Approximately two years earlier, Mid Rim Territories, aboard the Iron Fist
"So we are agreed then," Zsinj said with that same warm smile as he looked at Daru distractedly.
Garin nodded, "we'll answer to you and your people but operate independently otherwise, of course your Raptor unit will be with us at all times to provide you with accurate updates."
Zsinj's eyes looked over Daru quietly for a moment before he nodded, "that doesn't sit well with you I imagine."
"I'll take what I can Lord Zsinj."
Zsinj chuckled, "you could alleviate some of the watchdog routine for the right price," he toyed with the strap of Daru's dress thoughtfully; Garin didn't need to be a Jedi to know what the warlord was thinking.
"My people are not for sale sir, I'll take the watchdogs."
Zsinj sighed, leaving Daru alone for the time being, his smile cooling somewhat. "You are very dangerous Commander, you don't think like any proper Imperial which makes you unpredictable. I do not like unpredictable. However after watching Isard chase you all over the Mid and Outer Rims I cannot deny that you have your uses." Again his eyes lighted on Daru, by this time Sissir's teeth were grating loud enough for Garin to hear. No, this was not fair to Daru, but he'd already cast the die and there was little more to do than let it play out.
"I would be willing to alleviate the pressure I am placing on you in exchange for certain members of your unit, their services would be invaluable." Zsinj considered idly, his gaze fixated on Daru. Garin knew it wasn't just sexual attraction that drew Zsinj, Daru's prowess had already been exhibited with the fly by of the Diamond Blues and the stories that Garin had shared of her role in their various campaigns. It had been a miscalculation on his part and if he'd had any sense at all he'd never have let Daru anywhere near Zsinj; especially not in that dress. Despite the air of pleasantry she was giving off she had to be feeling very vulnerable and probably terrified; that he'd put her in this position was no comfort either.
Before he could respond to Zsinj's latest attempt to draw Daru away, Vic'que spoke up.
"We are not pieces of equipment to be bartered and traded sir, we operate very effectively together as we've demonstrated in the past. Taking away key personnel would strip Hades of any viability."
"Nonsense," Zsinj said, "the 181st has members in various posts of my fleet without any detriment to their overall abilities. Why should Hades be any different?"
Hearing that the 181st was here certainly had the effect Garin had expected it would on Vic'que, she clammed up and looked suddenly pensive. Garin wondered if that had been an intentional bombshell or just coincidental; Sissir came to her rescue.
"We will not part with any of our members, no matter how much freedom or pay you offer."
Garin took a lighter tone, "for the time being, we would like to keep our unit cohesion, irregardless of what other units in your forces are doing. Those are our terms; I'm willing to negotiate all other matters besides that."
Zsinj considered Garin for a long moment, his attention gratifyingly away from Daru for the time being as he focused on more the more pressing matter.
Finally the Warlord sighed, "very well Hades will not be partitioned for the time being; I'm giving you carte blanche in the case of Isard. My people will accompany as part of a combined task force under your command but they will report to me directly. If the need should arise, Hades will respond to any calls I issue and assemble with the rest of my forces." He leaned back in his chair, "is that acceptable?" From the expression on his face, Garin understood that it had better be, and to be fair, it was. He'd expected almost exactly what Zsinj had outlined with the exception of the watchdogs; but he could live with that.
"Yes Lord Zsinj, it is acceptable."
Zsinj's smile was no longer the warm and considerate uncle; it was the cold calculating politician. "Good, now let's finish our dinner before it gets cold."
Approximately two years earlier, Mid Rim Territories, aboard the cruiser Black Knight
"Your plan failed, miserably I might add." Vic'que said as they stepped off the ramp of the shuttle and onto the Knight's hangar.
"I know, I underestimated him," Garin said, his voice betraying his annoyance with himself.
"What now," Sissir asked.
"We do what we're told until we have no need of Zsinj's protection; and then we do what we go back to what we did before."
"If Zsinj allows it," Sissir pointed out.
"I'm not going to ask him for permission, we'll move when we have the chance."
"I'm going to be in my cabin, I need to think something's over." Vic'que said, moving away from the remaining three.
"Vic'que," Garin called after her, "I don't think Maarek would join Zsinj, even if the 181st has. The man isn't the unit."
She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at him with an expression he hadn't seen on her face before, pain, just pure and simple emotional pain. "You are Hades Wing, whether you'll admit it or not. This unit lives and breaths because you make it do so. A man can be a unit as easily as living and breathing, and if he is with Zsinj…."
She trailed off and shook her head, walking away quietly, Sissir crossed her arms and considered Vic'que's retreating back as she walked across the hangar. "She has a point you know."
