As promised, the next chapter. I'm dead-set on getting this story posted. Enjoy this one...though enjoy probably isn't the proper word. The story is getting tense, and will only get more so.
"Woah, woah…what do you mean you think you just killed me?!" Drakken demanded. Zala turned away, and buried her face in her hands, breathing heavily. She whimpered.
"Vader knows…" She said, speaking quickly and breathlessly. "He…probably knows like, everything now. He knows you're against the Empire…I don't know, he probably even knows you're planning on bailing. It's my fault…"
"Wh…what did ye do, Zala?!" Freya screamed. "What 'ave ye done?!"
"He choked me and threw me around the office! He threatened to kill me!" She cried out. "He made me spill. I told him you put your morals over your orders. He took the last two files from my surveillance, Drakken! He took 'em before I could cut out all the bad stuff! You're totally dead!"
Drakken felt his heart racing. If Vader knew everything, That meant he didn't have much time. They would have to leave immediately. That is if the evil lord wasn't on his way to the office to kill all of them with his laser sword. If that were the case, was it even possible that they could fight their way out? Did they possibly stand any chance at all against Lord Vader and a legion of stormtroopers? His mind immediately started judging distances and times to the shuttle, and how many troopers could be standing in their way.
"Has he seen the files yet?" He finally asked. Zala shrugged helplessly, her face a picture of pure guilt and terror.
"I don't know!" She answered. "He got the last file himself. Ozzel came and got the one from today. I dunno what…"
"He's not shipboard." Tharcourt interjected. "Vader's out doing whatever black deeds that monster does in his spare time. He probably won't see it until he gets back…" He thought for a moment. "That buys us time. Freya…"
"Aye love?"
"Go tell the troopers to pack the ship with their effects, then they are to stay in our headquarters. I want the hatch secured, the inner blast door shut. Everyone is to stay armed and ready until I say otherwise, and I want it done five minutes ago!"
"Right!" Thorne barked, and ran from the room.
"Drakken…" Zala whimpered. She came up and grabbed him by the front of his tunic. "Like, they're gonna make me kill you. They'll send me to do it, and I can't…you know I can't…" She placed her face against his chest. "When I do, I want you to kill me. Smoke me or I gotta smoke you, or they'll kill me anyway…" She sobbed, and he put his arms around her.
"I'm not going to kill you, kitten." He said softly, rocking the woman gently from side to side. "We're getting out of here. All of us. Come with us, Zala. We'll get you out too."
"No!" She cried, and pushed away from him. "I'm ISB Drakken! Don't you remember Latoure?! They'll send every agent and death squad they have after me till they find me! If I go, they'll hunt me down and kill you too, you idiot!" She fell into his chair. "I can't go with you…I totally want to now, but I can't!" He knelt down in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Zala…" He said sadly. "…Void... I'm sorry I've forced you into this corner…"
"Shut up, Drak!" She screamed. "You ain't got the right to apologize to me after what I did! I should've let him kill me. I should have protected you to the death. That's what you would have done for my self-centered, ruthless ass, but I'm not you. I chose myself, Drakken." She looked him in the eyes. "I ratted you out. I chose myself and the Empire over you and Thorne." Tears rose in her eyes again, and she shook her head. "I wish I was like you."
"Zala…stop." He whispered. "You did what you had to. I don't blame you for what happened. I'm glad you're still alive, even if it means that damned devil knows everything. I'm glad you're safe.
"Why?" She asked defeatedly.
"Because it means that you still have a chance at getting out." Drakken stated. "Not now, but I know you will, kitten. You'll find a way. Get out and go find that happiness you said you wanted." He gave her a friendly smile. "I want that for you." She sobbed a couple more times, then Zala threw her arms around Drakken.
"I love you." She whimpered. "Ohmygosh, I love you, I love you." She squeezed him hard. "I wanted to tell you that. I had to, cause I like, might not get another chance. I love you so frickin much for everything you've done and everything you are, sweetie. If I never see you again, you totally remember that."
