Chapter 9:
About a year passed after our escape from the Star Destroyer that destroyed Desco's space station and everyone on it, and not just with the four originally under my command -Yaminul, Hase, Rikot and Scious – my command grew to hundreds, with many scattered across Tatooine.
The Empire already had its hands full keeping order on Tatooine, but since we had begun our operations, the Empire had started to beef up security in response, and not just to our attacks, but also to the criminals who didn't hesitate to overtake a weaker Imperial force and disappear into the dunes. Many Imperials' were never seen again. I, on the other hand, had ordered those under my command to use deadly force only if necessary, and we often returned our Imp captives half-naked, with black sacks over their heads to Mos Eisley where Imperial presence was the strongest. As much as I hated the Empire, I hated unnecessary killing, and I found it far more amusing to embarrass Imps by leaving them alive and exposed before the public to be ridiculed.
But one particular day changed everything.
While in our main base of operations still located in Jaffron's basement, Yaminul intercepted an Imperial radio transmission requesting a large shipment of Stormtrooper armor to replace suits damaged from the constant battering it received from Tatooine's harsh climate, and I saw it as too good of an opportunity to wreak further havoc and have a little fun with Imperial Stormtroopers who were consigned to patrols. With just the Starscream, I took a small strike force of ten Alliance soldiers to board and take over the Imperial freighter that was being escorted by two TIE fighters on their way to Mos Eisley to deliver the shipment of armor. That raid that was intended to be a costly annoyance and a bit of humor at the Empire's expense was destined to be something else entirely.
We proceeded as planned and everything went accordingly. We were able to disable the TIE fighters and board the freighter without any casualties. I left Yaminul at the helm to control the Starscream as I lead the charge into the Imperial freighter. After subduing the Imp crew without a shot fired, but with plenty of knocks about their heads, I sent my small strike force about on their pre-assigned duties. Two took control from the Imperial freighter's cockpit, and some gathered up the unconscious Imps. I lead everyone else to the cargo bay to begin extraction of the armor shipment.
From the beginning I had a strange feeling about that mission. Not the feeling of warning I felt in the past, but something much different that I hadn't felt since I was on Kashyyyk last. I did warn Yaminul of it ahead of time though.
As I approached the cargo bay with my soldiers behind me ready to strip the freighter clean, that feeling rang in my mind the closer we got to the cargo bay doors. I knew then that there was something alive behind the doors. I opened the cargo doors with my soldiers at my back, and they took up flanking positions around me. They took several steps backwards when they saw my reaction to what I already knew to be there before I ever opened the door, though it didn't detract from my surprise when I saw it with my eyes.
A cage sat directly opposite the door and surrounded by crates full of armor. Two clawed hands grasped at the bars and shook them in anger when we entered. He hid his face in the shadow of the cage when I stepped closer. He was terrified. I was fascinated. Never did I think I would see such a creature so far from its home. I went to his cage and knelt. He was a juvenile, no more than a year old. I watched his mind replay, out of fear, what had happened to him. Imperial Stormtroopers captured him on Dathomir. Imperial AT-ST's killed all his pack, and his family.
He was tested, poked, and prodded by Imperial scientists who studied him. That is all that he remembered before being loaded onto the freighter. I called out to him with my mind. He was scared at first, but dropped his guard in exhaustion. I could see that he had been struggling since he was captured. He was underfed, scarred, and out of his element, just as I was, and covered in small scrapes and scratches, and experimentation wounds.
The soldiers, who were looking at me like I was insane, raised their rifles at the rancor when I went to open his cage, so I ordered them all out until I secured the creature. I was determined to not let the animal linger any longer in his prison. I opened the cage and released him. He stomped out, running on his pudgy legs and long muscular arms. He ran to the other side of the cargo bay knocking over crates, watching me the whole time. I stayed on my knees and waited for him to relax. I kept calling out to him in my mind. Slowly and cautiously, he dropped his guard and approached me.
