Chapter 35
Forty-one hours after the commander promised and EVAC
"I should have seen this coming," the Grand Commander concedes. Despite his pain, he feels a growing itch in the back of his neck, and his chest tightens. The commander knows she's aiming at him. With his back to her, he says aloud, "Are you in charge now, captain?"
"No, no!" She replies rapidly. "You're not yourself, sir. You collaborate with rebels, take risky missions of limited value, and oppose imperial forces. This—this is not you."
Gary turns away from the console, and the doctor warns, "Don't, Gary. I will shoot you."
"Oh ho ho ho, I believe you," he assures her as he raises his hands.
Major Shin preempts her. "I'm not taking sides."
"Moments ago, you told the commander, 'I need more than that.'" She retorts.
"What's your plan?" The commander interrupts to prevent an argument. He turns to face her. "Delete the evidence? Give it to the death troopers? They'll kill us, and if they report back, whoever ordered this will order our execution as well."
"Same plan," her blaster trembles. She places her other hand on it to steady her grip. "We escape in a zeta transport and return to Imperial forces. The death troopers can't identify us. They get the data, and we escape. Both sides win."
"What happens when command asks where we acquired a Zeta?" He demands. "Regardless, the rebels will take this base and discover its purpose."
"Wait, why now?" Gary turns and works the console, "The dead imperials, rebels, and their 'kill-on-sight' attitude. There's only one reason they'd go this far."
The floating hologram of the climate array disappears before being replaced by the GNN logo. The Galactic News Network appears with images of destruction while a spokesman explains mid-sentence, "-across several planets. Reports are scattered and still arriving, but untold devastation has unfolded on multiple worlds. Naboo partisans claim they stopped an Imperial attack, but we cannot independently verify it. What we're seeing now is streaming videos from Vardos. We must warn you; some viewers may find these videos disturbing."
"RUN!" A woman screams as a towering wave crests over the city. "Ruuuunnnn!"
In the next recording, a chasm opens beneath a city street. It swallows people, speeders, and, eventually, the surrounding buildings. It ends with harrowing screams and structural failure. Then, the images switch to an orbital, displaying an enormous continent-wide hurricane.
Finally, a video of an Imperial officer taking questions from a crowd, "-in fact, we built satellites to disperse these disasters safely. Tragically, terrorists connected to the Rebel All-"
"Your satellites are causing it!" A reporter yells.
"That's a conspiracy," the Imperial pushes back, his voice dipping as he shuffles the datapads on his podium. His words lower as he mumbles his counter. "I will not be criticized by biased journalists peddling rumors and lies. This meeting was a courtesy, good day."
The reporters scream questions and accusations, but the imperial scurries off camera. "See! See!" The doctor seizes on it, eyes wide and unblinking. "We didn't do this!"
"You believe him?" Gary cries, luring her blaster again. Gary cringes.
"Doctor," the Grand Commander calls. He steps in front of her blaster, but this time, he closes the distance between them. "Think! Look at the evidence."
The video changes and the commander glances over his shoulder, inciting another wave of fire down his spine. He twitches and grits his teeth. The next video begins with a blurry still of the satellites before clearing once it plays. The satellites emit a yellow beam directly at Vardos. In mere moments the storms develop, rapidly growing into cataclysms.
Gary looks back at Dr. Wither, who shakes her head violently, denying the obvious.
Whatever neutrality Shin claimed is over, saying, "Please, stop this."
"We can't reveal this! It will cost us all credibility!" She shrieks, her eyes wild, blaster swinging towards him. The commander steps closer, blocking her shot again. Her blaster shakes noticeably and recognizing it, Wither's knuckles whiten as she tightens her grip. She turns to the commander and stares straight through him as zeal overrides her sense.
"Don't try it," Even unhinged, Wither misses little. "You're not fast enough, sir."
"Think about it! This isn't some battlefield or invading aliens. They're killing imperials! What other reason would the death troopers be here besides destroying the evidence?"
"We don't have all the information," She rebuffs him. "Maybe there's a good reason!"
"What possible reason would the Empire have to butcher millions of loyal citizens?"