"What, that we should join Zsinj because the 181st might have," Garin asked skeptically.
"No, that you are what has allowed this unit to live beyond the Empire it was built to serve. Without you it would all fall apart."
"I think you put too much value on my ability to lead."
She shrugged, "I lead men into combat too you know, I've seen what it takes to make a good leader and how important that leader can be to a unit. If Hades loses you, it will shatter."
Garin didn't say anything, turning to Daru who was strangely quiet and separate, she'd been that way since leaving the Iron Fist. He reached out a hand for her but she drew away rapidly as soon as she realized he was moving.
"Don't," she whispered.
He frowned, "Daru?"
She shook her head violently, covering her ears and clenching her eyes shut, "don't, you made me do it again; I never wanted to be that kind of person again!"
Her voice was growing hysterical and again he tried to reach for her but she practically leapt out of his reach, "don' touch me!" She screamed, causing both Garin and Sissir to jump back in surprise.
After a moments pause Sissir approached her, putting her arms around the quivering woman's shoulders gently. "I'll take her to her quarters sir."
Garin nodded wordlessly, his face awash with confusion and worry; what had he just done to her and could he repair it?
Present, interrogation room aboard the Mon Cal cruiser Home One, Bilbringi Shipyards
"What happened to her?" Deanna asked, her own frown mirroring the expression I had worn when the event had happened.
"I asked too much of her without considering what it would do to her." I said with a sigh, in the back of my mind I wondered if I'd be spared the inconvenience of revisiting this aspect of my relationship with Daru. Then again, I had volunteered the information, accidentally of course but it was out now.
"I don't understand," Deanna said.
"I didn't either, I never realized just how…fragile, she was in regards to her role as a consort prior to Thrawn's rescue from that life. If I'd had any sense at all I would have asked to make sure it wouldn't hurt her unduly to play the role once more for Zsinj. Instead I just told her to do it with no regards for her feelings."
"But you fixed things between the two of you yes?"
"Lieutenant, may I ask you a question?"
She hesitated, but nodded finally, I smiled quietly as I gazed at her.
"Has anyone ever asked you to do something that went against everything you were, or forced you to relive a past trauma?"
She shook her head instantly, again my smile played across my face.
"I did both to Daru on one blow, and I lost her because of that. It's that simple."
"But you both, you loved one another didn't you?" She sounded almost despondent and I was reminded of how fans of a holosoap reacted when their favorite couples broke up in the show.
I shook my head sadly, "it didn't matter, I betrayed her faith and trust in me. Whatever we had, ended on the hangar deck when Major Yvonne took her to her cabin."
"But you didn't just leave it at that did you?" Again she sounded as if she expected some kind of fairytale happy ending.
"No, I didn't. I readied for the next stage of life that Hades was undertaking."
Her face fell and I smiled cruelly, no, that hadn't been the answer she'd expected, perhaps though it would get her back onto more important subject matter.
"Did you begin conducting your operations against Isard then?"
I nodded, "we were joined by Zsinj's watchdogs shortly after our meeting with him."
Approximately two years earlier, Mid Rim Territories, aboard the cruiser Black Knight
"What is that?" Toth asked eying the squat Star Destroyer sitting off the starboard aft of the Knight.
"Our watchdogs," Harth replied, Garin couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement he was making.
"It's called a Gladiator-class Star Destroyer," Iriana supplied, "it's essentially a heavy escort for larger, slower warships; in practice it was operated more like a heavy cruiser though."
"Looks more like a mid-sized cruiser to me," Matrin muttered, "they expect that to watch us?"
"The class was originally intended to provide support to the Victory line of Star Destroyers, but when the Imperial and its derivatives took center stage the Gladiator had to be re-imagined into something more utilitarian. They were usually used on out of the way posts where larger warships were not cost effective to maintain."
"So we've been assigned a pint sized Star Destroyer that the Knight could blow into space dust." Kalan said in response to Iriana's statement. "I can see they think we're a threat."
"Don't take it too lightly," she said with a smile, "they're tough little ships and they carry heavier weapons than we do, though we carry more of ours and are better shielded thanks to that plating."
"Have they hailed us yet," Garin asked.
"Nothing yet, so far they've been sitting there just aft of us."
"Just me," Toth said, "or are they less than eager to get to know us."
"Actually," Commander Kindran said, joining the conversation, "they've been trying to hack us."
"Say what now?" Toth said, his voice growing interested.
"Yes," Kindran said, eying his datapad laconically. "They've attempted seventeen different attack patterns on our networks in the last thirty-three minutes. Our assault barriers have defeated each one and in the last three attempts I had the techs send back our own attack viruses, since the last virus was sent they've ceased their attempts. That was eight minutes ago."
