I own nothing except a few characters and the plot. There are a few Law & Order things included just to add some New York flavor.
TROOPS: NEW YORK
RETURN OF THE CHOSEN ONE
"We are not due to arrive there yet." Wedge Antillies said to the rest of the New Republic's envoy to Earth.
"Han told me being early might keep the Empire on its toes. Besides, we have to take a day with the nonsense formalities and another day to learn the culture of this place we're going to. New York City." Corran Horn explained.
"I want to take the kids to see some of the educational sites in the city." Mirax Terrik Horn said from behind them. "The Empire transmitted to me a bunch of data on the city for tourists from other planets after Corran signed up for this mission."
"There's our welcoming committee." Wedge said as he pointed at a Victory-Class Star Destroyer.
"incoming ship, identify yourself." A female voice came over the comlink.
"General Antillies of the New Republic to see General Rodgers in New York City." Wedge said.
"One moment please." Corran looked at the Star Destroyer. Clearly this was nothing more then a patrol ship assigned to the sector.
"Our data says we're near a planet called KO-35, except there's no planet." Wedge looked at the data.
"What happened to the planet?"
"I'd like to know too. Maybe it was a freak accident or the rumors Katarn heard about a couple of Death Stars being behind the attempted murder of a Grand Moff and a power grab by the man in charge of the one that was destroyed at Endor were true."
"This is Captain Gellert. You people are early." A male voice came over the comlink.
"What happened to the planet that is supposed to be here?"Wedge asked.
"Thinking of a lie to tell us. They know it would look bad if Leia found out about them building Death Stars." Corran said.
"Destroyed by a traitor and his illegal superweapon that was destroyed by the Americans. Moron tried to build another one that was destroyed during the construction phase by the Americans and a few other nations from Earth. They'll be waiting for you on Earth to tell you the whole story." Gellert explained.
"Thank you." Wedge said.
Joe put his phone on speaker after the third ring.
"If this is nonsense, somebody's gonna find themselves court-martialed, shot, and sent to the Russian Front for disturbing me during nap time."
"General, the Republic ship just ran into Captain Gellert near the remains of KO-35. He said they want an explanation about what happened to the planet. Gellert told them what he knew from news sources."
"How long before they get here?"
"Should be about three to four hours."
"Thank you." Joe hung the phone up and went to fetch Tevin and Piett.
"Republic will be here in like three hours. Klinger, in uniform." Joe passed Richie as he went to make sure things were in order.
"Where's Tevin?"
"Being Houston's errand boy again probably."
"Richie, I'm not in the mood right now for jokes. The New Republic is on its way here and they now know about Khayman's homeworld."
"Try his phone. Or Darnell's. Actually, I think they're still down at Bennett putting things in order."
"Why didn't I think of that? I hope these people don't mind us being in street uniforms. Radar!"
"Yes, Sir. Admiral Piett is waiting for you in the garage." The Sergeant said from behind Joe who quickly took off for the garage. He found Piett waiting near his car.
"They are here early. Michael said if you needed more time to prepare such as changing into a proper uniform, he could stop them for a customs inspection simply out of standard procedure."
"Tevin I believe is already down there in street clothes with Darnell and my dress uniform has a date with a dry cleaner soon. We're leaving the excessive and unwarranted harrassment of New Republic officials to those with experience in harrassing children and people in wheelchairs at airports and spaceports. Plus then they can yell and scream at somebody in Washington instead of us." As they prepared to leave, Radar came running off the elevator with R2-D2 and C-3PO.
"Colonel Felth suggested that these two go with you to meet the Republic's representives."
"Hop in." Joe said to the droids.
"I hope this ride is smoother then the one we took with Colonel Terrik and Colonel Rex. If I was capable of being carsick, I probably would have been from all this traveling around I seem to do. I do hope General Antillies remembers us." The golden droid said. Piett silently hoped that 3PO wouldn't talk the entire way there.
FLOYD BENNETT FIELD
Tevin and Darnell had everything as ready as it could be for the arrival of the Republic ship.
"You want a Lotto ticket from last night's drawing?" Darnell asked picking up a piece of paper.
"I wonder if it was a winner." Tevin replied taking his phone out.
"If it is, according to Max. I keep the money." Tevin snickered.
"I won't ruin the surprise for you." A Stormtrooper appeared before Darnell could come up with a response.
"Sirs, the Republic, Admiral Piett, and General Rodgers are all on their way here."
"Have a conference room here cleaned up." Darnell said.
"Yes, Sir." The trooper left them.
"I hope Radar caught Joe before he left to give him R2 and 3PO." Tevin said as Wanda joined them.
"Your droids holding them up?" She asked.
"Not my droids. Traffic or pizza pickups however."
"Unless he ordered pizzas in his car. Not that Piett would be too happy about stopping for pizzas." Darnell added.
"Pizza wouldn't be my first choice of food for them, but this is an informal meeting before the formal meeting." She said earning a confused look from Darnell.
"Basically, this is the briefing of what's going to happen before and once the Solos, Skywalkers, and anyone else coming with them arrive. So we can get all the bugs such as Klinger, the Jacobses, and dealing with the city worked out before Joe ends up with a real mess on his hands." Tevin explained to Darnell.