"I will." He said. "And you remember kitten…that we're besties, huh?" She gave him a weak smile.
"Really…even after all this?" She asked.
"Psh…totally." Drakken joked. That made Zala laugh a little. "Huh?" She shook her head and wiped her eyes.
"Damn it, Drakken…" She said. "…you always know what to say." She smiled. "I gotta go. Before anyone gets sus. You leave…" She kissed his cheek. "This is goodbye." She stood and straightened her uniform. "Hope to like see you around someday, handsome." Tharcourt nodded.
"I'll be seeing you, kitten." He said with a caring smile on his lips. She sniffed, and made her little hand gesture.
"Rawr."
…...
In the Imperial shuttle Observance, the two pilots glanced at one another nervously. They could palpably feel the chilling anger emanating from the rear of the vessel in waves, like ripples of heat shimmering off of a manifold. Neither dared disturb their passenger. Though they could hear some sort of holovid or holocall playing in the passenger bay, it was not their business. It was his, and the two pilots only concerned themselves with following orders and getting Lord Vader to Mustafar quickly, comfortably and quietly.
In the bay, Vader sat in a meditative position, a recording of security footage from The Executor playing on the screen before him. The Dark Lord of the Sith had already reviewed the files on the disc he had pried from that unstable, philandering ISB Major. Now, he was watching the files Ozzel had sent to his shuttle earlier. He silently and wrathfully watched as the troopers of Tharcourt's unit conduct some sort of funerary ritual aboard his vessel. Vader didn't move, did not utter a word as he heard the cocky Special Forces Commander deliver his treasonous soliloquy. It simply oozed into the Sith Lord's mind, melded with the hatred he felt for the betrayl of the commander, and he felt the man's words through the dark side, probing the speech and feeling out a course of action.
'Kill Him' The force told Vader. 'Make him pay for his transgressions.' Vader continued to meditate. That was the voice of his master inside his head. No, this would have to be handled more cleverly. If the seditious officer was going to be punished, Vader wanted to do so in the most appropriately personal way he could. "His weakness is his attachments. Take them from him, and he will crumble. He will beg for death." That was the true voice of the Dark Side speaking to him. The Dark Lord arose. He turned off the screen with a wave of his hand, then made a holocall to the bridge of his flagship.
"Oh. Lord Vader." It was that schmoozing excuse of an officer Admiral Ozzel. He still had his uses. At least he was loyal.
"Admiral…" Vader began. "I want you to set a course for Limbau, in the Outer Rim."
"That rebel outpost, my lord?" The Admiral asked curiously. "I was going to have the local Governor handle that…"
"You will set a course there now, Admiral." Vader interrupted him with a commanding tone that made Ozzel stand up straighter and gulp. "I want Delta-7 sent there with orders to eliminate every living being in that settlement. It must be clear…all of the rebels there are to be expunged without exception. Do you understand?"
"Ah, yessir…my lord." Ozzel returned. "They are to pacify the settlement completely. Those are the orders, sir." Vader held up a hand.
"There is more." He spoke. "I want a company of the five-oh-first to land after Delta-7, and stay hidden from the unit. Dispatch a wing of TIE fighters to the world, but keep them out of sight. Should Commander Tharcourt fail to follow my orders to the word…in any way…they are to be eliminated. Destroy them all…but leave Commander Tharcourt to me." Admiral Ozzel blanched. His mouth moved silently for a moment, and finally the words began to spill out.
"I…y…yes, My Lord. If the team does not eliminate all of the rebels, they are to be eliminated themselves. I fully understand, My Lord!"
"Good." Lord Vader stated. "See to it, Admiral. And do not fail me." Before Ozzel could render an answer, Vader ended the holocall. He stared vacantly at the dark screen for a moment as he thought of Tharcourt, and the man's love for Lieutenant Thorne. Vader clenched a fist. Such things always created chaos. Such things always worked against the will of the Dark Side. It had with… Vader cleared his mind of these intrusive thoughts. He knelt back down and focused on the malevolent but stabilizing force about him, linking him to the galaxy, to his master. He meditated.