"So they learned their lesson?"
"Actually," Kindran said with an uncharacteristically dark tone, "I think they have to reconfigure their entire system at this point."
Iriana smiled, "do I detect pride? Were those viruses another of your creations?"
Kindran merely shrugged, "we all have our skill sets."
"Ma'am," the comms officer called. "They're transmitting."
"Thank you please put it up on the main holo display."
The holo image that appeared was fuzzy but the man in it wasn't. In fact he looked the very model of an academy graduate, shaved head and all.
"Having technical problems Captain?" Iriana asked pleasantly, Garin had to hide a smile at her tone, politely innocent didn't suit her.
The Captain glared at her, "you know damned well what happened to my ship you trash."
She blinked innocently, "I have no idea what you're talking about. We detected infiltration software in our network and acted appropriately. I'm sure they've learned their lesson by now."
"I see," he ground out through gritted teeth, "are you the commander of Hades?"
"No, I'm afraid that honor goes to Lieutenant Commander Durives, sir?"
Garin stepped forward and into the display's field of vision, "greetings Captain, we'll be working together from this point forward it would seem."
"Don't get cute with me Durives, you're nothing but slag in my book. Zsinj wants my Severance to keep an eye on you and make sure you carry out your end of the deal."
"Have no fear Captain, I fully intend to oblige Hades' portion of the agreement we made with the Warlord. Do you have the information we requested?"
"If your slimed systems haven't erased it, then yes we do."
"Transfer it at your earliest convenience and we'll get underway then, how long do you think until your vessel is able to operate again?"
"Half an hour GST provided you don't send anymore of your tricks at us," the Captain said with a scowl.
"Good, and lets make something very clear Captain…I don't believe I have your name?"
"Freille, Captain Freille."
Garin smiled as nicely as he could, which hopefully drove home just how much he meant what he said next.
"Hades is in an alliance with Zsinj but we are not Zsinj's people. You may be members of Zsinj's Raptor elites, but we were Palpatine's elites. Think about the degree of skill that implies before you attempt to try us again. You'll save on ship maintenance costs."
Captain Freille swallowed noticeably, "yes, I'll keep it in mind for our future operations. Select your first targets and send your choices to me, I will confirm with the Warlord before we act. My Urizel and Urizen squadrons will assist you in any operations you undertake."
The com line went dead and the holo display flickered out of existence, there was a drawn silence before Kalan and Matrin burst out laughing, their mirth was shared by the others by way of satisfied smiles.
"Did you see his expression when you mentioned Palpatine? He went white! I don't think he realized fully what he was up against."
Kalan joined in on Matrin's crowing, "I guess after all these years people are forgetting what it means to be the best the Empire has to offer."
"Considering what the Empire has to offer up anymore I'm not surprised," Harth said quietly, eying Garin thoughtfully; "'Palpatine's elites'?"
"It sounded more intimidating, not enough people know about Thrawn." Garin said with a shrug.
"Indeed, it certainly had that effect on our would be bailiff."
Amidst all the mirth, Toth nudged Garin and motioned towards the doors leading from the bridge. Garin followed him, of course everyone noticed but no one said anything at all, they just continued about their business whether it was making nerfs out of the men Zsinj had sent against them or their actual jobs.
When they were out in the hall, Toth turned to Garin, his expression worried. "Sissir has been speaking with Daru."
Garin winced, "not right now Toth."
"No, right now is as good a time as any."
Garin sighed and nodded, "alright, what is it?"
"She's breaking Gar, she feels worthless."
"Has Sissir done anything about it?"
Toth scowled, "she's trying but you're the reason she's like this and you know it. Not only are you responsible personally, but you're her commanding officer, you've got to do something before she shatters and we lose her entirely."
"Why is it my job," Garin said, his voice annoyingly haughty. "She left me remember?"
"Because, again, you're her commanding officer, and also because you both still love each other."
Garin's eye twitched, "I don't need a drunk telling me about my emotional orientations."
Toth's face hardened and Garin instantly regretted what he'd said, "fine sir, do what you want but I'm telling you that either you fix what you broke like you're supposed to, or continue to ignore it and risk degrading the unit."
"Toth I—"
"Not now sir, we're busy right?" Toth said, turning and walking down the hallway, Garin swore under his breath. Why did it feel like he was losing control of his world?
Author's Note: And Hades Wing is back in all their unconventional usualness. Sorry for the extended bout of writer's block, I just got a wallop in the head today for my writer's block from one of my mentors and that seemed to be what I needed to get myself back on track. Hope everyone's doing well and enjoying the story.