Chapter 22

Dead or Alive

The clerk at Zaltin was only doing his job when he reported that the Batisons had requested information on the location of Bio Tech. Zaltin routinely investigated anyone who shopped at more than one company to protect their bacta interests. The background check on the Batisons was taking longer than usual because Bakura was an isolated world from which it was difficult to retrieve information. In the meantime the bacta order had been filled and was to be delivered to the Lady Luck in the morning. Judy, believing that her part in the scheme was completed, allowed herself the luxury of one more trip to Bio Tech to buy a small appendage for research purposes. While there, she decided to also buy a small supply of bacta so that it could be compared to Zaltin's.

What she did not know was that the detail oriented order clerk had been given the task of paying special attention to the paper trail for their order. He discovered a discrepancy in the payment and it did not take long to trace where the discrepancy originated. Zaltin had suspected that there was at least one disloyal employee in their midst and they were determined to flush him or her out.

The four friends met for dinner in the hotel suite before setting off to complete their burglarizing activities. Even though the men appeared relaxed and confident, Judy's anxiety could not be contained. "Lando, suppose you can't find the kavam, or if you run into other guards?"

"There's only a skeleton crew at night and, believe me, I won't have trouble finding the kavam," Lando explained.

"Judy, how hard could it be? The factory has plants and kavam. I think he'll be able to tell the difference," Don added.

She turned to confront Don. "And you," she said, "do you think you're just going to waltz onto a plantation?"

"No, I'm a lousy dancer," he replied.

"Don't make fun of me, Don," Judy warned. "Do you even know what the plants look like?"

"Sure… They're green."

"And I'll be with him, Judy," Luke said.

"Oh, and you've got a green thumb?"

"Green thumb? No, my hand hasn't changed color. It's fine."

Judy rolled her eyes to the heavens. Don started to chuckle and Judy shot him a glare. He explained, "What she means is that she's sure neither one of us has any experience with plants, and that we don't know what the hell we're doing."

Luke tried to reassure her. "The Force will keep me alert to any complications."

"And how difficult could it be to find the plants? It's a plantation, for God's sake. There must be rows and rows of the things," Don stated.

Judy wouldn't give up. "Do you know how deep the roots go or how big the plants are, or even what you need to bring with you?"

Don changed tactics since his lighthearted comments had failed to ease Judy's fears. He placed a hand on her back and messaged it as he tried to soothe her. "Look, Judy, I know you're scared that something is going to happen to us, and I'm not saying it won't, but… trust me, we do know what we're doing."

"Somehow, I don't find that very comforting," she replied. The three men glanced at each other, clueless as to what else to do. Judy saw their helplessness and apologized. "I know you think I'm being difficult, but… I guess now that I'm out of danger, I have nothing else to worry about, but the three of you."

Lando stated, "It's always flattering to be in the thoughts of a beautiful woman."

Don and Luke groaned in unison…

"Well, I must be on my way. It may take several hands of sabaac to soften the guard up before I can get my work done." He rose, took Judy's hand and brought it to his lips. "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. It's those two you need to worry about," Lando quipped and then made a quick getaway before they could retort, which garnered a chuckle from Judy.

"Hey!" Don complained, "him you laugh at and me you don't?"

"He inspires more confidence, Major," Judy replied.

Luke took that as his cue to give them some time alone. "I'll be in my room…"

"Meditating?" Judy asked.

Luke nodded. "Just knock when you're ready, Don."

Don stood and took Judy's hand, leading her to the bed. "Don… we don't have time for…"

"I know," Don replied. "I just want to hold you for a little while." He settled on the bed and drew her into an embrace.

"Promise me one thing?" she asked him.

"To make love to you for hours on end when we get back to the Jupiter?' he replied.

"Well that," she said, "and you'll come back in one piece?"

"In one piece and fully functioning."

"I'll have to examine you to be sure of that, you know."

"With pleasure, doctor."

