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
CHRISTMAS IN THE EMPIRE 2014
Joe had taken a private call and told Tevin nothing other then he was going to Kennedy Airport to get something. To his surprise, that something was Erik Jensen. The two had been friends since they were kids.
"I guess Dave can spare you for a few days."
"He can spare me for a week. He's got something planned over there to improve relations between the Empire, LAPD, LASO, and the community there starting with removing a certain General who operates like the LA area is under Martial Law."
"Why did you take a civilian flight?"
"I wanted to surprise you."
"Gee, thanks." They stopped in front of Joe's favorite pizza place planning to have lunch when Joe's phone rang.
"Radar, whatever it is, sign it, cancel it, or order five more. Which car? That dumb wiper never worked anyway. Where's Piett? Is there a crowd on the Plaza? Go tell Tevin." Joe hung up the phone to see Erik looking at him confused.
"Klinger drove a squad car onto the Plaza and is now eating parts off of it. The tourists are forming a crowd around him. Last week, I had to send a squad to get him because he launched himself off the building on a parasail and landed in the Bronx Zoo's African Section. The Empire still owes them for damages to be determined from blaster fire and everything else." Erik tried to hold back his laughter.
Anakin Skywalker had his concerns about the holiday. Padme had already volunteered him and Obi-Wan for many jobs that as Darth Vader he would have ordered the Imperial rank and file to do. Except they had already screwed this job up and he would have ended up doing it himself after executing people for their incompetence. His main concern was for the recently thawed from carbonite Galen Marek. Luckily, Obi-Wan had been around to make sure no real violence took place between Anakin and Galen. The play violence for the humoring of Max Walertin was another thing. Michael had also quietly asked Ben Loomis who was the unit's resident psychiatrist to keep a close eye on Galen in case there was something that Obi-Wan didn't see in Galen's emotions until it was too late. It also helped that Galen had been accepting of his codename being changed from Starkiller to Starguy by Erica. The three had shared a laugh about that once Anakin said he had a thought about if things had been different in the past, the possibility of Galen ending up as Ahsoka Tano's Padawan and ending up with the same nickname. He walked into Ops and was greeted by Tevin who was about to make a phone call to someone.
"Where's Obi-Wan?"
"He is watching today's episode of The Klinger Show on the Plaza. What's in that container he has with him?"
"I hope not gasoline drained out of that squad car he was eating this morning, because Piett's not here and Joe told me to deal with it. RADAR!"
"Yes, Sir. Get Dr. Loomis and a squad out to the Plaza right away."
"Yeah that, and see if Galen wants to help move these boxes. I didn't know there was this much stuff to move." He turned to Anakin.
"I trust you and Galen won't start fighting on sight again."
"That only happens because Max played that fighting bell sound he found somewhere and Myers said if that ever happened again, he was going to have Max's computer wiped of all that junk." Radar soon returned followed by Ben Loomis and Galen Marek.
"Klinger's on the Plaza again. Look for the disassembled squad car and send Obi-Wan in." Tevin told the doctor.
"Does he even know that I could put him in a psych ward for life given everything he's done?" Ben asked Tevin.
"Probably not since he told me it's all a stunt to get out of the Empire after I thought he was a hairy female with a deep voice." Galen said.
"Isn't this a job for someone else?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Padme thought we had nothing better to do and volunteered us for jobs the rank and file will screw up somehow like she always does." Anakin explained.
"There's more here then she thought. We may need some equipment or a couple of extra hands to carry things."
"Galen's helping and there's hand trucks by the freight elevator." Tevin told the three Jedi who began to move the boxes.
FLOYD BENNETT FIELD
IMPERIAL LANDING PAD
A squad of Stormtroopers gathered around the landing space yacht with weapons ready. A female officer appeared.
"Put them weapons down. You want me to put my boots up your asses?" She snapped as a young boy appeared. The Stormtroopers lowered their weapons.
"Mom. Dad. Stormtroopers. Blasters." Ben Skywalker said.
"So much for discreet." Luke Skywalker said as he joined his son.
"We were discreet. That's why they have blasters out." Mara Jade Skywalker said.
"But we made it here without a TIE escort." Luke told her as the three exited the ship.
"Master Skywalker and family." The officer greeted them.
"Don't tell anyone we're here. This was last minute and we don't want the locals to get all worked up with trying to turn this city into a police state."
"I haven't. This reception which will be dealt with later was bad enough. Can I arrange a car to take you somewhere?"
"I assume we have to clear your customs first."
"I pre-cleared you folks already with them which is why you were given landing instructions for here instead of a civilian facility. The local transport security agents have been giving extra attention to anyone traveling to or from other planets. Strip searches, baggage being opened and things being stolen out of it, missed transports as a result of all that. We've heard a few memory cards have been wiped clean by them. A giant mess really."
"Currency exchange?" Mara asked.
"Follow me." The officer said and led the Skywalkers to a building marked Visiting Jedi and Diplomat Services where a Corporal was sitting at a desk.
"Corporal, currency exchange, hotel, and ground transportation for these three and keep it quiet so we don't upset the locals again."
"Yes, Major." He said and started to help the Skywalkers.
Richie and Erica stopped at a department store between interviews with witnesses in a murder case they were working so he could get something for his wife Amy.
"I ruled out perfume. How does jewelry sound?"
"Like an overused cliché that some women are tired of. From the little you told me about Amy, try getting her electronics." She said.
"Like what? Where's a clerk when you need one? Excuse me?" Richie called after a man in a suit with a flower and a nametag on the jacket.
"Yesssssssssssssssssss?" The clerk asked.
"Where do I find the electronics department?" Richie asked.
"Right there in your greasy little hand. I saw you leaving greasy fingerprints on the perfume bottles." The clerk pointed to the smartphone in Richie's hand.
"What?"
"You're breathing on my carnation."
"Just tell me where the electronics are."
"In the basement. Try not to bite someone's head off down there." Richie reached for his blaster.
"Richie, calm down." Erica said.
"How would you like spend a month in a cage on unpaid traffic tickets because your paperwork keeps getting lost or destroyed?" The clerk ran off.
"How does he keep a job with that attitude?" Richie asked Erica.
"People say the same thing about you. At least Skyguy and Starguy don't pull Lightsabers on people for the smallest thing."