He growled, as he put his face right to mine, no more than an inch apart. His mouth was closed, but his needle-like teeth jutted out from his mouth in a few places. His eyes scanned me, he took in my scent, and he bared his teeth at me feigning ferocity. I could feel something much different in his mind. He was scared, but was curious. I reached my hand out to set it upon his head. He flinched at first, and made a snapping motion at my hand. I didn't stop at his threat and placed my hand on his head, then stroked the side of his face and scratched under his chin. He stooped, and lay down on his stomach, and then sighed. I remained on my knees petting him.
I spoke to him and he responded with his feelings. After several minutes of communicating with him, I stood and walked out of the cargo bay, beckoning to him. He was cautious as first, and then was eager to follow me to be away from his cage. I could sense joy grow in his tortured mind. The soldiers stared at us in opened-mouthed awe as we walked past them. The rancor, eying the Alliance soldiers the whole way, followed me into the Starscream and there I fed him what food we had on board, which he ate ravenously, including the Imperial military rations that we seized. After much needed nourishment and a lot of water, he let go of much his fear with the help of the force flowing from me. He stood nearly as tall as I when standing upright. I kept him occupied as the soldiers stripped the freighter.
That was not all that changed everything.
The information we obtained from the Imperial officer on board the ship came like a ghost from the past year, which also explained the reason why they had a rancor onboard. The rancor was being sent to Tatooine, to an undisclosed location to be altered and programmed. For what and for where the databanks, nor did the officers know or say. They were just assigned to meet an Imperial agent in Mos Eisley for pickup. Me, Yaminul and the other original three soldiers, all thought the same thing. I could hear it coming from their minds without even trying. That information had been the first hint of the Empire's secret program since we had escaped the ambush at Desco's station. The once cold trail warmed up with that revelation, and with it, I found a new friend, one who would be as close to me as anyone I would ever know.
Our fated raid upon that Imperial freighter was the first in a series of events that were to come.
We met up with the covert squad of Imperial's at the designated drop point, taking them by surprise and captive. After interrogating them, the name that I had been hoping to hear from an Imperial's own mouth, or to see in stolen databanks, was spoken by the Imperial who led the covert squad.
The Imperial officer we captured told me that they were ordered to hold the rancor, the supplies, and wait for Grahm'tuli Jermar to contact them for the next rendezvous. Oddly, it wasn't until several months later when Grahm'tuli made contact with the covert Imperial team we still had in our custody. The very day that Grahm'tuli made contact was the same day he planned on returning to Tatooine after being in hiding since the destruction of the first Imperial prison. So we set ourselves up to ambush Grahm'tuli Jermar merely an hour before he was to arrive at Mos Eisley and add him to our collection of Imperial prisoners. I was eager to complete the mission that Burmar had died for, that Ulchewbuk, and my Mother and Father and so many others lost their lives over.
It was not to be that easy however.
Grahm'tuli Jermar was found murdered as we were on our way to intercept. He and his co-pilot were found dead on an Imperial Lambda shuttle, in the wrong landing bay in Mos Eisley. Rumors quickly circulated that it was some kind of wild animal, or even Tusken Raiders. All of the rumors I heard were ridiculous. What the Empire did not know, and what we later found out, by bribing some seedy characters that frequented that area of Mos Eisley, was that a shrouded humanoid was seen exiting the landing bay. The hooded person tried to go into hiding, but ended up in a deal with a local criminal and smuggler named Nes. When this hooded suspect connected with this smuggler Nes, I found out that it was a Wookiee girl. I then had my doubts about the validity of the information we paid for. I thought it impossible that a Wookiee would act so violently, even against an Imperial, things just weren't adding up.
I followed this Wookiee girl around and the smuggler Nes as well, after Nes made his deal to help the Wookiee girl in return for his spice delivery that was lost on the same shuttle Grahm'tuli Jermar was on. What the smuggler Nes had in mind was slavery for the Wookiee girl after setting her up at his housing unit in the city. While she was locked up during the day, I watched and waited in the shadows, and sent some of my personnel to watch Nes. After finding out Nes' intentions to sell the Wookiee girl off to Jabba The Hutt as a slave, I arranged myself to be captured by an Imperial officer played by Yaminul so I could meet up with her and help her escape.
It seemed simple enough.