you can, Private. Now, speak freely – what's this about."

He slipped his hands behind his aback and gripped them together tightly. "It's my CO, LT Virk. He's scamming everyone in his command and nobody does anything about it. Virk forces all of us to kick up to him to get safe postings. Credits, weapons, stuff we confiscate from the seps…everything. If you don't play along, he assigns you to the most dangerous patrol routes. It's a death sentence. My buddy tried to report him. The next day he was assigned to Talloran, the day after he came home in a box."

She hated what she was hearing. The abuse of command was repugnant on every level. "I will speak to my superiors about LT Virk's activities immediately, Private."

"You – you will? Oh, I knew I could count on you! Thank you so much. You are so…wow! Sir…ma'am…you are amazing!"

She could feel the heat in her cheeks and was glad it would not be noticeable through the short, tight hairs on her face. "I'm just like you, soldier. The abuse of command is not acceptable. Virk needs stopped – and I'll make sure he is." She hurried away before he could shower her with any more praise…or declare his undying love and devotion.

Tavus looked up at her entry. "Ah, Wolf – good to see you again. Superb work on that ambush situation. – adaptability like that is what Havoc Squad is all about."

"Thank you, sir – we may have saved lives, but we're still no closer to finding the bomb then we were before."

"Not we, Wolf. You. You saved lives today," Tavus corrected her. "As for the bomb, we're getting there. LT Jorgan has gotten quite a bit of Bellis' files decoded. We should have answers by morning. Havoc will be convening at the mess in an hour, feel free to unwind with your unit, Wolf."

She hurried out to make sure her speeder was paid up for another day and then found the barracks room she'd been assigned to for her stay. The sharp sting of the hot, pelting water felt good against her body. Despite her job, she never forgot she was a woman underneath the armor and she enjoyed pampering her body whenever she got the chance.

She spent a couple hours in the mess with her squad getting to know them. It felt forced more than anything else, at least with three of her squad mates. Eventually, she, Fuse and Gearbox left to watch vids and drink. They drank her under the sofa and when she woke up in the morning, her head was on Fuse's lap, his hand on her hair, and her legs stretched out over Gearbox's lap. It would have been deeply embarrassing, except the discomfort of her belly didn't let her focus on anything else. Gearbox made them a hangover remedy called The Fix, which she would be forever grateful for. The idea of showing up at Command looking like she'd just been spit out of a bantha's mouth in front of Jorgan or the Commander did not sound even remotely fun.

Tavus sported a small, tight grin when she walked into Command. "Hope you're not feeling last night's activities, Wolf. I've got good news. Jorgan has finished decoding the last of Bellis' intel. It's given us a real breakthrough."

That was good news. She wondered if Jorgan stayed up all night decoding the intel…maybe even pissed she enjoyed the evening with her unit? She supposed she'd be finding out real soon. "So, the informant knew where the bomb was located?"

He inclined his head. "He did, Wolf."

Jorgan folded his arms over his chest. "Bellis discovered that the seps have the ZR-57 securely inside their supply outpost on Mannett Point, a small island just off the coast."

"I sent Wraith ahead to reconnoiter the outpost, and she successfully located a secure area where we believe the bomb is stored," Tavus informed her. "Judging by the dramatic increase in the number of guards and the complex security systems installed, we're certain the bomb is there."

Jorgun rubbed a finger against his chin and frowned. Tavus should be taking things more seriously than he did. "Honestly. With security like this, Mannett Point looks more like an Imperial military base than a sep hideout to me. I think the seps are getting a helping hand, Commander."

Tavus grunted. "From the imperials? That seems unlikely. Surely our spies would have discovered any Imperial involvement on Ord Mantell long before now."

As much as it irked her to agree with a man that hated her, Jorgan was right. "I think the LT has called it. The seps do seem to be unusually well equipped, Commander."

Tavus raked a hand through his short crop of black hair. He needed her distracted. "We can discuss the possibility of any Imperial involvement later. Let's focus on the mission at hand. Wraith can't breech the secured area of the Mannett Point outpost alone, so I'm sending you in immediately. The bridge is out of commission, so you'll have to make an amphibious approach to that island. When you arrive, effect entry into the supply out post and rendezvous with Wraith inside. She'll give you further instructions at that time. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." She turned to look at Jorgan. "There's an LT by the name of Virk running a bribery scheme with the men under his command."

"Virk? I know the guy. He's a pretty pathetic officer, but nobody's ever made any official complaints – none that I've heard about, anyway."

"You are correct – any soldiers that complains comes home in a box, LT."

Tavus' lips twitched. Just what he needed to keep Jorgan distracted. "Lieutenant Jorgan and I will look into this. You should get moving. Dismissed."

She found Wraith at the coordinates she was given.

Wraith looked up from the command terminal and her lips tightened when she saw Wolf. She didn't hate the sergeant, but she didn't like her either. She wore the name Havoc, but she hadn't been through the hell they'd been through. She could never truly be one of them. "Wolf. No time to waste. The bomb is behind a force field. I'm sending you the coordinates. I'll disable the shield from here, you pass through and destroy its generator. When it's down, I'll rejoin you."

"Understood, sir."

"Then go," she stated coldly.

She'd hoped last night would have helped ease her into the squad but she suspected Fuse and Gearbox were still the only two of her squad that liked her. She hopped her speeder and headed to the coordinates.

She was surprised to find bodies littering the floor of the separatist base. Someone had been here before her and was sowing a bit of revenge by the looks of it. She found three injured seps in a medical room she'd had to pass through on the way to her objective. She didn't have it in her to kill unarmed, injured men. They swore they didn't care what she was up to and she chose to accept their words. There was little choice to be made when the only other option was killing them. She'd allowed them to leave with a clean conscience. Hopefully, she would not come to regret that decision.

Whomever had thinned out the other side of the base had not come this way. Now it was time for her to take out the trash. Once she'd disabled the shield's generator, she double timed it to where she was to meet up with the wicked Wraith at the bomb's location. Nothing, however, was at that location but a surly sep, whose belligerence ended quick with only the slightest show of force. He told them what he knew about the bomb, including the sep cell leaders that were at the base. She had her new orders. Neutralize the sep leaders and confiscate their intel. At least it got her away from Wraith's charming self.

As luck would have it all three cell leaders were holed up in one room, apparently having a meeting. That certainly made her job easier. She grinned as she stepped into the room. "Sorry to break up your meeting, but Havoc Squad sends its regards." She opened fire, then downloaded the data. Time for a strategic retreat.

Back at Command she was surprised to see Needles with Jorgan. Not that the man tried to avoid her, he didn't. Unlike Wraith and Tavus he didn't even bother to act like he liked or disliked her. She was just there as far as he seemed concerned. But something about him was highly creepy. Maybe it was because whatever he'd been through made him look like a sith that had abused the force for years on end. But just as likely it was because he had sociopathic tendencies. Some of the things he said and how he said them were…disturbing.

A slow grin spread over Needle's lips. "Wolf, you've returned. Masterful work, eliminating the sep officers. The beast has been beheaded."

Jorgan stepped in. "Yes, well… I'll get the officers' data out to the rest of Havoc right away. As for you, Lieutenant Dorant here has a special op already planned out."

"Indeed," Needles replied. "Earlier today. A man named Zak came to the fort from Oradam Village seeking medical attention. He was suffering from acute radiation poisoning, causing catastrophic organ failures. His body was practically tearing itself apart from within – quite magnificent to observe."

She ignored how pleased he sounded. "Is it normal for villagers to get radiation poisoning, sir?"

"Not at all," Needles answered.

"Fuse told us that the ZR-57 can leak significant amounts of radiation if handled improperly," Jorgan informed her.

"Yes," Needles agreed. "Zak must have been near the bomb, knowingly or otherwise. I want the details, even if you have to pry them from the dying husk of a mind. However, there is a cure available. Were you to gather the ingredients. I think you would find the offer of a cure very useful in gaining his cooperation. Far better than the current meds he's on that can only promise a lifetime of excruciating pain. Not as fun, perhaps, but there you have it."

Jorgan frowned. "Command knows exactly where the scavengers are – we just haven't had the resources to deal with them. Here are the coordinates and a list of ingredients to retrieve. Any questions?"

She gritted her teeth to keep her mouth from hanging open in surprise. So, the man could talk to her without growling. Would wonders never cease.

"Nothing fancy on this one," he told her with a swipe of his hand. "Just get the ingredients, get the intel from Zak and then get back. Dismissed."

Ah…couldn't send her out without one growl. But…maybe he was starting to believe she was of some merit after all. Though, oddly, she didn't see him treating the lower ranking soldiers around the base with the same disregard as her. Maybe she was just special. Wynter...the special snowflake. How ironically apropos. She grinned as she turned and left the room.

The ingredients she found by pilfering the corpses of dead seps. It wasn't glamorous. In fact, it was downright insulting. But at least she had what she needed to offer Zak a cure for the intel.

An old man's pleas turned her head near a home in Oradam Village. He was hunched over, his hand over his belly. According to his wails, he hadn't eaten for days. She handed him the ration's bar she had on her as well as a handful of credits. It wasn't much, but hopefully, it would give him strength enough to support himself. She looked up in time to see a vibrantly red-haired woman wink at her as she ran by and ducked into a nearby house. The woman was dressed far too finely for someone who lived in the village, nor did she look like a typical fighter, despite the blasters at her hip. She briefly wondered what her story was, but pushed the errant thought away. Once inside Zak's quarters she followed the moaning upstairs.

Zak rose on unsteady feet when the woman entered the room. "You - you're a soldier, right? From the fort? Please, help us. We're really sick – my wife is dying."

"Yes…you both are. We believe you've been poisoned by radiation from a stolen Republic bomb," she explained.

Zak took a step back, his eyes rounding in surprise. "What? You mean…Jaller, do you know anything about this?"

No..no…her husband had to close his mouth. "Quiet, Zak. We don't know anything about…" pain engulfed her and gasped, " …anything."

