"Your life will always be in debt to the decisions you make," Babgrat had told a young Grutex. "And you will pay, in one way or the other." Grutex had decided on a particular day to join in on the taunting of weak and sickly Tusken Raider, and Babgrat had spotted it. For once he had wanted to feel as if he was part of the group, one of the gang, and he had achieved it. But he did not feel as though he was part of Babgrat once caught, and this hurt was more. He had made a decision, and he was paying. This was all Babgrat had to say on the matter. It was all Grutex needed to hear.

Joel said to Grutex, "I don't think it matters whether you give them a confession or not, we are all doomed. How did this happen?"

Karl said, "Well, we were caught in a tractor beam, see? And then when we landed, everyone became real ugly…"

Joel's temper flared, "I know that part Karl! I mean we aren't spies! Maybe this Tusken Raider is though. Maybe he is exactly who they are looking for." Joel leaned in inches from Grutex's face, "Want to run that by me again, how you came to be on a planet of ice, Tusken Raider? Who were you really running from?"

Sheila insisted, "Joel, that's enough. We know he isn't a spy."

Joel exclaimed, "Do we? Really? Do we?" Joel leaned in closer, "I know your kind. I know all about Tuskens. There is no way you should be out here. When they come back, I am telling them you are indeed a spy, that you confessed to us, and we were all clueless to it. Then I am getting my life back."

Karl gently pulled Joel back, "Now, captain Joel. This is no way to be. Just take it easy captain."

Sheila said, "Go back to what life, Joel? They blew an entire planet up. They killed millions of people. You want to save your own skin and go back to selling water to them? Are you wanting to side with them?"

Joel looked away, "No, of course not. I was only in this for the money. I had no idea they were going to destroy planets with this… thing we are on."

Grutex said softly, "He's right. Joel is right. I will confess to what they want to hear. You would not be in this prison if I was not here."

Joel clapped his hands together, "There you go! See? The damn sand head has more sense than the two of you!"

Sheila turned her head in disappointment, and Karl said, "They may have locked us up anyhow, captain. They are killers. And I doubt them letting us go no matter what our mate here says. Grutex, you do what's right. Don't let these chaps intimidate you. They already know what they are going to do. If I were you, I wouldn't tell them a thing."

The cell door slid open, in stepped the lieutenant and one armed trooper. The lieutenant crossed his arms and said smugly, "So, have we reached a decision in here? Anyone want to tell me a secret?"

Grutex nodded and said, "I would like to tell you what I know."

The lieutenant brazened with pride and said, "I thought you would."

"I would like to tell you that no matter how large you feel here now; you stand for something very small."

The lieutenant's mouth twisted to an angry purse, and he held a finger towards Grutex, "That is the saddest choice of last words I have ever…"

Abruptly an explosion of echoed blaster fire howled outside the cell door. The sounds were deafening as flashes of energy zipped by. Everyone in the cell cringed, and the lieutenant had to shout above the commotion to the trooper, "See what's happening out there."

The trooper had barely stepped through the threshold of the cell when a stray energy bolt caught him in the chest, spilling him back through the doorway in to the cell. Joel ducked and seized the weapon, while at the same time Karl caught the lieutenant by the jaw and pressed him against the wall, only his toes touching the ground. Joel pressed the blaster to the side of the lieutenant's nose and said, "I should blow your head to a million chunks but I don't think there is any brain in there."

Sheila wedged herself between Joel and the lieutenant, and she asked the Imperial officer, "Where is our droid?"

"What?" asked the distressed lieutenant.

"Our droid, where is he?" The lieutenant said nothing; his eyes were swollen wells of fear and he tremored with the resonance of the explosions outside. Joel pressed the blaster harder in to the lieutenant's face and growled, "Tell the lady what she wants to hear."

A shaky hand pointed out the door as the lieutenant said, "Down the main hall, to the service elevator, floor X3B, second chamber to the left." Then he added, "But you will never get there. You will be apprehended as soon as you step out in the open."

Karl snorted, "We'll see about that," and he slammed the lieutenant's head against the cell wall. The lieutenant flopped to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been cut. The firing outside in the hallway was becoming more violent. Joel leaned his ear in the doorway, careful not to stick his head outside.

Grutex asked, "What do you hear?"

Joel answered, "Someone just yelled, 'Get in there, you furry oaf! I don't care what you smell! '"

They all heard a human howling, and the firing stopped. Joel gently peeked outside, "Well. That lieutenant was right about one thing. There's a bunch of troopers at the end of this hall. We'll never get by them."

Grutex bent down and unsnapped the dead trooper's helmet, removing it, and handed it to Karl, "Not if you two dress in these uniforms and lead Sheila and I out."

Sheila nodded, "That just might work."