"Yeah, I don't want him running around in dresses and me having to explain why one of our male troops is wearing women's clothes." Wanda told them.
"Better keep them out of The Village at night then and we don't want the office reeking of Morty after he ate day-old chinese food although I've found that smell at the Port Authority once." Tevin said earning himself a head-slap from Wanda.
"Done, Colonel Felth?" She asked.
"Now I am."
Kate Rommel had shown Padme to her new office and left a welcome basket containing Coca-Cola and candy.
"We have civilian security at the front door to this building. It keeps the other tenants happy not having to deal with Stormtroopers every day. Most of the Imperial staff here is actually not part of the military. The exceptions are Jimmy's bodyguards and Wanda's secretary. We don't have many droids in the city simply because we haven't found any use for them here and a certain blue and white R2 unit has ran away from Colonel Felth at least once that I know of."
"Did that R2 unit come here with a gold protocol droid?" Padme asked.
"Yeah, Felth says it never shuts up and if it wasn't for all this terrorist business, he'd have it taken apart and inspected to find out what its malfunction is." Padme grinned. She couldn't wait to tell Anakin that their droids were on Earth.
"I'm sure Anakin and Obi-Wan can find something for them to do."
"Send them down to Supply. They're still trying to send stuff to Tarkin there. The man's been dead for over 30 years." Padme raised an eyebrow.
"Tarkin's dead?"
"Your son destroyed him and his Death Star at Yavin after Tarkin and his cronies committed what Jimmy says is a crime against humanity by destroying Alderaan."
"Alderaan was destroyed?"
"Yep. Tarkin forced Leia to watch after he decided to execute her. Your son and son-in-law broke her out of Death Row soon after. Obi-Wan has some more details of that. What I know is mostly a retold story from Piett, in which he made Tarkin look like a fool with an inflated ego. Anakin may know other details."
"I'll ask him whenever I run into him."
Anakin had once again joined Erica as they drove around the city looking for something to do since Erica considered Harris to be Max's problem as the Nal Hutta slave smuggling was his case. This time though Anakin was dressed in Earth clothes instead of Jedi robes.
"Obi-Wan is exploring the city on foot. I hope he doesn't run into any of the city's seedy characters." She said.
"Obi-Wan and trouble go together. I've bailed him out of it ten times already although he's going to say it was nine times.." Anakin said.
"What's in dispute?"
"Him getting sorta, kinda drunk on Cato Neimoida. It's a long story and you'll hear my version and his version of it which may or may not make any sense."
"This is where Max would make a comment along the lines of Obi-Wan having to take a lie detector test and probably a drug test."
"Chances of Obi-Wan getting into trouble here are..."
"Better then the Mets winning a World Series or even making it to the playoffs within the next five years." Erica interrupted him.
"Something I don't know?" Anakin asked her.
"Baseball team in Queens. Famous for constantly losing games. Polar opposite of the Yankees. They play in the Bronx." Anakin looked over at a man digging through a trash can.
"What is that?" Erica looked at the man and stopped the car.
"That is Reggie. Why is he digging through trash?"
"Looks like he's searching for food." They got out of the car.
"Reggie, why you in the trash?"
"Looking for food."
"I see that. What happened to Father Malloy trying to hook you up with services?"
"He did. There's a long wait for a response from the agency though."
"What part of you're living in a church basement and eating trash did they not get?"
"Worker said there's nothing they can do until a decision is made on my application and it would take a few months."
"You're probably below the women with more kids then income and no fathers that get everything they're not entitled to while people who need the help get screwed over."
"That is a shame." Anakin said.
"Bigger shame. Reggie, show him your leg." Reggie pulled the prosthetic leg out from under his pant leg.
"IED went off about a hundred feet from me in Baghdad. Two guys who were with me got killed. I lost my leg and ended up with a ton of other problems."
"What happened to the VA?"
"VA?" Anakin asked.
"US Veterans Affairs. They're supposed to be helping people coming home from serving overseas adjust back to civilian life and take care of their physical and mental health needs. Richie's tried everything including pulling rank on the Army to get Reggie back to his family in Cleveland after he was dumped in New York with nothing as a result of some clerical error. Richie's SOP is to take Reggie down to the office, feed him, clean him up, have Loomis sit with him, and wait for Father Malloy to pick him up. We told Joe, but he's not sure what he can do. Tevin told us that Bryan Khayman would have had this sorted out within a week of hearing about it. Reggie would be home with his family and the idiots who allowed this to happen and continue court-martialed and busted down the ranks or out of the service. They hung up on Piett when he tried to get this fixed."
"So we're taking him in?"
"No charges, just feed, clean, and medical. You can put your leg back on." Reggie hopped over to the car and got in helped by Anakin. No words were needed for Erica to know that Anakin felt sorry for Reggie. She knew Anakin had suffered worse then losing a limb as a result of the Clone Wars.
"Has Houston been told?" He asked.
"Krissy said if they hang up on her, she's going down there with a couple of squads and paper-pushing heads will roll right into combat on a distant planet."
"Think getting Padme after them would help?"
"Can't hurt. Sooner he's seen at the office. Sooner people will want heads rolling. Maybe we can get Joe to pull rank on them." Anakin smiled, he wondered if the people who were refusing to fix this mistake would fix it after a chat with Darth Vader.