His wife was dying because of the movement? "You are dying because of them? Where is your precious movement now? They don't give a damn that we are dying!"

"I'll never betray the movement, Zak!" She gripped her belly and sucked in a ragged breath.

"You're my wife! I love you!"

"If you love me, Zak, you won't betray everything I stand for. Please let me go."

She wasn't going to stand by and let these people die, regardless of the side they were on. "Here," she handed them the syringe. "Use this injector – half for each of you. It will cure the poisoning." Jorgan's going to strangle her now. But at least now he actually has a reason to be pissed.

Again, Zak was stunned, but this time by the honor and generous heart of the soldier in front of him. "R-really? Thank you! Thank you so much!" He settled on the bed next to his wife. "Shhh….I'm not going to lose you, Jaller." He whispered words of love as he injected half the contents into her vein. With a nod, he injected himself with the other half. He looked up at the white cathar. "I owe you everything. I don't mind dying, but I couldn't bear to watch my wife die. I hope you find that kind of love someday…if you haven't already. Now…about your bomb. Jaller and I helped move this very large crate. We got sick right afterward – it's probably what you're looking for. We dropped the crate off at the stronghold – the separatists' main base."

"Thank you, Zak. You and Jaller have a second chance – make the most of it."

Zak inclined his head. "We will. I can promise that."

Her holo started chiming, but she wasn''t going to answer until she was in a more private location. At the bottom of the stairs, three seps greeted her with raised guns. She jumped over the railing, landed on a table, jumped down, flipped it over and made her stand. When the last sep fell, she righted the table, which was a little worse for the wear and dragged the bodies outside before she answered her holo.

Jorgan wasn't sure how he felt about the risk she took, but she achieved the objective. "I copied everything – sounds like we're going to hit the seps where they live. Good work."

She could not prevent a smile from forming on her lips. It was the first time he'd ever praised her. She wondered if it hurt him to do so. "I see you've finally noticed how charming I am," she teased.

He bit back a smile. "Yeah, I guess you missed your calling. Just hang on before you file for that transfer – we still got work to do."

"Lieutenant Jorgan, you have a lovely dry sense of humor – you should let it out to play more often. It makes you a far more agreeable man," she teased. She shouldn't have. She knew that, but she just couldn't stop herself.

Blasted woman could tie him up in knots inside. "Can that nonsense, Sergeant," he growled, though his heart wasn't in it this time and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew it too. "Infiltrating that mountain stronghold isn't going to be easy. I've put out the call. Havoc is assembling immediately, so get back here on the double."

"My feet will sprout wings, sir." Now that she knew the truth about the man, she intended to push as hard as she dared to force him out of his stick-up-the-ass shell.

"Jorgan out." He'd nearly said something about collecting the feathers, but that would have been grossly out of line. Deep down he knew she was going to be even harder to deal with from now on.

She was confronted by a zabrak the moment she walked into Command.

"Whoa, whoa, not so fast, Sergeant – you and me need to have a little talk. I'm Lieutenant Virk. I think maybe you've heard of me? See, my boys here saw you having a chat with little Private Farn. I know Farn told you about my business and you went and blabbed about it to some very important people. Now, I got a mountain of paperwork to do, hearings to go to, people asking questions – and I don't like it."

She laughed softly and caught sight of Jorgan out of the corner of her eye. Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. She was not going to let this puffed up ass-weasel continue to extort kids. "If you can't handle the stress, do us all a favor and swallow a grenade. We don't need officers like you giving us all a bad name."

"If anybody's gonna end up dead around here, it isn't gonna be me," he retorted, pointing his finger at her. "Wise up. This island is my little kingdom – I can make sure people live and I can make sure they die. So, you better believe that I'm going to make extra sure you come home from your next assignment in a box, Sergeant."

Oh-ho…someone is full of themselves. "I'm touched. Truly I am. But the King has been overthrown and you've just signed your own court martial, Lieutenant." She motioned in the direction of a locked and loaded Jorgan and five armed technicians that just stepped out of the meeting room and two more stepped from the generator room on the opposite side of Virk.

"Weapons down!" Jorgan ordered, his eyes not leaving Virk.

She could see it in his eyes…he wasn't going down without a fight. His two friends threw their weapons and dropped to their knees. "Watch it!" she yelled, but bullets were already flying. Virk shot his two accomplices and one tech before he went down. One of his accomplices might live, but it was far too late for the other two. She watched as Jorgan motioned to have the bodies removed and the other two remanded into custody. She then followed him into the meeting chamber.

"It would seem Farn's intel was correct. I will see that he is rewarded for his part in Virk's take down," Jorgan told her.

She looked around the room, but her squad members were not there. "Has the rest of Havoc not arrived yet, sir?"

Jorgan rubbed the back of his neck. "Have a seat, Sergeant. Havoc Squad is infiltrating the separatists' stronghold to retrieve the ZR-57 as we speak. Commander Tavus was very clear: Under no circumstances can I send you in to join Havoc on this mission. I have to admit I'm a little surprised. I honestly thought you were starting to come along, but I guess Tavus still isn't convinced you're ready for the heavy ops."

"Something is wrong with this, LT. Gearbox knows I'm the best tracker in the unit. They know I can find that bomb faster than any of them – It's why Gearbox named me -" Heat flooded into her cheeks.

"Wolf?" Jorgan asked with a grunt. "I'm not about to call you by that ridiculous name, Sergeant – it's an insult to our people."

"I thought so too, at first, but they don't see it that way. No disrespect was meant by the name."

"Really?" he scoffed. "Then why aren't you with them?"

"Maybe because not all of them see me as a part of Havoc Squad – the old paradigm. Maybe they want to ensure this is their victory and not mine. Maybe something more is going on than we understand. You and I both know I'm more than capable of this op."

She was right with that. He had no qualms about her abilities as a soldier. She'd proven herself in that regard. "Maybe next time -"

"Sir!" a technician yelled in alarm. "We've got a situation here."

"Talk to me, ensign."

"We've lost contact with Havoc Squad, sir! Comms, video, locators, everything. It's like they've disappeared completely."

Damn it! "That's unacceptable, soldier," he growled, "you get back to that terminal and you get me Havoc's status, now!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Unless we still have that leak, Zak and Jaller are the only ones who knew where we were going," she pointed out. "I don't know about Jaller, but Zak would never betray my trust."

He held up a hand to comfort her, but let it drop to his side. If it was due to the couple she let live, then he could understand the guilt she might feel. "There's no way to tell from here. Whatever happened to Havoc – it was bad."

"Still no sign of Havoc, sir. I think we may have lost them," the ensign admitted.

"Damn it! This mission will not fail on my watch! We are not going to let that bomb get away again! Sergeant – you are the only remaining member of Havoc Squad and I'm sending you to infiltrate the that stronghold. The ZR-57 must not remain in separatist hands. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

There was a brief shake of his head. "We were hoping to get the bomb back intact, but we're way south of a best-case scenario here. So, here's the new MO: You will need to use the deactivation code for the bomb. Disarm the bomb and leave the seps with nothing but a big, radioactive paperweight."

The ensign removed the spike from his terminal. "You will need to hijack the sep comm system to broadcast the code. This data spike should do the trick," he said, handing it to her.

She was good, Jorgan did not doubt that. But this was a lot to lay at the feet of a single person, Havoc or not. "I never thought it'd come to this, Sergeant. I don't need to tell you what happens if you don't pull this off."

"No, sir, you don't. Too many people will die, myself included. I have every motivation to succeed in this mission," she admitted.

He hadn't even stopped to think that she would die. "I'm not about to lose the bomb and the last of Havoc on my watch. You are not allowed to die and that's an order!"

"Yes, sir!" she replied, her lips twitching in a barely concealed grin.

"Just play it safe out there. We have zero room for errors on this one. Everyone is counting on you. Good luck, Sergeant."

She was fighting her way through seps outside the base when a familiar head of red hair jumped in next to her and helped her take down a rather large group. When the last one fell, Wynter snapped the cannon to the magpanels in the back of her armor. "So, we meet again. Who are you?"

Vista grinned. "Name's Vista Solo. That's my…partner Corso Riggs. It appears we've got similar goals. If we work together maybe we'll achieve both of them faster."

She wasn't sure Lt. Jorgan would appreciate someone else knowing their business, but something in Vista's eyes assured her the human didn't give a damn and she doubted she'd ever see the woman again. "Sergeant Wynter L'Vae, Republic Commando. Havoc Squad. Assault Specialist. I'm trying to find a bomb – what's your MO?"

Vista glanced at Corso and then realization dawned on her. MO…mission objective. "Ah…A thief by the name of Skavak stole my ship and its cargo. It's been reported that he's here to sell my cargo and I intend to get them back."

"And my blaster," Corso amended.

She winked at Wynter and tried not to laugh. "Torchy has sentimental value to Corso."

"I see," Wynter said, keeping her best straight face. "Let's bring the base down and cover both our objectives. Move out." She saw Vista just blink and flushed. "Sorry."

Vista laughed. "I knew what you meant. I'm just not used to the military drill sergeant tone. I'm better motivated by honey."

"I'll be sure to remember that, ma'am."

"And don't ma'am me – I'm not your mom."

Wynter chuckled. "It's been awhile since I've been with civvies. My small talk might be a bit rusty."

"We'll work on that," Vista teased. "Get a move on it, soldier," she said with a wink and followed the trooper into the base.

Corso looked around after the first wave of seps were taken down. "Look at the size of this place. How'd the seps get the money to build something like this?"

"More likely it was discovered and confiscated," Wynter told him "Even if the imps supported the separatists, they wouldn't sink this many credits into Ord Mantell."

They took a lift up and fought their way deep into the base. As soon as the area was clear of seps, Wynter's holo chimed.

"Sergeant – do not take those civilians any further. I repeat – do not take those civilians with you."