Karl held the empty helmet across from his face and looked into the empty mask, frowning, "Just my luck," he nodded towards Grutex, "Haven't got to look under his mask, and now I have to put one on."

Sheila and Grutex placed cuffs on their arms, loosely though, in case they were to have the need to slip out of them. Karl and Joel quickly dressed in the Imperial attire, and the odd crew began their way down the hallway to the prison block command room. Once there, the room was buzzing with activity. Eight troopers were busy collecting data and accessing damage. Grutex and his team walked slowly through them, and were about to exit the other end, when someone said, "Hey, you."

The team froze and looked around; a single trooper by the exit had removed his helmet and was filling a small cup with water. He had short black hair and large golden brown eyes, "Yeah, you," he gestured towards Grutex. "Don't I know you?"

Grutex motioned to himself inquisitively.

"Yeah, you. I know you. I see you're back in cuffs again. Aren't you the Raider we left on Hoth?"

Sheila elbowed Joel in the rib and stared off in a superior fashion, as if to say, I told you so.

"Me?" asked Grutex.

The face of the trooper brightened, "Sack of sarlaac! You can speak. I wouldn't forget you. Remember, I am the one who suggested we remove the cuffs before stranding you on Hoth."

"And yet you still left me there."

The trooper gave a pleasant face of apology, "No hard feelings, huh? I was just doing what they ordered. Looks like you did alright though… in a way." He sipped the water again, "This is the best, coldest water anywhere. Good stuff."

Joel, who was dressed like an Imperial lieutenant, asked, "Really? You think so? The best you have ever had?"

The trooper suddenly stiffened and saluted, "Yes sir. It is good water. I had better get back to duty."

Joel said, "That's right soldier. Stop fraternizing with the prisoner. We have things to do."

The trooper gulped down the last of his water, grimacing because the acute cold of the water bit at the nerves in his head, and fumbled to place his helmet back on. He slightly lifted the helmet once again and let the small cup drop out.

The team exited the control room and started briskly down the hall. "You knew that guy, Grutex?"

"We're oddly acquainted."

Sheila led them to through the directions to the holding room where RP was. The door slid open and the droid was standing alone, silently, beside one of the many computer consoles in the room. The door slid shut behind them. Sheila slipped her cuffs off and gave RP a hug, "They haven't erased you have they?"

"No ma'am," RP stated, "My erasure is scheduled exactly two hours and…"

Sheila laughed, "Yeah, it's still you. Did they hurt you in any way?"

"Technically I cannot feel pain. But if you are referring to any mechanical damages which could arise from abusive handling, then no."

Sheila turned back to the trooper armored Karl, "Do you think he can interface?"

Karl removed his helmet and said, "No problem there. Grutex, this is a sight for a protocol droid. I like to tinker, and I have made some major modifications to this metal man." Karl pulled a hidden interface chord and adapter from beneath the robot's abdominal skin, "RP here can hack anything, and I mean anything! A true pirate's droid for sure." He plugged the interface chord into one of the console jacks.

Sheila asked, "Can you access the main, RP?"

"There are two encryptions laying over it. Just one moment. I am through them and into the main."

Karl slapped Grutex on the back and laughed, "I told you. Amazing. I planted a mass octet mother board in him, but I can't tell you how I got my hands on that."

Grutex said, "I don't know what that means."

"It means," said Joel, "RP can hack in to most anything made. As a matter of fact, if he can't hack in to it, then it probably doesn't exist."

"This is odd," said RP.

"What is it?" asked Sheila.

"There is another droid close by. It is surfing the system, frantically attempting to shut down all of the garbage compactors on the prison level, but it cannot decrypt the security. It has detected my presence and has asked for help, shall I?"

Karl said, "Sure, why not."

There was a brief moment, and RP said, "I have shut down the garbage compactors on the prison level and notified this unknown droid. It sends its thanks."

Sheila said, "RP, we need to get back to our ship."

"I'm afraid that will not happen. There is currently a can crew on our ship, and they are scheduled to be there for a while."

Joel pounded his fist on a console, "Damn! Not my ship!"

Sheila asked, "Is there another ship? One with no one aboard?"

"There is one. But I am afraid it will do us no good. The tractor beams are still up and cannot be dismantled from the main. They have been manually locked."

Grutex said, "Leave those to me."

Karl said, "Sorry, but why not Karl or me? We are dressed up, we can do it easily."

"RP may need you, plus there is a chance whoever dismantles the tractor beam could be left behind."

Joel said, "Those are very good points."

"Besides," said Grutex, "you are a family. I can't allow a family to be broken."

RP instructed Grutex on where to go and what to do in order to turn the tractor beams off. Sheila gave Grutex a hug and said, "We know you can do it. We won't leave without you."

Joel said, "The hell we won't. You have five minutes after you shut it down. If you're not on the ship by then, this is your new home."

