Chapter 9
Rydell, Makazu, Xan and Marnist were in their cabin aboard a starliner bound for Carida. The members of the IPEC group had to report to the Imperial Citadel a week early for all the fanfare the surrounded the creation of a new group. It would all start exactly a week before the semester with a celebratory ball held to introduce the brave volunteers to the Media, and to the Empire.
None of which Xan and Rydell were particularly looking foreword to. They both knew that every time some reporter snapped a holo, or stuck a microphone in their face it ran the risk of someone seeing them who could turn them in. It would hopefully be as simple as keeping to the shadows. Maybe they could find a couple of local girls so they could be on the dance floor for most of the night.
The liner was on approach to the planet, all passengers confined to quarters as the crew put the ship in orbit. In a couple of hours they would be planetside. Xan emerged form the cabins refresher station wearing the green IPEC uniform, an obvious departure from the standard Imperial gray. Xan secured his blasters to his hips, and he contemplated the color choice. They were an exploration group, and not part of the navy.
The insignia on the left shoulder was half an Imperial insignia, the other half being an outstretched hand. The whole thing was outlined in orange, with the hand being stitched in the same color. A letter had explained that the hand was meant to show the Empire welcoming new worlds. Xan and Rydell scoffed at the idea.
Marnist restrained herself in her bed. She hadn't thought there was anything that could make Xan look better, but she was wrong. All she wanted to do was jump up and kiss Xan, although that was higher than she could jump. Xan would just have to cooperate. It was her turn next and for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that nothing was going to fit right, except maybe the boots.
To her surprise the uniform almost fit right, just a little to loose in some places and a little too tight in others. With all the purpose she could muster she strapped the DL-44 to her belt, although somebody would probably make her remove it, she was only an enlisted soldier as opposed to Rydell, a Captain, or Xan, a Lieutenant. The boots were right on target, and the most uncomfortable things she had ever worn. No wonder Imperial officers acted like they had a mynock attached to their butt.
"Little big, huh?" Xan asked.
"You just need to put in some weight, that's all." Makazu said as he scoffed down a piece of Nerf jerky.
"Yeah like you right?" Rydell shot a Mak.
Makazu was a far stretch from a Hutt, but still bigger and heavier than Xan or Rydell, with pale freckled skin blond hair and blue eyes. He was a good pilot especially when behind the controls of his X-wing, but he really excelled at hand-to-hand combat, and arena in which he let no set of rules dictate how he acted. A good joke about his size was the best way to keep him quiet.
"Oh good one." Was all Makazu could manage.
"Come on, let's go. The shuttles are boarding." Xan said as he hefted his pack to his shoulder.
•••
An hour later they were four more uniforms lost in the sea of gray. First glance made it appear as if the cadets outnumbered the locals, besides that the first thing that everybody but Xan noticed was the heavier than standard gravity.
Before anything could happen the group went for their barracks to drop their packs. Their billets were divided by a common lounge in the middle of all the billets that formed a U shape. Rydell and Makazu were billeted together, with Xan and Marnist in another.
The rooms contained only the bare minimum, two beds with a footlocker at the end of each, a full refresher station, and a nightstand between the beds.
"Welcome to the Imperial Military." Xan said to Mar. "Less than what you need and nothing that you want."
He's right, she thought, except for one thing.
•••
"What are you doing the end of the week?" Rydell asked Haara, who had managed to find the four of them in the little cantina. For a second Mar thought Rydell was going to ask her to the ball. Leaving Xan to her.
"I don't have any plans. Why?"
"Xan needs a date for this ball in a few days. I think you should go with him." Rydell said, knowing Xan wouldn't. Xan was almost as surprised as Mar; he snapped his head up to protest but caught those beautiful blue eyes and stopped.
"Of course, I'd love to. Do you want to get a drink?"
Xan got up and followed her to the bar. As soon as they were out of earshot Mar slugged Rydell in the arm.
"What are you doing? You know I wanted to go with Xan to the ball." She barked at Rydell.
"Yeah, but think about it. One you're already going and you'll be just as much of a media target as Xan. If you two are together you make one big target." Rydell pointed his finger at her. "If the commanders think you and Xan are involved, shall we say they'll probably ship you out of the unit. And you don't want that do you?"
"No." Mar conceded.
"So, at least you get to room with him." Rydell winked.
Stop! Xan thought as he looked at the young women sitting next to him. There was something about her that was drawing Xan in like a tractor beam, and there was no way he could bring the Empire down on her too when he got caught. To Xan it was no longer if he got caught, but when he got caught.
"So what brings you here?" Xan asked, hoping she would say something to contradict what he believed about her.
"Nothing really. Just had a feeling. I usually don't come to places like this. But I'm glad I did." She smiled at Xan. Damn, she was perfect. "Nice to see you back. How much longer?"
"I don't know, four years maybe."
"Weren't you already here?"
"Yeah, but I went home before the end of the semester. Then I got transferred to this IPEC unit. That's the ball we're going to. So the Empire can trot us out and say look at what we're doing, here's your brave new crop of explorers.
"IPEC, what's that?"
"Independent Planetary Exploration Company."
"And you didn't volunteer for something like that?"