Wynter growled softly. "Lt. Jorgan, with all due respect, they have been instrumental in infiltrating the base. The sooner I reach the MO -"

"That is a direct order, Sergeant," Aric growled. He knew damned well 'with all due respect' meant kiss my ass. He'd said it enough times himself.

"Roger that." She disconnected the call. "If I finish my objective – I will see if you still need assistance with yours."

Vista pulled out her communicator and sent her frequency to Wynter. "Call if you ever need a helping hand. If I'm nearby, you'll have it."

"That is generous. Far more than I would have expected," Wynter admitted. "I'm not often surprised." She pulled the cannon from her back.

"Oh, I'm full of surprises – and I'm not exactly what you think," she teased. "Paddy's luck to you."

Paddy? Who was paddy? She supposed it didn't matter. She did need luck, regardless who supplied it. "Stay safe, you two," she responded as they hurried off.

She located the door that led to the computer she needed to spike. But instead of seps, she found Imps. Lots of Imps. This was an Imperial base. When the room was cleared of hostiles, she inserted the spike into the terminal. Her holo chimed. Jorgan did like to keep tight reign on her. She flipped on her holo.

"You did it, soldier! That was some top-notch soldiering - we're all proud of you."

"Do you mind if I take a moment to let that sink in? It is surreal that you are not fileting me alive," she teased. She was stunned when he let himself smile.

"Give me a moment and I might filet you again." He knew he shouldn't, but he enjoyed taunting her and riling her and even teasing her – it made him feel alive inside. She angered him, aroused him and made him laugh – for too long he'd felt emotionally dead. He hoped he didn't lose that when she left.

"Aww…you have a way of warming a girl's heart, LT. Unlike these Imps. This base is overrun by Imperials."

"Copy that, we saw them through your armor-cam. Unbelievable. We need to know how deep this connection goes. I want you to continue further into the base. Finding the rest of Havoc Squad is now priority number one. If possible, also retrieve the ZR-57. It costs about forty million credits, so Command would like it back. But your squad-mates are the primary objective."

"If you hear anything else – please contact me."

"You got it, Sergeant. Jorgan out."

The base was pretty linear with few side rooms, but she explored every nook and cranny, taking out any Imps or seps that tried to stop her.

She thought she saw a flash of red, but when she turned it was gone. With a shake of her head, she turned down the next corridor. She took out everyone that stood in her way until she ended up in a hangar bay…where her squad mates were waiting. "You're safe!"

Tavus frowned, a slow breath slipping from his lips. "I thought my orders were very clear. You aren't supposed to be here, Wolf."

"And I would not be, except Command feared you were dead and sent me in to find you and make sure the bomb did not disappear again."

Wraith stepped in behind Wolf, her shotgun poised. "I will take her."

"No, Wraith. Wolf deserves to know the truth. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I harbor no ill will toward you. Except you made Gearbox and Fuse question our decision. He motioned to Fuse laying out cold on the ground. Fuse turned on us. But he'll come around again. Now you, Wolf, are a warrior. Everything Havoc should be. But I'm afraid the Republic no longer values her warriors – even the very best among them."

Of all the things she thought might have happened to her squad, she'd never imagined they were traitors. "Tavus, you know what the Empire is like! They are controlled by power mad Sith who torture and kill to get their way. They enslave and abuse. You can't believe it is better over there!"

Tavus squared his shoulders. "The Empire respects warriors, Wolf. The Republic's top officials, on the other hand, have decided to cast us aside. The truth is that no matter what they may say, the Republic Senate doesn't actually believe it can win another war against the Empire. That makes you and I a threat. Every Havoc Squad victory fires up people's imaginations, fills them with pride – which means the bureaucrats can't afford to let us keep succeeding."

"Even if that were true, does that mean we should just lay down and let tyranny win? That we should stop fighting for freedom and democracy and just let it die? I would rather die fighting for freedom than become a slave of tyranny. Please…Gearbox…listen to me. It doesn't have to end this way. You know I'm right. You know there's another way. There's always another way! This will destroy your soul." She held out her hand towards him. "Give me the chance to help you find peace or to help you find a reason to go on fighting."

Her words were too little too late to Tavus. "If only you'd been with us longer, Wolf. You'd understand. You might have even come with us. The Republic abandoned us. During a mission on Ando Prime, they simple left us to die. But I won't try to persuade you. Honestly, I hope you die with your ideals intact. The rest of us will never have that luxury." He turned when Gearbox held his hand out.

Wraith slammed the butt of her shotgun against the side of his Gearbox's head. His eyes rolled up and he dropped heavily to the ground.

"Get them into the shuttle," Tavus motioned to the two downed members of Havoc Squad.

"You're a real charmer," Vista responded as she stepped out from behind the metal girder that had hidden their presence.

"Who the hell are you?" Tavus demanded. This was getting out of hand.

"Vista Solo – spoiler of rotten plans and yours stinks like week old sani-liners. That's my partner, Corso Riggs and -"

Annalyn stepped forward. "Annalyn Starr – thorn in the Empire's backside more years than you've been alive."

He clenched his jaw. "I don't really give a damn who you are – except you have no business being here."

"That's where you're wrong. You see, I made a promise to Wynter and I'm a woman of my word – my honor's intact…too bad you lost yours," Vista taunted.

If Jorgan had an issue with this he could suck it up. She'd not invited the trio to this party, but she appreciated them coming regardless. "It's not too late, Tavus. Please turn back."

"Turn back to what? The Republic that wants me dead and gone? No, Wolf, I think not."

Wreath's smile was more of a sneer. "Thank you for finding the ZR-57 for us. We were worried the seps would waste our big present for the Empire."

"But thanks to your efforts," Needles replied with a small bow, "we can now present the Empire with this magnificent tool of destruction."

"I honestly wouldn't do that if I were you. As presents go – that one will prove disappointing," she warned.

"You could not be more wrong. Time we were off. Colonel Vorr? Please give Wolf the warrior's death she deserves – you can do what you want with the others." His gaze returned to her unsettling, large blue eyes. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. It's been an honor serving with you, Wolf. Goodbye."

The ramp rose as he disappeared into the shuttle. She got one round off, before the door closed, but then she had to devote her attention to the Imps determined to take their lives. Eventually, she and her three friends were the only ones left standing. She noticed Corso was clutching his arm, red seeping between his fingers.

"It's only a flesh wound," he said when he noticed that every female's eyes were locked onto his arm.

"Which you received helping me out." Wynter removed the small medkit from her belt. "Annalyn, stand watch. Vista, help him out of his coat and shirt." When his arm was bared, she ran an antiseptic pad over the wound, followed by a dab of kolto and wrapped it in a clean sani-wrap. "You're good to go for now." She put the kit away and looked all three of them over. "I want to thank you. I know I told you not to come, but I'm glad you did. I'm not sure if I would have survived if I'd been on my own – there were too many. You three have earned a friend in me today. If you ever need me, call on me. Until then, did you need assistance with your objective?"

"Nah, my ship wasn't there. Annalyn's gonna take us to Coruscant where we will continue our search for Skavak. I hope we meet again, Wynter. We work well together."

"That we do."

Once they cleared the base, they went their separate ways after a round of handshakes. Wynter hopped her speeder and returned to base. Jorgan was pacing and obviously irritated.

"General, with all due respect, how can you do this? I've served with your Infantry Command for years."

General Vander raised his hand. "That's enough, Jorgan. This wasn't my choice. But a defection of this scale – someone has to swing, and the powers that be say it's you."

That was not what she expected to hear when she walked through the door. "I don't understand. The defection wasn't his fault. They kept their plans tight – there was no way any of us could know."

"It doesn't matter. Command can't punish them – so they're burning me instead," he growled.

The general ignored Jorgan's outburst. "You must be our last loyal Havoc member. I'm General Vander, Republic chief of operations for Ord Mantell. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, General. But if you saw the vid then you know I'm not the last loyal Havoc Squad member. Fuse refused to defect and he was incapacitated and kidnapped. I also think I reached Gearbox – I think he changed his mind, but they knocked him out and forced him to go with them too."

"We saw the lengths you went to trying to save Havoc Squad. But regardless whether they left willingly or not, they all originally collaborated to defect - you are the only one left in Republic Space. And on behalf of the Republic and the people of Ord Mantell, I want to thank and congratulate you for your courageous actions in disabling the stolen ZR-57. Your heroic efforts saved countless innocent lives. In recognition of your valiant service, I hereby promote you to the rank of lieutenant. Congratulations."

Her back stiffened in shock. "I'm honored. Thank you, General."

"Now, Lieutenant, as the last remaining member of Havoc, the duty of rebuilding the squad falls to you. Havoc is your command. To get the process started, I've decided to assign Sergeant Jorgan here as Havoc's first new member."

Regardless of the ass he'd been to her, she didn't feel right about his demotion. "I don't feel right about what happened, but I'd be honored to have you on Havoc Squad, Jorgan."

"I'll take the Havoc patch and sergeant stripes if it means I get to grind them into Tavus' face before we kill him."

The general frowned. "This is the best I can do for you, Jorgan. You're a good man, and we need good people now more than ever. I don't know what Tavus is planning, but he knows the inner workings of our military better than anyone. The destruction that he could do is limitless. In any case, your work here is done. In the morning you'll be going to Coruscant for your next assignment. When you arrive, report immediately to the head of spec-force division, General Garza. She'll be issuing your orders from now on. You have tonight to get yourselves squared away – you'll be leaving in the AM aboard the shuttle in the landing bay.

Lieutenant, Sergeant, you're dismissed. I hope I see you again someday."

After the general left, she turned her attention to Jorgan. "We need to talk. I'm going to shower and slip into civvies so I don't abuse either of our noses. Can you meet me in thirty?"

He wasn't sure he was ready to clear the air, but maybe they did need to talk. "If I must, sir. Where?"