At a loss for words initially, Dr. Wither yells, "They should have fought harder!"
"Are you listening to yourself?" Gary asks in disbelief.
"We lost the Emperor. We deserve whatever punishment comes!"
"That is not the New Order we swore to!" The Grand Commander insists. "Peace through strength, discipline, and sacrifice. To burn away all the pomp and bureaucracy that strangled the Republic and crushed the people beneath it. To build a unified government free of archaic ideologies and intractable factionalism. We fought for an Empire!"
Her hand shakes, and she argues, "If you want to build something, first you must clear the land. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes a little evil can achieve greater good without the cost of battles or wars!"
The grand commander waves his hands furiously, "If there is a bright center of the universe, the Empire was its foundation, the pillars upon which it stands!" He points at the image of the satellites over Vardos. "This is not it, doctor! THIS. IS. NOT. IT!"
"That," she hesitates, blinking slowly and her hands steady. "Is not ours to determine."
She's made her choice. She will not be dissuaded, and she will not surrender. Although he accepts it, the thought pains him. A woman so intelligent, educated, and fierce can set all of it aside in service to misplaced faith. He admits maybe someone more persuasive could reach her.
"Doctor," the commander lowers his voice, calming his temper. "I don't want to fight you, but we must make a decision. What do we say to our comrades at the compound? The alliance won the war; this propaganda is priceless. Our brothers and sisters will feel betrayed, and this deception will haunt us unless we get in front of it. What's your plan for that?"
A bright light appears at the doorway, death troopers cutting through the blast doors. The commander adds, "…and we're running out of time."
"Their feelings don't matter," she declares, sensing victory. She swallows and exhales slowly before the burning glow dims in her eyes. "All that matters is their compliance."
"There must be a line that you cannot cross," Major Shin pushes back. "Even you."
"No one will support the Empire," Gary adds, motioning at the hologram. "Not after this; we won't be safe anywhere. The whole galaxy will be gunning for us."
"Even better," Wither assures them. "Their attacks will drive the Imperial forces together for their survival. Unity for survival will evolve into an overriding unification."
The commander admits she's not wrong. Then he switches direction, "What will you say to those with families on Vardos and the other worlds? What will you say to Iona and Gale? Look at that weapon, doctor. Look at it and tell me how we'll respond. Look at it, doctor!"
Wither glares before she studies the images. She frowns, and her blaster dips.
The commander lunges, grabbing her pistol and slamming his head into her face.
Her nose crunches beneath the force of his headbutt simultaneously as pain surges through the stormtrooper. Both fall to their knees; the doctor groans as she holds her nose, and the commander barely remains conscious. He pulls at her blaster, but she resists. So he jerks it free, pushing it behind him as Major Shin appears with his blasters drawn.
"You bwoke my knowzz!" She yells.
"What?" Gary asks flippantly. "You need to speak clearly, articulate, and enunciate."
"I'm going to kill you!" Dr. Wither shrieks.
"See, was that so hard?" Gary asks, laughing.
"Stop taunting her," Major Shin tells Gary.
"You think she means it?"
"Yes," Major shin nods. "Plus, it's tacky."
Black spots dance in the commander's vision. He asks, "Major Shin, do you have any medical training?"
"A little, commander, basic first aid."
"Gary, give Shin the data disks to copy the schematics and grab a medkit from the dead."
Dr. Wither draws the medkit she took from a death trooper, removes a tool, and throws the kit at the commander. Surprised, he catches it with his face, "Ahh!"
"We're running out of time," Major shin reminds them with a glance at the door. Then he switches places with Gary at the console. Gary swiftly gathers the medkit and begins scanning the commander. The scanner flashes several times before the reader beeps and chirps with the data it receives. Gary studies it for a moment.
"Sir, I-I'm not certain what this is saying, but it's all bad."
Dr. Wither finishes repairing her nose with the tool and tosses it to the side. She wipes the blood on her upper lip, smearing it across her cheek. Then she marches to Gary and snatches the reader and scanner out of his hands. The commander struggles to kneel instead of falling over, but he can't help but laugh. Wither glares at him again before she reruns the scan. Her brow furrows, and she clenches her jaw before speaking.