….
"Is the shuttle packed?" Drakken asked as he stood before his unit.
"Everyone has all their things aboard, love." Freya reported. He nodded.
"You pack our things, sweetheart?" She gave him a smile.
"A'course I did. Nicked some caf from the mess 'all too and stashed it for ye."
"Thanks. Alright, I'm going to find out where we're standing right now, if we're all about to be arrested or not. Everybody stay frosty. If we have a little more time, we can provision better and leave in the morning. If it's critical, we can get clearance for a training run and take off ASAP. Questions…comments?"
"I'll kill the transponder as soon as we get clear of the fleet." Ekks offered. "I got a nice bedpan onboard too. I'm gonna stick the tracker in it and jettison it out the airlock. Let some Imps chase that around."
"I uh…I finished getting the bacta tank hooked up." Lago said. "Figured we might need it."
"Thanks son." Drakken returned. "Felian, Gallen, how are we fixed on hardware?"
"We have a good supply of blasters and cells onboard, sir." Felian answered.
"Enough to win a small war." Gallen added.
"Alright. Glitch, jack in and get me a reading. Where are we right now?" Tharcourt ordered. The droid wheeled over to a socket and plugged his scomplink into the port. It spun one way, then the other, then back again.
"Nurr-urrr. Murnurrnur-meenop-nurmurnur-whurnurrrmuhneeep." Their mechanical teammate stated.
"We're still in hyperspace, sir." Lago translated. "Headed for the Outer Rim." Drakken thought on this for a moment.
"That might be a blessing In disguise, men." He said. "The O.R. is a big place with a lot of backwater worlds. If we're gonna run and hide in a hole, that's the hole I'd pick."
"Brrrrrp. Nurnurr…meneenurrmurnur-whurrrrnurnur."
"We…just came out of hyperspace, sir." Lago repeated. Tharcourt inhaled deeply. The moment had come. He was getting ready to speak when the comms panel in the room pinged. Drakken narrowed his eyes as he crossed the commons room. He cautiously pressed the button.
"Commander Tharcourt."
"Drakken…I've been trying to reach you." Piett's voice said. "You're wanted on the bridge. It looks as though you may have a mission."
"Thanks Firmus, I'll be right up." The commander replied. He turned back to the room. "Perfect kriffin' timing, huh? If this is the real deal, then we have our window. If this is a trap…"
"I'm goin' with you." Freya stated. He opened his mouth to speak. "Shut it. We get out together or we don't, you an' me. I'm a goin."
"I'll go too, sir." Felian said. He picked up his E-11. "If things go ballistic, you two might need some backup."
"Alright then." Tharcourt said. "Two's company, three looks like a mutiny. If something goes wrong, Ekks…you get everyone in the shuttle and stick with the plan."
"Will do." The pilot returned. "Be careful, Boss."
"Always." Drakken returned. He looked into the corner of the room to see Daraay sitting at the weapons bench. She turned her head and met eyes with him. He saw a look of weariness on her face. "Meeka…"
"I know, sir." She said. His head dipped slightly, respectfully, and he and his two companions exited the room.
The hatch to the bridge parted open, and Commander Tharcourt stepped inside with all the bearing of someone not at all concerned or afraid of anything. Hands folded calmly behind his back, Drakken had a slight smirk on his face, but his eyes darted to and fro, taking in everything and everyone around him. Freya and Sergeant Felian marched behind him like the security detail of some important Moff. Freya's little blaster was holstered at her right side and Felian carried his E11 carbine at port-arms. No sooner had they entered the bridge than Firmus stepped in front of Drakken, his eyes wide.
"Drakken old man…" He greeted, a hint of anxiousness in his tone. "…wh…why the um…escort?" Tharcourt smiled innocently.