A soft breath slipped from her lips. No matter his rank, he was going to make things difficult for her. What did she ever do to him? Kick his puppy? "Where do you usually spend your down time?"

"Alone, sir."

This was getting no where fast. "Look, I've been here a few days – you've been here much longer. Where can we go with a modicum of privacy? I don't want to measure every word, do you?"

Fine then. They were going to do this. "Fine. Meet me at mess hall in thirty. Grab something to go and we'll take speeders. Civvies are fine, though you might want to bring a blaster just in case."

"Roger that and…thank you."

Clean and comfortable, she hurried over to the mess hall only to find him outside sitting on one of the speeders he'd requisitioned. "I'll be right out."

He watched her walk into the mess hall. He'd never seen her in civvies before. They way they clung to her should be a crime. The clothes were simple, but of fine quality. The shirt snapped up the front, several top buttons left unsnapped to display more cleavage than her armor implied she even had. Her pants defined her curves without being too loose or a coat of paint. Her boots came up mid-calf and looked more fashionable than serviceable. Bu t what did he know about women's shoes?

By the time she returned with her meal, he had the second speeder's seat lifted. She settled her dinner inside, slipped on the helmet and straddled the speeder.

"Keep up…if you can, sir."

"You won't be able to lose me that easily, Jorgan." She heard a chuckle filter back to her as he took off first.

It wasn't long before the haze and sounds of war were left behind. The scent of charred earth still reached her nostrils but so did the smell of salt water. She pulled up next to his speeder on a wide, ledge that overlooked the ocean.

"I hadn't realized there were any places left on Ord Mantell that still looked like this," she said in quiet awe.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out over the waves below. "Honestly, I'm not sure there are. This is the only one I've found. I come out here once in awhile to find a moment of peace." Maybe he shouldn't have brought her here. He thought he could handle it – but seeing her here in his sanctuary complicated things dramatically. "We should go."

She walked out to the edge of the outcrop and raised her head and arms to the heat of the sun. "Not going to happen. I want to enjoy the beauty of this place for one night. I don't know when I'll have the chance to do something like this again."

He wanted to walk up behind her and slip his arms around her waist. He wanted to feel her against him as they watched the sun slip down over the waves. But that was something he could never do. When she turned around to face him, the sun caused her tousled, blonde hair to come to life with an amber glow. He straightened and forced his thoughts to something that would take his mind off where it had been going. "So, Havoc Squad. Best of the best. Can't say I'm thrilled about the demotion, but it's an honor to be here, sir."

"I realize the circumstances weren't ideal, but regardless of the past, I'm glad you're with me, Jorgan."

"A spot in Havoc was the least they could do. Four years at the academy. Seven years in the field, decorations, commendations…Would have made captain soon if Command hadn't hung me out to dry."

"Despite our differences, what they did to you wasn't right. We both know Tavus' defection wasn't your fault."

"Tell that to the brass when they need a scapegoat," he snarled.

"I did, Jorgan – if you recall."

"I'm sorry, sir. I was out of line. What happened to me wasn't your fault."

"No, it wasn't," she agreed.

They laid out the blanket and food and settle down to eat. After she'd eaten her fill, she looked out at the horizon and smiled at the sight of the sun setting over the waves, its amber light igniting the water in color. "You could forget there's a war going on in places like this."

"I often did -at least for brief moments," he replied quietly.

She looked over at him, enjoying this new, softer side of him. She wished he didn't keep this Aric locked away. He was as enjoyable as the dry-humor Aric. "What did I do that infuriated you so much? You bit off my head the moment you saw me – and you must have enjoyed the taste so much that you had to keep coming back for more. Never enough Wynter on the tongue, Jorgan?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Her words could certainly be taken another way. "I enjoyed catching snowflakes on my tongue as a child – maybe that hasn't changed."

She was well aware he'd purposely misunderstood her. "Just don't lick a lamppost in the winter."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, sir. But now that I'm a man, I prefer a warm Wynter to a cold one."

"You know, sometimes I wonder if this conversation is about a season or me. Will you tell me what I did that turned you against me?"

He couldn't tell her the things she made him feel. It wasn't right when he was her superior officer and it wasn't right now. "I'm not against you. I've never been against you." And there in lay the problem. He wanted to be against her.

Anger blazed in her eyes. "Don't lie to me, Jorgan! From the moment we met you've growled at me. You threw yourself in my face and tried to make me feel like I wasn't worthy. You snarled every time you spoke to me and even flashed your fangs at me like you wanted to bury them in my throat. So, don't sit there and tell me you were never against me!"

His hands curled into fists, his nails biting into his palms. The infuriating…impossible…maddening… misguided woman! "If you'd paid attention, you'd have known that I've never once been against you!" he snarled, his lip curling up to expose his fangs.

She sprang over the remainders of their meal, with an agile twist of her body, and slammed into his chest, toppling him to the ground. Her thighs fell to either side of his waist and before she could stop herself, she lunged downward, her fangs denting the skin on his throat. She felt the sting of his nails as they shot out and dug into her hips, but other than that neither one of them moved. She could feel the hard racing of his heart against hers, the beat of his rapid pulse against her lips. The familiar scent of his arousal. Arousal? Oh hell, he was right. She'd been blind. He'd been hard on her because he wanted her and knew he shouldn't. Her tongue slipped out to tease the fine, tight hairs covering his artery.

With a growl of need he flipped them over and settled between her thighs. Right or wrong, he couldn't stop what was happening. Whatever this was between them had been volatile since they'd first met. He wasn't sure if they would be able to work together if they didn't get it out of their systems. He ground his aching arousal against the warm apex of her thighs. When she released his throat, their mouths met in hungry growls.

Their clothing was mostly shredded and forgotten in but a few harsh breaths. She wrapped her muscled, strong legs around him and he drove into her with a guttural growl. This was no gentle, romantic embrace, but a feral passion brought on by the denial of the fierce attraction between them and the heat pheromones she'd just started releasing. Heats were not usually an issue, even among their kind. It might loosen inhibitions a little, but it was still about choice. Nor did thoughts of pregnancy cross her mind. She'd had a subdermal implant that prevented ovulation and reduce the frequency of her heats.

She propelled herself down on each hard thrust, instinctually needing him to reach the entrance of her womb. Her hands scrabbled over every inch of him that she could reach, enjoying the play of his muscles under a silky coat of hair.

He released her mouth and looked down into her turbulent sky-blue eyes, her pupils had gone from overly wide to narrow slits – from excitement to arousal. Between the pleasure he found in her body and the passion in her eyes he felt like he was drowning and didn't want to come up for air. He arched his back and lowered his head to take the tight pebble of her breast into the heat of his mouth. Her soft mewls and growls fueled an instinct to pleasure her. An instinct, until now, that had been buried in a burning need.

He slipped from her tight heat with a hiss to trail hot kisses down her body. Her intoxicating scent and pheromones clouded everything but the need to know the taste of this woman and give her pleasure. This wasn't an act he'd ever done before. His few experiences with women were brief encounters. One and done. He was too focused on his career – on his duty. But the only duty in his thoughts right now were to her and he didn't question it.

He'd heard his squad mates talking. They liked to brag about their conquests, but he'd listened and knew what to do – even if the thought had never appealed to him before now. His tongue slid through her soft, trim folds and he gripped her hips tightly so he could savor the taste of her essence. He lapped at the honey in her well as deeply as he could reach. Her salty-sweet nectar coated his tongue and still he wanted more. His tongue slid up to the swollen nub and he let her body language and cries tell him what she liked best.

Her strong hands held him captive between her legs and she yelled his name as a powerful orgasm tore through her. He liked the sound of 'Aric' of her lips. It had been a long time since he'd heard anyone call him by his first name. He dipped his head lower to collect the bounty of his labors before rising above her once more and plunging in to her hot, tight, core with a hiss of pleasure. His mouth found hers as his hips drove into her propelling them towards an ending he could not even imagine.

Never had she imagined the pleasure he would be able to give her. Her body was a molten livewire, sensitive to the slightest touch. Even the whisper of his silky hairs brushing against her own sent spirals of heat throughout her body. Her body writhed and ground against his, greedy in its need for more. She was barely aware when he dipped down, his fangs piercing the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder. She stiffened and the world stood still for a brief moment before she felt a pleasure-pain deep inside her and shattered into a million pieces of extasy. In a haze of pleasure, she bit into his shoulder until the slightly metallic taste of blood caused her to pull back. It took her another moment to realize her nails were buried in his back.

He dropped his forehead to hers, his body thrumming with pleasure, his breath harsh with excursion and his back stung from the bite of her nails – but he'd do it all again…and again – if only he could. She hissed in pain when he tried to withdraw and kissed her so that she wouldn't realize what happened. But inside, he was reeling with what it implied. His barbed prongs had never unsheathed before. She was his mate. It would also explain why he'd marked her with his bite, claiming her as his. It hadn't been a conscious decision; his reactions had been instinctual, driven by the urgency of need and the scent of their combined pheromones. Cathar mated for life. While the mating wasn't a formal contract, she was essentially his wife. From the moment his barbed prongs unsheathed there was no going back for them. But she was also his superior officer. That was a can of worms he wasn't sure he wanted to open – not when they had to hunt down the old Havoc Squad.

When he tried to pull out once more, she rolled them over and rode him to another soul searing pleasure. She dropped bonelessly on top of him. Wincing when the movement caused pain deep inside her. She scooted backwards, deepening his impalement of her to ease the pain. She closed her eyes and let out a wavering breath. There were three things she knew. They were mated. They needed to talk. He was going balk. "I can't seem to get enough of you," she murmured to see his reaction.

His body was still alive with pleasure and the need to fill his mate repeatedly, but his words were curt. "It's the heat talking." He knew it was more than that, but he wished it otherwise. This complicated everything.

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself up. She leaned over him, her blue eyes boring into his golden-green eyes and then nodded. As soon as she could dismount without pain, she did so. She knelt down onto her knees and began putting the containers from their dinner back into the bag. "If that's all it is, then I'm sure you won't mind if I hit the bar on the way back. I'm feeling uncommonly frisky during this heat."