Karl asked RP, "So, you have found a ship?"

RP replied, "Indeed. But I don't know if you are going to like it."

Sheila said, "We'll take anything. Let's go."

Grutex kept to the shadows in the corridors. There seemed to be a state of urgency which kept the attentiveness of the Death Star crew occupied. All the while, he had a strange sensation of being closer to something. He could not describe the feeling. It was the same sort of feeling he would get when he was young and had come tumbling home to Babgrat, a safe feeling, a secure feeling.

He paused in the shadows beyond one of the tractor beam terminals; on it he saw a most curious sight. Hanging to the back edge over a deep conduit pit was a robed figure. The figure seemed to be doing Grutex's task for him. It appeared someone else was in need vanquishing the tractor beam also. Grutex thought to himself, "If I had known this, I would have stayed behind."

A voice came over the communication receiver in Grutex's cowl, it was RP, "Master Grutex, I have just confirmed the tractor beam is shut down. Congratulations on your expedient actions."

Grutex asked, "How are you speaking to me?"

"I channeled into the radio system of the Death Star. I can send and receive to most any communicator on the base."

"Outstanding. Are you at the ship yet?"

RP said, "We are close. Please come hastily."

When Grutex looked up, the robed figure was gone. He was no longer in the mood to play in the shadows, and he felt a good run for it would be fine. As he dashed down the corridor he turned a corner and almost ran into a hulking, dark apparition. At first he was unsure if it was human, droid, or perhaps even a spirit from the legends of the nether world. It had a venting, hollow breath channeling in and out, steadily, and monotonously. Its face was a gargoyle-ish face of death, and a robing cape fell from its shoulders to almost touch the ground.

The two stood facing one another. The black gloved hand of the sinister figure reached forward, and Grutex clasped his throat. The Raider was suspended inches from the floor and thrust back against the wall by an invisible force. Grutex struggled, but he could not release the power of the unseen grip. As he began to black out, Grutex could feel the hate and rage expounding itself in his mind. The rage was a dark, cold fire which had burned inside the sinister being's soul for ages. It was a fury made the dark side of life itself.

Grutex could see into the anger, visions passed by him like lamps in a mist. He saw himself, as a babe, in his mother's arms. He watched her hold him close, and caress him. Suddenly, she was frightened, and she hid the babe. A being entered her home with a shining sword of light and struck her down. Grutex had clarity; the being attacking him now was the same who had killed his mother so many years ago.

Darth Vader released the Tusken Raider. Something had distracted him, some sensation he had not had in ages. Vader looked up the corridor and saw the robed figure approaching. He left the unconscious Raider behind and marched to confront to his old master.

RP's voice was insistent over Grutex's ear piece and eventually drew him to consciousness. "Master Grutex, can you hear me?" Grutex muttered a yes, coming. When he lifted his head, he saw a blinding display of energy crackling and hissing. The dark sinister being and the robed figure from earlier were at duel with light sabers. The battle was more than midway, when the robed figure stopped fighting and held his energy sword before him. Grutex watched in horror as the dark figure coiled back to send a deep swing, "No, don't," Grutex whimpered.

The empty robe fell to the floor.

Blaster erupted into what sounded like another gun fight, and the dark figure walked hurriedly away. There was a general chaos of troopers routing around to another passage, and then silence. Grutex lifted himself and walked over to the dropped robe. He touched it with his foot, and it strangely reminded him of the taun taun skin which had kept him alive on Hoth. Something shiny was laying in the folds of the robe. It was a shiny cylinder.

Grutex wielded the light saber and switched it on. An understanding had been established with him when Vader had pumped him full of venomous hate, an understanding within every fiber of his being. Something in him had been awakened, something inside of him which is inside of all living being and slumbers. He switched the saber off and hurried up the corridor to meet his friends.

The other four were standing behind a viewing shield, and Sheila's mouth was ajar. She said, "You're right RP, I don't like it."

"It is the only vacant dry dock, and this is the only ship ready for flight within a vacancy," said RP.

Grutex stepped behind the viewing shield with them. He said nothing, and though his cowl and mask were expressionless, his body jolted with a very readable shock.

Joel said, "You have got to be kidding me."

Sheila asked, "RP, can you hack it and get it out of here?"

RP said, "Certainly. I can modularly pilot this much easier than I could ever manually pilot a ship."

Karl said, "This is going to be one hell of a ride."

Grutex said, "I have a very, very, very bad feeling about this."

RP said, "Of course one of you will have to pilot one of the shuttles so we can board it." Beyond the viewing shield, resting below in the dry dock, pointing outwards, facing the dark reaches of space, it sat. Broad and fat, it shadowed the dock floor. Empowering. Threatening. The Star Destroyer awaited its new, very small, and humble crew.