"Oh, no worries, Firmus. Just with my reputation, I was just worried about Rebels on the ship." He said nonchalantly. "Those rats seem to be everywhere these days. Or so I hear." Piett let out a tense breath.
"Commander Tharcourt." Admiral Ozzel greeted, joining them. He noticed Thorne and Felian. "Hm. Quite the entourage…" Firmus cleared his throat.
"He was…concerned about the possibility of…rebels aboard the ship…sir." He stated. Ozzel seemed speechless for a moment, and his jaw shook. He finally waved a hand dismissively.
"Oh balderdash…there could be no rebel agents on this vessel." The Admiral finally returned.
"You're certain of this, sir?" Drakken asked ominously. "They could pop up anywhere. The secessionists are bad enough, but there's no greater threat to the peace and stability of this galaxy than those who would turn their back on the oaths they swore as soldiers…and officers. An Imperial who forgets his oath is no better than the terrorists that killed Tarkin in my book." Ozzel started to speak, then closed his mouth. He finally opened it again.
"Indeed, indeed…traitors are far worse than rebels. I agree." He said. Drakken smiled bitterly.
"Oh I concur, sir." He spoke. "Now, I understand you have a mission for myself and my unit, sir?" Admiral Ozzel gave him a counterfeit smile.
"Yes, commander. We have uncovered a settlement, a veritable city of rebels and their agents. They are operating a…well I would go as far as to say a bed and breakfast for the enemy. They have a refueling station, supply dump, barracks, even a dry goods shop. Can you believe the audacity?" Drakken narrowed his eyes. Already his mind was turning. Something about this didn't seem right.
"An entire city built by the rebels?" He said. "Why would they take a chance like that?" Ozzel shrugged.
"I haven't a clue. But they have done so. We are heading to the system now. Your orders are to go in and destroy the entire settlement. Eliminate every rebel there without exception." The admiral paused for a moment. "These orders come directly from Lord Vader." He stated. "Do you understand?"
"Admiral Ozzel…" Drakken interjected. "What about civilians? If there are civilians there…"
"There are no civilians." Ozzel answered sternly. "Only rebels and their cohorts. Your orders are to eliminate all of them to the man. And don't worry, Commander. We'll have a wing of TIE fighters on standby in orbit in case you run into any strong opposition this time." He cocked his head inquisitively. Drakken didn't miss a beat.
"I only have nine men in my unit, counting myself, sir. If the settlement is as big as you say, shouldn't it be handled by…at least a company of stormtroopers? Backed maybe by a platoon of walkers…"
"Are you disobeying a direct order, Commander?" Ozzel said darkly. "If you are, I am sure Lord Vader will not be pleased." It suddenly hit Drakken. This was the trap. If he refused this dangerous, almost suicidal assignment, Vader would use it as proof of his and his team's treachery and Admiral Ozzel probably had standing orders to execute him in that instance. If he took the orders, they would be up against an unknown quantity of rebel fighters, with the mission parameters of killing them all without discrimination. It would have to be now. They would take the mission, and at some point during the operation, they would make their escape. Drakken smiled.
"Not at all, sir." He stated. "Just clarifying all of the finer points. Knowing exactly what we're getting into and what we're up against is why we're so successful." The portly Admiral smirked.
"Good." He said. "Then ready your team. You will leave tomorrow morning." Tharcourt snapped a salute.
"Sir, I'll be happy to leave tomorrow morning." He returned. "You may give Lord Vader my regards, and assure him that Delta-7 will more than honor our oaths tomorrow."
"I shall, Commander Tharcourt." Ozzel saluted back. "See it done."
"Sir." Drakken barked, dropped his arm and marched across the bridge for the hatch. As he passed by Piett, Tharcourt met eyes with his old friend and mentor, an icy, determined look, and cast him a single stern nod. That one cold gesture found the chink in Firmus' stolid decorum, and for a brief moment, the captain no longer felt like the flag captain of the mightiest vessel in the Imperial fleet. In that moment under his lifelong colleague's reproachful gaze, he felt like the young ensign from Axxila, withering under the stare of a battle-hardened officer he longed to emulate. Firmus balked and lowered his eyes. Tharcourt led his subordinates off the bridge, and the hatch swished shut behind them.