He watched her lithe movements, saw dewy pink of her core against the white of her coat as she bent over to clean. The sight of her soft flesh sent shockwaves of desire through him. He should be more than sated by now. But her words sparked a fire within him. He knew she wasn't serious, bonded pairs could not stray - but nor could he stop his reaction to the thought of her with another. With a growl he rolled onto his knees and took her from behind. "Not going to happen," he growled into her ear when she lifted herself up onto her knees to lean back against him. One hand rose to her worship her breast, the other trailed down to tease and arouse her swelling bud. His tongue caressed the mark he'd given her, gently removing the dried blood from her short, fine, silky hair. He couldn't get enough of her either. "Your mine." He bit down on her shoulder, careful not to pierce her, instinctually needing to hold her in place as his thrusts became more urgent.

Sated once more, he lay against her back, his arms wrapped around her as they waited for their bodies to calm and his shaft to release her.

When they got around to putting their clothing on, they discovered just how mauled the material was. Aric was able to use his belt to keep his pants up. He'd rendered her clothing much more useless. He tossed the rags into a speeder and tucked the blanket around her. "It's late. I think I can get us in unseen, Lieutenant."

With a growl she dropped the blanket and grabbed his tattered shirt to shake him. "Do you see a chain of command here, Aric? Unless we are with command, do NOT call me lieutenant, sir, ma'am, or L'Vae. Whether you like it or not, you are my mate. Deal. With. It."

His gaze dropped from her fiery eyes to her kiss-swollen lips and air rushed from his lungs. He rubbed his cheek against hers in a moment of weakness. "We cannot alert command to our mating – I cannot risk being removed from Havoc Squad. It is my right to hunt them as much as it is yours…Wynter."

He was right, she couldn't risk taking that away from him either. She also knew she'd be distracted with worry if he wasn't nearby. That worry wasn't based on love -they hadn't known each other long enough for love. But he was the only one she'd be able to respond to and now that she knew the pleasure he could give her, she did not want to do without. That meant she couldn't lose him. But she also knew, given time, their relationship could be so much more than physical. Cathar could love, marry and divorce just like any race, but the mate bond was physiological and not based on how much you liked or even loved someone. It could not be forced and was not always wanted, but it only occurred when two cathar were meant for each other. "I know – but after…"

"After the traitors have been neutralized, we will follow regs concerning our…relationship," he assured her. Relationship. He was still reeling over that. So much of his life had changed in such a short amount of time. He picked the blanket back up, wrapped it around her and occupied himself with packing up the speeders before he gave in to her heat and threw her back on the ground. Control is something he'd always prided himself in but he had always had little control around her…his mate…and that explained why.

He had them park their speeders behind a nearby fab-structure and they stayed to the shadows, entering the officer's quarters through the back entrance. He followed her to the room she no longer shared with Wraith and steeled his spine with nothing more than a soft 'goodnight' and returned to his own quarters. His instincts and body screamed to stay. His mate was in heat and his protective drive was ramped. Every step away had been a fight that left him damp with sweat by the time he reached his quarters. If they were going to learn to control their instincts it had to start here. He could not risk being pulled from Havoc Squad. Not yet. Not until every last traitor was neutralized.

Come morning breakfast was a stilted affair. They'd spent the night apart and were unable to say or do anything in the light of day. Her heat had them both on the edge, she could tell by the rigid positioning of his body and the way his eyes cast about the room looking for anyone that might get to close to her. She hoped Private Farn stayed well away, because it was more than obvious it wouldn't take much to set Aric off. She, herself, felt like unfurling her claws, climbing the walls and screeching like a banshee to get what she wanted…her mate inside of her, claiming her roughly as his fangs scraped her skin.

His body trembled when desire was added to the heat signature of her pheromones. "Wynter…" he growled softly in warning – though he knew there was nothing she could do. She was in heat. He rose from the table and grabbed his near empty tray. "I will see meet you at the shuttle." His stride took him swiftly away from his mate as he dropped off his tray and all but ran from the mess. He came to an abrupt halt outside of the mess, crossed his arms over his chest and locked his eyes on his mate. He could not leave her, not while she was in heat. Some instincts were too hard to overcome. It had been easier, barely, last night because she'd been locked away from others in her quarters.

His hackles rose when someone stopped to talk to her. He could feel the bite of his nails in his palm, but held his ground. The sergeant left without touching her, likely the only thing that kept him grounded. He did not like being this out of control, not when he'd spent years to ensure the aggressive tendencies of his species were locked down tight. Males could have trigger tempers and prone to fight, while females were more docile, diplomatic, but cunning. Few cathar females chose to become soldiers or warriors, but he admired that in his mate. It did not stop his need to protect her, but he knew she would always guard his six as he would hers. There was no doubt in his mind that time would prove they could be a team in all ways. The only concern he had was her ability to lead. She'd more than proven herself a capable and reliable soldier, but she'd never held command before. Regardless, he would be there to help her if she needed it. And if she made mistakes along the way – he had little room to fault that. Despite the general wanting him to remain on the sidelines, he should have accompanied her to infiltrate the sep base. He knew it and he'd ordered her to go on alone. If he'd have been there civilians would never have had to follow her and make sure she was safe – they would never have found out about the bomb and defection. Now they had to rely on three criminals to keep their traps shut. Three criminals that were willing to risk their lives to protect his mate when he didn't. That still rankled.

"Let's go," she mumbled as she passed him at the door. She knew why he left and she did not begrudge him that. She also knew why he remained and trusting her had nothing to do with it. He knew she was incapable of offering herself to another male, even if she was in heat. But she also knew he was incapable of being very far from her during her heat, even if there were no other cathar males around to pose a threat. Some instincts could not be overcome by rational thought.

During the shuttle ride she answered his questions about her new friends. She knew he considered them nothing more than lawless criminals, but from what she knew they were not at all what he thought they were. They seemed far more courageous and honorable than most people she met. So, if they were lawless criminals then the galaxy could use a lot more lawless criminals. Regardless, they had proven themselves to her and she would trust them to have her back if they ever found themselves working together again.

The shuttle dropped them off at the small station orbiting Ord Mantell and boarded the Ol' Bucket for the journey to Coruscant. Despite the ships rather unflattering name, it certainly did not live up to its name. While it was a freighter and not a luxury liner, it did have staff and amenities for their passengers. Since they were the only military personnel aboard, they had this time to themselves, which they spent primarily in their cabin. That was all the amenities the newly mated pair needed.

Coruscant

Aric grunted as he disembarked the Ol' Bucket and stepped onto the Coruscant Space Port. "I've been on a backwater planet for so long that I almost forgot what a civilized planet looked like."

She turned knowing eyes to him. Few of their species actually preferred durcrete and steel to grass and trees. "But then – it's not truly civilized at all. It is only a veneer to hide what is below the surface. I had my officer's training here as well – had a few assignments in unsavory districts. I could never be happy in places like this, Nar Shaddaa or Corellia. I need the feel of grass springing beneath my feet, the scent of wildflowers and water in the air. I don't know if I will ever have that again…what I had as a child, but I will always dream of having it," she admitted as she slipped her ID disk into the arrival terminal. The terminal scanned her and approved her entry.

He took her arm and guided her out of camera range, glanced around to make sure no one of importance was watching and drew her into his arms. His lips brushed hers. "I have locked away what I am for so long that I forget what it is to be cathar. We'll have that someday, Wynter – I promise you that." He released her and took a step back. "Now, we should check in with General Garza."

As they entered her office, she wasn't sure if she'd ever want to be a general. Garza, brazenly lied to a senator about knowledge of the defection. She understood the secrecy of classified information, and saying she couldn't talk about something because it was classified was fine, but lying never sat well with her.

Garza cut the call to the senator and slipped her arms behind her back at military rest. "Impeccable timing, Lieutenant. I'm General Garza. It's good to finally meet you in person."

"Thank you, sir. Likewise," she said as she snapped a salute to her superior.

"You have impressed me with the skill and courage you displayed on Ord Mantell. You achieved more than most soldiers would have in the same situation." Her steady gaze rose to meet Jorgan's. "Sergeant Jorgan, I'm pleased to have you with us as well. General Vander holds you in very high regard."

He stiffened his shoulders but gave no other physical sign that her words sliced him. "Thank you, sir. But General Vander has an odd way of showing his regard."

Garza knew how the military operated. When things fell apart someone had to take the fall and it was usually not the brass. It was nothing personal. "Vander did the best he could for you, Sergeant. And I'd say a position in the Republic's most decorated Special Forces squad is doing very well indeed." She did not give him time for a rebuttal. "It is regrettable about Tavus and the others. I knew they were upset, but I never imagined they'd defect. Nevertheless, your former squad-mates are now extremely dangerous enemies of the Republic."

She did not like Fuse and Gearbox lumped in with the rest of old Havoc. "Not all of them, sir. Fuse refused to go with them – tried to get them to see reason. They knocked him out just as they did Gearbox. Not all chose to defect and if we reach them, we might get inside intel."

"Possibly. Or maybe they were turned and would feed us false intel. We can't know, Lieutenant. We can't know anything until they are found."

Jorgan nodded. "So let's load up a strike shuttle and hunt them down like the scum they are."

"I would love to give that order, Sergeant, but our intelligence shows that hundreds of other Special Forces soldiers have followed Tavus and defected to the Empire."

It felt like she'd just been dropped from a great height, her stomach riding up to her throat. "Hundreds…" she choked out in a whisper. This was far larger than she could have ever guessed. Havoc was just the tip of the iceberg. "How should we handle this, General?

"We have one asset Tavus hasn't accounted for. You. They believe you are dead and the defection is still a secret."

No, that wasn't right. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" she asked.

Garza's eyes narrowed but she nodded. "Permission granted."