Lando's assignment went smoothly. The bacta factory security guard whom he had befriended enjoyed vicious games of sabacc and strong Corellian Ale. Sooner than expected, the guard fell into a slumber, thanks to the 'knock-out' addition Lando had dropped in the ale. Finding and stealing the kavam was easier than buying scrap from a Jawa and Lando escaped before the guard awoke.

The plantation caper went just as smoothly. Guard dogs were employed to monitor the plantations at night, protecting the plants against hungry animals as well as intruders. Luke's Force powers kept the dogs at bay while Don dug up the plants, and they escaped without so much as a whimper from the animals.

All that was left to be done was wait for the delivery in the early morning. Don deposited the plants on the Lady Luck and he and Luke returned to the hotel to continue their cover for one more night. As they approached the door to their hotel suite, Luke stopped Don.

"Something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

"Judy's not in there."

"What do you mean, she's not in there!"

"Someone's in there, but it's not her."

"I'm going in."

"Wait!"

Don forced the door open and charged through, laser pistol in hand, and faced a gruesome sight. Mya Jenoa's wrists were bound by a chain and she was hanging from the chandelier, blood oozing from her mouth, nose and ear. The holonet was on and a holo of Mya hanging, alone and wounded was plastered on the monitor with the word 'traitor' and the Zaltin corporate symbol proudly displayed at the bottom corner of the screen.

Don and Luke freed her from the chains and lowered her to the ground. She attempted to speak, but her words were garbled. Luke tried to ease her pain with the Force, but all of them knew that these were her last moments. Mya formed the words with her lips, but little sound came out. "Del…" she whispered. Don moved closer to her.

"The blond woman… was she here with you?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"Do you know who took her?" he asked.

"Del... va…"

"Delvardus?"

She nodded.

"I'll get help," Don stated, but it was too late. The woman drew her last breath and Luke closed her eyes. They lowered her to the ground and said a silent prayer. Don looked at Luke with furor in his eyes. "I'm gonna get him, Luke. I'm gonna find Judy and get him."

Luke covered Mya's body with a sheet while Don searched the rooms for clues. The capturers hadn't taken Judy out the window, so they must have gone out the door. He found a strand of blond hair near the main elevators and the only place they lead to was the lobby, where he found another strand by the doors. She had been taken out of the hotel in plain site of the hotel staff and clientele. How powerful were these people and how did Delvardus fit into it all?

Luke and Don hurried back to the Lady Luck to discuss the turn of events. Their cover was obviously blown and they assumed that the medical supplies would not be delivered, but as they approached the ship, a Zaltin delivery vehicle passed them on its return trip to the factory. Apparently Zaltin's well-oiled bureaucratic machine didn't alert the delivery department quickly enough about the cancellation of their order.

Lando grinned broadly when Luke and Don entered the ship since the sooner they could depart the better.

"Great! You're here early." He looked behind them. Where's Judy?" he asked.

"Delvardus took her," Don spit out.

"We found Mya Jenoa in our hotel suite. She's dead, Lando," Luke stated.

"It was brutal… they had her hangin'…" Don couldn't continue as his fears for Judy overwhelmed him.

Lando cursed under his breath.

"What does Delvardus have to do with Zaltin?" Luke asked.

"Delvardus is controlled by the Zaltin board. They're probably using him to do their dirty work. With our cover blown, they must have ordered him to retaliate against us under the guise of the empire rather than themselves."

Don took a deep breath and said, "You and Luke can leave. I'm going after Judy."

"We still have two hours until our lift-off time. We're coming with you," Lando responded.

"If I get my hands on Delvardus, I'll kill him," Don pledged, "I swear to God, I'll kill him."

The provisional council was in session when Mon Mothma's aide interrupted and whispered into her ear. Mon Mothma's face turned ashen and she asked that the holonet be turned on so that they could see a rogue transmission. The holo of Mya Jenoa hanging in the hotel room played over and over. The council stared, dumbfounded.

"She is Mya Jenoa, our contact on Thyferra," Mon Mothma declared.