"Captain Piett." Ozzel stated, suddenly standing behind him.
"Sir?"
"You haven't told the Commander about this…mission, have you?" The admiral asked in a low voice.
"No sir. I have not breathed a word of it." Firmus answered. Ozzel frowned.
"Smart man…I think he suspects. Yes…" Ozzel pointed at a lieutenant. "You! Fetch Commander Goethel up here. I need to speak with him." He turned back to Piett. "No matter, Captain. Should Commander Tharcourt prove his disloyalty, Goethel and his company of the five-oh-first will make short work of them all." Piett feigned a satisfied smile and nodded.
"Yessir." He replied. In the back of his mind, Firmus felt like a dog who had just rolled over in submission.
…...
Drakken walked into the commons room and threw his blasters onto the table in the center of the room where Dall's helmet and tags still rested. He leaned heavily on the table, as if a great weight were on his back. The troopers all watched as he stood there motionless for nearly a minute. Then, they all caught the sight of two teardrops falling from their commander's face. They fell upon the tabletop, and the man sniffed once, then with his head still bowed, Tharcourt spoke.
"We leave at dawn." He stated. The room was silent. "We are to assault a rebel settlement on some world…don't know the name…the location…don't care. We're ordered to kill everyone in the settlement." He fell silent again. "I…have spent…twenty years…my adult life…serving the Empire." Freya put her hands on his shoulders, and felt his body trembling under her palms. "I have served, haven't I?" He finally shot his gaze up at his men, and they could see the redness and the moisture in his eyes. "Men…have I done…my duty? Have I…served well?"
"You have, sir." Daraay said sincerely.
"You are the best officer I've ever known, sir." Gallen said.
"I ain't never called anyone else Boss, Boss." Ekks added. "And I don't think I ever will again."
"You've done your duty, and then some. That's what I've seen." Coleth spoke. Mets nodded.
"You troopers…" Drakken paused. He closed his eyes as if wracked with some pain. "You free men and women of this galaxy…have fought harder…and served truer than any soldiers I have ever…known…in my life. I don't kriffin' deserve to be in the same room with beings of your honor and integrity." More tears came, and they fell down his cheeks, landing upon the table and the helmet of their fallen comrade. "My brothers…my sisters…my darling…my friends!" He declared in a louder tone. He picked up his blasters, spun them once and holstered them. "We leave at dawn!"
The next morning, the team busied themselves with loading the ship with provisions and supplies for the mission. When done, they unceremoniously boarded their shuttle and lifted off. Inside, Freya stared out of the small viewport on the bulkhead of the passenger bay at the image of the great ship growing smaller and smaller. She put a hand to the transparasteel and sighed.
"Say wot ye want…" She said softly. "A hame's a hame…no matter how rotten it's treated ye." She sat down on the bench, and Drakken put an arm around her.
"Nah…" He said thoughtfully. "Home's where your people are. Where you're happy." He scoffed sadly. "Never knew that till recently." As Freya hugged him gently, he glanced over at Daraay. "Meeka? You made your decision?" Her black helmet turned toward him slowly.
"No sir…I have not." She answered. "I feel it difficult…It's all I ever knew."
"I know." He said. "Me too."
"We're really doing this…" Mets muttered. "…we're really gonna cut and run, aren't we, sir?"
"Yeah…" Tharcourt sighed. "We are." He thought to himself for a moment. "We'll go in. If it looks too heavy, we'll disengage…shut off the transponder on The Huntsman, and make for Tatooine. There, we'll split up. Lago, you and Gallen will go with Ekks. Freya and I will get a ship, and take the rest of you to wherever you want to go. Lago gave me the name of a guy who sells used ships there, so…thanks." The young stormtrooper smiled.