"We cannot depend on that intel. Havoc was well aware of the armor cams. They may have disconnected Havoc's feeds, but once they saw my arrival, they would have known that I likely was not sent out after them without being connected to Jorgan. They would know that we know about their defection. As for my death, that is debatable. While the four of us cleared out the seps and imperials that we found at the base, if any more arrived after we left, they would know I lived because I failed to leave behind a body."

Garza raised her hand. "I can see where you are going, Lieutenant." She fell back into a rest position. "Havoc Squad would often get their supplies from less than savory sources. The Migrant Merchant's Guild and the Black Sun. We need to sever their supply lines. Right now, I want you to focus on the Migrant Merchant's Guild. Intel alerted us that Tavus had ordered a large shipment of war droids. I want you to speak to Corporal Garrum, learn what he knows and proceed from there. Dismissed."

She relaxed back into her seat and let Aric drive the taxi. They located the corporal and he was able to tell them about the inventor named Krel, a cyborg that was triple the human norm for strength and speed. That didn't matter to her. Cathar were also stronger and faster than humans. What did concern her is that his intelligence was considered 'genius'. Genius could walk the edge of madness…which was he? She thanked him for the intel and coordinates.

It seemed the Migrant Merchant's Guild hadn't appreciated their weapons crates being destroyed. It was pretty much a nonstop rain of bolts until they reached the shield that Krel was working behind. She fired her cannon at the console to bring the shield down. She probably could have hacked it, but this was certainly faster…and more fun.

Krel was busy working at a terminal. "Do you think you can come here and destroy my creations without conscience? When you die here today, your feeble Republic will learn what it means to meddle in my work."

"In the name of the Republic, I order you to surrender!" She nearly yawned over the words. She had to say them but they almost never worked.

Krel turned around and laughed. "To you? Don't be naive. I can crush your skull with a single hand," he said as he slowly tightened his fist in a crushing motion.

"Who is being naïve? Apparently, you know little about cathar. Your threatening display is as meaningless as your endless chatter." She heard a slight choking sound coming from Aric and knew he had to bite back his laughter.

No…they couldn't take him down…but if so, they would go down with him. "There is nothing you can do. You are far too late. Soon, the people of this world will be brought to their knees by my latest creations! I have taken ordinary humans off the street and implanted some of them with advanced cybernetic enhancements. Their abilities rival my own. The implants are undetectable. Even they don't know which of them has been augmented. No one will know until my hidden programming activates!"

She expected to hear evil genius laughter punctuate his words. "You forgot the maniacal laughter part," she pointed out.

Jorgan growled softly at her sarcasm. "This guy's full of it. I don't buy any of it."

"He truly is mad. I had wondered if he would be, but he brags far too loudly to be believable. I think we got here before he could do what he wanted to do."

"Destroy them!" Krel bellowed as he released his droids.

She never did get the chance to find out how strong or fast he was, considering all he did was shoot blaster bolts at them. They were armored. He was not. He didn't stand a chance.

Her holo chimed.

"Come in. Lieutenant. I want you to move immediately and destroy the cyborgs that Krel created. We need to deal with them now before they disappear into the population. These things are never easy, but many more lives could be at stake."

"With all due respect, General, you weren't here. You couldn't scent the lies…the madness on him. He didn't implant those people. I'm sure he wanted to. I'm sure he would have – but he didn't."

Garza's back stiffened. She wouldn't have smelled those things even had she been there. "I'm giving you the kill order, Lieutenant. I take full responsibility for the consequences. Now get it done. Garza out."

"This is a waste of our time and their lives," Jorgan growled.

"I'm not murdering them. I know he didn't implant them – he just wants me to kill them to prove how the Republic terrorizes their innocent citizens. I don't kill unarmed civilians. If I thought they were implanted I'd take them to a med-center for a thorough evaluation. Sorry, Garza. Hit me with insubordination – but I'm disobeying that kill-order."

Of course, the door was locked. She was about to move away to a nearby terminal and try to slice it..or just blow it up when she heard one of the speak.

"The door is locked and sealed! You can't get in!" Kalyn warned.

"That won't be a problem, ma'am. I can either slice the control panel or burn it out. Either way, I can get you out of there," she assured the woman.

Kalyn blinked. "What? No! I told you that to keep you out! We heard the fighting. We heard what you were told to do! We aren't coming out until you swear you won't hurt us!"

"I don't kill unarmed civilians and I don't believe he implanted you, but I cannot know for sure. So, I will ask that you give us your names and ID numbers and visit a med-center for a full work up – to ensure your own safety as well as others."

Parr looked at Kalyn and shook his head. "What? So you can track us all down and kill us later? No way!"

Kalyn frowned at him. "Don't be ridiculous. Do you see any food in here, Parr? The soldiers are going to be combing this place in a few minutes. Do you think they would be as willing to disobey an order?"

Parr released a ragged breath. "I did not think it through."

"We'll put our information on datapad for you, soldier," Kalyn told her. "Done. I'm going to open the door. Please don't shoot." The door slid open and she kept her eyes closed for a brief moment. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and hurried over to the two soldiers and handed the female the datapad. "Here. Thank you for sparing us. Come on," she said to the others, "let's get back to our families. I know they're worried."

"Stay safe out there," Wynter replied. She truly hoped Garza would have too much on her plate to hunt down the civilians. Keeping an eye on them is one thing – murdering them was unacceptable. Her holo chimed. Of course. Time to pay for her disobedience.

"Lieutenant! My orders were perfectly clear: Eliminate Krel's cyborgs."

"With all due respect, General, I could not obey those orders. Those people are not cyborgs. Cybernetics cause a reaction in the surrounding fatty cells, which in turn causes a chain reaction that ends with miniscule enzymes being released in sweat. Cathar have extremely sensitive sense of smell."

"Regardless of what you think you know, my orders are not polite suggestions, Lieutenant. You don't choose to follow them – you follow them. When you are on a mission, you listen to my orders, then your brain, then your heart. In that order. There is no room for sentiment in our line of work or we are doomed to fail."

"With all due respect, sir, I disagree. Compassion and mercy are what separates us from the Sith run Empire. If we lose those, then we become the monsters we despise."

"No, Lieutenant. We are heartless so that the people do not have to be. Always remember that. Return to my office now – we need to discuss your next assignment. Garza out."

She was wrong. Jaded and wrong. But she was also too old to change. This was not a battle Wynter could win. "She's jaded and wrong and I fear…corrupt. Not in the betray the Republic kind of way, but in the lost touch with the people we protect sort of way. Duty is fine, so long as you do not lose your self to it. Duty should be tempered with compassion and mercy or we become the monsters – and she can't see that anymore. I hope I do not become like that," she said with a slight shudder.

It was easy to fall into a rut and see things from only one perspective. "You have given me a lot to think about. Perhaps I was starting to become jaded as well. I guess I needed to see things through fresh eyes." He smiled warmly. "Thank you," he mouthed.

Garza studied the Lieutenant for a moment. There was much of herself she saw in the young cathar. But the Lieutenant would have to learn the hard way that there was no room for idealism in the military. Idealism got you killed. She'd learned that by watching too many of her friend die throughout her climb in rank. "Lieutenant, we are here to discuss the Black Sun. A powerful organization composed of Coruscant's most violent criminals. Tavus is purchasing a powerful nerve agent from them in bulk. A SpecForce sergeant, Jaxo, has carried out some advance reconnaissance of Black Sun's headquarters. You'll rendezvous with her for a detailed plan of attack. We can't risk any of this nerve gas falling into Tavus' hands. Use all necessary force. Dismissed."

She glanced down at the coordinates and nodded as she exited the office.

Jorgan gritted his teeth. "I don't even want to think about what Tavus has planned with that nerve gas. He is not the man I thought he was. The man I knew would have died to protect people from atrocities like that."

When they reached the taxi, he motioned for her to drive. After they were seated, she settled her gloved hand over his. "Nobody could have seen it coming, Aric…they were too good at hiding what they were feeling. Fuse was a friend. I knew something was wrong but he wouldn't talk to me - in the end it didn't matter…I talked to him. He listened. Gearbox…he…he took me under his wing, made me feel at home and welcome…almost like a father would to a newly adopted child. I saw - I scented no deceit in him...in any of them.

"Neither did I," he grumbled.

"Well hell… they never took their armor off – that would have contained and filtered much of their scent. No doubt they counted on that."

He squeezed her fingers. "Needles. He would have known about our acute sense of smell." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Tavus told me they even slept in their armor so that they were always prepared for any threat. Yeah," he scoffed, "the cathar threat."

"We'll get him," she murmured.

"Yes, Wynter, we will." He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it so he could step out of the taxi.

Sergeant Jaxo's office was conveniently deep in enemy territory, but they were able to get through without drawing attention to themselves, despite their Havoc armor. Even the Black Suns didn't shoot just anyone – and they had less of a desire to shoot someone that could bring the military down on their heads. So, they were watched closely, but no one approached them.

Jaxo smiled when two cathar in Havoc armor stepped into her office. "Hey there, you must be the new Havoc CO I'm Jaxo. It's good to meet you."

"Likewise, Sergeant, and this is my…XO, Sergeant Jorgan," she motioned to her mate. "What do you have for us?"

"Hello, Sergeant," she said with a quick look to the second Havoc squad member. "Your highly enviable task is to destroy a cache of nerve gas canisters that the Black Sun is sending to Tavus. The gas is called Trivoris. Scary stuff – once canister can cover a square kilometer, with one-hundred percent fatality rate inside of ten minutes."

"How am I to safely neutralize the gas?" Wynter inquired.

Jaxo grinned. "Lucky for us it's pretty easy to neutralize Trivoris while it's still in the canisters." She held up a bottle. You will need to plug this bottle into the canister and release the compound. It will render the gas inert. But…" she said as she handed the bottle to the Lieutenant, "you will have to get by Black Sun enforcers to reach the canisters," she warned. "You also have another objective. A red case is being kept under heavy guard. If it's valuable to the Black Sun - it's bad for us. By the way there are signal jammers that are unreachable, so you are on your own. When you have completed your objectives, bring me the red case. Good luck, Lieutenant…Sergeant."