Static briefly burst from the holonet and was replaced by a live feed of Superior General Delvardus standing in full uniform. "The terrorist faction that calls itself the New Republic has infiltrated the Zaltin Corporation and stolen precious bacta for its own use. As you have seen, the traitorous Zaltin employee has been discharged and has paid for her deed. We have captured one of the rebel infiltrators. Stealing bacta is a crime punishable by whipping. Let this be a lesson to all rebels that terrorist acts will not be tolerated in my territory."

The video image showed a wide-eyed Judy Robinson, cuffed to an overhead pipe.

Finding where Judy was being held was easier than expected, as Lando's sabacc game had been highly educational. Storm troopers surrounded the building, but they were outwitted by the talents of the three men. Luke was able to pinpoint Judy's exact location, and he and Don proceeded to the basement room where she was being held. Lando hung back to guard the door and he called the Lady Luck to their location, which had remote flying capabilities, by initializing the summoning unit on his belt.

As they approached the basement room, Don and Luke heard a droning voice emitting from a brightly lit room. Don took his pistol out and prepared to move, but Luke held him back.

"Wait, we need a plan," Luke stated.

"I'll wait later," Don replied.

As the council watched the proclamation by Delvardus, chaos burst upon the holonet scene. Leia's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Don had entered the room like a charging bantha, firing at anything and everything that moved. Luke followed behind, slashing at whatever was in his path. Don made his way to Judy and yelled at Luke to undo her cuffs. Luke waved a hand and the cuffs fell away and Don pulled her towards the door, protecting her with his body.

Luke had cleared a path for their escape and was holding back a group of storm troopers in the hall. Don and Judy were almost through the doorway when Delvardus unleashed a long black whip. He flung it in the general direction of the escapees, but missed his target. Don pushed Judy into Luke, yelling, "Take her," and then turned to shoot. Delvardus' activated the electrical current of the neuron whip. His second fling hit Don in the chest, disrupting his neurological functions, and he hit the floor.

The provisional council sat speechless as they watched the drama unfold. Storm troopers converged on Don and pinned his hands behind his back in the same stun cuffs that had been on Judy's wrists. Delvardus looked into the camera and growled, "The New Republic will pay, beginning with this piece of scum." He pointed to Don. "String him up!" he commanded and the video feed faded to black.

As Luke pulled Judy down the hallway, she fought him, trying to get back to her lover, but Luke had a firm grip on her as he deflected the storm troopers' shots with his lightsaber. Lando, hearing the commotion, flew down the steps and took her from Luke. They held their own as they continued to ward off the storm troopers and made the short run into the Lady Luck. Lando unceremoniously dumped Judy in the lounge and ran to the cockpit, taking over the controls from the ship's droid brain. Tie fighters were launched, but the Lady Luck, although it was no Millenium Falcon, was fast – faster than the ties that chased it – and she streamed into hyperspace before a shot could hit her.

The provisional council meeting took a recess so that the members could clear their minds of the horror they had just seen. Leia went in search of Han and found him with the Robinson family. Penny was inconsolable as her mother stroked her arm and held her. Will's eyes were wide with fear and his father had a hand on Will's shoulder, as much for his own support as Will's. Han was comming the Lady Luck, hoping to get more definitive information on what had transpired. Lando had just finished reporting to General Riekaan when he answered Han's comm. He sent Luke to find Judy so that she could speak to her parents while he filled Han in on the details of their escape.

"I'm taking off as soon as I can get clearance from the council, Lando. Chewie and I'll meet you on Fondor in three days," Han stated.

"You have clearance," Leia said.

"Make that two days. I'll go through the deep core and skim by Byss and pray that we don't run into any stray warlords."

Luke brought Judy to the communication unit, but she had little to say. She assured them that she was fine, but the empty tone of her voice reflected her state of mind. It was as if she was in shock. Not much more could be said. The family planned on traveling to Fondor on the Jupiter to meet Judy. No one would be comforted until they had Don back, dead or alive.