"No problem, sir." He said. "Just don't let him sell you a pile of junk and call it a ship."
"If I don't know my way around a starship at this point, I never will…" Tharcourt mused. "Mm…we'll divide up the weapons and gear too, if any of you need extra hardware. What do you think?"
"I got what I need." Gallen spoke up. "All three of my blasters are aboard. All I want is those, and a bunch of cells." Drakken nodded his approval.
"I just need what I have on me, sir." Felian said. "I don't plan on keeping most of it either."
"Same here." Coleth huffed. Mets and Lago both voiced their agreement.
"Glitch?" Freya called. "Ye dunnae have a trackin' chip or anything in ye, do ye lad?"
"Murrnurrp nurmurr…" The droid answered blandly. His head spun once, and a panel on his body opened. There was an electronic buzz, and a small metal and plastoid chip shot out and landed on the deck. Glitch rolled forward, and one of his spindly metal arms reached down. A bolt of electricity shot forth, and the chip was burned into a small clump of slag. Glitch made a sound like mechanical laughing.
"Guess yer glad t' be getting loose o' the yoke too, huh?" Freya commented.
"Urnn-Urrr." He sounded. Drakken shook his head.
"Sounded like an 'and how' to me." The commander shrugged. He regarded the droid for a second. "Never knew your kind could actually think for yourselves like you do. I always thought…" He frowned and let out a breath. "Hm. Never mind what I always thought. You're a good man…mechanical…uh soldier, Glitch."
"Burrnurr…murnurmur nermurnenemump." The droid stated. Drakken looked to see Lago giving a comical smirk.
"Dare I ask?"
"He said 'And so the stick has been removed'…sir." Lago translated. Tharcourt set his gaze back on the robot. His lips turned up in a faint smile.
"A man can be wrong." He remarked.
Cloaked and electronically silent, they sat down in a clearing amid the craggy landscape of the world. Hidden safely in the wide valley formed by magnificent reddish-brown walls of rock, they left the ship, Glitch staying with the shuttle as usual. With their normal caution and alertness, the nine warriors began to move through the valley and out onto a rocky, windswept plain. Moving from one stony outcropping to the next, they covered the two kilometers to their objective in twenty minutes. They stopped on a ridge overlooking a small town below.
Set in a small plain of slightly lower elevation, the settlement looked to be about three-hundred meters wide, and two in depth. Comprised of a mixture of stonework buildings, masonry houses, prefab metal units, and even a few tent-like structures, the village looked more like a refugee camp than a military outpost. In the light of a dawning day on the world, the small town looked almost serene. The five people Drakken could see out in the settlement this early looked relatively harmless. He scanned them through his electrobinoculars and decided that unless they were secreting hideout blasters and thermal detonators about underneath their jackets, they were all decidedly unarmed. He grunted and lowered the binos.
"We go in, sir?" Felian asked from beside him. Tharcourt jammed the electrobinoculars into the sergeant's hand. He took a look himself at the target below.
"They're unarmed." Drakken muttered. "Look like civilians." As he spoke, Daraay was scanning the village through her helmet's infrared and bioscanning sensors.
"About thirty sentients…" She reported. "…six…I am sorry sir…" She said irritably.
"What?"
"I have a difficult time reading the difference between animals and children with my scanner. Could be up to six juveniles in the houses. Some animals…no heavy weapon placements.
"Roger that." Felian agreed. "No heavies. I see four X-Wings at the far side of the settlement, but that's it." Drakken took a deep breath. He could feel his heart starting to beat harder.
"I got a real bad feeling about this…" He stated.
"Like it's a trap?!" Freya gasped from behind him.
"It's a kriffin' trap alright." Drakken returned sourly. "For them and us." By now more of the team had gathered around their commander.
"What…like they're gonna kill them and us?!" Lago exclaimed.
"That's probably the plan." Tharcourt growled. Gallen shook his head.
"Nuh-uh." He lamented. "Game over man. We gotta bug out, sir." Tharcourt held up a hand.