They rented a speeder and hid it behind a pile of junk not far from the Black Sun's base entrance. They neutralized three canisters and managed to locate the red case. She withdrew the blaster and snapped it to her magbelt. They'd had to kill more people than she wanted to think about, but the objectives were complete. She was very grateful to find the speeder in tact when they returned to it. They dropped it off at the lot and returned to Jaxo.

Jaxo beamed a smile at the to soldiers. "You're back! Were the ops successful?" Though she didn't suspect for a moment that they weren't.

"Affirmative," Wynter replied as she pulled the blaster off her magbelt. "This blaster was the only item in the red box, Sergeant."

Jaxo took the blaster and looked it over. "I've never seen anything like it. Must be some sort of new proto-type. I'll take it back to headquarters for analysis. Maybe we can find out where the Black Sun is getting their weapons."

The young woman's eyes were sparkling. "I hope you do, Jaxo."

"I guess we're through here, LT. It's been fun. I hope we get to run together again sometime."

"Then I'll make sure I put your name forward the next time I need backup…or maybe we'll have a toast sometime."

"Sounds good to me, LT. See you later." Her attention was already drawn back to the blaster and she didn't' see them leave.

Just as Wynter was stepping out of Jaxo's office her holo chimed.

"Sorry if I was that annoying," Aric told her as he motioned to the holo.

"Lucky for you - I've been able to forgive you," she teased as she flipped on the holo.

"A situation has developed with the Senate and you are being summoned."

She frowned at Garza's hologram. "What happened?"

"Despite my best efforts, three members of the Senate Defense Committee have learned about Havoc Squad's defection and they want to know the specifics." She shook her head. "I hate politics. Every moment we waste gives Tavus more room to maneuver. Regardless, the Senators have asked that you appear in their office at the Senate tower immediately to testify in the inquiry. I will remind you the more information that is made public, the harder our jobs become."

"So, you want me to lie," she clarified.

"I would never tell you to lie, Lieutenant. That would be illegal. I have merely reminded you of a relevant fact. Try to get this over quickly. Garza out."

"Well, hell…"

"As if we don't have enough troubles already," Jorgan grumbled.

They took the nearest taxi to the Senate tower and hurried upstairs.

Senator Arnus inclined his head. "Lieutenant, make yourself comfortable." Once the soldier was seated, he continued. "On behalf of the Senate of the Galactic Republic, I want to thank you for appearing on such short notice."

"I am at your service, Senators," she replied.

"I assure you we will not hold you from your duties any longer than necessary, Lieutenant," Arnus told her.

She liked what she saw concerning Senator Arnus. She hoped she would not have to lie to the human. She was curious as to why they wanted to speak to her instead of Aric. He had known Havoc longer. She turned to the mirialan who began speaking.

Seneator Voralla stepped forward. "The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate the defection of several members of the Republic Army Special Forces squad number 326, code named 'Havoc Squad', to the Sith Empire.

"You recently served in Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell, Lieutenant. Is that correct?" Arnus asked.

"Yes, sir, it is."

"While serving on Ord Mantell, all of the members of Havoc Squad, excluding yourself, defected to the Sith Empire, is that correct?"

"I do not know where the other members of Havoc Squad are." Truth. "What I do know is that on Ord Mantell I was made the new commander of Havoc Squad." Also truth.

"Lieutenant, you are a soldier of the Republic and sworn to obey the commands of the Senate!" Senator Krasul growled.

Voralla shot a brief glare at Krasul and held up her hands. "Please, we're only trying to discover the truth. If critical members of the Republic armed forces have defected, we'll need to take proper precautions."

"I understand that, Senator, and I've been honest in my responses," she told her.

"It's what you're not saying that is the concern," Krasul grumbled. His voice was too low for the human and mirialan to hear, but he knew the Lieutenant heard.

"Now, did Commander Tavus or any of the other members of Havoc Squad show signs of, say…instability? Anger" Frustration?" Arnus inquired.

"I'm afraid I didn't get the chance to know the former members of Havoc Squad all that well, sir. I can say that Needles, er – Lt. Ryler Dorant made the hairs on the back of my neck rise every time he spoke. I got the feeling he was a sociopath…or worse. Otherwise, there is not much I can tell you."

"Lieutenant! You are lying to the Senate of the Galactic Republic!" Senator Kasul roared.

"Please," Voralla stated calmly, "if you just answer honestly now, we can avoid a full-blown investigation."

She rose from her chair to her nearly six-foot height. "You have your facts wrong, sir. I was on Ord Mantell for a total of three days. How well do you suppose I was able to get to know my squad in that length of time?"

"You are quite right; three days is hardly adequate time to get to know anyone. Let us then speak hypothetically: Do you believe that anyone serving on Ord Mantell should have seen the situation coming?"

She resumed her seat. "If what you say is true, then no one could have seen it coming. If they had been nervous, anxious, or lying in anyway, I'd have been able to scent that."

Arnus glanced at Krasul. The slight nod affirmed the cathar's ability to smell those emotions. "Commander Tavus and the others must have been quite subtle indeed. I have one final question, Lieutenant: What connection, if any, exists between the events that occurred on Ando Prime and Havoc Squad's decision to defect to -"

Voralla cut in. "Senator, I would remind you that the circumstances of Ando Prime are classified and occurred before the lieutenant's involvement in Havoc Squad. You may ignore that question, Lieutenant."

"As you say, Senator."

Krasul did not take his eyes off the Lieutenant, not even when he felt the heat of the Sergeant's glare. The female was going out of heat. His own response to her elevated pheromones angered him. He didn't trust her. He didn't need or want the distraction. "Your part in this inquiry is concluded. You may return to your duties now."

"Goodbye, Lieutenant," Voralla put forth trying to end the proceedings on a less icy tone.

She gave a slight bow to the senators. "Goodbye, Senators." She glanced down at her holo, but it remained suspiciously silent. When she looked up at her mate, she saw his lips twitch.

"Don't look at me, I expected it to chime too," he teased.

They returned to Garza's office, uncertain what to expect. What they got was a mixed bag. She was pleased with how they'd handled the nerve gas and acquired the blaster, she wasn't so impressed with Senate inquiry. Apparently, standing up to give a rebuttal was considered bad manners. Other than that, her statements had been truthful, even when dodging their questions. What surprised her was learning that Jek Kardan, the previous CO of Havoc Squad, before Tavus, was down in the justicar controlled sector on Coruscant. She also learned that Tavus had been telling the truth. The Senate had shut down the entire operation, to include extractions. Jek Kardan had led the squad to safety and resigned.

"They were never quite the same after Tavus took over," Garza explained. "Kardan is a crucial link to the traitors, Lieutenant. Bring him in no matter the cost"

"He'll be back on the double, sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

They welcome was not as tolerated in the Justicar sector as it had been in the Black Sun. More lives were lost than she felt comfortable with, but they refused to let her pass by without conflict. Tavus…well, he was caught making arrangements with Imperials. Now they knew for sure he had turned traitor as well. "In the name of the Republic – I order you to surrender."

"It's over, Kardan," Jorgan growled. "You, the Imps, Tavus – You're all going down."

"Not going to happen, soldier. Now – a Havoc badge? You must be the new recruit Tavus told me about. So, you survived after all. Can't say I'm surprised, honestly. Havoc always did recruit the best."

The Imperial officer scowled. "What are you waiting for, Kardan? Kill the whelp! Or do you lack the true resolve to fight for the Empire?"

"My loyalty is to Tavus. Not to your Empire and not to anyone else," Kardan snarled. "You want the trooper dead – you take care of it. I don't kill good soldiers. I'm heading down to The Works to make sure everything is prepped."

"Kardan – don't do this. Fuse…Gearbox…they were knocked out and forced to leave Republic Space. Not everyone from the prior Havoc wanted this, sir," she explained.

He wasn't sure what to believe or how he felt about what she said. But until he knew what was going on, things would have to proceed on schedule. "It's far too late, kid."

Kardan slipped away while they fought the Imperials. But at least they knew where he was going. The Works. When the last Imp fell her holo chimed. "Right on schedule."

"Come in, Lieutenant. Is it my imagination or were those Imperial soldiers you were fighting?"

"No mistake, sir. These were Imperial commandos."

Imperial soldiers, in uniform, operating on the lower levels of Coruscant – and Republic security knows nothing about it. Incredible. We need to find out more information about the Justicars' relationship with the Imperials. Surveillance shows that the Justicars have their primary computer terminal in that base. I'll send you the coordinates. Find the necessary access card to activate the terminal. My technicians will be able to slice in and uncover everything the Justicars and Imperials have been up to."

"I'll take care of this immediately."

"Good. Garza out."

Thankfully, it was not that far from where they'd been. As soon as she activated the terminal with the stolen activation card, her holo chimed.

"Good work, Lieutenant. My technicians are accessing the files now…Ahh…Kardan…I think we've found what we're looking for. Kardan had the Justicars working with the Imperials to hijack and rebuild an abandoned Republic communications relay, down in an industrial area called The Works. If we destroy it, the traitors will be cut off. I'm sending Sergeant Mathin to bring you the explosives you will need."

"Understood, General. The Works is where Tavus said he was headed next. We may be able to locate him after our mission."

"That is my hope as well, Lieutenant. Kardan may not be on our side, but it doesn't look like he's on the Empire's side either. Bring him in alive if you can. Good luck. Garza out."

Sergeant Mathin was helpful. As soon as they had the detonator and instructions, they headed for the lift that would take them down into The Works, where they found Kardan next to the relay they needed to take out.

Kardan turned around with a slight shake of his head. "Still alive, huh? You really should have gotten out of this while you were ahead. You're a risk to my people and I can't let that stand."