"Sir…your blood pressure is…off the charts. You're correct about the pinched nerve, secondary to cumulative injuries. If you continue like this, you will suffer a major stroke."
"You can rest when you're dead," Gary points out brightly.
"At least I have something to look forward to," the commander chirps.
"That isn't funny," Dr. Wither scolds them. "Sir, you could die!"
"I understand, doctor," the commander groans. "Get me on my feet."
"Yes," she mumbles before she collects herself. "Yes, sir."
"You trust her?" Major Shin inquires from the console.
The commander speaks aloud but turns to look at Wither, "With my life."
"This blasted planet has made us all crazy at one moment or another," Gary adds quietly.
Wither injects the commander once, then twice, but the third time she jabs the hypospray with enough force to make him flinch. He cries out, but she hits him a fourth time before he can get away. He yelps and jerks away, "Ow! You did that on purpose."
"That's correct," Dr. Wither agrees. "The first was bacta, then a blood pressure medication, serotonin for your lack of sleep, and saline. You're dehydrated, sir."
The pressure in his head lightens, and the burning pain in his neck and back calm instantly. They don't disappear, merely become manageable. He no longer feels exhausted beyond his ability to continue without the desperate need or forcibly dragging himself onward. The commander takes a deep breath and exhales before saying sincerely. "Thank you, doctor."
Before packing up the medkit, she studies him a moment, "This is a patch at best, sir. I've bought you time, no more. This provides relief, but it doesn't neutralize the danger."
He stands, his vision blurring with a headrush, but the commander rights himself quickly.
Major Shin says, "I'm at forty percent, but they'll breach that door before I finish."
The commander takes another deep breath to center himself before he orders, "Gary, you're on Major Shin; protect him until you both escape through the air vent. Doctor, cover the air vent. The death troopers will rush us or toss grenades before their assault. Find a good spot to cover our exit because there are no second chances. Shin, open a broadcast on all frequencies. I'll make sure the death troopers follow us."
"Sir," Wither sighs. "Please, don't do this."
"There's no other way," he assures her. "We get ahead of this or get crushed beneath it."
"Yes, sir," Dr. Wither accepts it before sliding off the catwalk to the first floor and taking position near the air shaft.
"I'm ready, commander," Major Shin tells him.
The grand commander removes his camo-poncho, revealing his multitude of wounds and damaged armor since his arrival on Endor. Major Shin stares before looking away, focusing on the console he's operating. The commander stiffens to the position of attention and gives him a nod. Shin clicks a few buttons and motions, indicating he's live.
"I am the Grand Commander. By Admiral Versio's order, I am the senior officer of the Moddel Sector. These aren't easy days, but we choose hardship over ease when we put on these uniforms. What I'm about to tell you will make your lives harder, but proud of your service."
"On Endor, we discovered rogue Imperial forces developed a climate array weapon. We believe this weapon caused the disaster on Vardos and other worlds. This weapon is of limited value and operated in opposition to the New Order and the ethics of the Empire. Therefore, I copied and deleted all files pertaining to it and hold the sole remaining schematics. All forces who hear this broadcast stop the arrays by any means necessary. For the Empire!"
He nods to Shin, who ends the broadcast. The major asks, "Do you think it will work?"
"For my purposes, yes," the commander replies, picking up his poncho and pulling it over his head. "You keep the schematic. They'll focus on me; thinking, killing me and taking the schematic is their only chance of operational success."
"First, we have to escape, sir," Major Shin reminds him.
"You said 'we,'" Gary remarks. "Welcome to the team, major!"
"They're almost through!" Doctor Wither warns.
"Take cover; they'll fire a barrage before they assault." The commander slides off the walkway and takes the central lane, kneeling behind a console. Gary crouches in front of Major Shin, who hides behind the console. The torch completes its circuit, and the door falls inward. Instantly, a salvo of blasterfire flies as grenades land inside the room. Instead of exploding, they puff black/grey smoke obscuring the entry.
The commander switches to auto and unleashes a stream of blasterfire on the doorway.