"We do and they're all spacedust. We have to warn them, and then get the Hell out of here." He started to stand from his position.
"Sir! What are you doing?" Felian called. Drakken shrugged.
"I'm gonna go down and tell them the Imperials are coming. I don't come back, all of you get out."
"Sir, if they are rebels, they'll kill you before you even get close." Daraay cautioned. Tharcourt sighed in resignation. Somewhere in his mind played a song he had heard once as a teenager. With Gallen's help, he had found It again just a few nights earlier and listened to it again. It was from an opera, a tragedy, and Drakken now thought the words far too appropriate. He looked back at his small knot of troopers and gave a brief, sad smile.
"Circles never stop themselves. Nothing that you've ever held.
Were you promised or reneged, and sometimes when you lose…you win." He recited. Freya recognized the number, and what he meant by it. She stood and walked to his side.
"Then I'm goin' with ye, my angel." She said softly. Together, they slowly walked down the hill, their hands held at shoulder height in a gesture of peace. They made it halfway down before they were spotted. A woman saw them and cried out in alarm. Within moments, six men had emerged from the houses with blasters. The two Imperial officers continued to walk closer.
"Stop right there." One of the men ordered when they were a few meters from the growing mass of people.
"We're friendly." Freya offered.
"Sure you are." The man returned. "I never met a friendly Imp in my life. What are you doing here?"
"Warning you people that you need to leave now." Drakken said. "Imperial forces are on the way. They mean to wipe this town out. You people need to disappear." Several of the rebels lowered their blasters a little, and glanced at each other.
"Yeah? Aren't you Imperial?" The man spat.
"Was." Tharcourt answered. "Not after this day. We're quitting. Deserting. We were sent here to kill all of you, but we're not going to do that. Now I'm not staying to chat. You get your women and kids out of here, and I'm getting my team out before we all end up as a red mist." The man still hadn't lowered his blaster rifle as many of the others had done.
"Y…you think I'm dumb?" The man asked. "What is this…some kind of trap or something?" Drakken scoffed.
"Yep." He remarked. "For both of us. They'll be coming soon, and you better be gone. I'm done playing assassin to Vader. I got better things to do. Think I'll find a better place to die." With that, he turned and started back up the hill. The rebel leader kept his blaster trained on the two imperials for a few moments more, then shakily lowered the weapon.
"Evacuate the town!" He called. "Get the women and children to the caves! Move the comms equipment and food down there too. Hurry!" As Drakken and Freya moved up the embankment, the town became a rush of humanity as all of the residents were alerted to the danger and grabbed whatever belongings they could carry. The rebel looked up at the rocks above and gave a nod to whoever was watching.
Nearby, on another hilltop, something else was watching. A probe droid witnessed the entire parlay, sending the signal to the bridge of The Executor, in orbit over the planet. Admiral Ozzel, Captain Needa and Captain Piett watched the scene, each with their own inner response to the treason playing out before them. Ozzel smirked gladly. He would soon put an end to the treacherous Commander and his unit, and earn the favor of Lord Vader.
Needa, a staunch and straight-laced Imperial, regarded the scene with a stern indifference. His eyebrows upraised, his arms folded behind his back, the young captain seemed more like a judge at a tribunal than a junior naval officer tasked with crewing a ship. Another Imperial officer had defected, and the punishment was straight-forward as always. Death was the penalty of disobeying the Emperor's will, and it would be swift and merciless. And perhaps being part of the firing squad may sway the opinion of his superiors the next time promotions were passed out.
Beside him, Firmus gripped his hands into fists at his side, trying not to betray the emotions he was feeling. His lifelong friend and former protégé had just openly committed treason against the Empire, and something in the back of his head actually screamed that, at least in this singular case, it was warranted. Piett pushed these thoughts away. He knew what was about to happen, and could hardly bring himself to watch. He knew though that if he wavered, if he refused to take part in the execution of his colleague, suspicion would soon fall on him, and it may one day be his head on the chopping block. Firmus took a deep breath and forced himself to witness Drakken's demise.