"Sir…I'm still ahead. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to kill the former Havoc Squad."

"I'm not going to let you get into my head, soldier!"

"Sir," said the Imperial, "shouldn't we -"

"Tavus, Wraith, Needles, Gearbox, fuse…they're like my children and I abandoned them. I resigned and left them to fight alone just to make a point. They need my help now and I'm not going to abandon them again."

"You know they know too much. The Republic will never stop hunting them. If you do not help bring them in alive then you are helping to ensure their deaths. Fuse was my friend and Gearbox took me under his wing. They were incapacitated and forced to leave. I care about them – I don't want to see anything happen to them – just as I don't want anything to happen to you, can't you see that?"

It felt like his heart was tearing to shreds. This was all his fault. If he had stayed, he could have stopped all the madness. What his children didn't realize was that the Empire would only use and discard them. The Republic didn't give a damn about them but neither did the Empire. What were they thinking? No…it was all his fault. "Damn…I can't believe it's come to this."

"Sir?" asked the Imperial trooper.

"All right, soldier. I'll go along with this. But if you harm a single one of my people, you will be dead within the day," Kardan promised. "Understood?"

"Then help me to save them and talk to your people. Make them see reason."

"Let's get on with this, soldier," Kardan said as he stepped forward to turn himself in.

"Gearbox called me Wolf," she said with a small release of breath.

"Wolf, then." He ignored Aric's growl of displeasure.

The Imperial trooped held up his rifle. "I can't allow you to fall into enemy custody alive, Kardan."

Kardan rolled his eyes and turned to the Imperials. "Are you still here? The op's over, people. Finished. Mission failed. So get out of here, while you've still got the legs to carry you."

"You leave me no choice, sir." The Imperial motioned to his men as he discharged his own weapon.

Four against three was nothing when those three were Havoc Squad.

"Hmph. Reminds me of old times," Kardan said in a somber voice. He never should have left. He handed his weapon to the lieutenant. "Here's my weapon – consider me surrendered. I'll make my way up to the Senate tower and turn myself in. See what Garza wants to do next."

"Thank you, sir. I hope…I hope they will listen to you."

"Me too, Wolf. I'm sure we'll meet again."

She watched him walk away. Not for a moment did she think he would make a run for it. She motioned to the cam on her armor. "We'll talk later. But after this…food and sleep. We haven't eaten since breakfast. We'll have to rent us a couple of rooms, because I don't' know about you but I have no desire to sleep in the barracks."

"Agreed, sir. I want peace and quiet…and a very large dinner," he agreed. "Now, Let's go take out that relay and give Kardan's little babies something to think about."

She attached the detonator to the relay, grabbed Aric's hand and double timed it as fast as her feet could fly. The explosion shook the ground and pitched them forward, but momentum kept them on their feet. They came to a stop to catch their breath; their bodies shook with adrenaline but each barked a small laugh of relief.

He covered both their cams and leaned in to soundly kiss his mate. He pulled back and coughed when the wave of smoke caught up to them. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run with laughter on their lips.

They left The Works and took a taxi up to the Senate tower.

Garza turned when she heard booted footsteps. "Ah, the hero of the hour. I'm proud of you, Lieutenant. You've done well. Jek Kardan walked up to the Senate tower's front door and surrendered himself in broad daylight. I never thought I'd see the day. You have the makings of a diplomat, Lieutenant."

He did not even want to think of his wife being removed from Havoc. "Havoc Squad needs her, sir," Jorgan responded.

"That it does, Sergeant. It needs both of you," Garza agreed.

"I think Kardan blames himself for what happened to the previous Havoc Squad. He might not like the Republic after being left to die, but he never wanted them to defect to the Empire. I know he will help you all he can to bring his…children in alive," she explained.

"I hope you are right in that, Lieutenant. Now, on to more pressing matters. We've already located one of the Havoc traitors: Wraith. You remember Senator Krasul from your meeting with the Senate earlier? Wraith kidnapped him from his home just afterward. We've tracked them to a remote space station called Port Raga."

She remembered the ass-weasel. "Has Wraith made any demands?"

Garza shook her head. "Our intelligence is very thin at the moment and no demands have been made yet. You've already accomplished some amazing things, Lieutenant, but I must ask for more. We can't allow Wraith to succeed."

"Understood, General. Which ship have you booked our passage on?"

"Havoc Squad requires its own starship for operational flexibility. A ship has already been transferred to your command – it's waiting at the space port now. Dock details will be sent to you. Fly to Port Raga and meet with the advance team. Your orders are to rescue Senator Krasul and capture or eliminate Wraith at all costs. Good luck, Lieutenant. Dismissed."

"Hmm…," she said as they left the Senate tower. "A fully stocked …completely empty ship…sounds like we both will be getting the peace and quiet we need for a good night's sleep."

A slow grin spread across his lips. "I like the way you think, Lieutenant."

They said little else as they made their way to the space port. With their armor cams still functioning, there wasn't much more they could say. Since they weren't on a mission, there was little chance someone had activated the cam. But little chance was still more of a chance than they were willing to take. Once they were aboard the ship, she would disable their personal cams.

Another promising thing about having a ship was that they would be out of range of being spied on through their armor cams. The cams would have little use, concerning their main function was to ensure the team was okay and send in reinforcements if needed. They would be too far away for that to even matter. But if she wanted to record, she still could. The cams could be linked with the ship's computer or a storage disk could be inserted into the armor. There were certainly instances where having a cam would be beneficial. She just liked being able to decide for herself when and where to activate it as well as being able to decide who saw what.

Once they reached the hangar bay that held their new ship, her feet slowed to a stop as she took in the sight of their new home. "Rendilii Hyperworks BT-7 Thunderclap. She's old, she's ugly, but she'll get the job done." With a nod to Aric she walked up the ramp and into their new ship. Safety seats lined the walls on both sides of the ships as soon as she stepped through the door. Up a handful of steps stood a talkative protocol droid named C2. To the right of the entry was a cargo hold. To the left in the cargo hold were various small speeders that used a field to hold them in place. Behind them was a door that led to a small storage room with additional speeders. To the right there were crates stacked high with supplies. Crates were clearly marked and netted to hold them in place. To the front were large, easy to access storage units. Up a few steps further from the entry was a small engine room. Taking a left from the entry and up a larger flight of stairs took you to the command center with an extremely large holo terminal. Most of the ship's rooms were offshoots of the command center: medbay, armory, barracks, kitchen, briefing room, refresher that had separate entries for males and females and the CO's quarters. Off the command center and up another flight of stairs lay the XO's quarters on the left and the bridge on the right. She wasn't a fan of the field of view from the bridge but she supposed she'd get used to. Not that there was a choice. She had feeling she'd be relying more on the ship's sensors than anything she could see through the narrow, obstructed permaglass windows.

One thing she did know was she was going to have the weapons repair kiosk moved out of her room and into the command center. There were crates in the command center that could be moved to the cargo hold to make room for the repair kiosk. She was damned sure she did not want her quarters to become grand central station for the rest of the squad she'd be picking up.

With the help of Aric and C2, the three of them were able to put her plan into action. They also moved a large terminal that blocked a door in her quarters to where the repair kiosk used to sit. They discovered the door led to a small, personal refresher. Apparently, whomever used these quarters last either didn't know or preferred to use the main refresher. She tested the water and the sani-steam. Everything worked. "Not sure why this refresher was blocked off, but I'm going to enjoy taking long baths on occasion. Beats a shower or sani-steam any day."

Aric discovered his room, the XO room, had a small refresher too, though it lacked the tub. Oh well, it was a far sight better than sharing a communal refresher.

She took his hand and pulled him back to the armory. There were shelves of various weapons and artillery. There was also a row of lockers for armor along one of the walls. The lockers displayed a holo, but only her's and Aric's were lit up and only their eye scans would open them. She was ok with the added security, but she doubted anyone onboard would tamper with her armor. With a grateful sigh she removed her armor, placed each piece in its designated spot and programmed in the repair and clean functions. Minor repairs and cleaning did not require anything more than a trip to the locker. It was a small luxury that saved her a lot of time.

Once done, she held up her finger to delay anything Aric might have in mind and hunted down C2 to run a search of the ship for surveillance devices. Three were found and locked in a crate in the cargo hold. "I suspect one of the previous commanders wanted to keep on eye on their crew. These don't look like they were professionally set up by command. Regardless, I will not be spied upon in my own home. And for however long…this is our new home, Aric…and I expect you to be in my quarters every night," she said as she slipped her hands up under his underarmor to slide over the muscles of his abdomen.

A harsh breath escaped in a growl and he pulled her to him. Just as he was about to claim her lips both of their bellies protested in earnest. He lowered his forehead to hers and sighed. "Soon." He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. They worked together, amidst gentle touches and brief kisses, to prepare their late-night supper.

They knew they were living on borrowed time…that soon the ship would be filled with new Havoc Squad members, but for now they were alone and they reveled in it. After dinner they enjoyed a long, hot and carnal bath before her mate carried her to the bed, tossed her on it and pounced. They pleasured each other until they fell into an exhausted sleep.

Come morning they discovered their bags had been placed in their bedrooms. So, they put away their clothing and few personal items. After breakfast she used the command center's holo to get permission to depart. With permission granted, they headed up to the bridge. Aric locked in the coordinates on the holomap while she performed the pre-flight checks and set the ship's VI auto-pilot.

He smiled when she looked over and winked at him as the ship lifted out of the hangar bay. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Smiling, that is. Something he hadn't done much of until the night he took her to his place of peace…the night they first discovered they were mated. He didn't recognize the man he was when he was around her, but that might not be a bad thing. With her he felt whole…filled with warmth and happy. An emotion he hadn't felt since he was a small child. Despite the demotion, there was no place else he wanted to be.

Aric, you better stop being a stuffed shirt or so help me I'm going to pull that stick out of your ass and spank you with it.