"Nope, got assigned."
"It's kind of stuffy in here, let's go for a walk."
•••
Thump! "Stang! . ." And that was all Xan caught of the string of expletives coming from the corridor, followed by a couple of thumps and crashes. Xan sat up, and brushed hair from his eyes.
"How was your date last night?" Mar asked, almost demanding.
Xan blinked sleep from his eyes. There she stood, hands on her hips, lips pursed and her eyes menacingly dark. "It wasn't a date." Xan offered. Another set of crashes came from outside. "What's going on out there?"
"You left with her. Where did you go?"
"Why, did you want her, because I don't think she's your type." Even more crashes. Xan threw his blankets off, got pants on and went out to the hall. "Hey bantha brains! Do you know what time they wake us up here?"
"Erh, 0430." The other said. He was holding a large solid case, and other smaller one was on the floor.
"Than you also know that we have a week before all that starts, and if it's alright with you, id like to enjoy sleeping till noon as long as I can. Now what the krif is in the case? And who are you?"
"I'm Darick Noo-gin. I've been assigned to the IPEC group. And I'm trying to get my computer in the door."
"What the hell do you need those for. The Academy has good computers."
"Not for slicing." Noo-gin shot back.
Xan looked over the new arrival, he was about the same height as Xan, of stronger build. His hair was disheveled close crop under a red hat. His eyes were almost intelligent gray, then they went to an almost vacant stare.
"Here." Xan yanked the case from Noo-gin's hands, turned it ninety degrees and walked through the door. After putting it down on one of the beds Xan pointed his finger at the newcomer. "If you ever wake me up again you'll be putting on your boots with robotic arms." Xan admonished.
"Right." Noo-gin said and he disappeared into the room.
"Krifing moron." Xan muttered, before returning to his room to prepare for the day ahead.
Rydell sat waiting for Xan at a table, spreading his food around the plate, eating slowly. I wonder what she did to make him so tired. Rydell thought. He knew that Xan and Haara were good together, although what happened between the two of them was out his control. If it worked right she would be a great distraction from Marnist.
Xan cared about Mar, and so far the only thing that had really stopped him was bosses daughter syndrome, the age difference and Xan's unwillingness to let anybody but Rydell get involved in his problems. With one of those problems eliminated and Xan and Mar sharing a room together she would get him, if for no other reason than just being there. At least Mar knew the consequences now too, maybe she would back off. The odds of Xan and Haara being together after they left the Academy were almost too insane for even a Corellian to bet on.
Down the stairs strode Xan and Marnist, of course. Rydell noted how displeased she looked. Just Xan and Haara being together had done that. Now Rydell had to find out if there was a good reason for the younger women to be mad.
"Nice of you two to finally show up. You're lazier than a kriffing Hutt!"
"Who me?" Xan asked defensively, "You have to be talking about her. Have you met any of the others yet?"
"No, you?" Rydell responded.
"Just one, Darick Noo-gin, in the room next to ours. Makes me wonder if this whole IPEC thing isn't some sort of punishment."
"That bad?" Rydell asked, Xan only rolled his eyes in response. "Let's go get some caf." Rydell said throwing a sidelong glance in the direction of the line. "You comin' Mar?"
"You know I don't drink that stuff." She answered with a screwed up face.
"So what happened?" Rydell asked when they'd assumed their spots at the end of the line.
"Nothing really." Xan shrugged. "We had a drink and then we went for a walk. Mar's got this crazy idea that it was a date."
"Well Xan, most normal beings call having a drink and going for a walk a date." Rydell mocked.
"There wasn't even any contact, and you know I'm not going to willingly ruin someone's life. I won't date, I won't love, and I'll die alone."
"But it's alright to ruin my life. I'm hurt Xan, and what about Mar?"
"Mar's different, she needs me."
"She loves you."
"I can't."
"Why not, what reason, come on give me a reason Xan."
"They'll throw her out of the unit. She's two young, she's . . ."
"The only one that works is the first one." Rydell interrupted. "You have two women after you, you have to choose one."
"And you mean Haara."
"She's good for you Xan."
"And Mar isn't."
"Haara's not in the unit. Come on let's get back before Mar thinks I'm a threat too."
For the rest of the day Marnist and Haara filled Xan's head, and part of that was because he had absolutely nothing to distract him. Music didn't help, if anything it almost made it worse. Rydell was right, Xan had to choose, as long as he didn't it would affect Mar. Mar someone he cared about, the implications of what Rydell had said involved crushing her young and vital spirit.
Mar could never really hide how she felt about Xan. She loved him as much as humanly possible. She and Xan had so many things in common, and subconsciously Xan knew he'd always wanted girl with sandy blonde hair and just that shade of blue in Mar's eyes. Leaving all that aside, she could be trusted, and Xan had already done that. Besides Rydell and Makazu, Mar was the only one who knew who Xan really was.
For all that though, Haara had a leg up. Mar was physically more attractive, and Xan still wasn't sure if Haara could be trusted. But there was something about her that was drawing Xan in. Whenever they spent time together Xan found she was eroding his defenses, and eventually he knew the only thing that would prevent them from being together was his own refusal to get her involved. But that wasn't going to work for her.