"Captain Needa, inform the company on the ground to immediately move in on Delta-7 and execute the traitors." Ozzel ordered. "Vader requests that Commander Tharcourt be left alive for interrogation if at all possible. I wouldn't mind terribly though if he were killed in the crossfire, hm?"
"Right away, sir." Needa saluted, and jogged off to issue the order.
"Captain Piett, inform the fighter wing to standby…prepare for destruction of that rebel settlement, and to intercept Delta-7's ship if they try to make it off that rock." The Admiral commanded. Piett threw a shaking hand up in a nervous salute.
"Yes sir." He stated, and rushed to a comms terminal.
Delta-7 walked across the plain, returning to their shuttle for what would hopefully be a quick getaway. Drakken had no idea what would happen to the rebel settlement now, but at least he felt a weight leave his shoulders. He had done all he could to warn them. He felt a hand slide into his, and squeezed it. Beside Drakken, Freya gave a soft chuckle.
"Guess we'll be off on our own right soon, huh?" She commented.
"Yeah…" He breathed. "…still kind of surreal in a way. Never thought I be…"
"Sir!" Daraay called, coming up beside them. "My scanners are picking up an encrypted Imperial signal."
"Where?!" Tharcourt asked tensely.
"Four hundred meters to our East. Likely a probe droid." The Death Trooper replied.
"Damn it…" Drakken cursed. "Gallen! Probe droid. Four-hundred mikes left." The sniper unslung his long-barreled blaster off his shoulder and scanned the ridgetops for a few silent moments.
"Target, sir. It's a probe alright." He placed his index finger on the trigger. "Call it, Commander."
"Take him." No sooner had those words left Drakken's mouth than the marksman's weapon discharged. Three seconds later, they all saw a small puff of smoke and sparks amid some rocks in the distance.
"Hit." Gallen stated.
"That means they know." Tharcourt announced anxiously. He and Freya met eyes, each seeing the fear in the others' "Everybody get to the ship, double time!"
It's truly on now. It's Delta-7 vs. The Empire, and I'm sure you're all on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next. Will they make it out? Is this the final battle of our heroes? I'll have the next chapter up soon, so you won't have to wait long to find out.
Now, a rant: If any of you want an idea of what's going on with me right now, you have to understand where I live. In the state of Kentucky, United States of America, there is a little town called Van Lear. Stay away from this town. Seriously. In the last two days, this one little town of some 1500 people has had multiple overdoses, several break-ins, and a shooting death two blocks down the police are investigating. I'm being openly threatened by someone, and that's all I can say for legal reasons. People here are some of the most wicked, petty, lawless and dangerous people I've ever known, and I've been virtually everywhere humans live. In Star Wars parlance, this place makes Mos Eisley look like a boyscout camp. I live some two hours from the nearest population center, and as I'm an entertainer and showman by trade, I usually have to travel long distances to even work. I have to upgrade my vehicle and trailer sitch to be able to do so, and it's been a pain even trying to get the money to do so, so money is always a problem with me. Nobody in my county will allow my show to perform publicly, as they see the circus as too risque for their christian sensibilities. Oh yeah, and most of this town is built on an ancient Native American and Hopewell burial ground. So yeah, there's that.
This is only the tip of the iceberg of things I'm going through right now. So you can see why I'm in the mental place I am at the moment. I'm stuck in a place I gotta get out of and get my family out of ASAP. In the meantime, I'm going to try to keep up with my writing on here, but after this story, I make no promises. I'm funneling most of my cash and time into the show, and what's left is spent on finding the exit. What I feel for all of my loyal readers out there is indescribable. I cherish you all, and want you to know that if you weren't enjoying my stories, I wouldn't post them. This fic is for you, all of you Star Wars geeks, fanfic nerds and my fans out there. My house is adrift in a chaotic and stormy sea, but I have all of you, and that's something. See you next chapter. -Drake